You know sometimes you really wonder what makes people tick.
Thursday morning I got up and went to stand in line for Carrot Top half price tickets. There are these stores in Las Vegas that sell same-day half price tickets to shows, basically unsold tickets get discounted for that nights show. I get there to get the tickets and the line is HUGE! Wrapped around inside and then outside, probably 300-400 people in line.. EEK! Now first of all that is a lot of people! Secondly, the lady making sure the line kept moving, and noone broke, etc had her mouth WIRED SHUT! I know I do not have a lot of customer service experience, but come on... If you have to talk to customers shouldn't you be able to OPEN YOUR MOUTH! Dear god who decides this!
I am standing in line, just reading a magazine and watching the rather light crowds walk by and a guy walks up to me in the middle of the line. Asks if I want this coupon he has called an "A+ List", he is leaving town this afternoon and doesn't need it anymore. It turns out this coupon lets you go to a special line which NOONE is in, and buy your tickets at an even bigger discount. Dude! This rocks! I just keep showing the ticket to each person I pass and they wave me on ahead... WHEE! All the way to the front, get my tickets and done! WOW! Then, they let me KEEP IT! So now every time I go I can just go to the front of the line. Yeah, I am going to do THAT again indeed!
After paying for the tickets they tell me that these are not the actual tickets. These are just vouchers for tix. Now I have to get back in the car, drive over to the Luxor and exchange these tix for REAL tix. I decide that since I am just running in and out, I will valet and tell the valet that. Surely, he will just pull it up on the side and this will be quick right? Naw.... I head over to one of the 3 box offices in the Luxor and there are only 5 people in front of me, but I think the ticket guy died. He was pretty old... and just standing there. The line wasn't moving at ALL! 10 minutes of sitting there and it was still not moving. He didn't even see to be doing ANYTHING, so I decided to walk to the other boxoffice near the main theatre (they had a map, I haven't memorized the luxor yet). I walk up there, 4 people behind the desk nobody in line. Grab the tix and back out to the car.
The Luxor has gotten very fancy with the Valet... they have eliminated that person you give your ticket to to go get the car, and replaced it with a machine. Now you can't explain to the machine you are in a hurry, and you can't yell at it when it doesn't bring your car. You just sit there with the mad face on. It took FOREVER for my car to get there... sheesh. It is 2 PM in the afternoon who the heck is working around here! It FINALLY shows up, head off to class, get one down in which went pretty well, and I left a little early to get ready for dinner and a show.
The lady I am going with is named Erica, very sweet lady who I met in Vegas. She is in school at UNLV to be an elementary school teacher and like me liked to go to shows and movies so we have hung out a few times. After dinner at a mexican restaurant we went over to the show arriving at 7:35 when the seating started at 7:30. Perfect timing, 30 mins till the show started. It was in the Atrium theatre which is a nice small place which only seats about 300. Apparently so small that there is no restroom within half a freaking city block! I decided to go before the show started (good thing it turns out) and I had to go back OUTSIDE the theatre across the way and into the arcade to us the restroom! Sheesh.
Carrot Top was hilarious. I love his prop oriented high energy comedy, I saw him at the University of Georgia about 10 years ago and he has changed some. He only had 1 trunk of props at UGA and his show was more props and less comedy. Now he has a whole bunch of different themed trunks of props, including a washing machine up on wooden blocks that he does redneck jokes out of... really good. All in all an excellent show, got done around 10 PM and headed to bed. Test tomorrow... need to get my beauty sleep.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
A day off (kind of)
Well... After a long day at school on Tuesday and staying up till 1 AM watching a stupid and badly done mini-series on Sci-Fi, I decided going to school on Wednesday was not going to happen. Regardless of the fact I have a test on Friday which I am NOT ready for... and I need to practice, and get some time in the box. I still skipped :(
Instead I went to South Coast to have lunch (NICE buffet... I like that buffet a lot!). My favorite vegetable in the whole world is steamed brocolli... and they had that. My 2nd favorite is baby carrots.. .which they also had. So I was in heaven... stir fry, pasta, mountain dew (that IS important to any meal), and one of my favorite deserts (chocolate silk pie). Yummy... I might even pay 13 dollars for that for dinner one night.
As for Poker... Tuesday night I only played 3 hours. The cards were good, I was bad. Raising with a straight against *2* full houses, raising with 99 on an AQQJ board, etc. Luckily the cards saved me and I was up 125. I did manage to hit a nice straight flush wheel in my third hand, very nice.. unfortunately only 1 card from hand played so I didn't get the bonus.
Wednesday I was already at SouthCoast, and after watching a movie (She's the man... CUTE movie. Definately recommend for the sentimental in the group), and playing a little blackjack (up $350 for the night at BJ), I signed up for the 7 PM $60 buy-in tournament. The structure is about as good as you will get in vegas... Freeze-out, 53 of the 60 into the prize pool, Blinds are friendly even if they are 20 minutes. Not to mention, the players are horrid....
Early on I get AQ on the big blind and UTG limps and everyone else folds. I raise a large amount expecting everyone to fold and I get reraised all-in. I read the guy as an idiot (which he was) but not for having AK! Luckily a Q on the flop and he was out. After combining down from 4 tables to 3 I get KJ and raise from the button I get reraised all-in for only about 1K more into a 5K pot so I call and he has 88. K on the river takes him out. Just cruising along, stealing a few pots here and there when I can, an occasional blind and antes. Down to 2 tables and another UTG limper, I raise with AJ suited and he reraises all-in. I of course call, because I decide he is dumb. Turns out he had KK and an Ace on the turn and HE was out.
At this point we are down to 11 players and I am the chip leader... I take out the cute married girl next to me, and another one drops before we combine to the final table at 9 players. There is one guy who likes to be the table captain, nice guy.. but demanding and he wants to change the payout from top 3 to top 6. We all agree to discuss it further at 6 players left, all except one guy who of course goes out next. The previous chip leader is the short stack now and limps in from the button with Ax, I check from the big blind with 10/6 offsuit and flop 2 pair. I check, hoping he will make a play being short stacked and he checks behind. The turn comes and gives 3 hearts on the board and I bet out for 3K, short stack calls and small blind folds. Nothing helps on the river as I boat up and he is out. One more goes out and we are at 6 players. The big blind is about to be virtually all-in and we all 6 agree that 6th place will get $100 out of the $2120 prize pool. Immediately after that, she goes out 6th and is very happy with that.
With 5 players left, we agree 5th gets $200 and then of course someone goes out 5th. With 4 players left we discuss a 4 way chop for $455, but the table captain wants no part of it... I build up to the chip lead again and 3 of us are very close in chips with the table captain short stacked. Eventualy after a few more orbits we chop it up 4 ways and 455, top the dealers 15 and take 380 in profit.
This would have been a banner day, except that they have this 50 play video poker machine. So see... this machine pays out close to100%, but it appears I didn't read the fine print that said "Not to Peipers!" BOGUS! so I dropped 190 into it before finally giving up and going to hit the blackjack tables. It is a good thing I won there and at poker for a net of 550 for the day.
I have to get up early to get Carrot Top tickets and then get to class to get ready for my test on Friday and for the big weekend ahead. Saturday is moving day, and shopping for minor furniture for the room... And lots of poker with the tourists in town. Tons to do... need to get my rest.
Instead I went to South Coast to have lunch (NICE buffet... I like that buffet a lot!). My favorite vegetable in the whole world is steamed brocolli... and they had that. My 2nd favorite is baby carrots.. .which they also had. So I was in heaven... stir fry, pasta, mountain dew (that IS important to any meal), and one of my favorite deserts (chocolate silk pie). Yummy... I might even pay 13 dollars for that for dinner one night.
As for Poker... Tuesday night I only played 3 hours. The cards were good, I was bad. Raising with a straight against *2* full houses, raising with 99 on an AQQJ board, etc. Luckily the cards saved me and I was up 125. I did manage to hit a nice straight flush wheel in my third hand, very nice.. unfortunately only 1 card from hand played so I didn't get the bonus.
Wednesday I was already at SouthCoast, and after watching a movie (She's the man... CUTE movie. Definately recommend for the sentimental in the group), and playing a little blackjack (up $350 for the night at BJ), I signed up for the 7 PM $60 buy-in tournament. The structure is about as good as you will get in vegas... Freeze-out, 53 of the 60 into the prize pool, Blinds are friendly even if they are 20 minutes. Not to mention, the players are horrid....
Early on I get AQ on the big blind and UTG limps and everyone else folds. I raise a large amount expecting everyone to fold and I get reraised all-in. I read the guy as an idiot (which he was) but not for having AK! Luckily a Q on the flop and he was out. After combining down from 4 tables to 3 I get KJ and raise from the button I get reraised all-in for only about 1K more into a 5K pot so I call and he has 88. K on the river takes him out. Just cruising along, stealing a few pots here and there when I can, an occasional blind and antes. Down to 2 tables and another UTG limper, I raise with AJ suited and he reraises all-in. I of course call, because I decide he is dumb. Turns out he had KK and an Ace on the turn and HE was out.
At this point we are down to 11 players and I am the chip leader... I take out the cute married girl next to me, and another one drops before we combine to the final table at 9 players. There is one guy who likes to be the table captain, nice guy.. but demanding and he wants to change the payout from top 3 to top 6. We all agree to discuss it further at 6 players left, all except one guy who of course goes out next. The previous chip leader is the short stack now and limps in from the button with Ax, I check from the big blind with 10/6 offsuit and flop 2 pair. I check, hoping he will make a play being short stacked and he checks behind. The turn comes and gives 3 hearts on the board and I bet out for 3K, short stack calls and small blind folds. Nothing helps on the river as I boat up and he is out. One more goes out and we are at 6 players. The big blind is about to be virtually all-in and we all 6 agree that 6th place will get $100 out of the $2120 prize pool. Immediately after that, she goes out 6th and is very happy with that.
With 5 players left, we agree 5th gets $200 and then of course someone goes out 5th. With 4 players left we discuss a 4 way chop for $455, but the table captain wants no part of it... I build up to the chip lead again and 3 of us are very close in chips with the table captain short stacked. Eventualy after a few more orbits we chop it up 4 ways and 455, top the dealers 15 and take 380 in profit.
This would have been a banner day, except that they have this 50 play video poker machine. So see... this machine pays out close to100%, but it appears I didn't read the fine print that said "Not to Peipers!" BOGUS! so I dropped 190 into it before finally giving up and going to hit the blackjack tables. It is a good thing I won there and at poker for a net of 550 for the day.
I have to get up early to get Carrot Top tickets and then get to class to get ready for my test on Friday and for the big weekend ahead. Saturday is moving day, and shopping for minor furniture for the room... And lots of poker with the tourists in town. Tons to do... need to get my rest.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Strategy Article
For those of you who are not poker players, this won't interest you at all.... For those of you who are, and tell me you can't win at limit poker or ask me how I do... here ya go.
Limit poker is a math problem, a very long term one. Look at it as an investment, you want to put your 4 or 8 dollars into the pot when your long term return is positive. It may not pay off right now.. but it will pay off.
Pre-Flop:
Most low-limit games are passive donk-fests. Anyone who raises is immediately scary. You can use that to your advantage by playing position very aggressively. You also have to remember that you are only going to win at showdown with the best hand. Almost every hand in a good game will go to showdown, so you better have the best one when you get there.
Pre-flop If I am the first person into the pot and not on the button or Cut-off I will only enter with premium hands and play them for a raise. That means J's or better, AK, AQ, KQ suited, AJ suited and that is about it. This is also why I go to the bathroom when I am Under the Gun (aka UTG) or UTG+1.
I will loosen my standards as more limpers enter the pot. 4 limpers in the pot ahead of me (counting the Small and Big blinds since they always call) and I will expand down to any pocket pair, AJ off, high suited connectors like J10, etc. I am playing pocket pairs for set value only for the most part. It is rare to win with pocket's lower than J's unimproved.
Calling with Any 2... even something as bad as J/5 offsuit has a 24 to 1 chance of flopping 2 pair, and 63 to 1 of flopping trips. You are unlikely to win with anything less than that against 8 or 9 players, so call it 20 to 1 return and if you think you can get 20 bets out of the pot if you hit... call. Normally you can't. Limped to you with 8 callers gives you 8 to 1, 3 callers on the turn gives you 11 to 1 and 2 on the river gives you 15 to 1. You have to be really sure the table is going 5-6 to the river to make it worth calling with any 2.
However, take 9/10 suited... with 7 limpers. You have a 120 to 1 to flop a flush, 77 to 1 to flop a straight, 63 to 1 to flop trips, 24 to to 1 to flop 2 pair, and 8 to 1 to get 4 to the flush on the flop. So You can generally limp in with suited connectors above 4/5 simply for set, 2 pair, flush, straight possibilities and only need 5-6 callers to make it very profitable. You can probably do it with as few as 4, but I like to see at least 5 in the pot ahead of me unraised (counting the big blind but not the small) This assures me of having decent position on the field, and proper odds to call even if raised (since they will all call before me).
So the short version of pre-flop strategy is:
first or 2nd into the flop. Top 10 hands only, and for a raise or a 3 bet. NOTE: I will 3 bet with AQ or JJ even though often I am behind pre-flop because I want to play it headsup cheaply where I know where I stand instead of against 8 players calling and trapping me in a big pot I have almost no chance of winning after the flop. If I 3-bet and he caps I know most 4/8 players have AA KK or AK, and I will know which on how he plays the flop based on his previous play.
4-5 limpers any pocket pairs, high suited connectors, AJ+ off, KQ+ off.
6-7 Limpers any suited connectors above 4/5 (below 4/5 you lose some of your straight possibilities and it drastically drops their win percentage), Ax, Kx suited
NOTE: I won't play Ax or Kx from anywhere but very good position. So many 4/8 players will limp in with AK or AQ because "that hand never wins why raise", you be looking at a dominated ace more often than not, and they play so passive you will be spewing chips very often.
Post-flop if you pay attention to betting patterns you will know exactly what they have. As a general rule if they bet they have something. Normally top pair or better. If they 3 bet your raise, they REALLY have something, unless they are a maniac or better player they are looking at 2 pair or better, normally 2 pair though. The key to post-flop play is math. Once you figure out what they probably have... you can determine what you need to win.
When you are betting pre-flop pay attention to how many bets go in. The majority of dealers will tell you how many players are in on the flop. So if it is 1 bet all the way around and he says 7 players, you know there are 7 bets in the pot. Ignore the rake for now... So you have 7 bets in the pot and someone raises. You are getting 8 to 1 on the call (7 bets in pre-flop, his bet makes 8). If 2 people call before you you have 10 to 1... piece of cake if you just keep track of the bets as they go in. After the flop betting is done divide the bets by 2 (your turn and river bets are double size so you have to change the count a little), and generally subtract one small bet at 4/8 since the rake is about 4 dollars. So if it was 11 bets total on the flop, drop one bet to give you 10, divide by 2 to give you 5 and to call it is 6 to 1 if he bets (5 +1 = 6)
Here is an odds table with some notes:
Pot Odds:
2 outs (Pocket pair to trips) - 22 to 1
4 outs (Gutshot straight draw) - 10.75 to 1
5 outs (pair to trips or 2 pair) - 8.40 to 1
6 outs (2 over cards to top pair) - 6.83 to 1
8 outs (Open ended straight draw) - 4.88 to 1
9 outs (Flush draw) - 4.22 to 1
11 outs (OESD + 1 over) - 3.27 to 1
14 outs (OESD + 2 overs) - 2.36 to 1
15 outs (OESD + Flush Draw) - 2.13 to 1
21 outs (OESD + Flush + 2 overs) - 1.24 to 1
So now all you have is a math problem. How many bets are in the pot, what kind of odds re you getting and you make the right call based on your draw. If you do this consistently you will win money. If you want to get more complicated you can get into implied odds. (ie how many will call after you, and if you hit your hand on the turn how many more bets can you get, etc). You can also get into free card plays. The main reason you play from good position with suited connectors and Ax, Kx hands is because when you hit a good draw you can 2 or 3 bet the flop fromthe button. The other passive players are now scared to death and will check back to you. Letting you see 2 cards for the price you paid already on the flop.
When I have some more free time I will write another article on Table Image, player reads, chip stacks, etc.
Limit poker is a math problem, a very long term one. Look at it as an investment, you want to put your 4 or 8 dollars into the pot when your long term return is positive. It may not pay off right now.. but it will pay off.
Pre-Flop:
Most low-limit games are passive donk-fests. Anyone who raises is immediately scary. You can use that to your advantage by playing position very aggressively. You also have to remember that you are only going to win at showdown with the best hand. Almost every hand in a good game will go to showdown, so you better have the best one when you get there.
Pre-flop If I am the first person into the pot and not on the button or Cut-off I will only enter with premium hands and play them for a raise. That means J's or better, AK, AQ, KQ suited, AJ suited and that is about it. This is also why I go to the bathroom when I am Under the Gun (aka UTG) or UTG+1.
I will loosen my standards as more limpers enter the pot. 4 limpers in the pot ahead of me (counting the Small and Big blinds since they always call) and I will expand down to any pocket pair, AJ off, high suited connectors like J10, etc. I am playing pocket pairs for set value only for the most part. It is rare to win with pocket's lower than J's unimproved.
Calling with Any 2... even something as bad as J/5 offsuit has a 24 to 1 chance of flopping 2 pair, and 63 to 1 of flopping trips. You are unlikely to win with anything less than that against 8 or 9 players, so call it 20 to 1 return and if you think you can get 20 bets out of the pot if you hit... call. Normally you can't. Limped to you with 8 callers gives you 8 to 1, 3 callers on the turn gives you 11 to 1 and 2 on the river gives you 15 to 1. You have to be really sure the table is going 5-6 to the river to make it worth calling with any 2.
