5 players you shouldn't be at the poker table

Regardless of your skill level, poker fundamentally is a social game. You sit around a table, alongside other humans, for hours at a clip. And you play a game. Unless you want to break up the table, it's important to comport yourself in ways that aren't offensive to your opponents.

With this in mind, based on a recent session at Casino M8trix in San Jose, here are five personas to avoid and five easy solutions to change your behavior, stat.

The smelly guy: There is no strategic advantage to smelling like a sewer. If you can afford to throw down a few hundred dollars at a no-limit table, you can afford to bathe. If players keep requesting seat changes from the spots next to you, it's a good bet you should have showered after leaving the gym.

The staller: Granted, some decisions in poker require serious thinking. But players who move at the speed of sloths and take multiple minutes before every call, fold or raise can derail a game. I equate this experience to conversing with a slow talker - at first it's uncomfortable, then it's just maddening. If you notice opponents calling "time" on you repeatedly, perhaps it's time to order a coffee or head home.

The kvetch: The Yiddish word for "complain" is kvetch, and, at the poker table, this sort of behavior is atrocious. The worst offenders are those who complain about bad beats - especially if the bad beats in question happened at other tables in other cardrooms at other times. If you're reminiscing to what feels like a bunch of crickets, you could be this person. The solution is simple: Shut up.

The lecher: One sad reality at Bay Area cardrooms is that an overwhelming number of poker players are men. Just because female sightings are rare, however, doesn't mean it's acceptable to leer at waitresses as they flit by. This behavior is particularly egregious when the staring actually stalls the game. If you catch yourself fantasizing about the woman who just delivered your Kung Pao chicken, get up and ask her out. Otherwise just play cards.

The aggressor: There is a benefit to overaggressive play at the poker table every once in a while. But throwing it all on the table for (just about) every hand is irritating. This behavior fails because it effectively prevents most of your (saner) opponents from playing. If you find yourself frustrated that nobody is calling your pre-flop all-ins, it likely is time to slow down a bit. Or hit the weight room.

Matt Villano is a freelance writer. E-mail: 96hours@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mattvillano

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Don't fear poker risks - evaluate them

"I can't believe you called," said my opponent shaking his head. "I just can't believe you called."

We were playing Texas Hold'em at the Rio in Las Vegas during the World Series of Poker. But this wasn't a tournament - it was a cash game in the hotel's small poker room off the slot-filled lobby. I had the jack and nine of hearts and bet $15 pre-flop. Three players called. When three hearts fell on the flop (the king and two low cards), I'd made my flush. But I wanted to end the hand quickly in case anyone had a higher heart. I didn't want an opponent to top me if a heart dropped on the turn or river.

So I bet $100. Two players folded, one took me all in and had me covered. I'd started the hand with just over $450 and had about $350 in chips left in front of me. I considered the possibilities:

-- My opponent has the ace or queen of hearts and another heart for a better flush. Unlikely but a scary possibility.

-- He has two hearts but neither is as high as my jack so he's trailing me. If he has this, he'll want to end the hand before another heart falls, thinking I may have one high heart. Quite possible, but based on his agitated body language and pre-flop play, not likely.

-- He has a high heart, probably the ace, and has two chances to hit a high or nut flush. More likely.

-- He's bluffing and has nothing. Remotely possible.

I have a friend who thinks poker is all luck, but this is where it becomes a skill game. My gut tells me he's either got the nut flush draw or has hit a lower flush than mine. If his flush is lower, I'll win. If he's on a draw with the ace, I'm about a 2:1 favorite. I later checked CardPlayer.com's poker odds calculator (http://bit.ly/RAvLe) and found my odds of winning were 71 percent.

So I call. He shows the ace of hearts and a blank. Neither the turn nor river is a heart; I pull in a pot in excess of $900. I ask him why he's so incredulous that I called. "You risked your whole stack!" he blurts out.

I did, but it was a risk that made sense. A few years ago when I was a risk-averse novice, I probably would have folded. But now I don't fear risks. I evaluate them. And this is a good way to approach the game. If you believe the odds are in your favor, go for the big win, because there's nothing like paying for your trip to Vegas by taking a hefty pot at the poker table.

