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Anyone who plays much hold’em knows how it feels to get rivered. You have been leading all the way, but then the river card gives an opponent the better hand. It’s quite common, especially when an opponent is drawing to a straight or flush. It happens in both brick and mortar poker rooms as well as when you’re playing in a casino online. We learn to grin and bear it. Much rarer is when you make the winning hand on the river; with eight opponents against you, that makes good sense from a probability standpoint.

Well here’s a limit hold’em hand I played recently at the Hustler Casino. I labelled it “The River to End all Rivers!” You will soon see why…

I had only been playing for a short time, during which I lucked out to win a good-sized pot plus several others more modest in size. So, I was well ahead when the following occurred…

In early position, I looked down at Ac-10d in the hole. Good enough! I limped to see the flop along with five other players.

The Flop: Ad – 5c – 5h

I had two-pair, Aces and fives, and with a decent kicker it looked like it could be a winner. So, after a short pause, I opened the betting to thin the playing field and was called by three others. No raises. I figured that my hand was well ahead. I was optimistic. “This hand will be mine,” I thought to myself, confident (or maybe just cocky).

The turn was another Ace, the As. That gave me a monster hand, Aces-full-of-fives! “Bound to be a big winner,” I smiled to myself. “Let’s see if I can build the pot,” I mused. If I opened the betting, some of my opponents would surely fold, figuring me for an Ace in the hole. Instead, I decided to go for a check-raise. Sure enough, the player to my left, a loose-aggressive player, quickly bet out. I figured him for a big pair in the hole – a poor second-best to my monster. There was the possibility that he held a third five in the hole, but not likely. Even so, my Aces-full was way ahead. The other two players paused a bit, but both eventually called his bet. My raise (a check-raise) was an easy decision. As all three of them called my raise, I looked at the huge pot, and was so pleased. I was keeping track of my chip stack and could already picture adding a third rack to my treasure.

Now, came the river. I could hardly believe my eyes. It was a third five on the board. Cause to slow down and ponder. The only way one of my opponents could beat me was to hold the fourth five in the hole. I realized that was hardly likely. The probability was about 2 percent – less than one chance out of 50.

So, I made my bet and was called by the player to my left. Then, the button surprised me when he raised it up. He was a loose player, often playing deceptively; but I did not think he was bluffing. He must be holding a big hand, but nothing – well almost nothing – could beat my Aces-full. He was all-in at that point. Of course, I called his raise.

Guess what! He turned up the fourth five. Quads! I was numbed and could hardly believe my eyes. “Oh no!” I shouted aloud. I sensed that all eyes at the table were focused on me. It mattered not. That hand took all my winnings and then some. It was easily “the River to End All Rivers.”

Ed. Note: This article was originally published on March 20, 2020, and has now been updated to include the brand new partypoker private home games offering as well as recent updates by PokerStars and 888poker.

During these difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people are following orders to practice social distancing, be it out of necessity or as a preventive measure many of our daily routines have been affected. Playing poker with friends online may not be high on the list of priorities but it sure is a good way to pass some time and get away from heavy thoughts for at least a couple of hours.

Since gathering a number of people in a small room is pretty much out of question, you ought to perhaps think about moving your home game online. Thankfully, there are some great options out there to make this happen and with a bit of creativity, you can make it just as fun as if you were all gathered around the actual table.

Setting Up Your First Online Home Game

The good news is that you don’t need any special technical knowledge to get an online poker game with friends set up just the way you like. While there are a few online casino and poker sites out there offering this option, my own personal experience has been limited to PokerStars. They allow anyone to create private cash games and tournaments with many parameters you can tailor to your needs.

To get the ball rolling, you’ll need to follow a few simple steps:

• Download and install the PokerStars client (if you don’t have it already)
• Go to the ‘Home Games’ tab
• Create your Poker Club with unique name and invitation code
• Invite your friends to join using the code

You can set up your private poker club in a matter of minutes and you don’t have to pay anything for it. The Home Game feature is completely free and gives you an opportunity to create games that are open only to the players you invite. No one can join the club unless they have the invitation code so you won’t have to deal with random players jumping in and spoiling the fun.