However, take 9/10 suited... with 7 limpers. You have a 120 to 1 to flop a flush, 77 to 1 to flop a straight, 63 to 1 to flop trips, 24 to to 1 to flop 2 pair, and 8 to 1 to get 4 to the flush on the flop. So You can generally limp in with suited connectors above 4/5 simply for set, 2 pair, flush, straight possibilities and only need 5-6 callers to make it very profitable. You can probably do it with as few as 4, but I like to see at least 5 in the pot ahead of me unraised (counting the big blind but not the small) This assures me of having decent position on the field, and proper odds to call even if raised (since they will all call before me).
So the short version of pre-flop strategy is:
first or 2nd into the flop. Top 10 hands only, and for a raise or a 3 bet. NOTE: I will 3 bet with AQ or JJ even though often I am behind pre-flop because I want to play it headsup cheaply where I know where I stand instead of against 8 players calling and trapping me in a big pot I have almost no chance of winning after the flop. If I 3-bet and he caps I know most 4/8 players have AA KK or AK, and I will know which on how he plays the flop based on his previous play.
4-5 limpers any pocket pairs, high suited connectors, AJ+ off, KQ+ off.
6-7 Limpers any suited connectors above 4/5 (below 4/5 you lose some of your straight possibilities and it drastically drops their win percentage), Ax, Kx suited
NOTE: I won't play Ax or Kx from anywhere but very good position. So many 4/8 players will limp in with AK or AQ because "that hand never wins why raise", you be looking at a dominated ace more often than not, and they play so passive you will be spewing chips very often.
Post-flop if you pay attention to betting patterns you will know exactly what they have. As a general rule if they bet they have something. Normally top pair or better. If they 3 bet your raise, they REALLY have something, unless they are a maniac or better player they are looking at 2 pair or better, normally 2 pair though. The key to post-flop play is math. Once you figure out what they probably have... you can determine what you need to win.
When you are betting pre-flop pay attention to how many bets go in. The majority of dealers will tell you how many players are in on the flop. So if it is 1 bet all the way around and he says 7 players, you know there are 7 bets in the pot. Ignore the rake for now... So you have 7 bets in the pot and someone raises. You are getting 8 to 1 on the call (7 bets in pre-flop, his bet makes 8). If 2 people call before you you have 10 to 1... piece of cake if you just keep track of the bets as they go in. After the flop betting is done divide the bets by 2 (your turn and river bets are double size so you have to change the count a little), and generally subtract one small bet at 4/8 since the rake is about 4 dollars. So if it was 11 bets total on the flop, drop one bet to give you 10, divide by 2 to give you 5 and to call it is 6 to 1 if he bets (5 +1 = 6)
Here is an odds table with some notes:
Pot Odds:
2 outs (Pocket pair to trips) - 22 to 1
4 outs (Gutshot straight draw) - 10.75 to 1
5 outs (pair to trips or 2 pair) - 8.40 to 1
6 outs (2 over cards to top pair) - 6.83 to 1
8 outs (Open ended straight draw) - 4.88 to 1
9 outs (Flush draw) - 4.22 to 1
11 outs (OESD + 1 over) - 3.27 to 1
14 outs (OESD + 2 overs) - 2.36 to 1
15 outs (OESD + Flush Draw) - 2.13 to 1
21 outs (OESD + Flush + 2 overs) - 1.24 to 1
So now all you have is a math problem. How many bets are in the pot, what kind of odds re you getting and you make the right call based on your draw. If you do this consistently you will win money. If you want to get more complicated you can get into implied odds. (ie how many will call after you, and if you hit your hand on the turn how many more bets can you get, etc). You can also get into free card plays. The main reason you play from good position with suited connectors and Ax, Kx hands is because when you hit a good draw you can 2 or 3 bet the flop fromthe button. The other passive players are now scared to death and will check back to you. Letting you see 2 cards for the price you paid already on the flop.
When I have some more free time I will write another article on Table Image, player reads, chip stacks, etc.
Monday, March 27, 2006
I thought I had friends
Anyone who knows me knows I love SciFi and Fantasy shows.. movies, TV series, books, etc. I was also a huge fan of Dr. Who back in the day (well reruns but it was new to me!). So someone explain to me why NONE of my friends told me a new Dr. Who was on SciFi since late in 2005! FINE! Keep the secrets from me... hmmph.
I wanted to go by the half price ticket place tonight and see if they generally had Carrot Top tickets available for Thursday. Since it is right next to the MGM I might as well stay and play there. After dinner at the Palms (not bad but not awesome either), I headed to the MGM. I normally take Mondays off for a reason and now I know what it was... The place was a ghost town, only one 3/6 game and one 4/8 going short handed, and the game was fairly bad... I dropped down over 100 before coming back to finish +25 at poker. I really felt like I played about as perfect as I could tonight... but when you play for 4 hours and see QQ once, JJ twice and AJ once as the only premium hands, being up 25 is a feat.
The table was really tight with a lot of good players, but it was a blast to play at. There were 4 guys from england there, one guy who had lost his luggage in Chicago, and one guy from Florida. We had such a great time I wouldn't have cared if I lost 200. A couple hilarious hands from tonight...
I get dealt 6/4 suited in the BB and it is raised behind me, for some reason I called. Flop is KK8 and it is checked to me heads up with 2 hearts on the board I bet my flush draw. He calls, and the turn pairs the board. He checks and I bet. He folds face up saying "My 7 kicker is no good". So I show him my 6 kicker and everyone busts a gut laughing at that one.
Earlier in the night I got JJ and the same guy from the 6/4 hand had QQ and with the board being 5 high I went all the way to the river losing a nice size pot. So towards the end of the night I get dealt QQ and he raises into me. I 3 bet and ask him "Do you have the hooks?" to which he responds "Yeah, you have Q's?" and I of course tell the truth for once and say yes. We go bet/call to the river and we were both telling the truth and I scoop a nice pot.
Before heading over to poker I have to pass the Blackjack tables which is a dangerous thing for me. Now apparently half of the MGM Blackjack tables are stay on 17 rules, the other half are hit soft 17. Stay on 17, double any 2, double after split, and resplit Aces is a heck of a good blackjack game. One of the best I have seen in Vegas to date... So of course I had to sit down, and cashed out up 80 after 3 shoes.
I wanted to go by the half price ticket place tonight and see if they generally had Carrot Top tickets available for Thursday. Since it is right next to the MGM I might as well stay and play there. After dinner at the Palms (not bad but not awesome either), I headed to the MGM. I normally take Mondays off for a reason and now I know what it was... The place was a ghost town, only one 3/6 game and one 4/8 going short handed, and the game was fairly bad... I dropped down over 100 before coming back to finish +25 at poker. I really felt like I played about as perfect as I could tonight... but when you play for 4 hours and see QQ once, JJ twice and AJ once as the only premium hands, being up 25 is a feat.
The table was really tight with a lot of good players, but it was a blast to play at. There were 4 guys from england there, one guy who had lost his luggage in Chicago, and one guy from Florida. We had such a great time I wouldn't have cared if I lost 200. A couple hilarious hands from tonight...
I get dealt 6/4 suited in the BB and it is raised behind me, for some reason I called. Flop is KK8 and it is checked to me heads up with 2 hearts on the board I bet my flush draw. He calls, and the turn pairs the board. He checks and I bet. He folds face up saying "My 7 kicker is no good". So I show him my 6 kicker and everyone busts a gut laughing at that one.
Earlier in the night I got JJ and the same guy from the 6/4 hand had QQ and with the board being 5 high I went all the way to the river losing a nice size pot. So towards the end of the night I get dealt QQ and he raises into me. I 3 bet and ask him "Do you have the hooks?" to which he responds "Yeah, you have Q's?" and I of course tell the truth for once and say yes. We go bet/call to the river and we were both telling the truth and I scoop a nice pot.
Before heading over to poker I have to pass the Blackjack tables which is a dangerous thing for me. Now apparently half of the MGM Blackjack tables are stay on 17 rules, the other half are hit soft 17. Stay on 17, double any 2, double after split, and resplit Aces is a heck of a good blackjack game. One of the best I have seen in Vegas to date... So of course I had to sit down, and cashed out up 80 after 3 shoes.
Lazy Sunday
There are days when you just don't feel like getting out of bed. I got home at 10 PM on Saturday and didn't get off the couch until after 1 PM on Sunday. It was beautiful... I have been going to hard, and having a good Saturday allowed me to relax and enjoy Sunday. It was absolutely stunnning here... wow. 75 and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. I found myself with the windows down sitting at stoplights admiring the country. I know it gets hot sometimes (heh... sometimes), but it is gorgeous right now!
I ended up not getting to the Rio until 2:30 PM and only stayed until 5:30. This place is so insane that I just didn't want to be there anymore, and I knew if I didn't want to play I would get sucked into the table and get destroyed (as I saw several other people doing). It was 7-8 to the flop, every pot was over 100 dollars, and noone was folding if they had ANY draw. I watched it go bet, reraise, 3 bet, 4 bet and then watch 3 people coldcall with stuff like K6 offsuit. I ended up 68 after 3 hours and decided to call it a day. I know I can beat this game for a ton over time, but I have to have the right mindset...
After dinner and relaxing some I ended up going to bed early and having a nice relaxing day. It felt good :) I am going to see Carrot Top on Thursday, so I am probably going to have to work on Monday but for now.. sleep is the answer.
Oh and btw, someone has to explain to me how a fast food joint like In and Out burger can get 80 people in line on a Sunday afternoon. The freaking drive thru was 20 cars long and it was moving FAST! It was absolutely incredible... nowhere to sit within a 2 block radius... people on the grass, sidewalks, everywhere.
I ended up not getting to the Rio until 2:30 PM and only stayed until 5:30. This place is so insane that I just didn't want to be there anymore, and I knew if I didn't want to play I would get sucked into the table and get destroyed (as I saw several other people doing). It was 7-8 to the flop, every pot was over 100 dollars, and noone was folding if they had ANY draw. I watched it go bet, reraise, 3 bet, 4 bet and then watch 3 people coldcall with stuff like K6 offsuit. I ended up 68 after 3 hours and decided to call it a day. I know I can beat this game for a ton over time, but I have to have the right mindset...
After dinner and relaxing some I ended up going to bed early and having a nice relaxing day. It felt good :) I am going to see Carrot Top on Thursday, so I am probably going to have to work on Monday but for now.. sleep is the answer.
Oh and btw, someone has to explain to me how a fast food joint like In and Out burger can get 80 people in line on a Sunday afternoon. The freaking drive thru was 20 cars long and it was moving FAST! It was absolutely incredible... nowhere to sit within a 2 block radius... people on the grass, sidewalks, everywhere.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Some days everything goes exactly as planned... other days nothing goes as planned. The original plan for Saturday was to go hiking in Red Rock Canyon, eat lunch at the South Coast buffet, go to the All American Reining Classic horse show at the equestrian center, and then play some poker.
Well.. my hiking partner's boyfriend had a family emergency (his grandfather died), she lost her wallet and all her ID's and money at the bar (what was really funny is this has happened to her before!), and I was so tired I didn't want to get out of bed Saturday morning.
Then when I got to the South Coast the horse show was running behind because the power was out there, and the buffet was closed (apparently they can't cook on generator power). So I was starving, and the concession stand only had candy bars. The horse show was amazing, I got to watch an 11 year old ride a horse better than anyone I have ever seen... it was amazing watching her gallop and stop on a dime. So graceful... I took some pictures I will post later.
After the horse show and while waiting for the buffet to open I played a little blackjack. It was great because it was a quiet day at the casino so I got to go heads up with the dealer. Even out of a shoe it was very profitable cashing out up 225. I am constantly amazed at how badly people play blackjack... wow. Staying on 14 against a 10, just silly stuff. I had to keep changing tables when the idiots sat down.
One really funny (well not really but it was laugh or cry) scenario... I get dealt 11 against a 5, double down and hit 21. The dealer draws 5 cards to 21 so we push. The NEXT hand I get AA and split hitting a 10 on both. Dealer draws 4 cards to 21. EEK! Twice I got 77 and split and got another 7. Too bad I wasn't play 777 bonus!
After an hour of that and the buffet nowhere close to opening, I went and had a salad at the Rio before playing some poker. The players here are HORRID and I do mean HORRID. 7-8 to the flop almost every hand, passive as can be. You almost never seen raises even with top 2 pair,etc. If I could ever catch cards here I would retire.
A few interesting hands from Saturday... I get Pocket K's and it is raised immediately to my right, so I 3 bet it and the flop comes Q high. He raises into me and I raise it, a few callers and he 3 bets.. Now I put him on Pocket Q's with the 3 bet with a chance of AQ. Turn comes and it is a beautiful K, giving me the current nuts. It is raised into me again, I raise back and he 3 bets. I cap and we have one caller along for the ride. The river is a 2nd Queen... now I put him on QQ and now he just hit Quads. He bets into me again and now I am sure I am beat and just call. The guy who has been coming along for the ride RAISES. Holy crap, he has a Q! So now if that guy has a Q, and there are 2 on the board... then THIS guy can't have pocket Q's and I am holding the best hand. It is 3 bets back to me and I make it 4, he caps and everyone calls. K's full of Q's takes the whole thing for a HUGE 230 dollar pot, and 3 Q's and 7's full of Q's don't get a thing.
The NEXT hand I get pocket 8's and the flop is K/10/7 with 3 clubs. It is 2 bets to me and I happily fold. Now it turns out that on guy flopped a flush, and 3 others flopped sets with Pocket K's, 10's, and 7's! Talk about an action flop! The turn was another 7!!! Giving one guy quads, and the other 2 full houses. The guy with the flush was to my left and folded with a sign knowing he was beat when it was capped on the turn. River was a blank and the pot was "only" 280 because they ran out of money on the river with 2 of the 3 remaining players all-in. That was just plain out craziness!
I only managed to win 5 hands in 3 hours... but AA, KK, and QQ all won nice big pots and KK lost one. I also won one with AQ and one with 4/5 from the button. I would have been up a LOT more if I was playing smarter... but instead I cashed out up 154 and not a bad day being up 379 for the day. For some reason I keep trying to make things happen and against 7 and 8 callers you need premium hands or premium flops. I did manage to flop 2 pair and lose to runner runner flush, and and several top pairs to 2 pair.
Well.. my hiking partner's boyfriend had a family emergency (his grandfather died), she lost her wallet and all her ID's and money at the bar (what was really funny is this has happened to her before!), and I was so tired I didn't want to get out of bed Saturday morning.
Then when I got to the South Coast the horse show was running behind because the power was out there, and the buffet was closed (apparently they can't cook on generator power). So I was starving, and the concession stand only had candy bars. The horse show was amazing, I got to watch an 11 year old ride a horse better than anyone I have ever seen... it was amazing watching her gallop and stop on a dime. So graceful... I took some pictures I will post later.
After the horse show and while waiting for the buffet to open I played a little blackjack. It was great because it was a quiet day at the casino so I got to go heads up with the dealer. Even out of a shoe it was very profitable cashing out up 225. I am constantly amazed at how badly people play blackjack... wow. Staying on 14 against a 10, just silly stuff. I had to keep changing tables when the idiots sat down.
One really funny (well not really but it was laugh or cry) scenario... I get dealt 11 against a 5, double down and hit 21. The dealer draws 5 cards to 21 so we push. The NEXT hand I get AA and split hitting a 10 on both. Dealer draws 4 cards to 21. EEK! Twice I got 77 and split and got another 7. Too bad I wasn't play 777 bonus!
After an hour of that and the buffet nowhere close to opening, I went and had a salad at the Rio before playing some poker. The players here are HORRID and I do mean HORRID. 7-8 to the flop almost every hand, passive as can be. You almost never seen raises even with top 2 pair,etc. If I could ever catch cards here I would retire.
A few interesting hands from Saturday... I get Pocket K's and it is raised immediately to my right, so I 3 bet it and the flop comes Q high. He raises into me and I raise it, a few callers and he 3 bets.. Now I put him on Pocket Q's with the 3 bet with a chance of AQ. Turn comes and it is a beautiful K, giving me the current nuts. It is raised into me again, I raise back and he 3 bets. I cap and we have one caller along for the ride. The river is a 2nd Queen... now I put him on QQ and now he just hit Quads. He bets into me again and now I am sure I am beat and just call. The guy who has been coming along for the ride RAISES. Holy crap, he has a Q! So now if that guy has a Q, and there are 2 on the board... then THIS guy can't have pocket Q's and I am holding the best hand. It is 3 bets back to me and I make it 4, he caps and everyone calls. K's full of Q's takes the whole thing for a HUGE 230 dollar pot, and 3 Q's and 7's full of Q's don't get a thing.
The NEXT hand I get pocket 8's and the flop is K/10/7 with 3 clubs. It is 2 bets to me and I happily fold. Now it turns out that on guy flopped a flush, and 3 others flopped sets with Pocket K's, 10's, and 7's! Talk about an action flop! The turn was another 7!!! Giving one guy quads, and the other 2 full houses. The guy with the flush was to my left and folded with a sign knowing he was beat when it was capped on the turn. River was a blank and the pot was "only" 280 because they ran out of money on the river with 2 of the 3 remaining players all-in. That was just plain out craziness!
I only managed to win 5 hands in 3 hours... but AA, KK, and QQ all won nice big pots and KK lost one. I also won one with AQ and one with 4/5 from the button. I would have been up a LOT more if I was playing smarter... but instead I cashed out up 154 and not a bad day being up 379 for the day. For some reason I keep trying to make things happen and against 7 and 8 callers you need premium hands or premium flops. I did manage to flop 2 pair and lose to runner runner flush, and and several top pairs to 2 pair.
Friday, March 24, 2006
You're FIRED!
Last night was late and this morning was early... I have been seriously over working myself pulling 16-18 hour days with 5-6 hours of sleep. If you know me at all you know I LOVE 10 hours or more of sleep... and less than 8 makes me mad. So you can imagine how I feel :) Unfortunately living in a boarding house the noise starts at 8 AM and so I get up... even when I go to bed at 2.
I had my first written test today in class and passed with flying colours. I got 4 questions wrong out of 50 so not to shabby... one of them I had no idea, one I was confused by the instructors, and the other 2 well.. Cards have colours on them for a reason! Take the colours away and it is hard to see those flushes! Stupid black and white tests.
