Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge
Peshawbestown, Michigan
www.casino2win.com
Leelanau Sands is located on Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan. It is wine and cherry country. It is one of the most beautiful areas that I have ever been to. It is not the easiest place to get to. I flew into a small airport in an even smaller plane from Milwaukee and then rented a car and drove two hours. I was there to cover and play in a Heartland Poker Tour event. Would highly recommend this area for a summer vacation.
Amenities
18 table card room
Daily tournaments
81 room hotel
restaurants on site and close by
Close to many attractions
Located on Lake Michigan
In the heart of Michigan wine country
Host to many of Michigans biggest poker tournaments
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Just when you think you have seen it all!
This story comes from Dustin who was running my Saturday night bar game.
Three players in the hand unraised preflop.
Flop is A-10-J.
Player R checks (Dustin sees his hand and he has Q-3)
Player T checks
Player A Folds
Two players left.
Turn is a King.
Player R has a straight but checks. He doesn't know that he has a straight, because there is no way he wouldn't bet it if he knows.
Player T Folds
Player T wins the hand without making a bet and not having to show his hand and still doesn't know that he has a straight. Mucks his cards.
Dustin says out loud " Did that just happen" in which the table replies "Yes"
Both players folded there hands when they could have checked and seen another card.
The interesting part is that player T never folds a hand and is usually the first one out of the tournament and Player R never bets unless he has a big hand, so he didn't know he had a straight.
LOL! Just when you think you have seen it all!
Sorry I missed it.
Three players in the hand unraised preflop.
Flop is A-10-J.
Player R checks (Dustin sees his hand and he has Q-3)
Player T checks
Player A Folds
Two players left.
Turn is a King.
Player R has a straight but checks. He doesn't know that he has a straight, because there is no way he wouldn't bet it if he knows.
Player T Folds
Player T wins the hand without making a bet and not having to show his hand and still doesn't know that he has a straight. Mucks his cards.
Dustin says out loud " Did that just happen" in which the table replies "Yes"
Both players folded there hands when they could have checked and seen another card.
The interesting part is that player T never folds a hand and is usually the first one out of the tournament and Player R never bets unless he has a big hand, so he didn't know he had a straight.
LOL! Just when you think you have seen it all!
Sorry I missed it.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Poker Room # 8
St Croix Casino
Turtle Lake Wisconsin
www.st croixcasino.com
The main reason this poker room makes my list is that it is the closest to me that offers cash game no-limit holdem. MN has a $60 max bet law, so no limit is not an option. This is a very small casino in a very small town just 2 hours east of st cloud. Easily the best part of this casino is the poker room. Have played 1-2 and 2-5 no limit there with great success. Many players drive from the Twin Cities area to play there. The best night to go is Thursday's as they have a nice 50 plus 10 tournament with the best seafood buffet around. They offer all you can eat king crab legs for under twenty dollars. Just remember to get there early as long lines form for this buffet.
Amenities
12 table card room
Unattached hotel with shuttle service
Bad Beat Jackpots
Weekly tournaments
1st monday of the month Women's only tournament
Hot dogs & beverage machine in room
Restrooms in poker room
Seperate smoking room
Turtle Lake Wisconsin
www.st croixcasino.com
The main reason this poker room makes my list is that it is the closest to me that offers cash game no-limit holdem. MN has a $60 max bet law, so no limit is not an option. This is a very small casino in a very small town just 2 hours east of st cloud. Easily the best part of this casino is the poker room. Have played 1-2 and 2-5 no limit there with great success. Many players drive from the Twin Cities area to play there. The best night to go is Thursday's as they have a nice 50 plus 10 tournament with the best seafood buffet around. They offer all you can eat king crab legs for under twenty dollars. Just remember to get there early as long lines form for this buffet.
