Las Vegas - Hand of the Week

8-16 at the Wynn, and its a real good game.
Bought in for one rack of $2 chips and have doubled it so far. Have a very neat 10 stack triangle (with some strays on top) in front of me.

Guy to my left is telling me that his records show he loses the first 3 weeks of every month and then wins it all back in the fourth week -- every month. Local across the table from me will bet EVERY time you check to him. Tourist on tilt to my right -- playing most every hand and into his pocket for more 100s three times now. I love the Wynn.

On the button and pick up Aces. 6 limpers to me. Thats Right ---- 6! I raise, the small blind folds, all others call. The raise here is not going to get anyone out. Its just to get more $ in the pot. I'm probably only going to win this pot about 25% of the time, but I "probably" do have the best hand preflop.

Flop is 7 8 T rainbow. All check to the tilter on my right, who bets. Perfect! I get to raise and face the field with cold calling TWO bets. Now my raise is to thin the field. Should get all the 4 and 5 out draws to fold. I am feeling very confident right now.

The big blind now checkraises (a double!) and all fold back to the tilter who calls. Yow -- a three-bet checkraise. Thats a pretty strong hand.

So, I fold the Aces for only one more small bet.


ITEMS OF INTEREST:

After the checkraise, do I have 2 outs or NO outs to win this hand?

I made a raise and then folded on the same betting round. Kinda rare.

Raised preflop to get more $ in pot, then raised on flop to thin the field. Odd

Look how the hand changed in value so suddenly. From -- top of the world raising on flop, know exactly whats going on. To --my hand is sawdust after the checkraise.

Many players will probably say that the pot odds are there to call the flop raise for one more small bet and try to spike an Ace on the Turn. Thats probably true -- ok ok, lets do the math. 16 small bets preflop plus 8 more on the flop, so I am getting 24 to 1 for one more call for a two outer at 23 to 1. However --- if I do hit it, it may still lose. And, I'll have to pay two more big bets to be shown some 9 6 or J 9 by the big blind. Plus the 5 other preflop limpers should make me think the Aces are more likely to be in the muck than the 9's, 6's and J's.

It was an easy fold for me. Your comments are welcome.

"Other" Activities in Las Vegas - WOO-HOO!!

8 days/7 nights in Las Vegas by myself.
Lots of $ and a rental car. I can do anything I want.

Besides playing poker, here's my "activities":

Wednesday Poker Discussion Group - lunch meeting downtown. Lunch with Mike Becker.

Monday NL Discussion Group - evening meeting. Very serious topics with 2 poker authors and several good players.

Wednesday -- Mike Caro Seminar in the DoylesRoom Suite at Rio. Very entertaining. "I am a lucky player. A powerful winning force surrounds me."

Wednesday Poker Discussion Group - lunch downtown with Kent Young, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher. Much talk of items at WSOP.

Thursday -- David Sklansky Seminar in the PokerStars Suite at Rio. Lots of serious math and several examples and topics from his new book.

Saturday -- Breakfast meeting with authors Jim Brier & Alan Schoonmaker and three other excellent players. Limit and NL topics.


See? I was real naughty in Sin City.

Las Vegas - Game Selection

Game Selection is a skill we don't get to practice very much here in town. It may come into play a little in St Louis or Tunica, but its very critical in Las Vegas.

The classic case is the Bellagio 15-30 game. They usually have 3 to 5 tables of this game running and the quality varies wildly. One table can be overly tight local nits, another filled with very aggressive skilled players, another mostly loose passive tourists.

Game Selection is much more important in Las Vegas because there are so many more poker rooms, games, tables, and limits. These tables can be filled with locals or tourists. Tables can be filled with excellent players or poor ones. Games vary between all quadrants of; loose-tight-passive-aggressive. At WSOP time, there is the added feature of all the tourney players in town.

Here are some of the Game Selection skills that I use:

First off, when you are just arriving and looking at the list of games, have the brush put you on the list for more than one game or limit. (Its always funny seeing the young kids come in and say they only want to play 1-2 NL -- thats all they know) In many of the Las Vegas casinos, I was able to initially sign up for different limits of Holdem, an Omaha game and a Mixed game.

Then go look at a table of a game you are NOT likely to be called for first. Is this game any good? Go look at another table and another if you have time. Two or three hands at each table is probably enough. Are there lots of callers? Are there lots of chips on the table? Are the players happy and talking or are they sullen and cranky?

