tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13440052750602080162024-03-19T14:12:57.525-07:00Playing Poker Like A Champ!Stick around a while and learn a little, online poker and live poker tournament play.Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-5017630825404616552012-09-20T21:18:00.000-07:002012-09-20T21:18:56.676-07:00Poker Tournament Strategy Tips and Advice For Online Poker<div id="article-content">
In Texas Holdem, making good decisions is vital to getting deep
in poker tournaments. This article covers the <a href="http://caligonia.com/poker/">poker basics</a> of when it is
a good time to go all-in throughout the different stages of a poker
tournament.<br />
<br />
Understanding basic poker tournament strategy helps you
arrive at executing correct tournament decisions.<br />
Timing,
in poker tournaments, is practically half the game. Possessing the
mindset of when to make moves and when to fold is a crucial part of
tourney success. That being said, let's examine scenarios where it is a
good idea to go all in, and then some situations in a poker tournament
where you should wait it out. Before we do that, the first poker
tournament strategy you want to erase from your mind is the concept that
when you are down to 10 big blinds (BB) or less, you need to shove with
certain strong hands. This poker basics theory is a poor poker
tournament strategy and essentially nothing more than an excuse players
use to try to double up. Living on hope is not the way to win a poker
tournament.<br />
<br />
The 10 Big blind theory in poker has inherent
strategic flaws, mostly because a majority of tournament poker players
embrace the concept that if they get an opportunity to knock out a
player they will take the chance. Therefore, you are essentially
involving yourself in an unnecessary race with the hope of gathering
much-needed chips. In other words, an all-in induces action! Therefore
unless you have a really strong hand, than you should NOT go all-in
regardless of how many big blinds you have left. Believe it or not, the
real poker basics strategy is; 'it is better to blind out than to take
an unnecessary shot in the dark.' (Remember, a chip and a chair is a
real story!)<br />
<br />
Now with 10 BB remaining, typically you have a
minimum 30 hands left before you are blinded out. Therefore, with 10
BBs, you should never become anxious. The poker basics formula to
calculate how many hands you have remaining before being blinded out at a
9 person table is typically three to three and one half times the
number of big blinds remaining. So, if you have 30 BBs, you will be able
to see about 100 hands before you blind out assuming you fold every
hand. The hands remaining formula is a basic poker tournament lesson
taught in my poker tournament strategies newsletter, (see link below).<br />
<br />
Now
that we have covered how many poker hands you have remaining, let's
find out which hands in your tournament are critically a good time to go
all in. In the case where you hold a top ten hand in late position, and
there are more than two limpers, and you have 10 BB left, this is
strategically, a good time to shove all in. The limpers likely will not
call you preflop. On the other hand, if you are willing to take the risk
and limp, you could get more value by waiting to see the flop.
Especially if your opponents are loose, and tend to limp with warm
hands. However, my strategy is to take down a limped pot preflop, as
this will give you more chips to make a play later.<br />
<br />
If you have a
warm hand such as KQ suited or less, and you are in late position with
no action before you, this is a good tournament strategy to shove and
get rid of the button and blinds. You must remember that in addition to
the number of hands you have remaining, your position is very important
as well. In a poker tournament, players will tend to tighten up as they
get deeper, and you can take advantage of this as a short stack, to get
your chips in. However, you should only do it in position, with no
players in the pot before you. This eliminates the possibility that some
players like to limp in a tournament with monster hands, hoping to
catch (or, trap) the shortstacks making a move.<br />
<br />
Late stage
tournament poker strategy; you want to play a tighter variety of hands
and use position to make an all in move. In the middle stages of a
tourney, when players are holding onto their stacks, your strategy
should change. For example, limping with a monster hand to see a flop
before you make a move. In the case where the flop is a really dry flop
(no draws, no high cards, no connectors, etc.), there is never a need to
go all in, make a strategic bet and you are likely to take down the pot
uncontested. On the other hand, if you limp and the flop is a really
draw heavy flop, you want to proceed cautiously before going all in.
Maybe put out a big enough bet to see if someone is drawing. Usually,
two-thirds to three-quarters bet is sufficient. If you get called and
the draw does not come on the turn, exercise your poker strategy and
consider this may be the time to go all in.<br />
<br />
Typically, players are
less likely to make an all in call on the turn, in middle and late
stages of a tourney. Therefore, your strategy to get rid of drawing
poker hands is best on the turn and not on the flop. In almost every
case possible, it is rarely a good idea to get all your chips in the pot
on the flop or even pre-flop. This again is a poor strategy and usually
induces action by drawing hands that figure they have 2 cards to come
and their odds are better to hit their draw.<br />
<br />
Now for a look at early stage <a href="http://papokerplayers.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">poker tournament strategy</a>.
