Serge's 10000th Post

[serge 904]

In honour of my 10000th post I like to tell you a little bit about how I became a poker player.Poker has been something that I have enjoyed ever since I was a teenager. We would all get together with friends and play games like 5 card draw, stud and variations like Follow the Queen, Kings and little ones etc. We would play for quarters during lunch at high school, and I always had a passion for the game. I always understood that it wasn’t a game of luck and there was a lot of skill involved.I started dealing blackjack in the charity casinos in Toronto when I was going to University. Back in those days we had what we called roving charity casinos, these companies were hired by charities and ran a 3 day event in a hotel, banquet hall or a restaurant. After the three days we would pack up and go to another location. These charities were very popular and there were at their height of popularity maybe up to 20 locations across the city. The limits were only $10, however to get around the limits we would allow players to play the whole table of 7 spots. So it was very possible to win or lose up to $2K to $3k over a few hours.In 1995 the Ontario government did something that would change my life forever, they introduced this game in the charities called Holdem Poker. I had never played this game even though I was a poker player. On my trips to Atlantic City and Las Vegas I would dabble in 7 card stud but never holdem. Since I was going to deal the game, they gave us a crash course in the rules of the game and how to deal it. You may have heard the saying “it takes you a minute to learn the game and a lifetime to master”. Well it was definitely true.Along with everyone else I decided to play and see what this game was about. I didn’t have much money back then so I decided to start playing $5-$10, after two sessions I found myself stuck $600 in my poker career. I hated to lose in everything I did, so along with my two friends we went and bought the book Advanced Holdem Poker by David Sklansky. The concepts in the book while being called advanced, was very easy to learn. We went back to my buddies house and started dealing 100s of hands of holdem and practiced what we read. It was finally time to hit the real tables and work on what I learned. My results were unbelievable. I couldn’t lose if I tried and the first week I made roughly $1500 playing $5-10. I was a 23 year old kid and that was a lot of money to me back then. The players were really bad, extremely bad. Even though I had no experience in the game, using basic strategies like FOLDING BEFORE THE FLOP and playing a tight game proved to be easy money.Soon after I graduated up to $10-$20 and was regularly crushing the games. It was amazing , I would walk into a lecture at University with $3000 in cash in my pocket. While the other kids didn’t have enough money for books, I was driving a Mustang convertible and money was no object.Soon after is when I started playing regularly at a place called Fundtime Games. This was considered to be the most classy of the companies and they ran good games, and were the first to introduce session fee in the $10-$20 games. It was here that I ran into this punk young kid named Daniel Negreanu. Everyone use to rave about his play but I use to believe he was the biggest fish in the game, until I figured him out. It took me a while but I realized his m.o. was to get the good players(me) off my game and befriend the bad players to pay him off. I remember one of the few times I was on tilt he raised under the gun and I was so sick of seeing him raise with rags that I 3bet him with J3 of hearts. Now for those that know me I don’t usually play a small blind with that rag let alone three bet. Then I realized Serge what are you doing, you are playing into his game. After that I tried to stay away from him as much as I could and just take the money from the fish, which there was plenty of.I have an amazing memory of hands. Even though we play so many as poker players I recall every hand vividly. One hand I recall from an underground poker tourney that is interesting , not only the way played it out but what happened after the hand. We were playing a tourney and it got down to me and Daniel heads up. He had me slightly covered, I made a small raise with KK and Daniel called preflop. Flop come JJ4 and I made a pot sized bet and Daniel pushed all in. I instacalled and he goes “you have a J” I said no but I have KKs he pats the table saying good hand as he tables 55. Of course the river card comes the 5 as I lose the pot and the first place prize of roughly $2000. The interesting part of the hand isn’t the actual hand but what happened after. There were certain people that “busted” in that made the night a nuisance for all of us for months to come. I wont get into details to protect the innocent.Poker has been a big part of my life for the past 15 years. I still play to this day and still make a small profit online and the occasional home game with friends. Sometimes when I am watching these guys on tv I always wonder, that could have been me. But then reality hits me when my son comes up to me and says daddy lets watch the Leafs on the tv. I wouldn’t trade that for any fame or fortune that the game of poker might have brought me if I pursued it.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

No wonder you play so weak tight, you learned from reading Malmuth's book.

[troyomac 0]

Good story!

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

excellent read, thanks Serge.

