Jan 12 2004

Transcription

Jan 12 2004

PAGE
Watch Out for
Wendeen’s Movers
& Shapers in 2004!
George Epstein PAGE
in disagreement
with OK Johnny...
5
14
PAGE
...Then
Oklahoma Johnny
Fires Back!
16
POKER PLAYER
Vol. 7 Number 15 January 12, 2004
A Gambling Times Publication Copyright ©2004
Bi-Weekly $3.95
Walker Wins Two At Poker and Pool at
Commerce Casino The Bicycle Casino
Once Again!
Jorge Walker of Cerritos
chalked up a profitable
December at the regular No
Limit Hold ‘em Sunday
events held at the Commerce
Club last month, winning the
Jorge Walker smiles over two-in-a-row wins at Commerce
final two of the year on
December 21 and 28.
Celebrity Movie star Lou
Diamond Phillips acquitted
himself nicely by taking second place in the largest of
these weekly contests, held on
the final Sunday of the year.
Each event begins with a
$330 buy-in on Sunday
evening, and they usually
boast a modest attendance, so
your chances are not too bad
to make a score.
Winning on the 28th and
21st, Walker bested 83 and 55
opponents respectively.
Gullermo Magdalena of Santa
Paula took the December 14th
event against 35 opponents,
while Paul Davis bested 42
(Continued on page 13)
Truck Giveaway at
Tunica Grand Card Room
On December 23, 2003, the
Grand Casino Poker room held
a Ford Explorer Sport Trac
drawing. Henry Zitelli of
Robinsonville MS, won the
truck. When Henry got the
news he fell out of his chair.
The card room also gave away
$500 to twenty different winners. 1-Roderick Johnson, 2Clark Lamb, 3-Randy King, 4(Continued on page 11)
Just another day at Grand Casino Tunica—Twenty winners all got $500!
The greatest pool players in
the world return again to Los
Angeles at the Bicycle Casino
in Bell Gardens for the U.S.
Professional Pool Players
Association (UPA) Pro Tour
Championship. This major
men's pro event comes back
to LA where The Bicycle
Casino will be the host for the
final event for the 2003 season and also the pro tour's
UPA Year End Awards
Banquet.
Sixty-four players including a stellar cast of international 9-Ball superstars will
be vying for over $40,000 in
prize money. Some of the top
USA players include :
Johnny Archer (Atlanta ,
GA): The Scorpion - #1
ranked in the USA and 4 time
World Champion; Charlie
Williams (Orlando , FL) :The
Korean Dragon - #2 ranked
in the USA and winner of 2
UPA Tour Stops this year;
Rodney Morris (Honolulu,
HI) : The Rocket - #3 ranked
in the USA and winner of The
2003 World Pool League
(Poland); Tony Robles (NY,
NY) : The Silent Assassin #5 ranked in the USA and
multi-Northeast champion;
Nick Varner (Owensboro,
KY) : The KY Colonel - #7
ranked in the USA and Hall
of Famer.
This event will also have
several top international players including:
Efren Reyes (Manila,
Phillippines) : The Magician #1 ranked in the Phillipines
and considered by many to be
the greatest player of all time;
Ralf Souquet (Manching,
Germany) : The Kaiser - #1
ranked player in Germany and
former World Champion &
US Open Champion; Mika
Immonen (Helsinki, Finland)
: The Iceman - #1 ranked
Trump Classic
Concludes With
Triple Winner
On December 21st, the
2003 Trump Classic in
Atlantic City concluded just
as it began…with Frank Kroll
3rd at the top! A resident of
Egg Harbor, NJ, Kroll struck
gold at the Trump’s two-day
Texas Hold’em No Limit
Championship, taking home
$55,125 and a first-place win.
Three weeks earlier, Kroll
HsPPY NEW YEAR!
J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 0 4 P O K E R P L AY E R 1
How I’m DUMB, part 2
POKER
PLAYER
A Gambling Times Publication
KILLER Poker
3883 West Century Blvd.
Inglewood, CA 90303
(310) 674-3365
By John Vorhaus
Last time I listed some ways I’m dumb
at poker, and asked you to do the
same. Well, did you? If not, it may not be because
you’re lazy. It may be rather that you’re afraid:
afraid to confront yourself openly and honestly. But
it doesn’t hurt. Truly it doesn’t. Let me show you
what I mean as I finish listing the principal ways I’m
dumb at poker.
5. I FEAR MONEY. No matter how many times I tell
myself that it’s only chips and that outcomes don’t
matter, I still can’t let go of the fear of losing all
that... value. When I’m within my comfort range, I’m
fine, but when I put... gee... a mortgage payment on
the table, I start to go a little frayed around the
confidence.
4. I STAY IN BAD GAMES. Either through inertia,
pride or denial I often convince myself that a game
isn’t really as bad as it really is. Despite the evidence of my eyes, I can persuade myself that my
opponents are not as frisky, tricky, deceptive or
clever as they clearly are. Leaving a bad game is a
sign of intelligence, not cowardice.
3. I DON’T COMPLETE MY DRIVES. How often do
you see good players raise pre-flop, bet the flop,
bet the turn, bet the river and eventually drop all
foes? We know that they don’t always have the
hands they represent. What they do have is the
essential ability to carry through on a drive, even a
bluff-drive. I, on the other hand, will frequently
break off it off, checking the turn and the river if I
haven’t dropped the field by then. Maybe I’m convinced that I won’t get all my opponents to fold,
but maybe I am not right.
2. I CALL EVEN THOUGH I’M BEATEN. Frequently I
know -- just know -- that an opponent has completed his hand. Nevertheless I’ll call. Whether I tell
myself I’m calling “for the size of the pot,” or calling “just to keep them honest,” I’m really only calling because I can’t stand to admit the truth: I’m
beaten and I know it, and I should fold.
And the number one thing I do wrong...
1. I LOOSEN UP. I loosen up when I’m winning. I
loosen up when I’m losing. I loosen up when I’m
tired or agitated or bored. I loosen up... just over
time. I start out playing squeaky tight, but soon
find myself opening the valve. Next thing I know,
the spigot is wide open, and I’m playing every
crazy hand I can get my hands on. I think I’m being
frisky, but really I’m “unscrewed”, and completely
out of line.
Stanley R. Sludikoff
EDITOR/PUBLISHER
[email protected]
Joel Gausten
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER
[email protected]
John Thompson
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
FO R I D RO M E I N FO D ES I G N
[email protected]
H. Scot Krause
PROMOTIONS EDITOR
[email protected]
7
Len Butcher
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
[email protected]
JACKPOTS
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To this generosity of spirit, just add clear-eyed
self-awareness. Make frequent, frank inventories of
your strengths and weaknesses, and use those discoveries to hone your game. At the end of the day,
honesty may be the best weapon we have.
Details: No Limit
Holdem Multi-Table
Tournament.
For every 11 entries,
one player will win the
WPT Super Satellite
2 P O K E R P L AY E R J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 0 4
Nolan Dalla
George Epstein
“Oklahoma Johnny” Hale
Susie Isaacs
Diane McHaffie
James McKenna
I. Nelson Rose
Nic Szeremeta
Mike Sexton
Rich Wilens
John Vorhaus
Editorial Consultant
Wendeen Eolis
Poker Player will be published Bi-Weekly by
Gambling Times Incorporated,
Stanley R. Sludikoff, President.
Volume 7 Number 15.
Copyright © January 2004 by Gambling
Times Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without
written permission is prohibited.
Advertising Sales
NEVADA, NO. CALIFORNIA,
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Look, no one plays perfect poker. It’s a dream we
can chase, but not a goal we can ever achieve. In
the face of this reality, I find that it helps to be
patient and impatient at the same time. Be patient
enough to forgive your mistakes, and impatient
enough to demand better next time.
[John Vorhaus, author of “Killer Poker” and “Killer
Poker Online,” abides in cyberspace at www.vorza.com.]
Contributing
Columnists
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140 Mapletree Rd.
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732-914-0870
fax 732-914-0847
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[email protected]
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cel 218-760-9079
[email protected]
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Green Room Media
404-1030 Hamilton St.
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(604) 408-8888 ext 227
[email protected]
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Hoehenweg 20
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[email protected]
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PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT
This notice will certify that 35,000 copies of Volume 7, No.15
of Poker Player were printed at Southwest Offset Printing,
13630 Gramercy Place, Gardena CA90249-2465. Distribution
to card clubs, poker rooms, and other distribution points
throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean,
Central America, and Europe. Copies are ONLY available at
these locations.
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Introducing Garrett Okahara,
New Director of Poker Operations at the Orleans
CHIP CHATTEr
By SUSIE ISAACS
A few years ago when Poker Manager David
Hricsina left the Orleans, there was no concern from the players about the future of the
room. Hricsina’s capable right hand man, Mike
Vento slipped comfortably into the leadership shoes and all
was well. As poker grew, the Orleans poker room grew. The
room was well run, it operated like a well-oiled machine with
the various wheels and cogs pulling together and easily
moving the over all operation in the right direction with little hassle and no breakdowns. And then, in mid September,
“it” happened. Mike Vento left the Orleans for personal reasons and no one from the poker room was promoted to
Vento’s management position. The rumors were fast and
furious. It was the room without a leader, surely a death
sentence for any poker room. Within a few days news burst
through the poker world like a raging wildfire that upper
management at the Orleans had “plucked a pit guy and
plopped him in the poker room”. Oh woe are the poker players and the entire poker staff at the Orleans. The room has
been given its last rites. It was all over except for shutting
the door and turning off the lights. Well, I have some terrific
news for you! Not only is the Orleans alive and well, it also
is healthy and growing. Yes, the new manager, Garrett
Okahara came into the poker room from the pit, but that’s
the only thing the rumor mill got right. And now for the rest
of the story … Garrett Okahara has lived in Las Vegas since
he was two years old. He was educated in Las Vegas and
watched the growth of the gaming Mecca as an insider. He
began a gaming career at the Prima Donna at Stateline in
the poker room where he dealt poker for seven years and
ran the day shift for four years before accepting a position
at the Orleans.
In his own words, “I have always loved poker and I
enjoyed my years in the Prima Donna poker room, however,
life is a state of change. It was a good job for a long time
and I learned a lot. I knew I would have more advancement
opportunities at the Orleans but I had no idea it would be in
poker! I was hired to work in the pit and I was working in the
pit when I got the word that upper management wanted to
talk to me. I knew Mike Vento was leaving so in September,
when they called me upstairs for a meeting, I thought they
were going to ask me for some opinions on the technicalities of running a poker room. To say I was shocked when the
room was offered to me would be an understatement, I was
flabbergasted! I knew it would not be easy but it’s been
three months now and thanks to my very competent staff,
the transition has been made much easier than I thought it
would be. My personal hardest part was getting acclimated
to the room, the cliental and the staff. Some of these players have been regulars since the early days over at the Gold
Coast, the staff numbers 90, and we are the second largest
room in Las Vegas! I have my hands full and I know it. Our
problems have to do with our growth rate. With the explosion of the popularity of poker, on our most popular nights,
we are turning people away. I am looking forward to improving this issue and others. Basically, my philosophy is the
same as my days at Stateline, players want to be treated
with respect and dealt with on a personal level. We’re here
to provide a service for them and we’re continually working
on improving that service.
“We always need dealers, please tell your readers that we
have open auditions every Monday and Friday at noon!”
Susie Isaacs has written about poker and poker players
since 1985. The first woman to win back-to-back titles in
the women’s division in the World Series of Poker, she is
the author of “MsPoker, Up Close and Personal.” Her latest venture is a line of poker-themed jewelry, now available at The Gamblers General Store in Las Vegas. See her
ad in this issue and visit www.buyitinvegas.com.
