11-10-2001, 06:31 PM
It's been a few years and Halloween in SF gave me the urge to go. 2 ex-sister-in laws work in the biz there so I know I'll get comped.
9 hours driving time later I'm in a 4-8 early morning hold-em game waiting for sis to arrive at work at the Mirage poker room.
Obvious daytime grinders in the game. I figure out their style in 20 minutes. Beat the game for $60 before she gets to work. She arrives with my brother and he takes me off to binions to see the other ex-sister in law.
I get my room ($25.00 nite) toke the floor for the comp 1 red bird, and decide I must sit down for a little bit anyways. Boy am I tired. I'll let the floor see me for awhile then up too my room for rest. I stake my broke brother in a 4-8 game, there's no 10-20 so I sit there too. Everyone figure out were bro's pretty fast. We're even sitting next to each other. We each stay even for awhile, then it happens.
I'm in SB him BB. Everyone mucks to me. I RAISE!!! lol ...he RE-RAISES me! Hey that's my money!, I re-raise! He calls. Flop was trash(I had 6's) I check he bets I check-raise! He 3 bets me! By this time the whole table is laughing and I'm talking about how I'm gonna tell mom! He shows me his pocket kings and I muck! We're all laughing.
Next round same position. This time I got aces, I do it again, saying something about wanting my money back. After 4 bets pre-flop we sit the flop come king high. I bet, he raises and shows me AK! I 3 bet and he mucks! "you tight-ass". Everyone is laughin when I complain about telling mom he won't give me action! I show my aces.
Time for rest.
Long story shorter: I get my STAT KING disc and CAROS BOOK OF TELLS @ the gamblers book store. (#1 reason to drive 9 hours).
I test myself amongst the "vegas pros". Played Mirage 6-12, 10-20, 20-40. Beat all games playing very tight up-front and pounding them back on the button. I pulled off more bluff check-raises to button bettors on the flop in one week then I try all year in Bay area. It's almost automatic, you check to the button in vegas they bet. Bellagio only a little different. A few more tourists in the games. 8-16, 15-30. Still beatable. But now I know why they say 1 BB an hour. In units, the pots are 1/4 the size or less. Many hands are heads up for 2-4 bets total pre-flop, sometimes 3 players.
Only 3 big pots in 8 days of playing. I win two of them. At the Mirage, waiting for a 20-40, I'm in a lively 6-12 full of tourists. I have had no less then 6 sets in one hour. Lost 2 of them. But I have a really good image.
UTG raises, next 2 cold call. I have pocket 10's and want to narrow it down right now and get the button. I 3 bet it. EVERYONE calls! uhoh.
Flop: Ah, 10d, 9h
I already know I cant pound them out on the flop so I have to try on the turn. Original raiser opens and wild man behind me 2 bets, 7 players for 2 bets.
pot size: 30 SB pre-flo, 14 SB on flop. Pot is too big...too many drawing hands against me.
Turn: 6d
This could hurt, but it's time to try to drive this bus. New guy bets in front of me. I raise, wild man calls, cutoff calls, SB 3-bets, we endup 5 players(I didnt re-raise) for a CAP when wildman pounds it again as does SB. I'm thinking these buys both have 78 and they cold called 3 bets pre-flop when that's exactly what I was trying to stop from happening. I really need a board pair.
pot size: 47 Big bets
Bingo!
River: 9c
3 of us go 2 bets when I raise the SB bet.
Pot size 53 Big bets.
That was an aberration from what I see tho. The regular vegas player was pretty readable. Very basic at these levels. Most played like clones. The tighter ones mucked anything less then pocket 10's pre-flop to an early position tight raiser(me). Often the daytime old grinders wouldn't raise AKo pre-flop, and they NEVER re-raised with it on the button! I never saw a 3 bet from these guys pre-flop. Even with aces. Aces held up more tho as there were fewer in the hand. This was also the kind of game where one rarely plays KJo. It's no good to a raise most often and outta position early.
