Many of the Hands Of The Day involve me getting a little lucky by catching the right card, or having another players screw up and paying me off. For your reading pleasure today, I've decided to balance the scales a bit by giving you a hand that I royally screwed up, especially Preflop and on the River.
$1/$3 NLHE - The Rivers Casino - 08.29.10
UTG+1 raised to $10. He's in his 60's and a Super Nit. I'm the Hyjack with AJc. I haven't 3-Bet all day, so I decided to raise to $25. He was the only caller.
Flop: Kc 6d 3c. He checked. I bet $50 with my Nut Flush Draw. He called.
Turn:[Kc 6d 3c] 3h. He checked. This seems like a good time to take a free card, so I also check.
River: [Kc 6d 3c 3h] Jh. He leads out for $75. I think about it for a bit. I did hit one of my cards, so I make the crying call by tossing three Green chips towards the middle. He shows KK for Kings Full of Threes.
Of course he had KK. He's a Super Nit. What else would he have in this spot? Super Nits don't bet the River without the Nuts (or close to it). The only other hand that he might bet would be JJ, but he might have folded that on the Flop. I doubt he would even bet AA or QQ here. He would just Check & Call. And he would never bet a missed Draw.
Of course, all of the hands I've mentioned so far I couldn't beat. The specific hand that I can beat is QJ, but he would never have that hand in this spot. The only possible hand that I could beat would be TT. But I doubt he would have raised preflop with it, let alone call the Flop bet.
And then there's the Preflop action. Why would I ever 3-Bet a Super Nit with anything worse than QQ? Against a Super Nit, AJc is the same as A3c. It's fine to call, and try to hit something. But don't play it too aggressive, because you will only win a small pot or lose a bigger pot.
One of my poker phrases is, "Never pay off a Super Nit, because you will never get that money back." It too bad I didn't listen to my own advice.
Showing posts with label Rivers Casino. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rivers Casino. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Have You Ever Been Check-Raised In The Dark?
1:15 $300 - On Sunday afternoon, I walked into The Rivers Casino in downtown Pittsburgh, and was immediately seated at a $1/$3 NL table. Even though this table has been open all night, it looks like a new table. Nobody has over $400, and half of the table is under $200.
1:30 $293 - The only hands that I played were posting when I sat down and my blinds. Table seems to be playing normal for an early afternoon. There is one Dude on the other end of the table who doing most of the preflop raising, but he's playing rather passive postflop.
2:00 $252 - I raised to my standard of $11 from Mid with JTh, and got a couple of callers. The Dude in the BB raised to $35, and I was the only caller. While the Dealer was gathering up the chips, the Dude checked in the dark. I've always thought that raising and then checking in the dark was a retarded play, so I bet $50 in the dark. The Dude instantly check-raised All-In for $192, so I know that he's got either AA or AK. Meanwhile, the Dealer has this "Are you serious?" look on her face, and wants to know when she can go. I tell her to go ahead. Flop is Jc Tc 9c. Naturally, I call the dark All-In for $142 more with Top Two Pair. The Dude shows Ad Ac for the Nut Flush Draw. The Turn was 6s, but the River was 3c shipping him the pot.
While this was a dramatic and somewhat silly hand, it was a fairly standard trainwreck with Top Two Pair vs Overpair + Nut Flush Draw. Had it been played "normally", the end result would have been the same. And that result was me getting eight more Green chips out of my pocket to reload my stack.
2:30 $225 - I played a few small pots. The Dude vanished, but he chips are still on the table. The table is very Tight & Passive without him here playing goofy.
3:00 $237 - I called a small River bet with A-high. He had Quads. Things are not going well so far. I'm not sure if it's due to a bad day or just bad play. Probably a little of both. The Dude is still gone. I pull the last four Green chips out of my pocket ($600 total on the table).
3:30 $155 - I'm completely out of sync. I bet a Gutshot Draw on the Turn, and the other player already had a Full House. I also folded Middle Pair on the River after another player called the bet, and I would have won. The Dude came back after an 80 minute lunch.
