JuneIssue - Minnesota Poker Magazine

Minnesota’s #1
Poker Source
june 2012
Minnesota Poker Magazine
june 2012
page 3
State News
TABLE GAMES OFFERINGS EXPANDED
Number of Tables Allowed Increases from 50 to 80
By MNPOKERMAG STAFF
A
bill that was signed into law on April 30th will expand poker operations
at two of Minnesota’s racetracks, Canterbury Park and Running Aces
Harness Park. The measure moved quickly through the legislature.
The maximum number of poker tables, other than those used for instruction,
demonstrations, or tournaments, has been bumped from 50 to 80. The table limit
exception for tournament play is allowed for only one tournament per year that
lasts for no longer than 14 days.
Wagering limits for table games have increased from $60 to $100, and for games
in which each player is allowed to make only one wager or has a limited opportunity to change that wager, no wager may exceed $300.
The agreement between the racetracks and Indian gambling interests will allow an increase in Canterbury’s and Running Aces’ poker and blackjack business
and open the doors for racetrack simulcasting and off-track betting at Indian
casinos.
The racetracks and the tribes have long argued over the Racino idea, allowing
slot machines at racetracks.
Horse industry officials have been searching for more ways to help the racing
industry with revenue increases for its purses for quite some time.
According to Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan, who offered the amendment to the
Senate floor, the plan would give the tribes the ability to show telecasts of horse
races at the tracks, and to allow betting on the races, and set up the framework
for tracks and tribes to enter an agreement on simulcasting.
The amendment passed through the Senate and House with ease, 44-18 and 9734 respectively.
According to the Star Tribune, some estimates say the new revenue could
increase purses at the tracks as much as 40%. It should make this a much more
attractive venue for Minnesota-bred horses, and horses around the country. And
supporters of the agreement said this should put the racino idea—which some
had touted as a possible alternate financing plan for a new Minnesota Vikings
stadium—on the back burner.
A state law allowing off-track betting was declared unconstitutional by the
state Supreme Court in the early 1990’s. In 1994, a constitutional amendment to
allow off-track betting was defeated. The prohibition remains in place.
mnpokermag.com
MNPOKERMAG.COM Vol. 3/No. 6
President and Publisher
Bryan Mileski
[email protected]
Art Director
Carolyn Borgen
[email protected]
Contributors
Jacob Westlin
Jocelyn Bendijo
Tom Sharp
Chris “Fox” Wallace
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612-743-9847
[email protected]
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Minnesota Poker Magazine is a
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serving poker players and gaming
facilities through industry news,
statewide tournament schedules,
player profiles and professional
tips. Coupled with our website,
www.MNPokerMag.com, we are
“Minnesota’s #1 Poker Source.”
Minnesota Poker Magazine
Lakeville, MN
612-743-9847
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page 4
Minnesota Poker Magazine
june 2012
Tournament News
THE BIG ONE FOR ONE DROP
BY tom sharp
T
he World Series of Poker (WSOP) is putting on a $1
Million buy-in tournament and one of the most significant
charity initiatives in poker history, to benefit One Drop.
$111,111 from each $1 million buy-in will be handed to One
Drop, leaving $888,889 for the prize pool.
ONE DROP—an initiative of Guy Laliberté, Founder of
Cirque du Soleil—is a non-governmental organization established in Montreal, Canada and active worldwide. ONE DROP’s
mission is to fight poverty by supporting access to water and
raising each and every one’s awareness of water-related issues
through its distinctive approach based on social arts and popular education. In the U.S., ONE DROP is a public charity that
undertakes innovative activities in which water plays a central
role as a creative force to generate positive, sustainable change
worldwide. ONE DROP continues to reach out to the world to
realize its dream of safe water for all, today and tomorrow. To
learn more about ONE DROP, visit ONEDROP.org.
The Big One for One Drop will be a history setting poker tournament with the first ever $1 Million dollar buy-in. Forty-eight
players will pony up $1 Million dollars, first place is estimated
to be $17 Million.
On Mother’s Day—Sunday, May 13—Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN hosted the first ever satellite for an entry into The
Big One for One Drop.
