Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and psychology. It requires you to constantly analyze the situation, calculate things like pot odds, and read your opponents. But could playing poker also have measurable, direct benefits for your brain health?

Legend of the game Doyle Brunson is said to have declared that he never met a poker player that developed Alzheimer’s. But is it actually true, or was ol’ Texas Dolly just telling a tall tale, as big as some of his bluffs?

RIP Doyle, the legend among legends. My favorite story from him was that no matter how old, he’s never met a poker player that developed Alzheimer’s. I often found myself retelling this to others throughout the years as it says so much about the game we all love.

— Eugene Katchalov (@EugeneKatchalov) May 15, 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide and causing memory loss, confusion, and behavioral changes. It is caused by the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits called amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, which impair the function of neurons. While it seems improbable that a card game could help to stave off such a terrible disease, there is in fact some evidence that supports that theory.

But exactly how can poker help in the fight against this devastating condition?

old people poker Alzheimers

(Check) Raise your cognitive abilities

One of the main factors that could protect your brain from cognitive decline is cognitive engagement, which means challenging your mind with mentally stimulating activities. Poker is a perfect example of such an activity, as it involves complex decision making, problem solving, and mental arithmetic. By playing poker regularly, you could keep your cognitive abilities sharp and prevent them from deteriorating over time.

A study by Williams et al. (2010) assessed the strength of evidence for various risk or protective factors for Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. They found that cognitive engagement and physical activities are factors showing a fairly consistent association with decreased risk of AD and cognitive decline. They also noted that “cognitive engagement may be more important than education in maintaining cognitive function with aging”. That completely-wiped, exhausted feeling you get after coming away from your final table run? That’s a sign of focused cognitive engagement.

Another study by Dartigues et al. (2013) followed 3,675 non-demented participants for 20 years and found that board game players have a 15% lower risk of developing dementia than non-players. And if you’ve ever had your set lose to a flush draw with one card to come, you know that 15% is a lot! While not the same disease as the Alzheimer’s mentioned by Doyle, even partially helping to prevent dementia would be a huge benefit. The researchers also found that board game playing was associated with less cognitive decline and fewer instances of depression in elderly participants. Specifically, they suggested that games involving strategic decision-making “could be a relevant way to preserve cognition and to prevent depression in the elderly”.

Turn more outs from stress and depression

Another factor that could increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline is stress and depression. Chronic stress and depression can affect your mood, sleep, and immune system, as well as trigger inflammation and oxidative stress in your brain. These processes can damage your brain cells and contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

However, playing live poker could help you reduce your stress and depression levels by providing you with social interaction, enjoyment, and relaxation. Poker is a social game that allows you to interact with other players, make friends, and have fun. Much research has been devoted to the benefits of social interaction, enough that we won’t cite them here. But what about specifically the mechanical nature of poker itself? Could that be of some benefit? For that, we look to the other booming competitive game: chess.

A study by Lillo-Crespo et al. (2019) reviewed the literature on whether chess practice could mitigate signs, deliver benefits, or improve cognitive capacities of individuals with dementia. They concluded that “the practice of chess is a protective strategy in the development of dementia from a preventive perspective.”

While the Lillo-Crespo study focused on chess, it seems probable to extrapolate these results to poker as well. A 2016 study conducted by partypoker used an EEG and monitored the brain activity of poker players, both amateurs and experts.

poker brain activity

It’s worth reading the entire linked article, but for example on the turn card amateurs are more likely to exhibit activity in the front right side of the brain (linked with emotion), whereas the expert player engages both sides of the brain (which indicates an association with solving mathematical problems). To thus take our theorizing a step further, these health benefits may only be manifest when an individual is playing poker at a high level. So, get in the lab, enroll with one of the great poker training sites out there, and level up your game, for the sake of your brain!

Know when to hold ‘em … and when to consult your physician

One of the challenges of diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s disease is that it is often detected at a late stage, when the brain damage is already severe and irreversible. Therefore, medical professionals state it is important to monitor your brain health regularly and seek medical attention if you notice any signs of cognitive decline.

Self-awareness is one of the most important aspects of any health monitoring. Playing poker could help you have a more objective opinion of your own brain health, by providing you with instant feedback on your mental performance and helping you notice the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s. If you notice that you are making more mistakes, forgetting the rules, or losing track of the game, it could be a sign that something is wrong with your brain. By being aware of these changes, you could seek early diagnosis and intervention, which could slow down the progression of the disease.

While scientific research to back this claim has not been completed, this writer personally believes that continuing to improve in the game of poker necessitates self-awareness at a higher level than average. Success in poker requires knowing when you are beaten in a hand, knowing when you are making mistakes and should correct them before a downswing gets worse, knowing when you’re the best player at the final table and should refuse that chop and when you are evenly-matched and should call it a night.

The game that we know and love is chock-full of reality checks, and I don’t see how you could continue to play it and improve at it without rigorous awareness of your own cognitive function. But it does require one thing that can be hard for poker players: denying your ego and being honest with yourself. And in this case, the stakes are higher than your stack: we’re talking about your life.

Conclusion

Poker is not only a fun and exciting game, but also a potential way to protect your brain from Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. By playing poker regularly, you could stimulate your cognitive abilities, reduce your stress and depression levels, and monitor your brain health.

Of course, a card game is not a magic bullet that can prevent or cure Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline. You should also maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and social support, and perhaps most importantly consult your doctor if you have any concerns about your brain health or notice any signs of cognitive decline.

But there is some evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, to support Doyle Brunson’s theory that poker players are far less likely than the general population to be afflicted, tragically, by Alzheimer’s. So shuffle up and deal, and just maybe you’ll help your brain make a deep run in the tournament of Life.

References

  1. Dartigues JF, Foubert-Samier A, Le Goff M, Viltard M, Amieva H, Orgogozo JM, Barberger-Gateau P, Helmer C. Playing board games, cognitive decline and dementia: a French population-based cohort study. BMJ Open. 2013 Aug 29;3(8):e002998. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-002998. PMID: 23988362; PMCID: PMC3758967.
  2. Juszczyk G, Mikulska J, Kasperek K, Pietrzak D, Mrozek W, Herbet M. Chronic Stress and Oxidative Stress as Common Factors of the Pathogenesis of Depression and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Role of Antioxidants in Prevention and Treatment. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Sep 9;10(9):1439. doi: 10.3390/antiox10091439. PMID: 34573069; PMCID: PMC8470444.
  3. Lillo-Crespo M, Forner-Ruiz M, Riquelme-Galindo J, Ruiz-Fernández D, García-Sanjuan S. Chess Practice as a Protective Factor in Dementia. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jun 14;16(12):2116. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16122116. PMID: 31207926; PMCID: PMC6617066.

Over 10,000 hopeful poker players entered the 2023 WSOP Main Event, all putting $10,000 on the line to hoist the most coveted No Limit Hold’em bracelet along with over $12 million in prize money. Poker fans all over the world who couldn’t attend in person were getting ready to tune in for Main Event coverage. While we eagerly searched online for a stream, we made a grave discovery: we had to pay for WSOP coverage.

PokerGO, the subscription-based poker media platform, is now the sole owner of the rights to air WSOP coverage, including the Main Event. They offer a monthly ($14.99), quarterly ($29.99), and annual ($99.99) subscription rates, and discount codes are often available for their annual plan for up to 30% off. They broadcast coverage of the WSOP Main Event, plenty of other bracelet events, quite a bit of original programming like High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, some archived footage of older poker events, and coverage of the Poker Masters, U.S. Poker Open, and Super High Roller Bowl as well.

