SheridanCat
07-29-2004, 03:34 PM
Back in June I posted my report of playing California poker for the first time. That was at Lucky Chances at the 9/18 Hold'em on a weeknight. The maniacs were out that night.
This week I was back in the Bay Area for a followup conference held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Fortunately, my evenings were free to get some of that hot Bay action.
I arrived at San Francisco International Airport after an uneventful and on-time flight from Midway. I hate flying ATA, and vow to never do it again - every time. On the way to the rental car center, I call my hotel to tell them I'll be checking in late, and with car in hand I head to Artichoke Joe's.
AJ's is a stone's throw from SFO; unfortunately Mapquest has me driving all over San Bruno and I finally find the casino on my own. It could not be any easier to find.
Having never been to Artichoke Joe's before, it takes me a few minutes to get my bearings. I walk in by the California Games but quickly find the poker room. On my way I'm slighly startled by a giant eel in a tank. Icky to look at, but so, so delicious.
Unfortunately, nothing looks like a board and no one looks like a brush, so I watch the action for a bit. Since the chip colors are strange to me, I can't easily tell what games were being spread except for the red chip game which was either 15/30 or 20/40, which is easy to spot. Before long I see someone writing on a table, and decide that's the brush. I'm right. The brush is behind a long wood bar along the wall. It looked like a cashier to me at first.
I'm seated almost immediately in a 6/12 Hold'em game. They're also spreading 3/6 and 15/30 and have an interest list for 4/8 Omaha with a half-kill. I get on the Omaha list.
My 6/12 is very loose and passive with most pots 6+ handed for one, and occasionaly two, bets preflop. I quickly run my $300 buyin up to $600. Whenever I double my buyin, I start thinking about racking up, but the game is juicy so I get smart and resist the urge. It's only been an hour or so, after all.
Over the next two hours, I make a lot of second bests and give it all back to end the night down $10. I know that that this game is exactly what Ed Miller has written about, so I need to get ahold of that book. I felt I adjusted more or less properly for the game, but I'm sure I made some mistakes since this is not a typical game texture for me.
I make my way to the W Hotel in downtown SF, where I'm happily tucked in by 10:30 pm. Next morning I beat the wakeup call and spend the day in my conference. During the conference, I have wireless internet access and I see the Borders in Union Square has Ed's book. I take a quick walk at lunch and pick one of five copies off the shelf.
I browse through it on the way back when the center set of pages falls out. That's the 2+2 quality I have come to expect. But I'm sure as heck not taking it back, so I soldier on.
The conference session finally ends, and I decide tonight I'll return to Lucky Chances in Colma to visit the maniacs I met last time I was in town. First I relax a bit in my room while perusing Ed's book and then I'm off. The book is great so far. Nothing earth shattering yet, but he's stating things in fresh ways that make me think more about them.
This time Mapquest doesn't let me down, and I make a beeline for LC. After a few hands of 3/6 7-card stud, I'm called for the 6/12 where I run into a crowd very similar to the AJ's bunch. Lots of loose, passive calling going on. At one point, after betting all the way, I somehow win a three-handed pot with unimproved AKo, and it's feeling like a good night. Who needs maniacs?
I tread water for the next couple hours or so. Each orbit you pay $11 in blinds and drop, but I resist the temptation to loosen up like the rest of these guys. There's junk hands being shown down everywhere, but I'm just not getting anything to play with. Before long our game breaks and I move to another 6/12.
Suddenly I start catching a spate of pocket pairs including KK and JJ a couple times each during the first 3 or so orbits. Unfortunately, my poor pairs are run down by all manner of junky hands, and I find myself at the felt. I'm playing tight, and I know I can make it back if I hang in with this game. The other players, by now, have noticed I've lost about $400 in the last 30 minutes and have been taking shots at me.
When I tilt, I tilt by tightening rather than loosening my standards. The real problem I have to fight against is the urge to also get weak. I must consciously remind myself to remain aggressive, and that helps me here.
I buy another $100, catch JJ and, reminding myself to raise the ragged board, beat J8o that caught an 8. This game also breaks, and I'm back to my original table where a new game has started. More loose, passive cold-callers taking their poor hands too far combined with some luck for me, and I'm ahead by $94. Time to call it a night at 2am.
Next morning my wakeup call beats me, and I drag myself to the conference session. I try to get some Small Stakes Hold'em reading in too.
The conference ends with time to kill before I head back to The Windy City, so it's back to AJ's to beat the rush hour traffic.
The 6/12 tables aren't moving, so I sit in the newly starting 15/30 game. I figure this game ought to be a bit tougher than I've seen. My usual game is 10/20 and 15/30, so the stakes don't worry me.
I could have been no wronger. I recognize at least one player from the 6/12 I played here a couple days prior, and the other players play the same way. Loose, passive, cold-calling - delicious. Hands are 5-6 handed preflop for 1 or 2 bets.
In one hand, I'm the big blind with T4o. I see the raggedy flop for free and the board pairs my 4. I bet. "Hmm, the big blind likes it," says one of the players yet to act. "It's a big blind flop," says I. Four players fold and the button calls. The turn comes a card, a king I think, and I bet - the button calls. The river comes a card, and I know I can only win by betting, so I bet. The button calls. I flip over my hand, "Just a four." The button mucks. Wha?
That was pretty typical.
Shortly it's time to fly, and I cash out ahead $600 after giving a couple hundred back with close second bests.
The more I play, the more I love Cali poker. I gotta go see what LA is like.
