Pages

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Poker in Belgrade


After I spent ten days with my son, family and friends in Belgrade, I found some time one evening to visit SkyPoker Club. It was Saturday night and they had freezout tournament with 2,300 dinars buy in, about $30. There was only 20 players and I was late for the start. I watched action of final seven, and didn't noticed much skill.

After the tournament there was no interest for the cash game. They usually play Texas Holdem with blinds 25-50 dinars, about $0.35-0.70. Someone suggested small sit and go with buy in 1,100 dinars ($15). There was seven of us. I noticed that they like to semi-bluff but after my re-raise they folded every time, not much skill and zero reading ability. Game was short and friendly and I tried to make new friends.

First few guys lost they idiotic all-in, and three of us made the "money". I took one out, and I was heads up for the first place, but behind in chips. I knew with my skills I could take this one down. Every time I was all-in my opponent folded and I became the chip leader. Than ... I lost on the river my on the turn all-in raise, and it was over in the next hand. I was second and got 2,100 dinars ($30) and the winner got about $48.


Belgrade has a few poker clubs and casinos. Poker room in the "Grand casino" can’t establish the game, and it looks like they don’t want poker action. Private clubs are semi-legal and have daily tournaments and cash games after. They operate from 8pm-6am. Crowd is mostly young, early twenties. They like poker but they are behind comparing to my Madison poker friends. I’m impressed with their enthusiasm and love for the game even they live in the hard economoc situation.

If you are looking for a poker room check this search engine. Click on the state, than click the city.
http://www.pokerrepublika.com/cms/sr/sfrj/poker-klubovi

Here are some poker clubs in Belgrade.

Grand Casino
Wb site: http://www.grandcasinobeograd.com/
Office: +381-11-2202-800
25 tables (American Roulette, Blackjack, Casino Stud Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker)
230 slots

Sky Poker Club
Jurija Gagarina 151,
Blok 44,TC MalaPiramida, 1 sprat, lok.91
New Belgrade, Serbia 11070
Phone:063-189-60-19
MSN: sky.poker@live.com
Web site: http://www.skypoker.rs/

Meridijan Poker Klub
Kraljice Marije br. 31
Belgrade 11000
Website: http://www.meridianbetpoker.com/
Phone +381-62-885-0284

Texas Hold'em Club TenStars
Novi Beograd, Gandijeva 17a,
Phone: 63/477-761
Website: http://www.pokerrepublika.com/
Email: tenstarsbg@gmail.com

Grand Casino
Wb site: http://www.grandcasinobeograd.com/
Office: +381-11-2202-800
25 tables (American Roulette, Blackjack, Casino Stud Poker, Three Card Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker)
230 slots

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

European Poker Tour


I'm leaving for Europe today, and I'll play some poker in local klubs like this one
SkyPoker Club
Jurija Gagarina 151,Novi Beograd,Blok 44,
TC Mala Piramida ,1 sprat,lok.96
New Belgrade, Serbia
Tel : 063/189-60-19
Web site: www.skypoker.rs/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=80610195014&ref=mf

Monday, April 13, 2009

Week 15-2009

My regular Monday game was canceled, so I went after work to Ho-Chunk and played painful eight hours and made $3.

Tuesday game was exciting. I was playing good and had some good cards. In one hand I folded pocket nines when an opponent re-raised another $80. He had aces and my fold was good, but ... the first card on the flop was 9. Then I got three hands in a row KK, QQ, KK. With queens I re-raised Mat to $200 and he folded. Next hand the same situation, Mat raised to $60, I went $200, and he went all in. My first thought was pocket aces, but I called another $250. Mat had aces, and I couldn't get lucky. I was down to $200, but I played good and cashed out plus $550.

Wednesday I played only 90 minutes at Mike's game and made $100.

Thursday night was long and useless. Cashed out only $40 plus.

Weekend at Ho-Chunk was a murder. Friday night Arthur, the dealer gave me three hands in a row set on the flop, but then came running cards for the flush. Same thing continued on Saturday and I just couldn't win a hand wit good cards. Sunday not much better but I made $100.

Before this weekend, in last 16 sessions I had fifteen wins and lost only once $200. I made $4186, with an average of $260 per session. I lost this week $400, and this was my second negative week in the last seven weeks.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

My Hand - The Best Poker Hand

Did you meet a poker player without a stupid "favorite hand"? We all have them, but lately I started to play favorite hands of my poker friends. When you play your friends hand you have to play it like a pocket aces and raise preflop, bet the flop even if you miss it ...

Last night after I spent two hours with Mariza at the Union Theater, I stopped at Mike's game. Played about 90 minutes and left a $100 richer. We played Omaha8 pot limit, and I got a nice pot about $420 when I made a straight holding KK98. Flop was J,10,4, turn 7 and a blank river.

