Месяц: Март 2014

IWorld Series of Poker at the Rio All Suite Hotel Casino WSOP 2013n last week’s column I reported about Caesars Entertainment’s Mega Beat Progressive Poker steadily rising jackpot. The following day, shortly after 7 a.m. on June 5, the jackpot was taken down!
The 107 players in poker rooms across Las Vegas celebrated as Jungok from Dallas beat Robert from Hamburg, Germany inside the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino poker room. This is the second time the jackpot has hit since its January launch and both times the winner was playing at Planet Hollywood.
In what was one of the most exciting Texas Hold’em hands, Jungok had pocket Aces while Robert had pocket Kings. Both players went all in before the Ace, King, Ace flop. The turn was a King and the room erupted – Jungok had secured the victory of the hand but Robert’s hand unlocked Caesars Entertainment’s Mega Beat Progressive Poker Jackpot.
The Jackpot awards not only the losing and winning hand but all players actively playing in any of the participating Caesars Entertainment poker rooms. Robert’s great hand being beat by Jungok’s superior one entitled all 107 players in 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 poker rooms to split $914,474.
Robert, having the losing hand, won $182,952. Winner Jungok took home $91,447 while all other players received $5,982 for simply playing in the right room at the right time. Ironically, Jungok’s husband was on his way to the poker tables and just missed out on also taking part in the jackpot. Caesars Entertainment announced the introduction of the Mega Beat Progressive Poker Jackpot to the Las Vegas poker market at the beginning of 2013. With a progressive model the jackpot has the potential to climb to more than $1 million.
Mega Progressive Beat has the potential to be one of the largest promotional poker jackpots in the casino entertainment industry. This multi-casino promotion offers poker players of all skill levels the opportunity to play for a chance at life-changing money.
WSOP news: At the Rio, Benny Chen of Prince Edward Island, Canada was a restaurant manager. At the day’s end, he was a millionaire. The 32-year-old amateur poker player bested a massive field of 6,344 entries to win his first gold bracelet and the first ever “Millionaire Maker” No Limit Hold’em Event at the 44th Annual World Series of Poker.
Chen emerged victorious from a lengthy final table, defeating doctor and commercial pilot Michael Bennington heads-up for the $1,199,104 payday. Chen turned his $3,000 investment into almost 400 times that amount and now joins the ranks of WSOP-made millionaires. He is now the 257th millionaire the WSOP has created and the 26th player to earn a million dollar payday in a tournament outside of the Main Event.
The tournament has become the largest non-WSOP Main Event field in poker history, the eighth largest poker tournament of all time, and all nine players at the final table earned six figures.
Good luck and may the “nuts” be with you!

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The Grand Sierra in Reno is kicking off its 2013 Fall Pot of Gold Poker Tournament this week beginning Oct. 3 and running through Oct. 13. The tournament offers a guaranteed $400,000 cash pot. Special hotel rates are available for tournament players during the event. For more information visit: http://www.grandsierraresort.com.
In the Company’s ongoing commitment to raise awareness and funds for the Southern Nevada affiliate of Susan G. Komen, Station Casinos will host its fourth annual “Project Pink” initiative throughout October during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
From Oct. 1-31, the majority of properties and venues, including the Grand Cafes, Mexican restaurants, bingo rooms, Revolver Saloon and Dance Hall, as well as designated blackjack and poker tables will be pink to signify where the company will donate a portion of its proceeds from its retail sales and gaming winnings. Since its inception, Project Pink has raised more than $120,000 for the local charity.
Properties that offer blackjack and poker tables will have a designated “pink” table with a portion of the winnings and rake being donated back to the local charity. Blackjack table felts were designed and donated by gaming partner GPI USA and poker table felts were also donated by gaming partner The Layout Company.
Properties participating in both “21” for the Cure and Poker Goes Pink include Boulder Station, Green Valley Ranch Resort, Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho, Palace Station, Red Rock Resort, Santa Fe Station, Sunset Station and Texas Station.
Wild Wild West will participate in “21” for the Cure only. Proceeds from Poker Goes Pink will be raised throughout the Oct. 19-20 weekend only, while “21 for the Cure” will donate a portion of its winnings throughout the entire month.
Project Pink was developed in 2010 by Red Rock’s executive pastry chef Jaret Blinn who, together with the executive team at the Resort, became active in the fight against breast cancer after her mother lost her battle with the disease. The response by the public was so overwhelming the company expanded those efforts to several areas throughout each property to raise even greater awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer.
“We are so humbled and grateful that Station Casinos believes Komen Southern Nevada is worthy of their outstanding fundraising efforts,” said Stephanie Kirby, executive director for Susan G. Komen of Southern Nevada. “We absolutely love this campaign and adore that they come up with a new twist on the promotion each year. We truly look forward to participating in all of the activities…especially eating those pastries!”
Those “pink pastries” include a variety of exclusively created desserts such as pink ribbon chocolate lollys, pink cake pops, pink donuts, strawberry shortcake, red velvet cupcakes, raspberry cheesecake, peanut brittle, brownies and cookies, and will be available at all seven Grand Café locations.
The pink pastries range in price beginning at $1 per item on up.
Good luck, and may the “nuts” be with you!