[rinswun 6]

I have an amazing memory of hands. Even though we play so many as poker players I recall every hand vividly. One hand I recall from an underground poker tourney that is interesting , not only the way played it out but what happened after the hand. We were playing a tourney and it got down to me and Daniel heads up. He had me slightly covered, I made a small raise with KK and Daniel called preflop. Flop come JJ4 and I made a pot sized bet and Daniel pushed all in. I instacalled and he goes “you have a J” I said no but I have KKs he pats the table saying good hand as he tables 55. Of course the river card comes the 5 as I lose the pot and the first place prize of roughly $2000. The interesting part of the hand isn’t the actual hand but what happened after. There were certain people that “busted” in that made the night a nuisance for all of us for months to come. I wont get into details to protect the innocent.

you cant say something like that then not go into details!

[serge 904]

you cant say something like that then not go into details!

well i think you can put two and two together...I dont want to give details as other high profile people maybe affected.

[MapleLeafs 142]

Very nice Serge, thanks for that.

[Speed Limit 0]

Yeah I'm glad you posted it in here (best forum imo) and twas a good read.

[DanielNegreanu 141]

Hah, I remember that night! So annoying, caused me to spend a day in a holding cell at the Toronto airport before being moved to a REAL holding cell where I was almost accidentally sent to jail for two days! It was so brutal. Cops raided the place we were playing and I'd just won the tournament and luckily got my money before the cops came. It was no big deal, they gave us all a ticket for being in a "common gaming house" and we were supposed to go to court to deal with it. As far as I knew it was all dealt with... till I tried to fly to Vegas with my buddies. They all got on the plane, I was left behind as apparently there was a warrant for my arrest for not showing up in court? It was so bizarre and ridiculous, but I did not get on the plane. Instead I was held in an airport cell for a couple hours. Then went to some courthouse where I was put in a cell with actual criminals. I was a bit scared, but not really. When I saw one guy sell his nipple ring to another guy for two cigarettes (true story) I got a bit worried that they'd want the earrings from my ear. I would have given them away obviously! Anyway, it gets scarier from there. It's a Friday and it's about 5:00pm. Me and three other actual prisoners were brought out to see the judge. Then she says, "Looks like we'll be done for the day. Send them all back." Then the guy next to me says, "You comin' to West detention for the weekend bro." I was like, no freaking way! I got up, told the guard guy, "Um, excuse me, but.. er, there is a mistake here. I didn't come from jail and I don't belong with those people." Those people looked back at me like, "What did he just say???" Anyway I was able to get the judge's attention somehow, she looked over my "case" and luckily, seriously lucky for me, she realized I didn't belong there and let me go, telling me to come back Monday to deal with the ticket. I did that, and flew to Vegas the next day... brutal. Oh, and Serge, you were really easy to put on tilt back then btw, lol. Not as bad as your buddy Louis, though, he had no emotional control whatsoever.

[ajs510 122]

Oh, and Serge, you were really easy to put on tilt back then btw, lol.

Back then?

[serge 904]

Hah, I remember that night! So annoying, caused me to spend a day in a holding cell at the Toronto airport before being moved to a REAL holding cell where I was almost accidentally sent to jail for two days! It was so brutal. Cops raided the place we were playing and I'd just won the tournament and luckily got my money before the cops came. It was no big deal, they gave us all a ticket for being in a "common gaming house" and we were supposed to go to court to deal with it. As far as I knew it was all dealt with... till I tried to fly to Vegas with my buddies. They all got on the plane, I was left behind as apparently there was a warrant for my arrest for not showing up in court? It was so bizarre and ridiculous, but I did not get on the plane. Instead I was held in an airport cell for a couple hours. Then went to some courthouse where I was put in a cell with actual criminals. I was a bit scared, but not really. When I saw one guy sell his nipple ring to another guy for two cigarettes (true story) I got a bit worried that they'd want the earrings from my ear. I would have given them away obviously! Anyway, it gets scarier from there. It's a Friday and it's about 5:00pm. Me and three other actual prisoners were brought out to see the judge. Then she says, "Looks like we'll be done for the day. Send them all back." Then the guy next to me says, "You comin' to West detention for the weekend bro." I was like, no freaking way! I got up, told the guard guy, "Um, excuse me, but.. er, there is a mistake here. I didn't come from jail and I don't belong with those people." Those people looked back at me like, "What did he just say???" Anyway I was able to get the judge's attention somehow, she looked over my "case" and luckily, seriously lucky for me, she realized I didn't belong there and let me go, telling me to come back Monday to deal with the ticket. I did that, and flew to Vegas the next day... brutal. Oh, and Serge, you were really easy to put on tilt back then btw, lol. Not as bad as your buddy Louis, though, he had no emotional control whatsoever.

