Monday, March 31, 2008
What a hand!
It was another crazy night of antics with the Juice! You can always count on tempers flaring, poor etiquette, lots of misdeals, rules being ignored and lots of juicy pots....
I'll tell you about one hand and you should be able to imagine what happened the rest of the night... I've got Ax, Ax, and the flop comes Ax, Kx, 3x.... with 2 spades. There was a pre-flop straddle and will about 5 players in the hand we had approximately $100 pot. I'm in early position and everyone checked. The next card... another 3x. I still believe that someone is going to bet so I check and no one bets. The last card is a 5x. Now I know that I've waited too long but I decide to lead out with a $50 bet. Dave calls. Dean raises it to $125. John M calls and I raise another $200 on top thinking that somebody, maybe more than 1 of them have the wheel. Dave pushes all-in. Dean calls. John M calls and I call just knowing that I've lost to quads... The final outcome.... Dave has 5's full of 3's with no low. Dan has K's full of 3's with no low. John M has 3's full of 5's with no low. And I scoop my biggest pot of the night with Ace's full of 3's no low. I do believe that is the first time that I've seen a hand like that with a low on the board and everyone in the hand had a full house....
I'm pretty certain that I've been barred from the game....
Let the suck outs begin!
I'll tell you about one hand and you should be able to imagine what happened the rest of the night... I've got Ax, Ax, and the flop comes Ax, Kx, 3x.... with 2 spades. There was a pre-flop straddle and will about 5 players in the hand we had approximately $100 pot. I'm in early position and everyone checked. The next card... another 3x. I still believe that someone is going to bet so I check and no one bets. The last card is a 5x. Now I know that I've waited too long but I decide to lead out with a $50 bet. Dave calls. Dean raises it to $125. John M calls and I raise another $200 on top thinking that somebody, maybe more than 1 of them have the wheel. Dave pushes all-in. Dean calls. John M calls and I call just knowing that I've lost to quads... The final outcome.... Dave has 5's full of 3's with no low. Dan has K's full of 3's with no low. John M has 3's full of 5's with no low. And I scoop my biggest pot of the night with Ace's full of 3's no low. I do believe that is the first time that I've seen a hand like that with a low on the board and everyone in the hand had a full house....
I'm pretty certain that I've been barred from the game....
Let the suck outs begin!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Million Dollar Cash Game
PA vs Townsend.......Townsend played this hand like I would...bad
Monster hand Ivey vs PA
Problems with NC Poker Rooms
This is a list that I would like to develop and post to the site permanently. I'm not trying to piss anyone off or alienate any poker room owners. As a local donkey, I'd like for the proprietors of these fine establishments to understand what we, the customers, see as the biggest short-falls of the local games. I'll get them started with some of the obvious ones and feel free to make comments. I'll compile the list and post the TOP TEN in the margin of the TPJ permanently. Please don't mention any specific names, locations or addresses for obvious reasons but please be honest and let's create a list that will hopefully improve the local games for all of us.....
In no particular order....
In no particular order.... - The possibility of a cavity search *** I know there are a couple of you guys that would really like that... so I decided to put a pic of Jessica up to adequately motivate you.
- Cut-off times/close down times *** This to me is one of the biggest. As someone who has played some games in Vegas and AC, I like knowing that if I get sucked out on by someone, I don't have 15 minutes more to play so with NO time to win back the $$$ from the suck out, I leave with fewer chips. I know the old rule... "there'll be another game tomorrow" but I like knowing that at 3:45am, if I take an $800 hit, as long as I can re-buy, I have a shot at the money.
- Table selection *** Not much we can do about this one! The games with one or two tables attract enough attention that we'll probably never have a poker room in the area where we truly have a selection of tables at which to play. The large casino's with monstrous poker rooms will always have that advantage. Where you can walk in and there are 50 tables to choose from with various games and buy-in requirements. How sweet it is!
- Rake *** We've chattered about this one long enough. We know who the crooks are and we have to decide whether we are willing to play with them or not. Unfortunately because we don't have the selection of rooms and games that we would in a true gambling city, we have to put up with it or find another game. I'm not asking for much here. I just want to know what the rake amount is and to see it removed from the table surface in one move at the end of the hand. I understand that we live in a "no game zone" and that the proprietors are taking more risk and for that fact, I think that raking more than we would see in true casino is OK, but again, I just want to know how much it is and see the dealer remove it from the table surface at the end of the hand where everyone can see how much the rake for that hand totaled.
- Rules *** What a concept! Have a copy or access to an online copy of Robert's Rules in the room and abide by them. Don't change it from week to week or in the Juice's game, from hand to hand based on who you would like to win the pot. It's not rocket science! It's poker and it's important to know that you are going to be treated fairly... lose when you lose but win when you win.
- Dealers *** This is one that really chaps my shorts too. I see all kinds of dealers in the local rooms. There are some good ones, but there are some that should not be in control of the table. That's part of the problem! They are NOT in control of the table. Most don't understand the rules of the game so therefore they cannot or will not run the game. Most have the attention span of an 8th note and cannot or will not force the action in a game. This is especially painful in our most recent game of choice, Omaha 8. If your dealer is not 100% focused on keeping this game moving, it is like dental work. The majority of the guys at the table want the game to move quickly. We typically aren't playing every hand so when the dealer gets off point, it is horrible. Talking about everything from the stock market, to basketball, to football, to snappers, turd cutters and man-pleasers. What they do not apparently realize is that their lack of focus is costing them and the poker room $$$. The more games we play, the more rake they take, the more tips they make. Here's an idea or two....
1) Pay attention - If you must get into conversations, make them brief and time them when Bill T, Ron or Dean is on the clock, it is going to happen about 2nd or 3rd hand and that'll provide lots of chat time. If you're dealing Omaha, stop at 4 cards to each player. It's not a hard route, learn it. Know how much the bet is and who's turn it is to act.
2) Force the action - Announce at the beginning of each night that you are not there to upset anyone or make any enemies, but you are going to keep the game moving and if someone is taking too long, you will call clock on them. Don't force the players to do it. If it is big bet or big pot, I fully understand someone needing additional time to figure out what they must do, but if you just bet $200 into a $50 pot and get re-raised $1,000, you've probably got a pretty good idea where you stand. Keep it moving.
3) Don't look at mucked cards - Even if the guy feels he has the monster of all monsters (but is completely willing to fold it).... run the game! If you want to learn to play, buy in or buy a dvd. There's plenty available. When you look at the muck, you're slowing the game down and giving other players an opportunity to see your reaction or catch a glimpse of the cards.
4) Know the game - Please don't have to have other people tell you who won the hand. If a player violates the rules, inform him and let's move on.
5) In split pot games, don't be surprised when the game is over that you must split the pot.... once there is a potential low, begin at least segregating the chips so that when the hand is over, you can distribute the chips to the appropriate players and let's play the next hand.
- Food *** Keep it simple. In most of the games that I play, the house tries to provide good food for us, but I'm not there for dinner, I want to play cards so the less distractions to that for me are better. Having said that.... Medium rare please.
I'm going to quit here for now.... the Juice always gives me a hard time about posting novels so I'll listen to him and hopefully some of you other readers will chime in on your thoughts about how to make the local poker rooms better for all of us. I look forward to your input.
Let the suck outs begin!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Last Hand Triple Up....
You can't ask for much better than that.... I only wish I had more $$ at the time... it was late, we're playing our usual $5/$10 No Limit Omaha 8. Most of the crew have checked out and we're really down to just 4 of us.... me, Bill T, Ron D and Rick. I have a little around $550 or so in the big blind and peer down to find Ah, Ac, 7h, 8c. Rick had straddled for $20 and when it got back to him he raised it another $100... Bill is short-stacked and I know is going to call and Ron wouldn't play for that much pre-flop if he had the other 2 aces and a hand gun... (which he might actually have). At any rate, I push all in for about $400 more and Bill T quickly calls for less and once Ron had looked at each card individually again and given more than adequate thought to it, he folded and Rick quickly called. As is the case, I turn my cards up since everyone is all-in. I don't recall all of Bill T's cards, but I do remember the 2x, 5x because he flopped two pair. The flop was 2x, 5x, 9x... the turn was another 9 which temporarily wounded Bill T's two pair as it gave me Aces and nines and amazing as it may seem... my two pair held up. If you're going to triple up, the best time to do it is the last hand of the night! Whee!
Let the suck outs begin!
Let the suck outs begin!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Nice hand. Well played sir.....
Last week was another brutal week of getting caught on the losing end of a well played hand. What's new!? I'm sitting in the cut off when the pot limps over to me so I bump it up just a little to thin out some of the crowed with 33. Most call until Miller reraises for $30. He was in pretty early position so this is his classic reraise with Qs or better including AK. I call since i have position on him and H calls because he has chips. Flop comes pretty harmless 9d7d2c. H checks, Miller does a continuation bet which tipped his hand there so I call and H calls...just because he has chips. At this point I have no idea what H has which could be any hand from a set of deuces, to AA or maybe even JT chasing a straight. The good part for me was that I really figured Miller for AK in that spot since he knows that 99% of the time I'm firing at that pot to steal it and if he had As or Ks he would check raise all in like he normally does. The question comes into play what suite. AK diamonds...maybe but % of that being the case is really low so its an easy call there. I gave thought to reraising all in here but he's pretty much pot committed himself to the hand and has me covered and will fire a bluff on the river regardless so why push only to have a bad card come off on the turn that I could easily get away from? Turn comes my money card, 3c. Ship It!! H checks Miller fires out with $100 and I just shove all in since I only have $52 on top. H folds and Miller calls obv. As always, a club comes on the river to give him runner runner flush and he luckboxes out a win. Nothing I could do but tap the table, say "Nice hand. Well played sir." and walk downstairs. Such a rush of emotions there. The excitement of knowing that you have someone crushed drawing thin to only a few outs and then the inevitable spiral of emotions to that emptiness when a miracle comes and you can't believe your eyes!! (teddy kgb reference there boys!) There's nothing you can do except either rebuy or say good night. I chose the latter since I would have gone on tilt then and called it an early evening. All I want is for a good hand to hold up every now and then. Either that or let me start sucking out on everyone else!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
PPA Launches Litigation Support
PPA Launches Litigation Support Network
by Poker Players Alliance
For Immediate Release March 24, 2008
Contact:
Taylor Gross
(202) 347-7943
tgross@theheraldgroup.com
Program will provide legal advice, attorney referrals for members
Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2008) – The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group, today launched its Litigation Support Network. This free member service will provide basic, initial legal advice as well as refer members to a network of attorneys who have expressed interest in helping PPA members with poker-related legal issues.