2004 WORLDWIDE
POKER TOURNAMENTS
To list your 3 day events contact: Joel Gausten, Assistant Publisher at:
[email protected]
DATE
>January 2-11
EVENT
LOCATION
BOLD LISTING AND > SYMBOL
DENOTES ADVERTISER
Poker Derby
Hollywood Park Casino (AdPg 3) – Inglewood, CA
Jan 3-17
2004 Crown Australasian Poker Champ. Crown Casino – Melbourne, Australia
>Jan 6-29
5th Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open Horseshore/Gold Strike (AdPg 5) – Tunica, MS
Jan 8-23
Tunica Classic
Grand Casino Tunica, Robinsonville, MS
Jan 9-11
2004 Cajun Poker Classic
Harrah’s Casino, New Orleans, LA
Jan 12-18
January Sales Poker Festival
Rendezous Casino, Brighton Marina Village, Brighton
>Jan 12-Mar 18 Endless Summer
Jan 15-18
ESCARGOT
Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, CA
>Jan 18-25
PokerStars.com WPT Cruise PokerStars.com (AdPg 20)
Jan 19-25
Grand Challenge
Grosvenor Casino Luton, Bedfordshire, England
Jan 19-29
America’s Poker Classic
Jan 23-Feb 1
San Diego Super Bowl of Poker Sycuan Casino & Resort, El Cajon, CA
Jan 29-Feb 24
L.A. Poker Classic
Commerce Casino, Commerce, CA
Feb 1-15
Euro Finals of Poker
Aviation Club de France, Paris, France
Feb 13-15
Sweethearts Weekend/Queen of Hearts Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, CA
Feb 18-Feb 22
2004 Oregon Open
Spirit Mountain Casino, Grand Ronde, OR
Feb 20-28
Winter Poker Tournament
Peppermill Hotel & Casino, Reno, NV
Feb 22-29
3rd Austrian Open Omaha Poker Champ. Casinos Austria, Bregenz, Austria
Feb 23-29
Midland Medley
Grosvenor Casino Walsall, Walsall, England
Feb 25-28
Great Canadian Freeze Out
Cash Casino, Alberta, Canada
Feb 27- Mar 4
Shooting Star Tournament
Bay 101, San Jose, CA
Mar 1-23
Winning O’ the Green
Mar 3-14
European World Series of Poker Trial Concord Card Casino, Vienna, Austria
Mar 15-21
British Open
Grosvenor Victoria Casino, London, England
Mar 18-April 1
World Poker Challenge 2004
Reno Hilton, Reno, NV
>Mar 24-Apr 4 Sport of Kings
Mar 24-April 3
The New England Poker Classic Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT
Apr 1-3
Latvian Open Championship
Olympic Casino Latvia at Radisson SAS Hotel, Riga, Latvia
Apr 3-23
Five-Star World Poker Classic Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
>Apr 5-Jun 27 Endless Summer Spring-Summer Series Hollywood Park Casino (AdPg 3) – Inglewood, CA
April 8-11
Irish Open
Merrion Square Club, Dublin, Ireland
Apr 12-18
Springfest
Apr 13-May 18
Mini Series of Poker
Apr 15-18
Lithuanian Open Championship Olympic Casino Lietuva at Reval Hotel, Lithuania
Apr 19-23
World Poker Tour Championship Event Bellagio – Las Vegas, NV
>Apr 22-May 29 World Series of Poker 2004 (Tentative) Binions Horseshoe Casino, Las Vegas, NV
May 3-9
Blackpool Bonanza
Grosvenor Casino, Blackpool, England
May 11-16
Baltic Open Championship
Olympic Casino at Reval Park, Tallinn, Estonia
>May 13-16
Triple Crown of Poker
Canterbury Park Casino (AdPg 16) – Shakopee, MN
May 24-30
13th Annual Torneo di Poker
Hit Casino, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
June 1-10
Austrian Masters
Concord Card Casino, Vienna, Austria
June 4-20
Calif. State Poker Championship Commerce Casino, Commerce, CA
Jun 24-Jul 4
Stars and Stripes
Bicycle Casino - Bell Gardens, CA
June 28-July 4 European Championship
>Jul 16-25
L.A. No-Limit Hold’em Championship Hollywood Park Casino (AdPg 3) – Inglewood, CA
July 19-24
Worthersee Trophy
Casinos Austria, Velden, Austria
July 29-Aug 31 Legends of Poker
The Bicycle Casino – Bell Gardens, CA
Aug 9-15
Grosvenor UK Open
Aug 25-29
Bodensee Poker Championship Casinos Austria, Bregenz, Austria
Sept 10-19
Heavenly Hold’em
>Sept 18-Oct 1 Fall Poker Classic
Canterbury Park Casino (AdPg 16) – Shakopee, MN
Sept 30-Oct. 12 Big Poker Oktober
Oct 4-10
European Poker Classic
>Oct 20-31
National Championship of Poker Hollywood Park Casino (AdPg 3) – Inglewood, CA
Oct 28-Nov 1
Anniversary Tour 2004
Olympic Casino Latvia at Radisson SAS Hotel, Riga, Latvia
Oct 31-Nov 2
Southampton Poker Festival
Grosvenor Casino, Southampton, England
Nov. 5-14
Holiday Bonus Tournament
Nov 8-14
Northern Lights
Grosvenor Casino, Blackpool, England
Nov 22-28
Midland Masters
Grosvenor Casino Walsall, Walsall, England
Nov 24-27
Olympic Casino Lietuva at Reval Hotel, Lithuania
Dec 1-10
Italian Championship
Hit Casino, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
Dec 2-5
Olympic Casino at Reval Park, Tallinn, Estonia
Dec 2 –12
Ho-Ho Hold’em
Dec 6-12
Christmas Cracker
Wendeen H. Eolis:
Editor’s Note: This feature is
an adaptation of material
that is part of Ms. Eolis’
book in progress, Power
Poker Dame.
In the fast moving poker
world, big news is constant
and profound change is under
way. Consider the reference to
fifty MSP’s (Part 11) as passé;
movers and shapers are propagating and giving birth to new
ones every day.
Poker Player is the
Authority for all the
Poker News that is Fitting
Having explained to Poker
Player Publisher, Colonel
Stanley Sludikoff (Lt. Col.
AUS Ret.), originator of
Gambling Times and Poker
Player (which go back to the
seventies), and the industry
leader in providing the widest
distribution of poker news in
print — that it is impossible to
do justice to the poker community with only fifty MSPs, due
to limitations of space. And as
a Poker Player writer can routinely expect from the MENSA
credentialed Editor –in-Chief,
Sludikoff, he has listened to the
reporter make her case!
My Annual Guide to Movers & Shapers
of the Poker World 2003 (part III)
the road. He shared lots of
poker tips and talked about the
ups and downs in his life each
time we met. In the midst of
personal chaos in his life, during the Orleans Tournament,
last summer, Jack told me that
he cared deeply about the welfare of his family and asked
me to look in on his unpretentious highly talented pokerplaying daughter Kathy
Kohlberg who was taking
down the chips at a nearby
table. To her and his family I
extend the condolences of a
poker world that appreciated
Gentleman Jack Keller.
IPF is coming of age
Also since publication of Part
11, come reports of a significant success for the growing
International Poker Federation
with its recent tournament in
St Maarten. The IPF, headed
by Austrian poker room manager/tournament and late
Night Poker honcho Thomas
Kremser is making standardization of poker rules its highest priority as it proceeds with
the production of major tournaments for European casinos
and others beyond American
shores. With international
poker star Marcel Luske a
partner and host for these tournaments, look for more televised poker, a commitment to
the highest professionalism of
trained dealers in the box, and
an organization that will take
poker upscale on all fronts.
Poker Players have
Negotiating Hands
During the recent Bellagio
Five Diamond Tournament,
for the first time in the history
of tournament competition,
WPT poker champions united
for the purpose of forwarding
the goals of players that are
making poker a starring show
on television. The champs
gained the prompt ear of WPT
executives that are ever-mindful that their success has
spawned a variety of competition. And WPT’s coup in gaining Anheuser-Busch as a corporate sponsor has intensified
interest among circuit pros in
developing sponsorship opportunities for themselves.
Before the World Poker
Tour, with the exception of a
The POKER ZONE
Featuring the highest regularly
scheduled tournaments!
Shulmans Cast
Card Player as the
Poker Authority
With several fine new gaming
periodicals making their way
into the poker world, it is Jeff
Shulman CEO and Barry
Shulman, publisher of Card
Player Magazine that make the
most of showcasing and promoting a cadre of talented
tournament poker players on
their pages and the Shulmans
not only talk the talk but walk
the walk— having proven
their substantial poker prowess
at the tables.
In Memorium:
Jack Keller was a giant
of the game
Since Part 11 of Movers and
Shapers went to press, WSOP
World Champion Jack Keller
has left us to join a Pot Limit
Omaha game in the sky. Jack’s
skills at the poker table were
awesome. So were his stories
of the good old days in
Philadelphia and gambling on
Sunday
No Limit Hold’em at 5 P.M.
Monday
Limit Hold’em at 7 P.M.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Limit Hold’em at 7 P.M.
Thursday
The Mirage Cardroom is a smoke free area.
For information call 800-77-POKER or 702-791-7291.
Perks and Picks
DEBBIE BURKHEAD INTERVIEWS...
MIKE DOE
Happy New Year! 2004 looks to be an exciting time in the
poker rooms and for casinos across the country as the popularity of poker reaches epic new heights!
CARD ROOM MANAGER AT TEXAS STATION
The Bargain Bin
By H. Scot Krause
Florida is becoming a new hotbed of activity
for card players. Calder Race Course plans to
spend about $300,000 to build a card room in
its grandstand in time for its 2004 season beginning in April.
New Florida legislation approved earlier this year has made
card rooms more attractive to racing facilities in Florida, resulting in a number of new card rooms in the state. Tampa Bay
Downs opened its Silks Card Room in December. Pompano Park
reopened its card room this past October.
In August, the new law removed the $10 total pot limit, instituted a $2 per bet limit, and allowed thoroughbred tracks to
offer both simulcasting and a card room.
The newly-expanded Poker Corral at Boomtown Casino and
Hotel in Reno is dealing out over $500 in new bonus buy-in and
signature hand payouts. New Lucky 13 bonus buy-ins deal out $15
in extra Poker luck with $35 awarded for $20 in 7 Card Stud buyin and $45 for $30 Texas Hold'Em buy-in. The bonus buy-ins are
awarded to the first six 7 Card Stud and first seven Texas
Hold'Em players between 10:30 a.m. and noon daily. The signature hand jackpot awards $500 to players with Boomtown's signature hand of four kings and the queen of hearts. The progressive jackpot increases $25 for every week that the hand is not
hit. The Poker Corral is also dealing out free fleece commemorative Boomtown Poker jackets with 48 hours of tracked Poker
Players 55 Club play. The club also offers a chance to earn guestrooms, dining, General Store Gift Shop merchandise and
Chevron gasoline discounts and complimentaries.
Commerce Casino in California is offering opportunities for
players to win a free entry into the L.A. Poker Classic/World
Poker Tour $1 million guaranteed No Limit Hold’em
Championship event on February 21st via a special series of
satellite tiers that starts with $120 buy-in one-table satellites
every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m.,
5:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. Each winner of the one-table $120
satellite receives an entry into a $1,060 satellite, which will run
from January 29 through February 20. Winners of the $1,060
satellites receive a free entry into the $10,000 buy in World
Poker Tour No Limit Hold’em Championship event. Scheduled
for January 29 through February 24, Commerce Casino’s 2004
L.A. Poker Classic boasts two $1 million guaranteed events.
In Las Vegas, The Palms Casino Resort is giving away
$160,000 worth of Palms Platinum Cards through January 31st.
Club Palms members can swipe for one free entry into the
drawings. Every Tuesday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m., a drawing
is held for a total of $20,000 in Palms Platinum Cards. First
entry drawn wins a $10,000 Palms Platinum Card and the next
ten entries each win $1,000 Palms Platinum Cards. All entries
are cleared from the electronic drawing drum after each
Saturday drawing.
Winners from each Tuesday drawing have 24 hours to claim
their prize. Winners from each Saturday drawing must be present to win. Any unclaimed prizes from Tuesday_s drawings will
be given away at the following Saturday drawings. One electronic entry will be awarded to Club Palms Members for each
increment of points earned based on machine denomination for
recorded slot machine, video poker machine and video keno
machine play. Complete details are posted at the Club Palms
promotion booth.
That’s it for this week!
H. Scot Krause is a freelance writer, gaming industry
analyst and researcher, originally from Cleveland, Ohio.
He and his wife, Donna (and year old son, Zachary) are
eight-year residents of Las Vegas where Scot reports,
researches, and writes about casino games, events,
attractions and promotions. Questions or comments are
welcomed. Card room managers are also invited to send
your promotions to: [email protected]
Mike Doe grew up in
Denver, Colorado long before
gambling was legal outside
of Las Vegas, Nevada. When
Mike wasn’t busy operating
his asphalt hauling company
he was hosting private home
poker games. His desire to
play poker became so overwhelming that when gambling was legalized in
Colorado, Mike sold his
hauling business to play
poker full time.
He worked as a prop for the
next three years at the Glory
Hole, the Silver Slipper and
the Golden Gates casinos in
Central City and Blackhawk,
Colorado. In 1994, tired of
the cold, he finally decided it
was time to move to Las
Vegas where he could pursue
a career in the world of
poker.
Mike arrived in Vegas in
October of 1994 and after
three months of just playing
poker he knew he’d have to
get a job, he had no intention
of becoming a professional
and he realized he didn’t
have the heart to play poker
for a living.
His first job in Vegas was as
a poker dealer on the grave
yard shift at the Aladdin but
that only lasted two weeks.
He accepted a brush position
at Boulder Station in
February of 1995 that lasted
five years and in April of
2000 he was promoted to
Cardroom Manager at Texas
Station.
Mike has been married for 35
years and has three children,
two boys and a girl. His children reside in Colorado and I
heard a slight chuckle when
he told me his only daughter
deals poker in Denver. Like
father, like daughter.
Debbie Burkhead: Your
clientele is primarily made
up of locals, how do you
keep them coming back?
Mike Doe: Guest service, it’s
all about service. Ninety-five
percent of all guests that
walk up to the counter are
greeted, by myself and my
staff, by name. Remembering
a guest’s name is an important part of good customer
service. We also have the
most liberal food comp system in the industry, and of
course the Station’s Jumbo
Jackpot is a huge draw. We
have an in-house jackpot
besides the Jumbo Jackpot.
DB: What makes your food
comp system so unique?
MD: When a player enters
the room he presents his
Station’s boarding pass to the
floorman on duty and for
every hour they play they
receive $1.00 in food comp.
Players can earn up to $12 in
a 24 hour period. Comps stay
in the computer until they are
drawn on and there is no
limit to how much a player
can earn. With this system a
player can play all week and
on Friday or Saturday they
can take their husband or
wife out to a nice dinner.
DB: Are the comps good at
any Station Casino?
MD: Yes, but you must draw
your comp out at the property
where it was earned. In other
words, if you earn $25 at
Texas and $15 at Boulder,
you would have to go to
Texas to get the $25 comp
and Boulder for the $15
comp, then, you can combine
them to be used at any
Station Casino restaurant.
The only stipulation is that
once you draw your comp
you must use it within 48
hours.
DB: You mentioned the
Jumbo Jackpot, has that been
hit recently?
MD: Funny you should ask, I
just paid it out on Friday,
December 12 to one of my
local players. It’s was especially nice to see one of our
regulars win the big bucks.
DB: Can you tell us who
won it and how much they
won?
MD: Sure. Cathy Sloan, one
of my regulars, made four
tens on the turn and another
lady made a straight flush
when that ten hit the board.
Cathy received $35,278 for
losing the hand and the lady
who won the hand received
$20,278. At the time it was
hit there were 185 players in
four Station Casino cardrooms that each received
$278 just for having their
butt in a hold’em game.
DB: How do you qualify for
part of the Jumbo Jackpot?
MD: As long as a player has
been dealt in at least one
hand and doesn‘t have a
missed blind button in front
of them, they are eligible and
will receive a players share
of the jackpot. The players
share is a minimum of $200
regardless of the prize pool.
DB: What hand qualifications does it take to win?
MD: When it starts a player
must have four fives or better
beaten. Both hole cards must
play and you must have a pair
in your hand to qualify with
four of a kind. It stays at four
fives for five weeks and every
week thereafter the qualifying
hand drops one level, so week
six is four fours, week seven
is four threes and so forth until
it is hit.
DB: You mentioned an inhouse bad beat jackpot, how
does that work?
MD: It starts at $10,000 and
we add $100 a day until it‘s
hit. To qualify you must have
aces full of sixes, or better,
beaten by four of a kind, or
better, to win the big portion.
The loser of the hand
receives $3,500 plus a players share, the winner receives
$2,000 plus a players share.
