Continued from page 1 - Poker Player Newspaper

Transcription

Wildhorse Casino PAGE
Spring Poker
Round-Up
18
Kathy Liebert PAGE
PLAYER PROFILE
by Phil Hevener
35
PAGE
Entertainment
Best Bets
38
POKER PLAYER
Vol. 8 Number 20 April 18, 2005 A Gambling Times Publication www.pokerplayernewspaper.com Copyright ©2005 Bi-Weekly $3.95 USA/$4.95 CANADA
L.A. Covered in Canadian Doug
Lee
Wins
GREEN
Rio WSOP
Circuit
The rainiest season in Los Angelesʼ recorded history has greened the region everywhere. No place
was, however, as green as the tables at the Bicycle
Casino in Bell Gardens, California as record
purses were paid in the Bikeʼs annual Winninʼ Oʼ
the Green tournament held in conjunction with
the St. Patrickʼs holiday season. Taking top honors
in the No Limit Hold ʻem Championship event was
Jean-Robert Bellande, a resident of Los Angeles. All
of the players at the final
Jean-Robert Bellande
table were residents of
takes $148,000 in championship
the greater Los Angeles
holdʼem event
area. This story covers the final events of this
tournament. The prior events
were covered in the last two
(Continued on page 9)
PartyPoker Million IV
Makes Two Millionaires
With a whopping
$7,430,000 prize pool,
the annual Party Poker
Million cruise, run by
Card Player Cruises,
delivered two new poker
millionaires with first
place going to Maciek
Gracz of Raleigh, North
Carolina ($1,500,000)
and second place finisher David Minto of
Alamogordo, New Mexico
taking home an even million. The winner also won
a $25,000 seat for the WPT
Two new millionaires: first place winner Maciek Gracz
(left) and runner-up
David Minto (right)
By Nolan Dalla
Most poker players donʼt
have ʻluckyʼ numbers. But
if Doug Lee had a lucky
number, it would definitely
be TEN. Consider the
hand that took place on
Day Two of the $10,000
buy-in championship event
on the Rio Las Vegasʼ
World Series of Poker
A Word from the
“Mad Genius,”
Mike Caro
Today’s word is...
“ANYWAY”
Turn to page 4 for more
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APRIL 18, 2005
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Caro’s Word: “ANYWAY”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
I was at a tournament
in Reno last week and a
young player approached
me. He said, “I read you in
Poker Player, and it seems
like youʼre always able to
make rational decisions.
Donʼt you ever get caught
up in the action? Do you
ever think youʼre beat, but
call anyway?”
I told him, of course,
sometimes youʼll think
youʼre beat, but you
call anyway. But it isnʼt
because youʼre caught up
in the action. At least it
shouldnʼt be for that reason. Sometimes you think
you only have a small
chance of winning, but
the pot is so big relative
to the size of the bet that
you donʼt need to believe
youʼre going to win this
time. You only need to
believe that if you make the
same call over and over,
forever and ever, that youʼll
win enough times so youʼll
show an overall profit on
the pots that you do win.
A great truth and
beyond
But, then I went way
beyond that explanation
and provided him with a
great truth: In limit poker
games on the last betting
round, you should usually
call anyway, even though
you think youʼre beat! Only
when the odds against you
winning are extreme should
you fold.”
Hereʼs the text of an
audio lecture I delivered a
few years ago...
Calling when you’re
probably beat
The following words echo
in my mind, haunting, forever near me. The words
are “throw it away, heʼs
probably got you beat.”
There arenʼt many words
you remember verbatim
after 45 years, but I remember those. I was 12 years
old, playing poker at my
Uncle Bobʼs house.
There was over two dollars in the pot. Oh, donʼt
laugh, I was a 12 year old
kid and it was 1957, and
two dollars meant something to me. Uncle Bobʼs
next-door neighbor made
a 25-cent bet. That was
the maximum-sized bet
allowed—a true quarterlimit game.
Uncle Bob had just come
back from the refrigerator
and leaned over my shoulder. He looked at my two
pair, impressing me with
his wisdom acquired over
years of playing poker, and
he uttered those words:
“throw it away, heʼs probably got you beat.”
So, I threw it away and
the neighbor took the pot.
He was gracious enough to
show his hand—queens-up.
Fortunately, Iʼd folded just
jacks-up, so I would have
lost another quarter had I
called. But, thatʼs not the
point. I probably should
have called.
Now Iʼm going to teach
you a way to focus in
poker that will save you a
lot of money, because – if
your temperament is like
most players – you probably have a tendency to
want to get involved in too
many pots, But, strangely,
if youʼre a serious player
who is trying to be rational
in making decisions later
on in the hand, youʼre in
danger of being too smart
for your own good, throwing away hands when you
really shouldnʼt.
Reasons to fold
And that scenario is so
typical of people trying to
play poker seriously, itʼs
almost an epidemic. They
enter pots a little more
liberally than they believe
they should, because they
donʼt want to be labeled
as rocks and because they
unconsciously just plain
like the action. And sometimes thatʼs OK. But once
involved in a pot, especially in the late stages, theyʼre
looking for reasons to fold,
because they take great
pride in not paying off
weaker foes who bet. And
by folding, theyʼre usually
right, and often they get to
see the proof shown down.
And this rewards them psychologically and reinforces
in their minds the notion
that they did the right thing
by folding.
But, often they didnʼt.
The point is, youʼre supposed to lose most of the
time when you call. If
youʼre calling and winning
most of the time, youʼre
actually costing yourself a
whole lot of money. How
come? Well, if youʼre winning most of the time that
you call on the river in
a limit poker game, that
probably means that times
when you would have
had one chance in five of
winning, you folded. You
would have been a four-toone underdog, so you threw
your hand away. But most
of those times, the pot was
laying you much more than
four-to-one on the call. And
by folding, even though
it usually turned out right
that time, you cost yourself
a great deal of money, on
average.
Suppose the pot is
$1,000 and it costs you
$100 to call and you have
one chance in five of winning. That means, over
time, youʼre going to lose
$100 four times for each
one time you win $1,000.
Thatʼs $400 lost, $1,000
won and, so, a $600 profit
on five calls. Thatʼs a cool
$125 profit, on average,
each time you call—even
though youʼre probably
going to feel smug if you
fold, because youʼll usually
be right. Youʼve just got
to call a single opponent
very often on the last betting round when the pot
is big, even though youʼre
likely to lose. Not always,
of course, but more often
than many serious players do. They tend to think
themselves out of the pot,
for fear of paying off a
weak foe and looking bad.
But theyʼre not just thinking themselves out of pots,
theyʼre thinking themselves
out of profit.
Get used to it
The secret is to fold only
when the evidence is overwhelming that you donʼt
have a chance of winning
commensurate with the pot
size. And that means, one
on one on the last round
of betting, you will call
most of the time and lose
most of the time. Get used
4
APRIL 18, 2005
POKER PLAYER
A Gambling Times Publication
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Wendeen H. Eolis
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
Phil Hevener
CONSULTANT
Contributing
Columnists
Nolan Dalla
George Epstein
“Oklahoma Johnny” Hale
Ashley Adams
Susie Isaacs
Diane McHaffie
James McKenna
I. Nelson Rose
Nic Szeremeta
Rich Wilens
John Vorhaus
Ernie Kaufman, Sports
Poker Player will be published Bi-Weekly
by Gambling Times Incorporated,
Stanley R. Sludikoff, President.
Volume 8 Number 21.
Copyright © April 2005 by Gambling
Times Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without
written permission is prohibited.
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Distribution to newsstands, card clubs, poker rooms and
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Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and Europe.
APRIL 18, 2005
5
Direct from the Poker Table
CHIP CHATTEr
By SUSIE ISAACS
Some of the craziest and most outrageous
things are said or happen in a game of
poker. The following is a list of some of my favorites:
1. Amarillo Slim Preston has been quoted as saying “If
a woman ever wins the main event of the World Series
of Poker, I’ll cut my own throat.” I approached him a few
years back and asked him if he really said that. He claims
he stated, “If a woman ever wins the World Series, I’ll eat
my boot.” As a female contender for this title, I hope to
hand him a knife and folk on that fateful day.
2. In 1983 at the World Series of Poker a dealer was
shuffling the deck. A card flipped up, way up, and it
never came down. The deck was counted and one card
was missing. That card was the ace of spades. All those
who were paying attention were baffled. The action was
stopped. The table, chairs and floor were searched. A
new deck was brought in. Fifteen minutes later, a player
reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette. Out came
his pack of cigarettes, his lighter and the ace of spades!
3. After a drunk had asked Dan A. to step outside to
settle a dispute, Dan A. explained, “The way we fight
in the poker world is; I throw money at my lawyer, you
throw money at your lawyer and whoever yells chicken
first, wins. And of course, the lawyers always win!”
4. “The next best thing to playing poker and winning is
playing poker and losing,” Johnny Moss.
5. I have often told the story of the origination of
the term, “The Nuts.” I have even done it on camera
(Ultimatebet finals, 2003.) Each time, without exception I have not given credit where credit is due. Binion’s
poker dealer Richard Tennenbaum told me the story
many years ago. I want to publicly thank him for this bit
of poker jargon history and also publicly give him credit.
(Maybe he will stop bugging me now.) Richard’s story
goes like this, “Back in the old west you have heard
about gamblers betting the ranch by putting the deed in
the pot. They also bet their wagon and team of horses.
They couldn’t physically put their ranch on the poker
table and they couldn’t put their horses and wagon in
the pot. So, if they had a huge hand but they were out
of money, they could bet their horses and wagon by putting the nuts from the wagon wheels in the pot, in lieu of
cash. This assured that if they had the second best hand
and lost, they couldn’t take off, as their wheels would
fall off. So, more often than not, they only bet the “nuts”
with the best hand!
Did I mention that this is Richard Tennenbaum’s story?
6. Whether it’s an urban legend or a true story I do
not know, but Gary Gallerie claims it’s true. Bill Gates
was in Las Vegas playing his usual low-limit game of
hold’em. Doyle Brunson was in Las Vegas playing his
usual high-limit game of hold’em. Gates sent a note to
Brunson asking for an autograph. Brunson sent a note
back to Gates inviting him to join their game and asking
him for his autograph. Gates sent a note back to Brunson
stating that he had considered stepping up in limits. He
suggested Brunson change their $2,000-$4,000 game
to one and two billion and then he would join the higher
limit game and they could exchange autographs.
7. The flop came 5-K-J. When the novice called the
pro’s all-in bet with a king-8 off-suit, he caught an eight
on the river to beat the pro’s big slick. The novice said, “I
just knew you had a bigger kicker than me or a set.” To
which the pro politely responded, “Good thing you didn’t
listen to yourself.”
Susie Isaacs has written about poker and poker
players since 1985. She is the first woman to win
back-to-back titles at the World Series of Poker.
Her latest venture is a line of “Designer Gaming
Jewelry.” Visit www.susieisaacs.com.
6
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APRIL 18, 2005
7
Soccer Poker
POwer POKER PSYCHOLOGY
By JAMES A. M C KENNA, P H D.
Very often poker turns into a game of soccer.
This happens when the player with the bigger
kicker wins. When players learn their lessons from watching
a tournament on TV, they see players coming in with one high
card and a small unsuited card. Often players in these tournaments will play small suited cards. Of course, you and I know
that the reasons these veteran players stay in with these
“Soccer Hands” is due to the fact that they already have a ten
thousand dollar ante and the blinds are as much as $50,000
and $100,000. So, the pot odds make it worth their chase.
However, when there are no pot odds and players routinely
play these “Soccer Hands,” the better kicker wins more often.
Also, the players with this loose play will end up being kicked.
In real life, we call people like this “Kick Me” players. Their
payoffs are getting kicked and feeling like victims. First of all,
if you are a Kick Me player, you will play cards the same way
and end up losing and feeling bad. So, let’s look at the game
of Kick Me and see what your real playing agenda might be.
Psychological games are played to collect a favorite lousy or
righteous feeling at the end. In order to play, you need the
corresponding gamer who is there to prove you are worst than
he or she is. So, the game plan will call for a Kick Me player
finding a Corner Player. That’s someone who likes to catch
people making mistakes.
Here’re some questions to ask yourself to determine how
much of a Kick Me player you are and how much you invite
people to Corner you:
1) What keeps happening to you over and over that you
don’t really want to happen? Example: “I keep coming in
with second best hands and feel it’s not fair.”
2) How do you get started? Example: “I play a lot of what
they call ‘No fold ‘em Hold ’em.’”
3) And then what happens? Example: “I end up playing
‘head to head’ having top pair with a little kicker.”
4) What are you trying to say to the other players?
Example: “Get out! Please! Don’t you know I’ve got top
pair?”
5) And then what happens? Example: The other player is
calling every bet and letting me build the pot.
6) What are the other players trying to say to you?
Example: “I don’t have two pair and my kicker isn’t very
high.”
7) How does it usually end? Example: “I’m beat by a larger kicker or two pairs.”
8) What are you and the other players ending up feeling
most of the time? Example: “I end up feeling surprised and
with second best hand, I feel trapped and want to go hide
someplace. The otherplayer is gloating and probably wondering what kept me in so long.”
Poker can be used to play psychological games and end
up feeling bad. What is the feeling you most often bring from
playing. Regardless of how much you won or lost, are you
feeling depressed, elated, disappointed, pleased, or just plain
glad you found a game? Some people simply enjoy the game
and the comradery. Poker can be a currency to buy you good
feelings or bad ones. What do you seem to be buying when
you play hands that have a good chance of being second best?
What are you shopping for at the poker table when you find
some great bargains and are saving a lot of money?
If you want to change what is happening to you over and
over, change the first question above to “What good things
keep happening to me over and over?” Learn what you do
when you are using poker to buy good feelings.
James A. McKenna, PhD., has been a practicing individual
and group therapist for over thirty-five years. His knowledge of human behavior combined with over thirty years of
gaming experience gives him a unique perspective on the
psychology of the gamer. His book, “Beyond Tells-Power
Poker Psychology,” will be published soon by Gambling
Times. Write to him at jim@JimMckenna-phd.com.
8
APRIL 18, 2005
Sam Mudaro, BA, MBA, is a practicing tax
accountant and financial executive originally
from New York with over 35 years of analytical business expertise. He and his wife Eva
are nine-year Las Vegas residents. Sam uses
simulation software to analyze and develop
strategies for Omaha Hi/Lo and other forms of
poker. Reach Sam at: realguru2003@yahoo.com.
T
his week I examine
the kinds of hands that
win when a flop consisting
of connected cards hits the
board. I will look at low
connectors such as A-2-3,
middle connectors 7-8-9
and high connectors AK-Q. I will also exam- Type
ine the effect of triple
A-2-3
suited (TS), double
suited (DS) and nonsuited (NS) flops and
2-3-4
their effect on winning
high only, low only
and scooped pots.
For this analysis I ran
each of the flops through
2,000,000 simulations and
took an average from all
ten players to eliminate the
effect of playing style. The
Win Percents represent
how often you will see
someone win with a high
only, low only or scoop
with the particular flop. In
other words given a flop of
A-2-3 you will see the pot
Sam Mudaro is the...
Connector Flops
When you scoop the pot
you win both the high and
low all by yourself without
having to split. Here we
can see the less suited the
flop, the more we scoop.
That may sound a little
Win Percents
strange at first. When
Suit High
Low Scoop
the flop comes rainbow,
TS 24.0% 23.5% 35.0%
the chances of making
DS 23.4% 22.8% 37.5%
a flush are less. This
NS 22.9% 22.2% 38.9%
translates into winning
TS 28.2% 28.1% 31.1%
more hands with your
DS 26.6% 26.5% 35.3% low straight. You will
NS 25.3% 25.2% 38.0% lose less often to a flush
or higher flush. This is furscooped 35% of the time.
ther exemplified by looking
Lets take a look at the
at the high only pots. With
two low flops first.
more of a suit out there the
One measure of how
more likely a flush will be
effective a hand is lies in
made.
its ability to scoop a pot.
the lows donʼt get there the
the low. Now look at the
Turning our attention to
scoop column. The percent- high has a better chance of
the high connectors, the
scooping. All the figures
effect on the high
Win Percents
for the J-T-9 are lower
only pots is just the
Type Suit High
Low Scoop
in the high only column
opposite. As more of a
A-K-Q TS
6.8%
3.7% 46.3%
then those for the A-Ksuit hits the flop your
DS 10.3% 5.8% 55.2%
Q, except for the scoop
chance of winning the
NS 10.9% 5.7% 55.0%
column. Remember, there
high only decreases.
This may sound bad at K-Q-J TS 4.6% 0.0% 59.9% is always a high. As this
DS 9.5%
0.0% 53.8% flop develops you will
first but it is actually
NS
11.9%
0.0% 47.4% usually see check, check
a good thing! Here
J-T-9
TS
2.0%
0.0% 57.4% around the table. Here is
is whatʼs happening.
DS 4.3%
0.0% 61.1% a tip. The first person to
There are less low only
NS
5.4%
0.0% 57.0% bet usually wins the pot.
winners. It must come
The reasons for this are fodages have gone up substanrunner, runner low and no
der for another article.
tially over the A-2-3. When
Ace to even have a shot at
Moving on to the middle
connectors. When you see
a flop like this it may
help both low and
Type
high players alike.
6-7-8
Somebody holding
A-2 would love the
first hand here. If you
happen to be fortunate 7-8-9
enough to be holding
something like A-2-34, you are guaranteed 8-9-T
a piece of the pot.
There are very few
guarantees in Omaha H/L.
On the other hand if you
are holding 9-T-J-Q you
have a lock on the nut high
straight but not the pot. Yes
there is an exception if you
are holding the aforementioned cards and they happen to be of the same suit
and the flop is 6-7-8 of the
same suit you have a lock
on the high. In fact you
will scoop the high. Other
than the straight flush you
get the low only side less
that 3⁄4 of a percent.
So what have we
Win Percents
learned? If you are
Suit High
Low Scoop
looking at a flop of conTS 31.2% 34.2% 25.7%
nectors, the higher the
DS 36.8% 36.7% 20.6%
connectors the more
NS 37.3% 37.2% 19.5%
likely the pot will be
TS 24.6% 24.2% 34.1% scooped. The lower the
DS 27.7% 26.7% 35.2% connectors the least
NS 28.6% 27.4% 33.6% likely the pot will be
TS 6.2%
5.0%
48.7% scooped. High hands
DS 9.3%
7.0%
52.6% have a greater propensity
NS 9.6%
6.7%
49.2% to scoop. Next time I
will take a look at which
the connectors increase so
high hands win with these
does your scoop potential.
Conversely your High only flops.
potential decreases and
well as your low potential.
If you take the percentages provided above and
divide them by ten (10),
you will get an idea of how
often you will win with a
flop of this type. For example if the flop comes 8-9-T
NS and you are holding
some low cards you will
may loose to 4 of a kind or
a full house. As the rank of
L.A. Covered in Green
issues.
‘No-Math,
All-Feel’ Wins
“I donʼt understand math,
I just go by feel,” JeanRobert Bellande kept saying during tonightʼs $2,500
no-limit holdʼem championship final table. His
feel took first place and
$148,000 after a grueling
heads-up match with top
pro John Phan.
The four-hour final table
witnessed dramatic drawouts, sudden chip-lead
changes, personality clashes, unheard-of deal offers,
even a penalty. It was a
made-for-TV event, and in
fact was filmed as part of a
poker documentary.
The final table started at
4 a.m., with 2k/4k blinds,
500 antes and 42:25 left.
Phan ran riot the first 14
hands. On hand one, with
a board of J-A-4, Bicycle
Casino host Mo Fathipour
had all his 45k in with K-J
on a board of A-J-4. Phan,
who had checked his A-8,
called and Fathipour was
out. Ten hands later, with
a board of A-7-4-A, Phan
again checked an ace,
luring sales exec Bobby
Firestone to move in with
10-7. Firestone left, and
Phan now had the chip lead
with over 200k.
He won the next three
hands, made his third consecutive kill by knocking
out a short-chipped Reza
Yama, and had close to
300,000 of the 740,000
chips in play. Two hands
later, the other Phan, Young
Phan, went out. He moved
in with pocket aces on a
flop of 7-6-5, only to run
into Bellandeʼs set of 7s.
As play continued,
Bellande began picking
up more chips and talking
non-stop. “Win or lose,
you never stop talking,”
observed Robert Durant.
Retired attorney Grady
Talbot departed on hand
33 when he moved in for
51.5k with A-K, losing to
highway contractor John
Smithʼs pocket 9s. Jay
Johnson, a sales rep, started
with the least chips and
had survived after being
all in three times with the
worst hand. He finally had
the best hand, K-J against
Phanʼs 7-3, but went bust
after a flop of A-7-3.
By the next limit
increase, 1.5 antes and
5k/10k blinds, Bellande
had the lead with about
240k to 215k for Phan,
200k for Smith and 85k for
Durant. Bellande suffered
major frustration when
he had A-K and lost after
Durant, all in with A-6,
made two pair. Bellande
kept grousing that A-6 was
the worst possible hand
against A-K. Smith left on
hand 58 when he shoved
in 80k with pocket 2s and
lost to Bellandeʼs pocket 7s.
Blinds went to 8k/16k. A
few hands later, Durant got
a 10-minute penalty when
a quarrel broke out over a
betting procedure and he
said a bad word. It cost
him 40k. Phan knocked
him out on hand 82 and
took a slight lead when he
flopped a king to his Kd9d to beat Durantʼs Ad-5d.
Phan and Bellande now
began a series of taunts
over possible deals and
who was the best player,
with Phan offering to play
winner-take-all. Bellande
declined on the grounds
that Phan had a bankroll
and he didnʼt. Phan did
get lucky on hand 97. He
and Bellande flopped a
club flush, but Phanʼs was
bigger, and he now had a
2-1 chip lead. Bellande
won some pots and after
blinds went to 10k/20k, he
was all in with A-K versus
Phanʼs A-2. He offered
an even chop if he got the
trophy, but Phan refused,
went for the three-outer and
lost. With a big lead now,
and blinds at 10k-20k with
3k antes, Bellande had a
chance to knock Phan out
when he flopped a set of
(Continued from page 1)
jacks. All Phan had was a
flush draw, but a straight hit
the board for a split. The
contest finally ended on
hand 108 when Phan moved
in for 70.5k with K-9 on a
flop of Q-J-4. Bellande had
J-9 and the jacks held up.
Jean-Robert Bellande, of
Creole descent, is a former
nightclub owner in L.A.
Heʼs been playing poker for
six years, exclusively for
two, on an on and off basis.
Enter the Circuit at Harrah’s
Lake Tahoe Poker Challenge
April 26 – May 11, 2005
Date
Tournament
Buy-In
April 26
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April 27
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$200 + $25
April 28
Limit Hold ’Em
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April 29
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$500 + $50
April 30
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$1,000 + $60
May 1
Limit Hold ’Em
$1,000 + $60
May 2
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$1,000 + $60
May 3
Pot-Limit Hold ’Em
$500 + $50
May 4
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$500 + $50
May 5
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$1,500 + $70
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No-Limit Hold ’Em
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May 7
LIPS (Ladies No-Limit)
$200 + $30
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No-Limit Super Satellite Day
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©2005, Harrah’s License Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
T1600-500-05
APRIL 18, 2005
9
Pair vs. Pair
STRAIGHT SKINNY
By RICHARD G. BURKE
In a lively $4-8 Hold ’Em game in
late fall at my local poker room, I had
been playing long enough to assign styles tentatively to the four players new to me. In middle
position I peeked at my hand and saw both red
Tens. I called and waited for the others to act.
Alex, one of the new-to-me players, raised. The
Button called Alex’s raise cold, the Big Blind and
I just called. Four-handed we saw the dealer put
As-Ja-4d on the table.
From the texture of the Flop, there was little
chance of a straight or a flush. I checked, Alex bet
at the Flop, The Button and The Big Blind folded
and it was back to me. There were two overcards
on the Flop and I was in poor position. It was an
easy fold, but something didn’t seem right because
Alex had bet straight away. I had seen enough of
Alex’s play to learn that he’s a tricky player: he
would have feigned weakness, pausing just a little
before betting with Top Pair. Also, he was tricky
enough to slow-play a Set or the top Two Pairs, and
he hadn’t checked. So, I ruled out his having AceAny, pocket Aces or Jacks.
He could have had pocket Kings, Queens, or
another pair smaller than Jacks. Possibly he could
have been betting with a ten-out hand like Ka-Qa,
hoping to hit a King, Queen, or Ten on the Turn or
River. Any of those holdings would be consistent
with his behavior. I called.
The dealer put the Af on the table. I checked.
Again Alex bet quickly, representing Ace-Any or
pocket Jacks. Still suspicious, and despite my poor
situation, I called.
The dealer put the 8d on the River. I checked
and he checked. Alex showed down the two black
Tens. I showed my red Tens and the dealer split
the pot.
As I stacked my half of the pot I wondered, in a
ten-handed game what is the chance that anyone
else has a pocket pair of the same rank?
