sadlerandcarterpoker.com Blog

The Parlour has agreed to host the 2008 WSOP Freeroll series for Sadler and Carter Poker.  Over the next six months we will be running events every other Monday.  Last Mondays event was a huge sucess.  Great players, great poker, great food and a great venue.  All that and the best free poker in Texas is a winning combination.  The next event will be Monday October 8th.  Sorry for the short notice but the turnout should still be great.  We only got great comments about the food so make sure you come out early and get some dinner.  We will be handing out coupons for dinner and drink purchases.  We will have a drawing at the dinner break and at the final table so make sure you come out and get your coupons.  The sit-n-go tournaments will also be running this year.  Last week we only had two SNG’s running but starting this week we will have enough to run at least four SNG’s.  So if you do get knocked out of the main tournament early you still can get some play in and earn some points toward the final.  The final this year will only have about 30 or 35 players.  So points will be more important then ever.  Ray and I are working on all the fine details and will have them all posted on the website within the week.  Looking forward to playing with everyone again and hope those that didn’t make last weeks event will come out and give the new venue a try.  See you on the felt!!!!!

The kickoff to the new venue is just a few days away and looks like we are going to have another great turnout. We only have a few spots open on the pre-registration. We will be sitting 100 players so if you don’t get to pre-registered you can still come out and play. Doug at The Parlour has opened the doors on a day they are normally closed. THANKS DOUG!!!

Make sure you come out early and have some dinner before the tourney gets started or have a drink with Ray and myself.

We have added a dinner break to the tournament structure. This is to help the speed of play during the tournament and also give The Parlour a chance to get some food sales. Doug has come up with a great menu just for the Sadler and Carter Poker Players so please take the time to support us as well as The Parlour.

This venue can be a great new place for the WSOP 2008 Freerolls. Since the restaurant is normally closed on Monday we will have a nice private feel like we had at the poker shop but at a place with a much better food and drink menu.

Ray and I will both be playing in this event and I am looking forward to knocking Ray out. I will buy a drink for anyone that can knock him out before I do. He will be playing his normal DONKEY poker so be careful. You know after he has had a few drinks he will play any two cards.Thanks for all of your support and I hope this venue works a little better then the last one. I am ready to get the freeroll tournaments started and planning our next trip to the WSOP.

See you on the felt!!

Even though online registration is already full we will still be seating at least another 20 to 30 players.  We are hoping to hit 100 players on our first tourney.  If you didn’t get signed up for the tournament online you can still come out and play.  Show up at least 10 or 20 minutes early to get on the list.

For those of you that did get signed up or those that are planning on coming out please make sure that you get to Wizards before the event starts.  One thing that we do pride ourselves on at Sadler and Carter Poker is getting the cards in the air on time.  Start time of this event is 7:00 PM SHARP!!!!

See every next Tuesday!!!

Glad to see everyone still wants to play poker!!!  After just our first email and one blog post we already have 77 players signed up for the Tuesday freeroll tournament.  After we have the 80 players signed up registration will be closed.  After registration is closed players will have to sign up in person at Wizards the night of the event.  Also please remember to let us know if you are not going to make the tournament.  If you have signed up and don’t show you will be unable to play in events the next week.

I have had a few emails asking about the venue and how things are going to run this year.  Some players very excited that we are getting the freeroll tourneys up and running again and some with a little bit of negative feedback about the new venue.  I would hope that everyone would at least give the new venue a chance.  Yes, the new venue will be a little different but it will still be a Sadler and Carter Freeroll.  Steve and Ray will still be running the tourneys with the same integrity that we always have.   I will answer all questions/emails directly by the end of Tuesday.   Just to address some general questions please see the information below.

Tournament structure will be similar to last year’s tournaments.  I will have a link for players to view before the end of next week.  I understand that some players are concerned about the drinking and smoking but we will try to keep the integrity of our great freeroll tournament intact as much as possible.  There have been a few players that were upset with the additional starting chips.  Please understand that is more than likely a onetime bonus.  If and when we get the freeroll series up and running we should not have any kind of starting bonuses.

We want to thank everyone that has signed up and that has chosen to support Sadler and Carter Poker.  With the new venues there will be new problems.  Sadler and Carter Poker will address these problems as they occur and will do so in the best interest of the game and the business.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday night!!!

Harrah’s has released the schedule for the  07/08 WSOP ciruit events.  Starting with a event not far from Dallas, just a short trip north to Tunica.  They have also add a tournament in New Orleans this fall.  Could be an option for the Sadler and Carter Poker Team.  Let us know if anyone is interested!!

We are thinking about starting the Freeroll series for a tournament in the Tunica event going on in January.  More details to come on that soon but would love to get some feedback from everyone about it.