Every hold’em player in the
room that is playing at the
time receives a minimum
player’s share of $100.
DB: Do you offer any daily
tournaments at Texas?
MD: Every MondayThursday at 11 a.m. we run
an Omaha high-low tournament. The buy-in is $24 and
is limited to the first 10 players. On Tuesdays and
Wednesdays at 7 p.m. we
have an Omaha high-low
event with a $28 buy-in and
is limited to 30 players.
DB: Are there any new promotions coming up in the
near future?
MD: Yes, we’ll be launching
our Jacket Giveaway in
February and March of 2004.
Poker G A B
Power Poker PSychology
By JAMES A. M C KENNA, P H .D.
Some players have more of the “gift of gab” than
others do. However, when you start believing
what players say about themselves and their hands at the table,
you probably shouldn't be playing poker. Small talk at the table
is a rich source of “tells.” Some players only bad-mouth themselves when they have great hands. Others can play a great
game of “stupid.” “Stupid,” when it's played as a psychological
game, has a payoff in which a person makes mistakes and feels
depressed and ashamed in the end. However, some players are
princes (or princesses) masquerading as frogs. They pretend to
be stupid and when least expected, they rip
off their disguise and make a brilliant play.
On the other hand, there are players who
pretend to be better than they are. They
masquerade as a Prince or Princess and
often another player will rip off their disguise. Here’s a graphic from a book I wrote
in the mid seventies that fits.
“Ah Ha! You sounded
Here are some of the more common
like a frog to me.”
poker gab and what they probably mean:
1. “One more time.” This is usually a lie and will be repeated
if the “one more time” improves the hand.
2. “I’ll let you have it this time.” This usually means that
the player is throwing away garbage.
3. “I’ll call, even though it’s probably a mistake.” Beware
of poker players bearing gifts.
4. “I’ll just call.” This could mean that the player thinks his
hand is second-best. It could be a sniper hiding in the bushes.
5. “I’m folding this for your sake.” This means that the
player finally woke up and realized he was beat.
6. “There’s enough in the pot for the girl I go with.” This
is usually said when the player just checked or called. It means
that the player thinks he won, but he’s not sure. It also could
mean that the player is a bit of a chauvinist something.
7. “Loose call!” It usually is.
8. “It’s better this way.” This is often said by a player who
got lucky and outran his opponent. It’s an attempt at humor that
could be pouring salt in the wound.
9. “You can’t win.” This is an attempt to get the opponent to
fold and usually means that the player is afraid that his hand is
second-best. However, if it is said to a friend, it could be a warning that the player has the “nuts.”
10. “I missed a bet.” When a player is surprised that (s)he
won, this is a second thought.
11. “Just in case I catch.” Said while calling a bet, this usually means that the player already has made the hand and doesn’t
want to scare anyone out.
12. “I haven’t won a hand in over an hour.” May be true or
may be a way to pretend weakness.
13. “I’ll pay you off.” This player usually does. Usually said
when making a bad call and hoping that the opponent was bluffing.
14. “What ever you do, don’t put up an (Ace, Heart, Spade,
etc.)” This is often designed to mislead others to think that they
have top pair and are afraid of being beaten by a straight, higher
pair, or a flush. It usually means that the player already has what
they are saying they don’t want. Be sure, though, that the player
doesn’t want you to think he already has what he’s saying he
doesn’t want. After all, you are playing poker.
15. “We’ll probably split.” This could be wishful thinking or a
ploy to get one more bet out of an opponent.
There’s a lot to the saying, “The way to tell if a poker player is
lying is to watch his (her) lips. If they are moving, he’s lying.” So,
if you like to dress up like a loser or you are pretending to be a
winner nobody really cares. And, few are buying your act; but,
it’s fun to use the gift of gab. It’s also a part of playing poker.
James A. McKenna, PhD., has been a practicing individual and group
therapist for over thirty-five years. His knowledge of human behavior combined with over thirty years of gaming experience gives him
a unique perspective on the psychology of the gamer. His book,
“Beyond Tells-Power Poker Psychology,” will be published soon by
Gambling Times. Write to him at [email protected].
letters to the editor
Dear Editor,
I was playing in a local
poker room here in Arizona
when a situation arose. There
were three players left at the
showdown in Texas hold ‘em.
The board looked liked this—
6s3fAaJsAd
Player #1 (myself) showed
my cards face up, a pair of
tens. Player #2 threw her cards
in face down and Player #3
threw his in, also face down.
The dealer picked them up in
each hand and declared me the
winning at this time.
Player#2 asked to see what
Player#3’s cards were and the
dealer turned them over
revealing a K & J of spades.
Player#3 questioned why he
wasn’t the winner even though
he mis-read his cards and
mucked the hand at the showdown. I was awarded the pot
but he was insistent he won.
Maybe you can answer this
question. He is a player who I
see all the time and play
against.
—Thanking you in advance,
Richard Levitch
Ed: This is a situation where
“House Rules” prevail. In
most casinos when your cards
hit the muck they are dead.
This is generally to prevent
the wrong cards from being
later revealed. It is usually
troublesome, at best, to find
which cards a player held,
after they hit the muck. In
some house’s where it can
clearly be shown which cards
belonged to each player, the
winning hand will prevail.
Hi George,
Re your article, “Building a
Monster Pot for a Monster
Hand” (Nov 17). Yes, you
should have bet on the river.
You do not state which type
of holdem you were playing.
Here, in England, pot limit is
the most common, followed
by no-limit, and in the situation you describe, the correct
play would be to bet two or
three times the minimum,
with the intention of inducing
callers or a raise. Limit poker
is virtually unheard of here,
and I would guess that was
what you were playing. Still, I
would have bet, even from an
early position.
When you ask “Have you
ever been rivered?” (Dec 1) I
am surprised that you raised
and re-raised when you could
see that a straight flush was
on. Of course you could not
pass your hand, but you sim-
ply should just have called;
even any raise.
Hindsight is a wonderful
thing though, George...Well
you did ask for opinions!
I agree 100% with your latest article (Dec 15) and feel
that your advice will be useful
to many players.
—Best wishes, keep playing,
and deal me in...
Allan Done.
Thanks for your comments.
Yes, as you say, hindsight is
better than foresight. In the
“Monster Pot” hand, I really
expected seat No. 9 -- a rather
aggressive player -- to bet
again. My plan was to checkraise. If he had bet, then I had
a chance at both
his and the other
player’s bets;
and probably
one or both might have
called my raise since the pot
already was huge.
By the way, perhaps I
should have stated it was limit
hold’em. That’s the most popular game here. On getting
“rivered,” you are absolutely
correct: I should have been
more alert to the possibility of
a straight flush. I got careless
and was carried away with
the strength of my hand -- and
didn’t give it enough thought
until he reraised.
—George “The Engineer”
Epstein
Your comments, suggestions and criticisms are always
welcome. Please send your Letters to the Editor by
e-mail to: [email protected] All letters that
you wish published here must include the name
of the author—However, you may request that
your name be withheld from publication.
CORRECTION: The scoring values in the 12/29 issue’s article on
Poker Tilts were reversed. Several readers noticed this and pointed it
out to Jim McKenna. Take the TILTS test again... Using the corrected
profile scoring below, the results table will be correct.
Your Tilting Profile. Here are some typical tilt makers. Rate yourself
and see how vulnerable you might be to going on tilt and compromising your best game. How much do these things upset you when
you are playing in a game like Texas Hold’em? Rate each behavior
from 1 to 5 as it applies to you.
5--NEVER 4--SELDOM 3--OFTEN 2--FREQUENTLY 1--ALWAYS
w
1. Another player betting/checking out of turn.
1.
2. A dealer burning and turning too soon.
2.
3. Being beat on the river by a hand that should have
folded or not played in the first place.
3.
4. A player with the “nuts” slow rolls after you think
you’ve won.
4.
5. Players checking and then raising your bet.
5.
6. Slow playing and waiting for someone else to do the betting. 6.
7. A player hiding his/her hold cards, resulting in action
behind the player.
7.
8. A new player asking players to move and make some
room (squaring-up the table).
8.
9. Getting caught bluffing (speeding).
9.
10. Folding and learning you got beat by a player who had
garbage for a hand.
10.
11. “Runner, Runner’s” who are making their hands.
11.
12. Player/Dealer not paying attention (“looking out the
window”) and slowing down the game.
12.
13. Players who orchestrate long pauses designed to
intimidate other players and then calls or folds.
13.
14. Playing your hand “perfectly” and still losing the hand.
14.
15. Chasing with good pot odds and not making your hand.
15.
16. Players chasing with total garbage hands and making it.
16.
17. Dealing failing to control the table.
17.
18. Being controlled by a player who’s more aggressive
than you are.
18.
19. Players against common table etiquette, such as
sometime chopping the blinds and refusing to when
(s)he has good cards.
19.
20. Another player openly criticizing how you played your hand. 20.
ADD RATINGS FOR ALL BEHAVIORS
SEE BELOW THE MEANING OF YOUR SCORE
TOTAL
YOUR TILT PROFILE SCORE...
80 - 100 You are an excellent player and you handle everyday stress.
60 – 80 You can be somewhat controlled and may need to
get up and take a walk
more often when “stuff
happens.”
40 – 60 Don’t quit your day job
20 – 40 You are probably the table
pigeon and a tilter’s
delight.
1 – 20 Seriously consider getting
some anger management
help.
**Note: Another way to use the profile is to rank order from one to
twenty your tilt makers. “1” is most
often to “20” your least often tilts.
Wendeen’s Movers & Shapers
few players, the public
focused more on the hands
and the money, than the individual players in the game, but
stars are rapidly emerging on
the scene all around the world.
Discussions of a poker tournament player association are
also in the wind, with an
informal confab of some
dozen interested “committee
members” having already
taken place and more
prospects seem to be flying
out of the wings. .
Poker Celebrities are
Coming on Strong
The emphasis of the MSPs list
this year is in America where
the game is hotter than ever
and Becky Behnen’s World
Series of Poker (WSOP) at
Binion’s Horseshoe in Las
Vegas remains as the stage for
the richest tournament on the
poker planet. In 2003 WSOP
Media Director Nolan Dalla
made the most of the opportunities for the “Shoe” and for
the hard-working stars that
make the requisite yearly pilgrimage there. Also in 2003,
WSOP World Champions
Johnny Chan (of Rounders
fame), Phil Hellmuth (of
genius self-marketing fame)
and the legendary Doyle
Brunson (SuperSystem fame)
who had taken a sabbatical
from WSOP competition for
several years all renewed their
bragging rights, each with his
ninth coveted WSOP bracelet
at the WSOP. And T.J.
Cloutier, the most famous
bridesmaid in its championship events continues to
rake in millions of chips in his
showings at final tables.
Calling the names of all
WPT winners
Ron Rose leads the parade of
WPT Champions that were
crowned in 2003; Ron took
the Big One,” the Battle of
Champions. David
“Devilfish” Ulliott, Christer
Johansson, Gus (Gustav)
Hanson, Layne Flack (WPT
Pro-Celebrity Invitational)
Howard Lederer, Alan
Goehring, David Benyamine,
Mel Judah, Clonie Gowen
(Ladies Invitational), Noli
Francisco, Erick Lindgren,
Hoyt Corkins, and Paul
Phillips round out the roster .
The Hendon Mob
Across the Pond and around
the world the poker players
known as the Hendon Mob are
strutting their stuff. With Prima
Poker sponsorships for their
tournaments and a website that
notes they have played forty
tournaments in six venues on
their Prima tour, netting 27
final table finishes, 35 money
finishes and 8 trophies
“Mobsters” Barney Boatman,
brother Ross Boatman, Joe
Beevers and Ram Vaswani are
proving themselves as a package of stars.
More Men at the Top
of their Game
Among those at the top of
their game, in the top rankings, are Amir Vahedi (the
best in the country this year)
along with Scotty Nguyen
and Men (the Master)
Nguyen; all three are reportedly backed for three tournaments by a start-up financial
management company that is
raising funds for investors in
the game.
Chip Jett, David Pham
Charlie “Scotty Warbucks”
Shoten and Barry Greenstein
who won the $100,000 Buy In
Stud Tournament (the highest
buy-in tournament in history)
at the Hustler and Robert
Williamson III arguably the
most popular player in the
country were also standouts
this year.
Rounding out the most collectively visible super achievers among able males were:
Phil Ivy, Daniel Negreanu,
“Miami” John Cernuto,
Mohammed Ibrahim, WSOP
2000 Champion Chris
(“Jesus”) Ferguson, and
John Juanda. And then there
is the trio of Gus Hansen,
Paul Phillips (the Empiricist)
and Mel Judah (the
Australian winner at the
Bicycle Casino WPT event)
who are making a habit of
appearing at final tables in big
events. Judah and Phillips
were the last WPT heads-up
combatants permitted to
“make a deal” in WPT events.
Person of the Year Steve
Lipscomb has put an end to
these negotiations to avoid
confusion and criticism by television executives, media
reporters and viewers.
(Cont’d from page 5)
regarded as the best woman
player on the planet. Men
beware: she pounds players of
both sexes into submission at
the tables. Annie Duke the
scholarly supermom with a
“big personality” (her words
during combat at the 2003
WPT Invitational) and a penchant for hitting the plus column in tournament competition, scored an interview by
People Magazine and Kathy
Liebert, the only woman ever
awarded a million dollar poker
prize (Party Poker Million
2002) is at the top of every
reporter’s interview prospect
list. Texan beauty Clonie
Gowen who beat Harmon,
Duke and Liebert at the WPT
Ladies Invitational at the
Bicycle Club Casino is so
busy fielding media inquiries
that she is now represented by
entertainment lawyer/poker
management company executive Keith Fleer; he is reviewing myriad opportunities for
her and has already landed her
an audition on a television
game show. And Yours Truly
shamelessly informs you that
in 2003 her poker prowess
was pictured for a second time
in the New York Times; in
December she became the first
woman money finisher in the
Bellagio’s annual Five
Diamond WPT event.
agement company
Professional Sponsorship
Group plans to walk.
Brothers Dan and Craig
Stone with Warren Karp,
Mark Seif and Phil
Hellmuth in the “partnership” mix of PSG expect to
produce appearance fees
for players, product
endorsements and to launch
a televised poker tour. The
goal: a business that highlights their players as stars
and shifts the power and
money as well as the stardom in the direction of the
players that have spent
millions in tournament
buy-ins to put poker so
grandly on the map.
