I was reading Mike Sexton’s new book, Life’s a Gamble, in preparation for interviewing Sexton on the radio. The Sexton interview will be taped before you read this and will be posted here (that link is to the filtered podcast archives) on Thursday, July 28. The book is autobiographical, with lots of anecdotes about Sexton himself and various other players. I already knew many of the stories (I read a LOT about gambling and have interviewed many players over the years), but many more were new to me. All in all, it’s a good read and of interest to any gambler, not just poker players. Continue reading Lessons from Chip Reese
Tag: jargon & slang
The Boss Just Sat at Our Table with Game On: What Now?
A handful of times in my career, a boss has sat down at our table while my BP and I were playing a target game. Many players have never experienced that scenario, and completely panic when it happens for the first time. They’re not even sure what to make of it, but I’ll tell you. Continue reading The Boss Just Sat at Our Table with Game On: What Now?
The Casino Locked Us Out of Our Room: What Now?
The cardinal rule is “Do not stay where you play.” I know you’re a sinner. Sigh.
Continue reading The Casino Locked Us Out of Our Room: What Now?
Tells: Dealer Has a Bad Attitude, #1-3
Obviously you can see when a dealer is grumpy, argumentative, cocky, or lazy, but of course dealers may make a modicum of effort (the key word there: modicum) to suppress such a bad appearance. That’s where we employ tells, subtle clues, some based on dealing procedure, that give away that the dealer has a bad attitude. You should avoid dealers with bad attitudes—they will cost you money sooner or later. In the best case, they’ll toke hustle you to death; in the worst case, they’ll snitch. Continue reading Tells: Dealer Has a Bad Attitude, #1-3
A History Lesson: The Plaza Solution
Years ago, new management at the Union Plaza in downtown Las Vegas tried a grand experiment: they liberalized the blackjack rules and raised the limits. The chip design was modernized, and the cage gracefully handled bigger cashouts with no questions asked. As part of the marketing of this new philosophy (as if “bet more, win more” were some clever, new idea), they held a high-stakes poker tournament and even got some TV crews in there. The goal was to bring some big action back to downtown Vegas. Their experiment worked! Heh heh.