When you are called for a game, go take it. Sit and play in that game and quickly evaluate it. Is this a great game, an OK game or a poor game? If you don't like this particular table, but its a limit that you may want to play, ask the brush to put you down for a "Table Change". When the next seat opens at another table of the same game/limit, you will have first choice. You won't have time to compare the other game. If your existing table is not great, then move. You can repeat this cycle over and over in a large poker room. Never stay in a bad game.

When you are called for a different game/limit that you do want to play, go to it unless your current table is great. Just tell the brush that you'll stay where you are. You can ask to be "rolled" -- thats put at the bottom of that list again.

Maybe you don't find any table or game thats real good. Just go across the street to the next poker room and try there. I say again----never stay in a bad game!


Game Selection Stories from this Las Vegas trip:

Venetian --On the list for 3 limits of Holdem. Got in a 3-6 and its pretty good. Get called for 6-12, I move and its not as good a game. Went to look at the 9-18 and its filled with desperados. Next limit up was 40-80 (I wasn't on that list) Called for 9-18 and passed. 6-12 game is really no good, so I got back into a nice 3-6 game.

Caesars Palace --On the list for 3-6 and 6-12 Holdem. On the interest list for Omaha and Mixed Game. Called for 3-6 and its an ok game. Called for 6-12 and I move and its a GREAT game. Loose passive happy tourists with lots of chips on the table.

Mirage -- On Holdem list for 3-6, 6-12, and 10-20. Called for 10-20 and its an ok game. Mostly tight locals, but they don't seem very good. I'm a little winner and my buddy calls me over to the 20-40 game. Says "Open Seat". Earlier thay had been playing this game with a Full Kill and a Rock -- Yow. Now it was just regular 20-40 and the table looked happy and mostly tourists. So I moved. Turns out to be the very best loosest Mirage Day Shift 20-40 that I have ever played. Have a nice win and then a free buffet.

Wynn -- On the list for 4-8, 8-16, and 15-30. (Again, I passed on the 40-80, haha) Get called to the 8-16 and its a great game. Asked my buddy in 15-30 how that game was and she says not very good. Person on list in front of me is Jim Brier (poker author and good/tight player) --so this game is going to get worse. I am called for the 15-30 and pass. Stay in a Great 8-16 and book a nice win.

Mixed Games

One of my goals for this Las Vegas trip was to play a lot of "Mixed Games".

A mixed game rotation would be decided by the players. They would choose which games to play. The classic mixed game format is HORSE --holdem, omaha, razz, stud, and stud/8. The dealer would deal one round (sometimes 8 hands) of one game then it would switch to the next.

Omaha is now usually played Omaha/8. Other games can be added--Triple Draw Lowball, Pineapple, Badugi, etc etc. Many players don't like to play holdem in a mixed format. Many players don't like to have 3 different stud games in the mix.

The initial players to start the game are the ones who decide which games will be played. Later players can request that a game be added or excluded and it will sometimes happen. Initial players can often also change the stakes. One game was called for 3-6 and we changed it to 4-8.

Last week in Las Vegas, I played several sessions of mixed games at the Venetian, Caesars Palace and the T.I. Limits were 3-6, 4-8 and 6-12. Sporadic games will also break out at MGM, Aladdin, Wynn and Red Rock. The casinos would often put the mixed game in a very visable location. Great fun watching the young punkies walk by and look. Their "one trick pony" background had only prepared them for 1-2 NL Holdem.

Mixed games may be trending to more popularity. The HORSE tourney at this years WSOP ($50,000 buy-in) attracted the best players in the world and should perk up some interest when its on TV. Online, PokerStars is about to offer a HORSE format. Triple Draw and Badugi are surging in player interest.

Mixed games have always been the choice of the most skillful players - and these have mostly been for big money. Now we are starting to see the mixed games played for moderate stakes.

Anyone interested?

LV Local -- angle shot

Las Vegas Locals make money from tourists. Sometimes its because they play better.

I'm in big blind with 9 8 s and call a raise from a Local in late position.
Flop is J T x and I check and call his bet.
Turn is a 7. I check, he bets, I raise and he calls.
River is another x. I bet out and he says; "I call".

I look at him and turn over my hand. He says something under his breath and throws his cards face down into the muck and tells the dealer to push me the pot.

I keep looking at him. Dealer starts to push me the pot. I say; "Wait!"