Michael Shapiro is a freelance writer and author of "A Sense of Place." E-mail: 96hours@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shapirowrites

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JC Tran discusses World Series of Poker final table

Sacramento's JC Tran has come a long way since arriving in California as a 2-year-old immigrant in 1979. Tran is chip leader going into the final table of the World Series of Poker's Main Event, the man with the best shot of taking home the $8.3 million top prize.

A seasoned pro, Tran honed his game at the Capitol Casino in Sacramento and has won two WSOP bracelets and a World Poker Tour title. He has career earnings of more than $8 million. But years ago, he was known for playing fast and loose.

"When I was younger I won a lot of money, but I didn't know the true value of a dollar," he said in a phone interview. Now 36, Tran says he's a changed man and his top priority is his family. He has a 2 1/2-year-old son and a daughter due next month.

"I've cleaned it up a lot. I don't put myself in situations where I'm playing crazy in cash games and losing big chunks of money," he said. "My family taught me well to be humble and appreciate life - we never had a lot of money. Now you won't see me coin-flipping in a cash game hand for $100,000. I'm still grinding."

Tran will earn a minimum of $733,000 for making the final table, to be held Nov. 4-5 at the Rio hotel in Las Vegas. With his strong chip position (38 million chips - no other player has more than 30 million), he's likely to add several million dollars to his bank account. But he doesn't plan to buy anything special, just invest in his kids' college fund and save for retirement.

"I have what I need," he said. "I don't need fancy jewelry or any of that stuff."

Tran says he's in good shape mentally for the final table and can use his towering chip stack "to keep pushing it and win some hands." But he won't be too aggressive because at the Main Event final table, "every pay jump is like winning another tournament." For example the difference between finishing second and third is more than $1.4 million.

Tran said he can play aggressive or tight. "That's an advantage I have over guys who have just one style." But he's not taking any of his opponents lightly.

"In the end I'm playing with eight other guys who have played seven great days of poker," he said. "No one is easy money here. Everyone has potential to win and everyone's a threat."

Michael Shapiro is a freelance writer and author of "A Sense of Place." E-mail: 96hours@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shapirowrites

View the original article here

JC Tran discusses World Series of Poker final table

Sacramento's JC Tran has come a long way since arriving in California as a 2-year-old immigrant in 1979. Tran is chip leader going into the final table of the World Series of Poker's Main Event, the man with the best shot of taking home the $8.3 million top prize.

A seasoned pro, Tran honed his game at the Capitol Casino in Sacramento and has won two WSOP bracelets and a World Poker Tour title. He has career earnings of more than $8 million. But years ago, he was known for playing fast and loose.

"When I was younger I won a lot of money, but I didn't know the true value of a dollar," he said in a phone interview. Now 36, Tran says he's a changed man and his top priority is his family. He has a 2 1/2-year-old son and a daughter due next month.

"I've cleaned it up a lot. I don't put myself in situations where I'm playing crazy in cash games and losing big chunks of money," he said. "My family taught me well to be humble and appreciate life - we never had a lot of money. Now you won't see me coin-flipping in a cash game hand for $100,000. I'm still grinding."

Tran will earn a minimum of $733,000 for making the final table, to be held Nov. 4-5 at the Rio hotel in Las Vegas. With his strong chip position (38 million chips - no other player has more than 30 million), he's likely to add several million dollars to his bank account. But he doesn't plan to buy anything special, just invest in his kids' college fund and save for retirement.

"I have what I need," he said. "I don't need fancy jewelry or any of that stuff."

Tran says he's in good shape mentally for the final table and can use his towering chip stack "to keep pushing it and win some hands." But he won't be too aggressive because at the Main Event final table, "every pay jump is like winning another tournament." For example the difference between finishing second and third is more than $1.4 million.

Tran said he can play aggressive or tight. "That's an advantage I have over guys who have just one style." But he's not taking any of his opponents lightly.

"In the end I'm playing with eight other guys who have played seven great days of poker," he said. "No one is easy money here. Everyone has potential to win and everyone's a threat."

Michael Shapiro is a freelance writer and author of "A Sense of Place." E-mail: 96hours@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shapirowrites

View the original article here