If you haven't tried it, check out the Bay Area for poker. It's good stuff.
Regards,
T
This week I was back in the Bay Area for a followup conference held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Fortunately, my evenings were free to get some of that hot Bay action.
I arrived at San Francisco International Airport after an uneventful and on-time flight from Midway. I hate flying ATA, and vow to never do it again - every time. On the way to the rental car center, I call my hotel to tell them I'll be checking in late, and with car in hand I head to Artichoke Joe's.
AJ's is a stone's throw from SFO; unfortunately Mapquest has me driving all over San Bruno and I finally find the casino on my own. It could not be any easier to find.
Having never been to Artichoke Joe's before, it takes me a few minutes to get my bearings. I walk in by the California Games but quickly find the poker room. On my way I'm slighly startled by a giant eel in a tank. Icky to look at, but so, so delicious.
Unfortunately, nothing looks like a board and no one looks like a brush, so I watch the action for a bit. Since the chip colors are strange to me, I can't easily tell what games were being spread except for the red chip game which was either 15/30 or 20/40, which is easy to spot. Before long I see someone writing on a table, and decide that's the brush. I'm right. The brush is behind a long wood bar along the wall. It looked like a cashier to me at first.
I'm seated almost immediately in a 6/12 Hold'em game. They're also spreading 3/6 and 15/30 and have an interest list for 4/8 Omaha with a half-kill. I get on the Omaha list.
My 6/12 is very loose and passive with most pots 6+ handed for one, and occasionaly two, bets preflop. I quickly run my $300 buyin up to $600. Whenever I double my buyin, I start thinking about racking up, but the game is juicy so I get smart and resist the urge. It's only been an hour or so, after all.
Over the next two hours, I make a lot of second bests and give it all back to end the night down $10. I know that that this game is exactly what Ed Miller has written about, so I need to get ahold of that book. I felt I adjusted more or less properly for the game, but I'm sure I made some mistakes since this is not a typical game texture for me.
I make my way to the W Hotel in downtown SF, where I'm happily tucked in by 10:30 pm. Next morning I beat the wakeup call and spend the day in my conference. During the conference, I have wireless internet access and I see the Borders in Union Square has Ed's book. I take a quick walk at lunch and pick one of five copies off the shelf.
I browse through it on the way back when the center set of pages falls out. That's the 2+2 quality I have come to expect. But I'm sure as heck not taking it back, so I soldier on.
The conference session finally ends, and I decide tonight I'll return to Lucky Chances in Colma to visit the maniacs I met last time I was in town. First I relax a bit in my room while perusing Ed's book and then I'm off. The book is great so far. Nothing earth shattering yet, but he's stating things in fresh ways that make me think more about them.
This time Mapquest doesn't let me down, and I make a beeline for LC. After a few hands of 3/6 7-card stud, I'm called for the 6/12 where I run into a crowd very similar to the AJ's bunch. Lots of loose, passive calling going on. At one point, after betting all the way, I somehow win a three-handed pot with unimproved AKo, and it's feeling like a good night. Who needs maniacs?
I tread water for the next couple hours or so. Each orbit you pay $11 in blinds and drop, but I resist the temptation to loosen up like the rest of these guys. There's junk hands being shown down everywhere, but I'm just not getting anything to play with. Before long our game breaks and I move to another 6/12.
Suddenly I start catching a spate of pocket pairs including KK and JJ a couple times each during the first 3 or so orbits. Unfortunately, my poor pairs are run down by all manner of junky hands, and I find myself at the felt. I'm playing tight, and I know I can make it back if I hang in with this game. The other players, by now, have noticed I've lost about $400 in the last 30 minutes and have been taking shots at me.
When I tilt, I tilt by tightening rather than loosening my standards. The real problem I have to fight against is the urge to also get weak. I must consciously remind myself to remain aggressive, and that helps me here.
I buy another $100, catch JJ and, reminding myself to raise the ragged board, beat J8o that caught an 8. This game also breaks, and I'm back to my original table where a new game has started. More loose, passive cold-callers taking their poor hands too far combined with some luck for me, and I'm ahead by $94. Time to call it a night at 2am.
Next morning my wakeup call beats me, and I drag myself to the conference session. I try to get some Small Stakes Hold'em reading in too.
The conference ends with time to kill before I head back to The Windy City, so it's back to AJ's to beat the rush hour traffic.
The 6/12 tables aren't moving, so I sit in the newly starting 15/30 game. I figure this game ought to be a bit tougher than I've seen. My usual game is 10/20 and 15/30, so the stakes don't worry me.
I could have been no wronger. I recognize at least one player from the 6/12 I played here a couple days prior, and the other players play the same way. Loose, passive, cold-calling - delicious. Hands are 5-6 handed preflop for 1 or 2 bets.
In one hand, I'm the big blind with T4o. I see the raggedy flop for free and the board pairs my 4. I bet. "Hmm, the big blind likes it," says one of the players yet to act. "It's a big blind flop," says I. Four players fold and the button calls. The turn comes a card, a king I think, and I bet - the button calls. The river comes a card, and I know I can only win by betting, so I bet. The button calls. I flip over my hand, "Just a four." The button mucks. Wha?
That was pretty typical.
Shortly it's time to fly, and I cash out ahead $600 after giving a couple hundred back with close second bests.
The more I play, the more I love Cali poker. I gotta go see what LA is like.
If you haven't tried it, check out the Bay Area for poker. It's good stuff.
Regards,
T