Susie Isaacs’ Designer Gaming Jewelry
is now available in Las Vegas at
Gamblers General Store
For a brochure, call
866-289-1177
702-361-4505
OR
800-322-CHIP (2447)
http:www.susieisaacs.com
702-382-9903
Poker has Gone
Hollywood in more ways
than one
And Hollywood is one of
the paths that player man-
Poker Babes are
Center Stage
In 2003 women poker players
were front and center in print
and broadcast media—especially Jennifer Harmon, the
pretty and innocent looking
female that is indisputably
LESSON 15:
Being the Player that Wins the Calls
Sales people don’t always sell in the same manner, or
get the same results. All have developed styles
intended to work for them, some getting the most
sales and profit they desire, some not.
Lessons from mike caro
university of poker
BY DIANE M C HAFFIE
I’ll bet you’ve noticed the different
ways that telemarketers, automobile
sales people, and clothing sales people try to sell you
on their products. It takes skill, not just luck, to get
you to buy what they wish to sell. The skillful ones are
going to make many more sales, which in turn results
in more money to them.
Mike says that some people make the mistake of thinking that poker is an exception to that obvious truth. It
isn’t! Poker is just like real life: The more convincing sales
person that you are, the more successful that you will be,
and the more money that will fill your pockets. Players in
poker who can make losing less painful for their opponents are going to make more money.
Something to sell. Here’s how it works: In poker, you
actually do have something to sell. Poker is largely
about selling. At MCU, we learn that the main objective of a skillful player, holding a valuable hand, is to
find a buyer. That player’s main goal is to “sell” his
hand for the highest possible price. In poker you are
surrounded by opponents just anticipating the chance
to pay the price. They are looking for a reason to
“buy.” They want to make calls because they want in
on the action.
Your opponents are just waiting for a good excuse to
call. So the stage is set and making the sale should be
easy, as long as you don’t make the mistake that so
many would-be winning players have a tendancy to
make. Too many players make the mistake of letting
their opponents feel worse than necessary about losing
to them. They make the experience unpleasant for the
other players. Losing needs to be a pleasant experience
in order for you to make your future sales successfully.
You need to create an image that will put your opponents at ease, so that they will be willing to gamble
recklessly. You want them to prefer playing against you,
instead of the others at the table. When they prefer to
lose to you, then you are the top sales person at the
table and they go out of their way to “buy” from you.
Therefore you can win the most money.
One disadvantage is that this comfortable image will
make bluffing more difficult. However, bluffing isn’t your
main objective here, especially against weak or average
opponents, whose main mistakes are calling too often.
You need to make it comfortable for those players, so
that they will intensify their mistakes by buying into
your sales pitch. They will be paying a higher price than
they really need to pay to you personally and buying
more often. This is because they like you and you are
the best salesperson at the table.
Other players at the table will merely plod along,
using their own failing techniques, wondering why you
are achieving what they couldn’t. They aren’t going to
catch on to the fact that you are actually making a
sales pitch.
The real key is to have an image that is fun and
friendly, rather than silent and somber. You’ll definitely make more sales and more profit. You’ll be the #1
Sales Person at your table. The award is just waiting
for you.
Diane McHaffie is Director of Operations at Mike Caro
University of Poker, Gaming, and Life Strategy. Her diverse
career spans banking, promotion of major financial
seminars and the raising of White-tailed Deer.
You can write her online at [email protected].
1 0 P O K E R P L AY E R J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 0 4
Sam Mudaro, BA, MBA, is a practicing tax
accountant and financial executive originally
from New York with over 35 years of analytical
business expertise. He and his wife Eva are
nine-year Las Vegas residents. Sam uses simulation software to analyze and develop strategies for Omaha Hi/Lo and other forms of poker.
You may reach him at: [email protected].
Sam Mudaro is the...
Game Types – A2, Part 3
I
ended my last article with
somewhat of a challenge
for anyone to come up with a
hand where A-2-A-3 double
suited would not be favored.
I had no idea that another
writer for a competing magazine would raise such an
issue in a column. The article
appearing in the Sep. 26
2003 issue of “Card Player”
was written by a well-known
and respected colleague, Lou
Krieger. Lou states the article
is “based on material that
will appear in slightly different form in” an up coming
book. The section in question
appears under the caption
“When Good Hands Go
Bad”. In summary the article
questions whether you should
continue to play after seeing
a flop of JaJd10d when
holding AfAs2s3f and
“… there’s a bet and a couple
of calls, and maybe a raise.”
It concludes that you should
fold. It does not offer a single statistics or any other
proof supporting the decision to fold. Interestingly it
does point out the hands you
may make and those that
you may not.
Would you continue to
play the double suited A-A2-3 if there were a bet
before it got to you? My
answer is a resounding YES.
Again I will use a tight game Would he raise? I would at
least lead with some of
to keep things as simple as
possible. The results of deal- them. I know what you are
thinking. Last time we saw
ing 250,000 hands to
the advantage of being suitAfAs2s3f with a
ed. I did not include a player
given flop of JaJd10d
who had a suited hand, and
are: You win 50% of the
hence a draw to a flush. To
time with a net average win
per hand of $7.33. Not quite be fair I ran a few of them.
The following chart exama loser. Let’s not stop here.
ines that very situation.
My astute colleague did
indicate there could be a bet
Flop
= JJ10
and maybe a raise before it
Your Hand = AA23
got to you. We can only
A Player
W%
Net
assume, if there was a bet or
94
A Player
W%
Ne
53.10%
9.71
raise, our opponent was on a
KQ
94
52.49%
53.10% 7.449.
draw, a made hand or a
9587
50.18%
52 49% 7.347
bluff. Let’s take a look at the KQ
Here we see what happens
following hands:
with this flop when our
Flop
= JJ10
opponent has a flush draw, a
Your Hand = AA23
straight flush draw and a
P1
P2
W%
Net
flush and straight draw.
J
52.05%
8.49
P1
P2
W%
Ne Hands which a person might
not only bet with, but
J
J
47.68%
0.48
J
52.05%
8.
“maybe even raise” with. It
98
6.95
J
J 49.84%
47.68%
0. is quite interesting to note
98 J 51.59%
7.32
98
49.84%
6. that when your opponent has
KQ
J 49.01%
8.56
98 J 51.59%
7. that elusive flush draw you
KQ
48.18%
8.00
win more money! Remember
Q
these examples are from a
Here are the results given
tight game. In a loose game
this flop, when you hold the
with all the raising you will
A-A-2-3 double suited and
perform much better. What
one player (P1) starts with
causes you to win more
the card(s) shown under P1
when your opponent has a
and a second player (P2)
flush draw? He tends to
starts with the hand shown
hang around longer and conunder P2, when one is
tribute more to the pot.
shown. Would a person bet
Needless to say I disagree
given these starting hands?
with this writer’s assumptions. I do agree you have no
chance at a low. This also
means that most likely you
will win or lose the entire
pot without splitting. Unless
you are up against someone
with pocket jacks and barring a straight flush, if a jack
falls you will have the nuts.
If an ace falls you will have
SATELLITE TOURNAMENT
the nuts. If the ace of diamonds falls and no one has a
Cost: $44 ($40 buy in + $4 fee)
straight flush you are sitting
real pretty. I will go with the
Time: starting Jan 12 2004, 7 days
numbers as opposed to a gut
a week at 8:00 pm
feeling or what may seem
obvious on the surface.
Details: 10 seat, single table No
So what have we
Limit Holdem tournament. The
winner receives $350 in tournament
learned? We need to decimoney to advance to Tier 3, 2nd
pher between opinion and
place receives $44 in tournament
fact in what we read.
money to buy into another Tier 2
Opinion is just that, opinion,
Tournament and 3rd place receives
unless it is backed up by
$6 in tournament money to buy into
fact. If I offer you an opinanother Tier 1 Tournament.
ion, I will clearly let you
know. Next time we will
continue with the A-2-A-3.
Get into the Game!
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on www.acesup.com
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Time: Starting Jan 12 2004, 7 days
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Details: 10 seat, single table No
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money to advance to the Tier 2 and
2nd place receives $6 in tournament
money to buy into another Tier 1
Tournament.
WPT Tier 2
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FREE Dinner Buffets at
HollyPark 10th Celebration
Hollywood Park Casino is celebrating its 10th year in business
this year and to show its appreciation, the casino is offering a
free dinner buffet to all seated
players every Friday in January.
Each Friday will feature a different menu including Italian,
Mexican, Soul, Chinese and
Persian foods. Drink specials,
balloons and more will add to
the festivities. The buffet will
be served from 6:00 PM - 9:00
PM. The Endless Summer
tournament starts back up again
on Monday, January 12 after a
brief hiatus during the Poker
Derby tournament.
Starting Thursday, January
15, the casino will offer
super satellites
for the World
Poker Tour
Nicolas Sciurba
Championship
satellite in Las
Wayne Harmon Vegas on April
17. The tournaments will be
held every Thursday with a $50
+ $15 buy-in. Winners will
receive a $2,600 seat, airfare
and accommodations in Las
Vegas. The number of seats
given away will be determined
by the size of the prize pools.
In the Pegasus Room's winner-take-all no-limit hold'em
tournaments, Wayne Harmon
won $15,900 from 38 players
on December 21 and Nicolas
Sciurba took $20,900 from 49
entrants on December 28. In
the pot-limit hold'em tournaments, Ronnie McMillan took
home $7,500 from 18 entrants
on December 20
and Beverly
Kruskol
Beverly Kruskol
walked with
$7,500 from
Ronnie McMillan 17 entrants
on December 27. Winner-takeall tournaments are held every
Friday (limit hold'em),
Saturday (pot-limit hold'em)
and Sunday (no-limit hold'em)
in the Pegasus Room.
Tournaments begin at 8:00 PM,
with satellites starting at 4:00
PM. Call Rod Peate at extension 2119 for details on the
Pegasus tournaments. See their
ad on page 3.
Poker
Player
now on Internet
The entire publication of Poker Player, ads and all,
is now available on the internet. You can read the
Current issue and all of our back issues,
in their entirety, by going to:
www.gamblingtimes.com/poker_player.
The internet version of our paper fills the need for
those players who are not close enough to a public
card room to get a copy every two weeks. There is no
subscription service for Poker Player at this time, and,
none is contemplated, however, you will be able to read
the entire paper on this web site in a timely manner.
In addition, many other features will be available in
the internet version. Planned features include: video
clip interviews of winners and final tournament
hands; chat rooms with our authors where you can
discuss their latest writings; video clips of shows in
our entertainment schedule where you can see a few
minutes to make your best selection; links to our
main advertisers web sites for additional information
and tournament sign-up; etc.
Poker Player will also be available on many other
affiliate web sites where you will be able to read this
informative periodical. A list of participating web
sites will appear in our print publication shortly.
Tunica Truck
Giveaway
Angela Williams, 5-Brenda
Williams, 6-Walt Maggio, 7Bill Hankins, 8-Billie
Wildman, 9-Ryan Goser, 10Tom Pettigrew, 11-Irwin
Ravinett, 12-Pete Hudson, 13(Continued on page 19)
Cardroom Manager Dale
Carden awards Henry Zitelli
with keys to new truck
POKER PLAYER Writer’s Bookshop
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J A N U A R Y 1 2 , 2 0 0 4 P O K E R P L AY E R 1 1
Playboy and the Past &
Future of Gambling
Poker & THE LAW
By Professor i. Nelson rose
The story of the rise, fall and recent rebirth of
Playboy as a gaming company shows us not only where legal gambling has come from, but also where it is going. Although Playboy
started as a girlie magazine in the 1950s, Hugh Hefner grew it into
an empire which, at its height, had clubs and casinos. Among the
worst financial disasters for Playboy were the losses of casino
licenses in Atlantic City and London.
Legislators get the chance to play at social engineering when
they legalize casinos. Playboy believed the New Jersey lawmakers
who said they wanted gambling conducted “in an atmosphere of
social graciousness." Its three-story casino with large picture windows was of no interest to bus-coupon day-trippers.
New regulators always start out acting tough. The N.J. Casino
Control Commission told Playboy it would only get a gaming license if
Hefner, who had had a minor run-in with the law 20 years earlier, had
nothing to do with the company, which was not about to happen.
In London, Arab oil millionaires repeatedly wrote bum checks,
which Playboy held for months, until these high-rollers came up with
cash. In 1981, the U.K. Gaming Board held that this was a form of
forbidden credit and yanked Playboy’s license. In 1999 Playboy tried
to get back into the land-based gaming business with a casino in
Rhodes. But, the Greek casino failed, as many do when hit by outrageous taxes.
Back in the U.S., branding is the hot marketing tool. Playboy
recently licensed Bally to make slot machines with its name and
bunny logo, one of the best known trademarks in the world.
Famous brands are not just well-known names. They are linked
with images and memories. They stir feelings: at a minimum trustworthiness, but often nostalgia, fun, and more. Men who bought
Playboy magazines and videos as boys will make Playboy Slots a
success, even though the machines are not particularly interesting.
Players seeking titillation will be disappointed; the Nevada Gaming
Control Board insisted that there be no nudity.
Bally’s Playboy Slots show other limits on modern gaming
devices. A slot machine can never be as entertaining as a video
game. Older players in particular do not want to learn a complicated new game in a public casino.
Game developers are not stretching their imaginations. Gaming
executive Tony Fontaine noted that the Playboy Slot does not even
have the voice and image of a Playmate consoling the player when
he loses or congratulating him when he wins.
The next stage for gaming is the Internet. Playboy, with a
Gibraltar license, takes bets from dozens of countries. But, as an
American corporation, it cannot risk opening its Internet casino or
sports books to U.S. residents. Playboy jumped on the opportunity
to accept at-home wagering on horse races when the federal law
was amended in December 2000.
Playboy.com offers free games to entices freebee casino players
to spend their money on other products. And Playboy.com is ready
to go, if U.S. laws change.
Playboy.com cannot beat the gross porn sites. So it went with its
strengths and offers strip poker and strip-tack-toe. Since the games are
commercial come-ons, they are rigged so that the player always wins.
The presentation is still primitive, with still photos, but the games
are a glimpse into the future. Web operators are beginning to realize that they can offer games not available in the “real” world.