As far as the options go, you’ll have a lot of flexibility. You can configure MTTs to suit your needs (level durations, starting stacks, etc.), cash game tables, and sit & gos. The best part is, you can configure buy-ins to be in real cash or play money, so your friends don’t need to have any real cash in their accounts. You can play online poker with friends with almost no limitations, from anywhere in the world.

Run your own private poker club, with PokerStars Home Games. @spraggy explains how. 🏠
ℹ️ https://t.co/iDUgXWPtqR

Please play responsibly. pic.twitter.com/9yWNcoCj3s

— PokerStars (@PokerStars) May 8, 2020

In the past, Home Games had only been available on PokerStars’ desktop client, but they’re now available on mobile as well.

If you’re a Home Games player on @PokerStars, or always wanted to set up your own, what follows is going to be of interest to you.

🏠 Our new look Home Games are now live…

🆕 Check out all the new features (including on mobile 📱 if you prefer).https://t.co/2G5hMoJY08 pic.twitter.com/OQ37UfGzEv

— PokerStarsBlog (@PokerStarsBlog) June 16, 2020

Unibet Poker also offers the ability to facilitate online home games, according to a recent Tweet from company ambassador David Lappin. I haven’t tried them yet, but they’re worth looking into as well.

Several people have asked me about HOME GAMES on @UnibetPoker and I am delighted to say that what I can do is organise PRIVATE PASSWORD PROTECTED MTTS for you.

If anybody would like me to do this for them, slide into my DMs. (If I don’t follow you, reply here and I will.) pic.twitter.com/Rx9NAMozQ2

— David K Lappin (@dklappin) March 20, 2020

UPDATE: Seeing the increasing competition in this niche, 888poker and partypoker also recently developed the ability for their players to create private home games online. Below you’ll see the former’s ambassador, Chris Moorman, explain 888poker private games (also available on mobile) while the latter’s ambassador Jaime Staples explains partypoker’s club games.

Here’s @jaimestaples of @PPTeamOnline with details of our recent software updates including new Club Games and the introduction of Run it twice

For more details see https://t.co/OKb896KeTP pic.twitter.com/Y7WgOnILmM

— partypoker (@partypoker) June 1, 2020

Make It Really Count with Enhanced Online Communication

Most people who run regular home games know that it’s not just about playing poker. It’s also about getting together for some good banter, having a few drinks, and getting rid of some stress. This part can be a bit hard to replicate online but if you put some effort into it, it’s doable.

While most online poker rooms do have inbuilt chat functionality, it probably won’t cut it. Instead, you could all jump into a Zoom meeting (or you can use similar software) so that everyone can see each other while playing and actually talk. It may feel weird at first, especially if you’ve never tried it before, but give it a bit of time. Once you’re a couple of beers in and when things get heated up at the table, it’ll be almost as if you were all in the same room.

It’s Okay to Have Some Fun

Recent events have affected the world at large. We’ve found ourselves in a situation that we aren’t really prepared for and people are uncertain as to what they should and shouldn’t be doing. Even so, rest assured that having some fun and taking your mind off of things for a little while is perfectly fine and very much needed right now.

If you want to play poker with friends online, go for it! You have the tools to do it and (likely) a lot of spare time on your hands. Give it a go and see if it works for you. At the very least, you’ll have a few laughs along the way and maybe come up with ideas on how to make things even better for the next time.

Carlos Welch has one of the most interesting stories in poker. A player, writer, and coach who decided that to best chase his dreams required living out of his van. Then, the need for overnight A/C moved him to buying a Prius. We talk strategy, game selection, and then dig into a wonderful hand where we face a difficult river shove. Connect with Carlos on Twitter.  

Make sure to check out rec.poker/resources for all the partnerships and bonus RecPoker is offering. Specifically, Red Chip Poker is offering RecPoker listeners a free week of CORE by visiting Rechippoker.com and using the code “RECPOKER.”

