Poker Heats Up

PLAINS TOWNSHIP – After a bit of a lull throughout much of January, the poker room at the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs is again buzzing with activity.

The first larger buy-in event in the room’s history on Jan. 27 started the upswing.

That night, a sellout field of 120 players helped pack the poker room in a way that reminded of the first week the room was in operation and the first night of multitable tournaments Nov. 1.

The second $285 buy-in event will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, and players would be wise to prepare for a large crowd again.

The first time around, with the start set for 7 on a Thursday night, the tournament sold out more than a half hour in advance, and dozens of players interested in the tournament had to be turned away.

Most wound up playing other games – if they were willing to sit out a wait – and the room had its first $250 sit ’n go event that night for some of the players who already came planning to spend more than that on a tournament.

There was a logjam to be dealt with until enough tournament players were knocked out to open up tables and spots for others waiting to get into cash games.

The bigger event meant interest from a wider area than would be typical of most daily events. The top six finishers included three players from Luzerne County and one from Lackawanna County as well as players from Northumberland County (Mount Carmel) and Lycoming County (Williamsport). They were followed by another player from Lycoming County and two from other states, New York and Connecticut.

One of the subplots of the event was how the local regulars could stack up against newcomers who came in for the tournament.

The overcrowding could be an issue again for a while Saturday, and players who want to be certain of a tournament spot should consider stopping by to pay their entry fee in advance. Unlike the smaller daily tournaments where spots can only be purchased two hours in advance, the big tournament has been on sale throughout the month.

The increased interest has not been just on the bigger tournament days.

Although the room does not overfill at other times, there have been some signs of increased play.

After a reduction in the nightly entry fees, the average number of entrants in the twice-daily tournaments was 42 for the first half of February, compared with 26 for January.

The 1-5 stud games that get started midway through each morning now generally take up two tables instead of struggling to fill one.

That game remains far less popular than hold’em and usually dies off each afternoon, but those who come looking for it have had more options lately.

An occasional pot limit Omaha high/low poker game also has popped up some evenings.

Seven Card Stud Poker

Seven card stud poker is played on most online poker sites and is offered in most live casinos. The game is dealt as follows, two cards face down and one up to each player followed by a round of betting. Three more dealing rounds of an up card to each player followed by a round of betting after each dealt card. The final card is dealt face down to each player followed by a final round of betting. When the bets are called or folded to, the hands are exposed and the best poker hand wins the pot.

The starting hands that are considered worth continuing the play and calling the bets are as follows, three of a kind, a pair, three suited cards and three numerical running cards of any suit. The other players up card should also be considered when making this decision. Calling without a good starting hand is not wise as this makes it an uphill battle to end up with the winning hand. Good starting hands give that player a leg up on ending up with a better hand and winning the pot. Poker is a game of perceived edge both in fact and in the players mind. Without this edge, the player who calls bets may as well be playing straight show down poker where a bet is made at the beginning and no decisions are made during the play of the hand. That is pure gambling and not intelligent risk taking.

Whether to continue the play of the hand depends on what the other players are showing in their up cards and the size of the bet versus the size of the pot. The value of your hand if you hit the next cards dealt versus what you believe the other players may be betting on. If your prospective final hand is a likely winner, then you should consider calling the current bets.

Remember, bluffing is allowed and a strong showing hand may be a false front with nothing behind the bet. This is part of the game and should be used judiciously, but it should be an element of your play. Good players win pots all of the time with non-winning hands due to the way they bet the hand. Playing good starting hands will allow a player of betting better hands and not having to bluff. This is the real advantage of making it part of your play to be selective in the starting hands your will consider for play.