Going to Greektown

Tuesday was my Off Day from work, so I took a day trip to Greektown Casino in Detroit. I got there just before 11am, so I could play in the 11am tournament. It's a $75 buy-in (60+15). Back when Greektown was the big room in Detroit, it got 60-120 players for this tournament. The structure was terrible with 4k starting chips. But now, with just 20-30 players, the structure doesn't get stupid until we get shorthanded at the Final Table.

This one had 25 runners, and the field was as soft as ever. Someone commented that a lady at a different table was one of the good players here. I ended up sitting next to her at the Final Table. As it turns out, she just plays tight passive. The regular players view a "good player" as someone who plays Top 10 hands, and is able to fold to the money.

We ended up chopping this one 3-way. I was the obscene chip leader, and got $700 of the $1500 prize pool, and they got $400. (+$600 for me after the dealer tip) I could have kept playing and took first place, but the structure was getting stupid. It only takes one bad River card and a lost coin flip to screw me over. I have never been in a daily casino tournament that didn't chop.

Since the middle of June, I've played in four of these Greektown tournament, all in the 20-25 player range. I've chopped three times, and bubbled the other one (made a bad call, or I would have cashed). That's a profit of $1175 in those four tournaments. Yes, I've a had a few good breaks, but it's mostly because the field is terrible. There has been almost nobody that I would consider a good tournament player. Just a bunch of tight grinders who are trying to fold to the money, instead of trying to actually win. Any of the good CPMG tourney players could play these tournaments profitably. Just play pot control, avoid coin flips and courtesy double-ups, pay attention to who to steal from and who's a calling station, pick your battles carefully, and patiently chips up.

Afterwords, I went to lunch, and back to the Poker Room. Since I'm already up $600 for the day, I decide to just play a few hours of $3/$6 Limit Hold'em. As I've mentioned before, I feel that Limit Hold'em is my worst game, and I'm trying to get better at it. Greektown is the only Detroit room that regularly has Limit Hold'em.

Overall, I was happy with my play, but not the results. I sat down with $150 (25 Big Bets). The first table I sat at was playing crazy, with a few players just dumping money on the table. Two of them got into a raising war. They starting playing pots against each other (Bet Bet Bet Raise Raise Raise) while the rest of just watched the carnage. I did manage to win a few pots, but one of the Maniacs hit two different River cards on me. When the table broke after an hour, I was down $50.

I went to the remaining 3/6 table. It was playing much calmer than the first. But there was still a few players playing "7-Card Bingo". At this table, I was ridiculously card dead. I don't think I've ever seen so many baby Aces and baby face cards. It took me 1.5 hrs to win my first pot, and I think I only got to the River once during that time. Finally, after sitting there for 2 hrs, I walked away from the table with no chips.

Since I still have plenty of profit left, I ended up sitting at a 3-Card Poker table. I played for over an hour. I didn't hit an monster hands, but I did hit two straights, and the dealer was not running good. I ended up leaving the table up $160.

At 8pm, I walked back to my car and left Detroit up $610 for the day.

Hand #1 - Tournament 800/1600 200 ante (5 players remaining)
At this point, I've got a healthy chip lead on the table. It folds around to me on the Button with K8c. I decide to just limp rather than raise, because I do that sometimes. Both blinds call, and we see a Flop of Ah Ks 7h. Old grinder SB checks. Young kid BB bets 4000. I think for bit and then call. Old grinder folds.

Turn [Ah Ks 7h] 5c - Kid goes All-In for 10600. I go into the tank for around two minutes before acting. The Kid's been playing what seems like tight, solid poker so far. I think if he had any A or a big K, then he would have raised preflop. So this could just be a draw, or it could be a BBS of K7. Also, with the big chip lead, I've been avoiding conflict. I have said out loud at this table that I'm not stealing blinds, I don't want to get into a coin flip, and I want to avoid a courtesy double up. I've made some tight folds, including TT face up. It is possible that the Kid's just trying to get me to fold. If I call, I would still have around 16k left which would bring me back to the rest of the field. If I fold, I'm almost guaranteed to be involved in the chop when it happens. There is no real reason to risk the chips at this point.

Except for the "Little Man," as someone calls it. That little voice in the back of my head is yelling, "Call! Call!"

So I did. I pushed the chip forward, and turned over my K8. Kid shows K6. The River is a brick. I win a huge pot with 2nd pair, 8 kicker. The Kid is eliminated in 5th, and I am now the obscene chip leader.

Hand #2 - $3/$6 Limit Hold'em
As usual, a bunch of players limped $3 in the pot. I'm the Button with AJh, so I raised $6. SB calls. BB raises $9. He's one of the Maniacs at the table, and one of the only players showing any interest in raising preflop. Two of the players called, and so did I.

Four saw the Flop of Qh Jd 5c. BB bet $3, and everyone called. Turn [Qh Jd 5c] 2h. BB checks, and so do the rest. I bet $6. I like my pair and draw. Everyone calls.

River [Qh Jd 5c 2h] 7c. Everyone checks. I missed the flush, but I still think I've got the best hand, and these people will call with anything. Bet $6. BB raises $12. The other two fold. I shake my head, Call $6, and say, "I hope you didn't hit your 7."

He did. He show 7h 7s for a River set and scoops a big pot. Nice Hand, Sir.

Hand #3 - $3/$6 Limit Hold'em
A few limpers $3. I'm the Button with Kh Td, so I call $3. SB calls, and BB raises $6. Yes, it's the same Maniac from the previous hand. A few call, and so do I.

Five players see a Flop of Qh 9c 5h. BB bet $3. UTG (Middle aged Asian lady) raises $6. She's been playing "7-card Bingo". For some bizarre reason, her and the Maniac have started going after each other. Of course, everyone calls $6, and now it's my turn. Since this table is so loose, I'm trying to play tighter, and right now my hand ain't that good. All I've got is a nut gutshot (J), a backdoor K flush draw, and an overcard. Also, the BB still needs to call the UTG raise, and I think he might 3-bet. If I could close the action at $6, then I would call. But I still may have to call another $3 or $6 before the Turn. So I Fold. The BB does raise $9. Everyone else calls.

Turn [Qh 9c 5h] Jh - @$#&! BB bets $6. UTG raises $12. All fold. BB calls. River [Qh 9c 5h Jh] 3d - BB checks. UTG bets $6. BB calls. UTG shows QJd. BB mucks.

This situation is a good example of my lack of skill at this game. I don't know "the math" of Limit Hold'em, and how much does one chase without just dumping chip on the table.