October 29th, 2009 by casino

Playing Over-Cards

Andy Bloch

Real good article about playing the big cards for max value.

For many players, there’s nothing prettier than peeking at their hole cards and seeing paint. A-K. K-Q. Q-J. They’re all big hands and, often times, very playable ones, especially in position. Sometimes though, your masterpiece of a starting hand can lead to a very ugly result.

The fact is over-cards can be some of the trickiest hands to play well if they don’t connect with the board. So how do you avoid going broke when you whiff with your overs? In the words of Kenny Rogers, “you gotta know when to hold ‘em and you gotta know when to fold ‘em.”

Let’s say you’re in late position or in the blinds with over-cards and are facing an all-in bet after seeing a ragged flop like 8-5-3 rainbow. What do you do? The answer is an unequivocal “It depends”. First of all, what could your opponent possibly be betting here? Top pair? An over-pair? A set? Your read of your opponent’s hand should greatly influence your decision because if he’s holding anything but a set, you may have odds to call.

That brings me to the next question: how much is he betting? If your opponent’s all-in bet is worth half the pot or less, I think you have to call with any two over-cards so long as you think they’re still live. Over-cards give you six potential outs to the board, meaning that you’re only about a 3-1 dog against top pair if you have no straight or flush draw possibilities. Your over-cards may even be ahead if you think your opponent is pushing all-in on his own draw or is bluffing at the pot.

In situations where you’re not facing an all-in bet, the decision becomes a little harder because you must not only consider the size of your opponent’s current bet, but also the size of his next potential bet. If you’re both deep stacked and you call on the flop, you could find yourself facing a sizable bet on the turn. In this situation, I believe mucking your hand and looking for a better spot is the preferred option.

Another thing to consider in this type of situation is your position relative to your opponent. If you’re playing from position, you may want to consider staying in the hand even if you miss the flop – especially if you can do so cheaply. For one thing, calling a cheap bet on the flop might let you hit one of your overs, giving you what may likely be the best hand. For another thing, being in position can let you try and steal the pot away on the turn or river if your opponent shows further weakness on those streets.

Facing this same situation out of position is much riskier as your opponent has control of the hand and gets to act behind you on every street. I’m much more likely to throw my over-cards away here and look to play a better hand later on.

While position can be a key factor in determining if you carry on with your over-cards, the texture of the board is also something to be considered. On a flop like the one earlier – 8-5-3 rainbow – I’m much more likely to at least see the turn with my two over-cards than I am if the flop is more coordinated, like 9-8-7 or something that brings flush or straight draw possibilities. Why? Because unless my opponent is holding a pocket pair, it’s just as likely that he missed the flop the same way I did. On a more coordinated flop, there are more ways for my opponent to connect and, even if I hit one of my cards, I could be drawing dead against a flush or straight.

If I’m in a pot with multiple opponents, I’m even more likely to play my over-cards conservatively because there are that many more hands that can easily beat me. Where I might try to continuation bet the flop against a single player, I’ll almost certainly check against multiple players because I don’t want to give someone the chance to raise behind me and force me to give up chips I don’t need to waste.

If someone does bet and another player calls, I can very easily give up my hand without having lost too much. If, on the other hand, someone else bets and the action folds back to me, I can determine whether I want to fold, call or possibly even raise in an attempt to steal the pot myself.

When all is said and done, the key to playing over-cards successfully is not to fall in love with your starting hand no matter how pretty it may first appear. Play your hand smart after the flop and you can avoid an ugly result.

October 25th, 2009 by casino

Copied from Poems of Alfred Tennyson,
J. E. Tilton and Company, Boston, 1870

October 24th, 2009 by casino

October 23rd, 2009 by casino

October 23rd, 2009 by casino

From the Journal News:

CHARLES TOWN – Three organizations that represent the interests of area horsemen have joined the growing list of agencies that are standing in support of table games in Jefferson County.

In recent days, the West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association, along with the West Virginia Breeders Classics LTD, have offered endorsements of the games at Charles Town Races & Slots. They join the Charles Town Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, which offered its own letter of support nearly a year ago.

The groups are part of a wave of local agencies that have offered endorsements for the games in the lead-up to a Dec. 5 vote by Jefferson County residents. Voters will have the chance to decide whether black jack, poker, roulette and other similar offerings should be permitted locally.

Until now, however, questions have remained about whether those in the horse racing industry would back the proposal.

“People have asked if the horsemen are on board. We’re happy to report that they are firmly in support of the table games referendum,” stated Al Britton, general manager of Charles Town Races & Slots. “The horsemen and breeders recognize that the passage of table games is vital to maintaining the racing industry and green space in Jefferson County.”

Britton said some people in the community believe that these groups are opposed to the measure, but he noted that that is not the case.

“There’s this notion out there that it’s not a good deal for the horsemen, yet you have … all three groups endorsing the move,” he said.

Much of this concern, Britton said, is centered around the belief by some that table games will cause revenues from slot machines to take a dip, thus decreasing purse funds for area horsemen.

“There’s this misunderstanding that table games are going to decrease slot revenue. That’s what they’re concerned about. It’s not going to do that,” he said. “It’s going to increase revenue. Just from a logical perspective, folks need to recognize that.”

In a letter of support from the Thoroughbred Association, group members stated that the majority of its board of directors believed the games will help protect and possibly bolster the revenues Charles Town Races & Slots generates for purse funds. That could enable the industry to continue to help preserve open space in the community, they noted.

“This allows West Virginia breeders to continue to produce and raise Thoroughbred horses right here in Jefferson County,” the letter stated. “Our industry by its very nature protects the county’s farmland and green spaces from further development.”

The West Virginia Breeders Classic LTD agreed that the games could be good news for those involved in the local horse racing industry. The group noted that earlier additions to the offerings at Charles Town Races & Slots also had positive results for them.

“There is no doubt that the slots bill has breathed new life into racing at Charles Town. Because of that, the Classics’ Board wholeheartedly supports and endorses the passage of table games to be operated by (Charles Town Races & Slot’s parent company) Penn National Gaming Inc.,” the group stated.

Earlier this week, Britton touted the games at two town hall-style meetings. He cited increased competition from slot machines that soon will be operating in Maryland as one of the many reasons why residents should consider supporting the measure.

John Finamore, senior vice president of regional operations for Penn National Gaming, said Thursday that Charles Town’s heaviest competition could come from slot machines that are expected to be added in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County, and Baltimore City, two of the five locations where slots were permitted under a measure approved by the state’s voters.

Once permits are issued in those areas and construction begins on new gaming facilities there, Finamore said Charles Town could lose some of its current customers who travel from Maryland, Washing, D.C., and parts of Virginia. He hopes that table games will be up and running in Jefferson County before slot machines are in place in these two locations, thus increasing the diversity of the local facility’s offerings and possibly retaining some of these customers.

“We want to be out in front of Anne Arundel and Baltimore,” he said.

If they are approved, Finamore said the company hopes to have table games operational in Jefferson County by the summer of 2010.

The games’ addition isn’t the only project Penn National is working on though, Finamore noted. The company also recently received permit approval to open a new facility in Cecil County, Md.

Construction on that facility is expected to get under way in the near future. Once completed, it is expected to house 1,500 slot machines, less than a third of the number of machines currently in place in Charles Town.

Finamore said Penn National’s new venture in Maryland is not expected to pose a threat to Charles Town, and will instead compete more directly with gaming establishments in Delaware.

“The Cecil County location, looking at our database and what we know about the market, will have zero effect on Charles Town,” he said.