Texas Hold'em Rides Again

What can I say about Texas Hold'em? The game is back and it's going stronger than ever.

In past columns, I have promoted mixed games as a formula for expanding poker and making the game more attractive to players. While some casinos and card rooms are expanding their spread games to include variations of high-low poker, most -- alas -- are staying with the proven Texas Hold'em, especially when it comes to promoting tournaments.

Talking Stick Casino in Scottsdale, AZ., for example, has a list of upcoming poker tournaments. All of them -- I repeat, every one of them -- is no-limit Hold'em tournaments.

I discussed this with the poker room manager and pleaded for him to consider hosting an occasional Omaha High-Low or H.O.R.S.E tournament. He smiled and shook his head.

'The interest just isn't there,' he said. 'Besides, it's hard to train dealers to deal mixed games. So I am afraid we won't be doing a lot of mixed tournaments, at least not anytime soon.'

The other day I signed up to play at Talking Stick. There were quite a few names on the Omaha High-Low games, so I was forced to play Texas Hold'em. And do you know what? I enjoyed the game.

Playing Hold'em is like running into an old friend and talking about past experiences. I have played the game for many years and supported myself for nearly two years while playing at the Sahara Dunes card room in Lake Elsinore, CA.

On my first hand, I was dealt Q-10 and called the bet. The flop came Q-7-8. A player came out betting, there was one call and I called. A three fell on fourth street. Both players checked and I came out betting. Player number one called and the other folded. On fifth street, I bet and the player mucked his hand.

If Texas Hold'em was always that easy.

By the time they called me for the Omaha High-Low game, I was down a few dollars. But I had enjoyed the experience. Hold'em is a fixture in poker and players will have to tolerate it until the poker rooms begin adding seven-card high-low, Omaha High-Low and other games to the agenda.

There is no question that the new players are tough. They have read the books, and many of them have deep pockets. They know when to hold them and when to fold them. And they are unpredictable when it comes to what cards they decide to play.

You can still make money at Hold'em, but you need to study the players in the card room where you play. They represent a different breed that I think even a Doyle Brunson might have trouble with.

I am planning a trip to Las Vegas in the next couple of weeks. I will vary my game and play craps as well as blackjack. And I will probably bet on a few baseball games. But my money games will be the mixed poker games at casinos like The Orleans and some of the others that spread mixed games. Wish me luck. And let the games begin.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).