4:00 $147 - Very card dead, and so is this table. The Dude is playing a decent number of hands, but hasn't raised yet. There has been some changeover in players, so maybe this table will liven up.
4:30 $133 - This is pathetic. In two different hands, I could have called a preflop raise with 76o and A7o, but I just don't have enough chips in front of me. Both times, the Flop came 7 7 6.
How long do I sit here waiting to go broke? I have $600 on the table, so is leaving with just over $100 worth it? Or should I just gut it out, and hope for a Lightning Strike?
5:00 $319 - I get down to $100ish. UTG+1 raised to $12. I called in the BB with Th 9d. Four players saw the Flop of 9h 6h 3s. I check my Top Pair. UTG+1 bet $20. Mid called. I decide to make a stand, and check-raise All-In for around $85-$90. UTG+1 insta-ships All-In, and Mid folded. UTG+1 has 9c 9s for Top Set, and I'm ready to make the Walk of Shame to my car. But... The Turn and River were Hearts, and I win with a 4-Card Flush. Lightning has struck.
I then proceed to win the next three hands, although none were as large or dramatic. It's a funny game sometimes.
5:30 $314 - The Rush is over.
6:00 $538 - Mid raised to $6, and I called on the Button with 64s. Five players saw a Flop of 8c 6d 4c. The SB led out for $20. Two players called, including the preflop raiser. I make it $100. It folds around to the preflop raiser, who just called the $20. He thinks for a while, and starts asking me if my pocket pair is larger then his. I basically ignore him, and he finally folds.
Later, UTG (new player & shortstacked) raised to $11, and I call in the Hyjack with A2d. Five players saw the Flop of 7h 2h 2s. UTG bets $16. The player next to me calls, an Old Guy who just sat down. I raise to $50. It folds around to UTG, who shipped it for $63 total. Old Guy thinks for a bit, and calls. I call the extra $13 because I can't raise. Turn (7h 2h 2s) 6d. Old Guy checked. I bet $100. He thinks for a bit, and folded. I show my A2d, and UTG mucked.
6:30 $360 - I lost a pot with KJo. I hit Top Pair on the Flop, but the Board got scary. Later, I lost about $150 to a Super-Nit in a hand that I played horribly (a future Hand of The Day).
The Old Guy is just dumping money on this table. He calling everything, and is here to gamble. He's already reloaded. Hopefully I can get a chunk of chips from him before I go. I'm getting hungry.
7:05 $454 - I called a Flop bet with Middle Pair (JTo on a K T x Flop), and hit Trips. I got Value on the Turn and River. I won a few other smaller pots, but nothing from the Old Guy.
It's Dinner Time. I cash out with the small loss, head up to the Buffet, and then start the journey home.
1:30 $293 - The only hands that I played were posting when I sat down and my blinds. Table seems to be playing normal for an early afternoon. There is one Dude on the other end of the table who doing most of the preflop raising, but he's playing rather passive postflop.
2:00 $252 - I raised to my standard of $11 from Mid with JTh, and got a couple of callers. The Dude in the BB raised to $35, and I was the only caller. While the Dealer was gathering up the chips, the Dude checked in the dark. I've always thought that raising and then checking in the dark was a retarded play, so I bet $50 in the dark. The Dude instantly check-raised All-In for $192, so I know that he's got either AA or AK. Meanwhile, the Dealer has this "Are you serious?" look on her face, and wants to know when she can go. I tell her to go ahead. Flop is Jc Tc 9c. Naturally, I call the dark All-In for $142 more with Top Two Pair. The Dude shows Ad Ac for the Nut Flush Draw. The Turn was 6s, but the River was 3c shipping him the pot.
While this was a dramatic and somewhat silly hand, it was a fairly standard trainwreck with Top Two Pair vs Overpair + Nut Flush Draw. Had it been played "normally", the end result would have been the same. And that result was me getting eight more Green chips out of my pocket to reload my stack.
2:30 $225 - I played a few small pots. The Dude vanished, but he chips are still on the table. The table is very Tight & Passive without him here playing goofy.
