All-In with Play Poker Chicago

The Ruling by the Floor

kevin@villagecruiseandtravel.com (Kevin La Van) — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 16:23:50 GMT

Mucked or Live

The Situation: At the 1/2 cash table over the weekend we had a situation regarding if cards were mucked and dead or not. When I came over to the table there was a lot of yelling and emotions were running high. I walked into an all-in with a player on the 7 seat insisting that the pot was his because the player in the 5 seat mucked and folded his hand.

Talked to my dealer and she explained what had transpired: The player in the 5 seat went all in, the player in the 7 seat must have called without a lot of fanfare, which is perfectly fine, action moved around the table to players on the other side and they folded. The player in seat 5 thought he won the hand and tossed his cards face down on the flopped cards. Before the dealer took the cards the player realized he was facing a call and retrieved his cards to show two pair on the flop and he was ahead…… and this is where I came into the scene of the crime.

The Rules:

1: Floor Decisions

The best interest of the game and fairness are top priorities in decision-making. Unusual circumstances

occasionally dictate that common-sense decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over technical

rules. Floor decisions are final.

15: Showdown and Discarding Irregularities

A: If a player tables one card that would make a winning hand, the dealer should advise the player to

table all cards. If the player refuses, the floor should be called.

B: If a player bets then discards thinking they have won (forgetting another player is still in the hand), the

dealer should hold the cards and call the floor (a Rule 58 exception). If cards are mucked and not

retrievable and identifiable to 100% certainty, the player is out and not entitled to a refund of called bets. If

cards are mucked and the player initiated a bet or raise not yet called, the uncalled amount will be

returned.

65: Accidentally Killed / Fouled / Exposed Hands

A: Players must protect their hands at all times, including at showdown while waiting for hands to be read.

If the dealer kills a hand by mistake or if in TDs judgement a hand is fouled and cannot be identified to

100% certainty, the player has no redress and is not entitled to a refund of called bets. If the player

initiated a bet or raise and hasn’t been called, the uncalled amount will be returned.

B: If a hand is fouled but can be identified, it remains in play despite any cards exposed.

13: Tabling Cards and Killing Winning Hand

A: Proper tabling is both 1) turning all cards face up on the table and 2) allowing the dealer and players to

read the hand clearly. “All cards” means both hole cards in hold’em, all 4 hole cards in Omaha, all 7 cards

in 7-stud, etc.

B: At showdown players must protect their hands while waiting for cards to be read (See also Rule 65).

Players who don’t fully table all cards, then muck thinking they’ve won, do so at their own risk. If a hand is

not 100% retrievable and identifiable and the TD rules it was not clearly read, the player has no claim to

the pot. The TDs decision on whether a hand was sufficiently tabled is final.

C: Dealers cannot kill a properly tabled hand that was obviously the winner.

14: Live Cards at Showdown

Discarding non-tabled cards face down does not automatically kill them; players may change their minds

and table cards that remain 100% identifiable and retrievable. Cards are killed by the dealer when pushed

into the muck or otherwise rendered irretrievable and unidentifiable.

The Thought Process: Every time I walk over to a table ‘Rule 1’ is always flopping around in my head. There is always going to be someone that likes my ruling and someone that doesn’t like it. So, I always take personal feelings out and strive to make a fair ruling that’s in the best interest of fairness and the game.

I listened to the dealer, then I had an earful from the player that wanted the cards mucked. I reviewed the TDA Rules about mucked cards, and killed hands in my head. I also though, could this be some sort of angle shoot, to muck the cards and then retrieve them, of some sort. You have to go in with a totally open mind and look at it from every side.

The Decision: It was really an easy one. The cards never touched the muck and were fully retrievable and totally identifiable and there was no reason the player would be trying any sort of angle as the bets were already out and there was no additional action to come, so I ruled that the cards were live and instructed the dealer to run out the turn and the river. The pot was awarded. I had one happy player and one not so happy player. In the end the rules are pretty clear on what to do in this situation.

The Takeaway: Always always protect your hand and be fully aware of the action around you. If the cards were actually in the muck the ruling may have been different - They need to be fully retrievable and totally identifiable, so the player got lucky. The losing player left the room but did come back to discuss the ruling I made. I sat with him and showed him the TDA Rules I used to make the call. I don’t think he was totally convinced but at lease he heard me out outside the heat of the moment.

The Ruling by the Floor

kevin@villagecruiseandtravel.com (Kevin La Van) — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 06:25:34 GMT

Hold on to your cards!!!

The other day I was called over to the table and walked into a small cluster. A tournament table called for the floor and as I arrived I was met with a chorus of voices shouting "misdeal, misdeal, misdeal.” The biggest thing you should takeaway from this post is NEVER toss your cards into a muck until you know that they should be mucked.

The Situation: Seat 1 and 2 had no cards (Fold, Fold), Seat 4 was All-In, Seat 6 was thinking, Seat 8 was the small blind and had 3 cards and Seat 9 was being blinded out but was big blind. Just as I began to assess the situation, the player in Seat 6 mistakenly mucked their cards, believing it was a misdeal.

The Rules: This situation required the entire TDA rule book to work out.

TDA Rule 35 Section A states “A misdeal occurs if “The wrong number of cards is dealt to a player” - so it’s simple right; declare a misdeal and move on, but….

TDA Rule 35 Section D states “Once substantial action occurs a misdeal cannot be declared, the hand must proceed unless the deck is fouled.”

TDA Rule 36 defines “Substantial Actions” as: “A” Any 2 actions in turn at least one of which puts in chips in the pot or “B” any combination of three actions in turn (check, bet, rise call, fold) Posted blinds do not count towards substantial action.

TDA Rule 1 states the floor decisions should always be made with the “best interest of the game and fairness to the players”

TDA Rule 2 talks about players responsibilities and states “Players should VERIFY they are dealt the correct number of cards before Substantial action occurs”

The Thought Process: My first thought was how the hell did a player in the middle of the action wind up with three cards; either two cards stuck together as they were dealt or he grabbed one of the dead cards from the player being blinded out so I had to figure out if it should be a misdeal because a player in the hand had too many cards. So, I looked at the action that occurred before I was called over; I had two folds and an All-In, so there was substantial action. With the action that occurred I could not declare a misdeal. Then I looked at what was left. I had a player all-in, I had a player that mucked his cards AFTER the floor was called because he assumed there was a misdeal, a player with three cards and a big blind with no player at the seat.