While the amount of content available is essentially unparalleled in the poker world, and the bang you get for your buck at the discounted annual rate is pretty impressive, some people are still nonetheless hesitant to pay for the privilege of top-quality WSOP Main Event coverage.

And yet, there’s plenty of stuff that most folks regularly pay more than $15 a month for without the slightest bit of hesitation. Below, we list seven such things in order to demonstrate just how “worth it” PokerGO coverage is considering what you get for your money, and especially considering it can work out to even less than $7/month with a discounted annual subscription.

PokerGO

1. One Movie Ticket

Movie tickets these days typically cost anywhere from $11-$15, so that’s just slightly less than or the same cost as a PokerGO subscription. Who doesn’t love going to the movies? You get to see a new film on the big screen, experience the great sound system and even see some trailers for new movies coming out. But that’s just 2-3 hours of entertainment. And that’s if you go alone. And if you only go once a month. And if you don’t buy snacks or drinks.

2. Buying Coffee

I am a serial coffee buyer. Despite having both a french press and conventional coffee maker, I find myself pulling up to the drive through on many occasions for a quick cup of coffee. This usually rings in around $4 so I could get three whole coffees a month and have it be cheaper than PokerGO. I’ll just have to fire up that french press after I’ve had three so as to not go over the $15 mark. I imagine there are quite a few folks like me out there.

3. Premium Channel Subscriptions

If you decided to cut the cable cord like myself, you might find yourself with a network of premium channel subscriptions to get all your favorite shows. A lot of them cost $6-$10 per month. I usually subscribe to one if there is a specific show I want to watch, so for less than a PokerGO subscription I can watch just one show. It would seem like paying for a monthly poker subscription with regularly produced new poker content I know that I’ll love might be a better bargain.

4. Casino ATM Fees

Sure, I could take the extra few minutes on my casino commute to go to the correct bank and take my money out, but for the low price of about $7 I can withdraw money right in the poker room! That’s before my bank assesses their ATM fees, but those don’t count. Think of all the minutes I’ve saved by heading right to the casino and giving them more of my money with the ATM rake! Totally worth it!

5. Fast Food

Who doesn’t love the convenience of getting a hot meal without leaving your car? At the low cost of your health and less than $15 you could be getting a mediocre burger and fries plus a calorie-packed soda. It won’t give me thousands of hours of content like PokerGO, but it will give me a stomachache… so there’s that.

6. Two Drinks at a Bar

A night out with friends can be a great source of entertainment. Maybe you’ll remember for years what a great time you had on just that one night… or, perhaps, you could consider that you’d get months and months worth of content on PokerGO.

So, for less than $15 I could get two, maybe even three drinks at a bar with friends! Or, just perhaps, its more worthwhile to buy a couple six-packs and lounge in your living room with those friends while watching some great poker.

7. Books

Most books, especially poker books, cost around $15, some a little less, some a little more depending on whether it’s a hardcover or softcover. So it’s fair to say you can find plenty of books for less than a PokerGO subscription. But you can only read a book for the first time once. Even if you re-read them a few times each you’re capping your enjoyment and the hours of entertainment you can get. So you get less entertainment from the book, but at least it’s less than a PokerGO subscription, well at least sometimes.

In Summary

As you can see, there are in fact plenty of things you can spend $15 or less on. I’m sure you’ve thought of more than the seven we’ve listed. At the end of the day however, the entertainment value may only be a few hours or minutes; i.e., far less than what a PokerGO subscription provides you with.

Of course, PokerGO does also host a lot of free streams on YouTube, so you don’t always HAVE to pay. But that’s besides the point. The fact of the matter is $15 per month — and, again, potentially under $7 with the right discount code for an annual subscription — for access to thousands of hours of poker content, years of WSOP coverage, and original shows and stress is pretty darn worthwhile in the grand scheme of things.

After having a wonderful time in Las Vegas last year playing small stakes tournament poker, I decided to try it again but this time in Atlantic City. This time I picked the Borgata since they normally have two tournaments per day but best to check at their site where they post a monthly schedule. Their poker room is large with 75 tables (not 52 as most sites state) but their tournament tables do not have USB ports whereas the cash tables do have USB ports, so come prepared with a portable poker pack for your mobile device.

Their registration process is a bit antiquated for tournament play with a 10-15 minute wait in line to be expected for about eight people ahead of you. They require your MGM card, a picture ID and cash. You need to sign and date a form in two places and only then are you given your table card. Be prepared to play 10-handed at your table, something I had thought ended after the COVID-19 pandemic waned. So, those were a couple big differences I noticed versus tournament poker in Vegas.

Borgata poker

Tournament #1: Money Goes Poof!

In my first tournament I was completely card dead. In 90 minutes of play I only picked up one ace (A4) and no pocket pairs. I counted exactly nine times a picture card showed up in my hand, and it was never two at the same time. And never suited connectors. Typical holdings were 73, T6, 95, etc. Tournament poker is a game of patience. With constantly rising blinds, you can’t wait for premium hands forever, but you do have to make strategic moves as well as just be fortunate enough to have playable holdings from time to time. In my final hand I was dealt 55 and ended up against 88. I lost, and it was goodbye to my first tournament. It happens to all of us and we need to move on.

Tournament #2: That’s More Like It

In my second tournament I fared better. In one hand I went all-in with AK, to be called by two players with AK and AJ. I was expecting a chop with the other AK but the board ran out with four hearts. Luckily, I was sitting with the only heart on the table, and as such managed to triple up with the nuts.

With the field of 64 down to 12 and nine players making it into the money, I was presented with a problem. I was second in chips at my table. I was dealt KQ unsuited. The massive chip leader at the table bet 3BB. I called and the flop came JQK rainbow, giving me top two pair. The chip leader now bet out for 50K, which was 2/3 of my stack. My predicament was that I could potentially be drawing dead, or at least way behind to a flopped set or straight, and thus miss making the money, despite having strong holdings.

I looked around the table and saw two others with small stacks. At the other table, there were also a few players with small stacks. So late in the tournament, blinds and antes were very high, and it occurred to me that many players would be forced to go all-in within the next couple of hands. So, opting to go for the “sure thing”, I folded and sure enough within five minutes three players busted to leave the final nine all in the money.

Unfortunately, I busted out shortly thereafter, in 8th place, with my AK all-in pre-flop vs JJ, and no ace or king showed.

Until Next Time

Over the course of the rest of my Atlantic City tournament vacation, I ended up playing in another four daily tournaments. I only made it to the money in one of them, but had a great time trying. Plus, a 33% “cashing rate” is nothing to sneeze at! Hopefully I’ll do even better next time around.

Two of the most popular games in the high-stakes betting arena are baccarat and poker. Both games offer a high level of thrill and require skills. However, they are both quite different from each other, and you’ll likely prefer one to the other. We’ve summed up the main differences below, so you can find out which game is best suited to you.

cards

Baccarat vs. Poker: What are the differences?

Gameplay

Baccarat and poker offer experiences that differ greatly from one another in terms of gameplay. Baccarat relies a lot on the luck of the draw, whereas poker requires more strategy and skill.

In baccarat, the goal is to predict whether the player or banker has the higher hand, or if they are tied. The rules are simple – you bet on which hand you think has the higher value. The values work as follows: Aces are worth 1, cards 2 – 9 hold face value, and the face cards are zero.

Baccarat has a fixed betting system where the dealer makes all the decisions and is responsible for any actions in the game.

There are many types of poker games, each with slightly different rules. The most popular are Texas Hold’em and Omaha. The game is significantly more complex than baccarat, as players compete to have the best hand. The 5-card hand is made using community cards as well as the players’ own cards and is built up over multiple rounds of betting. Players need to conceal whether they have a good hand or not and must try to convince the other players that their hands are inferior.

