Martin Aigner
02-19-2003, 04:29 PM
After being in Las Vegas in November last year (for the 7th time since 1997) I thought I wouldnīt be in the USA that soon again. Anyway, my wife and I played pretty much on the Internet (Party, mostly the 30 and 50$ buy in and 1-2 up to 5-10 cash games HE, O8 and 7CS8) and after being up about 2.5k a few days before Christmas we decided to visit Foxwoods in February (because of the low temperatures not really the best time to visit this area, but my wife couldnīt take a week off until summer but this week). With the goal of financing the trip via the internet we played pretty much every day at Party and managed to cash out a bankroll for the trip of 6k. 2k for flight and hotels, 4 k for other expenses.
The flight from Vienna was pretty smooth, although after 9.5 hrs in a plane Iīm usually rather tired. We were lucky enough to sit in an emergency-exit-seat. Business class is pretty expensive, and since Iīm rather big (1,93 meters, should be something like 6ī4īī) Iīm always happy when I get some of these seats. Anyway, we still had to drive to Foxwoods, which took longer than expected (more that 3 hrs) due to heavy traffic. We stayed at the Two Trees Inn which is an OK place to stay. After checking in we took the shuttle to Foxwoods and had a dinner and visited the casinoarea afterwards. Although we were pretty tired I wanted to play a little since otherwise I usually wake up about 4 in the mourning (6 hrs. difference in time between Austria and EST). My wife got a seat in a 5-10 HE game with a full kill, I took a seat in a must move 10-20 HE. I didnīt play a hand in the first 3 rounds and finally tried to bluff in the SB on turn and river (flop was checked) with a gutshot straight draw which didnīt come. Got called by the BB L. A few hands later I had to release AK on the turn and was down about 150. Since it was a must move game and there werenīt any more players on the list it pretty fast got a short handed game until I was finally heads up with another player (the one who called my bluff the hand I mentioned before). We both agreed to play some more to see if any other player would come (which didnt happen). He wasnīt what I would call a tough heads up player (Iīm no expert in heads up by anyones standards neither) and was pretty easy to read. After about an half hour I was up 90 bucks (from starting heads up at 250) and then he had to move to the other table. I didnīt care too much. I was ahead and I was tired, so this seemed a pretty good time to go to bed. My wife was up 80 too, so we quit. She told me that although she sat down in an 5-10 game she mostly played 10-20, since the qualification for the kill was a pot of 100 or more. This sounds a little strange to me, since a pot of 100 is pretty much common at 5-10, and so more at 10-20. So when the pot gets killed there will usually be 5 more hands played at 10-20. Anyway, this is how it works at Foxwoods.
The next day we got up in the morning and after having breakfast at the restaurant of the Two Trees Inn we drove to Newport, which is a really lovely place. We did some shopping and visited the mansion of the Astors. For those who happen to be in Newport, I strongly recommend this visit the this mansion. They have actors there who play maids and servants of the Astors and you play a part in the game too (youīll be someone who wants to get a job a an maid/servant in that place). Both absolutely worth seeing, the play and the mansion. Afterwards we drove back to Foxwoods. I played some 5/10 Omaha8. Soft game, but the players seemed to be better than at the HE table the night before. I won the first hand I sat down (scooper with the nutflush) and didnīt play a hand for the next hour. Then I was in the BB, UTG raised MP called and so did I with 4457 ( I usually play rather tight, but after 1 hour of mucking this hand including 2 wheelcards seemed a monster hand to me ;-) ), everyone elso mucked. Flop came K97 (two clubs). I checked, UTG bet, MP called and I checkraised (thought UTG had AAxx and MP going for backdoor low only). The reason why I checkraised was that I misread my hand. I actually thought I had 77 in my hand, but it was 44! So I checkraised with bottom pair no kicker against 2 players!!! Both players called, turn was 5c, making the flush possible and even an emergency-low for me impossible. I bet out, wanting the others to believe I had the nutflush and making them pay for the lowdraw. UTG mucked, MP raised. Ouch, obviously he didnīt believe me that I had the nutflush, probably the reason was that he had it himself L. Anyway, with my trips I had to call of course. River: 5, filling me up. I bet out, MP made a crying call and I turn over my hand. Of cours I still had a full house, but not the one I expected to see, and you can bet that the other player didnīt expect it neither. He shook his hand for about 5 minutes. Anyway, I was embarrassed a little but thought that I might use my image as a complete nut now. I played pretty tight again afterwards and got paid on two hands afterwards. After 3 hours I left, being up a little over 200. In the meantime they tried to open a 10/20 HE game, but nobody but me wanted to play. So they opend a 5/10 HE which my wife played in. She won a 90 bucks. Nice evening for the both of us. We almost won what we spent in Newport doing some shopping.
