Can I Get a Seat Change?

When playing in a casino, this is a common question that a player would ask a dealer. Sometimes it is by an older gentleman who would like a better view of the flop. But usually it is by someone who is having a bad run of cards, or is just card dead. They feel that if they just change seats, even if it's just one seat over, then their luck would change. I've always felt this was just a superstition.

Until yesterday.

I went to Mountaineer yesterday, New Year's Day, with one of my poker buddies, Chan. We both work for the Post Office, so it's an off day for us. We arrived about 11:30, and were immediately seated at the same 1/2 table.

I only bought in for the minimum of $75. The weekday poker games at Mountaineer are so passive, there is no reason to put much money on the table. Many players only buy-in for $100. They limp a lot preflop. Post flop is usually small bets, between $10-$20, and when they raise, it's usually just a minimum raise.

I've done this before with success. But yesterday, it didn't go well. I didn't have many cards to play. When I tried to make a move, it failed miserably. If I had a draw, or even AK, I simply whiffed. When my stack got under $25, I added on another $75. Later, those chips vanished, so I rebought for $100.

Conversely, Chan got off to a great start. He won two big pots with AQ. First was with Two Pair vs Two Pair. Second was flopped Straight (K J T) vs Q9. He kept winning some more small pots, and was having a great session.

Of course, my $100 went busto in frustrating fashion. Some old guy sat down to my right, and started playing every hand. I raised ($20) a straddle hand on the Button with A T. He called with 9 5 suited. I shoved for about $65 on a flop of K 8 5. The old geezer called me with Bottom Pair, and I bricked out.

Frustrated after dumping $250 at this table, I went over to the casino and started playing some Texas Hold'em Bonus. I got off to a great start, but then went into a nosedive. I almost went broke, but started making a comeback. About 30 minutes after I sat down, Chan called me and wanted to eat some lunch. I went back to the Poker Room, and we ate at the snack bar.

After lunch, we decided to go back and play more poker. We put our names on the 1/2 list, and in about 15 minutes, we both got seated at one of the nine 1/2 tables they had running. As fate would have it, it was the same table we were just at. And our old seats are empty. I end up in Chan's seat, and he takes my old chair.

Since I'm already in the hole, I buy-in for the full $300. This time is turns out much better. I don't get any big double-ups, but I'm slowly building my stack to near $700 at one point.

Chan is having a terrible time in my cursed chair. He is bleeding chips as fast as I'm collecting them. Most noteworthy was when he flopped Top Two Pair against a flopped Straight.

After he pulls out more money to rebuy, I make a comment about how that seat is bad luck. Then someone else at the table who has been there all day comments, "Yeah, I lost $200 in that seat earlier today."

As soon as a seat opened up, Chan moved two seats to the left. His luck immediately changed. He started winning hands, and building his stack back. He even hit a one-outer to double up.

The Chair sat empty for a while. The table got shorthanded for a bit, and they were talking about breaking the table. That was fine with us, since we were heading home soon. Finally some more players sat down, including an older gentleman in the Chair. It took about three orbits for him to go broke.

We cashed out, and headed home about 8pm. We both lost a few hundred on the day.

Hand #1 - 1/2
I'm in the SB with A5. It's a straddled pot. A few limper, so I just call the $3. Six players see a Flop of 5 4 3. I check. Straddler bets $15. Three players call, including me. I've got Top/Top, but I'm not thrilled with it.

Turn: (5 4 3) A - Interesting card for me. Top Two Pair, but any Deuce made their Straight. I check. BB checks. Straddler bets $20. UTG calls. I decide to just call. Straddler has been somewhat of an action player, so his bets don't carry much strength. BB also calls, which sets off a small alarm with me. Both the UTG and BB players have been playing tight. Having four players go to the River seems odd to me.

River: (5 4 3 A) 9 - I check. BB checks. Straddler bets $70. UTG folds. To me, this smells like a "Go away! I missed." bet. If he had the Straight, then a bet of $30 or maybe $40 would seem more likely. And as I said before, he's an action player, so his range is rather wide.

I just call. BB folds. Straddler says, "One pair". I turn over my two pair, and scoop a sweet pot. The Straddler said that he had 7 7, and BB said he had 8 6 for the Nut Gutshot draw.

Hand #2 - 1/2
In mid position, I look at A8, and decide to do my standard raise to $7. Four players see a flop of A 6 4. It checks to me, and I make my standard c-bet of $15. Only the Button calls.

Turn - (A 6 4) 8 - Cool. The Button is a tight player, so I'm assuming that he's got a bigger A than me. Normally, I would have just checked this, since I'm either way ahead or way behind. But since I think he's got a good kicker, I bet $25. He calls.

River - (A 6 4 8) 2 - How much to bet that he's willing to call with just Top Pair? Let's try $40. He thinks for a bit, and reluctantly calls. I show my Top Two Pair, and he mucks.

I love a good read.

Hand #3 - 1/2
The table is shorthanded with only six players. I'm UTG with JJ, so I make it $7. Chan calls in the SB, and so does the BB.

Flop J 9 8 - Sweet. Chan instantly shoves a large stack of Red chips All-In. BB folds. I just grab my cards, and show him my Top Set. I put them back on the table, and tell the Dealer that I call. Chan doesn't show his hand. He never does. I figure Chan's got some combo of Pair with Straight draw. Q J or T 9 are strong possibilities. I just don't want to see any more Straight cards on the board.

Turn - (J 9 8) 8 - Awesome, the board paired. I've now got Top Boat. But when the 8 hit the board, Chan got out of his chair, and started shouting, "Jack! Jack! Come on, Jack!"

Why does he want to see a Jack on the River? Because of Mountaineer's new Bad Beat Jackpot, which was at $32000. You need Quad 6's beaten in order to win it.

Why does he care about the Bad Beat Jackpot? Because he's got 88. Yes, we both flopped a Set, and then he hit a fucking one-outer on me.

Of course, the miracle card doesn't come. Somebody later said they think they folded it. Chan's got $126 in his stack, so I ship him 5 Green and one White chip.

That pot was about $270. Had he not hit is one-outer, it would have made up most of losses for the day.