The Decision: I ruled that because of the substantial action that it was NOT a misdeal and that the player with three cards had the responsibility the verify his cards were incorrect before substantial action occurred. His hand was dead. Because no one at the table had live cards except the all-in player I awarded him the pot. The player in the 6 seat would have had live cards and could have called the all-in or folded, but because he assumed that it was a misdeal and his cards were not retrievable his hand was also dead.

The Takeaway: The players and the dealer made a mistake, once the floor is called or in any situation where you think there is a misdeal or something is off at the table HOLD YOUR CARDS and wait for the floor to arrive and access the situation. In this case the player in the 6 seat lost his chance to act because he folded after the flood was called.

In our next dealer meeting we will address how we as a room could have prevented this from happening and work to make sure we never make the same mistake twice. But, always hold your cards until you get a ruling.

The Ruling by the Floor

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 20:56:42 GMT

Miscount

We had a situation in the room this week where there was a miscount or a miscommunication between a player and the dealer regarding an all-in bet and call.

What transpired:

Player in the 3 seat raised, player in the 7 seat declares All-In. The player in the 3 seat asked for a count or how much more and was given the wrong number after the dealer counted out the chips. Player in 3 announces CALL and the cards were flipped. As the dealer prepared to pull in the pot he announced the total all-in and the Player in the 3 seat said that that was not what was given to him and the floor was called.

What I saw when I approached the Table:

when I looked at the table I saw the Player in the 3 seat had a stack of chips out in front of him and the Player in the 7 Seat had a all-in button in front of him and his chips neatly counted out (In the traditional stacks - this will come into play later) and both players cards were tabled.

My Ruling:

Player in the 3 seat could have forfeited the chips he put into the pot and not matched the correct amount (This was based off of TDA Rule 1 which states “Best interest of the game and fairness”) or the player in the 3 seat could if he wanted to see the board run out would have to match the actual chip count from Player in the 7 seat.

This is based off of TDA Rule 49, which states:

POKER IS A GAME OF ALERT, CONTINUOUS OBSERVATION. IT IS THE CALLERS RESPONSIBILITY TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF AN OPPONENT’S BET BEFORE CALLING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IS STATED BY OTHERS. IF A CALLER REQUESTS A COUNT BUT RECEIVES INCORRECT INFORMATION FROM A DEALER OR PLAYER, THEN PUSHES OUT THAT AMOUNT OR DECLARES CALL, THE CALLER HAS ACCEPTED THE FULL CORRECT ACTION AND IS SUBJECT TO THE CORRECT WAGER OR ALL-IN MOUNT.

My thought process:

First I hate making rulings like this because it’s a lose lose situation for me. Someone is always going to be upset. The ruling was pretty easy based on the information I received and the context of rule 49, and I remember a situation just like this in the WSOP a few years ago that stuck in my mind. The dealer having the all-in players neatly counted out in the proper way also helped a lot. The chips were visible and easily counted by any player at the table. The miscommunication was unfortunate and we never like to see a player upset but that was the ruling by the floor.

2023 Player of the Year

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 19:46:59 GMT

and the winner is......

All Hail the Player of the Year! Kyle Chmielewski. He outlasted our largest field ever to win the Play Poker Chicago Player of the Year for 2023.

Kyle went into the tournament ranked 42nd with most of his cashes coming in our DoorBuster tournaments. He outlasted a great stacked field to take down the honor and the Player of the Year Trophy. As part of his prize package he will be cruising on the Ante Up Poker Cruise in October with his Main Event included.

The 2024 Player of the Year is starting..... Don't miss your chance to join Kyle as a PPC Champion.

The Play Poker Chicago Player of there Year Final Table consisted of:

Casey Rose - Ranked 2nd, Finished 7th

Cris Montes - Ranked 17th, Finished 4th

Kimberly Bandura - Ranked 4th, Finished 6th

Amy Bylon - Ranked 16th - Finished 10th

Neal Albavera - Ranked 99th - Finished 5th

Karen Richer - Ranked 8th - Finished 8th

Roger Gill - Ranked 95th - Finished 9th

Tom Miller - Ranked 6th - Finished 3rd

Kyle Chmielewski - Ranked 42nd - Winner

Brian Riley - Ranked 30th - Runner-Up

The Play Poker Chicago team would like to congratulate the entire final table for their accomplishment for making it through a tough field and making the final table. We also want to THANK all the players that have come out this year and made us what we are. Without your support we would not be where we are.

Things I Hate About Poker

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 22:58:04 GMT

Chapter 5 - Chips

As a player, there is something to be said for having a massive pile of chips in front of you…. It makes you feel good about yourself. You can use them to intimidate other players, to build a massive wall to hide your cards from nosy neighbors or practice your architectural skills and build a cool castle. But……..

As a floor person I HATE BIG PILES OF CHIPS!!!!! Every time we come around to color up chips, it’s a battle with someone, “Please don’t color these up…… I like a big stack” There are several reasons we color up chips, the main one, is it makes it easier on the dealers. I just saw a story about the WSOP (World Series Of Poker not OUR Winter Series Of Poker ;-) Paradise event where poker pro Daniel Neilson lost 10,000,000 in chips because of a dealer counting error. This may have cost him a lot of real money.

Counting mistakes are one of the main reason we like less chips on the table. Believe it or not dealers are human and make mistakes (I know shocking) but, in reality it's easy to make a counting mistake when you have six people trying to do your job and shouting out random numbers at you. The fewer chips on the table the better the chance to get the counts right. Also, remember, per the TDA rules if the dealer makes an error and you “Call” a all-in and the error is discovered before the chips are pushed you have to call the correct amount, even if you were told a different number by the dealer - The player has a responsibility to observe the counting and to make sure it is correct.

Less chips on the table also speeds up the game. Hands per hour increases with less chips on the table and that’s good for the players. There are less delays after you scoop a big pot and are first to act - you know the cards sit there until you finish stacking. It’s the worst feeling to be sitting on a short stack, watching the blind timer tick away and have delays because of having so may chips on the table. Less chips equals more hands.

In closing I know players want a stack to the ceiling…. but a lot of chips on the table is one of the things I hate about poker.

What is a Charity Poker Room

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 08:17:30 GMT

Real Poker..... But Better

What is charity poker? I get this question a lot. First, YES you can win REAL CASH!

