JC Tran Reels in Second WPT Title in Sacramento

JC Tran played the role of hometown hero at the final table of WPT Rolling Thunder in Sacramento last night.
Tran entered the final table as the short stack but the Sacramento-native went on a blistering heater at just the right time and smashed his way through all five of his opponents while friends and family cheered him on.
The savvy veteran earned $302,750 for outlasting 465 players and his second WPT title.
Tran earned his first WPT bracelet way back in 2007 when he actually made three final tables on the tour and earned marked cards Player of the Year honors.
Tran was also at the 2013 WSOP Main Event final table but played uncharacteristically passive and ended up finishing in fifth, despite entering play as the chip leader. He still received $2.1 million for his performance at the WSOP and combined with his win at WPT Rolling Thunder he’s now recorded $11.2 million earnings on the live tournament circuit.

Luu Finishes Fourth, Pham Takes Third

JC Tran at the WPT in 2007.

 

Mimi Luu ended up finishing in fourth place for $100,240 after a strong run at WPT Rolling Thunder. Tran busted her with K-J when he flopped a straight.
Another established poker player, Quoc Pham, fell to Tran in third place. Pham got all-in with 7♦ 6♦ but Tran snapped him off with Q♥ T♠ and saw it hold up.
Tran put the finishing touch on the tournament by beating Preston Harwell heads-up. Harwell entered heads-up play with the chip lead but it didn’t matter as Tran almost immediately took control and won seven consecutive hands at one point.
Here are the complete results from the final table of WPT Rolling Thunder:

• 1st: JC Tran - $302,750
• 2nd: Preston Harwell - $200,030
• 3rd: Quoc Pham - $127,140
• 4th: Mimi Luu - $100,240
• 5th: Benjamin Zamani - $80,130
• 6th: Ken Jorgensen - $60,180

Tech Tips: Best Cameras, Lenses for Photographing Poker Tournaments

If you follow the blog we gave you a quick guide to the techniques required in poker photography earlier this month but this week we’re going to take a look at the various tools of the trade.
There are actually a number of directions you can take for buying poker photography equipment.
Although it’s possible to take a decent marked cards poker photo using a cell phone camera or a point-and-shoot (particularly if you can close to the table), we wouldn’t recommend it.
Instead you’re probably going to want a DLSR, so you can swap out that kit lens. Right now there are two major options: Standard DSLR or mirrorless. We’ll start with the standard DSLR.

Standard DSLR

This includes heavy hitters Canon and Nikon, which offer entry-level models that cost around $400-$600 but have professional grade cameras that cost thousands. These are what most professional photographers use and the lens selection is pretty much unparalleled. You can’t really go wrong with Canon or Nikon.

Mirrorless DSLR

Lately mirrorless cameras have been getting more and more publicity thanks to a few killer features. There are some camera enthusiasts who think this style of camera is the future of photography.
Perhaps the two most highly-touted advantages are smaller size and less moving parts on the inside.
Some of the biggest players in this market are Panasonic and Olympus, which use the micro four-thirds bracket system and Sony’s NEX line which uses E-Mount, Fujifilm’s X-Mount and Leica’s M-Mount. Canon and Nikon also offer mirrorless cameras but they were rather late to the party.

Lenses

Lenses are very, very important for poker photography.
Regardless of the camera system you choose, you’re going to need some fast glass for low-light performance. You’re specifically going to be looking at lenses that have a high maximum aperture, which is represented by smaller f-stop numbers. Anything below f/2.8 is good in our experience. Don’t bother with anything less than f/4.0.
Unfortunately fast glass is very expensive. On the bright side almost every camera system has one lens that is a steal.
Nikon and Canon both have fast 50mm f/1.8 lenses that cost around $100. These are great starter lenses for poker.
When it comes to focal length it’s really subjective. Shorter focal lengths like 24mm and 50mm have the added bonus of marked card tricks being able to shoot the entire room at once while big zooms like 70-200mm give you the option of doing close-ups.

