I decided to take a little road trip last Sunday (10/23), and headed up to Harvey's at South Lake Tahoe. There was no special event going on Sunday. I just figured I would check out the place. However, I won't be going back anytime soon, because it was a giant waste of time.
There was a $40 donkament at 10am. It took me a little longer to get up to Tahoe than I thought it would, and walked into the poker room at 10:10. The tournament had just one table with two alternates waiting, so I was shut out of it. The Floor said the $3/$6 game should start around 10:30 or 11am. I wandered around for a while, dumping a $100 bill in a Video Poker machine and then sitting down at a Texas Hold'em Bonus table. I was down $45 when they started the $3/$6 game.
The $3/$6 game started shorthanded with five players, and was playing rather tight. Eventually, the game filled up, and started playing like a normal $3/$6 table. There was some good, some bad, and a lot of frustrating.
Here's some info about the Harvey's Poker Room:
- I gave them my players' card, and found out they don't give comps to poker players.
- I bought into the $3/$6 game for $100. The dealer gave me 60 White $1 chips and 8 $5 chips. I thought this was bizarre, as most $3/$6 games frown upon Red chips at the table. I asked him about it, and he said they don't have enough White chips in the room. During a busy Friday or Saturday night, they run out of White chips, and have to use the Silver $1 Slugs that the Pit games use. How can the almighty Caesars Corporation, the largest gaming company in the world, let one of their larger poker rooms not have enough chips?
- They do have the High Hand Bonuses that most rooms have around here, but they do them in a very different way. There is a sign posted that says, "Poker Rewards," along with a dollar amount. I'm assuming that it's the total of the Promo account. On Sunday, it was $8798. For Quads, you win 1% of the Player Rewards. A Straight Flush pays 3%, and a Royal pays 5%. The other bizarre thing is that you only need one card to collect the Bonus, but they only pay if you get Quads 9 or higher.
They also have a second tourney on Sundays. It's a $120 NL tourney at 2pm. Obviously, I'm planning on playing in it, as well as one or two people at our $3/$6 table. At around 12:30, I heard the Floor talking to a customer about this tourney. He said that it probably won't run today, since it didn't go last week.
This really pissed me off, and I snapped at the Floor. I told him there are a few of sitting here waiting for that tournament, and if you tell others the tourney probably won't happen, then they won't come back. If you don't want to be here, than close the room. He babbled about some lame excuses, including staff issues.
At 2pm, the tourney did start, so I cashed out of the $3/$6 game down $3. The tourney was capped at one table with 11 players squeezed around it because they were too cheap to pay another dealer. They gave us 6k chips with 20 minute levels, and a quick structure.
Since we were 11 handed, I played tight for two levels, and then start to go after the Blinds. I raised with 96o from the Cutoff, and got called by one of the Blinds. I hit Two Pair on the Turn, and got All-In. The other player had a better Two Pair with A9o. Next hand, I 3-Bet All-In with JJ. The original raiser had AK, and flopped a King. I was the first one eliminated.
I then sat down at the $2/$3NL table that had recently opened up. I was there less than an hour before I dusted off my $300 buy-in. It was a combination of bad luck and bad play. The only thing I'd eaten all day was some McDonald's on the way to Tahoe. I was hungry, grumpy, and had very little patience. That's a bad recipe for a session of poker.
I then left the casino, and headed into town to get a sandwich and fill up the gas tank. On the way home, I stopped by two casinos in Carson City just to do some recon. The first one, Casino Fandango, only had a Dealer and a Floor in the poker room. They were sitting there chatting since there were no players. As it turns out, the poker room is only open four days a week, and it's mostly for daily donkaments. The second one, Gold Dust West, didn't even have a poker room.
I'm really glad got transferred to Reno rather than Carson City.
Showing posts with label Pit Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pit Games. Show all posts
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Family Day
This weekend should have been a great poker weekend for me. It was the $2500 Main Event of the Atlantis's WPT Regional Event. I wasn't planning on playing in the tourney, but the cash games are always better during a tournament series. It was also "Street Vibrations" this weekend. It's a city-wide festival for bikers. Various casinos had different events for the festival, with most of them centered in Downtown Reno and Sparks. Perhaps you heard about some of the special events on the news?
However, I did say "should" because I didn't play any poker at the Atlantis. Instead, I had some family come into town for the weekend. My uncle from Cleveland (the one who helped me move across the country) and his long-time girlfriend came into town on Saturday. They stayed here until Monday morning, and then drove down to San Frisco for a few days. They will be back here on Friday, and head home on Saturday.
We had dinner after I got off work on Saturday night. On Sunday, we had some breakfast, and then went for a long drive around Lake Tahoe, as they wanted to see Nevada. We went down the California side as we made our way to South Lake Tahoe. We took a quick break at Harvey's . They ended up playing a little Video Poker, and I watched the end of the Browns game (we won 17-16). We then headed to Carson City, the state capital, and then up to Virginia City, which is an Old West town.
After we got back to civilization, my uncle and I went up to the Peppermill, as he wanted to get his gamble on. I hung out with him, as it would have been rude of me to run off to the poker room. First, he wanted to play some slots that he did good with on his last visit. I played two different machines. I won $50 on the first, and lost $40 on the second.
Next, he wanted to play some 3-Card Poker. I haven't been playing 3-Card Poker in this town because the pay tables for the bonus hands suck. But, as a gracious host, I bought in for $200. Naturally, I showed off my uncanny ability to sit at any pit game with a hot dealer. Not "hot" as in attractive, but "hot" as in she couldn't miss. She hit three Flushes, a Straight, a bunch of Pairs, and some A-highs. I did get some cards, but nothing that could compete with what she was getting. It didn't take me too long to dust off my buy-in.
In fact, she wiped out the entire table, except my uncle. He wasn't winning a lot, but he wasn't losing either. He kept playing, so I just stood back and watched. They switched dealers, and the new one wasn't hitting as many hands, and actually didn't qualify a few times. My uncle didn't seem to want to quit yet, so I pulled another $100 bill out of my pocket and bought in. I wasn't getting great cards, but I was doing ok. Ultimately, I never got anything higher than a Pair. You can't win in this game without cards, and I eventually went busto. My uncle walked away from the table +$25.
We then went back to their hotel to pick-up his girlfriend, and went out to dinner. Afterwards, they dropped me back at my apartment, and went back to the hotel to rest. They were tired, as they were still on East Coast Time.
I walked through my apartment door at 6:10pm. I then remembered the Peppermill's $95 Cash Me Out tournament starts at 6:30. Since I haven't played any poker since last Sunday, I refilled my pockets with cash, and headed back to the Peppermill.
(To Be Continued...)
However, I did say "should" because I didn't play any poker at the Atlantis. Instead, I had some family come into town for the weekend. My uncle from Cleveland (the one who helped me move across the country) and his long-time girlfriend came into town on Saturday. They stayed here until Monday morning, and then drove down to San Frisco for a few days. They will be back here on Friday, and head home on Saturday.
We had dinner after I got off work on Saturday night. On Sunday, we had some breakfast, and then went for a long drive around Lake Tahoe, as they wanted to see Nevada. We went down the California side as we made our way to South Lake Tahoe. We took a quick break at Harvey's . They ended up playing a little Video Poker, and I watched the end of the Browns game (we won 17-16). We then headed to Carson City, the state capital, and then up to Virginia City, which is an Old West town.
After we got back to civilization, my uncle and I went up to the Peppermill, as he wanted to get his gamble on. I hung out with him, as it would have been rude of me to run off to the poker room. First, he wanted to play some slots that he did good with on his last visit. I played two different machines. I won $50 on the first, and lost $40 on the second.
Next, he wanted to play some 3-Card Poker. I haven't been playing 3-Card Poker in this town because the pay tables for the bonus hands suck. But, as a gracious host, I bought in for $200. Naturally, I showed off my uncanny ability to sit at any pit game with a hot dealer. Not "hot" as in attractive, but "hot" as in she couldn't miss. She hit three Flushes, a Straight, a bunch of Pairs, and some A-highs. I did get some cards, but nothing that could compete with what she was getting. It didn't take me too long to dust off my buy-in.
In fact, she wiped out the entire table, except my uncle. He wasn't winning a lot, but he wasn't losing either. He kept playing, so I just stood back and watched. They switched dealers, and the new one wasn't hitting as many hands, and actually didn't qualify a few times. My uncle didn't seem to want to quit yet, so I pulled another $100 bill out of my pocket and bought in. I wasn't getting great cards, but I was doing ok. Ultimately, I never got anything higher than a Pair. You can't win in this game without cards, and I eventually went busto. My uncle walked away from the table +$25.
We then went back to their hotel to pick-up his girlfriend, and went out to dinner. Afterwards, they dropped me back at my apartment, and went back to the hotel to rest. They were tired, as they were still on East Coast Time.
I walked through my apartment door at 6:10pm. I then remembered the Peppermill's $95 Cash Me Out tournament starts at 6:30. Since I haven't played any poker since last Sunday, I refilled my pockets with cash, and headed back to the Peppermill.
(To Be Continued...)
Friday, July 30, 2010
A Scouting Report
Yesterday, I made my first visit to The Rivers Casino in downtown Pittsburgh. The Poker Room is right by the elevators for the Parking Garage. It has 20+ tables, and the room is rather spacious. It's good to see they didn't cram as many tables as possible, and have no room to maneuver. Everything is clean and new, which is because it is new. They just opened up the Poker Room three weeks ago. They seem to be using the Bravo system, which is when you swipe your Player's Card at the table for comps. I didn't ask about the comps or rake, but I didn't see anything about a Bad Beat Jackpot.
When I got there at 12:30, they had four tables of $1/$3 NL, one table of $2/$5 NL, one table of $4/$8 Limit, and a list for $1/$3 PLO. When I left at 4:30, they had eight tables of $1/$3 NL, two tables of $2/$5, two tables of $4/8, and lists for $1/$3 PLO, $4/$8 O8, and $5/$10 NL.
However, this trip was different than my other trips. I didn't play any poker. I went with my Uncle, who is a gambler, but doesn't play poker. When we got there, we walked around to check out the place, and then grabbed some lunch at one of their restaurants. The Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich was good, but overpriced as you would expect in a casino.