3:00 $237 - I called a small River bet with A-high. He had Quads. Things are not going well so far. I'm not sure if it's due to a bad day or just bad play. Probably a little of both. The Dude is still gone. I pull the last four Green chips out of my pocket ($600 total on the table).
3:30 $155 - I'm completely out of sync. I bet a Gutshot Draw on the Turn, and the other player already had a Full House. I also folded Middle Pair on the River after another player called the bet, and I would have won. The Dude came back after an 80 minute lunch.
4:00 $147 - Very card dead, and so is this table. The Dude is playing a decent number of hands, but hasn't raised yet. There has been some changeover in players, so maybe this table will liven up.
4:30 $133 - This is pathetic. In two different hands, I could have called a preflop raise with 76o and A7o, but I just don't have enough chips in front of me. Both times, the Flop came 7 7 6.
How long do I sit here waiting to go broke? I have $600 on the table, so is leaving with just over $100 worth it? Or should I just gut it out, and hope for a Lightning Strike?
5:00 $319 - I get down to $100ish. UTG+1 raised to $12. I called in the BB with Th 9d. Four players saw the Flop of 9h 6h 3s. I check my Top Pair. UTG+1 bet $20. Mid called. I decide to make a stand, and check-raise All-In for around $85-$90. UTG+1 insta-ships All-In, and Mid folded. UTG+1 has 9c 9s for Top Set, and I'm ready to make the Walk of Shame to my car. But... The Turn and River were Hearts, and I win with a 4-Card Flush. Lightning has struck.
I then proceed to win the next three hands, although none were as large or dramatic. It's a funny game sometimes.
5:30 $314 - The Rush is over.
6:00 $538 - Mid raised to $6, and I called on the Button with 64s. Five players saw a Flop of 8c 6d 4c. The SB led out for $20. Two players called, including the preflop raiser. I make it $100. It folds around to the preflop raiser, who just called the $20. He thinks for a while, and starts asking me if my pocket pair is larger then his. I basically ignore him, and he finally folds.
Later, UTG (new player & shortstacked) raised to $11, and I call in the Hyjack with A2d. Five players saw the Flop of 7h 2h 2s. UTG bets $16. The player next to me calls, an Old Guy who just sat down. I raise to $50. It folds around to UTG, who shipped it for $63 total. Old Guy thinks for a bit, and calls. I call the extra $13 because I can't raise. Turn (7h 2h 2s) 6d. Old Guy checked. I bet $100. He thinks for a bit, and folded. I show my A2d, and UTG mucked.
6:30 $360 - I lost a pot with KJo. I hit Top Pair on the Flop, but the Board got scary. Later, I lost about $150 to a Super-Nit in a hand that I played horribly (a future Hand of The Day).
The Old Guy is just dumping money on this table. He calling everything, and is here to gamble. He's already reloaded. Hopefully I can get a chunk of chips from him before I go. I'm getting hungry.
7:05 $454 - I called a Flop bet with Middle Pair (JTo on a K T x Flop), and hit Trips. I got Value on the Turn and River. I won a few other smaller pots, but nothing from the Old Guy.
It's Dinner Time. I cash out with the small loss, head up to the Buffet, and then start the journey home.
Friday, August 13, 2010
$4/$8 At The Rivers
11:20 $200 - I'm opening the first table of the day (Sat 8/7). We had to wait for at least 10 minutes for various players to walk over from their $1/$3 tables. We finally start with eight players. At 40 yrs old, I am the youngest player at the table by 10 years.
12:00 $192 - Table is filled up now, which includes a 20's guy on my direct Left. Action is kinda calm, with no 7-Card Bingo players yet. There has actually been some preflop raises, but there are a couple of Super Nits who don't ever raise with Overpairs. I've only won one pot so far. I had KQh in the BB. I flopped the Nut Flush draw, and hit it on the River.
12:30 $225 - I raise ($8) with AQ in the Hyjack. The Cutoff (20's guy) 3-Bets ($12). Two players call, and so do I. Flop was low cards with two Hearts. The Cutoff bets ($4). An Old Guy and myself call. The Turn brought the Ah. We ended up checking it down. The Old Guy and myself chop the Pot with AQ. The Cutoff had JJ.
