connect - Poker Player Newspaper

Transcription

9
Celebrity Crossword PAGE
tribute to
Carlos Mortensen
12
Evelyn Ng
profile by
Phil Hevener
44
14
17
20
PAGE
PAGE
Entertainment
Best Bets
24
54
POKER PLAYER
Mike
Sexton: CHAMPION
of Champions
By Nolan Dalla, with portions by Warren
Lush and Karen Trachtenberg
The third-annual Tournament of
Champions concluded today at the Rio AllSuites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. TOC
competitors included the top World Series
of Poker and WSOP Circuit players of the
past year. The high-level of competition
and intense play makes the TOC one of the
most prestigious titles in poker.
The special by-invitation-only tournament offered up a total prize pool of $2
million – including a one-million dollar
first-prize. For all 27
(Continued on page 9)
New NAPC May Eclipse WSOP
A new tournament, currently in the final planning
stages, the Native American
Poker Championship has
the potential to surpass the
World Series of Poker’s
main event.
The principal reason is
that there are 171 Native
American casinos with at
least 2 poker tables, including 2 in Canada, that will
be the only land-based
poker rooms that have the
opportunity to conduct the
Daily Sit ‘n Gos at the first
level of play. Depending
WSOP
Shatters
Records
From the cities and the
small towns, from the farms
to the fishing fleet, they
come seeking fame and
fortune in America’s premiere sporting event, The
World Series of Poker. The
famous and the wannabes
flock to Las Vegas, looking
for the thrill of a lifetime
and the glory of wearing
a WSOP bracelet. Then
there’s the money. More
Binion’s will be holding the Circuit Dealer
Satellies on August 8 at 10 a.m. ’til done
for those dealers not regularly employed at
a Poker Room to participate in the World
Poker Dealer championships that will be
held at Binion’s on Septemeber 23-28
this year. This will be the ONLY time and
the ONLY way that dealers who are not
regularly employed at a card room may
qualify for this event. There are four events,
A Word from the
“Mad Genius,”
Omaha Hi/Low split 8 or better, Limit Hold
‘em, Seven Card Stud and NO Limit Hold
‘em. Buy-ins will be $50 and Entry fees of
$15 for these satellites which will be held
in groups of 20 players. Circuit dealers
may only play once in each event. Contact
Binion’s Poker Room at: 702-382-1600 for
more information.
Additional details will appear in the next
issue of Poker Player.
Mike Caro
Today’s word is...
“CONNECT”
Turn to page 6 for more
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9
money than any sport has
ever put on the able, over
$100,000,000 will be risked
in this anyman’s event. As
the first 10 events are concluded it is clear that attendance and money records
will be shattered this year,
as they were in each of the
years of this new century.
Thanks to Nolan Dalla,
WSOP Media Director,
Attention Circuit Dealers!
3 0>
PHOTO COURTESY JOY K MILLER, WSOP OFFICIAL PHOTOS
Vol. 10 Number 2 July 24, 2006 A Gambling Times Publication www.pokerplayernewspaper.com Copyright ©2006 Bi-Weekly $3.95 USA/$4.95 CANADA
*See Web site for details. Enjoy the free games, and before playing in the real money games, please check with your local jurisdiction regarding the legality of Internet poker. ©2005 Full Tilt Poker. All rights reserved.
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2006 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
DAY DATE TIME
EVENT
BUY-IN+ENTRY
$200+$30
Th 8/3 4:15p No Limit Hold’em
$300+$40
Fr 8/4 4:15p Limit Hold’em
$350+$40
Sa 8/5 4:15p Bounty No Limit Hold’em
©
$300+$40
Su 8/6 4:15p XTRA Sports No Limit Hold’em
$300+$40
Mo 8/7 4:15p Omaha Hi-Lo
$200+$30
Tu 8/8 4:15p No Limit Hold’em*
$300+$40
We 8/9 4:15p Stud Hi-Lo
$500+$50
Th 8/10 4:15p Lowball World Championship
$300+$40
Fr 8/11 4:15p No Limit Hold’em Shootout (no points)
$500+$50
Sa 8/12 4:15p Limit Hold’em
$200+$30
$100,000 GUARANTEED
Su 8/13 4:15p No Limit Hold’em**
$500+$50
Mo 8/14 4:15p Omaha Hi-Lo
$500+$50
Tu 8/15 4:15p No Limit Hold’em*
$500+$50
We 8/16 4:15p No Limit Hold’em
$1,500+$80
Th 8/17 4:15p No Limit Hold’em (2 Day event)
$0+$0
Fr 8/18 12:00p No Limit Hold’em (Day 2)
$500+$50
Fr 8/18 4:15p 7-Card Stud
v
Sa 8/19 4:15p Ladies Poker Party No Limit Hold’em (2 Day event) (Cocktails 2:30 pm) $100+$25
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EVENT
BUY-IN+ENTRY
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Sa 8/19 4:15p Ladies Poker Party No Limit Hold’em (Day 2)
$150,000 GUARANTEED
Su 8/20 4:15p No Limit Hold’em**
Mo 8/21 4:15p E. O. World Championship (Stud Hi-Lo, Omaha Hi-Lo)
Tu 8/22 4:15p No Limit Hold’em
We 8/23 4:15p Limit Hold’em
We 8/23 10:00p Super Satellite Point Playoff
10K WPT SEAT ADDED
s
Th 8/24 12:00p Legend of Legends & Media Invitational
1ST PLACE 10K WPT SEAT
-No Limit Hold’em
;
Th 8/24 7:15p Mariani/Buss No Limit Hold’em
Mariani/Buss Cocktail Party 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m.
2006 CADILLAC ADDED
Fr 8/25 4:15p Best All Around Point Playoff
Fr 8/25 1 & 8p Mega Super Satellites
Sa 8/26 2:00p No Limit Hold’em Championship Day 1A $1,500,000 GUARANTEE 1ST PLACE
Su 8/27 2:00p No Limit Hold’em Championship Day 1B
Mo 8/28 2:00p No Limit Hold’em ChampionshipDay 2
Tu 8/29 2:00p No Limit Hold’em Championship Day 3
We 8/30 5:15p No Limit Hold’em Championship Final Day - Filming
Th 8/31 5:15p WPT Ladies Night Out No Limit Hold’em - Filming
‡
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$300+$40
$500+$50
$1,000+$70
$1,000+$70
$100+$25
$0+$0
$1,500+$80
$100+$25
$1,000+$20
$9,700+$300
*One Optional Rebuy. **Multi-Rebuys. s Legend of Legends is open ;to all past Legends winners from 1995 to present and highest placing Legend wins a 10K WPT Seat /
$2,500 donated to his/her favorite charity . Mariani/Buss $150 from each buy in goes to the Lakers Youth Foundation
v Ladies No Limit Hold’em, $10 from each buy in goes to charity and the winner will play in the WPT Ladies Night Out event. © $2,500 will be witheld for championship round tak-
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
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FRIDAYS
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
5
Caro’s Word: “Connect”
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
O
ne of the most mysterious categories
of hands for hold
’em players is called
“suited connectors.” As
you’ll soon hear repeated,
the name means you begin
with two cards of the same
suit, usually adjacent in
rank and not particularly
high or low in value.
Examples of suited connectors would be 10-9 of
diamonds and 8-7 of clubs.
These hands can be profitable in many situations.
But you need to know
that you won’t improve
them nearly as often as
most players might expect.
Suited connectors are often
overvalued and played
incorrectly.
To help you out, I’m
about to replay a lecture I
gave long ago about suited
connectors. I went like
this…
The truth about
suited connectors
I’m about to tell you the
truth about suited connectors in hold ’em, but you
might not like what you
hear. Before you hear the
truth, you need to know
what suited connectors are.
Actually, I don’t much like
the term, but most professionals have pretty much
settled on it and know what
it means, so let’s use it.
Suited connectors are
simply two cards of adjacent ranks of the same
suits. Usually, the term is
reserved for middle ranks
that would not be high
enough to be profitable,
except that the extra chance
of making a flush – the
suited part – or making a
straight – the connector
part – is enough to turn the
semi-weak ranks into winning combinations.
There are many things I
could tell you about how
to play suited connectors,
but I want to share just a
few very important things
today.
Suited connectors are
usually not profitable if
you face a field of aggressive opponents. The type of
opponents you want to play
suited connectors against
are those who call with
weak hands and who don’t
raise liberally enough. I
call these players loose
and timid. Loose and timid
opponents are the easiest
to beat, because they come
into pots with the worst of
it, keep calling when they
should surrender, and fail
to get good value even
when they hold strong
hands. They’re too timid to
bet or raise for maximum
value – except with very
large hands.
Worst kind
If you could always play
against loose and timid
opponents, you could make
a fortune in a short time.
But, sadly, you’re not
going to be playing against
only this type of opponent.
Some days opponents will
be selective and aggressive. That’s the very worst
kind of opponents to face,
because not only do they
mostly play profitable
hands, they get the most
value out of them by being
aggressive.
One thing about suited
connectors is that you’d
either like to take the pot
without much of a fight,
by raising the blinds out of
the action from late position, or by raising from
late position and ending up
against just one opponent
that you might draw out
on, or you’d like to call a
lot of players and see the
flop cheaply before deciding what to do.
If everyone folds and
I’m in late position, either
the dealer position or the
seat just before it, I’ll usually raise with 10-9 suited,
9-8 suited, or even 8-7
suited. Suited connector
hands lower than 8-7 suited, I’ll usually fold with,
because the ranks aren’t
high enough to win consistently, even if I’m lucky
enough to pair. You see, the
added advantage of raising in late position when
everyone else has folded is
that you might end up oneon-one and pair big enough
to beat an unknown hand
in the blinds. For instance,
the big blind might call
with queen-six and later
pair sixes. If you’re playing five-four suited and
your opponent pairs sixes,
you’re going to need to
make more than a pair to
win. While this may seem
obvious and insignificant,
it turns out to be very significant when random trials
are actually run on computer. The smaller suited
connectors don’t earn value
raising the blinds from late
position, simply because
they don’t often offer the
additional opportunity
of pairing and beating a
smaller pair.
So, mid-range suited
connectors are OK to raise
with in late position, when
you’re first in the pot.
Smaller suited connectors
usually aren’t. Sometimes
you might just call with
these small, adjacent, suited ranks, but often that’s
bad, too, so you should
fold.
Big tip
But, here’s the big tip.
Even medium suited connectors are almost always
unprofitable in pots against
aggressive, winning opponents. And I’m talking
about limit games mostly.
In no-limit games, it can be
even worse to play suited
connectors, because sophisticated opponents often
won’t let you get good
pot odds if you play these
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
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EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
Phil Hevener
CONSULTANT
Contributing
Columnists
Nolan Dalla
George Epstein
“Oklahoma Johnny” Hale
Ashley Adams
Diane McHaffie
James McKenna
I. Nelson Rose
John Vorhaus
Poker Player will be published Bi-Weekly
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Volume 10 Number 2.
Copyright © July 2006 by Gambling
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
7
Self Absorbed
Everybody has an opinion about what attributes that a
good poker player must possess. If the question were just
about an ability to play the game as in athletics, it would
be elementary. For example: Question; “Why is it that on
any given session anyone can win for a period of time?”
Well, the answer lies in the theory that poker requires more
Dealer Vibes
By Donald W. Woods, Jr.
than just an ability to play certain hands,
read certain tells, playing position, and
the like. No, poker is more closely related
to who you are at the time. Poker brings
into play the question of self, where you are
at that time of your life - as it relates to job, relationships,
ambition, ORGANIZATION, and FINANCIAL STANDING. On
many occasions - while you are playing this fickle game of
poker – you’ll notice that one or two of all the nine players
have most of the chips, particularly if you are playing limit
poker where “folding” a hand is not optional! If you are the
kind of player that is committed to playing the strongest
game possible, then observe the winning player playing the
weakest game possible but still winning all of the chips, it
will test your resolve! If there is any leakage in your life
– forget about leakage in your game – you can succumb
to the powers to be, that is, Luck and random occurrence.
This information is well documented through the many
thousands of hands that I dealt on the green felt. Once this
recognizable, unfair occurrence, kicks in full bloom, are you
the kind of player that gets rattled, upset, fighting the –to
lash out, vent, rage, when a seemingly unbeatable hand
gets beaten – particularly – by the luckiest guy at the table.
Only to find him trying to explain away his good fortune by
some sort of poker logic! Sheesh man, you got lucky playing every hand because you’ve got all the chips and this
game is just not fair. When this kind of thing is what you’re
experiencing at the table then you know it is just about
YOU and what are YOU going to do about it.
Life is about OPTIONS and so is poker. People can write
as many books as they want, but someone please tell me
how to deal with SELF – in the moment. There is only one
constant in the world as it relates to life; that’s self, as
in by ones self. Life - as in poker – is a learned behavior.
Many times I would see really good players self-destruct
behind the pressures and expectations that life and poker
would somehow be fair in the end. No such luck! This is the
part that’s not in the book. The self-preservation, self help,
self-starter, self-analyses, all rolled into one at the same
time pitfalls that consume all but the ones rooted in the
good soil.
I was saying that I loved to gamble right after work in
the last article. I remember one casino I was dealing an 8table rotation - after having been up playing, then dealing
for 3 days. That’s right, 3 days without sleep – some rest
at the table when I was playing but that’s it. While dealing
graveyard shift every table was in the rotation, so having
just dealt the biggest game in the house I was now dealing
the smallest -1-2 stud. After delivering the last card I fell
sound asleep holding the deck of cards. The nice players
at the table let me actually sleep for several minutes while
the winner of the hand reached over scooped up the pot
while the others talked amongst themselves. I woke up to
find out my first lesson in poker and life: There are some
really good people right at the table!
Donald W. Woods, Jr. is a 9 year professional dealer. Some
of his diversified interests include, track and field coach
at the high school level yielding a championship in 2002.
He is currently penning an original script, outside the
poker arena, for his maiden voyage to movie-land. For
more information, contact him at mrexcite20032000@
yahoo.com
8
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
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Know Your Limits! If you think you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-522-4700.
Mike Sexton Takes Tournament of Champions
players -- the special event
cost nothing to enter. All
prize money was posted
by Harrah’s Entertainment
and its corporate partners
-- including PartyPoker.net
(online poker school).
The invited list of players this year included
each of the WSOP Circuit
event winners from August
2005 through June 2006
(12 seats). Players who
made it to the final table
of the 2005 WSOP main
event were also included
(nine seats). The remaining places were filled by
individuals selected by
Harrah’s Entertainment
and its sponsors (six seats).
With so much prize money
and bragging rights for one
of poker’s most prominent
titles up for grabs, cameras
were present to film the
entire two-day event for a
later broadcast.
Andrew Black arrived
as the chip leader, with a
commanding 2 to 1 chip
lead over his closest rival,
Daniel Negreanu. One
unfortunate player would be
forced to make an unpaid
appearance at the final
table. Since only the topnine finishers received prize
money, the unlucky tenthplace finisher had the cruel
misfortune to make it to a
final table, yet walk away
penniless.
That unlucky tenthplace finisher turned out
to be Gus Hansen, one of
poker’s most feared and
respected top professionals.
“The Great Dane” arrived
with the second-lowest
stack stick and went out
quickly. Despite his success
at tournaments elsewhere,
Hansen has yet to win a
WSOP-related event and
seems way overdue for
a breakthrough victory.
Hansen exited to a round
of applause from the crowd
and sighs of relief from
the remaining nine players,
who were guaranteed prize
money once the nine finalists were set.
Daniel Bergsdorf was
the next player to be eliminated. About an hour into
play, the Swede who finished seventh in the WSOP
main event last year, moved
all-in with pocket kings
after the flop came J-9-8.
Unbeknownst to Bergsdorf,
opponent Daniel Negreanu
had flopped a monster
hand, holding queen-ten
-- good for a straight.
Bergsdorf failed to improve
and finished in ninth place,
which paid $25,000.
Kido Pham, who won
the Bally’s WSOP Circuit
championship held in Las
Vegas last year, went out
next. Pham was low on
chips and tried to steal with
a weak hand. Andrew Black
made the call, caught a pair,
and ended Pham’s dream
of becoming a millionaire.
Eighth place paid $25,000.
One of the tournament’s
most decisive hands
occurred mid-way into the
finale. The hand completely
altered the fortune of at
least two players, and set
the stage for the remainder
of the tournament. Daniel
Negreanu was dealt pocket
kings and called an all-in
re-raise by Andrew Black,
holding ace-king. It’s rare
in tournament poker to see
a confrontation between
the two largest chip stacks,
but this is precisely what
happened. The kings held
up and Negreanu rocketed
up into the chip lead for
the first time. In an instant,
Black’s humongous chip
stack went from a castle to
a farmhouse.
Chris “Jesus” Ferguson,
the 2000 world poker
champion and five-time
WSOP gold bracelet winner, was low on chips
throughout play. He finally
busted-out when his pocket
sixes were flattened by
Darrell Dicken’s pocket
eights. Neither player
improved, so the higher
pair won. Ferguson collected $50,000 for finishing
seventh.
“At the end, it was necessary to make a move,”
Ferguson later explained. “I
made a move and got called
by a better hand – it’s that
simple….I’m not really
happy with seventh place,
but you can’t win them all.”
The WSOP Circuit
champion from Harrah’s
Rincon, near San Diego,
went out in sixth place.
On his last hand, Darrell
“Gigabet” Dicken moved
in on a semi-bluff with a
diamond flush draw. Mike
(Cont’d from page 1)
Sexton had top pair (kings)
and called. Dicken failed
to catch a much-needed
diamond, and picked up
$75,000 for two days of
poker playing.
Andrew Black, who suffered a brutally disappointing experience at this final
table, became the tournament’s next fatality. With
his massive chip advantage
at the start, Black certainly
expected to finish higher
than fifth. But he could not
overcome the big loss to
Negreanu. Black went out
on a flush draw with kingnine suited, but missed.
Mike Matusow anxiously
scooped up and meticulously stacked Black’s final
chips, making the mystical
Irishman the latest final
table outcast. Black’s prize
amounted to $100,000.
East Coast poker champion Chris Reslock won
the WSOP Circuit main
event at the Atlantic City
Showboat, held last year.
He held tough at the final
table, finishing fourth,
despite arriving as the
player lowest in chips. On
Fixed Limit
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For tournament info, call 702.731.3311 ext. 3750
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
9
Gold Rush Fever Explodes
In Wisconsin’s
Northwoods Country
MIDWEST MILIEU
By bonnie demos
Menominee Indian Reservation/Menominee County Wisconsin,
home of Menominee Casino offers the visitor tranquil woods of
birch and tall pine, splendid crystal clear lakes and rivers, abundant wildlife, and loads of CASH. Poker players have hit pay
dirt at Menominee Casino.
In this north woods poker paradise players have the opportunity to compete for some serious cash. In September alone
Menominee Casino is hosting two major tournaments. The
first being the $50,000 guaranteed prize pool, No Limit Texas
Hold’Em TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS on September 8. The
tournament is limited to 5 tables/50 qualifying players. $100
buy-in Friday night qualifiers will run until September 1, so there
is still time to get in on the action. Another opportunity arises
on September 16, the popular FALL CLASSIC, a $33,000 potential
prize pool No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament, $250 buy-in.
Weekly tournaments include:Sunday Hold ‘Em $30 buy-in,
Monday Hold ‘Em $20 buy-in, and Wednesday No Limit Texas
Limit Hold ‘Em $35 buy-in. In addition there are monthly 100
plus seat Poker Tournaments $100 buy-in, offering larger prize
pools. This past spring a WPT seat was awarded to one lucky
tournament winner.
Tournaments are not the only way to find gold in this card
room, on May 27, 2006 the $108,799 Bad Beat Jackpot hit, 4
K’s beat A’s full of K’s. The current bad beat hold ‘em jackpot is
over $41,000, Omaha is $1,860.
The 8-table smoke-free poker
room is open Thursday-Sunday
9AM-2AM, Monday & Wednesday
2PM-2AM, closed Tuesdays. The
most popular games include, 3/6
Limit Hold ‘Em, 5/10 Omaha Hi/
Lo on Thursdays and scheduled
5/10 Limit and No Limit Fridays.
Other games can be scheduled upon request. Players have
the opportunity to call two hours in advance to reserve a seat.
Food and beverage service is available at the tables featuring
a special poker room menu. Complimentary cookies and sandwiches are often available also.
Although the poker room is currently undergoing remodeling, it will remain open, it is scheduled for completion before
September, at that time it will be re-named The Forest Edge
Poker Room. The ambiance of the room will reflect it’s north
woods surroundings featuring warm tones, honey pine and subtle lighting. Lil Duquaine the poker room manager was instrumental in procuring new comfortable, quality, player friendly
chairs.
Lil and her assistant Barb Kakwitch are dedicated to creating
an energetic, friendly atmosphere. The professional, courteous
staff is always ready to help new players and accommodate the
needs of any level player, contributing to the immense popularity of this poker room. It’s not a surprise that players have
awarded Menominee Casino Poker Room the honor of The Best
Poker Room in the Midwest for the past two years.
In addition to a great poker room, The Menomonee Casino
and Resort features many amenities making it a great destination. Some of the amenities include a full service bar with
entertainment, a 99 room resort offering continental breakfast,
indoor pool and whirlpool, a full service restaurant including
buffet and a gift shop. Additional gaming options include live
craps, blackjack, roulette, three card poker and let it ride, they
also offer bingo and over 850 slots.
The Menominee Casino is a great destination for live poker
action, great tournaments, and relaxation.
BACK ISSUES, SPECIAL FEATURES & UP-TO-THE MINUTE POKER INFO—
Bonnie Demos from the midwest, Gambler, poker player and
award winning chef, has enjoyed working in the gaming industry for the past several years. Write her at [email protected]
10
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
WSOP Shatters NAPC May Eclipse WSOP
Records
we bring you the results of
the first ten events. More
events will be covered in
the next few issues as the
WSOP lasts some 48 days
Victory at Last!
David Williams Wins
His First WSOP Gold
Bracelet—
2004 main event
runner-up earns welldeserved top prize
in Seven-Card Stud
championship
Aside from the multi-million dollar financial boon
of a second-place finish in
the championship event at
the World Series of Poker,
the runner-up position may
very well be poker’s most
frustrating end-result. Just
imagine – day after day,
week after week, month
after month, year after year
– suffering through the torment of poker flashbacks.
If I would have played
that hand this way, or done
something different, maybe
I would have been the
world champion. Instead,
the name of the WSOP
runner-up often becomes
lost. Years later, it is little
more than the answer to a
trivia question rather than
a revered figure inside
the poker world. Just
ask Julian Gardner, Alan
Goehring, Kevin McBride,
Dr. Bruce Van Horn and
several other top-quality
poker players how many
celebrity contracts they
have signed lately. All of
these would-be champions
were just one big hand
away from poker immortality.
David Williams finished second in the main
event at the 2004 World
Series of Poker at a time
when the popularity of
poker was soaring. Like
Sammy Farha before him
and Steve Dannenmann the
following year, Williams
became something of a
cult figure in poker circles
following his countless
appearances on ESPN’s
multitude of poker broadcasts. Williams’ natural
charisma made him the
perfect pitchman to a new,
hipper, more energetic
generation than the one
previous. And although
Williams has made the
most of his fame, the one
thing that had still eluded
the 26-year-old poker pro,
thus far, was winning a
WSOP gold bracelet.
Recognizing that all
glory is fleeting, on July
7, 2006, David Williams
erased two years of uncertainty and conjecture by
winning his first-ever
WSOP title. To everyone’s
surprise, Williams won his
poker prize in a game for
which he is not particularly
upon the number of players,
local buy-ins will vary from
$25 to $100 and Entry fees
from $15 to $25. Winners
at these events will come
forward to one or more of
6 regional events. In actuality, a player can win as
many as 24 entries, one to
each regional event in each
of 4 games (Omaha Hi/Lo
split 8 or Better; Limit Hold
‘em; Seven Card Stud; No
Limit Hold ;em). At each
regional event a player
will have won his regional
$1,000 buy-in and $100
entry fee. Approximately
5 % of the regional contestants will win their way
to the $10,000 buy-in final
event, in each of the four
games,.that will be held at
one of the Regional properties, and will be alternated
among them annually. At
the final event, 5% of the
finalists in each of the
four events will play in
a $10,000 buy-in OPEN
event. Those who have
not won their way into this
event will also pay a $500
entry fee. The six regional
participating properties
that are currently scheduled include: Foxwoods
(CT), Potawatomie (WI),
Muckleshoot (WA),
Seminole (FL), Cherokee
(Continued from page 1)
(OK) and Pechanga (CA).
All properties participation
are subject to final agreements and approval of
Tribal councils. The first
five have given the promoters a definite YES, while
negotiations are currently
underway with Pechanga.
Negotiations are also underway with a major Internet
poker room that is located
on an Indian Reservation
to also conduct satellites.
The promoters of this event
do not claim that they will
eclipse the WSOP, but,
clearly the potential is there
in their new and exciting
format.
Where fortunes have been made.
And more than a few legends, too.
The Mirage Poker Showdown – A World Poker Tour Event
May 4 – 17, 2006
May 4
No Limit Hold’em
$500 + $50*
Daylight Challenge
May 5
No Limit Hold’em
$1,000 + $60*
Monday – Thursday @ 1:30 p.m. No Limit Hold’em
May 6
No Limit Hold’em
$1,500 + $70*
Friday & Saturday @ 1:30 p.m. . .No Limit Hold’em
May 7
No Limit Hold’em
$2,000 + $80*
May
7
LIPS
Tour
Ladies
Event
(3
p.m.)
$500 + $50**
The Poker Zone Tournaments
May 10
May 10
May 11
Heads Up – Day 1
Limit Hold’em (3 p.m.)
No Limit Hold’em
$7,500
$1,000
$1,500
+ $200
+ $60
+ $70*
May 12
May 13
Super Satellite
Super Satellite
$1,500
$1,500
+ $70
+ $70
May
8 @Limit
Hold’em
$500
+ $50
May 14 – 17 WPT No Limit Hold’em Championship $10,000 + $200***
Sunday
5 p.m.
