Other Golf Blog Entries
Tuesday, October 4, 2005	Wednesday, October 5, 2005	Thursday, October 6, 2005
Friday, October 7, 2005	Saturday, October 8, 2005	Sunday, October 9, 2005

Poker Anyone? - Thursday, October 6, 2005

The house comes to life sometime around 7. I'm feeling rested, and excited about the day's plans. I'm going to enter my first Texas Hold'Em poker tournament at a casino this morning. I've played many tournaments online with play chips, as well as for real money with friends, but this event marks a tourning point in my poker education and I'm looking forward to it. I get to the Commerce Casino around 9:30 for an 11:00 a.m. start, and find my way to the poker room where I meet Marcel Meyer, the Terrace Floorperson. Tall, about 6' 2", he's dressed in a black tuxedo with his hair slicked back and wearing silver-rimmed polarized glasses. I and ask where to register, he points to a kiosk, and tells me in a thick east-coast-mafia-type accent, that registration will open around 10:00. There are a three tables out of sixty or so that have cash games going, so I ask about the stakes. "Lowest game we've got going is 20-40, $200 buy-in" he tells me. I've only brought enough money for the tournament entry and the one optional rebuy, should that be necessary, so I tell him I'm not interested. Next, I ask where I can get some breakfast. He says they've got service in the poker room, to which I reply "Yeah, but I don't want to buy in." He barks, "I don't give a f*ck if you want to buy-in, do you want to eat in here?" The question caught me off guard, and I say "Sure." "Take a seat anywhere and I'll get you set up." Then he motions to a guy, and yells across the room, "Mario, this guy needs service. Take care of him." Out of the corner of my eye I catch Marcel laying a finger aside his nose, tapping it twice. I'm being taken care of. Coffee and a menu are brought to me, my breakfast has been comped by the casino, and I sit back and enjoy the meal on one of the little rolling personal tables that reside next to the full poker tables. I reflect a moment upon how nice it is to be served, to not have to do everything for a change. It's a good feeling. I watch Marcel run his room. It's clear he is the boss, and he's in his element. His voice carries the room: "10-20 No Limit, 600 buy-in" as they set up the next table. People are slowing filing into the room, but it's still mostly empty. Another casino employee enters and Marcel shouts across the room, "DJ - this guy is here for the tournament. He's number one on the list." I smile to myself, it's good to be number one. Marcel tells me to sit there and finish my breakfast, so I do. You don't question Marcel. A short while later, DJ comes over to collect my buy-in. I pay him the fee, and he tells me he'll be back with my receipt in a moment. People are starting to filter in to the poker room, and I mention to Marcel that it's good to see the room filling up. "This place will be full in an hour" he tells me. My minor worry that today's tourney would be small or nonexistant vanishes. Around 9:30 Marcel tells the other floorpeople that he's getting ready to head out. I gather he'd worked the night shift. He sits down with me for a few minutes and we talk about my trip and I tell him about Club Golf Network. We exchange cards, and he tells me he's not much of a golfer, but that he's going to pass my card on to one of the guys in Marketing with a note. I thank him again for the great service, and let him know he's going to be in this blog. "Really?" he asks. "Yup. You've given me great service and I'm writing about it." His eyes light up just a fraction, and I like to think I've given him something maybe just a little bit special. The tournament starts, I'm at Table Three, Seat Two. A good seat at the end of the table, where I can easily see all but one player's face. We are each given 800 play chips, with one optional rebuy for another 800. The pace of play is quick, with me being the slow guy at the table. I'm trying to slow it down a bit and give others the chance to bust out ahead of me. Within ten minutes I start hearing assorted voices shout "Rebuy!" As they lose their stacks. I'm getting crappy cards, barely playing a pot, but I'm going to be patient. Finally after forty minutes of folding, I get a hand. I'm dealt AKo in an early position, and come in for the minimum raise - despite the warning bells that are going off in my