In poker, the betting structure depends on the type of game you are playing. The game requires more interaction from the players, as wagers can increase as the game continues, depending on the variant being played. The most common structures are pot-limit, no-limit, and limit.

Number of Players

For both games, the number of players can vary. Poker will generally have between 4-9 players at a table, while up to 14 players can be accommodated by baccarat tables. Most online cash poker games tend to accommodate anywhere between 6-10 players, with tournaments also usually seating anywhere between 6-10 players per table as well, save for heads-up tournaments which are only two players per table.

Betting Strategies

If you’re the type of person who enjoys learning strategy, then poker is a preferable game for you. There are many types of poker games, all requiring their own strategies for winning. Poker takes time to master and is a more challenging experience overall.

Baccarat is a much simpler game, relying mainly on chance. The player only needs to choose whether to bet on their own hand, the banker’s hand, or a tie. There is little to no need for strategy.

Required Skills

Like with betting strategies, baccarat does not require any special skills. It is a simple game based on chance, and most variants only require the player to decide how much they’d like to bet.

On the other hand, poker requires a much wider set of skills. You need to have a good knowledge of tactics, as well as some knowledge of psychology. You also need to be able to read people well, as that is one way in which you can increase your chances of a win at times. Players also need to be adaptable, as the game can change from round to round, depending on the cards dealt.

Winning Potential

If you want to maximize your chances of winning, then baccarat is preferable to poker. The game has a low house edge of only 1%, unlike poker, which can have a significantly higher house edge, depending on the variant being played.

Poker can also have a lower winning potential, due to the different variants favoring different skill levels. If you’re a beginner playing a game aimed at more experienced players, for example, you’re going to have a significantly lower chance of winning than if you were playing an easier variant.

Choosing Between Baccarat and Poker

While both games are lots of fun to play, your personality, skills, and gameplay preferences will determine which is best suited to you.

Baccarat is a high-stakes game that requires minimal skill, making it perfect for players who enjoy the thrill without having to work too hard for it. If you’d like to play online, consider reading about choosing a baccarat site in B2C to make sure you choose a reputable site that offers fair gameplay. Poker is best suited to those who enjoy taking time over a game, and who prefer strategy-based gaming. Poker games can take time to complete and require a level of critical thinking. It’s similarly important to carefully consider where you’re going to play poker—in person or online, and choose a table with the correct stakes to suit your bankroll.

Baccarat will often require a higher initial investment than poker, so if you’re on a tight budget, poker might be better suited to you due to requiring a lower buy-in. It is important to remember to stick to your budget and manage your finances carefully, no matter which game you choose to play.

As a low-stakes poker player who enjoys a nice cup of free casino coffee, you can often find me at one of the best-valued tournaments in Las Vegas, the 10 AM daily tournament at South Point Hotel-Casino. Although I love the Coronado’s $6.45 steak special and the ability to watch movies in-between daily tournaments at the movie theater, this poker adventure does not take place at South Point. Far away from South Point’s residence in the deep south of Las Vegas, another venue can be found right in the heart of North Las Vegas. Head north past Fremont Street and the soon-to-be-remodeled Silver Nugget, and eventually, you will stumble upon the host of the cheapest poker tournament in Las Vegas: The Poker Palace.

In the summer of 2022, I moved to Las Vegas after being in the poker industry for nearly a year. A content editor for Jonathan Little’s PokerCoaching.com as well as a newly appointed live reporter for the World Series of Poker Circuit, I made my way to Las Vegas not only to further my career but also to play as much poker as possible, and play I did! Competing in my first WSOP, I fired a number of $400-$600 events as well as a wide variety of low-stakes tournaments around the city. Whether it was Paris, Bally’s (now Horseshoe), The Orleans, or the Golden Nugget, the summer of 2022 entailed consistent donations to the low-stakes poker community. It did not matter if it was the Colussus or the $35 daily at Westgate, Paul B was in LV and he was ready to punt!

Even with the losses we sustained in the summer of 2022, life was still pretty good. I was working in the poker industry, living in Las Vegas, and despite my recently depleted bankroll, I was hell-bent on getting to the felt whenever possible. After a long week of work in August of 2022, it was Friday night and I was ready to give myself a night out. While other 20-somethings may have made their way to Omnia or XS, I made my way to PokerAtlas.com. As I perused what was running that evening in Las Vegas, I could see I had a number of options. The 10 PM nightly at South Point? Nope, that’s at least $50 worth of Ubers. A $1,100 tournament at The Wynn? Maybe next week!

Oh hello, what do we have here?

Poker Palace announcement

Amidst all of the cheap nightlys around town and mixed game tournaments at The Orleans, I saw it: a $20 NLH tournament in North Las Vegas. As soon as I saw “$20”, I knew what my plans were for the evening.

A Palace Like No Other

Prior to my first visit to the Poker Palace, I was completely unfamiliar with the establishment. Before the Poker Palace came to be, the original property where it stands was built in 1951, and operated as Bunny’s Bar. A popular watering hole amongst servicemen stationed at nearby Nellis Air Force Base, Bunny’s Bar and the surrounding land was purchased by Marvin E. Coleman and Laura Coleman in 1974. Later in 1974, the Colemans would open the newly-built Poker Palace to the public, with a fresh casino that included one blackjack table, eight slot machines, and two pool tables. Nearly 50 years later, the Poker Palace offers six blackjack tables, over 280 various slot machines, a large bingo hall, a small sportsbook, and of course a 7-table poker room. For folks looking to dine/drink instead of gamble, you will find not only some of the cheapest (and stiffest) drinks in all of Las Vegas at the bar, but you can also enjoy a reasonably priced T-bone at Maddy’s Paddys Cafe.

With their offerings, the Poker Palace may sound like the usual small, “locals” casino, but you would be mistaken. When I first gazed upon the outside of the establishment, I knew I had stumbled upon something truly unique.

Poker Palace outside

In case you can’t quite make out the sign on the right side of the building, let me offer you a closer look.

match your paycheck

Although I had no plans of inquiring about Poker Palace’s “Match Your Paycheck” promotion, such an advertisement immediately intrigued me as to what awaited inside. Truth be told, I was not disappointed. Behold, the entrance to where the royalty of North Las Vegas gamble:

Poker Palace entrance

The Interior of the Poker Palace

After stepping into the main entrance of the Poker Palace, I was immediately greeted by a very large security desk occupied by, you guessed it, a security guard. Behind the security guard desk was the main lobby of the Poker Palace, primarily comprised of slot machines. Behind all of the slot machines stood a long bar filled with customers. Much like the bar, the entirety of the Poker Palace appeared to not have had an “update” in quite some time. Before making my way to the poker room to enter the tournament, I looked around and did some exploring.

I made my way through the right side of the building, taking in the Poker Palace Race and Sportsbook as I maneuvered through the establishment. Around the sportsbook were an array of framed pictures and paintings depicting famous racehorses of old. The likes of Seattle Slew and Seabiscuit could be seen along with the yellow tint of the aged photos.

The William Hill Sportsbook

Passing some paramedics who were attending to a slot player (this would be the first of two occurrences where I would see EMTs that evening), I found my way into Poker Palace’s Bingo Hall.

Poker Palace bingo hall

Outfitted with what appeared to be the original “number board” and an array of signs best described as “old school”, the Poker Palace Bingo Hall had everything you needed to host a serious bingo game, without all the pomp and circumstance. I was greeted by an attendant who informed me the next bingo game would not be occurring for another two hours. That was just fine with me, as I had a poker tournament to enter. Exiting the bingo hall, I retraced my steps as I made my way back to the Race and Sportsbook, located right next to the Poker Palace Poker Room. Arriving at my destination, I took in the arena where I would be doing battle that evening.