This morning when I got up and finished with my WACA work, I finally decided to make some noise about my house. I own a house in Georgia and it STILL has no sold. My real estate agent is useless.... he never returns my calls, emails, anything, and I am sure he has been the same with customers as well which is why the house magically never sells.... So I decided to call the office and escalate to the owner if neccessary and get it sold or transfer the listing. Well, when I call in I get the receptionist who tells me my agent was FIRED! WTF! Well that explains why he wasn't returning my phone calls... she tells me my listing has been transferred to the owner of the company who has been trying to reach me with some interested parties however all the contact info he had didn't work (I had to change it all when I moved and gave it to my old agent who never gave it to anyone else... nice). So now my listing is with a real motivated agent (he owns the company, I think he might care) and I am giving him 30 days to make progress. Let's see if it improves...
After class, my plans were to go to the Rio and put in 6-8 hours, go to bed at 2 AM and sleep until noon. However, I was not really in the mood to play feeling exhausted from the week. So I went with some friends to a bar for a few drinks and am going to check into the bed early. Tomorrow morning I am heading to Red Rock Canyon for a morning hike and some fresh air. The weather is so amazing here right now that is is impossible to pass up.
I had my first written test today in class and passed with flying colours. I got 4 questions wrong out of 50 so not to shabby... one of them I had no idea, one I was confused by the instructors, and the other 2 well.. Cards have colours on them for a reason! Take the colours away and it is hard to see those flushes! Stupid black and white tests.
This morning when I got up and finished with my WACA work, I finally decided to make some noise about my house. I own a house in Georgia and it STILL has no sold. My real estate agent is useless.... he never returns my calls, emails, anything, and I am sure he has been the same with customers as well which is why the house magically never sells.... So I decided to call the office and escalate to the owner if neccessary and get it sold or transfer the listing. Well, when I call in I get the receptionist who tells me my agent was FIRED! WTF! Well that explains why he wasn't returning my phone calls... she tells me my listing has been transferred to the owner of the company who has been trying to reach me with some interested parties however all the contact info he had didn't work (I had to change it all when I moved and gave it to my old agent who never gave it to anyone else... nice). So now my listing is with a real motivated agent (he owns the company, I think he might care) and I am giving him 30 days to make progress. Let's see if it improves...
After class, my plans were to go to the Rio and put in 6-8 hours, go to bed at 2 AM and sleep until noon. However, I was not really in the mood to play feeling exhausted from the week. So I went with some friends to a bar for a few drinks and am going to check into the bed early. Tomorrow morning I am heading to Red Rock Canyon for a morning hike and some fresh air. The weather is so amazing here right now that is is impossible to pass up.
One month checkup
March 23rd marks the 1 month mark of my escapades. My first day in Tunica was February 24th and after 1 month I have played 153 hours of poker, made $2,771 for an hourly rate of $18.11. It beats the heck out of McDonalds, but hardly the hourly rate I am used to. I am not to upset though as I made a ton of mistakes, played tired, played stupid, got snobby, etc. The long and short of it is I probably lost close to 1000 dollars just from being dumb, it really hits home when you think of it that way.
Class today I only got 2 downs (15 minute dealing sessions) but I got a lot of experience from just observing. I also didn't realize how freaking hard it is to keep so many things going in your head. If absolutely nothing disturbs me I am fine... I can do all the things I need to with no problem. However ONE distraction and I am done... an average hand of poker goes like this:
- Deal out the cards and take the bets. Keep track of how many people are in the hand and how much they bet so yo uknow the size of the pot.
- Change a dollar or two for quarters, take 5% of the pot size in rake after all the pre-flop bets are done.
- Make sure everyone bet, pull in the cards they folded.
- Burn and flop the cards, let everyone bet again
- pull in those bets, add the total of those bets to the previous round bets and take the rake (this is where I start to lose control. If I forgot how much was there before I am done..and if you make a funny face I forget the total from before)
- Burn and turn the next card, repeat and rake.
- Burn and turn the final card, drop the remaining deck (have issues here as well) or count down the remaining cards to make sure the deck has the right number of cards.
- Take the rake up to $4 total. Figure out which hand is the best hand.
- muck the losing hands, push the pot to the winner, move the button, drop the rake, take the tip, thank the customer.
- Shuffle, Shuffle, box, Shuffle and deal the next hand.
I do pretty well until I forget the total of the pot, and when I forget to drop the deck. Otherwise, I am doing well...
After work and a break I went to dinner at a buffet. I decided that eating vegetables instead of fast food was a good idea... so I tried that.... it was wierd but I think it is good for me or something. I then headed to the MGM to meet some guys from class for poker.
I have got to learn that I do NOT HAVE TO WIN IMMEDIATELY. I just cannot relax when I sit down, 2 hours into my session... I am stone cold awesome. When I sit down or go on tilt (losing control and playing dumb) I suddenly become "That idiot guy we all love". And that idiot guy generally goes broke... I don't want to be him. I sat down tonight and the cards were dead to me... so I dropped over 200 before I decided not to be an idiot. You would think I could decide that around 50 down... but I am stubborn. By some miracle or all miracles I became a good player after that and worked back up to +20 before cashing out and making 55 more at blackjack for a 75 profit in 6 hours... not awesome but not a loss.
Class today I only got 2 downs (15 minute dealing sessions) but I got a lot of experience from just observing. I also didn't realize how freaking hard it is to keep so many things going in your head. If absolutely nothing disturbs me I am fine... I can do all the things I need to with no problem. However ONE distraction and I am done... an average hand of poker goes like this:
- Deal out the cards and take the bets. Keep track of how many people are in the hand and how much they bet so yo uknow the size of the pot.
- Change a dollar or two for quarters, take 5% of the pot size in rake after all the pre-flop bets are done.
- Make sure everyone bet, pull in the cards they folded.
- Burn and flop the cards, let everyone bet again
- pull in those bets, add the total of those bets to the previous round bets and take the rake (this is where I start to lose control. If I forgot how much was there before I am done..and if you make a funny face I forget the total from before)
- Burn and turn the next card, repeat and rake.
- Burn and turn the final card, drop the remaining deck (have issues here as well) or count down the remaining cards to make sure the deck has the right number of cards.
- Take the rake up to $4 total. Figure out which hand is the best hand.
- muck the losing hands, push the pot to the winner, move the button, drop the rake, take the tip, thank the customer.
- Shuffle, Shuffle, box, Shuffle and deal the next hand.
I do pretty well until I forget the total of the pot, and when I forget to drop the deck. Otherwise, I am doing well...
After work and a break I went to dinner at a buffet. I decided that eating vegetables instead of fast food was a good idea... so I tried that.... it was wierd but I think it is good for me or something. I then headed to the MGM to meet some guys from class for poker.
I have got to learn that I do NOT HAVE TO WIN IMMEDIATELY. I just cannot relax when I sit down, 2 hours into my session... I am stone cold awesome. When I sit down or go on tilt (losing control and playing dumb) I suddenly become "That idiot guy we all love". And that idiot guy generally goes broke... I don't want to be him. I sat down tonight and the cards were dead to me... so I dropped over 200 before I decided not to be an idiot. You would think I could decide that around 50 down... but I am stubborn. By some miracle or all miracles I became a good player after that and worked back up to +20 before cashing out and making 55 more at blackjack for a 75 profit in 6 hours... not awesome but not a loss.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Let's try not to get arrested today
School has been going very well, I a 3 days into it now (approximately 15 of the 80 hours). The first day I learned to shuffle and box/strip properly as well as the finger pitch. The method I was using gets the job done, but I would have been retired in 6 months due to wrist issues... so it is good they teach the proper way to avoid injury. The 2nd day I learned flops, cutting chips (apparently you are suppose to be able to do this without looking at them! WTF!), 7 card stud pitching, pulling in bets, proper holding of the deck, mucking, etc. All the basics of the game.
Wednesday when I got to class I got to have my first experience in the box dealing. Wow there is a lot going on. I have dealt tournament poker before, but keeping tracking of the pot for the rake, mucking properly, out of turn actions, etc. There is soooo much going on. It was awesome! I did very very well and the instructors were impressed.
After class, I went by the Orleans to see what kind of bowling leagues they have. I checked the Gold Coast on Tuesday and decided that I am going to try to find a league to join as a way to meet new people outside of something other than poker. I also want to have some hobbies, even working 90-100 hours a week I need something to do other than work. Gold Coast has a LOT of leagues but Orleans does not have as many. I will check the South Coast on Friday or Saturday when I go to the horse show and then see if I can get on as a sub or fill-in on a league team.
I still had 9 dollars in comps on my Coast card so I hit the steak buffet which only cost 5 bux thanks to the comps, and then headed over to Bally's to play again. The nice juicy 3/6 game from last night was gone and there was a short handed 2/4 which was good, but broke after about an hour and I was up 60. I decided to go check out the Rio on the way home as it was only 8 PM.
Now the Rio has 2 parking garages, they have real names but we will call them "Close to where I was going" and "The ENTIRE OTHER SIDE OF VEGAS from where I was going". You only have one guess as to which one *I* parked in. Dear god, I thought I was walking to mars! I finally got to the poker room... it was very nice, well run, etc.
On the way to the poker room I had.. well.. a first for me in Las Vegas. I am walking into the bathroom and sitting on the corner was a very attractive women who couldn't take her eyes off me or stop smiling. I almost stopped but I really DID need to go to the bathroom. On the way back out of the bathroom I glance around for the girl and find her being escorted out of the casino by security. I don't think she was looking for me to buy her a drink... I think I got hit on by a prostitute! I guess I really am a vegas native now :)
I am looking for 3 things in a poker room:
1) Plenty of limit action, lowest limit should be 4/8. It is generally true that the lowest limit spread in the room will be the loosest, and if 4/8 is the lowest there, then it will be a lot looser than a placec where they also spread 2/4 or 3/6.
2) High Hand jackpots and no bad beat. You MIGHT hit a bad beat once in your lifetime, a few table shares maybe.. but overall it is not likely to hit for you... so the drop is a waste. High hands however you will hit frequently and as such I like them.
3) Waitresses who are friendly and bring drinks!
Well the Rio had it all... I loved this room, at 11 PM on a Wednesday night they were running *3* 4/8 limit games and they were all juicy as ever. 5-7 to the flop, noone folded on the flop, it was sweet! I was unfortunately missing everything, flopped 2 pair 4 times and lost all 4... twice to gutshots. But I know my time is coming, even though I was down 168 at the Rio (for a net of down 108 for the day) the pots were very nice, and people were calling down with 3 and 4 outers. So I know that won't last and I will eventually win. Not to mention my cards were pretty bad, so only down 100 is not a big deal.
I will definately be back tomorrow. They also have a monthly freeroll for regulars. And give $1 an hour in comps. So if I get in 80 hours a month there (yeah that will be hard) I will be able to have some nice buffets once a week or so, and the monthly freeroll if I get some good cards can get me a seat in the World Series! (that is first place).
Wednesday when I got to class I got to have my first experience in the box dealing. Wow there is a lot going on. I have dealt tournament poker before, but keeping tracking of the pot for the rake, mucking properly, out of turn actions, etc. There is soooo much going on. It was awesome! I did very very well and the instructors were impressed.
After class, I went by the Orleans to see what kind of bowling leagues they have. I checked the Gold Coast on Tuesday and decided that I am going to try to find a league to join as a way to meet new people outside of something other than poker. I also want to have some hobbies, even working 90-100 hours a week I need something to do other than work. Gold Coast has a LOT of leagues but Orleans does not have as many. I will check the South Coast on Friday or Saturday when I go to the horse show and then see if I can get on as a sub or fill-in on a league team.
I still had 9 dollars in comps on my Coast card so I hit the steak buffet which only cost 5 bux thanks to the comps, and then headed over to Bally's to play again. The nice juicy 3/6 game from last night was gone and there was a short handed 2/4 which was good, but broke after about an hour and I was up 60. I decided to go check out the Rio on the way home as it was only 8 PM.
Now the Rio has 2 parking garages, they have real names but we will call them "Close to where I was going" and "The ENTIRE OTHER SIDE OF VEGAS from where I was going". You only have one guess as to which one *I* parked in. Dear god, I thought I was walking to mars! I finally got to the poker room... it was very nice, well run, etc.
On the way to the poker room I had.. well.. a first for me in Las Vegas. I am walking into the bathroom and sitting on the corner was a very attractive women who couldn't take her eyes off me or stop smiling. I almost stopped but I really DID need to go to the bathroom. On the way back out of the bathroom I glance around for the girl and find her being escorted out of the casino by security. I don't think she was looking for me to buy her a drink... I think I got hit on by a prostitute! I guess I really am a vegas native now :)
I am looking for 3 things in a poker room:
1) Plenty of limit action, lowest limit should be 4/8. It is generally true that the lowest limit spread in the room will be the loosest, and if 4/8 is the lowest there, then it will be a lot looser than a placec where they also spread 2/4 or 3/6.
2) High Hand jackpots and no bad beat. You MIGHT hit a bad beat once in your lifetime, a few table shares maybe.. but overall it is not likely to hit for you... so the drop is a waste. High hands however you will hit frequently and as such I like them.
3) Waitresses who are friendly and bring drinks!
Well the Rio had it all... I loved this room, at 11 PM on a Wednesday night they were running *3* 4/8 limit games and they were all juicy as ever. 5-7 to the flop, noone folded on the flop, it was sweet! I was unfortunately missing everything, flopped 2 pair 4 times and lost all 4... twice to gutshots. But I know my time is coming, even though I was down 168 at the Rio (for a net of down 108 for the day) the pots were very nice, and people were calling down with 3 and 4 outers. So I know that won't last and I will eventually win. Not to mention my cards were pretty bad, so only down 100 is not a big deal.
I will definately be back tomorrow. They also have a monthly freeroll for regulars. And give $1 an hour in comps. So if I get in 80 hours a month there (yeah that will be hard) I will be able to have some nice buffets once a week or so, and the monthly freeroll if I get some good cards can get me a seat in the World Series! (that is first place).
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
WOO! I have a home
Tuesday, March 21st
I got word this morning that I got the place and stopped over after work to give them the rest of the documentation. I move in the 1st of April. I couldn't be happier, I am already hitting it off with them. The husband is a musician and invited me out to the clubs with them, but I can't do that on a school night :)
After dropping off the paperwork, and a short nap I headed over to Bally's for some 3/6 full kill action. The game was pretty darn good for a weekday and I was very pleased with myself. The cards were bad, the suckouts were there, and I managed to keep my head. A few hands of note...
- QQ in the big blind, folded to me.
- QQ Under the gun, raise and I lose to 9/10 off who hits a straight on the turn.
- J/9 and flop is 9/9/x capped by a guy holding 9/8 and the river pairs the board to split the pot.
After 2 hours I was only down 50 and feeling proud I wasn't down more. I then finally got some cards getting QQ twice and JJ once all holding up. Made a marvelous play at a pot on a guy who wanted to fold, so I inspired him by betting. He folded showing his bottom pair which beat my Ace high. Then this hand comes up:
KK under the gun and I raise. 5 callers. Flop is Q high and I lead out, a few callers and a raise from a very passive girl in the 1 seat. I 3 bet to find out how serious she is and fold the rest of the table as she calls. So I figure her for AQ or maybe 2 pair, turn is a J and I lead into her and she calls. So now I am sure she only has top pair. River is a K giving me trips, I think of a check/raise acting afraid of that but she is too passive to bet it. So I bet and she calls and shows Pocket Aces! Oh my! Talk about playing Aces passive... wow. She raised ONE time with them before giving up and calling down. Of course this was followed by the comment you always get "Aces never win at limit". Well not if you play them like that! SHEESH! You have to charge people for beating you.
So almost midnight and 3.5 hours of play, up 110 and off to bed. It is nice after the weekend I had to finally get a decent hourly rate out of the game.
I got word this morning that I got the place and stopped over after work to give them the rest of the documentation. I move in the 1st of April. I couldn't be happier, I am already hitting it off with them. The husband is a musician and invited me out to the clubs with them, but I can't do that on a school night :)
After dropping off the paperwork, and a short nap I headed over to Bally's for some 3/6 full kill action. The game was pretty darn good for a weekday and I was very pleased with myself. The cards were bad, the suckouts were there, and I managed to keep my head. A few hands of note...
- QQ in the big blind, folded to me.
- QQ Under the gun, raise and I lose to 9/10 off who hits a straight on the turn.
- J/9 and flop is 9/9/x capped by a guy holding 9/8 and the river pairs the board to split the pot.
After 2 hours I was only down 50 and feeling proud I wasn't down more. I then finally got some cards getting QQ twice and JJ once all holding up. Made a marvelous play at a pot on a guy who wanted to fold, so I inspired him by betting. He folded showing his bottom pair which beat my Ace high. Then this hand comes up:
KK under the gun and I raise. 5 callers. Flop is Q high and I lead out, a few callers and a raise from a very passive girl in the 1 seat. I 3 bet to find out how serious she is and fold the rest of the table as she calls. So I figure her for AQ or maybe 2 pair, turn is a J and I lead into her and she calls. So now I am sure she only has top pair. River is a K giving me trips, I think of a check/raise acting afraid of that but she is too passive to bet it. So I bet and she calls and shows Pocket Aces! Oh my! Talk about playing Aces passive... wow. She raised ONE time with them before giving up and calling down. Of course this was followed by the comment you always get "Aces never win at limit". Well not if you play them like that! SHEESH! You have to charge people for beating you.
So almost midnight and 3.5 hours of play, up 110 and off to bed. It is nice after the weekend I had to finally get a decent hourly rate out of the game.
