Deepstack Poker Malta

Tournament organisers continue finding new ways to spice up the poker game. Just a few years ago it was a simple cash game or freezout tournament, but now we have so much more. Last week 120 poker players in Malta participated in a new style of poker called ‘Team Poker’. This is where players are allowed to change seats and dump chips with other team players. This week players in Malta have the opportunity to play another exciting poker game called ‘Deepstack Poker’. This means you are given more chips to throw around on your quest for all the chips at the table. Deepstack is quickly growing in popularity both online and live.

Deepstack Poker Malta

What is a Deepstack Poker Tournament?

In a deepstack tournament, players start off with more chips than they would typically get from a low buy-in game. Deepstacks are usually 300 times larger than the starting blind and some deepstacks could be as much as 1000 times the big blind. This allows players to feel they are getting more action for their money.

Why do many players like Deepstack?

More chips means, more hands dealt and a longer tournament. There is less luck in deep-stack tournaments, so good players should have more of an advantage.

Here are some Deepstack tips.

Having more chips enables you to take more risks and get creative with your poker play. Getting better value for your cards and stack means making looser calls. Calling with medium pair from the flop all the way to the river can usually be quite rewarding depending on the percentage of your stack you’re committing to. You should sometimes check raise opponents with a pair on the turn or river because having more chips gives you the chance to give your opponent a harder decision to call.

Although you have longer before the blinds squeeze you, many players tend to be more aggressive.

With so many players throwing chips on the table, it might take you longer to get good reads on your opponents and determine the right decision from the wrong.

Players are typically much better and more experienced than your typical €10 game. You’ll see a lot more bluffs and interesting plays. With such big stacks you don’t always have to follow the rules to do well, you have a lot more flexibility. Sitting at a deepstacked table is entirely different to sitting at any regular game, your play should now change to give you an advantage. Think of deepstack tournaments like poker on steroids: since players are “bigger,” most come out swinging and throwing chips at you.

Malta Team Poker Casino di Venezia

The Malta Team Poker tournament was easily one of the most original concepts in the Maltese Poker scene that we’ve seen in a very long time.  Although a similar event had taken place at the Casino di Venezia during the Malta Madness tournament (Poker Idol), it only took the role of a side event.  That event was reasonably well attended, yet was largely overshadowed by the main event of €1,100. That was September 2010…fast-forward to May 2011 and the Team Poker tournament has taken on a life of its own!

Team Poker - Fabien Mezanger & Anna Colley

Largely anticipated by scores of Malta’s card sharks and poker fanatics, the tourney featured a very attractive buy-in at just €30 permitting players with all kinds of experience levels to participate.

At the tourney’s announcement approximately two months ago, numerous teams started to fill up the original 30 team places allocated to players.  Following its hugely positive response and numerous requests, this number of teams was eventually increased to 42 teams when the event kicked off on Saturday the 7th May, as 126 players got together at the waterside Casino di Venezia for the wackiest tournament of the year.

The concept for the tournament was nothing like most players have had time to get accustomed to so far…chip dumps, player time outs, seat changes, team captains….the Team Poker tourney made all this possible and more!  The instructions to the players were quite straightforward – Pick three members per team, choose similar clothing, colours, or accessories and most of all enjoy the team aspect in what is usually a very different kind of game, where traditionally, every player fends for himself.

Team Poker - Vodka JB UP

The casino floor was filled with many team players from different backgrounds each clad in their themed attire…and with team names like “Pink Piggies, Gallinari Prodigies, Kabocci, Vodka JB Up” the field was nothing short of colourful.  At €30, many amateur players were expected, however it didn’t detract the more experienced players from joining the action at the Casino di Venezia for this year’s most affectionately spoken about local tournament…The Casino di Venezia seems to have some tricks up its sleeve after all.

