Five Years!

Its crazy to think that I launched this blog five years ago last month. I really haven't done too much posting to it over the years but the one thing it has led me into is creating other blog sites... Mostly with Wordpress (sorry Google).

I assure you that I take care of these sites much better than I do this one. It has actually developed into a very big part of my online presence. I do not think that i would be anywhere near where I am today if it hadn't been from creating this one blog just over five years ago.

I actually now have a blog site that is devoted to blogging with Wordpress that I update quite frequently. Its a pretty active site with numerous devoted readers and I would appreciate having you as one of my readers if you have any interest in being a blogger, yourself.

So as I embark on my sixth year blogging, I pledge to try and update this site more often... Which probably means that I need to get out to the casinos more often and play some cards.

See You at the tables...

Wow!!! The Hard Rock Comes to Oklahoma...finally

The Cherokee Casino Resort in Catoosa (Tulsa) has just announced that when their expansion is completed in the spring that the casino will be rebranded 'The Hard Rock Casino - Tulsa'.

Already Oklahoma's premier poker destination, the addition of the Hard Rock name is sure to bring in more people to play my game...For full details you can click the title and it will take you to the full press release from the Cherokee Nation...

The new casino floor will be opening in December with 110,000 square feet of gambling. The Cherokee Resort has the largest poker room in Oklahoma and regularly hosts tournaments that draw players from throughout the US and the world.

The Scotty Nguyen Challenge V just wrapped up. Look for a new post coming soon with results from the main event final table and winners of other events.

The new 19 story hotel tower opens in the Spring of 2009 and the 'Hard Rock' branding is scheduled to coincide with that opening.

I am a degenerate gambler....

And I like it!

My friends and I will make a wager on just about anything. One vice I was never really into at the casino has been keeping me out into the wee hours recently.

I've never really played slot machines much until recently. They are a fun distraction while waiting for a seat to open up at the poker table or two deck pitch blackjack game, but I know the odds and other than the odd twenty or so every few months, never really played them.

My recent binge into the spinning wheels and multi-line payouts started a couple of weeks ago. A friend and I were at our favorite watering holes playing pool and darts (I lost at pool, but kicked ass, as usual, at darts) for beers. The place was dead that night and around 11pm we decided to roll up the highway to one of the many casinos within an hour of my house.

We played there for a bit then decided to try out another place for a while. After what seemed to be an hour or so there we decided to cash out and leave. Glancing at my watch as we walked towards my truck, I noticed it was 5am! Where had the time gone?

A few days later we were back at it. This time was even more extreme. Between time spent at the casinos and getting my online work semi-done, I was up for 51 hours straight! When I was younger and partying all night and working/going to school all day this would not have been that big of a deal...But hell, I'm 44 years old now! I'm not 21 any more...

After another couple late nights this week, I firmly believe that I am a degenerate gambler. Staying up all night playing cards is one thing (because I thoroughly enjoy playing poker and blackjack and almost always come out ahead), but machines...I know that I am pissing money away! Sure I may win $430 on a quarter bet, but eventually the slot Gods are going to take all of that and more back.

Things I will not be doing.

1. Replacing card games with slots as my favorite thing to do in a casino
2. Pissing my poker bankroll away on slot machines
3. Putting my mortgage payment, electric bill, grocery or any other necessity money on a slot machine spin (But I probably would on poker or blackjack).
4. Using artificial stimulants (other than caffeine and sugar) to keep me awake during one of my binges

Well, its off to the Creek Nation Muscogee casino for a little bounty poker tournament tonight. I have been intending to go and play over there for a while but have never found the time. Seems something was always getting in the way. I know many of the players there, so it shouldn't be too much of an adjustment to get control of whatever table I'm at.

More soon...

A Matter of Winning and Losing: Tips on Playing Blackjack

Today, blackjack seems to be one of the most popular card games. This is because playing blackjack is so easy to learn and play. Unlike poker, blackjack does not have any combinations to remember.

In blackjack, the object of the game is to get the sum of the two cards close to 21. When a person gets cards that are over 21, he or she loses the game.

Normally, a player receives two cards. After the players see their cards, they have to decide whether they would hit or stand. When a person says “stand,” this means the player thinks he or she is closer to 21 already. When a player says “hit,” this means that he or she still needs additional cards just to get close to 21.