“As both the popularity of poker and the membership of PPA continue to grow, the Litigation Support Network is an opportunity to provide even more value to our members,” said PPA Chairman Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato. “With the myriad local, state and federal laws impacting poker, the Litigation Support Network is an important service that our members can and should use, and I encourage attorneys who want to defend poker players and this great American game of skill to join this effort.”
As poker, both online and offline, continues to grow in popularity, there has been a rise in the amount of police raids on home, tavern or charity poker tournaments. Many of the local and state laws on poker are arcane and vague, so players don’t necessarily know if they are violating a law.
PPA’s Litigation Support Network provides PPA members with a free, legal resource should they have questions as they organize a charity poker tournament, start a poker league or, in the worst case scenario, get arrested. In these situations, PPA members can contact the Litigation Support Network via the PPA website and obtain free, preliminary legal advice over the phone. Should they need additional support, they will be given a list of attorneys in their area who are willing to take their case. Additionally, the network of attorneys will be tapped to help prepare PPA in the event the organization needs to litigate that poker is a game of skill, not a game of chance.
The Litigation Support Network will be spearheaded by Patrick Fleming, an attorney who is also the PPA state director for New Hampshire.
“The patchwork of state and local laws relating to poker is leaving PPA members confused about what is legal and what is illegal,” said Fleming. “In our ongoing efforts to protect the rights of Americans to play poker, the establishment of the Litigation Support Network will provide members with an added level of security as they enjoy the game in their homes, at their local pub or as a way to help a local charity. I am honored to be leading this important effort on behalf of the PPA.”
To learn more about the PPA Litigation Support Network, or to apply to become part of the network of attorneys, please visit www.pokerplayersalliance.org/legal .
About The Poker Players Alliance
The Poker Players Alliance (www.pokerplayersalliance.org) is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of over 900,000 online and offline poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game, ensure its integrity, and, most importantly, to protect poker players' rights.
Author Contact Info: Poker Players Alliance
(202) 347-7943
by Poker Players Alliance
For Immediate Release March 24, 2008
Contact:
Taylor Gross
(202) 347-7943
tgross@theheraldgroup.com
Program will provide legal advice, attorney referrals for members
Washington, D.C. (March 24, 2008) – The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group, today launched its Litigation Support Network. This free member service will provide basic, initial legal advice as well as refer members to a network of attorneys who have expressed interest in helping PPA members with poker-related legal issues.
“As both the popularity of poker and the membership of PPA continue to grow, the Litigation Support Network is an opportunity to provide even more value to our members,” said PPA Chairman Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato. “With the myriad local, state and federal laws impacting poker, the Litigation Support Network is an important service that our members can and should use, and I encourage attorneys who want to defend poker players and this great American game of skill to join this effort.”
As poker, both online and offline, continues to grow in popularity, there has been a rise in the amount of police raids on home, tavern or charity poker tournaments. Many of the local and state laws on poker are arcane and vague, so players don’t necessarily know if they are violating a law.
PPA’s Litigation Support Network provides PPA members with a free, legal resource should they have questions as they organize a charity poker tournament, start a poker league or, in the worst case scenario, get arrested. In these situations, PPA members can contact the Litigation Support Network via the PPA website and obtain free, preliminary legal advice over the phone. Should they need additional support, they will be given a list of attorneys in their area who are willing to take their case. Additionally, the network of attorneys will be tapped to help prepare PPA in the event the organization needs to litigate that poker is a game of skill, not a game of chance.
The Litigation Support Network will be spearheaded by Patrick Fleming, an attorney who is also the PPA state director for New Hampshire.
“The patchwork of state and local laws relating to poker is leaving PPA members confused about what is legal and what is illegal,” said Fleming. “In our ongoing efforts to protect the rights of Americans to play poker, the establishment of the Litigation Support Network will provide members with an added level of security as they enjoy the game in their homes, at their local pub or as a way to help a local charity. I am honored to be leading this important effort on behalf of the PPA.”
To learn more about the PPA Litigation Support Network, or to apply to become part of the network of attorneys, please visit www.pokerplayersalliance.org/legal .
About The Poker Players Alliance
The Poker Players Alliance (www.pokerplayersalliance.org) is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of over 900,000 online and offline poker players and enthusiasts from around the United States who have joined together to speak with one voice to promote the game, ensure its integrity, and, most importantly, to protect poker players' rights.
Author Contact Info: Poker Players Alliance
(202) 347-7943
Monday, March 24, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Local Church in Mourning....
Just tonight though.... you guys respond to the damn emails... would you?
Full Table in Cary last night...
We had a couple of new comers to the game and had a full-table early! I was watching UNC at home on the big screen and got there a little late and Joe had to give up his seat so that I could play... There were a couple of big hands for me.... I think the biggest pot of the night for me was against Akash. There was a pre-flop straddle and Akash raised it. I flopped the nut low draw/nut flush draw and he flopped a set of Queens. He bets the pot and there are a couple of callers. The turn brought in my nut low and we both checked. The river was another club and he pushed all-in for about $500 or so and I quickly called with nut/nut.
One of the last hands of the night for me was against one of the new guys.... I had a maginal hand and was feeling a little squirly... so I raised it up about $20 pre-flop. There were a couple of callers....
My hand:
I've had much better hands earlier and didn't raise with them and there were a couple of instances where I had A, 2 or even A, 2, 2 and got screwed on the flop.... who knows why these wild hairs come over us, I'm certain it is just poor play manifesting itself... at least in my case.
The flop:
From early position, I lead out with a $60 bet and our new players re-raises all-in. He has been over-playing 2 pair all night and with the nut low and re-draws I'm definintely not folding.... He's only got about $120 more as Theron had just taken a monster pot off him from way behind to river a better 2 pair, but that's another story....
The turn and the river:
He turned over his two pair and I made another nut/nut with nut low and the high straight! We're now down to about 4 players and decide to call it a night....
Let the suck outs begin!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Nice Job Dave & Shirk....
Here's a thought.... if you are going to run a poker room and take a rake.... learn the rules and implement them fairly.
16. If the dealer prematurely deals any cards before the betting is complete, those cards will not play, even if a player who has not acted decides to fold.
Here's the entire list of the rules that I cut this one from and the link to the site from Robert's Rules of Poker... or we could call it... "important things that mean nothing at Dave's game if it benefits Dave or Dave's butt buddies -OR- it screws Charles!" You owe me about $400....
http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/learn/rules.asp
THE BUY-IN
1. When you enter a game, you must make a full buy-in. At limit poker, a full buy-in is at least ten times the maximum bet for the game being played, unless designated otherwise.
2. You are allowed to make only one short buy-in for a game. Adding to your stack is not considered a buy-in, and may be done in any quantity between hands.
3. A player who is forced to transfer from a broken game or must-move game to a game of the same limit may continue to play the same amount of money, even if it is less than the minimum buy-in. A player switching games voluntarily must have the proper buy-in size for the new game.
MISDEALS
1. The following circumstances cause a misdeal, provided attention is called to the error before two players have acted on their hands. (If two players have acted in turn, the deal must be played to conclusion, as explained in rule #2)
(a) The first or second card of the hand has been dealt faceup or exposed through dealer error.
(b) Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer.
(c) Two or more boxed cards (improperly faced cards) are found.
(d) Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting hands of a game.
(e) An incorrect number of cards has been dealt to a player, except the top card may be dealt if it goes to the player in proper sequence.
(f) Any card has been dealt out of the proper sequence (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burncard).
(g) The button was out of position.
(h) The first card was dealt to the wrong position.
(i) Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not entitled to a hand.
(j) A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand. This player must be present at the table or have posted a blind or ante.
2. Once action occurs, a misdeal can no longer be declared. The hand will be played to conclusion, and no money will be returned to any player whose hand is fouled. In button games, action is considered to occur when two players after the blinds have acted on their hands. In stud games, action is considered to occur when two players after the forced bet have acted on their hands.
DEAD HANDS
1. Your hand is declared dead if:
(a) You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.
(b) You throw your hand away in a forward motion causing another player to act behind you (even if not facing a bet).
(c) In stud, when facing a bet, you pick your upcards off the table, turn your upcards facedown, or mix your upcards and downcards together.
(d) The hand does not contain the proper number of cards for that particular game (except at stud a hand missing the final card may be ruled live, and at lowball and draw high a hand with too few cards before the draw is live).
(e) You act on a hand with a joker as a holecard in a game not using a joker. (A player who acts on a hand without looking at a card assumes the liability of finding an improper card, as given in Irregularities, rule #8.)
(f) You have the clock on you when facing a bet or raise and exceed the specified time limit.
2. Cards thrown into the muck may be ruled dead. However, a hand that is clearly identifiable may be retrieved at management's discretion if doing so is in the best interest of the game. We will make an extra effort to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to the player.
3. Cards thrown into another player's hand are dead, whether they are faceup or facedown.
IRREGULARITIES
1. In button games, if it is discovered that the button was placed incorrectly on the previous hand, the button and blinds will be corrected for the new hand in a manner that gives every player one chance for each position on the round (if possible).
2. You must protect your own hand at all times. Your cards may be protected with your hands, a chip, or other object placed on top of them. If you fail to protect your hand, you will have no redress if it becomes fouled or the dealer accidentally kills it.
3. If a card with a different color back appears during a hand, all action is void and all chips in the pot are returned to the respective bettors. If a card with a different color back is discovered in the stub, all action stands.
4. If two cards of the same rank and suit are found, all action is void, and all chips in the pot are returned to the players who wagered them (subject to next rule).
5. A player who knows the deck is defective has an obligation to point this out. If such a player instead tries to win a pot by taking aggressive action (trying for a freeroll), the player may lose the right to a refund, and the chips may be required to stay in the pot for the next deal.
6. If there is extra money in the pot on a deal as a result of forfeited money from the previous deal (as per rule #5), or some similar reason, only a player dealt in on the previous deal is entitled to a hand.