Given that you have a pocket pair, there are fifty
unknown cards before the Flop: the thirty-two
cards remaining in the deck and the eighteen cards
dealt to the nine other players. No one else could
possibly hold a pocket pair of the same rank unless
both cards were among those eighteen. That probability is C(48,16)/C(50,18), or .1249, about one
time in eight.
There are 17!! ways to deal those eighteen cards
into nine, two-card hands. If anyone else has a pair
of the same rank, then there are 15!! ways to deal
the other sixteen cards into the other eight twocard hands. The probability of anyone else having
the pair is 15!!/17!!, one-seventeenth, or .0588.
The answer to the question of whether anyone else
has a pair of the same rank is the product of the two
probabilities, .007347, about one time in 136.
The chance of your being dealt any pocket pair
is one in 17. The chance of anyone else’s also having a pocket pair of the same rank is 1 in 136, for a
combined chance of 1 in 17*136, about 1 in 2300. If,
before the hand is dealt, you were to offer someone 100 to 1 odds that (a) you won’t have a pocket
pair, and (b) even if you do, no one else will have
a pair of the same rank, then you’d have a huge
edge. You can bet on that.
Mr. Burke is the author of Flop: The Art of Winning at
Low-Limit Hold ’Em, 2nd ed., available from amazon.com,
gamblersbook.com, and www.kokopellipress.com. E-mail
your Hold ’Em questions to gburke@cybermesa.com.
10
APRIL 18, 2005
Doug Lee Wins Rio WSOP Circuit
Circuit.
Late in the night, with
about 40 players still remaining in the tournament, Doug
Lee found himself ʻall inʼ
and in a desperate situation. Lee had A-10 and all
of his remaining chips were
in the pot when the board
contained a TEN. Top pair
would normally be a pretty
strong hand in holdʼem, but
this time, it wasnʼt. Leeʼs
opponent had pocket Kings.
Doug Lee stood up from
his seat and was just about
to walk away, broke and
busted – a distant twenty
spots from the prize money.
Then, a remarkable thing
happened. On the river,
Lee managed to catch a lifesaving TEN, and not only
survived but took a decentsized stack into Day Three.
Little did he know it at the
time, but the lucky TEN
would ultimately be worth
$695,970 in prize money.
Forty-eight hours later, the
magical TENS would make
an encore appearance, when
the tournament came down
to two players, Lee and well
known professional Jennifer
Harman.
On Hand 149 there was
320K in the pot before the
flop. Harman moved ʻall inʼ
with Q-Q after the flop came
K-10-2. Doug Lee thought
for a few moments and
called, holding 10-9 which
was good for second pair.
The crowd was delighted to
see this, as this time Harman
had a clear advantage. A
harmless three came on the
turn and suddenly, Jennifer
Harman was one card away
from seizing a 2 to 1 chip
advantage.
But remember, Doug Lee
and his lucky number. TEN.
Everyone was standing,
five ESPN cameras were
rolling, and the room was
dead silent when the faint
flick of a final card brought
both agony and ecstasy.
It was – a TEN.
Doug Lee was visibly
shaking when the final card
was dealt. Even Harman, a
gutsy veteran of many poker
wars could not hide her emotions as the final card was
dealt. It was great theatre.
Great drama. Great poker.
See the results of the rest
of the Rio events not finished
by the last issueʼs closing.
Additional details may be
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
found on www.pokerplayernewspaper.com.
RIO ALL-SUITE HOTEL & CASINO
HARRAH’S ESPN
WSOP CIRCUIT
TOURNAMENT
EVENT 8
3/21/05
7. Maureen Blatter . . . . $1,125
8. Amy Zigler . . . . . . . . . . .$845
9. Christy Combs . . . . . . . .$565
HARRAH’S ESPN
WSOP CIRCUIT
TOURNAMENT
EVENT 7
3/19/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
(MAIN EVENT)
BUY-IN $10,000 + $0
PLAYERS 222
PRIZE
POOL
Gabriel Thaler . . . . $168,720
Grant Lang . . . . . . $126,540
Kevin Keller . . . . . . $105,450
Dennis Perry . . . . . . $84,360
Phil Ivey . . . . . . . . . . $63,270
Tom Macey . . . . . . . . $42,180
$2,109,000
1. Doug Lee . . . . . . . . $695,970
2. Jennifer Harman . . $383,840
3. Jean-Robert Bellande . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $210,900
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
(LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP
EVENT)
BUY-IN $200 + $30
PLAYERS 153
PRIZE
POOL
$28,182
Teresa Gatti
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Teresa Gatti . . . . . . . . $9,300
Irene Diaz . . . . . . . . . . $5,130
Rachel Morris . . . . . . $2,820
Cedra Reskovac . . . . . $2,255
Debbie Burkhead. . . . $1,690
Karla Mickelson . . . . $1,410
Politically Correct:
Keith Naughton, campaign consultant from
Pennsylvania. wins
Rio Las Vegas’ WSOP
Circuit Event #6
“Poker is a lot like politics,” Keith Naughton says.
“You have to read through
a lot of lies to find the real
BACK ISSUES, SPECIAL FEATURES & UP-TO-THE MINUTE POKER INFO—
www.pokerplayernewspaper.com
What’s better than pocket aces?
A pocket full of cash.
THE MIRAGE POKER SHOWDOWN
A World Poker Tour Event
•
May 9 – 26, 2005
Go head-to-head in the beautiful Mirage poker room for a real knock down, drag out series where the
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May 2
May 9
May 10
May 11
May 12
May 12
May 13
May 14
Satellites begin
No Limit Hold ’em
$1,000 + $60*
7 Card Stud (2 p.m.)
$1,500 + $70
Pot Limit Omaha
$1,500 + $70
Omaha 8/B
$1,500 + $70
International Heads-Up Championship
(10 a.m.)
$15,000 + $300
No Limit Hold ’em
$1,500 + $70*
Limit Hold ’em
$2,000 + $80
May 15
May 16
May 17
May 18
May 19
May 20
May 21
May 22
May 23–26
Pot Limit Hold ’em
No Limit Hold ’em
Limit Hold ’em
No Limit Hold ’em
Pot Limit Omaha
No Limit Hold ’em
Super Satellite No Limit Hold ’em (1-day event)
Super Satellite No Limit Hold ’em (1-day event)
WPT No Limit Hold ’em Championship
$2,000 + $80
$2,000 + $80*
$2,500 + $100
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Reserve your seat by calling 800.77.POKER (800.777.6537) • 702.791.7291
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All main events start at noon (except where noted). *Champion receives $10,000 + $200 entry (non-negotiable, non-refundable, non-transferable)
into the May 23, 2005 Championship event. **Super Satellites will award as many entries as possible. ***Champion receives $25,500 entry (non-negotiable, non-refundable,
non-transferable) into the 2006 WPT Finals at Bellagio. 3% of the prize pool will be withheld for poker room staff. Management reserves the right to modify, suspend,
or cancel this promotion at its sole discretion and without prior notice. All tournaments are subject to table availability.
APRIL 18, 2005
11
DEBBIE BURKHEAD INTERVIEWS...
The PPT Freerolls
TRUE POKER
Paul Halverson
By Peter “The Poet” COsta
MGM’S DIRECTOR OF POKER OPERATIONS
I must apologize for taking a few
weeks away from writing articles for
Poker Player, but the truth is, I have
been busy with a couple of projects that required a
lot of travel and commitment. This also limited my
tournament play over the last six weeks. However,
when I did play, I felt hungry and determined to do
well. My main focus during this time have been the
two PPT events - the one at the Commerce Casino
in LA and the other at Bay101 in San Jose. What joy
these events are!
Apart from the obvious fact that they are freerolls, it’s just so good to play with the established
pros. Nothing against online qualifiers here, but
life is so much easier when you don’t need to tiptoe through the minefield. It’s also great to see
the overseas stars put in the effort and expense to
play the events. This leads me to a point that was
raised by a well respected and high profile player
(from the US though, not Europe) about the payout
structure of the PPT events.
The concern of this player is that these events
just pay the top six only. His reasoning was that
it left too many players out of pocket due to the
expenses that they occurred in traveling etc..The
funny thing is, he mentioned this to me before the
San Jose event in which I finished on the bubble in
7th place. I actually agreed with his views that perhaps the WPT (the people behind the PPT) should
consider stretching the payout structure to include
the final eighteen. Better still, the could, even at
this late stage, consider adding a further $36K
to cover the another 12 places. Considering the
never-ending costs that players face - I would suggest that it would become a very popular change
or addition. After all, not all pros have sponsorship
deals or big bankrolls.
As for the San Jose event? Although I was obviously disappointed at my bubble finish - I was
delighted by many other aspects - including a long
over-due win from Tom McEvoy. Although Tom went
into the final with a low stack, he had impressed
me with his overall play. His tight and aggressive
approach before the final six, seemed to do the
trick. The other low stack going into the final was
Marsha Waggoner. She also played a very similar
style to Tom’s and very much deserved her second
place finish.
Another player to impress was Hoyt Corkins.
I hadn’t played with Hoyt before but I obviously
knew of his previous successes. Based on what I
saw, I can understand how he achieved his wins and
that it’s certain that other wins will follow. He also
happens to be a true gent at the table. It’s hard not
to cheer for players with such table manners!
My performance? All I can say that I could not
have played much better than I did. I struggled for
most of the two days without any assistance from
the cards. I guess that sometimes, you have to play
your “A” game just to make the bubble! Oh, by the
way, as someone pointed out, the final consisted
mainly of what you might call,”old-timers.” Nice to
see that the young guns have to sometimes take a
back seat.
I am now on the way to Reno for the WPT event
at the Hilton. It will be interesting to see how many
players this $5K buy-in attracts. With so many bigger events on offer - it may not be as attractive to
some. Time for an increase in the buy-in perhaps?
Until next time - play well, get lucky and enjoy life.
12
APRIL 18, 2005
the keno section and an
managing an 18 table cardroom, heʼs spending quality
time with his wife, Scarlett
and their teenage daughter,
Kelsi.
Paul Halverson was born in
Susanville, California and
grew up in Reno, Nevada.
After finishing high school
he enrolled at Wichita State
University in Wichita,
Kansas but only spent one
year there before enlisting
in the Marines. In January
of 1973, after completing
his four year tour of duty, at
the rank of Sergeant, he was
honorably discharged.
In June of the same year
Paul entered the casino
industry as a keno writer at
Haroldʼs Club in Reno. In
1976 he left Haroldʼs for
a surveillance position at
Harrahʼs. He simultaneously
attended surveillance and
dealing school at Harrahʼs.
Paul left Harrahʼs in 1977
for a security supervisorʼs
position when the Sahara
Reno opened.
In 1981 he was on the
move again when he took
the position of Director of
Security and Surveillance at
the Sands Regency. Within
a few months Paul was promoted to Casino Manager
but was still in charge of
security and surveillance.
In 1993 Paul left the
Reno area to take the position of Assistant Security
Supervisor at the newly
opened Boomtown Casino
in Las Vegas. In 1994 he
moved to the Riviera Hotel
and Casino as Director of
Surveillance and in 1999
he took on a second job
with MTR Gaming as Table
Games Manager for the
Speedway Casino.
Paul gave up his position at the Riviera in 2004
to concentrate on his career
with MTR Gaming. Shortly
thereafter he was promoted to Director of Hotel
Operations for the Speedway
Casino.
When MTR took over
Binionʼs Horseshoe in Las
Vegas they renamed it
Binionʼs Gambling Hall and
Hotel and promoted Paul to
Director of Table Games,
Keno and Poker.
When Paul isnʼt taking
care of the table games area,
DB: Now that MTR has
taken over, will they keep
the poker room open?
PH: Yes, for several reasons.
First, because the poker
craze is so strong these days
and second because they like
our poker room so much.
Itʼs so large and we will
be able to capitalize on the
poker frenzy that has hit the
country.
DB: What changes, if any,
will take place?
PH: The only changes I
foresee right now is our
effort to find our own niche
regarding tournaments. We
will also expand on our current daily tournaments and
live play. We have changed
our parking to free compared
to the old four hours free.
We are looking into increasing our food comps and we
offer special room rates for
our regular poker players.
DB: What about the poker
room staff?
PH: The staff is the original
Binionʼs staff and they are as
knowledgeable as any poker
staff in Las Vegas, including
our tournament director who
is exceptional in the handling of large tournaments.
DB: Rumor has it that MTR
is looking for a cardroom
manager, is there any truth
to that?
PH: Yes, but weʼre undecided as to whether we will
promote from within or try
to hire a well known manager from outside.
DB: What do you offer in
the way of daily tournaments?
PH: We have a 2:00 p.m.
tournament seven days a
week with a $60 buy-in. On
Monday through Thursday
at 8:00 p.m. with a $60
buy-in, Friday, Saturday
and Sunday at 8:00 p.m.
with a $125 buy-in and on
Friday and Saturday at 2:00
a.m. with a $60 buy-in. All
tournaments are no-limit
and all but the 2:00 a.m.
offer a bonus buy and one
optional rebuy. The 2:00
a.m. tournament offers a
$10 bonus buy. Our tournament structure is very good
and our play has increased
substantially in the past few
months, especially in the
2:00 a.m. event. We have 28
tables for tournament play
along with 18 tables of live
action.
DB: Are there any plans for
a major tournament at the
new Binions?
PH: There might be in the
future, weʻre hoping to find
a tournament that is synonymous with Binions. We have
a special project person that
takes care of those kinds of
things.
DB: Are you looking for
a tournament to replace or
compete with the World
Series of Poker?
PH: No, not at all, I donʻt
believe we could do that.
We just want to find our
own niche on the tournament circuit.
DB: Are there any previous
traditions of the old Binions
that will be brought back?
PH: Yes, we are bringing back the million dollar display, the deli will
be brought back offering
Binionʻs favorite pastrami
sandwiches and their famous
hamburgers will be back on
the menu. The mayor of Las
Vegas, Oscar Goodman, was
served the first hamburger
on Friday, March 25. The
race and sports book will
reopen on April 15 but until
then the guests can still
watch all the games they
just canʼt make any wagers
until it reopens. Bennyʼs
statue will also be moved to
the front of the casino and
the WSOP champions photo
display is being redone.
DB: The WSOP is scheduled to play the final two
days of the main event at
Binionʼs this year, is MTR
happy with this.
PH: Absolutely! They are
very happy about the joint
endeavor, itʼs a win win situation for both Harrahʼs and
MTR. It provides us exposure to Binions name and
property.
yucked into the muck.
The Small Man places
his hand on my shoulder.
Heʼs holding a butcher knife.
Shemp tells me, “Iʼm going to
enjoy this.”
Jenny says, “Jack, youʼve
lost. The Rules say. . . ”
“No. Youʼre the one whoʼs
dead.”
Jenny looks at Shempʼs
9f10f lying over my
AaKf. “Youʼre right.”
She nods and says to Shemp,
“Your cards have come into
contact with another playerʼs
“Y” is for Yucker
A Poker Player Murder Mystery by Robert Arabella
“You have come to The
House Of Cards,” says Jenny,
“because, for you, playing for
money is not enough. Here
the stakes are, literally, an arm
and a leg. In the early rounds
we will play Biblical Rules
– the bets will be ʻAn Eye
For An Eye.ʼ We will then
progress to Vampire Rules,
Cannibal Rules, and finally,
when we are down to the last
two players, Shakespeareʼs
Rules, when the bet will be ʻA
Pound of Flesh.ʼ”
One by one The Small Man
leads eliminated players away
to the slaughter. Finally only
Shemp and I remain. Only
one of us will leave this room
alive.
Iʼm up a handful of chips.
Iʼm dealt a 3d3s in the Big
Blind. Shemp limps in. The
rainbow flop comes
QaJdKs
Shemp, who never checks,
checks.
My “Poker Alarm” goes
off, Danger! Jack Thayer,
Danger!
Fourth Street brings a Ka.
Check. Check. Fifth Street
brings a 2d.
Step Away From The Hand!
I ignore the warning and go
“All-in.”
Shemp smiles. He thinks
heʼs caught me speeding.
I had a seventh grade
schoolteacher who, catching
me cheating on a test, made
me write on the blackboard:
Cheaters never win and winners never cheat. I didnʼt
believe that then and I donʼt
believe that now.
While Shemp smiles, I
exchange the Crab Legs for
the two cards Iʼve stolen from
the game and hidden up my
“cheaterʼs sleeve.”
Shemp pushes all-in.
“Letʼs see ʼem,” says Jenny.
I turn over AaKf.
“Three Wise Men,” she
says.
Shemp slams his 9f 10f
over my cards.
“Straight Jacket,” says
Jenny.
If P.T. Barnum had been a
poker player, heʼd have said,
“Thereʼs a yucker born every
minute.” Someoneʼs just been
“I know exactly what the
Rules say. I know them by
heart. Like this one: A hand
shall be declared dead if that
hand comes into contact with
any other playerʼs hand. Look
at my cards. Look at his cards
placed on top of my cards. If
you really follow the Rules,
youʼll declare his hand dead!”
“Dead?” laughs Shemp.
cards. By rule, your hand is
declared dead.”
I add, “And so are you.”
“What? Wait!” yells
Shemp. “I won! Look at the
cards! I won!”
“No, answers Jenny.
“Youʼve lost. Remember, in
all disputes the decision of the
House of Cards is final.” She
nods at The Small Man. He
throws Shemp on top of the
poker table.
“Wait!” Shemp screams.
“Wait! I won I. . . .”
The Small Man, knife in
hand, starts hacking away. Iʼm
splashed with blood. Jenny
pulls me from my seat and
brings me to the front door.
“It would be best if
you leave right now and
never speak of this again.
Remember,” she says, taking
the Crab Legs out of the hidden pocket in my shirt cuff,
“no one cheats the House of
Cards.”
I stumble down the stairs
and into the street. I run. At
some point I fall down and
fail to get up.
APRIL 18, 2005
(To be continued in the next
issue of Poker Player)
13
Laughter
“Why is it, that the person with the worst breath always
wants to tell you a secret?” I was laughing hysterically
when I recently heard this at the Las Vegas Improv. I
learned to always check my breath before
telling someone a secret. I laughed so much
FRESH YOUNG FACE OF Poker
presents
By Jennifer Matiran
that evening; the laughter energized me
and reset my attitude. Humor and laughter are imperative,
especially in the world we live in today. We must laugh to
water the joy in our hearts and stay young.
My father and uncle are in their seventies but seem
decades younger than their age. When I sit with them,
it’s like I’m at a comedy show, they’re hilarious, and they
have not let life take away their sense of humor. Laughter
boosts the immune system and in my opinion, is the better
than any pharmaceutical anti-depressant in the world.
So the next time you’re feeling down, go to the comedy show, watch a funny movie, hang out with your funny
friends, do this especially when you’re so low that you feel
you “just don’t have the energy,” do it by faith and when
you do, you’ll feel the weight of the world lifted off your
shoulders. I promise. It’s not just you, everybody goes
through tough times and it’s very important my friend to
understand that these times will always come to pass.
Don’t let the trials of life eat at you like a tumor, remain
faithful and keep your sense of humor. No matter what,
always have a victor’s attitude not a victim’s attitude.
Remember the promise “that your cup shall overflow,” that
power is only activated when we believe and never give up,
no matter what our circumstance.
My circumstance lately, is that I’m a loser, no a “loohooser” at the tables. I’ve been playing the wrong cards, reading people wrong, betting wrong, etc. etc. See, I know what
my errors are and when I’m ready to play good, disciplined
poker again, I will. Although, I’ve lost lots of money, my
house, my car, my 401K and filed chapter eleven (joking)
I’ve come across a lot of funny characters at the tables…
The Commentator-This is the individual who comments on
everything that’s happening, guaranteed. They have something to say pre-flop, flop, turn, river and after. If you control
your urge of slapping them across the face, they can actually be quite humorous. His oohs and aahs make me laugh.
It makes me laugh when he comments on the pocket Aces
that just lost. That loser usually gives him a fake smile but he
actually feels like punching him in the nose.
The Interrogator-This is the person who, whenever he’s
in a hand, he interrogates his opponents like an FBI agent.
“What do you got, over cards, trips, nothing?” He says it
like he’s trying to solve a murder mystery or something.
When he tries to corner me I usually say, “what are you,
Johnny Cochran?” It’s funny. The interrogators are usually
good players and no matter how much you laugh together,
remember these players especially are only trying to win all
your money. You’ll laugh together, he’ll act like your friend
but he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ha, ha with him but in
the end remember that it’s usually all an act and take it for
what it’s worth, a couple of laughs.
Thanks for reading and I hope that your heart is filled
with joy this spring. I hope that no matter what, you
believe the best is yet ahead because it is. And when you
get the choice to hold back or laugh, I hope you laugh.
I hope you laugh.
Changing the world one sentence at a time, Jennifer
Matiran believes the pen is, and always will be, mightier than the sword. She hopes to emerge into the tournament circuit of Poker. Contact her with questions,
comments or interesting material at PO Box 2331,
Corona CA 92878, or by e-mail at matiran@sbcglobal.
net. Ms. Matiran has just completed her latest screenplay, her other passion (besides Poker!).
14
APRIL 18, 2005
A Poker and Slot Tournament Cruise!
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LESSON 47:
Reasons for Betting
Mike suggests we ask ourselves why we bet. Is it for logical reasons
or just automatically or at whim? If it’s automatic, that could be dangerous and expensive. Mike has listed seven good
reasons for betting, that I’ll pass along to you now:
Lessons from mike caro
university of poker
BY DIANE MCHAFFIE
1. I want my opponent to call so I can win more
money.
2. I’m hoping I can win the pot right now.
3. It would be to my advantage to drive at least some of my opponents out of the pot.
4. My opponent probably needs to improve, and I want him to pay for
the privilege.
5. By betting right now, I will gain an advantage on later betting
rounds.
6. This bet will help me establish a psychological image that will help
me win more money in the future.
7. I’m better off betting than checking and calling.
WPC Ends at Reno Hilton
This yearʼs World Poker
Challenge at the Reno
Hilton card room run by
Charlie Williams, had an
ambitious 30 tournament
schedule. Beginning on
March 10 and running
through April 1st, we are
able to bring you most of
the results at this time. The
final event, a WPT event, as
well as the preceding PPT
event will be printed in our
next issue.
RENO HILTON
3/27/05
WORLD POKER CHALLENGE
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
3. Todd Sickler . . . . . . . . $5,118
4. Minh Nguyen . . . . . . . $3,233
5. Joseph Quaile. . . . . . . $2,424
PLAYERS 85
PRIZE POOL
$24,735
Samuel Hazer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
BUY-IN $200 + $25
PLAYERS 234
PRIZE
POOL
$45,396
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
16
APRIL 18, 2005
Anthony Reategui . . $20,008
Winston Jones . . . . . . $7,656
Zak Gilbert . . . . . . . . $3,829
Abe Stevens . . . . . . . . $2,418
Bruce Nelson . . . . . . . $1,813
BUY-IN $300 + $30
BUY-IN $300 + $30
PLAYERS 237
PLAYERS 149
PRIZE POOL
Laura Fink
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Laura Fink . . . . . . . . . $8,265
Stephanie Davis . . . . . $4,752
Robyn Hood . . . . . . . . $2,479
Deneane Marie Perry $1,446
Christina Hung . . . . . $1,136
$68,967
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $25
BUY-IN $1,000 + $ 60
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Charlie Townsend . . $76,070
Zak Gilbert . . . . . . . $36,444
John Murphy . . . . . . $18,222
Michael Foley. . . . . . $11,509
Tom Franklin . . . . . . . $8,631
PLAYERS 258
PRIZE
POOL
$50,052
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
RENO HILTON
3/22/05
LIMIT HOLD’EM
7-CARD STUD
BUY-IN $300 + $30
BUY-IN $500 + $50
PLAYERS 71
PRIZE
POOL
PLAYERS 120
PRIZE POOL
Jim Eggerbrecht
1.
2.
4.
5.
