Casinos & Pokers

Has anyone read “Psychology of Poker” by Alan N. Schoonmaker, published by 2+2, and is it good? Also, I noted one generally positive review of “Inside the Poker Mind” by John Feeny. Any other comments on that book?

Answer 1:

I haven’t read the Shoonmaker book yet. Haven’t bought it yet either. In fact, if anybody has not bought my book because you wanted to use a credit card (and you can’t use paypal), email me about buying me the Shoonmaker book and trading. I liked the Feeny book. There are parts where I disagree with what he says, but he gives a good enough backgroun/reason for his conclusions that the reader can easily see when some of his conclusions might not have as broad application as Feeny suggests. I recommend it.

Answer 2:

I did not get the Schoonmaker book because I didn’t like his articles in Poker World. I DID buy Feeney’s book and was utterly disappointed because of his constant re-hashing of Sklansky and Malmuth. Do yourself a favor and just buy S&M’s material and skip Feeney’s book.

Answer 3:

I would suggest the opposite. Buy Feeney’s book, and skip HEFAP. Of course, you should still get Sklansky’s Theory of Poker, but I think that Feeney presents most of the critical concepts in HEFAP much more clearly.

Where are some good places to play middle to upper limit holdem? How is the action? Any other comments about Seattle poker are welcome.

Answer 1:

For 10-20 check out the Hideaway, the action is usually very good but seems to have slowed down since the weather got nice. It’s in North Seattle. For higher limits there’s Muckleshoot casino in Auburn, they spread one 20-40, I hear it’s not that good. There’s also New Sonny’s in Federal Way, they usually spread a 8-16 and a 12-24 daily and sometimes get a 15-25 game going. For more info do a search, I feel like there’s a question about Seattle poker at least once a week. So there should be more info in the archives.

Answer 2:

Try the Tuyalip (sp?) casino near Marysville. Always packed till closing which is I believe 3am. Three or Four 4-8 games. One or two 8- 16 games. Almost always at least two 20-40 games. 5-8 tables still going at closing.

Answer 3:

Try the Hideaway at 145th and Aurora. It has several jamming $10-$20 hold’em games but you’d better buckle up! They are FAST!

Let me see if I understand the problem. You stop by the casino for a poker game and pick up a free magazine on the way out. It includes several articles by leading poker writers, reports on several tournaments, schedules of future tournaments, reports on poker related activities from around the world and many advertisements which are in themselves quite informative. Now you believe that if Card Player did “a more honest job of reporting”, it would “provide a better service to the readers?” Would you invest in a magazine start-up that required poker players to use part of their bankroll to pay for subscriptions??

Answer 1:

Card player has done it again! They continue to write favorable press for their advertisers. July 7 card player magazine “Atlantic City scene”, ‘the taj mahal poker room’s new nonsmoking policy has helped immensely according to both player and personnel alike”. Just for the record , i played at the Taj on a daily basis for a number of years. The Trop’s 10-20 holdem game which used to break up more often than not is a very strong game now. Not only that Trops overall business is up. Why is that? The reason is many of the Taj’s regular players now come to the Trop (both smokers and non-smokers).

What the Taj’s “management team” failed to consider is they violated a cardinal rule in the casino business, “never give a player a reason NOT to enter your casino”. In addition they failed to understand that just 2 or 3 players can mean the difference in a game breaking down or lasting through the night. Getting back to the card player magazine, here is just another instance of them presenting a favorable image to a poker room in this case the Taj Mahal. I would be in favor of the Card player doing a more honest job of reporting as opposed to shedding such a favorable light on every card room across the country. Wouldn’t this provide a better service to the readers? Oh and it would be appreciated if some Card Player staff member doesn’t respond to this post by saying “we as a practical matter must try to appease our advertisers”. This type of journalism is inexcusable.

Answer 2:

Card player and Poker Digest are both nothing but advertisements with articles sprinkled in. Neither magazine will ever do an honest review on a card room, simply because it might offend an advertiser. Read the articles, gaze at the ads, but don’t expect anything but rays of sunshine when you read an article about a card room/cruise/casino/tournament.

Answer 3:

Of the four CP covers he’s had, two were unconnected with any sponsor, while one was for the first major tournament ever held on the east coast (World Poker Finals, which he founded, named, and hosted) and one was for the four-color deck (Yaquinto, which he promoted). The other two covers were given because two different publishers thought that he deserved them. And he felt honoured. Significantly, the four Caro covers have been ranked #1, #2, #4, and
#7 as the all-time most interesting in Card Player history. That’s out
of nearly 400 issues that readers could choose from. He feels honoured by that, too. It makes him feel humble.

I was playing in a stud8 tourney at the Clearwawter Casino in Suquamish, WA when the following thing happened: The limits are 50-100, and on fifth street, Player A goes all in with 50. Player B acts next and says “raise” and puts in 100 (I believe she thought the full bet limit was 50 at this point). I point out that she did not in fact raise it, only completed it.