Players ponied up $500 to buy-in to the satellite, the winner
received a $25,300 buy-in to the Big One qualifier on June 30th
in Las Vegas and $1,700 for travel.
Minnesota will be represented by Peter Vanderwerf of
Winona. Vanderwerf outlasted a 77-player field of Minnesota’s
finest. Vanderwerf considers the Treasure Island poker room
his home turf, but came to Canterbury to take a shot at a once
in a lifetime event.
Arriving at the final table were some very accomplished players here in Minnesota. Mario Hudson held the early chip lead
with MSPT, HPT and Great Freeze Out Champion Matt Hyland
not too far behind.
Vanderwerf struggled to get things rolling early at the final
table. He was on the bad end of a few tough hands and found
himself short on chips. Peter dodged a bullet early in a major
confrontation. His opponent had pushed him all-in, then mistakenly turned over his hand exposing the stone-cold nuts, giving
Vanderwerf the opportunity to fold.
Vanderwerf grinded, playing conservative and tight. Then
with six players remaining, he found himself in a heads-up pot
versus Hyland. Both held similar stacks, about 200K each. Hy-
land led out pre-flop, Peter
called. The flop landed
6-6-6. Hyland fired a second
bullet, Vanderwerf called
again. The turn exposed
the 3♠. This time Hyland
shoved all-in. Vanderwerf
tanked for some time and
called showing pocket
jacks. Hyland flipped A-8
suited. The blank on the
river earned Vanderwerf
a huge double up and sent Peter Vanderwerf
Hyland to the rail.
The next three players (Hudson, Gary Sewell, Shide Timmons) were eliminated shortly thereafter, leaving Vanderwerf
and Darin Minkel heads-up. The two were separated by only
50K in chips.
It took just a few hands for the two to get their stacks in the
middle. The board read Q♦ 5♥ 7♣ 4♥ 9♠. Vanderwerf shoved allin. Minkel sat for several minutes nearly folding three times.
Eventually he called, showing Q-10 for top pair. Vanderwerf
tabled 5♠7♠ for two-pair and the win.
When asked whether he was considering selling the $25K seat
or if he would play it out, Vanderwerf responded, “I guess I had
better play, it is a once in a lifetime chance.”
Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
Buy-in: $450 + $50 ♣ 77 Entrants
Place
Name
1
Peter Vanderwerf
2
Darin Minkel
$6,584
3
Shide Timmons
$3,465
4
Gary Sewell Jr.
$2,772
5
Mario Hudson
$2,426
6
Matt Hyland
$1,733
7
Dedric Henderson
$1,386
8
Tom Burandt
$1,040
9
Dana Isaacson
$693
10
Allen Chung
$693
MNPOKERMAG.COM Prize
$25,300
page 6
Minnesota Poker Magazine
june 2012
Bar Leagues
RRPL SPRING SESSION WINNERS CROWNED
T
he Spring session
of the River
Rat Poker League
in Verndale, MN
concluded Sunday,
May 6th and fifteen
players walked away
with seats to the MidStates Poker Tour
event at Northern
Lights Casino May 12-20.
Ninety players qualified for the Season Finale Freeroll. Sue
Roberts and Rick Brekke were the last two standing, each earning a $1,100 MSPT Main Event seat and a Northern Lights Casino
hotel package for Main Event weekend.
Lance Lucas and Jeff Preuss also earned $1,100 MSPT Main
Event seats for their 3rd & 4th place finish.
Eleven others—places 5th through 15th—took home a $250
MSPT Qualifier seat.
It was another huge turnout for the Spring Session at the
RRPL. The home-based league continues to soar in popular-
ity and has been a breeding ground for turning out some of the
state’s top players. The RRPL’s Summer Session will lead into
the MSPT at Grand Casino Mille Lacs, Nov. 10-18, 2012.