Feridoun Farboud . . $21,729
Joe Baldwin . . . . . . . . $8,541
Rex Hale . . . . . . . . . . . $4,270
Alex Djordjevic . . . . . $2,697
Mark Ristine . . . . . . . $2,023
RENO HILTON
3/25/05
$58,200
Jim Eggerbrecht . . . $26,340
John Kulish . . . . . . . $12,213
Martin Campeau . . . . $3,717
Larry Seethaler . . . . . $2,921
$20,661
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1. Jorge Diaz . . . . . . . . $25,034
2. Mike Oday . . . . . . . . $10,236
Brandon Hayes . . . . . $7,542
N/A N/A . . . . . . . . . . . $4,545
Dan Allard . . . . . . . . . $2,686
Tom Cawley . . . . . . . . $1,963
Robert Hume . . . . . . . $1,446
OMAHA HI-LO 8/OB
BUY-IN $300 + $30
PLAYERS 129
PRIZE
POOL
$37,539
BUY-IN $200 + $25
$58,976
PLAYERS 285
PRIZE
POOL
$55,290
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Dion Scott . . . . . . . . . $23,670
Wayne Karchich . . . . $9,536
Gary DeBernardi. . . . $4,768
Carson Williams . . . . $3,011
Paul Balchen . . . . . . . $2,259
RENO HILTON
3/19/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $1,000 + $60
PLAYERS 86
PRIZE
POOL
$78,320
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Robert Hume . . . . . . $31,329
Mark Winter . . . . . . $18,014
Douglas Carli . . . . . . . $9,398
Walter Batara . . . . . . $5,482
Glenn Schott . . . . . . . $4,308
RENO HILTON
3/18/05
POT LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $500 + $50
PLAYERS 55
$26,675
Robin Pollack
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Brent Carter . . . . . . $15,018
Sarge Baza . . . . . . . . . $7,508
Nicholas Fradet . . . . . $3,754
Damon Kaufman . . . . $2,252
Jean-Francis Guay . . $1,689
Robin Pollack. . . . . . $10,654
Johan Storakers. . . . . $6,135
Jim Lea . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,201
Gary Lorgan . . . . . . . $1,867
Jeff Matson . . . . . . . . $1,467
RENO HILTON
3/17/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $25
PLAYERS 100
PRIZE
POOL
$19,400
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
John Rooney . . . . . . . $7,760
Joshua Tennie . . . . . . $4,462
Michael Thompson . . $2,328
Robert Hart . . . . . . . . $1,358
Jason Stern. . . . . . . . . $1,067
RENO HILTON
3/17/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $500 + $50
RENO HILTON
3/21/05
RENO HILTON
3/24/05
PLAYERS 304
PRIZE
POOL
BUY-IN $200 + $25
PRIZE POOL
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
$196,910
Tom Cage . . . . . . . . . $28,733
Carlos Williams . . . . $12,135
Allan Kuong . . . . . . . . $6,067
Todd McKellar. . . . . . $3,832
Bill Evertz . . . . . . . . . $2,874
RENO HILTON
3/22/05
RENO HILTON
3/26/05
PLAYERS 203
PRIZE
POOL
LIMIT HOLD’EM
Tom Cage
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Robert Hume . . . . . . $14,550
Tom Cawley . . . . . . . . $8,366
Tom Becnal . . . . . . . . $4,365
Frances Naud . . . . . . . $2,546
Carlos Ramirez . . . . . $2,001
RENO HILTON
3/19/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
LADIES NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
$20,661
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
RENO HILTON
3/23/05
RENO HILTON
3/27/05
PRIZE POOL
Robert Hume
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
Diane McHaffie is Director of Operations at Mike Caro
University of Poker, Gaming, and Life Strategy. Her
diverse career spans banking, promotion of major financial seminars and the raising of White-tailed Deer.
You can write her online at diane@caro.com.
Samuel Hazer. . . . . . . $9,895
Vaughn Beck . . . . . . . $5,689
Brent R. Carter . . . . . $2,968
Andy Karon . . . . . . . . $1,731
Bruce McCalister . . . $1,360
PRIZE POOL
$36,375
RENO HILTON
3/23/05
$216,795
J.J. Liu . . . . . . . . . . . $89,778
Samad Rashid . . . . . $42,339
David Lewis . . . . . . . $21,170
Jim Close . . . . . . . . . $12,702
Paul Robuck. . . . . . . . $9,526
PLAYERS 75
BUY-IN $300 + $30
PLAYERS 149
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
BUY-IN $500 + $50
POT LIMIT OMAHA
BUY-IN $1,500
J.J. Liu
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
RENO HILTON
3/24/05
PRIZE POOL
You might think that there should be one more reason listed above,
the fact that you might posses the best hand. However, Mike says that
isn’t a reason to bet a hand, because it’s merely an observation about
a hand.
Cause of action. Mike says, “The strength of your hand is never
a cause of action. It is only one factor in evaluating what action to
take. Ultimately, all poker decisions – calling, betting, bluffing, raising,
sandbagging, checking, passing – must be based on the premise that
you have something to gain. Gaining should be the cause of action.”
He says that although you feel that you might hold the best hand,
sometimes you’ll choose not to bet, simply because you could make
more money by checking and raising, checking and calling, or setting
up a trap for a future bet.
Every action that you take in poker should be made with the intention of gaining something, even if that “something” is to lose less. Mike
suggests that you ask yourself, “What am I gaining by doing this?” If
you are unable to answer, then you should rethink your actions.
Mike teaches that reason number three should probably be used
by an experienced player, as it could be dangerous for the beginner.
He says that chasing players out of pots is easier said than done. I’ve
watched him attempt this one online. Most of the times he is successful, but occasionally there is the player that stubbornly hangs in
there, refusing to be chased out.
Experienced players. Sometimes it’s difficult deciding whether
you should limit the field or not. Maybe you’re chasing out the wrong
player. Mike suggests that unless you’re going to eliminate everyone
at some point without a showdown by this action, seldom attempt it.
Mike also teaches that reason number five and six are mainly for
experienced players. These are considered to be psychological weapons that only the experts should attempt.
Reason number seven is important if your opponent isn’t a frequent bluffer. If he is, then it’s often better to check and call. Also,
if you feel that your opponent will call with a weak hand, then it’s
often better to bet. Sometimes, you should also bet if you think that
your opponent will bet into you, forcing you to call, if he has you
beat. Checking a medium hand in these instances would not be a wise
action to take, because by betting, you still lose the times he has you
beat (you would have checked and called) and by not betting, you forfeit the opportunity to win a weak call. Of course, if your opponent is
aggressive and will raise liberally with small advantages, it might still
be better to check.
Mike advises that if you’re not yet an experienced player, the only
reasons that you need to be concerned with are the first two listed.
You wish to win more money or you wish to win the pot outright.
The next time you sit at a table, stop for a moment and ask yourself why you are betting. It’s a profitable question in the long run.
RENO HILTON
3/20/05
PLAYERS 107
PRIZE POOL
$46,795
Austin Jones
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Austin Jones . . . . . . . $18,717
Howard Ross . . . . . . $10,763
Daniel Mogavero . . . . $5,615
Brian Murphy . . . . . . $3,276
Robert Hume . . . . . . . $2,574
Poker Knowledge from the PartyPoker Millions IV
Sages of the Ages—On DVD!
Poker is a mean game. Itʼs
life on the ʻblockʼ; survival
in a hostile environment.
A player must rely on skill,
cunning and luck to stay
alive. Justice is coincidence;
fairness is folly.
Traditionally, students
of the game learned by
experience and eventually
acquired Poker Knowledge,
or flunked out of ʻschoolʼ
and went to work.
Poker Knowledge is a
timeless wisdom. It consists
of the truth of mathematics, combat tactics, human
psychology and self awareness. Every successful player
understands you canʼt survive on intuition.
Now, the Poker Board of
Education has approved two
DVDs by Poker Productions
for students who are ready
to advance to the Serious
Side. One features a seminar
by David Sklansky, recognized High Priest of Poker,
given to players attending
the World Series of Poker a
few years ago. Itʼs not only
revealing and informative,
itʼs a collectorʼs classic.
Ben Tracy, a radio, television and movie producer
with a passion for poker,
filmed and narrated this
high quality DVD. Also
available is How To Beat
Winning Holdʼem Players
in which experienced players reveal secrets and strategies of Holdʼem success.
Itʼs a must for anyone who
hopes to make the Holdʼem
Honor Roll.
Producer/Director Tracy
has captured pokerʼs Wisdom
of the Ages. He focused on
things that separate the casual player from the dangerous
player. And where did he go
to mine these golden nuggets
of Poker Knowledge? He
turned to proven players.
So, if you want to move
up in your class at Poker
School, consider Ben Tracyʼs
DVDs. Theyʼre a must for
anyone who wants to make
the Holdʼem Honor Roll. To
purchase your education, go
to: btmarketing@tds.net And
Ben says, “Remember, there
are no student loans.”
championship. The seven
day Mexican Riviera cruise
featured a record 735 players, the majority of whom
won their entry qualifying
on partypoker.com. See
results below.
23. Klein Bach . . . . . . . . $41,705
24. Mark Scanlan . . . . . $41,705
25. Leo Kwan . . . . . . . . . $41,705
26. Gary Germann . . . . $41,705
27. Kenny Nielsen . . . . . $41,705
28. Dennis January . . . . $31,279
29. Albert Chaney . . . . . $31,279
30. Michael Lawrence . . $31,279
31. David Baker . . . . . . . $31,279
32. Bob Coates . . . . . . . . $31,279
33. Chris Dirs . . . . . . . . . $31,279
34. Mark Vicuna . . . . . . $31,279
35. Daniel Stewart . . . . . $31,279
36. William Mastandrea $31,279
37. Grant Dowd . . . . . . . $20,852
38. Marc Souza . . . . . . . $20,852
39. Chris Sensoli . . . . . . $20,852
40. Matt Kramer . . . . . . $20,852
PARTYPOKER MILLIONS IV
3/19/05
LIMIT HOLD’EM
5-DAY EVENT
ABOARD SHIP
BUY-IN $10,000 + $500
PLAYERS 735
PRIZE
POOL
$7,207,108
1. Maciek Gracz. . . .$1,525,500
2. David Minto . . . . .$1,000,000
3. Matthew Cherackel $700,000
4. Adam Csallany . . . $500,000
5. Paul Darden . . . . . . $300,000
6. Richard Kain . . . . . $200,000
7. Kjetil Praesttun . . . $150,000
8. Perry Meltzer. . . . . $125,000
9. David Fried . . . . . . $100,000
10. Tino Lechich . . . . . . $65,165
11. Erick Lindgren . . . . $58,648
12. Mark Hlady . . . . . . . $58,648
13. Hoa Mach . . . . . . . . . $52,132
14. Jerry Garver Jr. . . . $52,132
15. Todd Crowell . . . . . . $52,132
16. Morgan Machina . . . $52,132
17. Randy Hanley . . . . . $52,132
18. Carmen Menechella $52,132
19. Chris Bell . . . . . . . . . $41,705
20. Scott Buller . . . . . . . $41,705
21. Casey Kastle. . . . . . . $41,705
22. Thomas Doyle . . . . . $41,705
WE ARE YOUR PLACE TO PLAY POKER TOURNAMENTS!
DAILY AT 11:00 A.M.
$25 No Limit Hold’em Tournament
DAILY AT 2:00 P.M.
$25 No Limit Hold’em Tournament.
ONE $10 Rebuy
$250 GUARANTEED TO FIRST PLACE
SUNDAY – THURSDAY AT 7:00 P.M.
$25 No Limit Hold’em Tournament with One $10 Rebuy
Rules and structure sheets are available in the poker room. Management reserves
all rights to change or alter these promotions at any time.
4OURNAMENT0RIZE0OOL
IN,UCKY,OSER
$RAWING0RIZES
First Place ................ $ 100,000
Second Place ........... $ 50,000
Third Place ............... $ 25,000
Fourth Place ............. $ 12,500
Fifth Place ................ $ 10,000
Sixth Place ............... $ 7,500
Seventh Place .......... $ 6,250
Eighth Place ............. $ 5,000
Ninth Place ............... $ 3,750
Tenth Place ............... $ 2,500
11th – 20th Place ..... $ 1,500 ea.
21st – 30th Place ..... $ 1,000 ea.
Five names will be drawn
prior to the final table,
with each “Lucky Loser”
winning $500.
• Buy-In – $500 = $1,500 chips
• $25 Dealer Bonus = $500 chips
• No Re-Buys
* Prize money based on 500 entrants.
APRIL 18, 2005
17
Major Differences Between
On-line and Casino Play Part I
STUD SENSE
Wildhorse Goes Wild
By ASHLEY ADAMS
I mentioned in a column a while back that I had started to play on
line with some money sent my way by the generous folks at Party
Poker (Hey, if you’re the most successful on line poker site you can
afford to be generous, no?). It was nice to play with funds that
were, literally, House Money. I figured that, at worst, it would be
interesting experiment in on-line play.
Well experiment I have – with low stakes Stud and Hold Em
games, large tournaments and the one table variety called Sit and
Gos. It’s been fun and remunerative.
But I’ve noticed some aspects of on line play that make it both
different from casino poker and make it easier to lose money more
quickly on-line. I’ve come up with eight examples of these differences, followed by an brief explanation of why these differences
tend to deplete your bankroll, and ending with a short paragraph
of how to address the problem. This article, Part I, starts with four
differences. Part II, the next column, address the remainder.
1. On-line money is to live poker chips what poker chips
are to real money. It’s easy to forget that you’re playing for real
money and to become reckless and casual about your bets, clicking
on the raise and call button just for kicks. If you’re not attentive,
you can easily fritter away your entire bankroll on casual and
mindless calls, or miss opportunities with automatic folds.
REMEDY: Literally pause for 5 seconds before every action.
Your pause will give you time, albeit only a short time, to think
about your action and what you are going to do with your chips.
This will inhibit your bad habits and help you insert the more
appropriate thoughtful action.
2. The computer screen is more boring than the casino
scene. You’re more readily bored when playing on line because
there is less to distract and engage you. This often seduces players into mechanical rather than thoughtful play, causing them to
miss opportunities and risks that they would pick up on in person.
REMEDY: Play for only 15-20 minutes bursts, focusing all
of your energy on the game itself while you are playing. This
will help train you to focus only on the game in hand when you are
playing. Eventually, you will be able to do this for longer sessions
as your stamina increases.
3. Computer action is faster. More hands an hour mean, often,
that a small error can be multiplied very quickly and become a
major hole. There is more risk to your bankroll if you go on tilt
– even for a short period of time.
REMEDY: Demonstrate to yourself how quickly you can run
through a bankroll by getting into a play money game. Play with
complete abandon and wildness for just ten minutes. To cure yourself, pause for five seconds before every action (even folding). Take
frequent breaks and focus on the game at hand. These pauses and
breaks should help train you to maintain a purposeful pace.
4. Game selection is greater. There are thousands of games
within one click of each other. While this is a positive attribute of
on line play—it’s only so if you are taking advantage of it. If you’re
not, then you run the risk of regularly finding high quality players
entering your game, changing the dynamic and taking advantage of
your inability to adjust accordingly.
REMEDY: Don’t automatically play in the first game you see.
Watch some games, surf around from site to site and game to game
until you find one that meets your standards of a good game. Don’t
be reluctant to get up and leave when you find the game is bad or
that it has changed and is no longer good. There are lots of sites
and tons of games. Keep moving into the best one you can find.
Just about anyone who
is anybody in Pacific
Northwest poker made
an appearance at the
semi-annual Roundup at
the Wildhorse casino in
Pendleton Oregon. Some 12
very successful events were
on the schedule. At press
time we are able to bring
you 10 of these events. The
balance will be in the next
issue.
WILDHORSE CASINO SPRING
POKER ROUNDUP
EVENT 10
3/31/05
OMAHA HI-LO 8
PLAYERS 220
APRIL 18, 2005
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
$49,000
Guy Thorn . . . . . . . . $14,370
Gene Batson . . . . . . . $10,045
Clonie Gowen. . . . . . . $6,850
Mike Gambony . . . . . $4,335
Tod McClane . . . . . . . $2,510
Tam Nguyen . . . . . . . . $1,825
Daniel Calderon. . . . . $1,370
Terry Jenkins . . . . . . . . .$915
Dewey Cheatem . . . . . . .$525
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
POKER ROUNDUP
EVENT 8
3/30/05
LIMIT HOLD’EM
PLAYERS 240
PRIZE
POOL
$100,000
1. Larry Cole . . . . . . . . $29,367
2. Phalla Yem . . . . . . . . $20,500
3. Jack Duncan . . . . . . $13,977
3/29/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
PLAYERS 414
POKER ROUNDUP
EVENT 9
John Angst . . . . . . . . . $8,852
Shawn Tobin . . . . . . . $5,124
Tahoe Andrew . . . . . . $3,726
Jim Gentry . . . . . . . . . $2,795
Michael Lewis . . . . . . $1,863
Ron Campbell . . . . . . $1,071
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
$67,100
Andy Li. . . . . . . . . . . $19,107
Bill Jesernig . . . . . . . $13,375
Craig Lundmark . . . . $9,125
Suya Chen . . . . . . . . . $5,780
Troy Wells . . . . . . . . . $3,350
Derek Burns . . . . . . . . $2,435
Sundays, 10 a.m. (sign ups start at 7 a.m.)
$10,000 Guarantee – First Prize $2,000
Plus $1,000 in Cash Drawings,
every half hour, 4 p.m.—midnight
$60 Entry Fee, No Re-buys. Lunch and $20 Poker Coupon included.
140 Seats Maximum.
NOW Every Day! Play NO LIMIT Texas Hold’em
More tournaments every day at 10 a.m. and Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7 p.m.
For more information call 1-800-CHUMASH, ext. 3850 or visit
www.chumashcasino.com for a complete poker schedule.
 E. Hwy , Santa Ynez, CA
Exit  at Solvang, East through Solvang  miles.
Must be 18 or older to enter casino. Chumash Casino Resort
reserves the right to cancel or change promotions.
Ashley Adams is the author of Winning 7-Card Stud,
(Kensington Press 2003). He has been playing 7-Card
Stud for 40 years—and profitably in casinos for the past
10 years. He has played in casinos all over the world,
including England, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Hungary,
Canada and the United States, but plays most frequently
at at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard Connecticut.
Professionally, he is a union organizer and an agent for
broadcasters. He can be reached at: asha34@aol.com
18
PRIZE
POOL
10am Daily Tournaments
Monday
Thursday
Omaha H/L Split Limit Hold’Em
Tuesday
Friday
Limit Hold’Em
Omaha H/L Split
Wednesday
Saturday
No-Limit Hold’Em No-Limit Hold’Em
$15 Buy-in • $2 Entry Fee
Multi $5 Rebuys • Two $5 Add-ons
WEEKL
Y
$1,000
Guaranteed!
FREEROLLS!
WEEKLY
FREEROLLS!
$0 Buy-in • $0 Entry Fee
Multiple $10 Rebuys • Two $10 Add-ons
$1,500
GUARANTEED!
$1,500
Tuesdays 6:30pm
Saturdays 5:15pm
Limit Hold’Em
Limit Hold’Em
GUARANTEED!
20930 Malaga Road,
Management reserves the right to change, modify or void this promotion at its discretion.
Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
Hotel (951) 674-3101
Casino (951) 674-5160
APRIL 18, 2005
19
Poker by the Bay, that’s what you get at Casino San
Pablo, just minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a
popular spot for Bay Area card fisherman.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
asked & answered:
Quizzes from Mike Caro University of Poker
By Byron Liggett
“We’re well stocked with a variety of
Limit Hold’em,” says Game Warden Doug
Morgan. “And, if you want to try your luck
in the No-Limit depths, we got that too,” he adds.
According to Captain Morgan, “All ya’ gotta do is buy
some chip-bait, sit ‘n wait; it won’t be long before you
hook a hand. Then, just reel it in. But remember,” He cautioned, “there are things lurking out there that can eat
you.”
During the week there are no tournaments. But on
Saturday and Sunday, San Pablo does float $25 buy-in, $20
rebuy No-Limit Hold’em contests. Space is limited, so get
on board early.
Across the S.F. Bay, in San Bruno, is Artichoke Joe’s, a
popular poker palace. It’s a handsome hideaway; exquisite
wall paper and an extensive natural wood décor complimented with brass, glass and class.
Artichoke’s has the rich, fine feel of an exclusive city
club. This is a real poker room. When 007 visits the CityBy-The-Bay, this is where he plays poker and waits for his
next adventure.
‘Sir’ Joe Wilson, General Manager, is Lord of the Manor.
Mr. Langdon Bachman, Esquire, is Poker Administrator.
Both highly esteemed Gentlemen of the Green Cloth run a
very civilized, sophisticated Round Table.
If you’re on your way to San Jose, you’ll find the Garden
City Club packed with card cultivators. There are Flop
Farmers, Stud ranchers, Omaha oil drillers, and Pan handlers. They’ve got 40 tables and there’s a bouquet of colorful chips growing in the middle of each one every day!
In the small to mid-limit range, Garden City is an action
attraction for poker horticulturalists. They grow it all
– small, tender games; ripe, juicy games, and big blue ribbon contests. Look out across the room and instead of corn
stalks, you see a field of chip stacks.
Day shift manager Ron Castro understands those who
work the Fields of Green. He says, “In the Garden, every
player hopes for a big crop of nuts, but most of the time
they have to plow through acres of hands to reap a ripe
pot now and then.”
If you really want some fun, stick your head in The
Lucky Derby in Citrus Heights, just east of Sacramento.
Don’t worry; they’ve got just your size, whether it’s small,
medium or large.
A family owned business, The Lucky Derby is not a haberdashery, it’s a casino. “Don’t keep it under your hat! Tell
everybody!” says Chief of Security (in charge of hats ‘n
coats) Beau Boyer. What’s more, it’s one of the most popular poker places around Sacramento.
Interested in a springtime drive through the countryside
with an elegant poker room at the end of it? Go to Grass
Valley. When you get to the laidback little town, drop in at
the Gold Rush Saloon & Gaming Parlor. It’s like stepping
back into the Victorian Era of the 1890s.
Elegantly furnished in period pieces, it features a handsome bar and small poker room. But the most beautiful
attraction is Lady Susan, who owns and operates the
establishment. Like Kitty, of Gunsmoke fame, she welcomes
visitors with a friendly smile, a drink, and an invitation to
her parlor to “join the boys in a little game of poker.”
A popular feature at the Gold Rush is a special cold draft
beer called a “Fat Tire”. After 4 Fat Tires, you’re flying.
Byron Liggett grew-up in the Northwest, working as a
journalist and consultant for cardrooms in the early 1970s.
Moving to Nevada in 1984, he became a gaming writer, editor and columnist for major player and trade publications.
He has also acted as a consultant for most major poker
tournaments to produce press & PR materials.
Write him at byronpokerplayer@aol.com
20
APRIL 18, 2005
This series is based on the MCU library of research and advice found at Poker1.com.
Each issue, Mike Caro presents 10 new questions covering a category of poker, targeted for beginner, intermediate, or advanced players. Quiz #17 is about psychology, for intermediate players. (Answers and explanations appear in the next issue.)
Psychology
(level: intermediate)
1. At MCU, we teach that
most weak opponents often
seem to call...
a. oddly, primarily with
black cards;
b. anything that moves;
c. often, but almost seldom twice in a row;
d. less often than they
should.
2. It’s psychologically satisfying to maintain a long
day-after-day winning streak.
Which statement about such
a streak is most true?
a. It’s important to try to
keep the streak alive as long
as you can afford to do so;
b. You’re probably losing
money overall by trying to
extend a winning streak;
c. The more days in a row
you win, the more days in a
row you’ll probably lose in
the future;
d. Players who have the
longest winning streaks are,
on average, poker’s biggest
lifetime winners.
3. Caro’s Threshold of
Misery states that...
a. You stop feeling any
more pain once you’ve lost
more than you expected was
likely – and this can put you
in a dangerous situation;
b. Everyone has a different
tolerance for losing, and you
should develop as great a
tolerance as possible;
c. Players typically get
irritated if they win too many
hands in a row – thus, misery
applies equally to winners
and to losers;
d. There’s no way to keep
an even disposition at poker,
and trying to do so will
always cause you to lose in
the long run.
4. If you feel that you’re
being cheated...
a. you’re apt to be wrong,
but the feeling itself can
cause you to lose;
b. you probably won’t be
able to concentrate fully on
making the best decisions;
c. you should often leave
the game, even without
proof;
d. all of the above.
5. It’s often profitable to
seem like a maniac in poker,
especially if...
a. you’re a “friendly”
maniac;
b. you can avoid being
caught up in the act and
playing poorly;
c. your opponents are paying attention;
d. all of the above.
6. Most players seem to
take turns going on tilt.
a. True;
b. False.
7. If you say, “I think I
have a straight flush, but
maybe I’m bluffing,” you’ve
given your opponent an
“either-or decision.” This can
be effective psychology if...
a. you’re bluffing;
b. you have a weak hand
with vague hopes of winning,
but don’t want a call;
c. you’ve been losing consistently for at least an hour;
d. you have a mediumstrong betting hand.
8. It’s better to advertise
by playing a hand you normally wouldn’t if your weak
hand is similar to those your
opponents might also play.
a. True;
b. False.
9. Solid players are not
affected much by the table
image of their opponents.
a. True;
b. False.
10. Against typical weak
opponents, the best tactic is
to...
a. bluff a little more often;
b. avoid the urge to bet
aggressively with mediumstrong hands;
c. play more conservatively than your image implies;
d. play a little more liberally than they do.
WATCH FOR
ANSWERS IN OUR
NEXT ISSUE!
If you do not remember the questions, you will find them on our
web site—Download previous issues at
http://www.pokerplayernewspaper.com/
to last issue’s questions
backissues
answers
Q #1 ANSWER: (b). Suppose
your pot is $500 and you’ve
wagered $200 so far. Then
you be another $100 and
are called. The pot grows to
$700 of which you wagered
$300 total. That means if
you win the whole pot, your
profit will be $400, but if
you win half the pot—$350—
your profit will only be $50.
Q #2 ANSWER: (c). In
Omaha high-low, eight or
better to qualify for low,
there are 32 low cards
in the deck—four each of
everything from ace up to
eight.
Q #3 ANSWER: (c). If the
board shows an eight high
straight, noboy will win
high with a full house. The
best possible high hand is a
straight (or possibly a flush
or straight flush).