Two hands later, I raised preflop with JJ. Four players saw the Flop of J 6 6. You can figure out the rest.
1:00 $276 - UTG raised ($8). I 3-Bet ($12) in Mid position with JJ, and only UTG called. Flop Kd 7c 3d. He checks. I bet ($4). He called. Turn [Kd 7c 3d] Jh. He checked. I bet ($8). He called. River [Kd 7c 3d Jh] Ac. He checked. I bet ($8). He folded.
I'm the SB, and limp with KJc. Six players saw a Flop of Qc 9s 8d. The BB bet. He's a 20's guy who's a good player, but having a bad session. It folded around to the Button, who called. BB comments that he's earned some respect at the table. I also call with a Gutshot and Overcard, I said that I have no respect for him (in jest, of course), plus I've got outs. Turn [Qc 9s 8d] 8c. I pick up a Flush draw, so I bet. Both players fold, and I showed my bluff.
I raise in Mid with AKh. Only the BB called. I hit the K on the Flop. He hit Middle pair, but rivered a 4-Card Straight. I did manage to save a Bet by checking the River.
1:30 $320 - Bunch of limpers. I'm the Button with Th Td. I don't raise, because everyone will call. Seven players see a Flop of Tc 5s 5h. I guess I should have raised. UTG bet. Mid called. I slowplay, and just call. Turn [Tc 5c 5h] Kc. UTG checked. Mid bet. I call. UTG called. River [Tc 5c 5h Kc] 8s. UTG checked. Mid bet ($8). It's time for me to raise ($16). UTG folded. Mid 3-Bets ($24). I cap the betting ($32). Mid called with 53d.
I limp UTG+2 with ATh. The Button (older tight player) raised. Four players see a Flop of Tc 2c 2h. It checks to me, and I decided to bet. I want to see if the Button will raise with an Overpair, and he did. The BB cold called the raise, and so did I. Turn [Tc 2c 2h] 6s. It checked around to the Button, who bet. The BB called again. I think the Button has an Overpair. With the pot size, I'm getting some odds to hit my 5-outer. But the BB is who I'm concerned about. If he's got a 2, then I'm screwed. I reluctantly decided to fold. River [Tc 2c 2h 6s] Ah. BB checked. Button checked his KK. BB showed A6c for Two Pair, and a missed Flush draw. I think my fold might have been a mistake. It was one of those marginal Limit spots that shows my lack of Limit experience.
2:00 $339 - I limp on the Button with JTs. Six players see a Flop of Jc 9c 8d. The SB bets. BB and UTG calls. I raise. SB calls. BB and UTG fold. Turn [Jc 9c 8d] 7c. SB checks. I hit my Straight, but the Flush got there. At a $1/$2 table, I would probably just check here. But this is Limit, so I bet. If he raises, then I'll probably fold. But the SB just calls. River [Jc 9c 8d 7c] 5c. SB checks. I have to check now due to the 4th Club. SB shows 98 (no Clubs) for Two Pair.
2:30 $369 - I raised with AQs in Mid position. Three players see a Flop of Qd 9d 5s. I bet. It folds around to the BB, who check-raises. I just call. Turn [Qd 9d 5s] 3s. BB bets. I decide to raise, now that I've picked up a Flush Draw. BB calls. River [Qd 9d 5s 3s] 6h. BB checks, and so do I. BB says that he's got a Q. I show my Top Top, and scoop the pot.
3:00 $390 - I raise with KK in the Cutoff. Four players see an A-high Flop. It checks around. I call a Turn bet, and the River got checked around. My KK was good.
I limp with KJ in Mid position, and the Hyjack raised. Five players see a K-high Flop with a Diamond draw. I decided to bet out, and surprisingly only the Hyjack called. I also bet the Turn, but he folded.
3:30 $422 - I raised with AK, and got called by AQ. The Flop was QTx. I checked and called his bet on the Flop and Turn. I hit my Broadway draw on the River, and check-raised him.
