After years of use the Bellagios finally got to the point where they needed to be cleaned. While not quite as bad as chips at Kenmore Lanes they were clearly not up to original condition. Some of them were sticking together so badly that people were putting in extra chips into the pot because there was a chip hanging on to the bottom of another chip. That is clearly a state which is below standards.
So I am currently in the process of cleaning all the chips that we use regularly. So far I'm a little more than half way through and it will have taken a few hours by the time all of the chips are done. Apart from the time, throw in the expense of a few jugs of distilled water, chip cleanser, rubber gloves, sacrificial towels, haz-mat disposal fees due to the lead content, etc. and it all adds up to something that I don't want to do again for a long long long time.
As such, I am requesting that all food and drink residue stay clear of the chips. Food and drink on the chips significantly contributes to the sticky chips which we all find less than desirable. If you want to eat, fine. Please do it away from the table surface. If you use your hands to eat do not handle the chips. The lead content of the chips alone should be enough reason for you not to eat and handle chips at the same time. If you do eat with your hands please either wash your hands in a sink or use wipes which I will keep in the equipment cases. Drinking at the table is fine. If your fingers get wet from condensation on the side of a bottle or glass that's OK too. However, if you get any beverage on your hand please either wash it off or ask for a wipe.
Thanks to everyone in advance for your cooperation. By keeping food and drink well away from chips we will all reap the benefits of nice clean chips.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Exciting River Action
As Ryan correctly points out I play a gazillion hands on line every month so it is hard to find one that is truly interesting. Here an $18 pot with no betting until the river balloons into a $664 after the river card hits. I have to make a calculated guess against the uber aggressive I push U Pay that my low is better than his low as it is obvious we both have the nut high. I push U Pay raises a ton of pots with good to great hands so the likelihood of him having an A2 or A3 hand in a limped pot is pretty low.
Drew should especially like this hand as his mistake of putting in chips with a strong chance of being quartered is pretty minor compared to this pot. Check out I Push U Pay's position of being last to act, the anti position in this pot.
Monster River Action
Drew should especially like this hand as his mistake of putting in chips with a strong chance of being quartered is pretty minor compared to this pot. Check out I Push U Pay's position of being last to act, the anti position in this pot.
Monster River Action
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
I ♥ Barney Frank
I know you all know about this already, but when it gets prominent placement in the NY Times you know it's a good thing.
Aided by Poker Devotees, Lawmaker Pushes to End the Ban on Online Gambling from today’s NY Times.
Aided by Poker Devotees, Lawmaker Pushes to End the Ban on Online Gambling from today’s NY Times.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Pro-Poker Bill Gettin Introduced Tomorrow
Barney Frank is the man.
Something to keep tabs on. We'll see how it goes, hopefully this goes through and Washington state follows suit in repealing its own ridiculous online gambling ban.
Something to keep tabs on. We'll see how it goes, hopefully this goes through and Washington state follows suit in repealing its own ridiculous online gambling ban.
Why are we playing this loser game...
when the real money is in slots?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLzSm-LiBD8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLzSm-LiBD8
Thursday, April 30, 2009
More dealer errors this month
Well this should be the last installment of dealer errors for the month...hopefully.
* Joe versus Martin. J33 flop. J on the turn. Martin checks, Joe fires a second shell, Martin tanks for the cameras (holding J3, natch) and tries to figure how to extract maximum value here. When reaching back for the stub brushes the top card off of the deck and flips it over. Since action was not complete the stub should have been re-shuffled since Joe acted without knowledge of that card. Instead the deck was left untouched. My bad. In retrospect I was thinking that I should have exposed my Trey explaining that it was the case Trey, reshuffled, then (as long as the Trey doesn't come out on the river) fired a small five dollar bet on the end accompanied by a WAWB speech to look like a blocker bet and hope Joe raises me.
* Jokers at Dealer's Choice. MB and Ryan ended up with jokers in their hand. A joker should be replaced by the next card off the deck just like a boxed (face up) card like earlier this month. I see no reason why two jokers shouldn't be treated the same way. Two exposed cards during the deal constitute a misdeal but there is no rule specifying that two irregular cards create a misdeal.
