Lucky Chances

A recent stop on the World Poker Tour was the Gold Rush tournament at Lucky Chances Casino in Colma, California. This event was the largest tournament in the history of Northern California (152 entrants and a prize pool of $456,000). Congratulations to Antonio Esfaudiari (third place), Chris Bigler (second place), and the Gold Rush no-limit hold'em champion, Paul Darden Jr. All three of these guys played sensational poker in this tournament, especially at the final table.

Accolades go to Casino Host Scott Fiedler, shift managers Dustin Chase, Roger Rogge, and Cathy Galleta, and enthusiastic Tournament Director Matt Savage for not only bringing the World Poker Tour to Lucky Chances, but for doing an outstanding job of hosting the Gold Rush tournament. Players who live in the vicinity of San Francisco are lucky to have Lucky Chances. It is a well-run poker room, and the no-abuse policy is enforced as well as I've ever seen. Staff members are hands-on people who recognize that they are in the customer service business. All players, both the high rollers and the low-limit enthusiasts, are treated equally, and that in itself is quite unique in the poker world.

One of the numerous activities provided customers during the Gold Rush tournament was a poker seminar at a special appreciation breakfast. (More tournaments should do this.) It was nice to see such enthusiasm about poker.

I was privileged to be a panelist at this seminar. My fellow panelists were Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher, Daniel Negreanu, and former World Champion Tom McEvoy. Everyone enjoyed the seminar thoroughly, including the panelists.

The seminar included "poker tips" from each panelist, followed by a question-and-answer session. Here are some of the tips that were provided:

Linda: Fit or fold - If your hand doesn't fit the flop, fold. Don't get married to a hand; divorce can be cheaper.

Jan: Keep good records - It's self-explanatory, but "doing it" was the lesson here.

Daniel: Don't soft-play - Soft-playing your friends eventually creates friction and/or problems for you. Perhaps more importantly, soft-playing is bad for the game.

Mike: Accept adversity - Don't stress out or steam over bad beats. Also, don't blame the dealer. Think of a dealer as the mailman. He only delivers the mail. Do you blame the mailman for bringing you bad news (bills)? Poker dealers shouldn't be blamed for bringing you bad news, either.

Tom: How to play such hands as A-J and K-Q in no-limit hold'em - You can raise with them but shouldn't call with them.

Linda: Don't make big laydowns at the river - With so much money in the pot when you get to the river, it isn't wise to fold big hands at the river (even if you think you might be beat).

Jan: Mental preparation - Be rested and enthusiastic, put your personal problems aside, and look forward to playing.

Daniel: Play hours, not results - Too many players think it's so important to book a win (no matter how small) each session. This is incorrect thinking. Someone may win $100-$200 six days out of seven, but on the seventh day lose $2,700. Look at poker as a yearlong game, not a day-to-day game.

Mike: Bluffing - If you are a low-limit player, you're probably better off throwing this play out of your arsenal. In big games or tournaments, however, bluffing is a strong weapon. To bluff successfully, you need to bluff at the right time and against the right person. Don't try to bluff a bad player. Bluff good players - they will lay down a hand.

Tom: Trouble hands - Respect early-position raises to avoid trouble.

Linda: Frequently fold bottom set on the flop in Omaha eight-or-better - This is a strong tip that very few players follow.

Jan: Game selection - Look for a game that suits you.

Daniel: Promote poor play, don't berate it - This is a good tip that, unfortunately, is not followed by many of the so-called pros. The best words to use to keep a game good are, "Nice hand."

Mike: Improve your game - The number one skill of a poker player is putting an opponent on a hand. While at the table, whether you are in a hand or not, follow the action and try to put each player on a hand. You should always be asking yourself, "Why did he call, bet, or raise?" Analyze your info and guess what a player has. You will be amazed how good you will become at this if you do it all the time.

Tom: More on trouble hands - Be careful with A-Q in a raised pot. (Sadly for Tom, he didn't follow his own advice and went out on the bubble with A-Q in the championship event.)

Linda: Don't show cards when you aren't called - Don't give your opponents free information about your hand. Keep them guessing.

Jan: Be a good winner and a good loser - Don't ridicule your opponents when you win a pot and don't whine when you lose one.

Daniel: Don't be a nit - You'll learn in poker, especially as you move up in limits, that "to get action, you have to give action." Help start games and don't always play like the Rock of Gibraltar. Also, don't shy away from shorthanded games. Playing in them will make you a better player.

Mike: Remember your cards - Concentrate on your downcards. How many times have you seen two of a suit appear on the flop, you bet, and when a third of the suit hits on fourth street, see your opponent look back at his holecards? He's looking to see if one of his cards is in that suit, and if he calls your bet, you can be fairly certain he has a flush draw. Looking back at your cards during the play of a hand provides information to your opponents and possibly reveals a tell about your hand.

Tom: Tournament success - Echoing Daniel's thoughts on shorthanded games, you need to learn how to play in them to be successful in tournaments.

Again, hats off to Lucky Chances for putting on such a successful Gold Rush tournament. It was a terrific event for the players and a wonderful stop for the World Poker Tour.

Mike Sexton is the host for the online poker site PartyPoker.com, whose flagship tournament - the PartyPoker.com Million - is an event on the World Poker Tour.