4:00 $407 - I limp ($4) on the Button with 8c 6s. The BB raises ($8). Seven players see a Flop of 9s 8s 6d. BB bet ($4). Mid1 calls. Mid2 raises ($8). Two more players call. I decide to 3-Bet ($12) because there are just too many players in this pot, and that is an ugly board for Bottom Two Pair. Only Mid1 and Mid2 call. Turn [9s 8s 6d] Td. Mid1 and Mid2 check. I don't like that card, so I also check. River [9s 8s 6d Td] 4d. Mid1 bet ($8). Mid2 calls, and so do I. Mid1 has 98 for Two Pair, but Mid2 wins the pot was 88 for a Set. Nasty cooler for me to be in 3rd place, but fortunately this was a Limit hand.
4:30 $450 - I raise with ATd. Five players see a Flop of Ac Kc 6d. I bet, and the Hyjack raised. He's a 60's gentleman who recently sat down. I'm the only caller, but I assume that I'm behind. Turn [Ac Kc 6d] 3h. I check. He bets. I call. River [Ac Kc 6d 3h] 8d. I check. He bets. I call. He says, "J-high", and shows JTc for the missed Royal Flush draw.
Shortly after that hand, I cashed out and went to dinner at the Buffet.
12:00 $192 - Table is filled up now, which includes a 20's guy on my direct Left. Action is kinda calm, with no 7-Card Bingo players yet. There has actually been some preflop raises, but there are a couple of Super Nits who don't ever raise with Overpairs. I've only won one pot so far. I had KQh in the BB. I flopped the Nut Flush draw, and hit it on the River.
12:30 $225 - I raise ($8) with AQ in the Hyjack. The Cutoff (20's guy) 3-Bets ($12). Two players call, and so do I. Flop was low cards with two Hearts. The Cutoff bets ($4). An Old Guy and myself call. The Turn brought the Ah. We ended up checking it down. The Old Guy and myself chop the Pot with AQ. The Cutoff had JJ.
Two hands later, I raised preflop with JJ. Four players saw the Flop of J 6 6. You can figure out the rest.
1:00 $276 - UTG raised ($8). I 3-Bet ($12) in Mid position with JJ, and only UTG called. Flop Kd 7c 3d. He checks. I bet ($4). He called. Turn [Kd 7c 3d] Jh. He checked. I bet ($8). He called. River [Kd 7c 3d Jh] Ac. He checked. I bet ($8). He folded.
I'm the SB, and limp with KJc. Six players saw a Flop of Qc 9s 8d. The BB bet. He's a 20's guy who's a good player, but having a bad session. It folded around to the Button, who called. BB comments that he's earned some respect at the table. I also call with a Gutshot and Overcard, I said that I have no respect for him (in jest, of course), plus I've got outs. Turn [Qc 9s 8d] 8c. I pick up a Flush draw, so I bet. Both players fold, and I showed my bluff.
I raise in Mid with AKh. Only the BB called. I hit the K on the Flop. He hit Middle pair, but rivered a 4-Card Straight. I did manage to save a Bet by checking the River.
1:30 $320 - Bunch of limpers. I'm the Button with Th Td. I don't raise, because everyone will call. Seven players see a Flop of Tc 5s 5h. I guess I should have raised. UTG bet. Mid called. I slowplay, and just call. Turn [Tc 5c 5h] Kc. UTG checked. Mid bet. I call. UTG called. River [Tc 5c 5h Kc] 8s. UTG checked. Mid bet ($8). It's time for me to raise ($16). UTG folded. Mid 3-Bets ($24). I cap the betting ($32). Mid called with 53d.
I limp UTG+2 with ATh. The Button (older tight player) raised. Four players see a Flop of Tc 2c 2h. It checks to me, and I decided to bet. I want to see if the Button will raise with an Overpair, and he did. The BB cold called the raise, and so did I. Turn [Tc 2c 2h] 6s. It checked around to the Button, who bet. The BB called again. I think the Button has an Overpair. With the pot size, I'm getting some odds to hit my 5-outer. But the BB is who I'm concerned about. If he's got a 2, then I'm screwed. I reluctantly decided to fold. River [Tc 2c 2h 6s] Ah. BB checked. Button checked his KK. BB showed A6c for Two Pair, and a missed Flush draw. I think my fold might have been a mistake. It was one of those marginal Limit spots that shows my lack of Limit experience.