7. A card discovered faceup in the deck (boxed card) will be treated as a meaningless scrap of paper. A card being treated as a scrap of paper will be replaced by the next card below it in the deck, except when the next card has already been dealt facedown to another player and mixed in with other downcards. In that case, the card that was faceup in the deck will be replaced after all other cards are dealt for that round.
8. A joker that appears in a game where it is not used is treated as a scrap of paper. Discovery of a joker does not cause a misdeal. If the joker is discovered before a player acts on his or her hand, it is replaced as in the previous rule. If the player does not call attention to the joker before acting, then the player has a dead hand.
9. If you play a hand without looking at all of your cards, you assume the liability of having an irregular card or an improper joker.
10. One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand.
11. Before the first round of betting, if a dealer deals one additional card, it is returned to the deck and used as the burncard.
12. Procedure for an exposed card varies with the poker form, and is given in the section for each game. A card that is flashed by a dealer is treated as an exposed card. A card that is flashed by a player will play. To obtain a ruling on whether a card was exposed and should be replaced, a player should announce that the card was flashed or exposed before looking at it. A downcard dealt off the table is an exposed card.
13. If a card is exposed due to dealer error, a player does not have an option to take or reject the card. The situation will be governed by the rules for the particular game being played.
14. If you drop any cards out of your hand onto the floor, you must still play them.
15. If the dealer fails to burn a card or burns more than one card, the error should be corrected if discovered before betting action has started for that round. Once action has been taken on a boardcard, the card must stand. Whether the error is able to be corrected or not, subsequent cards dealt should be those that would have come if no error had occurred. For example, if two cards were burned, one of the cards should be put back on the deck and used for the burncard on the next round. On the last round, if there was no betting because a player was all-in, the error should be corrected if discovered before the pot has been awarded, provided the deck stub, boardcards, and burncards are all sufficiently intact to determine the proper replacement card.
16. If the dealer prematurely deals any cards before the betting is complete, those cards will not play, even if a player who has not acted decides to fold.
17. If the deck stub gets fouled for some reason, such as the dealer believing the deal is over and dropping the deck, the deal must still be played out, and the deck reconstituted in as fair a way as possible.
BETTING AND RAISING
1. Check-raise is permitted in all games, except in certain forms of lowball.
2. In no-limit and pot-limit games, unlimited raising is allowed.
3. In limit poker, for a pot involving three or more players who are not all-in, these limits on raises apply:
(a) A game with three or more betting rounds allows a maximum of a bet and three raises.
(b) A game with two betting rounds (such as lowball or draw) allows a maximum of a bet and four raises.
4. Unlimited raising is allowed in heads-up play. This applies any time the action becomes heads-up before the raising has been capped. Once the raising is capped on a betting round, it cannot be uncapped by a subsequent fold that leaves two players heads-up.
5. In limit play, an all-in wager of less than half a bet does not reopen the betting for any player who has already acted and is in the pot for all previous bets. A player facing less than half a bet may fold, call, or complete the wager. An all-in wager of a half a bet or more is treated as a full bet, and a player may fold, call, or make a full raise. (An example of a full raise is on a $20 betting round, raising a $15 all-in bet to $35).
6. Any wager must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in that round, unless a player is going all-in.
7. The smallest chip that may be wagered in a game is the smallest chip used in the antes, blinds, rake, or collection. (Certain games may use a special rule that does not allow chips used only in house revenue to play.) Smaller chips than this do not play even in quantity, so a player wanting action on such chips must change them up between deals. If betting is in dollar units or greater, a fraction of a dollar does not play. A player going all-in must put all chips that play into the pot.
8. A verbal statement denotes your action and is binding. If in turn you verbally declare a fold, check, bet, call, or raise, you are forced to take that action.
9. Rapping the table with your hand is a pass.
10. Deliberately acting out of turn will not be tolerated. A player who checks out of turn may not bet or raise on the next turn to act. An action or verbal declaration out of turn may be ruled binding if there is no bet, call, or raise by an intervening player acting after the infraction has been committed.
11. To retain the right to act, a player must stop the action by calling “time” (or an equivalent word). Failure to stop the action before three or more players have acted behind you may cause you to lose the right to act. You cannot forfeit your right to act if any player in front of you has not acted, only if you fail to act when it legally becomes your turn. Therefore, if you wait for someone whose turn comes before you, and three or more players act behind you, this still does not hinder your right to act.
12. In limit poker, if you make a forward motion with chips and thus cause another player to act, you may be forced to complete your action.
13. A player who bets or calls by releasing chips into the pot is bound by that action and must make the amount of the wager correct. (This also applies right before the showdown when putting chips into the pot causes the opponent to show the winning hand before the full amount needed to call has been put into the pot.) However, if you are unaware that the pot has been raised, you may withdraw that money and reconsider your action, provided that no one else has acted after you. At pot-limit or no-limit betting, if there is a gross misunderstanding concerning the amount of the wager, see No Limit and Pot-Limit.
14. String raises are not allowed. To protect your right to raise, you should either declare your intention verbally or place the proper amount of chips into the pot. Putting a full bet plus a halfbet or more into the pot is considered to be the same as announcing a raise, and the raise must be completed. (This does not apply in the use of a single chip of greater value.)
15. If you put a single chip in the pot that is larger than the bet, but do not announce a raise, you are assumed to have only called. Example: In a $3-$6 game, when a player bets $6 and the next player puts a $25 chip in the pot without saying anything, that player has merely called the $6 bet.
16. All wagers and calls of an improperly low amount must be brought up to proper size if the error is discovered before the betting round has been completed. This includes actions such as betting a lower amount than the minimum bring-in (other than going all-in) and betting the lower limit on an upper limit betting round. If a wager is supposed to be made in a rounded off amount, is not, and must be corrected, it shall be changed to the proper amount nearest in size. No one who has acted may change a call to a raise because the wager size has been changed.
THE SHOWDOWN
1. To win any part of a pot, a player must show all of his cards faceup on the table, whether they were used in the final hand played or not.
2. Cards speak (cards read for themselves). The dealer assists in reading hands, but players are responsible for holding onto their cards until the winner is declared. Although verbal declarations as to the contents of a hand are not binding, deliberately miscalling a hand with the intent of causing another player to discard a winning hand is unethical and may result in forfeiture of the pot. (For more information on miscalling a hand see Lowball Rule 15 and Rule 16.)
3. Any player, dealer, or floorperson who sees an incorrect amount of chips put into the pot, or an error about to be made in awarding a pot, has an ethical obligation to point out the error. Please help us keep mistakes of this nature to a minimum.
4. All losing hands will be killed by the dealer before a pot is awarded.
5. Any player who has been dealt in may request to see any hand that has been called, even if the opponent's hand or the winning hand has been mucked. However, this is a privilege that may be revoked if abused. If a player other than the pot winner asks to see a hand that has been folded, that hand is dead. If the winning player asks to see a losing player's hand, both hands are live, and the best hand wins.
6. Show one, show all. Players are entitled to receive equal access to information about the contents of another player's hand. After a deal, if cards are shown to another player, every player at the table has a right to see those cards. During a deal, cards that were shown to an active player who might have a further wagering decision on that betting round must immediately be shown to all the other players. If the player who saw the cards is not involved in the deal, or cannot use the information in wagering, the information should be withheld until the betting is over, so it does not affect the normal outcome of the deal. Cards shown to a person who has no more wagering decisions on that betting round, but might use the information on a later betting round, should be shown to the other players at the conclusion of that betting round. If only a portion of the hand has been shown, there is no requirement to show any of the unseen cards. The shown cards are treated as given in the preceding part of this rule.
7. If everyone checks (or is all-in) on the final betting round, the player who acted first is the first to show the hand. If there is wagering on the final betting round, the last player to take aggressive action by a bet or raise is the first to show the hand. In order to speed up the game, a player holding a probable winner is encouraged to show the hand without delay. If there is a side pot, players involved in the side pot should show their hands before anyone who is all-in for only the main pot.
TIES
1. The ranking of suits from highest to lowest is spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs. Suits never break a tie for winning a pot. Suits are used to break a tie between cards of the same rank (no redeal or redraw).
2. Dealing a card to each player is used to determine things like who moves to another table. If the cards are dealt, the order is clockwise starting with the first player on the dealer's left (the button position is irrelevant). Drawing a card is used to determine things like who gets the button in a new game, or seating order coming from a broken game.
3. An odd chip will be broken down to the smallest unit used in the game.
4. No player may receive more than one odd chip.
5. If two or more hands tie, an odd chip will be awarded as follows:
(a) In a button game, the first hand clockwise from the button gets the odd chip.
(b) In a stud game, the odd chip will be given to the highest card by suit in all high games, and to the lowest card by suit in all low games. (When making this determination, all cards are used, not just the five cards that constitute the player's hand.)
(c) In high-low split games, the high hand receives the odd chip in a split between the high and the low hands. The odd chip between tied high hands is awarded as in a high game of that poker form, and the odd chip between tied low hands is awarded as in a low game of that poker form. If two players have identical hands, the pot will be split as evenly as possible.
(d) All side pots and the main pot will be split as separate pots, not mixed together.
BUTTON AND BLIND USE
In button games, a non-playing dealer normally does the actual dealing. A round disk called the button is used to indicate which player has the dealer position. The player with the button is last to receive cards on the initial deal and has the right of last action after the first betting round. The button moves clockwise after a deal ends to rotate the advantage of last action. One or more blind bets are usually used to stimulate action and initiate play. Blinds are posted before the players look at their cards. Blinds are part of a player's bet, unless the structure of a game or the situation requires part or all of a particular blind to be “dead.” Dead chips are not part of a player's bet. With two blinds, the small blind is posted by the player immediately clockwise from the button, and the big blind is posted by the player two positions clockwise from the button. With more than two blinds, the little blind is normally left of the button (not on it). Action is initiated on the first betting round by the first player to the left of the blinds. On all subsequent betting rounds, the action begins with the first active player to the left of the button.
RULES FOR USING BLINDS
1. The minimum bring-in and allowable raise sizes for the opener are specified by the poker form used and blind amounts set for a game. They remain the same even when the player in the blind does not have enough chips to post the full amount.