On Monday we made a trip to Boston and spent the whole day there. Nice city, nice aquarium, terrible prices for parking (we paid something like $30 for 3 or 4 hrs). We came back at 9 pm and were too tired to play.
On Tuesday we went to Mystic (went to the Aquarium there, too. IMHO itīs even better than the one in Boston). Afterwards we went to Mohegan Sun and visited the casino. We liked it way better than Foxwoods, it really has some nice atmosphere, but the table games played over there were pretty high. I wanted to play some black jack, but all tables Iīve seen were minimum bet 25 and up. Too high for me. So we played some slots, lost 50 bucks and headed to Foxwoods afterwards to play the famous Tuesday night NLHE tourney. 130 players, first price about 3400, 20 players got paid. I really liked the structure. Itīs pretty slow, although at the end it goes a little too fast IMHO. After 4 hands I was in the BB with 98d. No raise, 4 players see the flop for 5 each.
Flop: Ah 7d 5d. I bet 20 and got called by 1 player.
Turn: 7s. I bet 50, got called again
River: 5s. Bet 150, got called by A6o. L
A few hands later 5 players call the BB (5) so do I with AJo in the CO. Button raises to 25, 5 players call, so do I. 7 players see the flop J 8 2 rainbow.
2 players check, next player bets 100, next raises all in for 340, next folds and itīs up to me. I think a little and decide that there is a small chance that my hand is good and reraise all in for close to 400, other players muck, original bettor calls. We turn our hands over and AJ is good against 55 and Q9. Turn and river bring rags and I have a nice stack.
But this was it. No more playable hands in limit 2 and 3. I make a double rebuy before the break and I have about 1200, which is a medium stake at this time. Our tablechipleader has about 4k! After the break Iīm still cardcold, but I manage to pick up some small pots by some reraise steals. Finaly I double up with 99 against A8 and I have a mediocre stack when we are down to 3 tables. My wife just got at my table, she has a little less than me (I had about 3k, she about 2.5k). After a few hands there is an all in raise for 600 (blinds 200/400, antes 50) by an MP, 2 big stacks in LP call, SB calls and my wife moves all in with KK. Big stacks both muck, SB has about 1k left and thinks a little before finally calling with A3o. Turn is an A and my wife is very shortstacked. 2 hands later a player raises all in (AQ) for about 3k, she calls with AT, BB calls with 55. Flop: AT5, no improvement and trips 5 eliminate 2 players.
Shortly afterwards limits go up ( I think blinds were 300/600, antes 100)and we are almost down to 2 tables and the players tighten up. I start to move in several times I was first in and stole my way to a real nice stack. Shortly after the player who eliminated my wife with 55 called the BB (600). I thought a little and decided to call on the button with 22 too. I had about 5,5k (2nd chipleader at the table) before calling, and I wouldnīt call most of the times with this hand here, but the first caller had about 5k, too, and I thought that I might get all his chips from him if he only hit a little. One more reason to call was that the chipleader (who played way better than the other player I mentioned) was in the SB and I was pretty sure he would call the BB, too. He did as expected, BB checked (he had about 3k after posting the BB). Flop comes J85, two hearts. All check to me. 22 is an easy hand to play, since it is usually a hit or muck hand. Anyway, since all 3 players checked in a pretty weak way and there were already about 2.7k in the pot I thought I might go for it. I bet 1200. I thought that this would be enough to drive out the other players, but I was wrong. SB mucked, BB called, other player mucked. Turn: Ts. We both checked. River: 3h. BB checked and I move all in. He thinks for a long time and finally mucks. So Iīm the new chipleader at the table. I still donīt catch any cards, so I tighten up again. The player, who eliminated my wife wins a 4k pot with QTo, when he called another player, who raised all in preflop with A3. Terrible call IMHO (just as the on with 55), but it worked out again. So heīs 2nd chipleader behind me, and he sits now to the immediate right of me. Iīm in the BB, heīs in the SB, everyone mucks. He calls and I look down to see my first real playable hand that night. AKs. I decide that I donīt want to see a flop against the 2nd chipleader, so I raise all in. (BB still 600, I have about 9k after posting the BB). He calls as fast as he can and proudly turns over AA. OUCH. I played really good the whole tourney (made my only mistake in the 22 hand on the flop, but caught up with the river play), got dealt rags all the tourney, still manage to be in great chipposition and get (close to) eliminated on my 1st good hand in the tourney. I probably could have played the hand a better way, but most of the other ways (except checking and mucking on the flop) would get all my money in anyway. For 15th place I got $106, which was about as much as I spent.