We then headed over to the Craps table. I've never played Craps before, but it's my uncle's specialty. He tried to show me how to play. I kept my betting on the simple side, while he had bets all over the place. We ended up playing one full orbit around table. Most of the Rolls were rather quick. Set the Point, roll a couple of other numbers, and hit the dreaded 7. My Uncle's Roll was quick, with him hitting 7 on the 2nd throw. My Roll was also short, but I did hit my Point twice. Only one player's Roll lasted what seemed to be 15-20 throws. He never hit his Point of 5, but he did hit 6 many times. That gave us a chance to get some of our money back, but not quite back to even. I ended up walking away from the Craps table down $85.
Next stop was the 3-Card Poker table. And just like most of my 3-Card Poker sessions this year, the Dealer had much better cards then we did. In fact, the Dealer only dealt one Straight to the table the whole time we were there. My Uncle got dealt a decent amount of Pairs, but nothing higher. I did get two Flushes, but one of them was beat by a bigger Flush. When my Uncle busted out, I was actually close to even. I decided to go Blind for one last hand. Naturally, the Dealer had a Flush. I did end up with a Pair, so I didn't lose my entire bet. I walked away from the table down $40.
While I did my Blind bet, my Uncle wandered off. After cashing out my chips, I finally found him at a .25 Slot machine. He seemed to be winning a little, and wanted to keep playing. So I sat next to him, put $50 in to the Slot machine, and basically lit a match to it. Spin after spin was little or nothing. After my Uncle wasted most of what he was winning, he cashed out for +$20, and we headed home.
Overall, he was down almost $400, and I was down $175. Considering how bad I've been running in the Pit this year, that's not bad. Plus, I've had a good week at the Home game tables this week, with 2nd place at Julie's and +$236 at a Wednesday night Cash game. So this was essentially a free roll.
I'll be returning to Pittsburgh next weekend to actually play some poker at both The Rivers and The Meadows.
When I got there at 12:30, they had four tables of $1/$3 NL, one table of $2/$5 NL, one table of $4/$8 Limit, and a list for $1/$3 PLO. When I left at 4:30, they had eight tables of $1/$3 NL, two tables of $2/$5, two tables of $4/8, and lists for $1/$3 PLO, $4/$8 O8, and $5/$10 NL.
However, this trip was different than my other trips. I didn't play any poker. I went with my Uncle, who is a gambler, but doesn't play poker. When we got there, we walked around to check out the place, and then grabbed some lunch at one of their restaurants. The Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich was good, but overpriced as you would expect in a casino.
We then headed over to the Craps table. I've never played Craps before, but it's my uncle's specialty. He tried to show me how to play. I kept my betting on the simple side, while he had bets all over the place. We ended up playing one full orbit around table. Most of the Rolls were rather quick. Set the Point, roll a couple of other numbers, and hit the dreaded 7. My Uncle's Roll was quick, with him hitting 7 on the 2nd throw. My Roll was also short, but I did hit my Point twice. Only one player's Roll lasted what seemed to be 15-20 throws. He never hit his Point of 5, but he did hit 6 many times. That gave us a chance to get some of our money back, but not quite back to even. I ended up walking away from the Craps table down $85.
Next stop was the 3-Card Poker table. And just like most of my 3-Card Poker sessions this year, the Dealer had much better cards then we did. In fact, the Dealer only dealt one Straight to the table the whole time we were there. My Uncle got dealt a decent amount of Pairs, but nothing higher. I did get two Flushes, but one of them was beat by a bigger Flush. When my Uncle busted out, I was actually close to even. I decided to go Blind for one last hand. Naturally, the Dealer had a Flush. I did end up with a Pair, so I didn't lose my entire bet. I walked away from the table down $40.
While I did my Blind bet, my Uncle wandered off. After cashing out my chips, I finally found him at a .25 Slot machine. He seemed to be winning a little, and wanted to keep playing. So I sat next to him, put $50 in to the Slot machine, and basically lit a match to it. Spin after spin was little or nothing. After my Uncle wasted most of what he was winning, he cashed out for +$20, and we headed home.
Overall, he was down almost $400, and I was down $175. Considering how bad I've been running in the Pit this year, that's not bad. Plus, I've had a good week at the Home game tables this week, with 2nd place at Julie's and +$236 at a Wednesday night Cash game. So this was essentially a free roll.
I'll be returning to Pittsburgh next weekend to actually play some poker at both The Rivers and The Meadows.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
St. Patrick's Day Massacre
At the Hollywood Poker Room, I got a seat at a new $1/$3NL table about 11am. I bought in for $300, and added another $100 later. There was two Action Guys at the start. They were waiting for the $2/$5 game to open. They were raising every hand, and throwing money around. Unfortunately, I didn't have any cards to catch that money. So I tried to play the occasional hand while being patient, and bled away some money. After a few hours, the Kid next to me had been raising a lot, and I had been folding a lot. So he raised to $20, and I 3-bet to $50 with KQ. He called. The Flop was J9x. He checked, and I c-bet $80, which was more than half of my remaining stack. He looked at my little stack, and went All-In. I was committed with a Gutshot & Two Overcards, so I called. I turned a Flush draw, but an Airball hit the River. I said, "K high." He turned over AA. Nice Hand, Sir.
So, I went up to the Pit. I put $100 in the Video Blackjack machine, and lost it. It wasn't completely due to bad luck. I tried something different with my betting, and it failed miserably. I won't do that again.
At this point, I'm a little on Tilt. So I do what any rational person would do. I sit down at a 3-Card Poker table. I buy-in for $350, and dusted that off. This was to do horrible cards. It was one of those sessions that I never really had a chance.
So, now it was time for the Buffet.
After some gorging, I go back to the Poker Room, and get seated at $1/$3 table about 4pm. I bought in for $300, got into a hole early, and added another $100. I then started grinding my way back towards even. But the best I did in my eight hours at this table was back up to $450. Most of the session, my stack was in the $225-$275 range. If I managed to get above that, then I would lose a very frustrating hand. If I went below that, then I would win a decent pot to get me back there.
Here are a few hands from this session:
- I'm the BB with T4o. Five players see the Flop of Ts 9h 6c. I check Top Pair. A Mid player, who is playing his first hand at this table, bets $6. Three players call. I smell weakness, so I squeeze to $26. The same Mid guy 3-bets to $76. Three players fold. Now I'm very confused. This bets seems like either a set or straight. But why would someone with a strong hand bet so little, and let everyone chase their whatever draw? But I've only got Top Pair with no kicker. So I say, "I guess my Two Pair is no good.", and fold. He said he had 87 for a Straight.
- I'm in Mid with A2h, and raise to $11. Four players see a Flop of Qh Th Td. It checks to me, and I bet $20 on my Flush draw, which has been my standard c-bet. I get two callers. Turn is [Qh Th Td] 9h. Both callers check to me. I hit my Flush, but I'm a little concerned about potential Full Houses. I bet $50. UTG+1 calls All-In for $45, and the other player folds. I show my Nut Flush. River is [Qh Th Td 9h] Jh. He shows K8h for the six-card Straight Flush. Ya gotta love the perfect Runner-Runner. Nice hand, Sir.
- I'm down under $100 at this point, but I'm leaving soon. I'm in Mid with AKo, and raise to $11. Four players see a Flop of Kc 5d 4h. It checks to me. Normally, I would just fire a c-bet of $20. But I've only got $59 left, and I want to get maximum value. This Flop is fairly dry. So I check hoping that someone after me will bet after me. They don't. Turn is [Kc 5d 4h] 6h. Not a great card for me. Someone bets $20. I go All-In for $59. The guy next to me grabs his chip stack of around $250, and moves it over the Line. At this point, I know I'm going to leave broke. The first better folds. River is [Kc 5d 4h 6h] 7s. I say, "I assume my One Pair is no good?" He show 87o for a Turned Gutshot. Nice hand, Sir.
And that hand ended my worst casino day ever. I guess this is what I get for not wearing green on St Patrick's Day.
So, I went up to the Pit. I put $100 in the Video Blackjack machine, and lost it. It wasn't completely due to bad luck. I tried something different with my betting, and it failed miserably. I won't do that again.
At this point, I'm a little on Tilt. So I do what any rational person would do. I sit down at a 3-Card Poker table. I buy-in for $350, and dusted that off. This was to do horrible cards. It was one of those sessions that I never really had a chance.
So, now it was time for the Buffet.
After some gorging, I go back to the Poker Room, and get seated at $1/$3 table about 4pm. I bought in for $300, got into a hole early, and added another $100. I then started grinding my way back towards even. But the best I did in my eight hours at this table was back up to $450. Most of the session, my stack was in the $225-$275 range. If I managed to get above that, then I would lose a very frustrating hand. If I went below that, then I would win a decent pot to get me back there.
Here are a few hands from this session:
- I'm the BB with T4o. Five players see the Flop of Ts 9h 6c. I check Top Pair. A Mid player, who is playing his first hand at this table, bets $6. Three players call. I smell weakness, so I squeeze to $26. The same Mid guy 3-bets to $76. Three players fold. Now I'm very confused. This bets seems like either a set or straight. But why would someone with a strong hand bet so little, and let everyone chase their whatever draw? But I've only got Top Pair with no kicker. So I say, "I guess my Two Pair is no good.", and fold. He said he had 87 for a Straight.
- I'm in Mid with A2h, and raise to $11. Four players see a Flop of Qh Th Td. It checks to me, and I bet $20 on my Flush draw, which has been my standard c-bet. I get two callers. Turn is [Qh Th Td] 9h. Both callers check to me. I hit my Flush, but I'm a little concerned about potential Full Houses. I bet $50. UTG+1 calls All-In for $45, and the other player folds. I show my Nut Flush. River is [Qh Th Td 9h] Jh. He shows K8h for the six-card Straight Flush. Ya gotta love the perfect Runner-Runner. Nice hand, Sir.
- I'm down under $100 at this point, but I'm leaving soon. I'm in Mid with AKo, and raise to $11. Four players see a Flop of Kc 5d 4h. It checks to me. Normally, I would just fire a c-bet of $20. But I've only got $59 left, and I want to get maximum value. This Flop is fairly dry. So I check hoping that someone after me will bet after me. They don't. Turn is [Kc 5d 4h] 6h. Not a great card for me. Someone bets $20. I go All-In for $59. The guy next to me grabs his chip stack of around $250, and moves it over the Line. At this point, I know I'm going to leave broke. The first better folds. River is [Kc 5d 4h 6h] 7s. I say, "I assume my One Pair is no good?" He show 87o for a Turned Gutshot. Nice hand, Sir.
