Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Ray J has been dealing for nearly 20 years and now, much like a professional poker player, follows the tournament circuit around the country plying his trade. He talks to us about the life of a traveling dealer, the rewards and frustrations of the job, the importance of proper procedure, the training available for WSOP dealers, why fewer experienced dealers return to the series every year, and what you as a player can do to keep them coming back and to see that the good ones are rewarded. He’s a fascinating man with a perspective on the game that players rarely get to hear. If you want to take Ray J’s suggestion about reading the official WSOP rules, you can do so here.
Timestamps
0:30 Hello and welcome: Andrew’s first week in Las Vegas
8:30 Strategy: Aces in a four-bet pot, Queens on an AAA flop, strategy for single-rebuy tournaments
59:48 Interview: Ray J the WSOP Dealer
Strategy
Hand 1
Near the end of the first hour of the $3000 NLHE Shootout WSOP event, blinds are 25/50, and Hero starts the hand with 7600. Button has 11K and covers everyone at the table.
Hero has AA in the CO and open to 125, Button 3-bets to 350, and SB who’s been quiet so far cold calls the 3-bet. He’s got about 9K.
Hero makes it 1100, Button folds quickly, SB asks how much Hero has left and then calls.
Flop 47Tr, Villain checks. There’s 2550 in the pot, 6600 in Hero’s stack. Hero bet 1050, SB shoves.
Hand 2
$1/$2 NLHE. Hero is UTG with QQ and opens to $15. One caller in middle position.
The flop is A – A – A. Hero bets $30, Villain shoves for $180 total.
In discouraging against set mining, don’t you have to consider that there are 2 players left to act and not just one? I think I like the raise to 1400, partly for that reason.
Re: discussion of Venetian, don’t they have the lowest rake? I think I remembered it was $3 max whereas other casinos it was $4, so that would be a reason for nitcasters to play there.
Very enjoyable conversation with Ray J.
And the bonus track with our two hosts owning PI was a great edit by Gareth.
Hold on. Did Nate say something like “which balances a lot of their DESIDERATA”? Whose listening to this podcast? Noam Chomsky? John Locke? Foucalt himself??? Im recommending this blog to a lot of my idiot friends. Please don’t make me look bad. PARADIGMATIC indeed!!!! LOL!!!
Keone I find the scholarly references you make in your post obfuscating and highfalutin. Jeezes, have a beer with a prole sometime.
Jeez Gareth its a running joke I have with Andrew Brokos. BTW I come from prole stock. And born and bred in OCEANIA as well. Is that obfuscating and high falutin enough.
It doesn’t quite touch desiderata but I think you need to be looking down from an ivory tower for that.
Well Im sorry if Ive offended you in anyway but I have barely a high school education. My counselor once told my mom that I didn’t need to go to college cause my IQ wasn’t high enough. That I would be better served to go to a Technical school. This was in ’65. I was drafted then into the army but I tore up my draft card and refused to go to Nam. I fought for a better life ever since. And never wanted a child to feel like I did. For us working class and poor. For Voting rights and against racism.
Organizing coalitions of people of color, Blacks, Latinos, Asians (which I am), etc for a better world.
Ive since then had a bad habit of poking fun at the intelligentsia. Again my apologies.
No apologies needed keone. I guess I’ve done a bad job of joining in making fun of Nate, which was my intention, with both replies. If you read them with that (hugely sarcastic intonation) in mind you’ll conclude we’re both fighting the good fight here haha
Yes, pretty sure it’s official Thinking Poker policy to encourage listeners to needle the hosts a bit. Especially if you also contribute to discussions here, as both of you do!
Nate, Andrew will confer this, I am in total awe of you and your wit. Not to mention your great vocal ability. (dig at Andrew here). I am a member of PXF for 5 years and have talked about your pod and blog extensively. Keep on keeping on.
I don’t know about the higher limit games but for 1/2 or 1/3 Venetian is better IMO. The games are much softer than Aria in my experience and the Venetian is only slightly less comfortable.
…not to mention self-serve coffee! FWIW, I’ve found the quality of the games at 2-5ish to be sometimes better than the Aria, sometimes worse.
Around minute 48 Nate tries to plug a great old article by Andrew, but there’s no link in the show notes. I’m pretty sure the article Nate is mentioning is “Relative Hand Strength”, which can be found here:
http://www.thinkingpoker.net/articles/index.php?page_id=5364
Thanks very much!
It is much easier to say that you’ll put something in the show notes than to actually put something in the show notes. Might have to keep pen and paper handy so I can keep track of these things while recording.
loved the podcast! do you mind sharing the song you guys used for the intros/outros for this episdoe? thanks!