. . . . . . . . . . . .No Limit
Hold’em
May
9
No
Limit
Hold’em
$2,500
+
$100*
Monday @ 7 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . .No Limit Hold’em
Tuesday @ 7 p.m. . . . . . . . . . . .No Limit Hold’em
Wednesday @ 7 p.m.. . . . . . . . .No Limit Hold’em
Thursday @ 7 p.m. . . . . . .Super
. . . . Satellites
.No Limit7Hold’em
p.m. nightly • May 3 – May 13 • $200 + $30 (w/$200 unlimited rebuys)
mirage.com
For Room Reservations
For Room Reservations 800-77-POKER (800-777-6537) • Tournament Information 702-791-7291 • mirage.com 800-77-POKER
(8OO-777-6537)
All main events start at noon (except where noted). All events (except Super Satellites, LIPS Tour Ladies event and the Championship event) will play down to 9 players. Heads Up event is limited to 128 entries. Final table play
Tournament
Information
will begin at 3 p.m. the following day. Registration for all main events will begin at 3 p.m. on May 3, 2006. All Super Satellites will seat as many entries as possible for the Championship event. *Champion receives $10,200 entry
(non-negotiable, non-refundable, non-transferable) into the May 14, 2006 Championship event. **$1,500 will be withheld for a seat in the WPT Ladies Circle of Champions event and the LIPS Tour Grand Championship event.
702-791-7291
***Champion receives a $25,500 seat (non-negotiable, non-refundable, non-transferable) into the WPT Finals at Bellagio in April 2007. 3% of the prize pool will be withheld for the poker room staff. Management reserves the
right to modify, suspend, or cancel this promotion at its sole discretion and without prior notice. All tournaments are subject to table availability. The Mirage endorses responsible gaming. If you or someone you know has a
problem gaming responsibly, please call the 24-hour Problem Gamblers HelpLine at 1-800-522-4700. ©2006 MGM MIRAGE®. All rights reserved.
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
11
Less is More
POwer POKER PSYCHOLOGY
By JAMES A. M C KENNA, P H D.
Have you ever wondered why so often the
short-stacks in tournaments end up winning
the table? Me too! So, I started paying attention to this to
see if it was just a fluke or that it was connected to some
legitimate explanation. I discovered that the explanation
was human nature and what happens to players when they
get out of their ruts.
We’ve all heard things like, “All-in wins again!” Is that just
plain luck or is there something present when people go all
in to explain why this is true? First of all, when a person is
about to go busted, most players will wait for a decent hand
and try to double up. This patience may be something that
they lacked up to now and accounts for their short stacks.
Secondly, when you don’t have much to lose, most players
will loosen up and go for it. That means that their usual
tight play requiring high odds will give way to playing less
to ideal odds. After all, they may get lucky and all they can
loose is their all-in bet. This is usually the attitude in low
limit games. However, in no-limit and high limit cash games
the all-in option seems reserved for high odd bets—unless
the pot-odds are right. For example, if the pot is $500 and
a bet of $100 would put me all-in, I’d be getting 5 to 1 odds.
If I have four or more outs to make improve my hand it’s a
good bet.
In no-limit games, when a player has the least chips at
the table, what’s the task? Right! That player has to loosen
up and attempt to double up. That means taking more risks.
Surprisingly, it is often that such moves result in doubling,
tripling, and finally winning the table. The bottom-line justification for such moves is the pot odds that such loose play
presents. Usually, these moves come when there’s already a
$10K ante and the blinds are close or more that the size of
the all-in bet. For example, if I am under the gun (position
next to the big blind) and I only have $5400 in my stack,
I’m thinking about going all-in. Suppose that the blinds are
$2000 and $4000. If I just called, I’d only have $1400 left.
So, if I have premium cards, it’s a no-brainer to go all-in.
Even if I have less than premium cards, if I am going to play,
it’s time to go all-in. It’s either that or folding to wait and
play the large blind before going all-in.
What about bluffing when a player is short stacked? If
head to head with a player who has more than enough chips
to cover your all-in bet, it’s a bad time to bluff. You can most
certainly expect a call under such circumstances. However,
if you are head to head with a player who would diminish
his or her stack by 50% or more, it might be a good time
to bluff—particularly, if you know your opponent is tight.
Remember, you can bluff a good player; but, it’s impossible
to bluff a fool.
So, what’s the lesson in human nature to be gained by how
players handle their dwindling stacks? Playing aggressively
at the right time is a learned skill in poker. Some players only
get aggressive when they have the “nuts.” Other players save
their aggressiveness for when they are in a corner and are
making desperation moves. Ask yourself, do you play aggressively all the time or just at certain times? If the latter, study
what times you decide to be aggressive. It’s amazing how
often a tight player will loosen up when desperate and seems
to get lucky. The lesson is mixing up how structured and
how intuitive you are willing to be. The extremes of either
attribute are less that desirable. However, the combination of
these (left and right brain) attributes leads to success and in
many cases to winning the tournament.
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,” was recently published by Kensington
Press. Write to him at [email protected].
12
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
WS O P
known – seven-card stud.
“I play a lot of the
mixed games against
some very good players,”
Williams later explained.
“I play with Chau Giang,
David Singer, Mike
Wattel, and top players who really know the
game. I picked up on
some of the things they
do, and that really helped
me. I also talked to
(noted sports handicapper)
Alan Boston who is a very
solid stud player and got
some very good advice
from him.”
Whatever the stud
specialists shared with
Williams must have
worked. Williams topped
a field of 474 players in
the $1,500 buy-in SevenCard Stud championship
and won $163,118 for
first place. With all due
respect to the other competitors, Williams’ victory
almost looked too easy.
On the scale of tough
final tables, this one was
certainly high up on the
list. Three of the eight
finalists were former gold
bracelet winners – including Johnny Chan (with 10
wins), Miami John (with
three wins), and Jack
Duncan (with one). David
Williams arrived as the
chip leader.
Name
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Matt Hawrilenko, from
Philadelphia, arrived
as one of the shortest
stacks. He lasted 45-minutes before finally losing
his remaining chips on
a draw with big cards,
which missed completely.
Hawrilenko, who finished
fifth in last year’s $3,000
buy-in limit hold’em
championship, took eighth
place this time – earning
$16,312.
It’s not often that tentime gold bracelet winner Johnny Chan is short
stacked at a poker table.
But he arrived with little
ammunition on this night.
Low on chips throughout, Chan was eliminated
when he lost with a pair
of sixes to “Miami John”
Cernuto’s trip nines.
Those in the packed gal-
lery expecting to see yet
another night of history
being made at this year’s
WSOP in what would
have been Chan’s recordbreaking 11th gold brace-
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“Miami” John
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$86,000
Jack Duncan
$106,000
Mitchell Ledis
$42,500
David Williams $142,000
Matt Hawrilenko $32,000
Ivan Schertzer $118,500
Johnny Chan
$26,500
John Q. Hoang $169,000
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a tt e rs
let left disappointed, along
with Chan. The 1987 and
1988 world poker champion collected $22,836.
Ivan A. Schertzer went
out next. The attorney
from Florida went out losing to David Williams’
three kings. The final
verdict was seventh place
– and a settlement for
$29,361.
Another famous name
went out when longtime
poker pro “Miami John”
Cernuto went bust. Threetime WSOP event winner Cernuto (one of the
world’s best Omaha highlow tournament players)
was bidding for win number four, but instead was
bounced off the final table
when his pair was topped
by a set. The former airtraffic controller landed
safely in fifth place, good
for $35,886.
Mitchell Ledis, from Las
Vegas, was the next player
to go out. On his last
hand, he started off with
buried kings, which failed
to improve. His adversary,
David Williams made three
sevens and that ended the
night for Ledis. The real
estate investor closed the
deal for $45,673.
Jack Duncan was well
on his way to becoming
one of this year’s most
compelling human interest stories. The 78-yearold casino owner from
Washington State who
used to play poker regularly with the late casino
pioneer Benny Binion back
in the 1950s showed that
he can still play with the
best by finishing in third
place. Duncan, the winner of a gold bracelet in
2002, hoped to become the
second-oldest WSOP event
winner (to Paul McKinney
who won last year) by
taking the top prize in
this tournament. Instead,
Duncan lost when his pair
of queens was cracked by
John Hoang’s pair of aces.
Third place paid $71,772.
John Q. Hoang battled
valiantly for more than
three hours before finally
succumbing to defeat.
The 39-year-old former
software engineer was
outchipped during the
entire heads-up match,
although Williams was
Re c o rd s
certainly put to an unwanted test of endurance.
Williams won the final
hand with a rather unimpressive (6s-4s) Ks-3h4c-Jd (8h) versus Hoang’s
(Ad-8s) 4c-5s-9d-3c (10s).
A lonely pair of fours is
normally not very worthwhile in seven-card stud,
but in Williams case – it
was worth $163,118, and a
lot more in terms of significance. Hoang, who won
also won major tournament
in Tunica, MS in the past,
collected $110,920 for second place.
Williams’ win seemed
so right. Prior to fin-
ishing second to Greg
“Fossilman” Raymer in
the 2005 world championship, Williams attended
Southern Methodist
University in Dallas. He
first acquired knowledge
of game theory by playing the card game called
“Magic.” The $3.5 million cash prize for second
place certainly changed
Williams’ life. He moved
to Las Vegas, turned pro,
and accepted big-money
endorsement deals. But no
amount prize money buys
peer respect and self-assurance. When the WSOP
coveted gold bracelet was
strapped to Williams’ wrist
inside the Rio poker arena,
the latest poker champion
displayed great appreciation for the significance of
the victory.
“It’s really all I have
thought about or cared
about,” Williams said following his greatest personal triumph. “I wanted
it so bad that I changed
my daily activities to put
myself in a much better
position to win. Now, I
am so happy I feel like
crying. I’m fighting back
the tears right now. It’s
the best I’ve ever felt in
my life.”
RIO ALL-SUITES CASINO
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #10
7/5/06
7-CARD STUD
PLAYERS 487
PRIZE
POOL
$652,470
David Williams
1. David Williams . . . $163,189
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Las Vegas, NV, USA
13
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 nineyear Las Vegas residents. Sam uses simulation software to
analyze and develop strategies for Omaha Hi/Lo and other
forms of poker. Reach Sam at: [email protected].
T
oday I will wrap up
this series of articles
and offer my final comments on the article written
by Jennifer Harman. I will
also offer some insight into
the next series of articles.
Jennifer defines a loose
game as one where “six or
seven players are seeing
every flop”. This is indeed
a very loose game. She further states that “you should
play most hands that have
A-2.” I fully agree. In a
loose game like this people
are playing every kind of
low hand imaginable as
well as many not so great
high hands. One must be
extremely mindful of getting quartered or worse.
You will most definitely
be up against another A-2.
The best strategy may be
to avoid multiple raises by
checking rather then betting
as this will help minimize
the effect of quartering. The
other trap that occurs in this
type of game is counterfeiting. Counterfeiting may
cost you any shot at the
pot. Suppose you are sitting
there with your A-2 and the
flop is 4-7-8. You’re feeling
pretty confident that you
will at least have a piece of
the pot. The turn brings a 2
14
and you just went from nut
low to 6th best. A-3, A-5,
A-6, 3-5, 3-6 all have better
lows. Someone holding a
5-6 for low has just made a
straight! There is really now
way to protect against this
and it will hurt even more if
the deuce falls on the river.
When you hold 3 or 4
low cards you may develop
a false sense of security
in that you feel you may
not be counterfeited. It
definitely helps protect your
hand and the lower the rank
the better. But the four best
lowest cards A-2-3-4 will
be frustrated with a flop of
2-3-4 as you do not hold a
low. You may even falsely
believe that if any low card
falls you will make the nut
low. If the turn brings an
ace, all you will have is two
pair while facing a possible
wheel.
Jennifer then continues
with “The pots will be large
enough to justify playing
for only the low” Aren’t we
always playing for the high
before the flop? Even if
you are holding 4 low cards
aren’t you hoping to flop
quads, a straight and if you
have an ace suited a flush?
I will sometimes play marginal high hands and high
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Sam Mudaro is the...
Caro’s Word:
“Connect”
CONT’D FROM PAGE 6
Omaha Hi-Low’s Many
to middle
Misconceptions—Conclusion
pairs
ematics. One must take into
from late position when I
account the decisions our
see a large number of callers in front of me. I reason a opponent have made and
those they may make. In
good majority of low cards
a computer simulation we
must already be out and I
cannot evaluate “tells”. Or
may scoop a pot if no low
can we?
comes.
We certainly cannot evalJennifer concludes this
uate things like blink rates
paragraph with “there’s no
or bulging veins or other
need to play every hand
visual signals our opponent
with A-2 aggressively.” I
may be sending. We can on
couldn’t agree more. The
the other hand evaluate betflop may destroy almost
ting patterns, starting hands,
every starting hand in
calling frequencies and so
Omaha Hi/Lo. The best
on much more accurately.
starting hand A2A3 can be
If we were to design the
reduced to a trap hand with
a flop of JQK suited and not best computer software in
the world we would have
to your suit. With A2 and
to analyze every aspect of
nothing much else I agree
the game. We would then
“you’re better off seeing a
flop cheaply.” Not only may have to find a way to quantify our findings and assign
it save you money it also
them a probability. Since in
helps disguise your hand
poker we are always dealing
when the flop does hit you.
with incomplete informaIn tight games with few
tion we need to evaluate
players seeing the flop
what our opponent may be
Jennifer recommends only
holding. We further need to
seeing the flop with better
assign each possible holding
than average hands. Again
a probability.
I totally agree. In fact the
I am not going to teach
higher the stakes the better
you how to become a
the starting hand you will
computer programmer or
need. The best general rule
statistical genius. In the
I can offer here is that you
next series of articles I will
want to get your money
develop a method of analyzin with premium starting
ing and breaking the game
hands, those that offer the
down to its individual comhighest average net. After
ponents. I will then see if
the flop if you don’t have
we may find a simple way
a “made hand” you want
to value and rank some of
to be drawing to the nuts.
the decisions. Even if we
If you have a low drawing
developed the best artifihand after the flop, even if
it is to the nuts, you want to cial intelligence software
have a hand that has at least and it required a computer
some high potential. On the it would be worthless for
playing in live ring games.
other hand, if you hit the
Let me conclude by statnut high, you want to make
ing that 30 years ago people
it real expensive for your
felt there was no way to
opponents who have low
consistently beat Black
draws.
Jack. I am sure the exercise
If you have been folI will run you through will
lowing my articles you
awaken you to new concertainly know I base them
cepts and cause you to think
on computer simulations.
in a way you never though
A simulation is not a mathpossible. The real challenge
ematical calculation of the
odds at each decision point. is not the identification of
or quantifying of the variA simulation attempts to
ables. The real challenge is
simulate humane play and
can we reduce Omaha Hi/
the decision process. In a
Lo to a simple count system
real poker games involving
as used by card counters for
real money, decisions are
Black Jack.
not purely based on math-
hands routinely. They’ll
often make it too expensive
to call before the flop, and
– even if you see the flop
-- if you don’t completely
connect right then, they’ll
often make it unprofitable to continue. The way
to play suited connectors
against that type of nolimit foe is selectively.
Sometimes play them, but
not too often, otherwise
you’ll motivate alert opponents to attack and get
maximum advantage.
And finally, it’s more
profitable to come in with
suited connectors after
two or more players have
already called than to barge
in with them, not knowing
if anyone else will call or
raise. Suited connectors are
significantly more profitable when played from late
positions.
So, repeating, when you
have suited connectors in
late position and no one
else has entered the pot,
it’s OK to raise. Calling
is sometimes OK, too,
but doesn’t give you the
opportunity to steal the
blinds. If you’re going to
raise the blinds with suited
connectors, make sure your
ranks are high enough to
beat a small pair if you
make a pair. Remember
that, in general, you don’t
want to play suited connectors against selective and
aggressive opponents. And
finally, remember that suited connectors will usually
be more profitable if you
call a long line of players
than if you barge in from
an early position, so often,
if you’re in early position,
you should just fold.
This is “The Mad Genius
of Poker” Mike Caro and
that’s my secret today.
Mike Caro is widely regarded as the world’s foremost
authority on poker strategy,
psychology, and statistics. A
renowned player and founder of Mike Caro University
of Poker, Gaming, and Life
Strategy, he is known as
“the Mad Genius of Poker,”
because of his lively delivery of concepts and latest
research. You can visit him
at www.poker1.com.
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
15
A Dilemma
STRAIGHT SKINNY
By RICHARD G. BURKE
Fred eyed the Low-Limit No-Limit
Hold’Em games in our local casino
for quite some time before sitting at the $1-2
table. He could buy in for $50 to $200. He
chose $200.
Fred gets bored easily and since the big blind
was only $2, he figured he would see a lot of
Flops. He told me he reasoned that if he hit a
perfect Flop that he could double up. The trouble is, of course, that flopping the nuts is rare.
It’s about one chance in 30 that he would flop
Two Pairs or Trips, p=C(6,2)*44/C(50,3), assuming they would hold up. It’s about 1 chance in 8.7
that he would flop a Set or better starting with
a pocket pair, or about once in 148 hands. At $3
per orbit, waiting to flop a Set or better would
cost him $45, even if he had the patience to
wait.
Luckily, after seven hands Fred picked up
Af-Ad on the button and raised to $20. The
Big Blind called and everyone else folded. Twohanded they saw the dealer flop Aa-9a-2a.
Fred was elated that he flopped a Set, until the
Big Blind moved all-in.
Calling would put Fred all-in, so he mulled. Did
the Big Blind really have a Flush? Since Fred
raised before the Flop, wouldn’t the Big Blind
have put him on pocket Aces? If so, then his
betting into Fred implied a big hand. The Big
Blind was representing that he had flopped a
Flush. Counting only 7 outs, twice, about a 31%
chance to pair the board, and convincing himself
that the Big Blind really had flopped a Flush,
Fred mucked. “What did I think of that,” he
asked.
First of all, I told him, you didn’t have 7 outs,
twice, you had 7 outs on the Turn and 10 outs
on the River, for a total of 17 outs. Your chance
that the board would pair was about 37%.
I asked what hand did Fred think the Big Blind
had in order to call his raise. Fred thought he
had to have a hand like Ka-Qa or As-Ka.
Each of those hands is equally likely, I told
Fred. The big question is your assessment of
whether the Big Blind would have put you allin with As-Ka. If so, then you had the winning hand and he had 9 outs, twice, to improve,
roughly a 40% chance. There was a very small
chance 12/45*9/44 = 0.054, that you would both
improve, with a Heart AND a Pair on the table.
From your point of view, if he had the Flush
already, then you had a 37% chance of improving. If he had Top Pair, Top Kicker with a Flush
re-draw then you had a 65% chance of prevailing. If you assessed it as equally likely that he
held Ka-Qa or As-Ka. then your chances
would be 0.5*.37+0.5*.65, or 51%. If he would
also have called your pre-flop raise with a hand
Ka-Ja, then the scale tips against you.
Of course you were under time pressure, and
you didn’t have the luxury of doing the arithmetic, but you made a mistake in not realizing that
the Turn card gave you three more outs on the
River to pair the board. You had a better chance
than you thought. Still, you made the right decision because you had no edge going for you.
Mr. Burke is the author of Flop: The Art of Winning at
Low-Limit Hold ’Em, on sale at amazon, gamblersbook,
& kokopellipress.com. E-mail your Hold ’Em questions to
[email protected]
16
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
WSOP Shatters Records
Fountain Valley, CA, USA
3. Jack Duncan . . . . . . $71,772
Newport, WA, USA
4. Michael Ledis . . . . . $45,673
5. Miami John
Cernuto . . . . . . . . . . $35,886
Las Vegas, NV, USA
6. Ivan Swertzer . . . . . $29,361
7. Johnny Chan . . . . . . $22,836
Las Vegas, NV, USA
8. Matthew
Hawrilenko . . . . . . . $16,312
Philadelphia, PA, USA
9. Mark Dickstein . . . . . $8,482
New York, NY, USA
Jeff Cabanillas Makes
Poker History—Latest
WSOP champ pulls off
stunning upset; denies
Phil Hellmuth gold
bracelet Number Ten
When Jeff Cabanillas first
strolled through the doors
of the mammoth Rio poker
tournament room three days
ago, few people recognized
him. Few appreciated his talent. Fewer still gave him any
chance whatsoever to win one
of the toughest competitions
in all of tournament poker
-- the $5,000 buy-in no-limit
hold’em event at the World
Series of Poker.
Cabanillas is the epitome
of all unknown poker players who walk through doors
hoping that on this day, at
this moment, this will be the
tournament where everything
changes. On July 4, 2006
Cabanillas took his seat along
with 621 other aspiring champions to compete in an event
rich in history and tradition.
The list of previous event
winners -- in what for years
was been the second-toughest
test in all of poker -- reveals
the prominence of the title –
Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth,
and T.J. Cloutier, just to name
a few.
Cabanillas won his way
into this event through a single-table satellite. He played
the best poker of his life and
survived the first day. On Day
Two, Cabanillas made it into
the money. Then, ten hours
later -- he was all set to return
for the final table on Day
Three. And so, the Cinderella
story that started 22-years ago
in East Los Angeles now continues.
Cabanillas, who attended
Cal-State-Los Angeles and
owned a cell phone store
before becoming a low-stakes
professional poker, was set to
take a seat on poker’s grandest
stage. When he sat down on
the ESPN set in seat number
five, few people recognized
him. Few appreciated his talent. Fewer still gave him any
chance whatsoever to win.
But this would be the tournament where everything would
change.
It was not just that
Cabanillas won, but how
he won and who he won
it against. Phil Hellmuth
– part icon, part bad boy, part
poker legend, part egotistical leviathan -- all wrapped
up into a towering 6-foot,
5-inch frame just that is just
as psychologically as physically intimidating. Hellmuth,
poker’s Goliath facing a sea
of potential slayers, and one
David in the end. Hellmuth
enjoyed other advantages, too.
It seemed almost everyone sitting in the huge gallery packed
inside the Rio Convention
Center was rooting for the
nine-time WSOP gold bracelet
winner. Many of the biggest
names in poker sat right at
ringside, including Johnny
Chan and Doyle Brunson,
who both distanced themselves from Hellmuth at last
year’s World Series by winning their record-tenth gold
bracelets. All were present to
bear witness to poker history
being made. In the end, the
history they witnessed was a
much different version that
might have been expected.
1. Jeff Cabanillas . . . $818,546
2. Phil Hellmuth Jr . . $423,893
Palo Alto, CA, USA
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #9
PHOTO COURTESY IMAGE MASTERS
2. John Hoang . . . . . . $110,920
7/4/06
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $5,000
Brooklyn, NY, USA
4. Marcel Luske AKA
“The Flying Dutchman”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $204,638
Amsterdam, Netherlands
PLAYERS 622
PRIZE
POOL
3. Eugene Todd AKA
“Mr Brooklyn” . . . $233,872
5. Isabelle Mercier . . $175,404
$652,470
Victoriaville, QC, Canada
6. Thomas Schreiber $146,170
Danielson, CT, USA
7. Douglas Carli
AKA “Rico” . . . . . $116,936
Alliance, OH, USA
8. Vinnie Vinh . . . . . . . $87,702
Houston, TX, USA
9. Danny Smith AKA
“cpfactor” . . . . . . . . $58,468
Folsom, CA, USA
Jeff Cabanillas
No Limit Hold ‘Em Tournament
Saturday, August 12th at 9 a.m.
Paying the top 40 places
1st place - $100,000, Arizona State Championship ring and trophy
2nd place - $40,000 and trophy
3rd place - $20,000 and trophy
Sign up at the Poker Room or by calling the casino box office: 480.850.7734
$500 buy-in, $50 fee, limited to 450 entries
Voted Best Texas Hold ‘Em 2005
Casino Arizona reserves the right to modify or cancel this promotion at any time. See Poker Room for complete details.
WE’VE GOT YOUR GAME
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480-850-7777 casinoaz.com
Owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
Please gamble responsibly.
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
17
DEBBIE BURKHEAD INTERVIEWS...
LESSON 80:
How to Profit From Low Limit
“No Fold’em” Games
Jack Effel
D I R EC TO R O F P O K E R O P E R AT I O N S FO R H A R R A H ’S
Lessons from mike caro
university of poker
BY DIANE M C HAFFIE
Since the rise of the popularity of poker, there has
been an influx of new players of all ages, races and backgrounds. Mike
tells me that in the “olden days” the poker players learned from experience, trial and error. Well, today’s new players don’t all have the desire
to lose money through trial and error, so many are reading every book
they can and watching all the video lessons available, in order to avoid
the major “learning” losses their predecessors experienced.
Most of the new beginners will start playing in lower limit games to
test the waters, usually $1-$2, $2-4, or $3-6 limit hold ’em. They have a
rude awakening, though, as the games don’t proceed quite as they had
expected. The players in these lower limit games are different, because
they fold less often and go on to see the flop more frequently than in
bigger games. It is common for four to six players to be involved in the
final showdown.
Puzzling. As beginning players who’ve read the strategy books, they
find this looser play quite puzzling; and skilled players will find it rather
exasperating. Many players have a tendency to whine about how impossible these games are to profit from. You’re sitting there with superior
cards, no one has folded, and your greatest fear now is that you are
going to get drawn out on at the river by something you least expect. It
has happened too often and still you sit, holding your breath apprehensively, knowing in your heart that the river card could spell doom. If you
figure in the rake, as well, there goes even more money.
Mike says that there is a “formula” for winning at low limit when a
“rake” is involved. You have to consider the rake when playing hands.
You will need to have a superior hand to prevail over the rake. You won’t
be able to play many of the hands you’d normally play in larger timebased games.
Don’t play less conservatively just because everyone else around you
is gambling. They will lose by their loose play, allowing you to profit.
Tighter. If you don’t have to consider a rake, then you can play looser, but not as loose as the players around you. You should play tighter
than your opponents, enabling you to have a quality advantage in your
hand selection.
In these loose games, fancy play isn’t necessary or recommended.
Weak players don’t realize what you’re attempting to do and won’t react
as expected.
Mike says, “You will get drawn out on. Since you normally will be
entering the pot with the best hand, the proportion of hands that you
will be drawn out on will be much greater than your opponents. Don’t
get frustrated about this. It’s where your profit comes from. Winning
players are drawn out on much more often among the hands they
choose to play than losing players.”
Skilled players have the ability to play hands that weaker players
wouldn’t be able to attempt. This doesn’t always apply in a rake game.
Caution. If you’re trying to test sophisticated plays and experiment
with strategies, lower-limit rake games won’t be the place to try them.
Mike says these games are a good learning ground, but you should play
cautiously.
Skillful players usually find the challenge of higher-limit poker more
desirable and profitable. Unfortunately, the less skillful players sometimes decide too soon to experiment with the higher limits in the hopes
of bigger and quicker profits, only to go away with their tails between
their legs, humiliated and broke. They haven’t mastered the necessary
skills in the learning experience to enable them to succeed in the higher
limit games. They haven’t reached the skill level to play with the big
dogs.