And that hand ended my worst casino day ever. I guess this is what I get for not wearing green on St Patrick's Day.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Cash Game Update
On Monday, I got to the Hollywood a little early before the 3pm tourney. So I sat down at a $3/$6 Limit table. While I was playing, one of my fellow CPMGers, The Meats, also sat down. There are various players stopping by for a day or two while I'm down here.
Anyway, the session was just under two hours, but it went well. I was almost $100 at one point. The biggest pot was when I rivered a four card Nut Flush. But the last two orbits didn't go as well, and I left the table up $32.
After the tourney, I sat down at a $1/$3NL. I only played two hours. I was getting tired, and the table was rather tight. Although in one hand, I did Flop trips in the BB, Turn Quads, and got a young lady to pay off a $40 River value bet. Overall, I left the table down $20.
On Tuesday, I sat down at a $1/$3NL at noon. It was a fairly typical weekday afternoon table. A lot of older regular players who know each others names, along with the names of all the dealers and the cocktail waitress. There was only one Action Guy, and he was three seats to my Left. He was playing 80% of the pots, and was calling everything, including a few times with A-high on the River. Unfortunately, I doubled him up once. I raised with QT. The Flop came Jd Td 9c. I lead out for $25, and he raised to $60. He only had $89 behind, and his range was rather wide in this spot, so I put him All-In. He had AJ, and I whiffed.
About an hour after I sat down, another CPMGer, DougPoker, sat down at the table. He didn't have a good session, including running into a nasty cooler. On a Turn card of 883 7, his pocket 77 ran into Quad 88.
After about three hours, I had managed to climb back to -$50. I went to lunch with The Meats, who was still playing $3/$6 Limit. When I came back, only three original player were still there. Both DougPoker and ActionGuy were gone.
Thing started to go much better. I pulled off a nice semi-bluff in position that got a few players attention. Very next hand, I was dealt AK. I raised, and hit the Flop of KJ5. I got check-raised by the player next to me. He only had $115 total chips, so I put him All-In. He called with KT, and I stacked him.
At 5:30, I end up leaving the table up $363. I was getting tired because I didn't sleep well the night before. I decide to go back to my room and chill for the rest of the night.
As for the Pit games, I've been pretty good at not playing them so far. I've only played the Video Blackjack machines, which have a $5 minimum. I like them because they have the Surrender option, which is an advantage for the players. I just bet the minimum, and if I win, I will up my bet by $2 each time until I lose. So far, it's gone very well. I've played a few short session, and I'm up $135.
For the trip, I'm up $170 for two days, and that includes -$340 for the tournament. That's certainly not retirement money, but I'm pleased overall. Today will be more cash games, and tomorrow is another $340 tournament.
Anyway, the session was just under two hours, but it went well. I was almost $100 at one point. The biggest pot was when I rivered a four card Nut Flush. But the last two orbits didn't go as well, and I left the table up $32.
After the tourney, I sat down at a $1/$3NL. I only played two hours. I was getting tired, and the table was rather tight. Although in one hand, I did Flop trips in the BB, Turn Quads, and got a young lady to pay off a $40 River value bet. Overall, I left the table down $20.
On Tuesday, I sat down at a $1/$3NL at noon. It was a fairly typical weekday afternoon table. A lot of older regular players who know each others names, along with the names of all the dealers and the cocktail waitress. There was only one Action Guy, and he was three seats to my Left. He was playing 80% of the pots, and was calling everything, including a few times with A-high on the River. Unfortunately, I doubled him up once. I raised with QT. The Flop came Jd Td 9c. I lead out for $25, and he raised to $60. He only had $89 behind, and his range was rather wide in this spot, so I put him All-In. He had AJ, and I whiffed.
About an hour after I sat down, another CPMGer, DougPoker, sat down at the table. He didn't have a good session, including running into a nasty cooler. On a Turn card of 883 7, his pocket 77 ran into Quad 88.
After about three hours, I had managed to climb back to -$50. I went to lunch with The Meats, who was still playing $3/$6 Limit. When I came back, only three original player were still there. Both DougPoker and ActionGuy were gone.
Thing started to go much better. I pulled off a nice semi-bluff in position that got a few players attention. Very next hand, I was dealt AK. I raised, and hit the Flop of KJ5. I got check-raised by the player next to me. He only had $115 total chips, so I put him All-In. He called with KT, and I stacked him.
At 5:30, I end up leaving the table up $363. I was getting tired because I didn't sleep well the night before. I decide to go back to my room and chill for the rest of the night.
As for the Pit games, I've been pretty good at not playing them so far. I've only played the Video Blackjack machines, which have a $5 minimum. I like them because they have the Surrender option, which is an advantage for the players. I just bet the minimum, and if I win, I will up my bet by $2 each time until I lose. So far, it's gone very well. I've played a few short session, and I'm up $135.
For the trip, I'm up $170 for two days, and that includes -$340 for the tournament. That's certainly not retirement money, but I'm pleased overall. Today will be more cash games, and tomorrow is another $340 tournament.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Quick Hits
5:10pm $300 - Finally got a $1/$2 NLHE seat at MGM Detroit. Being a Sunday afternoon, I bought in for max. There were a few short stacks, and a few stacks in the $300-$400 range. Nobody has more than $500.
5:30 $295 - I've only played my blinds. So far, this is a typical $1/$2 table. A lot of preflop limping with some occasionally raising that get called by many. It's been rare that a Flop has fewer than four players. Only one player seems to be an action player, a 50 yr old Middle Eastern dude. He's sitting four seats to my left.
6:00 $434 - I was very active, and most of the hands went well. The biggest pot was the first one that I played. I limped in Mid position with KQc. Someone raised to $7, and about five players saw an 8 high Flop with two clubs. With my Flush draw + two overcards, I led out on the Flop and Turn, and only the Action Guy called. I whiffed the River, and we both checked. He shows J9c for a missed Flush draw, and my K high was good.
6:30 $544 - Ended up winning a sweet pot with AhKc by hitting a back door flush. After I raised to $7 preflop, and many players saw a Flop that I missed. A short stack in the SB led out for just $10, so myself and Action Guy called. I hit the Kh on the Turn, which gave me the Nut Flush draw. Short stack went All-In for $38. Both of us called. I hit the Flush on the River. I bet $60, and Action Guy folded. Short Stack was pissed that his 53h got cracked, but it was his own fault. If he didn't bet just $10 on the Flop, and went All-In for the full $48, then I wouldn't have called.
6:40 $579 - I knocked two short stacks in one hand with AJ. The largest stack was Action Guy with $24. We already had three open seats when the these two players left the table, and the game ended up breaking.
Since I made $279 in just 1.5 hours, I decided to book the win, and leave the Poker Room.
Of course, I went back down to the Pit, and sat down at a 3-Card Poker table. I was there an hour, and won $530. I would like to think that it was due to some tweaks I made to my betting system. Or it could have been the four Straights that I hit during hour. Even the hand that I sat out just before Coloring Up my chip stack would have been a Straight if I had played it.
Since I was up $800 in just 2.5 hours of playing, I grabbed a quick meal at the Food Court, headed to Motor City Casino for my Free Room, and just chilled the rest of the night.
5:30 $295 - I've only played my blinds. So far, this is a typical $1/$2 table. A lot of preflop limping with some occasionally raising that get called by many. It's been rare that a Flop has fewer than four players. Only one player seems to be an action player, a 50 yr old Middle Eastern dude. He's sitting four seats to my left.
6:00 $434 - I was very active, and most of the hands went well. The biggest pot was the first one that I played. I limped in Mid position with KQc. Someone raised to $7, and about five players saw an 8 high Flop with two clubs. With my Flush draw + two overcards, I led out on the Flop and Turn, and only the Action Guy called. I whiffed the River, and we both checked. He shows J9c for a missed Flush draw, and my K high was good.
6:30 $544 - Ended up winning a sweet pot with AhKc by hitting a back door flush. After I raised to $7 preflop, and many players saw a Flop that I missed. A short stack in the SB led out for just $10, so myself and Action Guy called. I hit the Kh on the Turn, which gave me the Nut Flush draw. Short stack went All-In for $38. Both of us called. I hit the Flush on the River. I bet $60, and Action Guy folded. Short Stack was pissed that his 53h got cracked, but it was his own fault. If he didn't bet just $10 on the Flop, and went All-In for the full $48, then I wouldn't have called.
6:40 $579 - I knocked two short stacks in one hand with AJ. The largest stack was Action Guy with $24. We already had three open seats when the these two players left the table, and the game ended up breaking.
Since I made $279 in just 1.5 hours, I decided to book the win, and leave the Poker Room.
Of course, I went back down to the Pit, and sat down at a 3-Card Poker table. I was there an hour, and won $530. I would like to think that it was due to some tweaks I made to my betting system. Or it could have been the four Straights that I hit during hour. Even the hand that I sat out just before Coloring Up my chip stack would have been a Straight if I had played it.
Since I was up $800 in just 2.5 hours of playing, I grabbed a quick meal at the Food Court, headed to Motor City Casino for my Free Room, and just chilled the rest of the night.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Hooray for Hollywood
I arrived at the Hollywood Casino at about 4pm. It's formally known as Argosy Casino, down by Cincinnati. I took the long walk down to the Poker Room, which is one of the best Poker Rooms in the Midwest. There was a long list for the $1/$3 game (they don't have $1/$2). While waiting, I put $50 into a slot machine. I ended up playing for a while, and cashed out for $65.
4:30 $300 - Finally got a seat. There are some big stacks at this table, so I buy-in for the max. The guy to my right has about $900.
5:00 $270 - Very first hand, I limp & called a $15 raise with 55. I missed the Flop. I got to the Turn for free, but missed. There are some really big raises preflop ($20-$25). The big stack to my right is an Action guy. He made a terrible call with K9 to a check raise All-In on a 9 7 7 Flop. This could be a great session.
5:30 $356 - Action guy left with about $800. Drat! A few other players are walking around, so we are playing 6 or 7 handed. The table got very passive. I won a two pots with AK and 88.
6:00 $383 - Won a nice pot with KJ by hitting two pair on River. Lost half of that when I chased a flush draw on the Button, and stabbed on the River when I missed.
