I’d just like to know how honest the Casinos are themselves. Does the average player get a fair break at the tables, or are there exceptions?
Based on your decades of experience in the industry, what can you say about the quality of Replay’s shuffle? Fair? Biased? Juiced? Something else?
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Did you ever have a chance to meet Dean Martin while you were in Vegas?
I’ve always considered him Smooth 100% all of the time, that 1% difference makes a big difference, in my opinion.
Btw, great recollection stories. You should get off your arse and write that book, like you mentioned.
Hi craig.
My first line was my apology. I started with it.
You hit the meat of my concern though.
Why is Phil his favorite player?
He just sees him acting a part on TV. I got to know the real person behind the facade by dealing to him in real life for years.
This is not like a movie role where you become the person you are told to become by a producer or a director and then go home and become your real self. These people on TV poker shows are what you see. They are not professional actors.
If Phil was acting, I could entirely agree that he might be fun to watch. But the man is not acting. His style of playing poker is based on intimidation, like the bully in the school playground.
Unfortunately, his style of play is not unique in the real poker world. Puggy Pearson was another classic bully at the poker table. They try to mess with your mind. To get under your skin and make you angry, so much so that you forget about odds of poker and all the other aspects of the game. They make it personal. They make you want to beat the person, not the person’s cards. And it works, unfortunately all too well. They are still playing poker with great skill while you are just feeling your blood pressure go up. I have always hoped that someday someone will try to make a clinical experiment and monitor the players bodies that are playing at a table, physical and mental.
Having a “poker face” is a critical aspect of the game.
Once a long time ago I was talking “poker” with Johnny Moss. He told me a story about once playing a man sometimes heads up but never with more than 5 players over several days without ever getting a “read” on the man. Johnny, while playing, was often getting a vibration from the metal bar that runs around some poker tables for players to rest their feet on. Johnny got curious and while waiting for the other player to act, Johnny made something fall and he reached down to pick it up. He looked over and saw that the man was lightly tapping the foot rail with his shoe. Johnny then started matching the tapping with the types of hands the man was playing. You guessed it, a “tell”, and a good one at that. In Johnny’s words, “I now owned him, lock, stock, and barrel”.
Like the cookies in rounders, a solid tell.
Anyway, I digress. In my mind, I did not belittle anyone (except Phil). Bodie made a statement. I was asking what was making him like watching Phil at the poker table. Watching a bully at work is not something to like or possibly emulate. Poker playing is a mind game. Would you care to see a chess player using this type of mind game during a match. Or how about a tennis game. Getting an opponent angry is a style of playing poker.
Acting it in a movie is one thing, doing it in real life is totally different. I just wanted Bodie to think about what he was enjoying, not just watching a good movie with good actors.
If I offended Bodie in his mind, then I truly apologize.
I just wanted to let him think about what he was seeing.
Offhand, I cannot think of another show to compare TV poker with. It is in a class by itself, and people need to know that.
This show is not practiced before the shoot. Everything is off the cuff. Phil is actually a fairly nice guy on TV compared to what he is like in real life.
What he is like in real life is illegal to show on TV.
Anyway, thank you for your post. This is exactly the type of dialog that I was hoping for. Poker is a mind game. How often do you start a day playing poker in a really foul mood. Unless that is your normal state of being, the answer is, never. People like Phil make you go home wanting to kill something, and they do it on purpose. When I go out to play poker now, it is for amusement. Of course, I am more amused when I win.
If every time I went home after playing poker, I did so with a bad mood, even if I won for the day, I think that my poker playing hours would decrease rapidly.
Also, please keep in mind that the article was not aimed exclusively at Bodie. My articles are for everyone to read and think about. A lot of readers out there have never played in a real poker room. I am just supplying some context for them to think about. Most players just see it on TV. I lived it for 35 years.
Anyway, thanks again for your post.
Stay safe, David
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Hi Doc.
Ok, today is not like it was when the mob ruled the casinos.
Today’s average player gets more than a fair break. We bend over backwards to make sure that everything is watched 24 hours a day. The casinos only use games where in the long run they are sure of making a profit. Why mess with that. We have rules for the players and twice as many rules for the dealers.
We are more scared of the dealers cheating then we are of the players. We teach the dealers set procedures that they must go by. Any variation is noticed. The casino has it down to a science. The floor people walking around do not even notice the usual day by day action at the tables. It is when the dealers or players break the normal procedures that red flags start waving. The floor people pick it up even out of the corner of their eyes. What changed? Why did that just happen?
We are trained to protect the players and the house.
Yes, you are truly well protected in a recognized casino. No exceptions. If you go to some illegal gambling den, that is your choice, and you take your chances.
Thanks for your post.
