Месяц: Март 2014

Matt Hamilton is the official winner of the Golden Nugget’s first Pick & Win Poker Challenge, and his unique Half and Half tournament will be featured during the Sixth Annual Grand Poker series, which runs through Thursday, July 4.
During the Golden Nugget’s month-long Facebook promotion, fans were encouraged to play the role of “poker director” for a day and develop a name and concept for an original poker tournament to be featured during the Grand Poker Series.
Hamilton, the grand prize winner, currently serves in the United States Navy and lives in San Diego. His winning submission, the Half and Half tournament, will be a featured event on Friday, June 21 at noon. The Half and Half, No Limit Hold’em will feature a $125 buy-in, 10,000 in starting chips and half price re-buys (which can be purchased any time you have half of the starting stack).
Matt will also win free entry into his tourney during the Grand Poker Series, two nights’ accommodations at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino, limo transportation to and from the airport, a signature trophy in his name and will be given the opportunity to co-host.
The Grand Poker Series offers more than 300 live poker tournaments, including events in No Limit Hold’em; Omaha; HORSE; Mixed Games and Stud. Additional events will include Poker Queen Ladies Championship; Seniors Event, Guys ‘n’ Dolls Tag Team, Grand Finale and more. Registration for the Grand Poker Series is available now by calling 702-386-8164. The complete event schedule can be viewed at http://www.goldennugget.com/LasVegas/pdf/gps.pdf
Players in the Grand Poker Series can also take advantage of special hotel room rates starting from $45 per night. To book your reservation, call 1-800-634-3454 and mention code Grand13.
Caesars Palace: At press time, the Mega Progressive Beat Poker Jackpot has reached over $800,000, the highest jackpot since its inception last Jan. 10. It is believed to be the largest Bad Beat jackpot from a brick and mortar casino ever. At this high jackpot level a qualifying hand is simply four 8’s or higher loss to hit the monstrous jackpot.
This multi-casino promotion offers poker players of all skill levels the opportunity to play for a chance at life changing money. Mega Beat awards not only the losing hand and winning hand but all players actively playing in any of the participating Caesars Entertainment poker rooms.
Players are invited to participate at seven Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas resorts, including Harrah’s Las Vegas, The Quad Resort & Casino, Flamingo Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Caesars Palace and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino

read more

Ultimate Poker offers a wide range of tournaments at every stake level, every day. The Ultimate Poker lobby makes it easy to find the tournament that fits your level/bankroll. They offer nine-seat and six-seat tables, as well as two-seat Heads-Up tables where winner takes all. Please refer to the Ultimate Poker lobby for the entire Sit & Go Tournament offered.
Don’t miss $10,000 Sundays at Ultimate Poker
The $10,000 Sundays tournament is the can’t-miss weekly event. The buy-in is $100, and there is a $10,000 guarantee every Sunday for the 6 p.m. PT tournament. Satellites run every day, with greater frequency on Sunday, and range from $1 to $20. The deep starting stack of 10,000 chips combined with 15-minute levels provides hours of action-packed poker.
Ultimate Poker Is Offering These Tournaments Every Day:
Deep Stack - Players start with 3,000 chips and above.
Turbo - A fast action packed tournament style. Unlike the typical 10-minute blind schedule, Turbo-style Tournaments raise the blinds and antes every five minutes.
Sit & Go - These tournaments start as soon as all seats are filled. Sit & Go Tournaments run constantly all day, every day. Just pick a table and take a seat. Unlike scheduled tournaments, you don’t have to wait for a designated start time.