2. Each round every player must get an opportunity for the button, and meet the total amount of the blind obligations. Either of the following methods of button and blind placement may be designated to do this:
(a) Moving button – The button always moves forward to the next player and the blinds adjust accordingly. There may be more than one big blind.
(b) Dead button – The big blind is posted by the player due for it, and the small blind and button are positioned accordingly, even if this means the small blind or the button is placed in front of an empty seat, giving the same player the privilege of last action on consecutive hands.
3. A player posting a blind in the game's regular structure has the option of raising the pot at the first turn to act. Although chips posted by the big blind are considered a bet, this option to raise is retained if someone goes all-in with a wager of less than the minimum raise.
4. In heads-up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button.
5. A new player entering the game has the following options:
(a) Wait for the big blind.
(b) Post an amount equal to the big blind and immediately be dealt a hand. (In lowball, a new player must either post an amount double the big blind or wait for the big blind.)
6. A new player who elects to let the button go by once without posting is not treated as a player in the game who has missed a blind, and needs to post only the big blind when entering the game.
7. A person playing over is considered a new player, and must post the amount of the big blind or wait for the big blind.
8. A new player cannot be dealt in between the big blind and the button. Blinds may not be made up between the big blind and the button. You must wait until the button passes.
9. When you post the big blind, it serves as your opening bet. When it is your next turn to act, you have the option to raise.
10. A player who misses any or all blinds can resume play by either posting all the blinds missed or waiting for the big blind. If you choose to post the total amount of the blinds, an amount up to the size of the minimum opening bet is live. The remainder is taken by the dealer to the center of the pot and is not part of your bet. When it is your next turn to act, you have the option to raise.
11. If a player who owes a blind (as a result of a missed blind) is dealt in without posting, the hand is dead if the player looks at it before putting up the required chips, and has not yet acted. If the player acts on the hand and plays it, putting chips into the pot before the error is discovered, the hand is live, and the player is required to post on the next deal.
12. A player who goes all-in and loses is obligated to make up the blinds if they are missed before a rebuy is made. (The person is not treated as a new player when reentering.)
13. These rules about blinds apply to a newly started game:
(a) Any player who drew for the button is considered active in the game and is required to make up any missed blinds.
(b) A new player will not be required to post a blind until the button has made one complete revolution around the table, provided a blind has not yet passed that seat.
(c) A player may change seats without penalty, provided a blind has not yet passed the new seat. 14. In all multiple-blind games, a player who changes seats will be dealt in on the first available hand in the same relative position. Example: If you move two active positions away from the big blind, you must wait two hands before being dealt in again. If you move closer to the big blind, you can be dealt in without any penalty. If you do not wish to wait and have not yet missed a blind, then you can post an amount equal to the big blind and receive a hand. (Exception: At lowball you must kill the pot, wait for the same relative position, or wait for the big blind; see Lowball, rule #7.)
15. A player who "deals off" (by playing the button and then immediately getting up to change seats) can allow the blinds to pass the new seat one time and reenter the game behind the button without having to post a blind.
16. A live “straddle bet" is not allowed at limit poker except in specified games.
“Robert’s Rules Of Poker” by Robert Ciaffone
16. If the dealer prematurely deals any cards before the betting is complete, those cards will not play, even if a player who has not acted decides to fold.
Here's the entire list of the rules that I cut this one from and the link to the site from Robert's Rules of Poker... or we could call it... "important things that mean nothing at Dave's game if it benefits Dave or Dave's butt buddies -OR- it screws Charles!" You owe me about $400....
http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/learn/rules.asp
THE BUY-IN
1. When you enter a game, you must make a full buy-in. At limit poker, a full buy-in is at least ten times the maximum bet for the game being played, unless designated otherwise.
2. You are allowed to make only one short buy-in for a game. Adding to your stack is not considered a buy-in, and may be done in any quantity between hands.
3. A player who is forced to transfer from a broken game or must-move game to a game of the same limit may continue to play the same amount of money, even if it is less than the minimum buy-in. A player switching games voluntarily must have the proper buy-in size for the new game.
MISDEALS
1. The following circumstances cause a misdeal, provided attention is called to the error before two players have acted on their hands. (If two players have acted in turn, the deal must be played to conclusion, as explained in rule #2)
(a) The first or second card of the hand has been dealt faceup or exposed through dealer error.
(b) Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer.
(c) Two or more boxed cards (improperly faced cards) are found.
(d) Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting hands of a game.
(e) An incorrect number of cards has been dealt to a player, except the top card may be dealt if it goes to the player in proper sequence.
(f) Any card has been dealt out of the proper sequence (except an exposed card may be replaced by the burncard).
(g) The button was out of position.
(h) The first card was dealt to the wrong position.
(i) Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not entitled to a hand.
(j) A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand. This player must be present at the table or have posted a blind or ante.
2. Once action occurs, a misdeal can no longer be declared. The hand will be played to conclusion, and no money will be returned to any player whose hand is fouled. In button games, action is considered to occur when two players after the blinds have acted on their hands. In stud games, action is considered to occur when two players after the forced bet have acted on their hands.
DEAD HANDS
1. Your hand is declared dead if:
(a) You fold or announce that you are folding when facing a bet or a raise.
(b) You throw your hand away in a forward motion causing another player to act behind you (even if not facing a bet).
(c) In stud, when facing a bet, you pick your upcards off the table, turn your upcards facedown, or mix your upcards and downcards together.
(d) The hand does not contain the proper number of cards for that particular game (except at stud a hand missing the final card may be ruled live, and at lowball and draw high a hand with too few cards before the draw is live).
(e) You act on a hand with a joker as a holecard in a game not using a joker. (A player who acts on a hand without looking at a card assumes the liability of finding an improper card, as given in Irregularities, rule #8.)
(f) You have the clock on you when facing a bet or raise and exceed the specified time limit.
2. Cards thrown into the muck may be ruled dead. However, a hand that is clearly identifiable may be retrieved at management's discretion if doing so is in the best interest of the game. We will make an extra effort to rule a hand retrievable if it was folded as a result of incorrect information given to the player.
3. Cards thrown into another player's hand are dead, whether they are faceup or facedown.
IRREGULARITIES
1. In button games, if it is discovered that the button was placed incorrectly on the previous hand, the button and blinds will be corrected for the new hand in a manner that gives every player one chance for each position on the round (if possible).
2. You must protect your own hand at all times. Your cards may be protected with your hands, a chip, or other object placed on top of them. If you fail to protect your hand, you will have no redress if it becomes fouled or the dealer accidentally kills it.
3. If a card with a different color back appears during a hand, all action is void and all chips in the pot are returned to the respective bettors. If a card with a different color back is discovered in the stub, all action stands.
4. If two cards of the same rank and suit are found, all action is void, and all chips in the pot are returned to the players who wagered them (subject to next rule).
5. A player who knows the deck is defective has an obligation to point this out. If such a player instead tries to win a pot by taking aggressive action (trying for a freeroll), the player may lose the right to a refund, and the chips may be required to stay in the pot for the next deal.
6. If there is extra money in the pot on a deal as a result of forfeited money from the previous deal (as per rule #5), or some similar reason, only a player dealt in on the previous deal is entitled to a hand.
7. A card discovered faceup in the deck (boxed card) will be treated as a meaningless scrap of paper. A card being treated as a scrap of paper will be replaced by the next card below it in the deck, except when the next card has already been dealt facedown to another player and mixed in with other downcards. In that case, the card that was faceup in the deck will be replaced after all other cards are dealt for that round.
8. A joker that appears in a game where it is not used is treated as a scrap of paper. Discovery of a joker does not cause a misdeal. If the joker is discovered before a player acts on his or her hand, it is replaced as in the previous rule. If the player does not call attention to the joker before acting, then the player has a dead hand.
9. If you play a hand without looking at all of your cards, you assume the liability of having an irregular card or an improper joker.
10. One or more cards missing from the deck does not invalidate the results of a hand.
11. Before the first round of betting, if a dealer deals one additional card, it is returned to the deck and used as the burncard.
12. Procedure for an exposed card varies with the poker form, and is given in the section for each game. A card that is flashed by a dealer is treated as an exposed card. A card that is flashed by a player will play. To obtain a ruling on whether a card was exposed and should be replaced, a player should announce that the card was flashed or exposed before looking at it. A downcard dealt off the table is an exposed card.
13. If a card is exposed due to dealer error, a player does not have an option to take or reject the card. The situation will be governed by the rules for the particular game being played.
14. If you drop any cards out of your hand onto the floor, you must still play them.
15. If the dealer fails to burn a card or burns more than one card, the error should be corrected if discovered before betting action has started for that round. Once action has been taken on a boardcard, the card must stand. Whether the error is able to be corrected or not, subsequent cards dealt should be those that would have come if no error had occurred. For example, if two cards were burned, one of the cards should be put back on the deck and used for the burncard on the next round. On the last round, if there was no betting because a player was all-in, the error should be corrected if discovered before the pot has been awarded, provided the deck stub, boardcards, and burncards are all sufficiently intact to determine the proper replacement card.
16. If the dealer prematurely deals any cards before the betting is complete, those cards will not play, even if a player who has not acted decides to fold.
17. If the deck stub gets fouled for some reason, such as the dealer believing the deal is over and dropping the deck, the deal must still be played out, and the deck reconstituted in as fair a way as possible.
BETTING AND RAISING
1. Check-raise is permitted in all games, except in certain forms of lowball.
2. In no-limit and pot-limit games, unlimited raising is allowed.
3. In limit poker, for a pot involving three or more players who are not all-in, these limits on raises apply:
(a) A game with three or more betting rounds allows a maximum of a bet and three raises.
(b) A game with two betting rounds (such as lowball or draw) allows a maximum of a bet and four raises.
4. Unlimited raising is allowed in heads-up play. This applies any time the action becomes heads-up before the raising has been capped. Once the raising is capped on a betting round, it cannot be uncapped by a subsequent fold that leaves two players heads-up.
5. In limit play, an all-in wager of less than half a bet does not reopen the betting for any player who has already acted and is in the pot for all previous bets. A player facing less than half a bet may fold, call, or complete the wager. An all-in wager of a half a bet or more is treated as a full bet, and a player may fold, call, or make a full raise. (An example of a full raise is on a $20 betting round, raising a $15 all-in bet to $35).
