A great night of bar poker
So, I had a spare Friday night, and got to hit the bar poker tournament at the Sports Rock Lounge in Pembroke Pines (1828 North University Dr Pembroke Pines 954-704-0290) and left with some valuable multi-table experience.
There were about 100 players -- Friday is the weekly winners' tournament night in the circuit of tournaments operated by Bar Poker Pros. (www. barpokerpros.com). They have about six to eight tournaments a night, mostly across Broward, and
(I'm trying to hit all the bar poker groups I can and at least get them up there, and eventually want to do a list of them on this blog, so, folks, email me links, please.)
Well-organized tournament (Steve, the organizer has casino management experience and his dealers also work all over the place), nice folks at the table, and pretty good play. Not too much limping going on, but certainly not overwrought with all-in bluster, either. Mainly, seemed like the players knew the luck factor cards play: sometimes you outplay people and win, other times, they outplay you, only for you to come through on a suck-out. I sat next to an older lady named Mame, who I liked even though she was originally from New York.
We started with about 4,000 units and I hung in there for about 90 minutes, until the blinds got to 500-1000 and I looked down and still had my 4,000. Gotta learn to try to built it up, not be so passive. So, two hands before the blinds were coming to me and on a hand the chip bully folded on, I went all in with K-9 and lost.
Which brings the question: Anyone have a formula on how to build up chips? Double every hour?
One other quick comment: Bar Poker Pros is trying a rare weekday afternoon outing. It's at 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays at Hurricane Grill & Wings, 1905 N. Pine Island Road (Jacaranda Square) in Plantation. Call 954-475-8815.
NICK SORTAL began playing 3-card "gut" and "Indian poker" on high school band trips, moved on to "night baseball" and "pass the trash" during a Dr. Pepper-infused midnight game in the 1980s at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and now play in a regular neighborhood Hold 'Em game in Plantation. I have been given the assignment of writing about the gambling life in South Florida casinos for the Sun-Sentinel...which means sitting around watching poker on TV now counts as research.