At its simplest a charity poker room is a real poker room like you’ve played in at casinos. We have great dealers, we have floor staff to make sure the game is fair and we a great player friendly atmosphere for players of all levels. But, I think it’s really more than that. Our charity partners and Play Poker Chicago have several tournaments running during each event. We want to have something for everyone from larger tournaments to our smaller ones and everything in between. Your rake goes to great causes, we support veterans organizations, animal rescues and everything in between. But, let’s break down what a Charity Poker Room is and is not:

1 - Show me the Money!

Tournaments pay out cash as do the cash tables. You don’t have to give the charity any of your winnings, as the tournament/cash rake is given to the charity running the event. There are special rules we need to adhere to per the Illinois law, but in most cases they don’t come into play for most of our tournaments.

2 - Multiple Tournaments

If you play poker at a casino, most days they have one tournament. We cater to tournament players by having several tournaments per event. We usually kick off the day with a DeepStack with a buy-in anywhere between $100. and $200. Most will have 20 minute blind levels and a great player friendly structure.

Our second tournament is our DoorBuster. This is a series of smaller buy-in tournaments with buy-ins between $25. and $40. One of our cornerstone features is we never want to have Shovefest blind levels or structures. So our small tournaments, unlike our competition. will feature 15 minute levels, good starting stacks and playable blind levels.

We have added a 6:00PM Road Runner Sit-n-Go with a $50. Buy-in, 10 person max table with no add-on so players have something to do after the early tournaments and before the evening ones. With the success of the Summer Series and it’s mixed games don’t be surprised if we toss a few Road Runner Mixed Games into the mix for the players that love them.

We finish off the day with a evening tournament, which will range from $50. to $100. buy-ins. This one is usually a mix of tournaments from DeepStacks, to winner takes all to other fun tournaments usually these will feature 15 - 20 minute levels and again our signature player friendly structures and good starting stacks.

3 - Cash Tables

Just like at a casino, again you sit down with your chips and leave when you want and cash in your winnings. we offer, in conjunction, with our charity partners offer several different cash table options.

1/2/3 This is our bigger game and the most popular. Buy-in is uncapped and the table features a 3 blind format is is played 8 handed.

1/2 This is our smaller game. This table will cater to newer cash players, looking to get their feet wet at a cash table and players looking to play cash on a smaller budget. Table Buy-in ranges from as low as $50 to maximum of $250. This is a firm limit that cannot be changed regardless of time of day. The table has a maximum $5.00 straddle and has a firm no bomb pot rule. This table is for players looking to play lower stakes and have fun doing it.

In the fall we will begin offering a PLO game to our players, and we will always spread any game based on demand.

4 - We got the look!

I and the management team of Play Poker Chicago has played in other charity rooms. We wanted something better. So when we started we wanted to be the best - designed by players for players. So we ordered great tables and had them customized with our logo. We made sure to get quality chips and we replace cards when needed - new decks are ordered every two or three months. We have played in dirty charity rooms and we didn’t like the feel, so we made a commitment to always keep things fresh and clean.

5 - Fair Play

Before we started Play Poker Chicago, I was playing in a charity room on a day after a holiday and a friend of mine made the cash in a rather large field tournament — and the money didn’t add up based on the number of players in the tournament. This is a big problem, there are some ethical issues out there. We at Play Poker Chicago make sure that not only our charity partners get what’s coming to them but, we make sure the players do as well. Our clocks and room management system tracks the players registered and the re-buys in real time so you can see the prize pool growing on the monitors and you know we have nothing up our sleeves.

6 - Why pick us

There are 4 charity rooms in the Chicagoland area - Play Poker Chicago is the puppy of the group. We have innovations others don’t, we offer you our THE Club Player Card - this speeds up check-in and offerers additional perks. We have a professional Poker Room Management system, this is great for tracking buy-ins, and has great features to help us manage the room so you have a great place to play. We offer tournament pre-pay on our website so you can guarantee a seat, get bonus chips and use a card to pay for your seat. Most importantly we want and value you playing with us, we will never take you for granted. Everything we do in the room is with you in mind.

7 - A Safe Place to Play.

Everyone has a license issued by the state of Illinois. The Charities host are licensed, the venue is licensed and the equipment supplier is licensed. This means you have a safe room to play in and you will never not get paid what you earn at the tables.

So in closing if you are not playing poker in a charity room….. Get out to out events this weekend!! We have everything you want in a poker room and more. For up-to-date event information visit our website at playpokerchicago.com we hope to see you on the felt soon.

Veterans Poker Tour

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 04:53:27 GMT

A Poker Tour Just for You

When I started Play Poker Chicago I wanted to focus on working with as many veterans organizations as we could. Veterans and active duty military members hold a special place in my heart. My uncle and cousin served in the Marines, and I have seen their dedication to this wonderful country and I’m so proud of them and their service. We all owe the brave men and women who have served and are currently serving a big thank you.

We are always looking for new ideas to bring something different to Play Poker Chicago and our players. One night when I was working on our Summer Series and listening to the Ante Up podcast (If you haven’t checked them out you should) I thought why don’t we run a special event for our military players and as I often do I couldn’t stop a one event……. I thought we need something bigger…. and The Veterans Poker Tour was born.

The Veterans Poker Tour will consist of 11 events, one a month between July and May of each year, and conclude with the VPT Main Event every June. Tour events will be hosted and help support our VFW’s and American Legion partners. You must be a veteran or active duty military member to play in these events. The events will feature 20 minute levels and a very player friendly blind structure. Buy-in’s are $60.00 for 10,000 starting chips, plus a $20.00 optional table add-on for an additional 10,000 chips and players will have one last chance to add 10,000 chips to their stack for a $20.00 first break last chance add-on. If you pre-register on the website you’ll also get a 1,000 bonus chip. Each player is only allowed one rebuy per event.

I’m very proud of the Veterans Poker Tour and if you are a Vet or active duty military member or know someone that is, please spread the word about the first event this Saturday July 15th at Cantigny Post VFW in Joliet located at 826 Horseshoe Drive. The full tour schedule can be found on our website at: https://www.playpokerchicago.com/vpt

The Ruling - Premature Cards

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 16:50:53 GMT

Keeping You Up-To-Date on the TDA Rules

The TDA (Tournament Directors Association) meets every 2 years in Las Vegas at the WSOP to update and tweak the rules that most tournaments are run by, including Play Poker Chicago events.

We had a situation come up in the room about a premature turn card coming out in a hand. Our floor person advised the dealer to leave the turn burn card out and to reshuffle the stub without putting the river card out face down, and a player questioned it. It was explained that it was one of the revised “Recommended Procedures” put in place at the 2022 TDA meeting.