Time Stamps

“I am a lover of what is, not because I’m a spiritual person, but because it hurts when I argue with reality.”

I love the quote above from Byron Katie, an American speaker and author who wrote an incredible book called, Loving What Is.

A lot of pain in life, and in poker, comes from non-acceptance of reality.

You’re late for work for the tenth time and get written up. “My boss is such a jerk! It’s just five minutes!” Reality check: it was your choice to stay up too late bingeing your show on Netflix and hitting snooze seven times on your alarm.

Your dog pooped on the rug, again, and you’re forced to clean it up… again. “Darn dog! When’s he going to learn to poop outside!?” Reality check: you’re the one who hasn’t trained your dog to poop outside yet.

These same things happen in poker, whether you’re playing it in your regular home game or even in a South Korea online casino.

The normally passive player suddenly wakes up and raises your AA when the third spade comes on the river. “My AA can’t be beat! Maybe this fish is bluffing… I call.” Reality check: passive players only raise on rivers with the nuts.

The tight-aggressive (TAG) player, who NEVER limps, limps into the pot. You hold 88 and decide to iso-raise, then you’re surprised when he raises you 4x your bet. “What kinda jerk limp/raises? Maybe I’m still ahead… I call.” Reality check: limp/raises from TAGs is a play to sucker more chips out of you with their KK or AA.

Every action that your opponents take on the table indicate their potential hand strength. You just need to listen to what they’re actions are telling you.

Denying Denny

I reviewed a hand the other day with a student I’ll call “Denying Denny”. He’s getting much better, but still has had a hard time listening to what his opponent’s actions are telling him, and this hand illustrates that perfectly.

Denny open-raised UTG with JhJs. A very passive player, Fishy Frank, called in the BB.

It’s heads-up on a flop of Th 6h 4h, giving Denny an overpair + fourth nut flush draw. Fishy Frank donk bets 5BBs into the 6.5BB pot.

Reality check: Fishy, passive players betting near pot into the pre-flop raiser on a 3-flush board = flush or nut flush draw. Sets, 2 pair, top pair, and second nut flush draws are just check-calling.

Denny ignored this sign of strength and raised to 15BBs, Fishy Frank called.

Reality check: calling a large 3x raise after making a large almost pot-sized bet means Fishy Frank isn’t scared of Denny’s holding on this super wet board.

The turn brings the 8h, putting four hearts on the board.

Reality check: the fourth heart means that Fishy Frank has a flush, potentially the nut flush, based on his flop play.

Fishy Frank checks and Denny bets three-quarters pot with the fourth nut flush. Fishy Frank makes a min-check-raise, leaving behind only 27BBs in a 118BB pot.

Reality check: A fish would only check-raise on a 4-heart board with the nut flush, especially against a large ¾-pot sized bet. The second, third, or fifth nut flush would just check-call in hopes that Denny didn’t have the Ah.

Denny shoves in his remaining stack, putting Fishy Frank all-in. The river is a 6d and Fishy Frank tables the Ah4s for the turned nut flush.

Reality check: Denying Denny lost his full 100bb stack due to his inability to listen to what Fishy Frank’s actions were telling him. If Denying Denny had just called on the flop then folded on the turn when the fourth heart hit, he would’ve saved himself 92BBs and a lot of heartache.

Become a Better Poker Listener

I believe that most players tell me what they have about 99% of the time. That doesn’t mean I listen 99% of the time, but when I review a hand, it’s normally quite obvious what they held.

I’ve had to develop my listening skills over the years and I want to help you do the same. Action is the greatest teacher, so I have three action steps to improve your poker listening skills right now.