Spring Session Results:
1st - Sue Roberts—$1,100 MSPT Main Event seat plus
hotel package
2nd - Rick Brekke—$1,100 MSPT Main Event seat
plus hotel package
3rd - Lance Lucas—$1,100 MSPT Main Event seat
4th - Jeff Preuss—$1,100 MSPT Main Event seat
5th - Joel Smith—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
6th - Doug Roberts—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
7th - Brad Pausch—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
8th - Lyle Kachelmyer—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
9th - James Muer—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
10th - Robb Pahl—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
11th - Dane Milender—$250 qualifier seat
12th - Tim Mckane—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
13th - Mike Weller—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
14th - Dave Mandt—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
15th - Pat Williams—$250 MSPT qualifier seat
17 MN WINNERS HEADING TO VEGAS OR BUST
CHAMPIONSHIp
T
he Free Poker League held there “Vegas or Bust” national
championship on Saturday, May 5th at Shooting Star
Casino in Mahnomen, MN. Hundreds of qualifiers from around
Minnesota gathered to compete for trips to Las Vegas.
As the largest region of the FPN, Minnesota played down to
sixteen qualifiers, with the top eight winning airfare and hotel
packages. This was the largest ever Minnesota State Championship for the league.
After the dust settled, here are the sixteen players who qualified for the “Vegas or Bust” national championship:
Jessica Braton*: Barnesville VFW
Dusty Schroeder*: Dawns Corner Bar, Dundas
Nels Peterson*: Ultimate Sports Bar, Waite Park
Gloria Millsop*: Springsteel Resort, Warroad
Cindy Schroeder*: Courtney’s Comedy Club, Moorhead
Tom Brimhall*: Mabel Murphy’s, Fergus Falls
Scott Goodman*: Billy’s Corner Bar, Vergas
John Lossing*: Vermillion Club, Vermillion
Justin Hron: Taconite American Legion, Taconite
Sarah Musker: Hunters Inn, East Bethel
Gina
Arvis: Z103,
Fergus
Falls
Joel
Smith: New
York Mills
VFW
Tim
Stockwell:
New York
Mills VFW
Dwayne Hines: Barnesville VFW
Phillip Fueher: Erick’s Bar, St. Paul
Marvin Hemming: Long Pines Bar, Bertha
(*denotes won airfare allowance & hotel stay)
Long time supporter of the league and bar owner of the Patch
Restaurant Peter Konig took down a huge freeroll for those who
busted from the “Vegas or Bust” challenge to also earn a seat in
the National Championship.
MNPOKERMAG.COM page 8
Minnesota Poker Magazine
june 2012
Tournament News
NAZ SCORES HPT VICTORY,
$118,482
Heartland Poker Tour, Shakopee, MN
Buy-in: $1500 + $150 ♣ 333 Entrants
BY hpt staff
J
ust a week from
earning his MBA
in organizational
management, Naz woke
at 5 am Monday to take an
online test, then drove to
Canterbury Park Card Casino
in Shakopee to test his poker
skills at Heartland Poker
Tour’s nationally-televised
Final Table. His future looks
bright. “There are things you Naz
learn in poker that you can
take with you to real life,” he said. The 29-year-old student
from Mankato, Minnesota passed the test, winning $118,482.
The first-place money is the biggest prize ever awarded in
Minnesota in a poker tournament.
None of the Final Table players have aspirations to play
poker professionally. Retired entrepreneur Dan Conway has
played at least a half dozen HPT events and earned just one
small cash before playing at Canterbury. “It’s just fun,” said
the 71-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan. “I’ll never
become a professional; that much I know.” Yet, he plans to
reinvest some of the $23,222 he earned in sixth place into his
poker hobby after gifting some to his grandchildren and to
charity.
Edward Janezich of Minneapolis is in a similar position.
The retired software consultant picked up poker a few years
ago while recovering from surgery and has been steadily
working towards bigger buy-in events, with the goal of
traveling to larger tournaments out of the area. After a $13k
score in a small tourney last week and $28,436 in fifth place
Monday, he can pack his bags.
The third- and fourth-place finishers are also packing
their bags. Paul Ratajczyk from Champlin, Minnesota intends to take his wife and daughters on vacation with some
of the $36,729 he earned in fourth place. His deep run on
HPT follows his first-ever hole-in-one on the golf course just
a few days prior. In third place, Eric Worre of Chanhassen,
Minnesota plans to share his $42,654 with his dad and brothers on a golf trip to Ireland and Scotland.
