The game of Texas Hold 'em can be a very fun game. But, it can also be extremely
frustrating, when the cards are not going your way. Like Kenny Rogers sang in the
song The Gambler, "You've got to know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em." But often, even the right plays get beat, so, no matter what point you are in
any game or hand, you need to know the Next Action to take!
Just got back from another trip to the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.
And with every poker session, there are always a few memorable moments.
Lets start off with the less-significant stuff. I spent 2 and-a-half days playing
Texas Hold'em. The guy next to me had a mouth that wouldn't stop. After someone
lost a hand with pocket Aces, he mentioned, at least three times in the next hour,
"if you get pocket Aces, you better flop one, or you're in trouble." Shortly after
that, I got pocket Fours, and he got pocket Aces. Well, I flopped a 4, for trips, and
when I turned my hand up, and he lost, he slammed his hand down, knocking a bunch
of his chips off the table. It was not a major incident, but it was a bit funny, after
he had been warning about those pocket Aces!
Speaking of pocket Aces, I went over a day without pocket Aces - and then during a 3-hour period, I got pocket Aces six times, which I don't think I've ever come close to
doing that ever in the past. I also won the first five pocket Aces, and lost the last
pocket Aces to two pair. 5 out of 6 wins on pocket Aces ain't bad!
Over the duration of my stay, I started off losing. Next day I won it back, then started losing again, and finally, on my last night, I won everything I lost, plus maybe $30 to $40.
The night before I arrived, I found out that they hit the bad beat jackpot, which was
about $180,000. But, we were still playing for a pretty big (backup) bad beat jackpot,
which was about $110,000. To win their bad beat jackpot, four Fives or better must
be beat. I believe the split is 40% for the loser, 20% for the winner, and the other
40% for the other players.
NOW... for the most memorable moment in the session, I was dealt the 10 and Queen,
both clubs. The flop was a Jack, King and Ace - ALL OF CLUBS. This is the first time
I've every flopped a Royal Flush. Anyway, after the flop, I checked. The other
two remaining players in the hand also checked. Next card was a 6. I checked,
one of the other players bet, and I called. The other player folded. And the last
card was a 3. We checked the last card.
When I showed my Royal Flush, I was hoping there would be some prize - cash, or a
poker jacket. I was told, since there was a tournament going on at the same time,
there were no prizes or high-hand promotions. I was also told, that if I caught the
Royal Flush about a week ago, when no tournaments were being played, I could have
won about $3,000. So, just like in life, you've got to play the hand you're dealt!
My next action may not be for a very long time. I feel, now that I've
flopped a Royal Flush, maybe it's a good time for me to retire from the game.
Another looong drive to and from Biloxi to my favorite poker room at Beau Rivage.
This time, the outcome was not what I had planned. Over my 2-day weekend stay at
the Beau Rivage, I played some marathon poker sessions. And ended up on the negative
side of the bankroll.
So, to put it simply, I had too many hands snapped off at the river. The perfect example
was the hand I flopped a straight, and bet it all the way, while one other player called
each bet, to catch two running spades to give him the flush. Other times, I flopped two
pair or trips, to get beat by a straight or a flush.
There were also two key hands, which I folded, that would have won. One in particular,
which I had trips. The board had three spades and all lined up for an easy straight. With
two other players betting and raising, I was positive that my trips were no good and folded.
The winner only had two pair. The pot was also one of the larger ones, which made that
decision very painful. But, if I never made a wrong decision, I might play the game
professionally. But even for most of the so-called pros, the game can be a real grind.
When you win, you think you're good. When you lose, you wonder what went wrong. Sometimes,
even when you make the right choices, luck turns against you and you lose. Those are the
times when I'm glad I wasn't playing no-limit, in which your whole bankroll can go in
a single hand.
At the Beau Rivage, they allow their dealers to play poker. One dealer sat down at the
table to play, and I commented to the player next to me that dealers are your best
competition. The dealer overheard me and asked, "how do you mean that?" And I answered,
"I mean it sincerely."
Next time I play, I hope my next action will have a better ending!
So here's the story. I was back in action last week, at Beau Rivage, in
Biloxi, Mississippi, which is my favorite poker place, within driving distance,
which is about 360 miles one way.
Anyway, I decided to play no-limit hold 'em - one and two dollar blinds, and
$100 minimum buy in. I started with a $300 buy-in. I don't want to catch a
monster hand with a short stack, especially if anyone else has a great
second-best! Anyway, a few hours into the game, I got trip fives
(no pair on board), and I believe the other player had a straight
on fourth street, and he bet $300. I called, hoping the board would
pair. Well, it didn't, and he had the straight. So, early into the
trip, I was down a total of $400.