Sample Budget DSLR Set-Up

Here’s an example of a cheap DSLR set-up that should at least get you started in poker photography.
Camera: Canon T5i (body only) Also known as EOS 700D in Europe
Price: $749
Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Price: $121
Total Cost: $870
Summary: This is a good, fast, set-up that will get you going. It eschews the kit lens for a low-light 50mm. The only reason you might want to get one with a kit lens is that will be easier to take pictures of the entire poker room. It’s only $50 more. In the future you could seriously upgrade your zoom capabilities by adding a 70-200mm f/4 for around $1,000. There are quite a few upgrade options as Canon and Nikon DSLRs have widest lens selections.
Note: You’ll need an SD memory card but those cost $10-$30.
Alternatives: Nikon D3100 $449 + Nikon 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX $219

Sample Budget Mirrorless DSLR Set-Up

Camera (includes lens): Sony NEX-6L/B 16.1 MP with 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens
Price: $648
Total cost: $648
Summary: As you can see the mirrorless cameras tend to be a bit cheaper. The NEX-6 actually comes with a decent kit lens that has a nice focal length for poker. You’ll be in great shape for wide shots (where it can shoot at f/3.5) but you’ll be harder pressed for zoom shots across the table. The upgrade options are more limited with mirrorless cameras but Sony does make a 50mm f/1.8 for $298. There’s also a rumor that Sony will be releasing a Sony 55-150mm f/2.8 in the fall. That lens would potentially be fantastic for poker.
Alternatives: Panasonic DMC-GF6 $599, Olympus E-P3 $899, Fujifilm X-M1 $799

Sasha Daygame: How to Pick Up a Girl at a Poker Tournament

Note: Renowned "Pick-Up Artist" Sasha Daygame will be at the 2013 Battle of Malta and put together these suggestions for meeting girls at poker tournaments.
We apologize in advance to female poker players everywhere. But having seen thousands of ham-fisted, awkward pick-up moments at the poker table believe us when we say this is a marked improvement. Girls of Malta, you've been warned.
By Sasha Daygame
Hey guys!
Soon I’ll be on my way to play in the Battle of Malta poker tournament.
As you can imagine, poker tournaments aren’t exactly chock full of babes. If you’re a poker player who’s interested in meeting and connecting with women WHILE battling it out for final table domination… the odds are definitely not stacked in your favor.
This article is intended to even out those odds. Hey – poker players need love too, right?
So, the most likely (and probably easiest) situation in which to meet a girl at a poker tournament would be to approach marked cards her while she’s not at the table. This means before or after the event.
At the table is possible, but not recommended. First impressions count for a lot – it’s much trickier flirting with a girl at the table, so it’s best to catch her off the tables whenever possible.
OK: Let’s get into it!

Before the Event

You look determined to win this thing.

Before the event is likely your best option to approach a female player during an event. First off – she hasn’t been eliminated yet so she’s still in the building! If you wait too long she may lose her chips (and you your chance!)
Also, there’s an excitement before the tournament begins. Everyone is optimistic and bright eyed - the mood is good.
If you’re going the more social route, keep in mind you don’t have to seal the deal before the break. You can meet her, get friendly, and then try and get her number or set up a date in one of the early breaks. Just hope she doesn’t go bust!
Here are some thoughts for ice-breakers you can use.
In general, I try not to teach “pickup-lines” because I like my students to think creatively and build up their innate charm.
I like to teach how to think in a situation so you can come up with something original instead of just memorizing a line that will come off as try hard.
Here’s a couple of ideas:
We all know most poker players go in there believing they’re going to win – so playing off this assumption can be a fun conversation starter. Something charming along the lines of:
“Hey, you look absolutely determined to win this thing. Remind me to stay out of your way!”
Or if you’re feeling more confident or are naturally a bit cocky:
“Hey, you look absolutely determined to win this thing. Remind me to stay out of your way – a clash this early in our relationship could mess up our whole romance!”
Obviously you need to have a bit of game if you go down that path. So you’d better have something to follow up with as she’ll likely ask “We’re having a romance, are we?”

Easy field, right?

