Monday, June 22, 2009

Worst Poker Club in the Philippines

For more than a month now, I've been playing Texas Holdem Poker regularly at "The Metro Card Club" in Metrowalk Ortigas and eventhough I've been on a month long losing streak (which doesn't make me feel good of course but it's part of playing Poker) I still appreciate the services being offered by this Poker Club. Super cold temperature, free bottomless iced tea or coffee or water, most employees are friendly and accomodating (sadly not all though), hosts a lot of tournaments (which I prefer more than cash games), etc.

But since this Poker Club is in Ortigas and I've seen in Asian Poker Tour website that there is another Poker Club in Paranaque called "Pocket Ace Poker Club" (nope, it's not in any way related to this blog), I was so interested to check it out since it's near our place since we reside in Paranaque as well. So off we go last Saturday...

Below are my observations and personal experience with this particular Poker Club and you be the judge (but don't take my word for it, try the Poker Club and experience their facility and services yourself):
  • Their mobile contact number is always unreachable for inquiries
  • It's near Roxas Boulevard and the Ninoy Aquino International Airports (NAIAs)
  • Very limited parking spaces
  • It's beside a SPA and massage center
  • Temperature inside is no better outside as it's hot as if there's no airconditioning system
  • Employees don't know how to greet and accomodate guests
  • Their free coffee have ants in it
  • People with asthma or hate smoking will be pissed off as it seems there's a pot session inside because of the cloud of smoke from cigars
  • Chip runners don't know how to count chips
  • Card dealers don't know how to properly deal cards and point out actions to players which led to me exposing my hole cards as I thought the card dealer was pointing at me to show my cards after the last communal card (called River) was dealt and he burned a fourth card and attempted to show a "sixth communal card" which is very odd because there are only 5 communal cards in Texas Holdem Poker
  • And last but certainly the worst, the floor supervisor/manager doesn't know how to probe (investigate) dealer and players to know the real story why I "accidentally" exposed my hole cards which led to a very unfair decision especially to me who is a first-timer on their Poker Club which should have been given a fair warning on this first offense which led me to lose PhP900.00 worth of Poker Chips even if I won the hand with my 3 of a kind Aces

I haven't been to all Poker Clubs here in the Philippines aside from "The Metro Card Club" in Ortigas and "Pocket Ace Poker Club" in Paranaque but I do hope that the latter is already the worst Poker Club (in my opinion) in this country as if there are more worse than this... then Heaven help their Poker Club get regular players enough for them to break-even.

So far, "The Metro Card Club" is still the best Poker Club (for me) here in the Philippines. But don't take my word for it of course... Try "The Metro Card Club" for yourself and try "Pocket Ace Poker Club" as well and you be the judge as per your personal experience. If you know me personally, you'll say that I seldom give negative feedbacks about anyone or anything.

Being emotional in Poker and in life in general

I went on tilt after a competitor bluffed me on a given hand with PhP3,500.00 bet worth of chips on the river card (last card dealt by dealer) that resulted to me folding my 2 pairs last Friday at "The Metro Card Club" in the PhP1,000.00 buy-in tournament. And to my surprise when he showed his hand (which is his option as a classic strategy to make your competitor tilt or become steamy or become hot and be defocused which happened to me), he has nothing!

When a Poker Player is on tilt, he normally does a lot of stupid things on his game and I'm no exemption. Poker is a game where when you get emotional, you'll most likely lose. After my competitor bluffed me, I got so careless that I went all-in (bets all of my chips) with my 8 of clubs and 5 of clubs after the flop which has 2 clubs and diamond hoping for a flush draw on the turn and river (which is a very stupid move) and after the player who made me tilt bets PhP1,000.00. Sure I was successful in making the player who made me tilt fold his hand but I wasn't able to see the obvious that another player may hold a "stronger" flush because I was on tilt. And I was right... He held a stronger club which is the strongest - Ace of Club and this guy called my all-in bet and I guess you know what happened next even if clubs appear or not on the fourth and fifth card...

Being emotional in Poker is very costly as well as in life as well... How many times have we seen drivers get killed in driving because of being emotional? We have seen in news reports drivers being killed by other drivers just because of a simple road misunderstanding... In Poker, a lot of people lose not because they are bad Poker Players or luck was not on their side but because they get emotional that they do stupid things on the table which cost them to lose the game.

This is a lesson that I should master and so should you in life, in Poker and in any endeavors we have.

Lost PhP300.00 in Tournament - June 21, 2009

My wife lost PhP300.00 buy-in on the middle round of the guaranteed PhP30,000.00 pot freeze-out tournament at "The Metro Card Club".

Better skill and luck next time on the next guaranteed PhP30,000.00 pot freeze-out tournament.

Lost PhP300.00 in Tournament - June 21, 2009

Lost PhP300.00 buy-in on the middle round of the guaranteed PhP30,000.00 pot freeze-out tournament at "The Metro Card Club".

Better skill and luck next time on the next guaranteed PhP30,000.00 pot freeze-out tournament.

Lost PhP1,500.00 in Cash Game - June 20, 2009

My wife lost PhP500.00 in cash game last Saturday at "Pocket Ace Poker Club" and PhP1,000.00 in cash game at "The Metro Card Club" afterwards.

Lost PhP3,000.00 in Cash Game - June 20, 2009

Lost PhP1,000.00 in cash game last Saturday at "Pocket Ace Poker Club" and PhP2,000.00 in cash game at "The Metro Card Club" afterwards.

Lost PhP1,000.00 in Tournament - June 19, 2009

Lost PhP1,000.00 buy-in on the early round of the guaranteed PhP75,000.00 pot freeze-out tournament at "The Metro Card Club".

Better skill and luck next time on the next guaranteed PhP75,000.00 pot freeze-out tournament.