Place
Name
1
Naz
2
Gary Lambert
$67,061
3
Eric Worre
$42,654
4
Paul Ratajczyk
$36,729
5
Edward Janezich
$28,436
6
Daniel Conway
$23,222
7
Gary Loeffler
$15,403
8
Dan Dykhouse
$14,218
9
Adam Zych
$11,990
10
Troy Clark
$11,137
11
Jordan Handrich
$10,189
12
Johnny Manchon
$9,005
13
Christopher Wallace
$8,531
14
Thomas Ellingson
$7,820
15
Stephen Smith
$6,872
16
John Reading
$5,724
17
Chris Schrom
$5,450
18
Samuel Hanson
$4,834
19
Chris Orvis
$4,502
20
John Lutgen
$3,791
21
Eric Loehr
$3,270
22
Erik Burton
$3,270
23
Ron Imgrund
$3,270
24
Nesbitt Coburn
$3,270
25
Nick Stowen
$3,270
26
Craig Casino
$2,796
27
Foram Shah
$2,796
28
Ben Marsh
$2,796
29
Jason Hartwig
$2,796
30
Michael Schnieder
$2,796
31
John Morgan
$2,796
32
Daniel Favreau
$2,276
33
Todd Melander
$2,276
MNPOKERMAG.COM Prize
$118,482
Minnesota Poker Magazine
page 12
Mid-States Poker Tour
MATT KIRBY WINS MSPT
NORTHERN LIGHTS, $47,070
By MNPOKERMAG STAFF
T
he Mid-States
Poker Tour invaded
Northern Lights
Casino in Walker, MN,
May 12-20, for the third
consecutive season since
the MSPT Tour Launch
in December, 2009. This
year’s attendance at the
Northern Lights stop rose
dramatically, doubling in
numbers for almost every
single preliminary qualifier
compared to the 2011 event.
“This has been a fantastic
turnout for us,” stated Northern Lights’ Rob Premo. “To
see a 100% increase is exciting for poker in this area.
This is one of our best week’s
ever for poker.”
The man who stole the
show was MSPT faithful
Matt Kirby. Kirby had the
home crowd behind him as
he soared to a quick victory.
Kirby hails from Bemidji,
just forty minutes from
Walker. His friends and family packed the rail to cheer
him on.
Kirby began playing poker
seriously in 2009. He made
his living playing primarily
online poker prior to Black
Friday and was known on
the virtual felt as “CadillacMatt54”. He was ranked
in Minnesota’s Top 10 when
Full Tilt and PokerStars
Matt Kirby
MNPOKERMAG.COM june 2012
june 2012
Minnesota Poker Magazine
page 13
Mid-States Poker Tour
were forced to exclude U.S. customers.
Kirby played his first MSPT event at Northern Lights Casino back in 2010 where he final tabled 10th place. He’s been
a loyal MSPT follower since. Matt is well-known for never
missing a qualifier and racking up multiple Main Event seats
at each stop…which made things stressful for him in the
months leading up to the MSPT Northern Lights event.
Kirby’s first baby was expected to be born on May 20th,
which was Main Event Day 2. He anticipated that he may
have to skip this year’s tournament.
“Obviously there are very few things I would ever miss an
MSPT event for,” said Kirby. “This was one of them. I had
joked about several scenarios with my gal—if the baby was
born the day prior, two days prior, and so on—feeling out
what my range was to get here. She’s always been extremely
supportive of me with my chosen profession so I’m lucky in
that sense. She gets it.”
Fortunately for Kirby, his son was born early and healthy
on April 23, so he was able to play on a clear conscience and
a life-high.
Kirby held the chip lead after Day 1A and never looked
back. He eliminated countless players throughout Day 2,
often two at a time. He arrived at the final table with 1.65
Million chips which was half the chips in play.
Matt had been in a similar situation recently. Just nine
months before—August, 2011—Kirby held the chip lead
entering the Final Table of the Arizona State Poker Championship. 1,053 players entered that $1,000 buy-in tournament,
first place was over $200,000. After a couple bad breaks,
Kirby busted in 8th place for $31,590.
“That event never really crossed my mind,” Matt said.