Q #4 ANSWER: (b). In hold
’em, there are 21 combination
of the two cards in your starting hand and the five cards
on the board that you can use
to determine your best holding. That’s a lot less than in
Omaha—see below.
Q #5 ANSWER: (d). There
are 60 combinations of hands
you can form in Omaha, using
exactly three of the five cards
from the board and two of the
four cards from your starting
hand.
Q #6 ANSWER: (a). It’s true
that A-A-3-2 of mixed suits is
significantly more profitable
than 5-4-3-2 of mixed suits
as an Omaha, eight or better
starting hand.
Q #7 ANSWER: (b). The statement that 5-4-3-2 of two dif(Continued on page 27)
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22
APRIL 18, 2005
APRIL 18, 2005
23
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24
APRIL 18, 2005
Time . Some events H ...... Hold’em
L ................. Limit
N ...........No Limit
7. 7-Card Stud
O .......Omaha
H/L ...... High/Low
C start after the hour
O A, P ........ AM, PM
..............Week
D Wk
gametimes
E & . Add’l
on this day. Call
•Denotes Advertiser
REGION/Cardroom(Ad Pg.)
NV Aladdin
SOUTH •Cannery Casino (p34)
Circus Circus
Club Fortune
Col.Belle-Laughlin
Golden Nugget
Split
Pi ....... Pineapple
Po.........Pot Limit
Pn.......Panginque
S........... Stud
5 ...Five Card
MONDAY
Time Games
10A& N H
10A
NH
11A
L/N H
12P
7P&
11A
7P
Flamingo Laughlin
8A
Horseshoe
2P
•Imperial Palace (p17) 1P
•Mirage (p11)
Nevada Palace
Oasis-Mesquite
10A
6P
7P
10A
11A
7P
Time
10A&
10A
11A
Games
NH
NH
L/N H
WEDNESDAY
Buy-in
$30
$25
$40AO$3
Time Games
10A& N H
10A
NH
11A
L/N H
Z
NH
NH
Z
NH
NH
Z
NH
NH
NH
$17 8A
$60RB(1)$40 2P
$40RB$10 7P
$25RB$10AO$10 2P
NH
$25RB(1)$10 7P
NH
$25 12P& L/N H Z
HZ
$30(30M) 10A
NHZ
$60(30M) 6P
L H $130RB$100AO(1)$100 7P
H
NH
NH
O H/L
NH
NH
NH
NH
Buy-in
$30
$25
$40AO$3
NH
$24
H
$110
L/NL $60RB(1)$40AO$40
N H $125RB$100AO(1)$100
12P O H/L B
7P
NHB
•Palms Casino (p28) 12P&7P N H
•Plaza Casino (p18) 12P
NH
8P&
NH
6P&
11A
7P
11P
TUESDAY
Buy-in
$30
$25
$40AO$3
#M ..# of players
maximum
RB ......... Re-buys
AO ......... Add Ons
Cz .............. Crazy
E....... Elimination
$24 12P
7PWk1&
L/NL $60RB(1)$40AO$40 11A
N H $125RB$100AO$100 7P
The Orleans
River Palms
•Sahara
Al ...... Alternates
F .............Freeroll
Z......... Freezeout
Q .............Qualify
Sh .........Shootout
NH
$24 12P
HB
$25RB$10AO$20
L/NL $60RB(1)$40AO$40 11A
N H $125RB$100AO(1)$100 7P
•Jokers Wild (p17) 2P
NH
7P
NH
Luxor
12P& L/N H Z
•Mandalay Bay
Stud
Mx ..Mexican Poker
DC Dealer’s Choice
HH ... Headhunter
B .......... Bounties
Sp ............ Spread
$18 10A
$15RB(1)$15 11A
$120 7P
$27RB$10
$40RB$20
$230RB(1)$200
$50RB(1)$50
$50RB(1)$50
$25RB$10AO$20
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$17 8A
$60RB(1)$40 2P
$50RB$25 7P
12A
NV Atlantis Casino
NORTH Boomtown
NH
LH
NH
12P& L H Sh
Cactus Petes-Jackpot
7P
Pi
$25RB$10AO$10 2P
NH
$25RB(1)$10 7P
NH
$25 12P& L/N H Z
Circus Circus
Eldorado
Harrah's Reno
4P
H
Harvey’s Tahoe
Peppermill
Reno Hilton
Rainbow Cas. W Wendover
CA Casino Morongo
SAN Casino Pauma
DIEGO Harrah’s Rincon
&
INLAND Lake Elsinore
EMPIRE
10A&
1P
THURSDAY
Time Games
10A& N H
10A
NH
11A
L/N H
12P
NH
$24
7P& O H/L B $25RB$10AO$20
11A
L/NL $60RB(1)$40AO$40
7P
N H $125RB$100AO$100
$25RB$10AO$10 2P
NH
$25RB(1)$10 7P
NH
$25 12P& L/N H Z
Z
NH
$25RB$10AO$10 2P
NH
$25RB(1)$10
$25 12P& L/N H Z
HZ
H
NH
NH
H
NH
NH
H
NH
$18 10A
$15RB(1)$15 11A
H
NH
HB
NHB
NH
NH
NH
$27RB$10
$40RB$20
$230RB(1)$200
$50RB(1)$50
$50RB(1)$50
6P&
11A
7P
11P
7 H/L
NH
NH
NH
$25RB$10AO$20
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
12P
7P
12P&7P
12P
8P&
$18 10A
$15RB(1)$15 11A
$25RB$10
NHB
HB
NH
NH
NH
$40RB$20
$27RB$10
$230RB(1)$200
$50RB(1)$50
$50RB(1)$50
6P&
11A
7P
11P
NH
NH
NH
NH
$25RB$10AO$20
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$40 10A
$18AO$2 10A
$32(30M)
F
NH
NH
7 Sh
NH
$15 12P& L H Sh
$22RB$10
7P
NH
12P
HB
7P O H/L B
12P&7P N H
12P
NH
8P&
NH
$27RB$10
$27RB$10
$250
$50RB(1)$50
$50RB(1)$50
H
NH
NH
NH
NH
$40 12P
$23AO$2 10A
LH
LH
F
$23AO$2 11A
6P
NH
$20RB$10
$15 10A&
$25RB$10AO$20
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$45RB$20AO$20
7 Sh
6P&
11A
7P
11P
7P
$15 12P&
7P
Z
NH
NH
12P
10A
11A
7P
$17 8A
$60RB(1)$40 2P&
1P
$25RB$10AO$10 2P
$25 12P& L/N H Z
NH
$24
Pi Z
$12
L/NL $60RB(1)$40AO$40
N H $125RB$100AO$100
Z
NH
NH
$17
$60RB(1)$40
$50RB$25
NH
$25RB$10AO$10
$25 12P& L/N H Z
$25
$30(30M)
5P
O H/L
NH
NH
NH
NH
$25
$18 10A
$15RB(1)$15 11A
$40RB(1)$20
$60RB(1)$40
$250
$50RB(1)$50
$50RB(1)$50
$25RB$10AO$20
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$45RB$20AO$20
H
NH
$18 10A
$15RB(1)$15 3P
12P
7P
12P&7P
12P
8P&
HB
NHB
NH
NH
NH
$50RB(1)$20
$125RB(1)$100
$230RB(1)$200
$50RB(1)$50
$50RB(1)$50
6P&
11A
7P
11P
7P
Po H
NH
NH
NH
NH
$25RB$10AO$20
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$45RB$20AO$20
12P
7P
12P&7P
12P
8P&
6P&
11A
7P
11P
7P
N H$330RB$200AO(1)$200
H
NH
$18
$25RB$10
NHB
HB
NH
NH
NH
$50RB(1)$20
$60RB(1)$50
$230RB(1)$200
$50RB(1)$50
$50RB(1)$50
NH
NH
NH
NH
NH
$25RB$10AO$20
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$40RB$20AO$2
$45RB$20AO$20
NH
$23AO$2 11A
NH
$23AO$2 Varies Varies
Varies
L H Sh
NH
$15 10A&
$22RB$10
7 Sh
$15 12P& L H Sh
7P
NH
12P
H
$15
$22RB$10
F RB$20
F RB$10
$15 4P
H
$15 4P
H
$15 10A
H
$15 10A
H
$15
NH
NH
$25 10A
NH
$25 10A
NH
$25 10A
NH
$25 10A
NH
$25
NH
6P
$25AO$10 1P
H
NH
$25RB$20
$25AO$10 1P
7P
$15(24M) 9A
NH
LH
NH
$25AO$10
$65 7P
$15(24M) 9A&
$33RB$30
$115RB$100 6P
$15(24M) 9A
8P
NH
NH
LH
$110 6P
$15(24M) 9A
$25RB$20
NH
NH
2P
$110
$25(30M) 9A
6P
NH
NH
NH
NH
NH
$25(30M)
$50
H
H
NH
$5RB$5AO$5
$5RB$5AO$10B$5
$15RB$10AO$10
$15(24M) 9A&
$25RB$20
NH
10A
5O
$10RB$10AO$10 7P&
H
N Cz Pi
$10RB$10AO$10 7P&
H
10A&
NH
$15RB$10AO$10 10A&
NH
$15RB$10AO$10 10A&
NH
$15RB$10AO$10 10A&
NH
$60 10A
4P
$15RB$10AO$10 10A&
DC
H
NH
10A
O H/L
$17RB$5AO$5 10A
LH
$17RB$5AO$5 10A
6P
NH
NH
$17RB$5AO$5 10A
$20RB(2)$15
LH
$17RB$5AO$5 10A
O H/L
$35 10A
NH
$35 10A
NH
$55 10A
NH
$35 10A
LH
NH
6P&
10A
10A&
10A
$15RB$10 12P
$60 7P&
$30RB$10AO$20 10A
LH
$15 6P&
NH
$20
NH
$12 10A 7 H/L Sp
$12
O H/L
$12B$5 10A& N H
$12B$5
NH$30RB$20AO(1)$50B(20)$5 10A
O$30RB$20AO(1)$50B(20)$5
NH
NH
$15RB$10 12P
$25RB$20 7P
NH
NH
NH
$14RB$5/$10AO$20 7P&
7P
NH
$14RB$5/$10AO$20 10A
7P
7P
NH
Pn
NH
H
H
NH
$15RB$10 6P
$17RB$10 11A
$35 8P
LH
NH
NH
LH
H
H
$48
$36RB$20 11A
$10
H
$50
H
$60RB$40
•Diamond Jim’s (p33) 6P
O Pi H
$25RB$10 6P
LH
Hawaiian Gardens
12P
•Hollywood Park (p5) 11A
7P
NH
7 H/L
LH
$15RB$10 12P
$17RB$10 11A
$35 7P
O H/L
NH
NH
$15RB$10 12P
$17RB$10 11A
$35 7P
•Hustler Casino (p13) 7P
Normandie Casino
NH
LH
Sp L H
H
$25 6P LH/L OH/L $50RB$20AO$40 11A
$36RB$20 11A
H
$77 11A
$25RB$20 12P O H/L
$55 6P
$20RB$10 6P Wk4LadiesL H
7P
Sp L H
$50 7P
$40RB$40 6P
1P
6P
10A
NH Sh
11A
H
$20
$125RB(1)$100 10A
H
$20RB 7P
H
H Sh
12P
NH
HZ
S Sh
Fort McDowell
Gila River/Wild Horse Pass
Gila River-Vee Quiva
12P&
12P
11A
NH
NH
7B
Harrah’s Ak Chin
Hon-Dah Casino
Paradise Casino
6P
Flop
$60 7P
$10RB$5 10A
$15 11A
$13RB$10AO$20 12P&
$25RB$20
$20 11A
$10 6P
NH
LH
$10RB$10AO$10 12P
$5RB$5AO$10B$5 4P
$15RB$10AO$10 10A&
$17RB$5AO$5
O H/L
LH
$22RB$11 10A
$65
LH
$15
NH
$12RB$10AO$10
NH
$25B$5
O$30RB$20AO(1)$50B(20)$5
$20RB$10
$20RB$20
7P
H
$14RB$5/$10AO$20 7P& N H (80M)
$40 1P
Pn
$15 7P
NH
1P
LH
$25RB 6P
$17RB$10 11A
$225RB(1)$200 8P
Mx
7
Po H
$30RB(2)AO(1)
$50RB$20 7P
$40RB(1)$40 6P
LH
$40RB$40AO$40 6P
NH
$15 1P
6P
$45RB(1)$40 10A
H Sh
NH Sh
NH
H/O H/L
6P
11A
$20RB$20(1) 7P
LH
H
H
6P
H
AZ •Apache Gold (p41)
•Casino Arizona-Scottsdale (p31) 11A
Casino Del Sol
10A
Cliff Castle
6P&
HH N H
HH N H
$25
$15RB$10 12P
$17RB$10 11A
$35 7P
O
$10RB$5AO$10
7P
Blue Water Casino
Bucky’s Casino
10A
$35 11A
H
H
NH
H
10A
6P&
10A
10A
H
LH
NH
LH
7P
HH L H
$22RB$11
$20
$17
$12B$5
$25RB$20AO$50
$30RB$10
$20RB$10
$27RB(2)$15 12P
$40 1P
$15
LH
Pn
$19RB$5/$10AO$20
$40
$25RB$10 1P
1PWk4
F RB$10
$17RB$10 11A
$330RB(1)$300 4P
NH
NH
$50
$100
LH
N H Sh
$22RB$10
$120
$125RB(1)$100
L H $28RB(1)$20AO(1)$20 11A
11A
12P
6P
$17RB$5AO$5 10A
H
$25 10A
LH
$22 6P&
NH
$12B$5 10A
NH$30RB$20AO(1)$50B(20)$5 10A
$27(80M)RB(2)$15 10A
$40
$27RB(2)$15 10A
H
10A
6P&
10A&
10A
$15RB$10 12P
$25RB$10 7P
$60RB(1)$50
NH
S H/L
O H/L
LH
NH
$25
H
F
O
$12B$5
O$30RB$20AO(1)$50B(20)$5
NH
LH
NH
Club One Casino
7P
Commerce Club
•Crystal Park Casino (p27)
7P
NH
Pn
10A
6P&
10A&
10A
$10RB$10AO$10 11A
$5RB$5AO$10B$5 4P
$15RB$10AO$10 10A&
LH
$15RB(1)$10 12P
$60RB(1)$10 7P
8P
•Club Caribe (p34)
CO N T ’ D O N PAG E 27
NH
$24
Pi Z
$12
L/NL $30RB$20AO(1)$20
$330RB$200AO(1)$200
NH
H
NH
NH
11A
$25RB$10AO$10 2P
$25 10A
$15 4P
$22RB$20
$25 10A
9A
8P
CA •Bicycle Club (p3) 12P
7P
L.A.
$17 8A
$60RB(1)$40 2P&
12P O H/L B
7P
NHB
12P&7P N H
12P
NH
8P&
NH
6P&
11A
7P
11P
7P
12P
10A
11A
7P
NH
Buy-in
H
NH
NH
NH
$15
LH
$12
NH
$12B$5
O$30RB$20AO(1)$50B(20)$5
Oaks Card Club
•Palace Indian Casino
Sonoma Joe's
NH
$24
O H/L B $25RB$10AO$20
L/NL $60RB(1)$40AO$40
N H $230RB$200AO$100
$30(30M) 10A
$60(30M)
$230RB(1)$200
$19 10A
$15RB(1)$15 11A
$120RB(1)$100 6P
$25 10A
$40AO$3
SUNDAY
Buy-in Time Games
$15 4P
6P
$25 10A
•Pechanga (p24) 6P&
Sycuan
10A
Viejas
10A
10A
Village Club
Gold Rush
Kelly’s Cardroom
Lucky Chances
$17 8A
$60RB(1)$40 2P&
$50RB$25
SATURDAY
Buy-in Time Games
NH
L/N H
HZ
NHZ
NH
$15RB$10
LH
California Grand
Casino San Pablo
Garden City
Z
NH
NH
12P
7P&
11A
7P
Games
HZ
$30(30M) 10A
NHZ
$60(30M) 6P
Po H $130RB$100AO(1)$100 7P
$40 10A
NH
$18AO$2 10A L O High
7P& O H/L
$20RB$10 6P
NH
•Lucky Lady (p37)
Oceans Eleven
10A
CA Artichoke Joe’s
NORTH Bay 101
Cache Creek
FRIDAY
Buy-in Time
$30
$25 10A
$40AO$3 11A
HZ
$30(30M) 10A
NHZ
$60(30M) 6P
N H $130RB$100AO(1)$100 7P
12P
7P
12P&7P
12P
8P&
$15 10A&
7P
Note: All tournaments are subject to change. Check with the Cardroom for any updates. Cardrooms—
please send your schedules to Tournament Editor Joel Gausten, jgausten@gamblingtimes.com
$17 8A
$60RB(1)$40 2P
$50RB$25 7P
$40RB$20
•Sam’s Town (p35)
Stardust
10A
•Sunset Station (p6) 10A
•Texas Station (p6)
Virgin River Casino
6P
DAILY TOURNAMENTS
NOW! Get Tournament Listings at our website: www.pokerplayernewspaper.com
H
NH
O H/L Z
H Sh
NH
HB
H Sh F
$15 1P
$20
$45RB(1)$40
3P&
H Sh
$15 1P
$60RB$50AO$50
$10RB$5AO$10
$20RB$20(1)
$25RB$15 7P
7P
O H/L
H Sh
10A
LH
11A
H
$13RB$10AO$20 12P&
$15+$5 11A
7P&
F 6P
F 5P
NH
$30RBAO
$99 11A
Sp L H
6P
$70RB(1)$60 11A
NH
H
$49RB$20AO$40
$70RB(1)$60
2P
10A
7P
H
NH
Sp L H
$50 2P
$25RB(1)$20 10A
$120RB(1)$100 7P
H
NH
H
$50
$25RB(1)$20
$60RB$40
$15 1P
5P
$55 10A
H Sh
NF
LH
$15
F 6P
$65 12P
NH Sh
NH
$20
$25RB(1)$100
12P
Varies
LH
$65RB(2)$50
6P
O H/L
HB
$20
$25
12P
NH
Cz Pi Z
O H/L
NH
HB
O H/L
H
$130 11A
$10RB$5 10A
$30 11A
$65RB$50AO$50 1P
$10RB$5AO$10
$25RB$5AO$25
$130 7P
$10RB$5 10A
$15 6P&
Pai Gow
NH
NHZ
H Sh
$60 11A
$10RB$5 10A
$15 11A
$13RB$10AO$20 12P& N H
$13RB$10AO$20 12P&
12P Men H/N A I$25RB$10AO(1)$20
$15+$5 11A
HB
$15+$5
$25RB$15 7P&Ladies H Cz Pi
$10 6P
O H/L
$20RB(2)$10 1P
$25
NH
Pi
H Sh
NH
H
3P
2P
$25RB$10AO$30 1P
$60 4thWk10AN H
$10RB$5
$15
$13RB$10AO$20 12P&
12P
NH
$25RB$15AO(1)$10 12P
3P
1P
RB$10
H
O H/L
7F
$20RB$10
$25
H Sh
$15
NH
$13RB$10AO$20
HB
$15+$5
$150
11A
$13RB$10AO$20 12P&
11A
NH
O H/L F
H
H
O H/L
APRIL 18, 2005
$25RB$15 12P
$10
$13 1P
H
$40
H
$13
25
Carpe Diem! Seize
the Opportunity
SENIORS SCENE
Bill Gates
By George “The engineer” EPSTEIN
Often we are so focused on one thing that we miss an opportunity. That’s true in the game of poker as well as in life. Here’s an
illustration I presented to my advanced poker class at the Claude
Pepper Sr. Citizens Center.
You are in a late position and are dealt a pair of 8s. There are
no raises preflop with three opponents in the pot; you call, hoping
to catch a third 8 on the flop.
The flop comes down—Your first
reaction: Oh, shucks, I missed!
I didn’t make a set of 8s.
Don’t be surprised; after
all, the odds are 7-to-1 against it.
But look again: Two aces on the board! That means it’s not
likely that one of your three opponents has an ace. (After all,
with only two other aces in the deck, there is only a small chance
that an opponent has an ace. Besides, most players with A-K, AQ, or A-J probably would have raised preflop. Since there were no
raises, it’s even less likely there is an ace out against you.)
Everyone checks to you. Your first inclination is to check along
and see the turn for free. If you do that, you will have missed a
great opportunity to take this pot. . .
Study the Board: Notice that no one could have four-to-a-flush;
a straight-draw is not likely; and, most important, the other upcard
is a deuce. That means your pair of 8s is an overpair—since we
have discounted the pair of aces. What about an opponent holding a pair of deuces in the hole? The chance of that happening is
about 220-to-1 against it. What’s more, if an opponent had a higher
pocket pair, he likely would have raised preflop. Yep, your pair of
8s probably is the best hand at this point.
Your Opportunity: So this is your opportunity to bet, hoping
to force out your opponents. Consider the likely consequences if
you merely checked and everyone gets to see the turn: With only
two 8s still in the deck, you have less than one chance out of 23
of making a set on the turn.
What about your opponents? Let’s assume that there are four
cards in their hands that are higher than an 8; that’s reasonable.
(Indeed, they could hold six higher cards – overcards.) It’s six
times more likely that one of them will make a pair higher than
your 8s on the turn. If one opponent holds two suited cards, he
might make four-to-a-flush on the turn; and then stay to see the
river. Even if he didn’t connect for the flush, he could easily make
a pair higher than your 8s. Therefore, it would be very much
to your advantage to force out as many opponents as possible
before the turn.
So Carpe Diem!: Seize the opportunity and make the postflop bet – rather than just going along with the check-all-around,
hoping for the third 8. If they all fold, that’s fine: You have taken
a small pot. That’s a lot better than losing a larger pot.
What if one of your opponents elects to call your post-flop
bet? With only one opponent still in, your pocket 8s has a
much better chance of holding up to take the pot at the end.
Depending on the turn card and your assessment of the remaining
opponent, you might check or bet. But, in any case, by betting
after the flop in this case, you will have taken the opportunity to
turn a probable losing hand into a likely winner. . .
. . . So readers, what’s YOUR opinion?
George “The Engineer” Epstein is the author of “The
Greatest Book of Poker for Winners!” A retired engineer
who received many industry and government awards and
commendations, he continues to be active by consulting,
editing an international technical newsletter, teaching an
engineering course at UCLA, and serving as an officer
in a professional engineering society. One engineering
society has a scholarship in George’s honor. In writing his
poker book, he applied the lessons learned while working
as an engineer to solve problems. He is currently writing
his next book on The Four Rules for Success in Life and
Living. He can be reached by e-mail: geps222@msn.com
26
APRIL 18, 2005
Cards, Competition
and Computers
by Byron Liggett
Bill Gates, founder of
Microsoft, developed the “language” by which computers
communicate. More than any
other individual, he moved the
world into the 21st Century.
The richest man on the
planet before he was 40, Gates
was a child prodigy. He was
born into affluent, upper class
Seattle society in 1955.
Everyone in the family,
including his grandmother,
were avid gamesters. Cards,
contests and competitions were
constant. And no one liked losing, especially young Bill.
By the 6th grade, it was
difficult for his mother to control the strong-willed young
genius. After a year of family
counseling and a battery of
tests, the psychologist told his
mother, “Youʼre going to lose.
You better just adjust to it
because thereʼs no use trying
to beat him.”
Demonstrating a prodigious intellect, a photographic
memory and an understanding
of math well beyond his years,
Billʼs parents sent him to an
exclusive Seattle prep school
from the 7th grade through
high school. It was here that
Gates, 13, was introduced to
the earliest computers.
Gates and a few school
friends organized a business
selling their programming
skills to pay for their computer
time. In one summer, they
made over $20,000. When
he was a high school senior,
Gates was hired to help computerize the power grid for the
Northwest.
On his college entrance
exams, young Bill scored a
rare, perfect 1600. Although
he attended Harvard, he never
graduated. Later he would say,
“I went there to learn from
people smarter than me... but I
never met any.”
However, at Harvard Gates
discovered poker. According
to one biographer, poker
“became as all-consuming to
Gates as computers”.
Describing how seriously
Gates focused on the game,
his Harvard roommate, referring to Microsoft and poker,
said, “Bill was sort of decid-
ing where he was going to put
his energy and to hell with
what anyone else thought.”
Fortunately for young Gates
and the world, he pursued
computers.
According to a Gatesʼ biographer, Bill and his computer,
math and business buddies
did not play “friendly” poker.
The young men won and lost
hundreds, even thousands of
dollars in an evening. Their
favorite game was 7-Stud H/L
Split.
Among Harvardʼs blue
chip brains, Bill was a highly
regarded poker player. “I was
good,” he says, admitting that
by the time he quit school
“all we did full-time was play
poker.” Gatesʼ biographer
reports, “Trying to break his
addiction, Gates once gave his
check book to [a friend].” He
later asked for it back.
Apparently Gates greatest
weakness as a college poker
player was he sometimes
stayed too long with a losing
hand. Another frequent winner in the Harvard games said
Gates “had a tendency to play
out his hand to the costly end
whenever he believed he had
correctly read other players at
the table.”
