Any poker players here?

[BlindHaze]

Often on bank holiday weekends, I like to host a poker evening - Texas hold ‘em is the game. Not been able to do it recently due to restrictions, but hopefully get a few in next year.

Usually there’s 6 of us and we play the princely sum of £5 each and winner takes the lot. Blinds increase every 20 minutes to force some action and we usually get 5 or 6 games in. First person out becomes the dealer, until the second person is out and they take over and so on. We’ve had a few good ones in the past, latest finish was 9:30am. Even if you lose every game, the difference between the pub and off licence prices means you’re still better off... 🙂

Guess I’ve got lockdown blues and reminiscing about the good times, but wondered if anyone else has a regular poker night they like to go to? I also miss the Genting casino poker tournaments. Usually I go to the cheap ones on a Monday, but for less than a tenner you can get a good night out with a regular crowd of people too. And your losses will be much less than on any other table games!

[Stepandstop]

OMG just thinking about our annual piss up between Xmas and new year 

usually 8 of us £10 a man £50 to the winner £20 runner up

1st player out uses his £10 to buy a pizza for everyone to share

mate of mine plays in dark glasses and calls himself the devil fish 🤮🤮🤮

NOT THIS YEAR THOUGH 😢

 

[ghost22]

used to do about 60 hours a week on stars , havent the stamina or the patience anymore , had a few sit in goes with annette oberstien back in the early days of betfair when they ran their own room , before she won her bracelet .  

[Mentholdan]

I played regularly at the Royal Surrey Poker Club, real good players there. I came second once picked up £500. Also used to play in the local pub on Tuesday nights, 8 of us. The brother of Mike Brewer from Wheeler Dealers played in our school, he's a professional magician, he was allowed to play but not allowed to deal. I kid you not. I like to vape since I packed the cigs in years ago and you can't even do that in pubs so I doubt if I'll ever play again in the pub or the Royal Surrey. The other drawback at the Royal Surrey was it kicked off at 8 and wouldn't finish most night's till 2 or 3 am. Well organised, pro dealers, TV screens with all the blinds on etc. Used to get some right dickheads there as well, dark glasses, hoods over their head and earphones in, thinking they were in the WSOP. If you have a proper club near you give it a try. Playing against decent players face to face improves your game rapidly. 

[Mentholdan]

As a ps to the above, you would be amazed how intimidating other players try to be with their gobby chat, fucking arseholes some of them, I never used to say a word at the table when they try to wind me up, I'd just glare at them and try and stare them out. I was sitting on the button one night with pocket ace's, the guy to my right was fumbling with all his chips and they fell onto the table. He says "arrr what happens now" the dealer told him sorry mate they have to stay as they're all over the line. So obviously I call him and the bastard had pocket Kings. I went mad, calling him all the names under the sun, he never dropped the chips by accident the slimy bastard. I won the pot and knocked him out the tourney and the dealer asked me if I wanted to make a complaint to the management about the guy. I tell you some of those guys know more tricks than a monkey. Even at my age it will NEVER EVER surprise me the lengths some people will go to or the strokes they will pull when money is involved, and I don't mean just gambling. I carry a wallet, I make sure all the notes are in order, 20s 10s 5s, I never carry 50s. I make sure they're all facing the right way and they're the right way up. Organising the cash you carry on you can stop a disaster waiting to happen. 

[MikeV]

4 hours ago, Mentholdan said:

As a ps to the above, you would be amazed how intimidating other players try to be with their gobby chat, fucking arseholes some of them, I never used to say a word at the table when they try to wind me up, I'd just glare at them and try and stare them out. I was sitting on the button one night with pocket ace's, the guy to my right was fumbling with all his chips and they fell onto the table. He says "arrr what happens now" the dealer told him sorry mate they have to stay as they're all over the line. So obviously I call him and the bastard had pocket Kings. I went mad, calling him all the names under the sun, he never dropped the chips by accident the slimy bastard. I won the pot and knocked him out the tourney and the dealer asked me if I wanted to make a complaint to the management about the guy. I tell you some of those guys know more tricks than a monkey. Even at my age it will NEVER EVER surprise me the lengths some people will go to or the strokes they will pull when money is involved, and I don't mean just gambling. I carry a wallet, I make sure all the notes are in order, 20s 10s 5s, I never carry 50s. I make sure they're all facing the right way and they're the right way up. Organising the cash you carry on you can stop a disaster waiting to happen. 

I guess I should make a note of this in case I ever find myself playing poker in Britain. In my experience, I cannot recall any instance of a player being a total dick at the poker table. Maybe I'm lucky, or it is possible that I have not played enough live poker to witness this more frequently.

More likely than not, in nearly every game I've played, the guy next to me will at some point start a conversation with me - just out of the blue. I'm not a talkative person at the table. Maybe I look friendly to most people and therefore approachable. I don't mind though - I just find it funny how often this happens.

As for hosting a home game, have any of you thought about playing it online? It's pretty much the only option during lockdown.