BTW: I looked for a guy with fossils in front of him several times, but he wasnīt there. Anyway, Greg, if you read this: I really wanted to say hello and thank you for your private message concerning the trip you sent me about a month ago.
On Wednesday we wanted to drive to Boston again, but there were warnings of heavy snowstorms in the area, so we decided not to drive that far. We did some shopping and headed to Mohegan Sun again. My wife played 5/10 HE again, I played 10/20 stud. I got some good cards and was up 300 when my wife came and asked me to go for dinner. I said OK, she told me that she would go to the restroom and pick me up afterwards. I decided to play until she would come back. The very next hand I got (33)Q. The Q was high on board. I completed the bring in, a 9 behind me called, so did the bring in (2). The 9 got a second diamond on 4th street, I caught a 3 and the other player got a rag. I bet, both called. 5th street rags for all of us. 6th street the player with the opening 9 caught a 9, the player with the opening 2 caught a 2, rag for me. 9 checked, 2 bet, I raised, 9 called, 2 reraised, we both called. I didnīt improve on the river. 9 checked, 2 checked. I thought I was beat and saw no possibility for a successful bluff, so I announced trips. Both player say that trips are good, I show my set of 3s, and they muck. 1 hand later my wife got back from the restroom, and I left. I was happy that everybody heard before that I would play only for the time she was away, since I didnīt want to be accused for being a hit and run player.
We went to a steakhouse at MS (not the Michael Jordan steakouse, the other one). The food was excellent. You Americans really know how to make steaks.
On Thursday we drove to New York, where we stayed until Saturday and did some sightseeing and shopping. Saturday evening we took a stretched limo to JFK and flew home.
For those who want to visit Foxwoods I want to add that I would recommend to stay directly at one of the casino hotels. The To Trees Inn is nice, but you have to take a shuttle to the casino, which can be a bit nerving.
Mohegan Sun is for sure the nicer place to stay, but way more expensive.
Regards
Martin Aigner
The flight from Vienna was pretty smooth, although after 9.5 hrs in a plane Iīm usually rather tired. We were lucky enough to sit in an emergency-exit-seat. Business class is pretty expensive, and since Iīm rather big (1,93 meters, should be something like 6ī4īī) Iīm always happy when I get some of these seats. Anyway, we still had to drive to Foxwoods, which took longer than expected (more that 3 hrs) due to heavy traffic. We stayed at the Two Trees Inn which is an OK place to stay. After checking in we took the shuttle to Foxwoods and had a dinner and visited the casinoarea afterwards. Although we were pretty tired I wanted to play a little since otherwise I usually wake up about 4 in the mourning (6 hrs. difference in time between Austria and EST). My wife got a seat in a 5-10 HE game with a full kill, I took a seat in a must move 10-20 HE. I didnīt play a hand in the first 3 rounds and finally tried to bluff in the SB on turn and river (flop was checked) with a gutshot straight draw which didnīt come. Got called by the BB L. A few hands later I had to release AK on the turn and was down about 150. Since it was a must move game and there werenīt any more players on the list it pretty fast got a short handed game until I was finally heads up with another player (the one who called my bluff the hand I mentioned before). We both agreed to play some more to see if any other player would come (which didnt happen). He wasnīt what I would call a tough heads up player (Iīm no expert in heads up by anyones standards neither) and was pretty easy to read. After about an half hour I was up 90 bucks (from starting heads up at 250) and then he had to move to the other table. I didnīt care too much. I was ahead and I was tired, so this seemed a pretty good time to go to bed. My wife was up 80 too, so we quit. She told me that although she sat down in an 5-10 game she mostly played 10-20, since the qualification for the kill was a pot of 100 or more. This sounds a little strange to me, since a pot of 100 is pretty much common at 5-10, and so more at 10-20. So when the pot gets killed there will usually be 5 more hands played at 10-20. Anyway, this is how it works at Foxwoods.
