# Do you play poker?



## atsizat (Sep 14, 2015)

Do you play poker?


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

party poker. not in the casinos. to many locals. i am a "craps" man. blackjack has only been paying 6/5 or 3/2. used to b 2-1 but too many people are learning the strategies. casinos losing money! 
plus i just am timid playing the casinos style poker. but i know the games. 5 card 7 card -queens and what follows- low hole card-etc


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

Yes I still play and she still likes it.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

Blackjack for me... but the big casinos are too rigged. Avoid the 8 deck auto shuffle tables.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I'm so good at Texas Hold 'Em, that I can afford to splurge on a Talk Classical Premium Membership.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

philoctetes said:


> Blackjack for me... but the big casinos are too rigged. Avoid the 8 deck auto shuffle tables.


true but thats were the strategies come into play


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

philoctetes said:


> Blackjack for me... but the big casinos are too rigged. Avoid the 8 deck auto shuffle tables.


Speaking as a former pretty good card counter, the 8 deck blackjack games don't have to be rigged. If you play a good Basic Strategy (playing the best moves proven by computer simulations based on your cards and the dealer upcard) -which most players don't learn or do- you can be at close to even odds with the House. However, counting cards anywhere close to exactly is almost impossible with 8 decks which, of course, is the idea. The casino will make big money on these games without rigging them.

Back in my counting days, when you could get single or 2-deck games with no more than $2-3 minimum bets, I rarely lost overall on trips to Las Vegas (ie. I might lose one day, but would often win the next day.) However, I never won big bucks because I never bet big bucks, but even when I lost, it wasn't that much and, in my mind, I won because of all the free drinks and 3-4 hours of fun. 

Blackjack players can be some of the biggest bullsh*tte*s. I was a darn good counter, but some days, no matter how good I was, I lost. I could draw a 19 and the dealer would get 20. I would double down on 11 and draw a 2...that kind of thing all night long. But I would have to listen to these guys who claimed they never lost.

Speaking of poker, I'm pretty familiar with Texas Hold'em, the most popular poker game in the U.S., but I'm not good at it. Don't know why.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Actually, given some time to ruminate on the subject, my best card game is probably Three Card Monte.


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

"Speaking as a former pretty good card counter, the 8 deck blackjack games don't have to be rigged [...] Blackjack players can be some of the biggest bullsh*tte*s"

"true but thats were the strategies come into play"

I'm clearly among gods.


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

I used to play poker (Texas Hold 'Em) with my younger son. He was good, but gave up playing with me after I conned him into folding with a lot of chips on the table and me bluffing on a pair of 2s.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

DaveM said:


> Speaking as a former pretty good card counter, the 8 deck blackjack games don't have to be rigged. If you play a good Basic Strategy (playing the best moves proven by computer simulations based on your cards and the dealer upcard) -which most players don't learn or do- you can be at close to even odds with the House. However, counting cards anywhere close to exactly is almost impossible with 8 decks which, of course, is the idea. The casino will make big money on these games without rigging them.
> 
> Back in my counting days, when you could get single or 2-deck games with no more than $2-3 minimum bets, I rarely lost overall on trips to Las Vegas (ie. I might lose one day, but would often win the next day.) However, I never won big bucks because I never bet big bucks, but even when I lost, it wasn't that much and, in my mind, I won because of all the free drinks and 3-4 hours of fun.
> 
> ...


i think down town vegas has single and double decks at the casinos. will know in a few weeks as Moving there!!!


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

I haven't played poker since college, and I wasn't very good at it. On a first date with one lovely strawberry blonde, she got tipsy and invited me to her house to play strip poker. I turned her down. That shows you how bad I was at it. 

But my gentlemanly conduct impressed her, and we ended up in a relationship. I guess that qualifies me for the Supreme Court.


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## Pyotr (Feb 26, 2013)

hpowders said:


> I'm so good at Texas Hold 'Em, that I can afford to splurge on a Talk Classical Premium Membership.


Funny, I don't see your name listed on the scroll at the Sponsoring Member's Lounge? I guess 75 cents a month is too steep for you?



atsizat said:


> Do you play poker?


Deal me in. Not at a casino but occasionally with the neighborhood guys. Odd couple thing.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

ldiat said:


> i think down town vegas has single and double decks at the casinos. will know in a few weeks as Moving there!!!