Video poker may be the most popular game in U.S. casinos. But I
bet you will never see a video strip poker game – except online.
©Copyright 2003, all rights reserved worldwide GAMBLING AND THE LAW® is a registered trademark of Professor I Nelson Rose, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA
Professor I. Nelson Rose is recognized as one of the world’s
leading authorities on gambling law. A Harvard Law School
graduate, he is a tenured full Professor at Whittier Law
School in Costa Mesa, California. He is the author of more
than 500 published works, is an internationally known public speaker and has served as an expert witness and consultant to governments and industry. Web Site:
www.GamblingAndTheLaw.com
Wendeen’s Movers & Shapers
Cash Game Celebrities
Public poker rooms have put
high stakes poker players in
roped-off sections with sightseers and regulars ogling the
fast action if they can get near
enough to see. At Bellagio the
railbirds crane their necks for
a glimpse of Andy Beale the
deep pocketed Texas banking
genius who strolls into town
for a little 10/20 or 20/40 (that
is $10,000/$20,000 or
$20,000/ $40,000), on the turn
of a single card.
Stay long enough at
Bellagio and you’ll trip past
many of the folks already
mentioned as well as the likes
of Erik Seidel (Rounders),
Jason Lester, David Grey,
Ben Roberts, and Chip
Reese (who is invariably
joined by Bellagio CEO
Bobby Baldwin at other
poker properties) or check out
the passenger list on Larry
Flynt’s or Lyle Berman’s
private aircraft as they transport the stars of the game
(with whom they play high
stakes) from one tournament
venue to another.
Poker Celebrity of
the Year
Among the celebrity poker
players on the scene, however,
no one else has created the
electricity that Ben Affleck
brings to the table, especially
when Jennifer Lopez arrives
at his side. From Foxwoods to
California and back in Atlantic
City, Affleck is eagerly participating in tournaments and
side games. And movie actor
Lou Diamond Phillips is also
making his mark, not only on
the big screen but as a poker
player and as a teacher in a
WPT special that is designed
to enlighten beginners about
the game.
Seminars of the Year
In the spring enlightenment
took another turn for the better
in the poker world with Tina
Napolitano and husband
Mark Napolitano (founder of
PokerPages) center stage.
They took their on-line poker
school students to Jack
Binion’s World Poker Open
for a conference that featured
the best and the brightest of
the industry as live professors.
This past summer, Linda
Johnson (no introduction
needed), and her partner Jan
Fisher (also her right and left
hand) along with brainy businessman partner Mark
Tenner served up a stellar
educational program in collaboration with Mike Caro and
Mike Caro University. It
played to an SRO audience at
the Orleans Casino. The
WPPC honchos bought a
bonus from the entrepreneurial
Bonnie Damiano with a CD
of the proceedings to preserve
the learning experience for
those who could not attend.
The Media has gotten
the Message; except
about the amazing
Nani Dollison.
In a year in which poker and
poker players have been
depicted and defined with
unprecedented publicity, best
selling author James Mc
Manus’ adventure has introduced the public to the magnetism of the game, the
intriguing players and the mix
of old and new world poker, a
bridge he builds in the course
of his own self discovery as a
poker player both at the table
and away from it.
Last, but by no means least
in the round-up of distinguished “players” in the poker
world is Katy Lederer, not
much of a poker player at the
tables but a brilliant writer
who snapshots her girlhood in
a family of gamblers, two of
whom are world class poker
players. Her sister Annie Duke
is the second highest WSOP
female money winner— the
media (and Binion’s
Horseshoe) have erred in not
correctly reporting since 2001
that the unsung single mom
Nani Dollison is #1— at the
top of the heap for money
winnings by a female at the
WSOP. Katy’s brother is
Howard Lederer, Most
Valuable Player in the world
of Movers and Shapers of the
Poker World during 2003.
Ms. Eolis has nine prize-winning performances in major
poker competitions. Seven are
record-setters for a woman,
including her 20th place cash
finish (the only woman to
cash) at the 2003 Bellagio
Five Diamond WPT.event .
She is CEO of EOLIS and former first assistant to Governor
Pataki. Ms. Eolis has been
the subject of feature stories,
in the New York Times and
varied media, nationwide
including profiles on Court
TV, A&E’s Biography and in
GQ Magazine. An acclaimed
lecturer on the duality of
poker between the card table
and the conference table, Ms.
Eolis may be reached at...
[email protected].
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you who have been reading
this series would probably
conclude that I advocate tight
play. Well, you would be
right but don’t forget to be
aggressive once you’ve decided to enter the fray!
Of course, the flip side of
the bulk of my “tight” advice
is that you can find
yourself playing
too tight. What
did he just say?
Yes, playing too
tight could limit
your chances of put-
our ongoing quest to
improve our play
In
through a self appraisal
process in order to identify
weaknesses or leaks and then
to set goals to eliminate these
weaknesses, we’ve concentrated on common leaks that
seem prevalent in many an
intermediate player’s game.
We’ve discussed leaks such as
playing weak holdings, pursuing slim draws when the odds
don’t justify proceeding and
just plain playing too many
hands to name a few. All of
these temptations to play
Additional Outs
below optimum
ting yourself in a position to
strategy erode bankrolls over
get lucky. And we all know
time. The worst thing that
that luck is certainly an elecan happen to a beginner or
ment of poker. We’ve all
intermediate player is for his
tossed our junk into the muck,
poor play to be rewarded by
pre-flop, only to see that it
winning. This tends to reinwould have become a full
force the poor play because
house or four of a kind. So
it’s working!! But over time
these weaknesses will just eat what! That’s part of the game
and no reason to all of a sudup a bankroll like termites
den begin reducing your startdestroying a house. Those of
ing standards. That would be
the road to the poor house.
I’m not suggesting reducing
your starting standards but to
better evaluate if you should
proceed from the flop forward
when the flop doesn’t hit you
like you had hoped.
Once most players call or
I
Walker Wins Two at
Commerce
(Continued from page 1)
players to win the December
7 event. A more detailed listing of the winners follows.
COMMERCE CASINO 12/14/2003
NO LIMIT SUNDAYS
BUY-IN $330
PLAYERS 36
REBUYS 18
PRIZE POOL
NO LIMIT SUNDAYS
$16,200
BUY-IN $330
PLAYERS 84
REBUYS 45
PRIZE POOL
$38,700
1. Jorge Walker . . . . . . . .$15,480
Cerritos, CA
2. Lou Diamond Phillips . .$8,900
L.A, CA
3. Richang Chang . . . . . . .$4,645
Mission Viejo, CA
4. Johann Mendoza . . . . . .$2,710
Diamond Bar, CA
5. Hong Tran . . . . . . . . . . .$2,125
Gullermo Magdalena
Downey, CA
6. Dennis Cardinale . . . . . .$1,740
San Pedro, CA
7. Jeff Gould . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,355
Studio City, CA
8. Albert Song . . . . . . . . . . . .$965
Pasadena, CA
1. Gullermo Magdalena . .$8,100
2. Joon Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4,860
3. Edward Zeltser . . . . . . .$3,240
NO LIMIT SUNDAYS
9. Bobby Nguyen . . . . . . . . . .$780
BUY-IN $330
PLAYERS 43
REBUYS 22
PRIZE POOL
Orange, CA
NO LIMIT SUNDAYS
$19,500
BUY-IN $330
PLAYERS 58
REBUYS 29
PRIZE POOL
$26,100
1. Jorge Walker . . . . . . . .$10,440
Cerritos, CA
2. JP Arrue . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6,005
Encino, CA
3. Farah Bonyadi . . . . . . . .$3,390
Huntington Bch, CA
4. Michael Christian . . . . .$2,350
Riverside, CA
5. Mel Wiener . . . . . . . . . . .$2,090
Los Angeles, CA
6. Bill Tesene . . . . . . . . . . .$1,825
Santa Maria, CA
A DV E RT I S E I N
POKER
PLAYER
I T WO R KS !
Paul Davis
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Paul Davis . . . . . . . . . . .$8,775
Jack Boghossian . . . . . .$4,875
Tom Spigel . . . . . . . . . . .$2,925
Luis Gonzales . . . . . . . . .$1,950
Grady Talbot . . . . . . . . . . .$975
this hand and pat themselves
on the back that they are disciplined enough to get away
from a hand that is apparently
going uphill. The flop may
not have been what you had
wished for but this hand still
has potential value. Sure, it’s a
23-1 shot to hit your back door
Tom “TIME” Leonard is no stranger to the green felt. He has played
poker for more than 30 years and became a serious student of the game
10 years ago. Over the years his business travel allowed him to play regularly in the cardrooms of Atlantic City, Las Vegas and California. Tom moved
to Las Vegas three years ago but still continues to play frequently in
just hit runner/runner.
Our goal for this session is
to take into account all of our
outs that exist once we see the
flop. Do we still hold over
cards to the board? Do we
have a back door straight or
flush draw? These additional
outs can make proceeding
California. He began writing about the game in 1994 and his work has appeared
in Card Player Magazine and Poker Digest. His poker and business career have
spanned 30 years and he is fond of saying that his experience as a sales and
marketing professional have helped him hone his skills at “selling” a hand and
“buying” a pot. Tom can be contacted at: [email protected].
mproving Performance
for that matter raise pre-flop
they visualize what a good
flop for their hand might be.
What if that flop isn’t ideal but
contains additional outs that
might lead you to a winner
you had not originally envisioned? An example might be
entering a pot with Ace/Ten
unsuited. The flop comes
three uncoordinated under
cards but with two of the suit
of your Ace. Many players
when then bet into will muck
flush but when combined with
the six additional outs from
your over cards, it is certainly
worth seeing the turn for one
bet. Hitting one of these 23-1
runner/runner marvels can also
help put an opponent who had
a legitimate flush draw on tilt.
You know how annoying (an
understatement, but this is a
family publication) it is to make
your flush draw on the turn and
then have it counterfeited on
the river to a higher flush who
PART 13
worthwhile. You should also
always be aware of what the
nut hand is so that if you
don’t possess it you are at
least aware of how close or
far away you are from it. So,
if you don’t hit the flop as
you envisioned, take a
moment to evaluate if your
hand now has new and different potential. If your hand
has several ways to become a
winner, consider giving it the
chance to realize its potential.
Commerce Schedules
January Tournaments
Commerce Casino is offering opportunities for players
to win a free entry into the
L.A. Poker Classic/WPT $1
million guaranteed No Limit
Hold’em Championship
event on February 21st via a
special series of satellite
tiers that starts with $120
buy-in one-table satellites
every Tuesday, Thursday &
Saturday at 11:00am,
2:00pm, 5:00pm, & 8:00pm..
Each winner of the one-table
$120 satellite receives an
entry into a $1,060 satellite,
which will run from January
29 – February 20 at 9:00pm.
Winners of the $1,060 satellites receive a free entry into
the $10,000 buy in World
Poker Tour No Limit
Hold’em Championship
event.. Scheduled for
January 29 – February 24,
Commerce Casino’s 2004
L.A. Poker Classic boasts
two $1 million guaranteed
events. Incidentally,
Commerce Casino is also
hosting an on-going series of
no limit hold’em tournaments every Sunday at
5:00pm. See story elsewhere on December’s
events.
Commerce Casino’s
Winter Quarterly Pan
Tournament is scheduled for
January 20-21, 2004.
Featuring a guaranteed first
place prize of $10,000, the
two-day tournament posts a
$200 entry fee that includes
$25 in tournament chips and
complimentary buffets on
both days. A special early
bird competition will be
held on January 19 and a
bonus final elimination
tournament will follow on
January 22.
PALMS POKER ROOM PRESENTS
Poker Giveaway
Monday through Friday
Play in the Poker Room with your Club Palms Card.
Whenever you hit a flush in diamonds
you’ll be entered to win $100 cash!
Four Per$100
$400 Daily! Winners
Day!
See Poker Room for rules and complete details. Must be 21. Management reserves all rights.
(702) 942-7777
4321 W. Flamingo Rd. • Las Vegas, NV 89103 • www.palms.com
©2004 Fiesta Palms LLC. All rights reserved.
Johnny, With All Due
Respect, I Don’t Agree...
SENIORS SCENE
By George “The engineer” EPSTEIN
Oklahoma Johnny Hale is a credit to all senior
citizens who enjoy playing poker. He and his wife, Carol,
have done a super job in promoting tournaments for seniors with proceeds going to worthy charities. He writes
columns on poker for both Poker Player and GamingToday,
both under the heading “Back in the Saddle Again.”
In a column published in GamingToday (August 4-11,
2003), Oklahoma Johnny wrote about “Playing to win or
just for fun?”
Johnny, you said, “senior poker players are really not
playing in the poker game to win money. They are playing for the fun and/or sociability of the game.”
Representing other seniors (I turned 77 y.o. in
November, which qualifies me), I think we all agree that
we seek fun and perhaps some degree of sociability. But
– and I believe most other seniors will agree with me —
we do play to WIN MONEY. Indeed, as my wife, Irene,
used to say (she died seven years ago): “Winning is
FUN!” That’s right. Winning is FUN! Losing is not fun; I
hate to lose.
Of course, you are correct when you suggest that even
the most skilled among us cannot expect to win all the
time. When I first started playing WINNING Poker (using
my four basic rules and strategies), I would win two-thirds
of the time. With “practice” I soon got up to about 70
percent of my sessions; and now I am a winner at over 80
percent of my poker sessions. And I think it is great fun
when I go home a winner. It makes me feel real good; it
was great fun! (I am still honing my money-management
skills so I can quit a winner even more often.)
I don’t mean to berate anyone who plays against the
odds. But, Johnny, I must tell you that I classify people
who play too many hands, especially those hands that
are not worthy of the initial investment, as
PokerPigeons. They are defying the odds and deserve to
lose. In the long run, they will contribute their $$$ to
the PokerSharks who play by the rules for winning. You
call this playing in a “fun mode.” I fail to see where
there is any enjoyment –or fun – in losing your money.
Certainly, we agree when you say, “It is easy to see that
you cannot often win if you play in this fun mode.”
Perhaps it is a matter of values: For me it’s winning
that is fun; whereas, as you imply, for others it’s just the
excitement of playing the game that is “fun.” The more
hands they play, the more “fun” it is for them. (They
don’t need to be patient or to exercise self-discipline.)