“I’ve played so many tournaments and been in this situation so many times online that I know what I need to do. I try
to close-out every tournament. I’m not here to take second
place. I feel I have a big advantage once we get to six or
seven-handed. Most live tournament players don’t get into
short-handed situations often enough with money on the line
to be good at it. They don’t know how to expand their handranges.”
At no point during the final table did Kirby relinquish
his chip lead or even allow anyone within 700K of him. He
finished off the entire field in record time.
Kirby had to battle Mark Sandness of Minneapolis for the
right to wear the RF Moeller Diamond Championship bracelet. Sandness has a strong poker resume as well. Mark won a
$300 Fall Poker Classic event in 2007 by defeating a 368-player field and a stacked final table that included professionals
Blake Bohn, Mike Carlson and Mike Schneider. That same
Mark Sandness
Northern Lights Casino, Walker, MN
Buy-in: $1000 + $100 ♣ 163 Entrants
Place
Name
1
Matt Kirby
$47,070
2
Mark Sandness
$23,535
3
Gerrit Wierbos
$15,690
4
Brian Friesen
$11,768
5
Keelan Deuth
$9,414
6
Curtis Larson
$7,061
7
Lee Surma
$6,276
8
Mario Filippi
$5,335
9
Ned Weizenegger
$4,393
10
Jeremy Ensrud
$3,609
11
Erick Wright
$3,609
12
Sue Roberts
$3,609
13
James Gibson
$2,824
14
Tom Hammers
$2,824
15
Daniel Holthaus
$2,824
16
Blake Bohn
$2,354
17
George Amon
$2,354
18
Darren Ficek
$2,354
MNPOKERMAG.COM Prize
page 14
Minnesota Poker Magazine
june 2012
Mid-States Poker Tour
year, Sandness also won a Heartland Poker Tour event at
Northern Lights Casino for $53K.
Kirby & Sandness exchanged several small pots heads up
for about 45 minutes. Then Kirby delivered the final blow.
With blinds at 10K/20K on a K-J-9 flop, Kirby opened for
60K. Sandness raised to 155K. Kirby then shoved all-in.
Sandness tanked for a brief time and called with K-10. Kirby
unveiled 10-8 of clubs. There was no waiting as Kirby turned
the straight with a 7. Sandness’ runner-up finish earned him
$23,535. Kirby’s win earned him $47,070.
Making another deep run was Lee Surma. Surma won the
MSPT at Grand Casino Mille Lacs in November, 2011 and
was looking to become the first ever two-time MSPT champ.
On this weekend, six past MSPT champions would advance
to Day 2—Jeremy Dresch, Kou Vang, Lee Surma, Matt Hyland, Tom Stambaugh and Muneer Ahmed—but only Surma
made the money. He would eventually be sent to the rail in
seventh place for $6,276 after tangling in a four-way all-in
pot with AK-suited.
Jeremy Ensrud accomplished an impressive feat as well.
He has final tabled all three MSPT events at Northern Lights
Casino. He’s not pictured in the final table photo on Page 14,
he and Erick Wright busted at the same time during handfor-hand action. Ensrud had more starting chips so was
awarded 10th place. Jeremy placed 2nd in 2010, 10th in 2011
and 10th again in 2012.
The next Mid-States Poker Tour event will be at Meskwaki
Bingo Casino Hotel in Tama, Iowa, July 21-29, 2012. That
event is a $300,000 Guaranteed prize pool tournament. The
last MSPT Meskwaki event in late March drew a 349-entrant
field, won by Muneer Ahmed for $90K.
Front row (left to right): Brian Friesen, Matt Kirby, Gerrit Wierbos, Ned Weizenegger. Back row (left to right): Curt Larson, Lee Surma, Mario Filippi, Mark
Sandness, Keelan Deuth. Not pictured: Jeremy Ensrud
MNPOKERMAG.COM Minnesota Poker Magazine
page 16
june 2012
Grinder Chronicles
I HAVE
PEOPLE
SKILLS!
by Chris "fox" Wallace
When I first got serious about
poker, I loved the excitement,
the money, and the competition.
I've been playing poker for a
living for eight years, and the
bloom is off the rose when it
comes to excitement, the money isn't as good as it used to be,
and competition gets old when it's the same thing day after
day. These days I'm more interested in the players.