So, yes, play the small games. But play them conservatively. Mike
says a lot of patience and basic skills are required to be able to gain
profit from low-limit rake games. He teaches that there is an old saying
that applies to loose, low-limit rake games, “Tight is right.”
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].
18
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Jack Effel hails from
Dallas, Texas, born
November 25, 1975. Jack
resided in Dallas until the
age of 21, shortly after
his birthday he moved
to Tunica, Mississippi
and took a dealing position with Sam’s Town.
Within a few weeks he
was promoted to Dual/Rate
Supervisor.
In November of 1997
Jack was given the opportunity to assist in the
opening of a new cardroom and the position of
Shift Supervisor at the
Horseshoe in Bossier City,
Louisiana, he relished the
idea of being close to his
birthplace of Dallas and
accepted the position.
The room closed in
January of 2000 and Jack
was offered a Dual/Rate
Supervisor’s position at the
Horseshoe in Tunica. He
accepted the position and
while holding down his
job he was simultaneously
attending the University
of Mississippi where he
received his degree in Real
Estate.
In 2005 Jack was
offered a position to travel
with the World Series of
Poker Circuit. He began
the circuit at Rincon in San
Diego, then to Las Vegas
at the Rio, on to Harrah’s
at Lake Tahoe and ending the circuit with New
Orleans. When the circuit events concluded he
headed back to Las Vegas
for the Grand Daddy of all,
the 2005 WSOP.
When the Series ended
the circuit events picked
back up and he was back
on the road again. First
with the Grand Casino
in Tunica and then on to
Caesar’s Indiana. When
the Caesar’s event ended
there was a break in
the schedule, due to the
Tournament of Champion’s
at Caesar’s in Las Vegas.
Jack’s duties did not
include working the TOC
but he attended the event
and while in Vegas he mar-
ried his finance, Elisha.
The two met at last year’s
WSOP where Jack was a
Tournament Director and
Elisha was the production manager for Image
Masters. Since that time
Elisha has taken a position with Harrah’s as the
WSOP Circuit Registration
Manager.
Following the TOC and
their wedding they were
back on the road again
heading to the Showboat
in Atlantic City, then came
the holidays and then on to
the Grand in Tunica.
In February of 2006
Jack was recruited for the
Poker Room Manager’s
position at the Horseshoe
in Tunica. Two weeks into
his new position at the
Horseshoe he was called
in to assist in the WSOP
Circuit event in Atlantic
City.
He returned to Tunica
at the end of the event
to resume his position of
Poker Room Manager. His
duties included restructuring, restaffing and streamlining the poker room.
Shortly after returning,
Jack learned of a newly
created position in the
Harrah’s Corporation that
covered poker operations
for Harrah’s Brand and the
WSOP. He decided to take
the initiative to express his
interest in the new position
and wrote a very detailed
letter describing his ability
to fulfill the position. The
letter prompted several
screenings and interviews
before he was offered
the position of Director
of Poker Operations for
Harrah’s in April of 2006.
Following his new
appointment he went to
Indiana to run the MidWest Poker Championships
at Caesar’s. At the completion of the event he
returned to Tunica and
packed up for his new
home in Las Vegas.
Along with his titles
of Director of Poker
Operations and WSOP
Circuit Director, he
also shares the title of
Tournament Director of the
WSOP with Robert Daily.
DB: This year‘s WSOP
seems to have received
noticeable sponsorship,
how does this benefit the
players?
JE: It‘s a great thing for
both players and Harrah‘s.
All sporting events require
sponsorships to succeed.
There are a lot of expenses
with hosting a major event
and added sponsorship
assists Harrah‘s in making
the experience a better one
for the participants.
DB: This year‘s Casino
Employees event drew
1232 entrants, that‘s twice
as many as last year, is that
a good indication of what‘s
to come?
JE: Yes, we projected
a 25% increase for all
events but now I see we
are already ahead of our
projection. We have over
2000 entrants signed up
for tomorrow’s event and
we are projecting a sellout at around 2750 players. Depending on where
we are when we reach
2750, the decision will be
made as to whether we can
accommodate anymore.
At 2288 we are full with
208 tables and 11 handed.
We are prepared to take up
to 500 alternates in each
event.
DB: My understanding is
that Harrah‘s is prepared
to accommodate up to
10,000 entrants in the main
event, is anyone in danger
of being shut out of that
event?
JE: Based on our projection of a 25% increase we
are looking at 7,000 plus
players, and again once we
reach 8,000 we will have
to make the decision as to
how far we can go. We can
actually accommodate up
to 2,288 per day with alternates which would take us
to 9,152 entrants. We hope
not to turn anyone away
but that would definitely
be a good problem.
DB: Tell the readers how
the alternate list works?
JE: Once we reach capacity we will begin excepting
alternates. We are looking
at a maximum of 500 alternates per event if needed
WSOP
It’s a Golden Night
for Jack “Action”
Zwerner—
Longtime Las Vegas
gambling veteran wins
his first WSOP title—
and $341,426!
Las Vegas, NV – There
aren’t many things that
Jack “Action” Zwerner
hasn’t seen and done in the
world of gambling. He’s
the founder of the biggest bingo enterprise in
America. He’s worked as
a high-level casino executive for the (now imploded)
Dunes, Caesar’s Palace, the
Golden Nugget, and the Las
Vegas Hilton. He’s hung
out with everyone from
Steve Wynn to Larry Flynt
to Stu Ungar. And now,
he’s won a World Series of
Poker gold bracelet.
Zwerner topped a powerhouse field of 670 players
en route to a $341,426 top
prize. The $2,000 buy-in
Omaha High-Low Split
world championship lasted
three long days, which concluded with the 58-year-old
Las Vegan winning his first
WSOP title.
It almost didn’t happen.
Just days before the WSOP
started, Zwerner admitted
that he had no intention to
play in the world’s largest
and most prestigious poker
tournament. Zwerner had
not played in the World
Series in nearly 15 years.
But his 21-year-old son
started taking an interest in
poker and encouraged the
elder Zwerner to enter and
play this year. That turned
out to be good advice.
Immediately following his
hard-fought, well-deserved
win, Zwerner drove home
to show his two grown children the gold bracelet. “My
son started crying, he was
so happy,” Zwerner said.
“When I saw him crying,
well I started crying, too.”
Indeed, victory at the World
Series of Poker brings
fame, fortune – and tears
of joy.
runner up, Rusty Mandap
earned $176,813. The
Philippine-born casino
director from Norwalk, CA
was disappointed he did
not win, but expressed no
regrets about the end result.
“I didn’t get any cards in
the end,” he said.
The mood in Zwerner’s
camp was decidedly more
upbeat. Zwerner, who first
moved to Las Vegas from
Miami, Florida back in
1963, received congratulatory handshakes from
many in the crowd who
recognized the winner as
a longtime local. Indeed,
Zwerner has seen and
done it all in the gambling
mecca, working every
side of the business. He is
someone most deserving
of a rare prize afforded to
those who helped to build
the Las Vegas Strip into the
place that it is.
At Eighty-Years
Young, Deal Her In!
Kuei Chi Chang finishes “in-the-money”
in her first-ever live
poker encounter
Octogenarian cashes
twice at the 2006
World Series of Poker
Las Vegas, NV – July 8,
2006 – No one is ever too
old to take up a new interest. Consider the lessons of
history: In his 80s, Albert
Schweitzer performed charity work in Africa. In his
80s, Ben Franklin helped
to draft the United States
Phil Hellmuth congratulates Kuei Chi Chang
Constitution. At age 80,
actor George Burns won
an Academy Award for
his performance in “The
Sunshine Boys.” Now, an
octogenarian has cashed at
the 2006 World Series of
Poker.
Take your best shot at the big dogs – and the biggest prize in sporting history.
Enter the 2006 World Series of Poker, with a total prize pool expected to be
well over $100 million.
Returning to the Rio June 25 – August 10, 2006. For more details, including
how to enter, visit worldseriesofpoker.com or call 1-877-367-9767.
The 2006 GAMING LIFE EXPO
at The World Series of Poker®
July 27 – 31, 2006 at the Rio Pavilion
Discover and buy the latest products for the poker aficionado lifestyle.
Enjoy special events daily. Open to the public, 21 years or older.
Visit www.worldseriesofpoker.com/gaminglifeexpo for more information.
Must be 21 years or older to participate in event. Official rules and details available at the Total Rewards® Center. Must be 21 or older to gamble.
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700. ©2006, Harrah’s License Company, LLC.
19
Poker is Still Growing
Many of us in the poker industry are still
starry-eyed and in awe of what poker has
POKER COUNSELOR
By John Carlisle, MA, NCC
morphed into over the past few years.
From a forgotten pastime that was misunderstood
from the masses to a TV ratings juggernaut in such a
short amount of time is simply amazing. Players that
were once looked down upon for being a degenerate
gambler when they listed Professional Poker Player as
their occupations are now superstars. They are, in many
venues, equal in celebrity status to mainstream pro
athletes. In short, poker has arrived and looks to have
a solid future for some time. In this awestruck state,
though, many of us fail to recognize the fact that poker
is still very much growing in a global sense. In certain
sections of the world, poker is still in the preliminary
stages of garnering sweeping attention and interest.
Poker popularity has boomed to unparalleled rates
in much of Europe, across Canada, in Australia, and
every corner of the United States. The rest of the
world is not quite as universally enamored with the
game, though. Poker is just now getting attention in
many other nations and cultures across the globe.
In a recent interview in advance of the airing of the
Intercontinental Poker Championship, poker superstar
Doyle Brunson talked about poker’s next foothold. “I
think the next frontier’s Asia. I went to the Philippines
for the first time. I’ve never been any further east than
San Francisco and I got out of the car there (in the
Philippines) and people started yelling at me on the
streets, ‘Hey Doyle, Hi, There’s the poker player.’ You
know, it just blew me away. I couldn’t imagine anybody
knowing me in the Philippines but, you know, it was
almost like an American city. So I think Asia is ready to
embrace poker.”
Historically, Asians have been known for the propensity to enjoy gambling. Hong Kong was known as a gambling haven as early at the 1600’s, when a large male
population and a proliferation of foreigners with a taste
for betting fueled shady games in the streets. Although
sociologists tell us that such cultural projections are
normally dangerous and off the mark, nearly everyone
in the business end of gambling agrees that Asians are
indeed serious and dedicated wagerers. Many of the
casinos along the Las Vegas Strip, and across the globe,
intently focus on attracting the Asian gambling dollar
via their game offerings, amenities, and other efforts by
casino hosts. The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City has
a division of Oriental Marketing, for instance. In addition, online poker rooms have begun marketing plans to
attract the tech-savvy sector of the Asian population.
Some gambling sites have scrambled to add games of
Pai Gow, Mah Jongg, Baccarat, and other games that
have appealed to these big bettors. But many in poker
are still waiting for the explosion of poker to truly hit
Asia. It seems that poker may be on the cusp of that
breakthrough. When it does indeed hit the masses there,
as it has in the US, Europe, and Canada, we can expect
millions and millions of new players to hit the scene. Not
only does poker continue to grow, it may be about to
experience an enormous boom in growth as it takes hold
in new venues around the world.
Now go make it happen.
In addition to being an avid poker enthusiast, John is a
certified Counselor in the state of Pennsylvania. He has
a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from West Virginia
University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a
minor in Sociology from Lock Haven University.
You can ask the “Poker Counselor” your
question at [email protected].
20
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
The CALP
Revolution Begins
A Joe & Hobby fiction by
David J. Valley
Hobby and I had been
hired as consultants by a
European on-line poker
company that was looking
for a novel way to promote
their website via a live
poker tournament. After we
had proposed a radical concept an aberrant employee
wanted to rip us off. The
German we knew as Hans
was subsequently fired. Our
CALP concept, for computer-aided-live-poker, would
be featured in the finals of
an upcoming tournament.
We met with Trevor, the
Rekopnuf (that’s poker fun
spelled backwards) CEO
who had hired us, and his
development team. After
introductions Trevor said,
“I’ve briefed them on the
basics. They have some
questions for you.”
“Why seven seats at the
table when traditionally
there are ten?”
“It’s to limit the size.
Since all the players are
one side, it would be too
stretched out to have ten
seats.” Hobby answered as
he motioned my way.
“Exactly,” I replied.
“Also, keep in mind that we
are only talking about five
or six CALP tables for the
final rounds. All the other
tournament tables will be
the ten-seat conventional
type with dealers.”
“What features do you
want on the three large
screens?”
“Basically what you
now have on your website
screens, without the simulated players. Windows on
the screens will show live
videos of the players. For
example, during betting
the feed from the active
player’s camera would be
featured; at showdown several players may be shown
simultaneously.”
“About the player banks,
I understand they’ll be displayed on the large screens
and adjusted as players bet,
et cetera, but how are they
set up and how does the
player cash-in at the end of
a session?”
“For the tournament, each
player will feed his barcoded voucher into a slot
and can retrieve the balance
the same way at the end of
play.” And so it was that the
development meeting proceeded with our guidance
for two more days by which
time the team felt they had
plenty to work with.
During our remaining two days Hobby and
I planned to visit some of
London’s gambling clubs.
We sought advice from
Trevor.
“I can give you a list of
the best places to visit, but
it’s a two-step affair. First
you present your credentials and then wait 24 hours
before you are admitted for
play.”
“That’s a bummer,”
Hobby said.
“Sorry about that old
chap, but I have another
possibility that might prove
interesting.”
“What’s that, Trevor?”
“The owner of the casino
where we’ll hold the tournament wants to meet you and
has invited the three of us
for dinner. He might waive
the 24 hour waiting period
if you want to gamble at his
place.”
“I’m for that, Trevor,”
Hobby said. “I want to win
some Euros. How about
you, Joe?”
“Absolutely.”
Jack Adams was a jovial
middle-aged gent with a
round red face reminiscent
of W.C. Fields. Our steak
dinners (no kidneys, thank
you) were enjoyed along
with light-hearted banter.
Trevor asked Hobby to
retell the story of how we
won a multi-million dollar tournament with a dead
man. Jack laughed so hard
I feared he would have
a heart attack. After we
settled down with after-din(Continued on page 40)
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
21
POKer AND
THE LAW
By I. NELSON ROSE
The federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which
everyone involved in tribal gaming calls “IGRA,”
has turned into one of the most unusual laws
ever enacted. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it
unconstitutional. It leaves many important questions unanswered. Still, it has worked remarkably
well, mainly because everyone is ignoring its
intent, and sometimes, its actual terms.
The statute was hurriedly enacted by
Congress after the unexpected decision of the
Supreme Court in 1987 in the case California v.
Cabazon Band of Mission Indians. The tribe was
operating commercial high-stakes bingo, even
though California law allowed only charities
to run low-stakes games. The Court held that
California tribes could offer any form of gambling
permitted in the state and could regulate themselves.
Bingo was the major form of gambling being
operated on reservations at the time. Lawmakers
were told by people like me that there were a lot
of other forms of gambling available, including
charity casino nights. But they ignored us and
decided to write a statute that focuses on bingo.
Almost all tribes were living in abject poverty.
So it was expected that outsiders would put up
the money to build bingo halls and train tribal
members to take over. That is why IGRA supposedly limits management contractors to only five
years and not more than 30% of gaming revenue. It is also why IGRA exempted Indian gaming from the restrictions that then existed on
television commercials. That’s also why the new
federal agency created by IGRA, the National
Indian Gaming Commission (“NIGC”), is mainly
concerned with Class II gaming.
The best example of the obsession with bingo
is shown in IGRA’s division of gaming. Class I is
low-stakes traditional and amateur games. Class
II is bingo, including electronic aids and paper
pull-tabs, and non-banking card games, like
poker. Class III is simply “all forms of gaming
that are not class I gaming or class II gaming.”
You would think that a statute about gambling
would devote at least as much space discussing
casinos, slot machines, lotteries, parimutuel betting or sports wagering as bingo.
Most of the legal battles have been over the
differences between Class II and III. If a state
permits anyone to operate a Class II or III form
of gambling, tribes have the right to offer the
same. But for Class III, tribes must first enter
into a formal compact with the state.
The other big legal question has been whether
tribes can buy land in or near cities. IGRA says
that a tribe with a reservation must get the
approval of the Governor. Landless tribes need
only the O.K. of the Secretary of Interior.
The stated purpose of IGRA was to make
tribes financially and politically strong. As we all
know, it has succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest
dreams.
But it is interesting to see what IGRA left out.
1) WHO DECIDES? The decision whether a form
of gambling is Class II or Class III is often the
difference between legal and illegal. If linked
gaming devices are declared to be slot machines,
they are Class III and cannot be operated without
a tribal/state compact. If they are ruled to be
22
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Class II bingo electronic aides, tribes can plug
them in and immediately take in millions of dollars.
Courts always have the power to decide
questions of law and fact like this. But does
the NIGC? The federal Department of Justice
(“DOJ”)? What happens if the NIGC says a game
is Class II and the DOJ says it is Class III, as actually happened? It makes sense for the NIGC to
make regulations and determine whether a game
is Class II or II, which it has done. But there is
nothing in the IGRA that expressly gives the
Commission this power.
2) REVENUE SHARING. Governors have discovered Indian gaming can be a goldmine. . .for
the state. Today, tribes that don’t agree to share
their gaming profits don’t get casinos. But IGRA
does not authorize revenue sharing. In fact, IGRA
requires a court to “consider any demand by the
State for direct taxation of the Indian tribe. . .as
evidence that the State has not negotiated in
good faith.”
Of course, there is no law preventing the state
from accepting a “gift” from a tribe.
IGRA requires the Secretary of Interior to
approve tribal/state compacts. There is nothing
in this statute permitting the Secretary to create
her own standards for revenue sharing, but she
has. Governors have discovered that if they give
the tribe a unique economic benefit, meaning a
monopoly, the Secretary will approve compacts
giving the state a big slice of the action, up to
25%.
3) OFF-RESERVATION CASINOS. When a tribe
wants to build in a better location, IGRA requires
the Secretary to determine if it is in the best
interest of the tribe and is not detrimental to the
surrounding community. Nothing more. But the
Secretary has again created her own standards.
It is now clear, for example, that the further the
land is from the tribe’s present location, the less
chance there is that it will ever be approved for
gaming.
4) IMPOSING STATE AND LOCAL STANDARDS ON
TRIBES. Tribes are sovereigns over their own land
and are not subject to state or local regulations.
But as a practical matter, a tribe will never get
new land or a compact unless it agrees to the
community’s standards for such issues as environmental impact and building and traffic safety.
In fact, governors and the Secretary want to
see a Memo of Understanding (“MOU”) between
a tribe and local government covering how the
casino will handle water, sewage, police and fire
protection, etc.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing. In fact,
tribes, states and local communities have gained
much by going beyond IGRA.
But then again they had to. If Congress had
done a better job writing IGRA, all we would see
would be a few high-stakes bingo halls.
Professor I Nelson Rose will be teaching International Gaming Law as part of
Whittier Law School’s Summer Abroad
Program in France in July 2006. For more
information, contact Prof. Rose
through his website,
www.gamblingandthelaw.com.
WSOP S
No one appreciated the
honor or the significance
of this moment more than
Jack Zwerner. “You have
to get a little bit lucky to
win a tournament,” he said.
“I was involved in hands at
the right place at the right
time. I tell you – there’s
nothing more satisfying
than winning money gambling.”
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #8
7/3/06
OMAHA HI-LO
BUY-IN $2,000
PLAYERS 670
PRIZE
POOL
$1,340,000
Jack Zwerner
1. Jack Zwerner . . . . $341,426
Las Vegas, NV, USA
2. Florante Mandap
AKA “Rusty” . . . . $176,813
Norwalk, CA, USA
3. Jeff Madsen . . . . . . . $97,552
Los Angeles, CA, USA
4. Cong Do . . . . . . . . . . $85,358
Brigantine, NJ, USA
5. Bob “Buzz Saw”
Mangino . . . . . . . . . $73,164
Schenectady, NY, USA
PHOTOS COURTESY IMAGE MASTERS
What IGRA Left Out
the most intelligent man
inside any room he enters.
Not that he would ever
tell you so, nor he would
exhibit any of the exterior qualities associated
with true genius. That
“stealth” character makes
Bill Chen an even more
dangerous player to play
against at the poker table
-- an opinion very likely
now shared by the collective 414 opponents he
vanquished in the $3,000
buy-in limit hold’em
event at the 2006 World
Series of Poker.
As the runner up, Yueqi
“Rich” Zhu collected
$184,409. Bill Chen’s
percentage of the pool
amounted to $343,618.
Fittingly, Chen is
releasing a new poker
book this fall, to be titled
The Mathematics of
Poker. With his co-author
Jerrod Ankerman, the two
writers are expected to
examine brand new territory and divulge playing strategies based on
the laws of probability
as they apply to poker.
Based on his performance
on this night, odds are
that the World Series of
Poker has not seen the
last of Bill Chen.
6. Robert Collins . . . . . $60,970
Morgan Hill, CA, USA
7. Daniel Negreanu . . . $48,776
Las Vegas, NV, USA
8. Russell Salzer AKA
“The Muscle” . . . . . $36,582
New York, NY, USA
9. Steve Lustig AKA
“Shooter” . . . . . . . . $24,388
San Jose, CA, USA
Bill Chen + Limit
Hold’em =
Gold Bracelet—
Berkley PhD
Mathematics whiz/
game theorist barges
to $343,618 victory
“Mathematics” is properly
defined as the study of
the measurement, properties, and relationships
of quantities and sets,
using numbers and symbols. Since the game of
poker is primarily a game
of numbers, symbols,
and measurements – it
naturally follows that a
poker player with a PhD
in mathematics might
enjoy a few competitive advantages. Fact is,
William Chen is usually
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #7
7/2/06
LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $3,000
PLAYERS 415
PRIZE
POOL
$1,245,000
William Chen
1. William Chen . . . . $343,618
Lafayette Hill, PA, USA
2. Yuegi “Rich” Zhu . $184,409
Rowland Heights, CA, USA
3. Henry Nguyen . . . . . $91,632
San Jose, CA, USA
4. Karlo Lopez . . . . . . $80,178
San Juan, Puerto Rico
5. Danny Ciasamella . $68,724
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
6. Larry Thomas . . . . . $57,270
San Leandro, CA, USA
7. Alan Puzantyan . . . $45,816
QC, Canada
8. Ernie Scherer III . . $34,362
9. Jeffrey Lisandro . . . $22,908
Salerno, Italy
Shatters Records
WSOP event 6
attracts near recordfield of nearly twothousand players—
Australian poker
pro Mark Vos wins
$803,274
Mark Vos has a plan. And,
despite winning over
three-quarters of a million
dollars tonight, he’s sticking to it. You see, Vos
– at the tender age of 23
– made a personal decision that he will spend the
next five years of his life
“working” and the five
years immediately after
that “relaxing.” Vos’ plan
is to play poker (which
he defines as “work”) and
then take the second-half
of a decade off. It’s an
unconventional career path
to say the least.
If “work” means coming to Las Vegas to play in
the World Series of Poker,
overwhelming a nearrecord field of 1,919 players, and earning $803,274
in just three days, then
– then, there are certainly
worse jobs. One has to
ask, “Are there any job
openings left? Where does
one sign up?” Indeed, Vos
won the $2,000 buy-in nolimit hold’em championship and earned his very
first WSOP gold bracelet.
Vos, a college studentturned-poker player from
Brisbane became only the
third Australian national
ever to win an event at
the World Series of Poker.
He joins former Aussie
champs Gary Benson
(1996 -- Seven-Card Stud)
and Joe Hachem (2005
– championship event) in
the trifecta of poker winners from down under.
Nam Le, the secondplace finisher, collected
$401,647.
“I prefer to play poker
online,” Vos said immediately following his victory. “I still prefer cash
games online, but there is
nothing like the experience of playing in a live
tournament and making
it all the way to the final
table. Cash games are my
day job, but the tournaments are for excitement
and fun.”
Vos said he plans to
stick with his game plan.
“(Winning) does not really
change things,” he said. “I
mean, it helps. But I still
plan to play poker…..then
(in five years) I’ll relax,
settle down, and find a
place to live and decide
what I want to do with the
rest of my life.”
Montclair, NJ, USA
8. David Wells . . . . . . . $87,315
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
9. Juan Carlos
Mortensen . . . . . . . . $73,344
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Mark Vos
1. Mark Vos . . . . . . . . $803,274
Russ “Dutch” Boyd
shatters WSOP
champ Joe Hachem’s
bid for bracelet
number two—
Brisbane, Australia
2. Nam Le . . . . . . . . . $401,647
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #6
7/1/06
Huntington Beach, CA, USA
3. John Reiss . . . . . . . $209,555
Omaha, NE, USA
4. Thomas Hunt III . $160,659
Las Vegas, NV, USA
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
5. Willard Chang . . . $136,211
BUY-IN $2,000
6. Kevin Peterson
AKA “Bleu” . . . . . $115,255
PLAYERS 1919
PRIZE
POOL
$3,492,580
Hawaii, HI, USA
Plano, TX, USA
7. Vanessa Selbst . . . . $101,285
Standing on the upper row of
the aluminum rafters looking
down upon the expansive
poker combat zone that is
the 2006 World Series of
Poker is normally not a very
good vantage point. But at
7:38 pm on Sunday, July 2,
2006 – it very well might
have been the best seat in the
house.
Russ “Dutch” Boyd had
just won $475,712 and his
first WSOP gold bracelet in
the short-handed hold’em
world championship. Bent
off to the side with his
head bowed in bitter disappointment was the reigning world poker champion
-- Joe Hachem. It was a
snapshot that said everything
one needs to know about
the inestimable difference
between winning and losing.
Boyd’s “crew” screaming
in ear-piercing joy, jumping
wildly up and down, and
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
23
she turned 21 and quickly
told her
Vegas was the decided that all things considered, she would just as
place to be.
soon be in Las Vegas.
She thought about this,
Evelyn began to learn
letting the possibilities that
poker while dealing in the
sparkled like diamonds roll
private clubs of Toronto and
across her mind.
eventually began to alterMay as well give it a try,
nate her time – playing and
she finally decided.
dealing.
And so on the day
“I started playshe turned 21, Canadian
ing about a year
born Evelyn Ng took the
advice of close
friend Daniel
Negreanu
and hopped a
plane for the
BY PHIL HEVENER
gambling capital
after I began
of the world.
dealing.”