Apologies again folks. The good news is that each time irregularities like these come up and I research the procedure then I know what to do the next time the same situation or similar situations come up.
* Joe versus Martin. J33 flop. J on the turn. Martin checks, Joe fires a second shell, Martin tanks for the cameras (holding J3, natch) and tries to figure how to extract maximum value here. When reaching back for the stub brushes the top card off of the deck and flips it over. Since action was not complete the stub should have been re-shuffled since Joe acted without knowledge of that card. Instead the deck was left untouched. My bad. In retrospect I was thinking that I should have exposed my Trey explaining that it was the case Trey, reshuffled, then (as long as the Trey doesn't come out on the river) fired a small five dollar bet on the end accompanied by a WAWB speech to look like a blocker bet and hope Joe raises me.
* Jokers at Dealer's Choice. MB and Ryan ended up with jokers in their hand. A joker should be replaced by the next card off the deck just like a boxed (face up) card like earlier this month. I see no reason why two jokers shouldn't be treated the same way. Two exposed cards during the deal constitute a misdeal but there is no rule specifying that two irregular cards create a misdeal.
Apologies again folks. The good news is that each time irregularities like these come up and I research the procedure then I know what to do the next time the same situation or similar situations come up.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
High Stakes HA on "TV"
Hey, those pros are copying our idea of playing HA! At the Aussie Millions cash game this year they started doing a NLHE and PLO rotation. And wouldn't you know it? They happened to film it and it is now on the Internets for our viewing pleasure.
Link to first segment of first episode: http://pokertube.com/Movies.aspx?movie=9594&KeyID=1&title=Aussie_Million_2009_Cash_Game_Part_1_1_4. You're on your own for the rest of the links!
Link to first segment of first episode: http://pokertube.com/Movies.aspx?movie=9594&KeyID=1&title=Aussie_Million_2009_Cash_Game_Part_1_1_4. You're on your own for the rest of the links!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Baduci!
Heard about this interesting game on a podcast. And I realized that what our mixed-game nights really need is more ways to play Badugi!
I'm having a hard time finding clear rules for how it's played, but this is what I've been able to gather from random internet forum posts.
Baduci is a hybrid of Badugi and 2-7 Triple Draw. Players are dealt five cards, and they are trying to make both the best 2-7 hand and the best four-card Badugi hand. Betting and drawing follow the same rules as Triple Draw, so you get four rounds of betting and three draws.
Baduci is a split pot game. Half of the pot goes to the player with the best 2-7 hand, and the other half goes to the player with the best four card Badugi hand. Three (and fewer) card Badugis do not count.
I've seen some discussions as to whether Aces are high or low for the Badugi portion (they are always high for the 2-7 pot). I'm leaning towards Aces high for both, as that allows for a truly nut-nut hand (2-3-4-5-7, 2345 rainbow), and the only rationale for low aces I've been able to find is that "it confuses the fish."
So there it is, yet another way to play Badugi! Just what everyone wanted. Who's up for some high stakes NLBaduci? How about a Baduci/Badugi/2-7TD cycle tournament? HU Baduci freezeout for rolls???
I'm having a hard time finding clear rules for how it's played, but this is what I've been able to gather from random internet forum posts.
Baduci is a hybrid of Badugi and 2-7 Triple Draw. Players are dealt five cards, and they are trying to make both the best 2-7 hand and the best four-card Badugi hand. Betting and drawing follow the same rules as Triple Draw, so you get four rounds of betting and three draws.
Baduci is a split pot game. Half of the pot goes to the player with the best 2-7 hand, and the other half goes to the player with the best four card Badugi hand. Three (and fewer) card Badugis do not count.
I've seen some discussions as to whether Aces are high or low for the Badugi portion (they are always high for the 2-7 pot). I'm leaning towards Aces high for both, as that allows for a truly nut-nut hand (2-3-4-5-7, 2345 rainbow), and the only rationale for low aces I've been able to find is that "it confuses the fish."
So there it is, yet another way to play Badugi! Just what everyone wanted. Who's up for some high stakes NLBaduci? How about a Baduci/Badugi/2-7TD cycle tournament? HU Baduci freezeout for rolls???
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