1. Begin a daily hand reading practice. Hand reading is the #1 skill in poker because it forces you to put your opponent on a range of hands then logically narrow that range through the streets based on their actions. This consistent, daily focus on analyzing your opponent’s actions off-the-felt will translate into better in-game decision making.
2. “What are they doing this with?” This is poker’s ultimate question and you must ask/answer it with every play your opponent makes. He check-raises on the 4-flush board… what’s he doing this with? He 3-bet shoves with 22BBs pre-flop… what’s he doing this with? Your answer to this question will guide your response.
3. Replay the action of the hand. Any time a player gets aggressive with bets and raises, replay the action of the hand. Realizing that, “Oh, this is a 3-bet pot” might save you a lot of money with your weaker top pair hands versus multi-street aggression from the 3-bettor.

Good luck and have fun learning how to listen to your opponent’s actions.

For more great coaching, strategies and tips from Sky Matsuhashi, check out his poker training site, The Poker Forge. Here’s our review.

Jamie Kerstetter

In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the Cardplayer Lifestyle Podcast Family, Bernard Lee interviews 2019 WSOP Main Event commentator, Jamie Kerstetter. Initially, she discusses how she graduated undergraduate at Rutgers and Law school at University of Michigan. However, after being laid off from her first law job, she began to focus on poker. Jamie also discusses her transition from online poker to live poker and also her love of playing in online tournaments.

In our last column we talked about 3 different kinds of home game poker chips. In this article I want to talk a little bit about what are your traditions for your home games.

Calling All You Traditional Texas Holdem Fans – This is the table for you – A timeless classic

Every home game has a different tradition. You walk in, and there’s different ways that groups of friends make each other comfortable and have a great time. I remember when I first started playing Texas Holdem back in college a long time ago. I was in a fraternity. We were knuckleheads, and we would get pizza or some sort of food real quick. The most important thing is that we had to make sure that we were well stocked with alcohol (like I said we were knuckleheads). So there was a lot of action in the game. Real loose. A lot of hero calls. That sort of game. But as you mature, your taste and how you go about hopefully matures as well.

Nowadays there’s a game in Silicon Valley in the Bay Area that I drop by every once in a while. Still good friends. Real smart people. But, rather than pizza, what they do is make sure they cater real nice Indian food, usually. We have a nice selection of alcohol if you want to enjoy and indulge. For that game, though, you might not want to be drunk. You probably want to have all your faculties because there are some really good players there. So you need to be on your toes. So that’s kind of a tradition for that game.

The Celebrity Table – Custom Lumen HD Table Featured At CES 2019

Last year I was in Las Vegas at the World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions, and I ran into this very interesting gentleman. We started talking about his home poker game. The gentleman lives in New Jersey, and they kind of have a tradition going. When they’re going to have a home game he prepares the day before. He starts smoking this really nice meat, and they’ll have a full blown barbecue in the afternoon before when all his friends come over. The game usually coincides with a UFC fight, or a boxing event, or some sort of sporting event. You know they’re enjoying this great barbecue. They’re drinking. They’re watching the fights. As it starts going into the later evening, they start playing cards. They’ll be drinking and having fun in each other’s company well into the wee hours. That’s their tradition.

A Modern Take On 8-Handed Round Tables – The Ginza LED Table Complete with A Full Custom Design and Has an Optional Dining Top

Conclusion

To me, it’s fascinating how every home game has a different tradition and how friends and family interact to have the best time. So my question to you is what is your home game tradition and why? You can email me direct at [email protected]. And if you guys are looking for a premium show-stopping custom poker table for your home game to bring your family and friends closer together to have a great time, just visit bbopokertables.com. I wish you guys have amazing home games and lots of fun.

For those who want to make a real living playing poker, starting off online is now the primary way. In turn, one of the most burning issues in global poker culture is the timing of transition from online to live play in person, and how people can translate online poker skills to playing in brick-and-mortar venues.

For illustrative purposes only. Image credit: pokerdoodle.com

Pitfalls of transition

It stands to reason that online casino games are so popular. In theory, anybody of age in a legal jurisdiction can simply play here and win life-changing sums of money in mere minutes. Yet, online poker games have strengths and weaknesses which stand very prominent next to their land-based counterpart.