A Day off
Monday, March 21st
There are two teachers at the school I am going to for dealing. One of them is an intro teacher, teaching mechanics and process, etc. The other is an advanced teacher who handles advanced theory and actual game situations. The intro teacher is my teacher for now, and he is not there on Mondays. Instead there is another guy there. Now I am not trying to be snobby but I want a consistent lesson and one teacher. I also need some kind of a break. So Monday is now going to be my day off! No poker, no class, no nothing. Between 10 hours a week on an IT contract, 25 hours in class, and 30-40 hours at the poker tables. I need a day off each week! You would think the unemployed would have more free time... but nope.
I took the time on Monday to go look at more places to live and found one place that scared me to death. I literally wanted to go get a shot for every disease known to man after leaving that house. It was very very bad... me no want to live there! However, the other place was gorgeous. It is south of town which is growing rapidly and has a beautiful view of the landscape and surrounding mountains and desert. The house is awesome, a nice bedroom upstairs and pool table downstairs. The family (husband, wife and 4 month old son) are awesome and I spent an hour getting to know them. They were marvelous and both around my age. So I called them on Monday evening to take the place and sent them my references and deposit. I hope I get it.
There are two teachers at the school I am going to for dealing. One of them is an intro teacher, teaching mechanics and process, etc. The other is an advanced teacher who handles advanced theory and actual game situations. The intro teacher is my teacher for now, and he is not there on Mondays. Instead there is another guy there. Now I am not trying to be snobby but I want a consistent lesson and one teacher. I also need some kind of a break. So Monday is now going to be my day off! No poker, no class, no nothing. Between 10 hours a week on an IT contract, 25 hours in class, and 30-40 hours at the poker tables. I need a day off each week! You would think the unemployed would have more free time... but nope.
I took the time on Monday to go look at more places to live and found one place that scared me to death. I literally wanted to go get a shot for every disease known to man after leaving that house. It was very very bad... me no want to live there! However, the other place was gorgeous. It is south of town which is growing rapidly and has a beautiful view of the landscape and surrounding mountains and desert. The house is awesome, a nice bedroom upstairs and pool table downstairs. The family (husband, wife and 4 month old son) are awesome and I spent an hour getting to know them. They were marvelous and both around my age. So I called them on Monday evening to take the place and sent them my references and deposit. I hope I get it.
Star Struck
Sunday, March 19th
After a relaxing morning I headed to the Bellagio around 1 PM. Now I have been craving some good chili and the snack bar at the Bellagio had some. Oh boy did it hit the spot, even at 4 dollars a cup! I finally got into a 4/8 table full of donks, including a trio of Georgia Tech grads who all had no idea what they were doing but were obviously riding the Irish Luck box because they couldn't lose.
A couple hours into the game I see a familiar face walk in, Freddy Deeb and Daniel Negreanu are playing a 4000/8000 mixed game in the glass room at the Bellagio. It was surreal to see them sitting there all relaxing with 100's of thousands of dollars sitting in front of them. They looked so normal and were only a few feet away from me. This had to be one of the coolest days in Vegas so far. The Five Diamond classic is in the first part of April at the Bellagio and I will have to find out about how to go watch the final table.
Unfortunately that was the highlight of my day as my cards were horrible and the ones that did hit got sucked out on. Not to mention I was pressing once again and playing to long with the bad end of a hand and ended down 160. I left around 10 PM and hit the blackjack tables managing to make back 150 of it, before going home and crashing out.
After a relaxing morning I headed to the Bellagio around 1 PM. Now I have been craving some good chili and the snack bar at the Bellagio had some. Oh boy did it hit the spot, even at 4 dollars a cup! I finally got into a 4/8 table full of donks, including a trio of Georgia Tech grads who all had no idea what they were doing but were obviously riding the Irish Luck box because they couldn't lose.
A couple hours into the game I see a familiar face walk in, Freddy Deeb and Daniel Negreanu are playing a 4000/8000 mixed game in the glass room at the Bellagio. It was surreal to see them sitting there all relaxing with 100's of thousands of dollars sitting in front of them. They looked so normal and were only a few feet away from me. This had to be one of the coolest days in Vegas so far. The Five Diamond classic is in the first part of April at the Bellagio and I will have to find out about how to go watch the final table.
Unfortunately that was the highlight of my day as my cards were horrible and the ones that did hit got sucked out on. Not to mention I was pressing once again and playing to long with the bad end of a hand and ended down 160. I left around 10 PM and hit the blackjack tables managing to make back 150 of it, before going home and crashing out.
Here horsie horsie
Saturday, March 18th
The plan for saturday is to find the new South Coast casino and see just how wild and crazy their games are. The casino is marvelous and easy to get into and out of. The parking is sweet, the casino is wide open and very nice. They have an equestrian center there with a lot of free shows, next weekend they have a show there which is free to the public so I plan to stop and see that. I do love the horses.
All they had was a 2/4 and 1/2 NL game so I sat in the 2/4 and was holding my own. Despite massive suckouts. Flopping 2 pair and they hit a flush, AK missing consistently, etc. I still was up 30 before going on a run to top out at 100. I decided to play for awhile longer which was apparently a mistake as the cards went bad, and I went worse and cashed out up 20. I then went and saw Failure to Launch which was hilarious. I would highly recommend it, especially to anyone with older children.
After the movie I headed to the MGM. Good god what a walk it is from the parking garage to the poker room! I am talking 20 minutes! Next time I am parking at NY-NY and walking over from there.
Now I play very well from ahead, I am relaxed and patient and read the game very well. I play very poorly from behind. I try to hard, bluff when I can't win, play to many hands, etc. So you would think putting myself in a hole each and every time I sit down would be a bad idea. Yet I keep doing it. This time I sat down and played K/10 offsuit for a raise from late position, and hit a K on the flop. I then proceeded to reraise a player I had no read on, and bet it the whole way to lose a bundle when he called with KQ the whole way. I then tried to bluff at a pot against what I found later was someone who wouldn't fold. These plays are reasonable when you know the game, the texture of it, and who will fold what. Doing this in the first 10 hands is suicide, so of course I do it often.
I started in a 100 dollar hole and managed to work my way out of it before changing tables. The new table was great and I was fine until a few suckouts put me down 100 again, I started pressing and was down almost 200 before this hand came up. I get Pocket A's and raise under the gun. Only one caller and flop comes down A/10/10. Now one of the things about low limit poker is you don't get many hands that you will win. (Playing 15-20% of hands and winning 30% of those isn't a lot of winners), and even fewer where you can extract value. So when you hit a monster you have to be able to get the maximum value out of it. I read the girl who called me as someone who couldn't get off a hand after she convinced herself she was winning, so I checked to her. She checked behind. Turn was a J and I lead out into her representing I hit the Jack. She called and the river was a blank. I lead the river and she raised me. At this point I have the virtual nuts, losing only to pocket 10's and I was about 60 dollars from the felt. If she has 10's I am going to the felt happily. I raise back and she raises again, it ends up going 6 bets before she just calls with K/10 for trip 10's. So that brought me back to a good level and a few more hands before the table broke put me at down 50 for the night at MGM.
Tomorrow I am going to try the Bellagio and see how the 4/8 is there.
The plan for saturday is to find the new South Coast casino and see just how wild and crazy their games are. The casino is marvelous and easy to get into and out of. The parking is sweet, the casino is wide open and very nice. They have an equestrian center there with a lot of free shows, next weekend they have a show there which is free to the public so I plan to stop and see that. I do love the horses.
All they had was a 2/4 and 1/2 NL game so I sat in the 2/4 and was holding my own. Despite massive suckouts. Flopping 2 pair and they hit a flush, AK missing consistently, etc. I still was up 30 before going on a run to top out at 100. I decided to play for awhile longer which was apparently a mistake as the cards went bad, and I went worse and cashed out up 20. I then went and saw Failure to Launch which was hilarious. I would highly recommend it, especially to anyone with older children.
After the movie I headed to the MGM. Good god what a walk it is from the parking garage to the poker room! I am talking 20 minutes! Next time I am parking at NY-NY and walking over from there.
Now I play very well from ahead, I am relaxed and patient and read the game very well. I play very poorly from behind. I try to hard, bluff when I can't win, play to many hands, etc. So you would think putting myself in a hole each and every time I sit down would be a bad idea. Yet I keep doing it. This time I sat down and played K/10 offsuit for a raise from late position, and hit a K on the flop. I then proceeded to reraise a player I had no read on, and bet it the whole way to lose a bundle when he called with KQ the whole way. I then tried to bluff at a pot against what I found later was someone who wouldn't fold. These plays are reasonable when you know the game, the texture of it, and who will fold what. Doing this in the first 10 hands is suicide, so of course I do it often.
I started in a 100 dollar hole and managed to work my way out of it before changing tables. The new table was great and I was fine until a few suckouts put me down 100 again, I started pressing and was down almost 200 before this hand came up. I get Pocket A's and raise under the gun. Only one caller and flop comes down A/10/10. Now one of the things about low limit poker is you don't get many hands that you will win. (Playing 15-20% of hands and winning 30% of those isn't a lot of winners), and even fewer where you can extract value. So when you hit a monster you have to be able to get the maximum value out of it. I read the girl who called me as someone who couldn't get off a hand after she convinced herself she was winning, so I checked to her. She checked behind. Turn was a J and I lead out into her representing I hit the Jack. She called and the river was a blank. I lead the river and she raised me. At this point I have the virtual nuts, losing only to pocket 10's and I was about 60 dollars from the felt. If she has 10's I am going to the felt happily. I raise back and she raises again, it ends up going 6 bets before she just calls with K/10 for trip 10's. So that brought me back to a good level and a few more hands before the table broke put me at down 50 for the night at MGM.
Tomorrow I am going to try the Bellagio and see how the 4/8 is there.
Weekend at the Wynn
Friday, March 17th
I stayed out until 3 AM on thursday night, and slept in this morning. I decided to skip class as the teacher I normally would work with was out sick and the sub was not very good on Thursday. About lunch time I went to look at a nice apartment with a small room. It was a great location but I didn't feel like it was perfect, so I am going to look at others.
A nice mid-afternoon nap and a relaxing day on the couch before I went to the Wynn around 6 PM for some poker. I fully expected the Wynn to be full of high rolling whales, but it was almost all locals at my table. The table had a few fish at it, but in general was a really tough game. It is unusual for me to be in a 4/8 game where I don't feel like I am one of the two best players in the game.... This time I really did feel like I might not be the best player here.
Interestingly the other players had the same impression of me, and at one point in the game decided I never bluffed and always folded to me. So of course, I bluffed and showed them.. but until then everytime I raised on the flop everyone folded. I even had a guy laydown top 2 pair to my flopped set on the river for 1 bet. He said "I don't know how I am beaten, but I know I am."
I did manage to hit a few hands, and despite playing mediocre at best. I still took over 100 out of the game and went home around 11.
I stayed out until 3 AM on thursday night, and slept in this morning. I decided to skip class as the teacher I normally would work with was out sick and the sub was not very good on Thursday. About lunch time I went to look at a nice apartment with a small room. It was a great location but I didn't feel like it was perfect, so I am going to look at others.
A nice mid-afternoon nap and a relaxing day on the couch before I went to the Wynn around 6 PM for some poker. I fully expected the Wynn to be full of high rolling whales, but it was almost all locals at my table. The table had a few fish at it, but in general was a really tough game. It is unusual for me to be in a 4/8 game where I don't feel like I am one of the two best players in the game.... This time I really did feel like I might not be the best player here.
Interestingly the other players had the same impression of me, and at one point in the game decided I never bluffed and always folded to me. So of course, I bluffed and showed them.. but until then everytime I raised on the flop everyone folded. I even had a guy laydown top 2 pair to my flopped set on the river for 1 bet. He said "I don't know how I am beaten, but I know I am."
I did manage to hit a few hands, and despite playing mediocre at best. I still took over 100 out of the game and went home around 11.
Good bye Trevor
Thursday, March 15th
This is Trevor's last day here so after I finished my first day of class (turns out I do everything wrong and have bad habits at dealing as well.. go figure) we met up for some excitement back at the hotel. Blackjack went well for me, but poorly for Trevor... Poker went well for me but Poorly for Trevor. So I managed to get up 116 before we went out for a night of drinks with Mark and Trevor. It was great to see Tuttle again and he is doing marvelous things at Wizkids.
Apparently there is some kind of time machine in Vegas because I didn't remember drinking that much or staying out that late.. but it was 3 AM when I dropped Trevor off at the Riviera to play some poker before his 7 AM flight and I went and crashed. Friday morning came awful early... so of course I skipped class :) And relaxed a little around the house. Still trying to get my sea legs back and actually was starting to eat a little.
This is Trevor's last day here so after I finished my first day of class (turns out I do everything wrong and have bad habits at dealing as well.. go figure) we met up for some excitement back at the hotel. Blackjack went well for me, but poorly for Trevor... Poker went well for me but Poorly for Trevor. So I managed to get up 116 before we went out for a night of drinks with Mark and Trevor. It was great to see Tuttle again and he is doing marvelous things at Wizkids.
Apparently there is some kind of time machine in Vegas because I didn't remember drinking that much or staying out that late.. but it was 3 AM when I dropped Trevor off at the Riviera to play some poker before his 7 AM flight and I went and crashed. Friday morning came awful early... so of course I skipped class :) And relaxed a little around the house. Still trying to get my sea legs back and actually was starting to eat a little.
I think I need a job
Wednesday, March 15th
I slept in and had a breakfast of oatmeal of which I ate 3 bites... the stomach still isn't quite right, and then went to meet up with Trevor to see the GAMA show and all our old friends. It was great to see everyone and what everybody is up to. All the old decipherians have moved on to new haunts so I now know someone at all the major companies which is sweet. I feel so special :)
After a hotdog for lunch (which I ate almost the ENTIRE thing! WOO! and drank a coke) I went to go look at schools. You only get a job audition in Vegas one of two ways... you pass a class, or you have documented experience. It turns out that my experience doesn't count... so class it is. Casino Gaming School came highly recommended and had the highest Student to Teacher ratio. It also had the best history of placing people in jobs... Noone can GIVE you a job you have to earn it... and they teach the most technique and mechanics which will help get those.
I went ahead and signed up to start the next day and went back to meet up with Trevor for dinner. We went to a very very expensive Outback (since when is a steak at Outback 30 dollars) and then over to the Riviera to play for awhile. I only made it until about 10 PM before crashing out, but I did eat almost 1/3 of a 9 oz steak and 3 bites of potatoes! So I felt like I was back to 5 or 10% of normal... whee!
The players at the Riviera are HORRID. Oh my goodness I wish they had something more than 2/4, but I took 55 out of 2/4 in 2 hours while catching absolutely horrid cards. I literally saw ONE ace, but one good read, and a couple good flops out of the blinds as well as a really nicely played flopped flush brought me into the positive without cards. It is always nice to win without cards.
I slept in and had a breakfast of oatmeal of which I ate 3 bites... the stomach still isn't quite right, and then went to meet up with Trevor to see the GAMA show and all our old friends. It was great to see everyone and what everybody is up to. All the old decipherians have moved on to new haunts so I now know someone at all the major companies which is sweet. I feel so special :)
After a hotdog for lunch (which I ate almost the ENTIRE thing! WOO! and drank a coke) I went to go look at schools. You only get a job audition in Vegas one of two ways... you pass a class, or you have documented experience. It turns out that my experience doesn't count... so class it is. Casino Gaming School came highly recommended and had the highest Student to Teacher ratio. It also had the best history of placing people in jobs... Noone can GIVE you a job you have to earn it... and they teach the most technique and mechanics which will help get those.
I went ahead and signed up to start the next day and went back to meet up with Trevor for dinner. We went to a very very expensive Outback (since when is a steak at Outback 30 dollars) and then over to the Riviera to play for awhile. I only made it until about 10 PM before crashing out, but I did eat almost 1/3 of a 9 oz steak and 3 bites of potatoes! So I felt like I was back to 5 or 10% of normal... whee!
The players at the Riviera are HORRID. Oh my goodness I wish they had something more than 2/4, but I took 55 out of 2/4 in 2 hours while catching absolutely horrid cards. I literally saw ONE ace, but one good read, and a couple good flops out of the blinds as well as a really nicely played flopped flush brought me into the positive without cards. It is always nice to win without cards.
This is why God invented Hazard lights
Tuesday, March 14th
Monday morning about 3 AM I woke up with some intestinal problems. Now my stomach is very sensitive in general (which I often ignore and just deal with the consequences) but after the 5th visit to the restroom I thought I might have an issue. So in the morning I decided to eat things which might give me a chance to "hold it together", ie Oatmeal, fruit, etc. Well that didn't help and a few more visits to the restroom left me very unhappy. Trevor and company left to go to work at the Riviera and I loaded up my car and headed to the Pharmacy. I figured some Pepto would solve everything. Well I don't think I got it down in time as halfway back to the hotel I was stopped at a stoplight (with a long line behind me) and had no choice but to deposit breakfast back into nature. Needless to say, the other cars went around! Surpisingly noone honked at me... which was awful kind of them.
I felt a little better after emptying my stomach but after a cup of soup I was still not feeling well. Yet I had no place to live yet and the plan was to spend Monday finding temporary housing. So I went to the top place on my list a 12 bedroom boarding house run by Bootsie! :) Took a look at it and signed the lease immediately. It wasn't perfect but it had a bed a TV and a bathroom. This was all very impt at that time. $160 a week for a decent sized room and a shared bathroom and I had a home in Vegas.
I tried to meet up with Trevor on Monday night but failed as I went to sleep at 3 PM and slept 17 hours straight. I think I was sick... hard to say, but pretty sure that qualifies.
Tuesday I went to the store, got a few things and laid on the couch all day sleeping most of it. Isn't it nice to arrive in your new home and immediately make an impression. I will never forget the greeting the bathrooms in Vegas gave me... warm and welcoming indeed.