Stay safe, David
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Hahahahahaha 
And a couple of fellas from Kansas City 
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Hi smooth99,
Dean Martin, no. I was not there when the Rat pack ruled the city. I wish that I had been. But other stars, oh yeah. I have many stories about that. Such as, Red Fox. You would not believe the mouth on that man. He was not intentionally being rude, that was just Red Fox. He used to play small limit poker while really playing Keno. Big time Keno fan. He had 50 or more cards in action every keno game. His playing poker was just something to do while waiting for the Keno results.
I often saw Elvis Presley in the back hallways between shows.
I was standing outside of Circus Circus when Bill Cosby and his family came out and were waiting at valet for their car to show up. The kids were horse playing and one shoved another and the child was pushed into the path of a car driving up. I saw it as it happened and was standing right there. I quickly stepped out and picked the kid up and set him back down on the sidewalk. That got me a smile and a thanks from the parents and a handshake from Bill.
Telly Savalas was a big lover of the craps table. I would play the game sometimes, not often, just killing time. You could always tell when Telly was playing. You could hear him clearly with his, “Where’s the Action! There is no action Here.” No lollypop, either.
Ok, my favorite story. I was playing 4 and 8 Hold’em at the Hilton. The guy sitting next to me, wearing a suit (tourist) started up a conversation between hands; seemed like a nice guy so I told him a Las Vegas story. Ceasars Palace had a special roped off place that held 3 high limit Baccarat tables. I got this story from a friend who was a dealer at Caesars Palace. One weekend a Saudi member of the royal family booked one of the tables just for himself starting at noon. I have no idea what that would cost. He was staying at the hotel and had booked one half of one floor of hotel rooms just for himself, his entourage, and his security guards. Come noon and the dealers and the floor person were ready. About two hours later the Saudi Prince and four bodyguards showed up. The guards were all tall, fit, and wearing matching dark suits. The prince was another story entirely. He was dressed like Laurance of Arabia. The full outfit and beard. he came in, shook the floor person’s hand and in a very upper-class British accent said that he was ready to play. The floor person had him sign some paperwork; checks were brought to wager with and in a very good mood he began to play. He liked to talk to the dealers as he played. About 6 hours later, one of the security guards leaned over and whispered in his ear. The prince stood up saying that he had to go away for a while but that he would be back shortly. One of his guards stayed to protect his checks and he and the other three left the room. Keep in mind that he was losing about three quarters of a million dollars and having a hell of a good time as he left. He came back about 45 minutes later carrying a paper bag that he placed on the table, ordered a soft drink for himself and his guards and said OK, let’s play. He then opened the bag and took out a small box that he placed on the table. He then opened the box.
What his security had whispered to him was that MacDonalds would be closing soon and if he wanted to get that Big Mac that he had been hearing so much about, that they had to leave right then before they locked the doors and only had drive-through. Evidently the prince wanted the full experience of ordering his own Big Mac and fries at the counter. While losing over three quarters of a million dollars, the prince had left the casino to personally go get a Big Mac.
The suit starting really laughing and said oh you have got to come with me. I want you to meet someone. We then got up and walked across the casino to the Benihana Restaurant. About in the middle of the restaurant where they had a good view of the dancing waters show, was a large booth, a large round table, and six other men in suits. I was then asked to repeat my story. When I was done, there was quite heavy laugher. One of the men stood up, shook my hand, and told me that that was the greatest BIG MAC ATTACK story he had ever heard. I had just told my story to the President and CEO of MacDonalds corp. and his top executives.
That’s all for now.
Stay safe, david
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Man - don’t even joke about Kansas City - goosebumps all over!
I have a question for you who are a professional dealer and have seen most of the casino and seen so many players and everything! I have never played in a real casino ever, I have only played online and learned the game through it so my question is? How would you recommend a new player who wants to visit a casino and play Holdem, what to think about etc! It must be a completely different game!!
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I thought the mere mention of that would perk up your ears 
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Hey bro you did not offend me.I do not get offended life is too short. I just imo think Phil is the greatest hold um player of all time again…Just my opinion I am NOT saying he is my fav. person never met the dude. Again thanks for the cool stories and have a great day!
Hi Kondrad,
Interesting question with no set answer because there are so many variables.
First, you say you play Hold’em online, great.
I need to ask a few questions. Online, do you play for real money or play money? How would you rate your skill level? Do you keep a written record of your winning days verses losing days. Online do you just play one table at a time or do you play multiple tables. If you were to go play in a live poker game, where would that be. Are you hoping that it might be part of your life if you do well or is this a one-off situation. If you don’t mind, help me out here with some information and I will be better prepared to answer your question.
Thanks, David
Thanks.
Ok, if you just want to rate their skills at winning poker hands, I have to go with Stu Unger over just about everybody. If he had not been so hopped up on coke before he died, he would still be making World Series poker records. The man was a walking computer and could read opponents amazingly well. If he could just have kept his uncouth mouth closed, I would have been a fan.
