The most absurd and reckless aspirations have sometimes led to extraordinary success. – Marquis De Vauvenargues
A 6-bet bluff for $1.4 million - some might call it a blow up, some might call it a meltdown, others may call it “baller” and 5th level thinking, but I call it unfortunate. Cheong appeared to be the best player and he was proving it by outplaying the rest of the table. He was a lock to get heads up with Duhamel and I think he had the skill advantage. It seemed as though the tournament was his to lose. And, lose it he did. Perhaps, it was impatience. Perhaps, it was hubris. Perhaps, it was simply his youth. Recklessness is one of the follies of youth, a momentary but costly lapse of judgment, a fleeting failure to keep the big picture in focus, maybe a consuming but false sense of invincibility. Regardless of what we call it, he cost himself $1,415,876. I think that amount by itself is larger than any of his previous tournament wins and that being the case, it wasn’t a smart play.
He didn’t need to 6-bet bluff there. He could have found a better spot. What did Cheong think Duhamel’s 5-bet range was? Surely not much that was behind A-7 offsuit? Cheong began the hand with the chip lead and approximately 75BBs (Racener approx. 30BBs and Duhamel approx. 70BBs). Why force that type of action until Racener was out? I think this is a spot where his youth did not serve him well. Cheong had already proven to be an extremely talented player and he seemed to know he was more than a match for Duhamel. Why forfeit one’s hard earned advantage so rashly? Despite his amazing talent and razor sharp poker mind, he made a play that was absolutely unnecessary and it proved to be his undoing. On the other hand, congrats to Racener for his patience (it worked well for Hachem, too). I am now rooting or Racener but I have to give it to Duhamel, he has played better than I expected him to.
Fellow old guys pay attention; this may be the Achilles’ heel of these young guns, the sick aggression that seems to give them the advantage may be offset by the recklessness of their youth. Now, how to put that to good use?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Welcome to the Future
For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future. – John F. Kennedy
The common perception of poker used to be a table full of old guys, smoking, cussing, and looking surly. Now, it is a table full of 20-somethings that can probably barely muster a decent beard wearing hoodies, baseball caps, and shades. The torch is being passed. That seems clear - just look at all the young guys winning (in general) and the fact that this is the youngest Main Event final table in history. Does anyone honestly think we are ever going to see Doyle or any of his ilk at a ME final table again? Sadly, I doubt if we will see Action Dan at the ME final table again, either. Unfortunatley, the ME field has gotten too big and the tourney become too long for them to be competitive. At least, the huge fields and television have helped usher in the anti-buffoonery rules of the last few years.
The Grinder is the only “name brand” pro still standing and even he is one of the new young guns to emerge since the boom (but at least we won’t have to hear the suits bemoaning the lack of a big name pro at the table). I am not really familiar with the Grinder’s game but even if he were on Ivey’s level – which I am not prepared to say, he has a tough road ahead. In any case, I am still not convinced that having a “name brand” pro win the ME would help poker in general. Maybe it would help ESPN and Harrah’s, but the actual poker community? Nothing brings in more prospective players (and dead money) to the ME than the knowledge that the field is full of amateurs (probably a higher amateur to pro ratio than any other big buy in tournament) and the fact that the biggest payday around can be won (and has been won) by amateur players.
I don’t know who will win but I don’t think it will be the Grinder or the 37 year old amateur. I think it will be one of the internet whiz kids that take it all. Hopefully, it will be one with a lot of class and savvy. A guy that could help bring legitimacy and positive attention to young poker players. Joseph Cheong has looked pretty good from what I have seen on ESPN and handled himself with class on a brutal televised suckout. I also like the way Jason Senti has handled himself. If I had to pick someone to win, it would be one of those two. Racener would be OK and has played well, too, but his disheveled look and ostentatious gum chewing isn’t endearing him to the tv audience. Candio or Duhamel would probably be the two I least want to win.
We might as well get used to seeing all these youngsters. They represent what the near future of poker will look like and are a fantastic source of new enthusiasm and thinking for our beloved game.
