Page 13 - January 2008 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Jim Mercurio: Poker
APoker and Life in the New Year
poker pro friend of mine was irting with a young woman at a bar. He asked to buy her a drink and she said that she was driving so she couldn’t drink anymore. He took this as a rejection. e next day, in the same way he would look over a hand history, he critiqued
his own play. He realized that if he had followed up the young woman’s “no” by asking if he could get a glass of water for her, he would have given her another chance to say “yes” which would have been a “tell” that she was probably interested in him. We can all learn a lesson about being honest with ourselves and questioning if we are using the best strategy in our lives.
Another concept to consider is predestination. In poker certain things are going to happen no matter what you do. Late in a tournament, you are rst in with AQ and you get called with AK...Your kings run up against aces...You
shoot it for $100k with unknown actors (just to get it in the can).
I wasn’t sure what to do. But then I imagined the “end of the hand.” If there is a chance for the lm to be madefor$8million,what would that mean? at means that somewhere along the way an A-list actress fell in love with the script. ere has to be the actress who is going to read it and love it. So we began submitting it to A-list actresses and their agents as a low budget
lm, knowing that if an A-list actress showed interest, she would discuss making it as a bigger movie. I trust the script and I know if I get it out there and it doesn’t “grab” a star, then as a big-budgeted movie, it wasn’t meant to be. And I am not going to lose a wink of sleep over it.
One last poker concept for you to think about in life this coming year is big-pots/small-pots. e idea is
go down in ames with
set over set. Here are a few
words of solace that will
bring you comfort when
these things happen: so
what! ere are things
to worry about in poker.
is is not one of them.
No one would have done
anything di erently. In
life, if you are sure something is out of your hands, then don’t fret.
I recently had an epiphany about my career based on the poker concept of predestination. I wrote an award-winning screenplay that I want to direct. One producer wanted me to wait and make it as a $2–$10 million picture with A-list actors (like Cate Blanchett, Paul Giamatti) yet I had some friends telling me to go
keep the small pots small and big pots big. If you have KJ on the button and the board is K9T, if you can’t get away with one bet for all three streets, consider not even playing it. Don’t ever give a telemarketer only a minute of your time. If you are interested, listen to the entire spiel. If not, play the smallest pot of them all— zero—by immediately hanging up. Be wary of putting your time and energy into things with little payo . But when you see a big pot, get all of your chips in. Figure out the things that are important like family, friends, career or maybe even hobbies and play them like the stone cold nuts.
Happy New Year!
Buy Jim’s lm Hard Scrambled at www.hardscrambled.com or if you like his column, contact him at jim@jamespmercurio.com.
$1,500 Thursdays: ursday, January 3rd, 17th and 31st, evening sessions, regular games pay $1,000 1st
prize and $500 consolation.
$10,000 Advantage Jackpot: Monday, January 21st,
$10,000 must go on Advantage Jackpot.
VIEJAS CASINO & OUTLET CENTER
Mon.–Fri. Matinees: 11a.m., 2p.m., $10 buy-in pays $300; Early Birds and Warm Ups: 6:30 p.m. Evening Session: 7:30 p.m. , $10 buy-in pays $1,000; $18 buy-in pays $1,500. Saturday Matinees: 11 a.m., 2p.m., $10 buy-in pays $300; Evening Session: 7:30 p.m., $15 buy-in pays $1,199. Sunday: Matinee I, 11 a.m., Matinee II, 2 p.m., $10 buy-in pays $300; Evening Session: 5p.m., $16 buy-in pays $1,500. No Early Birds or Warm-Ups on Sundays. Phone: 619-445-5400.
$5 January Nights: Every Monday in January, play for just $5 during the Evening Session, and all regular games pay $1,000. No coupons, passes or discounts.
Super Matinee Session: On Monday, January 21st, play the Matinee Session for just $10, and all regular games pay $500. Coupons, passes and discounts will be accepted.
“The idea is keep the small pots small and big pots big. If you have KJ on the button and the board is K9T, if you can’t get away with one bet for all three streets, consider
not even playing it.”
January 2008 Bingo Calendar
FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO BINGO PALACE Open daily. Bingo Information Line, 800-827-2946.
MORONGO CASINO RESORT SPA
Bingo Wed–Sun. Phone: 1-800-252-4499 ext. 3954.
SAN MANUEL INDIAN BINGO & CASINO
Bingo daily (except Thursdays). For information call: 1-800-359-2464.
SOBOBA CASINO
Tues.–Sat. 9a.m., Early Birds, Regular Sessions and Intermission Games: $10 buy-in, $15 games paying up to $250, three specials pay $500 each. Phone: 1-888-772-7626.
January Specials: Wednesdays: 8 a.m. Bermuda Triangle $400/$800 payout. Fridays: First game pays $100, last game pays $500. Saturdays: ree
specials paying $300, $400 and $500.
SYCUAN CASINO BINGO PALACE
Matinee Bingo Daily 9:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m., and 2 p.m., $10 buy-in, 10 regular games pay $300; Saturday & Sunday Matinee I free breakfast; Matinee II and III, $10 buy-in, 10 regular games pay $500, $3 Star Bonus
Packs pay $500; Treasure Hunt Bingo (Sat)/Bullseye Bingo (Sun) pay $1,000. Evening Sessions daily at 7 p.m.; Monday– ursday $10 pack pays $1,000, $3 Star Bonus Pack pays $1,000; Friday–Sunday, $10 pays $1,199, $3 Star packs pay $750, $5 Star packs pay $1,199; Saturday $10 pays $1,199. Fridays, $5,000 Circle 8 must go; Sundays, $5000 Casino Bingo must go. Phone: 1-800-2-sycuan.
New Year’s Day Giveaway: Receive a free 2008 Cartoon Bingo Calendar during every session.
Blingo Bingo: From January 19th through March 4th, win a brand new 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid.
Receive one free entry each day plus bonus entries with puchase of bingo products. Final drawing held on Tuesday, March 4th.
January 2008
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Page 13
Poker: Wired Aces and River Rats Bingo Calendar