After leaving Harvard,
Gates and friend Paul Allen
started a little software company, Microsoft, in Santa
Clara, located next to a massage parlor. Neither were 21.
Nevertheless, two kids in blue
jeans and t-shirts ignited a
worldwide technological revolution.
Young Gates did it all,
recalls one early programmer,
“He was the salesman, the
technical leader, the lawyer,
the businessman.” One author
described the attitude Bill
demanded at Microsoft was
“work hard, make better products, and win”. One journalist
wrote that within the company, competition between units
“is so great that it often seems
as if they hate each other as
much as they hate outside
competitors.”
Bill became a familiar sight
at the big annual electronic
shows in Las Vegas. He sometimes relaxed at the craps table
and is known to have won and
lost thousands during shows in
the late 1970s, early ʻ80s.
On another occasion, Gates
tried the blackjack tables at
the Bellagio. He played a $50
minimum game, won $200
and walked away; Bill preferred poker.
Because for Bill Gates the
money at any limit isnʼt relevant, in Vegas he often plays
$3/6 or $4/8 Holdʼem. He has
said playing the game well is
what attracts him.
Thereʼs one account of Bill
playing $3/6 at the Mirage
when a drunk at the table
said to him, “So, you know
a lot about computers, huh?”
Gates ignored it. Then the
drunk said, “I guess youʼre the
consummate nerd who made
it big.” Bill just smiled. After
three $100 rebuys, an older
woman seated next to Gates
suggested he read Sklansky if
he wanted to become a better
Holdʼem player.
A 1997 Time Magazine
feature about Bill Gates
explained, “His success stems
from his personality: an awesome... frightening blend of
brilliance, drive, competitiveness and personal intensity.”
[Sounds like a helluva poker
player]
Eventually, the youngest
billionaire in history relocated
Microsoft to Seattle. Despite
its phenomenal growth, competition remains a key feature
of Gatesʼ company. Every
July, he throws a huge bash
known as the “Micro Games”
at which more than a hundred
friends, executives and guests
compete for prizes.
Modest and unassuming,
Bill Gates still flies coach
and collects a modest salary. Neither does he play the
stock market. All his wealth is
wrapped up in his company.
Adamantly opposed to debt,
he insists the company keep
enough in the bank (about $8
billion) to operate a year without any income.
Today, Bill Gates is an
American icon. As a player
in the Game of Business, the
Chairman of Microsoft is The
Winner – after all, heʼs got the
most chips.
e-mail: byronpokerplayer@aol.com
Time . Some events Wk ..............Week H ...... Hold’em 7. 7-Card Stud Pi ....... Pineapple S........... Stud DC Dealer’s Choice Sp ............ Spread Z......... Freezeout #M # of players max DAILY TOURNAMENTS
(CONT’D FROM PAGE 25)
start after the hour & . Add’l gametimes L ................. Limit O .......Omaha Po.........Pot Limit 5 Five Card Stud HH ... Headhunter Al ...... Alternates Q .............Qualify RB ......... Re-buys
A, P ........ AM, PM
on this day. Call N ...........No Limit H/L High/Low Split Pn.......Panginque Mx ..Mexican Poker B .......... Bounties F .............Freeroll Sh .........Shootout AO ......... Add Ons Cz .............. Crazy E....... Elimination
● Denotes Advertiser
REGION/Cardroom(Ad Pg.)
MONDAY
Time Games
CO Midnight Rose
Ute Mountain
CT Foxwoods
FL Dania Jai-Alai
Derby Lane
Palm Beach Kennel Club
Palm Beach Princess
Pompano Park Casino
Seminole Hollywood Casino
St Tropez Cruise
IA Catfish Bend
Isle of Capri
Winn-A-Vegas
TUESDAY
Buy-in Time Games
12P
H
7P
$10 12P
6P
LH
$100 6P
NH
NH
H
6P
$45 6P
$45 6P
NH
LO H/L
H
$55 6P
1P
12P
6P
H
12P
8P
NH
O H/L
7P
10A
NH
DC
$75 6P
$70RB$30AO$50
$20RB$20M24
$10RB$10 6P
WEDNESDAY
Buy-in Time Games
NH
S
$40 7P
$10 12P
$150
H
O H/L
NH
$45
$45 1P
$45 12P
$55 6P
12P
$70RB$10 6P
6P&
NH
$25RB$5AO 6P&
LA Grand Coushatta
MI Chip-In's Island
Gold Strike Casino Resort
6P
4A,6P& LH
7
Fortune Bay Casino
Northern Light Casino Hotel
Shooting Star Casino
6P
NH
$55AO$(1)$5 6P
12P
NH
$25 12P
Grand Casino(Biloxi)
Grand Casino(Gulfport)
12P
H/O
Grand Casino(Tunica)
12P
Pearl River Resort
5P
12P
7P
7P
NH
NJ Tropicana
7P
6P
NH
NH
$30RBAO 7P
$120 6P
NM Cities of Gold
6P
7P&
11A
NH
NH
F RB(1)$15AO$100 6P
$20RB$20 2P
$25 30M 11A
7P
NY Turning Stone
1P
H
Dakota Magic
7P
S
F RB$10 7P
OR Chinook Winds Casino
4P
H
$25RB(1)$5AO(1)$5 4P
6P
Wildhorse Casino Resort
SD Dakota Sioux
6P
Gold Dust Casino, Deadwood
Rosebud Casino
7P
S H/L
NH
NH
12P& N H Sh
$75 12P& N H
N H Sh
NH
L/N H
N H/O
$10RB$10AO$10
NH
$150
NH
$10RB$10AO 7P&
6P
Pi
$35RB$15AO$25 4A,6P& LH/NH
Varies
$10RB$5 6P
$35RB$15AO$25 11A
$45
$65 6P&
$70RB$30AO$50
10A
NH
$40RB$20AO 12P
NH
NH
LH/NH
$30RB$20 6P
$35RB$15AO$25 11A
Buy-in
NH
S
$50
$10
NH
NH
$45
$45
$45
$130RB$20
$20RB$20M24
$100 10A
NHZ
$25 12P
NH
7
$25Z 4P
Pi
$25Z 5P
12P
H
$5RB$15 12P
NHZ
$80 50M 12P
12P
$25 2P
NHZ
H
N H $60RB(1)$40 50M 12P
L H B $80RB(1)$40 50M
N H $20RB$15AO$25/$50
7
NH
$30RBAO 7P
$65 6P
NH
NH
$40RBAO 7P
$65 6P
Cz Pi
H
NH
Varies
$20RB(1)$10 6P
$15RB(1)$15 7P&
$25 30M 11A
$35
H
NH
NH
$25 6P
$20RB(1)$20 2P
$25 30M 11A
H
$35RB$10 7P
NH
$50RB$20 1P
NH
7P
$30RB$10 7P
7
S H/L
O H/L $25RB(1)$5AO(1)$5 4P
H
$18RB$10
NH
$10RB$5 7P
F RB$10 7P
$25RB$5AO$10 4P
6P
$110 7P
$10RB$10AO$10
$10RB$10 10A
NH
$10RB$10
12P
Varies
NH
LH/NH
Varies
NH
LH
$25RB$10
$35RB$15AO$25
$12
$120
LH
NHZ
10A
H Sh
12P Wk1 N H
5PWk4LadiesN H
$25AO(1)$5
F$5RB(2)$5AO$5 12P
NH
$10RB$10AO$10 12P
7
$25 12P
NH
$50RB$10AO$10 12P
$25RB$10 3P
$35RB$15AO$25 2P
$10RB(3)$5AO$5
$30RB$10AO$10
$50Z
HB
NH
$95
$15RB$15
1P
N H $40RB$10AO$25 50M 11A
NHB
2P
N H Sh
7P
NH
$30RBAO 4P
$120 6P
NH
NH
LH
NH
O H/L $20RB(1)$10AO$50 6P
H
$15RB(1)$15 7P&
NH
$25 30M 11A
S H/L
$130AO$50 50M 11A
$10RB$5 7P
$25 7P
Tahoe H/L $25RB(1)$5AO(1)$5 4P
N H $33RB(2)$15AO$15
H
NH
$130 70M 2P
NH
2P Wk2 N H
NH
$15RB$10
$90AO$25 70M
$130 70M
$60RBAO 12P
$225 6P&
$30RB$10AO$10
NH
NH
$65RBAO 12P
$340 6P
H $30RB(1)$20AO$200 5P
N H $50RB(2)$25AO(1)$35 2P
NH
$25 30M 7P
H
H
NH
$20RB$10 5P
$15RB(1)$15 2P
$18 30M 11A
12P
11A
NH
$25RB$5
$10RB$5 2P
2P
H
NH
$20RB$10
$30RB$10 3P
H
NH
H
S
$35
$30RB$10AO$10 7P
$25RB$5
O H/L
H/L Sp Z
6P
$35 7P(1st Wk) H
N H/O
$40RB$20 1P
$35RB$15AO$25 11A
$25AO$(1)$5
$25 12P
NH
2P
NH
LH/NH
Varies
NH
H
6P
$45 1P
12P
$300 6P
8P
$10RB$5
7P
NH
NH
$30RB$10AO$10
$25RB$5 7P&
$45 1P
NH
$25AO$(1)$5 6P
ND 4 Bears Casino
S
$45
$45 1P
$45
11A
NE Rosebud Casino
$10 12P
$100
7P
Buy-in Time Games
S H/L
NH
1P
SUNDAY
12P
$10 12P
NH
NH
H
$20RB$20M24
Buy-in Time Games
$60
6P
$45 6P
$45 6P
$55
$45
$65RB$10 6P&
SATURDAY
F RB$15AO$15/$30
$15RB$10
N H $40RB$10AO$25 50M 12P
7P
N H $20RB$15AO$25/$50 7P
WA Blue Mountain Casino
Buy-in Time Games
NH
10A
NH
7P
NH
H
N H Sh
NH
$20 7P
$10
7P
$40 12P
$20RB$10AO(1)$10
MS Copa Casino
Isleta Casino & Resort
Route 66 Casino
•Sandia Casino (p4)
H
$35RB$15AO$25 4A,6P& NH
MN •Canterbury Park (p8) 10A
Trump Taj Mahal
NH
NH
H
Buy-in Time Games
FRIDAY
$15RB$5AO$10
IL Hollywood Casino-Aurora
KS Harrah’s Prarie Band
NH
S
THURSDAY
$25RB(1)$5AO(1)$5
S H/L
$10RB$5 4P
O H/L
$50
$30RB$10AO$10
7P
NH
NH
NH
O H/L
H
NH
Varies
H
$55RBAO
$120
$20RB(1)$10
$15RB(1)$15
$25 30M
$35
F RB$10
4P
1P
NH
H
$25RB$5AO$50
$18RB$10
$10RB$5 4P
2P
$30RB$10AO$10 6P
V
H
NH
$20RB$10
$40
$30RB$10AO$10
Chips Bremerton
Chips La Center
1P
9A
12P
N O H/L
NH
NH
$20RB(1)$10 1P
$20 9A
$20 12P
NH
NH
NH
$20RB(1)$10 1P
$20 9A
$20 12P
NH
NH
NH
$20RB(1)$10 1P
$20 9A
$20 12P
N O H/L
NH
NH
$20RB(1)$10 1P
$20 9A
$20 12P
NH
NH
NH
$20RB(1)$10 1P
$20 9A
$20 12P
N O H/L
NH
NH
$20RB(1)$10 1P
$20 9A
$20 12P
NH
NH
NH
$20RB(1)$10
$20
$20
Chips Lakewood
Chips Tukwila
Goldie’s
9A
4P
11A
NH
NH
NH
$20 9A
$20 4P
$13RB(1)$10 11A
NH
NH
NH
$20 9A
$20 4P
$13RB(1)$10 11A
NH
NH
NH
$20 9A
$20 4P
$13RB(1)$10 11A
NH
NH
NH
$20 9A
$20 4P
$13RB(1)$10 11A
NH
NH
NH
$20 9A
$20 4P
$13RB(1)$10 11A
NH
NH
NH
$20 9A
$20 4P
$13RB(1)$10 11A
NH
NH
NH
$20
$20
$28RB(2)$10
Little Creek Casino
Northern Quest
Suquamash Clearwater Cas
Wild Grizzly
7P
10A
11A
5P
LO
NH
NH
NH
$15RB(2)$10
$25RB(2)$10
$20
$13RB$10
7P
10A
11A
5P
L/N H
NH
NH
NH
$25
$25RB(2)$10 10A
$20 11A
$13RB$10 5P
NH
NH
NH
7P
$25RB(2)$10 10A
$20 11A
$13RB$10 5P
NH
NH
NH
NH
$45
$25RB(2)$10 10A
$20 11A
$13RB$10
NH
NH
5P
$15RB(2)$10 10A&
$20 11A
2P
NB
NH
NH
NH
$35
F RB(2)$15 10A
$20
$25RB$20
NH
$25RB(2)$10
8P
V
CAN Casino Regina
$25RB$20AO$20
asked & answered:
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E
Q #9 ANSWER: (a). If you
have no high-hand hopes
and are involved in a threeway tie for low in a four-way
pot, a final round call means
you lose a third of your
already in the pot provides
the profit.
Q #10 ANSWER: (d).
Winning the whole pot in
Omaha high-low is worth
more than twice as much as
winning half the pot, and it’s
important to play hands that
have a chance of winning
both sides.
ing
Start th!
pril 6
A
WED
No-LimNESDAYS
it H
$12 Buy-in +$3 Entry • $10 Rebuys
E
BLUE LIN
Q #8 ANSWER: (c). Almost
any Omaha high-low, eight
or better starting hand is
worth playing heads up as
the big blind against a late
raiser if it contains an ace.
There are only a few exceptions.
final wager, but the call still
might be profitable (depending on how sure you are that
your low hand isn’t beat). If
the last wager is $100, all
three low hands together
will wager $300 of the $400
total bet. They’ll get $200
returned, two-thirds of their
calls. Your $100 will return
only $66.67, but the money
old’em
FR
No-Lim IDAYS
it Hold
’em
SATUR
No-Lim DAYS
it Hold
’em
Startin
g at 7:0
0 PM
Alameda Blvd.
ferent suits is the second
best Omaha high-low, eight
or better starting hand is
false. This hand is often
quite profitable, but frequently overrated.
20
123 E. Artesia Blvd., Compton, CA 90220
(310) 631-3838 ♠ www.crystalparkcasino.com
h
A P R I L 1 8 , 2i 0 0 5
f E R P Li AY
f ER
i
PfO K
27
PART 45,
Reno WPC
Pot For Sale
By TOM “TIME” LEONARD
RENO HILTON
3/16/05
As we continue to examine our games
to see if any areas show weakness and
need to be improved upon, today let’s discuss those
pots that seem to be for sale We see this phenomenon
all the time and intuitively seem to know the meek may
well be in line to inherit the earth but they sure as hell
aren’t going to steal any pots. The first player making
a bet is normally the favorite to take down a pot that
seems to be for sale. Thinking about this now, do you
pull the trigger enough or do you sit there and check it
down to the river along with the rest of the wimps?
The classic example of this situation would be if
you limped in on the button after two or three limpers
with a so-so hand like Jack/Nine off-suit. Both blinds
call and five or six of you see the flop which is totally
uncoordinated. Let’s say the flop is deuce/five/eight
rainbow and even though this gives you a back door
straight draw (big deal!) and two over-cards, you also
check after it has been checked around to you. The
turn is the three of the fourth suit so there is no flush
draw and no over-cards, just a low straight draw possibility or if someone is holding Ace/four or four/six a
possible made straight. Everyone once again checks to
you Well, this pot is obviously for sale and you should
bet with just about any hand at that point. Now I know
this is not an earth shaking revelation but let’s review
why this play is the correct course of action and the
reasons why it is usually successful.
If someone was being “cute” and slow playing a
strong hand on the flop, he would definitely have bet
the turn after no one bet. At this point in the hand no
one has invested much money (only one small bet) and
since no one has ventured a bet as yet it is unlikely
that anyone is going to call or raise for a large bet You
can tell after two rounds of checking that most players
have lost interest in the hand and it becomes very easy
for them to get away from it, as in muking their hand
in the face of your bet. Of course, if you get a caller
you need to put him on a hand, which probably isn’t
too much, and also you may well improve on the river.
Now is the time to put your knowledge of this player
to work and think about his position and the texture
of the board. If on the river it is checked to you again
and neither an over card or the straight draw gets
there then bet hands that can’t survive a showdown
and check hands that can. For instance, if at that point
all you hold is a Jack high, your bet may well cause a
pair of deuces or fives to release this modest holding.
Deuces were only in because no one made a bet. If on
the other hand you make a pair of nines on the river, it
is best to check it down and see if they are in fact the
best hand. Based upon the betting, or lack thereof,
they probably are.
Poker is a game of situations and you need to always
be alert to see when one begins to unfold so that
you’re the one who takes advantage of it. Our goal for
today is to always be aware of situations to increase
our earn. In the case of a pot for sale, when you are
in position to take advantage of this situation, then
go ahead and “purchase” that pot instead of checking along with the rest of the wimps. Winning those
little pots will wind up paying for your blinds and tokes.
Nothing wrong with that! See you next “TIME”
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
APRIL 18, 2005
R O O M
P R E S E N T S
BUY-IN $200 + $25
PLAYERS 74
PRIZE
POOL
$14,356
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
John Valconos . . . . . . $5,742
Lonnie Williams . . . . $3,302
Douglas Carli . . . . . . . $1,723
Joe Losher . . . . . . . . . $1,005
Roman Fedo . . . . . . . . . .$790
RENO HILTON
3/16/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $25
PLAYERS 100
PRIZE
POOL
$19,400
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
John Gieng . . . . . . . . . $7,760
Nick Kollastasis . . . . . $4,462
Shelby Landry . . . . . . $2,328
Peter Etchemendy . . . $1,358
Mark Khan . . . . . . . . $1,067
Sunday & Monday Nights
Hourly Drawings for
Stacks of Casino Chips!
Average Giveaways
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And Join Us In The Poker Room For
RENO HILTON
3/16/05
LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $500 + $50
PLAYERS 40
PRIZE POOL
$19,400
Chris Hinchcliffe
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chris Hinchcliffe . . . . $8,730
Steve Conigliaro . . . . $4,850
Russ Carlson . . . . . . . $2,910
Fred Lavassani . . . . . $1,940
Arie Straisfeld . . . . . . . .$970
RENO HILTON
3/15/05
POT LIMIT OMAHA
BUY-IN $500 + $50
PLAYERS 15
See the Palms Poker Room for complete rules. Must be 21. Management reserves all rights.
PRIZE POOL
$7,275
Randy Holland
1. Randy Holland. . . . . . $3,637
No stranger to the green felt, Tom “Time” Leonard has played
poker for more than 30 years and has been a serious student of
the game and writer on the subject since 1994. He has regularly
played the cardrooms of Atlantic City, Las Vegas and California.
His experience as a sales and marketing professional have
helped him hone his skills at “selling” a hand and “buying” a
pot. Tom can be contacted at: thleonard@msn.com.
P O K E R
improving performance
28
PA L M S
4321 West Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, NV 89103
702.942.7777 • www.palms.com
© 2005 Fiesta Palms LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Reno WPC L.A. Covered in Green
2. Tom Becnal . . . . . . . . $2,183
3. Adam Burel . . . . . . . . $1,455
RENO HILTON
3/14/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $25
PLAYERS 51
PRIZE
POOL
$9,894
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Dudley Schusterick . . $3,936
Jerry Kleinsasser . . . . $2,276
Tommy Corley . . . . . . $1,187
Paul Dahl . . . . . . . . . . . .$693
James Huckaby . . . . . . .$544
RENO HILTON
3/14/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $25
PLAYERS 56
PRIZE
POOL
$10,864
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Joshua Tennie . . . . . . $4,338
Winston Jones . . . . . . $2,499
Daniel Mogavero . . . . $1,304
Danny Morgan. . . . . . . .$760
Pat Colacurcio . . . . . . . .$598
After losing bankrolls in
side games, he decided
to concentrate on tournaments, with the help of
such great teachers as Billy
Duarte and “Captain” Tom
Franklin. His favorite game
is no-limit, his least is limit
holdʼem.
BICYCLE CASINO
WINNING OF THE GREEN
3/27/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
MAIN EVENT
BUY-IN $2,500 + $100
PLAYERS 148
PRIZE
POOL
$370,000
1. Jean-Robert Bellande . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $148,000
2. Bon Phan . . . . . . . . . $70,300
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Robert Durant . . . . . $35,150
John Smith . . . . . . . . $22,200
Jay Johnson . . . . . . . $16,650
Grady Talbot . . . . . . $12,950
Young Phan . . . . . . . . $9,250
Siagzar Payver . . . . . . $7,400
Robert Firestone . . . . $6,475
Wagner Wins 1k
No-Limit
Ken Wagner, a selfdescribed “hobbyist,” came
to tonightʼs final table second-lowest in chips. But
he won every vital pot he
played, took the chip lead
on the final hand, and was
declared the winner of event
23, $1,000 no-limit holdʼem,
after a five-way deal. The
win ended Wagnerʼs dry
spell following his best
all-around performance at
Legends last year.
BICYCLE CASINO
3/26/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $1,000 + $60
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lance Allred. . . . . . . $29,070
Randy Holland. . . . . $14,540
Kory Mathewson . . . . $9,180
Paul Nguyen . . . . . . . . $6,885
Charlie ʻScotty Warbucksʼ .
Shoten . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,355
7. Can Kim Hua. . . . . . . $3,825
8. Dennis Waterman . . . $3,060
9. Melissa Hayden . . . . . $2,680
PLAYERS 153
PRIZE
POOL
$153,000
ADVERTISE IN
POKER
PLAYER
IT WORKS!
THERE’S MORE... ONLINE!
Ken Wagner
1. Ken Wagner . . . . . . . $61,200
www.
pokerplayernewspaper.
COM
RENO HILTON
3/14/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $200 + $25
PLAYERS 17
PRIZE
POOL
$10,476
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Wesley Gronhovd . . . $4,176
Sammy Nooner . . . . . $2,409
Dudley Schusterick . . $1,257
Roberts Braden . . . . . . .$733
Albert Disante . . . . . . . . . .$0
RENO HILTON
3/14/05
POT LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $500 + $50
PLAYERS 17
REBUYS 5
PRIZE
POOL
$11,640
1. Robert Hume . . . . . . . $5,820
2. Tom Edwards . . . . . . . $3,492
3. Jim Lea . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,328
RENO HILTON
3/13/05
Harrah’s New Orleans Poker Challenge
$2 Million Free Roll Qualifier
May 18 – 28, 2005
Date
Tournament
Buy-In
LIMIT HOLD’EM
Wed., May 18
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$200 + $25
BUY-IN $500 + $50
Thurs., May 19
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$300 + $30
Fri., May 20
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$500 + $50
Sat., May 21
No-Limit Hold ’Em (11am)
$1,000 + $60
Sun., May 22
LIPS (Ladies No-Limit –11am)
$200 + $30
Sun., May 22
Mega Satellite Event (1pm)
Super Satellite Event (8pm)
$1,000 + $60 (no re-buys)
$200 + $20 (w/ re-buys)
Mon., May 23
No-Limit Hold ’Em
$500 + $50
Tues., May 24
Mega Satellite Event (1pm)
Super Satellite Event (8pm)
World Series Of Poker®
$1,000 + $60 (no re-buys)
$200 + $20 (w/ re-buys)
$10,000*
PLAYERS 70
PRIZE POOL
$33,950
Russ Floyd
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Russ Floyd . . . . . . . . $13,579
Jim Lea . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,809
Tom Becnal . . . . . . . . $4,074
Vince Cobrao . . . . . . . $2,377
Albert Savolt . . . . . . . $1,867
Wed., May 25
Thurs., May 26 Circuit Championship Event
Fri., May 27
RENO HILTON
3/11/05
Sat., May 28
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM DUAL
Registration will be held on the day of each tournament.
There is no pre-registration for the tournament. Single table
satellites for all events will run every day, 24 hours a day.
Super Satellites will run every night at 8pm.
BUY-IN $1,000 + $60
PLAYERS 193
PRIZE POOL
$187,210
HOSTED BY
GAMBLING LEGEND.
Champie Douglas
JACK BINION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Champie Douglas . . $72,478
Mark Winter . . . . . . $34,601
Scott Schlemmer . . . $17,300
Jerry Nguyen . . . . . . $10,927
Darrell Struck . . . . . . $8,195
ESPN Final Table Coverage (2pm)
Book a room!
$69 Room Rate
Call 1-800-Hiltons or visit www.neworleans.hilton.com
Group/Convention Code: WSP
*2% of the total prize pool of the Championship Event will be withheld for entry fees. 3% of the total prize pool will be withheld for tournament staff. Tournament buy-in is by cash only.
No credit cards. All events start at Noon unless otherwise indicated. All events are 2-day events unless otherwise indicated. Must be 21 or older to enter casino and to gamble.
Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. ©2005, Harrah’s License Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
APRIL 18, 2005
29
Perks and Picks
The new MGM Grand poker room in Las Vegas is now open. The
4,000 square foot poker room features 23 tables of non-stop
poker action. Professionals and amateurs alike have the opportunity to experience poker in the comfort of MGM Grand’s new
room with a variety of games including 7-Card
Stud, Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha Hi-Lo Split and
No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em.
