Evening at the Casino

One of the few times we go to the casino, only two miles from our home, outside of our birthdays are for promotions the casino places in their small monthly magazine. We receive $25 worth of points for visiting on our birthdays (usually then putting 10-20 dollars into our favorite slot machine…!?) because we are part of their fire keepers card program. That is also why we get their monthly publication. A publication that is just the right size; about eighteen pages.

And the September promotion in “Ante”, their publication, was multiple entries into drawings. Drawings spread out over the entire month in which you must be present to win. So you have to visit the casino. So we had coupons for 25 free entries each if we visited on a certain evening which we did. Then last night they had the final drawings; three over two hours. So I used some of my points to buy my wife dinner at their Fire Pit Sports bar while we waited for the drawing results.

Breaking our routine was nice and we talked about a few things where we would have otherwise been stuck in our nightly routine. Six people were drawn at two times, twelve in total for a $1,000 prize each. Then at the final hour one person was drawn for a $52,000 prize. We didn’t win though a person at the table next to us in the sports bar won $1,000. My wife noticing that the person was neither surprised nor excited suspects the drawings are rigged, but we enjoyed our evening at the casino.

As we waited for that final drawing I borrowed five dollars from my wife for our favorite slot machine; a two cent machine. I won ten dollars and some change and cashed out. I pocketed the ten and gave my wife her five dollars back. She used it to win eleven dollars and some change, but couldn’t stop. I convinced her to cash out after a few more spins and then made sure she knew she won two cents more than I, because I know she enjoys to laugh…

For October we received in “Ante” four free entries each for guesses as to how many bats are in a coffin the casino has on display in their lobby. Little tiny plastic bats of the flying kind. When I read the promotion in their magazine I thought they were talking about baseball bats as the Brewers are in the playoffs. Of course you have to visit on four separate days to make your guesses. A rare promotion where you need not be present to win. Four closest guesses win. They also have more drawings, one entry for a gaming visit with additional entries for every 250 points earned. must be present at drawings to win.

We are close by so will enter our guesses and I may take my wife for dinner again on her birthday using my points. The poker room didn’t get busy until 8pm. They don’t have their Monday Night Football promotion this year. For a $530 buy-in, and a $30 add on, one can enter their $100,000 Autumn Feast No-Limit Texas Hold’em Tournament. Don’t know how fast it will fill or if it is already full. Winner gets $30,350. Sunday and Monday tournaments have come back also. They don’t advertise because they have no problem filling them. You best be waiting, seated at a game to get into one as those seated have first priority to get into the Sunday and Monday tournaments.

There are some large tournaments in this region at various casinos. Often the poker leagues will have promotions where you can win an entry into these tournaments. That is actually the best way to keep track of them, by participating or following one or more of the poker leagues (for lack of a more accurate description). The promotions usually entail playing at certain locations over a set time period, to win a seat outright or to qualify for a mini tournament of the largest point holders in the promotion to win a seat.

I have a new roof to get put on the house and some other miscellaneous expenses before I can consider serious tournament play. Even the mostly fun tavern tournaments will not be to common for me until we get by these financial hurdles. But I will get out to a few. I am considering setting up my cell phone so I can text directly to my poker twitter page.

If Full Tilt Poker really wasn’t segregating their players accounts from their operating expenses like they claimed they were, giving themselves large payouts, they are in deep doo doo.

So outside of a cash tip we left for our waiter ($20 of food paid in points) we came out ahead last night, which we have done on a goodly percentage of our visits over the last few years, since we first visited the casino. The food, service and company were good. It was a nice evening at the casino.

Free Poker!

Is there such a thing? Maybe if you are playing with friends in your home. But then again you have to provide some refreshments; you have to entertain your guests.

So I went to Fanatics last night to hit a Badger Poker tournament (see sidebar for links). It had been a long while since I attended Badger, though my name appeared to be recognized by all. I was surprised to find they are no longer providing a last man standing option in which people pay for extra chips and are eligible to win the collection… if they win it all. Chopping, splitting the collection among two or more remaining players, was also an option if all agreed.

But no more with Badger Poker as they desire to promote the free poker aspect of their business. The top three winners now get a bar tab as a prize. But is it really free? As someone who does not go out to enjoy the bar scene unless I am playing poker I have to question that, at least from the perspective of getting in a good game.

Yes, for those who go out to enjoy the night life spending a fist full of money, for which one will receive extra chips, is expected. Respectively they get a goodly stack beyond what someone who literally plays for free would get. You can still tip the tournament director for even more chips, which many are happy to do because the size of your stack does matter. Not to mention that they simply want to support the cause and know that something has to be in it for the directors so all involved can enjoy tournament poker.

I am capable of providing a small tip and to support the establishment by buying a soda, but this still leaves me severely small stacked in comparison to others. Badger also has an aggressive blind structure, not to mention extremely aggressive betting. Which means, for those truly or practically playing for free, if you don’t win a big hand, or several hands, in the first hour you’re going to have a short night.

Still it is an atmosphere, a style of play, I need to confront and master. So as I am now climbing back into economic viability, I still intend to hit Badger Poker on a regular basis. I had been sticking strictly with Tavern Tourney games when finances allowed, but now will start expanding my experiences. Ideally I would like to enjoy one of each (Badger and Tavern) every week. I still have to go to a few Pit Bull Poker tournaments so I can make a detailed comparison of the three tournament options on this blog. But that will have to happen sometime over the Winter. Pit Bull Poker promotes the free poker beyond all others though I believe you still get extra chips for purchases.

So why would I play tournament poker with tight finances? One reason is, as I record all my poker investments, I am break even or better money wise. …Maybe poker is free if you’re good like me. Now without a cash win option at Badger that may suffer a bit. The only opportunity to win back ones investment is now at Badger’s larger tournaments one usually must qualify for in points. Another reason I play, even when I can only afford a small stack, is that  I take everything I decide to invest myself in very seriously, and look to become the best at it. And that wont happen by doing nothing, and that’s what this blog is about.

Still I am not ready to be hitting tournaments twice a week on a regular basis. I am looking for several options for secondary and tertiary income. As Mark Belling has his football picking contest going on he promotes ASAwins.com . This service provides sport betting advice, their best picks available for purchase. So I looked into how one could take advantage of their advice to make some money (they wouldn’t be in business if their advice was bad) but could not find anyway to place sports bets that was clearly legal, so I have dropped that option.

Getting back into the stock market is another option that I feel more confident about after my past experiences. Then there is the nickel and dime returns I have made off of the Internet, through advertising or providing some small service. What I have called in the past Christmas gift money.

Playing poker on the Internet is loosing its allure as you don’t know and can’t see who you are playing, though I still do it to keep myself sharp. As we become financial stronger I am thinking of joining a site that provides training in the ways of poker.