The common perception of poker used to be a table full of old guys, smoking, cussing, and looking surly. Now, it is a table full of 20-somethings that can probably barely muster a decent beard wearing hoodies, baseball caps, and shades. The torch is being passed. That seems clear - just look at all the young guys winning (in general) and the fact that this is the youngest Main Event final table in history. Does anyone honestly think we are ever going to see Doyle or any of his ilk at a ME final table again? Sadly, I doubt if we will see Action Dan at the ME final table again, either. Unfortunatley, the ME field has gotten too big and the tourney become too long for them to be competitive. At least, the huge fields and television have helped usher in the anti-buffoonery rules of the last few years.
The Grinder is the only “name brand” pro still standing and even he is one of the new young guns to emerge since the boom (but at least we won’t have to hear the suits bemoaning the lack of a big name pro at the table). I am not really familiar with the Grinder’s game but even if he were on Ivey’s level – which I am not prepared to say, he has a tough road ahead. In any case, I am still not convinced that having a “name brand” pro win the ME would help poker in general. Maybe it would help ESPN and Harrah’s, but the actual poker community? Nothing brings in more prospective players (and dead money) to the ME than the knowledge that the field is full of amateurs (probably a higher amateur to pro ratio than any other big buy in tournament) and the fact that the biggest payday around can be won (and has been won) by amateur players.
I don’t know who will win but I don’t think it will be the Grinder or the 37 year old amateur. I think it will be one of the internet whiz kids that take it all. Hopefully, it will be one with a lot of class and savvy. A guy that could help bring legitimacy and positive attention to young poker players. Joseph Cheong has looked pretty good from what I have seen on ESPN and handled himself with class on a brutal televised suckout. I also like the way Jason Senti has handled himself. If I had to pick someone to win, it would be one of those two. Racener would be OK and has played well, too, but his disheveled look and ostentatious gum chewing isn’t endearing him to the tv audience. Candio or Duhamel would probably be the two I least want to win.
We might as well get used to seeing all these youngsters. They represent what the near future of poker will look like and are a fantastic source of new enthusiasm and thinking for our beloved game.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Poker Blogger Foucault on TV
Tardiness often robs us opportunity. – Niccolo Machiavelli
Sorry for the late report but I just watched my DVR recording of the Tuesday night ESPN WSOP broadcast last night.
Check out Foucault (AKA - Andrew Brokos) on TV at the World Series of Poker!
Too bad they didn’t mention his blog or that he is a blogger.
Congrats, Foucault!
Sorry for the late report but I just watched my DVR recording of the Tuesday night ESPN WSOP broadcast last night.
Check out Foucault (AKA - Andrew Brokos) on TV at the World Series of Poker!
Too bad they didn’t mention his blog or that he is a blogger.
Congrats, Foucault!
RIP - George Blanda
Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts. – Dan Gable
I only knew him as a Raider, but guts he had and plenty of ‘em. I was too young to watch his exploits with the Oilers or Bears. However, even as an old guy, Blanda was anything but bland. He was a player, a winner, an original AFL’er, a Raider, a Hall of Famer, and more. He had true grit and he wanted to win – which is a hell of a lot more than I can say about many players today.
I’ll never forget watching the Raiders on Monday night with my Grandfather in the early 70s. He reveled in the notion that a tough old guy like Blanda still had what it took to take the field with the pros. He would delight my brother and I with tales of the earlier days and how great Blanda was with the Oilers.
George Blanda was the epitome of the old guard pro football players I recall from my youth. Before there was body armor like players wear today or any serious thought was given to rules that protected quarterbacks, Blanda played quarterback for 26 years.
They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to.
I only knew him as a Raider, but guts he had and plenty of ‘em. I was too young to watch his exploits with the Oilers or Bears. However, even as an old guy, Blanda was anything but bland. He was a player, a winner, an original AFL’er, a Raider, a Hall of Famer, and more. He had true grit and he wanted to win – which is a hell of a lot more than I can say about many players today.
