The end of another era in Philippine poker...
I feel fortunate to be one of the people to actually track the growth of poker here in the PI. From it's humble beginnings (garage poker) to having the 1st legal cardroom outside the casino but endorsed by PAGCOR. (soon)
Last monday was the last day for Northside poker in it's underground sense. It will now be replaced sometime in Jan by a PAGCOR endorsed cardroom which is a long time coming for sure! Of course I played but I busted out like 30+ from 50+ players. I played the hand right shortstacked (mid pockets). Oh well, that's poker! LOL
Now let's review our poker beginnings here in the PI.
I first started playing poker here with football friends in the fort in front of Chamba Juice. It was a cash game, 10-20. The buy-in was anywhere from 200-500. Lots of players just there to hang out and talk. This was also where some of the other people I know learned how to play. It was fun. Met manilagrind (Mark) playing there and I played a couple of times in Grinds game (tourney style) in Greenhills, met his crew. (won 1)
Through those players we started to hear about a tournament being held and of course I played... there were a couple that was already held and it was in Alabang, Parque España. (you all remember?) The tournament was a 1XXX peso buy in back in the day where a 1000 peso buy-in was HUGE! (finished 6th, money back) I met a lot of cool people there - Nick G, JJ the duke, Dennis L, Neil A, Ed U, Jardine G, Miguel C, Skippy (he didn't play... TD), Gail and a lot more. I still remember Ed crippled me with 88 vs my AQ! Through that tournament the poker connections got stronger and I started getting messages for different "home" games and after about a month or so there were a couple of other tournaments that was held. 6k+1k in parque (busted 1st... AK mine vs 99 (John S)), Tourney in Makati... the 1st ever 2 tournament event in a basement building, (yes it was still underground)-busted early, 1st saw Jun U. play 2 tables and cash in on both!
Then little tourneys popped up everywhere after "the bbc" was created. JG tourney (met a lot of people there), makati tourneys, BNJ tourneys (xpl- never got a bracelent... just finished second one time), Valle games, Migs touneys/ring in QC, Racks Ring, even home game ring started to pop up. Oh, didn't want to forget about the PPT (philippine poker tourneys, you know them-they guarantee the pot-1m or 3m) It took me some time to get over to the BBC cause it was far... Pasay far and I'm from QC, but it was the place to be. I even went there on my breaks from work or when I get out to try to catch some ring games. Yes, it was a ring game place with an occasional tourney. I placed 1st in the 1st and last sunday tourney(10 players, skippy was second and I believe Nick G was third), busted out a lot of the BBC 500, headhunter tourneys etc. Then the 100 person backyard tourney happened. With giveaways and everything in alabang (Miguel C. was 3rd)
PAGCOR started the poker room. Everything was fun until somebody went to JAIL... yes, the heat came from the police. The BBC closed down and everything went silent for a little. You can't stop something with a little jail time... Anyhow, northside poker came to be and it was good while it lasted. Now it will be replaced by a "legal" cardroom. Awesome job to everyone who has been there to see the growth of poker in the philippines. The cardroom in the casino's has also seen growth... but everyone knows about that!
Can't wait to see what else is in store for us!
Good game.
Last monday was the last day for Northside poker in it's underground sense. It will now be replaced sometime in Jan by a PAGCOR endorsed cardroom which is a long time coming for sure! Of course I played but I busted out like 30+ from 50+ players. I played the hand right shortstacked (mid pockets). Oh well, that's poker! LOL
Now let's review our poker beginnings here in the PI.
I first started playing poker here with football friends in the fort in front of Chamba Juice. It was a cash game, 10-20. The buy-in was anywhere from 200-500. Lots of players just there to hang out and talk. This was also where some of the other people I know learned how to play. It was fun. Met manilagrind (Mark) playing there and I played a couple of times in Grinds game (tourney style) in Greenhills, met his crew. (won 1)
Through those players we started to hear about a tournament being held and of course I played... there were a couple that was already held and it was in Alabang, Parque España. (you all remember?) The tournament was a 1XXX peso buy in back in the day where a 1000 peso buy-in was HUGE! (finished 6th, money back) I met a lot of cool people there - Nick G, JJ the duke, Dennis L, Neil A, Ed U, Jardine G, Miguel C, Skippy (he didn't play... TD), Gail and a lot more. I still remember Ed crippled me with 88 vs my AQ! Through that tournament the poker connections got stronger and I started getting messages for different "home" games and after about a month or so there were a couple of other tournaments that was held. 6k+1k in parque (busted 1st... AK mine vs 99 (John S)), Tourney in Makati... the 1st ever 2 tournament event in a basement building, (yes it was still underground)-busted early, 1st saw Jun U. play 2 tables and cash in on both!
Then little tourneys popped up everywhere after "the bbc" was created. JG tourney (met a lot of people there), makati tourneys, BNJ tourneys (xpl- never got a bracelent... just finished second one time), Valle games, Migs touneys/ring in QC, Racks Ring, even home game ring started to pop up. Oh, didn't want to forget about the PPT (philippine poker tourneys, you know them-they guarantee the pot-1m or 3m) It took me some time to get over to the BBC cause it was far... Pasay far and I'm from QC, but it was the place to be. I even went there on my breaks from work or when I get out to try to catch some ring games. Yes, it was a ring game place with an occasional tourney. I placed 1st in the 1st and last sunday tourney(10 players, skippy was second and I believe Nick G was third), busted out a lot of the BBC 500, headhunter tourneys etc. Then the 100 person backyard tourney happened. With giveaways and everything in alabang (Miguel C. was 3rd)
PAGCOR started the poker room. Everything was fun until somebody went to JAIL... yes, the heat came from the police. The BBC closed down and everything went silent for a little. You can't stop something with a little jail time... Anyhow, northside poker came to be and it was good while it lasted. Now it will be replaced by a "legal" cardroom. Awesome job to everyone who has been there to see the growth of poker in the philippines. The cardroom in the casino's has also seen growth... but everyone knows about that!
Can't wait to see what else is in store for us!
Good game.
posted by AReyes | 6:17 PM
4 Comments:
beautiful piece bro...i can't believe you remember how you placed in all those events! mind like a steel trap
Thanks. Lol... I remember especially the beats!
Ariel
yes the beat, we always remember the beats... I still dream about some of them...
i remember one beat (not a bad beat but a cooler)i took with nick in the bbc, my first time to play 50-100. my AK flopped K-Q-K, and nick (who raised PF) pushed me all-in on the river. i remember every single word exchanged in that hand! turn was a 6, river was a 2.
"nick do you have pocket queens?"
"nope."
after several minutes...
"i have to call."
He DID have queens. I knew it from the bottom of my gut. But i had to call. I lost 3000 in that hand.
;)
Post a Comment
<< Home