[BlindHaze]

8 hours ago, Mentholdan said:

As a ps to the above, you would be amazed how intimidating other players try to be with their gobby chat, fucking arseholes some of them, I never used to say a word at the table when they try to wind me up, I'd just glare at them and try and stare them out. I was sitting on the button one night with pocket ace's, the guy to my right was fumbling with all his chips and they fell onto the table. He says "arrr what happens now" the dealer told him sorry mate they have to stay as they're all over the line. So obviously I call him and the bastard had pocket Kings. I went mad, calling him all the names under the sun, he never dropped the chips by accident the slimy bastard. I won the pot and knocked him out the tourney and the dealer asked me if I wanted to make a complaint to the management about the guy. I tell you some of those guys know more tricks than a monkey. Even at my age it will NEVER EVER surprise me the lengths some people will go to or the strokes they will pull when money is involved, and I don't mean just gambling. I carry a wallet, I make sure all the notes are in order, 20s 10s 5s, I never carry 50s. I make sure they're all facing the right way and they're the right way up. Organising the cash you carry on you can stop a disaster waiting to happen. 

Urgh, angle shooting is the worst. I once accidentally put in a raise of 5000 instead of 500 with 100/200 blinds. The other players noticed a few seconds before I did. Everyone folded and I apologised and showed my hand - AJ so was hardly trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes, especially into an unraised pot!

At the Genting poker nights, there’s only one regular dickhead, but it’s easy to get him on tilt - I took £400 off him in cash poker with £1/£2 blinds once. He was just shoving with anything. There’s a solid crowd of about 10-20 people who turn up regularly for the tournaments and they’re really nice blokes. We share a couple of beers beforehand and they’re a pleasure to sit on a table with.  A lot of the occasional players seem to be more quiet, but no sunglasses, hoodies or trash talk.

[Adf180]

Never had the discipline for poker. I'd get bored if I was dealt 15 to 20 crap hands in a row and not very good at  bluffing. My brothers a good player, travels around alot playing and is a commentator on the GUKPT. I'm more of a 7 card brag man, I prefer games when it's all action every hand. 

[Mentholdan]

At the club it would be a £20-£50 buy in, depending which night, with a buy in option after the first break. Of course there were plenty of nice friendly people and funny enough you would get to know people better when you went out during the breaks for a ciggie rather than at the table. I only ever saw one woman playing and I think she was married to one of the players. When you think about it, it's difficult for poker to be a social affair when it starts at 8pm and finishes in the early hours. I never understood why the guys playing poker would want to play other games on their I pads and phones when you need to concentrate so much. The first few times I played I realised how physically draining it could be, you could hardly come out of there at 3am on a Wednesday morning and then go to work at 7.

[DaveM]

3 hours ago, BlindHaze said:

Urgh, angle shooting is the worst. I once accidentally put in a raise of 5000 instead of 500 with 100/200 blinds. The other players noticed a few seconds before I did. Everyone folded and I apologised and showed my hand - AJ so was hardly trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes, especially into an unraised pot!

At the Genting poker nights, there’s only one regular dickhead, but it’s easy to get him on tilt - I took £400 off him in cash poker with £1/£2 blinds once. He was just shoving with anything. There’s a solid crowd of about 10-20 people who turn up regularly for the tournaments and they’re really nice blokes. We share a couple of beers beforehand and they’re a pleasure to sit on a table with.  A lot of the occasional players seem to be more quiet, but no sunglasses, hoodies or trash talk.

 

I played in Rileys years ago and I can't remember the exact figures but a guy declared, for arguments sake "Raise to 3,200" and then put his chips in. At this point he realised that he had only put 2,200 chips in so added an extra 1K and the fuckers at the table tried to claim he was string betting and he had to stick at 2,200

 

Fuck off lads, he declared verbally before moving the chips! 3,200 should have stood

Edited December 8, 2020 by DaveM

[Mentholdan]

34 minutes ago, DaveM said:

 

I played in Rileys years ago and I can't remember the exact figures but a guy declared, for arguments sake "Raise to 3,200" and then put his chips in. At this point he realised that he had only put 2,200 chips in so added an extra 1K and the fuckers at the table tried to claim he was string betting and he had to stick at 2,200

 

Fuck off lads, he declared verbally before moving the chips! 3,200 should have stood

I concur. 

[CurioSS]

It's interesting to read your funny cases. It's a good thing it hasn't happened to me yet... I always try to keep a close eye on the game and all my actions in poker. Many people can't stand playing with me because I play very aggressively. I like to bluff and raise my bets all the time. People believe you have some severe cards, and they sag under you. They become afraid of you, and so they always give up. Hopefully, one day I'll meet some players who play as aggressively as I do, and we'll get into a fight. In the meantime, I play spider solitaire to take my mind off poker. I'm getting my strength back.

Edited December 22, 2021 by CurioSS

[Seaton-slots]

I love poker tournaments but can't abide cash games. My old favorite from many years ago use to be the ladder tournements that Ladbrokes used to do on their website

[DaveM]

How do we report spam on mobile haha

 

Never mind, found the link

Edited January 17, 2023 by DaveM

[StopandStep]

Thanks Dave 🙂