The Cost to Play. Yes, as Oklahoma Johnny points
out, it costs to play. His estimate of about $10 per hour
in a low-limit game is reasonable, covering the house
rake and tips to dealers. As he points out, that adds up
to quite a few $$$ over a period of time. He calls this
the “overhead.” That’s an apt analogy. It just means I
have to win a bit more to go home a WINNER! That’s all
the more reason to play by the Basic Rules for Winning
at the Game of Poker – and really having FUN!
So what’s your opinion?
George “The Engineer” Epstein is the author of “The Greatest
Book of Poker for Winners!” A retired engineer who received
many industry and government awards and commendations,
he continues to be active by consulting, editing an international technical newsletter, teaching an engineering course at
UCLA, and serving as an officer in a professional engineering
society. One engineering society has a scholarship in George’s
honor. In writing his poker book, he applied the lessons
learned while working as an engineer to solve problems. He is
currently writing his next book on The Four Rules for Success
in Life and Living. He can be reached by e-mail:
[email protected]
Card Room Roundup
Sunset Station
1301 West Sunset Road, Henderson, NV 89014
(702) 547-7777 Poker Room (702) 547-7671
(888) 319-4655 website: www.sunsetstation.com
Sunset Station Hotel &
Casino has been voted “Best
Locals Hotel & Casino” five
years in a row by the Las
Vegas Review-Journal
Readers Poll. Located in
Henderson, just a short 15minute drive from the Las
Vegas Strip, this first-class
property is a great place for a
ticipating poker rooms are:
Boulder Station, Texas Station
and Palace Station. The losing
hand is awarded $35,000 and
$20,000 is given for the winning hand. Additionally, any
Hold’em player who is seated
at any of the four Station
Casinos’ poker rooms is guaranteed a minimum of $200
January, any players logging
30 or more hours of play are
eligible for a “Free Roll
Tournament” with $2,500 in
cash, plus additional prizes and
trophies that will be awarded
to the top players in both a
men’s and women’s division.
Special “Ladies Only
Hold’em Tournaments” are
held the last Sunday of every
month. The buy-in is $35 and
one $20 re-buy is permitted
within the first hour. All early
risers are also welcome to
play in Sunset Station’s
“Morning Limit and No Limit
Sunset
Station
Exterior
friendly poker game, plus it
also offers something for virtually everyone in the family.
There’s a 457-room hotel,
seven restaurants, a fast-food
court, 13 movie theaters, a
500-seat concert lounge, a
5,000-seat amphitheater for
headliner entertainment, plus
a Kid’s Quest supervised
childcare center. And for
those looking to take a chance
with Lady Luck, there’s a
110,000-square-foot casino
with more than 3,000 slot
machines, 55 gaming tables, a
sports/race book, a bingo hall
and, of course, a poker room.
Sunset Station’s poker room
offers 12 tables (the most of
any Station Casino) with the
following games and limits:
$1-$5 Seven Card Stud; $4-$8
Omaha (high only) with a $2$4 blind; $2-$4 Hold’em; $4$8 Hold’em with a $2-$4 blind
and a half-kill; $3-$6-$9
Hold’em; and $6-$12 Hold’em
(Fridays and Saturdays only)
with a half-kill.
As is the case with all
Station Casino poker rooms,
the Sunset room, is a participant in a special Jumbo
Hold’em Bad Beat
Progressive that starts at
$100,000. The other three par-
when the Jumbo Jackpot is
hit. More than $750,000 in
cash was awarded to players
in 2003. Sunset Station also
offers regular Bad Beat jackpots starting at $10,000 for all
of their other games.
Sunset Station poker players can earn food comps by
using their Boarding Pass
cards. They simply need to
make sure that their card is
swiped by a member of the
room’s staff when they begin
playing and they will earn $1
per hour, up to a maximum of
$12 in a 24-hour period.
Poker players are also eligible
for discounted room rates.
“Normally it’s $45 during the
week and $79 on weekends,
but it could be higher during
holiday periods” says Jackie
Graybill, Sunset Station’s
poker room manager.
“Actually, we’re pretty liberal
with our requirement and
player’s only need a couple of
hours of play per day to qualify for that special casino
rate.”
There are also frequent promotions for poker players.
This past November and
December a free jacket was
given to anyone who logged at
least 50 hours of play. In
Live Poker Tournaments” that
take place Monday through
Saturday. Just call the Sunset
poker room for details on the
type of games and times that
are being offered.
Sunset Station gives free
poker lessons for beginning
players every Sunday at 2:00
pm and Monday at 11:00 am.
Then, following each lesson,
there is a live $2-$4 Hold’em
game with a reduced buy-in
of only $20 rather than $40.
It’s a great way to learn the
ropes and all participating
players are also eligible for a
chance at the Bad Beat
Progressive Jackpot.
For more information on the
Sunset Station poker room, call
them directly at (702) 5477671, or visit their website at
www.sunsetstation.com.
Poker Room Manager
Jackie Graybill
Time...........Some H.......Hold’em
L .................Limit
N ...........No Limit
7 .Seven Card
Stud
O........Omaha
C
events start
O after the hour
D AP ....................AM
E Wk....................PM
..............Week
Denotes Advertiser
REGION/Cardroom(Ad Pg.)
H/L ......High/Low
Split
Pi ........Pineapple
Po.........Pot Limit
Pn.......Panginque
S ...........Stud
5....Five Card
Stud
Mx ..Mexican Poker
DC.Dealer’s Choice
HH....Headhunter
B ...........Bounties
MONDAY
Time Games
Sp ............Spread
Al .......Alternates
F .............Freeroll
Z .........Freezeout
Q..............Qualify
Sh.........Shootout
TUESDAY
Buy-in Time
Games
#M ..# of players
maximum
RB..........Re-buys
AO..........Add Ons
Cz ..............Crazy
E .......Elimination
WEDNESDAY
Buy-in Time Games
DAILY TOURNAMENTS
Note: All tournaments are subject to change. Check with the Cardroom for any updates.
Cardrooms-please send your schedules to Tournament Editor Joel Gausten,
[email protected]
THURSDAY
Buy-in Time Games
NV Bellagio
SOUTH Binion’s Horseshoe
Cannery Casino
Luxor
Mandalay Bay
Mirage (5)
Nevada Palace
The Orleans
10A
LH
12P H Z (41M)
7P
SQ
8:30PH Z (41M)
10A H Z (30M)
7P
10A
12P
7P
H
H
O H/L
NH
Sahara
Sam’s Town (11)
H
Sunset Station (2) 10A
Oasis-Mesquite
Col.Belle-Laughlin
10A
Pi Z
7P
HB
Cactus Petes-Jackpot
7P
Pi
Texas Station (2) 11A O H/L Sp
NV Boomtown
NORTH Eldorado
Harvey's Tahoe
Peppermill
Rainbow Casino, Wendover
7P
H
$22Z
$25
F
$25
$30
$60RB$40AO$40
$18
$20RB$10
$20RB$10
10A
LH
$22Z
12P H Z (41M)
$25
7P
HQ
F
8:30PH Z (41M)
$25
10A H Z (30M)
$30
6P O 8Z (30M)
$30
7P
N H $60RB$40AO$40
10A
H
$19
12P
H
$20RB$10
7P
S
$20RB$10
$18AO$2 10A
$12 10A
$25RB$10AO$20
$15RB$10
$24 11A
7P
O
Pi Z
O H/L Sp
O H/L
10A
LH
12P H Z (41M)
8:30PH Z (41M)
10A H Z (30M)
6P N H Z (30M)
7P
LH
10A
H
12P
O H/L
7P
H
7P
NH
$18AO$2 10A
NH
$23RB(1)$10AO$2 10A
6P
NH
$20RB$10
$12 10A
Pi Z
$12 10A
7P Wk1 H
$110 7P
7P
NH
F RB$10
$24 11A O H/L Sp
$24 11A
$25RB25 7P
OH
$25RB25
NH
H
H
H
NH
LH
$13RB$5AO$10
$25
$15
$12
Viejas
10A
6P
HB
H
$12 10A
$12 6P
CA Casino Morongo
INLAND
EMPIRE Lake Elsinore
10A
5O
10A
O H/L
$10RB$10AO$10 10A
7P
$17RB$5AO(2)$5 10A
6P
H
H
O H/L
H
$10RB$10AO$10 10A
$30RB#10AO$20
$17RB$5AO(2)$5 10A
F RB$10AO(2)$10
CA Bicycle Club
L.A.
12P
7P
O H/L
O H/L
$15RB$10 12P
$15RB$10 6P
LH
7 H/L
$15RB$10 12P
$15RB$10 6P
NH
NH
12P
11A
NH
S H/L
$15RB$10 12P
$17RB$10 11A
O H/L
B NH
7P
$15RB$10 12P
$17RB$10 11A
Pn
S H/L
O H/L
11A
L H $28RB(1)$20AO(1)$20 11A
11A
12P
H
$50 7P
7
$15RB$10AO$10 11A
Sp L H
$40RB$40 7P
1P
NH Sh
$20
NH
$40RB(1)$40 6P
LH
Sp L H
H
H
H
H
H Sh
7P
H/O H/L
Cache Creek
California Grand
Casino San Pablo
Garden City
Gold Rush
Kelly’s Card Room
Lucky Chances
Oaks Card Club
Sonoma Joe's
Cliff Castle Casino
Desert Diamond
Fort McDowell
Gila River/Wild Horse Pass
Gila River-Vee Quiva
Hon-Dah Casino
Paradise Casino
Sonoma Joe’s Casino
7P
11A
7P
6P
10A
10A
10A
6P
10A
O H/L
H/O
LH
NH
OB
H
O H/L
$13RB$5AO$10
$25
$15
$12
10A
7P
11A
6P
10A
12P
7P
H Sh
H
H Sh
S Sh
Varies
H
LH
6P
Flop
12P
H
$12
$20
$15
$15
$5
$32RB$20
$55
$12 10A
$12 6P
$25RB$5AO$25
$125 7P
$12 10A
11A
H Sh
6P
12P
H
NH
$15 11A
6P
$10 10A
$10RB$10 12P
7P
$15+$5 11A
F 6P
HB
H Sh F
O H/L
H
OB
O
$12 10A
F 6P
$12 10A
$12
$10RB$10AO$10 10A
7P
$17RB$5AO(2)$5 10A
H
H
O H/L
$15RB$10 12P
$15RB$10 6P
9P
$40
$15RB$10 12P
$17RB$10 11A
7 H/L
LH
NH
$50RB$20AO$40
$77
$55
$50
$15RB$10AO$10
$40RB$40AO$40
$15
$20
$40RB(1)$40
$60RB$50AO$50
$20RB$20(1)
11A
11A
6P
7P
11A
7P
1P
H
BH
LH
H
H
O
7
H
H Sh
$25RB$15 7P
7P
H Sh
O H/L
Varies
H
NH
HB
H
$125
$12 10A
H Sh
$12 10A
$15
$30
$5
$32RB$20
$55
$15+$5
$10
11A
H Sh
6P
12P
12P
11A
6P
H
NH
Men H/O
HB
O H/L
NH
S
$20 7P
$10
NH
$35RB(1)$30 7P
NH
$35RB$20 7P
7
$35 12P
7
$10RB$10 6P
KS Harrah’s Prarie Band Casino 12P
6P
NH
7
$20RB$10AO 12P
$20RB$10AO 6P
6P
O H/L
$10RB$5
$15 11A
$10 10A
$10RB$10
$5 12P
$15+$5
$25
LA Grand Coushatta
NH
$12 10A
$25RB$10AO$20
Pi Z
$60RB(1)$50
$25 10A H (41M)
$25 12P H (41M)
$25 8:30PH Z (41M)
5P
$18 10A
$30RB(1)$20 12P
$20RB$10 7P
7P
$40RB(1)$20 7P
$23RB(1)$10AO$2
6P
$12 10A
6P
5P
O H/L
NH
H
7
7P
12P
12P
Ladies S
H/O
H
11A
H
7P
N H/O
$20RB$10AO 12P
$40 6P
7P
6P
11A
S
$40 7P
H
F RB(1)$15AO$100 6P
$15 7P
7P
$35RB$15AO(1)$20
NH
H
$10RB$10AO 3P
$40RB$20AO 6P
H
NH
NY Turning Stone
1P
ND Dakota Magic
7P
S
F RB$10 7P
OR Chinook Winds Casino
4P
H
$25RB(1)$5AO(1)$5 4P
SD Dakota Sioux
6P
S H/L
H
$25RB$5 1P
7P
H
$50Z
7P
V
V 7P
H
$55RB(1)$45
HB
H
12P
$35RB(1)$15 12P
$5RB$15AO$25
H
H
$5RB$15 12P
$35RB(1)$15 12P
11A
4P
10A
11A
5P
NH
NH
O
NH
NH
$30 7P
H
$60 7P
$20RB(1)$10 6P
$25 11A
$35
H
S
$25 6P
$15 7P
S
H
$25RB$5 7P
$35RB$10
NH
NH
$30RB$10 7P
S H/L
O H/L $25RB(1)$5AO(1)$5 4P
$20
$20
$15RB(2)$10
$20
$13RB$10
7P
H
11A
4P
10A
11A
5P
NHB
NH
H.O.T.