I’ll never forget watching the Raiders on Monday night with my Grandfather in the early 70s. He reveled in the notion that a tough old guy like Blanda still had what it took to take the field with the pros. He would delight my brother and I with tales of the earlier days and how great Blanda was with the Oilers.
George Blanda was the epitome of the old guard pro football players I recall from my youth. Before there was body armor like players wear today or any serious thought was given to rules that protected quarterbacks, Blanda played quarterback for 26 years.
They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Grass Always Seems Greener on the Virtual Felt
If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. – Eleonora Duse
There are few things worth doing that are more ephemeral than a freshly mowed, trimmed, and blown lawn. Fleeting as it is, the weekly completion of this set of tasks brings a certain satisfaction. I guess I should be thankful I have a beautiful lawn to maintain, I am sure there are plenty of folks that don’t but wish they did.
I shouldn’t lament my fate of sweating away the afternoons outside rather than playing some poker at one of my favorite online poker sites in the cool comfort of my home on scorching summer days. If one has the time, playing some online poker is a fine way to spend a lazy afternoon.
However, living in the verdant south, frequent lawn maintenance is a reality of life. If one falls behind, one pays the price of working extra hard to restore it and no amount of online poker, not even winning at Triple 8 Poker can make me forget about the sweaty reality waiting for me outside.
When I was a youth (online poker did not even exist) and tasked with mowing the family’s lawn, I would complain to my father that by fertilizing (the lawn) he was just making my job more difficult. I just didn’t appreciate the desire to have a lush, beautiful lawn and the sense of pride it evokes. As a homeowner now myself, I get it. Don’t get me wrong, far from being one to obsess over the lawn, I just know it has to get done and one may as well try to enjoy it, too.
This weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the pecan tree I planted 6 years ago (just prior to my first son being born) has sprouted its first pecans. All my fruit trees produced fruit the 2nd year they were in the ground but the pecan tree never had until this year. I had actually been working in the yard all morning (without noticing them) before I finally looked up and saw the lovely little bunches of still green nuts all over the tree. My thoughts, of course, were elsewhere all morning imagining I was getting the nuts on the green felt (sigh).
The heat and humidity make it an almost unbearable task in the hottest months but during the more comfortable months, working out on the lawn can be downright pleasant. There is certainly no denying the pleasure of relaxing on the lawn, grilling some meat (and a few vegetables), and enjoying a few cold ones after the job is done but what I am really looking forward to is passing the torch (of lawn maintenance and its odd sense of satisfaction) on to my boys. Now, where’s my laptop? The virtual felt beckons!
There are few things worth doing that are more ephemeral than a freshly mowed, trimmed, and blown lawn. Fleeting as it is, the weekly completion of this set of tasks brings a certain satisfaction. I guess I should be thankful I have a beautiful lawn to maintain, I am sure there are plenty of folks that don’t but wish they did.
I shouldn’t lament my fate of sweating away the afternoons outside rather than playing some poker at one of my favorite online poker sites in the cool comfort of my home on scorching summer days. If one has the time, playing some online poker is a fine way to spend a lazy afternoon.
However, living in the verdant south, frequent lawn maintenance is a reality of life. If one falls behind, one pays the price of working extra hard to restore it and no amount of online poker, not even winning at Triple 8 Poker can make me forget about the sweaty reality waiting for me outside.
When I was a youth (online poker did not even exist) and tasked with mowing the family’s lawn, I would complain to my father that by fertilizing (the lawn) he was just making my job more difficult. I just didn’t appreciate the desire to have a lush, beautiful lawn and the sense of pride it evokes. As a homeowner now myself, I get it. Don’t get me wrong, far from being one to obsess over the lawn, I just know it has to get done and one may as well try to enjoy it, too.
This weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the pecan tree I planted 6 years ago (just prior to my first son being born) has sprouted its first pecans. All my fruit trees produced fruit the 2nd year they were in the ground but the pecan tree never had until this year. I had actually been working in the yard all morning (without noticing them) before I finally looked up and saw the lovely little bunches of still green nuts all over the tree. My thoughts, of course, were elsewhere all morning imagining I was getting the nuts on the green felt (sigh).
