I plan to take a trip to Vienna in the near future.  I would be interested in playing in a tournament or two (I prefer no limit HE events) while I am there. Can anyone provide me with information on where to play, types of tournaments available, etc.? I would also be interested in information on ring games that are available.

The ‘official’ casino operation company (where you will also find BJ, roulette, craps and slots), Learn to play the greatest online slots games such as Doctor Love, Platinum slots and other exciting latest Canadian slots games.

In Vienna there are two main poker clubs – The Concord and Poker World.  They both are open 24 hours, have lots of cash game tables, and run regular tournaments with buy-ins ranging from ATS100($8) to ATS500 ($40).  The $40 tournaments usually have a prize pool guarantee of ATS100, 000 ($8,000) and are run on Tuesdays & Saturdays at 7:00 pm at the Concord and Fridays at 8:00 pm at Poker world. The concord is known for regularly having ATS100-200 Stud and HE tables running, while Poker world has lower limits usually 20-40, 30-60 and 50- 100.  Both offer Pot Limit Omaha, typically with 2 blinds of ATS 50 and a buy-in of ATS 2000.  The Omaha games come and go, depending on the mood of the players at the time.  Best times are tournament nights as well as Monday nights, don’t ask me why. There are also government-run casinos in Vienna, Velden, Baden, Seefeld, Bregenz, Innsbruck, and maybe other places as well, but these have limited hours, limited number of tables, the rakes are high, the toke expectation is ridiculous and the personnel treat you like you are there to serve them and not the other way around.  I personally avoid these like the plague. I think another poster gave the websites of the above casinos.

I’m working a meeting this week on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Need some info on Omaha HiLo games. How early do the Omaha HiLo games get started during the week at the Biloxi and Gulfport Grands. What are the usual limits? Any description of game styles will be helpful. (Wild n Crazy to loose/passive?)

Answer 1:

Sorry can’t help much. Both Grands have 1-4-8-8 or 4-8 games going when I am there but that is usually on the weekends. Usually one game with half kill. 1-800-WIN2WIN and ask for poker room.

Answer 2:

I can only speak for the Biloxi Grand, however, the O/8 game has been going everytime I went there (4-5 times on both weekends and weekdays). Also, I have been there in the middle of the afternoon so I think you have a pretty good chance of finding this game going. As for the game itself, I have played in it a couple of times and would term it (based on my limited experience) basically loose/passive. I have not encountered many maniacs. However, there are some rocks and you better be careful calling without the nuts (especially on the low side).

Answer 3:

You should be able to find a game at either Grand most any time. Gulfport plays mostly 1-4-8-8 and Biloxi play 4-8 with a 1/2 kill (an insane amount for the kill is $40). Gulfport sometime spreads a 10-20 and Biloxi always has at least one 10-20 on Friday and Sat and some days during the week. IMHO the 1-4-8-8 game in Gulfport is weaker than the Biloxi game even though there are two or three decent plays in the Gulfport game. The game is almost always loose-passive with the usual suck-outs. The 4-8 game in Biloxi can range from moderate to down right tough. Also many times the week-end 10-20 can be easier than the 4-8.

I’m looking for a furniture-style poker table for a game room in my new home. It’s going to have a bar, kitchen area, suspended TV’s and a pool table –not for family entertainment, just poker. I want a sturdy round heavy table at least 6 feet in diameter and preferably round (sometimes we fit in 9 or 10). I might consider oval but the casino-style tables I’ve seen have the dealers “box” built in chip rack which I don’t need and I would prefer a wooden furniture antique type of table.