Card Room Roundup
Canterbury Park
Racetrack and Card Club
1100 Canterbury Blvd., Shakopee, MN 55379
1-800-340-6361
www.canterburypark.com
The Bargain Bin
By H. Scot Krause
The smoke-free poker room is located next
to the new Centrifuge Bar and recently-opened new Race &
Sports Book. The poker room offers 24-hour complimentary
beverage service and a full-service cashier cage. The design
of the room provides for a variety of open areas for guests to
watch their favorite poker players during daily play and tournaments. Tournaments are scheduled to begin in the near future.
While playing at the MGM, check out Diego, now open for
lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:30
p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. The bar is open from 11:30 a.m. until
close daily and features a limited menu between lunch and
dinner service. Diego primarily serves Mexican cuisine. From a
mobile salsa cart with six original varieties to frozen Margarita
Popsicles and Tequila Sorbet Shooters, Diego offers an unexpected twist.
Also in Las Vegas, The Palms is offering double points to
club members using their Club Palms cards on select video
poker, reel and video reel slot machines through the month of
April. Complete details and rules are posted at Club Palms.
Cash a government issued check, including IRS tax refund
checks at the El Cortez or the Plaza in downtown Las Vegas
and receive a nice bonus. At the El Cortez, cash your check and
receive: a free Megabucks pull, triple Jackie’s Club points (you
pick the day) a blackjack matchplay coupon and a free bottle of
wine when you dine in Roberta’s.
The Plaza will give you a 5 times points coupon (again, you
pick the day) and a free pull on a special promotional video poker
machine when you cash any government issued check with them.
Ask for details at the main casino cage at both casinos.
On the river in Laughlin, Nevada, Harrah’s Laughlin Casino
& Hotel’s Money Tree Giveaway is running through May 1, 2005.
Harrah’s Laughlin guests may pick a leaf from the orchard
tree on the casino floor for a chance to win cash or a relaxing
spa package. Eligible promotion participants will also have an
opportunity to return for a chance to win $10,000 on June 11,
2005.
Harrah’s Laughlin guests may earn entries for the 5:00 p.m.
daily qualifying drawings for the Money Tree Giveaway during
the promotional period. Entries may be earned in a variety
of ways, including: redeeming any promotional coupon from
Harrah’s Laughlin; signing up for a new Total Rewards card;
purchasing a buffet at the Fresh Market Square Buffet; placing a $10 single keno or sports bet; $100 or more pit buy-in; a
$250 or more single, instant win on any twenty-five cent and
up denominational slot, video or keno machine; purchasing a
show ticket; a $25 purchase in the Gift Shop or Boutique; and
by checking into the hotel.
Three daily drawing winners will be selected by random
drawing at 5:00 p.m. each promotional day. Those selected will
pick a Pick-N-Win leaf for a chance at cash prizes up to $500 or
a Spa package. Winners will receive an invitation to The Money
Tree Giveaway final drawing including two complimentary nights
from June 10-11, 2005. Complete rules are posted at the Total
Rewards booth.
That’s it for this week!
H. Scot Krause is a freelance writer, gaming industry
analyst and researcher, originally from Cleveland, Ohio.
While raising his two year-old son, Zachary, Scot reports,
researches, and writes about casino games, events,
attractions and promotions. He is an eight-year resident
of Las Vegas. Questions or comments are welcomed.
Card room managers are also invited to send your specials and promotions to: krauseinvegas@att.net
30
APRIL 18, 2005
Celebrating its fifth anniversary this month, the
Canterbury Park Racetrack
and Card Club is without
question one of the poker
worldʼs most popular establishments outside of Las
Vegas. Since launching
its extensive poker operation in 2001, the club has
continued to draw a packed
house thanks to a courteous
staff and top-notch tournament action.
Known throughout the
region for its laid-back
atmosphere, Canterbury
Parkʼs 24-hour poker room
currently boasts 31 tables,
a snack bar and tableside
dining services. In addition, smoking is welcome
in designated area. Always
looking to keep a playerʼs
experience at the club relaxing and respectful, Card
Club Director Jerry Fuller
and his crew actively promote a strict zero-tolerance
abuse policy. This makes
Canterbury Park the perfect
place for pros and beginners
alike to feel right at home.
Canterbury Park hosts a
Holdʼem Shootout tournament ($12) every Sunday
at 10 a.m., and well as a
Seven-Card Stud tournament ($20 buy-in with
$10 re-buys and one $10
add-on) on Mondays at
10 a.m.Wednesdays bring
an extra dose of excitement to Canterbury Park,
with a revolving tournament schedule guaranteed
to offer something for
everyone. The first and
third Wednesday of each
month feature a No Limit
Holdʼem tournament with
a $200 buy-in and $25
entry fee. The second
Wednesday of each month
boasts a $100+$25 Limit
Holdʼem tournament, while
the fourth Wednesday
is reserved for a special
$100+$20 “Celebrity”
Limit Holdʼem Bounty
tournament. A big hit,
these “celebrity” tournaments regularly bring in
the regionʼs biggest sports,
broadcasting and entertainment stars. Not surprisingly, all daily events at
Canterbury Park are usually packed to the max.
Additional casino games
offered at Canterbury
Park include Blackjack,
Caribbean Stud, 3-5-7
Poker, 3-Card Poker, Pai
Gow Poker and Let it Ride.
Horse racing at Canterbury
Park is held from May to
September.
Like countless other
card rooms throughout the
country, Canterbury Park
This October, Canterbury
Park will host what is
sure to become its biggest
tournament event ever, the
2005 Fall Poker Classic!
Proudly described by Fuller
as “a true success story,”
the Fall Poker Classic first
took shape in 2001, with 12
events spread over 10 days.
At that time, the poker crew
watched in excitement as
just fewer than 1000 players came to experience the
tournament. Since then,
the Fall Poker Classic has
attracted three times the
number of players, making
it the most successful poker
event of the season.
In recent times, a
considerable number of
Canterbury Parkʼs regular
clientele have been women,
who are attracted to the
roomʼs friendly, comfortable surroundings. Last
month, the room hosted a
special Ladies No Limit
Holdʼem tournament, an
event that drew over 90
players. Last yearʼs Fall
Poker Classic featured
over 200 female players.
As more and more people
become aware of what
Canterbury Park has to
offer, this positive trend is
sure to continue.
In five short years,
Canterbury Park has
established itself as one
of the Midwestʼs premier
poker destinations. With
an always-expanding daily
Daily poker games pack Canterbury Parkʼs cardroom
has experienced a spectacular growth in poker play
over the past two years.
Fuller credits the dramatic
increase to television shows
like “World Poker Tour”
and the publicʼs overall
interest in all things poker.
“I donʼt think weʼve seen
the peak yet,” he says. “I
think weʼve developed a
whole new generation of
players.”
tournament schedule and
another Fall Classic on the
way, the best is yet to come
for this serious (but unpretentious) poker palace.
For more information on Canterbury Park,
please call visit call (800)
340-6361 or visit www.
canterburypark.com. The
cardroom can be reached
directly by calling (866)
MN-POKER.
Matt Savage to Host London Open Tournament
ENDLESS SUMMER 3/24/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $20 + $15
PLAYERS 164
REBUYS 456
ADD-ONS 256
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
$16,645
Shant Kuyumjian . . . $6,660
Seyed Mazarei . . . . . . $3,330
Edward Yoo . . . . . . . . $1,665
Glenn Smith . . . . . . . . $1,080
Bodgan Draghici . . . . . .$835
An Tong . . . . . . . . . . . . .$585
Richard Levik . . . . . . . .$420
Diane Kurkis . . . . . . . . .$335
Larry Stone . . . . . . . . . .$250
l ndon
World Poker Exchange
has engaged legendary
Tournament Director Matt
Savage for the Aug. 3-6
London Open. The
gaming and lifestyle
event, produced by
one of the worldʼs
fastest-growing
online poker sites,
will incorporate an exciting array of lifestyle events
framed by the allure of United
Kingdom landmarks.
“Destination poker tournaments such as this signature
World Poker Exchange competition are the future of this
game. Europe is experiencing a huge boom in interest
and play, both on-line and off
line. My involvement is especially exciting as World Poker
Exchange is both bringing poker to the center
of this continent and
establishing a more
sophisticated expectation with players
in the global poker
arena,” says Savage.
The London Open will convey the organizationʼs distinctive approach from the setting
at the Old Billingsgate Marketa nineteenth century landmark
building in a prime position
on the River Thames with
views across to Tower Bridge,
London Bridge and the South
Bank-to the celebrity mix
and memorable atmosphere.
Designed to be the first lifestyle poker tournament of its
kind, The London Open incorporates exclusive outings each
night of the tournament and
will feature a $2 million prize
pool. Among the evening
excursions are a Kensington
Palace private tour, backstage
passes for The Producers, a
champagne reception in the
Millennium Wheel, a private
tour of Saatchi gallery, and a
Savile Row custom tailor tour.
Haden Ware, CEO of World
Poker Exchange, explains
“By including the impressive
array of exclusive, non-poker
activities for the players and
their guests, the World Poker
Exchange London Open
marks a new era in gaming
and truly makes the London
Open a lifestyle tournament.
Not only do we envision the
London Open to become a
perennial event that will be
part of the professional circuit for years to come, but a
unique holiday opportunity
for the playersʼ loved ones to
also share. The participation
of Matt Savage as our tournament director further reflects
our commitment to host the
most professionally run tournament possible at the heart of
the overall event.”
LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $20 + $15
PLAYERS 75
REBUYS 141
ADD-ONS 125
PRIZE POOL
$6,480
Calvin Bailey
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Calvin Bailey . . . . . . . $2,590
Jerry Singer . . . . . . . . $1,490
Stefano Portolese . . . . . .$780
Fred Rana . . . . . . . . . . .$450
Irene Williams . . . . . . . .$360
David Ristick . . . . . . . . .$290
Suwicharn Laomoon . . .$230
Ray Moliga . . . . . . . . . . .$160
Lloyd Sicard. . . . . . . . . .$130
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $20 + $15
PLAYERS 169
REBUYS 439
ADD-ONS 239
PRIZE POOL
$16,940
Jason Diamond
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Jason Diamond . . . . . $6,435
David Kim . . . . . . . . . $3,220
Peter Man. . . . . . . . . . $1,610
Eric Sarkissians . . . . . $1,045
Carlos Casal . . . . . . . . . .$805
Michael Pak . . . . . . . . . .$565
Sidney Messiah . . . . . . .$405
Scott Nguyen . . . . . . . . .$325
Steve Kahn . . . . . . . . . . .$240
LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $20 + $15
PLAYERS 100
REBUYS 192
ADD-ONS 158
PRIZE POOL
$8,550
Alan Pyles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Alan Pyles. . . . . . . . . . $3,420
Irene Williams . . . . . . $1,965
Joselito Sol . . . . . . . . . $1,025
Rolando Florendo . . . . .$595
Peter Lenavitt . . . . . . . .$470
Moe Shamout . . . . . . . . .$385
Mike Ruiz . . . . . . . . . . . .$300
Russell Johnson . . . . . . .$215
Keith Morris . . . . . . . . .$175
Enter Casino Arizona’s Spring Charity Scramble, benefiting
the Crisis Nursery, a safe haven for children threatened
with abuse, neglect or homelessness.
Get your foursome ready for the Casino Arizona Spring Charity
Scramble, April 25th at Talking Stick Golf Course. After your
round, join us at the Cactus Garden Patio at Casino Arizona at
Talking Stick for an auction, as well as $50,000 in cash and
prizes. For sponsorship information, or to register, call Campbell
and Associates Golf Marketing Services at 480.451.6613.
Casino Arizona reserves the right to cancel or alter this promotion at any time.
WE’VE GOT YOUR GAME
101 & Indian Bend Adjacent to Scottsdale
480-850-7777 www.casinoaz.com
Owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
Please gamble responsibly.
APRIL 18, 2005
31
Lucky Underpants
One of the most common psychological mistakes
that we make happens automatically within our
minds. All of us naturally look for common patterns in nearly everything that we encounter. With
that, we often mistake a simple correlation for a
cause. I remember a comical example
of this on a newscast last summer,
L.A. Covered in Green
BICYCLE CASINO
BICYCLE CASINO
3/23/05
3/21/05
STUD HI-LO
LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $500 + $40
BUY-IN $500 + $40
PLAYERS 71
PRIZE
POOL
POKER COUNSELOR
PLAYERS 112
PRIZE
POOL
$35,500
$56,000
By John Carlisle, MA, NCC
when a reporter warned of a study
that showed whenever ice cream sales
increased, serious boating accidents were ten times
more likely! He was clearly implying that ice cream
consumption had something to do with the cause of
boat wrecks. The correlation of ice cream to boating troubles led him to speak of the relationship
as if it was cause and effect. The factor that the
reporter failed to note is that the warmer weather
leads to more boaters AND more ice cream eaters.
Even with this outrageous correlation, I’m willing to
bet that many viewers of that news report worried
about slurping on their vanilla cone the next time
they got behind the wheel!
Those employed in marketing and sales are especially mindful of our habit of linking correlation with
cause. Since it is such a common and reliable psychological phenomena, it is very simple for them to
exploit. This is why they like to show their product
with attractive people in scenes that allure or entice.
They know that with our brains on “cruise-control”
as we watch TV and flip past magazine ads, we will
mindlessly allow the cause-and-effect connection of
beer brand “X” equating to fun, energy, and sex. We
are then compelled to purchase the product.
This psychological habit is directly seen at the
tables, too. Gamblers are often rather superstitious,
and poker players are no exception. From lucky chip
markers to lucky underpants, many of us have special
mementos or rituals that are designed to attempt to
influence the hands of fate. When the player thinks
through this plan in a rational fashion, he knows that
the rabbit’s foot he uses to cap his hole cards will
have no true effect on the cards that he is dealt.
Still, there is a slight element of reassurance in thinking that we possess some sort of control over the
one thing that we cannot – the luck of the cards. For
instance, a new poker player sits at a low-limit game
wearing a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt. When he
catches a great run of cards during that session and
ends with a big profit, he may vow that he’ll never
play another hand without wearing that bold shirt.
He easily disregards the other factors in play in order
to psychologically latch onto the correlation, and a
“lucky shirt” is born.
Picking up tells can fall into this same category,
so we must proceed with caution. Due to our propensity to overvalue correlations, we can make the
costly misinterpretation of a simple coincidence
and label it as a tell. Don’t allow yourself to simply
assume that when your opponent rubs his forehead as he bluffs one time, that this is a solid tell
to always rely upon. A single correlation does not
make for such assurances. Knowing the psychology
of the game is sure to pay off at the table.
Now go make it happen.
In addition to being an avid poker enthusiast, John is a
certified Counselor in the state of Pennsylvania. He has
a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from West Virginia
University, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology
with a minor in Sociology from Lock Haven University.
You can ask the “Poker Counselor” your question at
carlisle14@hotmail.com.
32
APRIL 18, 2005
Robert Turner
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Robert Turner . . . . . $14,200
Giebrehiwet Goitom . $8,165
Michael Mueller . . . . $4,260
Constantine Zdanowich . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,485
Ken Steinberg . . . . . . $2,130
Paramjit Gill . . . . . . . $1,775
Ricardo Abraham . . . $1,420
Paul McGee . . . . . . . . $1,065
BICYCLE CASINO
Paul Vinci
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
BICYCLE CASINO
8. Loan Kim Ngo . . . . . . . .$460
9. Lori Vanderbyl . . . . . . .$405
First-Time Player
Gets Win
Kwan Kim, an importer
playing his first tournament,
went on a rush in the late
stages of the final table,
bulldozed his opponents and
roared to a convincing win
in the 17th event of Winninʼ
oʼ the Green 2005, $300
no-limit holdʼem, an event
with a prize pool more than
double the $100,000 guarantee. When he got heads-up
with Tony “TNT” Nasr, Kim
led with about 272k-74k,
and the two did a deal. It
might have been Kimʼs first
tournament, but one would
never guess it from his
assured play and confident
table talk.
3/20/05
3/23/05
OMAHA HI-LO
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BICYCLE CASINO
3/19/05
BUY-IN $500 + $40
BUY-IN $500 + $40
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
PLAYERS 93
PLAYERS 260
PRIZE
POOL
Paul Vinci . . . . . . . . . $14,160
Charles Schonder . . . $6,725
Gebrehiwet Goitom . . $3,365
George Rechnitzer. . . $2,125
Keith Dabolls . . . . . . . $1,595
Alex Limjoco . . . . . . . $1,240
Paul Rowe . . . . . . . . . . .$885
Ronnie McMillan. . . . . .$705
Michael Mercado. . . . . .$595
PRIZE
POOL
$130,000
BUY-IN $300 + $30
PLAYERS 302
REBUYS 388
PRIZE
POOL
$46,500
$207,000
Sirous Baghchehsaraie
Alan Pyles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Alan Pyles. . . . . . . . . . . . . .$0
Vance Rahman . . . . . $24,700
Paul Vinci . . . . . . . . . $12,350
Paramjit Gill . . . . . . . $8,450
Mel Starkman . . . . . . $5,850
Jorge Pineda . . . . . . . $4,550
Franco Brunetti . . . . . $3,250
Daniel Dahan . . . . . . . $2,600
Kevin OʼMalley . . . . . $1,950
BICYCLE CASINO
1. Sirous Baghchehsaraie . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18,600
2. Mohammad Faithipour . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,695
3. Tim Sweeton . . . . . . . $5,580
4. Eulises Molina . . . . . . $3,255
5. Brett Jungblut . . . . . . $2,555
6. Mike Gutenplan. . . . . $2,095
7. Rusty Mandap . . . . . . $1,625
8. Dien Ly . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,165
9. Brendan Quinn . . . . . . .$930
3/21/05
POT LIMIT HOLD’EM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Kwan Kim . . . . . . . . $77,625
Tony Nasr . . . . . . . . . $39,330
Dave Bertucci. . . . . . $19,665
Thu Nguyen . . . . . . . $13,455
Pogos Simityan . . . . . $9,315
Jim White . . . . . . . . . . $7,245
Shawn Chaconas . . . . $5,175
Gilibaldo Perez . . . . . $4,140
John Hoang . . . . . . . . $3,105
BICYCLE CASINO
BICYCLE CASINO
BUY-IN $500 + $40
PLAYERS 68
PRIZE
POOL
Kwan Kim
$34,000
3/20/05
3/18/05
L.I.P.S. NO LIMIT
HOLD’EM
LOWBALL
BUY-IN $300 + $30
BUY-IN $150 + $30
PLAYERS 83
PRIZE
POOL
PLAYERS 87
PRIZE
POOL
$24,900
$13,050
Dennis Waterman
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Dennis Waterman . . $31,000
James Schmidt . . . . . . $7,820
Chanveacha Kong . . . $4,080
Jeff Stein. . . . . . . . . . . $2,380
Chris Karagulleyan . . $1,870
Ben Yahalomi . . . . . . . $1,530
Keith Dabolls . . . . . . . $1,190
Yeon Byung . . . . . . . . . .$850
Jenny Kang . . . . . . . . . .$680
Steve McAllister
Jana de la Cerra
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Jana de la Cerra . . . . $4,765
Jenifer Gianera . . . . . $2,815
Deborah Park . . . . . . $1,550
Kristine Harn. . . . . . . . .$980
Chellie Campbell . . . . . .$810
Kelly Brown . . . . . . . . . .$690
Susan Snyder . . . . . . . . .$575
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Steve McAllister . . . . $9,960
Paul Vinci . . . . . . . . . . $5,725
Youssef Akhavan . . . . $2,990
Bob Addison . . . . . . . . $1,745
Boris Kostov. . . . . . . . $1,495
Robert Hartmann . . . $1,245
Bruce Isaacs . . . . . . . . . .$995
Eric Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . .$745
Doug Lee Wins Rio WSOP Circuit
truth.” Indeed, Naughton –
a campaign consultant who
lives a short distance from
Harrisburg, Pennsylvaniaʼs
capital – is used to a street
fight. The 39-year-old parttime poker player is accustomed to confrontation and
making strategic decisions
which involve risk and
reward.
Until today., Naughton
had played in one only
World Series of Poker
event. That was last yearʼs
No-Limit Shootout, in
which he managed to cash.
Now, Naughton is 2 for 2.
Event # 6 at the Rio Las
Vegas WSOP Circuit – the
$2,000 buy-in No-Limit
Holdʼem tournament -attracted 181 entries. Day
One lasted a grueling 15
hours during which 172
players were eliminated.
On Day Two, ten players
returned for the final table.
The heads-up duel
between Keith Naughton
and David Knauff began
with Naughton holding a 2
to 1 chip advantage. The
two players battled for
only a short time before the
fireworks exploded on the
final hand. Naughton was
dealt 10-9 versus Knauffʼs
3-3. After the flop came A10-7, Knauff tried to make
a move at the pot with the
underpair and Naughton
read the situation perfectly
and raised – putting the heat
on Knauff for his final 80K.
Knauff called and saw two
bricks fall, ending his hopes
for a comeback.
David Knauff played
remarkably well, considering he took a very tough
beat early when play was
eight-handed and was lowest on chips at that point.
He somehow survived four
hours and crawled up the
money ladder into second
place. The landscape architect from Evanston, IL was
weeded out in second place,
good for $63,095.
Keith Naughton collected
$115,880 for the victory,
plus a custom-designed
gold ring given to each
WSOP Circuit event winner. His two passions
are poker – and politics.
Naughton has worked for
several notable Republican
candidates -- including former Pennsylvania
Governor Tom Ridge (later
the Director of Homeland
Security).
“I came to Las Vegas on
vacation. This tournament
came at a perfect time....
This tournament was structured very well because the
blinds go up very slowly.
You get a lot of play for the
money (at the WSOP).”
Even at the poker table,
Keith Naughton had the
politically correct thing to
say.
HARRAH’S ESPN
WSOP CIRCUIT
TOURNAMENT
EVENT 6
3/18/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $2,000 + $80
PLAYERS 181
PRIZE
POOL
$341,140
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Keith Naughton . . . $115,880
Dave Knauff . . . . . . . $63,095
Scott Williams . . . . . $35,115
James Van Alstyne. . $28,090
Jeff Wilson . . . . . . . . $21,070
Steve T. Schlotterbeck. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,555
7. Wooyang Lin . . . . . . $14,045
8. Connie Kim . . . . . . . $10,535
9. Tex Morgan . . . . . . . . $7,025
Keith Naughton
d
Diamond Jim’s Casino
118 20th St. West
Rosamond, California
Exit A 14 Freeway
The Best Little No-limit Tournament in Southern California
The Last Sunday of Each Month $100 Buy-in–No Rebuys $8,000 in Tournament Chips
Call for more info: 661-256-1400
Summer Classic
In the Card Club of the Casino Europa
Schedule
MAY
MAY
Mon
Tues
16
17
Event 1
MAY
Wed
18
Event 2
MAY
Thur
19
Event 3
MAY Fri/Sat 20/21
MAY
Sun
Event 4
22
Event 5
Cocktail reception, Live games and satellites
Hold’em no limit
$10 one hour Multiple rebuys 15 add ons
Hold’em no limit
$50 buy in, up to 6 rebuy 1 add on $100
Omaha Hi Low
$150 buy in1 add on $100
Hold’em No Limit
$1500 buy in 1 add on $1000
Event 4 Final Table
Second Chance Hold’em No Limit
$500 buy in
The first 125 people to register
and play all the tournaments events,
will recieve totally free:
Hotel room, local transportation
(Airport / hotel / Card Room) and breakfast
For more information call:
Costa Rica: Tel.: (506)256-4949 / Fax: (506)256-5959
email: lszlak@ice.co.cr
Las Vegas:(702) 256-5921 / Toll free 1-877-8421238
email: jnine999@earthlink.net
RESTRICTIONS APPLY
Satellites will be run at Ultimatebet.com
APRIL 18, 2005
33
And the Winner Is
There are two certainties in this life. One is: we cannot live
forever, as we know it. Two being: the odds say, that we MUST
WIN SOMETIME. The latter statement is what I want to focus
on right now. In determining the when are we going to win
part, let us do the math. If the current losing streak is about to
hit double digits in consecutive losses, do not panic. I repeat,
Wildhorse Goes Wild
7. Zack Bailie . . . . . . . . . $1,830
POKER ROUNDUP
EVENT 7
3/28/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
Dealer Vibes
By Donald W. Woods, Jr.
now is not the time to panic. However, if
the current losing cycle is approaching the
high end of the double-digit spectrum, begin
immediate unadulterated, unchecked, panicking. If for some reason the losing has spiraled
into the unthinkable triple digit neighborhood, realize this is a
bad neighborhood and occupancy is detrimental to both your
sanity and your family. So, begin immediate evacuation of this
volatile area. In addition, do not smoke around a losing streak
such as this, the unthinkable may happen. Once again, they say
when it rains it pours; so, I am going to go ahead and say it. If
the streak has taken on a life of it’s own, devouring all worldly
possessions in the process while crippling your mental and
physical being, check yourself into a hospital instantaneously,
under an assumed name. After the antistatic begins to wear
off, gaining consciousness to recall the number of consecutive
losses now resides at quad numbers, do not panic. I repeat,
do not panic. Instead, try to remember the good times. The
birds singing in the distance as the cascading undulating
waves break off in the sunset. Think about the smell of fresh
squeezed lemonade competing with barbequed hamburgers
and hotdogs on the grill, for your attention. Let your mind drift
back to that happy family picture sequence captured on video
recorder, long since lost in the pawnshop. Remember that of all
the gifts in this world, the greatest of these is love. Savor the
loves that used to reside by your side, now taking up residence
next door to the house you used to own, at Mr. Elmore’s happy
abode. Think about the many splendid events that you hosted
at your former home before the foreclosure. Bask in the glow
of the many wondrous “river cards” you enjoyed during your
infamous winning streak, more than 15 years ago. Revel in the
number of friends, family, associates and strangers whom borrowed your money never to return it, before the wheels fell
off, leaving you crippled and destitute. More importantly, let
your road to recovery begin in the surgery room. The diagnosis
is for a complete and full recovery. Once your rehab has been
elevated to outpatient status here are few tips to heed.
