Monday At Greektown

I arrived at Greektown at 10:30am to sign-up for their 11am tournament. But they decided to have a promotional Free Roll tournament for their players who've played a lot of hours. They ended up with 9 tables and about 85 players. And like most things that Greektown does, it was rather chaotic.

So instead of signing up for the tournament, I put my name on both the $1/$2 NL and the $3/$6 Limit lists. I really didn't care which one I got. It took about 15 minutes to get a seat, and it ended up being the $1/$2 game.

As I was getting my chips, Greektown started assigning the seats for the Free Roll. I worked my way through the crowd to my table. It was full of chips, but no players. All nine players were all getting seats for the tournament. So I knew that this will be a quick session, as this table was gonna break soon.

It ended up being an hour before they finally asked the players to take their seats. As it turns out, it was a very active hour for my table. There was a preflop raise almost every hand, up to $17. There were a few players who did a $5 Straddle. (Greektown has the No Limit Straddle. It's for any amount, but UTG only). I was rather card dead during this hour. The only hand I managed to win was with AJ in one of the last hands for a decent pot. I was up $39 when the table broke.

As they were starting to seat players for the Free Roll, they also called my name for the $3/$6 game. I'm not sure why my name was still on the List, but this was rather good timing.

Since all the Cash players were cashing out for the Free Roll, the line for the only Poker Room Cashier was rather long. I managed to find one of the players who had a bunch of White $1 chips, and buy some off of him. I then worked my way back through the Mob Scene, and sat at the $3/$6 table.

Here is a Running Log of my session for all you Limit fans.

11:55 $160 - When I finally got to my seat, there were only three other players and an empty stack at the table. The Dealer was waiting patiently for a 5th player, because we need five players to qualify for the Bad Beat Jackpot. I said that I wasn't concerned about a one in a million chance of winning a piece of the $15000 BBJ, but nobody agreed with me. Fortunately, it only took a few minutes for a 5th player to arrive.

12:30 $136 - The table is now full, except for the empty stack. I'm assuming that he's in the Free Roll, but who knows. So far, this table has been a little tight, with only two players playing 7-Card Bingo. There is one Kid at the table. He's in his 20's, and seems to be a "Player". I've been rather card dead.

1:00 $169 - The Empty Stack finally busted out of the tournament, and came back to play with us.

The Cutoff raised ($6). I call in the BB with JTo. Six players saw the Flop of J 6 6. I decided to lead out ($3), and see what happens. Surprisingly, only the Button called. He's a 75 yr old man in a motorized wheelchair, and he's a Super Nit. He was commenting on the Kid who already busted a few hands before this one. "Of course he went broke. Did you see that crap he was playing? He's got a lot to learn."

The Turn was [J 6 6] A. I bet ($6), and he called. The River was [J 6 6 A] 5. I bet ($6), and he called. I say that I've got a J, and I assume that were chopping. But after I show my hand, he shows QQ, and scoops a nice pot. I can't believe what a horrible play that was to just Call preflop with QQ right after a Raise. Naturally, it holds up in a 6-way pot against me.

Two hands later, I get AK on the Button, and pop it ($6). Seven player see a J-high Flop. I call one bet ($3) from the Cutoff. The Turn brings my K. It checks to me, and I bet it ($6). Five players call. The River was a Brick. I bet, get one caller, and scoop a sweet pot.

1:30 $142 - I raised ($6) with A8o in Mid position. The Button 3-Bet ($9), and only had $3 behind. I capped it ($12). He had QJ, and won the Race.

I am seeing some horrible Limit play at this table. In addition to the few players who are playing 7-Card Bingo, most of the older players are not raising, either to get value from their hands or to protect their hands like the QQ earlier.

For example: I call on the Button with Q3h. Around five players see the Flop of Q T T. SB checks. BB bets ($3). Mid player calls. I just call. BB calls.
Turn [Q T T] 4. SB checks. BB bets ($6). Mid raises ($12), and he's been one of the 7-Card Bingo players at the table. I finally got the info I expected, and fold. SB also ejects. BB calls.
River [Q T T 4] 7. BB checks. Mid bets ($6). BB calls, and holds his cards like he's about to muck them. Mid hesitates, hoping to see the BB cards, but finally shows his hand. KT for Trip T with K kicker. BB sees this, and says, "Oh!" He then shows his hand, AT for Trip T with A kicker.   W T F ???

2:00 $151 - I decided to "Step on the Gas", and it had mixed results. I got the Kill by winning two small pots. The second was with AA against a short stack ($10) with J9s.

For those who don't know about a Kill, it's a way to spice up the game. The player who wins two pots in row has to post $6, and the hand is played out as a $6/$12 hand. If you keep winning, then you keep the Kill. If you can get on a rush during a Kill, you can pile up a lot of money.

When I have the Kill, I try to play it aggressively, because the old geezers don't like to put money in the pot. This time, I raised ($12) in Mid with Q5o. The only caller was UTG, who limped in. The Flop came out K-high. He bet out ($6), and I decided to give up, and tell him that I had TT. He showed KJo.

Later, I raised ($6) from the Cutoff with ATo. The Flop was total Air for me, so I checked after everyone else did. The Turn was also Air. This time I bet ($6) when it checked to me, since nobody seemed interested in this pot. I got two callers (Button and Mid). The River was no help to me, and we all checked. As it turned out, both players called me with baby Aces, and my AT-high was good.

2:30 $185 - Hyjack raised ($6). Button called. I'm the SB with AKc, and 3-bet ($9). BB caps it ($12). He's one of the 7-Card Bingo players. Every time I raise, he calls. This was the first time that he raised after me. Hyjack, Button, and I call. Flop Ks 9s 4d. I bet ($3) my Top Pair. BB just called, which surprised me. Hyjack folded, and Button called.
Turn [Ks 9s 4d] 7d. I bet ($12). BB and Button called. River [Ks 9s 4d 7d] 2h. I bet ($6). BB folded (He said later that he was hoping for the 3rd Diamond). Button called, and I scooped a big pot.

3:00 $157 - I tried to tighten up a bit to lock up some profit. Although I did 3-bet from the Cutoff with KJo after a Mid player raised. I was hoping to isolate against just one player, and it worked. The Flop was A-high. He bet, and I gave up.

3:20 $200 - I won two pots with KJo. First was with a 4-Flush on the River, although I hit the K on the Turn. The second was a raise preflop, followed by a bet on the K-high Flop that took down the pot.

We lost a couple of players, and the Geezers didn't want to play with just seven players. There were two other $3/$6 tables with open seats, so they broke our table. I decided to lock up a small win, go to the Buffet for some grub, and head on home.