The Next Poker Wave

First we had Texas Hold’em poker, which required that you play the game with a deck of cards, a table, and of course, chips.  Next we had Internet Hold’em, which allowed you to play poker card games in the comfort of your own home. 

Then we had wireless modems that hooked up to your laptop, and allowed you to play Hold’em in limousines (Erick Lindgren and I played from Atlantic City to Manhattan one Saturday night poker -we both won over $4,000!), in airports and grocery stores (Annie Duke), while driving from Vegas to L.A. (Russ Hamilton), and everywhere and anywhere in the U.S..A. Still, as cool as it is to play in a limo or taxi, you needed a laptop.  Now we can play Texas Hold’em directly on a cell phone! Bring your cell and play anytime, anywhere.

            Welcome to the future of Texas Hold’em: “Phil Hellmuth’s Texas Hold’em poker game Powered by Bluefuel.”  A brand-new App by Summus Cellular Applications allows us to play poker on a standard cell phone face, and it is “scary good.” There are two different ways to play the game of cards, one by text only and the other with full graphics-using a small poker table.  If you’re busy or using the phone (hopefully not while driving), the cell beeps when it is your turn to act, so that you don’t have to watch every hand from beginning to end.  On the other hand, watching every hand does teach you something about poker the players, and their styles of play.  In any case, I prefer the graphic version.

           While my wife and I drove my son to a basketball playoff game for NJB (National Junior Basketball), I sat in the passenger seat playing cell phone Hold’em, when the following hand came up.  We were playing 5-10 blind Pot Limit Hold’em, with a 2000 “chip” buy-in.  I was down to 1,860 in chips and noticed that it was impossible to bluff these players.  You see, I had just bluffed 200 chips into 3d-7s-9d-Kd-7c, and been called by my opponent with his ace-high.  I thought to myself, “OK, if they’re going to call my big bets with nothing, then I’ll wait for a strong hand and bet it big.”

            About 15 minutes later I had 4-4, and six players took the flop with me.  The flop was a beautiful-looking  2d-3h-4c, and I bet out a pot-sized 70-chip bet.  I was called by two players.  The next card was the Qh, and I bet out 280 chips, again a pot-sized bet.  This time I was called  by only one opponent.  When the last card was a harmless 10c, I then bet out 900 chips (there were 840 in the pot limit omaha ), and I was called again.  Although I didn’t see my opponent’s hand, the chips were instantly put into my cell stack, and I felt as if I had played the hand perfectly.

Normally I would bet less on the flop to try to lure players into the pot, and typically I would bet less on the turn as well, but not too much less since I would have to protect my hand against a straight draw.  Finally, I would usually bet more like 400 on the end to induce an easier call from my opponent.  The moral of this story is, if your opponents are going to call your bad beats with weak hands, then charge them the maximum when you do have a strong hand.  I’ll see you soon out in the virtual cell phone world!