Poker

Anybody on here play poker or like to watch it?

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Used to do both a lot. I started playing a ton with my friends a year or two after the big poker boom, like everyone else it seems. As we've all grown up it's been much harder to get games together, though--we get to do it 2-3 times a year these days, generally. Still really enjoy it, though more as an excuse to hang out and make each other laugh than for the game itself.

Used to watch High Stakes Poker for high-level stuff and the WSOP on ESPN for general entertainment. Haven't in a really long time though. Last time I got interested at all was when Ivey made the final table.

I remember when Chris Moneymaker fluked his way into winning the World Series Of Poker, and Phil Ivey took the worst beat Ive ever seen on the River card against him to go out 9th or 10th. I like Daniel Negranu (prob mispelt), really like poker, but am real bad at it.

Must post this pic in tribute to this thread. If you havent seen Rounders and are a poker fan, DO IT NOW!!!

My brother and a couple of our friends started getting in to it quite a bit last summer. We found a local pub that hosted a standard Texas Hold Em game every Friday night, £15 buy-in with cash paid out to the top 4. I go to university so I can't always go, but when I'm back home I like to.

It's moved location since we started going (just down the road), but the people remain the same with a few new faces. Good crowd of people, normally about twenty turn up, with about fifteen regulars, it's something different to do on a Friday night. As you say it's not all about the game itself, it's fun to hang out and do something social, and actually saves me more money than a standard 'night out'. I think I've been about eight times in total, my brother/friends much more. I managed to win it once (£135 as me and other player in top two split it, although nowadays winner probably gets closer to £200) and normally I make it to the last table. I think twice I've finished outside of the top six since I've been going, and both of them have been recently.

I wouldn't say I'm that good right now, but I'm trying to improve my game. My brother records World and European Poker Tour whenever they're shown on TV, so I try and watch them when I can. I've downloaded the Coral app, although don't want to get involved too much in real cash games at the moment because of the obvious possibility of addiction. Normally I play the free-roll games in the background for a bit of fun, and to practice whilst I'm on the computer. I came 15th out of about 1000 people the biggest free-roll tournament the other day, which i was happy but also gutted with. As I continue to play and improve I'll probably try and enter more money games, and try out Pokerstars which most people seem to use.

I play often ... online and tournaments at the casino

Loved online poker. Freerolled a bankroll on Stars and Tilt. The ability to compete at a drop of the hat was one of the biggest draws.

It's hard to get a live game. Most aren't invested enough to take it seriously or use of wildcards waters down the experience.

Started with hold'em and became a fan of omaha and omaha hi/lo. If not for following the hi stakes players, I would have never learned chinese poker, which is one of my favorites.

The little poker game on Facebook is the only poker I play...

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[ J ] - [ S ] - [ F ]

I play on Facebook and used to play in a league.


My buddy Finchy is one of the best in the Country though. He wins almost every game he plays and earns a ton of cash in the process.


Had a few Poker Nights at mine over the past few months recently though, some pics on the personal pics thread.

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I became pretty obsessed with poker a few months ago after watching a Stu Ungar documentary. Ended up watching quite a few WSOP final tables, including Stu's second and third wins. Never played it though.

I used to play Texas Hold 'Em quite a lot when it was a hype here a couple of years ago and I've also read some books about tactics, statistics and stuff like that.

I've never been brilliant at it and I've probably lost more than I've won (because I always used to drink during games, which made me kind of a "maniac" at times), but it's always fun to play it with some friends or in a pub.

Now we're playing other card games, though, like "kleurenwiezen", which is a Belgian card game that requires more strategic thinking and less gambling and bluffing, which I like better.

Poker has a charm to it, though. You need guts and brains to win it and there's always a lot of drama. I always keep watching when I randomly see a game on TV (and I used to regularly watch the world series, late night poker and stuff like that). Great entertainment.

I can count cards on certain games... I used to go to a Casino in Wolves and play Blackjack but I got banned because every time I showed up I'd win.

Countings cards is a must for Acie-Deucie.

Since we are probably doing a documentary countdown next, I'd suggest any poker fans watch this if they haven't -

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0pt2AOIz1wk

I played online professionally for a couple of years about 6-7 years ago. Built up from coming second in a big free roll and played Texas and limit hold 'em daily. Played lots of tournaments and SnGs for a while but didn't like the variance.

Never made a lot of money but paid the bills for a few years. Ended up stopping due to stress - would have a day where I won $800 and think "that's fair because I'm better than most people" and then lose $500 the next day and be close to tears. Got too much for me.

Have gone back to it a couple of times and can usually still win but it's not like it used to be - too easy for people to find books that teach them how to break even so even at low stakes you have five people trying to fight over the money from the one guy at the table who doesn't know what he's doing.

Paying the bills is pretty good. I guess you were playing at least $1-2.

At no limit I think I only got to 0.50/1 but did play 1/2 on capped tables for a while. Even at those stakes you could make a basic living if you played enough hands. I'd play 6 tables of 6 handed or 12-15 tables of full ring at once.

On limit tables I think I got to 2/4 four tabling 6 handed. I always preferred limit over no limit and whilst they were far less profitable if I always played with bonuses and/or rake back I did ok.

Played last night, my normal £15 game, came fourth and got £30, not much but at one point I was on 2,300 chips (start with 26/7k) and the shortest stack with about 15 still in, so I was pleased to get something back.

Lost a lot of money playing poker. Never won money on a single game, except against my 11 year old brother. And a couple of internet matches.

Bump!
Getting super into it these days, the online scene sucks in the states now with the strict regulation. I prefer live though. Anyone have any must read books?

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Yeah read Super System back in the day and a couple of others, played very heavily online from 2007-2010, since then used to travel to the nearest Casino(sub 90 minute drive) a few times a year though I've stopped last 2 years or so. Play online a couple of times per year but it's gotten very hard, everyone is solid. Had a few solid online tourney wins, 1st prize anywhere from $2000-5000. Want to go to Vegas at some point though.

My worst bad beat story

Casino in the UK, drunk maniac sits down with £1500-£2000 ($2000-$3000), everyone else has on average £400($600). Game is dealers choice, switching between PLO and NL Holdem.

The maniac has been playing every hand, dominating the table, everyone waiting for a hand to take him on, he loses puts more money down, busts a couple of people etc, this goes on for 2+ hours, EVERYONE wants a seat at our table but NO ONE is leaving.

Finally I get dealt AdAxJd5x at PLO and I fire out pot bet after his standard every hand raise, I start hand with £450, he starts with £2000ish. Myself, Maniac and 1 other guy see flop. Flop is a mother****ing DREAM, of Ax Qd 5d, giving me the nut flush draw and 3 aces, I hold the nuts( poker term for best possible hand at the moment), of course maniac bets, other guy folds and I pot again not leaving too much behind, maniac looks at cards for a good 2 minutes with drunken eyes and calls. Turn is a 7x, everything is fine, I still have the nuts, so I go all in and he quickly calls and shows........J569, so he has been calling his dead 2 pair and has hit a gutter straight draw on the turn, his only outs are 3 non diamond 8s, my heart is thumping out of my chest, at this point in time my bank account was worth about half the pot. Dealer turns over the mother****ing *********** 8 of clubs, I nearly throw up all over the table, get up and walk out and drive home. Pot was around £1000 ($1500). My hand was a 99%+ favourite on the flop.

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