Here is the new rule on prematurely dealt cards from the 2022 TDA rule book.

RP-5. Prematurely Dealt Cards

Board and burn cards are sometimes dealt prematurely, before action on the preceding round is finished. The general procedures for these situations are:

A: Premature flop, leave the flop burn card as the burn. Return the premature board cards to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the flop (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub.

B: A premature turn card: leave the turn burn card as the burn. Return the premature turn card to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the turn (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub

C: A premature river card: leave the river burn card as the burn. Return the premature river card to the deck stub and reshuffle the entire stub. Re-deal the river (without another burn) from the newly shuffled stub

From time to time we will post updated rules and procedures on the Facebook page, to help keep you up-to-date on rule changes and to clarify some of the issues we had at an event.

If you have any rule questions, pleas post them and we will answer them in future post.

Things I Hate About Poker

Mon, 15 May 2023 02:45:22 GMT

The Loss of a Legend

How do you quantify the Loss of Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson?

His name is synonymous with Texas Hold Em. I’m a Moneymaker era player, I played a bit before that, but that WSOP and his run along with the birth of online apps; that’s when I was hooked. So when I started taking the game seriously, I wanted to read a book and of course everyone said “Super System” is the bible. It was a great read but even more so it was my introduction to a legend of the game, Doyle Brunson.

As many of you that got into the game at that time, I soaked it up. Watching every poker show out there, and a lot of them talked about Doyle. He was a living legend, and his stories….. and the stories about him, you had to fall in love with him as a player. Playing at a level that I could only dream of in his late 70’s, putting the kids to shame. He was and will always be the face I think of when I think of Texas Hold’ em.

With most things I do, I like to learn a bit about the history, it gives me a sense of understanding. One of the things I did on my first trip to Las Vegas after I became a “Poker Player” was visit Binion’s poker room, because I wanted to soak up the history. Looking at the photos, touching the autographed table top on the wall, sitting in a chair at a poker table that Doyle himself might have sat in (oh the chairs looked like they were never changed…. ever…. so I know a lot of famous butts sat there ;-) It was a thrill that made me forget busting out of the tournament and losing a bunch of cash. It was worth it, I played where Texas Dolly played.

On his blog when he retired from tournament play he posted ”Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” and on this trying day for the poker world. I’m not going to cry because we lost a legend of the game, I’m going to celebrate because HE happened.

I want to thank you Doyle for helping to introduce me to the game I now love. But losing you, that’s one of the things I hate about poker.

Underdog Rising

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 19:13:11 GMT

2023 is Going to be big!

As I sit at my desk on this second day of the new year and ponder my life choices, I’m content. Took a while to get there but yeah, content - that’s a ok way to start, right?

Starting Play Poker Chicago has been a long process and with covid, and other things it’s taken longer to get rolling that I wanted. But here we are January 2023 and I’m content. We are small but growing every week. We are proud to announce the we will be operating every Saturday in 2023 and expanding to two days per week in the fall. There may be a few dates open put we will be more consistent that ever.

We know that we are the babies, the new kid that is kick around…… but, we are also the scrappy underdog that you need to watch out for.

I had a dream when I started the company. I wanted to help charities raise some money for good causes and I wanted a better option for the players that spend their money at poker charity events. I wanted to be a place where the players are treated the right way. We have a lot of innovations that we are proud of:

Better Tournament Structures
Player Cards - To speed Up Check-in
Better Tournament Clocks
9 Handed Play in all Tournaments
Player of the Year Standings

After we announced some of the above our competition changed up to match us in a lot of cases. So we must be doing something right. We will continue to strive to be the best.

For those that have been in our room THANK YOU we would not be here without you and your support. But, we want to grow up and continue to improve and we will strive to be your “Go To” poker room so if you have any suggestions please seek me out of drop me a email at kevin@playpokerchicago.com

And if you tried us and thought we were too small or if you haven’t gave us a shot yet. This is my appeal to you……. Please visit us and help us grow into the best room in the Chicagoland area. The pieces are here the only thing missing is YOU!

2023 is going to be BIG for Play Poker Chicago - Don’t miss out!

Size Matters

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 08:57:59 GMT

No.... It's really really big.... I swear!

They have all been lying to us. Size does matter, no matter what they say! Stack size that is ;-)

Tournament poker is the ultimate test. Everyone starts with the same stack size and you see who has the biggest at the end. But, average stack size is so important when you are maneuvering through a tournament and many charity tournament players are totally in the dark about the number of chips in play, number of players/rebuys and most importantly the average chip stack of the remaining players. In most cases it’s not their fault. It’s the poker rooms fault. We’ll get back to that in a bit, but first a story….

I was playing over the weekend as we were testing out our new poker room management system and noticed a few friends getting way below the average stack size of the remaining players in our tournament. They were playing their style and not adjusting to the rising average stack size of the players around them. It killed their chances of winning because before they realized they were getting short, it was too late. They were picked off one by one.

I was paying very close attention to the average stack size in the room, as players were eliminated. I adjusted my bet sizing and pushed the action because of it a few times where I may have normally sat back. There were also times I laid down a hand or two that I may have pushed with if I was below average. Knowing what the average stack size in the room at any given time made me a better player.

Most charity room players don’t have this useful information. Why?

Their poker room is letting them down. Either because the clocks they use are very basic and don’t provide the information. Or even worse, their clocks can provide the information, but they are not kept up to date because the management is lazy. They think you’ll just some back again and again even though they are not putting forth the effort to earn your repeat visits to their room.

We want you in our room! Play Poker Chicago has invested in a great poker room management system, it’s casino quality, for you our valued players. Our clocks will show the total players that have registered along with the total number of rebuys, total chips in play and most importantly the average chip stack of the remaining players. We want you to have all the information available to help make you a better player.

Oh, and we don’t hide the prize pool. It’s right on the tournament clock as players register, rebuy or add-on the prize pool is updated in real time for you to see. The payouts will also be posted on the clock, after registration closes.

In closing, come out and give us a try, you won’t regret it. We are working hard to building a special room for you, our valued players. As we say, Play Poker Chicago was built by players for players!

Things I Hate About Poker

Fri, 08 Jul 2022 19:21:25 GMT

The Deal - Peer Pressure & Bullying

We’ve all been there, at a final table and the talk of a deal comes up to pay the bubble or two extra players or whatever. Sometimes you want to do it. Sometimes you don’t, but either way there is always peer pressure to agree to the deal. If you don’t agree, you’re labeled “That Guy” and I know of a few situations where the label has followed a player from tournament to tournament. “That Guy” is always targeted, unfairly, for the rest of the final table as well and having to deal with the crowd erupting into cheers when he’s eliminated - and I think it’s wrong.