6. Any wager must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in that round, unless a player is going all-in.
7. The smallest chip that may be wagered in a game is the smallest chip used in the antes, blinds, rake, or collection. (Certain games may use a special rule that does not allow chips used only in house revenue to play.) Smaller chips than this do not play even in quantity, so a player wanting action on such chips must change them up between deals. If betting is in dollar units or greater, a fraction of a dollar does not play. A player going all-in must put all chips that play into the pot.
8. A verbal statement denotes your action and is binding. If in turn you verbally declare a fold, check, bet, call, or raise, you are forced to take that action.
9. Rapping the table with your hand is a pass.
10. Deliberately acting out of turn will not be tolerated. A player who checks out of turn may not bet or raise on the next turn to act. An action or verbal declaration out of turn may be ruled binding if there is no bet, call, or raise by an intervening player acting after the infraction has been committed.
11. To retain the right to act, a player must stop the action by calling “time” (or an equivalent word). Failure to stop the action before three or more players have acted behind you may cause you to lose the right to act. You cannot forfeit your right to act if any player in front of you has not acted, only if you fail to act when it legally becomes your turn. Therefore, if you wait for someone whose turn comes before you, and three or more players act behind you, this still does not hinder your right to act.
12. In limit poker, if you make a forward motion with chips and thus cause another player to act, you may be forced to complete your action.
13. A player who bets or calls by releasing chips into the pot is bound by that action and must make the amount of the wager correct. (This also applies right before the showdown when putting chips into the pot causes the opponent to show the winning hand before the full amount needed to call has been put into the pot.) However, if you are unaware that the pot has been raised, you may withdraw that money and reconsider your action, provided that no one else has acted after you. At pot-limit or no-limit betting, if there is a gross misunderstanding concerning the amount of the wager, see No Limit and Pot-Limit.
14. String raises are not allowed. To protect your right to raise, you should either declare your intention verbally or place the proper amount of chips into the pot. Putting a full bet plus a halfbet or more into the pot is considered to be the same as announcing a raise, and the raise must be completed. (This does not apply in the use of a single chip of greater value.)
15. If you put a single chip in the pot that is larger than the bet, but do not announce a raise, you are assumed to have only called. Example: In a $3-$6 game, when a player bets $6 and the next player puts a $25 chip in the pot without saying anything, that player has merely called the $6 bet.
16. All wagers and calls of an improperly low amount must be brought up to proper size if the error is discovered before the betting round has been completed. This includes actions such as betting a lower amount than the minimum bring-in (other than going all-in) and betting the lower limit on an upper limit betting round. If a wager is supposed to be made in a rounded off amount, is not, and must be corrected, it shall be changed to the proper amount nearest in size. No one who has acted may change a call to a raise because the wager size has been changed.
THE SHOWDOWN
1. To win any part of a pot, a player must show all of his cards faceup on the table, whether they were used in the final hand played or not.
2. Cards speak (cards read for themselves). The dealer assists in reading hands, but players are responsible for holding onto their cards until the winner is declared. Although verbal declarations as to the contents of a hand are not binding, deliberately miscalling a hand with the intent of causing another player to discard a winning hand is unethical and may result in forfeiture of the pot. (For more information on miscalling a hand see Lowball Rule 15 and Rule 16.)
3. Any player, dealer, or floorperson who sees an incorrect amount of chips put into the pot, or an error about to be made in awarding a pot, has an ethical obligation to point out the error. Please help us keep mistakes of this nature to a minimum.
4. All losing hands will be killed by the dealer before a pot is awarded.
5. Any player who has been dealt in may request to see any hand that has been called, even if the opponent's hand or the winning hand has been mucked. However, this is a privilege that may be revoked if abused. If a player other than the pot winner asks to see a hand that has been folded, that hand is dead. If the winning player asks to see a losing player's hand, both hands are live, and the best hand wins.
6. Show one, show all. Players are entitled to receive equal access to information about the contents of another player's hand. After a deal, if cards are shown to another player, every player at the table has a right to see those cards. During a deal, cards that were shown to an active player who might have a further wagering decision on that betting round must immediately be shown to all the other players. If the player who saw the cards is not involved in the deal, or cannot use the information in wagering, the information should be withheld until the betting is over, so it does not affect the normal outcome of the deal. Cards shown to a person who has no more wagering decisions on that betting round, but might use the information on a later betting round, should be shown to the other players at the conclusion of that betting round. If only a portion of the hand has been shown, there is no requirement to show any of the unseen cards. The shown cards are treated as given in the preceding part of this rule.
7. If everyone checks (or is all-in) on the final betting round, the player who acted first is the first to show the hand. If there is wagering on the final betting round, the last player to take aggressive action by a bet or raise is the first to show the hand. In order to speed up the game, a player holding a probable winner is encouraged to show the hand without delay. If there is a side pot, players involved in the side pot should show their hands before anyone who is all-in for only the main pot.
TIES
1. The ranking of suits from highest to lowest is spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs. Suits never break a tie for winning a pot. Suits are used to break a tie between cards of the same rank (no redeal or redraw).
2. Dealing a card to each player is used to determine things like who moves to another table. If the cards are dealt, the order is clockwise starting with the first player on the dealer's left (the button position is irrelevant). Drawing a card is used to determine things like who gets the button in a new game, or seating order coming from a broken game.
3. An odd chip will be broken down to the smallest unit used in the game.
4. No player may receive more than one odd chip.
5. If two or more hands tie, an odd chip will be awarded as follows:
(a) In a button game, the first hand clockwise from the button gets the odd chip.
(b) In a stud game, the odd chip will be given to the highest card by suit in all high games, and to the lowest card by suit in all low games. (When making this determination, all cards are used, not just the five cards that constitute the player's hand.)
(c) In high-low split games, the high hand receives the odd chip in a split between the high and the low hands. The odd chip between tied high hands is awarded as in a high game of that poker form, and the odd chip between tied low hands is awarded as in a low game of that poker form. If two players have identical hands, the pot will be split as evenly as possible.
(d) All side pots and the main pot will be split as separate pots, not mixed together.
BUTTON AND BLIND USE
In button games, a non-playing dealer normally does the actual dealing. A round disk called the button is used to indicate which player has the dealer position. The player with the button is last to receive cards on the initial deal and has the right of last action after the first betting round. The button moves clockwise after a deal ends to rotate the advantage of last action. One or more blind bets are usually used to stimulate action and initiate play. Blinds are posted before the players look at their cards. Blinds are part of a player's bet, unless the structure of a game or the situation requires part or all of a particular blind to be “dead.” Dead chips are not part of a player's bet. With two blinds, the small blind is posted by the player immediately clockwise from the button, and the big blind is posted by the player two positions clockwise from the button. With more than two blinds, the little blind is normally left of the button (not on it). Action is initiated on the first betting round by the first player to the left of the blinds. On all subsequent betting rounds, the action begins with the first active player to the left of the button.
RULES FOR USING BLINDS
1. The minimum bring-in and allowable raise sizes for the opener are specified by the poker form used and blind amounts set for a game. They remain the same even when the player in the blind does not have enough chips to post the full amount.
2. Each round every player must get an opportunity for the button, and meet the total amount of the blind obligations. Either of the following methods of button and blind placement may be designated to do this:
(a) Moving button – The button always moves forward to the next player and the blinds adjust accordingly. There may be more than one big blind.
(b) Dead button – The big blind is posted by the player due for it, and the small blind and button are positioned accordingly, even if this means the small blind or the button is placed in front of an empty seat, giving the same player the privilege of last action on consecutive hands.
3. A player posting a blind in the game's regular structure has the option of raising the pot at the first turn to act. Although chips posted by the big blind are considered a bet, this option to raise is retained if someone goes all-in with a wager of less than the minimum raise.
4. In heads-up play with two blinds, the small blind is on the button.
5. A new player entering the game has the following options:
(a) Wait for the big blind.
(b) Post an amount equal to the big blind and immediately be dealt a hand. (In lowball, a new player must either post an amount double the big blind or wait for the big blind.)
6. A new player who elects to let the button go by once without posting is not treated as a player in the game who has missed a blind, and needs to post only the big blind when entering the game.
7. A person playing over is considered a new player, and must post the amount of the big blind or wait for the big blind.
8. A new player cannot be dealt in between the big blind and the button. Blinds may not be made up between the big blind and the button. You must wait until the button passes.
9. When you post the big blind, it serves as your opening bet. When it is your next turn to act, you have the option to raise.
10. A player who misses any or all blinds can resume play by either posting all the blinds missed or waiting for the big blind. If you choose to post the total amount of the blinds, an amount up to the size of the minimum opening bet is live. The remainder is taken by the dealer to the center of the pot and is not part of your bet. When it is your next turn to act, you have the option to raise.
11. If a player who owes a blind (as a result of a missed blind) is dealt in without posting, the hand is dead if the player looks at it before putting up the required chips, and has not yet acted. If the player acts on the hand and plays it, putting chips into the pot before the error is discovered, the hand is live, and the player is required to post on the next deal.
12. A player who goes all-in and loses is obligated to make up the blinds if they are missed before a rebuy is made. (The person is not treated as a new player when reentering.)
13. These rules about blinds apply to a newly started game:
(a) Any player who drew for the button is considered active in the game and is required to make up any missed blinds.
(b) A new player will not be required to post a blind until the button has made one complete revolution around the table, provided a blind has not yet passed that seat.
(c) A player may change seats without penalty, provided a blind has not yet passed the new seat. 14. In all multiple-blind games, a player who changes seats will be dealt in on the first available hand in the same relative position. Example: If you move two active positions away from the big blind, you must wait two hands before being dealt in again. If you move closer to the big blind, you can be dealt in without any penalty. If you do not wish to wait and have not yet missed a blind, then you can post an amount equal to the big blind and receive a hand. (Exception: At lowball you must kill the pot, wait for the same relative position, or wait for the big blind; see Lowball, rule #7.)
15. A player who "deals off" (by playing the button and then immediately getting up to change seats) can allow the blinds to pass the new seat one time and reenter the game behind the button without having to post a blind.
16. A live “straddle bet" is not allowed at limit poker except in specified games.
“Robert’s Rules Of Poker” by Robert Ciaffone
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
DB vs PA...it may happen according to Doyle
The following is from Doyle Brunson's blog on Cardplayer.com
DOYLISM OF THE DAY: "Ability may take you to the top but it takes character to keep you there."