Below are dates and locations of the events.

• Grand Casino Tunica, Aug 29 - Sept 13  ‘07
• Caesars Indiana, Oct 17 - Nov 2  ‘07
• Harvey’s Tahoe, Nov 3 - Nov 13  ‘07
• Harrah’s New Orleans, Nov 26 - Dec 5  ‘07
• Harrah’s Atlantic City, Dec 8 - Dec 18  ‘07
• Grand Casino Tunica, Jan 3 - Jan 22  ‘08
• Harrah’s Rincon San Diego, Jan 27 - Feb 7  ‘08
• Horseshoe Council Bluffs, Feb 18 - Feb 27  ‘08
• Caesars Atlantic City, Mar 5 - Mar 15  ‘08
• Caesars Indiana, Apr 2 - Apr 16  ‘08
• Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Apr 20 - May 1  ‘08
• Harrah’s New Orleans, May 9 - May 21  ‘08

I have been getting lots of questions about the final tournament and about all the remaining freerolls.  After some picking dates out of the blue careful planning we have come up with a date for the final.  The final will be held on Sunday, May 20th.  The time has not been set but it will start before noon sometime.  The structure of the tournament will be as close to the $1,500 WSOP event as possible.  So if you have won a seat in the final make sure you save the date.  The event will run most of the day so make sure you come ready to put in a long session.

As far as for remaining tourneys are concerned we have seven Friday night events as of this week.  After having one Tuesday night event and then not holding one this week we got lots of emails and phone calls from upset players.  So we have decided to add one event every week until the final.  That is six more chances to win a seat in the finals.  If you didn’t get a chance to play in the “during the week” event you should come try it.  The next additional event will be on Tuesday April 10th.  Registration will be open for this event starting tomorrow morning.  Get signed up quick because the spots will go fast.

Hope this helps answer some of the questions that everyone had. If not please feel free to contact us with your questions.

Having a deep discussion with Mr Sadler today about the the short handed tournaments that we play durning the week.  Most of the tourneys are between 3 to 6 handed.  The tournaments were started over 3 or 4 months ago with Ray and I playing heads up and discussing the plays/cards and the reasons we bet or raised.  It seems that Rays major complaint is that we are no longer learning or making our game better but only out for blood at each tourney.  The tourneys are no longer a tool to make our poker play better.  The run of bad cards that he has had this year doesn’t help his outlook on the tourneys.  My thought on the tourneys is they are great tools for trying different playing strategies.  Also a great way for practicing reads and attempting bluffs.  Ray didn’t seem to think playing the same players 3 to 4 times a week will help your game in a large tournament field with lots of players that you have never played with or will never play again.   So what are your thoughts, playing the same players 3 or 4 times a week a plus for you game or no real help besides frustration and hatred?

Congrats to Baltasar for becoming our third two time winner!!!  Baltasar bested the second largest field of 82 to become the third player to win two events.  Debbie and Skip are the other two time winners.  The final tourney is shaping up to be on of the best tournaments we have ever had.  Keep your eye on your email for some special weekday events that we will be adding soon.

It wasn’t my night to work but I was at the shop as players started showing up for tonights tournaments.  Looked like it could be a crazy night.  Tournament registration was maxed out early Friday morning and when I left today there was over 23 people on the alternate list for the 6:00 tourney.  The great turnout has a lot to do with our new sponsorship of meetup.com poker group.  Make sure you get signed up early for the tournaments next week.  We have over 30 players registered for both tournaments already.  So thanks to everyone that came out to play and look forward to meeting everyone at next weeks tournaments!!

My laptop went into the electronic neverland last week and is still MIA.  So I am having to return to the “stone ages” and actually use a desktop PC….SCARY!!!!  Just wanted to let everyone know the sacrifice that I am making to keep the S&C blog alive.  All I ask is a comment from a few of you once in while little class particitpation.  Enough of my whining!!!

A few poker notes: 

Congrats to Durb for finally pulling out a win at the WSOP Freerolls.  Gooooo DURB!!!!

Congrats to Uncle Kyle for taking 1st place in the “Durbin Invitational” last weekend.  A very nice little tourney even with all the bad beat stories that came along with it.  Get over it already Jimmy!!! LOL!!!

Welcome all the new readers from the Dallas Meetup group.  Sadler and Carter Poker is proud to be a sponsor and look forward to meeting everyone at the WSOP Freerolls.

The Sadler and Carter Poker Team hit the felt on Saturday morning for one of the earliest events that I have ever played. The cards got in the air at 9:30 AM with some players drinking coffee and some drinking beer. The annual Maverick tournament got off to a great start with 63 players. A mix of good players and casual players more interested in the free drinks.