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Jack Collins has been a member of our Claude Pepper Seniors Poker Group almost from its start about eight years ago.
Jack has been an active and valued participant, volunteering in our various activities, including several charity poker events we have held to help support our senior center, still suffering from budget cuts imposed by the City of Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Parks. He also volunteers for Meals on Wheels to bring hot lunches to needy shut-ins.
So, I was all ears when Jack offered an interesting comment about the game of poker: “If you understand poker, you understand life.”
Interesting perspective, I thought. It sort of fits in with my concept that poker is a microcosm of life – a miniature version. Both have their ups and downs; both involve risk-taking; luck is a factor in both; skill is essential for success (including getting well educated); both involve social interaction of one type or another.
There are so many aspects of playing poker that apply to living, one could write a book about it. For example, just as in poker, tells can make a big difference in our daily lives. When a young couple date for the first time, and they are all smiles and listening with genuine interest in what each has to say, that’s just like observing tells when playing poker.
And, speaking of tells, even the sound of one’s voice as well as body motions speak volumes both in life and at the poker table.
In life, whether or not we realize it, we are constantly evaluating our co-workers, customers, and others with whom we are involved so that we can better interact with each. So, too, at the poker table we observe our opponents to better understand how they play their hands and what type of player each is – tight or loose, passive or aggressive, a maniac, deceptive, timid, or a Calling Station.
In both the game of poker and the game of life, on occasion, we encounter disappointments and have to learn to accept these experiences – and improve so, perhaps, we can avoid these in the future.
Getting “rivered” at the poker table is an unhappy event, but it does happen. So, too, in life the unexpected sometimes occurs. Call it fate or luck. Nevertheless, it can hurt. Bad beats do happen!
Understanding our mistakes, we can better learn from them. For example, I have learned not to try to bluff out a Calling-Station. So, too, in life we must understand our associates as well as family members so we can better deal with their foibles and habits.
While playing poker, it’s a good idea to take a break now and then. Go outside the casino for a brisk walk; breathe the fresh air; clear your brain; think about the game and how you can do better when you return to the table. I guess that’s why vacations were invented and are so important in our lives.
Yes, I agree with Jack. Understand poker and you understand life! But there are some differences.
Unless you are teaching a poker class, it’s not prudent to point out your opponents’ mistakes. Sure, that’s fine when dealing with a friend or one of your children (grandchildren, too), perhaps a co-worker; you want to improve their performance and help him to enjoy a better life. But that doesn’t apply when playing at the poker table. Let your opponents make all the mistakes they can. That’s to your advantage!
What’s more, it’s perfectly legal to lie at the poker table – something we teach our children never to do. While we abhor cheating when playing poker, it’s perfectly OK to steal the blinds or bluff out your opponents.
Check-raise is a great way to extract more chips from your opponent. Likewise, so is trapping your poker buddies when you catch a monster hand. Keep them in the hand so you can later win more chips from them.
So, what is your opinion? A prize to the reader who submits the best response within the next two weeks.

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As many as 20% of our soldiers are returning from the Middle East wars suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – disturbing thoughts and feelings, severe depression, flashbacks, even thoughts of suicide or doing harm to others.
They find it difficult to get their lives back under control. Many become alcoholics. PTSD results from experiencing or witnessing disturbing events – a terrorist attack or the constant threat, a kidnapping or torture, a bad accident or injury, abusive treatment. (Note: PTSD is not limited to war situations.)
Medications developed for depression have been found effective in treating PTSD if taken within days after experiencing a traumatic event. For the most part, treatment consists of teaching sufferers how to cope with it; how to manage their anger and anxiety. There are breathing and relaxation techniques. Sufferers can be taught how to address sleep problems often resulting from PTSD. There is also group psychotherapy.
As I read about this terrible affliction that so many of our young men and women are suffering after their stint in our armed services, the thought occurred to me: Would playing poker for recreation be a good way to treat PTSD sufferers?
I have found that playing poker is a wonderfully relaxing experience in many respects. Not only do I much enjoy playing the game, but I forget my own and the world’s troubles and problems – terrorism, wars, killings of innocents in the Mideast and elsewhere, hatred of those who are “different” in some way, poverty and people in need.
There is also the lack of jobs, homeless people sleeping on our sidewalks, wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars, corruption, the need for gun control, our growing prison population, the potholes in our roads, growing traffic gridlock (that our elected “leaders” seem to avoid while the rest of us suffer), and so on.
Recreational poker could be answer. As I sit at the poker table, playing the game, it’s as if I am in another world – as if I were in heaven, enjoying soothing background music while playing in that famous “poker game in the sky.”
Admittedly, I am not a psychiatrist or a medical doctor, just another human being who worked hard all her life and learned to enjoy life, family, friends and other people, travelling around the world, socially interacting with others, helping others to find employment, raising my family – while learning to play the marvelous game of poker for recreation.
As my co-columnist, George “The Engineer” Epstein teaches his poker classes: “Never, never, never ever play for the rent money!” We call this recreational poker as distinct from what is usually called “professional poker.”
Personally, I don’t think playing poker for a living is the way to spend one’s life. The variance – the ups and downs of the game – can lead one to periods of self-doubt, depression and anxiety if you are playing for a living. That’s hardly the way to deal with sufferers of PTSD.
On the other hand, recreational poker provides the best that poker can offer: mental challenge (which is healthy for our brains) and social interaction at the table. It is also believed that a healthy mind leads to a healthier body.
Putting it all together, it seems to me playing recreational poker could well be an excellent way for those suffering from PTSD to overcome this terrible psychiatric malady.
So, may I suggest those treating people suffering from PTSD consider teaching them to play recreational poker. I have discussed this idea with George. He fully agrees.
“What a great idea,” he said. He would be pleased to volunteer; and I am sure there are many others in our poker world who would do the same.
And he has offered to provide copies of this column after it’s published in GT to appropriate people at the Veterans Administration in West L.A. (where he volunteers to teach a group of elderly war veterans with special healthcare needs as part of the CalVet program).
What do you think? Do you agree with me? Any suggestions?