I’d say something like “That’s the plan but... let’s just get through to the next break and talk about it then... Over a drink!”
Why not try:
“Easy field right, should be a cinch!” (wink)
Another fun and obvious topic would be the fact that every player thinks he/she is going to win. So, if you want to be a bit more fun/cocky... something like:
“Hey there. You look like you think you’re going to win this thing... but I’ve got some bad news... You’re coming second” (smile or wink)
Sometimes I make comments about making a deal... Such as:
“Hey, I know one of us is going to win this, we may as well just do a deal right now – 60/40 for me because I’m favorite”
The key to these is to smile or give her a cheesy little wink at the end so she knows you’re playing around. If you’re a German player she might take you seriously and start negotiating percentages!

During the Tournament

Okay, now let’s talk about DURING the tournament. If there’s a woman at your table, a good way to start out would be to have a fun/playful demeanor during the game.
Being friendly and talking to the dealer and other players is a great way to show her you’re a social, fun guy – not a boring poker pro! Most players are serious and just stick to their cards.

NEVER try and get her number or set up a date at the table.

That’s a definite no-no if you’re trying to get the attention of a poker babe at the table.
Once you’re warmed up, have a bit of fun with her in between hands. Tease her a bit, bust her on trying to use her female-skills to win the game! A couple of the fun themes from above can work too.
The most attractive thing you can do DURING the game, is to ENJOY YOURSELF and not take things too seriously. If you’ve made her giggle or have at least noticed a couple of looks in marked cards your direction from her - wait till the break and then start up a conversation with her and take things from there.
NEVER try and get her number or set up a date at the table. It’s way too much pressure on her and you’ll be putting her in a position where she’s forced to reject you in front of everybody. That’s a lose/lose situation!

On Breaks

Breaks aren’t a bad time to pick-up a woman at a poker tournament. Everyone’s got the same thing on their mind – survival. So, simple stuff like “Hey, how’s it going?” can do the trick.
However, a theme I’ve used before that’s very fun and flirty is referring to the fact that you may go up against her in a hand. Something like
“Excuse me… Hey I just wanted to let you know – just because you’re cute doesn’t mean I’m going to fold to you when I’m in the big blind. Just so you know.”
Or maybe a fun reference to making it to the final table, such as:
“Hey… If we make it heads up, don’t think I’m going to make it easy on you just because I have a crush on you. Alright?” (wink)
Here’s one I just thought up:
“Excuse me, I have a question. If we both make it to the final table, that counts as a date right?”

If we make the final table, that's a date right?

You want to keep things fun, light, and flirty.

After the Tournament

Okay, so after the tournament is done is probably my least favorite time to meet a woman during a tournament. Here’s why:
The tournament’s over. Statistically speaking, it’s likely that your love interest hasn’t won. If she went out on a bad beat, she may not be in the best mood.
But, standard conversational threads may include commenting on her good performance, or asking if she’s going to participate in another upcoming event can work. If all else fails, you can blame both of your misfortune on the cheating dealer!
The one advantage to approaching a woman after the tournament is that, should things go your way, you could go on a date with her RIGHT THEN. I mean, the tournament’s over, right?
Unless she’s a cash-game fanatic, why not drag her out of there and go for some green tea, a smoothie, or a bite to eat? Phone numbers are flakey but if you spend some time with her – there’s a much better chance you’ll be seeing her again.

Final Thoughts

Remember, the goal here is to get a date with the girl, right? So all this stuff is wasted if you don’t PULL THE TRIGGER and ask her out!
Your primary goal should be to arrange to meet up with her at some point in the day. This can mean grabbing food with her during the lunch break, or meeting her at the end of the day’s play.

I'll trade you a bad beat story.

It’s always best to hang out with the girl immediately and solidify the connection, but if that’s not in the cards (ha!) then grab her digits so you can fight another day. Simple is always best:
“Hey, you’re fun. We should hang out sometime. Let me get your number” and hand her your phone.
If you want to meet up during the event, you can say:
“Hey, let’s get some food at the break. I’ll trade you ONE BAD BEAT STORY for one of yours… and then we can have some human talk. What do you say?”
See? Easy as that. If it’s DURING the tournament and you can’t get her to eat with you during the break:
“Hey, you’re fun. We should hang out sometime. Let me get your number now – just in case one of us gets knocked out!”
WHEW! OK, that’s enough ideas to get you going. Meeting a woman at a poker tournament is the same as anywhere. Be creative, be fun – SMILE – and let nature take its course!
Just remember:
The game of seduction is no different than the game of poker (in fact, they’re super similar) and many of the same concepts apply, including this:

• He who dares wins!