ya..I knew most of that happened to you but I didnt want to say anything without your permission. The lawyer really screwed us over. I also had a similar warrant and I was ordered to do 30 hours of community service to get it completely wiped from my record. I did data input at the Salvation Army for a week.It cost me $800 to pay the lawyer to take care of stuff..Really annoying, the whole thing is supposed to be like a speeding ticket and nothing happens if the lawyer takes care of his job.Its funny you bring up Louis as funny as it sounds he made a decent hourly rate in that game.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

Oh, and Serge, you were really easy to put on tilt back then btw, lol. Not as bad as your buddy Louis, though, he had no emotional control whatsoever.

My favourite Louis story.Louis basically had no self control and would make Hellmuth look like a zen master the way that he handled getting bad beats. We often wondered if he would snap and Columbine one of the casinos one day.Louis basically played tight and unimaginative poker just like Serge when he wasn't on emotional tilt. One hand he and 2 other players get in a raising war on the flop and turn and it's obvious that Louis has top set of Kings since he raised preflop and he would only ever go that many bets with the nuts. The board paired on the river and one of the other players now had quads. It turns out that all three of them had flopped sets.Louis became a mess of facial ticks and mumbled gibberish as he got up from the table and basically threw his chips at the cashier.Was entertaining and scary at the same time since you really couldn't know if Louis was going to go off the deep end totally.To my knowledge Louis gave up poker many years ago long before the poker boom.

[serge 904]

My favourite Louis story.Louis basically had no self control and would make Hellmuth look like a zen master the way that he handled getting bad beats. We often wondered if he would snap and Columbine one of the casinos one day.Louis basically played tight and unimaginative poker just like Serge when he wasn't on emotional tilt. One hand he and 2 other players get in a raising war on the flop and turn and it's obvious that Louis has top set of Kings since he raised preflop and he would only ever go that many bets with the nuts. The board paired on the river and one of the other players now had quads. It turns out that all three of them had flopped sets.Louis became a mess of facial ticks and mumbled gibberish as he got up from the table and basically threw his chips at the cashier.Was entertaining and scary at the same time since you really couldn't know if Louis was going to go off the deep end totally.To my knowledge Louis gave up poker many years ago long before the poker boom.

Louis became a Jehovah's Witness and now he is married and is in computer design. The "religion" doesnt allow for gambling of any kind.

[ajs510 122]

Louis became a Jehovah's Witness and now he is married and is in computer design. The "religion" doesnt allow for gambling of any kind.

Doesn't make many allowances for common sense either.

[Ottawa_Biatch 288]

Wicked story dude

[Vertigo 0]

Good post Serge - not to be an ass, but the material is basically the 5000th post souped up a bit! Give more poker stories/details!

[SilverSeven 0]

WOW !!! Sick, sick story...DN, that Friday night in court...insane. I guess the lesson is : SPEAK UP !!!!!!!!!!!Serge, you seem to have gotten away from all the crap by paying a good lawyer 800 $. That's actually really isn't expensive I figure...Bob, that hand with this tilty Louis guy...well that's the best bad beat story ever...rivered quads over the nut full house...ouch.

[fleung22 1]

shouldn't this be in gen? what's with the lazy mods nowadays?? serge

[Zach6668 513]

Good story, Serge.

[serge 904]

shouldn't this be in gen? what's with the lazy mods nowadays?? serge

this is the best forum, and all the cool people are here..Gen is littered with stupid steak threads and final table rail threads..annoying if you ask me.

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

Then the guy next to me says, "You comin' to West detention for the weekend bro."

awww, thats nice. Sounds like someone was sweet on you DN, maybe Saturday night dinner?

[troyomac 0]

Any plans for your 15kth post?

[digitalmonkey 929]

Any plans for your 15kth post?

Maybe he can tell us how he ended up sucking so bad at sportsbetting and fantasy hockey.

[serge 904]

Any plans for your 15kth post?

I have something special planned..People will be amused and entertained...

[troyomac 0]

I have something special planned..People will be amused and entertained...

Post a link to a video of you on youtube doing a standup comedy routine about the Montreal Canadiens? One time?