World Series Superhype

It makes me laugh when I hear people say that they go to the Rio at WSOP to play the side games. Are you kidding me? Some of the best players and greatest hustlers in the world are there then. There is action that's for sure but there is action down the street with less polished players. A big crowd might mean action but maybe your it. Many of the players that I know go to play satellites and then sell them. Most of them wait until the game is short and then play the short game. Most tourists don't really like the short games because it is a different style play. And play you must when the game is not full.
The players that have played a few WSOP tournaments but not done well, almost all tell me that they beat the side games. I don't believe it. Believe a poker player and you will be a loser. Believe in yourself and don't fall for the sugar play or check it down. Unless you know the player, the offer is usually made with free draws for your opponent.
I am writing this blog in reference to a question by a reader. Like they say if you can't play, write a book about it. Advice is easy to give but hard to swallow.

Poker looks like a sport now

It's not really amazing that poker is like the game of life , now is it? If we are golfers we may easily refer to golf in many ways to life. Chess players, wrestlers, etc. You get the picture. When you have a human opponent the human condition takes over. You read your player and use strategy although luck and timing are also key factors. Hard work and opportunity make good luck so what you need is no bad luck.

There are many more fit (mind and body), card players than there used to be. People now have better and quicker information about health and players are younger . Years ago most players got their workout by exercising their options. It's ironic that the popular dress code for poker players were running suits or "Members Only" jackets. Jackets enabled them to cover their big guts. In this age so many players are buff and well read not fat and well traveled. The new players are actually world travelers not just traveling from one city to the next playing in home games. The look of the hustler is also very different. Just because you bought your hat at Larry Flints' joint doesn't make you a hustler. It really wasn't the thing that was advertised 20+ years ago. The language is so different now too. If I wasn't a mother of young adults I probably wouldn't be able to communicate with the people that I see everyday. Practically living on the campus of San Diego State University keeps our neighborhood young and full of zest. New students keep moving in as the older ones move on so everyone in our neighborhood stays the same age. I have a direct contact with the youth and future of our world so I like to speak or at least understand their language. Some have multiple meanings and then of course the Webster's version that they sometimes speak to their parents.

For my readers that are my age or older here is a quick run down and translation

DOPE/several meanings TOP 3; 1) Pot 2) Really swell 3)The real stuff

SICK/ Very Very Nice

CRAZY/A Whole Lotta Fun or a whole lot of bitches goin' nuts

BITCH/ A Term Of Endearment when spoken by the right person at the right time

PEEPS/ Friends or peers

RANDOM/I don't know what the hell you are referring to

DIGGS/Where you live

SHORTY/Girlfriend

COUGAR/ Older Woman with urges for younger men

HIT/ Sexual encounter as in "Hit that thang".

NIGGA/To be used only in songs, if you have to ask

YO/As they say in New York, speed it up and your attention is required

So if you don't know how to text or what a tweet is, you have just been educated just a little in hip hop. Like Mission Impossible, as soon as you learn this...it will self destruct

PEACE OUT/ Goodbye or have a good one

Babble on my birthday week

I recently had a birthday and I try every year to find a new direction or idea to keep myself really alive and connected. Today I will be indulging myself by blogging on whatever comes to mind. Writing seriously to have my dream fulfilled will drive me for the rest of this year. My goal is to have a publisher by 2010, sounds like a terrific number, doesn't it? I recently submitted another article to Poker Pro, but it seems that the WSOP stories are covering the next few issues. I was asked to do an article on cheating back in the day. I pondered this assignment for several months before I released what I thought was useful and enlightening to the readers. I explained how cheaters were busted and although the 70's were the shady days of the mob and street hustlers, some things never change. The style, the look and the times are different but the objective and outcome is the same. I shall elaborate on one topic tomorrow.....CLIFFHANGER

I do realize from the feedback of some of my readers that the consistency of my blogs are sporadic and not exactly regular, soooo. I will now blog 2 or 3 blogs every weekend. So start your week with a joke or a note every Monday night. Have a question or a topic that you would like me to address; flowrpot@cox.net and I will make sure that I will hit it up that week. Please do not send anything inappropriate, although it's hard to imagine what that would be in a card room!

Now that my husband has started a blog of his own I thought we should have a name for ourselves. Dueling Banjos was my first thought since that combination created such an awesome outcome. The reference to dueling and opposing one another didn't fit though. My Dear Dealer and Tsunami Tommy are truly partners but oh so different. Aside from male/female , we differ greatly on things like politics and poker. We have many stories to tell but our politics and opinions will surely seep through. So please visit him and his male lifestyle as he sits at his computer and rambles on about the day, current and old! www.tsunamitommy@blogspot.net
My daughter recently did a taping for a new reality show which is now her second national t.v. show. The first prize was $50,000 for first place in "Wipe-out", she came in second!!! After the taping of the second I asked, " Was there any moola?" "Yes, $250 a piece for my partner and I, so we got out in enough time to head over to the Bicycle Club and play in a $300 tournament." Nice parlay for $50 is what I thought but what have I got my daughter into? She does only play tournaments and has about a 80% win record. I'm not really worried about her because she has the control, knowledge and the life lessons all around her growing up. The gamblers of this age are younger and spoiled and used to instant gratification so this mix makes it very interesting in the games of the 2000 era. Beware, young and old because the talent out there is everywhere BUT there is always a sucker in every game, just make sure it isn't you.