For another name, Daniel Negreanu. I am a big fan of his. I knew Dan before he went pro, and he and his girlfriend used to go on Card Player Cruises back when I was working two to five cruises a year. Now that was fun work.
If any of you players want to go on a poker cruise, I highly recommend them. 8 days & 7 nights of total card playing bliss. Their itineraries go all over each US coast and elsewhere. If you have not been on a cruise before, I highly recommend the Western Caribbean for your first cruise.
Great ports and great poker action. They do not go to the Caribbean during hurricane season and the water is smooth as glass. They put a full Las Vegas Casino poker room on board and bring along the best poker dealers and floor people in the business. They usually have about 12 to 20 poker tables and offer whatever games the players most want to play with a wide range of limits starting at a training table for the wives and girlfriends at 2 & 4 Hold’em and go up from there (Omaha HI/LO and Texas Hold’em mostly) There are usually poker tournaments on the 3 days that we are not in port. I hope that they still have the dealer’s tournament on the last day in port. That was fun for everyone. It started just before we left the last foreign port of the cruise.
The dealers played and the poker players signed up to deal.
Almost to a man the Poker Players would leave the box shaking their heads and saying that they now had a new respect for professional poker dealers. They had no idea just how difficult it was. Loan your phone to the tournament director and he will take multiple pictures of you in the box with this stunned look on your face while dealing to the best professional poker dealers in the world. The lady in charge of Card Player Cruises is a friend of mine. Her name is Linda Johnson, and she can be reached at cardplayercruise@aol.com. If you enjoy Scuba diving, this is a great cruise to go on. Talk to Jan Fisher, another friend of mine (we used to deal poker together) about scuba dives. Don’t let her baby face fool you, this girl can play poker with the best of them.
That’s it for now.
Stay safe David
Thanks for you response. My concern was somewhat what you had indicated…and that was being not scared, but cautious, of a dealer cheating.
You have been asked questions about many players, like Hellmuth and Matusow. My favorite player of all time (though not the greatest) was Mike Sexton. What can you tell me about Mike. Was he the calm, mild mannered person that I believed him to be, or was he a different person all together?
I met and talked to Mike Sexton during the '06 WSOP. He hosted a player’s party at Studio 54 for those of us there from PartyPoker.
He not only stood at the door greeting people, but spent the rest of the night talking to anyone who wanted to talk to him. He was one of the nicest guys I have ever met.
I got the sense that that’s who he was, it wasn’t an act.
One fella asked a really dumb question, and Mike took the time to explain in great detail. I kinda rolled my eyes at the question. When the guy left, Mike just looked at me, smiled, and said, “We all started somewhere.” He was a real class act.
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Hi Doc,
Yes, I knew Mike. We knew each other when I lived in Las Vegas, but we never got together outside of a poker room. We saw each other after that a few times in California and in Phoenix AZ enough to say Hi, but that was about our only personal interaction.
Mike was the real deal, what you saw was what you got.
He was always polite and friendly, always. I liked him as a person, and I respected him as a player. I was always happy to see him on TV. He is missed.
Stay Safe, David
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Hi, Doc.
Wow, let me put your mind at rest. If you go to a professional card room, you have absolutely nothing to fear from the dealers. 99.9% nothing to fear.
You would have to meet up with a rouge dealer and some very unprofessional floor people to have that worry come true. The old-style dealers and management days are gone. Stay in a Las Vegas style casino and poker room and relax. That is by far the least of your worries.
You will be starting in low limit games and basically don’t even have to worry about the other players at the table cheating you.
The dealers have been taught what to look for and the regular players know what to look for, so put that also out of your mind. Just concentrate on having fun and don’t risk enough money that it might worry you.
Plan on starting out playing limit games of 3/6 or 4/8. Don’t plan on risking more than $150 each time you go in to play. You will buy in for $100 and if you get down to $30 or below and still wish to play that day you can add the other $50 to your stack on the table. If you go down below $30 the other players will use that against you knowing that you will be more cautious in your play. If that amount worries you, don’t go. Simple as that. Stay on your PC and keep playing free poker until you are a constant winner there.
Keep in mind that playing free poker online and playing for cash in a casino live game are not apples and oranges. They are apples and alligators. How far is it from here to Mars. That’s how close they are. That’s why losing a little money cannot be an issue that will ruin your day. When I got to Las Vegas, it took me most of a year to be a steady weekly winner instead of a loser. And I had been playing home games with friends for low limit cash games for years.
Now, please send me the information I asked for and we can talk some more about how to make you a winning poker player.
Stay safe, David
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What was the largest pot you ever dealt?
What was the biggest tantrum someone threw after losing at the poker table? (I assume It was Phil H)