Danny, Megan, Earl, Maude and the Rookie were seated at a table at the rear of the Carnegie Deli, steps away from the Mirage poker room.
"Well," Earl asked the Rookie. "Are you sure you're ready to give it a try? No limit Hold'Em is a rough game."
The Rookie nodded.
"Ready as I'll ever be, Uncle Earl."
Danny leaned across the table, "Tell me again why you think so?"
"Been studying the game," the Rookie said. "Reading books. Running hands on the computer. Plus, I've been winning pretty regularly at the games in school."
"What's your major?"
"Computer science."
"You must be pretty good at math?"
"Getting my share of As and Bs," the Rookie answered, with a shy smile.
"Then you understand pot odds?"
The Rookie nodded. "It's the amount of money in the pot verses what it will cost you to call the hand. In some situations, it's worth a call with a marginal hand when a large pot is involved. Other times, calling a with a good hand when there's a small pot is not a good odds play."
Danny smiled. "Good answer."
"How do you feel about playing with women?" Megan asked.
The Rookie shrugged. "I play with a few of them at school. They are not very good."
"Why not?"
"Too emotional. They don't take the game seriously enough."
"Well," Megan said, brushing back a lock of red hair from her forehead. "The ladies are different here."
Maude gave the Rookie a nudge, "Better pay attention. Megan took a bracelet in last year's WSOP. When she speaks, the boys around the table listen."
"The majority of the women playing here know what they're doing," Megan said. "Some even make a living at the game. Especially in the high and no limit games. And don't be fooled by appearances. You'll be playing against a wide cross section of women players. What they can be is a distraction - especially the young, good looking ones. It's usually calculated and part of their game plan to separate you from your money. So it's a good idea to give all the ladies respect until you become familiar with their style of play. It takes experience."
"What she means," Earl said, chuckling. "Is to keep your eyes on the cards and not on their chests!"
"Back to experience," Danny said. "Stay focused on the game - even if you're not in the hand. Look for 'tells.' They can give you an edge. But finding them here is more difficult than in your games at school."
"That's good advice," Earl said. "It took Danny awhile to learn, especially when he was distracted by Megan. But that's another story. Now he's a solid player."
"Do you drink while you play?" Maude asked.
The Rookie shrugged. "Beer usually."
"Not a good idea if you're serious about winning." Maude said. "Alcohol and cards don't mix. Let the other players drink and play loose. It's to your advantage. If you're thirsty, order coffee or a bottle of water. And don't forget to tip the cocktail waitress. The drinks are free but the service isn't. The girls work hard. I know because I've been there and done that. A dollar tip is customary."
"What about tipping the dealers?" the Rookie asked.
"Good question," Danny said. "The dealer is your best friend at the table. They deal the cards, keep track of the bets and move the game along. If you hold, and happen to overlook, the winning hand on a lay-down - they'll call it for you and push the chips your way. A good dealer deserves the player's respect and a 'toke' from the winner. A dollar is usually the minimum. More, if the pot is large. How much more is up to the player. Dealers have long memories.
Stiff them and they won't forget - and they'll pass the word to the other dealers and will hesitate to help you out if you make a mistake."
"You mentioned that you've studied the game," Megan said. "Does that include watching it on TV?"
"All the time," the Rookie said. "They guys at the dorm never miss a show - even the reruns. A few even bought the DVD sets to study the play."
Earl chucked. "TV is the greatest thing to happen to poker since Dolye Brunson wrote his book on the game on the game - much to his dismay I may add. A few years ago, poker was a dying game on the Strip. Casinos were closing their poker rooms and filling the floor space with slots. Hard core players were drifting away from the game because of the lack of fresh money. TV changed all that. It made the game look easy because it compressed the action. What may take three or more hours at a final table is edited down to two hours not counting commercials. New players took the bait and flocked to the poker tables and the sharks, who were still around, became fat on the new fish who dived into the game with little or no experience.
"Of course young guys like Moneymaker, who won his seat in the World Series from playing online poker, and went on to win the championship - only add to the myth that anyone can win the, 'Big One.' It propelled poker into the mainstream as the ultimate in 'reality television.'" Earl looked around the table, "Any more questions for our young friend?"
When no one responded, Earl signaled for the check and said to the Rookie, "Guess it's time to head to the poker room. Nervous?"
"Scared to death," the Rookie said.
"Good," Earl said, slapping him on the back. "If you weren't - you just don't understand what you're getting yourself into. Just remember, the game is position, patience and luck. Remember that - and you'll do just fine in the major leagues of poker. Write to author Leo Cummins at: 31 Timber Lane, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
