The Wednesday Poker Group

There has been a great deal going on in the poker community these past few months, and the remainder of the year promises to be just as active. There are several big events coming up as well as some smaller happenings and out-of-the-country tournaments. I travel so much with my work that I see lots of things in many different venues, but this issue I would like to share with you something very important that happens in my own backyard. That's right, this is something that goes on right here in Las Vegas, but it could just as easily (and oftentimes does) go on in Anytown, USA. What is it? It's a poker discussion/meeting group. I know that I told you about it when it first started, but it has grown and blossomed into something worth revisiting.

Several months ago I received an E-mail inviting me to join a group of poker enthusiasts who meet on Wednesdays at a local Pizza Hut. I was intrigued, so I went. What I found there, in addition to the smell of gooey cheese and fried food, were about six poker players who love the game and were thirsting for knowledge. They were of differing abilities, from the senior member, a gentleman who has been playing poker longer than I have been alive, to novices who are just getting into the game. They all had one thing in common, though – they love poker. I sat back and observed this group. A never-ending dialogue among these players went on for a few hours. They never came up for air. Don't worry, we left a nice tip!

When someone finally mentioned that it was 4:45 p.m. (we had met at 2 p.m.) and he had to go, everyone realized how the time had gotten away from us. I asked them if they would like to meet some poker "personalities," and they indicated that they would. The following week, I brought Linda Johnson with me and introduced her to them, and she made a big impression upon them. They didn't know that she is only a phone call away, and that she herself loves poker and also loves people who love poker. Linda immediately became a regular in the group, and has missed the meetings only when she has been out of town.

The following week we brought Daniel Negreanu for "show and tell," and you would have thought we had brought Elvis! These folks were in awe. The next week, Nolan Dalla came along, then Puggy Pearson visited, and now I can't remember all of the poker notables who have dropped in to share some poker wisdom, pizza, and some laughs. And do you know what I discovered? As cool as it is that these poker personalities will share their time with some poker players who are interested in improving their respective games, we don't need anyone to lead the group or give a lecture. Each week, we meet and discuss hands, problems, questions, and what have you. Each week, the time gets away from us – and each week, we have to leave a big tip!

Recently, Bellagio's Doug Dalton invited us to use one of his conference rooms to meet. As an aside, he also provided us some of the best dang cookies I have ever eaten. After the meeting, we all went up to the poker room and played some $4-$8 hold'em. You might ask, only six players? Well, there were about 20 at that week's meeting, and 11 of them came up to the poker room to play! We started the game 11-handed, and when the first player from our group left, we took out the 11th chair. We had our own full game for hours. We laughed, good-naturedly needled, offered sympathy and advice, and check-raised. Primarily, we had fun! Everyone played his "A" game; since all of us are students of the game, no one wanted to be the one to make a stupid play that would make him the topic of the next meeting.

So, what does all of this mean to you? Start your own poker group and watch it grow, and watch friendships develop while your own game does the same. In the next several columns, I will share with you some of the topics that are of importance to this group, a group that I have grown to miss when I am away. When you are in Las Vegas, drop me an E-mail and I will invite you to our get-together. Just recently, my good friend Jim Grass, from London, Ontario, Canada, joined us. He may never be the same, eh? Class dismissed.