Monday morning about 3 AM I woke up with some intestinal problems. Now my stomach is very sensitive in general (which I often ignore and just deal with the consequences) but after the 5th visit to the restroom I thought I might have an issue. So in the morning I decided to eat things which might give me a chance to "hold it together", ie Oatmeal, fruit, etc. Well that didn't help and a few more visits to the restroom left me very unhappy. Trevor and company left to go to work at the Riviera and I loaded up my car and headed to the Pharmacy. I figured some Pepto would solve everything. Well I don't think I got it down in time as halfway back to the hotel I was stopped at a stoplight (with a long line behind me) and had no choice but to deposit breakfast back into nature. Needless to say, the other cars went around! Surpisingly noone honked at me... which was awful kind of them.
I felt a little better after emptying my stomach but after a cup of soup I was still not feeling well. Yet I had no place to live yet and the plan was to spend Monday finding temporary housing. So I went to the top place on my list a 12 bedroom boarding house run by Bootsie! :) Took a look at it and signed the lease immediately. It wasn't perfect but it had a bed a TV and a bathroom. This was all very impt at that time. $160 a week for a decent sized room and a shared bathroom and I had a home in Vegas.
I tried to meet up with Trevor on Monday night but failed as I went to sleep at 3 PM and slept 17 hours straight. I think I was sick... hard to say, but pretty sure that qualifies.
Tuesday I went to the store, got a few things and laid on the couch all day sleeping most of it. Isn't it nice to arrive in your new home and immediately make an impression. I will never forget the greeting the bathrooms in Vegas gave me... warm and welcoming indeed.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas
Sunday, March 11th
Well it is official. I am in Las Vegas. The end point of my travels and my new home until I run out of money or reach my goals. It was a quick 2 hour drive from Laughlin and I had to go find this stupid hotel WAY out in Summerlin. Apparently when you have everything you own in the car, it is not exactly ideal for picking up people from the airport. Trevor and his friend Jason were arriving in an hour and I had to unload the car at the hotel so they could fit in there. It was extremely entertaining to see the hotel clerks face when I rolled in a whole bunch of luggage for one night.
After getting Trevor from the airport, and checking into the room we headed back into town to the Luxor for their ticket tournament (and lunch). The ticket tourney is a locals thing where if you play X hours in a week you get into a tournament where they pay for the most pots over 30 dollars won. So the locals play like idiots trying to win the pots and the smart people rake it in. However, this time it was No-limit to qualify for the pots and as such the 2/4 games were HORRID. We only stayed about an hour and I cashed out down 12. We then headed to the MGM where I love playing, and was having a grand old time. I played poorly though and despite running up to +100 I managed to give it all back and cash out +8.
A trip to the Excalibur for one final spot and a few winning hands, and a really nice draw coming in put me up 50 there for +46 for the day. Quick dinner and to bed as we were all tired around 1 AM.
Well it is official. I am in Las Vegas. The end point of my travels and my new home until I run out of money or reach my goals. It was a quick 2 hour drive from Laughlin and I had to go find this stupid hotel WAY out in Summerlin. Apparently when you have everything you own in the car, it is not exactly ideal for picking up people from the airport. Trevor and his friend Jason were arriving in an hour and I had to unload the car at the hotel so they could fit in there. It was extremely entertaining to see the hotel clerks face when I rolled in a whole bunch of luggage for one night.
After getting Trevor from the airport, and checking into the room we headed back into town to the Luxor for their ticket tournament (and lunch). The ticket tourney is a locals thing where if you play X hours in a week you get into a tournament where they pay for the most pots over 30 dollars won. So the locals play like idiots trying to win the pots and the smart people rake it in. However, this time it was No-limit to qualify for the pots and as such the 2/4 games were HORRID. We only stayed about an hour and I cashed out down 12. We then headed to the MGM where I love playing, and was having a grand old time. I played poorly though and despite running up to +100 I managed to give it all back and cash out +8.
A trip to the Excalibur for one final spot and a few winning hands, and a really nice draw coming in put me up 50 there for +46 for the day. Quick dinner and to bed as we were all tired around 1 AM.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Relaxing day at the River
Saturday, March 11th
Laughlin, NV is on the Colorado River with a beautiful view of the mountains surrounding it. It is a very peaceful and relaxing place. The original plan on Saturday was to get up and signup for the 10 AM tournament at the Belle, go eat breakfast, play (and win of course), eat lunch, watch a movie, play for 5-6 more hours and go to bed for the trip to Vegas in the morning.
Well, that plan got shot to shit. The tournament was sold out more than an hour ahead of time, breakfast line was 2 miles long... so I hit the buffet and walked over to the Edgewater to play some Blackjack. I quickly went up 50 bucks but the table was a ton of fun and I decided to stay so of course I lost all of that and another 50 before slowly building back up and finally cashing out 2 hours later up 200. Lunch was some quick pizza and then I went and saw The Libertine which was an interesting yet odd movie.
Back to the poker room at Laughlin's Riverside and the 4/8 full kill game there. It was the only one running and boy was it juicy. I was card dead for awhile and managed to steal a NICE pot from a guy when we had the same hand and he folded to my aggression. I then showed him after he showed me and he tilted for the next hour. A few more big hands later, and a nice outflop with KQ vs AK on an AJ10 flop and I cashed out up 300.
The Riverside poker room has a gorgeous view of the river and the mountains that made it very easy to sit and wait on hands as I was just enjoying the scenary when I was card dead. I would definately recommend this room.
Laughlin, NV is on the Colorado River with a beautiful view of the mountains surrounding it. It is a very peaceful and relaxing place. The original plan on Saturday was to get up and signup for the 10 AM tournament at the Belle, go eat breakfast, play (and win of course), eat lunch, watch a movie, play for 5-6 more hours and go to bed for the trip to Vegas in the morning.Well, that plan got shot to shit. The tournament was sold out more than an hour ahead of time, breakfast line was 2 miles long... so I hit the buffet and walked over to the Edgewater to play some Blackjack. I quickly went up 50 bucks but the table was a ton of fun and I decided to stay so of course I lost all of that and another 50 before slowly building back up and finally cashing out 2 hours later up 200. Lunch was some quick pizza and then I went and saw The Libertine which was an interesting yet odd movie.
Back to the poker room at Laughlin's Riverside and the 4/8 full kill game there. It was the only one running and boy was it juicy. I was card dead for awhile and managed to steal a NICE pot from a guy when we had the same hand and he folded to my aggression. I then showed him after he showed me and he tilted for the next hour. A few more big hands later, and a nice outflop with KQ vs AK on an AJ10 flop and I cashed out up 300.
The Riverside poker room has a gorgeous view of the river and the mountains that made it very easy to sit and wait on hands as I was just enjoying the scenary when I was card dead. I would definately recommend this room.
Jesus take the wheel
Friday, March 10th
I am from Georgia, and it gets COLD in Georgia. Sometimes it gets down to like 25 and icy! It turns out there is such a thing as colder than that if you can believe it! 20 degrees, 30-40 MPH wind. Wow, remind me not to move to Maine.
A 12 hour drive on 3 hours sleep was not the best plan in the world. I had already paid for the Grand Canyon tour and wasn't going to waste a hundred dollars on sleep. So off I went. The drive went well until I got to flagstaff, even with the snow, wind and ice.
Flagstaff I called the airport and it was closed down due to the weather as well as the road to the Grand Canyon was rated treacherous and not recommended to come up there. So forward to Laughlin I went.
I never realized how much difference a few thousand feet of elevationwould make. I left Flagstaff and the roads became treacherous beyond belief. The roads were 2 inches deep in packed, icy snow. Then the windshield started to freeze over from the road spray and snow coming down. The windshield wipers froze into a sheet of ice going back and forth. Then a mustang changed lanes in front of me and flew off the road (mustangs go straight in snow. Turning is NOT an option). Passed a station wagon face first in a ditch, a jackknifed tractor trailor, lots of semi's pulled over (how are they ever going to start going again? like it is going to melt on top of a freaking mountain). A huge accident on the other side of the road. If I wasn't a Christian before that experience I certainly became a Jesus Freak in a hurry during that. It made me think of that song Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood.... Sometimes you really do feel like your life is not in your control.
Amazingly after I got over the top of the mountain the other side was completely clear. Not a drop of snow 5 feet from where there was 2 feet. It was the strangest thing I have ever seen! Flew down the other side, cleaned off the windshield and got into Laughlin in no time flat.
Checked into the Ramada Express, and rested up a little from the trip. I headed over to the Colorado Belle after a snack and sat at the 4/8 table there. Very early at the table I get QJ suited in the big blind, the ENTIRE TABLE limps to me. Now with 10 players in the hand, I need this flop to hit me square in the head to win this pot. A pair of Q's isn't going to do it! The flop is 8/9/10 rainbow! OK... so there is hitting a flop and there is freaking destroying a flop. Wow. I check of course having flopped the nuts and it is raised immediately to my left and then 2 bet behind him, several callers and back to me. So of course I call not wanting to kill the action. The turn is an Ace and it is bet by the last card raiser, and then 2 bet behind HIM! So now a NEW guy is 2 betting, wow. Folded back to me and I should have raised but decided to go for overcalls and a checkraise on the river. The original better folded and it was headsup. River I decided to lead into him as I didn't want it to check through and he called for a huge pot! JJ held up in a kill pot (they run 4/8 with a full kill) and I was up a little over 100 in an hour. The table then broke for a tournament starting and I got moved to a 2/6 spread limit game which was tight as I have ever seen. The average pot was 6 dollars! I hit a huge hand with AJ suited against 9/2 who hit a boat against my flush and lost a bunch so cashed out up 30 and went to bed.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Don't close my table Biatch!
Thursday, March 9th
The wind is still blowing but nothing like it was yesterday, so I heading up to the Sandia Peak tram and up the mountain for lunch. It turns out I am not COMPLETELY over my head congestion from the allergies in Tulsa. That is not a really big deal until you get up to 11,000 feet above sea level and your ears won't pop because of your head congestion! Talk about immense pain, OUCH! I had brought a book to read at the scenic restaurant on the top of the mountain looking out over the majestic views. It didn't work so well... I ate (AWESOME food btw wow), and went right back down. The view from up there was amazing! You can see for miles and miles and it is so peaceful. There was no snow even this time of year due to the drought they were having, but it was still majestic. They have very nice day hike trails up and down the mountain and I really wish I had brought some hiking boots and done that, it would have been so beautiful. I have uploaded some beatiful scenic pictures from the top of the mountain here
After a short nap and some recovery of the ear's pressure issues, I headed for the poker room again. There was a 7 PM World Series of Poker qualifying tournament I thought of playing in, but it was 140 people + and I didn't want to stay up that late with the long 12+ hour drive tomorrow to Laughlin, NV. I get a seat in the 4/8 and noticec a distinct difference in the lineup. There is a lot of trash talking, attitude, criticism, etc. The crowd tonight is just a complete but of a-holes and I am really glad I didn't play in the tournament if these are the people in there. I am looking forward to the tourney starting so I can play with the friendly normal people who I have won so much from the previous two days!
7 PM rolls around and they come around to find out who is going to be in the tourney, etc and write down the names of those who are not. Then they CLOSE EVERY TABLE! Yes, they kick EVERYONE off of every table and use all the tables and all the dealers for the tournament with 20-30 alternates. It is almost 2 hours before they open another 4/8 table and in that period of time I find dinner and a blackjack table and manage to lose 100 dollars. Thanks for closing the tables!
Around midnight I get back up to +200 at the tables and begin to consider that I am tired, have a long drive and should go to bed. However, the fish are not out of money yet and I don't think I should leave a good table because I reached a goal or have somewhere to go. So I decided to stay another hour, well an hour of bad cards puts me on tilt, 2 hours of bad cards pisses me off, and then my one good hand in 3 hours losing sends me to bed pissed off at 3 AM down 200 for the night.
I was so irritated at my play, my attitude, and my losses that I couldn't even sleep soundly. I had to be up at 7 AM to leave and hit the Grand Canyon tour I had booked by 2:30 PM so 3 hours of restless sleep, a 12 hour drive ahead of me... what a good plan this is!
The wind is still blowing but nothing like it was yesterday, so I heading up to the Sandia Peak tram and up the mountain for lunch. It turns out I am not COMPLETELY over my head congestion from the allergies in Tulsa. That is not a really big deal until you get up to 11,000 feet above sea level and your ears won't pop because of your head congestion! Talk about immense pain, OUCH! I had brought a book to read at the scenic restaurant on the top of the mountain looking out over the majestic views. It didn't work so well... I ate (AWESOME food btw wow), and went right back down. The view from up there was amazing! You can see for miles and miles and it is so peaceful. There was no snow even this time of year due to the drought they were having, but it was still majestic. They have very nice day hike trails up and down the mountain and I really wish I had brought some hiking boots and done that, it would have been so beautiful. I have uploaded some beatiful scenic pictures from the top of the mountain hereAfter a short nap and some recovery of the ear's pressure issues, I headed for the poker room again. There was a 7 PM World Series of Poker qualifying tournament I thought of playing in, but it was 140 people + and I didn't want to stay up that late with the long 12+ hour drive tomorrow to Laughlin, NV. I get a seat in the 4/8 and noticec a distinct difference in the lineup. There is a lot of trash talking, attitude, criticism, etc. The crowd tonight is just a complete but of a-holes and I am really glad I didn't play in the tournament if these are the people in there. I am looking forward to the tourney starting so I can play with the friendly normal people who I have won so much from the previous two days!
7 PM rolls around and they come around to find out who is going to be in the tourney, etc and write down the names of those who are not. Then they CLOSE EVERY TABLE! Yes, they kick EVERYONE off of every table and use all the tables and all the dealers for the tournament with 20-30 alternates. It is almost 2 hours before they open another 4/8 table and in that period of time I find dinner and a blackjack table and manage to lose 100 dollars. Thanks for closing the tables!
Around midnight I get back up to +200 at the tables and begin to consider that I am tired, have a long drive and should go to bed. However, the fish are not out of money yet and I don't think I should leave a good table because I reached a goal or have somewhere to go. So I decided to stay another hour, well an hour of bad cards puts me on tilt, 2 hours of bad cards pisses me off, and then my one good hand in 3 hours losing sends me to bed pissed off at 3 AM down 200 for the night.
I was so irritated at my play, my attitude, and my losses that I couldn't even sleep soundly. I had to be up at 7 AM to leave and hit the Grand Canyon tour I had booked by 2:30 PM so 3 hours of restless sleep, a 12 hour drive ahead of me... what a good plan this is!
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Wow, that's Windy
Wednesday, March 8th
The original plan was to go up to Sandia Peak today on the 2 Mile airway tram. Now a tram is basically a large bucket hanging from a string going up a mountain for 2 miles... a little on the scary side, but perfectly safe. However when I got up and couldn't walk into the wind it was so strong that idea changed dramatically.
Instead, I decided to go to the route 66 diner for lunch. I had originally planned to go there on Thursday but the wind hath spoken and I shall obey. The diner was really neat, every bit the 60's diner experience all the way down to the uniforms and how they made the milkshakes. The burgers were awesome, the shake was HUGE and boy was it tasty. They had some really interesting materials and such around from the route 66 days a nice map of the entire original route 66. More pictures of the diner are here
After lunch and a nap, I went out to play at Sandia, the cards were better today getting pocket A's 4 times and hitting quad J's as well. Quads at Sandia are worth 2250 points, which translates to about 5 dollars in comps. WOOO!! Fortunately they can be spent across the street for Gas so 5 dollars in free gas is well, 5 dollars in free gas. I had to wait a little to get on a table, and picked up 40 at blackjack while waiting and then 8 hours of poker netted a nice 407. I am starting to like this place, it is a real grind but the pots are really nice and when the hands hit they pay.
The original plan was to go up to Sandia Peak today on the 2 Mile airway tram. Now a tram is basically a large bucket hanging from a string going up a mountain for 2 miles... a little on the scary side, but perfectly safe. However when I got up and couldn't walk into the wind it was so strong that idea changed dramatically.Instead, I decided to go to the route 66 diner for lunch. I had originally planned to go there on Thursday but the wind hath spoken and I shall obey. The diner was really neat, every bit the 60's diner experience all the way down to the uniforms and how they made the milkshakes. The burgers were awesome, the shake was HUGE and boy was it tasty. They had some really interesting materials and such around from the route 66 days a nice map of the entire original route 66. More pictures of the diner are here
After lunch and a nap, I went out to play at Sandia, the cards were better today getting pocket A's 4 times and hitting quad J's as well. Quads at Sandia are worth 2250 points, which translates to about 5 dollars in comps. WOOO!! Fortunately they can be spent across the street for Gas so 5 dollars in free gas is well, 5 dollars in free gas. I had to wait a little to get on a table, and picked up 40 at blackjack while waiting and then 8 hours of poker netted a nice 407. I am starting to like this place, it is a real grind but the pots are really nice and when the hands hit they pay.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Getting my kicks on Route 66
Yeah Baby! Road Tripping time! I had to go pick up my laundry Monday morning (yes, I am so lazy I paid someone else to wash my clothes instead of sitting in a laundromat for 2 hours, and went and saw a movie instead) and then jetted out of town. I was going to play the tournament at 10 AM but 120 people and 4 hours to the final table would have killed me. Out of town it is. Route 66 from Tulsa to Oklahoma City was amazing... Nice little small towns, diners, old quaint downtowns. Really nice.
I discovered after some research that route 66 that it was closed 20 years ago or so, and the renewal of it is very segmented... so some sections are completely unmarked, and others are very well marked with museums and signs, etc. So I bounced back and forth after Oklahoma City onto Route 66 and back off, found a nice museum and met some nice people in there. An interesting history of the road they call Main Street USA or The Mother Road. Very interesting history of the road and the time before interstates. How did we ever survive without interstates? Oh my... I get mad at 4 lane roads, imagine going through actual TOWNS when driving! WOW!
Tulsa to New Mexico was a 10 hour drive that I made a 13 hour drive by taking side trips and tours, and eating the best ribs in Texas (maybe I should find a new state for that, since I didn't they they were that great)... Made it into Alburquerque at 10 PM their time and eventually found the casino and the hotel (in that order :) ). Checked out the tourney schedule and found they had only a 7 PM on Tuesday of Omaha Hi/lo Limit... bah! I will pass on that one. 13 hours of driving and I am not even going to play tonight, so off to bed it is.
