History of Poker

Looking around for ways to spend my time in what I am sure is a bustling, sophisticated metropolis of nearly 500 people, I learned that there is a casino near there. I don’t know whether they have any poker tables, but I am hopeful. I play in a semi-regular game with friends, mostly 7CS with occasional HE or Omaha. I usually do well in those games, ($2 limit, I have averaged about $5 ahead per hour) but I am sure that casino poker is a much different game. What should I do to prepare for an expedition to a real casino? I have about a month. The only book on the topic I have read is “Thursday Night Poker” by Peter O. Steiner (I think, I don’t have a copy here to make sure I correctly remember the author.) What other book or books would be most useful to me? Is there any way I can practice? (Good computer programs, &c.?)

Answer 1:

I liked Skalansky’s Theory of Poker. It is differently for the more advanced player and would be a good book to read before going to any casino. General Advice – Play limits you can afford. Watch the game for awhile before you play and look for games you can beat before you sit. You can find the book t http://www.twoplustwo.com

Answer 2:

It depends on how much time you have before your trip (how many hours you will devote to studying). If few, I recommend the pamphlet-sized book ‘Fundamentals of Poker’ by Malmuth. There is just too much to learn (especially from a comprehensive poker book) to try and become knowledgeable enough to know what you are doing in the casino before you try. This book is short, sweet, and includes the main basics you will need. So does Yardley’s book “Education of a Poker Player”.

Answer 3:
You’re right to think that the casino game is different and “Thursday Night Poker” was written with the home game in mind. For a quick, easy read and fundamentally sound casino low limit 7CS game, I’d read George Percy’s “The Waiting Game”. It’s a little dated (read a little tight), but very good for the most part. It’s a good start, and like I said, quick, easy and sound.

I ran into a difficult hand situation which I would appreciate input on. On 5th st I have a 4 flush (2 flush showing), a player showing A, 7, 7 checks, 3 players fold, a player showing 5, Q, 5 bets. I call and the probable A’s up calls. Game continues with 5′s betting and the 2 pair and I calling all the way up the river. I make the flush but both the A’s up and I loose to the 5′s full. I question what the best play would have been in this situation. There are several ways to loose but only one way to win. Either the A,7,7 or the 5′s could have already had a FH and I’m drawing dead. If either player improves, I loose. The only way to win from 5th st is for me to improve while neither other player does. However, on 6th st the 5′s only has one hidden card to pair and make FH since he has 5, “?” in the hole, otherwise he must pair his board to make FH. Likewise, the A,7,7 can not make FH on 6th without me knowing. I didn’t make the flush till 7th st. After thinking about this hand I also question how it should be played if I were to have made the flush on 5th or 6th st. The 2 pair would probably fold but not the trips. Although I would have the best hand at the moment, if the trips improve, I loose. How should this be played? Are these just a couple of those close hands where betting and calling are the better play?

Answer 1:

Here’s some of the relevant math… Let’s say that your hand was [Ks-10s]-8h-4s-2s, and the opposing hands were [As-x]-Ah-7d-7c and [5s-x]-5h-Qd-5c, and all other cards random… First of all, you can make your flush only less than 1/3rd of the time, and even when you DO make you flush, most of those flushes will LOSE. Overall, the odds are worse than 6-to-1 against…OK?!

Answer 2:

When the fives paired his door card I’m gone with only a flush draw. If I had a reason to get tricky and present a very aggressive image, or if the guy with the pair of 5s showing is a very weak player I might raise with my flush draw. But against regular solid players or unknown players I’m gone. I might be in third place. I’ll save my chips for another hand.

Answer 3:

I would have folded when I saw the five pair his door card. I would have definitely folded on sixth since you did not make your
flush. With two people in, you probably are not getting better pot odds than 6 to 1, as barbara puts it. If we were to assume that the A77 had spit aces, he screwed up by not raising early and forcing out the pair of fives. Some questions… how many of your suit was out?? How many queens were dead? This may change the calculation, but not much.

I just started playing HE recently. A couple days ago I was playing 1-4-8 at Mandalay Bay and had a hand that involved pocket kings. Basically what happened was (please excuse the lack of knowledge regarding poker terms) in the pre-flop I had pocket kings. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd players after the blind mucked their cards. It got to the 4th player he raised 4, 5th player folded, I re-raised, the dealer and both blinds folded. 4th player called. The flop came up, 3, 7, J off-suits. 4th player raised the max, I re-raised, he called. Turn was a 2 o. He raised, I re-raised. The river came up, Qo. He raised, I re-raised, he called. He had two pairs J’s and Q’s. Needless to say, my pocket kings lost. Did I play that hand correctly, what would you guys have done differently?

Answer 1:
Just so you know, his original bets on the turn and river are called “bets” (not “raises”) because he was the first to bet on that round. You can’t raise unless someone has bet first in that betting round. As for your play:
Preflop: Good
Flop: Good
Turn: Good
River: Mistake. Once you raise on the flop and turn, there’s no way he will bet into you again unless he has AT LEAST two pair. Just call here.
Answer 2:

I, too, started playing HE recently and had a similar experience with pocket Kings yesterday in fact. I’m in next to last position, dealer to my left. I’m dealt the kings, two players before me call the bet ($2) and I raise. Button drops, blinds call, player immediately after the blinds calls and everybody else folds. Me and 3 other players and I’m in last position. Flop: 2d, Qc, 8h, no threatening draws, no over cards: (I’m already stacking the chips.) All check to me; I bet; they call. Turn: 3s. Everybody checks to me, I bet; they call.
Still in decent shape. Board looks harmless enough, (click, click, click I’m counting chips.) I’m River: 4d. Ouch! Small blind bets; other two fold; I call. He turns over 4,5 off-suit. \
Answer 3:
I guess you mean a 6d on the river. Anyways, you will see people calling the pre-flop in low limits. I, although I am a beginner, would never play the flop with 4, 5 off suit. They keep playing like that, especially against pocket kings, and I am sure they
will not last long at the table.