Answer 1:

Since you want an “antique” look, why don’t you find an antique table with a heavy pedestal base. If you can find one with a damaged top it should be less expensive. Remove the top and bolt on a piece of heavy plywood in the diameter you prefer. Cover the plywood with padding designed for poker tables, then stretch card table felt across the top, securing it with a staple gun on the bottom edge of the table. Next, have a woodcrafter make a “ring” for you, about 5″ wide, which will be approx. 3″ wider than the able. For example, if your table top is 60″diameter, the ring will be 66″ diameter, thus overlapping 3″ all the way around. On the underside of the ring you need to secure a smaller ring, perhaps 1″wide and 2″ high, which will fit snugly around the table top to hold the ring in place. Pad the 5″ ring with heavy foam, and then cover with naugahyde, etc. Set the ring on top and you are ready to go. You want the ring to be removable so you can change the felt and pad as needed. There are variations to this, but if talk to a furniture maker about the ring and explain the idea. I’m sure he can help. Maybe make the ring out of solid wood that matches the table base. Just make sure the base is VERY heavy and stable. These tables get pretty top heavy. Especially when people lean on the edge while playing.

Answer 2:

Billiard supply stores are the best place, but you can build one for 1/5 the price and it will look better.

Answer 3:

The home game I play in is hosted by an accomplished carpenter. He has built two pretty cool tables- one with five sides, and one with 7. These are extremely well done regular pentagonal and heptagonal- topped tables. One thing I don’t like about the tables is he built in “chip troughs.” So player stakes are out of view- I’m used to knowing what everyone has.

I plan to take a trip to Vienna in the near future. I would be interested in playing in a tournament or two (I prefer no limit HE events) while I am there. Can anyone provide me with information on where to play, types of tournaments available, etc.? I would also be interested in information on ring games that are available.

Answer 1:

There are two card rooms in Vienna.

Answer 2:

In Vienna there are two main poker clubs – The Concord and Poker World. They both are open 24 hours, have lots of cash game tables, and run regular tournaments with buy-ins ranging from ATS100($8) to ATS500 ($40). The $40 tournaments usually have a prize pool guarantee of ATS100, 000 ($8,000) and are run on Tuesdays & Saturdays at 7:00 pm at the Concord and Fridays at 8:00 pm at Poker world. The concord is known for regularly having ATS100-200 Stud and HE tables running, while Poker world has lower limits usually 20-40, 30-60 and 50- 100. Both offer Pot Limit Omaha, typically with 2 blinds of ATS 50 and a buy-in of ATS 2000. The Omaha games come and go, depending on the mood of the players at the time. Best times are tournament nights as well as Monday nights, don’t ask me why. There are also government-run casinos in Vienna, Velden, Baden, Seefeld, Bregenz, Innsbruck, and maybe other places as well, but these have limited hours, limited number of tables, the rakes are high, the toke expectation is ridiculous and the personnel treat you like you are there to serve them and not the other way around. I personally avoid these like the plague. I think another poster gave the websites of the above casinos. In addition there is http://eppa.bigfoot.com which is the site of the European Poker Players Association (EPPA) – worth checking out.

Answer 3:

For a list of upcoming major tournaments in Austria and the rest of Europe, go toThis is a travel website I operate for major poker tournaments in Europe (primarily) with descriptions of the events. I haven’t updated in several weeks, but will add the busy fall schedule descriptions soon.

What are the stats you should keep to track a bad run of cards. A bad run of cards can shake you off of a potential winning strategy. Let’s say you are using HPFAP, Lee Jones or Lou Krieger starting requirements How many hands BASELINE (I realize you are sliding up and down the scale based on circumstances) Would this be a valid stat: Number of flops seen per hundred? What are other indicators? I am just interested in preflop play

Answer 1:

Well, if you see zero flops in a hundred hands, you have certainly gotten unlucky for starting cards, but you’ve lost relatively little, only about 4.5 small bets. It’s when you’re getting a bunch of good starting hands and they’re not holding up that you lose a lot of money. You could keep an informal track of how many AA’s and KK’s you get and whether they hold up. However, it’s a waste of mental energy.

Answer 2:

Since we only use, what, 3 or 4 percent of our brains for thinking, how can anyone possibly waste mental energy? I tracked a session once when I went 1 for 14 with my premium hands. It’s just something I store in my tiny but under-utilized brain for occasional amusement, and reminders that “it could always be worse.”