NH
NH
8P
V
10A
$13RB$5AO$10 11A
$25 10A
N H $120RB$100AO$100
H
$18
NH
$30RB(1)$20
H
$60RB(1)$50
NH
$40RB$20
N H $40RB(1)$20AO$20
L/N H
Pi Z
H
F
$12
F RB$20
$22
NH
LH
HB
H
$22RB$11
H
$20
H
NH
HB
$13 10A
$12RB$10AO$10 6P
$12 10A
H
LH
H/O/S
F
$17
$12
$10RB$10AO$10 11A
H
$10RB$10AO$10 12P
H
$17RB$5AO(2)$5 10A
F 5P
O H/L
H
$12 10A
$22 6P
$12 10A
$20
$40
Pn
LH
NH
LH
$40
$25RB
$17RB$10
$325RB(1)$300
H
H Sh
LH
$33RB(1)$30
$22RB$11 10A
$23RB$10AO$20
$15 10A
H HH
Pn
O H/L
NH
O H/L
HB
LH
7P
1P
6P
11A
8P
LH
Pn
Mx
7
Po H
$99 11A
Sp L H
2P
$15RB$10AO$10 11A
7P
$15 1P
5P
$55 10A
12P
H
NH
Sp L H
H Sh
NF
H
Varies
H
$5RB$5AO$5
$17RB$5AO(2)$5 3P
F RB$10AO(2)$10
O H/L
F RB$10AO(2)$10
1P
6P
Pn
H HH
$33
$20RB$10
$15RB$10
$40 1P
F RB$10
$17RB$10 11A
$325RB(1)$300 8P
Pn
$40
LH
NH
$22RB$10
$325RB(1)$300
6P
$70RB(1)$60 11A
NH
H
$49RB$20AO$40
$70RB(1)$60
$50
$15RB$10AO$10
$120RB(1)$100
$15
F
$55
$65RB$50AO$50
2P
H
$50
7P
H
$60RB$40
6P
6P
1P
6P
NH Sh
NH
LH
O H/L F
$20
$220
$65RB(2)$50
RB$10
3P
2P
$25RB$10AO$30 1P
H
O H/L
7F
$20RB$10
$25
H Sh
$12
H Sh
$15
11A
H Sh
$15
Varies
$5
11A
LH
$15
11A
$10
$13 1P
HB
$15+$5
H
O H/L
H
$13
$10 12P
S
12P
$10 12P
NH
S
$50
$10
10A
H
$35RB(1)$15 10A
LH
$30 12P Ladies H/S
3P
1P
S H/L
8P
L/N H
11A
S
F$5
7
$35RB(1)$15
6P
NH
$50RB(1)$40
2P
N H/O
$70RB$30AO$50
$30RB$15AO(1)$20
NH
$100 10A
12P
$8RB$4
$25Z 5P
6P
HB
O H/L
NH
$50RB$20 1P
F RB$10 7P
$25RB$5AO$10 4P
H
$35 7P(1st Wk)H
$25
$20
$15RB(2)$10
$20
$13RB$10
11A
4P
10A
11A
5P
NH
NH
H
NH
NH
$110 7P
$20
$20
$15RB(2)$10
$20
$13RB$10
11A
4P
10A
11A
5P
LH
12P
H
H/L Sp Z
O H/L
NH
H.O.T.
NH
NH
F$5RB(2)$5AO$5 12P
$30 4P
NH
Varies
$25RB$5
NH
6P
S H/L
11A
4P
10A
11A
NH
NH
O
NH
10A
H Sh
1P Wk1 N H
$10RB$10AO$10 12P
7
$10
$60RB(1)$50
$10RB(3)$5AO$5
Varies
Varies
Varies
NH
H
11A
NH
2P
NH
$25RB(1)$5AO(1)$5
$10RB$5 4P
O H/L
$20
$20
$15RB(2)$10
$20
11A
4P
10A
11A
2P
O H/L
NH
H
NH
NH
O
S
$30RB(1)$15
$15RB$10
$60RB(1)$50
O H/L
$10
12P
S H/L
$50
$20RB$10 5P
O H/L
$20RB(1)$10
12P
Varies
$35
$25RB$5
$30RB$10 3P
4P
$50
$20
$20
$15RB(2)$10
$20
$13RB$10
$10RB$10AO
Varies
NH
$10RB$10AO$10
NH
2&7P
H $30RB(1)$20AO$200 5P
H
$15
H
$10RB$10AO 10A
12P
1P
$60RB(1)$50 10A
$10
$25 7P
NH
$5RB$20
NH
Tahoe H/L$25RB(1)$5AO(1)$5 4P
H
LH
$10RB$5 1P
5P
O H/L $20RB(1)$10AO$50 6P
H
$25 11A
S H/L
Cz Pi
12P
$15RB$15
$10RB$15AO$25 10A
$10RB$5
Gold Dust Casino, Deadwood
H
H
12P
$10RB$10AO 112P
$40RB$20AO
Pi
Pi
$5RB$20
S
$25RB$20
$10RB$10AO$10
6P
$25Z 4P
H
Cz Pi
H
Varies
LH
F RB$15AO$15/$30
$20RB$10AO$10
$15 12P
$15RB$10
$10RB$15AO$25 12P
6P
$25
$25
$25
$15RB$5AO$10
Pearl River Resort
CAN Casino Regina
Pi Z
O H/L B
$35RB(1)$30
Northern Light Casino Hotel
Chips Tukwila
Northern Quest
Suquamash Clearwater Cas
Wild Grizzly
NH
NO
$60
$70RB$30AO$50
Winn-A-Vegas
WA Chips Bremerton
$40RB(1)$20 7P
$23RB(1)$10AO$2 11A
12P
NH
H Sh
$40 7P
$10 12P
DC
$48
$36RB$20 11A
$10
$20RB
$15RB$10AO$10 11A
$60RB$40
$15 1P
$20
$25
NH
S
10A
$15RB$10 12P
$15RB$10 8P
$50RB(1)$40
7P
$15RB$10 6P
$17RB$10 11A
8P
O H/L
HB
7P
$10 12P
IN Blue Chip
Isleta Gaming Palace
Sandia Casino
NH
NH
$10RB$10AO$10 10A
DC
$60
$17RB$5AO(2)$5 10A
O H/L
6P Wk2/Wk4 H
10A
$25
H
7
H
$13RB$5AO$10 10A
$25 10A
NH
O H/L
MN Canterbury Park (16) 10A
O H/L
O H/L
NH
$25RB(1)$20 7P
8P
NJ Tropicana
NM Cities of Gold
H
H
S H/L Sp
Buy-in
$24
$13RB$5AO$10 10A
$25 10A
$20
$12 10A
6P
$12 10A
$12 6P
NH
7P
MS Grand Casino(Biloxi)
Grand Casino(Gulfport)
Grand Casino(Tunica)
$18 10A
$20RB$10 12P
$60RB(1)$40 7P
Buy-in Time Games
12P
O H/L Sp
7P
FL St Tropez Cruise
MI Chip-In's Island
Copa Casino
O
6P LH/L OH/L
11A
H
12P
O H/L
7P
S
11A
O H/L
7P
LH
1P
H Sh
6P
NH Sh
$88 10A
NH
6P
LH
$20RB$20(1) 7P
H
H
LH
H Sh
11A
$10 6P
SB
SB
$25
$36RB$20
$25RB$20
$20RB
$15RB$10AO$10
$40RB(1)$40
$15
12P
7P
10A
CT Foxwood's
IA Isle of Capri
10A
H
10A
H
6P
H/O
10A 7 H/L Sp
6P
CO Midnight Rose
Ute Mountain
$12 10A
$25RB$10AO$20 7P
8P
AZ Apache Gold
Blue Water Casino
Bucky’s Casino
Casino Arizona-McKellips
Casino Del Sol
7P
$18AO$2 10A
$540
$60RB(1)$50 2P
NH
$22Z
$25 10A H (41M)
12P H (41M)
$25 8:30PH Z (41M)
$30
2P
10A
10A
6P
10A
CA Artichoke Joe’s
NORTH Bay 101
Buy-in Time Games
$22RB$20
$25RB$20
$25RB$20
Club Caribe
Commerce Club
Hawaiian Gardens
Hollywood Park (3)
Pi Z
O H/L B
Games
5P
NH
2P
NH
$22Z 10A
LH
$25 12P H Z (41M)
F
$25 8:30PH Z (41M)
$30 10A H Z (30M)
$50
$120RB$100
$18 10A
H
$20RB$10 12P
O H/L
$20RB$10 7P
NH
SUNDAY
4P H/S H/L Sh Al
6P
6P
NH
Sycuan
H
Buy-in Time
SATURDAY
$22RB$10
8P
CA Lucky Lady
SAN Oceans Eleven
DIEGO Pechanga
$22Z 10A
LH
$25 12P H Z (41M)
7P
SQ
$25 8:30PH Z (41M)
$30 10A H Z (30M)
$30 6P H Z (30M)
$120RB$100 7P
NH
$18 10A
H
$30RB(1)$20 12P
H
$20RB$10 7P
O H/L
$40RB$20
FRIDAY
$10RB$5 4P
2P
$25 11A
$20 4P
F RB(2)$15AO$20 10A
$20
$25RB$20
H
NH
V
H
NH
NH
49 S H/L
F RB$10
$25RB$5AO$50
$20RB$10
$40
$25RB$20
$20
$15RB(2)$10
$25RB$20AO$20
George, with all due respect, I think you
should reconsider your point of view!!!
BacK in the saddle Again
By OKLAHOMA JOHNNY HALE
In your column (“Senior Scene”) published here in Poker Player, you stated
that you DON’T AGREE with me about
seniors playing poker in a fun mode most
of the time, as opposed to always playing in a winonly mode. I would like to respond as follows:
First George, you are my senior, We are both retired
engineers, we both play a little poker, and we both
write columns and books about life and poker. You are
4x21 minus 7 = 77, while I am only 3x21 plus 12=75.
Dad always told me to respect my elders, so I want to
show you the proper respect and agree with you in as
many ways as possible. I agree that you have the high
ground and that if this were put to a vote, that you
would receive most of the votes. And that most of the
seniors polled would agree with your position that
seniors play poker to win money.
I am PLAYING poker —not WORKING poker. I know
that in their heart of hearts, my “The Seniors” friends
know that they just do not face the facts when they
say that they play poker only to win money, and in
that secret little area that is the truth, they, “The
Seniors,” will say, “Yes, Johnny you are so right that
we don’t want to lose — but we don’t play poker only to
win money when we play. A lot of the time we just
want to play poker.”
George, here are the facts: 99 out of 100 of all lowlimit poker players (“The Seniors,” me included) do
not win when they play low-limit poker, but 95% of
them will not admit that they are playing just for fun.
In the big public card rooms that have low-limit poker
tables where the betting is 1&2 or 2&4 and even 4&8
in all of these games, most of the players are playing
only for the fun of playing. Sure there are a few,
maybe one in a hundred, who may show a profit at the
end of the year—but here is what they must overcome.
If they play 30 hours a week and 50 weeks a year the
overhead, or price of admission, is about $10 per hour
= 10x30x50=$15,000 per year.
Now lets look inside the numbers. If the same 10 players play together at the same table for 30 hours a
week and 50 weeks a year. The total overhead that
they would pay would be $150,000 paid into the
house from those same 10 players. Now it is going to
be hard for any one of those ten players to show
much of a profit. Of course that is not the case — very,
very few low-limit players ever show a profit.
This means George, that the low-limit player must win
$15,000 a year from the other players to pay his overhead or price of admission — before they can buy a
candy bar. If you play poker for money it will not be
playing — it will be work— and you must work every
hand and you must raise the pot every chance you get
and play higher than $10/20 if you are going to pay
the overhead and make any money to spend.
Until next time remember to always Stay Lucky!!!
Book reviews
Poker Wisdom of a
Champion
by Doyle Brunson
Cardoza Publishing 2003, 208pp
ISBN 1-58042-119-9, $14.95
Plain and simple, “Poker
Wisdom of a Champion” is a
word-for-word reprinting of
Doyle Brunson’s 1984 book,
“According to Doyle”. So
folks who already own
“According to Doyle”
will not need to buy
this newly pressed
book, but what about
those who haven’t read
the earlier printing?
Please allow me to
revisit what I had to
say about the original
edition.
If “Poker Wisdom
of a Champion” were
written by another
writer, I’d probably
call it a collection of
essays, but these are
most definitely stories, and one can easily imagine the author
leaning back and
reciting the events this
book chronicles in the
same manner that storytellers have done
since before the age of
Homer. Each story has a message for poker players using
one or more examples from
Brunson’s past. They way the
author approaches poker may
be “old school”, but his
understanding of the game
cannot be questioned, and his
advice is timeless.
Through his writing we
also get a glimpse of the life
of the professional poker
player before the explosion of
casino poker that has occurred
over the last 20 years. Today,
most poker professionals play
in a public card room, with
good security and often with
table-side food service and
many games to choose from.
In the days when Brunson
was accumulating his
bankroll, poker was illegal or
quasi-legal home games,
marathon sessions, and the
have commented that while it
is entertaining, this book won’t
help a person improve their
game much. While there are
certainly better books for
improving the quality of the
reader’s poker game, I believe
that more than a little wisdom
can be found in Brunson’s stories. If the reader is looking
for advice on how to play certain hands in certain situations,
they won’t find any in this
Poker Talk with Mike and Stan is currently in
hiatus as we prepare for our next round of broadcasts. We are looking to bring this highly successful
program to syndicated broadcast channels in the
near future. In this interim period, if you have not
heard any of these outstanding radio interviews,
they are archived and available on:
www.gamblingtimes.com/poker_player
and www.poker1.com. Just go to either of
these sites and you will be able to listen to
your choice of any or all of these one-hour
shows. Any webmaster who would like to
make these radio shows available on his web site
can contact Stan Sludikoff at: [email protected]. There is no charge for this service and
it is quickly available by simply inserting one line
of code on your web site.
Poker Talk with
Editors Notes: OKJohnny is the founder of “The Seniors”
World Championship of Poker, and is known as “The Elder
Statesman of Poker.” He is the author of “The Gentleman
Gambler,” which can be ordered for $20 from “Oklahoma
Johnny.” Johnny’s website is www.seniorpoker.com
& his e-mail is Oklajohnny @ aol.com
constant risk of being
“hijacked”. It was a different
world with which today’s
poker players are largely
unfamiliar. In “Poker Wisdom
of a Champion” we get a feel
for what those days were like,
and I feel fortunate that we
have this record.
Other reviewers of this book
Mike & Stan
book. If a
player wants
to get inside
the mind of a
poker champion, to find out
what makes a great player
tick, and to see how they
approach the game and the
players they face, then “Poker
Wisdom of a Champion” will
provide the reader
with a great deal to
think about.
So, while this book
doesn’t compare with
“Super/System”, the
author’s magnum
opus, I do think it’s
worth reading. Even
if a reader doesn’t
find it sufficiently
edifying, it’s at least
entertaining.
Moreover, the
prospective reader no
longer has to search
the used book market
to obtain a copy, it’s
now available in any
well-stocked book
store. So, I thank
Cardoza Publishing
for putting this book
back in print. I think
the poker public is
better off for it.
