Baltimore Ron
08-07-2003, 01:27 PM
Yes, it's been awhile. And I'd like to apologize to all of my fans (both of you) for being MIA. So, with the mea culpa out of the way, I'd like to relate a story about my recent visit to the Bellagio.
I piggy-backed on a conference trip of the Baltimore Wife and we took the Baltimore Son with us for a cheap vacation. Poker time was limited due to my corporate spouse duties and various vacation-type activities with "the boy."
I did get to play 5 sessions of about 3 hours each. I couldn't get near the 15-30 games when I was free, so I tried to concentrate on 8-16. I ended up playing 4-8 during the first two sessions while waiting for 8-16, but they were too juicy to leave when my name was finally called. All-in-all, it was a good trip. I booked a $500 win in 6 hours of 4-8 and 9 hours of 8-16. It paid for the spouse's and progeny's Saturday night visit to "O", which they enjoyed immensely, as well as the Hoover Dam trip for our trio and some other sightseeing incidentals.
Overall, both limits were softer than backfin crab meat. Lots o' calling down, not betting or raising with strong hands, etc. However, in my last session of 8-16 there were two hands that had me thinking afterwards that I might have missed a couple of bets.
Hand #1. Somewhat tight, but weak, EP open raised and it was folded to me on the button with KTd. A somewhat loose cold call on my part, although I expected the blinds to call, as was their wont, but they let me down this time. The flop was TTxr and I called the EP's bet. The turn was an offsuit Q and I raised when EP bet. He, in turn, immediately reraised. ?!?! I hadn't seen this player get that aggressive before, so I had to put him on a good hand. AT, KT, or QT didn't seem reasonable concidering his early position PF raise. AA, KK or QQ seemed possibilities. I wimped out and just called the raise and called the river bet when another rag fell. In thinking back, he might have folded to a four-bet on the turn, but probably would have called a raise on the river. I'm being fitted for a skirt tomorrow. He showed AA.
Hand #2. I raised UTG with KK. Somewhat aggressive player on my immediate left called and everyone else folded. I don't remember if the BB called, but he wasn't a factor. The flop was T high in a beautiful multi-hued rainbow. I bet, she raised, I reraised and she called. The turn was a rag but matched one of the flop suits. I bet and she immediately raised again. This looked like a classic stop-and-go, but could have been a semi-bluff on a flush draw. Again, I wimped out and called and then check-called the non-completed-flush river. I think this wimp-out was even worse than hand #1. She showed QQ. This hand will require a mini-skirt, but at least I will LG if not necessarily PG all the time.
BR
I piggy-backed on a conference trip of the Baltimore Wife and we took the Baltimore Son with us for a cheap vacation. Poker time was limited due to my corporate spouse duties and various vacation-type activities with "the boy."
I did get to play 5 sessions of about 3 hours each. I couldn't get near the 15-30 games when I was free, so I tried to concentrate on 8-16. I ended up playing 4-8 during the first two sessions while waiting for 8-16, but they were too juicy to leave when my name was finally called. All-in-all, it was a good trip. I booked a $500 win in 6 hours of 4-8 and 9 hours of 8-16. It paid for the spouse's and progeny's Saturday night visit to "O", which they enjoyed immensely, as well as the Hoover Dam trip for our trio and some other sightseeing incidentals.
Overall, both limits were softer than backfin crab meat. Lots o' calling down, not betting or raising with strong hands, etc. However, in my last session of 8-16 there were two hands that had me thinking afterwards that I might have missed a couple of bets.
Hand #1. Somewhat tight, but weak, EP open raised and it was folded to me on the button with KTd. A somewhat loose cold call on my part, although I expected the blinds to call, as was their wont, but they let me down this time. The flop was TTxr and I called the EP's bet. The turn was an offsuit Q and I raised when EP bet. He, in turn, immediately reraised. ?!?! I hadn't seen this player get that aggressive before, so I had to put him on a good hand. AT, KT, or QT didn't seem reasonable concidering his early position PF raise. AA, KK or QQ seemed possibilities. I wimped out and just called the raise and called the river bet when another rag fell. In thinking back, he might have folded to a four-bet on the turn, but probably would have called a raise on the river. I'm being fitted for a skirt tomorrow. He showed AA.
Hand #2. I raised UTG with KK. Somewhat aggressive player on my immediate left called and everyone else folded. I don't remember if the BB called, but he wasn't a factor. The flop was T high in a beautiful multi-hued rainbow. I bet, she raised, I reraised and she called. The turn was a rag but matched one of the flop suits. I bet and she immediately raised again. This looked like a classic stop-and-go, but could have been a semi-bluff on a flush draw. Again, I wimped out and called and then check-called the non-completed-flush river. I think this wimp-out was even worse than hand #1. She showed QQ. This hand will require a mini-skirt, but at least I will LG if not necessarily PG all the time.
BR