Just two hands later came an interesting hand. I had 9,6,4,3. A mother of all favorite hands. I had it all.
Baraboo Bob's 6,3
Ted's "bum-bum" 6,4
Randy's 9,3
And the best favorite hand of them all, my "midnight special" 9,6.

I said: "Boys, I have a big one ... wooow !!!"
They knew, and everyone asked "What 9,9,6,6?"
I said "No, it's much better than 9,6 I'll win this hand."
The flop was 6,6,9 and they all looked at me. Action was over, and they knew that I have 9,6, and I knew that the pot can't be big now.
I bet $10, and only Swen called. I thought he may have something like 7,8,A,2.
Turn was a 8 and I bet $20, but after 8 on the river I had to check.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Week 14-2009

Friday - Bad seat at Ho-Chunk
I went to Ho-Chunk after work. They just opened a new table, and I found myself in the middle of Donkeystan. It started good. I made a few moves and after one hour I was up about $350. Than ir started. A big donkey (Elephant Donkey) at the table suddenly decided to play like "I'll rather be stupid than fold" and got lucky by hitting a few river cards. I couldn't win a hand when he is in the pot.

In this hand on the flop he made a $15 bet, I raised to $45. He checked the turn but called my $125 bet. On the river we were all in, so I lost this pot to a straight on the river.

In the next hand, i rivered the second pair, but that queen made his straight.

This was the hand I could win big if the heart came on the river, but no cigar ...

Finally I won a hand.

Than I pulled off a tin cup play, to pick up $350 pot.

I couldn't win a hand without loosing much bigger pot after that. After playing four hours I was in for $900, and down to my last $150. When one of the players left I changed the seat. At that moment Baraboo Bob came to my table and got my "bad" seat. He played with the same luck, loosing on the river numerous pots and lost over $1000. My luck changed with the seat change. I had a few nice pots with Bob, and gor most of my money back. Night ended only $200 down. About 3:45am Bob flopped the full house in the last hand of the night, and that was the only hand he didn't lose on the river. That seat was so bad.

Saturday - Nice Omaha Pot
This was a special ocassion game initiated by Dave A, who lives in Janesville. We started about 4pm and played till 2am. table was good with a few from my regular poker crowd Mat, Ted and some fish. We played round by round Holdem, Omaha8, and Crazy Pinaple. From the start of the game I was winning $300, than $600, than came a long 'card dead' period. About midnight I won a nice pot in omaha, and finished night with plus $850.

In this hand from the start I had many outs for a nut low, flush, and a big pair with a suited ace.

Sunday - Day off ... no way
Some of the guys from the last night started the same game about 1pm in Middleton. We played for about three hours, and most of the time I dominated the game. Again in one of Omaha hands I came from behind to beat Ted's set on the river. Game was over about 4pm and ... I went to Ho-Chunk. Game was slow and boring with tight players, including two girls. I was up $150 and start thinking about leaving when, I called an all-in bet thinking I have QJ. There were two queens on the board. My opponent had QJ, and ... oouupsss ... I actually had J,10. It took me another five hours to get my money back, and go home with $60 plus.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Week 13-2009 Racial Profiling

Uff ... It started with a bad beating Monday at Ho-Chunck. I lost at least seven pots to an Asian calling station, including a hand when I flopped the set and he called my $125 bet on the turn to catch gutshot straight. I lost $780, and I was upset for about 10 minutes and decided that in the future I'll play every time at that guys table and I'll make a lot of money.

I didn't have to wait long time. Friday night I found him and set at the table on his right. Two hours later I sent him home.

Saturday was even better. I was at the table with another Asian guy. He had about $700 in chips, but I sent him home, or to a blackjack table. While going for refreshment I noticed at one table Max, another Asian player with a pile of chips. Three hours later I sent him home for more money. I cashed out that night over $2000.

This works good. Just get me an Asian gambler at the table and I know pots will be big and I'll make some money.

Sunday after my regular coffee shop ritual, I didn't know what to do, so I went to Ho-Chunk again. I played for nine hours, and had to buy in for $940, and cashed out $930. It was painful.

Week 13 ended positive, and I made $1630. That closed the month, and the first quarter of 2009. I played 64 sessions and recorded 40 wins and lost 24 times, wining $86 per session. Out of 14 weeks, there were nine positive and five loosing. In 424 hours I made $5,505, for an average of $13 per hour. My goal is an average of minimum $200 per session. If I cut a few bluffs per session I can be on $200 goal.

If someone can guarantee you $13 per hour for playing cards and having fun, you may think it's a good deal, but .... I don't. Just by analyzing this numbers I can see what I have to change in my game, so I can move to $33/hour or more.

Amount Win Loss Difference
$100 9 8 $100
$200 7 2 $1,000
$300 7 6 $300
$400 3 1 $800
$500 5 2 $1,500
$600 5 2 $1,800
$700 1 1 $0
$800 0 5 -$4,000
$1,100 2 0 $2,200
$1,200 0 1 -$1,200
$1,300 1 0 $1,300
$1,600 1 0 $1,600