I did not go there to gamble heavily, as the games there very definitely have a negative expected value. The blackjack rules are rigged to favor the house (even more than Las Vegas rules), and the other games are even worse. All that said, I always plan on playing a few hands of blackjack, more for socializing with the other players and dealers (many of whom I would expect to know).

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I like to peruse the Full Contact Poker online forums to read and comment on posts about interesting poker hands and whether they were played properly. I find that many of the contributors consistently suffer from the same problem: They are far too preoccupied with statistically insignificant aspects of a poker hand.

My point is that the minor details of many poker hands are often unimportant and simply not worthy of in-depth analysis. Worrying about these insignificant details won’t have much effect on your bankroll at the end of the year.
You see, the best way to improve your poker game is to focus on the important aspects of the game, like eliminating big mistakes. Instead, I see too many players fretting about whether they are a 56.2 percent favorite or a 51.8 percent favorite.

Obsessing about statistics won’t make you a better poker player. In fact, you’ll end up wasting too much valuable time on that stuff when you should be concentrating on crucial issues, like getting a read on your opponents and studying the psychological aspects of the game.

If you want to plug leaks in your game, plug the biggest leaks first. Here’s how to get the job done.
Don’t call a big all-in bet on a whim. Unless you have a powerful hand, or you have some reason to suggest that you know your opponent is bluffing, there’s no reason to make what’s known as a hero call. Any call that jeopardizes a big chunk of your chip stack just because you think your opponent might be on a bluff is flat-out wrong.
Don’t bluff off all of your chips. This is a common mistake made by impatient players. Sure, you might get away with a big bluff once in a while but when you do get caught — and eventually you will — it could mean the end.
Protect your hand when you’re confident you’re in the lead. Don’t be greedy and try to milk your opponent for a few more chips when the pot is already large. The turn of a single card can change the lead fast. Toss out a big bet rather than let your opponents beat you for free.

When making a bet or call that represents, say, 5 percent of your chip stack, you just don’t need to worry about whether it’s the correct play.

For example, I see many players with average skills waste too much mental energy deliberating whether to play K-J from early position. That intellectual power is better spent focusing on the other players at the table.
Here’s the bottom line: A decision to fold, call or raise with K-J from early position won’t have a significant effect on your long-term results. It doesn’t matter if your play was inappropriate. If it was, you committed a marginal error at worst.

OK, so how should you play K-J from early position? Arguments can be made in favor of all three options.
If the other players at the table are super-aggressive, raising when you call a bet or reraising when you raise, the correct play is to fold. If the other players are excessively tight, the correct play is to raise. And if the table is filled with bad players who won’t fold to a raise and tend to make big mistakes after the flop, the correct play is to call.

In poker as in life, don’t sweat the small stuff. Instead, focus your mental energy on those more important factors that will definitely affect your bottom line.

The Grand Fall Classic Poker Series will primarily feature more than 30 tables of non-Hold ‘em tournaments daily, including Omaha, Pot Limit Omaha, HORSE and a new Mixed Games Tournament with favorites like 2-7 Triple Draw, 7 Stud High/Low and Crazy Pineapple.

“The Golden Nugget, of course, loves No Limit Hold ‘em, as many of our players do. However, there are other varieties of poker that are really re-gaining popularity,” said John Colville, director of poker at the property. “We pride ourselves in catering to our players’ wants and feel hosting these non-Hold ‘em events do just that.”

Each tournament is a trophy event and begins at noon daily, with buy-ins of $230. Each features an 8,000 starting chip stack with additional 2,000 bonus chips available for $10 more at registration.

“With the addition of these non-Hold ‘em tournaments to our great lineup, there will be plenty of options for our players to enjoy,” Colville added.

For those players still wanting a Hold ‘em game, the series will also hold its very popular $125 No Limit Hold ‘em Tournaments at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. daily. This tournament will start players at 8,000 in chips and feature 30 minute blind levels.

In addition to The Grand Fall Classic Poker Series, the Golden Nugget features $65 No Limit Hold ‘em tournaments at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m. and 1 a.m. daily, where each buy-in gets 2,000 in chips and an opportunity for one $40 re-buy, for 3,000 more.

Registration for The Grand Fall Classic Poker Series is now open and seats can be secured by stopping by the Golden Nugget Poker Room or by contacting John Colville, director of Golden Nugget poker, at 702-386-8164 or e-mail . For more information or a complete schedule of events for The Grand Fall Classic Poker Series, visit the Golden Nugget website.

ABOUT GOLDEN NUGGET LAS VEGAS

Winner of the AAA Four Diamond Award since 1977, the Golden Nugget Las Vegas is the most luxurious resort on the Fremont Street Experience, and consistently receives critical acclaim for exceeding customer expectations. The Golden Nugget offers more than 1,900 deluxe guest rooms and suites; a high-energy casino featuring the most popular slot and video poker machines, table games, race and sports book and poker room; nightly entertainment; world-class restaurants; luxury spa and salon and The Tank, a year-round outdoor swimming pool complete with a live shark aquarium. In September 2005, Landry’s Restaurants, Inc. purchased the Golden Nugget hotels and casinos in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nev., and embarked on a 14-month, $100 million renovation project, which was completed November 2006. In December 2007, the Golden Nugget completed its $60 million Phase II project, which expanded the resort west onto First Street and introduced additional entertainment, event and dining venues. Hotel reservations and additional information are available by calling 800-634-3454, or by booking online at goldennugget.com.