The next day we got up in the morning and after having breakfast at the restaurant of the Two Trees Inn we drove to Newport, which is a really lovely place. We did some shopping and visited the mansion of the Astors. For those who happen to be in Newport, I strongly recommend this visit the this mansion. They have actors there who play maids and servants of the Astors and you play a part in the game too (youīll be someone who wants to get a job a an maid/servant in that place). Both absolutely worth seeing, the play and the mansion. Afterwards we drove back to Foxwoods. I played some 5/10 Omaha8. Soft game, but the players seemed to be better than at the HE table the night before. I won the first hand I sat down (scooper with the nutflush) and didnīt play a hand for the next hour. Then I was in the BB, UTG raised MP called and so did I with 4457 ( I usually play rather tight, but after 1 hour of mucking this hand including 2 wheelcards seemed a monster hand to me ;-) ), everyone elso mucked. Flop came K97 (two clubs). I checked, UTG bet, MP called and I checkraised (thought UTG had AAxx and MP going for backdoor low only). The reason why I checkraised was that I misread my hand. I actually thought I had 77 in my hand, but it was 44! So I checkraised with bottom pair no kicker against 2 players!!! Both players called, turn was 5c, making the flush possible and even an emergency-low for me impossible. I bet out, wanting the others to believe I had the nutflush and making them pay for the lowdraw. UTG mucked, MP raised. Ouch, obviously he didnīt believe me that I had the nutflush, probably the reason was that he had it himself L. Anyway, with my trips I had to call of course. River: 5, filling me up. I bet out, MP made a crying call and I turn over my hand. Of cours I still had a full house, but not the one I expected to see, and you can bet that the other player didnīt expect it neither. He shook his hand for about 5 minutes. Anyway, I was embarrassed a little but thought that I might use my image as a complete nut now. I played pretty tight again afterwards and got paid on two hands afterwards. After 3 hours I left, being up a little over 200. In the meantime they tried to open a 10/20 HE game, but nobody but me wanted to play. So they opend a 5/10 HE which my wife played in. She won a 90 bucks. Nice evening for the both of us. We almost won what we spent in Newport doing some shopping.
On Monday we made a trip to Boston and spent the whole day there. Nice city, nice aquarium, terrible prices for parking (we paid something like $30 for 3 or 4 hrs). We came back at 9 pm and were too tired to play.
On Tuesday we went to Mystic (went to the Aquarium there, too. IMHO itīs even better than the one in Boston). Afterwards we went to Mohegan Sun and visited the casino. We liked it way better than Foxwoods, it really has some nice atmosphere, but the table games played over there were pretty high. I wanted to play some black jack, but all tables Iīve seen were minimum bet 25 and up. Too high for me. So we played some slots, lost 50 bucks and headed to Foxwoods afterwards to play the famous Tuesday night NLHE tourney. 130 players, first price about 3400, 20 players got paid. I really liked the structure. Itīs pretty slow, although at the end it goes a little too fast IMHO. After 4 hands I was in the BB with 98d. No raise, 4 players see the flop for 5 each.
Flop: Ah 7d 5d. I bet 20 and got called by 1 player.
Turn: 7s. I bet 50, got called again
River: 5s. Bet 150, got called by A6o. L
A few hands later 5 players call the BB (5) so do I with AJo in the CO. Button raises to 25, 5 players call, so do I. 7 players see the flop J 8 2 rainbow.
2 players check, next player bets 100, next raises all in for 340, next folds and itīs up to me. I think a little and decide that there is a small chance that my hand is good and reraise all in for close to 400, other players muck, original bettor calls. We turn our hands over and AJ is good against 55 and Q9. Turn and river bring rags and I have a nice stack.
But this was it. No more playable hands in limit 2 and 3. I make a double rebuy before the break and I have about 1200, which is a medium stake at this time. Our tablechipleader has about 4k! After the break Iīm still cardcold, but I manage to pick up some small pots by some reraise steals. Finaly I double up with 99 against A8 and I have a mediocre stack when we are down to 3 tables. My wife just got at my table, she has a little less than me (I had about 3k, she about 2.5k). After a few hands there is an all in raise for 600 (blinds 200/400, antes 50) by an MP, 2 big stacks in LP call, SB calls and my wife moves all in with KK. Big stacks both muck, SB has about 1k left and thinks a little before finally calling with A3o. Turn is an A and my wife is very shortstacked. 2 hands later a player raises all in (AQ) for about 3k, she calls with AT, BB calls with 55. Flop: AT5, no improvement and trips 5 eliminate 2 players.