Answer 3:

It makes no difference at all what percent of your brain you do or don’t use. Thinking is tireing. Thinking about things that don’t matter is a waste of mental energy because it tires your out and gives you no return. If you’d spend less time at the table thinking about things that don’t matter and more time thinking about things that do matter then your game would improve.

Can anyone explain to me why you cannot play AQ unsuited from the middle position with 4 or more callers when it is ok to play hands such as 98 and T8s? Is it because if you hit two pair, somebody is bound to have made straight?

Answer 1:

From your title I’m guessing that you’re thinking the Jones book recommends folding AQo from middle position with 4 or more callers. But, the book doesn’t say that. On page 38 there is a small summary end-of-chapter table where AQo is omitted in the 4 or more callers category. The same table says raise if 3 or fewer callers and call if someone has already raised. The text of the short, two page chapter says that you should play that hand and usually should at least think about raising. I’m guessing that there was an error in that summary table. Don’t pay so much attention to the details of tables of hands — think about what the book says instead. I really mean that — most readers pay way to much attention to lists of hands and just don’t think about what the book is saying.

Answer 2:

Basically because 98s and such hands play well multiway, whereas with AQoff you want to narrow the field as much as possible to give your hand a better chance of holding up if you make a decent, but not great, hand.

Answer 3:

I’m not sure if Lee Jones in fact recommends folding AQ in this situation, will look it up. If yes, he’s nuts and I didn’t notice. Anyway: For a single bet, AQo can be played from ANY position, regardless of number of players 1in the pot. If QQ, KK, AA or AK is not in there, AQ will make good EV (even against JJ). If there was a raise which strongly indicates a possible dominating hand (one of the above), it becomes a must dump. If the raise is loose, AQ should three-bet (regardless of the number of players!). There are players though who open-limp early with their strongest hands, but don’t play AJ and friends utg at all. Against these rocks AQ is dumpable for a single bet. Whether to play AQ or not is not really an issue. HOW to play it is much more interesting subject.

You’re playing 4-8 7CS, 50-cent ante, $2 bring-in. Most of your opponents are weak-passive and easily intimidated. As a result, one player at your table (we’ll call him Steamroller) is amassing a large amount of chips by betting out or raising frequently and aggressively, especially when he has scare cards showing. You know he’s just running over the table because (a) nobody gets dealt that many good hands, and (b) he’s been called down a couple times and has shown trash hole cards. He has otherwise shown no detectable poker skill at all. Also, when he loses a big pot, or has lost several hands in a row, he gets pissed off and has to leave the table to calm down. He gives all the signs of being one of those players who thinks he is entitled to win every hand. Anyway… Your hand is (Th)(Qh)Td and there is one heart showing. The other hands have assorted medium to small cards. Steamroller, two seats to your left, is showing Jd, and there is one other small diamond showing. The bring-in is between you and Steamroller. Steamroller raises to $4 and all fold to you. You reraise. Bring-in folds. Steamroller eraises, you call. Fourth street: you catch a small, very dead brick. Steamroller catches a small live diamond. He bets. The question is, what would you do here?

Answer 1:

Fold and wait for a better hand to bring him down with.

Answer 2:

Of course, you must call in this spot. You have an apparent underpair and an over card. Your pair may or may not be good at this point. You’ve already put in three small bets on 3rd street (I’m not convinced that your raise was correct – there was about a 99% chance that steamroller would re-raise), and 4th street only costs you one more small bet. Having decided to play the hand in the first place, the time to make your next important decision is on 5th street, when the limit doubles.

Answer 3:

Only call his raise on third, since you already have the pot heads-up. If you’re fairly sure he has nothing, the time to raise is on sixth street. On fourth, you have to call and go to the river. Given the three bets on third and your live over card over his hand, and the fact that he may not have what he represents, it’s a clear call. Even if he flashed a jack, you would still have to call here. A .50 ante is moderate, and you should treat this as “real stud” rather than trapping stud.