Can't Teach an Old Dog

The old adage of "Can't teach an old dog new tricks", is very interesting. I would say; that is why the dog is old. If you can't learn new things then you will get old but fast, DAWG! Not really tricks rather skills. You don't have to be an Internet player yourself but you should be aware of the concept and the style of everything new if you want to consider yourself polished or professional. The games and the styles have morphed and so has the way players can be cheated. I go back to the early 70's when I broke into the business. Johnny Moss himself, taught the dealers the cheating moves that could be made. After, if we didn't know how cheating occurred then we couldn't prevent it or protect our game. Of course the big games protected themselves and it could have been dealt by a machine. Johnny didn't want the dealers to run the game but to be aware of bad moves. If you counted the stub (remaining cards after deal), and a card was missing, Johnny had his procedure. It was to deal the same deck one more time and then change the set-up. This was so the guy that was holding out the card could bring it back into the game and know that you were aware of his move. There were things going on that I wasn't aware of until later in my career. I couldn't imagine dealing out a hand knowing I had a short deck. Of course this wasn't an advertised procedure but many unorthodox players were in and out of the card rooms back in the day. If you can draw from the movie "Casino", then you can see how the times were. Johnny was thought to be a somewhat shady character but I knew him as a sometimes crotchety but generous old man with a heart. It was once written that Johhny only appeared to be asleep in between hands during a huge no limit game. Trust me, he was really asleep, I had to jar him awake during a hand, many times.

We were told to rake the 7-card, stud games 50% or more after every bet. It was commonly known as putting the sucker down the box. The unsuspecting tourist either figures that all games are regulated or he has money to burn. Most didn't even notice the rake.

Before the women dealers came on the scene, the dealers downtown were cutting the pots and splitting it up with the bosses. We took it all for our boss and thought that it was just another day at the office. In those days there was no limit set for the drop by the gaming commission. The poker rooms were privately leased in casinos but were not given casino employee benefits. All poker dealers were independent contractors. It was generally felt that poker was not a money maker or house game so it went unnoticed for a while. By 1972 the commission ruled that the rake was legal if posted on the wall in plain view. The Aladdin posted 0-50% rake and at the same time, the Stardust posted 2-25%, but really took more. How do I know? I worked at the Stardust (featured casino where Robert DiNiro starred in the movie "Casino") poker room for two weeks and did as I was told. As I look back now I realize how crooked things were.

The new millennium has brought Vegas into a world of whales, instead of high rollers and roller coasters bringing in whole families You cannot gamble legally unless you are 21 but the glamour and allure is all around. Gamble in Vegas as an adult but take your kids with you to Disneyworld.

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Poker Movies

Have you ever seen a good one? Lucky You, Casino Royale, The Rounders and The Grand are fairly new hold-em poker themed movies. The most current with Woody Harrelson is The Grand. The only thing authentic about the movie was location and set coordination. It was (I hope) intended to be a complete spoof on the famous and infamous characters of the poker world. It just happened to be unfunny and boring. I would compare it to Airplane but it was really like The Blair Witch Project. So if you're planning to watch it at home (it took me 3 different days to finish), go out to the theater. See The Hangover and you'll get $11 worth of laughs. Laugh everyday, it keeps you alive and there is soo much out there to laugh at.

LOS ANGELES TOURNAMENTS vs VEGAS

Attention tournament players, don't be fooled. If you enjoy playing tournaments you should be wise enough to check out what the prize is and what the house take is. How long is the re-buy period and is there an add on. If it is a re-buy and add on tourney then you should be prepared to have 3 buys available. If you don't need more chips then fine BUT I always take the add on since the time I lost first place by one chip. The best place to play a big tournament is where they monitor the time and the players that are left. I would hesitate to play in one that takes 25% of your buy in for house rake. The rebuys and total pool should be announced shortly after the re-buys are over. I have played in many tournaments where it seems some of the rebuys may have disappeared. These are the things that you should be ware of because it is hard enough to beat the entire field and when you do you want all you have coming to you. Play in the small ones for fun and practice and then graduate to the really big money tourneys in L.A. Remember that you may be there for 10 hours or more. There really is no need to travel to Vegas unless you are playing in the WSOP! The poker tournaments at The Orleans had one nearly every hour. They were one table, winner takes all. Be sure you ask questions before signing up. Sometimes the tournament directors are short and even rude but be persistent. If it is your first time there find out how much money goes into the pot and what the structure is. They may hand out a structure sheet but if there is anything you don't understand then make him explaining it to you. That is his job and it is your money. Take charge and always know what you are getting into.

