Tao of Poker

Miami Sessions

Anyway, so far I am down $35 after playing poker for three total sessions. 90% of the players are Hispanic and everyone is speaking Spanish at the tables. Jerry is doing a lot better than me... he's up $15. We took Shappy for two sessions and he's quickly picking up the game. He did very well for a first timer. At breakfast yesterday, I gave Sarah the lowdown on a crash course for Hold'em. She's a good seven card stud player, but never played hold'em. I told her about Phil Hellmuth's Top 10 Hands: Pocket 7s above and A-K and A-Q. She did great! Her first hand on the button she held 8-8 and won the hand. She had pocket Queens once and when a Queen flopped she raised and bet strong the rest of the hand for another win. She won $5 during her one session.

Respecting Sarah

At one point, I had pocket Aces (A-A). I was raising whenever I could especially when another ace fell on the flop. Sarah kept calling me and when I saw a third heart hit the board, I though I might be in trouble. I raised anyway and Sarah called me. She turned over her hand to show a medium flush. It was good enough to win, and I was wicked pissed. That was the second time my pocket aces did not hold up yesterday, and I grew disgusted with yet another bad beat (there must have been almost a dozen yesterday... it was insane, the shit poeple were catching on the river to beat me.) Anyway, in disgust, I threw y cards down at the table, and at that point everyone knew I lost on A-A. It wasn't upset with Sarah, after all... I tutored her on how to play. It was the cards that I was irked at... but a few hours later, I'm happy she played extremely well. They're hooked and she wanted to keep playing. Finally, she achieved a positive table image... when she raised the pot, guys were folding... out of respect because she had been playing great hands all night and winning sizable pots with them.

Random Notes... On Saturday morning we had lunch and then Jerry, Shappy and I headed to the casino to play for a couple of hours. We took a break, went bowling nearby (Jerry bowled a 208! My best was 154) then returned to the casino after 8pm where we met up with Sarah. Luckily, we all got on the same table (they just opened up a new game). We sat there for almost the entire night, and if everyone wasn't starving, we might have stayed until sun up! A kid at our table got four aces (two fell on the flop, the third on the river) and he won $50. There is a Royal Straight Flush Jackpot = $13,000!! Nice... I won some big hands on A-J suited and A-K suited... after I caught nut flushes by the turn. I love raising on the flop when I have 1 card to come for a nut flush draw. I had a slew of bad beats. I lost on a full house 7s over 5s to a guy from Argentina who had four fives. He also beat me with a 6 high straight after I flopped the Wheel. He had no clue what he had when he turned over his cards. The dealer had to tell him that he won the pot... despite the fact he kept calling my raises all the way down to the river. The dealers were better and friendly. Some of the players were geuniley very nice. I liked the table we played on last. I won a big pot when I held 3-3 and raided pre-flop. I raised on the flop when face cards hit. By the turn there was three spades out there (I had the three of spades) I raised again, hoping to catch that 3 or a spade... since no one was betting heavy, I thought no one had a flush. Anyway, when a fourth spade hit, I figured... what the fuck. I'm going for it. I check raised a guy who wa spissed when I turne dover my pocket 3s for a shitty flush. I was slighty embarassed and tipped the dealer $2.