Las Vegas

Was in Las Vegas last week for four days. Basically for business, but definitely managed to get in some poker fun.

First, a hotel recommendation. I stayed at the Orleans where I've never been before. I was extremely impressed. My room was terrific, almost a suite. The service was also excellent. It's off the strip kind of behind the Palm, but there's a shuttle to across the street from Caesars. The rates vary, but very inexpensive. The hotel has great food options and a super poker room except that it's basically locals (good and bad). Fun to get to know people who live there, but they're generally good poker players.

I played there for about 6 hours in a $1/$2 no limit cash game and won a few hundred, then played again later and gave $100 back. There was a pretty crazy guy to play and I should have changed tables, but I wanted to see if I could beat him. Basically, he made it a $1/$12 game in that he raised every pot, then after getting 4 or 5 callers, stuck in his rack for $500 and everyone folded. I was hoping to get a hand and bust him, but that's a bad emotional state to play in.

Basically, I spent the rest of my poker time at the Wynn. I like that poker room a lot. It's small and friendly with mostly tourists (like me!) who come with money and don't mind losing (not like me). I played there twice for about 6 hours each time in the $3/$5 no limit game. I lost $800 almost immediately when a bigger full house busted my full house, but I managed to come back.

I loved my table in that it had a good variety of people: young, loose guys, medium careful players, and a few really good ones. It was fun to figure out. When I played there the next day there were a lot of the same people which I like. We were old friends by then. Overall, I left up a few hundred and had lots of fun.

I didn't play any tournaments, although I like the daily at Caesars, but I can play those where I live, and don't get any cash game action so that was my focus.

It snowed for a few hours while I was there which was neat since it was right before Christmas. The cab driver said it hadn't snowed in over 4 years. I was glad they didn't close the airport the next day, but then again, I wouldn't have minded one more day at the Wynn poker room and one more clam chowder (the best) at the Oyster House at the Orleans.

Hard Rock, Hollywood, Florida

Made the final table at the Hard Rock today, 4th out of about 185. (It was my 2nd final table in the past month.) I particularly like the Monday 11 a.m. game because it's a low buy-in ($100), but has a good format (3,500 chips/starts at 25-50- blinds, 15 minute levels). The players are friendly and it's a congenial atmosphere that's fun to play. It's a very mixed bag of opponents from one guy at my table who I don't think ever played before (and yes, of course he made it to the final table), several young professionals who must be ditching work (like me), some older guys who have seen it all, and very few women....I only saw one other woman in this tournament.

At my starting table, everyone was very tight, and raise/fold was how it went for the first hour or so. As the blinds increased, things loosened up. I'm always surprised at how the guy with the huge stack of chips who looks like a sure thing for the final table generally ends up gambling too much and losing well before the real action starts.

I didn't have particularly great cards, and I did have a few times when I got very lucky (like when all I had was enough to cover my blind and my Q8 caught two eights), but generally I'd attribute my success to playing my stack, my position and my opponents and not letting my marginal hands get me down.

Stackin and Rackin at the Borgata

What a sea of people....thousands. I played at a small $250 satellite that occupied just 8 tables, but in the same room, more than 500 people paid $1,000 to win big. Over 40 spots paid with the top spot taking around $167,000. The tournament all took place in the Events section of the Borgata, but once knocked out, familiar poker faces could be seen downstairs in the equally action-packed poker room.

The format was good....5,000 chips, 25 minute levels, low blind start....but still, I played lousy. Sure I never had cards, but for some reason I just couldn't get going. When I did catch a hand (pocket tens), I was facing pocket aces that caught a set right out the door. I hated to leave, not for the obvious reason of absolutely hating to lose, but I really liked the players. They were on the tight side, but would still make the occasional move. I was just starting to get a feel for the playing styles, but the environment was really fun and friendly with lots of joking until someone got a hand which tended to quiet things down. Can't wait to try again, bankroll permitting.

New Borgata Poker Room

Wow, what an awesome new room with 85 tables. Kind of the Venetian (Vegas) meets Commerce (L.A.). The elegance of the Venetian and the scope of the Commerce....very nice combo. Every type and size of game and many recognizable faces. Also many new food options. There's a very complete food court right near the poker room. I had a great Japanese dinner for under $10. I also plan to visit Wolfgang Puck's and Bobby Flay's. Many players have said that Aqua Blue is terrific, but how much can one eat!!

Had some good luck at a quick cash game where I more than doubled my money in less than an hour. I hated to leave, but tired from traveling today and want to be fresh for a tourney tomorrow. The tournament room right now is upstairs where the meeting rooms are. It's almost overwhelming....three big tourneys going on at once. Lots of action, and very nicely run. The Borgata Open is just heating up culminating in the main event next week which is part of the WPT Circuit. Hopefully I'll be playing.

Final Table Practice

Before heading out to the Borgata Open, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to play a cheap ($45) multi-table (17 tables) at Dania Jai-Alai located in South Florida. Dania is close to the Fort Lauderdale airport and near the beach.

First a word about the venue: it's surprisingly nice. When I first went there a few years ago, I expected a more low-end experience based on some memories of the fronton, but the room is tasteful with a nice small bar and a pool table and plenty of flat-panels to watch various sports action. I do think the floor staff could be friendlier. I've been going there for at least two years and they still don't know my name. However, the cage teller and the dealers make up for it. Also, I wonder why there are so many rules I haven't noticed elsewhere. For example, no headphones and no non-players can "linger" around the tables. I like places like the Borgata and the Venetian where there's a sort of family party atmosphere and I wish there was a little bit of that at Dania since it's my closest card room.

Anyway, back to the tournament. It was a crazy format: 10 minute rounds, 3,000 chips, blinds start at 100/200....so no time to wait for aces (not that I would, but it's pretty fast). I got very lucky early when my pocket queens caught a third lady on the flop, and built my stack from there. Was very surprised to look around in what seemed like just an hour or so, and see that we were down to 4 tables. Then in virtually no time, we were down to the final table with only 9 players since two players were knocked out at once on the bubble.

The original format was winner takes most of the money....like around $4,000 and the remaining 8 basically get their money back. After a little discussing with the floor, it was decided that 7 would take $150 and the last two standing would split the pot. Just seconds after that, I was the first to go. My pocket nines ran into pocket tens. I would have played differently if the structure was different, but moving up a slot wasn't going to help much and the blinds were 5,000/10,000 and with 1,000 antes. My stack of just 18,000 didn't leave much room for anything fancy.

I'm glad I played because it's really valuable to get experience playing the bubble, then playing the the final table, and very few of us get much of those opportunities.

Two things I would like to hear from you on: how do you tip, and do you think that the bigger stacks at the final table should get a bigger cut....or is a chop a chop?

Off to the Borgata tomorrow.

Borgata Open

Stay tuned for impressions, insights and interviews from the Borgata Open in Atlantic City.

Check pokertourneyschedules.com for event details.

How do you play low chip, fast round tourneys?

Many tourneys in my area start with very few chips (1,500), high blinds (50/100) and fast rounds (15 minutes). If you've had success with this format, let me know your strategy i.e. are you tight early, or do you gamble, etc.

Where do you like to play?

If you're like me, you love tournament play. Not that I don't enjoy a good No Limit cash game. But not all states have them. So to keep playing, tournaments are what's happening. I'll let you know about any special ones if you send me your email address, and I hope you'll let me know about good tourneys you may have heard of. I frequently travel to play, so location no problem.

Also, tell me about your favorite places to play tourneys and why. And any good strategies you have for winning. Let's share knowledge and just hope we're not at the same table.