As far as the tourney progression went, 126 total participants from 42 teams took the prize pool up to €3,780 and the game officially begun at 8:30pm on Saturday the 7th May 2011. Read the rest of this entry →

Christine Sammut talks about her experience at the Irish Poker Open 2011

23 year old Christine Sammut, is a model example of an exceptional Poker Supervisor. She’s well spoken, incredibly talented, and very well respected by local players in the Maltese Poker community.  It was no surprise to us when we heard that Christine was invited to assist a world renowned Tournament Director ‘David O’Neill’ at the annual Irish Poker Open held at the Burlington Hotel, Dublin from the 21st till the 25th April 2011.

‘Hitting the Nuts’ Poker movie enjoying a great reception amongst American audiences.

Hitting the Nuts - Poker Movie

The film was released on DVD on the 15th April 2011, and it’s currently the most recent poker movie to make it to the shelves.  By the looks of it, it’s already a very popular pick amongst American audiences.

The movie tag-line gives us an indication of the comical outlook of the movie by stating that ‘Even Professional Poker has a Farm System,’.  The movie is meant to be a representation of the 2009 underground poker tournament/championship which is held annually in Scott county, Indiana.

The overleaf on the DVD cover describes the plot of this light-hearted mockumentary as “an outrageous group of blue-blooded American misfits who have spent a lot less time hitting the nuts in life and a lot more time having life return the favor.”

Produced by ‘Rebel Pilgrim’, the movie was written by Joe Boyd who also took care of the movie direction.  Boyd also makes an appearance in the film as a character by the name of Ezekiel Yoder, an Amish farmer, come poker player.

Ther producer’s background in comedy allowed him to accentuate the documentary feel of the movie with improv dialogue in many of the scenes, which is reminiscent of the filming style used in the popular American tv series ‘the office’. Read the rest of this entry →

Ever wondered what it feels like to be a casino dealer ? Most people will probably think it’s an easy job. Dealers are paid to deal cards and what could be so difficult in that? Players risk their money to get a “thrill” while dealers are paid to be in that same environment.  Well, as good as that might sound, the dealer’s position is considered to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world.

When you’re ‘on the other side’ of the rail, things are not as “thrilling”.

Malta Poker - Poker Dealers

Poker dealers and croupiers have to constantly perform their job within 3-4 feet of other people, who are constantly staring at them, judging their every move. Most of the time, they get the blame when people lose their bets even though the dealers have no possibility to change the outcome of a hand. Dealing requires the ability to perform complex mathematical solutions while maintaining a calm and relaxed exterior AND simultaneously socialise with guests. When dealing to someone who is rude, the dealer doesn’t have the option to walk away. He/She simply must sit there and ‘deal’ with it, at times throughout the duration of an 8 – 10 hour shift. Poker dealers handle tens of thousands of Euros on a daily basis, so a simple honest mistake could cost them their job, so their guard can never be dropped – unlike most jobs, which can often be done carelessly as long as they get done. Casino dealers work on every day of the year – holidays or not – and often do so up till the wee hours of the morning, sometimes without a set schedule. Having to constantly re-adjust their sleeping schedule adds further stress to an already very stressful job. Read the rest of this entry →

Why do some players still reveal what cards they had while a hand is going on? Why be cocky and criticize? A few deliberately play out of turn. Profanity and obscene language! Do you have to needlessly stall the action of a game? Do I care what cards you had? Yes, I do, it helps. But it’s not right.

If you are new to the game, it’s fine. We were all there once, we understand.  Take note, this will help you start on the right foot.

Some things are not even against the rules while others could have you penalized. Following these tips will make you look like a veteran/pro in no time.

Things you should not do.

I should not reveal my cards while a hand is going on. Doesn’t matter if I had bad cards and it doesn’t matter if I folded. This is a horrible breach of etiquette. If you were not folding, you’re hand will be ruled dead anyway.  Why? Because it can give one player an advantage over another.

I should not be mean by criticizing an opponent’s play. I too can make mistakes, I am not the best player in the world.

I should not react to the cards on the table. If I folded and my cards would have made a great hand on the flop, I should not stumble back in my chair or bang my hand, letting everyone know that I would have hit that flop. Again, it can give some players an advantage over another. Read the rest of this entry →