Can anyone explain to me why you cannot play AQ unsuited from the middle position with 4 or more callers when it is ok to play hands such as 98 and T8s.  Is it because if you hit two pair, somebody is bound to have made straight?

Answer 1:

From your title I’m guessing that you’re thinking the Jones book recommends folding AQo from middle position with 4 or more callers. But, the book doesn’t say that.  On page 38 there is a small summary end-of-chapter table where AQo is omitted in the 4 or more caller’s category.  The same table says raise if 3 or fewer callers and call if someone has already raised.  The text of the short, two page chapter says that you should play that hand and usually should at least think about raising. I’m guessing that there was an error in that summary table. Don’t pay so much attention to the details of tables of hands — think about what the book says instead.  I really mean that — most readers pay way to much attention to lists of hands and just don’t think about what the book is saying.

Answer 2:

Basically because 98s and such hands play well multiway, whereas with AQoff you want to narrow the field as much as possible to give your hand a better chance of holding up if you make a decent, but not great, hand.

Answer 3:

For a single bet, AQo can be played from ANY position, regardless of number of players in the pot. If QQ, KK, AA or AK is not in there, AQ will make good EV (even against JJ). If there was a raise which strongly indicates a possible dominating hand (one of the above), it becomes a must dump. If the raise is loose, AQ should three-bet (regardless of the number of players!). There are players though who open-limp early with their strongest hands, but don’t play AJ and friends utg at all. Against these rocks AQ is dumpable for a single bet. Whether to play AQ or not is not really an issue. HOW to play it is a much more interesting subject (see my homepage).

I’m working a meeting this week on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Need some info on Omaha HiLo games. How early do the Omaha HiLo games get started during the week at the Biloxi and Gulfport Grands. What are the usual limits? Any description of game styles will be helpful. (Wild n Crazy to loose/passive?)

Answer 1:

Sorry can’t help much. Both Grands have 1-4-8-8 or 4-8 games going when I am there but that is usually on the weekends. Usually one game with half kill. 1-800-WIN2WIN and ask for poker room.

Answer 2:

I can only speak for the Biloxi Grand, however, the O/8 game has been going everytime I went there (4-5 times on both weekends and weekdays).  Also, I have been there in the middle of the afternoon so I think you have a pretty good chance of finding this game going.  As for the game itself, I have played in it a couple of times and would term it (based on my limited experience) basically loose/passive.  I have not encountered many maniacs. However, there are some rocks and you better be careful calling without the nuts (especially on the low side).

Answer 3:

You should be able to find a game at either Grand most any time. Gulfport plays mostly 1-4-8-8 and Biloxi play 4-8 with a 1/2 kill (an insane amount for the kill is $40).  Gulfport sometime spreads a 10-20 and Biloxi always has at least one 10-20 on Friday and Sat and some days during the week. IMHO the 1-4-8-8 game in Gulfport is weaker than the Biloxi game even though there are two or three decent plays in the Gulfport game.  The game is almost always loose-passive with the usual suck-outs.  The 4-8 game in Biloxi can range from moderate to down right tough.  Also many times the week-end 10-20 can be easier than the 4-8.

I’m looking for a furniture-style poker table for a game room in my new home. It’s going to have a bar, kitchen area, suspended TV’s and a pool table –not for family entertainment, just poker. I want a sturdy round heavy table at least 6 feet in diameter and preferably round (sometimes we fit in 9 or 10).  I might consider oval but the casino-style tables I’ve seen have the dealers “box”  built in chip rack which I don’t need and I would prefer a wooden furniture antique type of table.

Answer 1:

Since you want an “antique” look, why don’t you find an antique table with a heavy pedestal base. If you can find one with a damaged top it should be less expensive. Remove the top and bolt on a piece of heavy plywood in the diameter you prefer. Cover the plywood with padding designed for poker tables, then stretch card table felt across the top, securing it with a staple gun on the bottom edge of the table. Next, have a woodcrafter make a “ring” for you, about 5″ wide, which will be approx. 3″ wider than the able. For example, if your table top is 60″diameter, the ring will be 66″ diameter, thus overlapping 3″ all the way around. On the underside of the ring you need to secure a smaller ring, perhaps 1″wide and 2″ high, which will fit snugly around the table top to hold the ring in place. Pad the 5″ ring with heavy foam, and then cover with naugahyde, etc. Set the ring on top and you are ready to go. You want the ring to be removable so you can change the felt and pad as needed. There are variations to this, but if talk to a furniture maker about the ring and explain the idea. I’m sure he can help. Maybe make the ring out of solid wood that matches the table base. Just make sure the base is VERY heavy and stable. These tables get pretty top heavy. Especially when people lean on the edge while playing.

Answer 2:

Billiard supply stores are the best place, but you can build one for 1/5 the price and it will look better.

Answer 3:

The home game I play in is hosted by an accomplished carpenter.  He has built two pretty cool tables- one with five sides, and one with 7.  These are extremely well done regular pentagonal and heptagonal- topped tables. One thing I don’t like about the tables is he built in “chip troughs.”  So player stakes are out of view- I’m used to knowing what everyone has.