Amenities
12 table card room
Unattached hotel with shuttle service
Bad Beat Jackpots
Weekly tournaments
1st monday of the month Women's only tournament
Hot dogs & beverage machine in room
Restrooms in poker room
Seperate smoking room
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Poker Room #9
In my number 9 spot is
Grand Casino Hinckley
Royal Oaks Poker Room
www.grandcasinomn.com
This room has been hurt badly by the new card room just 30 minutes to the south, but continues to be a favorite of mine. The new room is very cozy and bar service is available. They have a very nice hotel with a big spa for you or your significant other. It is best to go on a tournament night or on the weekends to get the best range of cash games. Their tournaments tend to run longer blind levels and start with more chips then most of the other MN poker rooms. In the past they have hosted Heartland Poker Tour events, but now are using the MN State Poker Tour for their bigger events. In fact,they have one upcoming in November. Go to www.minnesotastatepokertour.com for more details.
Amenities
Plenty of room between tables
Bad Beat Jackpots
Food & Beverage service
Soda machine in room
Restrooms and smoking room in card room
Points for playing
Hotel with Spa
Live music nightly on site
One of the best steak houses in MN
Grand Casino Hinckley
Royal Oaks Poker Room
www.grandcasinomn.com
This room has been hurt badly by the new card room just 30 minutes to the south, but continues to be a favorite of mine. The new room is very cozy and bar service is available. They have a very nice hotel with a big spa for you or your significant other. It is best to go on a tournament night or on the weekends to get the best range of cash games. Their tournaments tend to run longer blind levels and start with more chips then most of the other MN poker rooms. In the past they have hosted Heartland Poker Tour events, but now are using the MN State Poker Tour for their bigger events. In fact,they have one upcoming in November. Go to www.minnesotastatepokertour.com for more details.
Amenities
Plenty of room between tables
Bad Beat Jackpots
Food & Beverage service
Soda machine in room
Restrooms and smoking room in card room
Points for playing
Hotel with Spa
Live music nightly on site
One of the best steak houses in MN
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Top Ten Poker Room's #10
I could start by talking about tonight's set over set hand or getting my aces cracked , but it's time for my top ten poker room countdown. Now, I will state that to be in the list I have had to play there. I been to many great poker rooms and didn't get a chance to play there, so I am excluding those ones. Here goes!
#10
Northern Lights Casino Walker MN
www.northernlightscasino.com
This poker room has a special place for me. It was the first casino to agree to run state tournaments for the Free Poker Tour that I started back in 2003. At the time we had a state record 436 players that sat down in the same room to compete for cash prizes. It was a fun event. I sold the FPT back in 2006 and it was soon history after that. Back then it was new territory and it was difficult to get a casino to host an event. Now most do it regularly. I have also played a couple of Heartland Poker Tour Events there. Now they are involved with the MN State Poker Tour, but I didn't get a chance to play this event. As far as a poker room goes it is very small with 6 tables. They run tournaments every day of the week, but the cash games are limited most days of the week by player numbers. The summer is a great time to visit as this is a lakes area with many outdoor activities. This poker room may be a little out of the way, but it will be worth the trip to visit. It is located about 2 hours north of me here in St Cloud. It's a great area so check it out!
#10
Northern Lights Casino Walker MN
www.northernlightscasino.com
This poker room has a special place for me. It was the first casino to agree to run state tournaments for the Free Poker Tour that I started back in 2003. At the time we had a state record 436 players that sat down in the same room to compete for cash prizes. It was a fun event. I sold the FPT back in 2006 and it was soon history after that. Back then it was new territory and it was difficult to get a casino to host an event. Now most do it regularly. I have also played a couple of Heartland Poker Tour Events there. Now they are involved with the MN State Poker Tour, but I didn't get a chance to play this event. As far as a poker room goes it is very small with 6 tables. They run tournaments every day of the week, but the cash games are limited most days of the week by player numbers. The summer is a great time to visit as this is a lakes area with many outdoor activities. This poker room may be a little out of the way, but it will be worth the trip to visit. It is located about 2 hours north of me here in St Cloud. It's a great area so check it out!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Slow Play
Earlier this week at one of my bar games I had an interesting thing happen. All the slow players ended up on one table and of course it was mine. A little back round. Starting chips were 7000 and blinds are 20 minutes for the first hour. Starting at 25-50. We take a break at one hour after the 75-150 blind level. At the first break we had played 18 hands not even twice around the table. In the first 11 hands four players had been knocked off the table. How does this happen. It starts with everyone at table limping in no matter what position and then someone makes a nice size raise with a hand and then everyone one that limped has to think about if they should play their junk hand or not. The first player then calls, so as more players call it increases the pot odds and make others call. In the first 18 hands aces were cracked twice and two other time they won, but were only raised preflop once. Of the players knocked out one was intoxicated, one had never played bar poker before and limped in and then made outrageous raises after the flop and one was a good player that got his aces cracked on the river because it was suited! In a strange way it was a fun table. Chips were flying around the table and all you needed was a big hand and you got paid off.