Let the past go, no need to wallow in the mire. Instead,
formulate a viable plan. Since panhandling would not be an
option-Don’t, swallow all of your pride-go directly to plan B.
Plan B contains material and related information detailed by
that notable author, Dr. B.N. You will not necessarily be able
to see Dr.B.N. in person because there is usually a receptionist there who will tell you; Doctor is OUT and will not B.N.
However, his books are rife with expansive informative text.
Unfortunately, you will have to scuffle up the $59.99 cost
plus $5.00 stamp and handling charge. In addition, the pages
may be a little stuck together on the parts about full in-depth
recovery. Obviously, those are the pages salivated upon the
most. No matter, glean what you can from that chapter, so that
your arrival to the gist of the book-contained in the back chapter-is understood. So, without further ado: Do not stop what
you were doing, Now-everything is already lost-Fool! Here goes
the best advice ever told: NOBODY LOSES FOREVER!
34
APRIL 18, 2005
Larry Cole . . . . . . . . . $8,110
Wade Ackerman . . . . $5,135
Steve Day . . . . . . . . . . $2,975
Larry Grant . . . . . . . . $2,163
Mike Davis . . . . . . . . . $1,622
Brandon Steers . . . . . $1,081
Ernie Dolan . . . . . . . . . .$622
6.
7.
8.
9.
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
$100,000
Tam Nguyen . . . . . . . $28,465
Mike Gambony . . . . $19,935
Joe Brandenburg . . . $13,595
Al Colwell . . . . . . . . . . $8,615
Bob Craig . . . . . . . . . . $4,990
Andy Le . . . . . . . . . . . $3,635
Chip Jett . . . . . . . . . . . $2,725
Stan Shangguan . . . . . $1,810
John Nelson . . . . . . . . $1,040
POKER ROUNDUP
EVENT 6
3/27/05
LADIES NO LIMIT
HOLD’EM
PLAYERS 171
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
$18,100
Lori Deveny . . . . . . . . $5,530
Kelley Andreen . . . . . $3,863
Mary Fleming . . . . . . $2,634
Cheri Hudson. . . . . . . $1,668
Edna Webb. . . . . . . . . . .$966
Ludda Bishop . . . . . . . .$702
Marsha Waggoner . . . . .$527
Dawn Cunningham . . . .$351
Vanetta Floyd . . . . . . . . .$202
POKER ROUNDUP
EVENT 5
3/27/05
7-CARD STUD-LIMIT
PLAYERS 201
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
$40,100
Ric Tuholsky . . . . . . $12,494
Dennis Gibbens . . . . . $8,691
Lawrence Colt . . . . . . $5,874
Aaron Nakonechny . . $3,686
Joshua Mok . . . . . . . . $2,134
Raymond Coulter . . . $1,552
Mike Carroll . . . . . . . $1,164
Steve Schwartz. . . . . . . .$776
Jeff McBroom . . . . . . . .$388
POKER ROUNDUP
EVENT 4
3/26/05
LIMIT HOLD’EM
PLAYERS 411
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
$100,000
Ricky Her . . . . . . . . . $28,714
Russ Bergevin . . . . . $20,053
Ralph Langevin . . . . $13,672
Dave Kerzman . . . . . . $8,659
Henry Chow . . . . . . . . $5,013
Robert Kim . . . . . . . . $6,646
Ben Chon . . . . . . . . . . $2,734
Chris Wunderlich . . . $1,823
Tod McClane . . . . . . . $1,048
EVENT 3
3/25/05
NO LIMIT SHOOTOUT
BUY-IN $150
PLAYERS 385
PRIZE
POOL
$63,500
1. Tam Nguyen . . . . . . . $17,035
2. Gerry Drehobl . . . . . $11,900
EVENT 1
POKER ROUNDUP
EVENT 2
BUY-IN $150
PLAYERS 386
$62,900
1. Tim Sheflin. . . . . . . . $17,943
2. Larry Grant . . . . . . . $12,532
3. Nicholas J Finemore Jr. . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,544
4. Dennis Gibbons . . . . . $5,411
5. Bobby Quiring . . . . . . $3,133
3/23/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
3/24/05
PLAYERS 475
LIMIT HOLD’EM
PRIZE
POOL
Tim Conroy . . . . . . . . $2,279
John Hodo . . . . . . . . . $1,709
Ted Woltjer . . . . . . . . $1,139
Fred Kilban . . . . . . . . . .$655
POKER ROUNDUP
PLAYERS 455
POKER ROUNDUP
Donald W. Woods, Jr. is a 9 year professional dealer.
Some of his diversified interests include, track and
field coach at the high school level yielding a championship in 2002. He is currently penning an original
script, outside the poker arena, for his maiden voyage
to movie-land. For more information, contact him at
mrexcite20032000@yahoo.com
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
$100,000
John Gulley . . . . . . . $28,571
Frank Purcell . . . . . . $19,954
Chuck Thompson . . $13,605
Bob McCawley. . . . . . $8,616
Rich Greig . . . . . . . . . $4,988
Darrell Oldfield . . . . . $3,628
Robert Adams . . . . . . $2,721
Mike Trunkhill . . . . . $1,814
Tony Hombel . . . . . . . $1,043
athy Liebert frowns
at tendencies to
separate the sexes in
discussions of poker skills.
Pul-leeeze, her tone seems
to say. This IS the 22nd century.
Itʼs a habit the news
media has created and continues to perpetuate, she
grumbles. “ Thereʼs no question the top women players
can hold their own anywhere. They are very competitive with the top male
K
among the first of the big
televised poker extravaganzas.
This was right before
the World Poker Tour took
off as must-see programming for poker buffs everywhere. Pokerʼs visibility has
increased many times since
then, turning heretofore
skilled but unknown pros
into instant celebrities.
PLAYER
Profile
BY PHIL HEVENER
players.”
Thinking about that for
a moment. “The fact is,”
she adds, “the top women
players are among the top
players period.”
And Liebert has the credentials for making such
assertions. She was one of
several women players winning World Series of Poker
bracelets last year, capturing the “Limit Hold ʻem
Shootout” event.”
Previously she was the
first woman to win a tournament with a first prize of a
million dollars or more.
Does she have it in her to
win the WSOPʼs championship event? Giving that a
shrug, “Thereʼs going top be
something 5,000 players in it
this year, so anyone is a long
shot in that kind of crowd,
even the best of players. But
with a little bit of luck . . .
weʼll see.”
She just recently was
seen winning “Battle of the
Sexes” tournament which
was filmed just before
Christmas at the Plaza in Las
Vegas and aired last month
on GSN.. She played headsup against Layne Flack, a
previous winner of multiple
WSOP bracelets.
Her next big tournament is scheduled to be the
PartyPoker.com Million
cruise that will have over
700 players in the big hold
ʻem tournament. She won
the first of these cruise ship
tournaments in 2002. That
was the one with the million-dollar first prize. It was
“Greg was calling a lot
and I wasnʼt able to bluff
him. Actually, I did bluff
him a few times. If I could
have held hands against him
I would have been in great
shape, but, well . . . I didnʼt
and I wasnʼt.”
She says the “unfortunate
thing about some of the
made-for-TV events is that
they donʼt really give you a
lot play. They want things
to be fast and furious for
the TV cameras. They
KATHY
Liebert
What are her goals?
“I still have a lot of things
I would like to achieve.
I would still like to win
a championship no limit
tournament. Until I do that
I wonʼt feel as though Iʼve
done everything I would like
to accomplish.”
Success has made it possible to edge closer to this
goal. She tries to enter as
many as possible of the
$10,000 events. “I havenʼt
played them all yet, but I
have played in the majority
of them.”
Liebert is also currently a
participant in the second season of Superstars of Poker,
which began airing recently.
As a matter of fact, she won
the first of the elimination
tournaments in this madefor-television show that was
filmed at a casino near Palm
Springs.
She was one of the
64 players invited to
the National Heads-Up
Championship that will
be aired on NBC in May.
Didnʼt do well there, she
admits. “I lost my first
match to Greg Raymer.”
Liebert normally feels
comfortable in heads-up
play but sighs, “I wasnʼt
really comfortable in this
event. “I wasnʼt feeling a
hundred percent and I wasnʼt
catching any cards.”
Giving this a what-areyou-gonna-do kind of shrug.
make it a little bit more of a
luck factor than you find in
a regular tournament.”
Thatʼs the price of the
television coverage that has
upped the volume of people
playing the game in casinos or on home computers
and generated a subsequent
increase in the numbers
of tournaments and prize
money.
Which brings us to the
ups and downs of the celebrity status that simply was
not possible a few years ago.
Like so many things,
Liebert grins, “It has its
good points and its bad
points. Being recognized
when you donʼt necessarily want to be recognized is
among the latter.
“Itʼs certainly different,
having people come up to
you for autographs all the
time.”
Her television exposure is
only just beginning to ramp
up and will increase as the
Allstars competition continues during the weeks ahead.
Liebert has been asked to
write “a kind of beginners
type book,” something that
women cold relate to and
she is beginning to give this
a lot of thought, although
there are no specific plans
yet for getting it finished and
published.
Liebertʼs poker career
began in the early 1990s
after she had graduated from
college and gone to work
at Dunn and Bradstreet as
an analyst. One thing led to
another and she decided to
leave the job and explore
different possibilities, “sort
of seeing what I really wanted to do with my life.”
She eventually found her
way to Colorado and took a
job selling ATM and credit
card machines. Poker was
not exactly part of her big
plan, “but once I discovered
poker I kind of put the ATM
thing behind me.”
She was happy with her
early success at the $5 limit
poker games that were being
spread in the mountain
towns of Central City and
Black Hawk. They looked
interesting and, as she discovered, they were. She
moved beyond the casinos
and began testing her luck
and skills in some of the
home games.
Just taking things one step
at a time is what says she
was doing, eventually deciding, hey, maybe this could
grow into something.
“And then I went to my
first Las Vegas tournament. That was1994 and I
did extremely well my first
week. I made over $30,000
just playing tournaments.
This was at the Gold Coast
Open.”
Punctuating this with a
look that seems to say not
bad, huh?
“After that I started going
to more tournaments and
continued doing well. As
far as I was concerned there
was no looking back after
that first Las Vegas trip.”
Liebert had developed
confidence in poker table
skills as she progressed
through the early Colorado
games, “but I have to say
I was a little bit surprised
I could do so well in the
tournaments so quickly. I
was working hard, taking
the game seriously and staying focused, but I was surprised.”
When she made that
first trip to the Gold Coast,
Omaha eight or better and
limit hold ʻem were her two
main games.
Liebert now lives between
Las Vegas and Southern
California. She will try the
cash games occasionally but
clearly has a preference for
the big money tournaments
and the satellites that offer
budget-priced entry opportunities.
Letʼs not forget the online play that she enjoys,
“but I usually just go to
wherever the tournaments
are.”
Why this preference for
the tournaments and satellites as opposed to cash
games?
“For me, it is just more
exciting and more interesting. You know, you put up a
small amount of money and
have a chance to win big
money. They are more competitive in he sense that you
have to outlast everybody
else. Then there is the trophy
and the big prize, as opposed
to grinding it out.”
It is easy to stay busy
Poker Player is pleased to welcome Phil Hevener back to its pages.
Hevener was the Managing Editor of Poker Player from July 1983 to
December 1985. Phil wanted to produce his own publication, which he
did with Larry Hall. They called it, “Las Vegas Style.” A popular journalist who writes for many major publications, Phil was replaced in 1985 by
Gary Thompson, who is now the spokesman for Harrahs Entertainment.
APRIL 18, 2005
35
Omaha Poker is the New
Kid on the Block
BacK in the saddle Again
By OKLAHOMA JOHNNY HALE
The game can be played in a number of ways. It can be
played limit or pot limit or high hand wins all the pot
or Hi-Lo split with an eight as the highest card permitted for the hand to
win the low one-half of the pot. Different rules may be used. Any rules
that consenting adult poker players can think of can be used if agreed
upon by all players in the game.
I’ve played with all kinds of rules. I once played in Tulsa years ago in a
poker game of four card Omaha Hi-Lo with some very unusual rules—joker
in the sky, no limit and buy’em. The player received four cards that were
his personal cards—in addition to those four that were just his. The joker
was put on the light fixture that hung above the game and it was a common card that everybody could use for Aces, Straights or Flushes.
Remind me someday and I will tell you more about the poker days
in Tulsa—with the Will Caters & the new rich oil men & the one
hundred dollar matches and the little game on one & two (one oil
well—two oil wells), but those are stories for another day.
I’ve been told that the poker game, Omaha, originated in Omaha,
Nebraska. It seems that a traveling salesman who loved to play poker
found himself in a little hold’em poker game in Omaha. The salesman
thought he was playing two card hold’em when he noticed the other players were playing with three cards in their hands, but that the players
quickly threw one of the three cards away after the flop.
While he was playing poker with two cards, they were playing with
three. Well, he didn’t want to accuse the other fellows of cheating him. He
was a stranger in town and it was the first time he had played with the
local players but he did not want to give them his money, and he sure did
not like being cheated.
So he mustered up some courage and mentioned there must be some
error. But the local players explained to him that they were playing
Pineapple, a variation of two card hold’em where it was a rule of the game
that you just discarded one of your three cards after the flop and from
there on the game played just like two card hold’em.
Because the salesman had noticed that the other players were playing with three cards and he was playing with only two cards, the local
poker players now agreed that it would be fair for him to also have three
cards. This made the salesman feel really good and he felt like he was now
accepted as one of the group and could make himself right at home with
them. He just knew the game was on the square because he now had an
equal chance to win the pots. But my goodness, after a little while the
salesman noticed that now that they were giving him three cards, they
were playing with four!
He did not know what to do. Should he complain again? He did not want to
mention it again, but something was very wrong with the game. So again he
said, ”hey fellows, I only have three cards while you are playing with four.”
He was told, “Well, that’s the way we play poker here in Omaha.” But
since they wanted to keep the game fair for the traveling salesmen, they
made a rule. “We can only select and use two out of the four cards that
we have in our hands. Then just like you do, we match those two up with
the three in the flop plus the turn card and the river to make our best
poker hand.”
“Or in other words, so that we do not take any advantage of you and to
make it fair for you, we will always just use two cards from our hands and
three from the board. That way it will always be fair for you because we
cannot use the other two cards and we just throw away those two other
cards. And that is the way we play poker here in Omaha, Nebraska.”
What do you think, folks? Were they cheating the salesman? Did the
players get caught holding out cards when the salesman discovered that
the other players had too many cards in their hands?
Was the game of Omaha invented as a cheating game? At least, folks, it
is food for thought, and I will give you 8-5 that the story is true. Because I
cannot think of any other good reason why a poker game with four in your
hand and five common cards in the flop and board should be called Omaha.
Until next time, remember to STAY LUCKY!!!
Editor’s Notes: You may contact OK-J at his e-mail
Oklajohnny@aol.com, or play poker LIVE, ONLINE
with Johnny, Carol and Sarah at www.seniorpoker.
com. Johnny’s book, “The Gentleman Gambler,” is in
its third printing. Contact Johnny for your copy.
36
APRIL 18, 2005
Book reviews
Moneymaker
By Chris Moneymaker with
Daniel Paisner
Harper Entertainment 2005,
240pp, $23.95
ISBN: 0-06-076001-X
Most pundits believe that
pokerʼs incredible boost
in popularity over the last
few years comes largely
from three sources: (1)
The expansion of online
poker, (2) the popularity of
televised poker, and (3) the
spectacular success story
of Chris Moneymakerʼs
win in the final event at the
2003 World Series of Poker.
Amateur poker players all
over the world have been
inspired by Moneymakerʼs
story, parlaying $40 into
what at that time was the
biggest tournament poker
payday ever. Moneymaker
recounts how this all came
about in his self-titled book.
About the first third of
the book cuts back and
forth between background
on Moneymaker, the events
that lead to his arrival at the
World Series, and his recollections of the event itself.
Once the setup is done, the
rest of the book goes into
considerable detail about the
events of that fateful week
and provides some information on the aftermath.
The background material is remarkably candid.
Basically, Moneymaker
makes the claim that his
low-stakes online poker
playing was in some measure a way for him to keep
a big sports betting problem
in check. He recounts both
the good and bad aspects of
his upbringing and history
in a way that sheds a great
deal of light on his character. He isnʼt looking for
absolution here, heʼs calling it like he sees it. Even
though Moneymaker doesnʼt
paint a terribly flattering picture of himself here, there is
something admirable in this
sort of forthrightness.
Moneymakerʼs story canʼt
help but be compelling. In
its most basic form, winning the final event at the
World Series of Poker in
dramatic fashion is a dream
likely shared by everyone
with even a peripheral
involvement in poker. This
story appeals to those who
play nickel-dime-quarter
poker around the kitchen
table, and it also appeals to
the most seasoned tournament professionals, including even those who have
already won this event.
Consequently, Iʼd expect
that just about every poker
player would be interested
in the story line of this
book.
A strategy guide,
“Moneymaker”
is not. Based on my reading, the hands and situations
described by Moneymaker
are often accompanied by
a rather shallow analysis
of the situation. Of course,
I donʼt know the extent to
which the book reflects on
the authorʼs present understanding of the game. In
any event, this is not a strategy book, but it suffers little
as a consequence.
The book succeeds by
giving the reader insight into
Moneymakerʼs perspective
on the 2003 World Series of
Poker. This inside view is
likely to be more titillating
to those who havenʼt played
a number of big money
tournaments, but I expect it
will still interest those who
have. Moneymaker doesnʼt
appear here to be personally
compelling or as a person of
destiny or anything like that.
More than anything else he
appears to be just another
guy who, in essence, happened to stumble across a
winning lottery ticket. The
protagonist in this story is
an “everyman” to whom we
can all relate.
“Moneymaker” may not
be “high literature”, and itʼs
not a strategy guide. It is a
light and entertaining guide
to winning a major poker
tournament, and this is probably as close to this experience as most poker players
are going to get. I enjoyed it.
—Nick Christenson
Player Profile: Kathy Liebert
these days, she notes, considering the sheer volume
of tournament related action
and constant opportunities
for on-line play.
Success in tournaments
does not have Liebert thinking sheʼs learned all there is
to know and itʼs just a matter
of keeping the skills sharp.
“I think you can always
get better,” she says. “You
donʼt want to fall into the
trap of thinking you know
it all. Anyone who hopes to
enjoy some success always
has to be watching and trying to improve.”
How about inspirations in
the poker business.
“There are a lot of great
players whom I admire
because of their skills . . .
people like John Juanda,
Danny Negreanu and Erik
Seidel have done very well
and they are great players,
but there are a lot of players
that I respect.”
And of course we can
thank the Internet, she says,
for the fact that there have
never been so many good
unknown players hungry for
the chance to jump on overconfident pros who fail to
stay alert.
Liebert sees a lot of good
unknown players, people
who have had a lot of experi(Continued on page 36)
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Caro’s Word: “ANYWAY”
to it, because thatʼs how it
should be. The bettor wins
most of the time; the caller
loses most of the time.
And if you win most of
your calls, donʼt be proud,
youʼre probably costing
yourself a lot of money.
Remember the game
when I laid down jacks-up,
because Uncle Bob advised,
“Throw it away, heʼs probably got you beat.” Well
Uncle Bob was right that
he probably did have me
beat. But the pot was large
enough for me to have
called that quarter bet. Sure,
my opponent had queensup, and I only had jacks-up,
but he might have had tensup or a pair or aces, or he
might have been bluffing.
I should have called, realizing that I was probably
going to lose.
Anyway, I said that I
would teach you how to
focus during a poker game.
And, hereʼs the way thatʼs
most fitting for players
of many common temperaments: In first deciding
whether to play a hand and
also when the pot is small,
begin with a bias toward
folding and only call if
powerful reasons present
themselves. When the pot is
large, especially on the last
round of betting, begin with
a bias toward calling and
only fold if powerful reasons present themselves.
A formula
And there you have it—itʼs
a formula that really doesnʼt
matter from a purely logical point of view, because
the secret then is to simply
weigh all factors and always
make the most profitable
decision. But itʼs a formula
that does matter from the
standpoint of how most
poker players actually think,
and it guards against the two
biggest errors that many serious poker players make in
limit games – entering too
many pots and being too
quick to fold on the river, just
because theyʼre pretty sure
theyʼre beat. You need to be
very choosy about the hands
you enter pots with in limit
poker games. And once that
pot grows, especially on the
last betting round, you better
have a very good reason to
throw your hand away.
So, today, we make an
attitude adjustment. We
always fold in the beginning, unless we have compelling reasons to call or
raise. And we always call
when the pot is big on the
final betting round, unless
we have compelling reasons
to fold.
Kathy Liebert
CONT’D FROM PAGE 36
ence on the Internet and are
showing up at casinos with
a level of skills and experience that was impossible to
achieve so quickly when she
began learning the game.
“These people are getting
a lot of good experience
before they sit down in their
first live tournament.”
Another point . . .
“Thereʼs less of a fear factor now. More people are
playing more aggressively
because they have seen all
kinds of hands played out
on television by many of
most experienced poker pros
in the world.”
Itʼs one of the beauties
of televised poker, watching a Doyle Brunson or Gus
Hansen run roughshod over
competition, sometimes
with hands that are far from
prime. The kind of play that
helps develop a winning
attitude.
Tournament play, she
says, generally calls for
more aggressiveness because
the blinds keep going up.
“But you have to combine
that with a sense of how to
hang on to your chips since
the one thing you donʼt want
to do is go broke.”
Liebert has recently
agreed to an affiliation with
PartyPoker that has her
maintaining a certain profile
on behalf of events such as
the cruise.
Oh yes, there is one other
thing. Liebert has agreed to
donate 20 percent of whatever she may win on the
cruise to charity, in this case,
Habitat for Humanity.
APRIL 18, 2005
37
Entertainment
Listings
Entertainment RePORT
By LEN BUTCHER
One of my favorite entertainers will be performing this month as she goes across country on yet another Farewell Tour. On April 12,
Cher takes the stage at the Mohegan Sun and if you want to
see a great show, don’t miss this one.
I have seen hundreds of shows over the years, with some
of the biggest names in the entertainment world, and noone, and I mean no-one, puts on a better show than Cher. I
remember when she first came to Las Vegas to play Caesars
Palace. The stage set and costumes alone cost around $1 million, the most expensive set ever to grace a Las Vegas stage.
But it was Cher who made it all come alive. This is one
very talented, funny and likable lady and the audiences
love her. I met her the second time she was playing here in
Vegas, thanks to artist Leroy Nieman, who was in town to do
a painting of her for Playboy, if I remember correctly.
He introduced me to her and we had a chance to talk for
quite a while. I found her charming, witty -- delivering her
humor in a deadpan manner that can be disconcerting until
you realize she’s joking -- and brutally honest in her answers
to any questions. She made no excuses or apologies for the
decisions and her actions she‘s made in life. If you didn’t like
what she had to say, too bad, it’s how she felt and I can’t tell
you how refreshing that is from an entertainer.
Too often, the only honest answer so many entertainers
give, is when you ask their name. After that, it’s all about
image.
I guess one of the reasons I have always been a Cher fan
is the fact that she is so talented. Who would have thought
that little Cherilyn Sarkasian LaPier would grow up to have
her own television show (with husband Sonny Bono) become
an international singing star, and an Oscar-winning actress?
For a while, after she and Sonny split, it didn’t look like
Cher was going to have much of a career on her own, but
this is one tough broad and before anyone could say, “Cher
who?” she had banged out a bunch of Top 10 singles.
That wasn’t enough for this energetic entertainer and she
set her sights on Hollywood, making a few best-be-forgotten
films before getting a role in Silkwood. She won an Oscar
nomination for her performance, followed it by a few hit
albums, and suddenly Cher was a major star all on her own.
But even though Cher followed up Silkwood with great
performances in movies like Mask, Moonstruck, and The
Witches of Eastwick, it seems she couldn’t find no respect,
as comedian Rodney Dangerfield used to say.