Players can draw as many cards as they want until they feel they are close to 21 already. A player who is nearer to 21 wins.

However, there are people who have devised some tips and strategies to get an edge over the other players. There are times that these tips really can help some people win.

Here’s a list of some tips that players may choose to use them so as to win the game.

1. If a player gets 17 or higher, it is always better to stand, and if the player has any number from 13 to 16 and the dealer’s card is 6 or lower, it would be better to stand. But if the dealer has 7 or more, it would be better for a player to hit.

The theory here is that, if the dealer is showing a card of six or lower, the dealer may take a card, assuming that the dealer’s card facing down is a ten. The players, then, assume that the dealer is banking on a bust hand, so the other players have the tendency to maintain a lower card number.

The rule of thumb: players should always assume that the dealer’s down cards is 10.

2. If a player has aces or 8’s, it would be better to split them regardless of the dealer’s showing card.

3. A player should remember not to split 10’s. Chances are, they might end up getting busted.

4. If the dealer is showing 4, 5, or 6, it would be better for a player to stand on hard 12, or hit hard if the dealer is showing 2, 3, 7, or higher.

5. In order to win, players should always remember not to split fours, face cards, and fives.

Indeed, gambling is a game of chance, but with keen observation, winning is possible.

AN OVERVIEW OF ONLINE GAMBLING

Now online: online gambling.

Just like any commercial market today, gambling also took its chance of having to saturate a broader area of gaming through the Internet.

Nowadays, there are as many online gambling games as there are gambling games. Every kind of gambling game has their online counter parts in the Web. From poker to sports betting, every gambling activity seems to be online.

Most proponents of online gambling assert that online gambling is just as safe as gambling in known casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Just like the usual casino, online casinos are also required to have their licenses and permits before engaging into online gambling.

By doing so, online casinos are systematically regulated and audited by professional firms. All online casinos use the secure e-cash facilities, in cooperation with the credit card companies, so that the customers are being protected from unauthorized use of credit cards or from cases of identity theft.

Generally, online gambling in an online casino will entice new players by requiring them to deposit an amount by offering bonuses. An online casino that will offer you a free $100 for a $50 deposit is a good example. In this manner, more people believe that online gambling offers better chances than real-life gambling. However, this poses more risk in getting addicted to the game.

For people who want to play online gambling, deposits can be made through credit cards, fire pay, or 900 pay. Fire pay works like an ordinary online debit card. Normally, the player places money into the account and can be spent to any online merchants. Funds can be deposited through wire transfers. 900 pay, on the other hand, is another way of depositing money by calling a 900 number and the amount that is to be deposited is charged to the player's phone bill.

What's more, online casinos are further classified into two groups based on their interface. Online casinos could either be web-based or download-based.

Web-based casinos are forms of online gambling wherein users may directly play online casino games without having to load any software to the local computer. Online gambling is mainly presented in the browser plugins like Macromedia Flash, Shockwave, or Java.

On the other hand, download-based online casinos are the most common online gambling sites in the Web. Here, online gambling users have to download certain software in order to play the casino games. And because it has pre-downloaded software, it is faster to initiate casino games on it compared to web-based casinos.

All the same, and due to the basic nature of online gambling, any transactions with it are vulnerable to fraud. There are online gambling known as rogue casinos wherein these sites refuse to pay the customers or contains a cheating software.

Plus, there are other ways of frauds in online gambling. Most of these cases are player-based. Players who want to cheat usually uses Adobe Photoshop or a comparable tool to maneuver the graphics of a slot machine screenshot in order to deceive the casino into thinking that the player just hit a jackpot.

Whatever forms of deception, it is evident that frauds are more likely to happen in online gambling. And if in any case, players get to be addicted in playing online gambling, they must remember that their obsession did not happen by mistake.

Online gambling is a highly interactive game, meaning whatever choices players make are based on their own prerogatives. So, however enticing online gambling can be it is a must that players must know their own dispositions so as not to be deceived.

The Games Gamblers Play: Casino Gambling 101

Casino gambling. The first thing that enters our mind is Vegas, slot machines, bright lights and chips. If you’re not a gambling person and you don’t know a lot about casino gambling, then read on...