Do you see whats missing? Local never actually put his chips in the pot on the River. I have seen this move before -- even in St Louis poker rooms. Its usually intentional by the player. Can be an oversight by the dealer (especially with the misdirection) or sometimes the dealers just know who tips them all year.

Las Vegas Poker -- Rooms

The best source of information about Las Vegas Poker Rooms is found at;
www.allvegaspoker.com

Last week in Vegas, I played in 13 new rooms. 9 of the poker rooms were new in the last year, while 4 of them had been missed on previous trips. I also played in 6 rooms that I had played before. Selected comments and opinions are below:

NEW ROOMS

The Big Two -- Caesars Palace and Venetian. Wow, these two are great.

Venetian -- is the plushest nicest poker room I have ever seen. Based on others comments, its probably the nicest on the planet. Beautiful, everything new, lots of space, lots of dealers, lots of floorpeople, all the new technology. NL games were 1-2, 2-5 and up. Limit Holdem was 3-6, 6-12, 9-18, and higher. Saw a 7 stud game once. No Omaha that I saw. Mixed game was 6-12. Player comps at $2/hour. This is a "Must see - Must play" room on your next LV trip.

Caesars -- Yes, Vito is the Manager. Great to see him. This is the largest room in Vegas. A semi-separate Tournament room with 30 tables. Cash game room of 27 tables. Several NL of 1-2 and 2-5. Limit Holdem of 3-6 and 6-12. Mixed Game (sometimes two) varied in stakes from night to night. Played 3-6, 4-8, and 6-12. Upper deck for higher games didn't have much action.

Other New Ones --

TI -- a fun little room. Wild Mixed Game at 3-6.

Paris -- just changed their format to All tournaments.

O'Sheas -- what a HOOT! Two little tables almost out on the street. A "beginners game" with lots of people who have never played before. 1-5 holdem with a single blind of 1. Cocktails!!!

Hooters -- like the wings?

Red Rock -- new very nice room up in Summerlin. Only a few blocks from Kent Young's house.

Silverton -- small but pretty room. Only 2-4 limit and 1-2 NL.

Fitzgeralds -- downtown.


ROOMS MISSED ON PREVIOUS TRIPS--

Las Vegas Hilton--

Stratosphere--

Tuscany--

Buffalo Bills -- only poker room in Primm.


ROOMS I HAD PREVIOUSLY PLAYED --

Palace Station -- this room has cleaned up some, has some new equipment and is now non-smoking until midnight. Still - too many nitty locals saving their quarters and getting upset about any "betting line infractions" etc. PS keeps sending me those $30 room offers though.

Binions -- way too generic now.

Aladdin/Planet Hollywood -- room was great last year - a pleasant surprise. This year they are in a temporary location. Its way too noisy and unplayable until they get back into a real location.

Wynn -- a great room. Very plush and nice. They bought some larger tables so the limit games are now played 10 handed. Limit games are 4-8, 8-16, 15-30. Best overall access from the self park to the poker room.

Mandalay Bay -- the game here is 4-8 with a 1/2 kill played with "mini-blinds". Competition is always soft. Other players are wealthy young hotel guests with a few very polite well behaved locals.

Mirage -- still my fave. Ahhhh, sitting on the upper deck. Playing 10-20 and 20-40. Games seemed so much easier than I remembered. Lots of 3-6 and 6-12 tables open in room too.

HOT - in Vegas !

Yeah ---- damn hot. 112 one day 110 the next.

Thats just the air temp. Add in the direct sun, the street, buildings and auto temps to this; and the strip was just about unwalkable. The parking garages were toasty too after accumulating the heat all day.

So --- I spent most of my time in the poker rooms.

Poker Books - Part 2: Essentials - The Best of the Best

Some people ask; whats "the best" poker book? There may not be a single answer to that question. Almost all the "best" books target a specific audience or market segment, and then cover it very well.

Here are my choices for the very best poker books in various areas. More detailed reviews on each can be found in the appropriate Part of this series.

General;
-- The Theory of Poker, David Sklansky
-- Super System 2, Doyle Brunson et al

Limit Holdem;
-- Holdem for Advanced Players, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth
-- Middle Limit Holdem, Bob Ciaffone and Jim Brier
-- Small Stakes Holdem, Ed Miller and Sklansky/Malmuth

No Limit Holdem -- cash games;
-- No Limit Theory and Practice, Ed Miller
-- Harrington on Holdem vol 4, Dan Harrington ----not yet issued

Tournaments -- NLHE;
-- Harrington on Holdem vols 1, 2 & 3, Dan Harrington

Other Games;
--High Low Split Poker, Ray Zee


All of these are serious, strategy oriented books. No fluff, personalities, stories, etc. Some are pretty tough reading. You can find other books on the same topics, but they're not as good as the ones listed above.