Here are a few Bar Poker etiquette rules.
1. Pay attention! Act when it is your turn. Blinds go quick in bar poker. If you have to be told more then once a time around the table "it's on you" you are not paying attention.
2. If you need time to think. Just say I may need a minute on this hand. This lets people know that you are paying attention and they will not be asking you to act.
3. If you don't know just ask. Some of you bar players are not mathematicians. If you need to know how much you need to call just ask someone will help you.
4. Don't be offended if someone calls clock on you. If you think for more then one minute you are using a substantial amount of time in a 15 minute blind level. Think about it, if every player took about a minute on a ten player table you would only get 1 1/2 hands per blind level.
The moral is be ready when it is your turn to act and if you have to think that hard and long you should have folded a long time ago.
Here are a few Bar Poker etiquette rules.
1. Pay attention! Act when it is your turn. Blinds go quick in bar poker. If you have to be told more then once a time around the table "it's on you" you are not paying attention.
2. If you need time to think. Just say I may need a minute on this hand. This lets people know that you are paying attention and they will not be asking you to act.
3. If you don't know just ask. Some of you bar players are not mathematicians. If you need to know how much you need to call just ask someone will help you.
4. Don't be offended if someone calls clock on you. If you think for more then one minute you are using a substantial amount of time in a 15 minute blind level. Think about it, if every player took about a minute on a ten player table you would only get 1 1/2 hands per blind level.
The moral is be ready when it is your turn to act and if you have to think that hard and long you should have folded a long time ago.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Week in review
Yes, I know it has been a while! The summer brings a busy time of year for me, between the lake, work and running poker it doesn't leave much time for blogging. Here is a quick update.
Have had a great time at the lake the past few weeks with lots of visitors and finally some fish have been caught and eaten. The weather here in MN has been incredible, which means we are due for some bad days. If you would like to see fish photos just go to my facebook page and take a look.
Poker has been very interesting as of late. You would think that in a state like MN my attendance would go down in the summer, but the opposite happens. We get more people. More people mean more stories! LOL! I have run several games over the past 5 days and there is much to talk about.
Last Friday night. Sat down at my table and commented. "Wow this is quite a table!" In the first hour I had an incredible run of cards. Aces, kings, queens, jacks, AK, AQ and many small pocket pairs. Started with 5000 in chips and at break had 1200. It started with the jacks. I raised fairly big and got one call flop was all unders. Made a bigger bet and was reraised. After much thought, I folded and showed my jacks. Player turned over kings. Good lay down. Later I have kings and raise big again. One caller flop is 10-9-3 rainbow. I make a big bet and get reraised big. I fold and show my kings. He shows pocket 10's for a set. Another good lay down. You get the idea. Anyway, I come back from the 1200 to make final table and finish 5.
Saturday. Get to table and am sitting next to my friend Fitzwell. I say "Wow, this table is worst then last night." We have two players that play every hand even to a raise and two limper's no matter how big of a hand they have. It is almost impossible to put someone on a hand. I raise with AK and get 5 callers. Flop is A-10-7. I beg and get one callers. I bet the turn bigger, her calls. Flop pairs board. Both check and he has a set of sevens. This player then goes on a rush and takes several players out. At 1st break he has over 50,000 in chips. He continues to play every hand and doesn't make it to next break. I am out just after the next break.
Sunday. I play very well and make final table. I am short stacked with the blinds at 4000-8000. I am small blind for 4000 with 4 more back. I need to move all in. Button moves all in, so I have a chance to triple up. I call with 6-7 of clubs. BB folds. Flop is 4C-3C-5C. Yes, I just flopped a straight flush on my forced all in. I triple up, but still end up 4th.