Everyone for Sadler and Carter had a great showing with all six of us making the top 50% of the field. Four of us making the top 12 and two of us making the final table. Uncle Kyle and I (Steve) both made the final table and had a nice prop bet, who ever placed higher had to pick up the bar tab. Fortunately I had to pick up the tab but we didn’t drink too many so everything worked out.

The grind to the final table was pretty tuff. As the tournament started my table was fairly easy going and pretty easy to read. With three or four of the players chasing just about anything and everything. It worked out well because they were not catching what they were chasing and I was getting some great cards. As the players were eliminated, I was moved to a table with players that all had pretty good size stacks. My first hand at the new table I try and push a guy off a hand with bottom pair and turns out that he flopped the boat and played it like a pro. I lost over half my chip stack and thought my run of good cards was coming to an end. I tightened my play up and slowly started building my chips back. About the point that I get back to an average stack it is time to move again. This time I am sitting to the left of Uncle Kyle. Three hands into moving I pick up pocket Q’s and make a good size bet. Folds around to a player that I had played with a little at one of the previous tables. He moves all-in. His play at the other table was not bad but I thought he would make the move with a middle pair, A-K or even worse. Unfortunately it turned out to be much better, he was holding Aces and I doubled him up. Very low stack I have to start playing super tight/aggressive. After a few successful steals of the blinds I have a little operating room. Uncle Kyle doubles me up one time as well as one other player and I am back in action. As the final eight players make up the final table I am not in too bad of shape and try to grind it out into the top 4. Play is pretty tight at the final table but push lots of chips between players. I get heads up with “Lama”. We chop the money a little more evenly and play for a small amount remaining. Doing this really helped loosen up play and we get all the chips in twice before he knocks me out. A very satisfying second place. I feel that I played good and even the few mistakes I did make, I came back from.

Thanks to Durb and Machinegun for hanging out and routing me on!!! Luby sorry about your J’s. Bolt didn’t get a chance to hear your bad beat story but sure there is one.

Overall it was a great tournament. A very friendly structure and some good people to play with. Looking forward to the next tourney. Nicely run by a great TD as well!!!!

This week we will be starting the new Sit-N-Go tournaments for players that have been busted out of the main event.  The SNG will have nine players and $1,500 in starting chips.  The blind structure will start at $25-$50, with blinds raising every 10 mins.  Only players that have played in the previouse main event are allowed to play in the SNG’s.

The winner of each SNG will receive 10 points toward the WSOP finals.

We can answer any questions that you have at Friday’s event.  Hope to see everyone at the tables!!!!

Kosta Sengos won the Horseshoe Council Bluffs WSOPC main event.  People win poker tournaments everyday but what makes this story so great is Kosta won his seat into the event through free poker league.  Similar to the events that we hold at Sadler and Carter Poker.  So keep playing and you could be the lucky player to win the WSOP event in Vegas this June!!!  Good luck to all the players that have already won and to all the players that will make the finals in the next couple of months.  Look for info on the finals in June and make sure you stay tuned reading for all the late breaking news from Vegas when we head out to mix it up with the big boys.

Win your seat to the World Series of Poker Main Event by eating chocolate!!

Harrah’s has just signed a deal with The Hershey Company. Harrah’s also named Hershey the Official Chocolate of the 2007 World Series of Poker. Hershey is set to launch the “Sweet Seats” promotion in April. The promotion is reported to be awarding two seats to the main event and secondary prizes including trips to Las Vegas. Hershey has also gotten the rights to use the World Series of Poker name and logo on any or all products or advertising.

Maybe the next world champ will be wearing Hershey chocolate at the final table!!

The Texas Oklahoma State Championship of Poker is in full swing in Tulsa. The tournament series kicked off on Feb. 1^st with a $100 buy-in No Limit Jack and Jill tournament. A couple of Sadler and Carter Poker friends are heading up to Tulsa this weekend to compete in the $200 No-Limit tournament. Good luck Luby and Uncle Kyle. Make sure you send us info if you guys make it to the money. Hope to get a full report when you guys get back.

Playing in a satellite this weekend with 1374 players.  It was a satellite to get in the $300,000 Fulltilt Sunday tourney.  I felt I was playing some good poker.  Making all the right calls and bluffing at all the right times.  Stayed above average stack just about the whole tourney until we got down to about 80 players.  Ran into a few bad hands that I should have gotten away from but still wasn’t in that bad of shape.  We got to 61 one players when it happened.  I made the worst play of the tourney and got knocked out 11 away from making the cut.  DAMN IT!!!!!  Almost nothing worse in poker then putting in a good three hours or more and ending up with nothing to show for it.  Poker is a cruel cruel game but that is why we love it some much!!!!

