Travel With Me … Las Vegas and Los Angeles - Part III

So far, we've visited the three cities where I've played poker in Canada - Toronto, Vancouver, and Windsor. After turning 21, I was no longer restricted to travel in Canada, so I was off to the US of A. My first stop was Las Vegas, Nevada.

I pretty much covered this first trip in a column entitled, "Look Out, Vegas, Here I Come!" Summarizing that column, I went to Vegas thinking I was the best player in the world at the age of 21, and left with my tail between my legs and my ego sorely bruised, not to mention empty pockets.

I didn't give up, though. I went to Vegas again and again - only to get beat up again and again. Rather than get discouraged, I tried to learn something from every butt-kicking I took. I'd go back to Toronto, rebuild my bankroll, and head right back to the $20-$40 hold'em game at The Mirage.

After almost a year of visits, I finally got it! What a feeling. I was finally beating the game consistently. It was probably the most difficult limit jump (going from $10-$20 to $20-$40) I've ever had to face in my poker career. There were so many issues I had to deal with: emotional stability, relearning a new game, eliminating bad habits, playing with a short bankroll, and so on. Realizing my goal of becoming a winning player in that game was one of the highlights of my career.

Once I was able to beat the $20-$40 games consistently, the jump to $40-$80 was a breeze in comparison. From there, it was only a hop, skip, and a jump to the $75-$150 and $100-$200 games at Bellagio. (If you'd like to read more about those jumps, read that column, "Look Out, Vegas, Here I come!" in the May 25, 2001, issue.)

These days when I'm at home in Vegas, I play sporadically; I play cash games when I'm on the tournament trail, for the most part. When I do play at Bellagio, it's almost always in a mixed game: Omaha high-low, stud high-low, deuce-to-seven triple draw, stud, and on a rare occasion, limit hold'em.

Interestingly enough, the majority of regular players who play in those games play limit hold'em rather poorly. So, as much as I'd like to see hold'em in the mix, it usually gets vetoed by at least two players. You'll almost always see Omaha high-low in the mix, as it is probably the local players' strongest game.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are many good limit hold'em players in Vegas; they just aren't in the mixed games in the $200-$400 through $600-$1,200 range. They are either in the $1,000-$2,000 and higher games or the $30-$60 through $80-$160 games.

As for the style of play in Vegas, I like to call it "careful." To beat the games, you really have to play well - and by play well I don't mean tight. It's tough to sit back and wait for others to make mistakes - that's what they are doing. To win here, you have to take your game to the next level, and exploit that careful style of play. How? It's not easy. It's a combination of avoiding traps set by those who are patiently waiting and staying aggressive and picking up the antes and pots that they leave for you.

Since most players will never play in the bigger mixed games, I guess I should focus more on the $30-$60 and $80-$160 hold'em games. The $30-$60 hold'em game is the $20-$40 Mirage game that I had trouble with for years. It's just a little higher, and had some new faces. So, what did I learn that allowed me to finally break through in those games? A lot, and too much to share in this column. Briefly, however, I will tell you that the key to beating this game isn't bluffing, or playing only solid starting hands. It's value betting: protecting your hand on the turn when you have the best of it, and milking your opponents for an extra bet on the river with third pair when you think they'll call.

The minor adjustment that I made, which was enough to make the difference, was to save bets when I knew I was going to be called by a better hand. I bluffed less, and value bet more. That might not be the remedy for you, however. I was a little too bluff-happy in my early years. If you too suffer from bluffitis, you may want to consider how much extra money you are giving away to opponents who are sure to call you. OK, enough about Vegas, it's time to hit L.A.

Considered the poker capital of the world these days, and for good reason, L.A. has the widest selection of poker games in the world, as well as the widest selection of limits to play. If you play poker for a living, or aspire to, there aren't too many good reasons not to live there. Yeah, yeah, I know - then why do I live in Las Vegas? I just love the city too much to leave. Besides, I do spend about three months of the year in Los Angeles.

Having said all that, Los Angeles boasts, in all likelihood, some of the best limit hold'em players in the world. Sure, there are plenty of bad players there, too, but in the $80-$160 and higher games in L.A., there are some fabulous limit hold'em players.

The style of play in L.A. is vastly different from that of Las Vegas or anywhere else I've been (other than that tough $10-$20 Fundtime game I told you about in Toronto). The good players play much closer to optimal strategy than their Vegas counterparts. Think weak and meek meets strong and stubborn. Which group would you fear playing against more?

With this style, though, comes more volatility. More hands are played, more blinds are defended, and more bets are put in on every street. If you expect to do well in the high-limit hold'em games in L.A., you better put on your seat belt, as it could be a bumpy ride.

Remember when I told you that in order to beat the Vegas regulars, you'd have to pick up the pots they didn't want while avoiding traps? Well, in L.A., the regulars aren't waiting for ideal situations; they will fight you for every last dollar available. So, how do you deal with that?

You take a page from what you learned from the Vegas regulars, and put on the brakes, but only a little. If you slow down too much, you'll get run over and have no chance.

The term "tight-aggressive" best describes a solid hold'em player. The L.A. players certainly have the aggressive aspect down pat, but often battle with discipline. Their weakness is the Vegas players' strength. From the standpoint of talent, the L.A. hold'em players are leagues above their counterparts in Vegas. However, when it comes to discipline, the Vegas players take the cake.

Next time, we'll head to the other side of the country, as we visit Foxwoods and Atlantic City.