There is almost never a reason you should have all your chips in the
pot in the first 4 or 5 levels of any poker tournament. It is
mathematically impossible to get blinded out in any poker tournament in
the first 5 levels. In other words, you can not get blinded out, so why
get all your chips in? The early stage of a poker tournament is best to
slowly build up your stack with the intention of doubling your stack by
the first break. However, the first 4 or 5 levels of any poker
tournament is where most of the loose aggressive donkeys play! So, make
it your strategy that unless you have the top 4 nuts on the flop, turn
or river, you should avoid going all in.<br />
<br />
We covered early stage
poker tournament strategy, where you should build slowly and avoid the
donkey play, middle stage strategy where you should target your plays
for the flop or turn and late tournament stage strategy where you want
to patiently wait for top hands to make your move. We also covered the
false 10 BB theory and how to calculate your approximate poker hands
remaining. The final word in this poker tournament strategy is that you
want to reserve your all in for only when you have a lock on the pot! Do
not get it all in weak or preflop, work your poker strategy on the
flop, turn or river. After all, that is where the real power chip
building is! Good luck and for more poker tournament strategy tips, make
sure to sign up for my tournament newsletter sent free right to your
email.<br />
</div>
<div id="article-resource">
<br />
Learn more poker tournament strategies to win online poker by joining the free Poker News strategic tip newsletter at <a href="http://caligonia.com/news/lists/?p=subscribe&id=3" target="_new">Poker Tournament Strategies</a><br />
<br />
Start winning online poker tournaments today by reading the number one bestseller in winning online! Read the <a href="http://caligonia.com/poker/" target="_new">Online Poker Code</a>.<br />
</div>
Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-89254445194193983382011-02-11T06:58:00.000-08:002011-02-11T06:58:05.225-08:00Victor Ramdin To Host Poker Camp At Meadows Poker Room | Pennsylvania Poker Players<a href="http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.info/victor-ramdin-to-host-poker-camp-at-meadows-poker-room/">Victor Ramdin To Host Poker Camp At Meadows Poker Room | Pennsylvania Poker Players</a><br /><br />Come join hundreds of poker players the weekend of February 18th, 2011 to meet Victor Ramdin as he teaches poker camp at the Meadows Casino in Washington PA.<br /><br />Registration is free and several players will have the opportunity to play cash and satellites against Victor Ramdin.<br /><br />The action begins on Friday February 18th at 10:00am and registration is encouraged by calling the poker room at 724 503 1700.Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-46348948683358385602011-01-28T03:18:00.000-08:002011-01-28T03:35:31.269-08:00WSOP Satellite Event Wheeling Island Casino Poker RoomWheeling Island will feature a WSOP satellite event on Saturday January 29th at 1pm in the showroom. Wheeling Island Casino and Racetrack is a WSOP satellite location.<br /><br />This no limit holdem poker tournament event will give away one $10,000 seat + $6000 in Cash to the winner with expected cash prizes to the final table (based on number of entrants). The buy in is $130 with an optional rebuy of $70. Your initial buy in will get you 10K in chips plus a dealer add on of 1500 (for $5). The rebuy of 10K in chips can be added at anytime your intial chips are at or less than the original starting stack.<br /><br />Several local pros from the tri-state area are expected to play as well as Darvin Moon, the 2009 Runner up in the WSOP (World Series of Poker) main event. Darvin won more than $5 million dollars for his $130 satellite seat.<br /><br />The Main event of the WSOP will be held on July 7th at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.<br /><br />Jody, floor supervisor at Wheeling Island casino, will floor the poker tournament on Saturday afternoon. The staff is able to accommodate up to 220 players at this event.<br /><br />Registration is open now until the first level of the tournament, however early registration is encouraged to ensure you do not get locked out. (I already bought my seat!)<br /><br />Get in there and good luck, hope to see you all Saturday!<br /><br />Any questions, Visit the Poker Room or call 877-WIN-HERE ext. 1785 for complete details.Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-19010822567191325772010-11-25T12:15:00.001-08:002012-09-20T21:38:28.536-07:00Successful Sit N Go Poker Lessons<a href="http://www.marketersdomination.com/Successful_Sit_N_Go_Poker_Lessons-3086">Successful Sit N Go Poker Lessons</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.marketersdomination.com/What_Is_Sit_N_Go_Poker-2992"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sit and go poker</span></a> also known as SNG is one of the best ways to build and maintain your poker bankroll.<br />
<br />
The overall risk, unlike a cash game, is limited to your buy in, and the fact that you will have to beat out a limited number of players gives you a better opportunity to win.<br />
<br />
Local casino poker rooms as well as every online poker room offers a <span style="font-weight: bold;">sitngo poker</span> in a variety of field sizes.<br />
<br />
The majority of live casino poker rooms will permit a sign up list for players interested in a sit n go. If you want to play more sit n go poker, ask the floor staff at your poker room to start a list and make an announcement. You can also mingle through the poker room asking if anyone is interested in playing a sit n go.<br />
<br />
Read more about Sit N Go Poker lessons in this article...<a href="http://www.marketersdomination.com/Successful_Sit_N_Go_Poker_Lessons-3086">Successful Sit N Go Poker Lessons</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-57134284835563583532010-11-25T12:15:00.000-08:002012-09-20T21:39:51.877-07:00Successful Sit N Go Poker Lessons<a href="http://www.marketersdomination.com/Successful_Sit_N_Go_Poker_Lessons-3086">Successful Sit N Go Poker Lessons</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.marketersdomination.com/What_Is_Sit_N_Go_Poker-2992"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sit and go poker</span></a> also known as SNG is one of the best ways to build and maintain your poker bankroll.<br />
<br />
The overall risk, unlike a cash game, is limited to your buy in, and the fact that you will have to beat out a limited number of players gives you a better opportunity to win.<br />
<br />
Local casino poker rooms as well as every online poker room offers a <span style="font-weight: bold;">sitngo poker</span> in a variety of field sizes.<br />
<br />
The majority of live casino poker rooms will permit a sign up list for players interested in a sit n go. If you want to play more sit n go poker, ask the floor staff at your poker room to start a list and make an announcement. You can also mingle through the poker room asking if anyone is interested in playing a sit n go.<br />
<br />
Read more about Sit N Go Poker lessons in this article...<a href="http://www.marketersdomination.com/Successful_Sit_N_Go_Poker_Lessons-3086">Successful Sit N Go Poker Lessons</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-78444944124622762402010-11-03T05:19:00.000-07:002010-11-03T05:19:08.060-07:00Mt Airy Casino Poker Room Massive $290K Bad Beat Jackpot | Pennsylvania Poker Players<a href="http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.info/mt-airy-casino-poker-room-massive-290k-bad-beat-jackpot/">Mt Airy Casino Poker Room Massive $290K Bad Beat Jackpot | Pennsylvania Poker Players</a><br /><br />The Bad Beat Jackpot has reached an enormous $291,000 at Mt Airy Casino Poker Room in the Poconos.<br /><br />Largest Jackpot in PA History.<br /><br />Read the whole story....<br /><br /><a href="http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.info/mt-airy-casino-poker-room-massive-290k-bad-beat-jackpot/">Mt Airy Casino Poker Room Massive $290K Bad Beat Jackpot | Pennsylvania Poker Players</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-32873291276987023202010-11-02T00:21:00.000-07:002012-09-20T21:41:32.340-07:00Free Poker Games Texas Hold Em Poker Playing Tips | Win Online Poker Tournaments<a href="http://winonlinepokertournaments.caligonia.com/free-poker-games-texas-hold-em-poker-playing-tips/">Free Poker Games Texas Hold Em Poker Playing Tips | Win Online Poker Tournaments</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-75075380761519180232010-10-26T03:02:00.000-07:002012-09-20T21:45:14.445-07:00Full Tilt Poker Enforces Ban On Poker Bots<a href="http://pokerrigged.caligonia.com/">Full Tilt Poker Enforces Ban On Poker Bots</a><br />
