« Random Thoughts About The UIGEA | Main | The Final Chapter In My Poker Career, Pt. 2 »
April 6, 2007
The Final Chapter In My Poker Career, Pt .1
I mentioned that I've been playing a bit at the live games around town again. I actually played a lot in March. I put over 40 hours a week, and over 50 for two of them. That's a ton for me.
Akron's poker scene is pretty interesting. It basically consists of the Las Vegas Nights, and the house games. The Vegas Nights are what I refer to as pseudo-legal, meaning that they are run under the aegis of Ohio's charity laws but violate pretty much all of them. The dealers are supposed to work on a voluntary basis only, but they're there 60 hours a week and you can tell from looking at them that they aren't exactly philanthropists. I've seen better-dressed people putting floor lamps on layaway at K-Mart. The operators are also supposed to give all of the money to charity. I've heard a lot of rumors that place the charity's actual take at roughly 25%. I've also talked to some people whose charities sponsored them and if anything I think that number is high, given what I've estimated the rake to be.
Needless to say this has caused a lot of legal problems for the operators in the past. Every so often the FBI steps in and charges everyone there with all sorts of stuff, but in the end, as with every other case in recorded history, the game goes on. Attempts to stop people from doing something they want to do and that the vast majority of citizens don't find morally abhorrent always fail miserably and do nothing but cause a thriving, non-tax paying underground, and that's exactly what happens with gambling in most states. Whereas poker, if legalized, would bring in zillions in tax dollars, the quasi-legal status ensures that all of the profit goes to people who are (though most probably shouldn't be) criminals.
The quality of games at The Nights is phenomenal. It's as if a hold'em game broke out at the Special Olympics, and you're there with 8 honorary medal winners and maybe the guy who got silver in the shot put. They play the limit games 10 or 11 handed, and if you're at a table where only 5 people see the flop on average, you're at a bad game. Back in the day three of us were able to make almost $18/hr at a $3/$6 game (with a 10% up to $5 rake too) and that was over a combined total of something like 4,500 hours of play, so it wasn't a fluke. I'd suspect that with immaculate play you could make over $50/hr at the $10/$20. For a game requiring something like a $7,000 bankroll, that's quite a bit. The ROI is pretty amazing.
Then there are the house games. I've always greatly preferred those to Vegas Nights. For one thing, the clientele is far better. Most of the people there, while still bad at poker, at least aren't stupid. They're largely just successful people who like to play a few nights a week. And unlike the Nights, where you get the feeling that almost everyone is going to have a hard time making the car payment if they don't get lucky, most of the house game denizens can afford the entertainment.
Also they're quieter, more comfortable, and have good food. They're always in one place, so you don't have to worry about driving an hour sometimes, and you have a rough idea of when seats will be available, so you never get stuck on a list for hours.
If your credit's good you don't even have to show up with money. The books at those games are often so large that the success of whoever is running them depends largely on their ability to collect. I've always stayed out of that part of poker culture, preferring to never borrow and never loan (you have to do both or neither), but a lot of the people who play every week don't even bother bringing cash with them. The games rarely if ever get robbed because there's nothing but ink and paper to steal.
Posted by themaroon at April 6, 2007 5:56 PM
Comments
I'll offer a joke mildly related to your comments about The Nights.
What's better than winning a gold metal in the Special Olympics?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Not being retarded.
Posted by: Jeff D at April 6, 2007 6:32 PM
So what's your new career?
Posted by: GoBucksIndy at April 6, 2007 7:46 PM
Well I'm trying to infer from this that you are out or getting out of the 10 tabling online game? If so I was just wondering what the hell are you going to do? Also, please keep writing you are a pretty funny dude and can turn a phrase pretty well.
Posted by: Carter at April 7, 2007 4:34 AM
I played in a Vegas Nights tourney, but that was a couple years ago. I remember the structure being really atrocious, but the play was pretty bad as well. Never tried the cash games there, but I've heard they're pretty good from players I don't really respect, so they must be great. I might show up sometime if I'm feeling sociable.
Posted by: Nick at April 8, 2007 9:29 AM
if you dont like the poker games in and around akron why dont you just stay home and play with yourself
Posted by: STEVE NATOLI at April 8, 2007 4:39 PM
No matter what you decide to do, please don't stop writing.
Posted by: Jeppe K at April 8, 2007 10:49 PM
"Final" chapter? Bigger news to come?
Posted by: Michael at April 9, 2007 7:48 AM
Special Olympics? That's some funny stuff. Hey as far as I can remember, (I'm sure it hasn't changed much), Vegas nights are the best games in the world. BAR NONE! Where else are you gonna find pot averages in a 10-20 game at or around $350? That's just a guess. I really have no clue these days, but I do remember the pot can be straddled around the table on any given hand. It's great. I only wish I still had the BR to play. Great blog but I really love these Vegas Night posts. Hey by the way, the time they got raided in Ellet, did anyone get there money back? I sure could use that $300. LOL!
Posted by: Aaron at April 9, 2007 9:58 AM
I'd like to point out that Jeff D, while making fun of retarded people, may have proven himself to be retarded. It's M-E-D-A-L, not metal, retard.
Posted by: john at April 9, 2007 11:07 AM
"The quality of games at The Nights is phenomenal. It's as if a hold'em game broke out at the Special Olympics, and you're there with 8 honorary medal winners and maybe the guy who got silver in the shot put."
Great line, Matt, thanks.
Posted by: fun160 at April 10, 2007 12:30 AM
"I'd like to point out that Jeff D, while making fun of retarded people, may have proven himself to be retarded. It's M-E-D-A-L, not metal, retard."
Well gold is a metal, maybe he meant that.
;)
Posted by: Phil at April 12, 2007 9:09 AM