Feeling a little better tonight then last night after taking a beating from Mr Sadler in one of late afternoon heads up matches. Yesterday’s match started out good taking the frist few pots and getting a good chip lead. As usual Ray played lucky draw poker Omaha and I played Holdem. As my chip lead grew so did my confidence and that is when I made the biggest mistake of the match. Of course we were in an Omaha hand (high only). Flop came 8-4-3 rainbow. I was holding A-2 and checked as did “The Sadler”. Next card was another 4. Not the card I was looking for but didn’t seem to help Ray at all. With both of us checking again the miracle card comes on the river…..the 5. I hit the low straight but pretty sure that I have the best hand. Hoping to trap the Sadler in the “bear-trap” I make a small bet(maybe less then half the pot). He thinks for a minute and reraises. As I just think of winning the hand and all the bragging that I will be able to do the next day, I reraise all-in. The Donkey The Sadler calls immediatley and flips over the full house, 4’s full of 5’s. I never even saw the damn full house….so I guess that makes me the donkey.

Today on the other hand was a different story. The poker gods must have been looking down on me. I hit my flops, my draws and even just got lucky on the river when we checked it down. Ray was on-tilt from the very first few hands as I kept picking up pot after pot. A well played match by Mr Sadler but sometimes you just have one of those days when you can’t get things going your way. The final hand was again Omaha. Q-10-10-7. I raise preflop. He calls and deals the flop. 7-10-Q two clubs. WOW!! Ray bets big…I think a minute and move all-in. He calls with a straight draw and flush draw. (What a great game that Omaha….fucking suckout game) The turn brings an 8 no club. The turn is 7…HELL YEAH!!!

The heads up matches for this week are all tied up. (1-1) I looking forward to getting into the tie breaker match later this week. Better bring your A-game Mr Sadler.

The first tournament of the 2007 WSOP Freeroll series is in the books.  Sadler and Carter Poker wants to thank everyone that braved the weather and came out to play.  We had close to a full tourney for the 6:00 event and over 50 for the 10:00 event.  Mr Sadler has posted a nice tourney recap on the forum if you want to catch up on some of the action.

I wanted to congratulate Kathie and Josh on getting the first two spots in the final.  Make sure you keep playing to keep your game sharp, you are only halfway to the prize!!!

The points and final table results will be posted by Tuesday of this week.  Also the registration for tournaments on Jan. 26th will be open tomorrow.  If you have not gotten signed up for the Jan. 19th event do so quick.  Both tourneys are almost filled.

Again, we wanted to thank everyone that supported us last week and hope everyone had a great time.   Looking forward to seeing everyone out this week since I missed you last tournament.  Please give us your feedback on the tourney as well as any changes you would like to see.

With the first tournament in the 2007 WSOP Freeroll series right around the corner the hype continues to build.  We already have over 60 players signed up for the 6:00 tournament and 50 for the 10:00 tournament.  This is a great turnout for our first event and should only get better.  With the changes to the tournament structure and the larger starting stack should be a very player friendly tourney.  Also all players that make the final table earn points.  The top ten point leaders at the end of the season also get to play in the final tournament.  So every tourney counts.

Everyone at Sadler and Carter Poker is looking forward to seeing our old poker buddies as well as making some new poker friends.  Please pass the word on to all your poker buddies and have them come out and take a shot at getting a free entry into the 2007 World Series of Poker.

The tournaments for Friday January 19th will be open for registration by Wednesday of this week.  Don’t forget to get signed up for next weeks tournament.

Sadler and Carter Poker is glad to announce the start of the 2007 WSOP Freeroll series.  Many of you have played or heard about the freerolls that we held for the 2005 WSOP.  We had some great times and met some great people.  We are looking forward to getting everyone back to the tables, seeing our old friends and meetings some new ones.

The first freeroll to get things kicked off will start January 12th at 6:00 PM.  We will be having two tournaments every Friday night, 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM, from January 12th until May.  The end of May we will hold the final tourney for the qualifiers.  The winner of the final will be award a seat to a World Series of Poker event.  The WSOP schedule has not been released yet but as soon as we have the schedule we will choose an event.  At that time we will also annouce the date of the final.

You must sign up for each event you would like to play through the S&C Tournament page.  If you sign up for an event and do not show up to play then your name will be removed from any other events that you have signed up to play.  Each tournament will be limited to 90 players.  The winner of each event will advance to the final, which will be held in May.  One change this year is that all players at the final table will earn points for making the final table.  The top ten point leaders at the time of the final will also be allowed to play in the final.

Any questions can me emailed to Steve at Sadler and Carter Poker or you are welcome to stop in the store and get more information.  The first tournament is January 12th so make sure you get signed up and take a shot at a free WSOP seat.