<br />
As reported on the <a href="http://pokerrigged.caligonia.com/">Online Poker Rigged</a> site, Full Tilt has banned more than 1400 accounts for using poker bots.<br />
<br />
Seems like we were right all along!<br />
<br />
Read the full story here.... <a href="http://pokertips.caligonia.com/full-tilt-poker-enforces-ban-on-poker-bots/">Full Tilt Poker Enforces Ban On Poker Bots</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-12101755888734417682010-09-13T04:03:00.000-07:002010-09-13T05:55:09.366-07:00More Ways to Discover Your Poker StrategyAs poker players, we are always looking for ways to improve our game, and ultimately increase our bottom line. Of course the regular methods of reading articles, blogs and poker books are helpful, one of the most overlooked ways to improve your poker game is in the radio media.<br /><br />Over the last few years, poker radio shows have become more popular (as well as internet radio and podcasts). It is common to find professional poker players sharing their knowledge of the game on live radio stations. This is a good opportunity to expand your knowledge of the game through sincere talk from many pros.<br /><br />I recently was introduced to such a radio show called <a href="http://houseofcardsradio.com">House of Cards Radio</a> hosted by Ashley Adams, author and professional poker player. The show is well formatted, wherein Ashley brings poker strategy to the listeners each week. Featuring professional poker players as well as game theorists and strategists like the recent show with Joe Navarro (former FBI profiler) on poker tells.<br /><br />I was invited by Ashley to appear on the show to talk about Poker in Pennsylvania, since PA has recently allowed casino gambling in the state. My main focus, of course, is poker playing in the live casino.<br /><br />The show is aired nationally on several networks as well as Internet radio stations available throughout the week. In addition, there is a section where listeners can retrieve archived shows and listen to programs they have missed.<br /><br />I encourage all my readers to use this venue as a great resource for furthering your poker education by going to <a href="http://houseofcardsradio.com">http://www.houseofcardsradio.com</a>. This weeks show features Myself and Gary Locke from <a href="http://www.thenegn.com/">New England Gaming News </a>and will air at the following times on these stations.<br /><br /><h3 style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: normal;" class="UIIntentionalStory_Message"><span class="UIStory_Message"><span class="text_exposed_show">Wednesday, 6 PM WPIC 790 AM West. PA / Eastern Ohio<br />Wednesday, 7 PM HamiltonRadio<br />Wednesday, 8 PM HardnoseSportsRadio<br />Thursday 7 PM ESPN Radio New Hampshire (WGAM)<br />Thursday, 9 PM WIFI 1460 AM New Jersey<br />Friday, 4 PM WIFI 1460 AM New Jersey<br />Saturday 8 AM ESPN Radio 96.7 FM West. PA / Eastern Ohio<br />Saturday, 10 PM TalkRadioX and KTRX 1650 AM Texas<br />Sunday, 5 PM TalkRadioX and KTRX 1650 AM Texas<br />Sunday, 7 PM HoldemRadio</span></span></h3>For a complete list or to hear the Internet Broadcast go to the <a href="http://houseofcardsradio.com/pages/stationlist.shtml">Station List</a><br /><br />Just remember, this is one more way you can improve your game and become a better poker player!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Resources:</span><br /><a href="http://houseofcardsradio.com/pages/hocbio.shtml">Ashley Adams Bio</a><br />Ashley Adams' Books<br /> <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0818406356?ie=UTF8&tag=hazatlgla-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0818406356">Winning 7-Card Stud: Transforming Home Poker Chumps into Casino Killers</a><img style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=hazatlgla-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0818406356" alt="" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /> <a href="mailto:asha34@aol.com?subject=Winning%20No%20Limit%20Ebook%20from%20PA%20Poker%20Blog&body=Hi%20Ashley,%20I%20am%20interested%20in%20buying%20your%20eBook%20Winning%20No%20Limit%20Holdem" target="_self">Winning No Limit Hold'em</a></i><br /><a href="http://papokerplayers.com">Pa Poker Players Blog</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-23292046775339319702010-09-08T00:39:00.000-07:002010-09-08T00:57:29.590-07:00The Poker Face – Reading and Being ReadEvery poker player is quite familiar with the '<span style="font-weight: bold;">poker face</span>' and the importance of it in the game. However, is reading your opponents poker face more important than the projection of your own poker face? The reading ability you acquire through years of playing poker and the aptitude to recognize different situations is only half the battle when it comes to playing an effective game of poker.<br /><br />The other half is the projection of your Poker Face and how you can easily convince or manipulate your opponent into believing you. One of the best players with the greatest reading ability is undoubtedly <a href="http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/">Daniel Negreanu</a>. I personally met Daniel at the WSOP in 2008 and was just amazed at his outgoing personality and his targeted reads at the poker table. A lot can be learned from Daniel and how he is able to project a convincing poker face to his opponents.<br /><br />While many poker players will try to cover up their face with sunglasses, hoodies or hats, or even cover their face (ala Phil 'unabomber' Laak), many pro poker players have learned that revealing your poker face and using deceptive countermeasures are far more effective in misleading your opponents.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">As a side note, Daniel Negreanu along with several other professional poker players have started a grass-roots movement to ban sunglasses and hats at major live poker tournaments.</span><br /></blockquote><br />Before you can work on your poker face, you need to learn more about the body language of the face and what tells are derived from it. Doyle Brunson once said,<br /><blockquote><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">If I can see your eyes, I can see your hole cards</span>." </blockquote><br /><br />Although this may scare a player into believing they need to cover their eyes with sunglasses or a hat to prevent a pro from learning the secrets of their poker hand, the reality is that, Doyle, or any experienced pro, does not need to see your eyes. That statement is merely a diversionary tactic to draw attention away from the real tells people give away when they play poker.<br /><br />The truth is, that the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> poker face</span> is not just resigned to the face, it is more about <span style="font-weight: bold;">body language</span> as a whole and the behavior of a person in a certain situation. I always amaze my daughter with the fact I know when she is not telling me the truth, just as any parent is usually able to do, not because I can read her mind, rather I am familiar with her body language, mannerisms and behaviors.<br /><br />Those are the basic keys to having the ability to read your opponent, and furthermore they are the keys to you projecting your poker face to lead your opponent into believing what you want them to believe. So remember, when playing poker, putting on your poker face is not about hiding your hand, rather it is about telling your opponent what you want him to believe you are holding!<br /><br />An excellent book on the subject is from a magician and mentalist, known as <span style="font-style: italic;">The Mind Reader</span>. His book is called<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> The Poker Face</span> and gives great tips and strategies for reading body language and detecting lies. It is available as an instant download at <a href="http://pokerface.caligonia.com/">http://pokerface.caligonia.com</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-34205276460804144212010-08-25T20:41:00.000-07:002010-08-25T21:19:56.535-07:00Midnite Madness Live Poker Tournament - Meadows PA Poker RoomNearly 60 late nite poker players abandoned their hopes of turning in early this past Saturday night and instead opted in to playing the newly featured '<span style="font-weight:bold;">Midnite Madness</span>' Tournament held at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington PA.<br /><br />The tournament was the brainchild of poker room manager Peter Lau and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Princess of Poker </span>Donna Lapia in an effort to give tournament players a venue to satisfy their late night urge to play a poker tournament. Similar events are held at major casinos across the USA, however, the Meadows tournament brings a little added flavor!