I think I'll stay in SF and play. Higher variation, but 3 times the hourly.
sorry it was so long!
9 hours driving time later I'm in a 4-8 early morning hold-em game waiting for sis to arrive at work at the Mirage poker room.
Obvious daytime grinders in the game. I figure out their style in 20 minutes. Beat the game for $60 before she gets to work. She arrives with my brother and he takes me off to binions to see the other ex-sister in law.
I get my room ($25.00 nite) toke the floor for the comp 1 red bird, and decide I must sit down for a little bit anyways. Boy am I tired. I'll let the floor see me for awhile then up too my room for rest. I stake my broke brother in a 4-8 game, there's no 10-20 so I sit there too. Everyone figure out were bro's pretty fast. We're even sitting next to each other. We each stay even for awhile, then it happens.
I'm in SB him BB. Everyone mucks to me. I RAISE!!! lol ...he RE-RAISES me! Hey that's my money!, I re-raise! He calls. Flop was trash(I had 6's) I check he bets I check-raise! He 3 bets me! By this time the whole table is laughing and I'm talking about how I'm gonna tell mom! He shows me his pocket kings and I muck! We're all laughing.
Next round same position. This time I got aces, I do it again, saying something about wanting my money back. After 4 bets pre-flop we sit the flop come king high. I bet, he raises and shows me AK! I 3 bet and he mucks! "you tight-ass". Everyone is laughin when I complain about telling mom he won't give me action! I show my aces.
Time for rest.
Long story shorter: I get my STAT KING disc and CAROS BOOK OF TELLS @ the gamblers book store. (#1 reason to drive 9 hours).
I test myself amongst the "vegas pros". Played Mirage 6-12, 10-20, 20-40. Beat all games playing very tight up-front and pounding them back on the button. I pulled off more bluff check-raises to button bettors on the flop in one week then I try all year in Bay area. It's almost automatic, you check to the button in vegas they bet. Bellagio only a little different. A few more tourists in the games. 8-16, 15-30. Still beatable. But now I know why they say 1 BB an hour. In units, the pots are 1/4 the size or less. Many hands are heads up for 2-4 bets total pre-flop, sometimes 3 players.
Only 3 big pots in 8 days of playing. I win two of them. At the Mirage, waiting for a 20-40, I'm in a lively 6-12 full of tourists. I have had no less then 6 sets in one hour. Lost 2 of them. But I have a really good image.
UTG raises, next 2 cold call. I have pocket 10's and want to narrow it down right now and get the button. I 3 bet it. EVERYONE calls! uhoh.
Flop: Ah, 10d, 9h
I already know I cant pound them out on the flop so I have to try on the turn. Original raiser opens and wild man behind me 2 bets, 7 players for 2 bets.
pot size: 30 SB pre-flo, 14 SB on flop. Pot is too big...too many drawing hands against me.
Turn: 6d
This could hurt, but it's time to try to drive this bus. New guy bets in front of me. I raise, wild man calls, cutoff calls, SB 3-bets, we endup 5 players(I didnt re-raise) for a CAP when wildman pounds it again as does SB. I'm thinking these buys both have 78 and they cold called 3 bets pre-flop when that's exactly what I was trying to stop from happening. I really need a board pair.
pot size: 47 Big bets
Bingo!
River: 9c
3 of us go 2 bets when I raise the SB bet.
Pot size 53 Big bets.
That was an aberration from what I see tho. The regular vegas player was pretty readable. Very basic at these levels. Most played like clones. The tighter ones mucked anything less then pocket 10's pre-flop to an early position tight raiser(me). Often the daytime old grinders wouldn't raise AKo pre-flop, and they NEVER re-raised with it on the button! I never saw a 3 bet from these guys pre-flop. Even with aces. Aces held up more tho as there were fewer in the hand. This was also the kind of game where one rarely plays KJo. It's no good to a raise most often and outta position early.
I think I'll stay in SF and play. Higher variation, but 3 times the hourly.
sorry it was so long!