Games That I've Never Seen In Reno

6:00 $340 - I walked into the Atlantis Poker Room on Saturday night. There was an open seat at the $6/$12 Limit table. Since I've never seen a $6/$12 game running in Reno, let alone play in one, I sat down in the one of the two open seats to give it a try. I recognize a good regular from the $4/$8 Peppermill game. I sat down at the open seat on his direct Left.

6:30 $245 - Still 9-handed. The action of the table has been a little tight. About 40% of the hands are raised preflop, and there have been way more walks then you should see at a Limit table. My cards have been rather dull, and I haven't won a pot yet.

The best starting hand was AK, which I raised from the Hyjack after it folded to me. The SB (50's lady) 3-Bet, and I just called. Flop was 9-high. She bet, and I called. Turn gave me a Flush Draw. She bet, and I called. River was a brick. She checked, and so did I since I assumed that we had the same hand. Instead, she turned over QQ. She said that she thought I had AA since I kept calling her bets. Of course, I never raised her, so why would I have AA? Like I said, a tight table.

The Poker Room was rather busy, with 6 of the 9 tables in use. That included a $1/$2 PLO game that just started. Once again, a game that I've never seen in Reno, and have never heard of any interest in a PLO game. I've never played PLO in a casino, so this is tempting especially since I brought enough money for $3/$5. The Buy-In is $50 - $500 or Biggest Stack. There is one player at that table who I just love playing $2/$3 NL with because he's a giant Calling Station.

6:50 $100 - It seemed like the table got even tighter, so I put my name on the PLO list, and got a seat within ten minutes. I finished my quickie Limit session -$140.

I decided to shortstack the PLO game for $100. The stack sizes currently range from $60 to over $600. The Calling Station is on my Right+2, and he's got a pile of $100 bills.

7:00 $95 - The play so far has been rather passive. It's very obvious that half of the table is trying to figure out what this game is all about. There is one of the Atlantis Dealers who's also a local Pro. There is a 30's guy whom I've never seen before. He is sitting between me and the Calling Station, and he seems to know what he's doing. Fortunately, I have position on him.

7:30 $97 - Decent action so far, but players are just betting with Made Hands and calling with Draws. Also, nobody is 3-Betting preflop, just like at a $1/$2 NL table. Normally, it's a limper or two, somebody raises to $10, and five players call.

I raised to $7 from the Hyjack with 7d 7c 6c 5s. Five players saw the Flop of Q 9 4. I just checked and folded to a bet. Later, I raise to $7 UTG+1 with Jh Jc 8c Td. Only the Button and both Blinds called. Flop 3c 2c 2h. Both Blinds check. I bet $25 with my Flush Draw + Overpair. Button folded. SB (Calling Station) think for a bit, and called. BB folded. Turn [3c 2c 2h] 5s. SB checked. I go All-In for $56. He snap-called with K2c. Ouch! I brick on the River, and I grab four Green chips out of my pocket for Buy-In #2.

Three hands later in the SB, I called a preflop min-raise. I flopped a J-high Flush Draw and a Double Gutshot. I checked. Mid player bets $25. The Hyjack (Calling Station) raised to $55. With the extra money in the pot, I decide to ship it All-In for $94. Mid folded, and the Hyjack called with Bottom Set of 6's. I bricked out, and reach into my pocket for Buy-In #3.

8:00 $68 - My starting hands have been rather crappy. I raised in Mid with As Ad 9c 7h. Five players saw a Flop of Qh Qc Jc. I checked and folded to a bet. Later, I limped in the Cutoff with Ah Kc Jh 4h. Seven players saw a Flop of Ac Kh Qs. UTG+1 bets Pot ($14). I just call, assuming that I'm behind. The BB also called. Turn [Ac Kh Qs] 6s. BB checked. UTG+1 bet Pot ($56). I didn't pick-up any extra draws, so I folded. The BB also folded, and UTG+1 showed KK.

Seven of the nine tables are now in use. The $6/$12 game broke into a $3/$6 game. There are three $2/$3 NL games, three $3/$6 games, and this PLO game.

8:30 $54 - This is getting pathetic. I'm approaching the 2-hour mark at this table, and I still haven't won a pot yet. My starting hands have been terrible. And when I see the occasional Flop in position or from the Blinds, I completed miss the Board. How can I be so card dead when starting with four cards?