To me, the greatest thing about poker is that anyone can
play at any table as long as they have the cash to sit down.
I've heard stories about a homeless man playing $4/8 limit
hold’em with Bill Gates, and all sorts of interesting celebrity
stories, but I'll stick with my own anecdotes here. I can cull
more than enough stories from my own experiences at the
table to fill a few pages.
The inspiration for the article was playing poker with Al
Linder in a cash game at the most recent Mid-States Poker
Tour – Northern Lights Casino event. I didn't know who
he was at the time, but Matt Kirby mentioned that he had
caught a lot of walleye on the Lindy rigs that the man invented. I had certainly heard of the Lindy rig, and Al was quite
personable, so I asked for the story of how he invented the
Lindy rig. As it turns out, he carved the first Lindy rig himself out of a lead sinker sitting on a dock half drunk. Something I wouldn't have learned sitting at home playing online
poker, and I got to hear the story from the man himself.
Over the years I've played with a lot of interesting characters. Notable people like Adrian Peterson, Chuck Liddell,
Jennifer Tilly, and a host of big name poker pros make for
nice name recognition, but I think the most interesting characters I've met weren't famous at all. Here are two of those
people.
The Stone Killer
A few years ago I was playing in a $1/$2 no-limit hold’em
game in Costa Rica, and the player to my left was a rough
looking American expat who worked for one of the local
sportsbooks. He had been in the country for years and defi
nitely knew his way around. At about 1:00AM I nudged him
and he followed my eyes to the man who had just walked in
the door.
"That looks like trouble", I said.
"You have no idea," he replied, "and you don't want to find
out."
These were strong words, but they weren't necessary. The
man, who was now buying in at our table, was the most intimidating human being I have ever encountered. I guessed
he was in his late thirties, though he had obviously had a
tough life and might have been younger than he looked. His
build gave off the impression that he had been carved out
of stone, and his eyes were flat and dead. His arms were
covered in fading prison-quality tattoos and on his left wrist
was a diamond-encrusted Corum watch worth somewhere
north of ten thousand dollars.
You don't wear a watch like that in Central America unless you have a bodyguard or you are a bodyguard yourself.
Walking around alone with a watch like that was a good
indicator that this guy was as tough as he looked, but none
of those things were nearly as scary as the tattoo on his face.
That's right, I said that he had a tattoo on his face. A big one.
A punk rock kid who made a bad decision and got some ink
on his face isn't uncommon here in Minneapolis, so it's not
a big deal. Not so in Central America. This guy's ink had
meaning, a meaning I understood from spending some time
in other countries in Central America. I may very well see
this guy again on my next trip, and identifying him in print
could be a bad choice for me, so I'll skip the description of
his tattoo. I'll also skip his name and we'll just call him Juan.
Juan brightened up once he bought into the table, and he
laughed often. The laugh never made it to his eyes, but he
seemed happy enough and he played the game nearly every
night for two weeks. I took beats from him, put beats on him,
and drank a shot of Tequila with him when he offered, with
never a problem. But I never asked Juan what he did for a
living. You don't ask that sort of question if the answer might
have anything to do with killing CIA agents or selling AK47's to the rebels.
The Seeing-Eye Person
My wife and I are very involved in animal-related charities, and when I can I try to play Jen Harmon's charity tournaments because the money goes to the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the events are
a lot of fun. The field is usually a mix of Jen's friends who
are mostly pros, and fans and ASPCA supporters who have
usually never played a poker tournament before. Animals
MNPOKERMAG.COM june 2012
Minnesota Poker Magazine
page 17
Grinder Chronicles
abound, some from local shelters and some brought to the
event by the ASPCA as ambassadors.
One of my dogs is an Australian Shepherd mix, so I know
the breed when I see it. I also know a sad little trivia fact
about the breed. Aussies with the "merle" gene have mottled
black and white patches in their fur, and this mottling is
desirable, so merle dogs are sought after by breeders. When
two merle dogs are bred together, something no reputable
breeder would ever do, some of the offspring are known
as "double merle" because they have both recessive genes.
