The Heartland Poker Tour is back again at the Majestic Star casino in Indiana. Once again I will be playing satellites into the Main Event starting July 3rd. Having had some time to reflect on the previous satellites a few months ago I am ready to rock and roll.

I will make a few adjustments in my play and hopefully it will pay off by winning the seat this time and advancing deep into the tournament. I am definitely looking forward to the challenge. The Main Event does start until late July and runs into August so I have plenty of time.

I happened to be browsing the web and ran into a really cool site. It’s called the Poker Atlas. If you are looking for a poker game or tournament near you then this is a great site to visit. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and click on your state and all of your local poker rooms pop up along with a map for directions. Each room has a brief description that pops up on the side bar.

Each listing also gives you the spread at each casino along with the tournament schedule if there is one available. It’s certainly worth exploring if you have the time.

Visit the Poker Atlas

Over the past 6 months there has been a noticeable change in how online tournament poker is being played. No longer is the standard raise 3 – 4x’s the big blind. Those days are now gone forever. In some ways this is a good thing but in other ways it is very bad. The standard online tournament raise is now simply a minimum raise from any position. Maybe this is because I rarely play above the $30 tournament level but it is a tactic that is extremely annoying despite my being able to take advantage of it time after time again.

I know I have written about this phenomenon previously and how to defend against it but it still shocks me why anyone would want to raise the minimum in a full ring with pocket Aces from under the gun. I just do not understand that kind of thinking. Over and over again I saw hand after hand get cracked and then the player that minimum raise ask the question, “How could you call me with that crap?”, not realizing that a minimum raise prices in almost any hand you can be dealt.

Another strange change to online poker is the advent of the minimum raise after having made your hand on the flop. Probe bets are now being met with minimum raises and causing the min raiser to be sent to the rail more often due to the fact that the min raise, once again, prices in your opponent to make the call to see fourth street.

Bam!!!!

Another min raiser throws a fit wondering how his Ace King could get cracked by a set of Two’s when the board showed [A][K][X][2]. The idea of players not folding is fine with me. I understand in low stakes tournaments players are not going to fold and the variance can get pretty crazy because of this fact. However, when I got called pre-flop for 5k by [7][6]os and my Ace King goes up in flames because the flop came down [3][4][5] it really makes me wonder if I am playing poker or bingo. The concepts of playing poker no longer hold true in the online tournament world. It is a very difficult adjustment to make if you can call it an adjustment at all.

Yes, I ran good for a while and I continue to play good poker and cash but the game has changed again and not for the better. Players no longer use logic or even math in their thinking. It’s all about the excitement of getting your chips in the middle even with the worst hand.

That’s a scary thought indeed.

November 9th is finally here. After a three month break from the 2008 WSOP Championship No Limit event the tournament will begin playing to its conclusion this afternoon. Nine players have waded their way through 6,844 other players to make the final table in this poker tournament. Each player has already pocketed $1 million dollars and will be playing for a first prize of over $9 million dollars.

Either way it goes this has been a heck of a ride for everyone involved.

The chip leader is 53 year old trucking account manager Dennis Phillips from St. Louis. Phillips is sitting on a hefty $26 million in chips and he certainly won’t be in any rush to get involved early. Next in line is Ivan Demidov who plays poker semi-professionally and hales from Moscow. Demidov is sitting on a cool $24 million in chips and is armed and dangerous.

Next in line is Scott Montgomery, 26, of Perth, Ont., with about 19.7 million chips,

After Scott there is Peter Eastgate, a 22-year-old professional poker player from Odense, Denmark, who holding 18.4 million chips. Eastgate also happens to be the youngest player at this final table.

Next is Ylon Schwartz, 38, of New York sitting on $12 million in chips.

Next up is David “Chino” Rheem, a 28-year-old professional poker player from Los Angeles, in seventh place holding 10.2 million chips

In last place is 31 year old Kelly Kim. Kelly is a professional player and is short stacked coming into this final table with only $2.6 million in chips. He will need to double up early and then once again to get back in the tournament. Otherwise, he won’t be long for the final table.

The tournament will be broadcast live on ESPN at 10a.m.