head. Most of the table folds, except for one older and one very big Philippino. Marcel had told me earlier that the Phillippino mafia resides upstairs. Looking around, I'm not sure he was kidding. Flop comes 10-6-K, rainbow. I check. It's checked around to the big man opposite me, who comes in for 100. I raise to 200. The older gent folds and the big man raises all-in. I hesitate again, I knew I had the best hand at the moment, so I call all-in. He turns over QKo, I show my AK and he says, "Nice hand." Turn comes a blank, but I know what's coming on the river. I'm already reaching for my wallet when it comes, a Queen. "Rebuy!" That's poker. The run of crappy cards continues, and I am Mr. Foldorama. I have won exactly one pot in the tournament. I had QJ of diamonds, again in early position. The flop came Q 6d 2d and I bet it. I'm called by the mystery man whose face I cannot see from my seat. Another diamond on the turn. I bet 500, and he takes a looonnng time before deciding to fold. I put him on a Queen or high diamond, and didn't want to risk losing it on the river. Perhaps I overplayed it, but at least I won a pot. After another hour of play, the blinds are now 50-100, and I'm shortstacked with three fifty in chips. I fold til its my blind, not really getting anything. Except a K2s that I seriously considered going all-in with, but had picked up something from the player to my left. I folded. He hesitated, wanting to play the pot, but eventually folded also. Two players go at it, AJ vs. AQ. The guy to my left says he folded AQ also. Flop comes rainbow, and I'm glad I didn't go all-in with my mediocre hand. I'm through the blinds, with 250 left, fold a hand and then get dealt pocket rockets. Finally, a good hand! Unfortunately, I feel that same sinking feeling in the back of my stomach. It's checked or called around to me and I go all-in. Most fold, exept for the older gent and the big guy. I've got the best hand, but I know it won't hold up. T the flop comes J-J-5. The older guy bets, the big one thinks a moment then folds. The older gent flips over Jx and I show my aces. Blank on the river. I've got an 8% chance of catching an ace on the river, but it's another blank. Game over. I played for about two hours, finished about middle of the field. I wasn't too disappointed because now I had the whole afternoon to drive about and explore Los Angeles again. Not to mention that I picked up complimentary Card Player and Bluff magazines. Or, as I like to think of it, I now have two magazines that are worth $100 apiece. I drive to USC and literally cruise around, trying to get the CGN ad on my window in front of as many eyes as possible. Lunch at Carl's Jr. was a BBQ chicken sandwich, before heading to Hollyweird. I cruise up La Brea, turn left on Sunset and drive out to the 405, passing through Beverly Hills on the way. My target market is more likely to be in this area than in the USC neighborhood. Plus, Freddy works nearby and I'm going to swing by the Apple store to say hello. I do a couple laps through Westwood before looking him up. As luck would have it, he was on his lunch break when I arrive. We grab a water and do a quick catch-up before setting our plans to meet for Friday. Then it's back through Hollywood, over the hill on the 101 and back to Pete's place. I take Pete, Roe and Cassidy out for dinner at one of our favorite spots, Poquito Mas, for some real mexican food. I have two huge steak tacos and damn are they tasty. At one point during the evening I look down and notice my watch had stopped. Must not have pushed the button all the way back in after setting the time. Or the date. I've got a Fossil watch with the little date window where the three would normally be, but I had been so busy getting ready for the trip that I didn't adjust the date - September doesn't have 31 days, so it was a day behind. And it had stopped. Again, I reflect upon time and my theoretical lack of aging.

Other Golf Blog Entries
Tuesday, October 4, 2005	Wednesday, October 5, 2005	Thursday, October 6, 2005
Friday, October 7, 2005	Saturday, October 8, 2005	Sunday, October 9, 2005

Find a Golf Course | Add a Golf Course | Giving Back | Golf Blog | Golf Links | Golf Newsletter
Member Login | Register Your Golf Club | About Us | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Home

Copyright © 2005-2007 Club Golf Network All rights reserved.
Site created, hosted and maintained by Vividism Inc.