These double merle dogs have health problems and are
often blind, which is why breeders should never allow this
to happen.
As I was sitting at the table at the ASPCA charity tournament, a man walked by with a dog that appeared to be a double merle Aussie, and I asked him if that was the case. He ignored me and kept walking. Since the dog had a helper vest
on, I assumed that, like some owners of working companion
animals, he didn't like to talk about it. I thought it was rude
to ignore me completely, but soon forgot about him.
An hour into the tournament, the man and his dog were
moved to my table a few seats away. I again asked if it was
a double merle dog, and again he ignored me. After a few
minutes I realized that he was hearing impaired and hadn't
heard my questions. I wrote my question out on my phone
and showed it to him and he smiled and nodded yes. Then
he signaled that he wanted my phone number and I gave it
to him. I received a series of texts a few minutes later.
"He is double merle, and almost completely blind."
"I'm nearly deaf, but I see pretty good and he needed help
so we have a deal."
"He hears for me and I see for him. Never have been sure
if he's my hearing dog or I'm his seeing-eye person. Little of
both I guess."
"Works out pretty good though."
"Any poker tips for me?"
I gave him every poker tournament tip I could think of
that might help him get through a mine field of pros and
completely clueless rank amateurs, and though he had
rarely played before, he managed to bust Layne Flack a
few hours later and made it into the money. That dog is very
lucky to have such a good seeing-eye human to take care of
him.
I've met all kinds of interesting people at the tables over
the years, and I meet more of them every day. From plumbers and insurance salesmen to professional athletes, terrifying Guatemalan freedom fighters and Russian mobsters to
accountants and models, there are some fascinating stories
out there. Join me in asking questions and talking to the
other players at the table some time, maybe we'll coax a
great story from one of our opponents.
MNPOKERMAG.COM Minnesota Poker Magazine
page 18
june 2012
Grinder Chronicles
Top Ten List:
“I Love”
by Jacob Westlin
While playing at the poker
table I often take notes about the
action by texting myself thoughts
on the session. That way, when
I choose to write an article, I
simply need to look through my
phone to remind myself on the
details of my ideas. The photo
here is a screenshot of my recent poker note-taking, and I
share it only because I’ve observed a clear pattern. What I
noticed is nothing groundbreaking, I’ve always known I was
a curmudgeon. But to see it so plainly in writing made me
laugh. The pattern I observed is simple: I began every text
with the phrase, “I hate…”
I can be such a complaining whiner. That’s what makes
me, me, I suppose. I wouldn’t want to change it; my cynicism defines my very spirit. That said, I thought it’d be nice
to shift the focus briefly from what I hate to what I love. I
did some serious thinking and came up with my top ten list
of things I love at the poker table. So as to not completely
break character, however, you’ll notice that even my list of
loves includes some jabs at the stupid people surrounding
us at all times at the poker table. Let’s begin!
#10 I love cool dealers
You can always tell when your dealer is a poker player
himself. He immediately recognizes the grossest of plays,
and the particularly cool dealers might even give a little
comment to endear himself to the better players at the table.
”Whoa, two-outer, huh? Nice call.” Cool dealers will always
laugh with you about the game and its crazy intricacies. A
sense of humor is the best attribute of poker dealers. I like
these guys, and attempt to tip them well assuming I win a
hand during their half-hour stay.
#9 I love watching good players figure things out
Although, financially speaking, it isn’t ideal to be surrounded by good players, I do enjoy observing their mental
wheels spin from the sidelines. It can become monotonous
watching idiots act on idiot instincts time and time again.
When you see somebody actually working through the de
tails of a hand, it’s fun. I like comparing their conclusions to
my own deductions about the action. Good poker entertains
me more than dummy poker (that is, if I’m not involved).
#8 I love cool chip stacks
Most people at the limit hold’em table either don’t have
enough money or don’t have enough desire to build a cool
looking chip stack. Every once in awhile, however, you’ll be
fortunate enough to see that guy with $4,000 who refuses to
color-up (awesome move, by the way; coloring-up is for ninnies), but instead builds his wealth into an impressive tower
of yellow or red discs. I, myself, prefer height to the simpler
horizontal movement of multiple small stacks.