I was watching the TDA (Tournament Directors Association) Summit from Vegas during the WSOP and Linda Johnson (who I have a crush on), the Queen of TD’s had a great idea - which PPC is now putting in place. DEAL or NO DEAL cards.

The way it works is at the final table all players will be given 2 cards, one that says DEAL and one that says NO DEAL. If there is talk of a deal, all players will in private, select a card and toss it into the middle of the table and will discard the other card into a muck pile. If all cards say DEAL the deal is agreed upon and it’s in place but if one card is NO DEAL, talks regarding that deal are done and play continues as before.

The dealers will be instructed to mix up the cards so that no one knows who put what card in. Everything is anonymous and there is no peer pressure or bullying of any player to make a deal that they do not want to make. Cards will be turned over one at a time. If there is a NO DEAL card shown, all of the remaining cards will be mucked. This way, no one will know if there was one person or more that did not want the deal - all it takes is one to reject the deal.

Players are free to offer a deal at any time to be voted on. But, we suggest that once a deal is rejected another one should not be offered until a player is knocked out, to not slow down the game.

I think this is a great way to solve one of the things I hate about poker!

Poker and The Shot Clock

kevin@villagecruiseandtravel.com (Kevin La Van) — Wed, 19 May 2021 16:27:42 GMT

Will it improve the local game?

At first I hated the thought of it. Then I played a turbo tournament with a player that took forever on every hand. I didn’t want to be “that guy” that called a clock at a friendly local charity tournament but OMG lets move, you have 4 5 suited with 5 over cards on the board….. FOLD it’s not rocket science!

The benefits of a shot clock are obvious. When players make their decisions faster, the table is able to see more hands and as a result, the structure of the tournament improves. It also self balances the hands per table. In a tournament if one table has three slow players and one table has all quick decision making players one of the tables will see far more hands on each level. The shot clock will balance this out. Short stacks can afford to breathe a little easier and be more patient. Players will no longer be forced to call the clock on their opponents and stalling, especially close to the money bubble, will be minimal.

The downside of a shot clock is the logistics involved with implementing them into the game. Dealers will need to be trained to handle the additional job responsibilities. Players may also be intimidated by the new rules and avoid playing live poker as a result. But, rest assured it will be good for you and the game.

You’ve seen it used on TV and I think it’s time to do a test run at the local level and as a innovator Play Poker Chicago will be the first to give it a test run. We will use it in our Super Mega Stack tournament on June 5th.

Each player will start the tournament with ten 30 second time extension cards, and two 2-minute pause cards. We will see how it plays out and get the response of the players in the tournament and make tweaks to the system going forward.

Pre-registration for the June 5th $200.00 Super Mega Monster Tournament to be held at the American Legion (located at 11001 South Depot Street, Worth, 60482) is now open, be the first to try out the Poker Shot Clock. Register here: https://www.playpokerchicago.com/store/

Super Mega Monster

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 21:41:08 GMT

Names are Hard

It takes a normal person less than 1 second to read three words. So, I had less than a second to grab you with our new tournament title “Super Mega Monster.” That’s a lot of pressure.

But, if you give me a couple additional minutes of your time, I’ll tell you why this is the best charity tournament…. NO, it’s the best tournament and structure you’ll find ANYWHERE for this buy-in amount!

Play Poker Chicago events are built “By Players, For Players” so we wanted to do a big event type of tournament and keep the price affordable for everyone. Our Super Mega Monster is the result of sleepless nights working with our charity partners to come up with the perfect mix.

Highlights Include:

30 Minute Levels

100,000 Starting Stacks

25,000 Chip Table Add-On for $20.00

5,000 Chip Pre-Registration Bonus if you register on our site — Register Here

130,000 Starting Chips Stack is Possible

Great Blind Structure

Dinner Break Add-On for an Additional 25,000 Chips

With up to 130,000 in starting chips and a very player friendly blind structure with 30 minute levels this is a true “Poker Players Tournament”. You just won’t find anything like it anywhere else in the area. You’ll have the chips and the time to play real poker and not have a shovefest where winning is more about luck than it is about skill.

This stack and structure will take skill to win not just luck - Do you have what it takes to win the Super Mega Monster?

Things I Hate About Poker

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 20:22:21 GMT

Chapter 2 - Bad Tournament Structures

First a question…. Is it better to play in a tournament with a starting stack of 60,000 chips or one with 20,000 chips?

If you answered the question….. you’re wrong, no matter what you said.

Your starting stack is only part of the equation. Level length and level antes/blinds (Blind structure) is just as important and is often overlooked when players pick where to spend their poker money.

Look at the entire picture. Full disclosure: I’m a whack job when it come to tournament structure sheets. I have 100’s of structure sheets on my computer and scattered in piles around my office from every event I can find. There are Sundays that I will lay around the house breaking them down to find the perfect mix, it’s my jam.

One of my favorite tools for elevating a tournament is on the Rainbows, Puppies and Sunshines website (Love the name) Here is a link to the Poker Tournament Evaluator about page https://www.rainbowspuppiessunshine.com/pokercalc/about.php

It’s a great tool to compare structures and tournaments. He gives every tournament a “S-Point” it’s really worth the read.

Play Poker Chicago wants to be the best charity poker venue out there for you the players. The time we take to find a great structure for each tournament proves our commitment to our players. Compare our DoorBuster $30.00 tournament which has a S-Point of 28 where as another Chicago Charity start of day tournament has a S-Point of 18. That’s a big difference in quality of play. Our tournament philosophy is if I wouldn’t enjoy playing in it - we don’t run it. Our charities win when our players are happy and have great tournaments to play in.

Compare any of our tournaments to any others out there, you’ll see that we are committed to you the players. You won’t see a bad S-Point structure tournament at any of our events because that’s one of the things I hate about poker.

Things I Hate About Poker

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 20:09:41 GMT

Chapter 1 - Paying the Bubble

People have accused me of being old and cranky. So, I’m going to embrace it. From time to time I’m going to share the “Things I Hate About Poker” with you. I love this game so much but I’m going to release the cranky ;-)

We have a lot of new players at our events mixed with players that have been around the block a bit. Some of you may find what I say as basic, but this is geared more to the newer players and maybe the more experienced players will get something out of it too.

