10.14.09

I wanted to give a quick update of my trip to Daytona Beach, Fl. to partake in their poker room. The last time I had been at this poker room was a number of years ago before poker was legal in Florida. Well, it wasn't completely illegal otherwise it would have been difficult to operate a public card room for very long. The legal betting limits in Florida at that time, circa 1998, was 50 cents max bet. Yes, you heard me. We played 25 cent-50 cent Texas Holdem. Talk about hard to beat the rake!!! But, that is another story for another time. My recent trip to Daytona was interesting if not all that profitable.

They do things a little bit differently, but it's the same game. The ownership in Daytona is a bit more player friendly. They have a comp system in place, although at this time it is really ineffectual because it pays like 20 cents per hour. However, it will not be ineffectual forever.

This group is planning ahead because the slow down in Florida Poker has already begun. I'm not sure if the recession is the main cause, or just the normal phenomenon of poker players believing they are better players than they actually are, but there are definitely fewer people in the rooms of late.

Having a comp system already in place in rooms like Daytona is a jumping off point for the card rooms. The competition between rooms will only heat up from here. The regular player, aka yours truly, is going to begin to have some options on his services.

Make no bones about it. Someone like myself certainly provides a service to the rooms. I am there on a near daily basis. I am polite and congenial, for the most part, to all other players.

Wait a minute you may say. Isn't that to be expected? I would say yes, but unfortunately when the human, um, "spirit" let's call it, is involved when cold, hard, cash is taken from right in front of it, then emotions tend to run hot.

It has taken me literally YEARS, and THOUSANDS of hours of play, to finally learn to control my emotions. Sometime last year it hit me that people take varying actions during the play of a hand or session for a variety of reasons. ALL of those reasons are perfectly logical to each individual. It doesn't matter if it is flawed logic. To be so angered or upset by the outcome of another's "logical" actions is absurd. I'm glad it finally "clicked" for me. It has not clicked with all of the regulars, but most get it. Most got it before me. It's so clear now.

Anyway, I DIGRESS.

As poker rooms battle for a diminishing player base the most coveted players will be the regulars. I have often said I would go anywhere to play if I received gas money and comped food and drink throughout my play. At some point I hope I am offered the opportunity to "shill" at a poker establishment. I'll talk about that later as well.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, Daytona. So they have a comp system, sort of. And they have "Senior" dealers. These dealers have been around and are very competent. They are professional. They make few mistakes. These dealers deal the higher limit games. The newer dealers deal in the lower limit games. Makes sense to me. Daytona's waitresses were over worked. It was crowded due to the Bad Beat promotion that everyone was trying to hit, and they could have used some help.

Daytona's poker room also allows you to "chop" the blinds. Chopping the blinds is when everyone else has folded and the only players left are the small and big blind. To "chop" refers to the two of them taking their money back and moving directly to the next hand. It saves time, and keeps the game fun and light. Jax poker rooms do not allow chopping of the blinds and when I originally asked about it many months ago they told me it was against state law. You can imagine my surprise when I saw it being done in Daytona. I'm pretty sure Daytona is still part of Florida, at least during the 51 weeks that are not "Bike Week".

Th Daytona poker room is on the leading edge of what all poker rooms, or at least the one's who wish to remain in business, will eventually be doing. They are making their room, and the games they spread, more player friendly. The room in Daytona does not make you post when you first enter a game. You can just sit down, with your chips, and take a free hand. It's PLAYER FRIENDLY.

As the player pool continues to decrease the regular player will begin to receive comps and opportunity to save a little bit of money. This is all well and good and it is capitalism at its' finest. Unfortunately, these benefits can only mean one thing. The games are going to toughen up.

As the player pool decreases in number, so do the number of fish, or poor poker players. What will happen? Well, like in anything, the strong will survive and the weak will go broke and find another form of entertainment.

I cannot wait to find out which group I'm going to fall. Seriously, it's rather exciting. Of course, I've been hanging on the precipice for while now. The fall won't be that far. Maybe finding a low paying hourly job at first. Eventually moving back into the corporate world. Maybe even sitting in a cubicle all day answering phones and trying to sell people something. Just a sec while I very gently tap on the tip of my penis with this hammer. Cause I'd rather do that than sit in another cubicle.

It is exciting though. And you, the lonely reader, will have a front-row seat to witness either magnificent triumph or a return to the mundane. A return to the mundane. Jesus H Christ.

Please, no return to the mundane.

I'm out. I need to go read a poker book, or something.