After a bit of confusion, the dealer realizes the full bet is 100 and Player A went all in. Player B then realizes what is going on, and puts 200 in. I speak up again and say she can’t put in 200, she can only put in 150 (50 + 100 raise). The floor gets called over, and says player B is allowed to make it 200. I say “she can’t complete the bet AND raise it”, and the floor responded “She just did”. At this point, the floor, the card room manager, two player/dealers and the dealer are all looking at me like I am from Mars. Player B, who happens to be a dealer, says “that’s how they play here”. I am not the most experienced poker player in the world, but this seems really weird. The way I have seen it, Player B can call or raise the bet to 150. If it is less than half of a full bet, you can call or complete it to a full bet amount. Does this vary from room to room, or is this the first time you have heard of this? IMHO, this is a bad rule. Allowing a player to raise more than the limit is wrong.

Answer 1:

“Player B can call or raise the bet to 150. If it is less than half of a full bet, you can call or complete it to a full bet amount.” That is the standard/widely used rule. However, some card rooms do have different rules. I would have asked to see their rulebook, or the posted rules, which should be somewhere on the wall.

Answer 2:

Different places have different rules. It is the case in some rooms that a bet of at least half of the full bet can be completed and raised.

Answer 3:

In most card rooms, an all-in bet of half-a-bet or more can be called, completed, or raised. i am unaware of any card room [1] where a bet can be completed *and* raised. In this situation, (note: local rules will prevail. assuming nothing unusual,) B could have called the 50, completed to 100, or raised to 150. however, having said “raise,” I would have held B to a bet of 150.

Okay, I know there are 270,725 different 4 card combos. Also, I’m pretty sure that the odds of 2 players playing heads-up both getting aces are 1/270,725. (Even though they could each get their aces in six different ways, it doesn’t seem to change the odds to me.) But what about two pairs of aces dealt to any two players in a ten-handed game? What about the number of different ways 10 people can get two cards? Is it 52 taken 20 at a time? = 125,994,627,894,135 or is it 52 taken 2 at a time * 50 taken two at a time * etc…down to 34 taken two at a time? (I would use the proper combination notation if I could just figure out how to type it in.) Anyway, there’s the question, odds masters. What’s the easy way (or the hard way) to determine the odds of two people getting aces in a ten-handed game, or two-handed game or with x number of players?

Answer 1:

Say 10 players…start with 20/52 that the ace of spades is in some player’s hand, and if so, then either 1/51 that the ace of hearts is in the same player’s hand, or 18/51 that it’s in a different player’s hand…and so on.

Answer 2:

Here is an alternate method to the one indicated by Barbara. Suppose you have ten players. 20 cards are dealt (two to each player). In order for two of the players to each have a pair of aces, all four aces must be included in the 20 dealt cards. The probability of this occurring is C(48,16)/C(52,20) = .017896 (1), where C(48,16) is the number of ways to choose 16 objects out of 48, etc. Now, assuming that all 4 aces are included in the 20 cards dealt, the probability that player 1 and player 2 each get a pair of aces is C(4,2)/[C(20,2)*C(18,2)] = .000206398 There are C(10,2) = 45 choices of two players out of the 10 (and each selection of two players is “independent” to any other different selection of two players), so the probability of any two players getting dealt the pair of aces GIVEN that the 4 aces were in the 20 cards is .000206398*45 = .00928791 (2) The probability you desired is the product of (1) and (2); i.e., given 10 handed hold’em, the probability that two people are each dealt a pair of aces = .017896)*(.00928791) = .0001662 So, in a 10 handed game one would expect to see (on average) such an event about once every 6016 hands.

Answer 3:

Another straightforward way ‘to skin this cat’… 20/52 that the ace of spades is in SOME player’s hand, and then 3/51 that that same player’s ‘other’ card is one of the other three aces, and then 18/50 that the ‘next’ ace is in some other player’s hand, and then 1/49 that the last ace is in the same other hand.

Playing in games (both home and casino) here in Southern California, I have always heard the word “over” describing a full house. For example, AAAQQ is “aces over queens.” However, at a home game in Seatlle, the hand AAQQ (two pair) is called “aces over queens.” They said that the only correct terminology for a full house is “full of.” I always use “up” for two pair. I know I’ve heard “over” more often, and seen it in dictionaries and poker movies alike. Which is actually correct?

Answer 1:

AAAQQ can be described, in my experience, as “aces full of queens”, “aces full” or “aces over queens”. AAQQx is either “two pair, aces up” or “aces and queens”.

Answer 2:

I have never heard “Aces over Queens” as correct terminology for a full house. Aces full of Queens is the correct term. Generally someone saying “Aces over Queens” when they have a full house is what we would call a real “jerk-off”.

Answer 3:

I have never seen a full house described as ‘Aces over Queens” in fact the person describing a full house in this manner we would call a real jerk-off!

I’ve seen a couple of references to tipping floor staff. I’ve never seen anyone actually doing it. Is it commonly done? How and when is it done? For what amount? Any info would be appreciated.