read more

Poker is always evolving, but some things are constant. For example, what makes a great tournament director has not changed in the over 30 years I have been playing tournaments.
Whether you ask a sample of players or tournament directors, you will get basically the same answers. A great tournament director has three main responsibilities – to represent the casino in the best light, to represent the players’ best interest, and to protect the integrity of the event he is running.
When I hired tournament directors, I looked for someone smart enough to handle people with a clear understanding of tournament structures, but above all, who embodied integrity. A thorough understanding of the gaming industry and the logistics of putting on a tournament are hallmarks of the best tournament directors, but honesty is the most important.
This point cannot be overstated. I have had to terminate four or five tournament directors for not being transparent. Tournament directors are ambassadors for their casinos.
This brings to mind a story where I was playing a $60 buy-in tournament with a $40 re-buy and $10 add-ons. I noticed all the prize money was taken into the office, where the tournament director went to count it, and at the end he came out and said, “Here is your prize pool. I know it’s correct because I counted it myself.”
With this tournament structure, there was no way to have accountability for the chips, which then leaves doubt in players’ minds. There is no reason to leave a doubt nowadays.
In Europe, some casinos use software that tracks rebuys and posts it immediately for the players to see. I have not seen this software used in U.S. casinos though it has been around for years. This would lead to more transparency in tournaments.
As Russell Matsuo, tournament director at the Normandie Casino in Gardena, Calif., put it, “Integrity is essential in any gaming venue…so that everyone, employees and players alike, know exactly what to expect at all times.”
Another hallmark of a good tournament director is fairness. The first rule in the Poker Tournament Directors Association (TDA) states: “Floor people are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as top priorities in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. The floor person’s decision is final.”
Russell Matsuo recalled an incident where he was called to a table where a player had checked out of turn, trying to influence the player from betting who was in first position. Twice he ruled acting out of turn was not binding, but on the third time he checked out of turn and it forced the first player to turn over his hand. He now wanted to bet.
Russell goes on to say, “I ruled he could not bet because he was abusing the rule and taking a shot. Using a rule for the best of fair play is TDA rule number one.”
As Nolan Dalla, the WSOP media director, said, a good tournament director “must be knowledgeable about standard rules and procedures, but also be flexible in the judgments he makes, when leniency is warranted.”
In the 10 years since the Moneymaker effect helped kick off the poker boom of the last decade, the number of tournaments has exploded around the world. The TDA has come a long way in trying to add consistency to tournament rules, but much more needs to be done.
Jack McClelland, director of poker tournament operations at Bellagio, perhaps states it best: “When I started running poker tournaments almost 40 years ago, there were a handful of rules…our tournament rule book is now over 100 pages long and each tournament starts with ‘Don’t do A thru Z.’ It has been an interesting and rewarding career that I would not trade, but staying abreast of the players who are trying to use the rules for their benefit has been a challenge. A tournament director must always strive to be fair and consistent with their rulings. I believe that I enjoy that reputation among the players.”
Next week, Part 2, the perspective of such world-class tournament players as Mel Judah and Marsha Waggoner.

read more

How often can you expect to be dealt small or middle pairs? According to Tom Green (Texas Hold’em Poker Textbook; visit: www.PokerTextbook.com), the chance of being dealt any pocket pair is 1 out of 17; about 6%.
Middle and small pairs (J-J down to 2-2) represent 10 out of 13 of these hands. So you will be dealt such a hand about 5% of the time – infrequent but often enough for you to be prepared when it happens.
Preflop: You are the button with such a starting-hand. According to the Hold’em Algorithm (Ref. Hold’em or Fold’em? – An Algorithm for Making the Key Decision), all these hands (J-J down to 2-2) are playable from late positions.
How should you bet this hand? That depends on the texture of your table and your opponents, how many see the flop, and whether there have been any raises. (On the button, you will get much of that information before you must declare.)
If only one limper calls the blind, then consider making a raise. If both blinds fold to your raise, the limper may also fold; you gain that “dead money” (minus the casino’s share). If the limper calls to “protect his investment,” then it’s heads-up.
Unless he has a bigger pair (the odds are against it), your pocket pair is somewhat favored over his hand – even if he has two overcards. In the long run, you will be a winner under these circumstances.
Two options: In a multi-way pot (three or more opponents calling the big blind, and no raises) many astute players will just call. That’s called “set-mining.” The odds of flopping a set are low – less than 11% probability; one out of nine hands. So it is best to invest as a little as possible (no raises). Also, prefer a multi-way pot for high implied pot odds – if/when you do flop a set. (That satisfies the Hold’em Caveat as described in the 3rd edition of my Hold’em Algorithm book.)
An alternative option is to raise preflop from the button. In a limit game, most of the players who had already “invested” one small bet, will call your raise. That builds the pot you expect to win should you catch your set.
What’s more, with more chips in the pot, marginal hands are more likely to stay in when you make your set, and then bet for value – more chips for you! There is yet another benefit you gain by raising preflop: Your opponents now “read” you as having a hand strong enough to raise preflop. They may even be fearful of you because of your perceived power.
So, on the flop, they all check to you, giving you the option of getting a “free card.” In case you didn’t connect on the flop, you get another chance on the turn. In a limit game, the turn bet is double that on the flop, so you effectively save half a big bet by making that preflop raise.
Which is better? How can you decide whether to raise preflop to “reduce the size of the playing field” – RSPF – or just call the blind to set-mine. If you can RSPF down to one or, at most, two opponents, there is a reasonable chance your small or medium pocket pair can make it to the river.
The problem here is you can never be sure your opponent doesn’t make a better hand, in which case it can be costly or you can be bluffed out. That’s why, from the button, I generally prefer to just call to see the flop going for the set, while using the Hold’em Caveat with a small pair (7-7 down to 2-2).
If the flop leaves you with an overpair to the board, a raise (like a semi-bluff) may win the pot for you. If there are overcards to your pair, and you don’t connect on the flop, be prepared to fold – unless you get a free card should everyone check. (Of course, if you sense weakness in your opponents, consider semi-bluffing on the turn.)

