1. 2008-02-19 19:06:07

   Palm Springs and Poker Pro

   Hey everyone after getting home just after midnight last night I am back from my trip. Besides seeing my grandparents swimming and catching some rays. Playing golf with my Dad, Bro, and my Grandfather there was poker Friday and Saturday.

   Fantasy Springs

   Friday night at Fantasy Springs Willie Nelson was playing. Bad part no parking, We had to park at the top of the garage good part, Fish central with the average Joe playing mostly. When I walked into there very small poker room I noticed no dealers and no chips and come to find out they newly remodeled there poker room to use the Poker Pro system. I will get into this towards the end of the post.

   Queen Ten of Diamonds

   I sat down at a 1/2 NL table with 200 the max buyin. The buyin closest to me was 100 the minimum was 60. The other 3 players bought in for the minimum amount. The very 1st hand I pick up was it was a limp pot I ended up . I bet out 5 dollars and got two callers. The turn brought an pairing the board and bringing a second heart for a possible flush draw. I bet out 15 this guy minimum raises (He bought in for the minimum) So I put him all in and he called with of hearts praying for a heart to hit the hit sending him packing on the 1st hand lol. From then on I was on bluff mode I had a flop which I played aggressively with upon which I was open ended with a flush draw I bet out on all 3 streets and didn't have to showdown.

   The Bluff Machine

   Later I flopped top pair with a straight draw, facing a tight player but I won on the river with a 30 dollar bet with him calling my flop and turn bets. Also I noticed very easily there was 1 guy that had no idea what to do. Still couldn't figure the system out after and hour of play lol. So I bluffed him twice once pretty good with off suit in the blinds I flopped an open ender with the flop being . I bet out on the flop and turn after missing my draw on the turn. The river brought a 7 putting two pair on the board, I bet 50 on the river with 8 high he folded. By this time I was up more than double my buyin after pulling off another bluff on the same guy just before I got up. I picked up of spades and raised it to 13 dollars before the flop and had just the one caller. The flop brought out giving me a straight draw and I put him on nothing. I bet out 15 and he called still thinking that he doesn't know what universe he is in. The turn brought a he checks I bet out 40 and he thought the bet was 10 when everybody told him it was 40 he folded I showed my bluff and walked away from the table up 306.

   Saturday night

   The next night I was back for more but this time they only had a 3/6 limit game going but it was something I guess. I was up and down but just after an hour of play I was only down 10 bucks. When they said who wants to play NL there was enough to start a table. I moved over playing something I am more comfortable with, we started with 5 players and soon we started one was knocked out. After that we played 4 handed for over an hour and a half (Now I can see why the main event takes so long when playing 4 handed for hours) During most of the time I went from 295 to all the way down to 60. I doubled up by floping top pair and he missed his open ended straight draw. After I turned a straight with an open ender to this guys set of 3's on the flop he was under 100. He was saying "I am just going to go all in no matter what" By doing this I really wanted to get involved even with a hand like JQ. He did this for 3 hands in a row and I couldn't pick up anything. Then finally I picked up he went all in again and I called him for his last 95 dollars. He wasn't even looking at his cards his hand was off suit and ended up catching a flush with 4 clubs on the board I was super pissed about it.

   Good things about Poker Pro

   • You can see hands quick
   • You only get 60 seconds to act on each move so the pace is quicker
   • It tells you everyone's name and there chip count
   • The screen in the middle is pretty big to see the community cards
   • When ordering food you don't have to stop or worry about getting cards dirty with food cause there is no cards
   • To buyin all you do is give them the money they put it on your players card swipe it into the system enter your pin and your good to go
   • Is highly used on cruise lines and would be good fun on a setting like that
   • The normal player will not pay attention in the areas when needed on a system like this so if you know what your doing then you can take advantage of the situation at hand

   Bad part of Poker Pro

   • 1st off your not playing poker without chips and cards your not playing real cards your playing online hold em live
   • You have to relay on betting patterns to read people and most people have no concept on that, It is hard to put people on hands when you have nothing to relay on to pick stuff up on people
   • You also have to pay more attention because you have to figure the damn thing out and for some people that is to much to handle all in it self,
   • You have to cup your hands over the cards to see your hand the bad thing about this is the average person can get casual and an ass to the right or left of you could glance over and see your hand if your not careful
   • There is no excitement seeing a big hand on here but when you squeeze out or it is more exciting then just cupping your hands and seeing it.

   Food for Thought

   Overall great trip up 260 and now the bankroll is 1,106 and ready for Vegas next month to go on the ultimate bankroll odyssey. Sorry for such a big post there was just so much to talk about. Next Saturday is the big freeroll tournament tune in for that. Play well and may your pots be monster.

   Posted by Nick L at 2008-02-19 19:06:07

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Comments on “Palm Springs and Poker Pro”

1. • Posted by Brian (unverified) g 2008-02-26 07:05:56
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   • Nick, you are so bad at golf, I would have pwned you in Palm Springs.

     p.s. I love you

2. • Posted by uzjedi g 2008-02-26 02:47:57
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   • It seems lame to play from a screen in a live casino. I think I would be totally comfortable since I play so much online, but I like handling cards and chips and watching other players handle their cards and chips. It's a nice change from what I am used to. It'll be interesting to see whether or not this system catches on in some of the smaller casinos. Best thing about it is not tipping a dealer. That REALLY adds up.

3. • Posted by Ethan g 2008-02-21 00:59:51
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   • lol

4. • Posted by Jason M g 2008-02-20 21:34:26
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   • So add that to the list. The face-crushing bluff machine :p

5. • Posted by Nick L g 2008-02-20 20:00:50
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   • The rake is a couple of bucks a hand. I think when the pot was at 15 to the flop they would take 1.50 and I think on some hands they took another dollar out as well after the flop. The bluff machine what a good name ha I like it even though that is not my normal game. But, I know how to pull it off that is the difference. I notice when I go to casinos I try and pull them off more than home games Idk it could be just the setting who knows.

6. • Posted by Jason M g 2008-02-20 19:27:30
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   • See - I was right when I commented on your last blog post - you are the bluff machine! LOL. I have a feeling a few of those times you had the best hand, anyway. Nice win, dude.

     I would hate it if I went to a casino to find their poker room replaced with those machines. Ugh. It takes away a lot of the social/fun aspect of the game, as well as some of the edges that live players can take advantage of, namely knowing your opponent's chip stack when they don't know yours and being able to make reads when players have to count and push chips and cards around. And you're right, it's just not as exciting as flipping over the nuts :)

     What was the rake on those crazy machines?