So
there I was, wondering when I would have to fork over
some cash, when I finally accepted that the free Texas
HoldEm tournament was actually that: free.
After all, you don't have to be a cynic to pause at the
phrase “free poker.” It ranks up there with “no closing
costs,” “money-back guarantee” or “pain-free hair
removal.”
Regardless, I strolled into Wally's in Gardner on a
recent Wednesday night hoping to erase any skepticism.
Seven hours later, I walked out a wiser man.
The
first thing I learned: Sign up early.
When
Wally's kicked off its free
texas
holdem
poker, two
tables of eight players took part in tournaments at 7
and 10 p.m. The next week, the two time slots combined
for 15 tables. The third week — the night I played —
there was an overflow crowd after filling 10 tables for
each tournament. The bar even had to track down more
folding chairs to accommodate the players.
The
next thing I noticed: Real or not, $3,500 worth of chips
is nice to have.
When
the
texas
holdem
tournament
was ready to start, organizers doled out stacks of chips
in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000. I
promised my lone $1,000 chip that we wouldn't part. I
lied.
My
third observation: This isn't Vegas.
Players played out of turn, forgot to put in the blinds,
spaced off during their bet, asked elementary questions
— and no one seemed to mind.
Order quickly was restored whenever someone committed a
faux pas, and, more often than not, everyone shared a
laugh afterward. So if you don't know everything, ask.
And if you do know everything, relax. The rest of us are
still learning.
Lesson No. 4: No one likes losing fake money either.
I
went into this tournament thinking that since we weren't
wagering any of our own money, people would be playing
fast and loose with their chips. Except for one guy who
went all-in on the first hand and one girl who pushed in
$20,000 (“It's not real money, you know?”), gamblers
guarded their chips closely.
The
fifth nugget of wisdom: Sobriety pays.
At
one point, I was seated between two guys who couldn't
hold their heads up, much less recognize the difference
between a spade and a club. Alas, they weren't seated
next to me for long.
No.
6 has to do with group enthusiasm. The final table of
the early tournament had 60 spectators surrounding it,
clamoring for an all-in or bemoaning a bad bet. In the
late tournament, more than a dozen people stuck around
to watch and cheered me on to second place.
The
seventh and final lesson: Free poker tournaments are a
good thing. You can meet a wide cast of characters and
study “tells” (your cue, Jocelyn). And you can
experiment with strategy and style. All without risking
a dime.
That's as low-stakes as it gets.
Your call
I'm
trying to find out if it's possible to play a free
public texas holdem tournament every night of the week.
When and where does your game convene? And if you're
trying to find a place to play, let me know, and I'll
try to hook you up with a schedule.