Yes, you heard that correctly. Phil Ivey took down a whopping $508K playing heads-up Pot Limit Omaha yesterday on Full Tilt. He did this while Multi-Tabling over 23 sessions. Not a bad days work.

Ya think?

The following poker rooms accept e-checks from US poker players:

• Doyles Room
• Full Tilt
• PokerStars
• Carbon Poker

Should there be any additional rooms we will be sure to update the post.

Curtis III

If your looking for a good bargain then the Sahara is the place to play. This room is usually occupied by locals and beginners. The room has 11 tables albeit they are fairly old. This room could be considerably better than it is with just a little love and care from management.

They spread a $2/$4 and $3/$6 Limit game and the action goes around the clock.

The tournament schedule is as follows:

NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su 11AM $45+$16
NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su 11PM $45+$16
NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su 7:PM $45+$16

If you are new to tournament play then this is the place for you. Where else on the strip can you play for $60 bucks, actually $62, and gain valueable tournament experience with a decent structure? The dealers are mediocre at best. They make mistakes from time to time but nothing major and they have always been polite when I have played here. They do have a daily room rate for poker players. The rooms bread and butter are it’s tournaments. If you catch the 7p.m. tournament you can even get a free sandwich. Not a bad deal. The tourneys usually have around 60 – 80 players or so. If you can get over the manual shuffling then stop by and take a shot. It’s a small field and usually a pretty decent pay day.

The Wynn poker room is one of the most elegant and quaint rooms on the strip. I stopped by on my last trip and railed a few of the games just to get a feel for it. I must say it was a very nice experience. Even though we were not playing the manager still stopped by to say hello and invite me to join the game. Unfortunately, I was waiting for a friend and only had a few minutes.

Everything here is brand spanking new as the room had just opened. This room is for the high end amatuer and the locals here tend to play a bit tight from what I observed. There is some profit to be had but you will have to grind it out to get there. Automatic shufflers and competent dealers are the norm. The chairs are comfortable but the room is still just a little small.

They spread $4/$8 to $30/$60 Limit Holdem along with $1/$3 $2/$5 and $5/$10 No Limit cash games with no maximum.

The tournament schedule is as follows:

NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr, 2PM $120+$23

They also have a $300+30 Noon tournament and $500+30 tournament with a long structure that caters to the poker purist.

The management at the Wynn was very good and seemed to really look after the players. The waitresses were responsive and stopped by on a regular basis to take orders as well. They do have special rates for poker players that stay at their hotel. You must play at least six hours to qualify.

The Bellagio is a poker room specifically designed for the high rollers. The room itself is very nice with automated dealers and very comfortable chairs. The room tends to have a long waiting list for obvious reasons. If you play here proceed with caution. This room is not for amateurs. Most of the professional players make their living off of tourist here.

Bellagio spreads $4/$8 to $30/$60 limit cash games daily. The Big Game, $4000 / $8000 limit is located in Bobby’s room.

The tournament schedule is as follows:

NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Su 2PM $540+$55 details
NL Hold’em Fr,Sa, 2PM $1060+$90 details
NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Sa,Su 9AM $130+$30 details
NL Hold’em Fr,Sa, 9AM $240+$40

Overall, if you have a big bankroll then you are more than welcome. Beware! You are not likely to be treated very well here if you are an average Joe. Bellagio caters to the professional players only. Also, there tends to be LOTS of bickering at the tables because people are making a living at the game here. Unfortunately, professionals do not take bad beats very well. Management is good and the tournaments are well run. Food comps are available after four to five hours of play.

Caesars is one of the nicest poker rooms on the strip. It is a bit off the beaten path from the regular casino but very nice nonetheless. The room is absolutely gorgeous with very nice tables and chairs with plenty of room. Each table has an automatic shuffler to see as many hands as possible. There is a separate tournament room too. So you are always nice and comfortable and able to stear clear of all the drama when tourneys are in play.

They spread a $3/$6 and $6/$12 limit game along with $1/3 NL $2/5 NL and $5/10 NL games.

