Band Member (2 episodes, 1981) Roger Etienne. First Poker Player (1 episode, 1977) Larry Golden. Himmler (1 episode, 1977) Jonathan Goldsmith. Top Chef Duels is an American reality competition series which premiered on August 6, 2014, on Bravo. The culinary show is one of the several spin-off series of the popular cooking competition show Top Chef aired on the same network.
Our Core Competencies
Hotels
Modern hotels must meet the evolving expectations of their diverse clientele for quality and service while remaining cognizant of development costs. Construction and renovation within these facilities needs to focus on providing a quick turnaround while minimizing interruptions to their guests' experiences. Our teams have partnered both with major resort developers and standalone facilities throughout the region to support their construction, upgrade, expansion, and maintenance initiatives. With the ability to scale our services in support projects of any scale, A/Z's team leverages the experience to exceed the expectations of the hotel development team as well as its guests.
Gaming
It takes experience and imagination to develop innovative gaming areas that attract high guest traffic. The most successful space anticipates players' expectations and provides the level of detail and comfort needed to engage and sustain interest. Emotive lighting, exciting architecture, and durable domestic and imported finishes are just of the few of the elements that must be considered. With the ability to implement an endless range of styles and finishes, A/Z has the experience and resources to create gaming atmospheres for any taste.
Gaming areas have completely evolved over the past 20 years with the integration of new technologies. Their players' desires for greater service, convenience, and the ability to earn promotional points are driving today's casinos to change the typical thought process for these venues. We have been building and renovating gaming areas for some of the largest casinos in North America for years, including poker and table games, slots, race book, keno, etc.
Lounges & Night Clubs
From classic and cosmopolitan to the themed or technology-driven, today's lounge designs cover a vast array of styles. A/Z's ability to deliver an exciting and engaging space is a must in this highly competitive market. By collaborating closely with facility designers, we can develop luxurious, engaging spaces that achieve the highest standards of quality, durability, and cost-efficiency. The ability to integrate customized systems and features gives these facilities the edge that sets them apart.
Restaurants & Kitchens
Setting the stage for the desired patron ambiance and restaurant service platform is a critical element in a restaurateur's business plan. A/Z's experience covers both fine dining and themed establishments. Our ability to manage specialty materials and contractors is acquired by working with some of the most sophisticated, customer-oriented resorts and clientele in the industry.
The restaurant atmosphere and quality is only half of the patron dining experience. It's essential that the kitchen and food preparation areas are first-in-class as well. The installation and coordination of the kitchen equipment and appliances are critical to the kitchen staff's ability to perform and provide the desire service and production levels. A/Z has experience ranging from production-sized facilities to streamlined gourmet kitchens.
Retail
When creating an enticing shopping experience for customers, it is important to consider both the adaptability of the space and the aesthetic / branding requirements of its occupant. We are committed to achieving the vision for these environments by working closely with facility owners and designers to incorporate any range of specialty finish materials, retail systems, lighting, and security. Our project teams have experience working with both domestic and international material / system providers and installers. Partnering with A/Z enables our clients to focus on their business operations as we dedicate ourselves to the development of the retail outlet.
Spas & Leisure
The development of a soothing and comfortable environment for guests is central to the atmosphere that spas and leisure facilities strive to maintain. Attention to detail allows spa employees to spur repeat patronage and create lasting memories of relaxation. We are committed to working with our clients to create the balance of aesthetics, acoustics, lighting, climate control, and spa equipment needed for these spaces. These considerations allow the facility to operate above guests' expectations.
Our Work Highlights
Quite often, when playing the major tournament circuit, you'll find yourself with no chips at a final table despite recently having a decent shot at a title. When you go from having lots of equity to none, crazy things start happening in your mind. I'm going to let you into my world and enlighten you to what I do to stay sane when things go wrong when there is a lot of money on the line.
David Burke Poker Club
I had the pleasure of being in this situation twice at the Foxwoods World Poker Finals. I final tabled the $500 preliminary event, which had around 250 entrants. When we were down to six players, I got all-in with J-J vs. Q-J but lost to a turned Queen that send me to the rail, cashing for $5,888. All in all, it wasn't a bad payday, but it was nowhere near what I wanted.
Gaming
It takes experience and imagination to develop innovative gaming areas that attract high guest traffic. The most successful space anticipates players' expectations and provides the level of detail and comfort needed to engage and sustain interest. Emotive lighting, exciting architecture, and durable domestic and imported finishes are just of the few of the elements that must be considered. With the ability to implement an endless range of styles and finishes, A/Z has the experience and resources to create gaming atmospheres for any taste.
Gaming areas have completely evolved over the past 20 years with the integration of new technologies. Their players' desires for greater service, convenience, and the ability to earn promotional points are driving today's casinos to change the typical thought process for these venues. We have been building and renovating gaming areas for some of the largest casinos in North America for years, including poker and table games, slots, race book, keno, etc.
Lounges & Night Clubs
From classic and cosmopolitan to the themed or technology-driven, today's lounge designs cover a vast array of styles. A/Z's ability to deliver an exciting and engaging space is a must in this highly competitive market. By collaborating closely with facility designers, we can develop luxurious, engaging spaces that achieve the highest standards of quality, durability, and cost-efficiency. The ability to integrate customized systems and features gives these facilities the edge that sets them apart.
