Stud 8 Double Qualifier

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

As of August 1, 2004, the River Palms poker room is going completely non-smoking. They will be the first and only poker room in Laughlin that is non-smoking.

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I was wrong about the turnout on Tuesday night. We ended up getting 13 participants for the Stud 8 Double Qualifier tournament. This week, my table was much more aggressive. I have gotten used to the super-passive, loose players at the Palms, so it came as quite a shock that we got so many LAP tourists.

Not rebuying means that I usually don't get the lead early in any tournament, unless the deck is just smacking me in the face. This was no exception. I stayed pretty steady during the first hour, but I believe I ended with more chips that I started with. I can't remember, I stopped keeping notes in the last few months.

My strategy in rebuy tourneys is different than most recreational players. I am super tight during the rebuy period, knowing that the stakes are low anyway, and even a good sized pot doesn't add that much to my chip count when I know that I can get the $20 add-on, which gives me 2000 in chips (compare that to the 300 in starting chips, lol).

After the rebuy period has ended, however, I am much looser, and play a wide variety of hands that can make money if they are played correctly and hit. I bluff a lot more and I pound other players who are unsure of their own hands, my hand and want to stay in the tournament. I make them pay for their indecision, and I usually come out with the best of it. That is what happened during this tourney. Lots of the loose, aggressive tourists suddenly became tight, passive players who just wanted to make the final table, if they couldn't make the money. They had seen me play so tightly up until the second hour that they were just certain I had something, when I was bluffing them off of their hands.

We got to the final table, and Paul, the dealer, was to my right. He wasn't so happy about his position, but I certainly was. He and I were by far the most aggressive players at the table.

When we were down to four, I knocked an Asian tourist out. He couldn't return for any tournament, so I offered to buy his free buy-in. I gave him a good deal, because he was a nice guy and had respected me and my play during the entire time we played together (we were at the first table together, too). I also got his bounty.

A woman who had never played in a poker tournament before was to my left. She was horrid, but kept going all-in when she got short, and doubled through every time. Not long afterwards, she took the chip lead from both Paul and myself. Finally Paul went all-in with a great starting hand, and just kept bricking up, while she caught reasonably well. Paul was knocked out in third.

On our very first hand together, I started with three to a bike and raised. She defended and I caught perfect on fourth, an open-ended straight draw and four cards to a six. She also caught perfect, having four hearts, though unconnected. Naturally I caught three bricks, no pair, no low, nada, and she caught her heart. Hasta la vista, baby.

She was simply thrilled by her win at her first tournament ever. I cheered her on and hope she comes back soon (lol).

The only sour note to this whole tourney was that the lady asked me what the protocol is for tipping. Eveyone knows I am never shy, so I told her that when we bought in, most of us opted for the dealer's add-on, which put $5 each into the tip fund. Since at least ten players opted for this (if not the full 13), that would put at least $50 into the tip pool. What she tips on top of that is up to her. I told her that I tend to tip about 5% in total (including what has already been tipped, not on top of it). I told her that I also vary my tips on the service of the cardroom, how I felt I was treated, the quality of the dealers, etc. The lady chose to tip a red and four whites on top of the add-on ($9 extra). The dealer who was sitting in the box at the time was very unhappy with me. After the lady left, she started telling the other dealers, "Well, if it weren't for HER (pointing at me rudely) we would have gotten more tips! She TOLD the winner to only tip 5%! Because of HER we aren't going to make anything!" One of the other dealers asked, "Well, how much did she tip?" The dealer said, "She only tipped $4!!" I cut in, "No she did not! She tipped a redbird on top of that four dollars! And she also said she contributed to the dealer's add-on!"

She said, "Because of YOU, we're only going to make about $3 per dealer on this tournament!" I refused to get into an argument with her, but told her that this was the exact way the dealers acted at the Belle, and I felt they were the worst dealers on the river. She dropped it. I think she knew she had gone too far.

There were only four dealers dealing to us. Now, if only 10 people took the dealer's add-on, that is $50. Paul tipped about $10 on top of this. The lady tipped $9 and I tipped $5. That is $69. $69 divided by four dealers is $17.25. I don't know where she came up with $3, but it was obvious to me she was trying to make me look bad.

The next day I talked to Dan about it. I didn't tell him who the dealer was, not even male or female, and he immediately said, "It was her, wasn't it?" and pointed to a dealer. He said she is very rude and inappropriate, and he has had other problems with her. He didn't say what his solution to these problems was going to be, but that is none of my business. He told me that he will not allow his dealers to solicit tips under any circumstances. I hope that he means this, and that things will change for the better in the future.

Felicia :)