According to the Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia, a casino is a building that accommodates casino gambling. Customers may gamble by playing slot machines or other games of chance and some skill. Casino gambling games usually have mathematically determined odds built in that ensure the house retains an advantage over the players. This advantage is called the “edge”. “Payout” is the percentage given to players. Some statistically even games may take a commission or tax, a "rake" on bets customers make against each other.

There are a lot of casino gambling games which can get you hooked in no time. First of all, you have the classic slot machine. A slot machine is a coin-operated casino gambling machine with three or more reels that rotate when a lever on the side of the machine is pulled. It includes a currency detector that validates the coin or money inserted to play. The machine typically pays off based on patterns of symbols visible on the front of the machine when it stops.

Sadly, casino gambling games often offer the player the illusion of control in which the player is given choices, but these choices do not eliminate the player's long-term disadvantage. This disadvantage is caused by the casino not paying the full amount that would be expected for the odds wagered. For example, if one game was played by betting what number a roll of a die would give, instead of paying 6 times the amount bet for winning, the casino only pays 5 times the amount bet.

This system is often found in famous casino gambling games like Poker, Craps, Roulette or Blackjack.

Poker is a very popular casino gambling card game. The players, with fully or partially concealed cards make wagers into a central pot, after which the pot is awarded to the remaining player or players with the best combination of cards.

Like Poker, Blackjack is also a very popular casino gambling card game. Much of its popularity is due to the mix of chance with elements of skill and decision making, and a practice called card counting. It is a skill in which players can turn the odds of the game in their favor by making betting and strategy decisions based on the cards that have been dealt. Players suspected of card counting are usually banned and blacklisted by casinos.

Craps is a famous casino gambling game using dice. Players wager money against the casino on the outcome of one roll, or of a series of rolls of two dice. The rules vary slightly from one casino to another, but the expected value of most bets is only slightly negative. All bets have a negative expectation, except the "free odds" bet with an expectation of 0, that the player is allowed to make after a point is established on a flat bet. Unlike in Blackjack, there is no possible winning strategy over any given period of time.

Roulette is a signature casino gambling game. A croupier turns a round roulette wheel which has 37 or 38 separately numbered pockets in which a ball must land. The main pockets are numbered from 1 to 36 and change between red and black, with number 1 being red. In addition there is a pocket numbered 0 of green color. In most roulette wheels in the United States but not in Europe, there is a second zero compartment marked 00, also colored green. If a player bets on a single number and wins, the payout is 35 to 1. The bet itself is returned, so in total it is multiplied by 36.

Be very wary though, these casino gambling games are highly addictive (as they are intended to be). A lot of lives have been ruined by casino gambling and although it might be fun, please do try to regulate yourself.

Scotty Nguyen IV Main Event Final Table Tonight!

The main event final table for the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge IV is underway. I should have the final results posted here sometime tonight or in the morning. Lots of big name pros in town at the Cherokee Casino and Resort in Catoosa for this tournament. Complete report coming soon!

My 1st Big Brick and MortarTournament

I thought I'd just write up the days events from here. They have an excellent wireless connection in the casino and I have my laptop, so we should be good.

I spent $330.00 to enter in this tournament. The last count I heard there were 434 entries, which created a total prize pool of $130,200.

The day started out slow for me. I wasn't getting good cards, but did manage to steal a few pots to keep myself alive. The only major pot I won in the first four hours is when my pocket sixes made trips on the flop. There were four players who saw the flop and I led out with a bet and all but one guy folded to me. I checked the turn and he checked back. After the river card fell, I bet out and the other guy folded A-6, face up. I mucked my hand and grinned at him, like I had stolen the pot. I took him out after the break when my pocket Aces went up against his A-K. He got a king on the turn, but no other help and he was gone.

At the first meal break, I was in 43rd place out of 96 people left. Two hours later, at the rest room break, I had moved up to 7th. By the time the money bubble broke and we got another short meal break; I had fallen to 29th out of 39 remaining players.

After the last meal break, I went card dead again. Nothing was going my way. I managed to win a couple of small pots without having to show down and a few people were knocked out and I found myself 17th in chips with 21 players left. The average stack was around 57K in chips. I had just over 12K and the leader had over 300K (about 25% of the chips in play). Then came the end.