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A high-ranking naval officer will not be prosecuted for allegedly using counterfeit gambling chips while playing poker at an Iowa casino.
Iowa gaming officials said they would not bring charges against Vice Admiral Tim Giardina, the deputy commander at U.S. Strategic Command, located at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska.
However, Giardina could still face federal charges since he is under investigation, not only on the gambling accusations but also on two other “troubling incidents.”
County officials said Giardina’s lack of a criminal record coupled with his distinguished service to the country was taken into consideration in the decision not to prosecute.

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We all know “aggression” is a hostile attitude or behavior shown toward another person. The aggressor is attacking the other person by his actions or words. It’s much the same in poker with some subtle differences.
According to Wiesenberg’s Official Dictionary of Poker, aggression “pertains to a style of play characterized by much betting, raising and re-raising.” Don’t confuse it with loose play, where the player sees the flop with many hands, including some (many?) that are not worthy of his investment; e.g., hands that do not meet the criteria of the Hold’em Algorithm (see GT ad).
An aggressive player may be quite selective as to his starting hands – not loose; but once he is in the pot, he is likely to do a lot of betting and raising. He might even be a tight player – one who is very selective as to his starting hands. Indeed, tight-selectively aggressive players are likely to be winners.
What is selective aggression? In a few words, it’s nothing more than betting, raising or re-raising when it’s to your advantage to do so. You play aggressively when it would benefit you. Let’s consider a few examples:
• You were dealt a middle pair in the hole. Selectively aggressive play would be to raise from an early or middle position to thin the field; i.e., reduce the number of opponents staying in the hand. Otherwise, with four or more opponents staying to see the flop, you will be an underdog – and lose most of the time.
• Your raise may force out opponents holding an overcard to your pair. For example, let’s say you started with pocket 10’s. Forcing out opponents with an overcard to your 10-10 would substantially increase your chances of winning the pot even if you don’t improve.
• You flop two-pair. Again, raising (selective aggression) could discourage opponents holding an overcard from chasing you, thereby protecting your two-pair.
• Starting with A-10 suited, you flop four-to-the-nut-flush. An early position bets out and is called by three others. Now, from a late position, it’s your turn to declare. Instead of just calling, hoping to make the nut flush, you raise (selective aggression).
The four opponents who have already bet most likely will call your raise. (They have already invested, so one more bet is OK – as they reason.) You are getting 4-to-1 money odds on that bet.
On the other hand, your card odds are about 2-to-1 against making the nut flush on the turn or on the river. So it’s a Positive Expectation raise for you. In the long run, you will gain two chips for every one you put into the pot. Again, you have displayed selective aggression.
Let’s take this hand one step further. Suppose you miss the flush on the turn. Because you just raised, everyone checks to you. Now your best move is to again be selectively aggressive.
If you are the first to bet, make the bet with confidence. Now you are semi-bluffing by being selectively aggressive. If they all fold, you win the pot by forfeit. That’s fine. But what if one opponent calls your bet on the turn and you miss again on the river?
Assuming you have evaluated your remaining opponent and believe he might be calling with a small pair or drawing to a straight or flush – and he is not a calling-station who won’t muck no matter what he holds, selectively aggressive play would have you bet again on the river. Now it’s a bluff; but you know he probably has the better hand and will take the pot unless you can force him to fold.
It’s probably the only way you can win this pot. (Note: If you use the Esther Bluff there is a very good chance he will indeed fold a better hand.)
Yes, selective aggression is a great way to help you go home a winner.

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