Restaurants & Kitchens
Setting the stage for the desired patron ambiance and restaurant service platform is a critical element in a restaurateur's business plan. A/Z's experience covers both fine dining and themed establishments. Our ability to manage specialty materials and contractors is acquired by working with some of the most sophisticated, customer-oriented resorts and clientele in the industry.
The restaurant atmosphere and quality is only half of the patron dining experience. It's essential that the kitchen and food preparation areas are first-in-class as well. The installation and coordination of the kitchen equipment and appliances are critical to the kitchen staff's ability to perform and provide the desire service and production levels. A/Z has experience ranging from production-sized facilities to streamlined gourmet kitchens.
Retail
When creating an enticing shopping experience for customers, it is important to consider both the adaptability of the space and the aesthetic / branding requirements of its occupant. We are committed to achieving the vision for these environments by working closely with facility owners and designers to incorporate any range of specialty finish materials, retail systems, lighting, and security. Our project teams have experience working with both domestic and international material / system providers and installers. Partnering with A/Z enables our clients to focus on their business operations as we dedicate ourselves to the development of the retail outlet.
Spas & Leisure
The development of a soothing and comfortable environment for guests is central to the atmosphere that spas and leisure facilities strive to maintain. Attention to detail allows spa employees to spur repeat patronage and create lasting memories of relaxation. We are committed to working with our clients to create the balance of aesthetics, acoustics, lighting, climate control, and spa equipment needed for these spaces. These considerations allow the facility to operate above guests' expectations.
Our Work Highlights
Quite often, when playing the major tournament circuit, you'll find yourself with no chips at a final table despite recently having a decent shot at a title. When you go from having lots of equity to none, crazy things start happening in your mind. I'm going to let you into my world and enlighten you to what I do to stay sane when things go wrong when there is a lot of money on the line.
David Burke Poker Club
I had the pleasure of being in this situation twice at the Foxwoods World Poker Finals. I final tabled the $500 preliminary event, which had around 250 entrants. When we were down to six players, I got all-in with J-J vs. Q-J but lost to a turned Queen that send me to the rail, cashing for $5,888. All in all, it wasn't a bad payday, but it was nowhere near what I wanted.
A few days later, I found myself playing eight-handed in the $10,000 World Poker Tour Main Event. I had around average chips and got all-in with K-K vs. A-J for a 60-big-blind pot, which, if I won, would have put me in great shape to make a deep run at the final table. Instead an Ace turned and I was down to 8 big blinds, which I quickly lost with a standard button push. I ended up cashing for around $54,000. In both situations, I went from having a ton of equity to only a small cash with the turn of a card. Despite cashing for around $60,000, I was unhappy with the result. While you cannot change the outcome of the cards, you can control your reactions to the results.
While you are still at the table, you must remain calm and collected, especially if you still have chips in front of you, as I did in the main event. It will do you no good to berate the players, the dealer or God. Doing so will only make you look like an idiot, which you just might be if you do such things. When you get all-in with 70% equity, you have to realize you are not going to win 100% of the time. When you get it in with 70% equity for all your chips, you are going to go broke 30% of the time. If this isn't acceptable to you, poker probably should not be your game of choice.
David Burke Poker Player
After I bust in a spot where I am generally annoyed with the result, I make a point to make the rest of my day as great as possible. On both days, I went out to David Burke's Prime, which is amazing. I had a glass of wine and a delicious dinner. I also watched a few hours of television on my iPad, which helped take my mind off the poker. When I busted from the main event, I had enough time to hit the gym and get a massage at the spa. While I'm pretty quick to get over losing a major event, most people would have a tough time remembering a bad run after a nice, relaxing evening.
It should be noted I think you should avoid playing poker or gambling in the casino after a major loss. Sure, you will occasionally win, but I would bet good money that on average, after busting from a major tournament when lots of money was on the line, the average player is a huge loser over the next 12 hours. The best course of action is to simply avoid gambling and find something else to occupy your time. While this may not be the most exciting way to spend your time, especially if you like being in action, it will save you significant money in the long run. Accept that this is part of tilt control you must master before considering yourself a great poker player, because poker is not played only on the felt.
One final concept worth mentioning is you shouldn't beat yourself up too hard when you bust in a bad way. I recently busted from a tournament where I know I played my bust out hand poorly. I simply did the math wrong at the table and came up with the wrong conclusion, causing me to bubble one of the biggest tournaments of the year. While I was definitely sad about the result, I made a point to learn from my mistake and move on.
Next time a similar situation arises, I will make the optimal decision, which is all that really matters. As long as you learn from your mistakes and don't repeat them, busting, even in a fairly bad way, isn't all that bad.
There will be many more tournaments in your future. Letting one bad day alter your mood for the next month will only make you miserable. Being miserable is the real disaster, because poker should be an activity that makes you happy and enriches your life.
David Burke Poker Rules
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. If you enjoyed it, please share it with your friends. If you want to continue working on your poker skills, be sure to sign up for your free 7-day trial to my interactive training site, PokerCoaching.com.
David Burke Poker
Be sure to check back next week for another educational blog post. Thanks for reading!