The heat and humidity make it an almost unbearable task in the hottest months but during the more comfortable months, working out on the lawn can be downright pleasant. There is certainly no denying the pleasure of relaxing on the lawn, grilling some meat (and a few vegetables), and enjoying a few cold ones after the job is done but what I am really looking forward to is passing the torch (of lawn maintenance and its odd sense of satisfaction) on to my boys. Now, where’s my laptop? The virtual felt beckons!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Foucault - FTW!
The longer you play, the better chance the better player has of winning – Jack Nicklaus
A fellow poker blogger (and philosopher) is making another deep run in the Worlds Series of Poker, Main Event. In case you haven’t heard of him yet, please allow me to introduce Foucault, the blogger, the man.
He is a regular contributor at Poker Saavy and 2+2 Magazine. He also posts on 2+2 forums. On his blog, he has written some insightful book reviews and also has a lot of great content.
He finished the 2008 WSOP Main Event in 35th. I wrote about it here.
This guy is smart and sick, yet disarmingly unassuming - a classy guy in every respect. His low key manner but aggressive style remind me of another guy with those characteristics - Allen Cunningham.
I have followed Foucault’s blog for years now and I would hate to have him at my table.
It’s time for a poker blogger to win it all. Good luck, my friend!
UPDATE: He finished in 87th for a very nice cash. Congratulations, Foucault!
A fellow poker blogger (and philosopher) is making another deep run in the Worlds Series of Poker, Main Event. In case you haven’t heard of him yet, please allow me to introduce Foucault, the blogger, the man.
He is a regular contributor at Poker Saavy and 2+2 Magazine. He also posts on 2+2 forums. On his blog, he has written some insightful book reviews and also has a lot of great content.
He finished the 2008 WSOP Main Event in 35th. I wrote about it here.
This guy is smart and sick, yet disarmingly unassuming - a classy guy in every respect. His low key manner but aggressive style remind me of another guy with those characteristics - Allen Cunningham.
I have followed Foucault’s blog for years now and I would hate to have him at my table.
It’s time for a poker blogger to win it all. Good luck, my friend!
UPDATE: He finished in 87th for a very nice cash. Congratulations, Foucault!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Omaha?
Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing. – Warren E. Buffet
Did you know that flying non-stop from New York City to Omaha, Nebraska on the first weekend in May (2010) will cost more than flying from New York City to Paris, France on the same weekend? The annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting is probably the only time that more than a handful of people go to Omaha. Mr. Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha, calls it “Woodstock for capitalists”.
So, the capitalistic corporations of Delta and Continental have been capitalizing on the capitalists by steadily raising the price for airline tickets to the event such that the price is now four times the usual and customary rate. 35,000 shareholders attended last year and there is no reason to expect a drop off this year. Unfortunately, I will not be among the attendees this year but hope to go in one of the next few years. After all, the sagely Mr. Buffet won’t live forever and my desire to go would be reduced significantly if he were gone. The only regret I have ever had with respect to owning Berkshire Hathaway stock is that I didn’t buy in sooner.
Did you know that flying non-stop from New York City to Omaha, Nebraska on the first weekend in May (2010) will cost more than flying from New York City to Paris, France on the same weekend? The annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting is probably the only time that more than a handful of people go to Omaha. Mr. Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha, calls it “Woodstock for capitalists”.
So, the capitalistic corporations of Delta and Continental have been capitalizing on the capitalists by steadily raising the price for airline tickets to the event such that the price is now four times the usual and customary rate. 35,000 shareholders attended last year and there is no reason to expect a drop off this year. Unfortunately, I will not be among the attendees this year but hope to go in one of the next few years. After all, the sagely Mr. Buffet won’t live forever and my desire to go would be reduced significantly if he were gone. The only regret I have ever had with respect to owning Berkshire Hathaway stock is that I didn’t buy in sooner.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
What’s wrong with Kansas?