6:30 $310 - Card dead and bleeding chips. Calling too much. This table is very loose, with an average of 6-7 players in every limped pot, and 4-5 players in the raised pots.
7:00 $303 - Lost $15 with a stab on the Flop with a gutshot. Two players called, and I missed and gave up. I won a small pot with KK.
7:30 $0 - I got frisky with 54 in late position, but ran into a Nit with big hand. Later I flopped two sets in one orbit, and lost both of them. The last one was against a flush draw, and the money got All-In on the Flop ($180ish). He hit his flush draw on the Turn, and I missed my boat draw on the River.
When you flop two sets in one orbit and they both lose, it's time to walk away. So I put that $65 slot ticket into a random slot machine, and lose it way too quickly.
My next stop was a 3-Card Poker (3CP) table. A very important factor in 3CP, as well as Video Poker, is the pay table. And Hollywood has a crappy pay tables for their games. But they also have a Video 3CP machine, just like a Video Blackjack machine that some casinos have. The pay table is a little better at the Video 3CP machine, so I buy-in for my standard $300.
As bad as my last session was in Detroit, this one was the exact opposite. I don't think I've ever seen so many Flushes in one session. I got my stack up to $500, and upped my bet. My stack floated between $450 and $550 for a while. I finally hit a Straight, so I upped my bet again. The next two hands were a Straight and Trips. I played a few more hands to see if this rush would keep going, but it didn't. I ended up cashing out for $1020, a new record for profit. Since it was a Video machine, I didn't need to tip the dealer.
After cashing in all my chips and tickets, I headed to Buffet for a free dinner. I must say that Hollywood has one of the best buffets that I have ever seen in a casino. They have the largest variety of food that I have seen outside of Las Vegas. And the Sunday Dinner is only $19.21 with tax, which is a fairly good price compared to the Detroit casinos.
After gorging, it was almost 9pm. So I just went back to my room. I'm up $370 for the day, which pays for the hotel, and covers my buy-in for the 11am tourney tomorrow ($125).
4:30 $300 - Finally got a seat. There are some big stacks at this table, so I buy-in for the max. The guy to my right has about $900.
5:00 $270 - Very first hand, I limp & called a $15 raise with 55. I missed the Flop. I got to the Turn for free, but missed. There are some really big raises preflop ($20-$25). The big stack to my right is an Action guy. He made a terrible call with K9 to a check raise All-In on a 9 7 7 Flop. This could be a great session.
5:30 $356 - Action guy left with about $800. Drat! A few other players are walking around, so we are playing 6 or 7 handed. The table got very passive. I won a two pots with AK and 88.
6:00 $383 - Won a nice pot with KJ by hitting two pair on River. Lost half of that when I chased a flush draw on the Button, and stabbed on the River when I missed.
6:30 $310 - Card dead and bleeding chips. Calling too much. This table is very loose, with an average of 6-7 players in every limped pot, and 4-5 players in the raised pots.
7:00 $303 - Lost $15 with a stab on the Flop with a gutshot. Two players called, and I missed and gave up. I won a small pot with KK.
7:30 $0 - I got frisky with 54 in late position, but ran into a Nit with big hand. Later I flopped two sets in one orbit, and lost both of them. The last one was against a flush draw, and the money got All-In on the Flop ($180ish). He hit his flush draw on the Turn, and I missed my boat draw on the River.
When you flop two sets in one orbit and they both lose, it's time to walk away. So I put that $65 slot ticket into a random slot machine, and lose it way too quickly.
My next stop was a 3-Card Poker (3CP) table. A very important factor in 3CP, as well as Video Poker, is the pay table. And Hollywood has a crappy pay tables for their games. But they also have a Video 3CP machine, just like a Video Blackjack machine that some casinos have. The pay table is a little better at the Video 3CP machine, so I buy-in for my standard $300.
As bad as my last session was in Detroit, this one was the exact opposite. I don't think I've ever seen so many Flushes in one session. I got my stack up to $500, and upped my bet. My stack floated between $450 and $550 for a while. I finally hit a Straight, so I upped my bet again. The next two hands were a Straight and Trips. I played a few more hands to see if this rush would keep going, but it didn't. I ended up cashing out for $1020, a new record for profit. Since it was a Video machine, I didn't need to tip the dealer.
After cashing in all my chips and tickets, I headed to Buffet for a free dinner. I must say that Hollywood has one of the best buffets that I have ever seen in a casino. They have the largest variety of food that I have seen outside of Las Vegas. And the Sunday Dinner is only $19.21 with tax, which is a fairly good price compared to the Detroit casinos.
After gorging, it was almost 9pm. So I just went back to my room. I'm up $370 for the day, which pays for the hotel, and covers my buy-in for the 11am tourney tomorrow ($125).
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Starting off the Year with a Bang! (and a Thud!)
For the last few years, I've gone to casino on New Year's Day with one of my poker buddies, Chan, who is also a mailman. Last year, we went Mountaineer. This year, he wanted to play some $2/$5, so we went up to MGM Detroit.
12:00 $50 - We got up to the Poker Room, and got seated at a $1/$2 table that just opened. There was only seven players at the table, and nobody has over $200. So I decide to shortstack it, and buy-in for the minimum of $50. I've got more chips in my pocket if I need to rebuy, or feel like I should add-on.
12:30 $95 - Doubled up with a flopped set of Q. Table is playing fairly passive, but two $2/$5 players just sat down to play while waiting for the $2/$5 game to open.
1:00 $157 - Won a pot against Chan with the Nut 4-Card Flush. Later, I limped and called a $12 preflop raise with KTs. I flopped top pair (T), bet out, and everyone folded. The $2/$5 game just opened, and we lost a couple of players, including Chan.
1:30 $153 - I'm starting to call more preflop, but usually missing. I also limped on the Button with 73, and flopped two pair.
2:00 $140 - Action is picking up at the table, but none for me. I need to quit calling raises preflop, and try to see flops cheaper in position until I get some more chips.
2:30 $238 - I can't hit a #$%! thing. I add-on $150 due to an older Eastern European gentleman three seats to my right. He's got over $500 in front of him, and he's generating most of the action at the table. He will lose those chips at some point, and I want a chunk of them.
3:00 $272 - Won a decent pot with QQ in the Big Blind.
3:30 $588 - My patience finally paid off. Won a big pot with JJ against old Action guy and another loose player.
4:00 $652 - Stacked off a short stack with Top/Top (AQ) on the Flop. There was an AA vs QQ vs JJ preflop train wreck. Old Action guy had AA, but the QQ hit the Flop to scoop a huge pot.
4:30 $633 - An older gentleman raised to $12 in EP. I was on the Button with 33, but nobody called, so I folded. Just the SB called, and I would have hit a set. Action guy has been bleeding chips since his AA got cracked in the train wreck. His stack is now down to $50, and he add-on $200 more.
5:00 $596 - Lost a decent pot with TT against slowplayed KK. I got some of it back with AK. I checked Top/Top on the Flop, and then bet the Turn and River.
5:30 $609 - Reraised in late position with QJh, and won the pot with a c-bet on an A high Flop. The old Action guy has really tightened up his game since he reloaded his stack.
6:05 $664 - Cashout. I won a sweet pot with a semi-bluff with AQs.
On a side note, MGM keep the rake ($6 max) in the dealer's tray, instead of dropping it down a slot. Six hours after the table opened, there was $660 in the rake tray, and that doesn't even account for the $1 for the Bad Beat Jackpot that was taken out of every pot. Who says that Poker Rooms don't make money for the Casinos?
After I cashed out, I left Chan in the Poker Room, and went downstairs to get some food. Being a holiday, the food court was packed, and I had trouble find a seat.
I then went over to a 3-Card Poker table to gamble with some of my winnings. Unfortunately, I lost $400 in just 30 minutes. I was getting terrible cards, and the dealer just kept getting better cards than me. It was just one of those times that nothing went right, which was basically the opposite of my $1/$2 session.
As I was going broke in the Pit, Chan finished up his poker session, and we headed home. I only left Detroit with $64 of profit. Yippee! At least my Saturday night tournament buy-in is covered.
12:00 $50 - We got up to the Poker Room, and got seated at a $1/$2 table that just opened. There was only seven players at the table, and nobody has over $200. So I decide to shortstack it, and buy-in for the minimum of $50. I've got more chips in my pocket if I need to rebuy, or feel like I should add-on.
12:30 $95 - Doubled up with a flopped set of Q. Table is playing fairly passive, but two $2/$5 players just sat down to play while waiting for the $2/$5 game to open.
1:00 $157 - Won a pot against Chan with the Nut 4-Card Flush. Later, I limped and called a $12 preflop raise with KTs. I flopped top pair (T), bet out, and everyone folded. The $2/$5 game just opened, and we lost a couple of players, including Chan.
1:30 $153 - I'm starting to call more preflop, but usually missing. I also limped on the Button with 73, and flopped two pair.
2:00 $140 - Action is picking up at the table, but none for me. I need to quit calling raises preflop, and try to see flops cheaper in position until I get some more chips.
2:30 $238 - I can't hit a #$%! thing. I add-on $150 due to an older Eastern European gentleman three seats to my right. He's got over $500 in front of him, and he's generating most of the action at the table. He will lose those chips at some point, and I want a chunk of them.
3:00 $272 - Won a decent pot with QQ in the Big Blind.
3:30 $588 - My patience finally paid off. Won a big pot with JJ against old Action guy and another loose player.
4:00 $652 - Stacked off a short stack with Top/Top (AQ) on the Flop. There was an AA vs QQ vs JJ preflop train wreck. Old Action guy had AA, but the QQ hit the Flop to scoop a huge pot.
4:30 $633 - An older gentleman raised to $12 in EP. I was on the Button with 33, but nobody called, so I folded. Just the SB called, and I would have hit a set. Action guy has been bleeding chips since his AA got cracked in the train wreck. His stack is now down to $50, and he add-on $200 more.
5:00 $596 - Lost a decent pot with TT against slowplayed KK. I got some of it back with AK. I checked Top/Top on the Flop, and then bet the Turn and River.
5:30 $609 - Reraised in late position with QJh, and won the pot with a c-bet on an A high Flop. The old Action guy has really tightened up his game since he reloaded his stack.
6:05 $664 - Cashout. I won a sweet pot with a semi-bluff with AQs.
