Well, I'm back. After this year's World Series, I just had to take a break, which explains my absence of the past few weeks. It's all for the best anyway, since I didn't have anything to offer. But I'm feeling refreshed now, ready to do whatever it is that I do.
Speaking of this year's WSOP, I don't know whether it was because I was feeling burned out or what, but the main event really left me feeling somewhat
meh. I haven't even bothered watching it on ESPN. Another no name wins, yawn.
What has been more interesting is the aftermath, with
target=new> Jamie Gold's winnings frozen as the result of a lawsuit that claims he offered to split his prize money, and
another final table participant's house being raided as part of gambling sting. I can't wait for the TV movie. /sarcasm
Oh well, that's probably enough griping about what I don't like. Let's move forward.
Lately, I've found two new places to play, one live and one online. Actually, the online site isn't new, but just one I've not played before. And come to think of it, it's not really new to me, since I tinkered around there a little in the play-money games several years ago. Anyway, for one reason or another, I finally decided to give
Bugsy's Club's real-money games a try about a month ago, and I must say I am quite pleased.
First of all, I should note that, having grown thoroughly bored with hold'em, I have pretty much abandoned it altogether. These days, my game play is probably about 90 percent Omaha, 9 percent razz and 1 percent hold'em.
Regardless, like any other poker site,
Bugsy's Club has plenty of hold'em games, and they have a nice little Omaha (PLO8 and LO8) community as well. Whatever game you play, though, or what level, the cool thing about
Bugsy's is the league system they have going.
Essentially, the leagues reward frequent play, although there are skill-based leagues for tournaments as well. Some of the leagues are weekly and some are monthly, but they all pay a predetermined number of players based on how many points they rack up during the week or month. For instance, in the Silver League games (.50/1 and 1/2 limit games, .05/.10, .10/.25 and .25/.50 pot-limit and no-limit games), where I do most of my playing, they pay the top 150 points earners each week. So far, I've placed in that top 150 all four weeks I've played, although never for more than $5. First-place takes $200, and $1,700 is paid out to all 150 places in that league alone. Step up in stakes a little bit, and the Gold League pays out $7,000 a week across 50 places. Too rich for your blood? Step down to the Bronze League, where they pay $600 across 100 places. Ring games not your passion? There are also multi-table and SNG tournament leagues, as well as a skill-based multi league that awards points based on how you finish.
As an added bonus,
Bugsy's also holds a $25,000 freeroll each month for players who earn 1,000 points in the Silver and Gold leagues. I earned my way into the last one, which was held this past Sunday. Unfortunately, I did about as well in it as I have in other big freerolls, getting put out early in the action. This time, I wasn't the donkey, getting all my money in with pocket queens against a putz holding A10 who made a pair of 10s on the flop. Of course, the ace came on the river and I was sent packing. Oh well, there's always next month.
But while I'm really enjoying
Bugsy's, I'm even more excited now that a cardroom has opened up within 15 miles of my house. Now, being in Kentucky, where the only legal gambling is the lottery, bingo and the ponies, cardrooms are a little hard to find. But this is a private club that has just opened up, for the express purpose of playing poker. The Kentucky Players Club has been around for about a month, holding games in Prestonsburg on the weekend. The first time you go, they charge $10 to become a member.
I went this past Friday night and it was definitely fun to sit down at a real table for the first time in months. And let me tell you, there are some truly horrendous players. I'm sitting in a $1/2 no-limit game and one of the first hands I saw involved a guy raising $20 into an unopened pot and getting two callers. Afterwards, it was checked all the way down and, at showdown, when one player show a 10 high, the original raiser mucked his hand.
This is the type of game where you can get up or down really fast, as there is almost always significant action before every flop. On the rare hand where you can actually limp in, at least seven other players do as well. Generally speaking, however, a 6xBB raise is pretty standard, although 10x or 15x is not unusual. Folks overplay marginal hands, seemingly as a matter of religious belief. Any ace will call any raise, and sometimes any face card. I watched a guy two hands in a row withstand some very, very serious action with nothing more than a pair of 3s, each time holding J3 in his hand, and then proceed to go runner-runner to make a boat both times. His ability to walk between the raindrops on those two hands was unfortunate for the guys he sucked out against, but was good news for the rest of the table, as he seemingly came to expect such miracles every hand and proceeded to become the world's most reliable calling station. Despite winning what should have been a dominating stack with those two J3 hands, I saw him go to his pocket at least two more times, sending him there one time myself.
Actually, that hand is part of a longer story. The hand before, I busted out after getting all-in with AK against AJ, only to watch a jack sink me on the turn. Thank god for tilt, though, as I was a little steamed after buying back in and called a raise from Mr. J3, even though I only held a QJ. When the flop came Q22 and he pushed all-in, I honestly wondered if he had the 2, since I had seen him bet and raise with anything, everything and nothing all night. I decided he would probably slow-play any strong hand and looked him. After showing my two pair, he sheepishly revealed a K10 in the hole. He did make a pair on the river, but it was the wrong pair. That hand, however, completely erased the hole I'd dug with my bustout earlier. I realize I made what could be deemed as a very loose call, but I was really playing the player rather than the strength of my hand.
Now, though I might be going on and on about the poor play I saw, I am by no means complaining. However, if the play I saw is indicative of what I can expect to see in the future, this is the type of game where you pretty much have to sit back and nut-peddle. At least when you do that here, you don't have to worry about getting paid off, because
someone is going to pay you off, regardless.
Anyway, I played at the club from 12:30 to 3 a.m., and the games were still going when I left. I only managed to pocket a $14 profit, although considering how manic the tables were, I felt lucky to leave with a small profit instead of a big loss, and the cards weren't giving me any chance to score a big win.
The club itself is pretty nice. It opens at 6 p.m. on Friday nights with a tournament, which I think has a $20 buy-in, although I'm not certain. In addition to the $1/2 no-limit games, I believe they also run a $2/4 limit game, and there's talk of starting a bigger game some time in the future. There is no smoking or drinking in the club, and they provide free snacks and drinks.
All in all, it was a pretty nice place to play, and it's right out in the open with a big sign out front on U.S. 23 in Prestonsburg.
United States Poker Championship $10K Final - Pokerpages.com
