Poker News

Ashley Adams

I just got back from my annual trip to Las Vegas for the World Series of poker. I’m thinking about whether the trip was worth it and whether I’ll go out again next year. .

I’m not, chiefly, a tournament player. Even so, I enjoyed the experience of playing in the World Series of Poker. By all-important measures I did poorly in my event, the $1,000 SHOE (stud, hold’ em, omaha8, stud8) tournament. I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack-after seven hours or so-with maybe a little less than half the field remaining. I enjoyed nearly the entire seven hours that I lasted-miserable only after losing two large pots in the Omaha/8 round that crippled my stack. (A2 double suited, blah, blah, blah).

The possibility of poker glory is what always convinces me to play in these large events. The subsequent crashing and burning isn’t nearly painful enough to discourage me a year later. I’m also encouraged by my wins and strong showings in smaller tournaments throughout the year. I plan on returning next year for a tournament or two.

Las Vegas during the WSOP is also much more than just the tournaments. It’s a convention for poker players-with old friends an acquaintances form the poker world flying into town for the event. There was even the Gaming Life Expo, a mini convention of folks in the poker industry, as an added lure. It wasn’t nearly as big as last year’s, but it was still fun to see folks I knew there.

Las Vegas is a great poker book town. There are a dozen used bookstores, including the famed Gambler’sBook Shop, with great used poker books for half price or less. It’s also a 24-hour city with great Asian and Mexican food that I love.

There’s more to poker in Las Vegas than just what’s at the Rio during the WSOP. I played low limit no limit hold ‘em games at a dozen or so poker rooms and even managed to play stud at Sam’s Town.

Their small $1- $5 spread limit game, with a 25-cent ante and 50-cent bring-in produced a bizarre series of hands. I was dealt a split pair of kings. There was an ace out behind me. Naturally, I raised the $1 bring-in to $6. Everyone folded. I won $3.00. The very next hand and I was dealt the same hand: a split pair of kings. I was the high hand showing. This time I only called the $1.00 bringin. So did everyone else. On fourth street I hit a blank.

Someone else hit an ace. He checked. It was checked to me. I bet the maximum: $5.00. Everyone folded. I won $10.00. A few hands later I was dealt a split pair of tens with an ace kicker. A queen raised to $2.00. One player folded. I reraised to $7.00. Everyone folded again, including the queen. I won $6.00.

I received no decent cards or even scare cards on board for about forty more minutes. I folded eachtime. I did not see a hand go past fifth street. Were they trying to set a record for the world’s tightest game? I did not stay to find out, leaving up $9.00. Who says stud is dead in Las Vegas. All in all, even without the good stud action that I get back home at Foxwoods, the trip was surely worthwhile.

The no limit hold ‘em was a fine substitute for my typical $20-$40 stud game, and all of the other goings on made this a very worthwhile trip. I’m already planning to return next year-if not sooner.

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