A few hands after a restroom break, I was dealt pocket kings in the big blind. Blinds were at 1K/2K with a 200 ante. The chip leader raised from the one off of the button. I had 9100 in chips left and it was going to cost me 6K of that to call, so I pushed all-in. He calls and the cards are turned up. I am semi-relieved to see he has A-K off-suit. I just need to avoid one of the two remaining Aces in the deck to move up to around 25K in chips.

It took less than a minute, but seemed like an eternity. The flop was 6 - 10 - Q. He had picked up additional outs. Now any of 4 Jacks or the two Aces would beat me. The turn card was a 3; another bullet dodged. Then as the dealer was turning the river card face up, I knew my night was over. He hit an ace and I left the table finishing 21st. $1050.00 for my efforts.

All-in-all, I think I played good poker on the day for not having many quality starting hands. I'm probably lucky to have finished where I did. I'm exhausted, but am going to hang out here for a while longer to see if a friend makes the final table. He's currently in 4th place with about 125K in chips. The chip leader now has over 400K and there are 17 players left. The first four players control around 75% of the chips in play at this point in the event, so he should be in good shape

The tournament finally ended at 4:15am. Patrick, my buddy who was also in the tournament, just finished in 2nd place, winning slightly more than $19K. Not too bad for a guy who had never made a final table at a live tournament before. It's now 4:45am and I'm heading home.

Scotty Ngyuen Challenge Update

Sorry, folks. Just when I was starting to get this thing moving in the right direction, I get sick. I'll be back to give you more coverage of the poker scene here in Oklahoma tomorrow.

I plan on being at the Scotty Ngyuen Challenge IV for a couple of events, including the final table of the main event. According to my sources at the Cherokee Casino Resort, there are definitely some big-name pro players coming once again for this years events. Should be a great series whether you are going to play or just go and railbird your friends or favorite pro.

More from the Cherokee next week, plus many more exciting poker events coming up in the state of Oklahoma.

If you know of any big events coming up leave me a comment or hit me up on my gmail and I'll be sure and check it out.

Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge IV

The schedule is out for the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge IV at the Cherokee Casino Resort in Tulsa. The dates are November 1-20, 2007. I know this is a bit of a short notice, but I have been neglecting my blog here for sometime. No more. I'll try to post something new everyday.

Buy-ins for the preliminary events range from $120 to $2080 with most being less than a grand. The main event entry is $5000 + $150. Click here for a complete schedule of events. Total payout for all events is expected to exceed two million dollars! You can even pre-register on-line by clicking here.

Kido Pham, who won $176,359 last year, is the defending main event champion and is expected to return. Some of the others who have played in past challenges include: Mike "the Mouth" Matusow, Bob "the Coach" Ciaffone, Todd Brunson, Kathy Leibert, Mike Sexton, David Levi, Morgan Machina, Tom Franklin and Mike "the Grinder" Mizrachi. Past WSOP main event champs T.J. Cloutier, Barry "Numbers" Johnston and, of course, Scotty Nguyen have also played in the event.

The main event winner, in addition to the cash prize, also receives a gold bracelet encrusted with diamonds and rubies valued at over $30.000 and designed by Scotty, himself. Everyone at the main event final table receives a Cherokee Casino varsity style leather jacket.

There are also several seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises being given away to the winners of some of the lower buy-in tournaments. These packages include airfare and accommodations for two and are valued at more than $3000.

If you don't want to pony up $5K, there are several single table satellites and super-satellites running from now until November 17th for entry into the main event. Buy-ins range from $230 to $550 for these events.

Check the Cherokee-Tulsa poker room for more information on all of the upcoming events there.

This is Supposed to Be a Poker Blog

This is supposed to be a poker blog, but since I haven't been playing much poker lately, there haven't been too many recent posts. I have been posting regularly to my blog on Yuwie. I also recently started another non-poker blog at this link, HERE. I occasionally will still post to my Myspace blog and will try to post more regularly here.

Some topics for future discussion include the Scotty Ngyuen Open at the Cherokee Casino Resort in Tulsa this spring, the expansion of said Cherokee Casino, and other upcoming poker events here in the Sooner State.

I'm trying to get a list of weekly tournaments throughout the state to post here so that you can always find a game in your area. If you know of any or have links to their web page give me a shout and I'll be sure to include it and give you credit for the info in an upcoming post.

-Hammer