Over the next few hours, I played tight, and I turned it around. At the end
of the night, I was up $300.
Next day (Saturday), and into the night, I played 4-8 limit hold 'em. I
played pretty tight, and ended up winning $400 for the day.
Before I checked out on Sunday morning, I decided to play for a while, and
the poker room manger got my check-out time extended by a couple of hours.
I ended up winning another $120.
Overall, there were only two hands that stood out. The first one was that
trip-fives, which I called $300 on, and lost. The other hand, which was in
my final hour, was on Sunday morning. I had the Ace of Hearts in the hole,
and on board, there was one trash card, plus the 9 of Hearts, 10 of Hearts,
Jack of Hearts - and the river card was the King of Hearts. The first player
bet and the second player raised. I figured, me having the Ace of Hearts, with
a bet and a raise, one of the other players had to have the Queen of Hearts,
for the straight flush - so I just called. And I was right. My Ace-high
flush was snapped off by the king-high straight flush.
Even before the last bet and raise, when I saw the King of hearts hit
the river, I just knew someone was going to have the Queen. It's just so
typical in poker... many times, when your opponent only has one out, he is going to hit it! But, even though this was the most
memorable hand of the trip, it didn't keep me from winning all three sessions.
When I go back, I hope my next action will be as good, or better.
Unfortunately, today, my four-of-a-kind story is not a poker story, except that it is a story of
why I haven't been in poker action lately. On September 5th, I was mowing my
lawn, when I spotted something in the tall grass, next to the house. It was four kittens. Nearby, was
their stray momma cat.
After bringing the kittens to the vet for shots, I brought them to Petco, in Gadsden,
Alabama, where they were put up for adoption, to families who would give them good homes.
That was a great four-of-a-kind, and they were fun to watch. But now that I've had
all of that cat action, I can get back to the poker room (soon) for
my Next Action at the Hold'em tables in Biloxi, Mississippi!
For my latest poker trip, again, my destination was
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Their hotel rooms are
very nice and poker room player rates are $99 per night on weekends.
This session turned out quite a bit better than my last time. I ended up on the
plus side, enough to pay for my entire trip and a little cash after expenses.
As with most poker sessions, there are a few memorable hands. Unfortunately, a
couple of my memorable hands were painful. One was when I had pocket Jacks, and my
opponent had pocket Queens. Long story, short - I didn't get any help for my Jacks,
and the Queens won. Nothing strange about that, but certainly disappointing after
maximum raises before the flop. I know - with pocket Jacks, and two re-raises, it's
likely the other player had pocket Queens, Kings or Aces, if not Ace-King.
Any time you play poker all day long, you're going to have many of your hands
snapped off at the river. Likewise, you'll get your share of catching the river
card. That's the nature of the game. One of my opponents, obviously with little
experience, checked his hand to me, allowing me to see the turn card for free. He
was slow playing two pair, one of them being Aces. I ended up with a straight on
the river. The moral to that hand... don't slow play a good hand, especially in
a low-limit game, unless you've got something like 4 of a kind, or a straight flush.
Now for the most memorable (and disappointing hand) of the day. I was dealt a pair
of Fives for my hole cards. I raised before the flop. Most often, a raise before
the flop means a big pair, or something like Ace-King or Ace-Queen. So, when low
cards appear on the flop, it can throw your opponents off when you flop trips. On
this particular hand, the flop came 5,4,7. That was good, since I flopped trips, but
bad, since a straight was possible for someone else. Next, the turn card was a 2,
which (likely) didn't help anyone. And finally, the river card was a second 4,
giving me fives full of fours. Three of the up cards were hearts, so I'm thinking
I'll most likely beat a straight, possibly a flush.
My opponent bet, I raised, he re-raised, and I re-raised again. Then, I was
surprised when he re-raised once more, with no hesitation, at which point,
I said, "you've either got pocket sevens, or a straight flush." I called
(or as they say, I paid him off), and he turned up a 3 and a 6, both hearts,
for the straight flush!
The worst thing about this hand is that they've got a Texas Hold'em Bad Beat
Jackpot, where quad-5s or better, getting beat, pays the jackpot... 40% to
the loser of the hand 20% to the winner, and 40% divided up for the other players.
So, if the 2 on the board was replaced by another 5, I would have had four 5's
beaten by a straight flush, and I would have collected 40% of the jackpot, which,
at the time was about $78,000 - and my cut would have been about $31,000.
I've hit a bad-beat jackpot once, years ago, so it's really disappointing to come
so close, especially when the payoff is that big. But, it was still a "bad beat,"
to me! Anyway, that hand didn't keep me from having a winning session. I played
good poker, had a little bit of luck and came out on top.