Her decision wasn’t
Gammerely about a chance to
bling was
gamble in an environment
where she could do it legal- in the blood, huh?
“Oh yes,” her tone sugly to her heart’s content, a
gesting, well, yeah, of
point she worked hard to
make with her apprehensive course. “All my life I’ve
always been drawn to
family members.
games of skill of one kind
Going to Vegas was all
or another. As a teen-ager,
about making a living and
I played a lot of pool and
using her game-playing
enjoyed video games, cards,
skills.
backgammon. Things like
A woman like you,
that.”
you’ve got to get to Las
Was there a defining turn
Vegas, Negreanu had told
of events when it became
her. Leaving her home in
clear these skills could help
Toronto and heading for
her pay the bills?
the bright lights where she
“The first time it hit me
could put her game-playthat I could do this for a
ing instincts to good use
seemed like a winning strat- living and not have to fall
back on dealing to suppleegy.
ment my skills was when I
Everything continues
came to Las Vegas.”
coming together nicely
She met several profesfor this Canadian with
sional poker players, an
the Chinese roots and the
unshakeable conviction that experience that stuck in her
she could make a living as a mind, “because most of the
people playing poker in
gambler.
Toronto seemed to do it recThe Internet site Bodog.
reationally.”
com signed her in March
So she gave the matter a
and as time permits she can
lot of thought. Maybe she
be found hosting a no limit
could do the same thing,
game at her own table on
play cards for a living.
the website.
The attitude of these pros,
“I’m a sponsored player
interesting people that they
and I represent them in
were, impressed her. She
tournaments that I play
throughout the poker circuit noticed their discipline.
“I was meeting people
and, of course, I play on
who kept accurate wins of
their site.”
their wins and losses and
Evelyn has been playing
poker for, ooooh, giving this really treated it like a profession.”
a little thought, about 12
And then there was
years. “Professionally, it has
probably been eight or nine Negreanu, managing to say
so many of the right things
years.”
at the right time.
She was born in Toronto
Evelyn Ng and Daniel
and pretty much lived all
Negreanu had met as 16her life there, at least until
He
PLAYER
Profile
Poker Player is pleased to welcome Phil Hevener back to its pages.
Hevener was the Managing Editor of Poker Player from July 1983 to
December 1985. Phil wanted to produce his own publication, which he
did with Larry Hall. They called it, “Las Vegas Style.” A popular journalist who writes for many major publications, Phil was replaced in 1985 by
Gary Thompson, who is now the spokesman for Harrahs Entertainment.
24
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
year-olds, a time when both
were intent on sharpening
their pool-playing skills.
Yes, they did date for a
while, but that aspect of
their long relationship never
went anywhere.
There were several years
when they did not see much
of each
other.
“But,”
keep the accurate records
that make it possible to say
I’ve been profitable for this
many hours at this level.
You also need for ability
to look at your life and say
that this is what I need to be
comfortable.”
Nothing like being honest
with yourself, huh?
“Oh yeah. A lot of players who think they’re making money, aren’t
keeping accurate records.
It obviously
helps if you
have another job
to supplement your poker
bankroll . . .
“You can’t really lie to
your wallet.”
Ng focused mostly on
cash games for about the
first 10 years of her life
as a poker professional.
Tournaments have gotten
more of her time during the
last couple years as the possibilities for making serious
money have taken off like
a rocket. There have been
several tournament cashes
in the World Series, but
nothing significant.
“As a cash game player,
I was never in a hurry to
move up through the limits. My thinking was that I
wanted to feel comfortable,
so I was pretty much a red
chip player.”
Ng’s biggest tournament successes, as of a few
weeks ago, had been in
World Poker Tour Events.
She finished second a couple years back in the WPT’s
Ladies Night event. She just
missed the final table at a
recent Borgota Poker Open.
“I really love tournaments. What you can do in
a tournament now has really
rekindled my love for poker.
Tournaments are definitely
taking up most of my poker
energy.”
Most of Ng’s family still
lives in Canada. She has a
sister in Los Angeles, but
none of them has demonstrated anything resembling
her passion for the world of
gambling.
Laughing about this, “I
think it is pretty clear that I
am the only real gambler in
my family”
How did they handle her
decision to play poker professionally?
“They were, uh, really
against it for several years.
They were okay with me
being a dealer, but they
EVELYN
Ng
she explains,
“we were reunited through
poker and dated
on and off a couple times.”
She reaches carefullyfor
the words to put just the
right shading on what happened.
“He was very instrumental in the shaping of
me as a poker player. Not
so much the strategy, but
more a matter of the inner
game that it takes to be a
professional poker player,
the attitude that you have
to have. He helped me a lot
and he has been like a mentor through my whole poker
career.”
What’s the most difficult
thing about playing professionally? Is it the attitude?
“It is,” she says. “There
are so many different leaks
in people’s games that can
really hurt them . . .
“It is difficult to be your
own boss and to be tough
on yourself and make
sure you’re working hard.
You’ve got to treat it as a
profession and look at it
that way . . . not just go
out there gambling.”
There are those days, she
suggests, when the inclination is to just say what the
hell and to let down. Those
are the moments that need
to be minimized for anyone
expected to survive as a
poker pro.
“I’ve said before that the
best thing about playing
poker for a living is being
your own boss.” Pausing for
a couple of beats. “But it
can also be the worst thing.”
She gives this a laugh. “It
can be difficult delegating
responsibility to myself.”
Playing poker for a living requires an ability to see
things realistically in more
ways than one.
“I think that you have to
were very uncomfortable
with the idea of me expecting to make a living as a
gambler . . .
“I don’t think they understood that it could really be
a comfortable way of making a living. It took a while
for them to warm up to the
idea and see that I wasn’t
just gambling.”
Ng’s success now
involves ventures that have
nothing to do with the number of hours spent at a poker
table. The fact that she is an
attractive woman in what is
still mostly a man’s world
hasn’t hurt.
She gives that a forced
laugh. “It’s like a free card
that I might as well play as
long as people let me have
it.”
Poker is a changing
world, but there are still a
number of “good ol’ boys”
who have doubts about an
attractive woman’s ability
to play a solid, aggressive
game.
She thinks it would be
interesting to see people
assess a good-looking guy
and decide he is too pretty
to play poker.
Ng has been playing winnings hands in more ways
than one as she has found
success in more than one
venture.
She’ll thank her friend
Negreanu for that. Ng is one
of a handful of friends who
have important supporting
roles in “STACKED with
Daniel Negreanu,” a new
video game in all the most
popular formats that enables
players to sit down for some
serious hold ‘em with the
former Player of the Year.
She’s fascinated by the
game’s artificial intelligence
that causes it to adjust to
changing strategy.
Ng is also part of a World
Poker Tour video game.
Another of her in-the-works
ventures includes a poker
project in China that she is
not free to say much about
for the time being.
“It’s under discussion,”
is all I can really say right
now.”
Aside from this?
“I just been really
focused on getting ready for
the World Series where I’m
expecting to play in most
if not all of the hold ‘em
events.”
It’s like Negreanu was
saying. Vegas has been her
kind of town.
ENDLESS SUMMER 7/5/06
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $60 + $15
PLAYERS 67
REBUYS 56
PRIZE
POOL
$7,010
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $20 + $15
PLAYERS 100
REBUYS 341
ADD-ONS 133
PRIZE POOL
$10,905
Shariar Noorparkar
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Allen Mittleman. . . . . $2,805
Albert Albino . . . . . . . $1,615
Houman Haddadnia . . .$840
Gleb Gofin . . . . . . . . . . .$490
Bahman Fathi . . . . . . . .$385
John Hernandez . . . . . .$315
Rick Bennink . . . . . . . . .$245
Imeh Ubia. . . . . . . . . . . .$175
Saed Chaudry . . . . . . . .$140
Kelvin Munemitsu . . . $1,270
Juan Ledo. . . . . . . . . . . .$665
Michael Gross . . . . . . . .$385
Davis Aalvik . . . . . . . . . .$305
Shaun Lee. . . . . . . . . . . .$250
Victor Kruglov . . . . . . . .$195
James Osman . . . . . . . . .$140
Jay Reisler . . . . . . . . . . .$110
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $20 + $15
PLAYERS 52
REBUYS 169
ADD-ONS 70
PRIZE POOL
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
9. Raimundo Casal . . . . . .$165
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $20 + $15
PLAYERS 93
REBUYS 321
ADD-ONS 145
PRIZE POOL
Sang Park
PLAYERS 107
REBUYS 87
1. Sang Park . . . . . . . . . . $4,250
PRIZE POOL
2. Houman Haddadnia . $2,440
3. Sherif Moursi . . . . . . . $1,275
Wayne Harman
4. John Zentner . . . . . . . . .$745
2. Christian Foster. . . . . $2,210
3. Peter Kain . . . . . . . . . $1,105
4. Daniel Binafard . . . . . . .$720
$5,530
8. Alex Garcia . . . . . . . . . .$225
$10,620
BUY-IN $60 + $15
1. Wayne Harman . . . . . $4,425
5. Troy Gharibian . . . . . . .$555
Houman Haddadnia
7. Hyon Yun . . . . . . . . . . . .$275
$11,055
Shariar Noorparkar . $4,365
Koshi Torkan . . . . . . . $2,510
Jon Pruitt . . . . . . . . . . $1,310
Mark Barros . . . . . . . . .$765
Tiantao Zhao . . . . . . . . .$595
Stacee Evans . . . . . . . . .$490
Mehial Evseff . . . . . . . . .$380
Sam Simon . . . . . . . . . . .$270
Matt Caruso . . . . . . . . . .$220
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
6. Brad Ebert . . . . . . . . . . .$385
5. Derek Soulakis . . . . . . . .$585
6. Davis Aalvik . . . . . . . . . .$480
7. Jason Liyanage . . . . . . .$370
8. David Miller . . . . . . . . . .$265
9. Robert Adalian . . . . . . .$210
1. Houman Haddadnia . $2,210
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SEE PAGE 35
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The qualifying Bad Beat hand for Omaha is
any Four-of-a-Kind is beaten by any other
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(Pictured above) A hearty congratulations goes to Pat
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, 99. Seven more
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Friday night qualifiers through Sept. 1 with final
tournament Sept. 8. Regis., 7 p.m. tournament
begins 8 p.m. 40 players, $100 buy-in/no rebuys. $10 Regis. fee.
Tournament Dates
July 7, 14, 21, 28, Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25, and Sept. 1.
$50,000 (guaranteed) finals Sept. 8.
MONTHLY TOURNAMENTS
menomineecasinoresort.com
35 min. west of Green Bay
1-800-343-7778
HWY 29 Exit 225
Extension 5274
8 miles north to Keshena, WI
100 seat $100 buy-in/$15 registration fee.
Preregister by phone by credit card, or regis. on
the day of the tournament after 10 a.m. with
cash till tournament start at noon.
Tournament Dates
June 17, July 15, Aug. 19, Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov.
18 (no Dec. tournament).
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
25
Spotting—and Beating—
A BLUFFER
SENIORS SCENE
By George “The engineer” EPSTEIN
There are two ways to win a pot. Best is to
hold the highest hand at the showdown. The
alternative is to convince your opponents that you hold the
best hand when you don’t; that’s bluffing, a form of deception.
Most WINNERS bluff only occasionally. Sometimes there is
a player who bluffs every other hand. That’s not necessarily a
bad strategy; it can make money for him. He’s a “Bluffer.” It’s
a perfectly legitimate poker strategy. (My Poker for WINNERS!
book discusses bluffing strategy; and there is a strategy to
avoid being bluffed out -- also important in WINNING!)
Spotting the Bluffer. A new player at our $4 - $8 limit
hold’em table proceeded to raise almost every hand! “He’s
got to be bluffing,” I decided. He took more than his share of
pots. The only time he didn’t raise was when someone raised
before him, indicating strength. Those are great clues. After
all, most of the time your hole cards aren’t worth calling the
blind, never mind raising. In fact, most starting hands that
meet our criteria (see my Hold’em or Fold’em? – An Algorithm
for Making the Key Decision) are drawing hands that don’t
merit a raise – unless you are bluffing. You can easily spot a
Bluffer.
Outbluffing the Bluffer. I decided to try to outbluff him –
beat him at his own game. First I wanted to isolate him: just the
two of us seeing the flop. The Bluffer was in seat No. 2; I was
in seat No. 5. That was fortunate; most of the time I declared
after him, making it easier to isolate him.
The opportunity came: In an early position, he raised preflop.
I had ace-10 offsuit; I was staying in. The two players between
us had folded. This was an opportunity to bluff him out.
It was better than even money that he was trying for
another bluff; after all, the majority of hands are not worthy
of raising. The pot odds were favorable for me to try to bluff
him out. Besides, even if he called, my ace-ten might still win.
I reraised, forcing the other players to fold. Good! The Bluffer
called. When he didn’t reraise, I felt confidant he didn’t have a
strong hand.
Now I was a 2-to-1 favorite: (1) My bluff could work, or
(2) I might actually hold the best hand should he call me to
the river. The third alternative, the only way he could beat
my hand, would be if he wasn’t bluffing after all and I didn’t
improve.
The flop didn’t help me. He checked; I bet – as if I had
a powerful hand. (You may recognize that as the “Esther
Bluff!”) Hesitatingly, he called. Could he have been considering a check-raise? Thankfully he just called, so I was even
more convinced that he did not have a strong hand; at this
point he was drawing, hoping to connect, whereas I represented a made hand.
The turn was a blank. He checked. He could have a small
pair or be drawing to a flush with two hearts on the board.
Again I bet; I was almost certain he didn’t have a strong hand.
The river paired the board; hopefully it didn’t help him. All
I had was ace-ten, not even a pair. He checked again. I had
to bet – my best chance to win this pot. Without hesitating,
the Bluffer folded, leaving the pot for me. As I scooped in
the chips, I said to him: “Good laydown.” I didn’t want him
to think I had bluffed him out. . . I had “earned” a nice pot.
Albeit not a “monster” pot, it was a lot more than my aceten, unimproved, would have done for me otherwise.
What’s more, bluffing the Bluffer is fun, too.
So, readers, what’s YOUR opinion?
George “The Engineer” Epstein is the author of The
Greatest Book of Poker for Winners! (T/C Press, PO
Box 36006, Los Angeles, CA 90036). His new algorithm
booklet, Hold’em or Fold’em?, is a big hit. He is currently
writing a new book on Rules & Strategies for WINNING
at Texas Hold’em. George can be reached by e-mail:
[email protected].
26
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Tournament of Champions
his final hand, Reslock was
dealt ten-nine and flopped
a pair of tens. Daniel
Negreanu also flopped a
pair of tens, with a kingkicker. The higher side-card
played, and Reslock was
busted. The former Atlantic
City taxi driver rode away
with a ‘fare’ amount of
cash -- $150,000 for fourth
place.
Trickled down to a trio,
it was fitting that the three
TOC finalists were among
the most well-known poker
personalities in the world.
Although quite different
in background and temperament – Mike Sexton,
Daniel Negreanu, and Mike
Matusow have all captured
the public’s imagination
and attention in very dissimilar ways. The verbal
fireworks that many in the
standing-only crowd were
anticipating went off almost
immediately. Matusow consistently baited his favorite
target, Negreanu which
only encouraged a combative and comedic rebuttal,
more often than not leaving
the entire table in stitches.
Even the calm and collected Mike Sexton broke
up a few times, making it
seem like the audience was
watching a modern-day
performance by poker’s
version of “the Rat Pack”
rather than an intense multimillion dollar tournament.
After trading chips back
and forth for over an hour,
the next major confrontation took place when
Mike Matusow admittedly
made a mental mistake
and “slipped.” Matusow’s
fateful hand started off
innocently enough, with
Mike Sexton making a
standard raise with pocket
sevens. Matusow had A-4
and re-raised all-in. Sexton
contemplated his decision for a time and finally
decided to call. Judging by
the look of despair on his
face, Matusow knew he
was in trouble. Predictably,
the sevens turned out to be
lucky for Sexton, and the
defending champ was out.
Matusow’s share of the
prize money amounted to
$250,000.
“I got tired. I played
spectacular most of the day.
I was in ‘the zone,’ but I
slipped,” Matusow admit-
ted afterward. “On the final
hand I pressed too hard,
and I lost. Mike played
amazing poker. I’ve played
against him a thousand
times. He made the right
call. I am the first to say I
was defeated.”
If Matusow was feeling exhausted as the tournament entered a third
unscheduled day, he had
no inclination of the unexpected test of mental and
physical dexterity that was
to befall the two finalists.
When heads-up play began,
Mike Sexton enjoyed a
slight chip lead over Daniel
Negreanu – 1,488,000 to
1,212,000. The duo would
duel for more than five
hours, initially trading the
chip lead back and forth.
But as the night grew longer and morning came to
light, it was Sexton who
was both more aggressive
and appeared to catch a
more favorable run of cards
in the tournament’s later
stages. As the clock inched
toward 4 am, Sexton had
improved to a 3 to 1 chip
lead and the end seemed
imminent.
But poker tournaments
are often impossible to
predict. One hour later,
Negreanu reversed Sexton’s
advantage and seized a
3 to 2 chip lead. With
all but the most hardcore
poker aficionados still
conscious, a late break
from the action revealed
the exceptional desire to
win burning within the two
former poker champions.
Negreanu approached the
press table and candidly
stated, “Whoever wins this
tournament will really have
something to be proud of.
There has been some great
poker played here over the
last several hours.”
No one could, or would,
dare argue. In fact, it
became obvious that both
players essentially played
mistake-free poker for a
total of 17 hours. In the
end, one critical yet erratic
hand, two cards randomly
passed between the arched
fingers of two phenomenal
players would ultimately
make a champion out of
one player and the other
a heartbroken victim of
chance.
That hand took place
when Sexton was dealt
king-queen. Negreanu
was dealt queen-jack (two
diamonds). After the flop
came K-8-4 with two diamonds, Negreanu (on a
diamond flush draw) moved
all-in and Sexton (holding
top pair) called. Two nondiamond blanks fell on the
turn and river, and Sexton
regained the chip lead – this
time about 4 to 1 over his
adversary. Negreanu was
unable to recover from that
devastating blow.
Then, the clock struck
six. With both players visibly weary from the dusk
to dawn duel of staying
power, the final hand of
the TOC was dealt at 6:07
am PST. Negreanu, with
queen-jack moved all-in
with two overcards and
a straight draw after the
flop came 10-8-4. Sexton,
with pocket aces, could
not move his chips into the
pot fast enough. An ace
on the turn seemed to be a
big card for Sexton, but it
actually helped Negreanu
considerably more. He
picked up four additional
outs (four kings to make a
straight). But an eight on
the river paired the board,
giving Sexton a full house
– aces over eights – and his
first WSOP-related victory
in more than 17 years.
It was tough to see if
Negreanu was more disappointed or fatigued
afterward. The three-time
WSOP gold bracelet winner expressed no regrets.
To sign up,
contact:
Stan Sludikoff
310-674-3365
[email protected]
Jerry Reed
650-327-4810
[email protected]
Dick Gatewood
702-456-7777
*ASK FOR POKER ROOM
[email protected]
Norman Chad. “I have been
coming here for four years,
and three years I have played
in it. This room is so full
of great players that I really
never knew if I would be
able to get one of these (gold
bracelets).”
“It’s not like they give
these away. I look at the
names of players who have
won a gold bracelet, players like Doyle (Brunson),
T.J. (Cloutier), and Joe
(Hachem)….and it’s just
amazing to be sitting here.
It’s an incredible feeling.”
Back atop of the rafters
taking it in and watching it
all end -- the picture was perfectly clear. Boyd continued
his interview perched in front
of bundles of tightly bound
hundred-dollar bills, his right
tattooed wrist glimmering in
wrapped gold from the battle
fought and won. There were
photographs taken. There
were more interviews. There
was loud celebration.
On the horizon, just over
the massive crowd swarming
around the latest WSOP winner, the reigning world poker
champion from Australia
shuffled away slowly in dead
silence, consoled by his wife
– most certainly the only person on earth who could share
and empathize with the pain
of the moment. Hachem
tottered passed the scattered
tables and players of an
ongoing tournament over in
the next section looking for
an exit. Slowly, they began
to stand. They began to clap.
They began to cheer. They
knew a champion when they
saw one.
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #5
2. Joe Hachem . . . . . . $256,800
Melbourne, Australia
3. Jeff Knight . . . . . . $153,511
Las Vegas, NV, USA
4. Michael Goodman $115,607
Scarsdale, NY, USA
5. Pete Hassett . . . . . . . $91,917
Riverside, IL, USA
6. David Solomon . . . . $68,227
Austin, TX, USA
7. Mirza M Nagji . . . . $42,642
Summerfield, NC, USA
8. Daniel Negreanu . . . $38,852
BUY-IN $2,500
Houston, TX, USA
5. Vipul Kothavi . . . . . $58,313
Edison, NJ, USA
6. Hank Sparks . . . . . . $51,029
Long Beach, CA, USA
7. Patrick Maloney . . . $43,735
Las Vegas, NV, USA
8. Lars Hansen . . . . . . $36,446
Tilst, Denmark
9. Matthew Ellsby . . . . $32,801
Las Vegas, NV, USA
9. Zegard Nygaard . . . $35,061
Oslo, Norway
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #4
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #3
BUY-IN $1,500
6/28/06
POT LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $1,500
6/29/06
LIMIT HOLD’EM
PLAYERS 1101
PRIZE
POOL
$1,651,500
PLAYERS 1068
6/30/06
SHORT HANDED
4. Michele Lewis AKA
“The Black Widow” $72,891
PRIZE
POOL
$1,602,000
PLAYERS 824
PRIZE
POOL
$1,895,200
Rafael Furst
1. Rafael Furst . . . . . $345,984
Marina Del Rey, CA, USA
Kianoush Abolfathi
1. Kianoush Abolfathi $335,389
Marina Del Rey, CA, USA
Dutch Boyd
1. Dutch Boyd . . . . . . $425,712
2. Eric Buchman . . . . $174,938
Valley Stream, NY, USA
2. Rocky Enciso . . . . $180,508
Glendale, CA, USA
3. Eric Lynch . . . . . . . $104,544
Olathe, KS, USA
4. George Bronstein . . $75,212
3. Josh Schlein . . . . . $101,318
Culver City, CA, USA
Baltimore, WA, USA
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Tampa, FL, USA
27
PHOTOS COURTESY POKER FACE PHOTOS
finally lifting the 25-yearold wunderkind up in the
air as though he had just hit
the game-winning homer in
the bottom of the ninth. In
the meantime, emotionallywrecked Hachem was curled
over in stoned silence with
eyes shut, his wife Jeanie’s
arm wrapped around her
champion. Greg Raymer, the
2004 WSOP champion and
Hachem’s pal, was there for
comfort and support.
The final hand was as
amazing as it was shocking. After fighting off 1,066
challengers over three long
days and nights, the headsup duel between Boyd and
Hachem lasted for two full
hours. Just when it looked
like Hachem might seize the
chip lead, Boyd would suppress his rival’s challenge,
each time leading more and
more credence to the notion
that – love him or hate him
– Dutch Boyd is a very, very
talented poker player.
“You walk into this room,
you look around, and everybody is so good,” Dutch
Boyd said in a post-tournament interview with ESPN’s
Poker Stables and
Poker Tables
NORTH BY NORTHWEST
By Byron Liggett
WILDHORSE Resort & Casino, just outside
Pendleton, in the Northeast corner of Oregon
annually conducts two of the most popular and successful
tournaments in the country: the “Spring Poker Round-up” and
the “Fall Poker Round-up”.
Now, Wildhorse has launched a new tournament. The
“2006 Summer Poker Rodeo” begins Tuesday, July 18th
and runs through Saturday, July 22nd. A No-Limit Hold’em
event is scheduled for each day. For the first day the buy-in is
$100+10. Each day thereafter the event buy-in increases $50
until the final event on Saturday is a $300+10 contest.
An important feature of any Wildhorse poker tournament is
the money added. The new Summer Poker Rodeo is no exception. The casino has added a total of $20,000 across the five
day tournament and is advertising $320,000 in prize money!
Here, then, is an opportunity to experience one of the most
fun, friendly action attractions in the game. Not only will the
tournament events draw huge numbers of participants, but
the live action games are unforgettable.
Tournament players receive a special, inexpensive room
rate in the newly remodeled hotel. For reservations contact
Billie Robbins M-F 8am-4pm at: (541) 966-1549. Poker Director
Roland Waters will be on hand to hear bad-beat stories.
*
*
*
A poker table made by John Knecht is not just a piece of
furniture; it’s a work of art. His tables are the hand-crafted
pride of a passionate player and master wood worker.
Made from the best and most exotic hardwoods in the
world, a Knecht poker table is a remarkably handsome attraction. Cherry, Maple, Oak, Walnut, Teak, and Burl are honed,
worked and fitted with precision craftsmanship.
The poker table is ten sided, not oval. It stands on a beautiful natural wood pedestal and base, allowing maximum leg
room. The natural wood table top and beautiful wood edges
are complimented by a choice of fine fabrics and rich colors
for the playing surface.
The poker table is designed with the game and the players in mind. What’s more, Knecht will customize the table to
an individual’s preferences for special features, patterns or
appearances.
John Knecht is the culmination of generations of master
wood craftsmen and card room operators. Family lore says
that his Great Great Great Grandpa built the poker table that
Wild Bill Hickok was playing at in Deadwood, SD, when he was
shot. His Great Great Grandpa owned a bar, poker and pool
room in Skagway, AK. After moving to Olympia, WA, his Great
Grandpa ran poker games at the Red Rooster Bar where they
played Stud and Draw.
At 18, John Knecht started playing Hold’em in the card
rooms and Native American casinos of Washington. He later
ran a card room in the Evergreen State for a couple of years
in the 1980s.
A lifelong wood worker, John decided to build a poker table
for the den in his home. It was so admired and desired by
friends that the young man decided to go into business building card tables and KNECHT CARD TABLES was launched.
The card table manufacturing company, in business more
than 25 years, is a family affair. Each table is built entirely by
hand. The poker tables measure 57 inches across, is 29 inches
tall, and weighs approximately 70 pounds. The base and top
separate for easy handling.
If you’re interested in owning a very handsome, unique,
precision hand-crafted wood poker table that will be the
centerpiece of your recreation room or club, contact John or
Jonna Knecht at: www.kctables.com
Get Fuel For Poker
At Pechanga
The stakes are high at
the pump these days and
Pechanga Resort & Casino
is about to sweeten the pot.