On a side note, MGM keep the rake ($6 max) in the dealer's tray, instead of dropping it down a slot. Six hours after the table opened, there was $660 in the rake tray, and that doesn't even account for the $1 for the Bad Beat Jackpot that was taken out of every pot. Who says that Poker Rooms don't make money for the Casinos?
After I cashed out, I left Chan in the Poker Room, and went downstairs to get some food. Being a holiday, the food court was packed, and I had trouble find a seat.
I then went over to a 3-Card Poker table to gamble with some of my winnings. Unfortunately, I lost $400 in just 30 minutes. I was getting terrible cards, and the dealer just kept getting better cards than me. It was just one of those times that nothing went right, which was basically the opposite of my $1/$2 session.
As I was going broke in the Pit, Chan finished up his poker session, and we headed home. I only left Detroit with $64 of profit. Yippee! At least my Saturday night tournament buy-in is covered.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Sticking With What Works
After I check out of my room at Motor City and had some breakfast, I had a little time to kill before heading over to Greektown for the 11am tourney. So I sat back down at the 3 Card Poker (3CP), and ended up grinding out $105 profit. Now I'm freerollin' in the tournament.
The Greektown tournament ended up with 30 players. Unfortunately, in Level 1 (25/50), I ran into a cooler/trainwreck that took my starting stack of 4000 down to 725. I grinded it out for a while, and finally got a double up in Level 3 (100/200) to 2800. But in Level 4 (150/300), I lost to a 3-outer on the River, and finished in 16th place.
I then walked over to see if there were any seats open in the Cash game. There was a list for $1/$2, but an open seat at the $3/$6 (w/kill) table. I haven't played any 7-Card Bingo lately, so I figured I could work on my Limit Hold'em game.
12:40 $150 - There was the usual mix of old people, and really old people. Unfortunately, I got seated next to a loudmouth regular who considered himself an expert at this game.
1:00 $163 - Hit a Small Blind Special. Flopped Pair + Flush Draw, and hit Flush on River. Table is playing just like a $3/$6 table. A couple of players are playing almost every hand to the Turn. And a couple of players are playing rather tight, including Mr Loudmouth.
1:30 $126 - Raised with AK in BB. Ended up losing to KJ when he hit Two Pair on Turn. I'm trying to play tight overall. I am playing most hands in the Button and Cutoff, and will occasionally limp with other hands. Have had very few "Quality Starting Hands".
2:00 $81 - Could someone please remind me exactly why I wanted to play this game?
2:30 $59 - Got AK for the 3rd time, and lost for the 3rd time. Ended up 4-betting ($12) preflop with two of the 7-Card Bingo players. One of them was All-In for $9. The Board was all rags, and I ended up checking it down with the other player. He had JTd. All-In guy had K3 and hit the 3 on the River. I got the $6 side pot. Wheeeee!!
3:00 $52 - The last four hands dealt to me were Q4, T2c, 84, and 83.
3:35 $34 - Cashout. I know I'm just an average Limit Hold'em player, but it's impossible for me to win without cards. I don't think I had a pocket pair the entire three hours. As I already mention, I had AK three times. I also had AQ once, and won with it. I raise preflop in a Kill Pot, and took down the blinds and Kill. That happened shortly after the last AK hand, and it was the last pot I won.
I walked over to the Buffet for some grub, and debated what my next move was going to be. I decided to stick with the only thing that has been working for me lately. I headed back into the Pit, and sat down at a 3CP table. I grinded it out for a couple hours, but eventually I hit a big hand, J J J, cashed out up $250, and headed home.
For whatever reason, 3CP is the only game that I've been winning at lately, including $1/$2. Since October 1st, I'm up $694 at $1/$2, and up $820 at 3CP. I don't know if I have "cracked the magic code" or I am just running good. I don't think I'm running Hot in the game. I have had losing sessions, and have had very few big hands (Trips or Straight Flush). Most of my wins have just been grinding it out, and quitting when I'm ahead.
I have no delusions of grandeur, and I'm not think about becoming a 3CP pro. When I walk into a casino, the first place I head to is the Poker Room, and that's not gonna change. But for now, this is working for me, so I'm gonna keep riding it until it crashes.
And I know it eventually will.
The Greektown tournament ended up with 30 players. Unfortunately, in Level 1 (25/50), I ran into a cooler/trainwreck that took my starting stack of 4000 down to 725. I grinded it out for a while, and finally got a double up in Level 3 (100/200) to 2800. But in Level 4 (150/300), I lost to a 3-outer on the River, and finished in 16th place.
I then walked over to see if there were any seats open in the Cash game. There was a list for $1/$2, but an open seat at the $3/$6 (w/kill) table. I haven't played any 7-Card Bingo lately, so I figured I could work on my Limit Hold'em game.
12:40 $150 - There was the usual mix of old people, and really old people. Unfortunately, I got seated next to a loudmouth regular who considered himself an expert at this game.
1:00 $163 - Hit a Small Blind Special. Flopped Pair + Flush Draw, and hit Flush on River. Table is playing just like a $3/$6 table. A couple of players are playing almost every hand to the Turn. And a couple of players are playing rather tight, including Mr Loudmouth.
1:30 $126 - Raised with AK in BB. Ended up losing to KJ when he hit Two Pair on Turn. I'm trying to play tight overall. I am playing most hands in the Button and Cutoff, and will occasionally limp with other hands. Have had very few "Quality Starting Hands".
2:00 $81 - Could someone please remind me exactly why I wanted to play this game?
2:30 $59 - Got AK for the 3rd time, and lost for the 3rd time. Ended up 4-betting ($12) preflop with two of the 7-Card Bingo players. One of them was All-In for $9. The Board was all rags, and I ended up checking it down with the other player. He had JTd. All-In guy had K3 and hit the 3 on the River. I got the $6 side pot. Wheeeee!!
3:00 $52 - The last four hands dealt to me were Q4, T2c, 84, and 83.
3:35 $34 - Cashout. I know I'm just an average Limit Hold'em player, but it's impossible for me to win without cards. I don't think I had a pocket pair the entire three hours. As I already mention, I had AK three times. I also had AQ once, and won with it. I raise preflop in a Kill Pot, and took down the blinds and Kill. That happened shortly after the last AK hand, and it was the last pot I won.
I walked over to the Buffet for some grub, and debated what my next move was going to be. I decided to stick with the only thing that has been working for me lately. I headed back into the Pit, and sat down at a 3CP table. I grinded it out for a couple hours, but eventually I hit a big hand, J J J, cashed out up $250, and headed home.
For whatever reason, 3CP is the only game that I've been winning at lately, including $1/$2. Since October 1st, I'm up $694 at $1/$2, and up $820 at 3CP. I don't know if I have "cracked the magic code" or I am just running good. I don't think I'm running Hot in the game. I have had losing sessions, and have had very few big hands (Trips or Straight Flush). Most of my wins have just been grinding it out, and quitting when I'm ahead.
I have no delusions of grandeur, and I'm not think about becoming a 3CP pro. When I walk into a casino, the first place I head to is the Poker Room, and that's not gonna change. But for now, this is working for me, so I'm gonna keep riding it until it crashes.
And I know it eventually will.
Friday, December 18, 2009
A Little $2/$5 Action
Walked into the Greektown Poker Room around 8pm Wednesday night. There was a list for $1/$2 and $3/$6, but they were just opening a $2/$5. I was a bit surprised, since I haven't seen a $2/$5 game there in 18 months. But, I did have $600 on me, so I walked back to see if there was any open seats. There was only three players, so I marked a seat, and walked back to the Cage to get $600 in chips ($400 Green & $200 Red). I put $400 on the table, and wait for the game to start.
8:15 $300 - Only three players want to play $2/$5. A Floorman changes game from $200-$500 ($2/$5) to $100-$300 ($1/$2). It seems really weird to me that they can just create a $300 max $1/$2 game. Why not always have it? But that's Greektown for ya.
8:50 $400 - Stacked off a player with Nut Flush for about $75. I bet the Flop with the Draw, and Check/Called his All-In with Two Pair on the Turn. He missed his 4-outer.
A different Floorman comes over, and discovers our unique $1/$2 table. He rules that the $100-$300 game has $2/$5 blinds starting next hand. I think this is a terrible decision. There are players with just $100, and this game will break soon. Just make it a regular $1/$2 game.
Again, typical Greektown.
9:30 $376 - This is not a normal $2/$5 table. It is playing more like a $1/$2 game with bigger blinds. Tight & passive play with standard preflop raise to $15. More than three players to see a Flop is rare.
10:00 $300 - Because it is so tight, I'm doing more limping or raising in late position. Having mixed results. Won a decent pot with JJ. Lost $90 with Top Pair vs Set on Flop.
10:30 $231 - Really card dead. Only significant pot was a loss. Top pair on Flop vs Flush on Turn.
We are only 6-handed now, and this table is dying quickly. Only two new players have shown up since they made it $2/$5. Most hands are a preflop raise and everyone folds, or everyone folds and the blinds chop.
10:40 $228 - Table breaks. Once again, I have shown my inability to win at $2/$5.
I considered joining a $1/$2 table, but it's getting late to buy into a new table. If I can't sit for at least three hours, then it just becomes a case of luck whether I win or not.
I decide to head back to Motor City, where I have my Free Room. Last week, I didn't even walk into their casino. So I decide to play a little in the Pit and "pay" for the Free Room.
I sat down at the Texas Hold'em Bonus table, and played for almost two hours. I was grinding away, but not winning. I almost went broke, and then started to make a comeback. It didn't last, and I busted out for $200.
So I walked over to the 3-Card Poker table. This is the only Pit game that I've been beating lately, and it didn't disappoint. I didn't hit any big hands, but grinded out $275 of profit in over an hour.
Finally, I got up to my room a little after 2am, and passed out.
8:15 $300 - Only three players want to play $2/$5. A Floorman changes game from $200-$500 ($2/$5) to $100-$300 ($1/$2). It seems really weird to me that they can just create a $300 max $1/$2 game. Why not always have it? But that's Greektown for ya.
8:50 $400 - Stacked off a player with Nut Flush for about $75. I bet the Flop with the Draw, and Check/Called his All-In with Two Pair on the Turn. He missed his 4-outer.
A different Floorman comes over, and discovers our unique $1/$2 table. He rules that the $100-$300 game has $2/$5 blinds starting next hand. I think this is a terrible decision. There are players with just $100, and this game will break soon. Just make it a regular $1/$2 game.