I hope my Next Action will be to duplicate my success, and I'm always hoping
to get another crack at that jackpot!
As many years as I've been playing Texas Hold'em, I've come to the realization,
that no matter how good of a player I am (or how good I think I am), the element of
luck has a way of coming in and turning the pots over to the other players.
Especially true, when you get great hands which turn out to be second best.
If you know where I'm going with this one, you're probably right. I did not do
so well on my last visit to
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, which is my favorite
place to play (being about a 5 to 6 hour drive from Birmingham, Alabama.
Just highlighting my two worst "nightmare" hands - I get two Aces in the hole,
which is usually a good thing. The guy next to me had pocket Eights. The flop
comes Ace, 8 and some other "garbage" card. I bet the flop, and everyone but
two players folded. I figured, my odds are very good now. The turn card, again
comes some "garbage" card, that didn't seem to be of much help to anyone.
I bet, got a raise from the trip-Eights, I re-raised, and got two calls.
I was hoping for a pair to show up on the river, or at least a dead card,
but when it hit, it made the
possibility of a straight - which (as you may have guessed) made a straight for
the third player, beating my three Aces and the other player's trip Eights. I don't
always mind when this happens, as long as I'm the one catching the straight on the
river - but I usually wouldn't be chasing the straight to the river. You know what
they say? Those who chase straights and flushes often go home on Greyhound busses!
Now for my last hand of the evening, I'm sitting with about $40 in front of me,
after going through about $300. My hole cards come... 10, 10. I'm in for the first
bet, and the flop comes 10, Jack, 8. I like it (trip Tens) but it looks a little
dangerous with a potential straight on board, but I bet, anyway, and hope for
a pair. The turn card comes 8. Now I've got Tens full of Eights on the turn,
which 90-something percent of the time will win. After the last card, which
didn't help anyone, and my bet getting raised and putting me all in, the
person who raised showed his hand (have you guessed yet?) - two Jacks in
the hole... Jacks Full beating my Tens full. Right then and there, I decided
to retire from poker. But that was a few weeks ago. I'm planning on going
again soon. My motto is: Don't get mad. Get even!
My next action ... hopefully, to WIN!
The poker magazine the pros read is
Card Player,
featuring the latest poker tournament news, tips, poker strategy and
a place to play free poker.
The World Poker Tour
is perhaps one of the
hottest "game" shows on TV today. Their website features the WPT's official
Internet Casino, plus a variety of features - including
HOW TO PLAY!
No matter how good you are (or how good you think you are), be prepared to take
a beating sometimes. Never play beyond your means. I've been a tables, many times,
having bought in for a rack of white ($100 in $1 chips), and another player would
go through $100 in under 30 minutes, then would buy in for another $100, and would
finally max out their ATM or credit card. And I'd still be (conservatively) playing
on my original $100 - often having some of those chips the other player lost! After
all, that is the object of the game.
Looking for your Next Action? Then check out some of these hotspots...
If you live in the southeast, looking for your Next Action,
you might enjoy a mini-vacation in Tunica, Mississippi. A quick jet to
Memphis and about a 30-minute ride south will bring you to the
Tunica Mississippi
Resort Area. If you are in the Atlanta area, now you can even fly
PanAm
direct to Tunica, and back!
If you're a fan of the TV broadcasts of the World Poker Tour, you may be familiar
with some of the players, like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu,
Scotty Nguyen (pronounced Scotty Win), Phil Hellmuth (the poker brat) and
legendary Doyle Brunson. You can get to know the players, featured in the
Players Section
on the World Poker Tour website.
If you're learning Texas Hold'em for the first time, it would be a very good idea
to pick up a book on the subject, read it carefully, and follow the advice.
Know the rules, know how to play and BE PATIENT! Often, you may have to
throw away many hands before you catch the right two cards. Remember, in Hold 'em,
you use your two hole cards with the five community cards to make your best 5-card
poker hand. In casino poker, you usually play with 10 players, so with all the
possible combinations, it usually takes a fairly strong hand to win. Often a
straight, trips, flush or better will win. Here are the hands, starting
with the best (a Royal/Straight Flush)...
Gregg O's Next Action MiniBlog
Biggest FLOP of my life!
September 16, 2009
Snapped off at the River!
May 4, 2009
Straight Flush!
January 4, 2009
Four of a Kind!
November 15, 2008
Long story, short - I spent 9 weeks helping raise the kittens, letting their momma
take care of them, in the bathtub. After a few weeks, the kittens were jumping to get
out of the tub, and finally, they had the run of the house.
My Last Big Hold'em Game...
July 2008
My Last Big Hold'em Game...
January 2008