Their tournaments are held on a daily basis as follows:

Omaha H/L We, 6PM $100+$20
NL Hold’em Fr, 2PM $2080+$86
NL Hold’em Tu, 6PM $75+$10
NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Su 12PM $200+$35
NL Hold’em Fr,Sa, 12PM $330+$39
NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su 11PM $120+$30
NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su 7PM $150+$25
NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su 9:AM $65+$15
NL Hold’em Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su 3:PM $65+$15
PL Omaha Mo, 5:PM $75+$15

I would recommend the 7p.m. nightly $150 tournament as it has the best structure of them all with 40 minute levels and $5000 starting chips. However, the blinds creep up really quickly after the sixth level and the tournament speeds up considerably after that.

The vibe at Caesars poker room is all about the money though. Not that your treated poorly but these guys are not about customer service at all. Not good. The dealers are intimidated and do not talk when the pit boss is around at all. You can tell something is not right in this poker room between management and the employees. Not a very nice thing to watch.

Overall a very nice room that needs some new management and better customer service. They do offer poker player room rates as well as comps for the players. Just make sure you sign up for a Players Card and present it when you sit down at the table or enter a tournament.

Are you on your way to Las Vegas and looking for a poker room? Then don’t pass up the Venetian poker room. If you do you are missing out on the experience of a life time. As is the case in most poker rooms in Las Vegas I recommend picking up a player’s card immediately. This will allow you to be comped for your play and to register in there tournaments. You cannot play in there tourneys without this card. The Players Club is just a few yards from the Poker lounge entrance.

The room itself is absolutely gorgeous and every bit as comfortable as your eyes would suggest. Moveable chairs with plush seats that are height adjustable. The carpeting and room décor is easy on the eyes. You also have built in cup holders at each of the 39 tables. You also have several plasma TV’s that line the walls to keep up with your favorite team. These kinds of “creature comforts” are what make the experience so satisfying.

The cocktail waitresses are second to none. They are prompt, courteous and beautiful. You can also order dinner from the diner across the casino and eat at your table if you like. The entrance to the poker room is downstairs along side the elevators leading to the main entrance. You will register for a seat at the main desk and they will ask you for your player’s club card. The Venetian spreads several games there and each table and the waiting list is displayed on the monitors as you walk in. They also have large tournament monitors for you to view the levels and blinds with little effort. If they don’t have a seat for you right away you are more than comfortable in the players’ lounge where the obligatory poker magazines and newspapers are all waiting for your reading pleasure. It doesn’t take long to get a seat and you are ready to jump into the action.

The cage is located in the back of the poker room away from the tables. So, you can handle your bankroll with a little privacy. Tournament payouts are in chips which can be redeemed at the cage for cash. If you stay in the Venetian your comp hours can be used towards your room, food court, internet connection or a combination of all of the above depending on how much you have built up. Also, if you plan on playing for six or more hours you are eligible for special room rates. So make sure you ask if you haven’t decided where you are going to stay.

The competition can be tough at the Venetian. The cash games are spread from $4/8 up to $200/$400 Limit, No Limit, Omaha and Omaha H/L. Higher games are setup upon request. Tourist love to play here and the best games are typically on the weekends. My experience was a very good one at the $2/$5 No Limit cash game due to tourists that were playing for “fun” and really did not have a good handle on the game. I was able to turn a $150 buy-in into $600+ in just a little over 3 hours of play. On the other hand this room does have a few of the professional players that tend to hover over the $150 and $300 nightly and weekend tournaments and cash games. These players are good and will definitely push your poker IQ to the limit. You have been warned!

The tournaments at the Venetian are run second to none. They are extremely well organized as you get a card with your name on it when you buy-in along with another card for your re-buy should you choose to take it. Registration is one hour before the tournament and there can be a line if you wait too long. The nightly tournament has a $150 buy-in and one re-buy. The structure has $5000 starting chips with 30 min levels and the blinds starting at $50/$25. Excellent structure and a nice starting stack. Usually this tournament has around 50 to 70 players. The weekend Deep Stacks tournament has a $300 buy-in and the structure starts with $10,000 in chips, 40 min levels, and $50/$25 blinds. Excellent structure and a pay day well worth the time and effort!

The dealers are all very good and FAST! There are automatic shufflers at each table for players to see the maximum number of hands per hour.

Overall, I highly recommend this room for its service, comfort, and management. If you play poker with any level of seriousness this is one of the premier places to play in Las Vegas.

Good luck at the tables!