Satellite

A satellite is an online poker tournament where a seat is awarded into a real money tourney. It allows marked cards players to participate in huge online or land-based poker tournaments for a much lower buy-in or for nothing at all if player points earned at a poker site were used to play in the poker satellite tournament.
EXAMPLE “I tried a $2.20 satellite for the PokerStars Sunday Million, but ended up busting out within the first hour.”

Putting Your Opponent On A Range Of Hands

How often have you heard an amateur poker player try and put a player on a single hand? Most players make the mistake of attempting to put a player on exactly two cards when in reality their actions and tells could represent a range of different holdings.
By putting an opponent on a specific range of hands, you’re essentially assigning certain card values that they could have. For example, if you see a tight player re-raising pre-flop, you can probably assume that their range is AA, KK, QQ, AK.
In this particular situation, you would need to have hands in this assigned range to actually consider making a call, and if you’re playing deep stacked enough to offer us good implied odds marked cards, you can also consider set mining with low and medium pocket pairs, as there is a great chance of getting paid off when you hit your set.

How To Put An Opponent On A “Range”
There are several things that a person needs to consider when attempting to put an opponent on “range” of hands and predict what they may do with parts of this range based on prior history or assumptions you can start making about the player.
Position is one such important consideration when evaluating a hand range of an opponent. This is because any positionally aware opponent understands the importance of position and will be raising a narrower range of hands in early positions at the table and opening up in later positions as there is a greater chance the blind steal will work and even when called they will have the initiative and position in the hand.
So even though a TAG player who is raising 8% of hands pre-flop, which in pokerstove equates to AA, AK, AQ AJ, ATs, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, KQs that is not to suggest the same player is raising the same range of hands from the CO, which is considered to be late position at the table.
A player’s HUD (heads-up display) statistics (VPIP, PFR, 3bet%, etc) that show in real time at the table for players who are using poker trackers like PokerTracker or Holdem Manager will also help you to put an opponent on a range of hands when you’re playing online poker. A tight aggressive (TAG) player is entering most pots with a raise. The PFR stat (which stands for pre-flop raise) tells you what percentage of hands they open raise with before the flop. Using the pokerstove calculator you can manually input different percentages and see what ranges they correspond to. Try it for yourself. You can see that a 15% range consists of 77+, A7s+, K9s+, Q9s+, JTs, ATo+, KTo+, QJo.
Generally it’s a bit easier cheat poker playing against a tight range. Against someone who is raising an extremely narrow range of hands in under the gun position, you can fold everything but your good hands and consider re-raising your premium hands. Playing against a wider range of hands can be a little trickier since they’re playing a wider variety of hands that can hit the board in a lot of different ways. For example, a loose player will open hands like A3 and so on boards like 3-3-T it’s possible that villain has trips, whereas you’re not really considering a tight player to have trips on this board as they’re much more likely to fold 3x hands.

When analyzing hand ranges you need to take into account the board texture and how it relates to hand ranges. What hands in their range connect with the flop? Once you can define an opponent’s hand range, and how it connects with the board, it will allow you to determine the strength of their holdings.
So by paying close attention to the number of hands played we should be able to put our opponent on a hand range. Obviously this skill takes a lot of practice but it will become second nature after some time and you will be able to do it with pretty good accuracy once you’ve mastered it.

Issues and Dangers of Internet Poker

Just like any good and bad things, there are issues and dangers that are linked with online game selection. Gambling is a risk but playing Internet poker or any other form of gambling online makes the risk riskier. It would not hurt for you to know all these risks entirely before playing marked poker any of these games online The first one is centered on financial aspect. One sad probability with Internet poker is that a player might not get his winnings. There is no guarantee that you will get your money when you make a request for withdrawal. Most bigger Internet poker sites can give you your winnings such as Poker Stars, Ultimate Bet, Full Tilt and Doyles Room which are the biggest Internet Poker sites. It is oftentimes the smaller ones, often associated with online casinos are the worst offenders in all Internet poker sites. Many stories of actual players who have been victimized circulate in the Internet and it is best to take note of the names of these sites before you start playing Internet poker


In order to avoid situations like these, try to play in more established and bigger Internet  poker rooms. This does not mean that all smaller and newer Internet poker rooms are not reliable. Some are but more often than not, these sites have high probabilities of suffering from bank runs.