During the month of August,
the Pechanga Poker Room
will give away $10,000 in
gas cards redeemable at
the Pechanga Gas Station.
“This is our way of saying
thank you to our players,”
says Larry Miranda, Vice
President of Table Game
Operations. Miranda adds,
“We appreciate our players,
who travel from many directions to visit Pechanga’s
Poker Room, and throwing a $200 gas card into a
poker pot is a sure way to
pump-up the excitement.”
Every Tuesday in August
NO FOLD’EM
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How to WIN
with Little Cards and
Send Rocks to the Bar
By D.R. Sherer
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and has been a gaming & poker writer, columnist and consultant for 25 years. email: [email protected]
28
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm,
10pm, & 11pm and every
Wednesday at 12am, 1am,
2am & 3am, a Poker Room
Floor Person will draw a
table number using the standard ball method. Once the
winning table is determined,
the Floor Person will place a
$200 Pechanga gas card into
the pot of the next hand.
To be eligible for the prize
pot containing the gas card,
players must have played
the hand prior to the gas
give-a-way hand.
Known for its fast-action
tournaments, friendly dealers and Four Diamond environment, the Poker Room
inside Pechanga Resort &
Casino is the place to be
Knecht Card Tables are handcrafted with precision
for strength and beauty. Each table is individually
built from the
finest materials
available with
flawless
attention to
detail for a true
custom quality
and a one of a
kind feel.
Knecht Card Tables
Located just 35
minutes east of
Seattle Washington.
Visit us on the web at
www.kctables.com
for more information
Tel. 425-891-2516
E. [email protected]
this summer. This luxurious space is equipped with
54 poker tables, 32 plasma
screens, a private cash cage,
and a full bar. Tipping the
scales of excellence with
food, Chef Shawn Thadan
offers a full menu of
mouthwatering fare served
tableside.
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32
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Time. Some events
C start after the hour
...........AM, PM
O A,WkP................Week
..... Additional gameD &.times
on this day. Call.
E ........Hold’em
.No Limit Hold’em
.Limit Hold’em
N .............No Limit
L ................... Limit
.............Stud
..7-Card Stud
..5-Card Stud
........ Omaha
H/L .High/Low Split
Pi...........Pineapple
Po...........Pot Limit
Pn.........Panginque
Mx ..Mexican Poker
DC .Dealer’s Choice
MONDAY
•GOLD BAR DENOTES ADVERTISER
TIME
|
HH ...... Headhunter
B ............ Bounties
Sp .............. Spread
Al .........Alternates
Z........... Freezeout
Cz ................ Crazy
E..........Elimination
TUESDAY
GAMES BUY-IN| TIME
Q ............... Qualify
Sh ...........Shootout
+ ..Re-Buys and/or
Add-Ons allowed
F ............... Freeroll
Lad ..... Ladies Only
Men ........Men Only
DAILY TOURNAMENTS
NOW! Get Tournament Listings at our website:
Note: All tournaments are subject to change. Check with the Cardroom for any updates. Cardrooms—
please send your schedules to Managing Editor A.R. Dyck, [email protected]
| WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
|
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
FRIDAY
| SATURDAY |
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
SUNDAY
GAMES BUY-IN
Aladdin
Caesars Palace
CALIFORNIA—
LOS ANGELES NEVADA NORTH
LAS VEGAS & NEVADA SOUTH
Circus Circus
Col.Belle-Laughlin
Flamingo Laughlin
Golden Nugget
Harrah’s Las Vegas
Luxor
Mandalay Bay
Nevada Palace
Oasis-Mesquite
Plaza Casino
River Palms
Riviera Poker Room
Speedway
Stardust
Virgin River Casino
Wynn Las Vegas
Atlantis Casino
Boomtown
Cactus Petes-Jackpot
Carson Valley Inn
Circus Circus
Eldorado
Harrah’s Reno
Harvey’s Tahoe
Peppermill
Rainbow Cas. W Wendover
Reno Hilton
Commerce Club
Crystal Casino
DA I LY TO U R N A M E N T L I ST I N G S CO N T I N U E O N PAG E 3 4
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
33
Time. Some events &. ........ Additional
Limit Hold’em
start after the hour
gametimes. Call. N ..........No Limit
A, P ....... AM, PM
..... Hold’em L ................ Limit
Wk .............Week
.No Limit Hold’em
..........Stud
MONDAY
CALIFORNIA—SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA& INLAND EMPIRE LOS ANGELES
TIME
B ......... Bounties
Sp ........... Spread
.7-Card Stud
..... Omaha Pi........Pineapple Pn......Panginque DCDealer’s Choice Al ......Alternates
.5-Card Stud H/LHigh/Low Split Po........Pot Limit Mx .Mexican Poker HH ...Headhunter Z........ Freezeout
DAILY TOURNAMENTS (CONT’D FROM PAGE 33)
|
TUESDAY
GAMES BUY-IN| TIME
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
|
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
FRIDAY
Cz ............. Crazy + .......... Re-buys
E...... Elimination and/or Add-ons
allowed
Q ............Qualify
Sh ........Shootout F ............Freeroll
| SATURDAY |
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
SUNDAY
GAMES BUY-IN
Hawaiian Gardens
Hustler Casino
Normandie Casino
Casino Morongo
Casino Pauma
Harrah’s Rincon
Lucky Lady
Oceans Eleven
Sycuan
Viejas
Village Club
CALIFORNIA—NORTH
Artichoke Joe’s
Cache Creek
California Grand
Casino San Pablo
Club One Casino, Fresno
Colusa Casino
Feather Falls Cas., Oroville
Garden City
Gold Country Cas.-Oroville
Gold Rush
Golden West-Bakersfield
Kelly’s Cardroom
Limelight Cardroom-Sac’to
Lucky Chances
Lucky Derby Casino
Oaks Card Club-Emeryville
Sonoma Joe’s
Blue Water Casino
Bucky’s Casino
AZ
Casino Del Sol
Cliff Castle
Fort McDowell
SOUTHWEST
Gila River/Wild Horse Pass
CO
Gila River-Vee Quiva
Harrah’s Ak Chin
Hon-Dah Casino
Paradise Casino
Gilpin Hotel & Casino
Midnight Rose-Cripple Crk
Ute Mountain
KS
Harrah’s Prarie Band
NM
Cities of Gold
Isleta Casino & Resort
Route 66 Casino
OK
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Comanche Red River Cas.
Thunderbird Casino, Norman
OR
WA
Chinook Winds Casino
Wildhorse Casino Resort
Blue Mountain Casino
Chips Bremerton
Chips La Center
Chips Lakewood
Chips Tukwila
Final Table Cas., Everett
DA I LY TO U R N A M E N T L I ST I N G S CO N T I N U E O N PAG E 35
Debbie Burkhead interviews
Jack Effel
with the exception of the
main event which may
require additional organizing.
DB: Why was there a
34
$50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event
added to the schedule this
year versus increasing the
buy-in to the main event?
JE: The pro players want
to determine the best all-
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
around player and they
believe to do that they
need more, games, more
chips and more playing
time to determine the best
overall player. Raising
the main event would not
accomplish what they are
looking for because it’s
only one game.
DB: How do you plan to
continue making Harrah‘s
and the WSOP the player‘s
choice?
JE: We strive to provide
the players a consistent
staff, good tournament
structures, consistency
with accommodations and
as much TV exposure as
we can provide.
SATELLITES FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF POKER!
$10,000,000 PRIZE POOL - $5,000,000 FIRST PRIZE*
*BASED
UPON 100
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In Las Vegas...
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FURTHER RULES AND
D E TA I L S W I L L B E
F O U N D AT :
EVERY SATURDAY Buy-in & Fee $1,100
Winner receives a Super Satellite seat—
seat—Super
Super Satellite Winner receives Buyin and Entry Fee for the Main Event. Contact: Dick Gatewood, Poker Manager,
702-454-8092
DAILY TOURNAMENTS (CONT’D FROM PAGE 34)
MONDAY
NORTHWEST
PAC. N’WEST
TIME
WA
MT
ND
NE
NORTHEAST
CT
MIDWEST
TUESDAY
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
|
FRIDAY
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
| SATURDAY |
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
GAMES BUY-IN|TIME
SUNDAY
GAMES BUY-IN
Goldie’s
Little Creek Casino
Muckleshoot Casino
Northern Quest
Point Defiance Cafe & Cas., Tacoma
Suquamash Clearwater
Wild Grizzly
MN Fortune Bay Casino
SD
NJ
Northern Light Casino
Shooting Star Casino
Black Jack’s Casino
4 Bears Casino
Dakota Magic
Rosebud Casino
Dakota Sioux
Gold Dust Cas., Deadwood
Rosebud Casino
Silverado Casino Deadwood
Foxwoods
Caesar’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Tropicana
Trump Taj Mahal
Akwesasne Mohawk
Majesty Casino Boar
NY
IA
IL
IN
MI
LA
MO
MS
FLORIDA
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
|
GAMES BUY-IN| TIME
Turning Stone
Catfish Bend
Isle of Capri
Winn-A-Vegas
Hollywood Casino-Aurora
Belterra (Florence)
Caesars Indiana
Trump Indiana
Chip-In’s Island
Lac Vieux Desert Cas., Watersmeet
Grand Coushatta
Horseshoe CasinoShreveport
p
Harrah’s St Louis
Isle of Capri
Copa Casino
Gold Strike Casino (Tunica)
Grand Casino(Tunica)
Pearl River Resort
Dania Jai-Alai
Derby Lane
Hard Rock
Palm Beach Kennel Club
Palm Beach Princess
Pompano Park Casino
St Tropez Cruise
CANADA Casino Regina
Fast Answers About
Anything POKER!
pokerplayernewspaper.com
Get us on the web!
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
35
PART 77,
Have a Plan
It has been said that most people do not
plan to fail, however, many people fail to
Doc Holliday
improving performance
Gambler and Gunfighter
By TOM “TIME” LEONARD
plan A pretty neat adage which could
lead us to conclude that if you don’t
have a plan you’re more likely to fail. Sage advice for
all aspects of our lives and quite applicable to how
we address our poker sessions. If you don’t currently
have a plan when you sit down in your favorite card
emporium or log on to a favored poker internet site,
then maybe you should start.
Many players decide that they will play some poker
and that is the extent of their plan Why have a plan
and just what elements should it include? First and
foremost, if your objective is to withdraw a profit from
your time invested, it should be to play your best A
game making solid, informed decisions. Plan not to
allow emotions to dictate your play. Certainly an admirable plan, especially after suffering a bad beat or two.
Other elements of a good plan at the poker table
should include clocking your opponents’ skill levels
and tendencies, remaining aware of the table’s image
of your game, constantly observing your opponents
for information such as tells while not giving off any
tells yourself. Many recreational players play poker
for the social aspects it offers and enjoy the banter
that exists in many games That is just fine because
those players are not paying complete attention to
the game and you should be able to profit from their
inattentiveness. Hell, it’s also fine if you are one of
those players and don’t really care if you win or lose a
few bucks because you’re there for the camaraderie.
However, if you want to consistently turn a profit………
Have a plan!
Another aspect which some players don’t plan for
is a loss limit. They make their initial buy-in with no
thought or plan if their ship hits the rocks, as it were,
and they blow right through that buy-in. They then
reach back into their pocket or worse visit the ATM to
reload. That’s fine if it was part of a contingency plan
but if you’re reloading out of frustration and a desperation to get even, you are allowing emotion to dictate your course of action. Plan to be on the lookout
for situations that arise so you will be ready to exploit
them. Situations that warrant your attention would
include being on the button against weak/tight blinds,
being in position to isolate a player who comes in with
marginal holdings, or in no-limit punishing multiple
early limpers with large raises. Good cards come and
go but situations arise constantly and the player who
is planning to find them is the player who can successfully exploit them. If you’re not planning to see a situation arise it may well pass you by. The donkey in the
seven seat that is working his crossword puzzle isn’t
planning. Plan on taking his chips because he is not
paying attention to the task at hand.
Our goal for this time together is to always have
a plan when we embark on a poker session and then
stick to it. To plan is to be proactive. To just sit there
and wait to see if you have a big hand dealt is reacting. Be proactive and have a plan. I know when you
decide to play poker that you’re not planning to fail, so
make sure you don’t fail to plan.
See you next “TIME”.
No stranger to the green felt, Tom “Time” Leonard has played
poker for more than 30 years and has been a serious student of
the game and writer on the subject since 1994. He has regularly
played the cardrooms of Atlantic City, Las Vegas and California.
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].
36
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
By Byron Liggett
Professional gamblers in
the lawless American West
were ruthless, dangerous,
courageous competitors;
none more so than Doc
Holliday. He left his mark
in nearly every infamous
frontier boom town of the
1870s and ’80s.
John Henry Holliday
was born in Griffin,
Georgia in 1851. His
father was a pharmacist who later became
a wealthy planter and
Confederate Major during the Civil War. John’s
mother died of tuberculosis when he was 15.
Young John attended
Valdosta Institute where
he received a classical
education in social graces,
literature, mathematics,
and the Latin, Greek, and
French languages. In 1870
he began two years of dental school.
Following graduation,
the young man opened a
dental office in Atlanta,
GA. Soon afterwards, he
learned he had terminal
tuberculosis. When it
became publicly known,
his dental practice collapsed.
Because it was thought
drier, warmer climates
could reduce the deterioration of his health, John
Holliday moved to Dallas,
TX and opened a dental
office. He soon discovered
he could make more as a
gambler than he could as a
dentist with TB.
Holliday understood
that in order to survive
and succeed as a professional gambler he needed
to acquire the knowledge
and skills of the trade. He
had to learn all the tricks
and moves in order to
recognize them or employ
them when necessary. By
his own account, he spent
endless hours practicing
shuffles, cuts and dealing
cards. Hours more were
devoted to drawing his pistol or knife with confident,
cool speed.
Gambling games operated in the wide-open cattle
towns and mining camps
of the West were rarely
honest. Everyone cheated;
the dealer as well as the
players! It was commonly
accepted that the aim was
to get the chips, honestly
or otherwise. However,
anyone accused or caught
cheating had to be prepared to defend his honor
to the death.
Professional gamblers
went well armed. Doc was
comparatively lightly fortified with a pistol on his
hip, one in his coat and a
large, lethal knife hidden
in his vest.
Holliday drank prodigiously to obliterate
the agony of his illness.
Alcohol, a quick temper,
and the fearless attitude
of a doomed man led him
into frequent confrontations. Consequently, he
was always on the move.
In Jacksboro, Texas,
an altercation with a
player in a poker game
caused Doc to pump several bullets into his critic.
Unfortunately, the dead
man was a soldier from
nearby Fort Richardson.
To avoid being hung,
Holliday headed to
Colorado, stopping in
Pueblo, Leadville, Central
City, Black Hawk, and
Denver. On three occasions, all over gambling,
Doc found it necessary to
put three men out of his
misery.
A local bully sat down
in a poker game with
Doc in Ft. Griffin, TX.
To irritate Doc, the bully
kept looking through the
discards. Doc twice told
the player it was against
the rules and stop doing
it. When he again examined the discards in the
next hand, Doc scooped
up the pot. As the bully
reached for his holster,
Doc instantly disemboweled him.
Arrested, Doc escaped
jail and headed to Dodge
City where he dealt
Faro in the Long Branch
Saloon. On one occasion
a group of cattle drovers
arrived in town and decided to take over a saloon.
Marshall Wyatt Earp soon
arrived and started busting heads and arresting
cowboys. When one of the
Texans drew his gun and
pointed it at the Marshall’s
back, Doc Holliday, dealing at a nearby table,
yelled at Wyatt and shot
the would-be bushwhacker. Having saved the lawman’s life, the two became
close, loyal friends.
Next, Wyatt, his brothers and Doc Holliday
headed for Tombstone AZ,
which had become a notorious haven for outlaws
and lawlessness. Vigil
Earp was the new town
marshal. Wyatt bought
a piece of the Oriental
Saloon where he and Doc
worked the gambling
tables dealing Faro, Poker
and Keno.
Ike Clanton and his
brother Billy together
with the McLaury brothers, Tom and Frank,
were Tombstone toughs
who engaged in robbing
stagecoaches, cattle rustling and killing resented
the Earps and the law ‘n
order they represented.
From the beginning there
were numerous incidents
between the Earps and the
outlaws.
The showdown came in
October 1881 at the town’s
stables, the O.K. Corral.
Virgil deputized his brothers Wyatt and Morgan as
well as Doc Holliday and
Bat Masterson. With the
outlaws gathered at the
corral, the lawmen went
to take them in. Gun fire
erupted and when the
smoke cleared three outlaws were dead, only Ike
Clanton escaped. Wyatt
was the only lawman not
wounded.
The confrontation did
not end there however.
A month later Virgil was
ambushed and disabled
for life as he walked to
the Oriental Saloon. A few
months after that Morgan
Earp was shot and killed.
Wyatt blamed Clanton’s
Perks and Picks
All eyes will be focused on the World Series of Poker (WSOP)
as we near the end of the $100 Million contest, scheduled
to wrap up on August 10. Coinciding with the tournament,
the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino will
Card Room Roundup
Treasure Island
Hotel and Casino
The Bargain Bin
By H. Scot Krause
host the 2006 Gaming Life Expo from July
27-31. Sponsored by Harrah’s Entertainment,
Inc, the 2006 Gaming Life Expo was created
to offer fans and players the chance to meet with vendors,
speakers and players from around the world. The Gaming
Life Expo, which takes place during the first rounds of the
$10,000 buy-in main event of the WSOP, will be held in the
Rio Pavilion. Expo hours are 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 2730, and 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, July 31. Poker
Player Magazine will be on board with a booth. Stop by to
say hello, meet the publishers and your favorite writers and
see what’s new.
While you’re in town for the WSOP, make the rounds at
Harrah’s Brand casinos. Harrah’s is running a nationwide “3
Million on the House” promotion, its largest ever. All properties in Las Vegas are participating including Harrah’s Las
Vegas, Rio, Caesars Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Bally’s
and Paris Las Vegas. On September 10, Harrah’s will award
three nationwide prizes: $1 million, 1 million Reward Credits
and 1 million American Airlines miles. Every Harrah’s player
in the United States gets one entry for every 25 daily Base
Reward Credits ($125 coin-in on slots, $250 video poker).
Total Reward members can earn daily instant rewards
(Reward Credits, food comps, funbooks, etc.) by swiping their
cards at any of the properties between noon and 5:00 p.m.,
and all members who obtain a property stamp from three different Total Reward booths receive a $10 food credit voucher.
Guests visiting all six booths get an additional $20 food
comp.
In downtown Las Vegas, new poker rooms are expected
to open at Fitzgeralds and the El Cortez this month.
Fitzgeralds claims it will be the only downtown poker room to
offer a “Bad Beat” jackpot.
The Venetian will be rewarding the top 40 Player’s Club
point-earners through August 15 with a high seas Fall Foliage
Cruise excursion for two aboard a Princess Cruise Ship. The
cruise will take place in October. The promotion includes all
points earned from May 1 through August 15.
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay celebrates six years of
entertainment and education by offering a summer pricing
plan. Through September 3, purchase one ticket at full price
and receive a second admission for $6 after 6:00 p.m. They
are also giving away commemorative posters with admission
while supplies last.
The venerable Stardust will stop taking room reservations
after November 1. However, they plan to remain open awhile
longer if they can maintain their employees. Early next year,
the Strip landmark will be torn down to make way for Boyd
Gaming Corp.’s $4 billion Echelon Place.
Also newsworthy, Maxim Magazine has plans to open a
$1.2 billion 2,300-room Maxim condo-hotel-casino on a 7.7acre property next door to Circus Circus. They have reportedly teamed up with a southern California developer, Concord
Wilshire Partners, to build the hotel.
Finally, if you’re playing in the WSOP---best of luck to you!
If you’re here to watch, it will be an exciting time to be in Las
Vegas!
That’s it for this week!
3300 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109
Toll free: 1.800.288.7206 Local: 702.894.7111
Located in the heart of the
Las Vegas Strip the TI,
formerly Treasure Island,
opened in the fall of 1993.
Steve Wynn designed and
built the TI adjacent to his
Mirage Resort. The pirate
themed resort was primarily
marketed to family vacationers as an upscale alternative
to the adult oriented resorts.
With a full size pirate sailing
ship permanently docked in
Buccaneer Bay, TI guests
enjoyed free shows nightly
when a British frigate sailed
into the bay only to be hit
by cannon fire and sink
with all hands. During the
grand opening festivities of
Treasure Island the ship’s
crew fired the symbolic shot
that knocked down the old
Dunes Hotel in an implosion and fireworks display
that at the time was the largest ever staged west of the
Mississippi. A crowd of
more than 200,000 crowded
into Las Vegas to watch the
spectacle and it was carried
live on national television.
Steve Wynn sold his Las
Vegas resorts including
Treasure Island to MGM
in 2000. The new owners
changed the name to the TI,
sent the pirates back to the
Caribbean and hired a crew
of Sirens for the show out
H. Scot Krause is a freelance writer, gaming industry analyst and researcher, originally from Cleveland,
Ohio. While raising his three year-old son, Zachary, Scot
reports, researches, and writes about casino games,
events, attractions and promotions. He is a ten-year
resident of Las Vegas. Questions or comments are welcomed. Card room managers are also invited to send
your specials and promotions to: [email protected]
38
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
front. Inside the resort they
added more adult attractions including two of the
city’s hippest nightclubs,
Tangerines and Mist. The
property shed the “Mirage
alternative” role to become a
stand alone destination resort
that appeals to the younger,
affluent crowd.
The hotel offers 2,885
rooms including 220 luxury
suites. Visitors can make
reservations online at the
TI website. You can also
browse through photo tours
and detailed descriptions of
accommodations and guest
amenities at the site.
Options for the hungry
diner include upscale Italian
fare at Francesco’s, fresh
seafood and aged steaks
at The Steak House, south
of the border fare at Isla
Mexican Kitchen & Tequila
Bar, tropical island treats
such as jerk chicken are
found at Kahunaville, a full
menu 24 hour coffee shop,
the Buffet at the TI, Ben &
Jerry’s, Krispy Kreme, Sweet
Temptations, Starbucks
for the caffeine junkies
and 24 hour room servce.
Numerous bars and lounges
are located throughout the
property. The TI offers
something for everyone from
an unforgettable evening of
romantic dining to a quick
coffee and pastry.
Cirque du Soleil’s Mystere
show provides an evening of
exotic and bizarre entertainment. This award winning
stage show is a must see
when visiting Las Vegas.
Acts and sights you’ve never
seen before provide a unique
experience. Free entertainment is offered out front
at Buccaneer Bay with the
Sirens of TI show performed
three times nightly.
An outdoor pool comes
with a 50-person Jacuzzi
while WET the Spa provides
the weary traveler a quick
rejuvenation or a totally
relaxing all day stay. Fitness
workouts are found at the
Health Club in the Spa. The
Wedding Chapels at Treasure
Island offers a number of
different packages for weddings. No need to leave the
property to find a wedding
ring, clothing or gifts. The
TI experience includes shopping with stores offering a
range from high-end through
the $10 Boutique.
A 95,000 square foot
casino is filled with more
than 2000 popular slot
machines including your
favorites. Table games
include Blackjack, Barracat,
Roulette, Caribbean Stud, Pai
Inside Treasure Island’s 8-table poker room
Gow, Spanish 21 and Craps.
A Race and Sports Book
lined with 10 big screens,
23 large plasma displays
and seating for 150 beckons
bettors to spend a few hours
watching their favorite teams
and ponies. Treasure Island
opened with a large poker
room that quickly became
a favorite with tourist and
locals, but the room was
closed a few years. Two
months ago the TI opened
their new non-smoking poker
room.
TI’s 8 table poker room
reminds me of a plush club.
Tucked into an alcove at
the bottom of the escalator
coming in from the parking
garage the room has a definite lounge-like feel and the
tables have the sexiest covers
in the business with some
of the ladies from the TI
Sirens show and some from
Tangerines. TI poker operations are under the management of Christopher Coffin,
a poker industry veteran with
two decades of experience.
Christopher came to the
TI from the Mirage Resort
and brought his core staff
of experienced personnel to
the operation. Christopher
also attracts some well know
names to the room so its not
unusual to find Ming Ly sitting in a low limit hold’em
game entertaining the players. Johnny Chan has been
known to stop by and play in
some of the big limit games.
I spent a very pleasant
afternoon with shift supervisor, Troy Horning, and
was impressed with his
knowledge of poker and a
real dedication to providing
the players with the very
best poker playing experience anywhere. Tables are
equipped with Shufflemasters
and the room has a state-ofthe-art Genesis management
system. Player’s cards are
swiped at the table and table
keypads provides dealers a
method of communicating
with the podium without the
typical disconcerting yelling
across the room when seats
are empty or fills are needed.
Poker players should pick up
a player’s card before playing
to be eligible for comps and
promotions.
The TI poker room spreads
limit hold’em with $2-$4
blinds and $4-$8 blinds. A
full or half kill will be added
if requested by the players.
No-limit hold’em is offered
$1-$3 blinds and a $100$500 buy-in and $5-$10
blinds with a $500-no max
buy-in. The poker room also
spreads a “Tangerine Mixer”
game that is a rotation of different variations of poker as
requested by the players. The
TI poker room will deal any
limit or game providing there
is enough players available to
make up a table.
Tournaments are held three
times a day seven days a
week and all have the same
format, no-limit hold’em
with a $60 buy-in, no rebuys
or add-ons. Players can
buy back into the tournaments during the first hour.
Tournaments are offered at
11:00 AM, 7:00 PM and 4:00
AM everyday. SNG’s are
also available 24 hours when
ten players are present and
buy-in.
Comps are given at the
standard Las Vegas rate of $1
per hour of play but during
the month of July the rate is
doubled, $2 per hour of play
with no daily maximum daily
limit. Play 24 hours pick up
a comp for $48, it’s that easy.
Food comps are
redeemable at any
TI food or beverage
outlet. Poker players are also eligible
for a casino rate on
rooms and enjoy
a substantial price
reduction by playing
a minimum number
of hours. A daily
high hand promotion rewards players
making four-of-a-kind better
with up to $600 in free play
and the best of all the room
does not rake pots for the
bonus money. Another bonus
for players is PPV sporting
events including championship fights are shown
with sound on the poker
room’s eight 42” plasma
screens. Complete details
of all promotions, spreads
and tournaments are available in the poker room or
you can call the room direct
at 702.894.7291. Try the
TI poker room for a taste of
some extreme customer service, you can thank me later.