I would like to kindly ask a few questions about the legalities of online poker.

1. Is it legal for an American software company to license poker software to online poker casinos and accept ongoing royalties (either a fixed amount, or as a percentage of the gross) as part of their license fees?
2. Is a U.S. citizen in violation of U.S. laws by having his/her name on an off shore credit processor account?
3. Is it legal for a U.S. citizen to advertise/market for an off shore poker casino? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1:

There is precious little rules (either existing or proposed) that deal with on-line casinos, so you have to draw from the existing gambling statues. I don’t think there is anything at the Federal level (nor most states) that prohibits developing gambling equipment. The answer to the second question is that, with the exception of a few blacklisted countries, there’s nothing that prohibits it. The answer to the third question is that, Not right now. But if the current Internet Gambling bill passes as written, it will pretty much make such agents of “Gambling Businesses” illegal.

Answer 2:

My concern isn’t with the questions above (which IMHO would never be universally answered in a court of law) but with the larger question of how the recent Internet Gambling Bill will impact on-line poker. Basically the law seeks to stop on-line casinos and sports books by requiring US ISPs to block access. My question is whether or not this applies to poker rooms such as Paradise Poker? Also, keep in mind this may impact practically all US Internet users. It isn’t just AOL, MindSpring, etc that will block access but ALL ISPs including UUnet, PSInet, etc that provide internet access for corporations and educational institutions. If the bill passes and isn’t immediately challenged in court you may want to consider checking with your ISP about their plans to block access to such sites.

Answer 3:

People keep saying this, but the bills as currently written don’t say that. The only requirement on ISP’s is for their direct subscribers who happen to be ‘gambling businesses.’

At the Orleans are flyers for a “Reno Hiltons 1st annual World Poker Challenging January. Is this the Carnival of Poker moved to the Reno Hilton, or have they dropped the Carnival of Poker and the Reno Hilton was the first to move in on those dates (I think this time period used to be the Four Queens before the Carnival)?

Answer 1:

It’s the latter, Harrah’s canceled and Hilton jumped in to try to grab those dates. Hilton always has good room rates, probably $25 or less including weekends (especially in the Winter), but at $300+ for the events it will be interesting to see how many travel to it, I don’t think there will be many Reno tourney players in that league.

Answer 2:

Since the “Carnival Of Poker” had not found a home, the Reno Hilton Card Room Manager, Mike Gainey grabbed the dates and arranged to host the “1st Annual World Poker Challenge”. An exciting tournament is being planned with $25 room rates for the players.

Answer 3:

Think you are wrong!!!!! In fact I know it! The combination of Mike Gainey, Dave Lamb,Scoff, Barbara and Rudy Lotieff(I hope Rudy is feeling better)Rick Takemoto, Amy(don’t know her last name) on the board, middle limit buy ins, cheap room rates, and reasonable vig is a guarantee of success! What I don’t know about is the smoking? Does anybody know if this is a non smoking event??? How about finding out for us Barbie? At any rate, even if they allow smoking, I am going, and I know a few others from SoCal who are also going, and I doubt whether Kennie, Tex and the bunch from the Northwest would miss it. I expect that this tournament will be a record breaker for Reno!

How much can you earn per hour in average in a 15-30 dollar game.

Answer 1:

The received wisdom is 1.5 big bets an hour ($45) if you are an EXCEPTIONAL player. A more realistic expectation might be $15-$30 per hour. As always in poker, it depends – factors such as the skill of the opposition, your own skill, and the rake/time charge will all influence hourly expectation.

Answer 2:

The quality of your opposition will greatly affect how much you win. For example, I used to earn just less than 1 BB/hr playing 9-18 holdem. My card room then stopped spreading that game and started spreading an 8-16 instead. This game attracted a lot more of the poorer 4-8 players and as a consequence my hourly rate has shot up to nearly 2.5 BB/hour (I have played more than 300 hours so far at 8-16).

Answer 3:

As the best player $40-50 2nd best $25-30 3rd best $10-15