Shortly afterwards limits go up ( I think blinds were 300/600, antes 100)and we are almost down to 2 tables and the players tighten up. I start to move in several times I was first in and stole my way to a real nice stack. Shortly after the player who eliminated my wife with 55 called the BB (600). I thought a little and decided to call on the button with 22 too. I had about 5,5k (2nd chipleader at the table) before calling, and I wouldnīt call most of the times with this hand here, but the first caller had about 5k, too, and I thought that I might get all his chips from him if he only hit a little. One more reason to call was that the chipleader (who played way better than the other player I mentioned) was in the SB and I was pretty sure he would call the BB, too. He did as expected, BB checked (he had about 3k after posting the BB). Flop comes J85, two hearts. All check to me. 22 is an easy hand to play, since it is usually a hit or muck hand. Anyway, since all 3 players checked in a pretty weak way and there were already about 2.7k in the pot I thought I might go for it. I bet 1200. I thought that this would be enough to drive out the other players, but I was wrong. SB mucked, BB called, other player mucked. Turn: Ts. We both checked. River: 3h. BB checked and I move all in. He thinks for a long time and finally mucks. So Iīm the new chipleader at the table. I still donīt catch any cards, so I tighten up again. The player, who eliminated my wife wins a 4k pot with QTo, when he called another player, who raised all in preflop with A3. Terrible call IMHO (just as the on with 55), but it worked out again. So heīs 2nd chipleader behind me, and he sits now to the immediate right of me. Iīm in the BB, heīs in the SB, everyone mucks. He calls and I look down to see my first real playable hand that night. AKs. I decide that I donīt want to see a flop against the 2nd chipleader, so I raise all in. (BB still 600, I have about 9k after posting the BB). He calls as fast as he can and proudly turns over AA. OUCH. I played really good the whole tourney (made my only mistake in the 22 hand on the flop, but caught up with the river play), got dealt rags all the tourney, still manage to be in great chipposition and get (close to) eliminated on my 1st good hand in the tourney. I probably could have played the hand a better way, but most of the other ways (except checking and mucking on the flop) would get all my money in anyway. For 15th place I got $106, which was about as much as I spent.
BTW: I looked for a guy with fossils in front of him several times, but he wasnīt there. Anyway, Greg, if you read this: I really wanted to say hello and thank you for your private message concerning the trip you sent me about a month ago.
On Wednesday we wanted to drive to Boston again, but there were warnings of heavy snowstorms in the area, so we decided not to drive that far. We did some shopping and headed to Mohegan Sun again. My wife played 5/10 HE again, I played 10/20 stud. I got some good cards and was up 300 when my wife came and asked me to go for dinner. I said OK, she told me that she would go to the restroom and pick me up afterwards. I decided to play until she would come back. The very next hand I got (33)Q. The Q was high on board. I completed the bring in, a 9 behind me called, so did the bring in (2). The 9 got a second diamond on 4th street, I caught a 3 and the other player got a rag. I bet, both called. 5th street rags for all of us. 6th street the player with the opening 9 caught a 9, the player with the opening 2 caught a 2, rag for me. 9 checked, 2 bet, I raised, 9 called, 2 reraised, we both called. I didnīt improve on the river. 9 checked, 2 checked. I thought I was beat and saw no possibility for a successful bluff, so I announced trips. Both player say that trips are good, I show my set of 3s, and they muck. 1 hand later my wife got back from the restroom, and I left. I was happy that everybody heard before that I would play only for the time she was away, since I didnīt want to be accused for being a hit and run player.
We went to a steakhouse at MS (not the Michael Jordan steakouse, the other one). The food was excellent. You Americans really know how to make steaks.
On Thursday we drove to New York, where we stayed until Saturday and did some sightseeing and shopping. Saturday evening we took a stretched limo to JFK and flew home.
For those who want to visit Foxwoods I want to add that I would recommend to stay directly at one of the casino hotels. The To Trees Inn is nice, but you have to take a shuttle to the casino, which can be a bit nerving.
Mohegan Sun is for sure the nicer place to stay, but way more expensive.
Regards
Martin Aigner