If you don't think bad beat jackpots are not good for poker, I have news for you: you're living on the wrong planet.
The only people who fail to get excited about a growing bad beat jackpot are the ones who don't play poker and who have never been in a poker room. All the rest of them -- players, poker room supervisors and dealers -- can only smile when the jackpot hits a certain level and keeps rising.
I have profited from bad beat jackpots on several memorable occasions over the years. The amounts I won ranged from $340 as a player share to $22,000.
Now casinos and especially poker rooms are not known for players smiling at one another and wishing each other 'Good day.' But when a bad beat jackpot is hit, it's amazing how the atmosphere at the poker table changes.
People who were mortal enemies moments earlier suddenly become instant friends. They exchange high fives. They slap each other on the back. I even saw two guys kiss each other while they danced around the table.
Don't leave out the dealers when you talk about excited people. One of the questions I often pose to a dealer is 'If you dealt a bad beat jackpot, how would you spend the money?'
They don't talk cruises to the Caribbean, Mexican Riviera or South Pacific. They talk helping a son or daughter, paying bills, or paying off a car.
Today the Omaha High-Low bad beat jackpot was hit for nearly $18,000 at Talking Stick Casino near Scottsdale, AZ. Four kings were beat by a royal flush.
The person who dealt it was totally thrilled. She is one of the more popular dealers at Talking Stick. She always has a smile, is friendly to all the players, and she knows how to deal. You can't ask for more than that.
The only bad thing about hitting a bad beat jackpot is that the jackpot sinks to an unexciting amount. After the jackpot was hit, it dropped to $3,500.
Excuse me for interfering, but I think this is a mistake that casinos should correct.
Some casinos add cash to payoffs in tournaments above the entry fees. Why not add cash from the poker profits to a bad beat jackpot to keep it in the interesting range?
Poker tables earn money for the House from the drop on each pot. Casinos should work overtime to keep the excitement at a high level. It will keep the people playing and it will help the dealers maintain an interest in the game.
I know most of the poker players in the Phoenix area keep their eyes on the levels of the bad beat jackpots at the various casinos. They usually go to the poker room that offers the higher bad beat jackpot. This is what the poker room manager wants, so why not give it to the players -- in spades?
I still remember the night Leon Wheeler dealt me the lion's share of a bad beat jackpot. It was past midnight and I had been playing for about 10 hours. I was tired and wanted to go to bed. But I asked Leon to wash the deck.
'Give it a jackpot scramble,' I added. Leon, reputed to be the fastest poker dealer in Las Vegas, washed the deck. Three hands later, he dealt me quad jacks and gave another player quad queens. I won $22,000, the player who beat me collected $11,000, and each of the other players won just under $2,000.
I hope you get lucky and win your own bad beat jackpot. Happy trails.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