<br /><br />The starting stack is a very generous $12,000 with a dealer buy add on of $1500 ($5 gratuity). The blind levels, in keeping with the '12' theme of a true midnite madness, are 12 minutes long. Players can expect plenty of play for their $50 buy in especially since there are no antes throughout the tourney coupled with the generous starting stack.<br /><br />With a total of 58 players and a first place prize of $835, the shuffle up and deal announcement was made at just a minute after midnite. Play moved along fairly swiftly as the players adjusted to a faster blind level. By Level 10, with blinds at 2K and 4k, the bubble broke as the remaining 10 players convened to their final table.<br /><br />Action at first was quite soft as shortstacks found places to double up while the big stacks (including the final table chip leader Carl C. of Washington PA) waited patiently for their chance to KO opponents. Finally with 4 minutes remaining in Level 16 (blinds 10K - 20K) the final 4 were battling it out as the shortstack pushed his 35K all in against the BB who made the call for an additional 15K.<br /><br />The shortstack tabled Ace 2 suited while the BB reluctantly turned over his 9 5 off. Dealer Micheal spread the flop of 6 3 7, burned and turned an 8 and brought down an irrelevant river 4, giving the BB a winning 7 card straight. With about 780,000 in play that Left the 3 remaining players (Carl, Chuck and Pat) to enter level 17 after nearly 3 and a half hours all with fairly even stacks.<br /><br />Floor manager John, as well as several other players gathered near the final table to watch the action. Carl C, the overwhelming chip leader throughout most of the tournament raised all in with KQ of hearts on the button against the pocket 10's of Chuck in the BB. Micheal spread a board of J 2 9, giving Carl a glimpse of hope on a gut shot or over card, however the 6 and 5 on the turn and river exasperated Carl's hopes of a first place finish as Chuck scooped in the pot. Carl's third place win netted him nearly $250.<br /><br />Heads up began and ended quickly on the second hand as Pat made a move against Chuck showing 10 5 off to Chucks Q 8 suited. The board ran out J 7 2 2 6, giving Chuck a Queen high win to take down the $835 prize. Pat's second place finish rewarded him with a little over $420.<br /><br />The Midnite Madness tourney is an exciting tournament to play in and will be a staple every Friday and Saturday night. Registration begins at 10:00pm on Friday and Saturday evening. Buy in is $50, Hope to see you there!Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-78037980320609844892010-08-16T20:39:00.000-07:002010-08-16T20:43:36.146-07:007 Card Stud Live Poker Tournament At The Meadows28 players anxiously awaited the arrival of the first live 7 card stud tourney in Pennsylvania, this past Sunday afternoon. Spreading a game such as 7 card stud sometimes is difficult in many casinos, not so much that the game is unpopular, rather it is underpopulated in many areas. <br /><br />The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington, PA aims to change that idea as a multitude of players in this area are just as well versed in the many varieties of poker aside from Texas Holdem. <br /><br />Nowadays, when people talk of poker, Texas holdem is the game that comes to mind, yet a lot of new players (as well as the old school players) are venturing into and honing their skills in these ancillary games that at one time were mainstays of every poker night across the USA. Even major venues, such as the WSOP (World Series of Poker) features an annual bracelet event in 7 Card stud.<br /><br />Peter Lau, poker room manager, announced last week that the Meadows will feature a special 7 card stud tournament every Sunday after several players approached him with their request. The turnout, according to Peter, was more than he had expected and the players were more than happy with the field size.<br /><br />Several of the players at Sunday's tourney were satisfied and proud that The Meadows was willing to host a tourney with them in mind. The Meadows has taken a step toward becoming a true poker venue, as they also plan Omaha tourneys as well as mixed games at the players request. It is quite refreshing to see that a poker room is willing to accommodate all poker players in any variety of the game and not just offer texas holdem as the only option. Three cheers for customer service!<br /><br />It is my hope that the 7 Card stud tournaments will continue to grow and attract more players each week, as Peter intends to hold the tournament every Sunday at 3:00pm. I also am anxious to see if a potential tournament satellite into the WSOP for the 7 card stud event could materialize as interest grows.<br /><br />For all you stud players out there, drop by the Meadows and let Peter or the staff know you want to see more of the game, I am confident, they will listen to us, the players!<br /><br />For more information on the Meadows, their Poker Room or Tournaments, please contact <a href="mailto:plau@meadowsgaming.com">Peter Lau</a>, <a href="mailto:jon@papokerplayers.com">myself </a>or the <a href="http://papokerplayers.com">Pennsylvania Poker Players</a> website.<br /><br />Good Luck and hope to see all you stud players next week!Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-26140644949227522572010-08-09T12:30:00.000-07:002010-08-10T10:18:12.919-07:00Meadows Live Poker Tournaments Schedule ReleasedThe Meadows Poker Room has released their schedule for live poker tournaments held every day.<br />More than 50 tournaments are open each month with a variety of buy ins and types.<table style="text-align: left; width: 484px; height: 462px;" border="0"><tbody><tr style="font-weight: bold;"><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 255);">DAY</td><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 255);">TIME</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 255);">TOURNAMENT</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 255);">BUYIN+ENTRYFEE</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 255);">LEVELS</td><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 255);">CHIPS*</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-weight: bold;">Monday</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">10:30am</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">$30 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">4000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);"><br /></td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">7:30pm</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">$30 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">4000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;">Tuesday</td><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">10:30am</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">$30 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">4000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);"><br /></td><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">7:30pm</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">$50 + 15</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">5000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153); font-weight: bold;">Wednesday</td><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">10:30am</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">$30 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">4000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);"><br /></td><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">7:30pm</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">$100 + 20</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153);">6000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">Thursday</td><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">10:30am</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">$30 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">4000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);"><br /></td><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">7:30pm</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">No Limit Hold'em<span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Bounty Hunter</span></td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">$50 + 15<span style="font-weight: bold;">($10 Bounty)</span></td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">5000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">Friday</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">10:30am</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">$30 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">4000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);"><br /></td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">4:00pm</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">No Limit Hold'em<span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Sit n Go Frenzy</span></td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">$50 + 15 and$100 + 17</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">20 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">2000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);"><br /></td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">7:30pm</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">No Limit Hold'em<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Turbo 55</span></td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">$40 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">10 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">5500</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-weight: bold;">Saturday</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">10:30am</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">$50 + 15</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">20 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">5000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">3:00pm</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">No Limit Hold'em <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Deep Stack Grinder</span></td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">$200 + 25<span style="font-weight: bold;">($25 Bounty)</span></td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">10000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204); font-weight: bold;">Sunday</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">10:30am</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">No Limit Hold'em</td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">$30 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">4000</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);"><br /></td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">3:00pm</td><td style="width: 166px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">7 Card Stud</span></td><td style="width: 149px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">$40 + 10</td><td style="width: 142px; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">18 min.</td><td style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 204);">3000</td></tr></tbody></table>* Dealer add-on $1000 Bonus Chips - $5<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Blind Structure for the $40 and $65 Tourneys is as follows:</span>(Structure for the Deepstack, Sit N Go and Stud, to be announced)<br /><br /><table style="text-align: left; width: 430px; height: 650px;" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153); font-weight: bold;">Level</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153); font-weight: bold;">Ante</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153); font-weight: bold;">Blinds (SB - BB)</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;">1</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">-</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">25 - 50</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;">2</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">-</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">50 - 100</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;">3</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">-</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">100 - 200</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;">4</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">25</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">100 - 200</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-weight: bold;">5</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">50</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 255, 255);">200 - 400</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-weight: bold;"><br /></td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">10 Minute Break</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-weight: bold;">6</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">100</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">400 - 800</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-weight: bold;">7</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">200</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">600 - 1200</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-weight: bold;">8</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">300</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">800 - 1600</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-weight: bold;">9</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">300</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">1000 - 2000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204); font-weight: bold;">10</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">500</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">1500 - 3000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-weight: bold;"><br /></td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">10 Minute Break</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">11</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">500</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">2000 - 4000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">12</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">1000</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">3000 - 6000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">13</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">1000</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">4000 - 8000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">14</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">2000</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 255);">6000 - 12000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153); font-weight: bold;"><br /></td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">10 Minute Break</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br /></td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">15</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">3000</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">8000 - 16000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">16</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">3000</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">10000 - 20000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">17</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">5000</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">15000 - 30000</td> </tr><tr> <td style="width: 115px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255); font-weight: bold;">18</td> <td style="width: 120px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">By</td> <td style="width: 159px; text-align: center; background-color: rgb(204, 204, 255);">Director</td> </tr></tbody></table><br />Additional Information is found on the <a href="http://papokerplayers.com/">PA Poker Players </a>website.<br /><br />Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-10259925252330211232010-08-08T22:25:00.000-07:002010-08-09T00:24:01.530-07:00Players Advantage - New Poker Player Article<span style="font-weight:bold;">Players Advantage</span>, a column in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review published an article on new players to the poker room this past weekend. <a href="mailto:players@tribweb.com">Mark Gruetze</a>, Administrative Editor for the Pittsburgh Tribune Review interviewed me recently and wrote an informative article for new poker players entering what is now a thriving casino business in Pennsylvania.<br /><br />Read the article at the <a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/gambling/s_693779.html">Pittsburgh Tribune Review</a>.<br /><br />Also see a list of the four local casinos (The Rivers, The Meadows, Mountaineer Casino and Wheeling Island) and their offerings of poker games at <a href="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/images/video/2010_pdfs/20100807-players.pdf">Live Poker Room</a> @ Players Advantage.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Mark Gruetze has been a recreational gambler for more than 30 years, focusing on blackjack, video poker and poker. He is administrative editor of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.</span>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-54524829784309859462010-08-06T18:01:00.000-07:002010-08-06T20:01:30.123-07:00First Poker Tournament in PA Well ReceivedPennsylvania's first legal poker tournament took place today at the Meadows Casino and Racetrack in Washington PA. I arrived at 9:30, just to avoid any potential rush of tournament players and was relieved to see that there were just a few signups.