The Poker Palace Poker Room

Visiting the Poker Palace Poker Room for the first time, I was greeted by seven tables, each of which was surrounded by nine chairs (plus a slightly nicer-looking one for the dealers, of course). Although the poker tables appeared cheap, the felt appeared to be in fine shape throughout all the tables. Along with a whiteboard on the wall listing the cash game promotions, a pile of Christmas decorations could be seen in the back left corner. This past year, I have visited the Poker Palace on a number of occasions, and on every visit, I see that the pile of Christmas decorations has yet to be disturbed.

Poker Palace poker room

With more than half an hour remaining until the $20 tournament was set to begin, the lone occupant of the poker room was a slender, elderly Asian gentleman with an athletic stopwatch dangling from his neck. Assuming this was the poker room supervisor, I approached the man and inquired about entry into the tournament.

“Twenty dollars,” the poker room supervisor said. “If you want another 1,000 in chips, that will be another $10. It’s more than half an hour before tournament, so you can buy another add-on as well for $10.”

Not wanting to miss out on any add-ons, I gave the poker room supervisor $40 in exchange for two white chips marked 1,000.

“Where do you want to sit?” asked the poker room supervisor.

“Excuse me?”

“Pick your seat.”

The poker room supervisor motioned towards the poker table we were standing by. Spread across the felt was an assortment of cards marked with table and seat numbers. With my favorite number being 7, I naturally picked seat 7 at table 7. This would serve as the first time I ever got to pick my seat in a poker tournament.

With a half hour to kill before the tournament, I placed my two white chips and seat assignment card in my pocket as I made my way to Maddy’s Paddys Cafe. To be honest, the steak I had was quite good and reasonably priced at just $12.50.

meat and potatoes

The Action Begins

Following my reasonably priced dinner, I made my way back to the poker room and found my seat. After handing my seat card to the dealer, I was provided my chips and added my add-ons to the stack.

poker palace chips

As I do at the beginning of every poker tournament, I asked the dealer what the starting stack was to confirm I had all the necessary chips. After confirming my chip stack contained the correct amount with my add-ons, I quickly realized the first “unique” aspect of this tournament. With a 4,000 starting stack and my 2,000 worth of add-ons, it appeared that the majority of the players were starting the poker tournament with only 60 big blinds, and the players who elected to buy no add-ons only had 40. Though I figured prior to taking my seat that this would be a truly unique tournament, this realization only furthered that observation. Fortunately for me, 40-60 big blinds is when I’m the most dangerous.

As the tournament began, I could tell at least half of the players at my table were regulars as they chatted amongst themselves and with the dealer. I sat back in silent wonder, as I witnessed some incredibly splashy, yet weirdly tight tournament poker. After a few hands, I finally saw some action as I raised from the cutoff with pocket fives and got a call from the big blind.

The flop came K-6-4 rainbow, the big blind checked and I bet one-third of the pot. The big blind called. The turn was a 3. Following another check from the big blind, I sized up with a three-quarters pot bet with my turned open-ender. My opponent thought for a few moments, before folding A-K offsuit face-up.

“You clearly have a set,” he told me.

Despite winning that hand with the worst, after missing a few flops I was down to only 3,000 in chips in the middle of Level 2. With the incredibly short starting stacks players were provided, I found myself down to 15 big blinds only 20 minutes into the tournament.

“Give the dealer $5,” one of my tablemates told me.

I looked at him puzzled.

“If you drop below 4k, you can add on whenever you want for five dollars.”

“Five dollars for 1,000,” the dealer explained to me.

That was the moment I discovered the second unique aspect of the Poker Palace $20 tournament.

Although I did in fact give the dealer $5 for additional chips, as a PokerCoaching.com employee I knew I should ask some follow-up questions:

“You’re asking a lot of questions, kid,” a grizzled regular informed me.

I grew much more quiet.

The regular to my left laughed and brought me up to speed on the essence of the $20 Poker Palace tournament:

“Listen, most of us had a long week. This tournament is $20 and the drinks are strong. Grab yourself a cocktail and enjoy yourself.”

Always open to advice, I did as my tablemate said and ordered the first of many vodka lemonades. After my first sip, I was thankful I hadn’t ordered a double.

I Need A Hero

“It’s 11 PM, do you know where your children are?”

If you’re my Mom, one of your sons is in California and has likely been asleep for an hour after responsibly taking melatonin. Your other son, I’m sorry to say, is drunk off his ass in a dingy casino in Northern Las Vegas.

Despite failing to cash in the cheapest poker tournament in Las Vegas I was in a good mood, having had an incredibly fun night out. Taking the advice of my fellow poker players, I kicked back, enjoyed myself, and experienced the Poker Palace like a true regular. Now, it was time for me to hail an Uber, and responsibly make my way home. As I exited the Poker Palace poker room, I pulled out my phone and opened the Uber app. Just as I was about to request a ride, a message appeared on my screen.

“We can’t reach our network right now. Please check your connection.”

Confused, I immediately closed the app and re-opened it, but the error message remained.

“Well that’s not good.” I thought to myself.

Taking a seat at the sportsbook, I attempted every other troubleshooting method I could think of in my inebriated state. I alternated airplane mode on and off, I checked to see if the Lyft app was working, I even turned my entire phone off and back on. Regardless of what I did, I not only couldn’t access the Uber app, but I couldn’t access the internet either. That’s when I realized that, for some reason, I was currently unable to use any cellular data. Whether it was because my brother forgot to pay the monthly cell phone bill or I simply needed to upgrade my ancient iPhone, the reason did not matter. All I knew was I was going to need WiFi and soon.

I approached a group of Poker Palace blackjack dealers who were talking amongst themselves at an empty table.

“Hi there, do you guys have free WiFi?”

They laughed at me.

I made my way over to the bar and asked if they had a number for a cab company. Although they did have a number, they informed me it would likely take them at least two hours to pick me up.

Although I’m not usually one to panic, that emotion was beginning to trickle into my consciousness. At that moment I could not refute the facts. It was late, I was drunk, and I was trapped in the Poker Palace.

I returned to the sportsbook and found a seat yet again. It was not lost on me that my lack of responsibility got me into this situation, but that did not change the fact I had to figure out how the hell I was going to get home. Just when I thought I would be sleeping in the confines of the Poker Palace Bingo Hall, it hit me: Bagger.

Enter Bagger

When I moved to Las Vegas in the summer of 2022, I really didn’t know anyone other than a few associates within the poker industry. All that changed, however, when one day I was scrolling through Snapchat and saw that one of my old buddies from college was in Las Vegas. Seeing an image of The Strat on my buddy Bagger’s Snapchat Story, I sent him a message. It turned out that Bagger and his family weren’t in town on vacation, but had moved to Las Vegas almost at the exact same time as I did! Not only was it great having a fellow Boise State Bronco in town, but it was even better having a friend nearby who was always willing to lend a helping hand. When it comes to people who are always willing to help you out at a moment’s notice, my buddy Bagger fits the profile perfectly.

So that’s who I called.

I’m not going to lie: even though I was inebriated, I felt bad calling Bagger so late at night. He has a wife and young daughters, making late-night calls from degenerate friends less than optimal. Regardless, I was deep within the recesses of North Las Vegas late at night and was quickly running out of options. I pulled up Bagger’s number and made the call. After one ring, my guardian angel answered.

“Pauly B! What’s up, brother?”

“Bagger, buddy, how’s it going man?”

“It’s going good man! Just trying to get the A/C unit in the f***ing Tercel to work. What are you doing?”