All soldiers who serve their country and put their lives at risk need to know that if something happens to them, their families will be well taken care of. That's the bond we have with our military men and women and their families. – Jeff Sessions
We Texans send many of our sons and daughters into the military services. Consequently, Texas is home to many proud veterans and many of us have family that have served or are serving. Since we send so many, we also receive far too many of them coming home for their final rest prematurely.
This morning, I read an article in the Houston Chronicle that left me utterly disgusted and outraged. I love freedom as much (if not more) than the next guy, but this wouldn’t play in Texas. It’s one thing to protest about something you feel passionately about in a public place and our laws protect most demonstrations/protests, even unpopular ones. However, a private funeral is not an appropriate place for anyone’s protest.
When the current wars began, there was some sort of distraction created at the funerals of the first few to return after giving their all. Soon afterwards, an entirely volunteer group of veterans, fathers, and other community members formed the “Patriot Guard”. A group whose sole purpose for existence is to help honor our fallen servicemen and women and uphold the dignity their service deserves. Frequently, anywhere from 50-150 of them ride their motorcycles to the grieving family’s town bearing American Flags (and other symbols of patriotism) to give an escort to the funeral procession and to help make sure nothing untoward occurs at the funeral to disrespect our fallen servicemen.
I can imagine some of these idiots from Westboro Baptist church attempting their shenanigans in Texas and failing miserably. Although the official position of the Patriot Guard is to eschew any violence, in Texas, it would probably go something like this:
Initially, these grizzled veterans (in the Patriot Guard) would do what they could to “drown out” the protestors, shield the mourning family, and politely ask the demonstrators to desist (or at least move far enough away) to show respect for the family. If that request were not heeded, another diplomatic attempt would certainly be made. However, if that attempt were rebuffed, it is likely these gentlemen would take up some defensive positions around the interlopers to mitigate any undesired chaos. Then, a few would approach the head idiots in charge and ask once more for a show of appropriate respect. If that failed, I imagine the idiots would begin to be quietly subdued using the least force required, of course. Following the services, those that subdued the idiots would (if necessary) surrender to local law enforcement and cheerfully pay any fines associated with the subdual. I also suspect the idiots from Westboro would be in no hurry to tangle with Texans again. I abhor violence but I acknowledge that sometimes it is permissible or even required. Furthermore, I seriously doubt any (Texas) court would do more than assess the minimum penalties against the members of the guard for something like this. Semper Fi!
We Texans send many of our sons and daughters into the military services. Consequently, Texas is home to many proud veterans and many of us have family that have served or are serving. Since we send so many, we also receive far too many of them coming home for their final rest prematurely.
This morning, I read an article in the Houston Chronicle that left me utterly disgusted and outraged. I love freedom as much (if not more) than the next guy, but this wouldn’t play in Texas. It’s one thing to protest about something you feel passionately about in a public place and our laws protect most demonstrations/protests, even unpopular ones. However, a private funeral is not an appropriate place for anyone’s protest.
When the current wars began, there was some sort of distraction created at the funerals of the first few to return after giving their all. Soon afterwards, an entirely volunteer group of veterans, fathers, and other community members formed the “Patriot Guard”. A group whose sole purpose for existence is to help honor our fallen servicemen and women and uphold the dignity their service deserves. Frequently, anywhere from 50-150 of them ride their motorcycles to the grieving family’s town bearing American Flags (and other symbols of patriotism) to give an escort to the funeral procession and to help make sure nothing untoward occurs at the funeral to disrespect our fallen servicemen.
