75 Billion and Counting; Be a Good Sport; Home vs. Casino
PokerStars Celebrates 75 Billionth Hand
By Dan Katz
This article courtesy of the excellent poker website www.pokernewsdaily.com
The hands may have slowed down a bit on PokerStars since Black Friday, but that doesn’t mean the action isn’t still fast and furious at the world’s largest online poker room. And just as the beat goes on, so does the march towards 100 billion hands. In the meantime, there are some other milestone hands to pass on the way to the big one-oh-oh (with a bunch more “oh’s” after that). Next up: 75 billion. To celebrate, as PokerStars is wont to do, the poker room is giving away up to a million dollars over the next several days as part of its “Road to 100 Billion” promotion.
The promotion is quite simple. All players have to do for a chance to win is play at any real money ring game table. The good news in this promo is that everyone has the same chance to win. High stakes players are at no real advantage over micro stakes players. The bad news is that it is all luck, as the way to win is to be dealt into a millionth hand (ex: 74,801,000,000 or 74,950,000,000).
But, if you are one of the lucky ones to be dealt into a milestone hand, you could receive quite the windfall. Anyone dealt into one of the millionth hands will receive a base cash prize of $20 plus $60 multiplied by the number of VIP Player Points (VPPs) earned during the previous 50 hands at that table (note: it’s the VPPs at that table, not across all tables). For example, someone who is dealt into a milestone hand and has earned 28 VPPs in the previous 50 hands at that same table will win $1,700 ($20 base prize + $60 x 28). Whoever wins the milestone hand will have their prize doubled.
And then there is the Mega Milestone hand, the 75 billionth hand, where the stakes are increased dramatically. Those dealt into the big hand will receive a base prize of $10,000 and have added to that $1,000 times the number of VPPs earned at that table during the last 50 hands. Thus, using the same example from above, a player who has earned 28 VPPs during the past 50 hands would win $38,000. And again, the winner of the hand will see their prize doubled. If you are one of the lucky ones to be dealt into the 75 billionth hand, by all means, do not fold pre-flop! In one of the lesser milestone hands, there could actually be some justification for doing so if the VPPs earned leading up to the hand wouldn’t produce a large enough jackpot to make up for the loss of a buy-in, but only the very highest stakes players would have a chance to be at risk of a loss in the Mega Milestone hand.
If the pot is split, every player who won some piece of the main pot will see their prize doubled.
Remember, tournament hands do not count in this promotion. Cash games are what matter. The overall hand number can be seen at the top of each table, so it is always easy to see how close the next milestone is. Best of luck to everyone!
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The Importance of Good Sportsmanship
By Chris Kennedy
This article courtesy of the superb poker website www.pokernewsdaily.com
Nobody likes to get yelled at. Everyone enjoys receiving praise. Both of these things are important to remember when you are at a poker table. Be it online or live, how you act at the table can and will have a direct impact on how the table perceives you and treats you. By manipulating your table image you will be able to influence the other players in a manner that will improve your overall win rate. More importantly, by being a good sport and leaving a good impression with the fishier players you will help ensure that they will return to the game which will allow you to win more money in the long run.
A lot of poker players are prone to tilt and the most likely target of frustration and aggression will be the person who recently put a bad beat on you. This player will quite often have done so due to lack of skill. While their hitting a two outer on the river might infuriate you, it is vital to the poker economy that this fish is not scared off by a thorough berating for their terrible calls. All professional poker players should strive to be ambassadors of the game at all times. Essential to this is the practice of good sportsmanship.
Practicing good sportsmanship is just as important when you are winning as it is when you are losing. Fish are just as likely to be scared off by an arrogant winner mocking them as they are to be by a poor loser berating their bad play. By cultivating the image of a friendly, non-threatening poker player you are more likely to get the other players at the table to like you. For no reason other than this they will be willing to lay down big draws to you, and pay you off when you have big hands. Not only do you benefit from keeping fish in the game, but you will actually be more profitable! If you are sitting at the table all grumpy and surly, people won’t enjoy playing with you as much and will be more likely to play seriously against you. You would be surprised at how many people play poker to have fun and are more than willing to sit at a table and donk off a few buy-ins as long as they are having a good time.