Much of the publicity surrounding Cher had to do with her
sex life with people like rockers Gregg Allman (who she married briefly), and allegedly with Gene Simmons of KISS, and
actors Val Kilmer and Eric Stoltz. There was even a mention
of a fling with Tom Cruise.
It didn’t help her image much when her daughter Chastity
came out, announcing she was gay. Why Cher would be put
through the tabloid mill just because her daughter is a lesbian is beyond me, but it didn’t help.
She has also often made the list of “Worst-Dressed” by the
so-called fashion experts, a charge that Cher couldn’t be less
interested in. Her reaction was: “It’s a tough job being ridiculous, but if someone’s got to do it, it might as well be me.”
What all of this has done, however, is keep Cher in the
spotlight, where she belongs, and as she approaches 60, she
continues to be, in my opinion, the diva of all divas.
Women can only hope that at 60, they have the energy,
the looks and body (okay, so cosmetic surgery helps) and
the attitude that Cher continues to possess. “I answer to
two people,” she says, “myself and God.”
Good for you, mon cher.
Len Butcher, a 25-year resident of Las Vegas, is
an online columnist for the Las Vegas ReviewJournal and a former Managing Editor of the Las
Vegas Sun and of Gaming Today. Reach him at
lennylv@cox.net
38
APRIL 18, 2005
Poker Player Advertisers are shown in RED along with their ad’s page number
To list your event, contact Len Butcher, Entertainment Editor at lennylv@cox.net
CALIFORNIA
Agua Caliente Casino
Comedy Shop
Commerce Casino
Arena Patio
8:30 p.m. Featuring three top comedians
weekly.
East L.A., Live Wednesdays 9 p.m.; Top comics,
Karaoke Thursdays 8 p.m.
Thursdays 8 p.m. to Midnight, Sundays 2-6 p.m.
Fridays 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Nightly, except Tues., Wed.
Presents Banda Nortina Sats 8 p.m.-3 a.m.
May 5, 8 p.m.
Apr 24, 7 p.m.
Live Jazz, Tues. 8 p.m.
Apr 1, 8 p.m.
Ballroom Dance Party
Crystal Park Casino & Hotel Cambodian Dance Party
(27)
Karaoke
El As De Oros Night Club
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Fantasy Springs Resort
Vanessa Williams
Harrah’s Rincon
Hollywood Park Casino (5) Finish Line Lounge
Pechanga Resort & Casino (24) Paul Anka
CONNECTICUT
Alicia Keys
Apr 13-14, 7 p.m.
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Cher
Apr 12, 7:30 p.m.
Mohegan Sun Casino
MISSISSIPPI
Gold Strike Hotel Casino
Chris Botti
Apr 22, 9 p.m.
(Tunica)
Lonestar
Apr 15, 8 p.m.
Grand Casino (Biloxi)
Kansas
Apr 16, 9 p.m.
Grand Casino (Tunica)
The Black Crowes
Apr 23, 8 p.m.
Grand Casino (Gulfport)
Horseshoe Casino (Tunica) Showroom temporarily closed for renovations
NEW JERSEY
Danon Wayans
Apr 23, 9 p.m.
Taj Majal Hotel & Casino
Tropicana Casino & Resort Michael Amante
Apr 30 & May 1, 7 p.m.
(Atlantic City)
NEW YORK
Rick Springfield
Apr 16, 8 p.m.
Turning Stone Casino
NEVADA-LAS VEGAS
Magician Steve Wyrick
Ongoing, Wednesday through Monday, 7 & 10 p.m.
Aladdin Hotel & Casino
Donn Arden’s Jubilee!
Sat-Thu, 8 p.m.
Bally’s Resort & Casino
O
Fridays through Tuesdays, 7:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Bellagio Resort & Casino
Ongoing, 7 & 11 p.m. (dark wednesdays)
Binion’s Horseshoe Hotel & Honky Tonk Cowgirls
Casino
Vinnie Favorito
Ongoing, Tue-Sat 8 p.m., Fri-Sat 8 p.m.
Boulder Station Hotel &
Darryl Worley
Apr 15, 8 p.m.
Casino (6)
Apr 22-23, 7 & 9 p.m.
Cannery Hotel & Casino (34) Salute to Ed Sullivan
Thunder From Down Under
Fridays through Wednesdays. 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Excalibur Hotel & Casino
Gladys Knight
Tuesdays through Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.
George Wallace
Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 p.m.
Flamingo Las Vegas
Bottoms Up
Mondays through Saturdays, 2 & 4 p.m.
The Second City
Thursdays through Tuesdays, 8 p.m.
Golden Nugget Hotel &
Bob Newhart
Apr 15-16, 9 p.m.
Casino
Clint Holmes
Monday through Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Harrah’s Hotel & Casino
Imperial Palace Hotel &
Legends In Concert
Mondays through Saturdays, 7 & 10 p.m.
Casino (17)
Blue Man Group
7 p.m. Nightly
Luxor Resort & Casino
Midnight Fantasy
Tuesdays through Sundays, 8:30 p.m.
7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays; 8 p.m.
Mamma Mia
Mandalay Bay Resort &
Fridays; 7 & 10:30 p.m. Saturdays, Mondays.
Casino
KC & The Sunshine Band
Apr 16, 7 p.m.
Impressionist Danny Gans
8 p.m. (Monday thru Friday)
The Mirage Hotel & Casino (11)
Kevin James
Apr 22, 9 p.m. & Apr 23, 10:30 p.m.
Tuesdays thru Saturdays, 7pm; Tuesdays &
Magician Lance Burton
Monte Carlo Resort & Casino
Saturdays. 7 & 10 p.m.
Apr 7-10, 8 p.m.
The Orleans Hotel & Casino Vicki Lawrence & Mama
Palace Station Hotel &
Casino (6)
Laugh Trax comedy club
7:30 & 10 p.m. Tuesdays thru Saturdays.
Plaza Hotel & Casino (18)
The Comedy Zone
9 p.m. Tuesdays thru Sundays.
Sahara Hotel & Casino
The Platters, Coasters and
Drifters
8 p.m. nightly
Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino
(35)
Nightkings
Apt 20-24, 8 p.m.
Wayne Newton
Rick Thomas
Rock ’n’ Roll Hypnotist Thom
Kaz
Love Shack
Mar 28-Apr 20, 8 p.m.
Ongoing, 2 & 4 p.m.
Stardust Hotel & Casino
Sunset Station (6)
Texas Station (6)
LAUGHLIN
Riverboat Ramblers Strolling
Colorado Belle Hotel Casino Dixieland Jazz Band
Styx
Flamingo Hilton Hotel Casino
Ramada Express Hotel Casino Tribute to Neil Diamond
Etta May
Riverside Hotel Casino
RENO
The Palmores
Atlantis Casino Resort
The Ten Tenors
Eldorado Hotel Casino
Ann Margret
Reno Hilton Hotel Casino
Fridays, 10 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m. & 2 a.m.
Fridays & Saturdays, 8 p.m.
Apr 22-23, 7 p.m.
Apr 17-19, 8 p.m.
Mar 10-15, 8 p.m.
10 p.m.-4 a.m.
Mar 23-Apr 17, 8 p.m.
Apr 16, 8 p.m.
NEPC Underway at Foxwoods
Three events of the New
England Poker Classic
were completed as we
closed this issue of Poker
Player. An annual event at
Foxwoods in Connecticut,
the NEPC always attracts
large crowds, which lead
to bigger payoffs for the
winners. There will be nine
events in all for this two
week tournament that began
on March 28 and is scheduled to end on April 11.
Additional results will be
had in our next issue, however, to catch the results on
a daily basis, go to www.
pokerplayernewspaper.
com and keep up to date.
PLAYERS 91
PRIZE
POOL
6. Michael P Noyes . . . . $3,740
7. James J Bucci Sr . . . . $2,805
FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO
NEW ENGLAND POKER CLASSIC
3/30/05
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
MULTI-PLAY FINAL
BUY-IN $200
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
$179,900
Vipul H Kothari
Steven E Brackesy . . $48,996
Marcus Raulukaitis . $25,175
Frank Meany . . . . . . $14,384
Dennis Maher . . . . . $10,788
Martin Lang. . . . . . . . $7,192
John R Niceforo. . . . . $6,293
Lorraine M Gleason . $5,394
Greg Stocklan . . . . . . $4,495
PRIVATE CLUB
DISTRIBUTION
Several private clubs that have poker tables have contacted
Poker Player requesting copies for distribution, and are now
carrying this newspaper in their rooms. We have now implemented a policy that will make Poker Player available at any
private club that requests them. Issues will be shipped in lots of
25, 50 or 100 only, to those private clubs who pay the postage
and handling charges for these shipments. Full payment must be
made for 13 issues, currently 6 months of publications, in advance.
There is no charge for the paper itself, just the shipping charges.
Charges for US shipments of 25 copies of 13 issues are about $10
per shipment. These charges DO NOT apply to public cardrooms.
Contact Assistant Publisher, Joel Gausten at the listing below, for
precise details and costs:
Joel Gausten, Managing Editor, Poker Player newspaper, 3883 W. Century Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90303.
Phone: 310-674-3365 Fax: 310-674-3205.
e-mail: jgausten@gamblingtimes.com
4/1/05
7-CARD STUD
BUY-IN $500
PLAYERS 226
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
$115,000
Thomas C. Noyes
Thomas C. Noyes . . . $40,538
Carl Brucker . . . . . . $21,850
Anthony Hill . . . . . . $12,075
Howard Crash . . . . . . $8,050
Daniel Hofer. . . . . . . . $5,750
George Kalaitzis . . . . $4,600
Rachel A Anter. . . . . . $3,450
3/30/05
OMAHA HI-LO
BUY-IN $500
PLAYERS 183
PRIZE
POOL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
$93,500
Vipul H Kothari
Vipul H Kothari . . . $34,128
Robert A Ferdinand $18,232
Pablo E Caraballo . . $10,285
Douglas A Gross . . . . $7,013
Salvatore S Tomazzolli . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,142
APRIL 18, 2005
39
Undercard Underdogs
Playing in a $2-4 blind no-limit hold’em game,
you’re sitting in the big blind with 6-5 offsuit. It’s
folded around to the button, who
makes it $12 to go. The small blind
By John Vorhaus
To list your 3-day events contact: Joel Gausten, Managing Editor at: jgausten@gamblingtimes.com
folds, and now it’s up to you. Half of
you recognizes your holding as a bad
hand -- little poison -- and tells you to fold. The
other half, though, sees the button’s raise as pure
real estate and thinks you should call, hoping to
hit your flop and take him off for some chips.
Which half is right?
Good question. To answer it, let’s start by asking what type of hand the raiser probably has. We
can eliminate pairs as likely candidates, since any
given hand is rated to be paired only about 6%
of the time. What’s he got then? Unless he’s the
most inveterate of real estate raisers, he most
likely has two cards bigger than yours. Just for
yucks, we’ll put him on T-9 suited. To call now,
you’ll have to put another $8 into a pot currently
containing $18. If there were no more betting
from this point forward (say you were calling
all-in) you’d be getting better than 2-1 on your
money. Is it enough?
Yes... barely. In a head-to-head showdown, 6-5
offsuit beats T-9 suited just about one-third of
the time, so since you’ve got a slight ($2) overlay,
you’re cleared to call.
Or are you? Consider the downsides of a call
here. First, there likely will be more betting, and
during every betting round you’ll be out of position. Unless you hit the flop hard, or are prepared
to make a naked bluff at it, you’re probably going
to have to check, and let your in-position foe take
the lead.
Worse, you’ll miss most flops. And even the
ones you hit must give you pause. Remember, it’s
not enough just to hit a pair here. Any flop that
comes with two or even one wheelhouse card (ten
through ace) could potentially hit the hand of a
real estate raiser. Unless you get phenomenally
lucky and hit something like 6-5-2, you’re probably done with the hand.
And you’ve wasted eight bucks.
Seduced by some raw numbers, you let the fact
of your slight theoretical overlay drag you into an
undercard underdog situation. Yes it’s true that
6-5 suited is only a 2-1 underdog to T-9 offsuit...
but only if all five board cards are dealt. The laws
of probability don’t care whether your winning six
comes on the flop or the river -- but you do care.
In most cases if you miss the flop (and you’ll miss
the flop in most cases) you have to be done with
the hand.
There are other considerations, I know. You
don’t want to appear weak, congenitally unwilling
to defend your blinds. You might be able to bluff
your foe off a better hand. You could actually hit
and win. All of these considerations, however,
pale in the face of this fact: Small cards are small
cards are small cards. Every pot you enter with
small cards is fraught with danger. Don’t let raw
numbers and slight theoretical edges put you into
problematic situations. Remember, if you fold
that big blind hand right now, you’ll get another
hand right away.
And the next hand could be aces.
[JV’s latest books, POKER NIGHT and THE KILLER
POKER HOLD’EM HANDBOOK are available now in
bookstores or through www.vorza.com.]
APRIL 18, 2005
NOW! Get Tournament Listings at our website: www.pokerplayernewspaper.com
>Denotes Advertiser; Poker Association Events also denoted: t=World Poker Tour,
s=World Series of Poker and e=European Poker Tour.
KILLER Poker
40
2005 WORLDWIDE
POKER TOURNAMENTS
DATE
EVENT
LOCATION
>Mar 30-Apr 10Sport of Kings
Hollywood Park Casino (AdPg 5), Inglewood, CA
Apr 3-30
Best Poker Tournaments
Harrah’s Atlantic City, Atlantic City, NJ
Apr 4-10
Coral-Gutshot European Series of Poker The Gutshot Poker Collective, London, England
Apr 5-25
5-Star World Poker Classic
tBellagio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
>Apr 11-May 1 Stars and Stripes
Bicycle Casino (AdPg 3), Bell Gardens, CA
Apr 12-17
Southern Classic 2005
Grand Casino Gulfport, Gulfport, MS
Apr 14-16
Women’s Poker Club Showdown Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ
Apr 14-17
Lithuanian Open
Olympic Casino Lietuva at Reval Hotel, Vilnius, Lithuania
Apr 15-25
PPT No-Limit Hold’em $500K Freeroll Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
Apr 18-24
3rd Annual Turning Stone Classic Turning Stone Casino-Resort, Verona, NY
Apr 18-24
Torneo di Poker
Hit Casino, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
>Apr 20-May 17 Plaza World Poker Classic
Plaza Hotel & Casino (AdPg 18), Las Vegas, NV
Apr 24-May 2
WSOP Warm Up VI
Garden City Casino, San Jose, CA
Apr 26-May 11
Harvey’s Lk Tahoe Poker Tourn (ESPN)
sHarvey’s Resort Casino, Stateline, NV
May 1-31
World Ch’ship of Poker
The Orleans, Las Vegas, NV
May 5-8
Baltic Open
Reval Park Hotel & Casino, Tallinn, Estonia
May 5-10
Oasis Open
Oasis Casino, Mesquite, NV
May 6-22
Heavenly Hold’em
Commerce Casino, Commerce, CA
May 8-15
Paris Open of Poker
Aviation Club de France, Paris, France
>May 10-27 PPT No Limit Hold’em $500,000 Freeroll Mirage (AdPg 11), Las Vegas, NV
May 11-15
Western Canadian Poker Classic Casino Yellowhead, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
May 12-22
Spring Pot of Gold
Reno Hilton, Reno, NV
May 16-21
Top of the Mountain Series
Spirit Mountain Casino, Grande Ronde, OR
May 16-24
5th Ann World Heads Up Ch’ship Casino Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
>May 18-28 Harrah’s New Orleans Bayou Poker Challenge (ESPN) sHarrah’s Casino New Orleans (AdPg 29), New Orleans, LA
May 19-22
Island Poker Tournament
Crystal Palace Casino, Nassau, Bahamas
>May 23–26 Mirage Poker Showdown
tThe Mirage (AdPg 11), Las Vegas, NV
May 25-27
Spring Festival
Napoleans Casino, Owlerton, Sheffield, UK
>May 28-Jul 10 No Limit Hold’em Summer Series Palms (AdPg 28), Las Vegas, NV
June 1-5
Estonian 5th Open Ch’ship
Astoria-Palace Casino, Tallinn, Estonia
>Jun 3-Jul 8 MSOP
Jun 3-Jul 15
World Series of Poker 2005
sRio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Jun 6-12
The World Masters
Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London, England
Jun 7-10
Summer Tournament
Grand Casino World, Vilnius, Lithuania
Jun 7-11
Midnight Sun Summer Tourn.
Grand Casino Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Jun 18-30
Fiesta al Lago
Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
Jun 23-25
Poker Masters
Casinos Austria, Seefeld, Austria
July 1-31
U.S. Open Ch’ship of Poker
The Orleans, Las Vegas, NV
Jul 11-29
Rendezvous a’ Paris
>Jul 18-Aug 1 Larry Flynt’s Grand Slam of Poker IV Hustler Casino (AdPg 13), Gardena, CA
Jul 25-29
Grand Prix de Paris
tAviation Club de France, Paris, France
Aug 3-6
WPX London Open
Old Billingsgate Market, London, UK
>Aug 4-Sept 4 Legends of Poker
tBicycle Casino (AdPg 3), Bell Gardens, CA
Aug 28-Sept 4 Speedway of Poker VII
Garden City Casino, San Jose, CAAug 29–Sept 18
Aug 29-Sept 22 Borgata Poker Open
tBorgata, Atlantic City, NJ
Sept 6-25
Calif. State Poker Ch’ship
Sept 26–Oct 2 The European Championships
Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London, UK
Sept 29-Oct 10 Fall Pot of Gold
Reno Hilton, Reno, NV
>Sept 29-Oct 16 Big Poker October
Oct 5-9
Canadian Poker Championship Casino Yellowhead, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
>Oct 8-21
Fall Poker Classic
Canterbury Park Card Club (AdPg 8), Shakopee, MN
>Oct 17-30
Nat’l Ch’ship of Poker
Hollywood Park Casino (AdPg 5), Inglewood, CA
Nov 2-12
Fall Poker Roundup
Wildhorse Resort Casino, Pendleton, OR
Nov 4-20
Holiday Bonus Tournament
Nov 13-20
The Hold’em Series
>Nov 24-Dec 11 Turkey Shoot/Ho Ho Hold’em Bicycle Casino (AdPg 3), Bell Gardens, CA
Nov 29-Dec 18
Five Diamond World Poker Classic Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
Nov 30-Dec 5
Campionato Italiano di Poker
Hit Casino, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
POKER
ON
TV
World Poker Tour. Wednesdays,
Saturdays & Sundays. (Check local listing for times). Travel Channel.
Thursdays. 10:00 PM. E!
Celebrity Poker Showdown.
Daily 4/6-4/8, 4/11-15 and 4/17-4/20/05.
(Check local listings for times). Bravo.
Ultimate Poker Challenge.
Fridays & Saturdays. (check local listings
for times/channels).
Poker Superstars Invitational.
Sundays. 8:00 PM. Fox Sports.
European Poker Tour.
Wednesdays-Fridays. (check local listings for times). EuroSport
E! Hollywood Hold’em.
Southern California Poker
Tour. Thursdays. 11:00 PM. KDOC.
P
oker has enjoyed
tremendous growth
throughout the
United States and around
the worldin the past few
years; every region of the
country from coast to coast
has seen this surge, andeven
the Empire State - New
no-limit game, a $300 minimum buy-in, once a week,
five oʼclockFriday nights,
and it seems to work out
perfectly.”
As no-limit holdʼem has
grown in popularity in New
York, DiBenedetto said
other gameshave naturally
Tournaments tend to bring
them in.”
Like most other poker
managers, DiBenedetto
has seen the number
of patrons rise in
hispoker room, and
he was optimistic about the
gameʼs future
in New York.
“I think
people are
very interested in the
game,” DiBenedetto said. “I
think now that itʼsbecome
something thatʼs in mainstream America rather than
something thatʼs stuck in
thesmoke-filled dark back
rooms, itʼs become acceptable. I just see nothing
but growth for poker,and I
think itʼs going to be a great
opportunity for a lot of
people.”
Poker Rooms in New York
MAP # CASINO
1
2
3
4
5
Turning Stone
Seneca Niagra
Seneca Allegheny
Seneca Irving
Akwesasne Mohawk
CITY
OPEN
HOURS
Verona
24/7
Niagra Falls
24/7
Salamanca
24/7
Irving
M-F Noon; S-S 24hrs
Hogansburg M-F 4p; S-S 11a
# OF
TABLES
GAMES
HIGH
NL? LIMITS S/NS HOTEL
22
16
16
8
8
H 7 7h/l O Oh/l
H 7 Oh/l
H
H Oh/l
H
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
20-40
20-40
5-10
5-10
5-10
N
N
N
N
N
Y
N*
N
N
N
* - Hotel under construction
S/NS - Poker room allows smoking (S), non-smoking (N), or both (B)
Days open, hours of operation, games offered and tables may vary
York - is no exception to
this rule.
New Yorkʼs poker rooms,
scattered from the northern
border to the central and
westernparts of the state,
play both limit and no-limit
live games, with limits
ranging up to $20-$40,along
with many different tournaments. As with other areas
of the country, holdʼem has
becomethe game of choice.
Jason DiBenedetto has
been the director of poker
operations for the Turning
Stone Resortand Casino
in Verona since the room
opened about five years
ago, and has seen firsthand
the risein interest in poker.
“Itʼs just like everywhere,
itʼs gone through the roof
with all of the people now
comingin,” DiBenedetto
said. “We went from 15
tables to 22 and weʼre
looking to expand again.
Weʼvejust seen exponential
growth.”
“(Live no-limit holdʼem)
has proven to be very popular, especially our lower
limit, likeour $100 max
buy-ins,” DiBenedetto said.
“On weekends, weʼll have
five or six of those gamesgoing. We have our bigger
gone down in popularity in
response.
“Most of the trend that
weʼve had here is moving away from seven-card
stud and Omaha.For us it
really is just holdʼem, and
it seems to be that no-limit
holdʼem is the game of
choice, itʼswhat everybody
wants to play that comes
in,” DiBenedetto said. “The
only way I see any of theother games expanding is if
they started taking some of
these other tournaments,
just like theWorld Series of
Poker did last year and trying to expose them on TV,
and maybe get some peopleinterested in them like
they have in holdʼem.”
DiBenedetto also said
tournaments have been a
big factor in the roomʼs
business evenbefore the
explosion in the gameʼs
popularity.
“Even before this big
boom, we were always
holding a no-limit holdʼem
tournament,”DiBenedetto
said. “Itʼs always been a
way to attract players, and
you hope a majority of them
aregoing to stick around and
play in live games, which
weʼve found to be very true.
Seneca Gaming and
Entertainment operates
three poker rooms in western New York -Seneca
Irving, Seneca Allegheny
and Seneca Niagra Falls
- all of which have opened
in the pasttwo years, and
all three are overseen by
Mike Gainey, the companyʼs director of pokeroperations. Gainey, who has
spent nearly 30 years in
the poker industry, said he
didnʼt knowwhat to expect
when he took on his current
assignment a few years ago.
“When we opened our
doors, people just came
out of the woodwork, they
came fromeverywhere,”
tables, and Iʼm going to
add another 10 tableshere
within the next few weeks,”
Gainey said.
“I think that television
exposure has been the biggest shot in the arm to this
business sinceIʼve been
in it,” Gainey said of the
recent explosion of poker.
“Before this, it was just
surviving, youʼd have some
big events like the World
NEW YORK
By Jason Zinzilieta
Gainey said. “When I did
my first tournament, we
had to cut it off because
wedidnʼt have enough
tables, chips or dealers.
Even when we did our
second one in Allegheny
inJanuary, I had to turn
away 106 people. These
people took busses from
Cleveland, Pittsburgh,they
came from NY City, they
came from everywhere just
to play in the poker tournament.”
With the rise in pokerʼs
popularity, Gainey is also
looking to expand one of
his currentrooms, along
with overseeing a fourth
room in Buffalo when it
opens later this year.
“We started (Seneca
Niagra Falls) with 16
Series that would promote
some interest, but not likethe TV exposure that you
have now.”
Gainey said, while
pokerʼs future looks strong,
that future would be up to
the youngerplayers who
have been patronizing
poker rooms everywhere in
ever-increasing numbers.
“I would say about 40
percent of the players that
play in the room are in their
early 20s,”Gainey said. “I
think this generationʼs going
to be around for a long
time. I think if you ride thebubble youʼve got another
five to ten years of popularity, then it might start slowing down after that.”
Ante Up
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& hats. Quarterly free-rolls. Paid entries in our weekly tournaments. $100 cash on your
birthday. Hotel discounts. Cash promotions every Wednesday through Sunday, and
cash drawings the first Saturday of each month. Tournaments every Wednesday and
Thursday at 6 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm. In San Carlos, five minutes east of Globe on
Hwy. 70. For hotel or FunBus® reservations, call 1-800-APACHE 8. Go For The Gold.
Poker room closed Monday and Tuesday. Must be 21 or older to participate in any gaming activities. apachegoldcasinoresort.com
APRIL 18, 2005
41
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ABOUT TO GO ALL IN
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CALVIN AYRE FOUNDER & CEO
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Continued from page 1 - Poker Player Newspaper

Transcription

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