People watching

I confess I am a habitual people watcher. No matter where I go I love to watch people. Everyday I take my laptop to my favourite coffee shop and in between reading emails and blogs I people watch. I am not sure what the fascination is but I just do it. I admit I tend to watch the female species considerably more than the male but I do both. Having said that I must clarify I am completely heterosexual! How this has helped me at poker is that being someone who watches and notices things when you play with certain people all the time as I do in my home league you pick up things that maybe other people won't. Like the way they look at their chips if they hit their flush draw, how they toss their bet in if they are bluffing. Just little things like that.

Las Vegas I have always said is the best people watching in the world. My routine when I go to Vegas always involves hitting a coffee shop up that has a good window (like the Starbucks near Carnival Court). Great way to start the day. You see everything there no matter the time of day or night. Great entertainment if you need a break from the poker tables.

Speaking of Las Vegas I see Harrahs Inc which owns (Flamingo,Paris, IP, Osheas, Caesars and a few others) now lets you use your poker comps on your room bill. Last time I was there in August when I wanted to use my poker comps I had to go to the poker room and get a paper comp and then it could only be used in their restaurants or shops. Now it will also be right on your Rewards card and you can use it on your bill. I also just read that they are giving you tier points for poker playing which to me who only goes to Vegas twice a year doesn't mean much and I will probably always have just a gold card but if you play slots or tables games a lot (which I don't) you always got these points. My only complaint is I wish the reward points didn't expire every 6 months.

Last night I was playing a 6 person SNG Tournament on Full Tilt at it was down to heads up with another guy and myself. I picked up pocket 3's . Not a crushing hand but heads up usually you will have the best hand with any pair. I was getting a little tired so I pushed my remaining 2500 in chips. He had me covered and called. He had AK. Magically my pocket 3's held up. Very next hand I look down and I have AK. He acts first and he pushes. I think for like a nano second and call. I have him covered now. I flip over my AK and he flips over pocket 3's. What are the odds of this happening on 2 consecutive hands?? Same cards but going to different players and heads up? Anyways flop comes 10,8,6, turn is J and the river brings the magic K. I am sure he was a bit choked but as I said yesterday you need luck in the races to win.