Trip Report: The Links Poker Palace in Whitmore Lake, Michigan

The Links Poker Palace in Whitmore Lake, Michigan

Vital Stats
Date: May 23, 2009
Address: 1111 Six Mile Rd, Whitmore Lake, MI 48184
Phone: 734-449-5451
Charity & License: American Legion 419 Auxiliary M46441
Tournament: 8pm $5 entry, $500 Guaranteed

The Set-up:
It’s a beautiful sunny Saturday over Memorial Day week-end. Chris, my husband, Lisa, my sister and I headed out to the Links around 6pm, with the 45 minute drive, that would put us at the Links around 7pm – enough time to grab some dinner and maybe get into a cash game before the 8pm tournament start. We expected a little slower day due to the 80° weather and holiday week-end. The Links is at the golf course club-house, tables set up in the restaurant/bar area with huge windows overlooking the course, and a deck just outside. The room is non-smoking, easy to find, with a full bar, keno, kitchen and waitstaff.

There was one waiting cash player when we arrived, and no cash games going before the tournament. The tournament did fill up just before 8pm with four full tables (36 players). The total prize pool was $750 paying 1st $375, 2nd $200, 3rd $175 and 4th $50.

Players on the trip: Lisa is a newbie live player this was her 3rd or 4th live tournament. Her biggest problem is that she tends to think players are bluffing – I think this may be directly related to living with three teen-agers...

Chris is a numbers guy and computer programmer (think Chris Ferguson). I’m always amazed at the statistics he can figure out in his head.

I’m a middle of the pack player. Sometimes I play by the numbers, sometimes I play by my guy. More often than not, I’m checking when I should be raising, and calling when I should be folding.

Tournament: We all sat at different tables for the $5 buy-in for 1k chips, $5 add-on for another 1k chips. Unlimited $10 (2k chips) or $20 (5k chips) rebuys until the break when a player busts out. At the break, add-ons were available for the same amounts, $10 for 2k chips or $20 for 5k chips. The blinds went up every 15 minutes, and doubled every level after the 1st break. This wrapped up the tournament quickly after the rebuy period was over.

There were two other ladies at my table. One I recognized from a tournament at an Ann Arbor poker room – a solid, aggressive player from what I remember. It’s nice to see the girls getting out there to play cards with the guys. Jeff, the dealer until the break, was familiar with a couple of the regular players, kept the game friendly and moving. He was really nice about washing the cards upon request, and demonstrating his custom “speed wash” a couple times. One guy at my table busted out before the break and didn’t rebuy. Lisa also busted out before the break after one rebuy.

Going into the first break, I was short-stacked 1350 chips and had been card dead for quite some time. Blinds were 400/800. In first position, I peeked at A-7 and figured if I bust out before the break, I can do the $20 rebuy, plus the $20 add-on and come back with a healthier stack. Bob, immediately to my left called with a smaller stack than mine, the blond called with 1300 chips, and John – one of the table big stacks. Three players all-in, last hand before the break.

Me: A©-7§
Flop: 4§-4¨-5© (no danger – good flop for me!)
Turn: A¨ **woo-hoo – Aces!!!
River: 3¨ seems to be a blank...

Bob turns up his cards: K¨-2¨ for a flush – winning the main pot
Blond turns up A§-7ª to split with me, each winning 1300 chips
John mucked his cards.

After the break, four tables went down to three, then down to two very quickly. I won a few small pots, stealing the blinds, but mostly I was card dead. I kept looking for a place to make my move. The best cards I got were Q-7. About three hands after we went to two tables, I was out. In the big blind, I was all-in blind with three callers/limpers. As much as I wished for it, I just didn’t come up with that miracle river card, and I was out.

Chris made it to the final table and ended up taking 4th. He too was short-stacked from the 2nd break on, but managed to make the right moves at the right times and held out to the money.