2:00 $339 - I limp on the Button with JTs. Six players see a Flop of Jc 9c 8d. The SB bets. BB and UTG calls. I raise. SB calls. BB and UTG fold. Turn [Jc 9c 8d] 7c. SB checks. I hit my Straight, but the Flush got there. At a $1/$2 table, I would probably just check here. But this is Limit, so I bet. If he raises, then I'll probably fold. But the SB just calls. River [Jc 9c 8d 7c] 5c. SB checks. I have to check now due to the 4th Club. SB shows 98 (no Clubs) for Two Pair.
2:30 $369 - I raised with AQs in Mid position. Three players see a Flop of Qd 9d 5s. I bet. It folds around to the BB, who check-raises. I just call. Turn [Qd 9d 5s] 3s. BB bets. I decide to raise, now that I've picked up a Flush Draw. BB calls. River [Qd 9d 5s 3s] 6h. BB checks, and so do I. BB says that he's got a Q. I show my Top Top, and scoop the pot.
3:00 $390 - I raise with KK in the Cutoff. Four players see an A-high Flop. It checks around. I call a Turn bet, and the River got checked around. My KK was good.
I limp with KJ in Mid position, and the Hyjack raised. Five players see a K-high Flop with a Diamond draw. I decided to bet out, and surprisingly only the Hyjack called. I also bet the Turn, but he folded.
3:30 $422 - I raised with AK, and got called by AQ. The Flop was QTx. I checked and called his bet on the Flop and Turn. I hit my Broadway draw on the River, and check-raised him.
4:00 $407 - I limp ($4) on the Button with 8c 6s. The BB raises ($8). Seven players see a Flop of 9s 8s 6d. BB bet ($4). Mid1 calls. Mid2 raises ($8). Two more players call. I decide to 3-Bet ($12) because there are just too many players in this pot, and that is an ugly board for Bottom Two Pair. Only Mid1 and Mid2 call. Turn [9s 8s 6d] Td. Mid1 and Mid2 check. I don't like that card, so I also check. River [9s 8s 6d Td] 4d. Mid1 bet ($8). Mid2 calls, and so do I. Mid1 has 98 for Two Pair, but Mid2 wins the pot was 88 for a Set. Nasty cooler for me to be in 3rd place, but fortunately this was a Limit hand.
4:30 $450 - I raise with ATd. Five players see a Flop of Ac Kc 6d. I bet, and the Hyjack raised. He's a 60's gentleman who recently sat down. I'm the only caller, but I assume that I'm behind. Turn [Ac Kc 6d] 3h. I check. He bets. I call. River [Ac Kc 6d 3h] 8d. I check. He bets. I call. He says, "J-high", and shows JTc for the missed Royal Flush draw.
Shortly after that hand, I cashed out and went to dinner at the Buffet.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Hand Of The Day #49
$1/$3 NLHE - Rivers Casino - 08.07.10
An attractive 40's Lady sits next to me on my Left, and buys-in to the game with 100 White chips. I assume that she's waiting for the $4/$8 game to open, because I'm also on that List. She tells the Dealer that she'll wait for the Big Blind to come around so she doesn't have to Post the $3. She ends up sitting there for about six hands, and even gets a Player's Card made by the Desk while waiting.
Finally, she gets to play her Big Blind. I'm the SB, and I limp with Jc 9s. Six players see a Flop of Kc Qc Ts. I check my Straight, hoping someone will bet. The Lady bets 5 White chips, and two players call. I check-raise to $20. The Lady calls the extra 15 White chips, and UTG+2 calls.
Turn [Kc Qc Ts] 6d. Good, a Brick. I bet $50 hoping to end this hand. The Lady goes All-In for her last 77 White chips. UTG+2 folds, and I call the extra $22. She proudly shows her Ah Ad. I show my Straight, and win the Pot.
