Poker Moments

It would be fair to say that the relatively sedate game of Pai Gow Poker, a.k.a. Double Hand Poker, rarely attracts headlines. However, so-called Face Up Pai Gow Poker, which is played with a fully-exposed dealer hand, did so at Harrah’s Las Vegas Casino & Hotel in November, 2021.

Professional player Quoclong Pham, from Vancouver, Washington, was visiting Sin City for business and pleasure and, early in his gambling session, turned up the third highest possible hand in the game. His combined seven-card straight flush – that is, seven consecutive cards of the same suit, one of which was substituted with a ‘semi wild’ joker, as allowed by the rules of the game – was sufficient to win the ‘Mega Progressive Jackpot’ of $1,393,273. Fortunately, Pham was shrewd enough to invest an additional $5 on a side bet that allowed him to qualify for the Mega Progressive Jackpot.

The newly-made millionaire reportedly had no extravagant plans for spending his winnings and intended to put the money away for a rainy day. Understandably non-plussed by the whole affair, Pham said, ‘It’s just surreal. It’ll hit me tomorrow once it hits the account.’

Coincidentally, Pham was not the only lucky gambler to become an instant millionaire. Earlier the same day, at Circa Resort & Casino in Downtown Las Vegas, ‘Nikki’, from Southern California, won a progressive jackpot worth $1,075,234 jackpot on a ‘Wheel of Fortune’ slot machine.

It is truly impressive to hold the longest winning streak among all of the big wins. As a result of Archie Karas’ incredible run in Las Vegas, the term ‘The Run’ has become synonymous with his journey.

The Mirage was his first stop in Vegas when Karas arrived with $50 in his pocket. In this environment, he bumped into the same poker player he had met in LA and persuaded him to stake him $10,000. With this bankroll, he played $200/$400 limit Razz and in no time his bankroll grew to $30,000. He paid $10,000 to his backer plus another $10,000 for staking him.

With only $10,000 left, Karas was confident of blowing up his bankroll. A bar was more appealing than the poker tables to him, so he decided to play pool instead. His chance meeting with a high-stakes poker player also occurred here. As soon as they started talking, the two agreed to play high stakes 9-ball pool, in which each game would be played for a $5000 wager.

This player was always referred to as Mr. X by Karas and he would never reveal his real name. In the end, Karas won hundreds of thousands of dollars playing pool. Karas continued to win, and Mr. X raised the stakes to $40,000 per game, but Karas still won.

Binion’s Horseshoe then offered poker tables for the two to play at. Additionally, Karas won $3 million here and quickly accumulated his winnings. One of Kara’s biggest strengths and weaknesses was that he was never afraid to put everything on the line. Without flinching, he was willing to stake his whole bankroll. With $4 million in winnings, he finished this marathon betting session.

As a result of his continued play in Las Vegas, he increased his bankroll within three months to $7 million. It wasn’t long before he gained a reputation as one of the most successful high-stakes poker players in Las Vegas.

Position represents an essential concept in poker, which poker players do not take for granted. It simply refers to the order that decides how players are allowed to act. A player who is “out of position” acts first. On the other hand, a player who is “in position” acts last.

Oftentimes, the latter gives players an advantage owing to the additional information they might have gained, as well as their ability to control the pot size. For new players, the concept of position might seem unheard of. To lend a hand, this guide will explain what poker positions are.

Why is it important to understand poker positions?

While many players often get the concept of poker positions wrong, it is one of the most important concepts in the game. When someone plays in position, they can get a significant advantage, thanks to the additional information they can gather. By making the most of your position, it becomes easier to play hands with relevant information about your opponent’s play.

Furthermore, you can also get more opportunities to bluff when you have a position on an opponent. This can make up for a weaker hand. Besides this, the most important advantage of having poker position is that you can know what you opponent is about to do before you make a decision on how to play.

You can make informed decisions with the knowledge that your opponent can attempt to deceive you. While a bet translates to interest, a check often implies that they are not so eager by the board.

You get a lot of information when playing from position. As a result, you can make use of your opponent’s action as a major factor as you decide on how to play the streets.

Apart from this, players can also make the most of bonuses at major gambling platforms, including Bet365. Indeed, many people Use bonus code BET247 at Bet365 to boost their winning chances. After all, combining bonuses and good positions can make up a powerful tool.

Types of Poker Positions

As stated earlier, position is how a player is arranged with respect to other players. Whenever a poker player says, “I’ve got a position on you,” what they mean is that they are seated to your left, which allows them to act after you. This section will introduce the different types of positions in poker.

The Dealer Position

For the band’s position, your position at the table is always relative to the dealer. To ensure that all players get equal time in all positions, the deal rotates around the poker table. When you are “on the button” or in the dealer position, you can fancy your chances in the most desirable position. Generally, after the flop, the player in this position is always the last to act in every betting round.

Since you are the last to act, you can see everyone in the hand as they take an action before you consider taking yours. For smart players, this often represents a significant advantage. This ensures that you can get away with playing more marginal hands in the dealer position.

The Early Position

This position can be found three seats to the left of the dealer. It is considered by many to be the worst position in poker. This is because the player in the early position must act first without any prior knowledge about how their opponents are going to play their hands.

Any decision that is made to check, bet, raise, or fold is done without sufficient information about the other players.

The Middle Position

The next position in consideration is the middle position. Players in the middle position can see how other players in the early position play their hands before they take an action. However, you will still have other players after you.

For a player in the middle position, you can decide to play a bit looser than other players in the early position. Yet, you must never throw caution in the wind.

The Late Position

This position involves the dealer and the player to his right. It is seen by many as the best position in poker. This is because of the extra information you will have to make better decisions – whether to bet, call, fold, or raise – than other players in early position, who must act first without the advantage of this additional information.

You can even enjoy the advantage of raising a bit more aggressively, especially if you are not the button. You can try to “buy the button,” and this can improve your position if you get the button to fold.

Conclusion

For most new players, the idea of position in poker might seem strange to them. However, in a game of incomplete information, it remains a very important factor in determining the poker strategy you choose. The ability to make decisions after other players can give you an edge on whether to call, fold, bet, or raise.