#7 I love sharing a knowing glance with other
good players
The pot is huge. The board, in order, is K-Q-8-2-2, and action has been at least three-bet on every street. The river
is heads-up, and action gets four-bet. One player turns over
K-Q, but loses to his opponent who holds A-2. I folded my
hand pre-flop but have been observing the action closely.
What do I do upon seeing the A-2 scoop the pot? I immediately look across the table at the only other good player in
the game, and he is miraculously simultaneously looking
right back at me. We share the same understanding look with
our eyes wide and our heads shaking. We simply want validation of the gross we just witnessed, and we know where to
find it. There’s something so satisfying about knowing that
at least one other player at the table recognizes how truly
inexplicable and disgusting some of these hands can be.
#6 I love value-betting
I’m always trying to improve my river play. There’s money
to be made, obviously, by determining whether you’ll get
paid off with mediocrity. It’s easy to check your nothing and
bet your monsters. Real satisfaction comes from betting your
10-10 on the river with a K-J-7-6-2 board, and getting paid off
with A-7. I’m getting better at this, and am rarely more personally fulfilled than when I correctly determine the right
timing for a value-bet.
#5 I love space
Being crammed next to fat, sweaty, stupid, jabber-mouth
men for many consecutive hours is my least favorite aspect
of poker. I can’t even sit in the five-seat without getting up
every eight minutes to alleviate my claustrophobia. I don’t
like rubbing elbows and shoulders with these strange men.
Also, under-table spacing is equally important. Some players simply can’t determine where to put their legs. Or, more
likely, they just don’t care, and I suffer the consequences of
MNPOKERMAG.COM june 2012
Minnesota Poker Magazine
page 19
Grinder Chronicles
politeness and self-awareness. I love the corner seats, 2-37-8, and when I can spread myself out, I play more focused
poker.
#4 I love humility
It’s very refreshing when one player sincerely says to another, “Nice play.” It’s so nice to know that, once in awhile,
people can separate their emotions from their logical brain
and just recognize when somebody else did something well.
And I don’t enjoy this humility for my own validation; I don’t
even care if the sincerity is directed toward me. I simply
appreciate when somebody steps outside the overwhelming
norm which is, “You screwed me! How did you get so lucky
on the river? What an awful play!” Humility, and even a little
self-deprecation, are great character attributes.
#3 I love to be left alone
Duh. This requires almost no elaboration. Plainly stated,
I like to anonymously and quietly sit at a poker table and be
able to clearly think through my session’s strategy without
the distraction of everybody else’s boring ass problems. I
don’t care if you lost with Ace-King four times today. That’s
the least interesting fact anybody’s ever uttered to another
human being. Be quiet and let me think. Which brings me to
my next point…
#2 I love thinking
Thinking is great! The strategic aspect of poker is the best
part about it! I relish the opportunity to consider a hand
from multiple angles, from years of experience, from two
hours of player-knowledge, or without any prior information
whatsoever. Every hand I’ve ever played in my entire life is
unique. No two are alike. There’s something so poetic about
that and it’s what draws me to poker. I love when a non-poker playing friend will ask you a question like, “I had Ace-five
in the big-blind and somebody raised. What would you do?”
The answer every single time will be, “It depends.” It’s an
unsatisfying answer to your friend, but it’s the truth for a
thoughtful poker player. There are too many factors to consider, and considering them is precisely what I love doing.
And my absolute favorite thing at the poker table is…
a consistent, reliable, ongoing, completely self-earned profit
off nothing more than my own tactical brain.
Jacob "Jaymind" Westlin is a semi-professional limit hold'em
player with a strong, sarcastic wit. Read his blogs at
www.mnpokermag.com.
#1 I love making money
Well, obviously. This is the only real purpose of the professional poker player. Satisfaction from all nine previous
loves are hallow without actual money. I wouldn’t enjoy
thinking, humility, or space if I lost my ass every time I play
cards. These things all stem from the successful execution of
strategy and leaving the poker room with more money than
when you entered. There’s nothing I love more than making
@msptpoker
MNPOKERMAG.COM page 20
Minnesota Poker Magazine
MNPOKERMAG.COM june 2012