Tuesday Morning I wake up at 7 freaking AM! WTF! STupid time change, and sleeping soundly. It is just bad news.. I decided that Phoenix is too expensive, and I am really a Braves fan. I will just take a vacation next year and go to Spring Training instead in Orlando, so I am going to stay in New Mexico until Friday and then hit Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon on the way to Laughlin until Sunday when I head to Vegas.
A little research and some mapping incidents, I decided Tuesday morning (ie today) I would go see Sky City an authentic Indian Peublo on a mesa outside of town. Wednesday morning I will take the tram to Sandia Peak for the great pictures and have lunch looking out over the valley, and Thursday morning I would play the 9 AM tournament at Route 66 Casino. I can then put in 6-10 hours a night at the Poker tables and try to reach my goal for week 2 before I head to Laughlin. Laughlin can make me spending money!
Sky City was soooo cool, to think people lived in those huts for hundreds of years without any power or running water and still do. It is 100 freaking degrees in New Mexico some days, and they built houses they stayed cooler than anything I ever lived in. Just amazing what those people do. I have lots of pictures I will post very soon. I didn't get to the Poker tables until 4 PM and they were seating a must-move 4/8 with a half kill that I sat right into. I got there at a good time as I only played 7 hands before I was moved to the main game and started settling in. It was a good start with A/big (AK and AQ) winning 3 times in a row to start things out, and get me a nice 100 dollar profit cushion to play with (I am a much better player when I am ahead and relaxed).. the table is very nice and calm, lots of loose passive play, lots of suckouts. Several solid players tilting bad and trying to push me off the nuts (turns out I won't fold the nut flush even if you raise me).... The table cycles in and out, new players coming in all the time. I manage to hit quads twice in the same session! WOOO! That is 3 quads in my last 2 sessions now... whee. They have a high hand promotion that quads gives you some extra bonus points or something (whatever that is for), but only for J's or better quads. WTF! Dude quads are quads. Pay me biatch! My Quad 7's didn't get anything special, but the quad K's paid nicely.. Finished the session up 406 after 8 hours and am heading off to bed now.
Tomorrow it is up to the top of the mountain and down to the poker tables. Let's hope it all stays up.
More route 66 pictures at http://photobucket.com/albums/f84/rpeiper/Route%2066/
Sunday, March 05, 2006
You might be a bad poker player if
I have always had problems with Allergies, and I half expected them to go away when I left Georgia. It appears I have these problems anywhere stuff grows, good thing I am moving to a desert. Saturday night I was only able to play 3 hours before the allergies kicked me in the teeth enough to send me to a benadryl induced coma, and 6 hours on Sunday. I did manage to take 340 out of the game during that sequence, so that is a good side benefit but playing sick is BAD! At least with a regular job when you are sick you can call in and still get paid... here if I call in I get nothing, and if I play sick I probably lose money. Whee....
I leave Tulsa for New Mexico Monday morning. I was going to play the 30 dollar tourney at Cherokee but it gets 80-120 people and I have a 9 hour drive if I take I-40 (which I won't since I am going route 66), so I am just going to make it a travel day instead. Once I get into New Mexico I will check the room out and decide what to do next. I can either go down to Phoenix and hit Casino Arizona, spring training, and the World Baseball Classic. I could also go over to Laughlin and get a much cheaper room. Not sure which yet, but I am leaning towards baseball. A few extra bucks, but I have never been to a spring training game before.
The more time I spend at the tables the more I realize how many good players are not that good. I have great respect for the gamboolers and their raise every hand mentality. However the ones who tilt easily, expect everyone to play their game and not adjust, and the ones who have stupid ideas about poker... so I came up with this list that will help you know the bad players who THINK they are not.
You might be a bad poker player if you have ever said (and meant it) ...
- I never win with AK, I should just fold it pre-flop (this is also often said of AA and KK)
- Everytime I get KK there is an Ace on the flop
- I hate games where it is capped 8 ways pre-flop.
- How do you beat a 1/2 No-limit game where it is 60 to see a flop 6 ways.
- I wish people would stop chasing and learn to fold.
I am sure there are a lot more... but those are really starting to bug me. I am off to route 66 tomorrow...
I leave Tulsa for New Mexico Monday morning. I was going to play the 30 dollar tourney at Cherokee but it gets 80-120 people and I have a 9 hour drive if I take I-40 (which I won't since I am going route 66), so I am just going to make it a travel day instead. Once I get into New Mexico I will check the room out and decide what to do next. I can either go down to Phoenix and hit Casino Arizona, spring training, and the World Baseball Classic. I could also go over to Laughlin and get a much cheaper room. Not sure which yet, but I am leaning towards baseball. A few extra bucks, but I have never been to a spring training game before.
The more time I spend at the tables the more I realize how many good players are not that good. I have great respect for the gamboolers and their raise every hand mentality. However the ones who tilt easily, expect everyone to play their game and not adjust, and the ones who have stupid ideas about poker... so I came up with this list that will help you know the bad players who THINK they are not.
You might be a bad poker player if you have ever said (and meant it) ...
- I never win with AK, I should just fold it pre-flop (this is also often said of AA and KK)
- Everytime I get KK there is an Ace on the flop
- I hate games where it is capped 8 ways pre-flop.
- How do you beat a 1/2 No-limit game where it is 60 to see a flop 6 ways.
- I wish people would stop chasing and learn to fold.
I am sure there are a lot more... but those are really starting to bug me. I am off to route 66 tomorrow...
Saturday, March 04, 2006
But I had a flush draw
It only took about 6 hours to get to Tulsa, then another hour to find a gas station... WTF is wrong with these midwest towns where they can't put a freaking sign more than 6 inches off the ground for a gas station! Do they all ride freaking bicycles, sheesh.
I did learn something about hotel reservations, don't get the cheap one. Wow.. I know they are trying, but sheesh. Paper thin walls, dirty bathtubs, No travel fridge, no desk... Kind of weak. But they were nice, friendly, and have wireless. So I will deal with it. One other thing... if the sign says DO NOT DISTURB. It means DO NOT F'ING DISTURB. Not to KNOCK on the door and ASK if I want to be disturbed!
Cherokee Casino Tulsa is well... kind of odd. It is pretty new (about a year old) and I expected it to be bigger. It is right outside Tulsa and gets a mainly regular crowd. The good things first... Very classy joint, dealers were great, a lot more female dealers than most places and a lot younger dealers. The female dealers were some of the better ones there, very good. They have a fountain drinks right next to the poker room which you can get anytime you want. And they have mountain dew 10 feet from the table... oh baby baby...
The bad... It is primarily locals, they aren't very good but they do play a lot. So you don't get anywhere near the crappy play you get in Tunica and Vegas where tourism is bigger. Comps are horrid, 75 cents an hour period. No free buffets every 4 hours like in Tunica, no poker rate on rooms, they even rake at some of the table games. This is also the first casino I have ever been to where drinks are not free! I know tipping is customary, but $3.50 + tip for a Heineken is silly.
Onto the games.... They spread 4/8, 1/2 NL, 2/5 NL, and a few random Stud and Omaha games I didn't look at. My 4/8 table LOOKED really solid when I got there, but as I paid attention I realized they were all 30-40% VPIP calling stations and I could grind the good hands against them. I was rolling along nicely, busting a guys KK with Q/7 which flopped 2 pair from the big blind in an unraised pot.... and then the world changed. In came a new player Floppy McGenius I will call her. Nicest lady ever.. but I don't think she ever actually KNEW what she had.
When Floppy McGenius gets to the table she immediately hits 3 flops in a row and announces she is doing a progressive betting, and it helps her win more hands in a row because the dealer wants the bigger tips. She quickly goes up 200 and says she has a new plan. "I'm going to leave the Casino with money". This is the NEW Plan? WTF? What was the OLD plan? And she came up with that ALL by herself... Oh my.
After being up 200 Floppy starts to dwindle away as she plays about 90% of hands regardless of position or raises. And then this hand comes up. Q//3/7 with 1 diamond. Turn is a 10, and river an 8 to give J/9 of diamonds the straight, the guy with AQ makes a little comment about nice catch to which she announces "I had a flush draw". He asks "where?" to which she replies "On the flop. See there was a diamond". OK... I knew Runer runner is TECHNICALLY a draw.. but dear god don't use that as an excuse! Oh my..... I thought that was it, it couldn't get any dumber. I was wrong.
I have QJ on a J/10/9/7 board and raise into her she reraises and I call. River is an Ace and I bet, she just calls. Shows A3. I said something about the river being her love child in a previous life, and she said with a straight face and not even joking one bit "But I had a straight draw". No.. you didn't, the JANITOR had the same straight draw you had! A draw to a straight on the board is NOT A DRAW! Oh my.... After my AA got cracked by J/10 and 10/4 in a capped 5 way pre-flop pot, I had to get up and leave. 9 Hours, down $114. I should have lost a lot more but somehow I managed to survive KK vs AA vs Flopped set of 10's, AA cracked, 4 gutshots and a few more runner runners, to minimize the damage. I then played some "Ultimate Texas Hold'em" table game and made back 80 of it to finish down 34 for the night.
Back tomorrow after a few errands.
I did learn something about hotel reservations, don't get the cheap one. Wow.. I know they are trying, but sheesh. Paper thin walls, dirty bathtubs, No travel fridge, no desk... Kind of weak. But they were nice, friendly, and have wireless. So I will deal with it. One other thing... if the sign says DO NOT DISTURB. It means DO NOT F'ING DISTURB. Not to KNOCK on the door and ASK if I want to be disturbed!
Cherokee Casino Tulsa is well... kind of odd. It is pretty new (about a year old) and I expected it to be bigger. It is right outside Tulsa and gets a mainly regular crowd. The good things first... Very classy joint, dealers were great, a lot more female dealers than most places and a lot younger dealers. The female dealers were some of the better ones there, very good. They have a fountain drinks right next to the poker room which you can get anytime you want. And they have mountain dew 10 feet from the table... oh baby baby...
The bad... It is primarily locals, they aren't very good but they do play a lot. So you don't get anywhere near the crappy play you get in Tunica and Vegas where tourism is bigger. Comps are horrid, 75 cents an hour period. No free buffets every 4 hours like in Tunica, no poker rate on rooms, they even rake at some of the table games. This is also the first casino I have ever been to where drinks are not free! I know tipping is customary, but $3.50 + tip for a Heineken is silly.
Onto the games.... They spread 4/8, 1/2 NL, 2/5 NL, and a few random Stud and Omaha games I didn't look at. My 4/8 table LOOKED really solid when I got there, but as I paid attention I realized they were all 30-40% VPIP calling stations and I could grind the good hands against them. I was rolling along nicely, busting a guys KK with Q/7 which flopped 2 pair from the big blind in an unraised pot.... and then the world changed. In came a new player Floppy McGenius I will call her. Nicest lady ever.. but I don't think she ever actually KNEW what she had.
When Floppy McGenius gets to the table she immediately hits 3 flops in a row and announces she is doing a progressive betting, and it helps her win more hands in a row because the dealer wants the bigger tips. She quickly goes up 200 and says she has a new plan. "I'm going to leave the Casino with money". This is the NEW Plan? WTF? What was the OLD plan? And she came up with that ALL by herself... Oh my.
After being up 200 Floppy starts to dwindle away as she plays about 90% of hands regardless of position or raises. And then this hand comes up. Q//3/7 with 1 diamond. Turn is a 10, and river an 8 to give J/9 of diamonds the straight, the guy with AQ makes a little comment about nice catch to which she announces "I had a flush draw". He asks "where?" to which she replies "On the flop. See there was a diamond". OK... I knew Runer runner is TECHNICALLY a draw.. but dear god don't use that as an excuse! Oh my..... I thought that was it, it couldn't get any dumber. I was wrong.
I have QJ on a J/10/9/7 board and raise into her she reraises and I call. River is an Ace and I bet, she just calls. Shows A3. I said something about the river being her love child in a previous life, and she said with a straight face and not even joking one bit "But I had a straight draw". No.. you didn't, the JANITOR had the same straight draw you had! A draw to a straight on the board is NOT A DRAW! Oh my.... After my AA got cracked by J/10 and 10/4 in a capped 5 way pre-flop pot, I had to get up and leave. 9 Hours, down $114. I should have lost a lot more but somehow I managed to survive KK vs AA vs Flopped set of 10's, AA cracked, 4 gutshots and a few more runner runners, to minimize the damage. I then played some "Ultimate Texas Hold'em" table game and made back 80 of it to finish down 34 for the night.
Back tomorrow after a few errands.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Good Bye Tunica, Hello Tulsa
It has been a lovely stay in Tunica and everyone was very friendly with no real issues. I decided to play in the 60+20 buyin freeze-out Thursday at 1 PM (kind of early but I managed to get up for it) and it got 29 players for almost 3 full tables. Blinds went up every 15 minutes and the whole tourney only last about 2.5 hours. So you can imagine it was a bit of a crap shoot... We are down to 7 players and I have a decent sized stack, but the blinds are going up fast now and even though I am not short stacked the blinds still hurt. I am in the big blind when a very solid lady to my left who plays a lot of these and the No-limit cash game pushes all in. All-in pushes are common at this stage as a blind steal will add 20-30% to most stacks, folded to me in the big blind and I look down to see glorious pocket rockets. I apologize and call, she has King's and the Aces hold up bringing us down to 6. A few hands later the short stack goes all-in with 3's and is called by K's to get knocked out. We chop 5 ways for $337 off an $80 entry, not bad for 2 hours of work. I was the chip leader and could have been an ass to the short stack who was about to put 50% of his stack in the Big Blind, but decided not to as a chop was fairly standard practice and I didn't want to one of those "I caught a hand, F all you guys", and I would want that kind of courtesy if I was the small stack.
Well apparently my karma was good for that as I sat down in a 4/8 game and was grinding along pretty well when I lost a series of big hands to set myself down 130. In the process of walking around steaming from the last beat (A8 off limp/reraise/cap UTG flopping 2 pair, then racking and leaving) I notice my favorite people from the weekend all at the same table. There is "I just wanna see what you have Lucy" who has dropped 1100 in 2 days while I have been watching her, "I like the big pots Fred", and "This is fun Hippie Sam". Add in the tilting "I know how to play an you are all idiots" guy, the flush raiser, the calling stations, and the I always bet top pair even if you just check/raised me people... it was a gold mine. I turned down 130 into up 300 in about 2 hours and went to bed after 3 of my favorite fish left.
One funny story from Wednesday night. The weekdays in Tunica are all pretty much 80 year old retired men sitting there for hours on end not generating much action. The games are very beatable as they still play 40% or so of hands, and play them very passively. But you are only getting 4-5 to the flop, no raises and often folded on a flop-bet. So it is hard to take much out of it... The old guys are also all pretty quiet and other than a few don't talk much. After a few hours of almost sullen silence at the table someone gets their aces cracked, and I mention that if that had happened between 4 AM and 8 AM they would have gotten a rack of whites (aka $100). One of the older gentleman tells me that he heard about that and considered getting up a few hours early to play at 4 AM! A few hours EARLY! F That... I was just going to stay up a little later... So I inform them they could just play until 8 AM from now. You would have thought I suggested they eat their first born. That got them all going... 8 old guys all talking at the same time about how late they could stay up, and this one time when they stayed up until 11 and slept in until 6! And then I said the magic word that REALLY got them worked up. I felt like I was on Pee Wee's playhouse and had said the magic word "RV Park". OMG! They flipped out... I swear heads were turning around backwards they were talking over each other, comparing stories. "The RV park here is kind of expensive", "You know they don't even have a laundry", "If you book for 2 weeks you can get it for about 49 a week", "Oh I generally average about 35 a week if I plan ahead", etc. It was freaking hilarious.... I thought one of them was going to have a Coronary right there and then.
That is it for the first week... Not a bad session at all. I played 59 hours of poker in 7 days and 1 hour of table games. Up $1,125 over that period ($945 of that at poker) playing 4/8 or under, and one tournament (and 1 hour of table games netted me 180). Everyone was super-nice, the floor at Sam's Town and Grand were awesome as were all the dealers. I only went to the goldstrike on Saturday and maybe they were having a bad day, but they were horrid. My last visit to the Gold Strike was good... this time I really felt unwelcome and unimportant. I didn't go back there the rest of the week... the games at the Grand were just too good, and the people were as nice as they could be. A special thanks to Terry and Barbara for getting all the room issues sorted out and going well above and beyond to make sure I left a happy customer (of course I did put in 35 hours in their room so they got a good deal of rake from me which I am ok with). Now it is off to Tulsa and the Cherokee Resort in Catoosa...
Well apparently my karma was good for that as I sat down in a 4/8 game and was grinding along pretty well when I lost a series of big hands to set myself down 130. In the process of walking around steaming from the last beat (A8 off limp/reraise/cap UTG flopping 2 pair, then racking and leaving) I notice my favorite people from the weekend all at the same table. There is "I just wanna see what you have Lucy" who has dropped 1100 in 2 days while I have been watching her, "I like the big pots Fred", and "This is fun Hippie Sam". Add in the tilting "I know how to play an you are all idiots" guy, the flush raiser, the calling stations, and the I always bet top pair even if you just check/raised me people... it was a gold mine. I turned down 130 into up 300 in about 2 hours and went to bed after 3 of my favorite fish left.