Cash Games: I played on the $1/$2 cash table for about an hour after I busted out of the tournament. The play was friendly, and not overly-aggressive. There were a few limped pots, a few expensive flops. I saw a really horrible bad beat – here it is to the best of my memory:

Limped pot, 4 players in – player 3, 4, small and big blinds. The flop comes A, Q, 7 rainbow. Player 3 bets ~$15, player 4 re-raises all-in ~$75, blinds fold. Player 3 has 4 covered and calls.

Flop: A-7-Q
Player 3: 7-7
Player 4: A-Q

Turn: 7
River: A

Just sick – full house, aces over queens beat by quad sevens. Player 3 scoops, player 4 buys more chips.

As players dropped out of the tournament, they joint the cash tables. There was one $1/$2 table going with a few players waiting for another. After the tournament, a full $1/$1 table opened up.

Wrap-Up: This is a very nice poker room with a regular, friendly crowd. The players and dealers know eachother – there’s a lot of friendly banter going back and fourth. If you are in the area – drive out here and play in the tournaments or cash games.

ps. - Ed - I wrote all this stuff down ;)

$2000 Guaranteed Prize Pool & WSOP Satelite at Town & Country Lanes May 28 & 30

Town & Country Lanes : 2 Special Events this week!**$2000 Guaranteed Prize Pool $20 buy-in tournament Thur 5/28

**$2000 WSOP Satellite Tourney in Vegas Prize, $135 buy-in for 10k chips Sat 5/30
benefitting John Glenn HS Athletic Fund M45863

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$2000 Guarantee at Town & Country Lanes May 28
Benefitting John Glenn HS Athletic Fund M45863

$2000 guarantee prize pool, $20 buy in tourney, 6000 chips, 20 min blinds. Unlimited re-buys the first hour when under 6000 6 chips, 1 bonus add on the last 10 minutes of the first round.

$2000 WSOP Satellite Tourney in Vegas Prize, $135 buy-in for 10k chips May 30
Benefitting John Glenn HS Athletic Fund M45863

Saturday May 30, 2009 win a seat in the WSOP $2000 Satelitte tourney in Vegas. Starts at noon, OPEN TO THE FIRST 75 PLAYERS, $135 buy in, $10,000 CHIPS, 30 MIN BLINDS. TOP 3 FINISHERS, will have their seat bought for them in the WSOP satelitte in Vegas with $500.00 for accomodations. Next 3 finisher's will receive a cash prize.


MAKE NOTE: Coming soon The first Joe's vs Pro's, $100.00 buy-in Hold em tourney, at Joey's Comedy club, inside Kicker's All American Grill. Here's your chance to play alongside some of the area's best atheltes and local celebrities. We will have book signings from the Pro's, bounty chips for knocking out a Pro and special prizes, throughout the night. Stay tuned for more Info.

Town & Country Lanes
1100 S. Wayne Rd
Westland, MI 48184
734-722-5000

Kickers
36071 Plymouth Rd
Livonia, MI 48150
734-469-8177

The Links at Whitmore Lake:Freeze-Out Tournament and Poker 7 Days a Week!

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May 31, 5pm $60 Freeze-Out NLHE Tournament Benefitting Agnus Dei Academy M48543 May 28-31

The Links will be playing 7 Days a week starting June 8th!!

Benefitting the Whitmore Lake Rod & Gun Club for community projects M48438 June 8-10

The Links hosts 8pm $500 Freerolls with a $5 entry fee Thursday - Sundays. Starting June 8th, the freerolls will be 7 nights a week!

$25 Bounty Tournaments Sundays at 5pm (unless there is a special event - like the $60 Freeze-out on 5/31!

The Links hosts $1/$1, $1/$2 and $2/$4 Cash Tables, spreading NLHE, Round-by-Round and Black Jack from open to close.

The Links Poker Palace
1111 Six Mile Rd
Whitmore Lake, MI 48184

734-449-5451