Remember I shared with you my Poker Dreams? Can you say Vegas Reality Smackdown?
Let's start from the beginning. Do you know how to play Texas Hold Em?
Everyone is dealt two cards. Then you have a round of betting.
Three shared cards , (the Flop), are dealt face up on the table. Another round of betting.
One more shared card, (Third Street or the Turn), is dealt face up on the table. Another round of betting.
The last shared card, (Fourth Street or the River), is dealt face up on the table. Last round of betting.
The person who stays in to the end, and makes the best 5 card poker hand, (using 5 of the total 7 cards - the two in your hand plus the 5 shared cards dealt face up on the table), wins the pot.
To measure my insanity index, I confess that I really haven't played poker before. I like cards and have played a lot of cards. I'm sure we played around with poker and chips when I was younger, but it's been years and I've never seriously played the game.
Day 1 Vegas: Pretty sane here. I took the class at the Luxor to go through the mechanics of the game, after which they have a $1 - $2 Limit Hold Em game. So, you can bet or raise $1 the first round of betting, (when you have your two cards), and the second round, (after the Flop), then for the last two rounds of betting, (Fourth and Fifth street), the bet or raise is $2.
Rules were a maximum of three raises per round of betting.
I played for four hours and left up thirty some bucks. (At one point I had been up about $70.) Pretty good. Got my feet wet. Wasn't a disaster.
Next is the part where you will be totally justified in questioning my sanity.
The game that has intrigued me is NO LIMIT Hold Em. The reason is the difference in strategy. In a LOW LIMIT Hold Em game, people will easily call your raises of $2 - $6 per round to see your cards, keep you honest, and make sure you're not taking the pot by bluffing.
By introducing NO LIMIT, it's a whole 'nother ball game. You can bet all your chips at any time, whatever you have on the table, by going ALL IN. People will think twice about calling you with that much at stake.
So, I had read there was a NO LIMIT Hold Em game at the Monte Carlo. I called and they said Friday and Saturday nights, at about 10 PM, minimum buy in, $100. I must digress here. From what I'd read, I was under the impression that this was a tournament style game. You put in your $100 and players were eliminated, by running out of chips), with the winners getting cash prizes.
Au contraire. I get to the Monte Carlo and find out the game's delayed because they don't have a table yet. So I have them put my name on a list for a seat and wander off to get a snack and make phone calls. When I get back the game is already in progress and they tell me they have my seat. I sit down and they ask me how much I want in chips. It was then I realized this would not be a tournament, but straight NO LIMIT Hold Em. I'm not going to back out now, since this was the one thing I really wanted to try in Vegas. I ask for $200 in chips, look around, notice a lot of young guys at the table, a couple with headphones - not a good sign. Of course I'm the only woman at the table.
It turned out that probably 6 of the 9 people at the table were locals who regularly play this game. I am in way over my head. When you're still learning the game, you're bound to make mistakes. There were pots I should have played, but didn't, and pots I should have had the sense to stay out of, but didn't.
Generally, if one of the regulars bet at a pot, you could count on them having the cards to back it up.
The blinds were $2 and $5 meaning the minimum bet to see a Flop was $5. OK. I can deal with that. No problem. But are you willing to bet $25-$50 just to see the Flop?
One of the mistakes I made was in this situation. I was holding pocket 4's, (a pair of 4's in my hand), and decided I didn't want to pay $25 to see the Flop. Another 4 came up in the Flop, so I would have had three 4's. The pot was won with three 2's.
However, I did go ALL IN a number of times and won. I put out one of the locals doing it. I had a short stack, (50 some bucks), and was dealt A something and decided to make a last stand and go ALL IN. He called me with King something. I won the pot and he left the game.
I also won a decent pot when an out of towner folded on the river. I was holding the King that made a dime flush.
It was very interesting to watch the local guys play each other. One guy went ALL IN after the flop with about $500 in chips in front of him. After long consideration, the other local decided not to call. While we waited for him to call or fold, the table was very quiet. The out of towner next to me was practically wetting his pants.
I made it about 2 1/2 hours into the game before I really blew a hand, missing that I had made my flush on the River. At that point, one of the locals asked me why I hadn't raised, which of course I should have. I finally had to confess I was new to the game, giving up the woman of mystery personnae.
When I explained I was new to the game, he asked the question you should all be asking yourselves right now, "WHY NO LIMIT?"
My answer is that I like the strategy that NO LIMIT adds to the game.
I finally busted about 4 hours into playing, (a number of folks busted before I did and left the game.) When I left the table I thanked the guys for the education and told them I'd be back when I learned the game better.
I don't regret playing with the "big boys." But, I won't be doing it again anytime soon. I think I better pay my dues learning in low limit games first. (Did I mention they just opened poker tables at our local casinos?) It was worth it to me and I did learn a lot from the experience.