Immediately, the most obvious differential factor is the ability to read a ‘poker face’ in a land-based setting, and the lack thereof in an online game, unless there is a type of live video facility involved. Many successful live poker players also specialize in (or rely heavily on) reading the ‘tell’ of their opponents, which can sometimes take the form of an involuntary physical tic that indicates the strength of a hand.

Innate elements of luck notwithstanding, the best live players will habitually keep detailed poker notes on their most deadly opponents. Unless a person is playing in an online VIP room in a high stakes game, it is also unlikely that even a specialist would have the opportunity to read up on their opponents beforehand.

For that reason, successfully transitioning between online and live poker is all the more difficult. Even if a newly-transitioned player has the ability to read an opponent’s mannerisms, another complicating factor is the level at which players begin to focus predominantly on live events.

A common mistake is for online players to be overly ambitious when playing in person, and buy in more than they should. Poker players who are simply impatient people are also particularly susceptible to a bad transition. The impulsive, ‘Type A’ player will typically hope to utilize their skills developed online, and go for the big win in their first live tournament.

Lots of people with that mindset have failed miserably before, and the most successful transitions between online and land poker tournaments are made by those who know themselves – and the different ‘poker personalities’ that exist – more profoundly than most.

Success stories

For all the dangers faced by those with excessive ambitions in the ‘real world’, there are some documented winners who have managed to translate both mediums of Poker into successful ventures. One such player is Stephen Chidwick, who has over $5 million in online winnings, alongside his total from live events – currently north of $31 million.

Tom Dwan is also a prime example of how using online platforms as a foundation, combined with careful, phased studying before transitioning to live events, is a key to success. He played online, and like many other beginners, lost on numerous occasions. Like all of his elite peers, Dwan learnt from those setbacks, and inside just four years, he earned north of $5 million.

There is also the inspirational story of Chris Moorman, the UK native who came from nowhere to live the Vegas dream. Unlike Chidwick, Moorman’s ratio of live winnings ($5 million) to online winnings ($14 million) was weighted firmly in favor of the latter by the end of his first decade as a poker pro. This shows that there is no right or wrong time to make the jump from online play to live events – the only right time is when you can accept losing, but know that you can win.

Is a good ‘online’ game important?

Of course, a good online game can be helpful, but for every Moorman or Dwan out there, there are undoubtedly many other players who has smashed the online game, only to see their fortunes turn in live play. Online success is no guarantee of a good live game, and even if it does, one run of bad luck can ruin everything.

Whether online or live, one of the best things about poker is the range of personalities that it attracts. Some players, particularly the elders of their craft, can be as charismatic as professional wrestlers, and thrive off a crowd in a live room. However, those same extroverts might not perform to the same level in an online poker game, with some having learned their trade in brick-and-mortar venues from the very outset.

Talented professional poker players have always existed, and thrived, long before the explosion of online poker over the past two decades. It is also worth remembering that (for legal and regulatory reasons) there are currently “generations” of Americans who have never had the opportunity to play online poker for real money.

Perhaps the only reason for online poker’s popularity as a starting point is down to the modern regulation of tables by reputable online casinos, to ensure that beginners are not continually outclassed.

In live venues, there is less of a guarantee that a novice player will not suffer excessively, although the buy-in amount – alongside the number of participants – is usually an indicator as to the caliber of opposition. Ultimately, alongside a bit of luck, common sense can be enough to skip years of online play safely, and swap virtual baize for smooth, tangible felt without too many sleepless nights.

Making a big call on the river with a hand that can barely beat anything and seeing a huge pot coming your way as your opponents look in disbelief is one of the best feelings in poker.

A hero call in poker is one of the most exciting plays you can make, but making one at the wrong time can be very costly.

Finding yourself in a potential hero calling situation is one of the best examples of lifelong dilemma. If you call and you’re right – it’s great; but what happens when they turn over the nuts (which is what they’re usually representing in these spots)? If you fold and they show you a bluff, you’ll be beating yourself for not going with your gut.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple formula you can learn by heart and always use in situations like this. Instead, you’ll have to approach every single one of them individually and weigh the pros and cons of making a hero call.