First up, Things I Hate About Poker - Paying the Tournament Bubble

I’m just going to say it….. I NEVER WANT TO PAY THE BUBBLE!

Okay, maybe I shouted it, but I really never want to pay the bubble. But, I always agree to it at the table and kick myself for doing it LOL. I do it so I’m not THAT guy. You know the one, the one you want to lose and are waiting for bad karma to bite him in the butt. But, you should join me in not wanting to pay the bubble boy and here’s why. It’s not about the money per se, it’s about the chips!

Bubble time is made for taking advantage of the short stacks, the players that are just wanting to make the money, and those that don’t understand the importance of this phase of a poker tournament. Good players mouths are watering at this stage of a tournament. You should look at it as a time to set yourself up for a tournament victory not a time to make a mid-cash. A lot of players tighten up on the pay bubble and that’s the time to pounce. Embrace it. New players get so nervous on the bubble (I used to) the thoughts going through their heads are “I played for 5 hours and I can’t walk away with no money” but they should be thinking “How can I take advantage of the players around me so I can take this down”.

Every good player has a plan for the money bubble and it changes depending on stack size, table position and table dynamic. If you don’t have a plan…… please be at my table. Heres the way I think about it, If you disagree let me know in the comments.

Being the Short Stack.

Well this sucks, everyone and I mean everyone wants you gone! They may say “Good Luck” when you’re all-in but what they are saying on repeat in their heads the entire time the dealer is getting out the cards is “don’t give him his card… God please don’t give him his card”.

You know you don’t have enough chips to take advantage or exploit weaker players so you need to play smart. Find the zen balance between patience and fearless. Your goal should not be to outlast just one player to get a small cash. The goal is to build up your stack to have a chance at winning.

The biggest mistakes I made in this position is trying to “Fold” my way to a cash or playing so passive that I’d run from any bet no matter what I had. That strategy may have worked here and there but I never set myself up to win.

Now I look for opportunities to pick up blinds and antes in position when it’s folded around to me with playable but not premium hand. I go fearless with premium hands and hope they hold so I can get a double up to set myself up for a strong finish.

Just remember be patient but fearless in fighting back and building your stack.

Big Stack

I’m king of the hill! Tangle with me you could be going home crying to your momma that “the big bully took all your chips”. This is where you want to be, you’ll probably have everyone covered at the table or close to it. You’re the lion of the table if you don’t kill them, you’ll definitely maim them so they will think twice about messing with you or your pots. If the other players see you steamrolling one player they will be in fear too. It’s good to be the lion.

The best Big Stack bubble play is be the Loin. Target the weak players, the ones that have been passive, and open pots in their blinds relentlessly with a wide range of starting hands. Three bet, C-Bet and make the passive players as uncomfortable as you can. A case can even be made for playing any two cards for a raise on the button especially against known tight players or short stack players. Even if you get a call you’re probably live.

Remember you may have to take a few body punches, you may lose a few pots along the way. But don’t be deterred, with your stack, you have a better chance of delivering the knockout blow than being knocked down. You still have to play smart, if a passive player that’s been folding every hand suddenly starts playing back or even check raising, you should proceed with caution.

The big stack has a lot of power on the money bubble, use your chips to get more chips during this critical time to set yourself up for victory.

Having a Medium Stack

This is probably the most interesting position to be in on the money bubble and has the most different ways you can play it.

If you’re at a table with a lot of passive players and big stacks, that seem content to just fold to the cash, it’s time to hit the gas full throttle and build your stack into something that sets you up for the win. A lot depends on the table dynamic, where are the big stacks? Can you pick on the passive players and short stacks in position and grab some free blinds? Position of the big stacks is very important with this kind of chip stack. But depending on your table rep you may get a few bluffs across here against big stacks because they think you’re solid and wouldn’t bluff at this stage of the tournament.

The biggest mistake you can make here, and I’ve done it a hundred times, is to be comfortable and content in your chip position. You know you’re in a good chip spot, so it’s so easy to just let the chips fall around you and make the money. DON’T DO IT! This is a golden opportunity to build your stack and not just maintain it.

But be careful if your table is full of hyper aggressive players you might be wise to tighten up on your opening range as there may be more 3 bets pre-flop and a lot more aggression and tough spots to work through. If you do have a re-shove size stack, you can think about opening up your range a bit here as most of the players that are opening the pot pre-flop will have lighter holdings. Think counter punch. But opening light with no real plan is a sure fire way to donk off chips at a table with this dynamic.

Final Thoughts

Some players are going to get scared and tight on the tournament cash bubble because they don’t understand it. The goal should not be to mid-cash, it should be to get yourself into a position to take down the tournament regardless of what kind of stack you have going into bubble play. Don’t be tempted by the lure of “we all get something” you don’t want something, you want the big score at the top not some little ones at the bottom. Especially if it comes at the cost of being able to outplay the other players and build your stack at this critical point in the tournament. Have the confidence to say no and use your skill to take it down.

In closing you don’t want me cranky at the final table so don’t ask me if I “want to pay the bubble” because that’s one of the things I hate about poker.

Re-Stacker - NEW Tournament

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 20:07:40 GMT

Build your Stack into a City of Chips

Everyone knows the Starship song "We Built this city".... Well poker players sing it a bit different, 'We built this stack.... We built this stack... with all your chips ;-)"

Come out to Fat Rickys located at 646 N Independence Blvd, Romeoville, IL 60446 on January 11th at 6PM for our NEW Re-Stacker Tournament.

This is a fun tournament I played in at Binion's, the original home of the WSOP in Vegas. I liked it so much I 'Borrowed" the format for PPC. You start with 10,000 chips for your $60.00 buy-in and you can add-on ($20.00), another 10,000 chips anytime your stack is less than 10,001 chips. (So when you first sit down you can add-on and make your starting stack 20,000). There is also a check-in add on available for an additional 5,000 chips for $10.00 this is only available for your first buy-in and will not affect your ability to buy the first table add-on when you first sit down. So you could have a 25,000 chip starting stack with the buy-in and add-ons.

If you bust out, you stay in the same seat and can re-buy a new starting stack of 10,000 chips for $20.00 and do the 10,000 add-on because you're under 10,001 chips for another $20.00. So you'll be back up to a 20,000 chip stack for only another $40.00.... it's a great buy! There will also be a first break add-on available for $20.00 for 10,000 chips no mater what your chip stack is.

It's a great player friendly blind structure with 20 minute levels and we will be using the big blind ante.