After apologizing that I was calling so late at night and confirming I had not woken his wife and kids, I explained my situation to Bagger. Being the amazing friend he is, he assured me he could pick me up and would be leaving shortly.

“No problem my man, happy to get you home safe. I’ll leave here in a couple of minutes and come swoop ya.”

“Bagger, dude, thank you so much I owe you one. Real quick though, be sure you park and come inside first. You’ve gotta see this place.”

About 20 minutes of loitering in the Poker Palace pits later, Bagger entered the building and greeted me. I thanked him and watched him look around the establishment. After silently assessing the Poker Palace, Bagger turned and looked at me.

“Dude, this place looks awesome.”

Author’s Note: A special thank you not only to Bagger, but also to fellow PokerCoaching.com staff member Kieran Woods for accompanying me to the Poker Palace this past summer as I worked on this article. The rake may have been high, but the memories were priceless.

Who doesn’t love poker? Poker is a fascinating game that has captivated many players for centuries, and its history surely is full of intriguing facts and stories. In this article, we will dive deeper into this topic and bring you six interesting facts about poker to enhance your knowledge of this game and give you a broader perspective of its origins and developments.

poker chips

The Longest Poker Tournament Ever

The longest poker tournament in history lasted for an incredible timespan of eight years. Believe it or not, this odyssey of a tournament happened in Arizona’s Bird Cage Theatre, and poker was played continuously for 24 hours every day, seven days a week, from 1881 to 1889. During that amount of time, a sum of $10 million was exchanged.

The First Real Money Online Poker Game

Today online gaming is a rather common phenomenon, and many players enjoy challenging themselves with an online game. If you are one of them, you can play live blackjack here, and have fun meeting people from all around the globe. Online poker changed everything, and this revolution started in 1998 when the first online game of poker was played. This signed the beginning of a new era, and it allowed players to compete with people from any place on the planet, creating an unprecedented online community that is still growing today.

Black Friday

This event is widely known in the poker community, as on the 15th of April 2011, the US Department of Justice shut down several extremely well-established online poker sites. This fact impacted the industry of online poker like no other event and started a sequence of changes in the world of online poker, and in the poker industry overall.

The Origin of the Game of Poker

Many people love poker, but do all these people know about its origins? Poker’s exact origin is a mystery, but many think that it originated in China a very long time ago. The game evolved, and it spread to different parts of the world, and it became one of the most beloved and famous games ever.

The Largest Poker Event Ever

Without a doubt, the World Series of Poker Main Event, is the biggest, most important poker tournament on the annual calendar. This past summer, the WSOP Main Event broke the record for most participants in its illustrious history with 10,043. The previous record of 8,773 had stood for 17 years. It is great to see more and more players learning how to play poker and taking their shot in the biggest poker event of the year. Of course, there are tons of other poker tournaments taking place every day, week, and month of the year, most of which feature a buy-in far lower than the $10,000 cost of the WSOP Main Event, and thus giving even those with more meager bankrolls the chance to play and win.

Only 20 Cards

In the early days of poker, the game was played with only 20 cards. Can you believe it? Nowadays, the game has evolved, and it is played with the standard 52-card decks. Of course there are plenty of poker variants, but the most popular one is Texas Hold’em. But back then, at the beginning of the game, only 20 cards were needed to play what would become one of the most popular games ever created.

It’s amazing to look back now, in August 2023, and think that Cardplayer Lifestyle has successfully put on five Mixed Game Festivals. Back in late 2019, the idea was just a twinkle in my eye! Our first one was supposed to have been announced in March 2020 — of course we had to put things on hold for 1.5 years until finally announcing it. Fast forward some, and less than two years after staging our first one, we’ve now got a handful under our belts.

With each new Mixed Game Festival, it’s important to me to try and improve, tweak, and ensure that we do better than the previous time. I obviously have my personal goals to fulfill, but above all, my three aims always are that the venue enjoy hosting our players, that sponsors feel glad to have supported the event, and that our players have a great time. Beyond that, of course, the uniqueness of our festivals — versus other “meet up games” — is that they are designed to help promote and grow mixed game poker.

I’d like to believe that we once again achieved all of our goals with Mixed Game Festival V, which wrapped up a few weeks ago at Resorts World Las Vegas. I can’t help but smile and think back to a number of highlights where I believe we truly succeeded. I’ve put together my top 10 and have listed them below, as well as why I specifically believe these are highlights worth reminiscing about.

three tables Mixed Game Festival V

Poker Trivia Competition

A festival — by definition — needs to be festive. Beyond just playing poker, we try to incorporate some elements to ensure that our participants 1) show up on time to begin the cash games each day, and 2) have the opportunity to win some cool merchandise and have a great time. Historically, these have included pizza parties and poker book signings.

My daughter Abby suggested that I utilize the Kahoot! portal to create a poker trivia competition. It obviously took some time to prepare, but it was certainly a worthwhile endeavor. Admittedly, one of the most enjoyable parts for me was coming up with incorrect answers for the multiple choice quiz. Special thanks goes to Chad McVean, our Social Media director, who assisted me in running the poker trivia competition. We had close to a dozen people show up to play, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

SUPER excited to be hosting the poker trivia competition during our upcoming @PokerLifeMedia #MixedGameFestival V at @PokerRoomRWLV.

How many questions (between 25-50) should it be comprised of?

(It’s multiple choice; and we’ll be using the @Kahoot platform) pic.twitter.com/UtU14N6LsD

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 19, 2023

Scavenger Hunt

Another new element we incorporated into Mixed Game Festival V was a scavenger hunt. I had put together a list of 20 items that participants needed to take pictures of and with. At first, only half a dozen people showed up for this one. However, once our cash games began, a wait list formed and rather than just sit and wait, another half dozen players mentioned they wanted to do the scavenger hunt, too, so we ran it back and did so.

It was pretty amusing to see the first hunt’s winner, Mike Patrick, hurtle himself down the final stretch towards the poker room after just 20 minutes, having successfully completed the entire list. It was great to see that every players took the hunt seriously, and put in just as much effort as they did at the felt to try and emerge victorious.

I was elated to see that all of the participants really enjoyed themselves even though of course there could only be a few winners.

Day 3 of the #MixedGameFestival at @PokerRoomRWLV has been such a blast that we’re just catching up now!

Chuck brought us 4th of July donuts to help kick off the day alongside our new fan favorite, the Scavenger Hunt.

It was so fun that we ran two, which Mike and Giancarlo won. pic.twitter.com/HcJXQbjnwT

— Cardplayer Lifestyle (@PokerLifeMedia) July 5, 2023

Miami John’s unscheduled visit

Something else we try to do to enhance the player experience at our Mixed Game Festivals is arrange for some poker celebrity appearances. I’m grateful that we’ve had the support of many professionals in the poker community who have kindly come out to splash around with our players in the low-stakes dealers choice streets. With that said, I usually make arrangements for these appearances ahead of time, so when a poker celebrity shows up unannounced it’s certainly a welcome surprise.

Prior to Mixed Game Festival V, “Miami” John Cernuto had reached out to me asking if we would be staging any tournaments. I told him that this time it would be an exclusively cash game affair. He said “OK,” and we left it at that. So you could imagine my shocked expression to see him walk in on the second day of MGF V. As I stood up to greet him, John just said “I came to support what you’re doing,” and he proceeded to play $4/$8 limit mixed games with our players for the next hour while I enjoyed a lovely chat with his daughter Debi.