Old Dealers Go Home

WELCOME Tsunami Tommy and a very unique blog that no one could come close to. He has been said to be afable and a pleasure to play cards with. He has retired now, but his stories are coming alive. See what he is up to or has been up to, probably no good; but he is the real thing!



http://www.tsunamitommy@blogspot.com

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Independance Day

Dealers break out of your old mold and feel free to become a professional. Dealing may just be a job to you but consider making it a profession!

I wrote about the players with bad attitudes but there is also the other side of the table. Many dealers that I have worked with have had attitudes that a portion of the pot was owed to them because they delivered it. Many of these dealers are terrible tippers themselves. They are , as most of the players are, non professionals. I do believe that it is not the amount of time you put in but the knowledge, finesse & attitude you bring to the table. Some dealers are good at it and some dealers just pass out the cards. I think that dealers should be rewarded (tipped) or toked for their professionalism and the control of the game and protection of the players. If a dealer is argumentative and doesn't say thank you after a tip, I get up from the table or stiff the dealer. If I get lucky, I would rather save up my tips and over tip the good dealers. In a perfect world this would happen.

To these dealers, if I could speak to them, I say; Leave your attitudes at home when you come to work. Keep your head down and deal, say thank you every time you make a toke and look that person in the eye. If you make your living from tips then you should have the attitude that every player there is paying your rent. Also in these times, be thankful that you have a job where you make cash everyday. Some people don't have this luxury and have to wait two weeks to get paid. Dealers have good jobs in general. Learn to take the good with the bad but don't let your players cross the line. Good contol keeps the game pleassant and fair for everyone. Call your floorman when you see a problem arising and let them take the heat.

I have gone through the births of three children and raised them on a poker dealers salary. Living and working in resort towns all over California, Nevada and Arizona, I have been called a vagabond dealer. The truth is that the action changes and you go where the money is. I went trough divorces and was able to move to a new area in casinos all over the country. When I first started their were not that many choices of places to deal poker. Now there is and I am thankful for the profession that got my kids through high school and one with a college degree. My kids are happy and I am grateful for the education that I recieved in the casino business, through all these years.

A change is coming

When are you too old to cry? When you can dress yourself and drive a car you are past the whining stage. Most times when a player cries to change the dealer, he is really the one who needs to be changed, I mean with a diaper! You are apparently requiring attention.

I know that the people that read my blog will agree because you guys are not the problem. It is one thing in gambling that has never changed. The players that feel some sort of entitlement or that they are the best and deserve to win every pot or at least all the big ones that they are in are the big cry babies. Everyone gets a huge bad beat every now and then. Face the facts, the runner runner straight or catching the case card to beat you is going to happen somewhere in your play. I could tell bad beat stories all day long but nobody that is a regular player really wants to hear your bad beats unless they had an investment in you.

I very rarely tell beat stories because they are so boorish. I do tell one story of the first time I played Hold-em. It was in Las Vegas 1974, No Limit Hold-em. I had watched & dealt to Puggy, Doyle, Slim, Moss and other world famous players for a couple of years. My friend talked me into playing in a soft game and went partners with me $250 each. He said just play tight. I waited for over an hour before I played my first hand. A K suited in first position. I raised to $80. I got two calls. The flop: Q J 10 rainbow. I bet $200 & got called in one spot. Next card 3, I went all in and was called by pocket Jacks and a J was the final card. Not really that bad of a beat because there were several cards he could catch to fill up. It was however a very bad beat to me. There was no way that I could have changed my way of betting or playing to win this hand. I didn't play Hold-em again for 14 years. Everyone now a days wants to play no limit and I prefer to stick with limit so I can't go broke in one hand. A small limit game is dangerous because too many players are in the pot.

A great example of players and their attitudes is the assumption that the ideal player would be a loose drunk who is flush! O.K. The loose drunk buys in with a huge bankroll AND he plays badly! Best case scenario, you stay out of his way! I've seen it happen a million times, maybe more, that the drunk gets a rush. He has no respect for money at this moment although he still desires to beat the players. If he has a long shot, he will ride that puppy to the end. He is slow and discombobulates some of the players. He changes the entire momentum of the game. The only thing you can do, unless you are beating him, is not to shoot at him. Play your best and you have to make a couple of long calls but you may be playing his game. He may have taken control and really is not that drunk at all. Sometimes when the game changes it is a good time to take a walk around the building or up & down the hall. Breaks help you to get away from the whole situation and regroup and change gears. Not advice, just experience.

If the drunk loses then everyone laughs at him in the front and/or behind his back. BUT if he wins you will see the personalities of the players who are not quite a "professional", as they may like to think. Turning into Phil Helmouth isn't an act to aspire to. Instead look to Doyle Brunson to be your mentor. He still has moxie and carries himself as a truly classy player.