Poker Room #4

Rio Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas NV
www.riolasvegas.com

All I really need to say is World Series of Poker! This is where it all happens. If you have never been, go just to take in the sights and sounds of a WSOP event. The room is a buzz and you are able to get up close and personal with the pros and celebrities. Just don't bother them while they are playing. They have it all great cash games and lots of tournaments. Dealers are world class and tournaments well run.
The Rio is an all suit Hotel with 4 star rooms and world class restaurants including the best all you can eat seafood buffet in Vegas.The Rio really does have it all.

Amenities
3 daily tournaments
World Series of Poker Home
Free show in the casino
Great Hotel
Seafood Buffet
Vince Neal Ink on site
Lots of poker promos

2010 WSOP

I started watching the first night of 2010 WSOP late last night after my poker game ended. It was the 50k Players Championship which is a mixed game event, but watching the final 8 you would never know that it was not No Limit Holdem. They played the whole final table in Holdem. I assume that they do that for TV, but how can you have a tournament that was played the whole way in a mixed game format finish in only no limit. I am guessing that most of the chip stacks on that final table were won when playing the games other then no limit. I love to play HORSE and don't get to play very often, but when I do most of the time I win most of my chips playing the Stud games as not that many younger players have experience playing stud especially Razz. Come on ESPN we get lots of chances to watch great players playing holdem. Let us see them play the other games too!

Playing tired

I have been working a lot as of late between running tournaments and working my other job. I am sure that the pros deal with this all the time. How to play when you are tired. I suppose that most just down an energy drink or 5 hour energy shot, but I have never been one to use that stuff. Patience is the key when you are tired. Play less hands and take your time when you do to make sure you are using your correct judgement.

It was an early night for me tonight at my Tuesday game. I blame part on being tired and the rest on the current streak that I am in of getting top 10-20 hands and raising and then getting out flopped. First hand tonight I am big blind with 10-8 suited blinds are 25-50. Mid position player raises to 125. I put him on a mid to small pair. I decide to call with one other player to my left. Flop is K-10-3 rainbow. I check and so does player to my left. Raiser makes a 250 continuation bet. I forget about player behind me and think I have best hand and call. Player to my left raises 250 more. Initial bettor folds. I fold. Player shows a King. I laugh and say you didn't need to show we knew what you had. Next hand I am in small blind with QQ. Several limper's to me. I raise to 300. Same guy to my left raises to 1200. It's a big raise. I am thinking he must have a big pair but am I bigger. Flop is all under 9-7-6. I check he bets 1200 again. I call again. turn is a 10 making a straight possible so I bet out 1600 and see where I am at. He moves all in. I look at him and say " you don't believe that I have pocket 8's". I say I will fold to your aces and muck. He turns over aces. I have now lost 3/4 of my stack in two hands. Two hands later I have pocket j's and move all in and take down the blinds. Yea, a moral victory. Next hand I have A-9. I Limp in. Flop is A-6-7 rainbow. I bet 300 and get one caller. Turn is a ten. I bet 500. He calls. River is a ten. I bet 500 he reraises me all in. I only have a thousand left and am pot committed. I call. He turns over 10-8 off suit and I am done. to another runner runner hand.

Moral to the story. Get more sleep if you want to play better poker. I should not have bet out the 1600 and I should have moved all in after the flop and the last hand. Oh well better luck next time and even better 4 days weekend at the lake to get me out of this poker streak!

Poker Room #5

Sorry it has been a while. Got a new puppy and it reminds me of having babies again taking up all my spare time.

Rivers Edge Poker Room
Grand Casino Milacs
Garrison MN
www.grandcasinomn.com

This is the closest card room to my home. It makes the list because it is where I end up playing the most. they run tournaments every day with two on week days. This is a great room for playing tournaments. the buy ins are reasonable and the play is predictable. I won several tournaments there. Their staff is some of the best in MN.
Tuesdays at noon they have a 50 plus 10 freeze out that can get up to 80 players for it. The best to play are the Friday night or Sunday afternoon with a higher buy in and better play. It is not the best poker room for cash games during the week as tables are limited and play is suspect so stick to tournaments. The casino is located close to Lake Milacs one of the best walleye lakes in the world and has fishing launches from Eddy's Resort. Milcas is an alcohol free casino that can be both good and bad.