Again, typical Greektown.
9:30 $376 - This is not a normal $2/$5 table. It is playing more like a $1/$2 game with bigger blinds. Tight & passive play with standard preflop raise to $15. More than three players to see a Flop is rare.
10:00 $300 - Because it is so tight, I'm doing more limping or raising in late position. Having mixed results. Won a decent pot with JJ. Lost $90 with Top Pair vs Set on Flop.
10:30 $231 - Really card dead. Only significant pot was a loss. Top pair on Flop vs Flush on Turn.
We are only 6-handed now, and this table is dying quickly. Only two new players have shown up since they made it $2/$5. Most hands are a preflop raise and everyone folds, or everyone folds and the blinds chop.
10:40 $228 - Table breaks. Once again, I have shown my inability to win at $2/$5.
I considered joining a $1/$2 table, but it's getting late to buy into a new table. If I can't sit for at least three hours, then it just becomes a case of luck whether I win or not.
I decide to head back to Motor City, where I have my Free Room. Last week, I didn't even walk into their casino. So I decide to play a little in the Pit and "pay" for the Free Room.
I sat down at the Texas Hold'em Bonus table, and played for almost two hours. I was grinding away, but not winning. I almost went broke, and then started to make a comeback. It didn't last, and I busted out for $200.
So I walked over to the 3-Card Poker table. This is the only Pit game that I've been beating lately, and it didn't disappoint. I didn't hit any big hands, but grinded out $275 of profit in over an hour.
Finally, I got up to my room a little after 2am, and passed out.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
New Greektown, Old Results
After eating a free breakfast at the Motor City Buffet, I head over to Greektown to play in their new Poker Room. I got to Greektown about 10:15, and signed up for the 11am tournament. There wasn't enough time to sit down and play some Cash, so I went to play 3-Card Poker. Fortunately, I hit a few straights, and walked away up $175.
The tournament seemed to be the same as in to the old poker room. $75, 4k in chips, and 25 players. It started off good for me. I won a nice pot with AJ in the first level. Later on, I got my KK cracked by a short stack with 55. The only real blunder of mine was in the level before the first break (200/400/25). A few limpers with me in the BB. I look down at A3, and decide to do a squeeze for 2000. Unfortunately, I forgot how short stacked the first limper was. He called for less, and that started the chain reaction. Four players saw the Flop with two of them All-In. The other player and me just checked it down. I ended up with two pair, but both of the All-Ins won with a Flush and a Straight.
I got to the break with 5150 chips. I walked over to a .25 slot machine, put a $20 bill in the machine, and cashed out for $40. That extra $20 went into my gas tank on the way home.
The level after the break was 400/800/50. In the last few tournament I've played at Greektown, we were at the Final Table when the first break came. But this time we still had 15 players left, so there were many short stacks. The UTG moved All-In for 1800. I'm in Mid position, look down at my cards, and move All-In to isolate for 5500. The player next to me, who has a few more chips then me, goes into deep thought, and finally calls with 99. That is a terrible call because he can't beat anything at this point, except my 33. I miss my two outer, and I finish in 13th place.
I buy-in to a $1/$2 table. Within 30 minutes, I get my KK cracked for $130. It's a decent table, but I'm just not mentally here, so I don't add-on. I milk my short stack for a while, but I'm not getting any cards. About two hours after I sat down, I walked away down $200.
I head over to the Buffet for a free meal, and then started my journey home.
The tournament seemed to be the same as in to the old poker room. $75, 4k in chips, and 25 players. It started off good for me. I won a nice pot with AJ in the first level. Later on, I got my KK cracked by a short stack with 55. The only real blunder of mine was in the level before the first break (200/400/25). A few limpers with me in the BB. I look down at A3, and decide to do a squeeze for 2000. Unfortunately, I forgot how short stacked the first limper was. He called for less, and that started the chain reaction. Four players saw the Flop with two of them All-In. The other player and me just checked it down. I ended up with two pair, but both of the All-Ins won with a Flush and a Straight.
I got to the break with 5150 chips. I walked over to a .25 slot machine, put a $20 bill in the machine, and cashed out for $40. That extra $20 went into my gas tank on the way home.
The level after the break was 400/800/50. In the last few tournament I've played at Greektown, we were at the Final Table when the first break came. But this time we still had 15 players left, so there were many short stacks. The UTG moved All-In for 1800. I'm in Mid position, look down at my cards, and move All-In to isolate for 5500. The player next to me, who has a few more chips then me, goes into deep thought, and finally calls with 99. That is a terrible call because he can't beat anything at this point, except my 33. I miss my two outer, and I finish in 13th place.
I buy-in to a $1/$2 table. Within 30 minutes, I get my KK cracked for $130. It's a decent table, but I'm just not mentally here, so I don't add-on. I milk my short stack for a while, but I'm not getting any cards. About two hours after I sat down, I walked away down $200.
I head over to the Buffet for a free meal, and then started my journey home.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Top of the Mountaineer
On Monday night, I headed down to Mountaineer for an overnighter. I walked into the Poker Room at 8pm. There was 2 $1/$2 tables and 1 $2/$4 table running. There was also the 7:30 tournament with 5 tables running.
A new table opened at 8:30. I knew after the very first hand that this was gonna be a good table. There were a few calling station, and a few LAG-tards. The best part was they were all on the opposite end of the table. All of the tight player were sitting around me. One of them, an older guy named Doc was the most active. He was also hitting everything. He had KK at least 6 times. He Flopped or Turned two pair at least five times, and overbet each time. But since he was playing so many hands, people kept paying him off.
As usual, when I'm at an loose, active table, my cards were terrible. I have very few quality starting hands. The one time I had AA, I had to fold them on the Flop to what ended up being two pair (QJ on a Qh Jd 9h). I did have a lot of "splash around" hands (97, 45, JT, etc), but I just kept missing everything. Eventually, my patience got paid off. I hit a few hands, and even took a chunk off the old guy.
By 1AM, the Little Man in my brain was telling me it was time to go. I didn't want to listen, because all the action players were still at the table. But I've learn my lessons in the past, so I cashed out +$183. Still a good session at $40 per hour, but it could have been so much better with just a few more cards.
Tuesday, I went back for the 12:15 tournament. It was a $55, 5k in chips with 28 players. My run of bad starting hands continued. I didn't win a hand until Level 4 (100/200/25). I then won a pot or two, and stole a few blinds, but just could never get going. Finally, in Level 6 (300/600/75) I pushed All-In for 5125 with JT. The SB called with AQ, and I was out in 12th place.
It was now 2pm, so I went over to the main building to eat a free lunch at the Buffet. I have to say that is the worst buffet that I have ever seen at a casino.
Even though I kept telling myself that I wasn't gonna play in the Pit, I played in the Pit. What can I say, I've got issues. Fortunatly, this time it was profitable. I played 3 Card Poker and Texas Hold'em Bonus. I didn't hit any big hands, but I just grinded it out until 6pm for $165.
A new table opened at 8:30. I knew after the very first hand that this was gonna be a good table. There were a few calling station, and a few LAG-tards. The best part was they were all on the opposite end of the table. All of the tight player were sitting around me. One of them, an older guy named Doc was the most active. He was also hitting everything. He had KK at least 6 times. He Flopped or Turned two pair at least five times, and overbet each time. But since he was playing so many hands, people kept paying him off.
As usual, when I'm at an loose, active table, my cards were terrible. I have very few quality starting hands. The one time I had AA, I had to fold them on the Flop to what ended up being two pair (QJ on a Qh Jd 9h). I did have a lot of "splash around" hands (97, 45, JT, etc), but I just kept missing everything. Eventually, my patience got paid off. I hit a few hands, and even took a chunk off the old guy.
By 1AM, the Little Man in my brain was telling me it was time to go. I didn't want to listen, because all the action players were still at the table. But I've learn my lessons in the past, so I cashed out +$183. Still a good session at $40 per hour, but it could have been so much better with just a few more cards.
Tuesday, I went back for the 12:15 tournament. It was a $55, 5k in chips with 28 players. My run of bad starting hands continued. I didn't win a hand until Level 4 (100/200/25). I then won a pot or two, and stole a few blinds, but just could never get going. Finally, in Level 6 (300/600/75) I pushed All-In for 5125 with JT. The SB called with AQ, and I was out in 12th place.
It was now 2pm, so I went over to the main building to eat a free lunch at the Buffet. I have to say that is the worst buffet that I have ever seen at a casino.
Even though I kept telling myself that I wasn't gonna play in the Pit, I played in the Pit. What can I say, I've got issues. Fortunatly, this time it was profitable. I played 3 Card Poker and Texas Hold'em Bonus. I didn't hit any big hands, but I just grinded it out until 6pm for $165.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A (Not So) Grand Opening
I had already planned on going to Greektown on Monday. As it turns out, it's the same day they are having their Grand Opening for their new Poker Room. So, I get to Greektown just after 9am, and head to the old Poker Room expecting it to be closed. But it's still open with only 6 tables in the room, and one of them occupied. The Floor Person said they are opening the new Room at 6pm. That seems bizarre to me. Wouldn't it make more sense to close the old Room from Sunday at midnight, and open the new Room at noon the next day? But there are reasons that Greektown is one of the worst run Poker Rooms in the country.
9:20 $200 - Since the table has been open all night, I buy-in for the full amount. There aren't any monster stacks on the table. The largest is around $350.
10:00 $138 - Won a decent pot with AK, but I got my KK cracked. The player didn't have enough chips to make me fold. The table's rather active for a Monday morning with a few spots that are willing to put money into the pot rather light.
10:30 $205 - I called a few raises, but whiffed. I took four green chips out of my pocket to reload. Two old grinders come to the table.
11:00 $180 - I'm getting good starting hands, but lousy flops. AK on an 7-high board. 88 on a Broadway board. This has become a very social table, and it's starting to annoy me. The pace of the game has become slower than one of our home games.
11:30 $168 - I'm getting board, and that's a bad thing. I started making loose calls preflop, and that's a good way to burn through a short stack. There was a $700, four player trainwreck that didn't involve me. Jd Tc 8d Ac 4d. 97 takes it down against a Set and two different Two Pairs.
12:00 $234 - Won a decent pot on the Button against a flush draw. Very next hand, I pop it to $7 preflop with T8o and won with a c-bet on a J high Flop. I'm starting to get my groove back. The Floor Person announced that the old Room will close at 4pm.