—Joe Smith, Sr.
A u g u st To u rn a m e n t S e ri e s
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Supervisor Troy Horning
45000 Pechanga Parkway • I-15 • Temecula • 877.711.2WIN • www.pechanga.com
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
39
Atlantic City Action:
Trump Taj Mahal
STUD SENSE
By ASHLEY ADAMS
I recently took a marathon trip to Atlantic City,
leaving my home in Boston at 1:30 AM, driving through the night,
arriving early on Saturday morning, and then playing in all the poker
rooms I could find. This included a stop at the Trump Taj Mahal
(known familiarly as “The Taj”) – once the premier poker room in the
area. For stud players like me it still is.
The place is not as glamorous as it once was. There are now
eleven poker rooms in Atlantic City. Some, like the Borgata and the
Hilton, are beautifully appointed – with new and luxurious tables and
chairs, new chips and cards, and meticulously clean surroundings. By
contrast the Taj looks a bit tired and run down.
But how important is the fine art on the wall while you’re playing
after all? With all due respect for the beautiful new rooms, what’s
always been important to me is the action. In that regard, I’ve gladly
played in cramped back rooms, musty decrepit basements, and once
in a place that was so dark and small and filled with cigarette fumes
that it reminded me of a smoky coffin. Hell, I’ve even chased a couple
of action players by playing in the back seat of their car. Compared to
those places the Taj is still a palace.
The Taj has 90 poker tables – making it the largest room in Atlantic
City and one of the largest poker rooms in the United States. When I
arrived at a little before 10:00 AM Saturday morning, there were only
twelve games going – seven of them stud. I sat down in the $10/20
stud game but it wasn’t my only mid-limit stud option. There were
two full tables of $20/40 with a list, there was another $10/20 game,
there were a couple of $5/10 games, there was a $3/6 game with no
ante (a game they had just started to spread in the casino – and one I
have never seen anywhere else), and there may have been a few $1-5
games but I honestly didn’t ask and don’t recall. Frankly, considering
the time of day, the stud action was impressive.
I was told by another player that later in the day I was assured of
finding $15/30, $30/60, $40/80, and maybe $75/150, $150/300 and
$400/800. The guys at my table never played that high, but they had
seen those big games go off many times recently.
The room is player friendly. The casino offers free “Taj Cards”
where players earn points that are used like cash for food and room.
Low stakes games earn $1/hour. $10/20 earns $2/hour and $20/40 or
higher earns $3/hour. Not a bad deal. My home casino, Foxwoods,
with no competition within 200 miles, pays significantly less per hour.
The games are raked below $20/40, with a 10% $4 maximum taken
from the pot. $20/40 and higher pays time. $20/40 is $7 per half
hour. Time charges go up from there. $30/60 is $8/half hour, etc.
The $10/20 game I played in had the conventional structure -- $1
ante with a $3.00 bring-in by the low card. I bought in for $500
– which made me by far the big stack at this table. It became clear
after about three hands that these were guys who were just grinding
it out. They were very tight. Friendly to be sure, and tight.
I spent about half an hour playing tightly and listening to some
stories about poker in Atlantic City. These guys all agreed that stud
was drying up and being replaced by hold ‘em. Even the action at the
Taj had seriously diminished in recent years. But the stud action certainly wasn’t dead yet. The only place with more of it is Foxwoods.
I won exactly $20 during my thirty minutes of rocky play. I also
got one good quote from a regular:
It may not be the nicest room, but you’re assured of getting a
stud game 24/7. It’s the only place, really. That’s worth something, ain’t it?
How’s that for a ringing endorsement!
Ashley Adams is the author of Winning 7-Card Stud,
(Kensington Press 2003). He has been playing 7-Card
Stud for 40 years—and profitably in casinos for the past
10 years. He has played in casinos all over the world,
including England, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Hungary,
Canada and the United States, but plays most frequently
at at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard Connecticut.
Professionally, he is a union organizer and an agent for
broadcasters. He can be reached at: [email protected]
40
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
The CALP
Revolution Begins
ner drinks his mood became
businesslike.
“Trevor told me about
your CALP concept and
how it will be used for the
final rounds of his tournament. I think it’s a capital
idea, which will pay dividends for Trevor’s company, but I’m wondering if it
might also portend changes
in casino poker rooms.
Have you thought about
that?”
Hobby nodded to me,
so I began, “We have. We
believe CALP may start
a new trend in live poker
play. It will immediately
appeal to some poker players and will gradually
become popular. It is especially attractive to those
who prefer quicker play,
and for those who grew up
on the internet. There are
great advantages for the
house, too. Quicker play
means more pots to drag
and, without the expense
of a dealer. The turnover
should be double or more
compared to a dealer operated table. Of course there
is the capital cost to offset.
That’s something you’ll
have to factor in once the
product is developed.”
“That’s exactly what I’ve
been thinking. I’m truly
pleased to be a part of this
experiment. I wish you
great success. Trevor told
me you’d like a little action.
I’ve arranged for your
immediate membership.
You may play if you wish.”
We thanked Jack and
headed for the poker room.
I couldn’t help but wish it
were a CALP table.
Back in California,
except for occasional email
exchanges with the development team, our lives were
back to normal. We had
agreed to keep CALP quiet
until Rekopnuf announced
their tournament. Things
started popping after a story
appeared. I got a call from
Hobby.
“Joe, I picked up a
copy of Poker Player at
Commerce last night.
They had a story about the
Rekopnuf tournament and
the CALP playoff. We’re
famous, Joe!”
“Did they mention our
names?”
“Well, no. But we know!”
“If that’s good enough
for you, Hobby, it’s good
enough for me. I’d rather
not be hounded by the
media.”
“I know what you’re saying Joe, but we should get
the credit.”
“Hobby, I learned a long
time ago, it’s better to get
the cash than the credit.”
“I suppose. How about
our trip to London?”
“Trevor’s making
arrangements, but remember, according to our agreement we can’t play in the
tournament. We will be
earning a royalty, but frankly, I’m more interested to
see how well CALP works.
“Yeah, me too,” Hobby
agreed.
We arrived in London
the day they would be moving the top money winners
to the five CALP tables.
Trevor assured me they had
conducted extensive tests
and had worked out all the
bugs. I could only hope he
was right. The CALP tables
were in a specially designed
room. They were almost
totally surrounded by a
visitor gallery except for
the television control booth,
which also had seats for
VIPs, including Hobby and
me. The players had been
briefed, but even so many
were obviously disoriented
at the start. Trevor assured
us they would quickly
become acclimated, and
they did! I was fascinated
watching the TV director
as he selected play from
one table or another as the
commentators described the
action. I could tell by the
look on Trevor’s face that
he was pleased.
Later Trevor asked us to
join him for a break. “I’m
absolutely thrilled the way
this is going,” he said. “It’s
beyond our expectations.
We’re not on live TV, but
we have a focus group
watching on closed circuit
TV. Thus far we’re getting very high ratings. And
have you noticed how many
players are beaming at their
images on the screens. They
act like celebrities. I’m certain, CALP is a winner and
it’s putting Rekopnuf on
the map. Congratulations to
both of you!”
We watched more of the
games, but I was feeling jetlagged and asked Hobby if
he were ready to go back to
the hotel. Outside the casino
Hobby said, “Too many
people waiting for taxis.
Let’s walk back.”
“Yeah, I think I can find
the way.”
“Capital! How’s that for
Brit talk?”
“Bloody good, Hobby.”
We were going in the
right general direction, but
seemed to be entering a
poorer neighborhood with
narrow lanes and alleys. We
had no idea we were being
stalked when two men
quickly came up behind us
and herded us into an alley.
“What the hell do you
think you’re doing?” Hobby
shouted.
“You’ll find out,” one
answered as they withdrew
clubs.
“Hey,” Hobby said to
the other man. “I recognize
you. You’re Hans. How’re
you doing?” Hobby’s
friendly demeanor momentarily distracted the wouldbe assailants.
Hans said, “You stupid
Americans make me lost
my chob. Now you suffer.”
He took a mighty swing at
Hobby. I knew what would
happen next, so I kept my
eyes on the man about to
attack me. However, he was
more interested in watching
the action. When he saw
Hans on his backside and
Hobby holding the club,
he lost interest and quickly
back-pedaled out of the
alley.
Hobby said, “What are
we going to do with this
guy?”
With my best Jimmy
Cagney impression I said,
“We ought to knock him
off.”
“No, no, please,” Hans
said in a sobbing voice.
Hobby raised the club
over his head as Hans
winced and drew back.
Then Hobby threw the club
aside and reached into his
jacket pocket. From his
wallet he withdrew several
$100 bills. As he tucked
them into Han’s pocket he
said, “Hans, go home and
don’t bother us anymore.
“You’re too soft-hearted
and generous, Hobby.”
“What would you have
done, Joe?”
“Probably, the same. I’m
feeling too good to be a
hard ass.”
Write to author David Valley
at: [email protected]
Tournament of
Champions
Metaphy
Charlie Shoten
42
kids worldwide. Children
Incorporated is also the primary recipient of donated
funds from fellow poker
star Barry Greenstein. . “I
have been blessed with so
much good fortune,” Sexton
said. “I really want to give
something back from the
game that has been so good
to me and has taught me so
many things.”
The win for special
for at least one more reason. Back in 1998, long
before the current poker
craze, Sexton had a grand
vision for an exclusive
yearly poker tournament
which would only feature
the greatest poker champions. That tournament,
both in name and concept, eventually became
the “Tournament of
Champions.”
Nearly a decade later,
Sexton would win the very
tournament he helped to
inspire.
“When I first helped to
create the TOC concept,
it was really ahead of its
time,” said Sexton. “I am
thrilled to see (Harrah’s
Entertainment) take that
idea and create its own
World Series of Poker-version of the TOC. Of course
to actually play in it and
win it – well, that’s justice.
PHOTO COURTESY JOY K MILLER, WSOP OFFICIAL PHOTOS
“It was really tough – there
were a lot of great of players at this final table,”
said Negreanu. “Looking
back, I really do not have
any regrets about the way
I played my hands. I must
have missed just about
every big draw I had, and
that cost me in the end.”
Mike Sexton’s victory
was well-deserved for many
reasons. Sexton won his
only WSOP gold bracelet
back in 1989, in the game
of seven-card stud eightor-better. But due to the
demands of his celebrity
as a poker commentator
on television, Sexton has
not been able to play in as
many tournaments as he
would like. “Because I’ve
been doing commentary on
the WPT for the past five
years,” said Sexton. “I am
a much better player than
I was before. Poker is a
game of skill and there’s
a big advantage in having
seen every hand. I see what
players are doing and I’m
adapting my game.”
“I am so happy to win,”
a choked up Sexton said
in a post-victory interview.
“To win the million-dollar
prize and this title means
everything to me. But to
be perfectly honest, there is
nothing quite like that feeling when you win your first
(gold bracelet) at the World
Series of Poker. To come
back again all these years
later and win this tournament, especially against
such tremendous competition, in addition to defeating
a great champion like Daniel
Negreanu after five hours,
really makes me proud.”
At the start of the tournament, Sexton – the eternal goodwill ambassador
– pledged half of his TOC
win to charity. Sexton will
donate $100,000 of his winnings to each of five charities: the Special Olympics,
the Paralyzed Veterans of
America, the Wounded
Warrior Project (helping
families of those wounded
or killed in action), The
Buoniconti Fund (to
help cure paralysis), and
Children Incorporated
(which provides food,
clothing and school supplies to underprivileged
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
6/26/06
TOURNAMENT
OF CHAMPIONS
PLAYERS 27
PRIZE
POOL
$2,000,000
Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton . . . . .$1,000,000
Daniel Negreanu . . $325,000
Mike Matusow . . . . $250,000
Chris Reslock . . . . . $150,000
Andy Black. . . . . . . $100,000
Darrell Dicken . . . . . $75,000
Chris ‘Jesus’
Ferguson . . . . . . . . . . $50,000
8. Thang Pham. . . . . . . $25,000
9. Daniel Bergsdorf . . . $25,000
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Opportu
My conversation continues
ception, but the battle of
that measured very-lowintention begins. There
Charlie: Considering luck frequency energies transmitted by human intention. is a saying, “The drive is
as a science is intriguin the talent!” So at the
ing. I never really thought The unit had 9000 small
poker table, just like in the
balls that cascaded over
about it until I read The
ring, the one with the most
Awesome Science of Luck. 330 pegs into 19 collec“heart,” or intensive drive,
tion bins.
It’s really excit“How
who remains focused is
You
ing to think
absolute the knave is.
the one who usually wins.
that luck
We
must
speak
by
the
card,
or
Talent is important,
can be
equivocation will undo us.”
“The
but without
mastered
just like
—William
a skill. Most
people assume that luck
is something they have no
control over. Peter, could
you please comment on
this?
Peter: Charlie, just consider: right now, as we
speak, the US government
is funding projects on
remote viewing. Imagine,
as a professional poker
player, developing the
ability to receive strong
and accurate impressions
of the cards about to be
dealt or those in another
player’s hand. Would
they consider you lucky?
Absolutely!
But in truth, you would
be using the awesome science behind what others
call luck. Back in 1981,
the 97th U.S. Congress
made a commitment to
research these abilities
that are generally attacked
by “quack busters.” The
government began a multimillion-dollar program at
Stanford Research Institute
(now SRI International)
in Menlo Park, CA. They
began to study the human
perceptual ability known
as remote viewing.
What’s really exciting
is that people who play
poker already have the
untapped potential to easily heighten their perceptual abilities—not only that,
but, I believe, influence
the way the cards fall.
Now, before you discount
me as a crackpot, consider this scientific study
by Princeton University.
It was called the PEAR
project—Princeton
Engineering Anomalies
Research. They developed
a random events generator
cards never lie.” the magic of
a laser-like
—Charlie Shoten
intention, it
remains weak. If it’s
would natuscientifically proven that
rally conclude that all the
the fall of 9000 balls can
balls would always fall
be influenced by mental
the same way over the
intention, then winning at
same pegs into the same
poker is governed by how
collection bins. Not so!
focused and conscious you
The study confirmed that
can remain. If you do that,
subjects could influence
the cards you want will
the direction the balls fell
by their focused intention. come to you.
Which do you think might
be more difficult: to influ- Charlie: This brings up
the subject of fear. Fear
ence the fall of 9000 balls
can be one of the most
or the fall of a few cards?
destructive feelings we
If this sounds too far
ever experience, and it
out, ask yourself why
often can alert us to take
Boeing would have a
actions that can actually
distinguished physicist,
save our lives. What about
Helmut Schmidt, create
fear, Peter? Where does
a digital random number
it come from, and what
generator to study how
can we do about it? At the
the human mind is able
poker table, I’m becoming
to influence what we call
aware of and differentiatchance or luck in such
ing between the kind of
a way that the outcome
fear that protects me and
matches our intention. If
the kind that distracts me.
your intention is to win
This allows me to let go
big at the World Series of
of destructive fear and
Poker, when do you think
embrace constructive fear.
the best time to begin
Would you talk about fear
training would be?
in relationship to the card
table?
Charlie: Being lucky at
the poker table means that
Peter: Let’s first look
you’re more conscious of
at where our emotions
the opportunities before
come from. Emotions
you than your opponents
are the results or afterefare. It can also mean that
fects of our conclusions.
when things have turned
Fear, for example, is often
sour, you’ve been able to
expressed as the result of
take a defense position
a subconscious conclufaster than another player
sion about our ability to
at the table. Isn’t this that
perform. It manifests as
same thing you do in a
a shudder of doubt that
martial arts situation?
causes you to hesitate and
While you’re well aware
question your actions.
of how this applies to the
Let’s say you’re having
fighting arts, could you
comment on how it applies a series of bad hands.
You might conclude this
to playing poker?
isn’t your night. Actually,
you’ll be correct, since
Peter: Ah, here’s where
that conclusion will filter
not only the test of per-
Shakespeare
ysical
Poker
&
Life
unities at the Poker Table
s with Peter Ragnar, author of “The Awesome Science of LUCK”
down deep into your subconscious. Next, your subconscious mind will cause
these ripples of doubt to
influence your nervous
system, which will be
expressed in the detectable nuances of your body
language. Your opponent,
seeing that, bluffs and you
fold. Seeing his cards, you
just scratch your head,
Now that I can
maintain my
FOCUS for days
at a time, won’t
it be boring
to have no
distractions?
Certainly! No
more balls up in
the air to juggle
all the time will
force you to
spend more time
with yourself.
wondering why you did
such a stupid thing.
Charlie, you mentioned
constructive fear. That’s a
survival trait. If you’re up
on a high building, your
cells will involuntarily
retract from the danger
of falling, causing you to
pull back from the risk.
Now, of course, you can
consciously learn to override that fear and still perform. It’s a simple matter
of understanding that this
type of fear is an alarm
urging caution.
At the card table, we
may experience a very real
constructive type of fear
as we foolishly begin to
push our chips out onto
the table. It comes as a
lightning bolt and thunders, “Pull back! The odds
are against it.” Bear in
mind that we are always
crunching the numbers
unconsciously in our marvelous biocomputers. It’s
just a matter of listening
and feeling for the mind’s
conclusions before we
play our hands.
Charlie: We know that
humans and animals can
do incredible feats. Birds
d
migrate to a specific spot
or mate many thousands
of miles across the earth.
Each of us has experienced life situations that
can’t be explained. Idiot
savants add and multiply
faster than computers, and
many occurrences we can
never understand. How
do I learn how to increase
my perception and use my
inherent talent to win?
I’ve had enough!
No more crazy
ideas or I will
give your book
back to you
and demand a
refund.
You really know
how to hurt a
Guru.
Peter: In the very same
fashion as you build
muscle, you’ve got to
consciously exercise your
mind to increase your
perceptual talents. As
I’ve mentioned before,
performing the memory
feat of memorizing and
accurately recalling a deck
of 52 cards as they fall
requires practice. Each
morning, I would take a
deck of cards and a stopwatch and time myself
until I was able to perform
the feat in under a minute
without hesitation. Even
though doing it before a
live audience takes longer,
you have the full confidence of being able to
present a flawless performance.
Once you have a relaxed
sense of confidence, your
intentions can take center
stage. This is the art of
winning. How confident
would you be at the card
table knowing that you’re
aware of the cards that
have already been played?
The way you do this is to
become so intimate with a
deck of cards that not only
do you remember how
they fall, but you sense
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what card it is before it’s
shown face up. Let them
be so intimate that they
simply become extensions
of your fingers.
Charlie: In the sixth
chapter of The Awesome
Science of Luck, you talk
about “breathing light into
the things you desire,” the
role of the pineal gland as
you have come to understand it, and how powerful
electromagnetic fields are
discharged when exhaling
properly. You also have
a vast experience with
magnets. Can you give us
a brief summary of how
these concepts might help
our poker game?
Peter: Briefly, Charlie,
science has discovered
a magnetic compound
in the pineal glands of
humans and animals. It
is this magnetite, a magnetic chemical, that allows
migratory animals, birds,
and fish to find their way
to locations that appear
next to impossible to
locate without a map or
radar of some kind. How
do they do that so unerringly? It’s the natural
functioning of the magnetic quality of that gland.
This is why I began
experimenting with wearing a very strong rare
earth magnetic headband.
If you want to magnetize
a nail, all you have to do
is stick it on a strong magnet: after a time, the nail
also becomes magnetic.
So I concluded that it
must work the same way
with my pineal gland. I
have found that it greatly
increases my perceptions
and luck. Am I not lucky
to be here with you in
Poker Player?
Charlie: How about
visualization, Peter? You
explain this technique.
Can we really manifest
what we visualize? Can
you share your ideas
regarding concentration
and maintaining focus?
Everyone wants to maintain focus. It is widely
agreed in poker that focus
is the difference between
winning and losing at the
poker table.
Peter: I go into it pretty completely in The
Awesome Science of Luck,
but here’s something to
think about. Every element
gives off a certain number of oscillations, just
like notes on the musical
scale. As an example, lead,
atomic element number
82, becomes gold, element number 79, if three
protons are removed from
its nucleus. Helium is element number two, because
it is so light: it only has
two protons. All thoughts
and mental pictures are
atomic. Physicists have
discovered that an electron
can change from a particle
into a wave with the simple act of observation. The
bottom line is, what you
see is what you get—that
is, if your mental image is
strong and clear enough!
That’s what our books
help poker players do.
Charlie: I am looking
forward to our next conversation in Poker Player
magazine. Because it
will be issued during the
World Series of Poker,
let’s do our very best to
help all the hopefuls in
their efforts to capture the
potential $8,000,000 first
prize.
Thanks, Peter. I am very
grateful for your generously sharing your time with
me so that we can get this
information out in time
for that main event at the
World Series of Poker at
the Rio in Las Vegas. The
eyes of the entire world
will be watching.
Reach Charlie:
(702) 270-4877
[email protected]
www.nolimitlife.net
Say hello at the
WSOP Tournaments &
Satellites, at the Rio, LV
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43
Starting Hands
X
X
X
X
Poker Player
NEVER PLAY Poker with
a man CALLed “DOC”
By Scott Aigner, M.D.
There is no way a single starting hand chart can be utilized in No Limit Hold em because the variables that
influence one’s strategy is constantly changing. There are
also numerous structures in no limit hold em live games
as well. Some games have a maximum buy in (a cap) and
others allow you to play with as much money as you wish.
For instance, playing in a no limit structure in a capped
setting where everyone starts with 40 BB’s vs. playing in
a game with no maximum buy in and everyone sitting with
200 plus BB sized stacks are totally different games. In
the first setting big pairs and the big Ace hands gain value
compared to small pairs and suited connectors which
require implied odds to play them profitably. In the game
with everyone having the big stacks in relationship to the
blinds, the implied odds increase the playability of these
same hands and the big Ace hands lose value.
Table composition is also a factor in which hands can
be played as well. In a game that is passive drawing hands
will receive decent pot odds, receive more free cards,
and will usually get paid off by the weaker players (hence
implied odds to draw are favorable). In a tight aggressive
setting one will rarely receive pot odds, will receive less
free cards, and the players are less likely to pay off a possible flush when it hits (hence implied odds are less favorable). A cap on the buy in can influence the table composition as a result of the smaller stack to blind ratio among
the players. As I have stated before in this column “Not all
No Limit Hold Em games are the same.”
In my book on low stakes No limit Hold Em I discuss
the hands that are playable when the table composition
is typical (based on the relative styles of the players), and
the game is a full ring setting (9 or 10 players). I also discuss the different table compositions that one can find in
a low stakes no limit hold em game and the variables that
influence the composition. Other factors include: the size
of the blinds, motivational factors of the participants, the
time of day and/or week, the experience level of the players, and the risk threshold of the participants. Economics
can also influence the table composition too.
A typical low stake No Limit hold Em game 70% of the
make up will consist of average players, tight passive players, and loose passive players. The players have fairly lax
calling standards preflop but tighten up considerably when
faced with a big raise preflop or a raise and a reraise situation. There will be plenty of players who are willing to call
a standard preflop raise but are not likely to get involved
in a pre flop raising war unless they have a big hand. Most
of the players at this type of table play a much tighter post
flop game as well. The main strategy involved is to hit a big
hand on the flop and then try to trap one of the opponents.
With 100 BB stack sizes among the participants (no
more than several players with stacks under 60) and a
typical table composition the following hands are usually
playable from any position (there is no mention of raising
strategies but only in playability).
Any Suited Connector from 5-4 to A-K
A-K and A-Q
Pocket Pairs 5’s and higher
Suited Face Cards with No more than One Gap
Any Suited Ace (except A-6 through A-9)
Next time I will continue with NL starting hands but for
now I would like for you to think about why these hands
are playable and what makes them more playable than the
ones that didn’t make this chart.
Dr Aigner is a board certified Urologist. He has multiple final table finishes in major tournaments including a WPO bracelet in 2001. You can contact him at
http://www.PokerStrategyForum.com
44
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Each issue’s crossword puzzle
honors a poker celebrity and
will be about that person’s
life. Today’s puzzle honors poker pro
Carlos Mortensen. Crossword by Myles Mellor.
Word
35. Car club
ACROSS
1. Nickname for 18 across
36. ___ Maureen Feduniak
5. Betting limit
37. Getting nothing helpful
on the turn or the river (2
words)
7. Period
opponent know you intend
to draw more cards in a
lowball game)
15. Former occupation of
18 across
16. Billiard striker
8. Phil ___
40. ___ Miserables
17. Bets first
10. Hand component
41. Winter month
18. ___ Lanka
12. Was at the table, for
example
43. Stiff drink
13. Head __ head
44. Position type
14. Transcendental number
45. ___shot straight draw
15. __ Bice, Idol runner-up
20. Type of straight draw
21. Appear unruffled (2
words)
24. Emotional intelligence,
for short
DOWN
16. Top poker player from
Ecuador (goes with 28
across)
1. ___ Elezra
19. Evybabee
3. Nashville locale
22. Press man
4. Color of diamonds
23. Chip ____
5. Last remaining card of
that description in the deck
33. Enthusiastic
25. Middle card
6. Money that is battled for
34. Vigor and liveliness
28. Come in equal
9. Hi!
38. You and me
29. Brown
10. Accountant
39. Inferior hand
30. See 18 across
11. Giving ____ (letting
42. Deja __
1
2
26. Shooter
2. Come together
3
27. Printer brand
31. Increase the bet
32. Sun product
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
13
11
14
15
16
17
21
23
12
18
19
20
22
24
25
26
28
27
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
37
36
38
39
40
43
41
44
42
45
The correct solution to the puzzle will be found only at:
www.pokerplayernewspaper.com. It will be posted on the cover date.
5. Burt Boutin . . . . . . . $60,169
Henderson, NV, USA
6. Can Kim Hua . . . . . $52,648
There were 277 players who
collected prize money.
Rosemead, CA, USA
7. Richard Chase . . . . $45,127
Malibu, CA, USA
8. John Juanda . . . . . . $37,606
Las Vegas, NV, USA
9. Alan Gilbert . . . . . . $33,845
Cantu Can Do!
25-year-old Brandon
Cantu Wins SecondLargest Live Poker
Tournament in
History—a whopping
$757,839!
Each and every poker player
needs a little luck. Just ask
Brandon Cantu. Sure, poker
is a game of skill. But luck
can also carry a good player
a very long way.