That said, these three tips should at least give you an idea of the most important things to think about when making a decision.

Think about the entire hand and put the pieces together

Making a hero call has excited players throughout the history of poker, but the most important thing about doing so is knowing why you’re doing it.

When you are faced with a significant river bet and you’re thinking about calling with a weak hand, don’t rush into anything. Take a deep breath, stay calm, and think about how the whole hand played out.

Start from the beginning and work your way through from there. Was it a limped pot, or was there a raise? What did your opponent do on the flop? Was their play strange in any way? Were there any alarm bells going off in your head at any point in the hand? Does the whole story your opponent is trying to tell look consistent?

via GIPHY

It is essential to piece everything together before you make a final decision. Given the fact these are usually sizeable bets, your margin for error is very small. So, you are better off taking a couple of extra minutes to think it through and putting your opponent on an actual range than just making a crying call. And remember, if you can’t justify hero calling in a specific spot, there is nothing wrong with letting it go.

Hero calling is a lot about your reads

As mentioned, there isn’t a particular mathematical formula you could use to decide whether you should make a hero call in the first place. Of course, there are still some theoretical considerations in these spots but, at the end of the day, your decision will be heavily based on your read on your opponent and what you believe they’re capable of.

Making big hero calls against players who play a solid TAG style and virtually never get out of line is not the best idea. Often, these guys understand range advantage and make these plays in situations that are quite hard to exploit.

If you’ve never seen a particular player overbet the river on a bluff before, why do you think they’re doing it against you this one time? Your mind can play tricks with you at the table, but you have to be able to see past that.

via GIPHY

On the other hand, when you’re up a wild and aggressive player, calling down light can be a much more viable option. This is a situation where you have to look beyond the bet size and actually consider the player you’re facing. If their huge bet looks like it was explicitly designed to get you to fold and there are some other elements to make you think they might be bluffing, go ahead and put those chips in the middle.

Don’t let your ego get in the way

When you’re thinking about making a hero call, you should be thinking about the things described above. What you shouldn’t be thinking is how much you’d like to catch a particular player bluffing and finally get one over them. Calling people off against all the odds just because you want to catch them with their hand in a cookie jar is a bad long-term strategy.

via GIPHY

Of course, you need to think about the player you’re up against but only in terms of what you know about their playing tendencies. If you let someone get under your skin to the point where they have you calling off their 2x pot bets on the river with an underpair to the board, it might be the time to call it a night.

Las Vegas. The mecca of gambling, nightlife, and entertainment that sees over 40 million tourists visit annually. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world, Las Vegas has had to shelve the idea of Sin City, and return to being just another city in the United States attempting to adjust to life under quarantine.

When COVID-19 began sweeping the United States, the state of Nevada was one of the first to issue stay-at-home orders. With the closing of non-essential businesses, one of the most visited cities in the country would be shutting their doors on tourist income indefinitely. Like many cities in the country, there was backlash. Many people complained. Others, however, embraced the idea of staying home, staying safe, and doing their part to flatten the curve.

Being a Las Vegas resident since 2012, I would classify myself as a local. Our family is also heavily infused in the gambling industry with my work in the poker industry, while my wife works at Wynn Las Vegas. Once the stay-at-home orders were issued and our family was forced to quarantine at home with our jobs indefinitely put on hold, living in Las Vegas was going to look drastically different.

How Las Vegas Looks During Quarantine

What people tend to forget about Las Vegas is that the city is bigger than just The Strip. Driving just 15 minutes north, south, east, or west will see the massive hotels replaced by towering trees, and the man-made water features replaced by lush green parks. Although tennis courts, basketball courts, and playgrounds were closed, parks seemed to be busier than ever. Maybe it was the gorgeous 70°F weather, or maybe it was the absence of gambling due to the poker rooms and blackjack tables put on ice.

