At the Oasis Open poker tournament last fall in Mesquite, Nevada, there were two no-limit hold'em events that saw some great plays and some not-so-great plays. Also, some interesting questions came up that I thought were so obvious, I couldn't believe they were being asked, but it turns out that they weren't so obvious after all. I continually find it interesting that some things one person who knows the poker industry well thinks are absolutes are totally questionable to others. Let me explain.
In one situation at the tournament, the players were playing no-limit hold'em with $400-$800 blinds. Everyone folded around to the button, and he said, "Raise $2,000." Since it was a no-limit event, he could have pushed a stack of chips into the pot without a declaration and that would have been the bet, but he said, "Raise $2,000." This is when a decision was called for. He put in only $2,400. So, how did he come up with that amount? He mistakenly thought he was raising the bet to his immediate left, the small blind, when in fact he was raising the last action, which was the big blind. Now, this seemed obvious to me and to many at the table, but there was some conversation about it, so apparently it was not as cut-and-dry as I had thought. Anyway, although this incident was not earthshaking, I found it interesting – especially when the second incident occurred.
In another no-limit hold'em event, the blinds were $100-$200. The player who opened the betting put $400 into the pot. The next player said, "Raise," and put $600 into the pot. Here is where the fun began. A player at the table insisted that the player making it $600 had to make it $800. His logic was that he had to double the bet. His thought process on the subject was interesting. Granted, in no-limit, the bets are usually doubled or raised even more; however, they do not have to be. In this instance, the original big blind of $200 was doubled to $400, constituting a $200 raise. Therefore, the next player to raise could in fact raise the same amount, $200, making it $600 to go. Again, it seemed fairly obvious, yet upon further thought, I could see how players not accustomed to big-bet poker may not understand that their bet need only be the size of the previous raise. Again, this was not earthshaking, but it's something to think about as you get your feet wet in the world of tournament poker.
And speaking of the world of tournament poker, check your tournament calendar for the new year. There is a plethora of events in just about every cardroom known to man. There are big events and there are small events. There are freerolls and there are ladies tourneys. There are tournaments in every state that allows poker, as well as in just about every poker-playing country in the world. Some of these events feature guaranteed prize pools and added prize money, while others don't. Regardless, tournament poker has found its niche in the gaming world, and it is here to stay. The real beauty of tournament poker, as I see it, is that it gives the recreational player a reason to travel to play a game that knows no boundaries or limits. In addition to the opportunity to win big money in the tournaments, the side action that generally accompanies tournament poker can be the best you have ever seen. Folks who enter the tournaments and finish near the money before busting out may try to get their buy-ins back rather quickly in a live game.
Whatever your preference in poker, know that tournaments have found their spot in the poker world and have grown tremendously in the last 20 years or so. Back in the '70s when I was breaking in to the gaming business, poker tournaments were rare, and were real special events. Now, they are everyday occurrences. Give one a try sometime, you may find that you have a knack for them. Tournaments are a different breed of poker, and they just may be your cup of tea. Class dismissed.
As always, I will answer each e-mail I receive, so please send me your poker-related questions and comments. Also, please see the cruise website at www.cardplayercruises.com for information on upcoming cruises and poker conferences. There also are many archived poker cruise photos there to view, so please take a gander. You never know, maybe a cruise is what you need to entice your loved one to share your passion for poker.