Going on tilt is something that happens to every poker player in varying degrees. It can often be difficult to maintain control of your emotions after taking a bad beat. However, it is important that you keep your composure and not lash out verbally at the source of your beat. Bad players can only improve their game if they realize that they are playing poorly. Instead of sarcastically congratulating the fish on being terrible and sucking out just put a smile on your face, tap the table (if you are playing live), and as sincerely as possible tell them “Nice hand.” This makes them think they are playing fine and makes them feel welcome at the table. As long as they continue to make the same mistakes, as a superior player you will be able to exploit those mistakes and be more profitable in the long run.
You can also use the poor sportsmanship of others to induce tilt or magnify it. It can be quite beneficial to take the side of the fish if an argument breaks out at the table. Defend their poor play with such irrational arguments as “but it was suited!” or “I’d play J4o there too, he was in position.” This will confuse and tilt the players who think they are good but can’t handle taking a beat. It will also justify the play in the fish’s mind and allow them to think of you as a friend and ally. Be careful of how you play against the “good” players who are on tilt now, as they will most likely be more aggressive towards you. In this situation it is a good idea not to bluff as they will be looking for spots to bluff you and try and win a big pot.
If you are normally a quiet and reserved player, try mixing it up a bit and see how having a friendly table image can help your profitability. You might be surprised at how well people respond to a little positive communication. This mostly applies to live poker, but occasionally you will find a chatty table online as well. By watching the chat box to see what kinds of things people are saying you can often get reads on a person’s attitude and tilt level. If you are playing many tables watching the chat box can be distracting or even tilt inducing. Many people would recommend disabling chat if you are going to be playing more than one or two tables at a time. Your interaction with the other players is one of the largest components of the game of poker. By acting maturely you will be a great ambassador for the game and also help your overall profitability.
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Poker at casinos tops playing at home for many reasons
by George Epstein
George writes for www.gamingtoday.com, a must read for the latest gaming news around the world
In my column (GamingToday, Sept. 13, 2011), Marv Allen, a senior citizen like me who also enjoys low-limit hold’em, was discussing his weekly home game. He prefers home games because of the cost of the rake in Brick-and-Mortar (B&M) casinos.
I cannot deny that fact. Casinos need to have a source of revenue to cover expenses and show a return-on-investment for the owners. That led me to ponder why I and many others prefer to play poker in a casino rather than a home game.
What are the advantages?
For one thing, casino poker games are regulated and professionally managed. Cheating is less likely. The dealer rarely makes mistakes and a floorman is available to resolve any problems.
Security staff serve to ensure everyone’s safety. I have read of robberies in high-stakes home games and seen unruly players escorted out of the casino by armed security personnel. Most casinos have ceiling cameras to monitor games in case of a controversy.
Perhaps the biggest difference is the flow of players – those leaving and others joining the table in the casino. Our challenge is to quickly evaluate each new player so we can adjust our strategies accordingly. I love the challenge.
In a home game, it’s the same players all evening. You know their playing traits, perhaps even a few tells. No challenge there.
Furthermore, your opponents in the home game know how you play so it’s more difficult to build a big pot when flopping the nuts. Likewise, you are less likely to enjoy success when bluffing – even using the Esther Bluff.
Both offer the opportunity for social interaction – important for us seniors who play for recreation. But the greater variety of players in the casino makes it possible to interact with a wider range of personalities.
Variety is the spice of life!
In casino games, drinking at the table is common. And there’s the football game broadcast on the big-screen TV on the wall. To the extent that your opponents indulge in liquor and turn their eyes to watch the TV, they are less focused on the game. They are bound to miss opportunities to gain information and will make poorer decisions.
That gives you a definite edge while playing in the casino.
More Options
Once you are seated at the table in the home game, it is difficult to change your seat. Whereas, in the casino, if a “maniac” comes to your table, you can move to his left as players come and go. That in itself is a good reason to prefer casino games.
Likewise, in the casino, there may be several tables at your desired stakes. If yon’t like the first table, request a change.
In the casino you can leave whenever. It’s your decision. Want to take a break or go outside for some fresh air? Your option.
Getting tired? Quit and go home. In a home game, winning or losing, usually you are committed to play until the designated quitting time.
When I queried Jan Fisher, a member of the Women in Poker Hall of Fame with many accomplishments in our poker world, she suggested yet another option for players in casino games:
“You can reinvent yourself every time you play, whereas in a home game you pretty much can never do that,” Fisher said.
Interesting. So there are pros and cons for both: Home and casino games. It’s your choice.
(George “The Engineer” Epstein, a noted author and teacher at West Los Angeles College and the Claude Pepper Sr. Citizen Center, is a member of the Seniors Poker Hall of fame. You can e-mail him at geps222@msn.com)