Miami John and daughter Debi

John Maley, “Mr. All-Nighter”

The grand prize for this festival was a PokerStars-sponsored EPT Cyprus Mixed Game Package valued at over $3,000. For every hour of cash game play, a player would earn one entry into the random drawing for the prize package. We’ve done this sort of giveaway before, so it’s no surprise that many players try to put in as many hours as possible. One player, however, took this to an entirely new level.

John Maley drove in from Southern California straight to the Resorts World poker room. He played throughout the day, continued playing throughout the night… and continued further throughout the following day. When he finally got up from the table, over 31 hours had passed and he still looked fresh as a daisy. Only then did John take his bags and check into his hotel room. Having a player that dedicated to playing low-stakes mixed games is just out of this world.

We have a new Mixed Game Festival record… by far!

John has been in the same seat for over 27 hours playing $4/$8 mixed games.

He’s our @PokerCoaching_ Player of the Day(s😉) pic.twitter.com/JOigLy0Y2p

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) July 6, 2023

Eli Elezra comes to play my stack

I’m very fortunate to be able to say that over the past few years since I translated his biography, Pulling the Trigger, from Hebrew into English, Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra and I have grown to become very good friends. Eli has always been super kind to come and sign some books at our Mixed Game Festivals as well as splash around with our players. So, I knew he’d make an appearance this time around, but I didn’t know when.

While I was speaking with one of our players, he smiled and told me to turn around. What I saw is that Eli had suddenly appeared in the room and just sat down in my seat, where he proceeded to play my chip stack. I couldn’t help but laugh, but also head over to give him a hug and show my appreciation for his support. For those curious, after about 20 minutes, Eli had successfully added a couple dozen dollars to my chip stack.

Surprise!@elielezra1 popped in to play my stack in in the $4/8 dealer’s choice streets at @PokerRoomRWLV for Day 5 of our @PokerLifeMedia #MixedGameFestival pic.twitter.com/4TO8Pi2Qmo

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) July 7, 2023

Silent auction for two BBO Poker Table Tops

George Chao, CEO of BBO Poker Tables, has always been a supporter of our events. This time around, he contributed half a dozen portable table mats as giveaway items. On the last day of the festival, I still had two that I hadn’t yet distributed. So, I asked some players what would be a good way to give away the two remaining mats.

Someone suggested a silent auction, whereby it would cost a $1 chip to place a bid, and after all bids were submitted the highest one would win. That person’s winning bid plus all of the $1 chips collected would then be equally distributed among the dealers at our mixed game tables. We did this twice, and thus successfully distributed close to $150 in tips to our dealers!

Congratulations to Benjamin from Salt Lake City, first winner of our @BBOPokerTables portable table mat giveaways here at @PokerLifeMedia #MixedGameFestival IV at @PokerRoomRWLV 🎉

Thanks, as always, to George Chao of BBO for supporting our events! pic.twitter.com/VsSw06Mubt

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) March 20, 2023

Higher stakes mixed games with Norman, Jan, and Linda

Prior to Mixed Game Festival V, our dealers choice mixed games had exclusively been for stakes of $4/$8 and $8/$16. This time around, Norman Chad agreed to host a special Omaha 8/Stud 8 game for his regular $20/40 stakes on the final day of our festival.

I was happy to see that close to a dozen players signed up ahead of time on the wait list. Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson and Women in Poker Hall of Famer Jan Fisher got seats at the table, too. I’m glad to see that our festivals were able to attract crowds interested in mixed games at multiple price points, and I hope this is something we’ll be able to replicate at future events.

Norman Chad Linda Johnson Jan Fisher

Alek Gillies wins the EPT Cyprus Prize Package

To be fair, whomever would have won the grand prize package would have made this festival’s highlight reel. With that said, it gives me special pleasure that our grand prize winner is a 21-year-old who had never really played mixed games before.

I had the pleasure of playing with Alek for a couple hours, and while he readily admitted that he had no idea how to play mixed games, that nonetheless didn’t stop him from having a great, positive attitude and being willing to learn one new variant after another.

For poker to thrive, we always have to attract new audiences, which means “newly minted” 21-year-olds who can now play legally in poker rooms. Mixed game poker is no different, and it’s always good to lower the average age at the felt and see some 20-somethings enjoying themselves playing dealer’s choice.

Alek Gillies

Post-Festival Shawarma with Brian, Pat, and Matt

We don’t exactly have a “closing ceremony” for our festivals, so after the grand prize is given out, cash games just sort of continue until people get tired of playing and then go their separate ways. This time around, I wanted to celebrate with a nice dinner.

Rather than head to a kosher Las Vegas restaurant alone, it was a special pleasure to bring along some guys who’ve become close friends from one Mixed Game Festival to the next, Pat, Brian, and Matt. Sure, the food at Mother Falafel was great, but the company was what made the meal a memorable one.

shawarma

Charity donations fund a Monday night feeding of the homeless

Ever since our first Mixed Game Festival, there has always been a charity component to our events. I had advertised ahead of time that a portion of proceeds from the poker trivia competition and scavenger hunt would go towards the volunteer-powered Poker Gives charity. Altogether, we were able to collect a total of $300, and a couple button clicks later, the money had been donated.

A bit delayed, but just wanted to thank everyone who attended @PokerLifeMedia #MixedGameFestival V.

As promised, a portion of all scavenger hunt + trivia competition entries + some extra from me goes to @PokerGives.

We’ll be funding a “full Monday evening’s” food distribution. pic.twitter.com/X0xN6ez1Al

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) July 17, 2023

It’s one thing to just say the money is being given to charity, but it’s entirely another to witness the charity itself being given, and the gratitude from the recipients. I’m grateful that we were able to use Mixed Game Festival V as a vehicle for doing good for some needy people in the Las Vegas community, as you can see in the video below.

The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is now in the rearview mirror as PokerGO enters August with a focus on episodic cash game content. PokerGO’s two iconic shows of No Gamble, No Future and High Stakes Poker return with new seasons featuring your favorite players.

PokerGO August

High Stakes Poker

The most iconic poker cash game show returns in 2023 with Season 11 of High Stakes Poker kicking off on Monday, August 7.

Season 11 will feature 14 episodes and will launch the season debut with the biggest stakes the show has seen with a $1,000/$2,000 No-Limit Hold’em cash game that includes a $500,000 minimum buy-in. The lineup includes Eric Persson, Charles Yu, Jean-Robert Bellande, Ferdinand Putra, Rob Yong, Andrew Robl, and Rick Salomon for six episodes.

Players returning to the High Stakes Poker set for Season 11 include Brandon Steven, Jennifer Tilly, Lynne Ji, and Doug Polk. New faces making their High Stakes Poker debut include Bob Bright, Matt Berkey, and Nik Airball.

Watch Season 11 episodes of High Stakes Poker every Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

No Gamble, No Future

Season 3 of No Gamble, No Future will see the iconic Cash of the Titans livestream cut into episodes to open the new season. Across the first 10 episodes, the three days of livestreams will track Andrew Robl, Markus Gonsalves, Rob Yong, Matthew Gonzales, Eric Persson, and Patrik Antonius playing escalating stakes that begin at $500/$500 and rise to $1,000/$2,000.

There’s not just $5 million on the table, but there is also a $600,000 side bet – $100,000 from each player – that will be collected by the player that wins the most money throughout the three days.

The final six episodes of the 16-epiode season will see a mix of new and old faces. Returning to No Gamble, No Future include Eric Hicks, Eli Elezra, Shawn Madden, Justin Young, and Kevin Martin. Players making their No Gamble, No Future debut include poker all-stars Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth, along with Lynne Ji, Matt Steinberg, Lawford Edwards, and Arden Cho.