Poker - and the Man on the Moon

July 20, 1969 -- "That's one small step for a man_ _ _"

I couldn't believe it. Heard the noise and stepped into the barracks day room to see what was happening. Other GI's were watching TV and talking excitedly. Cronkite was announcing and showing todays pictures of the first men walking on the Moon. A historic day. Took my nightly walk to play poker at the NCO club and stared up at the Moon -- Wow -- our Astronauts were actually there right at that moment.

BACKSTORY: Playing (maybe a little too much) poker in 1968 had gotten me in a little college and draft board difficulty. So, here I was in the Army. Stationed in NY City harbor -- just look out my barracks window and see Statue of Liberty and the (not yet completed) Twin Towers.

Lots of other Army guys on base and a lot of civilians working there too. Two Navy ships docked here and they were in port every few weeks. The poker games were just excellent. Never in my life have I seen such poor poker played by so many people. Civilians were usually drunk and the money meant almost nothing to the other Service people.

Both Navy ships were IN right now -- so it was going to be a very good few days. One thing bothering me was that one of the ships had a big tough Chief Petty Officer that cheated in the games. He had called me aside a couple days earlier for a "now hear this". He said that I was the best player in the poker games there, and he was the best cheater -- so we were going to work together and clean everyone out. I declined and he said I better do it or he would beat the crap out of me.

Walked into the NCO club and its the same familiar scene. Lots of people drinking, playing pool, dancing, and playing poker in the little card room alcove. Game was usually $1 limit --- tonight it was $2 limit. Must have been Navy payday. Got in the game and was a little bit winner when two new young Navy guys got in the game. Had not played with these guys before and they started right off cheating. Every few hands, they would do a very rudimentary card switch. One of them would then have a full house. I just never played a hand when they were doing this. No one else seemed to be aware of this -- most were drunk anyway. I eventually (umm, uhh) devised a countermeasure and they lost a big pot. I purposefully was going to stay in the game for a couple more rounds so as to not arouse any suspicion.

Just then, the big Navy CPO enters the game. He stares at me, but does not seem to know the other two Navy guys. Maybe they are from different ships. Now -- how do you like THIS situation? Plus ---half the table is going to be cheating. So, I just got up and left the game. "Take the money and run"

Found a couple of buddies and we drank and played pool for a bit when all hell broke loose. From the poker alcove, yelling then fighting. It spills out into the main room. Navy fighting Army, Navy fighting Navy -- yow. An actual knock down drag out "wild west style" bar brawl.
My 2 buddies and I grabbed the pool cues and stood our ground behind the pool tables and did not get attacked. Then the MP's came in and kicked butt. Saw us standing behind the pool table with cues ready and laughed at us. They said to get out now --- and we did.

Think I should have stayed in that poker game? I have often wondered who caught who doing what in that game. But --I never did see any of those 3 Navy guys again.

Walking back to the barracks that night, looking at the Moon again, thinking -- well, this was interesting. I'll remember this day for a while.

Poker Books - Part 1: Your First Poker Book

A good introductory poker book can really help a new player. Even if you have played for a while without reading a poker book, one of these is your best bet.

Getting Started in Holdem, Ed Miller
New in 2005 and is the new BEST introductory poker book. Covers the basics in a clear manner and has chapters on whats really important. Material in this book that is NOT in other beginner books. Covers Limit and NL cash games -- and various tournament formats.

Winning Low Limit Holdem, Lee Jones
Historically the most popular starter book. Be sure to get the revised, Second or Third edition. This work will cover all the basics and plug the major leaks in a new players game. This book may turn you from a loser into a small winner in the low stakes public cardroom games.

Holdem Poker, David Sklansky
The first really good Holdem book. Originally written in the mid 1970s. Be sure to get the revised edition from 1997. Sklansky isn't the easiest poker author to read (and also, sometimes way too theoretical and lacking in examples) but he does have the best material. You will probably reading some other Sklansky books later. Do NOT start with his similarly titled book - Holdem Poker FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS" yet. Thats one you will be reading later.