She says, "I guess this isn't my game," and leaves after one hand. The rest of the Guys at the table were not happy with me for chasing her away. But the $4/$8 game opened about 10 minutes later, and I bought into that game with my profit.
An attractive 40's Lady sits next to me on my Left, and buys-in to the game with 100 White chips. I assume that she's waiting for the $4/$8 game to open, because I'm also on that List. She tells the Dealer that she'll wait for the Big Blind to come around so she doesn't have to Post the $3. She ends up sitting there for about six hands, and even gets a Player's Card made by the Desk while waiting.
Finally, she gets to play her Big Blind. I'm the SB, and I limp with Jc 9s. Six players see a Flop of Kc Qc Ts. I check my Straight, hoping someone will bet. The Lady bets 5 White chips, and two players call. I check-raise to $20. The Lady calls the extra 15 White chips, and UTG+2 calls.
Turn [Kc Qc Ts] 6d. Good, a Brick. I bet $50 hoping to end this hand. The Lady goes All-In for her last 77 White chips. UTG+2 folds, and I call the extra $22. She proudly shows her Ah Ad. I show my Straight, and win the Pot.
She says, "I guess this isn't my game," and leaves after one hand. The rest of the Guys at the table were not happy with me for chasing her away. But the $4/$8 game opened about 10 minutes later, and I bought into that game with my profit.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
The Rivers
I spent all day on Saturday at The Rivers Casino in downtown Pittsburgh. Their Poker Room is similar to The Meadows, as in it's new, pretty, roomy, and has 24 tables. The biggest difference of the two rooms is the number of games that they spread. Here is the list of games The Rivers had on Saturday night at 10pm:
2 - 4/8 Limit
1 - 4/8 Limit Omaha-8
1 - 1/3 PLO
14 - 1/3 NLHE
4 - 2/5 NLHE
1 - 5/10 NLHE
1- 10/20 NLHE
0 - Empty Tables
Not only was every table full, there were long lists for 1/2 and 2/5. The whole casino was packed. There were no empty seats for the tables in the Pit. The baseball game right down the street was still in extra innings when I left. I can imagine how many more people will be in the casino after the game is over.
As for my day, I ended up playing five different games for a few hours each - 1/3 NL, 4/8 Limit, 4/8 Omaha-8, 2/5 NL, and Blackjack. Some were winners, and some were losers. By the time I walked back to my car, I was down $22.
I did a Running Log for my 4/8 Limit session that I will publish later.
Many of the Home game players have been down to check out The Rivers. Yesterday, DougPoker and Special K showed up shortly after I got there, and spent the day. I ended up having dinner at the Buffet with Special K, and playing some Omaha-8 with DougPoker. We even got into a big pot against each other, along with some of the "9-Card Bingo" players tagging along. I ended up winning the Hi with the Nut Flush, while his Low Draw got counterfeited with a 2 on the River.
2 - 4/8 Limit
1 - 4/8 Limit Omaha-8
1 - 1/3 PLO
14 - 1/3 NLHE
4 - 2/5 NLHE
1 - 5/10 NLHE
1- 10/20 NLHE
0 - Empty Tables
Not only was every table full, there were long lists for 1/2 and 2/5. The whole casino was packed. There were no empty seats for the tables in the Pit. The baseball game right down the street was still in extra innings when I left. I can imagine how many more people will be in the casino after the game is over.
As for my day, I ended up playing five different games for a few hours each - 1/3 NL, 4/8 Limit, 4/8 Omaha-8, 2/5 NL, and Blackjack. Some were winners, and some were losers. By the time I walked back to my car, I was down $22.
I did a Running Log for my 4/8 Limit session that I will publish later.
Many of the Home game players have been down to check out The Rivers. Yesterday, DougPoker and Special K showed up shortly after I got there, and spent the day. I ended up having dinner at the Buffet with Special K, and playing some Omaha-8 with DougPoker. We even got into a big pot against each other, along with some of the "9-Card Bingo" players tagging along. I ended up winning the Hi with the Nut Flush, while his Low Draw got counterfeited with a 2 on the River.
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.
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