It is amazing how things can be taken out of context. I saw in Cardplayer Magazine where Patrik Antonius said that someone told him Doyle Brunson said he would swim a river to play Patrik. I don't remember exactly. I could have said I would swim a river to play the internet stars in a real cash game. I certainly never used Patrik's name but he made a challenge to play me any game for any amount. I'll get to that in a moment.
I feel that there are only a few of today's players who could have competed on the old 'Texas Circuit' cash games. There was a very tough nucleus of pros that kept the games going. It's funny; Patrik is one of the players I would have named that would have fit in with the old days. He has the style, love of poker, instinct, and the gambling mentality that it takes to compete in high stakes games. So I would never have singled him out to play.
Patrik said he has asked me to play in Bobby's Room which may be true. If he did, I'm sure I did say no because I don't like to play anyone heads up, particularly a tough player. Pug Pearson used to always say, "If you are so good, why don't you and me play two handed?" I never played him because, as I told him, what difference does it make, our games aren't heads up games? I think I can play two handed very well but it doesn't make sense to me when you can get softer players in a full game.
I really like Patrik and I think he is a great player, but he cast the gauntlet and I'm prepared to do battle. So, I accept his challenge.
I think he made a mistake when he said, "I'll play him any game for any amount." I've got 7-10 different games, all of which I've played in Las Vegas casinos for high stakes, that I'm willing to commit to for at least a seven figure match. There will be no animosity between us; we are both pros who love a good gamble. It will be interesting if he accepts and I'm sure we will both have a great time playing.
DOYLISM OF THE DAY: "Ability may take you to the top but it takes character to keep you there."
It is amazing how things can be taken out of context. I saw in Cardplayer Magazine where Patrik Antonius said that someone told him Doyle Brunson said he would swim a river to play Patrik. I don't remember exactly. I could have said I would swim a river to play the internet stars in a real cash game. I certainly never used Patrik's name but he made a challenge to play me any game for any amount. I'll get to that in a moment.
I feel that there are only a few of today's players who could have competed on the old 'Texas Circuit' cash games. There was a very tough nucleus of pros that kept the games going. It's funny; Patrik is one of the players I would have named that would have fit in with the old days. He has the style, love of poker, instinct, and the gambling mentality that it takes to compete in high stakes games. So I would never have singled him out to play.
Patrik said he has asked me to play in Bobby's Room which may be true. If he did, I'm sure I did say no because I don't like to play anyone heads up, particularly a tough player. Pug Pearson used to always say, "If you are so good, why don't you and me play two handed?" I never played him because, as I told him, what difference does it make, our games aren't heads up games? I think I can play two handed very well but it doesn't make sense to me when you can get softer players in a full game.
I really like Patrik and I think he is a great player, but he cast the gauntlet and I'm prepared to do battle. So, I accept his challenge.
I think he made a mistake when he said, "I'll play him any game for any amount." I've got 7-10 different games, all of which I've played in Las Vegas casinos for high stakes, that I'm willing to commit to for at least a seven figure match. There will be no animosity between us; we are both pros who love a good gamble. It will be interesting if he accepts and I'm sure we will both have a great time playing.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Reminder: Ducks Unlimited Texas Hold'em Charity Poker Tournament
TEXAS HOLD’EM CHARITY POKER TOURNAMENT
You are cordially invited to the
40/42 Ducks Unlimited Texas Hold’em
Charity Poker Tournament
Saturday, April 26th
I-40/NC-42 (Cleveland School Area)
****** Donation to Ducks Unlimited is $100 ******
(There will also be a $100 Ladies-only table)
The event includes:
A catered meal
A seat in the tournament
A one-year membership to Ducks Unlimited
A one-year subscription to the DU magazine
Doors open at 5:00PM
Professional dealers will start the tournament at 6:00PM
In addition to the poker tournament, there will be a silent auction, raffles, and games.
Space is limited to the first 100 tickets sold!
For TICKET INFORMATION, please contact
David at dhwall@gmail.com or 919.673.3303
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
The_Intro
North Carolina is lucky to have such a devoted group of degenerate gamblers to keep The Triangle Poker Journal alive and kickin'. I hope I can contribute to the ongoing success of this poker blog - stop by http://bju18.blogspot.com/ for more poker ramblings.
Happy St. Patrick's Day,
The_B
Sunday, March 16, 2008
What a night of poker!
All I can say about last nights game is that the Juice "owned" me.... I believe that he won every hand that he played against me.... if I remember correctly.... if I was lucky, I got quartered! That's how you know you're having a bad night.... if, on the good hands, you get quartered!
LOL... good playing guys!
Let the suck outs begin!
LOL... good playing guys!
Let the suck outs begin!
The Juice...
juice [ jooss ]
Definition:
1. (plural juic·es) liquid from fruit or vegetables: the extractable liquid that is contained in fruit or vegetables, or a drink made from this liquidlemon juice
2. liquid from cooking meat: the liquid that comes from a piece of meat when it is roasted or otherwise cooked
3. power: electric power ( informal )
4. (plural juic·es) bodily fluid: a natural fluid or secretion of the bodygastric juices
5. (plural juic·es) liquid extract: any liquid extract or essence, especially from biological materialPure penicillin was isolated from mold juice.
6. money or influence: money or influence gained from or used in corrupt or criminal activities ( slang )
7. alcohol: alcoholic drink ( slang )
8. loan or interest: money lent at an extortionate rate of interest, or the interest extorted ( slang )
Definition:
1. (plural juic·es) liquid from fruit or vegetables: the extractable liquid that is contained in fruit or vegetables, or a drink made from this liquidlemon juice
2. liquid from cooking meat: the liquid that comes from a piece of meat when it is roasted or otherwise cooked
3. power: electric power ( informal )
4. (plural juic·es) bodily fluid: a natural fluid or secretion of the bodygastric juices
5. (plural juic·es) liquid extract: any liquid extract or essence, especially from biological materialPure penicillin was isolated from mold juice.
6. money or influence: money or influence gained from or used in corrupt or criminal activities ( slang )
7. alcohol: alcoholic drink ( slang )
8. loan or interest: money lent at an extortionate rate of interest, or the interest extorted ( slang )
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The VIG....
vigorish
Definition:
1. additional payment: any additional payment that somebody is forced to make, e.g. a bribe or interest paid to a usurer
2. betting charge: a sum of money that a bookmaker or gambling establishment charges a customer for accepting a bet
Definition:
1. additional payment: any additional payment that somebody is forced to make, e.g. a bribe or interest paid to a usurer
2. betting charge: a sum of money that a bookmaker or gambling establishment charges a customer for accepting a bet
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Play a F'ing Hand Already
Ok I don't feel like working right now so here's some thoughts on "playing hands." This is in reference to the somewhat increasing frequency of suggestions like, "why don't you play a hand?" Or, "Why don't you play a mother f'ing hand you rat prick."
When someone is losing, the amount of hands they play does not seem to be much of a concern. However, when that individual is winning, each fold seems to be an agonizing experience for the table. This happens despite the fact that the same person is not playing any more or less hands then they were when they were down. And really, if they play more hands and win then no one is going to be pleased with that. It seems that a more appropriate suggestion would be, "why don't you lose some money" or, "why don't you throw 200 in the pot and muck?" Just asking for the person to execute the unfortunately seldom used call-muck move would more accurately express what you really want. A more realistic and reasonable request would be to ask the person to put in a straddle now and then.
Half the players that complain about this issue are no different at all. Gayerplayer, for example, will specifically call out other people for not playing hands to distract the rest of the table from the fact that he won't be caught dead in the pot without A,2, wheel, non-nine, suited. What is the requisite percentage of hands to play? And, which players are playing this percentage? I limp in with some of the sh!ttyest trash ever. I've got no doubt in my mind that I could give one person in particular three of the hands that I limp in with and let him pick out his best four cards and he'd still fold them pre-flop.
There is an exceptron that will remain nameless. If somrone is so tight that they ronsider A,A,2,9 to be too crappy to play, then the aforementroned comments are on point. There should be a certain sordid shame that accompanies this degree of tight.
When someone is losing, the amount of hands they play does not seem to be much of a concern. However, when that individual is winning, each fold seems to be an agonizing experience for the table. This happens despite the fact that the same person is not playing any more or less hands then they were when they were down. And really, if they play more hands and win then no one is going to be pleased with that. It seems that a more appropriate suggestion would be, "why don't you lose some money" or, "why don't you throw 200 in the pot and muck?" Just asking for the person to execute the unfortunately seldom used call-muck move would more accurately express what you really want. A more realistic and reasonable request would be to ask the person to put in a straddle now and then.
Half the players that complain about this issue are no different at all. Gayerplayer, for example, will specifically call out other people for not playing hands to distract the rest of the table from the fact that he won't be caught dead in the pot without A,2, wheel, non-nine, suited. What is the requisite percentage of hands to play? And, which players are playing this percentage? I limp in with some of the sh!ttyest trash ever. I've got no doubt in my mind that I could give one person in particular three of the hands that I limp in with and let him pick out his best four cards and he'd still fold them pre-flop.
There is an exceptron that will remain nameless. If somrone is so tight that they ronsider A,A,2,9 to be too crappy to play, then the aforementroned comments are on point. There should be a certain sordid shame that accompanies this degree of tight.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Pass Me His Chips, Please....
Yep, that was my one liner to the dealer about the Juice's chips at about 4a.m. this morning. I have a decent stack in front of me and in the big blind.... I think the Juice straddled the $5/$10 blinds up to $25 and when it got back to him he raised it to $100. When the Juice raises, most call.... so we had about a $600 pot pre-flop.
My hand: 
Not exactly a perfect hand, but I'll play it at this table.... I especially want to play a suited Ace since there were about 2 weeks in a row that the Juice busted me out when I had the second nut flush....
Let me see if I can imagine what the Dave might have.... it's often been one of my thoughts that it is really hard to get a read on a guy when "HE" doesn't know what he has....
The Juice's hand:
Now what kind of flop could I imagine....
The Flop:
Big Dave was the small blind and he checked to me, I checked and the Juice fired away.... all-in for about $570 or so.... and it quickly folded around to me. As I turned my cards up, I told Mike to "Pass me his chips, please...." and turned over the nuts. The turn and river were blanks and the Juice wasn't happy..... which automatically makes me happy whether there were any chips involved or not....
