Dessert in the Desert

In November I attended the massive National Bridge Tournament at the Las Vegas Hilton (more than 7,000 players attended). Each night after the evening bridge sessions, droves of poker playing bridge players crowded into taxis and descended upon the Strip casinos that have poker rooms (the Hilton does not have a poker room). I visited Bellagio ("new" to me), the Mirage (my old stompin' grounds), and Binion's Horseshoe (home of the World Series of Poker).

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving and I managed to slip away from bridge to play in a limit hold'em tournament at the Mirage. The buy-in was $120 for $500 in chips, and there was an "offer you can't refuse" one-time rebuy ($1,000 in chips for $100).

Things were going well, and after several hours I was one of 12 remaining players sitting at two tables of six players each, trying to make the final table. I had about $3,000 in chips at the $200-$400 level.

In the small blind, I picked up pocket fours. Everyone folded to me. At this stage of the tournament, more than half of the hands ended with a raise before the flop and everyone folding. I had acquired a tight image, and raised to $400.

The big blind, a rather aggressive player, reraised. Note that in Las Vegas, it has apparently become fashionable to reraise on less than adequate values – for example, I had been reraised earlier in the tournament by an A-10 offsuit. Nevertheless, I called, intending to give it up on a bad flop.

The flop came 6-5-3 rainbow, giving me an open-end straight draw in addition to my pocket pair. Since I was certainly going to play, I thought I might as well let him know I was interested. I bet the $200; perhaps my opponent would fold two high cards. He called.

The turn card was another 5, pairing the board. Again, I bet, hoping that he would give up two high cards. He had A-K – and he raised! He apparently was trying to represent a high pocket pair, or thought I was pushing two lower high cards. I certainly had to call – in case he was steaming (as he was) or I hit my open-end straight draw.

In retrospect, maybe I should have reraised! Note that in no-limit hold'em, all of my chips would have already been in the pot, and he probably would have folded.

So, I went to the river ahead. No, he didn't hit one of the six aces and kings. It was much more painful. What was the last card that enabled him to win?

A 6 hit the river, putting two pair, sixes and fives, on the board. My pocket fours were toast. He won with two pair, ace high. I lost $1,600 on that hand, more than half of my chips. Unlucky. Bonnie Rattner, Card Player's attractive sales manager who happened to have the seat next to me, expressed her condolences.

On the very next hand, it was my turn to play the A-K. I raised to $400 before the flop. Again, I was reraised, making it a total of $600 to go. Should I reraise? I just called. Everyone else folded, and it was heads-up action.

The flop came with three low spades. I had the A. Since I was committed, I bet out, hoping my opponent might give it up. He raised. Since I had only about $700 left at this point and was not about to fold, I reraised, since I could see that all of my chips were going in anyway.

He called (with pocket eights) – but I could tell that he didn't like it. The turn card was the 2. I bet $400 of my remaining $500. He thought about it, but unfortunately was committed. The last card was not an ace, a king, or a spade, so I managed to lose all of my chips in two disastrous hands.

Unlucky? Yes. But if I had reraised as mentioned in either of these two hands, I might have had a different result – maybe.

Poker tournaments are a very interesting battleground where offense has a lot more going for it than defense. When you have a marginal hand, there is much to be said for playing it as you would "the nuts" – if you can afford it. Converting just one losing hand into a winner pays for lots of single-bet raises.

Here's one final piece of advice if you ever intend to play in a Las Vegas weekly poker tournament. In some poker rooms there, if you will be arriving close to tournament time, you can phone ahead to reserve a seat. I tried playing in an Omaha high-low tournament at noon, arrived about five minutes before tournament time (having paid $15 for a cab), was told there were no seats left, and watched while people who arrived after me were given seats because they had phoned ahead.