On June 28, 2006 Cantu,
a 25-year-old semi-professional player from Las
Vegas, was competing in his
biggest poker tournament
ever. With 64 players still
contending in the tournament on the second day,
Cantu found himself nearly
all-in with most of his chips
in the pot and drawing slim
against none other than Greg
“Fossilman” Raymer, the
2004 World Series of Poker
Champion. With Cantu’s
tournament life hanging in
the balance, Raymer had the
best hand, by far. But luck
sometimes appears when
least expected. The angels
of mercy resuscitated Cantu
with two near-miracle diamonds to complete a flush,
which eliminated the poker
superstar and stunned those
who witnessed the decisive
moment. That pot ignited a
flame in Cantu that would
never extinguish. In fact,
as it turned out, that crucial
hand made Cantu three-quarters of a million dollars in
extra prize money.
In Event 2, Cantu burned
through a record-field of
2,776 players – an astonishing number in size and scale.
Consider that the $1,500 buyin no-limit hold’em event
was the second-largest poker
tournament ever in history.
Already on pace to shatter
every previous poker mark
ever recorded, the first open
event of the 2006 World
Series of Poker was a complete sell-out. Only the 2005
WSOP main event attracted
more participants (with
5,619). The total prize pool
amounted to $3,789,240.
1. Brandon Cantu . . . $757,839
Vancouver, BC, Canada
2. Phong Ly . . . . . . . . $416,816
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
EVENT #2
6/27/06
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $1,500
1. Chris Gros . . . . . . . $127,496
2006 WORLD
SERIES OF POKER
2. Bryan Devonshire . . $66,528
Henderson, NV, USA
Burnsville, MN, USA
3. R. J. Wright . . . . . . $38,531
Hollywood, FL, USA
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
4. Lee Padilla . . . . . . $176,579
CASINO EMPLOYEE EVENT
4. Scott Clark . . . . . . . $27,720
EVENT #1
Modesto, CA, USA
BUY-IN $500
5. Brent Roberts . . . . $151,570
Staten Island, NY, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
$4,164,000
6/26/06
6. Don Zewin . . . . . . . $126,940
PLAYERS 2776
PRIZE
POOL
3. Drew Rubin AKA
“Dr. Drew” . . . . . . $226,597
PRIZE
POOL
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
PLAYERS 1232
5. Christopher
Himmenger . . . . . . . $22,176
$554,850
6. Craig Federspiel . . . $19,404
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Las Vegas, NV, USA
7. Ron Stanley AKA
“Carolina Express” $107,614
7. David Wortham . . . $16,632
Henderson, NV, USA
Hemet, CA, USA
8. Mark Swartz . . . . . . $88,668
8. Marsha Waggoner . $13,860
Phoenix, AZ, USA
9. Juan Carlos
Mortensen . . . . . . . . $71,617
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Downey, CA, USA
9. Barry Goldberg . . . $12,474
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Chris Gros
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
45
Ladies and Gentlemen
FRESH YOUNG FACE OF Poker
Results: Mini-Series
of Poker at the Bike
By Jennifer Matiran
Ladies and Gentleman: Key phrase “Ladies
and Gentlemen” poker is a Gentlemen’s sport and if it’s a
Gentlemen’s sport a woman plays then, she must be a Lady.
Yes, boys and girls let’s remember this, if, we do we can
change the vibe in all Poker rooms throughout the world.
Think big. Papa always tells me to think big “think always
big.” He taught me to leave a room with the same grace I
entered it with. Not so people could sing my praises but for
myself…so I’ll become “a lovely young lady.”
This is for the younger generation who plays Poker:
Respect, respect, respect…do not ever forget to have
respect for others, especially people who are your senior.
Always remember, you’re young today and without a doubt
you will age. There’s no way around that one; you don’t want
Karma to come around and bite you in the behind. Because
believe me, it will.
Don’t become arrogant when you win. In fact, don’t
be arrogant, period. That’s such a turn off. I think it was
Emerson who said something like this “who you are speaks
so loudly in my ears you need not say words.” They see the
bling, no need to rub it in their faces. Be a gracious winner.
Don’t be quick to anger at the casino. It’s a casino not
a playground. We are all adults not children. We are playing cards not dodge ball. One cannot throw a fit. Nobody
likes to feel like there are land minds all around him or
her. The first thing I do when I get that feeling is uh, TABLE
CHANGE.!!! And yes it’s because of you, yes you, stop practicing such poor etiquette. It’s just tacky. People lose all
respect for you even worse you lose respect for you. Stop
the erosion of your character, change your behavior, change
your mind, every change begins with changing your mind.
Do it, you’ll be glad you did.
This is for the older, more mature generation who plays
Poker: Please be patient with us. We are young and inexperienced compared to y’all. When we unintentionally make a
mistake, don’t make us feel dumb. We are learning, you were
learning at one time too. Remember, we are examples of
what you left behind.
Don’t be condescending. That’s just plain cruel. It’s not
nice. It makes me think you are one of the people who
slipped through the crack and never learned to be compassionate. Uh, table change. I don’t expect to pull a table
change with you. Don’t disappoint us, don’t let us down, we
look to all you folks as examples. In essence, you are playing a major role in our journey to Lady and Gentlemen hood.
Until next time, set the kind of goals that will make something of you to achieve them. Never forget that. In anything
you do, anything, always say to yourself “what will this
make of me.” Don’t choose things that will compromise your
values, virtues or philosophies. What will this make of me?
Always ask that. Will it make me a loser, a winner? Choose
the things that will make your game better, make your life
better. Live in the present, not the future or the past, when
you’re tempted to remember this quote: “I believe that
only one person out of a thousand knows the trick of
really living in the present. Most of us spend fifty-eight
minutes each hour living in the past, regretting lost joys,
or feeling shame for things badly done (both utterly
useless and weakening); or living in the future which
we either long for or dread. The only way to live is to
accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle, which is
exactly what it is-a miracle that will not be repeated.”
Changing the world one sentence at a time, Jennifer
Matiran believes the pen is, and always will be, mightier
than the sword. She hopes to emerge into the tournament circuit of Poker. Contact her with questions, comments or interesting material at matiran@sbcglobal.
net. Ms. Matiran has just completed her latest screenplay, her other passion (besides Poker!).
46
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
BICYCLE CASINO
7/3/06
BICYCLE CASINO
7/3/06
BICYCLE CASINO
7/3/06
MINI-SERIES OF POKER
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
POT LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $500 + $50
BUY-IN $200 + $30
BUY-IN $150 + $25
PLAYERS 205
PLAYERS 282
PLAYERS 113
PRIZE POOL
PRIZE POOL
PRIZE POOL
$102,500
$56,400
$16,950
Benjamin Chung
Loren Cameron
Gerard Felix
1. Benjamin Chung . . $38,300
1. Loren Cameron . . . $21,150
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Mission Viejo, CA, USA
2. Amber Arafiles . . . . $19,305
3. Salvador Flores . . . . . $9,735
2. Peter Parker . . . . . . $10,715
2. Karl Yohe . . . . . . . . . $3,220
Pasadena, CA, USA
4. Ramzi Daniel . . . . . . $6,660
Van Nuys, CA, USA
3. Soo Pai . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,360
3. Kevin Blakey AKA
“The Snake” . . . . . . . $1,610
Glendale, CA, USA
4. Steven Fix . . . . . . . . . $3,665
5. John Whitemarsh . . . $4,610
Valencia, CA, USA
Wyane, PA, USA
5. Thai Tran . . . . . . . . . $2,540
6. Caesar Natividad . . . $3,585
Irvine, CA, USA
Diamond Bar, CA, USA
7. Phuoc Nguyen . . . . . . $2,560
1. Gerard Felix . . . . . . . $6,780
6. Unknown . . . . . . . . . . $1,975
7. Glen Swanson . . . . . . $1,410
La Crescenta, CA, USA
4. Paul Abbamonto . . . . $1,015
La Verne, CA, USA
5. Keith Dablos . . . . . . . . .$765
Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA
6. Dennis Yha . . . . . . . . . .$595
San Jose, CA, USA
Santa Clarita, CA, USA
Burbank, CA, USA
8. Steve Castro . . . . . . . $2,050
8. Phillip Akuin . . . . . . . $1,130
7. Donald Vance . . . . . . . .$425
Woodland Hills, CA, USA
Canoga Park, CA, USA
9. Noel Martinez . . . . . . $1,535
9. Jian Liu . . . . . . . . . . . . .$850
8. Larry Vance . . . . . . . . .$340
Gilbert, AZ, USA
Monterey Park, CA, USA
Torrance, CA, USA
9. Mark Heisig . . . . . . . . .$295
BICYCLE CASINO
BICYCLE CASINO
7/3/06
OMAHA HI/LO
7/3/06
New York, NY, USA
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $250 + $30
BUY-IN $200 + $30
BICYCLE CASINO
7/3/06
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
PLAYERS 215
PLAYERS 130
BUY-IN $150 + $25
PRIZE POOL
$53,750
PRIZE POOL
$26,000
PLAYERS 395
Randall Hempling
Charles Fleming
PRIZE POOL
1. Charles Fleming . . . $10,400
Barstow, CA, USA
$59,250
Encino, CA, USA
2. Ernest Bennett . . . . $10,210
Christopher McMahan
2. Michael Cipolla . . . . $4,940
Encino, CA, USA
Fresno, CA, USA
3. Steve Sung AKA
“MuGGyLiCiOuS” . $5,105
1. Randall Hempling . $20,155
3. Paramjit Gill . . . . . . . $2,470
4. Luis Figueroa . . . . . . $1,560
Modesto, CA, USA
5. Andy Sacino . . . . . . . $1,170
Lawndale, CA, USA
6. James Riccio . . . . . . . . .$950
Downey, CA, USA
7. Henry Minasyan . . . . . .$595
Glendale, CA, USA
8. Leo Davis . . . . . . . . . . . .$535
Canyon Country, CA, USA
9. Fred Dalduk . . . . . . . . .$455
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Torrance, CA, USA
4. Khachik Asatrian . . . $3,495
Glendale, CA, USA
5. Alexi Dimitrov
AKA “Speedy” . . . . . $2,420
Studio City, CA, USA
6. Jeff Abell . . . . . . . . . . $1,880
Studio City, CA, USA
7. Vachik Martirossian . $1,345
Glendale, CA, USA
8. Thung Huynh . . . . . . $1,075
Westminster, CA, USA
9. Peter Parker . . . . . . . . .$805
BICYCLE CASINO
7/3/06
LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $300 + $40
PLAYERS 79
BICYCLE CASINO
7/3/06
LIMIT HOLD’EM
BUY-IN $150 + $25
$24,150
James White
Rodolfo Guevara
Oak Park, CA, USA
2. Oliver Vereschgin . . . $5,450
Pound Ridge, CA, USA
3. Hovik Keshishyan . . $2,845
Glendale, CA, USA
4. John Denne . . . . . . . . $1,660
Long Beach, CA, USA
5. Chan Nguyen . . . . . . $1,305
Hawthorne, CA, USA
6. Hai Le . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,065
Huntington, CA, USA
7. Syad Kadri . . . . . . . . . .$830
8. Chris Stevens . . . . . . . .$590
Ojai, CA, USA
9. Don Rubenstein . . . . . .$475
Simi Valley, CA, USA
Downey, CA, USA
3. Randy Weaver . . . . . $5,630
North Hollywood, CA, USA
4. Nikolas Tzanis . . . . . $3,850
5. Jorge Pineda . . . . . . . $2,665
Chatsworth, CA, USA
6. Hovik Keshishyan . . $2,075
Glendale, CA, USA
7. Ray Szu . . . . . . . . . . . $1,480
8. Timothy Pong . . . . . . $1,185
Granada Hills, CA, USA
9. Jon Myers . . . . . . . . . . .$890
Huntington Beach, CA, USA
BICYCLE CASINO
6/25/06
EMPLOYEE EVENT
NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
PRIZE POOL
$23,700
1. James White . . . . . . . $9,480
Mount Morris, MI, USA
2. Jesus Delgadillo . . . $11,260
PLAYERS 161
PRIZE POOL
1. Christopher
McMahan . . . . . . . . $22,220
BUY-IN $50 + $10
PLAYERS 55
1. Rodolfo Guevara . . . $9,660
PRIZE POOL
$2,750
2. Kerry Chung . . . . . . . $4,590
3. Eulises Molina . . . . . $2,295
Bell Gardens, CA, USA
4. George Wilson . . . . . $1,450
Miami, FL, USA
5. James Rael . . . . . . . . $1,085
Carson, NV, USA
6. James Robinson . . . . . .$845
Temple City, CA, USA
7. Otoniel Hernandez . . . .$595
8. Chiehtal Chao . . . . . . . .$490
Arcadia, CA, USA
9. Tony Fesl . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$0
Phuc Huynh
1.
2.
3.
4.
Phuc Huynh . . . . . . . $1,100
Elias Lim . . . . . . . . . . . .$630
Gil Solis . . . . . . . . . . . . .$320
Ariel Antolin . . . . . . . . .$190
Glendale, CA, USA
5. Denny Williams . . . . . .$150
Downey, CA, USA
6. John Sheppard . . . . . . .$125
7. Mayte Rodriguez . . . . .$100
8. Paul Miarashilian . . . . . .$75
Glendale, CA, USA
9. Terry Farmer . . . . . . . . .$60
Online Poker Tools
and Programs
ONLINE POKER
Fitzgeralds Opens
New Poker Room
Paul “Dr. Pauly” McGuire
One of the best ways to gain an edge playing online poker is
to purchase different types of software and tools that will help
improve your game. Some programs can graph your bankroll, analyze your hands, track the progress and skill level of other players, and help monitor your day-to-day progress as a poker player.
Poker Tracker (www.pokertracker.com) is a program that
allows you to track your play in both ring games and tournaments on sites such as Party Poker, PokerStars, FullTilt, Ultimate
Bet, Absolute, Poker Room and their network, Doyle’s Room,
Cryptlogic and their network, and any rooms on the Prima
Network. You import all your hand histories and store them into
a database. Poker Tracker allows you to combine your screen
names from other sites in order to give you a complete status of
your play.
Poker Tracker tracks your starting hands and various combinations, then tells you the results on each hand. You will see which
hands are costing you the most money and which hands win you
the most pots. You can see how many times you won with two
pair, three of a kind, a flush, etc. You can also monitor your play
by position in both full ring games and during short-handed play.
Poker Tracker will tell you if you are playing too many hands from
early position or not defending your blinds enough against steal
attempts.
Poker Tracker allows you to keep tabs on your opponents,
which is my favorite feature. You can find out who are the best
and worst players at your table and adjust your play accordingly.
Poker Tracker keeps tabs on every player that you’ve played with
including detailed stats on how often they see the flop, raise preflop, check raise, and see hands all the way to showdown.
I use Poker Tracker to play back my hands graphically, like pro
football players watching game film of their last game. That’s a
great way to see where you misplayed a specific hand, so you
can make the necessary adjustments from that point on. You can
replay individual hands or watch your last tournament hand-byhand.
Poker Tracker can be an overwhelming program to learn at first
because it gives you so many options to choose from. I suggest
that you also pick up Poker Tracker Guide (www.pokertrackerguide.com), which is supplemental literature to Poker Tracker.
Sort of like a version of Cliff Notes, Poker Tracker Guide was
written by two well-known poker bloggers, HDouble and Iggy, for
beginner online players. The authors explain how you can gain an
informational advantage over your opponents by optimizing the
Poker Tracker software.
The most informative chapter in Poker Tracker Guide is the
section on how to auto-rate your opponents based on their system. I adhered to their suggestions and tagged players accordingly. With the help of Poker Tracker Guide, I was able to find out
which sharks I should avoid and which donkeys I should attack.
Poker Patterns (www.pokerpaterns.com) is another excellent
program that should be used in conjunction with Poker Tracker.
Here’s the explanation on their website: “Poker Patterns has
filtering options to display graphs just as you want them. Choose
specific Users, Limits, Poker Sites, Specific Starting Hands, and
many other filtering options. Also, display by Hand, Date or
Session.”
Poker Patterns recently added a Player Search feature that
allows you to filter opponents by nine different criteria. Poker
Patterns is constantly being updated and upgraded. The programmer often incorporates suggestions and ideas that you can send
him in their forums.
Poker Tracker Guide and Poker Patterns both enhance your
knowledge on how to use Poker Tracker. You should get these
inexpensive tools and programs as soon as possible.
Paul “Dr. Pauly” McGuire is a writer, poker player, and avid
traveler from New York City. He’s the author of the Tao of
Poker blog which can be found at taopoker.blogspot.com.
Feel free to contact him at [email protected].
48
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
Fitzgeralds Casino and
Hotel opened a New Poker
Room on Friday, July 7th.
The New Poker Room is
located on the second floor
next to the Showroom and
just steps away from the
balcony that boasts the
best views of the Fremont
Street Experience nightly
light-and-sound shows.
The Fitz Poker Room will
have the only progressive
Bad Beat Jackpot downtown, daily No-Limit Texas
Hold-Em Tournaments,
High-Hand Payouts, and
three plasma screens for
sports viewing.
Fitzgeralds’ new Poker
Room gets a jump start
with a $20,000 FreeRoll
Poker Tournament, which
is scheduled for Sunday,
September 10. Players may
qualify for the FreeRoll
Tournament by playing just 60 hours from
July 7-September 7th.
Starting tournament chip
quantity is based on the
number of hours played
before September 7th.
Fitzgeralds’ Poker Room
manager, Mike Palm, says
“I’ve worked in poker
rooms around the U.S.
and this is going to be the
friendliest and most comfortable room around and
certainly the best in downtown Las Vegas. Our dealers will welcome all players, from the novice to the
most knowledgeable. All
poker players are welcome
at the Fitz Poker Room.”
The opening of the Poker
room is the first step in a
major renovation of the
second floor of the casino
at Fitzgeralds. Work has
begun on the addition of a
new second floor bar called
“Vue”. Its name accurately
describes the bar’s unique
perspective on the nightly
light-and-sound shows
on the Fremont Street
Experience. Fitzgeralds
Vice President and General
Manager, Mike Darley says
“the new bar will have
a comfortably hip atmosphere and will offer an
array of tasty appetizers. It
will also feature our awardwinning flair bartenders
who move up to the second
floor after making a name
for themselves by spinning,
gyrating and breathing fire
at the Flair Bar located on
Fremont Street.” Other
renovations include the
relocation and expansion
of the Race and Sportsbook
and the addition of new
slot machines to the second
floor.
Fitzgeralds is owned by
Barden Nevada Gaming,
which is the largest minority-owned business in
Las Vegas. Fitzgeralds is
located at 301 Fremont
Street and anchors the east
end of the world famous
Fremont Street Experience
in downtown Las Vegas.
The hotel features 638
rooms and offers a variety
of dining options including Limericks Steakhouse,
Molly’s Buffet, Shamrock
Café, McDonald’s and a
Krispy Kreme outlet. The
casino features approximately 964 slots, 32 table
games, sportsbook, a keno
lounge, three bars and daily
live entertainment.
Ante Up
The Apache Gold Poker Room Shark Club. As a member, you’ll get official jackets, shirts
& hats. Quarterly free-rolls. Paid entries in our weekly tournaments. $100 cash on your
birthday. Hotel discounts. Cash promotions every Wednesday through Sunday, and
cash drawings the first Saturday of each month. Tournaments every Wednesday and
Thursday at 6 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm. In San Carlos, five minutes east of Globe on
Hwy. 70. For hotel or FunBus® reservations, call 1-800-APACHE 8. Go For The Gold.
Poker room closed Monday and Tuesday. Must be 21 or older to participate in any gaming activities. apachegoldcasinoresort.com
i
sept. 21 25
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
DATE
9-21-06
9-22-06
9-23-06
9-24-06
DAY
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
TIME
7 p.m.
2 p.m.
12 p.m.
12 p.m.
EVENT
Ladies Tournament
Bounty Tournament
Showdown Qualifier #1
Showdown Qualifier #2
BUY-IN
$120
$120
$330
$330
Players finishing in the top 10 percent of Showdown Qualifiers advance to the Poker Showdown
9-25-06
Monday
12 p.m.
Poker Showdown
$100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool!*
Single Table Satellites Begin Sept. 1
,
i
Poker Up at the Wildest
No Limit Texas Hold Em
Tournament in the Midwest!
*Prize pool is based on 275 participants. $10 per player per event to be withheld
for staff appreciation. Special hotel rates are available at Cherokee Casino Resort
Hotel and Cherokee Casino Inn. Please use the promotional code Wild0806
when making reservations. All events are No Limit Texas Hold ‘em tournaments.
Management reserves all rights. See Players Club or CherokeeCasino.com for
details. Gambling problem? Call (800) 522-4700.
I-44 East, Exit 240 • Tulsa, OK
(800) 760-6700
CherokeeCasino.com
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
49
Me & Big Mac
BacK in the saddle Again
Book reviews
No-Limit Hold’em (Chubukov, not yet a house- covered “
Theory and Practice hold name, is a games theo- …ten times
By OKLAHOMA JOHNNY HALE
Let’s see folks—where was I and what
was I saying last issue about the life and
times of “Oklahoma Johnny” Hale and how I made my
first million dollars?
Oh yes—I was in the warden’s office of the state of
Oklahoma penitentiary making a business deal with the
kingpin of all the bootleggers of the state of Oklahoma.
I had befriended Big Mac—in a personal matter—to
help him adopt a young boy. I was the chairman of
the board of trustees of the largest Baptist church in
Oklahoma and had access to all the right doors—and I
helped him adopt his son.
All bootleggers were not bad—they just sold booze.
You buy it now in the grocery store.
We met in the warden’s office. Yes, he had all the
comforts that money could buy. The warden was a gracious host for us during our meeting. Yes, that’s right,
Big Mac set in the wardens big chair and I told him my
business plan—and he lent me the other 50% of the
money I needed to finance my project.
There was no paper work, no mortgages—just a hand
shake, and I had the money in my hands in CASH in
$1,000 bills, and I was ready to put my plan in action.
Big Mac was a big man and he was my friend and I
did help him get a leave from the state resort a little
before Christmas time. The governor, who was also my
friend, agreed with me that it would be nice if Big Mac
could spend the holidays with his family—so, it was a
done deal
But the other bootleggers thought that Big Mac was
coming back to take back over his liquor operations
and they pulled the other string! The governor had to
rescind Big Mac’s Christmas holiday leave. But the governor did keep the other part of the arrangement—He
pardoned Big Mac on the his last day in office!
Kind of like the deal that president Ford had with
president Nixon—if you remember that far back. All of
politics are the same—be it Oklahoma, Nevada, Iraq or
Washington D.C.
Remember last time I told you the bank lent me fifty
percent of the money that I needed to put my business
plan into action and took mortgages on everything, and
charged me every fee and a high, high interest rate—
And that I just shook hands with Big Mac for the other
fifty percent of the capital needed to develop a large
housing addition, apartments and a shopping center.
Well I always try to STAY LUCKY! So I started the
project—and when I got it going good, some other developers saw that I was going to make it work—and they
wanted to become my partners and buy into the project. I sold them a third interest—for all I had borrowed
from the bank and from Big Mac—and now, I owned the
other two-thirds—free and clear.
And that day, poker players, is how I made my first
million dollars. I went to the bank first and paid them
off in full—including all their high interest and fees!!
(and with all their legal releases, etc). Then I went to
Big Mac—who was now free at home in Oklahoma with
his adopted son and yes, Big Mac had received his pardon for tipping the sheriff from the governor.
Tune in next week for the next chapter in the “Life and
Times of “Oklahoma Johnny” Hale, when I tell you the
rest of the story of Big Mac and how I settled the loan
with him and how much interest Big Mac charged me.
Until next time, remember to Stay Lucky!
Editor’s Notes: You may contact OK-J at his e-mail
[email protected], or play poker LIVE, ONLINE
with Johnny, Carol and Sarah at www.OK-J.com.
Johnny’s book, “The Gentleman Gambler,” is in its
third printing. Contact Johnny for your copy.
50
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
by Ed Miller and
David Sklansky
Two Plus Two Publishing, 2006
ISBN: 188068537X
317pp paperbound, $29.95
If you’re looking for a
high-stakes theory book for
no-limit hold’em, then look
no further than this one produced by the tandem of Ed
Miller and David Sklansky.
It’s likely to be the hottest
poker title this year, since
it covers the specific topic
everyone seems to be looking for.
No Limit Hold’em
Theory and Practice consists of two major sections
One is Fundamentals and
Concepts, or basically the
bread and butter of the
winning hold’em concepts,
and the other is Weapons,
or what you’ll have to arm
yourself with to go to the
next level of expertise..
The authors emphasize that
they are not going to tell
you what to do if you have
top pair and your opponent
bets. What they will reveal
are the factors you should
consider when you are
making your decisions. In
short, they try to teach you
to think about the game the
way excellent players think
about the game.
It almost goes without
saying that this book isn’t
intended for beginners. The
main focus is to prepare
you to play cash games and
tournaments intelligently,
and it does a good deal of
comparing limit play to nolimit play. Sections include
bluff-sizing; bluffing on the
turn and the river; playing
the nuts on the river; value
betting on the river; raising
before the flop; sizing your
pre-flop raises with a deep
or short stack; call bluffs;
check-raising; adjusting to
loose games; weak tight
games; and calling pre-flop
all-in raises.
One particular section
that hould satisfy probability enthusiasts has to
do with your chances of
winning in specific situations. Titled The SklanskyChubukov Rankings, it is
a 2005 update on the value
of all starting hands, and it
will act as a guide to help
you decide how good a
“move-in” hand you have.
rist from UC Berkeley.)
One small, but extremely
vital section of the book is
titled Manipulating Your
Opponents. I’d love to have
seen more on this and the
authors agree since they flat
out state they could have
this amount on
the topic and still not cover
every technique available.”
Perhaps we’ll see a book
solely on the subject soon.
What I like about this
book is the way it seems to
anticipate player questions,
much like a dance partner
instinctively adjusting to
a specific pace or rhythm.
The book flows, with a
potent mixture of mathematics, examples, analysis
and summary.
So my advice is to get
No Limit Hold’em by
Sklansky and Miller now.
Focus on their advice, learn
how to use it and you’ll
eventually notice your
game has improved quite
a bit.
—By Howard Schwartz
engaged in his last gunfight in Leadville in 1884.
(Continued from page 36) He was acquitted of all
charges.
gang and vowed revenge.
