Where to play?

Now there is the question of the day.... I haven't played that many different places in the area, but I have played quite a few as you can probably tell from the blog. I play enough and I know that if I ever quit playing poker, there'll be quite a few of you turkeys that will have to get real jobs! LOL.

I know from time to time people post on this blog about their poker-location-playing-preferences. I've tried not to edit those other than the ones that give specific address information and I think you probably know why.... LOL. I do have a few favorites. At the top of the list is probably the two that I frequent and write about most often... PKR and the Juice! It probably wouldn't hurt for you to understand a little about my poker background to understand why I frequent these two spots.... I have been playing poker regularly since 1980 or so.... it really kicked up a notch when I moved to Raleigh back in 1987. Me and a bunch of guys from my office and their college buddies began playing once a week at my house or some other poor unfortunate souls house. We eventually moved that to my office and until about 2000 that is just the way it was..... our game of choice.... there wasn't one. It was dealers choice and we played anything from Indian to Acey-Ducey to Drop. We actually had a list of games so that the person making the selection wouldn't have to stress their memory to come up with something quickly.... just for shits and giggles, I'll include the list. It wasn't until some time after 2000 when Jeffrey began frequenting our poker games that we started playing Texas Hold'em and we didn't really play it a lot then because although everyone loves it today, you really need to be playing every hand or close to it for you get into the rhythm. Once every 15 hands, it sucks! Then when Moneymaker won the WSOP... it sort of took over. I think that it was right around this time that another friend of mine.... Sonny, introduced me to Joe. I never knew what a rake was until I met Joe! LOL. I had to been to Las Vegas a few times and thought that I was a gambler, but I didn't even know the card tables existed. I played blackjack, 3-Card-Poker, etc., and never even ventured into the poker rooms. Now, I don't play any casino games, only poker! At any rate, I couldn't believe that I was so lucky to find PKR! I played there all the time! It was mostly limit games in the beginning until I finally realized that low-limit hold'em should really be called.... let's meet at the River and see who has the best hand!

Over the past several years, Joe has become a very good friend and I still thoroughly enjoy playing at PKR. But I still haven't been able to get him to start blogging! You hear me and some of the other guys that write hear frequently give them crap but I still believe that it is probably the best poker room in Raleigh. The crap that we give them can probably best be summed up with "that's poker!" 99% of the crap has to do with how we, I am a poker god and I can't believe that some arse would be crazy, stupid enough to call my bet with such crap and then actually suck-out on me.... yep, you know, "that's poker!" LOL. At PKR, I have met some other folks who will probably be friends for life unless I can figure out some way to rub them out.... I met the Juice there. I now frequent his game weekly. I think that I've gained 15 pounds since I've been playing at his place. If he weren't in the construction business, he would probably have a great restaurant some where.... the man has skills! I met Rick prior to PKR through Jonathan and led him over to PKR one night and I think he has a cot over there now. There's lots of other and probably way too many to name.

At any rate, where to play? First of all, I don't think that you can go to any place one night and make a decision on how good the facility and management is and whether or not you should go back. I've been to PKR 5-6 times in one week and it basically be a different type group at the table every night. It's tight once in a while, but if you happen to go over on the wrong night, you'd better strap yourself in because it'll get crazy.

There are other places that I have been to and played and only one or two of them really, really sucked, but I like the places where I play because I feel that the environment is right for me to play poker in those places. Generally speaking it is because the rake is fair and the other people who frequent that place, I enjoy being around. So I know there are a lot of other factors, but for now, I'm happy and I would highly recommend giving them a try if you get the opportunity!

Games we played.....

727
2's & 4's
5 Card Stud
6 in the Neighborhood
7 Card Stud
Acey Ducey
Baseball
Black Jack
Blind Baseball
BooRay!
Bundles
Dirty Queen
Do Ya?
DROP
DROPSIE!
Follow the Bitch
Indian
Jacks or Better/Trips to Win
Kings & Little Ones
Omaha 8 (High Low Split)
Pass the Trash
Pyramid
Queen & What Follows
Screw Your Neighbor
SPIT
Texas Hold'em
TONK (TUNK)
TurboGut
Up the River/Down the River
Whiskey