Let the suck outs begin!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Who's afraid of the Big Bad Rake?
You little homobabywhinners who have a max of $200 credit line on your visa, then stay away from the Juice's game! If you think the rake is over what you are comfortable with then stay home and count your pennies! If you want a real mans game then shut your mouth about this rake I keep hearing so much of. If winning five times what you belly aching bitches make in a week can be done in a few hours then you better shut your mouth and suck it up!
For if the rake is that big of a concern then DON'T COME TO THE GAME! I will have no problem getting the Action Players Back! If the truth be told the action players don't EVER bitch about the rake, they just don't want to play with you tight ass chip preserve no action mother fu*kers! So if the truth hurts, Don't Come, but if you want deep pockets playing then shut the FFFFF up! All that being said, get ready for the PLOW!
The Juice!!!
Monday, March 10, 2008
TPJ Facelift Coming!
We have contracted with a website development organization to give the TPJ a facelift... Keep checking in... it's coming soon! There'll be a new look and much more functionality.
We are trying to determine the best way to handle the blog.... we have the ability to remove it from the BLOGGER site, but I believe that we may be picking up some of our regular traffic through the BLOGGER site.
We are definitely going to maintain a blog as a portion of the website, the question is just in how we handle it. We can remove it from BLOGGER and have it completely separate. Basic functionality would remain the same, it would just be totally contained at the TPJ site. Or we can continue to integrate it from BLOGGER to the new TPJ site... if anyone has any opinions, I would be open to hearing them.... your feedback is always welcome!
Keep checking in.... there's a new sheriff in town.
Let the suck outs begin!
We are trying to determine the best way to handle the blog.... we have the ability to remove it from the BLOGGER site, but I believe that we may be picking up some of our regular traffic through the BLOGGER site.
We are definitely going to maintain a blog as a portion of the website, the question is just in how we handle it. We can remove it from BLOGGER and have it completely separate. Basic functionality would remain the same, it would just be totally contained at the TPJ site. Or we can continue to integrate it from BLOGGER to the new TPJ site... if anyone has any opinions, I would be open to hearing them.... your feedback is always welcome!
Keep checking in.... there's a new sheriff in town.
Let the suck outs begin!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Saturday Night Juice...
What a night! I won a couple of big hands early and was up most of the night... there were two turning points. In the first hand, I was in the big blind, Ron is the small blind. I'm following my cards in bound as is Ron.... Ac, As, 3s, 4d - and then there comes the fifth card and although Ron is tracking them in bound, before I can get hold up out of my mouth to Corey, Ron integrates the 5th card into his hand. That is the way to get rid of a hand when you get a crappy first 2-3 cards and since the likelihood of Ron not liking any first 3 cards more than I would, you know he's going to foul the hand given the opportunity. Damn, Corey... pay attention! I sit here weeks to get a hand like that and finally get it and I get a dealer that can't count to four cards and stop at the button. Yep... I was pissed. You factor into that the hand-by-committee between the Juice and his butt-buddy... p-Rick and you've got me NOT so happy most of the night.
Fortunately for me, my other big hands of the night involved the two most-likely-to-be-secretly-gay-for-each-other... Juice and p-Rick. The first one was well after I had busted out a couple of times and caught a hand of 2d, 3d, 4s, 7s.... the flop was a very pleasant Ad, 6d, 8d. The Juice had already raised pre-flop to about $70 or so with about 5 callers. When the flop hit, I could tell he was jonesing to bet so although I was in early position, I checked to him and he bets like $275 and everyone folds to Bill T who just calls. I am thinking that the Juice is probably drawing dead and with an "almost" un-counterfeitable low hand, I raise it up hoping that someone is on a crappy low and a crappy flush and that they might lay it down. Since I am relatively short-stacked, I push all-in for about $460 more. The Juice makes a quick call and after hours of deliberation, Bill T folds. I probably wouldn't have even seen the Juice's hand but I think he needed help figuring it out.... the turn and river were 5c, 2s.... giving me the nut low and a flush. The Juice turns over 2x, 3x, 3x, Xx.... sorry, don't remember the last one. His nut low was counterfeited on the river and I scooped.
The next big hand came just a few hands later when I catch Ah, 2d, 3s, 5d.... I'm on the button and Rick, the big blind pushes all-in for a straight $110. Keith, Bill T and I call. The flop is the 4h, 5s, 6h. Since its a low flop, I know there's not much chance of me bluffing my naked Ace of hearts but when Keith leads out with a $200 bet and Bill T smooth calls, I push all-in hoping to take it down right there. Unfortunately for me, Keith thinks that he has a hand and Bill T flopped 2nd nut straight. Keith deliberates and makes the big call and so does Bill T. The turn is 8c and Bill ends up making the nut straight with a 7x, 9x. Keith checks and Bill T pushes all-in for $550 more. Keith calls and he and Bill end up chopping the side pot and Bill and I chop the main pot.
There was one more juicy hand.... between me and the Juice. I think that Rick had already left by this point (its about 7:45AM) and the flop is Qx, 9x, 7x... I've got 7x, 7x and lead out with a $60 bet.... and the Juice immediately raises another $100. I'm thinking that I might be in trouble even though I am probably ahead right now. I was thinking that "most likely" the Juice has the top two pair meaning that if the board pairs it would give him the higher boat but I smooth call any way... the turn is the fourth 7x.... I could tell that he wanted to bet so I checked dark before the card came up. Boy, was I hoping that I had misread him and he was on the over-set. Since he is by nature, a four-year old girl and you can't count on him to bet into a hand drawing completely dead when the river hits. I lead out with a $200 bet and he just smooth calls with his top two pair. I couldn't believe it... he even made some comment about me being so surprised that he called. I was... I expected a big over-bet or a fold. So I turned up my quads and scooped one of the last pots of the night....
Oh well.... let the suck outs begin!
Fortunately for me, my other big hands of the night involved the two most-likely-to-be-secretly-gay-for-each-other... Juice and p-Rick. The first one was well after I had busted out a couple of times and caught a hand of 2d, 3d, 4s, 7s.... the flop was a very pleasant Ad, 6d, 8d. The Juice had already raised pre-flop to about $70 or so with about 5 callers. When the flop hit, I could tell he was jonesing to bet so although I was in early position, I checked to him and he bets like $275 and everyone folds to Bill T who just calls. I am thinking that the Juice is probably drawing dead and with an "almost" un-counterfeitable low hand, I raise it up hoping that someone is on a crappy low and a crappy flush and that they might lay it down. Since I am relatively short-stacked, I push all-in for about $460 more. The Juice makes a quick call and after hours of deliberation, Bill T folds. I probably wouldn't have even seen the Juice's hand but I think he needed help figuring it out.... the turn and river were 5c, 2s.... giving me the nut low and a flush. The Juice turns over 2x, 3x, 3x, Xx.... sorry, don't remember the last one. His nut low was counterfeited on the river and I scooped.
The next big hand came just a few hands later when I catch Ah, 2d, 3s, 5d.... I'm on the button and Rick, the big blind pushes all-in for a straight $110. Keith, Bill T and I call. The flop is the 4h, 5s, 6h. Since its a low flop, I know there's not much chance of me bluffing my naked Ace of hearts but when Keith leads out with a $200 bet and Bill T smooth calls, I push all-in hoping to take it down right there. Unfortunately for me, Keith thinks that he has a hand and Bill T flopped 2nd nut straight. Keith deliberates and makes the big call and so does Bill T. The turn is 8c and Bill ends up making the nut straight with a 7x, 9x. Keith checks and Bill T pushes all-in for $550 more. Keith calls and he and Bill end up chopping the side pot and Bill and I chop the main pot.
There was one more juicy hand.... between me and the Juice. I think that Rick had already left by this point (its about 7:45AM) and the flop is Qx, 9x, 7x... I've got 7x, 7x and lead out with a $60 bet.... and the Juice immediately raises another $100. I'm thinking that I might be in trouble even though I am probably ahead right now. I was thinking that "most likely" the Juice has the top two pair meaning that if the board pairs it would give him the higher boat but I smooth call any way... the turn is the fourth 7x.... I could tell that he wanted to bet so I checked dark before the card came up. Boy, was I hoping that I had misread him and he was on the over-set. Since he is by nature, a four-year old girl and you can't count on him to bet into a hand drawing completely dead when the river hits. I lead out with a $200 bet and he just smooth calls with his top two pair. I couldn't believe it... he even made some comment about me being so surprised that he called. I was... I expected a big over-bet or a fold. So I turned up my quads and scooped one of the last pots of the night....
Oh well.... let the suck outs begin!
Saturday, March 08, 2008
AK vs AQ.....
Love how at how Todd borrows $100k from DN and pays him back with Bellagio chips that he has in his pocket. My loose change consist of quarters and dimes, Brunson's is loose $25k chips.
Breaking News: UNC Charity Poker Tournament Cancelled
From UNC-Chapel Hill, Hold’em For Hunger:
Due to a recent and untimely clarification of NC Statute, the
University of North Carolina has made a rigid and unwavering decision to
disallow the continuance of Hold Em For Hunger. This comes a shock to
myself and the entire Nourish International Staff. Please understand
that we had no intention or motive of ill-will and were conducting
ourselves in the most professional and secure light.
Source: Graham Boone, Tournament Director
Those who preregistered can receive refunds but obviously are encouraged to let the charity keep that money.
Due to a recent and untimely clarification of NC Statute, the
University of North Carolina has made a rigid and unwavering decision to
disallow the continuance of Hold Em For Hunger. This comes a shock to
myself and the entire Nourish International Staff. Please understand
that we had no intention or motive of ill-will and were conducting
ourselves in the most professional and secure light.
Source: Graham Boone, Tournament Director
Those who preregistered can receive refunds but obviously are encouraged to let the charity keep that money.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Hold'em for Hunger CANCELLED?
I am attempting to verify the information that I received through a reliable source this afternoon that the April 20th tournament scheduled to be held at the Eddie Smith Field House on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has been cancelled. The information that we have received would indicate that school officials decided to cancel the event due to a recent clarification of an NC Statute.