Answer 1:

Saw it happen at Canterbury earlier today – they had just hit the jackpot for $4900, and they toked the dealer about $200 and the floor $50…

Answer 2:

To Insure Prompt service. So yes, I occassionally slip the floorman a few bucks or drop a chip or two in the cashiers jar. I put most of my hours in at the same place, so I think it spreads good will (and it has worked to my advantage). A couple of weeks ago, I needed five copies of a document and the cage girl made them for me. Of course I could have gone to Kinko’s for less than the buck, but that’s not the point. I also know that I got preferred treatment from one floor man (who is no longer there) because he likes me (most probably because I tipped).

Answer 3:

I always tip chip-runners ($1 per rack). I tip brushes, chip-runners, etc. who do something else useful, such as clean up the mess some other player left at the table, go get my comp ticket for me, or fetch me a better chair than the one I have. I don’t tip managers and supervisors under any circumstances. I tip the rare cashier who actually smiles and doesn’t come across acting as if she’s doing a favor by giving me my money. But I also tip better than most people, probably because I once worked as a waitress and know what it’s like to be in a low-wage job where you are dependent on other people’s generosity.

Can someone please tell me which casinos have hotels attached to them? And if none of them do, is there one where there is a nice hotel nearby?

Answer 1:

Crystal Park is the only Hotel/Casino in L.A. Commerce has a hotel about a block away. Hollywood Park has hotel’s you probably wouldn’t want to stay at across the street and hotels you wouldn’t mind staying at about a 5 minute drive down Century.

Answer 2:

I recommend the Wyndham down the street from the Commerce. It is two minute shuttle ride from Commerce and 5-10 minute drive from bicycle club.

Answer 3:

If you’re playing Hollywood Park, just sleep in your car like a lot of the players there do…that is, if they OWN one.

I admit it, I am a supporter of Phil Hellmuth and wish him nothing but the greatest future in this game. With that being said, I also used to look forward to visiting his website for hands of the week and high limit results. The last update seems to have been done in April. He came on here a while ago and promised a new posting in the hand of the week section, but I never saw one. Anyone know what gives?

Answer 1:

I’m guessing that as with many new websites, the owners are very excited about doing it at first and update and add new content often. Then after a while it kind of loses its fun and just becomes a lot of work.

Answer 2:

I like the high limit results but he only updates it every couple of months. Maybe if he did a better job he would get more hits and be able to get some advertisers. That would make it worth his time

Answer 3:

I saw Phils face & a few brief words, what fascinated me was what they said about Barbara Streisand playing $5 Blackjack, and requesting all new toilet lids in her suite. The program was good, but not enough about poker.

You are on the button with A2 suited with KK. 5 players in, all call a preflop raise from the BB. The flop comes 4 6 7…two suited, but not your suit. SB opens, call, call raise. It’s on you. What do you do? Raise? Fold? Call? Would your action differ at higher limits? Or even PL? Personally, I think this is a dangerous situation that probably is a chip burner. But find myself reaching for chips nevertheless. Anyone out there disciplined enough to toss this hand? Or is calling or raising better here?

Answer 1:

We probably need more information about the players. Note, the pre-flop raiser probably doesn’t have A-2 unless he’s tricky (we don’t know) and the texture of the flop is one which hits many hands — gives them the nut straight or draw to the nut straight with possible low backup. I would not fold here (probably just call) I have a question for you. Why have you chosen not to raise pre-flop in Omaha? If you can’t raise with this hand on the button, I’m assuming you never raise. Even a newbie, weak/tight guppie like Badger would raise with this hand. This is a more serious leak in your game than any decision you make on flopping the nut low with five-way action and some chance of being counterfeited.

Answer 2:

Lee’s right. You’re on the button with A-2 suited-K-K. Reraise. Hope the original raiser reraises. If you can 4 bet, cap it. Here’s your chance to get a bunch of dead money in the pot. After the flop it appears you still have four players, so reraising again is certainly in order. Get as much money as you can from anyone drawing to second and probably worse nuts. Make them pay and hope they never learn the error of their ways. This is the beauty of Omaha HiLo. These people never seem to learn. So what if you can win only half the pot. If you are using the late position to build the pot there ill be more than enough money to go around even if you have to share the nut low. Scooping the pot is what you should play for in Omaha8. That’s where you make your big wins. However, maximizing small wins like this one is what can keep you competitive while waiting on that big scoop.

Answer 3:

In 3-6: Raise preflop. Cap it if the BB reraises. On the flop, I’d probably reraise here. If you think a reraise will knock out the two callers, you might just call. In 75-150: Raise preflop. Cap it if the BB reraises. On the flop, a reraise will knock out players drawing dead, so just call here. In pot-limit: Just limp preflop and call the raise. If there is a pot bet, two calls, and a large raise, you should probably fold with just the current nut low and no high draw or counterfeit insurance. What do all those people have? It’s almost inconceivable that many good players all hit this flop.