It's possible they still do. Haven't been to the downtown in a long time. If they do, I'd be interested to know what the minimum bet is for them. Back in the day, they has $1 single and 2-deck games.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

ldiat said:


> i think down town vegas has single and double decks at the casinos. will know in a few weeks as Moving there!!!


They have made it difficult for card counters like me to make a living. Inglorious Bahstids!!!


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

[QUOTE=Manxfeeder;1518183[

I haven't played poker since college and I wasn't very good at it.




No problem. I'm always open for a friendly game. How many credit cards do you have that are active?


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

IMHO thats why the "craps" table is a better option. the "pass line" be is one of the lowest take outs in the casino games. and when one backs the "pass line" with a "odds" bet it reduces it even more. i watched one guy be a "right bettor"(against the 7) and "wrong better"(with the 7) at the same time! i always play the "right". And there are so many possibles. wife make fun saying "Gee. the seven is good then the seven is bad good- bad-good-bad"


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

As Sgt Bilko said, "I lost both my parents while I was very young. But what a craps game!"


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

No. I don't play poker. But I'm a mean cribbage player.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

ldiat said:


> IMHO thats why the "craps" table is a better option. the "pass line" be is one of the lowest take outs in the casino games. and when one backs the "pass line" with a "odds" bet it reduces it even more. i watched one guy be a "right bettor"(against the 7) and "wrong better"(with the 7) at the same time! i always play the "right". And there are so many possibles. wife make fun saying "Gee. the seven is good then the seven is bad good- bad-good-bad"


Blackjack used to be the best odds for making some $$$, but now there are too many cards.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Antiquarian said:


> No. I don't play poker. But I'm a mean cribbage player.


If you enjoy cribbage, you may want to try this. Seriously!

https://sites.google.com/site/kenocstuff/super-cribbage


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

I like poker. But Bridge is much better. The chess of cards.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

Couchie said:


> I like poker. But Bridge is much better. The chess of cards.


i bid one diamond


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## atsizat (Sep 14, 2015)

Couchie said:


> I like poker. But Bridge is much better. The chess of cards.


I played poker for hours with my friend today. But we play poker with fake money so it is not gambling. Gambling is bad. Even worse than drinking. Lol


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

KenOC said:


> If you enjoy cribbage, you may want to try this. Seriously!
> 
> https://sites.google.com/site/kenocstuff/super-cribbage


Interesting variation! I'll have to see if some of my opponents are willing to give it a try.


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## Dorsetmike (Sep 26, 2018)

Still play cribbage regularly but can't get a 4 for bridge, there was one other bridge player here but he died last year, sometimes play on line, at one time I was playing bridge two or three times a week had a regular partner in Helsinki. A company I worked for back in the 70' & 80s had a bridge club and used to enter teams in the local business houses league and also in EBU regional competitions, we actually won a cup one year.

I sometimes play cribbage patience, deal 2 hands, of 6 cards, discard 2 from each to a box, turn the top card of the pack, score both hands and box, put those cards including the turn up to one side, then deal two fresh hands, repeat, score each pair of hands and box, when you reach the end of the pack you will have done this 4 times, the target is to score over 100 from the 4 pairs of hands plus boxes. Passes the time and should help improve your play.


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Does anyone play anything other than Texas Holdem these days?

Used to clean up at party games of dealers choice where people were drinking and I would call games like anaconda or low ball

In the mid 00s before it got shut down, used to eke out some money at low limit 7 card stud, just playing tight and using basic strategy. Figured players would be colluding at the higher limit tables, so at best my winnings were likely not much better than minimum wage for the time spent


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

No. Next question.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Bwv 1080 said:


> Does anyone play anything other than Texas Holdem these days?
> 
> Used to clean up at party games of dealers choice where people were drinking and I would call games like anaconda or low ball
> 
> In the mid 00s before it got shut down, used to eke out some money at low limit 7 card stud, just playing tight and using basic strategy. Figured players would be colluding at the higher limit tables, so at best my winnings were likely not much better than minimum wage for the time spent


Love Texas Hold'em. Even watch it on TV. 

I'm probably an average player, win some, lose some, then lose some more.


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

I used to play. It was so long ago that we played 5 card draw Jacks or Better. I dont think Texas holdem was even invented yet.

In high school I would have the fellas over for poker and my dad sat in with us. I still remember the old man raking in pots saying "you boys couldn't get poker lessons this cheap"


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