—Nick Christenson
VISIT OUR ONLINE RADIO ARCHIVES
AND HEAR THESE GREAT GUESTS:
Poker Player Columnist Susie Isaacs
Former Poker Player Editor June Field
Poker Player Guest Columnist Wendeen Eolis
World Poker tour CES Steve Lipscomb
Senior Card room Executive Tom Bowling
Hollywood Park Poker Operations manager Phyllis Caro
PokerPages.com Founder Mark Napolitano
Poker Europa magazine Publisher Nic Szeremeta
World Champion Chris Moneymaker
Pioneer Card Club owner George Hardie
Tournament Guru Mike Sexton
Poker Historian Oklahoma Johnny Hale
Gambling Law Professor I. Nelson Rose
Entertainment Listings
Entertainment RePORT
By LEN BUTCHER
News for you Elvis fans. In celebration of Elvis
Presley's 69th birthday, The Cannery Hotel & Casino
in Las Vegas, and radio station KOOL 93.1 FM, are
hosting Elvis’ Birthday Bash Weekend complete with an all-Elvis radio
request program called "Elvis On the Air," karaoke contest and a tribute show to The King.
The fun begins Thursday, Jan. 8, with Stephen Christopher, an Elvis
expert licensed by the Elvis Presley Estate, taking callers' questions
on KOOL 93.1 FM. Beginning at 2 p.m., Christopher will provide commentary about Elvis' life, explore all aspects of his music and explain
the undefined impact his legend has on the world. During the show,
Christopher will give away T-shirts, CDs and passes to Graceland. Now
listen to this. If you can request one Elvis song stumping Christopher,
you’ll win $50,000.
At 7 p.m., there will be an Elvis karaoke contest where you can
compete for the title of "King of Karaoke" and a toured trip to
Memphis, with Christopher as your guide. It consists of a two-night
stay at The Heartbreak Hotel, dinner at one of Elvis’ favorite dining
spots and VIP passes to Graceland.
There’s more. On Jan. 9-10, Paul Casey, the official Elvis of the Las
Vegas Convention Bureau, will be performing the American Trilogy
show at 8 p.m. at The Cannery. The show features Casey as young
and old Elvis, with The King’s personal bodyguard, Sonny West and
tour manager and photographer Ed Bonja, to help tell the story of
Elvis, with personal anecdotes and reflections. Sounds like a lot of
fun, unless, of course, you hated Elvis.
Not to be outdone, the Riverside Resort in Laughlin is having its
own Elvis celebration. Happy Birthday Elvis, starring Greg Miller, is
running through January 18th (dark Fridays) at 7 p.m. (Nevada time)
nightly in Don’s Celebrity Theatre. Tickets are $25. Greg Miller, an
Elvis fan for years, met The King and became a good friend of Elvis’
during the last years of his life. In those few final years, Greg was able
to see the warmth, generosity and humor that made up Elvis’ personality. As a tribute to The King himself and the friendship that he and
Greg shared, Greg decided to perform an Elvis Tribute show.
“I am blessed to have met Elvis and known him – and blessed, too,
to be able to do the tributes to him that I’ve performed around the
world for over 10 years now. I’m proud to bring Elvis’ memory to people with class, dignity and humor.” Call 1-800-227-3849 for reservations or log on to www.riversideresort.com
Tickets are now available for "Claude Monet: Masterworks," on
display at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art from January 30 through
September 13. The exhibit, from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will
feature 21 of Monet's most famous paintings, including "Camille
Monet and a Child in the Artist's Garden in Argenteuil," "Grainstack,"
Water Lilies" and "The Water Lily Pond."
For this special display, the gallery will extend its operating hours,
opening daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ticket prices are $15 per person.
Discounts are available for students, Nevada residents and senior citizens aged 65 or older. For tickets and information, call (877) 9579777 or (702) 693-7871 or visit the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art on the
web at www.bgfa.biz.
The Palms Casino Resort seems to love minting special edition
gaming chips and they have come to be highly sought by collectors
and visitors to the resort. On Jan. 22 it will present Limited Edition
2004 Year of the Monkey Commemorative Casino Chips. There are
three chips, in $8, $25 and $100 denominations. Each chip commemorates the Chinese New Year. The chips are available at the Palms main
cage or at the Palms gaming tables starting Thursday, January 22 at
10 a.m., while supplies last.
Around Town: Lots of entertainers in town for the Billboard
Awards show. They included hosts Nick Lachey and wife Jessica
Simpson, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, American Idol’s Clay Aiken
and Kelly Clarkson, King of Queens’ Nicole Sullivan, Shaggy, the
Backstreet Boys, Carrot Top, Kathy Griffin, Mandy Moore, Pink and
Tommy Lee together, Carmen Electra and Smokey Robinson, not
together, and naughty girl Paris Hilton. Even Michael Jackson’s father,
Joe Jackson, turned up for the event.
Poker Player Advertisers are shown in RED along with their ad’s page number
To list your event, contact Len Butcher, Entertainment Editor at [email protected]
CALIFORNIA
Agua Caliente Casino
Commerce Casino
Crystal Park Casino & Hotel (19)
With top comics every week. Karaoke follows
Jokers Comedy Night every Thursday at 8 p.m.
Ballroom Dance Party
Thursdays 8 p.m. to Midnight, Sundays 2-6 p.m.
Cambodian Dance Party
El As De Oros Night Club
Hollywood Park Casino (3)
Pechanga Resort & Casino
8:30 p.m. Featuring three top comedians
weekly.
Arena Patio
Karaoke
Longshots Sports Bar
Shanghai Circus
Fridays 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Nightly, except Tues., Wed.
Presents Banda Nortina Sats 8 p.m.-3 a.m.
Features Live Music and Dancing
Jan 22-23, 8 p.m.
Guitars & Saxes-Smooth Jazz Nightly.
CONNECTICUT
Foxwoods Resort Casino
Mohegan Sun casino
The Four Tops & The Temptations Jan 16, 9 p.m.
Sarah Brightman
Jan 24, 8 p.m.
Pam Tillis
Jan 30, 9 p.m.
MISSISSIPPI
Gold Strike Hotel Casino (Tunica)
Grand Casino (Biloxi)
Grand Casino (Tunica)
Grand Casino (Gulfport)
Horseshoe Casino (Tunica)
Merle Haggard
Jan 17-18, 9 p.m.
Deanna Carter
Jan 30, 9 p.m.
Sinbad
Karaoke in
Grand Replays
Glen Campbell
VooDoo Groove Nightclub
Merle Haggard
Jan 31, 8 p.m.
Thursdays,
8 p.m.-Midnight
Jan 30, 9 p.m.
Nightly
Jan 15-16, 8 p.m.
NEW JERSEY
Taj Mahal Hotel & Casino
Tropicana Casino & Resort
(Atlantic City)
The O’Jays, The Whispers & Stephanie Mills Jan 17, 8 p.m.
Whisper
A fusion of music, dance and acrobatics. 8 p.m.
NEW YORK
Turning Stone Casino
Barry Manilow
Jan 23-24, 8 p.m.
NEVADA-LAS VEGAS
Bellagio Resort & Casino
Boulder Station Hotel & Casino
Cannery Hotel & Casino
Excalibur Hotel & Casino
“O”
Taylor Dayne
Derek Sholl & The Shooters
Thunder From Down Under
Tournament of Kings
Flamingo Las Vegas
Gladys Knight
Luxor Resort & Casino
RA Nightclub
Mamma Mia
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Monte Carlo Resort & Casino
Palace Station Hotel & Casino (2)
Palms Hotel & Casino (13)
Plaza Hotel & Casino
Sahara Hotel & Casino
Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino (11)
Stardust Hotel & Casino
The Mirage Hotel & Casino (5)
Lewis Black & Dave Attell
7:30 & 10:30 p.m. (Dark Wednesday, Thursday).
Jan 16, 8 p.m.
Jan 16-17, 8 p.m.
7:30 p.m. Fridays through Wednesdays. 11:30
shows Fridays/Saturdays.
6 & 8:30 p.m. daily.
7:30 p.m. Tuesdays thru Saturdays.
10 p.m. Nightly
7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays; 8 p.m.
Fridays; 7 & 10:30 p.m. Saturdays, Mondays.
Jan 16-17, 8 p.m.
Magician Lance Burton
7 & 10 p.m. Tuesdays, Saturdays. 7 p.m.
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays. (Dark
Sunday/Monday).
Laugh Trax comedy club
7:30 & 10 p.m. Tuesdays thru Saturdays.
Jani Lane of Warrant
Jan 19, 9 p.m.
Rain in the Desert Nightclub Nightly, 11 p.m.
The Comedy Zone
9 p.m. Tuesdays thru Sundays.
The Platters, Coasters and Drifters 8 p.m. nightly
Next Movement
Jan 14-18, 9 p.m.
Chicago
Jan 21-24, 8 p.m.
Impressionist Danny Gans
8 p.m. (Monday thru Friday)
The Orleans Hotel & Casino
Tony Danza
Sunset Station (2)
Spazmatics
Saturdays, 10:30 p.m.
Texas Station (2)
Love Shack
Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m. & 2 a.m.
Jan 16-18, 8 p.m.
LAUGHLIN
Colorado Belle Hotel Casino
Riverboat Ramblers Strolling Fridays & Saturdays, 8 p.m.
Dixieland Jazz Band
Flamingo Hilton Hotel Casino
A Really Big Shew,
A Tribute to Ed Sullivan
Sept 11-Apr 11, 7 & 9 p.m.
River Palms Hotel Casino
Joey & Maria's Comedy
Italian Wedding
5:30 p.m. dinner show nightly.
Riverside Hotel Casino
Happy Birthday Elvis
Jan 3-18, 7 p.m.
MESQUITE
Casablanca Hotel & Casino
Comedy Club
Nov 15, 8 p.m.
Al Jarreau
Jan 24, 8 p.m.
PRIMM
Buffalo Bill’s Resort & Casino
RENO
Atlantis Casino Resort
Len Butcher, a 25-year resident of Las Vegas, is an
online columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and
a former Managing Editor of the Las Vegas Sun and of
Gaming Today. Reach him at [email protected]
Comedy Shop
Boomtown Hotel & Casino
Eldorado Hotel Casino
Reno Hilton Hotel Casino
TK Band
Lonny Lawless
Kool Flame
Burn The Floor
4-9:30 p.m.
10 p.m.-4 a.m.
Jan 20-25, 8 p.m.
Championship dance couples. 7 & 9:30 p.m.
Ongoing.
Kalin & Jinger's Illusionarium 8 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 7 p.m. Sunday.
Trump Classic Bike To Host UPA
Poker & Pool
Concludes
kicked off the tournament
series by scoring $15,887 at
the Texas Hold’em Limit
Event...the same event he won
last year! If that’s not impressive enough, he also picked up
a second-place win at the 7Card Stud Event on December
19th. Don’t be surprised if this
poker dynamo makes an even
bigger splash at next year’s
Trump Classic! The top five
winners of the Championship
are listed below:
TRUMP CLASSIC
EVENT 20
12/16/03
TEXAS HOLD’EM
NO LIMIT CHAMPIONSHIP
BUY-IN $2500
PLAYERS 49
PRIZE POOL
$122,500
player in Finland and former
World Champion and currently ranked #1 in the World;
Francisco Bustamente
(Manila , Phillippines) :
Django - Former Player of the
Year and multiple winner of
international events; Young
Hwa Jeong (Seoul, Korea) :
The Spicy Man - #1 Korean
National Champion and 2
time medalist at Asian
Games; Luc Salvas
(Montreal, Canada) : Machine
Gun Luc - Multi- time
National Canadian Champion.
There will also be a strong
cast of local LA and
California players such as
national ranked pros like Jose
Parica, Morro Paez, Tang
Hoa, Ernesto Dominguez, and
Dave Hemmah.
The UPA Pro Tour
Championship will also be
filmed live and can be viewed
around the world on Pay Per
View Internet by World Pool
Video. Just go to
www.WorldPoolVideo.com.
The event kicked off with a
Press Party and Sponsor Pro
Am Tournament on Jan 6, 2003
at the Bicycle Casino. The tournament play starts on Jan 7.
The event ends on Jan 11.
Don't miss the UPA Year
End Awards Banquet where
the UPA Player of the Year
will be announced. Also the
UPA Rookie of the Year,
Sportsman of the Year, and
UPA Man of the Year Award
will be given out during a
fantastic meal catered by the
Bicycle Casino. Tickets to the
banquet are limited and will
be $25 per person.
For ticket info call The
Bicycle Casino at 1-562-8064646. For info on playing
pool in the tournament go to
www.upatour.com or call 1407-257-5887
Tunica Truck Giveaway
Frank Kroll
1. Frank Kroll III . . . . . . $55,125
Egg Harbor, NJ
2. Chris Bell . . . . . . . . . . $30,625
Raleigh, NC
3. Mike Sohayegh . . . . . . $18,375
New York, NY
4. Jack Brewer . . . . . . . . $12,250
Pottstown, PA
5. Farzad Najafadadi . . . . $6,125
Gaithersburg, MD
John Bannister, 14-Griffin
Poole, 15-Joe Eifler, 16-JR
Mercedes, 17-Jack Johnston,
18-Jerry Rowe, 19-Yi Chun
Yang, 20-Tom Hsu. The
drawing started at 8pm; the
truck was won by 9pm. All
18 tables were full of live
action with over 100 players
standing that did not get a
seat to play. Dale Carden,
Card room manager promises
more promotions in 2004.
Winning Can Be Hazardous!
Henry Zitelli fell out of his
chair when he heard he’d
won the truck!
Get beat holding pocket aces in Hold’em
and we’ll give you a rack of chips.*
Daily: 6 AM
AM – Noon • 7 PM
PM – 8 PM
PM • 10 PM
PM – 11 PM
PM!
FREE Pan 9
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t
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m
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T day, January 11 • 7:00 PM
Sun
!
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o
o
P
e
z
i
r
P
0
0
$3,0
n begins at 6:00 PM
try fees! Registratio
NO qualifying or en
w available!
n
Chance” optio no
NEW...$3 “Second
$2,000 in Cash Giveaways
Every Wednesay & Saturday!
Hourly from 8:00 PM - 3:00 AM
Hustler
Casino
E
BLUE LIN
Hollywood
Park
Bicycle
Casino
Alameda Blvd.
Within 20 minute drive to all L.A. Casinos!
123 E. Artesia Blvd., Compton, CA 90220
(310) 631-3838 m www.crystalparkcasino.com
No purchase necessary. See Casino Manager for free entry information.

Jan 12 2004

Transcription

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