I can imagine some of these idiots from Westboro Baptist church attempting their shenanigans in Texas and failing miserably. Although the official position of the Patriot Guard is to eschew any violence, in Texas, it would probably go something like this:
Initially, these grizzled veterans (in the Patriot Guard) would do what they could to “drown out” the protestors, shield the mourning family, and politely ask the demonstrators to desist (or at least move far enough away) to show respect for the family. If that request were not heeded, another diplomatic attempt would certainly be made. However, if that attempt were rebuffed, it is likely these gentlemen would take up some defensive positions around the interlopers to mitigate any undesired chaos. Then, a few would approach the head idiots in charge and ask once more for a show of appropriate respect. If that failed, I imagine the idiots would begin to be quietly subdued using the least force required, of course. Following the services, those that subdued the idiots would (if necessary) surrender to local law enforcement and cheerfully pay any fines associated with the subdual. I also suspect the idiots from Westboro would be in no hurry to tangle with Texans again. I abhor violence but I acknowledge that sometimes it is permissible or even required. Furthermore, I seriously doubt any (Texas) court would do more than assess the minimum penalties against the members of the guard for something like this. Semper Fi!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
January 2010, Las Vegas Trip Report, - Planet Hollywood Review
Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well. - Josh Billings
Planet Hollywood was nicer overall than I expected but my expectations were rather low. Our room seemed small but it did have a good view of the strip and the new City Center. It was decorated with stuff from a crappy movie (Judge Dredd) that, to me, seemed cheesy instead of cool. I vastly prefered Caesar’s Palace where the rooms were much more luxurious, seemed larger, and the overall décor was more attractive. I would rate the rooms at PHO as comparable to Treasure Island but better than Excalibur or Sahara (the other hotels I have personally stayed at).
I do not know who conceived of the idea first, but PHO has this area of the main casino floor called the “Pleasure Pit”. All the dealers/game assistants are exceptionally beautiful women with attractive well maintained bodies. Caesar’s had a similar area outside their poker room, when I was there in 2007, named after the Pussycat Dolls. Do you think the casinos know that sex sells, huh? While at PHO, I did not notice very many working girls, if any. One would think lurking near the Pleasure Pit late night would yield a decent living. On the otherhand, maybe the girls in the Pleasure Pit are the working girls? Now there’s an interesting thought.
The music piped into the casino and poker room is surprisingly good - mostly classic and modern rock with some pop mixed in. I would rate the music as better than what I have encountered at other places.
As for the poker room, it was adequate but nothing special. It is not really separated from the rest of the casino and with some slots and such nearby; there is an abundance of unnecessary noise, smoke, etc. The tables were in good shape but, surprisingly, they did not have the automatic shuffling machines that I have become accustomed to. The dealers actually have to shuffle the cards between hands; meaning less hands per hour and the decks are probably not as well randomized. Despite rather garish colors and attire for most of the casino and staff, the poker dealer shirts were drab and bordered on ugly. Like every place I have been, they have a variety of types of dealers. I like dealers that are friendly and humorous. IMO, Dealers that are entertaining generate better tips. My award for funniest/most entertaining dealer (hands down) goes to Stefen – the thin Scotsman that was always lightning fast with humorous remarks and needles. Honorable Mention goes to Ryan, whose girlfriend plays high stakes and passed him juicy anecdotes about some well known high stakes players that he would share with the table for entertainment.
Another important measure of a good poker room is the cocktail service. Is it quick and efficient or do you have to leave the table to go in search of beer when needed? Are the waitresses shapely and easy on the eyes or are they portly and missing teeth? PHO had a good wait staff. They never seemed to disappear and they brought drinks promptly. They also wore uniforms that served them very well in helping them to enhance the experience of the patrons. I, myself, was served particularly well by Brandy, an attentive and highly attractive young woman.
The undisputed King of the PHO poker room is the courteous and sharply dressed, Joe Viator. Joe, and his team, made me feel quite comfortable in their domain and I had a good time even though I did not win. I definitely think Joe is way ahead of the curve technologically for using Twitter to reach more potential customers. After I introduced myself to him, and we talked about poker bloggers and such, he left me with a nice souvenir chip set as a parting gift.
Overall, while I would not recommend the hotel itself as a place to stay, I do recommend the Planet Hollywood poker room as a place that is fun to play and one that I plan to return to.