One funny story from Wednesday night. The weekdays in Tunica are all pretty much 80 year old retired men sitting there for hours on end not generating much action. The games are very beatable as they still play 40% or so of hands, and play them very passively. But you are only getting 4-5 to the flop, no raises and often folded on a flop-bet. So it is hard to take much out of it... The old guys are also all pretty quiet and other than a few don't talk much. After a few hours of almost sullen silence at the table someone gets their aces cracked, and I mention that if that had happened between 4 AM and 8 AM they would have gotten a rack of whites (aka $100). One of the older gentleman tells me that he heard about that and considered getting up a few hours early to play at 4 AM! A few hours EARLY! F That... I was just going to stay up a little later... So I inform them they could just play until 8 AM from now. You would have thought I suggested they eat their first born. That got them all going... 8 old guys all talking at the same time about how late they could stay up, and this one time when they stayed up until 11 and slept in until 6! And then I said the magic word that REALLY got them worked up. I felt like I was on Pee Wee's playhouse and had said the magic word "RV Park". OMG! They flipped out... I swear heads were turning around backwards they were talking over each other, comparing stories. "The RV park here is kind of expensive", "You know they don't even have a laundry", "If you book for 2 weeks you can get it for about 49 a week", "Oh I generally average about 35 a week if I plan ahead", etc. It was freaking hilarious.... I thought one of them was going to have a Coronary right there and then.
That is it for the first week... Not a bad session at all. I played 59 hours of poker in 7 days and 1 hour of table games. Up $1,125 over that period ($945 of that at poker) playing 4/8 or under, and one tournament (and 1 hour of table games netted me 180). Everyone was super-nice, the floor at Sam's Town and Grand were awesome as were all the dealers. I only went to the goldstrike on Saturday and maybe they were having a bad day, but they were horrid. My last visit to the Gold Strike was good... this time I really felt unwelcome and unimportant. I didn't go back there the rest of the week... the games at the Grand were just too good, and the people were as nice as they could be. A special thanks to Terry and Barbara for getting all the room issues sorted out and going well above and beyond to make sure I left a happy customer (of course I did put in 35 hours in their room so they got a good deal of rake from me which I am ok with). Now it is off to Tulsa and the Cherokee Resort in Catoosa...
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Look Ma! I'm a redhead
Tuesday, February 28th
My Cousin Nikki lives in Southern Mississippi just north of New Orleans and my Cousin Stacy is there for Mardi Gras. I told them I would come down there for Fat Tuesday and visit for awhile. I had no idea what I was in store for... Nikki was a wonderful hostess and other than a lack of hot water I could not have asked for a better place to stay. I didn't get there until almost 10 PM Monday night and since we were leaving at 8 AM for Mardi Gras (apparently traffic is a bit of an issue on Fat Tuesday) we went straight to bed. First thing we do is hit up a few of Nikki's friends Scott, Emily and Jesse. I was completely new to Mardi Gras and had to have a lot of it explained to me, apparently there are various groups in New Orleans called Krewes who put on all the various parades throughout the Mardi Gras weeks. We had gotten invited to the "Tuck House" which is the Mother Ship of the Krewe of Tucks and is the home of Chris Beary and his lovely wife. Now the Tucks are a group founded by 2 college kids in a bar, so you can imagine what they do on a regular basis. Drinking, partying, and having a good time... and these were THE nicest people I ever met. They didn't know me from Adam and they welcomed all of us into their house with open arms. Not to mention they were amazing hosts! Half a block from the parade route (The parade lasted from 8 AM to 5 PM for 5 different parades back to back), catered breakfast and lunch, open bar, beautiful home. Just the absolute most Tuck-tastic party ever!
Now the parade route is a very interesting array of characters. You have your high society classic Mardi Gras people. Fancy outfits, elaborate masks, just amazing. Then you have your college kids living in tents on the parade route with couches, grills, coolers, and secret beer sales to cover their costs. Then you have the kids, which is really what the parades are all about. The kids sit up on ladders specially fitted with seats on the top. The parents stand behind them on the ladders taking pictures. It is really very cool watching the kids catch beads and plush toys, etc. Each parade is done by a different Krewe or organization and have different beads and cups they throw out, so if you want to "get it all" you have to do some trading (as different parades go different routes).
After the parades and partying was done my Cousin Stacy and I headed over to Harrahs where I hit up the 3/6 game there. The jackpot at Harrahs is up to 59K and the bad beat requirements is Aces full of 10's or better beaten. Which is the EASIEST one I have ever seen. Unfortunately the game was full of local rocks soft-playing each other, and every fish who sat down got eaten immediately and sent packing. I won 2 hands early and was up $40 and should have noticed the quality of the table and the players and left. But I was only there for 2 hours and I wanted to play (Mental note... forcing yourself to play in a poor state of mind or poor environment because you "only" have X time is a recipe for disaster). I proceeded to lose the entire buy-in and rebuy for another 100 and drop it as well. Flush over flush, top 2 vs rivered flush, boat over boat, etc. I have to share probably the worst played boat I have ever seen...
I have 3/5 off in the BB and the flop is 3/8/K rainbow. checked around, and turn is an 8. I figure the K would have bet, the 8 would let me know he had it, so I lead out with the 3. A few callers, a few folders and the river is a 3. No raises so I know noone has an 8, and now the naked K doesn't matter. So I lead again and 2 callers. The button shows the 8 for the better full house. With 8's full of 3's and the rake capped, the only things he loses to are Pocket 3's, Pocket K's and K8. I think I would have had to bet at SOME point in that hand.. especially facing the whole table after I raised in the BB and he was the button. Thank goodness he didn't as I probably would have gone to 4 bets with him not believing he had the 8.
As I am about to leave down to my last few dollars and refusing to rebuy I witness the most obvious softplay ever. I know I have HEARD of this, but never seen it. The flop is 3 hearts and early position bets out, folded to button who calls. She looks up and says "Just me and you Mike?" and flips over her hand. He does the same and they check it down. Now the dealer obviously understood this because he flipped the next 2 cards without even asking them for a bet, and pushed the pot to the winner. WTF! Talk about making a player feel unwelcome.... Softplay if you want, but dear god don't make it THAT obvious!
Finish with Harrahs around 8 PM and head to the restroom before we go. I take a look in the mirror and realize my head has changed colors. Apparently I should have gotten a hat, because my normal bald head is now RED! and I mean GLOWING red, like neon.... Oh dear, suddenly I am a redhead and will be in a lot of pain very soon, but not now as it is time for Bourbon Street! Yeah baby.
I expected Bourbon Street to be crowded but OH MY GOD! I had never seen anything like this. The street is about 5 blocks long filled with Bars, Strip Clubs and Lingerie shops and in no specific order. The people were packed nose to tail as solid a sea of people as I have ever seen. You went at the same speed as everyone else or you were trampled. I stoped for a beer, a slice of pizza and got run over by a drunk trying to get to the bathroom to puke.... Oh baby my Mardi Gras was looking good. As I am walking along with the crowd suddenly the whole sea of people just stop in place. I look up to the balconies (which apparently you have to PAY to get on) and see two topless women making out. NOONE moved from that spot until they stopped.. It was hilarious! So now my Mardi Gras was complete, I had beads, trash, awesome parties, beer on bourbon street and now I feel like I did all I could at Mardi Gras. I can return to my regular life and feel fulfilled. As I turn around to leave we see 2 girls walk by with shirts so tight I could see every wrinkle and nipple, and the shirts were really cool looking with bright mardi gras colours on the front. As I looked closer I realized that it was not a "Tight Shirt" it was NO SHIRT! The ladies had actually PAINTED their breasts and were walking through the crowd like that! I was so enthralled I lost my cousin in the crowd and didn't even get a picture! WTF! Come back Come Back! DOH!
Back out to Canal Street to find a cab back to my car (which I eventually found out was a LONG LONG way away). At this point I need to learn NOT to ask for things, because God things he is funny sometimes. I said "Crap, I forgot to take a picture of the painted breasts. I hope I see that again." Unfortunately for me... I did, and that image will haunt me forever. I turned the corners into Harrahs to find a cab and almost get run over by a large woman with breasts down to her knees... and they were PAINTED. Oh my, I think I actually injured something in that moment. I may never recover from that...
A 30 minute cab ride back to the car, which I was really scared I would never find again... and we were golden back to Nikki's and crashed out in 30 secs after we got there. Back to Tunica on Wednesday morning.
My Cousin Nikki lives in Southern Mississippi just north of New Orleans and my Cousin Stacy is there for Mardi Gras. I told them I would come down there for Fat Tuesday and visit for awhile. I had no idea what I was in store for... Nikki was a wonderful hostess and other than a lack of hot water I could not have asked for a better place to stay. I didn't get there until almost 10 PM Monday night and since we were leaving at 8 AM for Mardi Gras (apparently traffic is a bit of an issue on Fat Tuesday) we went straight to bed. First thing we do is hit up a few of Nikki's friends Scott, Emily and Jesse. I was completely new to Mardi Gras and had to have a lot of it explained to me, apparently there are various groups in New Orleans called Krewes who put on all the various parades throughout the Mardi Gras weeks. We had gotten invited to the "Tuck House" which is the Mother Ship of the Krewe of Tucks and is the home of Chris Beary and his lovely wife. Now the Tucks are a group founded by 2 college kids in a bar, so you can imagine what they do on a regular basis. Drinking, partying, and having a good time... and these were THE nicest people I ever met. They didn't know me from Adam and they welcomed all of us into their house with open arms. Not to mention they were amazing hosts! Half a block from the parade route (The parade lasted from 8 AM to 5 PM for 5 different parades back to back), catered breakfast and lunch, open bar, beautiful home. Just the absolute most Tuck-tastic party ever!Now the parade route is a very interesting array of characters. You have your high society classic Mardi Gras people. Fancy outfits, elaborate masks, just amazing. Then you have your college kids living in tents on the parade route with couches, grills, coolers, and secret beer sales to cover their costs. Then you have the kids, which is really what the parades are all about. The kids sit up on ladders specially fitted with seats on the top. The parents stand behind them on the ladders taking pictures. It is really very cool watching the kids catch beads and plush toys, etc. Each parade is done by a different Krewe or organization and have different beads and cups they throw out, so if you want to "get it all" you have to do some trading (as different parades go different routes).
After the parades and partying was done my Cousin Stacy and I headed over to Harrahs where I hit up the 3/6 game there. The jackpot at Harrahs is up to 59K and the bad beat requirements is Aces full of 10's or better beaten. Which is the EASIEST one I have ever seen. Unfortunately the game was full of local rocks soft-playing each other, and every fish who sat down got eaten immediately and sent packing. I won 2 hands early and was up $40 and should have noticed the quality of the table and the players and left. But I was only there for 2 hours and I wanted to play (Mental note... forcing yourself to play in a poor state of mind or poor environment because you "only" have X time is a recipe for disaster). I proceeded to lose the entire buy-in and rebuy for another 100 and drop it as well. Flush over flush, top 2 vs rivered flush, boat over boat, etc. I have to share probably the worst played boat I have ever seen...
I have 3/5 off in the BB and the flop is 3/8/K rainbow. checked around, and turn is an 8. I figure the K would have bet, the 8 would let me know he had it, so I lead out with the 3. A few callers, a few folders and the river is a 3. No raises so I know noone has an 8, and now the naked K doesn't matter. So I lead again and 2 callers. The button shows the 8 for the better full house. With 8's full of 3's and the rake capped, the only things he loses to are Pocket 3's, Pocket K's and K8. I think I would have had to bet at SOME point in that hand.. especially facing the whole table after I raised in the BB and he was the button. Thank goodness he didn't as I probably would have gone to 4 bets with him not believing he had the 8.
As I am about to leave down to my last few dollars and refusing to rebuy I witness the most obvious softplay ever. I know I have HEARD of this, but never seen it. The flop is 3 hearts and early position bets out, folded to button who calls. She looks up and says "Just me and you Mike?" and flips over her hand. He does the same and they check it down. Now the dealer obviously understood this because he flipped the next 2 cards without even asking them for a bet, and pushed the pot to the winner. WTF! Talk about making a player feel unwelcome.... Softplay if you want, but dear god don't make it THAT obvious!
Finish with Harrahs around 8 PM and head to the restroom before we go. I take a look in the mirror and realize my head has changed colors. Apparently I should have gotten a hat, because my normal bald head is now RED! and I mean GLOWING red, like neon.... Oh dear, suddenly I am a redhead and will be in a lot of pain very soon, but not now as it is time for Bourbon Street! Yeah baby.
I expected Bourbon Street to be crowded but OH MY GOD! I had never seen anything like this. The street is about 5 blocks long filled with Bars, Strip Clubs and Lingerie shops and in no specific order. The people were packed nose to tail as solid a sea of people as I have ever seen. You went at the same speed as everyone else or you were trampled. I stoped for a beer, a slice of pizza and got run over by a drunk trying to get to the bathroom to puke.... Oh baby my Mardi Gras was looking good. As I am walking along with the crowd suddenly the whole sea of people just stop in place. I look up to the balconies (which apparently you have to PAY to get on) and see two topless women making out. NOONE moved from that spot until they stopped.. It was hilarious! So now my Mardi Gras was complete, I had beads, trash, awesome parties, beer on bourbon street and now I feel like I did all I could at Mardi Gras. I can return to my regular life and feel fulfilled. As I turn around to leave we see 2 girls walk by with shirts so tight I could see every wrinkle and nipple, and the shirts were really cool looking with bright mardi gras colours on the front. As I looked closer I realized that it was not a "Tight Shirt" it was NO SHIRT! The ladies had actually PAINTED their breasts and were walking through the crowd like that! I was so enthralled I lost my cousin in the crowd and didn't even get a picture! WTF! Come back Come Back! DOH!
Back out to Canal Street to find a cab back to my car (which I eventually found out was a LONG LONG way away). At this point I need to learn NOT to ask for things, because God things he is funny sometimes. I said "Crap, I forgot to take a picture of the painted breasts. I hope I see that again." Unfortunately for me... I did, and that image will haunt me forever. I turned the corners into Harrahs to find a cab and almost get run over by a large woman with breasts down to her knees... and they were PAINTED. Oh my, I think I actually injured something in that moment. I may never recover from that...
A 30 minute cab ride back to the car, which I was really scared I would never find again... and we were golden back to Nikki's and crashed out in 30 secs after we got there. Back to Tunica on Wednesday morning.
WOO! I am a fish!
Sunday, February 26th
I head over to the Grand Sunday morning to checkin and get my room with internet access (turns out the Veranda only has it in the lobby so I could have stayed at Sam's Town for $18 a night instead and driven to the lobby to use it. But whatever). I head over to the poker room around 2:30 PM and get seated in a new 4/8 starting up. The lineup is pretty good for this game with mostly tight passives who can be pushed off the flop, and loose chasers who write their hand on their forehead. I manage to get pocket A's for the first time ALL weekend in this game, and then proceed to hit them 3 times and a few A/big and other nice hands including a few sets to run up a nice +140 in 4 hours. The quote of the day at this table had to be from one of the "Any 2 will do" crew who after buying in for the 5th time said "It's only money. I own my own company. I will jsut fire a few more people if I don't win soon".
Early dinner on a nice buffet comp and a quick nap before heading back up to the poker room around 9 PM. The highest I have ever played at a casino is 3/6 before this trip and I had the expectation that 4/8 was tighter from the few times I had watched it. My experiences from earlier this weekend had confirmed that. So when I sat at the 4/8 on Sunday night and saw 8 to the flop and 5 to the river I was in shock. I managed to play a tight game and not tilt over the suckouts and ran my $200 buyin up to almost 400 before giving back about 80 waiting for a hand, When this hand comes around... QJ of hearts in the small blind. Limped to me with 7 players in the pot so I complete. Flop is K, 10, 3 2 hearts. I figure if I get lucky I can check raise the whole table and if it checks around it isn't the worst sin ever. So I check. 3 to my left bets, 5 callers, 1 fold to the button who raises. I decide a 3 bet here will kill the action and just call. The rest call. 7 of us see the turn. Ace of spades (to go with the K of spades on the flop) giving me the nut straight. Surely ONE of these 7 people will bet.. so I check from the small blind position Raise and reraise back to me. 1 person folds and I once again decide for the overcalls and 5 of us see the river for 2 bets each. River is nothing, and I decide checking around with the nuts is bad. So I go ahead and lead out. Apparently I underestimated my table image as everyone folded but 1 caller He had A10 for 2 pair. The other people ALL said they had 2 pair as well. (Yeah Yeah they ALWAYS HAD the nuts)... $180 pot pushed my way. I toss the dealer a redbird and color up.
A few hands later. Action Jackson who has blown through 2 racks trying to bluff into 9 callers every hand live straddles. Jumping Joe raises it. Jumping Joe has not been able to sit in his seat for more than 1 orbit at a time, has smoked 50 cig's while I have been at the table, and is so jittery he looks like he had 50 cups of coffee as well. I look down to see AK of clubs and make it 12 to go. Only the 3 of us to the flop. Flop couldn't BE any better for me... A10x 2 10x of clubs. Top pair and nut flush draw... yeah I will bet this. Action Jackson checks, Jumping Joe leads out and I raise folding out Action Jackson and it is heads up to the turn as Jumping Joe calls. Turn is the K. Jumping Joe leads out again and top 2 pair with the nut flush draw is so crappy I decide to raise it. he 3 bets, I 4 bet and he caps. (even though technically it was not a cap as we were headsup so could have gone on forever. But I didn't HAVE the nuts so I was fine with not bringing it up). River is the beautiful 7 of clubs. He bets out and I raise. At this point he informs me I am a flush chasing river rat who should never touch a poker table again, and that he has the straight and I am ahorrible person for getting the flush (he used SLIGHTY different words). I have to show first (and he waits for me to do so) showing top 2 pair and the rivered flush atwhich point he mucks his hand in disgust and tells me he had me until then. At which time the whole table rolls their eyes and says nice hand.
I top the dealer 2 redbirds and thank her for an amazing run that helped the bankroll immensely. Cashed out up 383 in 6 hours of play.