<br /><br />Tension was a little thick as the poker room management(Peter Lau and Donna Lapia, readied the tables along with help from the well-expereinced poker dealers on staff. In addition, several 'suits' were hanging around (puportedly PGCB and Upper level Meadows management) ready to oversee what would historically be the first legal poker tournament in Pennsylvania.<br /><br />I registered and took a late breakfast and coffee break in anticipation of playing in this tourney. When I returned to the Poker room at 10:28 am I was surprised to see 5 tables filling up for the tournament. What a great turnout! Especially since the tournament was not announced or advertised.<br /><br />After a brief settling, the tourney got underway.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Basics</span>:<br /><br />The buy-in is $40 with a $5 dealer add on bonus, initial chips: $4,000, add-on $1,000.<br />The structure was player friendly considering the amount of chips as the blind levels were 18 minutes long with starting blinds at $50 and $100.<br /><br />The tables were hand dealt (the final table used the shufflemaster), however the hands per hour were above average. <br /><br />42 players registered to the tourney with a payout scale going to the top 5:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1st $567.00<br />2nd $315.00<br />3rd $189.00<br />4th $113.00<br />5th $ 76.00<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Play</span><br /><br />Most of the play at my table was soft with just a little aggression in the early blinds, I ended the first break (at level 5) with a little more than 10K in chips and the field had narrowed to 34.<br /><br />Although I had played hundreds of low stakes tourneys at Wheeling Island the last few years, this first PA Poker tourney lacked the uber-aggression and complacency commonly seen at the latter. The dealers and staff were very attentive to the level-ups. Although there was problems with the tournament clock in the beginning, (frozen at one point), it was quickly reset, while play continued without missing a beat.<br /><br />Dealer pushes were done quickly and extra effort was made to ensure the tournament moved along. Going into level 7 (600 and 1200, 200 ante), we were down to 18 players, I sat close to the average with 12K in chips. The final table convened during the 9th Level (1000 and 2000, 300 ante) with 10 players remaining.<br /><br />The Final table was moved to a poker table with an automatic shuffler and play resumed quickly as seats were assigned. During the break the 100 chips were raced off, and play continued. We had made a deal for the bubble boy, which encouraged two shortstacks to move in and shortly thereafter we were down to the final 5.<br /><br />With 3 minutes remaining in Level 10 (1500 and 3000, 500 ante), the bubble broke and 5 players remained to capture the title of the winner of the first poker tournament in PA. I lasted until 4th place (Level 11) moving all in on the button with 33 against the BB who showed A6os, flopping a 6 to end my run to be the first winner. Shortly thereafter player 3 went down and heads up play commenced at level 12 (3,000 and 6,000, ante 1000).<br /><br />Lasting less than 10 minutes, the two players got it all in when the button limped and the BB shoved all in, getting a quick call from his opponent. The tabled hands were (Button) AA, (BB) 4 6os. The flop came down 3 4 4, enough of a sweat for the AA as a turn came down blank and the river Ace giving the champion aces full.<br /><br />The tourney ended around 2:45pm, with congratulatory handshakes for both players as Peter Lau escorted the entrants to the cage.<br /><br />Personally, this is one of the better tourneys I have played in recent years as the relaxing and serene atmosphere along with the cordial nature of the poker room and players made it an enjoyable experience overall.<br /><br />Now that we have that first cash out of the way, let's get onto the big tourneys!<br />Starting next week, the Meadows will announce their full schedule and it will be posted on the <a href="http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.info">Pennsylavania Poker Players</a> blog at http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.infoJon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-51623924448739205632010-08-05T19:36:00.000-07:002010-08-05T19:55:45.627-07:00Meadows Poker Tournaments First In Pa Poker RoomsAn <span style="font-style:italic;">unofficial</span> announcement was made today that the Meadows Poker Room in Washington PA will begin poker tournaments on Friday August 6th, 2010 at 10:30am. The first legal poker tournament in Pennsylvania is a $40 buy in no limit Texas Holdem tourney with a 4000 starting chip stack.<br /><br />The official announcement will come from the Meadows Poker Room management (Peter Lau, Donna Lapia and Jamison McCombs) by early Friday Morning. The Poker dealers, players and staff have all anxiously awaited the announcement over the last few weeks since the opening of the southwestern PA Poker Room.<br /><br />This is a great opportunity for all the area's poker tournament players to come out and hone their skills in one of the best poker rooms in the region. I personally am excited to see the poker tournament opportunity come to this area, and will post to this blog the turnout, payouts and winners in the tournaments for this weekend.<br /><br />ADVISORY: come early! the tournaments start at 10:30am Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and it is possible the tournaments will get capped if too many show up.<br /><br />For more info, go to the <a href="http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.info">Official Pennsylvania Poker Players Blog</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-34775074294008449552010-08-04T17:27:00.000-07:002010-08-04T17:50:09.301-07:00Harrahs Sells Rio All Suite Casino and Hotel Leaves Future of WSOP UnansweredRumors circulating over the last few weeks that Harrahs Entertainment is selling the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino </span>finally emerged as the truth yesterday when it was 'unofficially' announced that an 'as of yet unnamed' conglomerate has purchased the property.<br /><br />This leaves a void as to where the <span style="font-weight:bold;">November Nine</span> will play the Final Table of the <span style="font-weight:bold;">2010 WSOP main event</span> and further, where future World Series of Poker events will be held. Needless to say the expansive space of the amazon room, as well as the plentiful space and parking available for the thousands upon thousands of visitors each year during the WSOP series and main event could well be in jeopardy.<br /><br />However, given the fact that the last several years has seen an explosive growth of participants in the WSOP series events (from 5,000 to over 7,000), it is likely the decision to sell was based on factors already considered by the Harrahs Management. Such as a new, larger home to the WSOP.<br /><br />I am sure, the answers have adequately been addressed by Harrah's as to where the new WSOP events will be held as well as the logistics of accommodating the massive crowds. Speculation and rumors circulating tend to believe that Harrah's will utilize one or more of its other 7 properties on the Las Vegas strip for the new home of the WSOP.<br /><br />I personally would like to see the events held closer to the Strip as when I played the WSOP, the daily commute from Harrahs to the Rio was just a bit brutal (both in terms of time and money).<br /><br />As with most of the Harrahs brands, the WSOP is sure to have the media's attention when it finally decides to reveal to the public their intention on where they will hold the 2011 WSOP.Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-74134926968245745402010-07-31T14:58:00.000-07:002010-09-13T10:15:59.769-07:00Poker Tournaments Coming to The Meadows CasinoInside information from sources close to the Meadows Casino & Racetrack have informed me that by the middle of August 2010, The Meadows will offer No Limit Texas Holdem Poker tournaments!<br /><br />What a great opportunity for all the poker players in this area as the poker tournaments will be the best in the tri-state region according to the lineup of types of tournaments and given the fact that there are a large amount of tournament players in this area.<br /><br />First up, The Daily tournaments will be modest buy-ins at $40 and $65 featured in the morning and one in the evening. These tourneys will offer 4000 - 6000 in tournament chips with a player friendly and generous blind structure.