Planet Hollywood was nicer overall than I expected but my expectations were rather low. Our room seemed small but it did have a good view of the strip and the new City Center. It was decorated with stuff from a crappy movie (Judge Dredd) that, to me, seemed cheesy instead of cool. I vastly prefered Caesar’s Palace where the rooms were much more luxurious, seemed larger, and the overall décor was more attractive. I would rate the rooms at PHO as comparable to Treasure Island but better than Excalibur or Sahara (the other hotels I have personally stayed at).
I do not know who conceived of the idea first, but PHO has this area of the main casino floor called the “Pleasure Pit”. All the dealers/game assistants are exceptionally beautiful women with attractive well maintained bodies. Caesar’s had a similar area outside their poker room, when I was there in 2007, named after the Pussycat Dolls. Do you think the casinos know that sex sells, huh? While at PHO, I did not notice very many working girls, if any. One would think lurking near the Pleasure Pit late night would yield a decent living. On the otherhand, maybe the girls in the Pleasure Pit are the working girls? Now there’s an interesting thought.
The music piped into the casino and poker room is surprisingly good - mostly classic and modern rock with some pop mixed in. I would rate the music as better than what I have encountered at other places.
As for the poker room, it was adequate but nothing special. It is not really separated from the rest of the casino and with some slots and such nearby; there is an abundance of unnecessary noise, smoke, etc. The tables were in good shape but, surprisingly, they did not have the automatic shuffling machines that I have become accustomed to. The dealers actually have to shuffle the cards between hands; meaning less hands per hour and the decks are probably not as well randomized. Despite rather garish colors and attire for most of the casino and staff, the poker dealer shirts were drab and bordered on ugly. Like every place I have been, they have a variety of types of dealers. I like dealers that are friendly and humorous. IMO, Dealers that are entertaining generate better tips. My award for funniest/most entertaining dealer (hands down) goes to Stefen – the thin Scotsman that was always lightning fast with humorous remarks and needles. Honorable Mention goes to Ryan, whose girlfriend plays high stakes and passed him juicy anecdotes about some well known high stakes players that he would share with the table for entertainment.
Another important measure of a good poker room is the cocktail service. Is it quick and efficient or do you have to leave the table to go in search of beer when needed? Are the waitresses shapely and easy on the eyes or are they portly and missing teeth? PHO had a good wait staff. They never seemed to disappear and they brought drinks promptly. They also wore uniforms that served them very well in helping them to enhance the experience of the patrons. I, myself, was served particularly well by Brandy, an attentive and highly attractive young woman.
The undisputed King of the PHO poker room is the courteous and sharply dressed, Joe Viator. Joe, and his team, made me feel quite comfortable in their domain and I had a good time even though I did not win. I definitely think Joe is way ahead of the curve technologically for using Twitter to reach more potential customers. After I introduced myself to him, and we talked about poker bloggers and such, he left me with a nice souvenir chip set as a parting gift.
Overall, while I would not recommend the hotel itself as a place to stay, I do recommend the Planet Hollywood poker room as a place that is fun to play and one that I plan to return to.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…..
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. – Bertrand Russell.
Friday, I was invited to a home game tournament with a whole bunch of folks I have never played cards with. I am far from a tourney specialist and when I saw these guys had real poker tables, a computer program for blinds/levels, four or five sets of chips, and expected 24 people, I began to wonder if this was +EV for me or not. However, the buy in was low enough that I was fine with losing that so long as I met one or more new people to bring in to our home game. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the overall skill level was rather low. In fact, I felt somewhat “Seinfeldian” as I was reminded of the episode where Kramer (an adult) is practicing martial arts in class with adolescents (i.e. a man among boys). Several of the player’s wives played and were all dead money. Only the hosts seemed to be even close to competent players. Calling bets to the river with 2nd pair and not being able to fold a single pair when it was obviously no good were typical of the play. Folks routinely allowed their stack to dwindle to an M of 1 or 2 before deciding to shove it all in. Of course, there was one guy that had to cheat. I saw him place less than the proper amount for his big blind (using big stacks of small denomination chips) in a couple of times but did not comment since I was the new guy and he seemed to be a regular and a friend of the host. However, when he got moved to my table, he was the big blind and, after eyeing what he put out for his blind and estimating it was considerably short, I asked him if he had put in the right amount. He ignored me so I asked the host (who was now dealing since he was out) to count the chips he had put out for his big blind. It was about half of what it was supposed to be. After he was made to put in the right amount, it was clear he had no more than one more big blind left. I was the chip leader and on the button so I shoved pre with J-4o just to steal his blind. He hemmed and hawed before calling with 6-4s. Neither of us improved and I knocked him out. I had also knocked out about 6 other players so when it got to be heads up and I had the other guy well covered, he gladly accepted the 2nd place money + the additional $40 I offered him to end the tourney right away. I promptly thanked the hosts and gave the host’s wife $20 as a show of gratitude for the food and good times. As I was pocketing my winnings (12 x buy in), my primary goal (at this point) was to make sure to be invited back.