Remember the best part of charity poker is you help a good cause, American Legion Post #52 in this case, and you can win cold hard cash! And for those younger players you only have to be 18 to play in Illinois.

Hope to see you on the felt building a city of chips...... just not with mine ;-)

PRE-REGISTER HERE

Win POKER for a year or even Life!

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 21:39:56 GMT

One Lucky Player on January 11th will win

Our hosting charities and Play Poker Chicago are teaming up for a prize drawing to be held on January 11, 2020 at Fat Ricky's at 6:30PM where one lucky player will win a free DoorBuster Tournament for 1 Year. BUT, if the player that wins pre-registered for any of the events that day we will SUPER-SIZE the prize to a Free DoorBuster Tournament FOR LIFE! That's right the winner, if they pre-registered, will never pay for our DoorBuster Tournament again. Ever, Never and Forever - That's a lot of free poker.

Here are the rules:
1 - Must be present to win. Drawing to be held at Fat Ricky's at 7:00PM
2 - One entry per person.
3 - Winner will have 5 minutes to claim their prize in person with state issued ID, if not claimed a new name will be picked. This will continue until someone is present to win.
4 - Prize is non-transferable and has no cash value except as entry fee into the tournaments.

Prize winner will receive a free Play Poker Chicago DoorBuster tournament entry for 1 year valid at all Play Poker Chicago Events (one entry per event). Player is responsible for all add-ons they wish to purchase for each tournament. If there is no DoorBuster Tournament scheduled for a particular event date a $30.00 credit will be given for other tournaments. If the winner pre-registered for any of the days events the prize is super-sized to a "win for life".

You can pre-register for the tournaments here

No purchase necessary to enter. For a free entry send a post card with your name, address phone and email to Play Poker Chicago, 5237 James Lane, Crestwood IL 60418. Mailed entries must be received before January 10, 2020.

Make your WSOP Pilgrimage with us

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 17:04:28 GMT

If you can beat 9 players, start packing.

I’m a member of a Facebook poker group ‘RealGrinders” the founder of the group is Raymond Davis, He recently posted that “Every poker player should play in the WSOP at least once” and he is so right.

I made my first trip out to the WSOP last year for one tournament, the tag team, I went with two friend and we split the $1000.00 buy-in. It didn’t end well, but they still talk to me, so I guess they have accepted my less than meteoric poker skills.

But I still remember the thrill of walking up the steps to the RIO, peaking into one of the poker rooms for the first time, and taking my seat at a WSOP event - I had goose bumps. Where else can you play with your heroes. Once the room started filling up it was thrilling, then it was the same thing we do in smaller rooms across the country, it was the same chips, cards, bets and bad river beats. Which means EVERY player that loves poker should get out there and experience the WSOP.

Play Poker Chicago and our hosting charities want to help you do it, and we are going to make it as easy as we can! We will be offering $100.00 ten person single table sit-n-go’s to get you to the WSOP. if you win, you’ll earn a seat into the WSOP Event 3 - “The Big 50” and some extra cash with our travel partner for air and hotel. This event has a guaranteed prize pool of 5 Million with a first place guarantee of 1 Million dollars. But it's not about the money it's about getting to play on the biggest poker stage in the world.

For complete details visit any upcoming event page - PRE REGISTER, to save your seat.

Oh and just remember to thank Play Poker Chicago in your winners speech!

Pre-Register here for the next event https://www.playpokerchicago.com/store/

5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 20:27:12 GMT

2019 Here we come!

As we wish 2018 a fond farewell and bring in the new year. The entire Play Poker Chicago family wants to say THANK YOU to all the players that have come out to our events in 2018 and gave the new kids a chance. As 2018 closes and we look forward to 2019, it’s time to reflect, learn from past successes and mistakes, enjoy the present and ponder the future.

Play Poker Chicago is and will always be a work in progress. I truly feel that once any business thinks they have made it, that’s when the fall begins. So we will always be listening to you, learning from our successes and failures and striving to be better. Play Poker Chicago has big plan in store for 2019. With that in mind we want to announce:

Cash Grab Saturdays

We will give you up to $40.00 in cash chips FREE just for playing at our 1/1, 1/2 or 1/3 cash tables at any event. All you have to do is: 1) Pre-Register by texting 630 452-3416 or send us a Facebook Message before any event. 2) Show up when the cash tables open 3) Buy-in for $100.00 minimum 4) Play 1 hour and you’ll receive $20.00 in cash chips to use at the table on the spot, play an extra hour and you’ll receive a $20.00 cash chip gift certificate to use at any future event.

Tournament of Champions

Win any Play Poker Tournament in 2019 and you’ll receive an invitation to our Play Poker Chicago Tournament of Champions Event to be help next December. The more tournaments you win, the bigger your starting stack with be at the PPC TOC event.

Play of the Year

Every cash at a Play Poker Tournament will earn you Play Poker Chicago “Player of the Year” points. Visit the leaderboard on the website for updated standings weekly. The more you cash the more points you’ll receive. Prizes will be awarded to the top players.

There is more to come, we look forward to seeing you at the tables in 2019.

We Must be Doing Something Right

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 18:07:36 GMT

We must be doing something right ;-)

The say stealing, sorry. Let’s try it without spell check on…. They say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Well Copy Charitable Games is very much flattering us right now, and we are blushing. They just announced that they are stealing (damn spell check) Borrowing Play Poker Chicago’s THE League concept…. and we say you’re welcome!

It also looks like they finally spent a few bucks on the players and added some clocks…. 32 inches is not bad…. ours are 50 inches but you know what they say “Size isn’t everything” FYI we always planned on having clocks for EVERY tournament, but nice way to play catch up to the new kids on the block.

If you need any additional help with other ideas you’re welcome to visit our website www.Playpokerchicago.com we have a lot more you can borrow, there is our “Main Event Dream Maker” where you can win a WSOP $10,000+ Main Event package for only $200.00 and you only have to beat 16 players. There are out custom felted tables, our player friendly levels, our additional chips, our minimum 15 minute levels on every tournament including sit-n-gos and such much more you can ‘borrow’. But if your a player just come on out and play with us…. we were BUILT FOR PLAYERS, BY PLAYERS!

Are we Cleared for Takeoff?