Watch Season 3 episodes of No Gamble, No Future every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

High Stakes Duel

In early May, Daniel Negreanu defeated Eric Persson in Round 1 of High Stakes Duel 4 for $100,000. Persson declined the rematch, and as many players put their name in the mix to take on Negreanu, it was announced that Doug Polk would step up as the challenger for Round 2 where $200,000 would be on the line.

Negreanu and Polk have history in High Stakes Feud where the two played a hybrid of heads-up cash games – firstly at the PokerGO Studio, and then the remainder on WSOP.com. Polk won that battle, but now their own version of a Round 2 will be under High Stakes Duel 4 this August.

Both players are set to play in August, however, the date is not set yet but is expected to occur closer to the end of the month.

What Did You Miss in July?

The month of July on PokerGO saw the completion of the 2023 World Series of Poker which included Daniel Weinman winning the WSOP Main Event for $12.1 million in prize money.

Weinman topped the record-smashing field of 10,043 entrants in the 2023 WSOP Main Event and rode a wave of great play, mixed with some good fortune. Weinman won a hand with 14 players remaining that will go down as the luckiest hand he has ever played. For Joshua Payne, the hand will forever be his WSOP Main Event heartbreak moment.

Some of the wildest moments from the 2023 WSOP Main Event also included this hand from Tom Dwan that saw him hit the rail:

This wild bad beat on Day 5 of the 2023 WSOP Main Event that featured Bill Klein with pocket kings:

Connect with PokerGO on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and TikTok. Watch daily poker clips on the PokerGO YouTube channel. Join the conversation on the PokerGO Discord server.

One of the premier women’s advocacy organizations in the poker world is seeking help so that it can accomplish even greater things. The Women’s Poker Association (WPA) International Division has recently announced a handful of open positions that it’s looking to fill, with the goal of recruiting motivated volunteers to assist with various organizational initiatives.

WPAI logo

The five positions they’re seeking to fill include: Treasurer, Secretary, Final Table Celebrations Program Manager, Raise It Up Program Manager, and Community Outreach Liaison.

WPA International Affairs Director Ivonne Montealegre is specifically looking to “make a mark by inviting women from all over the world to apply for these Board positions, rather than be exclusionary.”

Description of the Five Volunteer Roles

Applicants for the Treasurer position should have some sort of background in finance or bookkeeping, as their primary responsibility will be to create and oversee the WPA international Board’s budget.

Applicants for the Secretary position should have a strong working knowledge of Trello and Google Drive, as well as have strong organizational and written skills. Their primary responsibilities will be to assist with the communication among WPA International Board members, keep meeting records, assist with administrative work, and distribute communicative materials.

Applicants to fill the role of Final Table Celebrations Program Manager should be enthusiastic extroverts. This person’s primary role will be to conduct outreach with poker rooms worldwide and coordinate swag and merchandise offerings at the final tables of various events.

Applicants to fill the role of Raise It Up Program Manager should be excited by the prospect of enhancing the profile and visibility of women in the poker world. This role’s primary responsibilities include arranging business meetings with poker room managers and other industry business leaders for the purpose of promoting the WPA’s work in a positive light.

Finally, applicants to fill the role of Community Outreach Liaison should ideally have a background in marketing, sales, or communications, with documented experience in having forged business relationships being advantageous. This person’s primary role will be to identify new business opportunities for the WPA to achieve sponsorship, as well as research new markets in which to begin organizational activity.

Ready to Lend a Hand? Send in Your Application

Interested applicants should send their CV and a cover letter to: [email protected]

As far as commitment required, applicants should be prepared to devote approximately 10-15 hours per week to the respective roles.

Poker has witnessed a shift in gameplay with the rise of online platforms. The trend towards online poker gained momentum during pandemic quarantines when players sought virtual alternatives. Now players can choose between regular online poker or live poker.

The pace of online poker is rapid, driven by mouse clicks and computers, while live poker moves more slowly. This distinction impacts various aspects of the game.

Online poker offers a faster pace, with approximately 75 hands per hour on a 6-max table and approximately 62 hands per hour on a 9-max table. Fast-fold games like Zoom, Zone, or Snap push the limits further, reaching 200 to 250 hands per table hour.

In contrast, live poker operates at a more leisurely pace, with only 30 hands per hour due to factors like inexperienced players and slower dealers. This creates a unique dynamic requiring players to adapt their focus and patience compared to online play.

Nevertheless, the demand for both formats remains strong. Hence, many of the best casinos for Australian players compete to please players with the two varieties, alongside a diverse selection of table games and pokies for further enjoyment.

live vs online poker

Image credit: Pokernews.com

Live games are less aggressive

The style of play varies between live games, but overall, live games tend to be looser and less aggressive before the flop. This might be because the slower pace of the game leads to players wanting to play more hands out of boredom.

Additionally, live poker players, mostly because the platform is newer, may not be as skilled as online players on average, many of whom tend to be enrolled in a poker training site.

When you play poker online, there are buttons that make it easy to choose bet sizes, like three times the big blind or half the pot. But in live games, these preset options aren’t available.

Many players in live games bet big when they have a good hand or want to bluff and bet small when they are weak or trying to trap their opponents.

This can give you information about their hands. You can take advantage of this by using different bet sizes to bluff or get more calls, which might not work as well online, where players react differently.

In live poker, you can get information about a player’s hand not only from their bet sizes but also from their overall betting patterns or physical gestures. Everything they do at the table gives away information, including their body language and what they say. You can even use your own body language and table talk to mislead your opponents or make them nervous.

Live poker costs more

Live poker has higher expenses with slower gameplay but offers softer games. On the other hand, online poker allows for multi-tabling and faster hands, resulting in more significant swings.

In live poker, the rake (the fee taken by the casino) is generally higher compared to online poker. While it can vary between venues and websites, live poker usually has a higher percentage and cap.

When choosing where to play, consider this rake and how it affects your winnings. If the games are easy and have other advantages, it might still be worth it despite the higher rake and slower pace.

Welcome to our relatively short yet helpful guide, where we present the top 5 instant withdrawal casinos in Australia that are known for their fast payment processing. As a team of Smartpokies, we understand how important quick withdrawals are when it comes to online gaming, so our list features the most reliable sites that put efficiency and client satisfaction first. These Australian websites promise a smooth and satisfying gaming experience, regardless of whether you’re an experienced player or just dipping your toes into the world of online pokies.

casino

What is an Online Pokies Site for Fast Payouts in Australia?

Basically, it’s nothing you have not heard of. Online pokies websites for fast payouts are platforms where you can enjoy playing slot machines and withdraw the winnings within a short period of time. So, if you are in search of the fastest payout online casino that can give you an opportunity to receive your prizes quickly, you have come to the right place.

How to Choose a Decent Online Pokies Site for Quick Withdrawals?

As a team of Smartpokies, we gathered these important factors when choosing an instant withdrawal online casino in Australia:

What Factors Can Affect the Time for Payout Processing on Australian Pokies Sites?

Several factors can affect how long it takes fast payout casinos to process withdrawals on Australian pokies sites. We totally understand players who want speedy cash outs and an enjoyable gaming experience, so let us tell you about all aspects that you should be aware of.

Casinos have the technical ability to process payments instantly or quickly, but there may be some specific procedures that cannot be ignored if casinos want to reduce fraud and guarantee legality & safety. For example, you may come across such a term as a pending period. Basically, casinos may use it if they want to verify the information players give them and evaluate any potential dangers, such as irregular playing tendencies or inconsistent use of payment methods.

The KYC process also obligates fast paying casinos to confirm players’ residency and age in order to comply with licensing requirements that they need to follow after having received a license. For example, there may be an extra identification and address verification required if we are talking about larger withdrawals. So, that is another reason why processing time may vary on Australian casino sites.