12:30 $289 - Did my first straddle for $5. A few players limp in. I look down at TT. I give a quiet thanks to the Poker Gods, and raise to $30. Only the SB calls, and he checks in the dark. So I bet $40 in the dark. The Flop comes J high. He think for a moment, and folds. I show my TT. Since I won about $50, that ended up being my only straddle of the day. It's better to quit while I'm ahead.
1:00 $284 - Nothing of interest happened. I'm heading to lunch at the Buffet.
1:30 $281 - I come back from lunch, posted my blinds, and folded to a raise. Three new faces came to the table.
2:00 $121 - Gambled with a Flush Draw against what turned out to be a Set. Ooops! I hit my Flush draw on the Turn, and he hit his Boat draw on the River.
2:30 $156 - Won a decent pot with KK in the BB.
3:00 $228 - Won a sweet pot on the Button with a semi-bluff.
3:30 $230 - Stabbed at a pot in the SB and took the little pot.
4:05 $247 - Cashout (-$53) due to Poker Room closing.
Since I had some time to kill, I headed in to the Pit to play some 3-Card Poker. I played for over an hour before losing my buy-in of $250. I was grinding it out for a while, but I just wasn't getting the cards this time.
5:20 - I head over towards the new Poker Room. There is a mob of 30 people waiting for the 6:00 opening. I grab a quick sandwich at a nearby cart, and wait for the opening.
5:40 - Security makes the now 50 person mob form a line towards the Buffet. I'm in the first half of the line.
5:45 - A "Suit" comes out and goes down the line telling everyone what the plan is for tonight. In honor of "Opening Night", Greektown is having a $100 + $0 tournament at 7pm. Yes, there is no juice for the house. They are expecting to be using all 13 tables for this tournament, so there will be no Cash games until a table breaks. Some of the players in line already knew about this, but it's all news to me.
This sucks for me. I have to work in the morning, and I can't stay until the tourney finishes at 2am. And since we probably won't see any Cash games until at least 8pm, there is no reason for me to be here. I decide to just wait, and check out the new room.
6:00 - Still standing in line. About 80-100 waiting patiently.
6:05 - The "Suits" come out, and the line starts moving. You have to go down some stairs to a level between the ground floor, and the upper floor where the old Poker Room and Buffet are located. You then go through a maze of four small rooms. Some of the rooms have couches and chairs. One of them is for the desk to sign up for a game. Another room is the cashier's cage and a little bar.
And then you finally get to the actual Poker Room. My very first impression was "Beautiful, but Small". It certainly looks better then the Dungeon that the old room was. There are new tables, or at least a new felt with a betting line. They also have snacks out (chips, cookies, fruit, and sandwich wraps), just like Motor City. I don't know if that is permanent, or just for Opening Night.
But it's not a big room. The tables seem to be a bit crammed together. With all these little rooms that you have to walk through to get to the Poker Room, couldn't they have knocked a wall down in order to made a bigger room. Or at least use two of the rooms, just like the original Poker Room.
So, after a quick look around, I left the Poker Room, went to my car, and headed home. Next time I'm in Detroit, I'll go back to Greektown to do a more detailed review of the new Poker Room.
9:20 $200 - Since the table has been open all night, I buy-in for the full amount. There aren't any monster stacks on the table. The largest is around $350.10:00 $138 - Won a decent pot with AK, but I got my KK cracked. The player didn't have enough chips to make me fold. The table's rather active for a Monday morning with a few spots that are willing to put money into the pot rather light.
10:30 $205 - I called a few raises, but whiffed. I took four green chips out of my pocket to reload. Two old grinders come to the table.
11:00 $180 - I'm getting good starting hands, but lousy flops. AK on an 7-high board. 88 on a Broadway board. This has become a very social table, and it's starting to annoy me. The pace of the game has become slower than one of our home games.
11:30 $168 - I'm getting board, and that's a bad thing. I started making loose calls preflop, and that's a good way to burn through a short stack. There was a $700, four player trainwreck that didn't involve me. Jd Tc 8d Ac 4d. 97 takes it down against a Set and two different Two Pairs.
12:00 $234 - Won a decent pot on the Button against a flush draw. Very next hand, I pop it to $7 preflop with T8o and won with a c-bet on a J high Flop. I'm starting to get my groove back. The Floor Person announced that the old Room will close at 4pm.
12:30 $289 - Did my first straddle for $5. A few players limp in. I look down at TT. I give a quiet thanks to the Poker Gods, and raise to $30. Only the SB calls, and he checks in the dark. So I bet $40 in the dark. The Flop comes J high. He think for a moment, and folds. I show my TT. Since I won about $50, that ended up being my only straddle of the day. It's better to quit while I'm ahead.
1:00 $284 - Nothing of interest happened. I'm heading to lunch at the Buffet.
1:30 $281 - I come back from lunch, posted my blinds, and folded to a raise. Three new faces came to the table.
2:00 $121 - Gambled with a Flush Draw against what turned out to be a Set. Ooops! I hit my Flush draw on the Turn, and he hit his Boat draw on the River.
2:30 $156 - Won a decent pot with KK in the BB.
3:00 $228 - Won a sweet pot on the Button with a semi-bluff.
3:30 $230 - Stabbed at a pot in the SB and took the little pot.
4:05 $247 - Cashout (-$53) due to Poker Room closing.
Since I had some time to kill, I headed in to the Pit to play some 3-Card Poker. I played for over an hour before losing my buy-in of $250. I was grinding it out for a while, but I just wasn't getting the cards this time.
5:20 - I head over towards the new Poker Room. There is a mob of 30 people waiting for the 6:00 opening. I grab a quick sandwich at a nearby cart, and wait for the opening.
5:40 - Security makes the now 50 person mob form a line towards the Buffet. I'm in the first half of the line.
5:45 - A "Suit" comes out and goes down the line telling everyone what the plan is for tonight. In honor of "Opening Night", Greektown is having a $100 + $0 tournament at 7pm. Yes, there is no juice for the house. They are expecting to be using all 13 tables for this tournament, so there will be no Cash games until a table breaks. Some of the players in line already knew about this, but it's all news to me.
This sucks for me. I have to work in the morning, and I can't stay until the tourney finishes at 2am. And since we probably won't see any Cash games until at least 8pm, there is no reason for me to be here. I decide to just wait, and check out the new room.
6:00 - Still standing in line. About 80-100 waiting patiently.
6:05 - The "Suits" come out, and the line starts moving. You have to go down some stairs to a level between the ground floor, and the upper floor where the old Poker Room and Buffet are located. You then go through a maze of four small rooms. Some of the rooms have couches and chairs. One of them is for the desk to sign up for a game. Another room is the cashier's cage and a little bar.
And then you finally get to the actual Poker Room. My very first impression was "Beautiful, but Small". It certainly looks better then the Dungeon that the old room was. There are new tables, or at least a new felt with a betting line. They also have snacks out (chips, cookies, fruit, and sandwich wraps), just like Motor City. I don't know if that is permanent, or just for Opening Night.But it's not a big room. The tables seem to be a bit crammed together. With all these little rooms that you have to walk through to get to the Poker Room, couldn't they have knocked a wall down in order to made a bigger room. Or at least use two of the rooms, just like the original Poker Room.
So, after a quick look around, I left the Poker Room, went to my car, and headed home. Next time I'm in Detroit, I'll go back to Greektown to do a more detailed review of the new Poker Room.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Never Go Gambling At The End Of A Bad Day
Today really sucked.
I had a terrible day at work. Our little group, the CPMG, also had some drama last night and today.
With tomorrow being an Off Day, I had a free room at Motor City booked tonight. Because of working late, and other stuff, I finally hit the road for Detroit way later than I wanted. By the time I got to Motor City, checked into my room, and got to the poker room, it was 9pm. And, of course, the poker room was packed. The Bad Beat Jackpot (BBJ) was $101,000 which is huge for Detroit, so 8 out of the 14 tables were $1/$2. I had to wait about 45 minutes to get a table.
I only sat at the table for about 1.25 hrs. I'm really tired and distracted, so I'm just not into playing poker. Plus I just wasn't getting a good feel for the table. So I ended up leaving down $74.
Since I wasn't in the mood to do much thinking, I figured I sit in the Pit, and grind out a bit of profit for the night. Well, that didn't go as planned. In about 45 minutes, I dropped around $450 at three different tables (Texas Hold'em Bonus, then 3-Card Poker, then Pia Gow). I was getting pummeled so badly at the first table, that I grabbed my remaining chips and went to a different table game. Of course, I continued to get thrashed by dealers who were catching more cards than Darvin Moon. How that is possible on three different tables with three different games, I'm not sure.
So, I hope tomorrow gets better, although it can't get much worse. I was planning on going to MGM for a $100 Blackjack tournament at 12noon. But with the oversized BBJ, I may just stay at Motor City, and take advantage of the Bad Beat chasers who are more interested in hitting the jackpot than winning at poker.
I had a terrible day at work. Our little group, the CPMG, also had some drama last night and today.
With tomorrow being an Off Day, I had a free room at Motor City booked tonight. Because of working late, and other stuff, I finally hit the road for Detroit way later than I wanted. By the time I got to Motor City, checked into my room, and got to the poker room, it was 9pm. And, of course, the poker room was packed. The Bad Beat Jackpot (BBJ) was $101,000 which is huge for Detroit, so 8 out of the 14 tables were $1/$2. I had to wait about 45 minutes to get a table.
I only sat at the table for about 1.25 hrs. I'm really tired and distracted, so I'm just not into playing poker. Plus I just wasn't getting a good feel for the table. So I ended up leaving down $74.
Since I wasn't in the mood to do much thinking, I figured I sit in the Pit, and grind out a bit of profit for the night. Well, that didn't go as planned. In about 45 minutes, I dropped around $450 at three different tables (Texas Hold'em Bonus, then 3-Card Poker, then Pia Gow). I was getting pummeled so badly at the first table, that I grabbed my remaining chips and went to a different table game. Of course, I continued to get thrashed by dealers who were catching more cards than Darvin Moon. How that is possible on three different tables with three different games, I'm not sure.