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 03:50:42 GMT

We believe YOUR time is valuable..... and we won't waste it

My biggest pet peeve...... being late! I don't like it in my personal life and I really really hate it in poker. There have been several times I busted my butt to get to a local charity tournament on time. I'd zip around cars, dodge little old ladies crossing the street and maybe roll through a occasional stop sign. But, I made it, 10 minutes before the start time! I hustle up to the check-in desk and get my seat as the flop sweat rolls down my face.... But I'm there and I'm on time!

Wait there are no chips out, there are no dealers at the tables, and no one seems to care that I risked life and limb to make it on time, WTF! How many times have you played in a tournament with a start time posted for 6P and cards don't fly until 620P ahhhhhhhhhhh!!! To make it even worse, once the precedence is set that you're not going to start until 620P, no one shows up at 6P and players start to wander in at 620P. Who can blame them, who wants to show up early and check-in only to have to wait a half hour or more for a tournament to start. It's a downhill spiral that we want to avoid at all cost.

Play Poker Chicago VALUES YOUR TIME and we appreciate you making time to come out and play with us. With this in mind we promise that we'll start our tournaments on time. We will have a countdown clock running to show when the tournament will start and when it hits zero, the cards will fly.

Will there be times where we have a delays, sure s*^* happens, but we will strive to start each and every tournament on time. We'll need your help to do this, if you arrive a bit early to check-in, it will allow us not only to start tournaments on time it will also let us add more chips to starting stacks and have more and longer levels.

As we taxi to the gate on this blog post, we'd like to say "We know you have choices in poker rooms, and we hope you play with us, we'll have a great on-time record because we value you and your time."

Can you beat 16 Players?

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 00:40:30 GMT

Play Poker Chicago WSOP Main Event Dream Maker

One of the things that came up over and over again in our pre-kickoff surveys was that you wanted bigger buy-ins and a chance to win seats into bigger events. So we put on our thinking caps and talked to every person we knew to brainstorm ideas. While I was speaking to Joe Giertuga of Ante Up poker magazine, better known as Chicago Joe, the seed was planted for what is now the Play Poker Chicago WSOP Main Event Dream Maker.

The best part about it is you only have to beat 16 players, to win a $10,000.00 WSOP Main Event Seat! and it’s only going to cost you $200.00 to win it. That’s right all that stands between you and a WSOP Main Event seat is 16 players. You can beat 16 players, right? I can beat 16 players, so you surely can.

At each of our events, the hosting charity will have a single 9-handed 200.00 WSOP Main Event Dream Maker table, beat the other 8 players and you advance to the final table, beat the other 8 players at the final table and you’re off to fabulous Las Vegas for the 2019 WSOP Main Event.

Our WSOP Main Event Dream Maker winner will walk away with a $10,000 main event seat and some extra cash for air, hotel and other Vegas necessities…. we will even toss in a Play Poker Chicago hoodie.

Play Poker Chicago want to earn your poker playing business, and we read each and every survey that comes in. You wanted bigger buy-ins and a chance to step up to bigger events…. well here it is! A chance to play in the grand daddy of them all, the WSOP Main Event and it’s only going to cost you $200.00 and you only have to beat 16 players.

Ship it, baby!

Shuffle Integrity

kevin@villagecruiseandtravel.com (Kevin La Van) — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 00:36:30 GMT

Sometimes the dealer IS to blame for the cards you get

I was playing at a local charity room over the weekend and they had just changed their shuffle policy for multi-table tournaments. In the past they had the button shuffle a second deck as the hand was playing out and then use that deck for the next hand; after the dealer riffled or at least cut it. They started using a single deck this week, which was nice for the players in some respects but, if there is not a proper shuffle it is really poor for the game and players.

Our dealer was lazy and didn’t seem to want to be there. We would get at most two riffles and a weak strip and a cut - when we were lucky. There was one hand where he riffled poorly once and cut. At which point I kind of blew my top like a volcano, it was building up, I was doing a slow steam for about half an hour and that one riffle shuffle made me blow. I told him to reshuffle the cards as they were not shuffled, most of the players at the table looked at me like I was nuts (I am but that's another story).

Why was a good shuffle so important to me? It goes to the integrity of the game? Good poker players pay attention to everything at the table.

For example, there was a hand where the board had two aces and the winning hand had a ace in it as well. Those cards were all put into the deck on the bottom. Now stay with me here. The dealer riffled (three aces still on the bottom) riffled again (three aces still on bottom) then he stripped the deck into three (three aces near the top) then he cut the deck taking about 1/4 of the cards off the top and placed them on the bottom…. so the three aces are most likely together again near the bottom or bottom middle of the deck. So on the next hand when I had a KQ and the board ran out A Q 6 Rainbow, I really wasn’t afraid of the ace on the board and I played the hand totally different than I may have if the deck was shuffler properly and I didn't have a good idea that no other aces were coming or that no other players had one in his/her hand. This is bad for the game.

A proper casino shuffle consist of: Three riffle shuffles, a strip shuffle, one more riffle shuffle and then a cut and during all of this the cards should never be visible to anyone at the table.

Poker is a game of observation and good players pay attention to everything. But, reading the deck because of a poor shuffle should never happen. I PROMISE no matter how we chose to deal at Play Poker Chicago events no player will ever have this type of advantage because all of our volunteer dealers will be trained in a proper casino shuffle. Scouts honor.

Why Another Charity Poker Room?

Sun, 10 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!

Why do we need another charity poker room? That's what I was thinking about as I was sitting on the couch waiting for the hockey game to come on. I was thinking of a way to express why you, the players, should want us in the Chicago poker community. Then in the background I hear Imagine Dragons singing "Whatever it Takes" (Great song check it out if you haven't heard it) and it hit me.... that song is what Play Poker Chicago is all about...... we will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to earn your poker business and be the best room in the area.

So why did we start Play Poker Chicago? To put it simply, I'm a player as most of you are, and I felt the other charity poker rooms let me down and I was mad as hell about it ;-) I knew what I liked and what I didn't like about the other rooms..... and I thought we could do it better. So I put my money where my mouth is and formed Play Poker Chicago with other poker players. Our goal is to be the best poker room, period.

Let us know what you like and more importantly what you DON'T like about other poker rooms around town. Play Poker Chicago is designed with you in mind. What do we have to do to earn your business? We are excited about two of our cornerstone events. THE Series and THE League. We will provide more exciting information about both of them as we get closer to the cards flying.

As the song goes; "I'm an apostrophe, I'm just a symbol to reminds you that there's more to see". And there will be plenty to see at Play Poker Chicago. We would love to hear from you, drop us a line or give us a call and let us know "Whatever it Takes”.