The second  danger is the shuffling. All Internet poker players should be aware that the randomness of the shuffler is very important. This is usually determined by the algorithm designed for the poker game and which is stored in the poker server. Internet poker sites who want to assure their customers that their shuffle and their practices are fair usually do the following: publish their shuffle algorithm also known as the random number generator, have independent auditing of the algorithm and third, obtain license from regulatory commission.

The third danger you have to consider when playing in an Internet poker site is security. This danger is not only limited to the external danger from Internet hackers who can get information from players who enter and who can manipulate marked card tricks the result of the game but  from the greater internal danger from the people inside the business who are tasked to handle the information and money. Online game selection is key when deciding on what site to play on.


An employee working for an online poker site can easily access player information and their credit cards numbers and he can use these to gain access or sell these. Insiders also have greater opportunities in eavesdropping on the players' actions and could use and sell this information so that other players can cheat.

The fourth danger is addiction to Internet poker. It has been proven that some people do get addicted with Internet poker. Even if the action is virtual, much of the thrill and excitement is the same as being in a "physical" game. If you are prone to gambling addictions, it is best to stay away from Internet poker.

History of Las Vegas

In 1829 members of the French of the Antonio Armijo party gave Las Vegas its name and used the water around the area while they made their way along the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico. During this time there were small parts of the Las Vegas Valley that had artesian wells that were able to support large green areas. That is where the name Las Vegas came from cheat poker. It is Spanish for ‘The Meadows'.

On May 10th, 1855 after Las Vegas had by taken and incorporated into the United States - Brigham Young was ordered to take 30 Mormon missionaries to help convert the Paiute Indians in the area. They built a fort in what is now the downtown area. But over the years there would be problems that stirred between Brigham and new people in the area. The new people that came had more liberal views and questioned Brigham's practices. This tension caused the Mormons to leave in 1857.
Over the coming years ownership of the Las Vegas Valley and the fort built within its borders would pass between the divided parts of the United States. It was not until 1881 that Archibald Stewart and his wife Helen J. Stewart would gain ownership of the land and would trick cards become the new Las Vegas Postmaster.

In 1884 the Stewart family would face tragedy when Archibald was murdered - but this did not stop the plans that were in motion to expand the property. The Stewarts were able to expand it to 1,800 acres and kept the land until it was acquired in 1902 by the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad. The building of the railroad would bring in many people to Las Vegas helping it to grow in population. Many of these people were farmers.

Another boost in population would come in 1930 when President Herbert Hoover would sign the appropriation bill for the Boulder Dam. The population jumped from 5,000 to 25,000 in hopes that they would be given the job of helping to build the dam. When completed the dam would help to give Las Vegas electricity. The city became the first customer for Southern Nevada Power company and the dam's name was changed to the Hoover Dam.
By now Las Vegas had made a name for itself because of the erection of the dam. But the year 1931 would forever stick in people's mind and it became the time when it would start to grow to new heights. Heights that no city had ever reached.
In 1931 gambling was legalized and Las Vegas started its upward climb to becoming the gaming capital of the world. The city was issued its first gambling license in 1931 - which was given to the Northern Club. Soon other casinos opened their doors to those who wanted to test fate and gamble with their money. Fremont Street, the Las Vegas Club, and the Apache Hotel were some of the first.
In order to attract people to their casinos they wanted to emit excitement and fun. Fremont Street became known as Glitter Gulch because of all the lights that were powered by the Hoover Dam. Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam helped to bring in the tourists - which called for more hotels. These hotels were high class that would be proper enough to accommodate the high class people that came. The city has evolved over the years and hotels and casinos have evolved into something great and an exciting place for those looking to let their inhibitions down.