Doc Holliday, legendary
Together, Wyatt and Doc
gambler and gunslinger,
hunted down and killed
said he almost lost his life
the men they thought
nine times; four by hangresponsible.
ing and five times he was
Eventually, Earp and
shot in gunfights. Instead,
Holliday went their sepahe died in bed of TB in
rate ways. Doc continued
1887 at the age of 36.
to frequent the saloons
and gambling joints
throughout the West. He
e-mail: [email protected]
Doc Holliday
Now Featuring...
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Twice daily No-limit tournaments
2pm and 7:30pm Sun-Thurs
2pm and 6:30pm Fri & Sat
See or call the Jokers Wild Poker Room for details.
(702) 567-8474
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Poker-Pro Wannabe
Gets Chance at a Million
A young player who’s honed
his tournament skills in Aces.
com’s regular Wednesday
Night Free Roll has qualified for the online elimination round in the Vegas-style
site’s Million Dollar Free
Roll.
The Million Dollar Free
Roll online elimination round
begins July 22 and will likely
continue for two or three
days. The top twelve players
will be flown to a secret tropical resort for the face-to-face
Final Table. One of them will
walk away a million dollars
richer. The Wednesday night
regulars at Aces.com hope
it’s their buddy “Brill”.
“’Brill’ played in our last
Million Dollar Free Roll,”
P A L M S
P O K E R
R O O M
P R E S E N T S
SEAT
DRAWINGS ON JULY 9 & 23
TH
RD
- 8PM
Play in the Poker Room
June 1st - July 23rd to win entries!
Prizes:
1st - $10,000 World Series of Poker Seat
2nd - $1,000 Cash
3rd - $500 Cash
4321 West Flamingo Rd. • Las Vegas, NV 89103 • 702.942.7777
©2006 Fiesta Palms LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Winners must be present. See Poker Room for complete details. Must be 21. Management reserves all rights.
how to extract the most chips
from an opponent in a given
pot. Of course, no matter
how good a player you are,
you need to get lucky. And
sometimes the luckiest thing
that can happen, is avoiding
being unlucky.”
There is no direct entry
into the $1,000,000 main
event -- players must win
their seat in one of three
free heats held daily until
July 21. The tournaments,
which are free to enter, are
at 4 pm. 9 pm and 1 am
(Eastern Time) every day;
registration begins two
hours prior to each. Anyone
can join these games by
entering the poker room
at Aces.com. The top six,
nine and fifteen players
respectively advance to the
Online Elimination Round
that begins July 22.
Creek Nation Casino:
Poker Players Qualify for
“American Dream Giveaway”
WIN A
52
said Aces.com Manager
Rene Quesada, “He finished
about 400th out of about
5000. I can tell you though,
he’s played a lot of Texas
Hold’em since then – could
be a real contender this time
‘round!”
“I’ve had a lot more online
tournament experience since
then,” says the confident
Aces.com player. “Last year
was just practice – this year
I’m playing to win!”
“I have a strategy that
I’ve formulated over the
years that seems to work for
me,” says the recent college
graduate. “I call it my ‘Brill
Strategy’. Without giving too
much away, I’ll say that I’m
a semi-conservative player
who has an aggressive streak
and I feel I have a good
knack of knowing how much
to bet at certain times, and
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
TULSA, OK -- “Life
altering” is how General
Manager Juan Rico
describes the second
annual “American Dream
Giveaway” sponsored
by the CREEK NATION
Casino, in Tulsa. In just its
second year the Giveaway
has created excitement
throughout Oklahoma,
Kansas, Missouri,
Arkansas, and Texas.
On the evening of July
25th someone holding the
lucky key will unlock the
door to their new home in
beautiful Country Woods
section of south Tulsa!
The handsome 3-bedroom, 2 bath, 2-car garage
home was built by Parade
of Homes award winner
Randall J. Schwers.
Visitors to the popular Creek Nation Casino
qualify for the “American
Dream” simply by swiping
their Players Club Card.
Drawings for $2,000 in
cash and one key are held
every Tuesday evening.
Entries are earned through
slot jackpots, at blackjack,
and in the poker room!
The “American Dream
Giveaway” has become a
community-wide event.
Oklahoma’s Cox Radio
Group with four stations
is also holding on-air contests to qualify additional
key holders.
On July 25th, Giveaway
day, $500 in cash drawings will be held every
30 minutes! Following
the grand prize giveaway
a cornucopia of valuable
and exotic prizes will be
awarded to lucky visitors.
The featured fantasy
event that has caught the
imagination of people
across five states, the
“American Dream
Giveaway”, will be held
at 8pm. At that time qualified key holders will learn
if their life is about to take
a Big Change!
The person with the
magic key will open the
door to their handsome
new, 3-bedroom, 2-bath,
2-car garage in the beautiful Country Woods section
of south Tulsa. In addition, they’ll get a 2006
Hummer H3 to park in
the driveway, and $10,000
with which to enjoy their
new lifestyle.
Clearly, at the Creek
Nation Casino, it’s Tulsa
time.
N E W S PA P E R P R E S E N TS . . .
The World Poker
Dealer Championships
NT:
A
T
R
O
IMP alers can
De
Circupiltay in this
event.
AT
BINION’S GAMBLING HALL AND HOTEL
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA • SEPTEMBER 24-28, 2006
All public card rooms, worldwide are
invited to send one player and only
one for each game. That player will
represent your property. A player
can play in more than one event.
Players must be currently
working and have worked as
a dealer at the card room
they represent for at least six
months prior to the starting
date of each event. Winners
will be required to show proof
of employment. All dealer
players must wear the uniform
and name badges of their casinos/card rooms.
Tournament Director for further
information. All card rooms are
requested to inform Binion’s of their
planned participation.
the four games in the event. You can
qualify for one, two or more events.
Buy-in will be $50 with a $15 Entry
fee. Events will be held in groups of
not enter the main tournament
events directly, scheduled from
September 23-28, 2006. You may
only enter as a qualified satellite
winner or delegate from your card
room. Only one dealer/player
from each card room may play
in each of the four events
this year. Contact your card
room to run a satellite for
this event. Card Rooms should
contact Jim Delorto, Director
of Poker Operations at Binion’s
for further details [jdelorto@
binions.com] Special notice. In
future years, card rooms will
be permitted to send one set
of dealers for every 10 poker
tables normally in operation at
their property (maximum of 5
sets), HOWEVER, this privilege
will ONLY be extended to those
card rooms who participate in this
year’s tournament(at least 2 events).
This rule will not apply to card
rooms that are not opened prior to
September 1st, 2006.
SCHEDULE
Sunday, September 24 – Omaha Hold‘em 8 or better*
Monday, September 25 - Limit Hold’em*
Tuesday, September 26 - Seven Card Stud*
Wednesday, September 27 – No Limit Hold’em*
*All final tables on the morning of the following day
Buy-ins for all events are $1,000
Entry fees for all events are $100
Participants may be selected
directly by the card room, or
through a satellite event to be
held at that card room (preferable). Dealers who wish to participate are encouraged to bring this
event to the attention of their Card
Room Manager. Card Room Managers
should contact Jim Delorto, Binion’s
Director of Poker Operations, and
A special ONE DAY event will be held
on August 8th at 10 a.m. until done
at Binion’s to allow Circuit Dealers to
qualify for this tournament. A special
tournament will be held in each of
20 players. See box on page 1 for
details. Dealers who are regularly
employed at any card room are NOT
eligible for this event. Regularly
employed Card Room Dealers may
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
53
Entertainment
Listings
Entertainment RePORT
By LEN BUTCHER
Who sez Las Vegas ain’t got no class? Just
take a look at the new addition to the Crazy
Girls cast at the Riviera. Her name is Summer
Ferguson (sounds like her parents may have
been hippies) and has just completed a fiveyear gig with the Nevada Ballet Theatre.
Summer, who began taking ballet lessons
at age 2, says, “I had heard about an opening and auditioned for Crazy Girls and got
hired on the spot. This is my first show on
Summer Ferguson the Strip. I danced with the Nevada Ballet
Theatre for five years. All I’ve ever done is dance.”
The 5-foot-9-inch dancer gets to show off her ballet skills
and her bare breasts, in a number with a green fluorescent
hoop. “My mom got me into this business at about age 2. She
was a Laker’s girl and a jazz dancer. I’ve lived in Las Vegas
since I was 10 years old, having moved here from San Juan
Capistrano in Southern California. My older brother plays college basketball in South Carolina.” Summer gets her height
honestly. Her brother is six-foot-eight and dad is six-foot-six.
“I think growing up in Las Vegas was okay. I was homeschooled so it didn’t affect me too much. I was doing dance
competitions from age’s 4 to 8. I was real aggressive with my
training. At age 9, I began to get really serious. I just loved
performing.”
Her credentials are impressive, having trained at New York’s
American Ballet Theatre and The Kirov Academy in Washington
D.C. and Milwaukee Ballet Company. At age 13, she was asked
to leave school and join the professional company, which she
did for the next five years. Of Crazy Girls, she says, “This is
fun. This is professional. It’s not stressful and I’m performing,
which is what I love to do.” As the youngest member of what
is dubbed “Las Vegas’ Sexiest Topless Revue” Summer says
she’s “really happy to be with this troupe. I love all the dancers in Crazy Girls.”
*****
“Hairspray” may not have lasted very long and “Avenue Q”
exited even faster, but Las Vegas hotels seem committed to
bring Broadway-type shows to town. The latest is “Phantom The Las Vegas Spectacular” at The Venetian, which I have not
seen as yet but am told it is magnificent. However, I did see
The Beatles LOVE,” the Cirque du Soleil-produced tribute to
the Beatles, at The Mirage and it’s a winner.
For a visually stunning and entertaining production, “LOVE”
is in a class by itself. Add to that a theatre-in-the-round setting where the whole audience has a bird’s eye view and
you have the makings of 90 minutes of pure enjoyment. The
night I was there, fire alarms sounded part way through the
production, with the audience thinking it was part of the performance. But soon the stage had cleared and the performers
didn’t return for 15 minutes after the all-clear was given.
This had no affect on the audience, who created their own
entertainment during the lull, singing, doing the wave and just
generally having a good time. The show itself, with its wonderful costumes that depict the scenes from each of the songs
performed, the aerialists doing their thing high up in the sky
and skaters on ramps going through a series of heart-stopping
moves, makes for a fun and memorable night.
And of course, for Beatles fans, the music, with the lyrics of
each song acted out on stage, is a special treat and I’m sure
brings back many fond memories for them. At times, like all
Cirque productions, there is so much going on both onstage and
above, it’s hard to take it all in, but that only gives you reason
to go back and see it again. This, I’m sure, will happen, whether
you felt you missed something or not. It’s a feel-good show that,
at least in my opinion, looks like it will be in our town for a very
long time. Definitely put this on your must-see list.
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]
54
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
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]
ARIZONA
Casino Arizona
CALIFORNIA
Agua Caliente Casino
Restless Heart
Comedy Shop
Arena Patio
DJ / Karaoke
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Live Bands
Ballroom Dance Party
Cambodian Dance Party
Crystal Casino & Hotel
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El As De Oros Night Club
Gretchen Wilson
Fantasy Springs Resort
Pat Benatar & Neil Geraldo
Harrah’s Rincon
Finish Line Lounge
Hollywood Park Casino (5)
Pechanga Resort & Casino (39) Chris Isaak
Vicki Carr
Spotlight 29 Casino
CONNECTICUT
Blake Shelton
Foxwoods Resort Casino
NEW JERSEY
Jim Gaffigan
Borgata Hotel & Casino
Sheryl Crow
Taj Majal Hotel & Casino
Tropicana Casino & Resort
Howie Mandel
(Atlantic City)
NEW YORK
Seneca Niagara Casino (27) Loverboy with Eddie Money
Joe Dee Messina
Turning Stone Casino
NEVADA-LAS VEGAS
Young Guns of Comedy
Aladdin Hotel & Casino
Magician Steve Wyrick
Donn Arden’s Jubilee!
Bally’s Resort & Casino
“The Price is Right” Live Stage Show
“O”
Bellagio Resort & Casino
Binion’s Gambling Hall (32) Live Music in Keno Bar
Boulder Station Hotel & Casino (8) Chad & Jeremy
Elton John
Caesar’s Palace
Little Anthony & The Imperials
Cannery Hotel & Casino
Thunder From Down Under
Excalibur Hotel & Casino
Anthony Cools, Uncensored Hypnotist
George Wallace
Flamingo Las Vegas
The Second City
Gold Coast (6)
Forever Plaid
Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Gordie Brown
Clint Holmes
Harrah’s Hotel & Casino
Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino (9) Legends In Concert
Barry Manilow
Las Vegas Hilton
Menopause, the Musical
Carrot Top
Luxor Resort & Casino
Mandalay Bay Resort &
Casino
Mamma Mia
Beach Boys
Pearl Jam
KA.
Impressionist Danny Gans
The Mirage Hotel & Casino (11) Jay Leno
The Beatles LOVE
Monte Carlo Resort & Casino
Magician Lance Burton
(45)
The Orleans Hotel & Casino Engelbert Humperdinck
Earl Turner
Palace Station Hotel &
Casino (8)
Gabe Kaplan’s Laugh Trax
Palms Casino & Resort (52) G. Love & Special Sauce
The Comedy Zone
Plaza Hotel & Casino
ZowieBowie
Red Rock Hotel & Casino
Crazy Girls
La Cage
Riviera Hotel & Casino
Splash
Neil Diamond Tribute
Buck Wild
Sahara Hotel & Casino (14) The Amazing Jonathan
The Platters, Coasters and
Drifters
Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino (52) Radio Rage
Asleep at the Wheel
Silverton Hotel & Casino
Headlights & Tailpipes
Stardust Hotel & Casino
Rick Thomas
Bite
Stratosphere Hotel &
American Superstars
Casino
Viva Las Vegas
LL Cool J
Sunset Station (8)
The Whip-Its
Johnny Rivers
Texas Station (8)
Mystere
Treasure Island (23)
Extreme Magic starring
Dirk Arthur
Tropicana Casino & Resort
Folies Bergere
MGM Grand (51)
The Venetian (21)
Blue Man Group
Wynn Las Vegas
LAUGHLIN
Le Reve
Riverboat Ramblers Strolling
Colorado Belle Hotel Casino Dixieland Jazz Band
Lisa Loeb
Riverside Hotel Casino
RENO
The Palmores
Atlantis Casino Resort
Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Eldorado Hotel Casino
Sonic Youth
Reno Hilton Hotel Casino
Silver Legacy Hotel & Casino Sinbad
NEW MEXICO
Sandia Resort & Casino (10) Michael Buble
OKLAHOMA
Time Machine
Cherokee Casino (49)
Aug 14, 7 & 9 p.m.
8:30 p.m. Feat. 3 top comedians weekly.
Joker’s Comedy Club, Karaoke Thursdays 8 p.m.
Sunday-Wednesday, 9 p.m.
Fridays & Saturdays, 9 p.m.
Thursdays 8 p.m. to Midnight, Sundays 2-6 p.m.
Fridays 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Thursday through Monday
Presents Banda Nortina Sats 8 p.m.-3 a.m.
Oct 20, 8 p.m.
July 13, 8 p.m.
Live Jazz, Tues. 8 p.m.
July 15, 8 p.m.
July 1, 8 p.m.
July 7, 9 p.m.
Jul 15, 9 & 11:59 p.m.
July 14, 8:30 p.m.
July 28-29, 9 p.m..
July 9, 1 p.m.
July 11, 8 p.m.
May 28, 8 p.m.
Ongoing, Wednesday through Monday, 7 & 10 p.m.
Sat-Thu, 8 p.m.
Tues, Thurs & Sat, 2:30 p.m. & Fri, 8 p.m.
Fri through Tues, 7:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Fridays & Saturdays 8:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
July 14, 8 p.m.
July 11-30, 7:30 p.m.
Jul 8, 8 p.m.
Fridays through Wednesdays. 8:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Thursdays thru Tuesdays, 9 p.m.
Tues through Sat, 10 p.m.
Thursdays through Tuesdays, 8 p.m.
Tue thru Sun (dark Mon), 7:30 p.m.,
Sun 3 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Fri thru Tue, 7:30 p.m.
Monday through Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Mondays through Saturdays, 7 & 10 p.m.
July 12-15, 9 p.m.
8 p.m. nightly Sat thru Thu
Sun thru Fri, 8 p.m. & Sat, 7 & 9 p.m.
7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays; 8 p.m.
Fridays; 7 & 10:30 p.m. Saturdays, Mondays.
July 2, 9 p.m.
July 6, 8 p.m.
Fri thru Tue, 7:30& 10:30 p.m.
8 p.m. (Monday thru Friday)
July 20, 10:30 p.m.
Thursdays thru Mondays, 7:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Tuesdays thru Saturdays, 7pm; Tuesdays &
Saturdays. 7 & 10 p.m.
July 20-23, 8 p.m.
Thu thru Sun, 8 p.m.
Tuesdays thru Saturdays, 7 p.m.
Aug 4, 8 p,m,
9 p.m. Tuesdays thru Sundays.
Nightly, 8 p.m.
Wed thru Mon, 9:30 p.m.
Wed thru Mon, 7:30 p.m.
Tue thru Sun, 9:30 p.m
Sun thru Thu, 7 p.m.
Mon-Sat, 9 p.m.
Fri-Wed, 10 p.m.
8 p.m. nightly
Thru July 23, 9:30 p.m.
Aug 11, 8 p.m.
Nightly. 7:30 p.m. (dark Monday)
Ongoing, Thu thru Tue 2 & 4 p.m.
Ongoing, 10:30 p.m.
Ongoing, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.
Ongoing, 2 & 4 p.m.
July 14, 8 p.m.
Nightly, 10:30 p.m.
Aug 4, 8 p.m.
Ongoing, Wednesdays thru Saturdays 7:30 p.m.
Sat-Thu, 2 & 4 p.m. p.m.
Ongoing, 7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m.
Ongoing, Mon thru Sun, 7:30 p.m. & Sat, Sat
7:30 & 10:30 p.m.
Ongoing, 8 p.m.
Fridays & Saturdays, 8 p.m.
July 1-2, 9 p.m.
10 p.m.-4 a.m.
Ongoing, 8 p.m.
July 4, 8 p.m.
July 22, 8 p.m.
July 18, 8 p.m.
July 10, 7 p.m.
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A Targeted Bluff
It often happens that our image
dictates our strategy. If we’re per-
KILLER Poker
By John Vorhaus
2006-2007 WORLDWIDE
POKER TOURNAMENTS
NOW! Get Tournament Listings at our website: www.pokerplayernewspaper.com
ceived as tight, we can exploit that
perception and steal the occasional pot; if we’re
thought of as loose, we can get them to pay off
our monsters. Poker, then, is often a delicate
dance between who we are and who we seem
to be. It is through the filter of this dance that
I would like now to examine a bluff of a certain
type, an image-dependent bluff, if you will. It
is a bluff, moreover, intended to victimize certain types of players, and specifically targeted
against them.
NAME OF BLUFF: THE UNBEARABLE
TIGHTNESS OF BEING
YOUR IMAGE: You have a tight image. Your
opponents have been trained by your infrequent
calls and raises to believe that you know what
a quality hand is (you do!) and that you never
get involved without at least a little somethingsomething (well… not never).
YOUR TARGET: You want to run this bluff
against an opponent who knows you to be tight,
and who has gotten into the habit of driving you
off second-rate holdings with second-rate holdings of his own.
THE SITUATION: Though you normally call or
raise only with big pairs or big paint, look for a
chance to flat-call a pre-flop raise from a known
frisky opponent, no matter what two cards you
hold. Ideally you want a single foe, and you want
position over him. Remember, he reads you as
tight, so when you call his raise, he’ll figure you
for a reasonably high hand, something like A-J or
K-Q suited.
THE BLUFF: You’ll need a favorable flop for
this, one that contains at least an ace or a king,
preferably both. If your opponent checks, you
bet. If he bets, you raise. He’ll have no trouble
folding; his knowledge that you’re tight will easily
lead him to conclude that the flop hit your hand.
NUANCE: Adjust the size of your bet or raise
to make it look like a Hoover bet, a small bet
designed to suck your opponent in. In this circumstance, the small bet has the best chance
of fitting your tight image and convincing your
opponent you’ve hit your hand. As a bonus benefit, if he happens to have a real hand and hits
you with a significant reraise, you can break off
your bluff at minimum cost.
WHAT NEXT: Go back to sleep. Wait for your
usual premium hand, or wait for enough hands to
pass that your tight image has been reinforced
and then go for another steal.
CAVEAT: This bluff is no good if you don’t have
the courage to run it. Having set your opponent
up for a bluff bet or raise, you have to pull the
trigger. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your chips.
The bluff is poker at its purest. When it works,
it’s the greatest feeling in the world. When it
fails, you feel the egg on your face – but you
shouldn’t! Remember what Annie Duke says,
“If you never get caught with your hand in the
cookie jar, you’re not playing the game right.”
So get out there and bluff – play the darn
game right!
[John Vorhaus is the author of Poker Night and
the Killer Poker book series, and news
ambassador for UltimateBet.com.]
56
J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
>Denotes Advertiser; Poker Association Events also denoted: t=World Poker Tour,
s=World Series of Poker and e=European Poker Tour.
To list your 3-day events contact: A.R. Dyck, Assistant Publisher, at: [email protected]
DATE
EVENT
LOCATION
>Jun 24-Jul 27
Mini Series
The Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, CA (AdPg 3)
Jun 25-Aug 10 World Series of Poker
sRio, Las Vegas, NV
July 1-16
Orleans Open
Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Jul 10-16
Blue Water Open
McMorran Place, Port Huron, MI
Jul 14-16
Cardiff Classic
Grosvenor Casino, Cardiff, Wales
Jul 20-23
Newcastle Knockout Festival
Grosvenor Casino, Newcastle, U.K.
July 24-Aug 10 Bellagio Cup II
Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Jul 26-29
Diamond Poker Classic
Casino Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
tThe Bicycle Casino, Bell Gardens, CA (AdPg 3)
Jul 28-Sep 1
Legends of Poker
Aug 7-13
Grosvenor U.K. Open
Grosvenor Casino, Luton, U.K.
Aug 12-20
Empire State Poker Series
Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, NY
Aug 14-21
Brighton Summer Shaker
Grosvenor Casino, Brighton, U.K.
Aug 28-Sep 20 Borgata Poker Open
tBorgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ
Aug 30- Sep 3 Edmonton Poker Classic
Casino Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Aug 31-Sep 3
Bolton Poker Extravaganza
Grosvenor Casino, Bolton, U.K.
Sep 5-24
Calif. State Poker Ch’ship
Commerce Casino, Commerce, CA
Sep 7-10
Welsh Masters
Grosvenor Casino, Swansea, Wales
Sep 16-24
European Poker Championships Grosvenor Casino, Cardiff, Wales
Sep 18-Oct 7
US Poker Championships
Trump Taj, Atlantic City, NJ
>Sep 23-28 World Poker Dealer Ch’ships Binion’s (AdPg 32) Las Vegas, NV
Sep 28-Oct 8
Fall Pot of Gold
Reno Hilton, Reno, NV
>Sep 29-Oct 16 Big Poker Oktober
Bicycle Casino (AdPg 3), Bell Gardens, CA
Oct 4-8
Canadian Poker Championship Casino Yellowhead Edmonton, Alberta
Oct 5-21
Fiesta al Lago V
Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV
>Oct 18-29
Nat’l Championship of Poker Hollywood Park Casino (AdPg 5), L.A., CA
Oct 25-29
North American Poker Ch’ship Niagarafallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Oct 28-Nov 16 Foxwoods World Poker Finals
tFoxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT
Nov 3-19
Holiday Bonus
Commerce Casino, Commerce, CA
Nov. 8-18
Fall Poker Roundup
Wildhorse Casino, Pendleton, OR
Nov 9-12
Welsh Poker Festival
Grosvenor Casino, Cardiff, Wales
Nov 10-19
Peppermill Fall Tournament
Peppermill Hotel Casino, Reno, NV
>Nov 24-Dec 11 Turkey Shoot/Ho-Ho Hold’em Bicycle Casino (AdPg 3), Bell Gardens, CA
Nov 28-Dec 19 5 Diamond World Poker Classic tBellagio, Las Vegas, NV
Dec 4-10
Christmas Cracker
Grosvenor Casino, Luton, U.K.
>Dec 18-23
Heavyweight Championship of Poker Sam’s Town (AdPg 52), Las Vegas, NV
Jan 4-25
Jack Binion World Poker Open tHorseshoe Casino Hotel / Gold Strike Casino Resort, Tunica, MS
Jan 6-13
PokerStars.com Caribbean Adventure tParadise Island, Bahamas
Jan 6-19
Crown Australian Poker Ch’ship (“Aussie Millions”) Crown Casino, Melbourne, Australia
Jan 21-25
World Poker Open
tGold Strike Casino, Tunica, MS
Jan 29-Feb 21
LA Poker Classic
tCommerce Casino, Commerce, CA
>Feb 19-Mar 2 Bay 101 Shooting Stars
tBay 101 (AdPg 12), San Jose, CA
Mar 8-30
World Poker Challenge
tReno Hilton, Reno, NV
Feb 22-24
WPT Invitational
tCommerce Casino, Commerce, CA
Mar 26-29
World Poker Challenge
tReno Hilton, Reno, NV
Apr 3-27
5-Star World Poker Classic
tBellagio, Las Vegas, NV
POKER
ON
TV
Boston vs. New York Poker
Challenge. (Check local listings for
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Celebrity Poker Showdown.
July 12-15, 17-22, 24-27, 29-31, Aug. 1-3.
(Check local listings for times). Bravo.
High Stakes Poker. Mondays 9PM
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Inside Poker. (For local times/stations, check www.insidepoker.tv).
listings for channels). Sunday 10 PM EDT.
FSN.
Poker Royale: Celebrities vs.
Poker Pros. Thursdays 2 AM EDT.
GSN.
Poker Superstars Invitational.
(Check local listings for times/channels). Fox Sports.
Ultimate Poker Challenge.
(Check local listings for times/channels).
Intercontinental Poker
Championship. (Check local listings
for channels). Saturday 5 PM EDT. WCBS.
U.S. Poker Championship.
(Check local listing for times). ESPN2
Learn From the Pros. (Check
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World Poker Tour. Wed. 9 PM EDT,
Sat. 9 PM EDT. Travel
MansionPoker.net Poker
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J U LY 24 , 2 0 0 6
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*See Web site for details. Enjoy the free games, and before playing in the real-money games, please check
with your local jurisdiction regarding the legality of Internet poker. ©2006 Full Tilt Poker. All rights reserved.
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