read more

We were all taught that stealing is a no-no. It’s immoral and illegal to steal in life. It’s dishonest and against the law to take something that doesn’t belong to you.
You could be punished – even go to jail – if caught. But stealing is common practice in the game of baseball. It wouldn’t be baseball otherwise. When a runner steals a base, it puts him in better position to score if the batter hits a single.
In addition, the threat of a steal serves to disturb the opposing pitcher, making it somewhat more difficult for him to focus on the opposing batter he is trying to strike out – all to the advantage of the runner’s team.
Likewise, stealing is perfectly legal and ethical in the game of poker.
In this case, you want to take the chips that are already in the pot; they don’t belong to you – not yet, anyway. What’s more, stealing makes the game that much more exciting and interesting.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, you steal when you take something “without right or permission.” Well, that’s not quite correct in baseball or poker.
Sure, you don’t have permission from the other baseball team – or your opponents at the poker table, but it is your right to steal a base in baseball or steal the pot in poker. In both cases, it does require certain skills, especially in limit games where the size of the bet is constrained and limited in size. Not everyone can make the grade.
At the poker table, stealing is a form of bluffing. It’s often done by deceptive players before the flop and on the flop. And it’s best accomplished from a late position.
Preflop, if everyone has folded to you, your “steal bet” may be enough to persuade everyone behind you, including the blinds, to fold their hands. You win the blinds (less what the casino takes as its share). It’s not much of a pot, but it will pay for a blind.
Better yet is to steal on the flop. At least the chips from the preflop round of betting are in the pot. Here again, it is best to be in a late position – preferably on the button or in the cut-off position. This strategy works best if there are just a few limpers (no raising) during the preflop round of betting. Then, the flop doesn’t have any honor cards – Ace down to 10 – with which players are prone to play.
It’s also OK if there’s a small pair and a middle card on the flop. The opponents betting before you, all check to you. This indicates weakness. Most likely the flop completely missed their hands. One caveat: Best if there are not any tricky players among those who have checked to you.
Players don’t want to get caught in a check-raise. (I assume you have evaluated your opponents at the table before you decide to steal the pot.) Now, when you bet out, do it as you would when using the Esther Bluff – with confidence and self-assuredness.
Usually all your opponents will then fold, leaving the pot to you. But, it is possible someone will call your bet. To best deal with that contingency, it would be prudent to have a reasonable drawing hand or even a small pair.
Image can help: Just as a tight image is helpful when bluffing, so too is it when stealing the pot. Your opponents have noted you are highly selective in your starting hands, folding most hole cards before the flop. That’s to your advantage when you decide to steal the blinds or the pot on the flop, helping to achieve success.

read more

Smart and fun gaming are not mutually exclusive terms. Translation: You don’t have to play the smart games in the casino in order to have fun.
And you won’t necessarily have fun by playing the games that are the most fun in the casino.
However, it’s bliss when the two worlds collide. Every person is different and has different moods when they walk into a casino. For example, I almost never have fun playing Let It Ride.
Two reasons. One night I was playing Let It Ride at the Hard Rock Casino (on Paradise). The dealer called my friend and I dumb for playing. He went on to say it was the worst game in the casino. Needless to say my friend and I abruptly left the table after this.
This was in my early years gambling and, even though the dealer was a jerk, his hatred of Let It Ride had me curious to learn if it really was one of the worst games in the casino to play. After searching the web for stats on Let It Ride I found out it was, indeed, one of the games with the largest house advantage.
Let It Ride isn’t the worst game in the casino but it’s pretty close. (You can see a table of which games have the largest and smallest house advantage on wizard of odds.com).
I read about the game and didn’t like what I saw, but still played a few times shortly after being scolded. I have friends who love the positive side of this volatile game. I lost every time I played, the second reason for not liking to play Let It Ride.
Losing isn’t fun and it isn’t smart. For the most part I stopped playing Let It Ride. After all, Let It Ride is a game…in a casino. Twist my arm and I’ll play.
There are other “not-smart” games to be played in the casino that are still fun. I enjoy dropping a few bucks on the Three Card Poker table and seeing what happens. Three Card Poker actually has a larger house advantage than Let It Ride but sitting at the table is almost always fun.
There’s enough ways to win to keep the player involved and the reaction of players is almost always positive. Winning is always fun and, thankfully, my favorite game in the casinos is craps.
Now here’s both a smart and fun game. The raucous atmosphere at the tables is fun and the small house advantage on the pass line or come bets make craps one of the smartest games to play. People are intimidated by craps because of chaos. I always tell people to play craps with simple bets to learn the game. In turn, they’ll learn not to be afraid.
I don’t tell people to avoid playing games with a large house advantage because we all have fun in different ways. Every game in the casino has a different type of fun associated with it. I’m happy to say I’ve found my fun games and, thankfully, some of them are even smart.

read more