Internet Texas Holdem, Matt Hilger
New in 2004 and got lots of good reviews. Most think this is a better work than WLLH. Its directed at new players and is NOT only about playing on the internet.

Holdem Excellence, Lou Krieger
Krieger is a better writer than most poker player/authors. The material is well presented and easy to understand. some question parts of his technical and strategy advice. some others love this book.


Be careful about which poker books you do start with or get for others. Many will be way too advanced. Others will contain WRONG information. Any of the above 5 will be fine to start.

Hand of the Week: 1/2 NLHE

This hand of the week was one that I wasn't even involved in, but witnessed. A friend of mine (let's call him Johnny) was in the BB in a hand against 5 limped in players. Now, this game was kind of special, as it occurred immediately after a tournament, and there were plenty of tournament players ready to gamble. Let's just say that on a scale of difficult to soft table selections, this one was like warm butter.

Anyway, so Johnny was in the BB w/ 5-2 offsuit. BE-AUTI-FUL hand! It got limped in 5 ways and Johnny checked. The flop comes up A-3-4 rainbow. I think I might have this wrong, but I think Johnny check raised, and going to the turn the pot was three handed. The turn was an offsuit jack, bringing no flush possibility. Johnny bets out again about half the pot, I assume to get action on the nuts. The UTG player (a tournie player) calls. The river is an 8. Johnny once again bets the same amount he did on the turn. Now, "Johnny" whom we all know, won't check-raise the flop and continue pushing, without a set, two pair, or the nuts straight. And here is where the hand gets funky. The UTG limper (tournament player) RAISED! At this point trying to read him, which is sort of diccicult as he plays an unorthodox style. I'm thinking he's sandbagging a big hand like a set or two pair. Maybe he has two eights, or two jacks which wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. He could've slowplayed the nuts straight. He maybe even could've had an ace and hit his kicker on the river. Johnny sat and thought for a moment (counting the board and his hole cards "A-2-3-4-5, yep it's the nuts all right") and went all in. After a moment the limper called.

Any guesses to what his hand was? Post some comments. I'll let you know what he had in the next HAND OF THE WEEK

Poker Books -- Parts 1 thru ??

There are lots of poker books out there. More and more every day. The poker boom during the past 3 years has increased the mainstream availability of poker books greatly. B&N etc now have racks of poker books for sale.

Be careful. Quality varies greatly! Many books are excellent and some are terrible. Some are well written and understandable and some are tough to get through. Some are very theoretical while others offer practical "how to" advice. Some try to be all things to all people and cover all games, all limits and types, while others are specifically written to one specific audience.

This series will offer comments, opinions and recommendations on many of the poker books. I will only comment on books that I have read.

Tentative outline looks like this;

Part 1 -- Introductory - Your FIRST poker book.

Part 2 -- Essentials - The best of the best.

Part 3 -- Limit Holdem

Part 4 -- NL Holdem

Part 5 -- Tournaments

Part 6 -- Other Games

Part 7 -- General

Part 8 -- Essays

Part 9 -- Fiction

Part 10 -- Historical

Part 11 -- Some Others


If there is one or more of these "Parts" that can be handled better by someone else, I am going to find that person. For instance, I have not yet read "NL Theory and Practice" by Sklansky and Miller. So; I'm looking for someone who has read this, to write the NL (cash game) Part.

July in the "Blogosphere"

Wow - we made it to a second month. Lots of blogs don't do that.

JULY PREVIEW:
Golfing with poker buddies in an outing this week and I have a surprise for them. They think I will be their "A" golfer. Not me. One bad shot and I'm into the Wild Turkey.
Will be gone to Las Vegas in the middle of the month.
Back for the last week of the month to finalize some tourney arrangements - need 6 dealers and 9 more players.

LAS VEGAS PREVIEW:
Hearing all good things about the poker rooms at Venetian and Red Rock. Also - the new Poker Manager at Caesars Palace is Vito Casucci. Vito was the poker manager at St Charles and also Harrahs St Louis. Now -- thats one more place to scam a buffet comp. Boy, will Vito be glad to see me.

BLOG PREVIEW:
Will have all sorts of "trip report-ish" stuff when I get back from Las Vegas. Also-- will be starting a series of articles about several poker books. Hand of the Week type posts will continue. Other gossip, links and stories every now and then.
Your comments are always welcome on ANY post. And -- if you want to write something and have it posted, thats ok too.