Amenities
8 table poker room
Daily tournaments
Poker room next to restaurant and close to hotel.
Bathroom and soda located near.
Bad beat jackpots
Hotel has great rooms and you can get a poker room discount.
Great steak house on site
Near great resorts and fishing

First Hand of Tournament

It is the first hand of Tuesdays bar game and as always I am sitting in big blind position. I do this as it is close to check in table. If you have played cards with me you know that I hate when everyone limps in on BB. As usual there are 6 of 9 players in when it gets to me. I have pocket kings and blinds are 25-50. I raise to 550. Button and small blind call. Flop is Q-5-Q. Great! Checked to me. I make a 600 continuation bet. Button calls. I figure I am dead. Turn is a blank. He checks. I know I should check, but decide to fire another 600 just in case he doesn't have a queen. River is another blank. He bets out 600 a fairly small bet compared to the pot. Now I know I am beat, but it is such a small bet I call anyway and turn over my kings. He says I got a queen and goes to turn his cards over and while he was dealing he had pushed his cards into the muck. I know it is a bad way to win a pot, but I have been there and done that and if he had protected his cards he would have won a nice pot.

Moral of the story. Always cap your cards especially when you are dealing for yourself in bar poker.

I made a nice run and made final table, but as usual had no luck once there.
I am heading to lake for a 4 day weekend, so see you all next week!

Poker Boredom

I think we all go through stretches of time when we become bored with things in life. I have been now running bar poker tournaments for over 8 years and could run one in my sleep. I have met many great people from different back rounds that have become my friends that I would never have had the chance to otherwise. I have owned a poker magazine and an online gaming site. I have met many poker celebrates. I have played in many big poker tournaments. I believe that I have a wealth of knowledge about poker and the people that play. I have blogged about all the interesting and weird things that happen in bar poker games. I have written a beginning of a book about bar poker. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed all that poker has brought to me from a night sitting on the couch watching the World Poker Tour with my family wondering if there was a bar promotion somewhere in the poker craze. I feel as if I am going through the motions when I play in my bar poker games. I find myself playing more hands and bluffing more just to see if I can get away with it. I am making after the flop calls that make no sense just to see if I can get lucky. I know that it isn't good for the my overall poker game. I blame it on boredom of playing poker with the same people week after week. People that I like or people that I don't it really doesn't matter. The answer is I need to go and play more poker at casinos or card rooms, but that takes time and money. It also doesn't help that I live a long way from any casino or card room. I have noticed that my tolerance for people has been shortening. For this I apologize and will try and improve on it. I am wondering if poker pros go through this same type of thing. I am sure they do, but wonder more on how they deal with it. I suppose some use drugs and alcohol or even go to therapy. None of those are an option for me. I guess I will just keep at it and hopfully play my way through this.

Have a great 4th of July weekend!

Poker Room #6

Bally's
Las Vegas NV
www.ballyslasvegas.com

This is not the biggest or the fanciest poker room in Las Vegas, but I find it very comfortable. It is located mid casino and right next to the bar, so you always get great bar service. Bally's is part of the Harrahs Casino group, so dealers have lots of WSOP experience. They run daily tournaments at 11am and Mon-Thurs @ 6pm. My favorite is the 1-2 no limit table. It is a nice mix of locals and tourists. It is my favorite place to stay and play spot. I have fared very well over the years in the cash game department. If you are there make sure to go back to the Tequila Bar and try the millionaire margarita made with 100 year old Grand Marnier. It is the best I have ever had!

Amenities
Great Location on the strip close to everything
Nice hotel
Excellent food and beverage
10 poker tables
Rated one of the best small rooms in Vegas by allvegaspoker.com
Connected to the Paris