<br /><br />Weekly Big Buy-in poker tournaments are scheduled on Wednesday evening Bounty Hunter and a Saturday Deepstack with 12,000 in chips!<br /><br />Midnight Madness is sure to be the most fun poker tournament of all! The Midnite Madness will offer $12,000 in chips, 12 minute blinds and you guessed it, starts at Midnite every Friday and Saturday night.<br /><br />In addition to all this action, The Meadows poker room is also offering a Sit n Go Frenzy every friday with non stop sit n go tables open as shorthanded (6-max) and full 9 player tables. A quick way to build your bankroll for the cash games.<br /><br />For full details, check out the upcoming announcement on the official <a href="http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.info/">Pennsylvania Poker Players</a> websiteJon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-38982439470672837122010-07-04T05:08:00.001-07:002010-07-04T05:18:07.780-07:00Meadows Poker Room Announces Shuffle up and Deal!The Meadows poker room at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino located just outside of Washington PA announces their Poker Room schedule for this week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 5th:</span> Open to the public, play money games. This practice session will help dealers become familiar with an actual game setting and allow the public to get a feel for the real casino environment. No actual real money wagering will take place during this practice day. Th public is invited to sit down at the tables and experience the various games. Times are from 8 am to 10 pm.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 6th:</span> Charity Day (INVITATION ONLY), This is a real money wagering test day mandated by the PGCB (Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board). From 2 pm to 10pm, anyone who has received an invitation may attend the table games where real money wagering is permitted (up to $5 max). Proceeds from this event will benefit the United Way of Washington County.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 7th:</span> No table Games (Regular casino is open) This day is the off day for the PGCB review.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 8th:</span> (Upon approval)Opening Day for the Table Games! Starts at 6am and will run 24 hrs. a day. Poker, Blackjack, three card, roulette and craps. This is the official opening day for the table games and the Poker Room.<br /><br />Come out and meet the staff, the players and have a great time in one of the most beautiful casinos in Pennsylvania!<br /><br />Questions? email or join the Pennsylvania Poker Players official news at <a href="http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.com">http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.com</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-46785264212062339002010-05-10T06:19:00.000-07:002010-05-10T06:36:21.078-07:00Pennsylvania Poker Players Celebrate!Now that the Pennsylvania legislature has finally allowed Pensylvanians to play Poker (and other table games) in our local slots casinos, we can dispense with traveling 50 or more miles to casinos in our neighboring states!<br /><br />It was only a matter of time, and now that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is beginning to approve licenses for the 9 established casinos in the Commonwealth, PA residents can now enjoy playing the game of poker closer to home.<br /><br />As of this writing, the following casinos have received approval from the PGCB to begin offering table games:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Meadows (Washington, PA)<br />Presque Isle (Erie, PA)<br />Hollywood Casino (Penn National Race Course)<br />Mount Airy Casino Resort (Mount Pocono, PA)<br />Sands Resort (Bethlehem, PA)</span><br /><br />Of course, my casino of choice will be the Meadows as it is only a few miles from my home! I have played at Wheeling Island for the last two years and will not miss the drive (about 40 minutes each way).<br /><br />The Meadows will offer poker players a large amount of opportunities and a varied selection of games, including some of the best tournaments in the tri-state area!<br /><br />The poker room manager, Peter Lau, is formerly the Poker room manager of Wheeling Island as well as having more than 20 years experience at other casinos such as Foxwoods.<br /><br />The Meadows will offer WSOP satellites as well as some very exciting tournament and poker cash games. Although nothing is set in stone at this point, the Meadows anticipates opening their poker room in the early part of July, 2010.<br /><br />If you would like to receive notice when the Poker Room opens, as well as information on any PA poker casino, click the <a href="http://pennsylvaniapokerplayers.com/">PennsylvaniaPokerPlayers.com</a> website and join the newsletter!<br /><br />Good Luck and hope to see you at the tables!Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-54181464963943236812010-02-06T10:28:00.000-08:002010-02-06T10:52:25.774-08:00Great Poker Gift For Your ValentineThis Valentine's Day do something extra special for your sweetheart by entering them in the WSOP (World Series of Poker)!<br /><br />Wheeling Island Casino Hotel and Racetrack in Wheeling WV will host a WSOP satellite event on February 14th 2010 at 1:00 pm (EDT) in the spacious showroom on the main casino floor.<br /><br />The event is a $130 entry with ONE optional rebuy of $70. Once your chipstack is below the starting stack of $10,000 you may rebuy an additional $10,000 in chips for $70.<br /><br />The blind levels are 20 minutes and start at 25 - 50. The complete blind structure can be viewed <a href="http://pokerline.org/blinds.html">here</a>.<br /><br />The event will award at least one $10,000 WSOP main event seat and $6000 in extra cash for expenses. The final table will be paid. (*based on a minimum of 132 players)<br /><br />Take your sweetheart to an early Valentine lunch at the exquisite Pointe restautarant or the fabulous buffet featured on the main casino level. Wheeling Island also features all table games including blackjack, craps, roulette, 3 card poker, 2000+ slot machines and of course a 20 table poker room with all types and limits of games.<br /><br />Take a chance to win your WSOP seat this year and you and your sweetheart may be able to honeymoon in fabulous Las Vegas this July!<br /><br />If you have any questions or need assistance for the tournament contact the Poker Room Manager Peter Lau at 1 877.943.3546 or by email at plau@dncinc.com<br /><br />Good Luck! Hope to see you there!Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-22103717106987582852010-01-21T22:35:00.000-08:002010-01-21T22:44:45.889-08:00What a Rush! Rush Poker at Full Tilt<a href="http://fulltiltrigged.info">Full Tilt poker</a> just introduced a new way to play poker, called <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rush Poker</span>. User input and suggestions helped to formulate this new method of <a href="http://caligonia.com/poker">online poker</a> with a twist. Much like speed poker or the turbo Texas holdem tournaments, Rush Poker has a twist that will keep you addicted.<br /><br />I took the opportunity to try out this new way to play poker online and here is my review of Full Tilt’s Rush poker.<br /><br />The way the game works is you register in a ring game (<span style="font-weight:bold;">cash game poker</span>) and buy in for your desired amount. The game is not a poker tournament, rather a regular cash game. The twist is you are playing against hundreds or even thousands of other players as each table you sit down to will rotate the players.<br /><br />When you first join a <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rush Poker</span> game, you are set at a table with 8 other players, and dealt your hole cards. If you choose to fold your poker hand, you are immediately sent to another table with 8 different players. <br /><br />To facilitate even more speed in the game, you can ‘quick fold’ before action is on you, to go to the next table. If you do not like the poker hand dealt to you, simply click quick fold and BAM! You are at another table.<br /><br />The speed in which you are dealt hands is incredible, as I played for one hour and saw 312 poker hands! In a normal online poker cash game, that would be about 5 hours of play, and in live poker, that’s about 12 hours play.<br /><br />In addition to the speed in which you are deal hands, there are a few more advantages to Rush Poker: the changing players, elimination of <a href="http://onlinepokercheat.info">cheating or colluding</a> and better hand selection.