Something I never really wish for, but that I am always glad to see because it only occurs occasionally, happened at both home game gatherings this week. The guys that rarely ever win won this week. I lost a little at one and won a little at the other but for the most part, the usual winners lost and the usual contributors, won. This is a healthy thing for all games but particularly home games where there isn’t a line of people waiting to be seated at the poker table. Barry Greenstein talks about this sort of thing in his book, Ace on the River. When you have a good game going, nurture it to help it keep going. It’s good when the live ones have a good day. They are the ones that often contribute the most to making a game, a good (i.e. profitable) one. So, although it was a break even week for me, it was a great week for our game and that is definitely, +EV.
Friday, I was invited to a home game tournament with a whole bunch of folks I have never played cards with. I am far from a tourney specialist and when I saw these guys had real poker tables, a computer program for blinds/levels, four or five sets of chips, and expected 24 people, I began to wonder if this was +EV for me or not. However, the buy in was low enough that I was fine with losing that so long as I met one or more new people to bring in to our home game. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the overall skill level was rather low. In fact, I felt somewhat “Seinfeldian” as I was reminded of the episode where Kramer (an adult) is practicing martial arts in class with adolescents (i.e. a man among boys). Several of the player’s wives played and were all dead money. Only the hosts seemed to be even close to competent players. Calling bets to the river with 2nd pair and not being able to fold a single pair when it was obviously no good were typical of the play. Folks routinely allowed their stack to dwindle to an M of 1 or 2 before deciding to shove it all in. Of course, there was one guy that had to cheat. I saw him place less than the proper amount for his big blind (using big stacks of small denomination chips) in a couple of times but did not comment since I was the new guy and he seemed to be a regular and a friend of the host. However, when he got moved to my table, he was the big blind and, after eyeing what he put out for his blind and estimating it was considerably short, I asked him if he had put in the right amount. He ignored me so I asked the host (who was now dealing since he was out) to count the chips he had put out for his big blind. It was about half of what it was supposed to be. After he was made to put in the right amount, it was clear he had no more than one more big blind left. I was the chip leader and on the button so I shoved pre with J-4o just to steal his blind. He hemmed and hawed before calling with 6-4s. Neither of us improved and I knocked him out. I had also knocked out about 6 other players so when it got to be heads up and I had the other guy well covered, he gladly accepted the 2nd place money + the additional $40 I offered him to end the tourney right away. I promptly thanked the hosts and gave the host’s wife $20 as a show of gratitude for the food and good times. As I was pocketing my winnings (12 x buy in), my primary goal (at this point) was to make sure to be invited back.
Something I never really wish for, but that I am always glad to see because it only occurs occasionally, happened at both home game gatherings this week. The guys that rarely ever win won this week. I lost a little at one and won a little at the other but for the most part, the usual winners lost and the usual contributors, won. This is a healthy thing for all games but particularly home games where there isn’t a line of people waiting to be seated at the poker table. Barry Greenstein talks about this sort of thing in his book, Ace on the River. When you have a good game going, nurture it to help it keep going. It’s good when the live ones have a good day. They are the ones that often contribute the most to making a game, a good (i.e. profitable) one. So, although it was a break even week for me, it was a great week for our game and that is definitely, +EV.
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