9:00 $95 - A few players limped in. The SB (a Nitty No0b) bet Pot ($12). I'm the BB with Tx Td 7d 6x. I know the SB has either AA or KK. My hand isn't exactly a good hand to crack a Big Pair, but I've only got $54. I decide that this is a good time to gamble, and I 3-Bet by re-potting it, which puts in most of my tiny stack. It folded around to the SB who happily puts me All-In with his KK. I ended up hitting a Straight on the River to win my first pot of the night.

Later, I raised in Mid with As Kc Jd Td. Four players saw a Flop of 4h 2h 2d. Good to see that things have returned to normal.

9:30 $282 - I won a pot by playing the Board, which was a 7-high Straight. I had 76. The other player still in on the River had 52 for a smaller Straight.

Later, I raised on the Button with Ks Qh Jd Ts. Six players saw a Flop of Tc 9s 7s. UTG bet Pot ($42). UTG+2 called, as well as the Calling Station in Mid position. Once it gets to me, I have a rather easy decision. I have the K-high Flush Draw, and a Monster 4 Card Wrap. (For you non-PLO players, the K, Q, J, or 8 will give me a Straight. That's double an Open-Ended Straight Draw.) I ship my $144 stack All-In. UTG and UTG+2 fold rather quickly. The Calling Station goes into deep thought, counts out the extra $102, does some more deep thought, and finally folded. I show my Monster Draw, but he didn't say what he had. I really thought he was gonna call, but his stack has been shrinking all night.

10:00 $272 - Not much of interest happened to me. The Dealers have done a really good job of keeping track of the Pot, and keeping the action moving. It's impressive since they never deal this game.

Trainwreck Of The Night: Flop is J T 7, and the three players in the hand have TT, 98, and JJ. I'm not sure of the exact action preflop and on the Flop, but there was some betting and raising. Turn [J T 7] 7. TT checked. 98 bet $250. (He's a Kid who seems to know what he's doing, so I don't understand why he would bet Pot against two players with just a Straight.) The JJ just called (Again, not sure why), and TT called. River was a Brick. The TT bet All-In for around $350. (He said later that this was his only chance to win the pot.) The 98 insta-mucked. The JJ went into deep thought, and seriously considered folding. Eventually, he realized that he had the 2nd Nuts, and just couldn't fold. He called, and won a ridiculous pot somewhere near the $1500 neighborhood.

10:30 $160 - I'm the BB with Qc Js 6d 5d. Five players saw a Flop of Jh 4h 2s. It checked around to the Button, who bet Pot ($10). I call with my Top Pair and Gutshot. Two others also called. Turn: [Jh 4h 2s] 5c. Now that I have Top Two Pair, I lead out for $25. Only one player called, and naturally, it was the Calling Station. River [Jh 4h 2s 5c] 2d. I figure he has Top Pair or a Draw, so I value bet $25 again. He quickly called with KK for a better Two Pair. That was a small mistake by me. I forgot that these players aren't raising with Big Pairs preflop.

Later, I raised in the Cutoff with Ac Ah Kh Td. Five players saw a Flop of Qc Qh 3c. UTG+1 bet $20, and the Hyjack called. I decided to call, and see if I can hit my 2-outer. The Button min-raised to $40. Strangely, both the UTG+1 and Hyjack folded. I make the crying call, and say a little prayer. Turn [Qc Qh 3c] Ts. I check, and he bet $60. Well, I did pick-up a Broadway Draw, but it might not be any good. I fold.

11:00 $131 - I'm not sure how I lost the few chips that I did. I do know that I'm back to the Abyss of Card Dead. I have been getting some good Omaha-8 hands, like A 3 2 2 or Ah Qh 3d 2d. These hands don't play as well in PLO, especially if I'm out of position.

11:05 $0 - I limped in Mid with Qh Jc 9d 8s. Seven players saw a Flop of Jh 9s 3s. I bet Pot ($14) with my Top Two Pair and Gutshot. The very next player also bet Pot ($56). It folds back to me. I'm not sure if he's got a Big Hand or a Big Draw. After thinking for about a minute, I decide that it's getting late. I ship it All-In for $129. He called with his Big Draw, Kd Ks Th 8s. The Turn and River was [Jh 9s 3s] Ts 2s. Instead of reaching in my pocket for Buy-In #4, I make the Walk of Shame back to my car.

I admit that PLO is not my best game. I understand the Basics, but I just don't play it very often. Even though this table was rather soft, I just didn't have any cards to do battle with. I had AA twice in four hours, and I never saw KK. I never hit a Set, and I only flopped Two Pair once, which is the hand the sent me home.

The Atlantis seems like it's trying to spread other game besides $3/$6 and $2/$3 NL. Since this is one of the room that I visit most often, I'm sure that I will play PLO again.