Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Seven Card Stud
Sunday
December 5, 2004
Congratulations Tampa, you're #1! Oh wait... this isn't good. According to MSNBC, Tampa ranks as the most dangerous city for pedestrians in the country. Well isn't that reassuring. I guess we can put that distinction right about the "All-America City 1990" signs that you still see above the larger "Welcome To Tampa" signs as you enter city limits in some places.
Last night I went to the Hard Rock Casino just up the road on Interstate 4 for the first time ever. My friend Joe Pauley had been talking with me about going over there for some time (he goes there when he can), and finally things worked out to go check it out.
Unlike Las Vegas, or even Harrah's in New Orleans, the Hard Rock Casino has a very limited selection. Luckily it is located on Indian land, which means it can operate without trouble from the state of Florida (and government knows best Jeb Bush and friends... and that goes for Republicans and Democrats alike). Unfortunately, the only games available are slot machines and poker. No roulette, no blackjack.
But the upside is that this lead to me getting in on a table for the first time. I know poker pretty well, but I don't know the table etiquette/rules beyond what I've seen on TV shows (World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, Hollywood Home Game, etc.) The $1/$2 Texas Hold 'Em table waiting list was ridiculously long (and this was at about 3:30 AM, keep in mind), so I opted to go for $1/$2 Seven Card Stud (at Joe's suggestion).
Seven Card Stud works like this: Each player gets two cards down, then one up. The first round of betting commences ($1 required to stay in it). Another card is dealt, face-up, and a second round of betting takes place (you can start with $2 if you have a pair showing), but raises are only $1. Then a third card comes face up, and the bets go to $2. Finally a face down card is dealt and a final round of betting takes place. So if you see my hand, you'll see potentially:
?, ?, 9 hearts, Jack hearts, 9 spades, Ace clubs, ?
The challenge is evaluating your own hand, seeing what cards have been dealt out there face-up, and evaluating your opponents' hands.
After maybe a 5 minute wait, I was seated at a table. I was the youngest person there in all likelihood; mostly it was guys who looked fifty-something. There was a large woman to my left who actually helped me out at first as far as a couple of tips (but she was also talking about how she had a "hot seat", so I didn't take too much credence in what she said). I didn't realize that there weren't blinds and big blinds, like in Texas Hold 'Em (there is a forced $1 bet to the smallest showing card).
My goal was to, more than anything, have fun and not look like a complete buffoon. I didn't know that when you fold, you literally have to flip your cards over, backside up (but it makes total sense). Also, on the betting I made a few errors as far as not knowing the rules. However, I think that some of the people there thought I might've been trying to work them. I had shaved my head a couple of hours before, and when the 6'2" shaved head intimidator in the Peyton Manning jersey sat down, I think the rest of the table didn't know what to think.
I tossed out my first hand... then got pocket Aces on hand two. I was thrilled. But people stuck around, as with limits ($1 for the first two rounds, with raises possible, then $2 for the final two) people are generally willing to give it a try to stick around. But on the final under card I bet like mad. I raised it up to $8, and that forced everyone else out. I wanted to show my Aces so bad, but I also believe that is poor etiquette. Make them pay to see the cards, I say.
One thing that would have annoyed me if I was a dealer was how people would "splash the pot", a term that means to recklessly throw your chips out on the table. Meanwhile, in true Virgo form, I laid my chips out nice and neat. On hand three, I had another decent hand, nothing too special (two pair), but I scared everyone out again. Back-to-back wins without showing the goods. That was cool.
There was another gambler at the table who I recognized as a good player. He reminded me of Desi's older brother Jay in his appearance, but he usually bet good hands and he stayed in enough pots to give himself a chance to be there in the end alot. One time he was betting aggressive and it came down to me and him, and I had two pair (including a pair of Aces). He had no pair showing, but I feared he had a pocket pair in his three cards that matched an "up" card, which would give him a win (three of a kind beats two pair). But for a $2 call to win a $25 or so pot, I figured the pot odds were worth it. Sure enough he had two Kings hidden to match a third King showing, so he won. But I wanted to make sure he wasn't going on two pairs himself.
I was sensible enough to muck (throw away) hands that looked bad from the start. When playing with real money, I don't mind being a "tight player" as they call it.
My favorite win came toward the end. This poor guy who had some really bad luck most of the night though he most likely had "the nuts" (best possible hand) with a flush. I sure didn't show a flush draw myself, and I didn't have anything displayed beyond Ace Jack high. But I suppose that whole "I'm not sure what I'm doing" thing paid off, as I had an Ace and two Jacks underneath, making a full house. And a full house beats a flush. I'm not one to "slow roll" (intentionally delay showing a good hand), but I was very curious to see what he had. I couldn't help but be thrilled when he showed flush (which with four hearts showing on his end is what I "had him on" in my head).
Joe ended up losing $40 on the night; I ended up $19 to the plus. Good times.
Now before you worry about me becoming a poker fiend who wastes away at the tables, rest assured that for me it's more about entertainment than profit. To go on occasion and have some fun... to me that's a good time. And if I make a few bucks to go with it, then all the better.
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