Despite the fact that these measures put safety first, most players won’t likely face significant delays in payment processing. What we are trying to say is that there are some factors that may or may not affect the time of processing, and in case that happens, you have to be aware of them.

Top 5 Online Pokies of Quick Payouts in Australia

There are two main players in the payout process: the fast payout casino processing technologies and the payment systems that players select. For example, a casino can offer instant withdrawals but it may take a little longer depending on the chosen payment method. Although most of them offer payouts within 24 hours, some make time 1 to 5 days. As we move on through this section, we are going to tell you about each casino a bit and then show you their most popular and fastest payment methods.

1. Playfina is the first fast payout online casino in Australia we want to mention – it is owned by Dama N.V. under the license of the Curacao Control Gaming Board regulating body. The casino was established in 2022, and Australian players immediately got along with this platform. The main advantages are, of course, fast payouts, intuitive navigation, a large assortment of pokies and live-dealer games, and attractive bonuses.

PlayfinaVisa1-3 banking daysNo fees
Mastercard1-3 banking daysNo fees
BitcoinWithin 24 hoursNo fees
Bitcoin CashWithin 24 hoursNo fees

2. Woo Casino goes second in our review of quick paying online casinos, and what you need to know is that this website was founded in 2020 by Direx N.V. and under the Curacao Control Gaming Board license. You can find a variety of payment methods but most of them include cryptocurrencies, so if that’s what you are looking for, you may want to consider joining Woo Casino.

Woo CasinoNeosurfInstantNo fees
Visa1-3 days
BitcoinInstantNo fees
EthereumInstantNo fees

3. Bizzo Casino is our third fast payout casino in Australia! This online pokies platform saw the world in 2021 – the casino is owned by TechSolutions Group N.V. and licensed by the Curacao Control Gaming Board. You will definitely love the assortment of pokies games available there as well as its promotional offers and easy navigation.

Bizzo CasinoStickPay1-3 daysNo fees
eZeeWallet1-3 daysNo fees
Luxon1-3 daysNo fees

4. Need for Spin is a casino established in 2022, operated by GBL Solutions N.V. and authorized by the Curacao Control Gaming Board. There are more than 8,000 games available for players to choose from, including awesome Aussie slots, and they all come from major game studios, including such reputable ones as Yggdrasil and Playtech.

Need For SpinStickPayWithin 24 hoursNo fees
BitcoinWithin 24 hoursNo fees
eZeeWalletWithin 24 hoursNo fees
AstroPayWithin 24 hoursNo fees

5. National Casino was founded in 2020 by TechSolutions Group N.V., and since then it has been operating under the license issued by the Curacao Control Gaming Board. It offers over 3,500 excellent games, including top-quality fast payout casino pokies.

National CasinoStickPay1-3 daysNo fees
eZeeWallet1-3 daysNo fees
Luxon1-3 daysNo fees

Understand your needs and select a casino that can meet them. For example, if you are not planning on waiting at all, it’s best to go for cryptocurrency methods at Woo Casino. If you are fine with waiting up to 24 hours, you may choose Need For Spin or enjoy some Playfina payment methods. For example, if you prefer using Visa/Mastercard cards or e-wallets and are ready to wait 1-3 days, then basically any option suits you well, including National Casino and Bizzo Casino payment methods.

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Usually, there are no fees for faster payout processing

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A large game selection, rapid access to earnings, and simple withdrawal requests are some advantages, and hidden costs are potential drawbacks.

I think I’m at peace with it. Break-ups hurt. What was a lovely relationship can implode quickly.

But I think I knew this was coming. I think I could see this ending. I just didn’t want to admit it.

Let me make this clear; this break-up is very specific. I’m done playing standard, No-Limit Hold ‘Em poker cash games where the buy-in amount would hurt me if I lose it. And honestly, sometimes that’s just $100. That’s what most people play and it’s probably going to be 99 percent of the chances to make money in poker.

I didn’t get into this game, don’t stay in it, don’t cover it, don’t take photos of it, don’t adore it and deplore it for the money. It’s the little things. The feeling of chips and cards flying. The battles. The numerous types of games. The camaraderie. The stories. The characters.

I never considered making a living from this game and likely never will by playing it, but somehow I’ve been blessed enough to survive by being in the room.

But that’s the difficult part. The part I wrestle with. The fact that I’m not the man in the arena. That I can’t wage war and come out victorious. I don’t have the guts, stupidity or bankroll to lay it all on the line just to avoid a regular job. I stand on the sidelines.

broken heart queen

I’m not some mega genius. I likely don’t have a fucking clue where I’m at or what is the “right play” most of the time. And yes, it is part of the beauty of Hold ‘Em… there are no single answers for most situations.

But I think I’m at a section of my life where that bothers me. I’m bothered by the fact there’s ambiguity and I can’t shake it. I can’t tell you what the percentages are of skill, luck and circumstance that play into my successes or lack thereof in poker.

Some Painful Poker

All this started a couple nights ago while I was playing a home game. Playing someone I have little experience but knew his general style, I seemingly threw all sense out the window and triple barrel bluffed off my entire $400 stack on J77QQ with ten-high. I was both complemented and consoled by my peers at the table for the bluff attempt.

I was mad… but what am I mad at? That I lost? That it was a dumb spot to do it? The wrong person to bluff against? Or maybe that… after the dust had settled, I wasn’t really mad at the result at all? Almost pleased that I could be released from the pressure.

Then, just two hours later, I scroll across this tweet from poker vlogger Brad Owen. I am mad with how true this rings for me.

If you have a good answer, you shouldn’t have been playing in the first place

— Brad Owen (@TheBradOwen) July 22, 2023

After losing $400, immediately I had a good answer to Brad’s question: That’s this month’s car payment.

Yeah, I’m done for a while.

Just Numbers, to Some; Real Money, to Others

During that same home game, we were watching a high stakes poker livestream where pots of $50K to $300K were commonplace.

But I don’t think I can see it as a number anymore. That’s a new car. Someone just bet a year’s college tuition on the flop. We’re all in for a median size American house on the river.

And I just bluffed off a fucking car payment.

When the result didn’t go my way, I didn’t love it. I don’t love the game when I’m losing. And when I had a winning session last time? I’m not sure that it really fulfilled me. There was a pain of knowing I could have gotten more. Maybe you can’t say I actually love the game if I don’t love it all the time.

Satisfaction and success are two very difficult words to define as a young 20-something in 21st Century America. Everyone is at different stages in life, and somehow you find a way to pluck people younger and older than you that have more money or just seem a bit less troubled in finding their flow. Or they have a larger Hendon Mob total. Or more posts showing the work they’re doing.

Or their bluffing you. Or your mind is bluffing you.

Fuck, would you look at that; we’re back at the beginning.

How did bluffing off a car payment get me so in a twist?

See that’s the thing; I can’t say for sure. It’s lots of things. Some to do with poker and some with the circumstances of the world in that moment.

I love this game when it’s friends drinking and playing all kinds of mixed games for beer money; enough sometimes to feel happy, but not enough to be bothered by losing.

I don’t love it when I lose grocery carts. Or a bag of dog food. Or a domestic flight to most US cities round trip.

But my real struggle with this situation is whether or not I can accept this and live with it. That it’s okay not to be some up-and-coming grinder looking to make a name for himself.

I hope, in time, the answer will be “yes.”

Healthy love of something is not blind faith, boundless adoration, or chasing it to the ends of the Earth. It is recognizing and accepting flaws, but also setting boundaries when you need to.

It’s s time to set a boundary. To go back to the kiddie table. Join some friends for a $20 game and chat about random shit…

…and make a car payment on time.