Last years event saw a capacity crowd of 510 players raise moneys for Nourish International, a national non-profit organization. The mission of Nourish International is to raise money for projects in Central and South American to eradicate extreme poverty. This recent decision by UNC officials will all but destroy the possibilities of this goal being achieved.
Please make contributions to the organization via their website at http://www.nourishinternational.org/
Last years event saw a capacity crowd of 510 players raise moneys for Nourish International, a national non-profit organization. The mission of Nourish International is to raise money for projects in Central and South American to eradicate extreme poverty. This recent decision by UNC officials will all but destroy the possibilities of this goal being achieved.
Please make contributions to the organization via their website at http://www.nourishinternational.org/
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
The Games We USED to Play....
I remember when... and it wasn't too long ago... that the names Hold'em and Omaha were really just names of games that I saw in the Neighborhood Poker Games books that you could find in about any of the GAMES stores in the area. The game we played was determined by the "dealer" and I really mean the guy that was shuffling and dealing the cards - he picked whatever weird named game he could think of and if you know Ben R, he usually would "make up" 2-3 before the night was over.... Yep and the more wild cards the better! It seems like a long time ago now. I was going through cleaning up some old documents on my hard drive and came across this list of games that we used to help our memories select what game we would like to play next....
See if there are any on here that know or don't know and perhaps share a few of older games that you used to play back when the only time we saw a $100 bet was in some freakish match-the-pot game like Acey-Deucey....
Enjoy!
Well... there you go...
Let the suck outs begin!
See if there are any on here that know or don't know and perhaps share a few of older games that you used to play back when the only time we saw a $100 bet was in some freakish match-the-pot game like Acey-Deucey....
Enjoy!
727
2's & 4's
5 Card Stud
6 in the Neighborhood
7 Card Stud
Acey Deucey
Baseball
Black Jack
Blind Baseball
BooRay
Bundles
Dirty Queen
Do Ya
Drop
Follow the Bitch
Indian
Jacks or Better/Trips to Win
Kings and Little Ones
Omaha 8
Omaha High Only
Pass the Trash
Pyramid
Queen and What Follows
Screw Your Neighbor
SPIT
Texas Hold'em
Tonk (TUNK)
TurboGut
Up the River/Down the River
Whiskey
Well... there you go...
Let the suck outs begin!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Early Sunday Morning Juice..... 2nd Nut/2nd Nut
Normally when you say 2nd Nut/2nd Nut in an Omaha 8 game it means you don't get any money from the pot.... this, however, was an exception.
It's around 4:30am or so and the table has dwindled down from a 7-8 person game to the 4 hard-cores... me, Tom, the Juice and Rick. Tom is very short-stacked. I know its only a matter of a few hands before we quit and I want to get it all in and double up or dump it and get the hell out of Dodge... usually it's the latter. I believe that Tom is the button or the small blind and someone straddled it up from the $5/$10 blinds to $30 or so and when it gets back to Tom he pushes the rest of his stack into the middle. I call the approximate $150 or so as does the Juice and I believe that Rick struggles with it a minute or two and then folds.
I'm not in love with my hand, but it doesn't really suck. Here it is:
The flop:
The flop is very kind to me, but I can tell that the Juice is going to bet or die and since I'm ok with either one... I check and sure enough the Juice makes this 2-3 minute speech about how he is going to do the right thing and although he probably cannot win, he'll make a big bet to isolate so that Tom can win and he bets $350. Now what to do with 2nd Nut/2nd Nut - WWRD? (what would Ron do?).... no, I don't think I can fold.... so I push all-in. I am thinking that my King high flush is good and there's a strong possibility that if the low comes and doesn't counterfeit my Ace/Three that I'll quarter him and maybe even scoop. I'm not sure of Tom's hand and he could easily have Ace/Duece. The Juice goes into his think tank (it won't take him long in there, it's only about 3-4 inches deep and the water smells like crap) and turns over his Jack high flush having persuaded himself that I was on a low draw. He calls my $600plus bet. He has no low and no pairs (drawing dead).... anti-free-rolling..... I love it when a plan comes together.....
The turn and the river were harmless....
Tom mucked and I scooped another nice pot.....
Whee!
Rick counseled and consoled the Juice for several minutes as he watched me gather in his chips. These two should really get a room... wait... they did go into the Juice's office as soon as the game broke up.... Hmmm....
Let the suck outs begin!
It's around 4:30am or so and the table has dwindled down from a 7-8 person game to the 4 hard-cores... me, Tom, the Juice and Rick. Tom is very short-stacked. I know its only a matter of a few hands before we quit and I want to get it all in and double up or dump it and get the hell out of Dodge... usually it's the latter. I believe that Tom is the button or the small blind and someone straddled it up from the $5/$10 blinds to $30 or so and when it gets back to Tom he pushes the rest of his stack into the middle. I call the approximate $150 or so as does the Juice and I believe that Rick struggles with it a minute or two and then folds.
I'm not in love with my hand, but it doesn't really suck. Here it is:
The flop:
The flop is very kind to me, but I can tell that the Juice is going to bet or die and since I'm ok with either one... I check and sure enough the Juice makes this 2-3 minute speech about how he is going to do the right thing and although he probably cannot win, he'll make a big bet to isolate so that Tom can win and he bets $350. Now what to do with 2nd Nut/2nd Nut - WWRD? (what would Ron do?).... no, I don't think I can fold.... so I push all-in. I am thinking that my King high flush is good and there's a strong possibility that if the low comes and doesn't counterfeit my Ace/Three that I'll quarter him and maybe even scoop. I'm not sure of Tom's hand and he could easily have Ace/Duece. The Juice goes into his think tank (it won't take him long in there, it's only about 3-4 inches deep and the water smells like crap) and turns over his Jack high flush having persuaded himself that I was on a low draw. He calls my $600plus bet. He has no low and no pairs (drawing dead).... anti-free-rolling..... I love it when a plan comes together.....
The turn and the river were harmless....
Tom mucked and I scooped another nice pot.....
Whee!
Rick counseled and consoled the Juice for several minutes as he watched me gather in his chips. These two should really get a room... wait... they did go into the Juice's office as soon as the game broke up.... Hmmm....
Let the suck outs begin!
Monday, March 03, 2008
Famous Quotes from Stewie Griffin
Lois: "Oh, I haven't been on a college campus in years. Everything seems so different."
Stewie: "Really? Perhaps if you laid on your back with your ankles behind your ears that would ring a few bells."
------------Stewie Griffin from Family Guy
(I had to post this one just for the Juice)
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Mikey? Hit me one time... would you?
Well, that was how this hand got started.... I have been on one of the most card dead nights that I have seen in quite some time. Other than the previous night in Cary.... I think I've only won a couple of pots in about 3 hours and I believe one of them was quartered. And the Juice has had pocket Aces 7-8 times already that he has shown and if that's not outrageous enough, he flopped or turned a set of deuces 4-5 times and scooped most pots with them. Nobody can drive pocket deuces like the Juice!
At any rate, I've got a decent hand... not great, but better than what I've been seeing and the Juice is to my immediate left. I'm the big blind and he has straddled the $5/$10 blinds to a straight $25 and when it gets back to him, he raises it another $90 and there are 4 callers.
Here's my hand:
Yes, I know, it's not great... but again, it's late, I'm tired, Rick and the Juice have gone out of their way to piss me off so I'm ok with going home a loser tonight -and- I've got suited duck butter. I've got about $600-$700 in front of me and I want to see the flop. So I nudge Mikey and say "Hit me one time, would you?" and proceed to pour my $90 into the pot.
The flop isn't perfect, but I do like it... which translates to I'm probably not drawing dead. The flop:
Middle set, a wheel draw, a steel wheel draw and of course the possibility of quads! I think I like it!
Big Dave bets all-in for $160, I call and the Juice raises it to $350. Everyone else folds and it gets back to I check and I call ---- I'm thinking that even if Big Dave has the wheel I can still make money by scooping the Juice with the right card or two.... right, wrong or indifferent, I'm not folding so I push all-in for another couple hundred and the Juice and Rick call... I say "and Rick" because one of the Juice's worst habits is continually showing his hand to the people who sit around him unaware that they are learning from that knowledge all about his tendencies and betting habits. I know, I shouldn't be "tapping on the aquarium" but I've used big enough words that even if can struggle through reading it, it won't sink in. So I turn up my hand and Big Dave turned up his hand... I don't remember his cards but I'm pretty certain that he was drawing dead.....
Oh, let's get back to Mikey and the rest of the cards..... the turn:
At any rate, I've got a decent hand... not great, but better than what I've been seeing and the Juice is to my immediate left. I'm the big blind and he has straddled the $5/$10 blinds to a straight $25 and when it gets back to him, he raises it another $90 and there are 4 callers.
Here's my hand:
Yes, I know, it's not great... but again, it's late, I'm tired, Rick and the Juice have gone out of their way to piss me off so I'm ok with going home a loser tonight -and- I've got suited duck butter. I've got about $600-$700 in front of me and I want to see the flop. So I nudge Mikey and say "Hit me one time, would you?" and proceed to pour my $90 into the pot.
The flop isn't perfect, but I do like it... which translates to I'm probably not drawing dead. The flop:
Middle set, a wheel draw, a steel wheel draw and of course the possibility of quads! I think I like it!
Big Dave bets all-in for $160, I call and the Juice raises it to $350. Everyone else folds and it gets back to I check and I call ---- I'm thinking that even if Big Dave has the wheel I can still make money by scooping the Juice with the right card or two.... right, wrong or indifferent, I'm not folding so I push all-in for another couple hundred and the Juice and Rick call... I say "and Rick" because one of the Juice's worst habits is continually showing his hand to the people who sit around him unaware that they are learning from that knowledge all about his tendencies and betting habits. I know, I shouldn't be "tapping on the aquarium" but I've used big enough words that even if can struggle through reading it, it won't sink in. So I turn up my hand and Big Dave turned up his hand... I don't remember his cards but I'm pretty certain that he was drawing dead.....
Oh, let's get back to Mikey and the rest of the cards..... the turn:
Nice ---- Quads! Now the only thing that could possibly make this hand any better would be the four of spades. I have no luck... no four of spades, but I did get.....
Giving me Quads and the wheel.... a nice little scooper!
And Juice, if you'll call me, I'll help you with the big words.....
Let the suck outs begin!
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