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Changing Players<br /></span><br />Since each table you are moved to has 8 other players and there are usually hundreds of players in the game, the chances of you seeing the same people again are slim, (although it happens). This is an advantage, because if you bluff or slow play or trap, these opponents may not see you again, and hardly have time to take notes on your play.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Elimination of Cheating / Colluding<br /></span><br />This is a big plus! Since the players constantly rotate and the odds of any two players sitting at the same table are greatly minimized, <a href="http://onlinepokercheat.info">poker cheating</a> and colluding becomes practically non-existent.<br /><br />In a normal game, two or three players can easily dominate a table using text, instant messaging or any number of other methods to communicate their hole cards to each other, giving them an advantage over other players.<br /><br />Colluding becomes harder and therefore the Rush Poker game becomes a better game.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Better Hand Selection<br /></span><br />One of the hardest things for poker players is the wait between hands and folding constantly until they get a good hand. Sometimes I personally have sat one or two hours without seeing a quality hand and scooping a big pot. When I played Rush Poker, I saw 312 hands and was able to win 26 pots that tripled my buy in!<br /><br />The hands come a lot faster and it seems to me that people were a lot more selective about their starting poker hands. This adds to a good game, as you have a less chance of poker bad beats when a guy is so bored he plays a junk hand and hits a miracle card to river you.<br /><br />Faster poker, it appears to be the next wave in online poker, as more sites are adding turbo texas holdem tournaments, but Full Tilt is the first to introduce this new idea to the poker cash games. I look for PokerStars to add a competitive method soon as It will catch on quickly with poker players.<br /><br />Learn more <a href="http://caligonia.com/poker">poker strategy</a> by visiting the <a href="http://howtowinatpoker.info">How To Win At Poker</a> BlogJon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-27473240089633913112010-01-13T22:25:00.000-08:002010-01-13T22:36:11.819-08:00Darvin Moon Poker Challenge Kicks Off!The <a href="http://pokerline.org">Darvin Moon Poker Challenge</a> kicks off today at the Wheeling Island Casino Hotel Racetrack with the first of four events, a $125 buy in No Limit Texas Holdem tournament. The expected field size is about 150 players with an anticipated prize pool of over $15,000.<br />Each event in the Darvin Moon Poker challenge will award points to the final 20 as well as cash prizes. The points will be tallied on a leaderboard with the person getting the most points, eligible to play Darvin Moon heads up for $2000 (added by the house).<br /><br />I will be playing in the event, all four of the events as well as structure and satellites are listed at <a href="http://pokerline.org">Pokerline.org</a> go over and check it out!<br /><br />Wheeling Island is offering a special room rate during the challenge of $59/night, you can call the Hotel @ 1877 WIN HERE.<br /><br />If you have any questions or need assistance for the tournament contact the Poker Room Manager Peter Lau at 1 877.943.3546 or by email at plau@dncinc.com<br /><br />Good Luck! Hope to see you there!Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-33175211702752494652009-12-11T19:20:00.000-08:002009-12-11T19:25:02.260-08:00How To Win Texas Hold em Poker Games<a href="http://thepokerstarscode.com">Texas hold em poker games</a> have recently become one of the hottest activities on and off the Internet. Live poker tournaments can be found in practically every major city and casino worldwide. <br /><br />This new wave of entertainment has even become known as the newest sport. A sport where anyone, regardless of age, physical prowess, or experience can have an opportunity to compete with professionals side by side in a competition that produces many millionaires each year.<br /><br />Merely playing in a Texas hold em poker game, does not necessarily mean you can win it, just like with any sport or competition, you must acquire and posses a special skill set to find yourself getting further and winning. The key to winning Texas hold em poker games is experience.<br /><br />That experience can come from actual play or from practicing in <a href="http://thepokerstarscode.com">online poker tournaments</a> in the multitude of available pokersites. In addition to playing Texas hold em poker games, one must continually try and improve their game by using the knowledge of each game and apply it to future competitions.<br /><br />Texas hold em poker games are primarily what is known as situational. That is to say, each situation you are involved in has a unique set of circumstances, which may or may not be repeated the next time you play. The reason is the deal of the cards and the variety of people playing in each poker tournament will change each time you play.<br /><br />For example, when you are dealt pocket Aces in a Texas hold em poker game, you can not just assume the correct move is to raise or go all in. It largely depends on two things. One is the position in which you are sitting and the other is the style of players at your table.<br /><br />If your table has several aggressive players that like to raise every hand and you are sitting before them (in early position), it may be a good idea to just limp in (do not raise). The hope is that one of your more aggressive opponents will raise giving you the opportunity to make more money in the pot.<br /><br />If your table is tight and rarely anyone raises, and you are in late position (or last to act pre-flop), you may want to raise after several players have come in to the pot. This may get them to fold and allow you to just take the pot down now.<br /><br /><a href="http://caligonia.com/poker/">Texas hold em poker games</a> are easier to win if you can obtain enough information on your opponents, and use the knowledge of different situations to play against these opponents. First, learn the different styles of how to play position, when to bluff, when to fold (different situations) and then put that knowledge to work and gain the experience you need.<br /><br />A simple plan of attack that you formulate beforehand will give you the confidence and knowledge to win more Texas hold em poker games in the future.<br /><br />Get more poker tips and poker strategy by getting your FREE copy of <a href="http://caligonia.com/news/lists/?p=subscribe&id=3">How to Succeed as a Professional Online Poker Player.</a>Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1344005275060208016.post-2617869364193920282009-12-10T12:31:00.000-08:002009-12-10T12:38:06.568-08:00The Cash Out Curse Is it Real In Online Texas Holdem?Lately, a lot of people have begun to question the honesty of several online pokersites, due in part to recent scandals involving players on particular sites. Many have gone so far as to claim that <a href="http://thepokerstarscode.com">online poker is rigged</a> and that a winning player is penalized for making withdrawals. This is known in the poker community as the ‘cash out curse’<br /><br />Typically, a player that has won a large sum of money or has consistently played well and won several big cashes, goes to withdraw a portion of their winnings. Suddenly they are attacked by a seemingly inevitable curse that causes them to constantly lose game after game, forcing them to reload their account with more money.<br /><br />Many claim that the poker sites, to keep people from cashing out their winnings, perpetrate this cash out curse. No matter how hard one would try to convince someone that this is just a fable, the losing player can not be convinced, as they continue to complain that <a href="http://thepokerstarscode.com">online poker is rigged</a> and that when they cash out they go on a losing streak because the poker site wants them to keep their money online.<br /><br />Although the notion of a ‘cash out curse’ may seem ridiculous, it is entirely possible that a pokersite <span style="font-weight:bold;">can </span>(and often does) control the cards of a particular player. This is accomplished by the fact that everything in an online poker site is regulated by <a href="http://thepokerstarscode.com">computer-generated codes</a> and programs under the direct control of the owners of the site.<br /><br />Read more at EzineArticles The <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-the-Cash-Out-Curse-in-Online-Poker-Real?&id=3388655">Texas Hold em Cash Out Curse</a>. . .Jon Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03454309069155743862noreply@blogger.com0