I head back downstairs where I saw some table gables I thought were interesting. 4 card Poker, and Flop Poker. So I sit at 4 card poker and give it a shot. They deal you 5 cards and you make your best 4 card hand out of it... then the dealer gets 6 cards to make her best 4 card hand and best hand wins, some bonus action on a jackpot bet pays nicely on big hands and 4 of a kind is a HUGE payout. I sat for 45 mins getting not much and finally hitting a straight to get back to even and stood up. I saw a seat at flop poker and decided to give it a try. Flop Poker each player puts up a "Post" bet (which is the table minimum), an Ante and an optional bet after seeing your 3 cards. You are dealt 3 cards, dealer is dealt 3 cards and turns them up in the middle for the flop. You make the best 5 card hand out of your 3 and 2 of hers and are then paid if you have Jacks or better. The best hand at the table wins the Flop bet's. I am doing fine not winning or losing (which is good for a table game) and find myself up $10 so I decide one mroe hand. Well I get dealt 886 and consider folding, but say WTF maybe I can hit 2 pair or better. Flop is 86x for the Full Boat. Well it turns out a full house pays 30 to 1 and I rake in a $180 profit from the hand and go cash out. Sleep and off to New Orleans tomorrow.
I head over to the Grand Sunday morning to checkin and get my room with internet access (turns out the Veranda only has it in the lobby so I could have stayed at Sam's Town for $18 a night instead and driven to the lobby to use it. But whatever). I head over to the poker room around 2:30 PM and get seated in a new 4/8 starting up. The lineup is pretty good for this game with mostly tight passives who can be pushed off the flop, and loose chasers who write their hand on their forehead. I manage to get pocket A's for the first time ALL weekend in this game, and then proceed to hit them 3 times and a few A/big and other nice hands including a few sets to run up a nice +140 in 4 hours. The quote of the day at this table had to be from one of the "Any 2 will do" crew who after buying in for the 5th time said "It's only money. I own my own company. I will jsut fire a few more people if I don't win soon".
Early dinner on a nice buffet comp and a quick nap before heading back up to the poker room around 9 PM. The highest I have ever played at a casino is 3/6 before this trip and I had the expectation that 4/8 was tighter from the few times I had watched it. My experiences from earlier this weekend had confirmed that. So when I sat at the 4/8 on Sunday night and saw 8 to the flop and 5 to the river I was in shock. I managed to play a tight game and not tilt over the suckouts and ran my $200 buyin up to almost 400 before giving back about 80 waiting for a hand, When this hand comes around... QJ of hearts in the small blind. Limped to me with 7 players in the pot so I complete. Flop is K, 10, 3 2 hearts. I figure if I get lucky I can check raise the whole table and if it checks around it isn't the worst sin ever. So I check. 3 to my left bets, 5 callers, 1 fold to the button who raises. I decide a 3 bet here will kill the action and just call. The rest call. 7 of us see the turn. Ace of spades (to go with the K of spades on the flop) giving me the nut straight. Surely ONE of these 7 people will bet.. so I check from the small blind position Raise and reraise back to me. 1 person folds and I once again decide for the overcalls and 5 of us see the river for 2 bets each. River is nothing, and I decide checking around with the nuts is bad. So I go ahead and lead out. Apparently I underestimated my table image as everyone folded but 1 caller He had A10 for 2 pair. The other people ALL said they had 2 pair as well. (Yeah Yeah they ALWAYS HAD the nuts)... $180 pot pushed my way. I toss the dealer a redbird and color up.
A few hands later. Action Jackson who has blown through 2 racks trying to bluff into 9 callers every hand live straddles. Jumping Joe raises it. Jumping Joe has not been able to sit in his seat for more than 1 orbit at a time, has smoked 50 cig's while I have been at the table, and is so jittery he looks like he had 50 cups of coffee as well. I look down to see AK of clubs and make it 12 to go. Only the 3 of us to the flop. Flop couldn't BE any better for me... A10x 2 10x of clubs. Top pair and nut flush draw... yeah I will bet this. Action Jackson checks, Jumping Joe leads out and I raise folding out Action Jackson and it is heads up to the turn as Jumping Joe calls. Turn is the K. Jumping Joe leads out again and top 2 pair with the nut flush draw is so crappy I decide to raise it. he 3 bets, I 4 bet and he caps. (even though technically it was not a cap as we were headsup so could have gone on forever. But I didn't HAVE the nuts so I was fine with not bringing it up). River is the beautiful 7 of clubs. He bets out and I raise. At this point he informs me I am a flush chasing river rat who should never touch a poker table again, and that he has the straight and I am ahorrible person for getting the flush (he used SLIGHTY different words). I have to show first (and he waits for me to do so) showing top 2 pair and the rivered flush atwhich point he mucks his hand in disgust and tells me he had me until then. At which time the whole table rolls their eyes and says nice hand.
I top the dealer 2 redbirds and thank her for an amazing run that helped the bankroll immensely. Cashed out up 383 in 6 hours of play.
I head back downstairs where I saw some table gables I thought were interesting. 4 card Poker, and Flop Poker. So I sit at 4 card poker and give it a shot. They deal you 5 cards and you make your best 4 card hand out of it... then the dealer gets 6 cards to make her best 4 card hand and best hand wins, some bonus action on a jackpot bet pays nicely on big hands and 4 of a kind is a HUGE payout. I sat for 45 mins getting not much and finally hitting a straight to get back to even and stood up. I saw a seat at flop poker and decided to give it a try. Flop Poker each player puts up a "Post" bet (which is the table minimum), an Ante and an optional bet after seeing your 3 cards. You are dealt 3 cards, dealer is dealt 3 cards and turns them up in the middle for the flop. You make the best 5 card hand out of your 3 and 2 of hers and are then paid if you have Jacks or better. The best hand at the table wins the Flop bet's. I am doing fine not winning or losing (which is good for a table game) and find myself up $10 so I decide one mroe hand. Well I get dealt 886 and consider folding, but say WTF maybe I can hit 2 pair or better. Flop is 86x for the Full Boat. Well it turns out a full house pays 30 to 1 and I rake in a $180 profit from the hand and go cash out. Sleep and off to New Orleans tomorrow.
"What do you do for a living?"
Saturday, February 25th
Saturday I don't get up terribly early... OK I slept in, deal with it. Got up around Noon, hit the buffet and then decided to make the rounds to see what tourneys, etc they had at the various rooms. Horseshoe has no freeze-outs under $100 and no rebuys under 60. So I will pass there. Goldstrike has their early bird at 11 AM (OOps.. I overslept. Darn) and nothing else that fit well. Heading out of the horseshoe I trip over a wheelchair, and almost run into a lady with an oxygen tank at the blackjack tables. I know retired people love casinos, and I love when they play poker there (Us young kids raising all the time and ruining their poker game. We don't play the game right!). However, if you are on an OXYGEN TANK you might want to STAY AWAY FROM THE CASINO! I mean seriously, how much excitement can you take if you are that frail. I really don't want to see someone die at the casino, seriously.
I head over to the goldstrike and sit in the 4/8 they are just starting there. The players are a normal mix, some good, some tight, some bad, and one who never folds. I look up to the TV and they have Bass fishing on, I remark that I am not a big fan of watching fishing on TV. The guy who calls every hand pipes in "I love to fish!" to which half the table erupts in laughter and I say "Of course you do... you seem to have a skill for it". I am running well and playing well until the Fisherman gets under my skin and I blow off a few hundred trying to "catch him". A bad idea in case you were wondering, and switch to a 3/6 table when I couldn't handle this guy anymore.
I sit down at the 3/6 with about 80 of my 200 buy-in in front of me and quickly go down to the felt and rebuy, going down to the felt again and rebuy for another $100. Tilting in a major way, pushing WAY to hard, and playing like I was a complete moron. Chasing gutshots, overs, bottom pairs, etc. Just throwing money away basically. The seat to my right is a nice gentlemen from Oxford, MS (University of MS) and his girlfriend is from Atlanta so we are chatting it up, jabbing back and forth about UGA vs Ole Miss and after my third buy-in at the table he asks "Wow, you have a lot of cash what do you do for a living?" to which I reply "Well I guess right now, I play poker for a living since I quit my job on Friday". To which he replies "I see THAT is going well". Oh boy... was *I* embarassed. I finally managed to get off tilt, hit a few hands finally and ended the afternoon shift down $50.
I decided to hit the night shift at Sam's town to finish off my hours and get some of my losses back. The 3/6 is just as crazy as ever. Sitting to my left is Charlie. Now Charlie has spent his entire life fishing, skiiing, etc on the river, and has obviously made a friend somewhere upstairs with his 11 Children and 27 grandchildren because Charlie cannot lose. If he has a draw it hits. Runner runner trips holding a naked ace, gutshots, river sets, etc. He never folded if he had ANY way to win and win he did. He ran his stack to over 700 before giving back some and quitting. I was holding my own in that game until I flopped a set vs A's and Q's to win a huge pot and put the guy to my right on tilt. He decided he was not going to fold anymore, he was playing every hand all the way to the river, he was tired of this. Now this was my cue to get up... but I am not all that smart sometimes. So I get K's and raise, 6 callers. Flop is J high and after bet/call, bet/call to the river tilting guy shows Q/9 for the runner runner straight drawing virtually dead. I was planning to get up after the K's hand and go to bed up a little for the day. Instead I stayed for 2 more hours tilted off another 200 before finishing the night down 215 for the day.
Saturday I don't get up terribly early... OK I slept in, deal with it. Got up around Noon, hit the buffet and then decided to make the rounds to see what tourneys, etc they had at the various rooms. Horseshoe has no freeze-outs under $100 and no rebuys under 60. So I will pass there. Goldstrike has their early bird at 11 AM (OOps.. I overslept. Darn) and nothing else that fit well. Heading out of the horseshoe I trip over a wheelchair, and almost run into a lady with an oxygen tank at the blackjack tables. I know retired people love casinos, and I love when they play poker there (Us young kids raising all the time and ruining their poker game. We don't play the game right!). However, if you are on an OXYGEN TANK you might want to STAY AWAY FROM THE CASINO! I mean seriously, how much excitement can you take if you are that frail. I really don't want to see someone die at the casino, seriously.
I head over to the goldstrike and sit in the 4/8 they are just starting there. The players are a normal mix, some good, some tight, some bad, and one who never folds. I look up to the TV and they have Bass fishing on, I remark that I am not a big fan of watching fishing on TV. The guy who calls every hand pipes in "I love to fish!" to which half the table erupts in laughter and I say "Of course you do... you seem to have a skill for it". I am running well and playing well until the Fisherman gets under my skin and I blow off a few hundred trying to "catch him". A bad idea in case you were wondering, and switch to a 3/6 table when I couldn't handle this guy anymore.
I sit down at the 3/6 with about 80 of my 200 buy-in in front of me and quickly go down to the felt and rebuy, going down to the felt again and rebuy for another $100. Tilting in a major way, pushing WAY to hard, and playing like I was a complete moron. Chasing gutshots, overs, bottom pairs, etc. Just throwing money away basically. The seat to my right is a nice gentlemen from Oxford, MS (University of MS) and his girlfriend is from Atlanta so we are chatting it up, jabbing back and forth about UGA vs Ole Miss and after my third buy-in at the table he asks "Wow, you have a lot of cash what do you do for a living?" to which I reply "Well I guess right now, I play poker for a living since I quit my job on Friday". To which he replies "I see THAT is going well". Oh boy... was *I* embarassed. I finally managed to get off tilt, hit a few hands finally and ended the afternoon shift down $50.
I decided to hit the night shift at Sam's town to finish off my hours and get some of my losses back. The 3/6 is just as crazy as ever. Sitting to my left is Charlie. Now Charlie has spent his entire life fishing, skiiing, etc on the river, and has obviously made a friend somewhere upstairs with his 11 Children and 27 grandchildren because Charlie cannot lose. If he has a draw it hits. Runner runner trips holding a naked ace, gutshots, river sets, etc. He never folded if he had ANY way to win and win he did. He ran his stack to over 700 before giving back some and quitting. I was holding my own in that game until I flopped a set vs A's and Q's to win a huge pot and put the guy to my right on tilt. He decided he was not going to fold anymore, he was playing every hand all the way to the river, he was tired of this. Now this was my cue to get up... but I am not all that smart sometimes. So I get K's and raise, 6 callers. Flop is J high and after bet/call, bet/call to the river tilting guy shows Q/9 for the runner runner straight drawing virtually dead. I was planning to get up after the K's hand and go to bed up a little for the day. Instead I stayed for 2 more hours tilted off another 200 before finishing the night down 215 for the day.
Day One
Friday. March 24th 2006
Friday is my last day at the office, so of course I came in around 11 after meeting a few friends for one final going away breakfast. After finishing up a few final pieces of documentation, and saying a few tearful goodbyes to friends. I walked back upstairs to a surpise going away party, complete with cake and friends. Pat made a nice speech about how much I would NOT be missed, and capped it off with a nice piece of cake in the face. What a send off!
I had planned to leave around 2:00 but didn't get away until 2:30 with all the surpises and goodbyes, but once I did I had everything I owned packed in my car and was on the first interstate out of town. Vegas here I come! Arrive in Tunica around 7 and check into my room at Sam's Town (which they tried to cancel but I got lucky and noone had taken it. What f'ing casino cancels a room reservation because you don't arrive before 6 PM! Sheesh). Drop the luggage in the room and head straight to the room. I am at Sam's Town because noone else had anything, and I need to put in 10 hours over 2 nights to get the poker rate for 2 nights. So I figured hit it on Friday and see how it goes. Sam's spreads 2/4, 3/6 and 4/8. The 2/4 is filled with "Professional Idiots". You know the type, the ones who sit there with their ipod, glasses and stare you down before they call a $2 bet on the river into a $70 pot, and then criticize the other players. If you are raising with 8/6 off at a table where 9 people see the flop every hand... you do NOT get to criticize anyone's play.
I sit at the 3/6 table and it is just flat out superb. A few decent players, but noone playing anything more than their hand and most playing a whole lot less. One girl to my left who is a "Professional Bar player" and is going to win a seat in the world series doing that... yeah I bet, who tells me that the "Low Cards are hitting so she is playing the low stuff". The cards that night are absolutely horrible, AK a few times all rivered by various two pairs and runner runner straights. My only pocket pairs are 2's and 5's once each. I manage to get a few draws to come in, and some check/raises before people catch on and stop betting into me (which helped me hit my draws more). I stayed there from 8 PM to 3:00 AM and the table turned over 3 times during that, so not much stability but still good.
One funny hand from the night. QJ in late position with 7 players and I limp in. Flop is J72. Checked to me so I raise and called around. River is a 5, checked around again and I raise only 4 callers. River is another J and I raise of course holding 3 J's and show when I am called down. Everyone mucks face down and the pot comes my way. One girl at the table remarks "You rivered me, I flopped a set of 2's". I had to stop for a few mins to make sure I heard her right, you mean you had pocket 2's? She said yeah and one on the flop. So I said "So you folded a full house?" and she stopped for a few mins before hanging her head in shame. I thought about giving the money back to her, but didn't. Turn your cards up and stop trying to be slick by mucking face down.
Ended the night on a nice run and finished up $297. Not a bad start to the trip. The people at Sam's are very nice, Dealers are friendly and efficient, Floor didn't make any mistakes I saw. They are the only smoking Poker Room in Tuica so you can imagine the crowd they attract. The weekend brush Connie was awesome and always willing to help out (not to mention pretty cute). Apparently she deals during the week and brushes on the weekend, so I will have to see how good of a dealer she is later this week.
Friday is my last day at the office, so of course I came in around 11 after meeting a few friends for one final going away breakfast. After finishing up a few final pieces of documentation, and saying a few tearful goodbyes to friends. I walked back upstairs to a surpise going away party, complete with cake and friends. Pat made a nice speech about how much I would NOT be missed, and capped it off with a nice piece of cake in the face. What a send off!
I had planned to leave around 2:00 but didn't get away until 2:30 with all the surpises and goodbyes, but once I did I had everything I owned packed in my car and was on the first interstate out of town. Vegas here I come! Arrive in Tunica around 7 and check into my room at Sam's Town (which they tried to cancel but I got lucky and noone had taken it. What f'ing casino cancels a room reservation because you don't arrive before 6 PM! Sheesh). Drop the luggage in the room and head straight to the room. I am at Sam's Town because noone else had anything, and I need to put in 10 hours over 2 nights to get the poker rate for 2 nights. So I figured hit it on Friday and see how it goes. Sam's spreads 2/4, 3/6 and 4/8. The 2/4 is filled with "Professional Idiots". You know the type, the ones who sit there with their ipod, glasses and stare you down before they call a $2 bet on the river into a $70 pot, and then criticize the other players. If you are raising with 8/6 off at a table where 9 people see the flop every hand... you do NOT get to criticize anyone's play.
I sit at the 3/6 table and it is just flat out superb. A few decent players, but noone playing anything more than their hand and most playing a whole lot less. One girl to my left who is a "Professional Bar player" and is going to win a seat in the world series doing that... yeah I bet, who tells me that the "Low Cards are hitting so she is playing the low stuff". The cards that night are absolutely horrible, AK a few times all rivered by various two pairs and runner runner straights. My only pocket pairs are 2's and 5's once each. I manage to get a few draws to come in, and some check/raises before people catch on and stop betting into me (which helped me hit my draws more). I stayed there from 8 PM to 3:00 AM and the table turned over 3 times during that, so not much stability but still good.
One funny hand from the night. QJ in late position with 7 players and I limp in. Flop is J72. Checked to me so I raise and called around. River is a 5, checked around again and I raise only 4 callers. River is another J and I raise of course holding 3 J's and show when I am called down. Everyone mucks face down and the pot comes my way. One girl at the table remarks "You rivered me, I flopped a set of 2's". I had to stop for a few mins to make sure I heard her right, you mean you had pocket 2's? She said yeah and one on the flop. So I said "So you folded a full house?" and she stopped for a few mins before hanging her head in shame. I thought about giving the money back to her, but didn't. Turn your cards up and stop trying to be slick by mucking face down.
Ended the night on a nice run and finished up $297. Not a bad start to the trip. The people at Sam's are very nice, Dealers are friendly and efficient, Floor didn't make any mistakes I saw. They are the only smoking Poker Room in Tuica so you can imagine the crowd they attract. The weekend brush Connie was awesome and always willing to help out (not to mention pretty cute). Apparently she deals during the week and brushes on the weekend, so I will have to see how good of a dealer she is later this week.
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