So, I hope tomorrow gets better, although it can't get much worse. I was planning on going to MGM for a $100 Blackjack tournament at 12noon. But with the oversized BBJ, I may just stay at Motor City, and take advantage of the Bad Beat chasers who are more interested in hitting the jackpot than winning at poker.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
I DO Remember How to Play This Game
I went up to Motor City on Wednesday. I got to the Poker Room at 8:30 am. There was a 1/2 table and a 2/5 table open. The 1/2 table was full, so I put my name on that list, as well as the 5/10 Omaha H/L list they have every Wednesday. I grabbed a pager, and went to play some table games.
There was no Texas Holdem Bonus tables open, so I sat down at a empty BlackJack table. I used to have a system of betting more when I lost a hand. Some times it worked wonderfully, and other times in ended very quickly. Losing five hands in a row happens a lot more than it should. These days I just buy-in for $300, 12 green chips. I bet $25 each hand. If I'm having a good shoe, then I might push the bet to $30, using the red chips that I win with a BlackJack. When I'm up $200 or more at the end of the shoe, I walk away.
Since I was alone for most of my session, I saw a lot of hands. I got off to a great start. But about halfway through the shoe, things started to cool off. I ended the first shoe down one pink chip (2.50). The second shoe was even better. Halfway into the shoe, I had more than doubled up, so I walked away +$330 after tipping the dealer three pink chips. Sweet, I'm freerolling in the Poker Room.
I headed back to the Poker Room. They said that they had been paging me for 15 minutes. I handed back my inactive pager, and took a seat at the 1/2 table. There was only one player with a big stack (>1000), but I don't know how long he'd been playing.
As usual for a morning game, it was a tight passive table. Lots of limping, and not much raising preflop. There weren't any action players. Just players who were not as tight as the others. The real tight ones are easy to spot. They kept bitching that they don't get any cards.
There was only one hand of interest:
It's been a long time since I've played any Omaha-8 in a casino, hence the title of this post. It's one of my favorite games, but it is very rare to find a game in this part of the country. Mountaineer will get a 3/6 table sometimes on the weekends. The last time I played it there, half of the players were playing '9-card Bingo'.
I bought in for $300, 30 BB. There were definitely some players who could play this game. Only one player had 'Dead Money' stamped on his forehead.
I got off to a great start. I won many half pots, along with a couple of scoops. I don't have any hands to share, because there are just too many cards to remember. After about two hours, I had realized that I doubled up. I was gonna leave at the end of the orbit, but I lost two pots, so I kept playing.
Of course, I then went brutally card dead. When you go card dead in a NL game, you just fold or maybe limp in late position. It only costs you $3-$7 per orbit. But in Limit games, and especially Omaha, you gotta see Flops, and a few Turns. And that can really drain your chip stack if you keep hitting air.
Finally, after seeing half of my profit vanish, I walk away from the table up $119.
There was some snow forcasted for the afternoon and evening, so I decide to head home early with some profit. On the way to my car, I made my ritualistic donation to the Video Poker gods. It went a little better than usual. I never went above my $100 buy-in, but I did play for a while, and cashed out for $50.
There was no Texas Holdem Bonus tables open, so I sat down at a empty BlackJack table. I used to have a system of betting more when I lost a hand. Some times it worked wonderfully, and other times in ended very quickly. Losing five hands in a row happens a lot more than it should. These days I just buy-in for $300, 12 green chips. I bet $25 each hand. If I'm having a good shoe, then I might push the bet to $30, using the red chips that I win with a BlackJack. When I'm up $200 or more at the end of the shoe, I walk away.
Since I was alone for most of my session, I saw a lot of hands. I got off to a great start. But about halfway through the shoe, things started to cool off. I ended the first shoe down one pink chip (2.50). The second shoe was even better. Halfway into the shoe, I had more than doubled up, so I walked away +$330 after tipping the dealer three pink chips. Sweet, I'm freerolling in the Poker Room.
I headed back to the Poker Room. They said that they had been paging me for 15 minutes. I handed back my inactive pager, and took a seat at the 1/2 table. There was only one player with a big stack (>1000), but I don't know how long he'd been playing.
As usual for a morning game, it was a tight passive table. Lots of limping, and not much raising preflop. There weren't any action players. Just players who were not as tight as the others. The real tight ones are easy to spot. They kept bitching that they don't get any cards.
There was only one hand of interest:
A few limpers when I look down at Jd Js in the BB. I make my standard raise to $7. Five players see a flop of 7d 6c 4d. That is a horrible flop for an overpair, but I need to fire a bet to see where I'm at. $20My 1/2 session was only about two hours. I was up a little, and down a little, but was down $33 when they called the list for the 5/10 Omaha-8 table.
UTG calls. Mid position calls. Cutoff, who just sat down, raises to $100. Now this is an easy laydown. Even if the Cutoff just called, I probably would have checked the Turn, since I'm out of position. UTG, an older guy who is very passive, shoves All-In for $19 more. Mid player folds, and Cutoff calls.
Turn: (7d 6c 4d) Jh
River: (7d 6c 4d Jh) Jc
Old Guy turns over 7 7 for a full house. Cutoff mucks and says that he flopped a straight.
Why can't I be a donkey, and not be able to fold an overpair like so many players?
It's been a long time since I've played any Omaha-8 in a casino, hence the title of this post. It's one of my favorite games, but it is very rare to find a game in this part of the country. Mountaineer will get a 3/6 table sometimes on the weekends. The last time I played it there, half of the players were playing '9-card Bingo'.
I bought in for $300, 30 BB. There were definitely some players who could play this game. Only one player had 'Dead Money' stamped on his forehead.
I got off to a great start. I won many half pots, along with a couple of scoops. I don't have any hands to share, because there are just too many cards to remember. After about two hours, I had realized that I doubled up. I was gonna leave at the end of the orbit, but I lost two pots, so I kept playing.
Of course, I then went brutally card dead. When you go card dead in a NL game, you just fold or maybe limp in late position. It only costs you $3-$7 per orbit. But in Limit games, and especially Omaha, you gotta see Flops, and a few Turns. And that can really drain your chip stack if you keep hitting air.
Finally, after seeing half of my profit vanish, I walk away from the table up $119.
There was some snow forcasted for the afternoon and evening, so I decide to head home early with some profit. On the way to my car, I made my ritualistic donation to the Video Poker gods. It went a little better than usual. I never went above my $100 buy-in, but I did play for a while, and cashed out for $50.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Ending the Year on a High Note
My last casino trip of 2008 was an overnighter to Detroit. Since I was off work Monday, I would usually go up in the morning. I decided to try going on Sunday afternoon, and spend the night. Hopefully I can get a more lively card game on a Sunday afternoon or evening.
I got up to the MGM Detroit poker room about 5 pm, and was seated immediately at a 1/2 table. There were definitely some action players at the table, along with some calling stations. Unfortunately, what was missing from the table was cards for me. I sat there for three hours, and saw just three pocket pairs, nines being the highest. There were just no opportunities for me. (-$191)
I left the poker room, and grabbed some dinner the food court. I then headed over to my new favorite casino table game, Texas Hold'em Bonus. To sum up the game, you play Limit Hold'em Heads-Up against the Dealer. It's a good game to sit for a while, and grind out some profit.
Fortunately, I didn't need to sit for long. After less than an hour, I had doubled up, and left the table up $550. On the way out the door, I did my ritual donation to a Video Poker machine (-$150), and head to the motel up $209 for the day.
On Monday morning, I headed over to Motor City Casino. I walked into the poker room about 9:30, and got seated at a 1/2 table. This table was very typical for a weekday game. Lotsa limping, and not much action. I couldn't get on any kind of run, with my stack floating between +$75 to -$75.
About 12:30, I raise two consecutive hands, get a couple of callers each time, and win about $300 total. First hand was a set of sevens, and second hand was top pair with open-ender that hit on the turn. I left the poker room at 1:30 up $268.
I decided to try my luck again at Texas Hold'em Bonus, and it turned out to still be good. I played about eight hands, and won all of them (+$525).
Headed over to the buffet for lunch. While gorging, i did a little math, and realized that I was up a grand for the trip. I was contemplating whether to head home, or go play some more poker. I decide to buy-in to the 2/5 game for half my profit and see what happens.
I go back to the poker room, and put my name on the 2/5 list. During my hour wait for a seat, I make another ritual donation to the Video Poker gods (-$100).
Once I finally got a seat, I only got to play about two hours before I had to head for home. I left the table down $174. Since it was a short session, i had to rely on catching some luck. As usual, there just was not many opportunities.
So I headed home from Detroit up $728. A sweet way to end the year.
I got up to the MGM Detroit poker room about 5 pm, and was seated immediately at a 1/2 table. There were definitely some action players at the table, along with some calling stations. Unfortunately, what was missing from the table was cards for me. I sat there for three hours, and saw just three pocket pairs, nines being the highest. There were just no opportunities for me. (-$191)
I left the poker room, and grabbed some dinner the food court. I then headed over to my new favorite casino table game, Texas Hold'em Bonus. To sum up the game, you play Limit Hold'em Heads-Up against the Dealer. It's a good game to sit for a while, and grind out some profit.
Fortunately, I didn't need to sit for long. After less than an hour, I had doubled up, and left the table up $550. On the way out the door, I did my ritual donation to a Video Poker machine (-$150), and head to the motel up $209 for the day.
On Monday morning, I headed over to Motor City Casino. I walked into the poker room about 9:30, and got seated at a 1/2 table. This table was very typical for a weekday game. Lotsa limping, and not much action. I couldn't get on any kind of run, with my stack floating between +$75 to -$75.
About 12:30, I raise two consecutive hands, get a couple of callers each time, and win about $300 total. First hand was a set of sevens, and second hand was top pair with open-ender that hit on the turn. I left the poker room at 1:30 up $268.
I decided to try my luck again at Texas Hold'em Bonus, and it turned out to still be good. I played about eight hands, and won all of them (+$525).
Headed over to the buffet for lunch. While gorging, i did a little math, and realized that I was up a grand for the trip. I was contemplating whether to head home, or go play some more poker. I decide to buy-in to the 2/5 game for half my profit and see what happens.
I go back to the poker room, and put my name on the 2/5 list. During my hour wait for a seat, I make another ritual donation to the Video Poker gods (-$100).
Once I finally got a seat, I only got to play about two hours before I had to head for home. I left the table down $174. Since it was a short session, i had to rely on catching some luck. As usual, there just was not many opportunities.
So I headed home from Detroit up $728. A sweet way to end the year.
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