Tuesday. I have a very reasonable table with Fitzwell on my left again. I limp in with 5-8 offsuit. Flop comes 6-7-9. I make a big bet because of a flush draw. One caller and he is a terrible player that could have anything. Turn is a 7. I bet again and he reraises me. Now, he is a person that almost never raises so I am a little leery, but I call. Turn is an 8, no flush possible. He bets 1500. I have him on a set and call and hope he doesn't have full house. I turn over my straight. He turns over his Q-10 off for a bigger straight. Really! Really! you called me all the way with a gut shot and worst yet, you reraised me on the turn with nothing. Now I can understand if it was a person that has some poker knowledge, but on most weeks this guys is one of the first ones out. I am all in a few hands later with my remaining few chips and it is an early exit for me. Guy that won all my chips and was a big table chips leader was gone in the next three blind levels.
Congrats to Fitzwell for taking down both the Sunday and Tuesday games. It must be time for a Casino run!
I am going to try something different for my next few blogs and am going to list my top ten favorite card rooms and give a little incite into them.
All right maybe it wasn't a quick update! See you next time!
Have had a great time at the lake the past few weeks with lots of visitors and finally some fish have been caught and eaten. The weather here in MN has been incredible, which means we are due for some bad days. If you would like to see fish photos just go to my facebook page and take a look.
Poker has been very interesting as of late. You would think that in a state like MN my attendance would go down in the summer, but the opposite happens. We get more people. More people mean more stories! LOL! I have run several games over the past 5 days and there is much to talk about.
Last Friday night. Sat down at my table and commented. "Wow this is quite a table!" In the first hour I had an incredible run of cards. Aces, kings, queens, jacks, AK, AQ and many small pocket pairs. Started with 5000 in chips and at break had 1200. It started with the jacks. I raised fairly big and got one call flop was all unders. Made a bigger bet and was reraised. After much thought, I folded and showed my jacks. Player turned over kings. Good lay down. Later I have kings and raise big again. One caller flop is 10-9-3 rainbow. I make a big bet and get reraised big. I fold and show my kings. He shows pocket 10's for a set. Another good lay down. You get the idea. Anyway, I come back from the 1200 to make final table and finish 5.
Saturday. Get to table and am sitting next to my friend Fitzwell. I say "Wow, this table is worst then last night." We have two players that play every hand even to a raise and two limper's no matter how big of a hand they have. It is almost impossible to put someone on a hand. I raise with AK and get 5 callers. Flop is A-10-7. I beg and get one callers. I bet the turn bigger, her calls. Flop pairs board. Both check and he has a set of sevens. This player then goes on a rush and takes several players out. At 1st break he has over 50,000 in chips. He continues to play every hand and doesn't make it to next break. I am out just after the next break.
Sunday. I play very well and make final table. I am short stacked with the blinds at 4000-8000. I am small blind for 4000 with 4 more back. I need to move all in. Button moves all in, so I have a chance to triple up. I call with 6-7 of clubs. BB folds. Flop is 4C-3C-5C. Yes, I just flopped a straight flush on my forced all in. I triple up, but still end up 4th.
Tuesday. I have a very reasonable table with Fitzwell on my left again. I limp in with 5-8 offsuit. Flop comes 6-7-9. I make a big bet because of a flush draw. One caller and he is a terrible player that could have anything. Turn is a 7. I bet again and he reraises me. Now, he is a person that almost never raises so I am a little leery, but I call. Turn is an 8, no flush possible. He bets 1500. I have him on a set and call and hope he doesn't have full house. I turn over my straight. He turns over his Q-10 off for a bigger straight. Really! Really! you called me all the way with a gut shot and worst yet, you reraised me on the turn with nothing. Now I can understand if it was a person that has some poker knowledge, but on most weeks this guys is one of the first ones out. I am all in a few hands later with my remaining few chips and it is an early exit for me. Guy that won all my chips and was a big table chips leader was gone in the next three blind levels.
Congrats to Fitzwell for taking down both the Sunday and Tuesday games. It must be time for a Casino run!
I am going to try something different for my next few blogs and am going to list my top ten favorite card rooms and give a little incite into them.
All right maybe it wasn't a quick update! See you next time!
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