Mesa Park, in Summerlin

Living out west in Summerlin, I am lucky that we have multiple outdoor amenities to choose from. Walking several minutes from my house I find myself in the beautiful Mesa Park, where throwing a baseball or kicking a soccer ball was added to my schedule, along with bike rides along many different trails. Just behind our house are picturesque mountains that I would frequently hike for several hours seeing rabbits, lizards, and desert tortoises.

Desert Tortoise

With no one truly knowing how long quarantine would last, it appeared as though many people looked to dedicate themselves to getting that summer body – you know, just in case the pools reopened. Any equipment workout or fitness related was sold out locally and across a multitude of big-name stores. Many people including myself threw on some sneakers, slapped on some sunscreen, and escaped the indoors for some outdoor fitness whether it hiking, running, bike-riding, or even just casual walks to soak in some vitamin D.

The Las Vegas Strip, as seen from the mountains

Back on The Strip, it could be best described using one word. Empty. Social media has been filled with videos and pictures of The Strip completely empty of cars and people. Locals began taking their family on bike rides from the Las Vegas sign all the way down to the Stratosphere as there may never be a time again where you could ride basically uninterrupted down one of the busiest streets in the country.

Lost Vegas. #vegas #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/8Yb0Lrsg9o

— Drew Amato (@drew_amato) March 31, 2020

Do I Miss “Normal” Las Vegas?

Yes and No. “Strong answer, Tim” you may be saying, but you have to understand that there are many things I miss about normal Las Vegas, and many things I don’t.

It’s fairly obvious that what I mostly miss about Las Vegas is probably what Cardplayer Lifestyle readers miss too: The World Series of Poker. It was always a heavy favorite to be postponed due to the logistics of running such a massive event that attracts thousands upon thousands of players each and every day, from nearly 100 countries around the world. If I’m a betting man, I would say that the WSOP will run in Las Vegas in some capacity in 2020, but the fact that the $1,500 Millionaire Maker isn’t kicking off right now does put a dampener on what is normally a fantastic way to soften the summer temperatures that always exceed the 100°F mark.

Such an eerie feeling. #WSOP pic.twitter.com/oLLzjsBy7o

— Remko Rinkema (@RemkoRinkema) May 28, 2020

Not only does the WSOP call Las Vegas home during this time, but so does the NBA Summer League. Often held at the tail end of the WSOP, the NBA Summer League is an off-season competition where NBA teams try out rookie-heavy rosters in the two arenas at UNLV. With the NBA season currently postponed, so is the NBA Summer League, and unfortunately Las Vegas loses another sporting event that also includes postponed seasons for the Vegas Golden Knights (NHL), Las Vegas Aviators (MILB), and Las Vegas Lights FC (USL).

So, what don’t I miss about normal Las Vegas? It is refreshing not having been inside a casino for the past couple of months – the flashing lights, the slot machine jackpots ringing. With casinos reopening now, when I eventually find myself back inside one of them, I may have the itch to roll some dice or play a blackjack shoe again.

Being a Las Vegas local, I know that our city is reliant on the 42 million tourists that visit annually. However, I don’t miss the chaos that our highways and streets become during this peak time. Do you realize how long it takes to drive from The Venetian, south on Las Vegas Boulevard, and then hang a right on Flamingo to get to my favorite sushi restaurant? It’s only 2.5 miles and a half dozen traffic lights, but on a Friday night in June it takes an easy 30 minutes. I guess it’s how New Yorkers feel on a normal Tuesday!

When Will Las Vegas Be … Las Vegas?

August? November? March 2021? Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone truly knows.

With casinos reopening along with many non-essential businesses, there seems to be a strong possibility that we’ll see an increase in COVID-19 cases not just in Las Vegas, but in other major cities in the United States. Hopefully we can manage it, and hopefully there is a vaccine around the corner because having the country return to normal will result in the economy returning to normal, along with people returning to their jobs.

Not knowing when things will return means that all we can focus on is the other aspects of Las Vegas – because this city is awesome even without the casinos, gambling, and nightlife.

We have fantastic parks, plenty of tennis and basketball courts, and an abundance of hiking and mountain bike trails. Throw in weather that lets you be outside every day of the year – albeit with a hat and sunscreen during our hot summers – and Las Vegas has more to offer than tourists realize. Come here for the margaritas and blackjack switch … but get away from The Strip and see what else Las Vegas has to offer. I’ve been here for over eight years and don’t see myself moving anytime soon!

Lynn Gilmartin

In this episode of The Bernard Lee Poker Show on the Cardplayer Lifestyle Podcast Family, Bernard Lee concludes his interview with WPT Anchor, Lynn Gilmartin.  During Part 2 of the interview, she discusses her fundraising efforts for the native animals affected by the Australia bush fires earlier this year.  She also discusses presenting AUS $100,000 to the Australian Zoo and the Irwin family.

Andrew Brokos is a great friend of the RecPoker podcast and he joins us again to talk about the release of his new book, Play Optimal Poker 2 with a focus on constructing ranges. In addition to discussing the book, we talk a bit about the impact of the pandemic on Andrew’s personal approach to poker as well as poker overall.

Make sure to check out rec.poker/resources for all the partnerships and bonus RecPoker is offering. Specifically, Red Chip Poker is offering RecPoker listeners a free week of CORE by visiting Rechippoker.com and using the code “RECPOKER.”

Time Stamps

Andrew Brokos

It’s quite common to get ahead early in a poker session. Looking down on your larger stacks of chips gives you a wonderful feeling. Victory! Success! At that point, the trick is to stay ahead – and, hopefully, build your stacks even higher. Easier said than done…

There are many reasons for losing it all back, and then even having to buy in for another stack in order to stay in the game. Like it or not, that’s quite often the way it will go. On the one hand, being ahead early in the session gives you self-confidence. You just KNOW you are a highly skilled player; no one can beat you. WRONG! You have no control over the cards dealt out during a hand. Don’t blame or berate the dealer. You might be inclined to condemn the poker gods for a run of second-best hands or for suffering several bad beats on the river. In one case, after catching a full-boat on the turn, your monster hand loses to a bigger one on the river.

It took you a while to build up your chip stacks, but you can lose all those winnings in one fell swoop – frustrating, to say the least. Playing no-limit hold’em, all it takes is one hand when you catch a monster and lose to a bigger monster backed by a mountain of chips. That happens so often – too often! It may take longer in limit games, but it’s a scenario so common it might as well be taught to beginners when learning how to play poker in the first place.

Analyzing a representative example

Your opponent makes a huge raise on the river. He is a tight player who would bet so big only with a very powerful hand. You stop to ponder. You have the Ace-high flush. There is a pair of deuces on the board, so a full-house is possible.

Trying to read the raiser’s hand, you are sure he would never start with a small card unless it was free to see the flop; but he is not in the Big Blind position. Perhaps he had a pocket pair? But, with two deuces on the board, it’s hardly likely he holds the other pair of deuces in the hole. Thus, you are convinced that, most likely, he has a high flush – second-best to your nut flush. So, you call his raise.

How about that… he does not have a big flush, not even a full-house. He turns up a pair of deuces! He caught a set on the flop and quad deuces on the river! Rare? Very much so; but it can happen – and sometimes does. Bad beat stories are full of tales like these that have of course happened in real life play. Now, you have lost back all of you hard-earned winnings – and then some.

via GIPHY

What can you do?

You are upset, and that’s OK. Who would not be under such circumstances?

The first thing you can do is to take a break to calm your anger; don’t make matters worse by going on tilt. A brisk walk in the fresh air may calm you down. Convince yourself that it was just a very poor chance-happening. Not likely to happen soon again. Then go back into the casino and get back into the game. Consider a seat or table change. It may make it easier to rebuild your self-confidence. Playing scared won’t help you rebuild your stacks.

What else can you do? Answer: Focus on the game and be determined to use all your skills – all the way from table and seat selection to slow-playing and bluffing when the situation is right. One more thing: No one stops you from quitting while you are still ahead.