Mike Burchett
12-17-2003, 09:03 AM
I'm up late and bored, so this might be a long trip post. I was activated in Februrary due to (at the time) upcoming war (I'm in the Marine Corps Reserve). Because of this, I was able to live in Southern California for awhile; I am from Visalia, near Fresno.
In any case, I started playing poker about a year and a half ago in Fresno, mainly 6-12/k and 3-6 HE.
Around March when I had gotten settled (and was pretty bored in Miramar) I decided to check out the poker scene. I had no idea the surreal turn my life was about to take.
When I got activated, I was grabbed away from my brand new teaching job (I have a math degree) and my coaching (I coach football and wrestling). I am not complaining; I could have been being shot at like some of my friends oversees - I just got a paid working vacation to San Diego.
In any case, since I had a math degree and thought i understood THFAP(i didn't - and today I still might not but i'm trying) I went to Ocean's 11 one day to play 8/16k.
Random thought: Is there a bad 8/16 game in southern california?
So, after a few big wins, a few losses, no bills to speak of and a constant rereading of THFAP and Middle Limit Holdem, I start playing in the 20/40 game at Ocean's 11 pretty regularly. I also start going around on weekends when I have time; some time following I will post about my experiences... for the time being, while I do not condider myself a great player, I was either good enough or lucky enough to come up a pretty substantial winner during my short little tenure. For now, I have some comments about the various casinos I managed to visit in So. Ca. (mainly SD but some LA):
Ocean's 11: Great 20/40 game, really good 8/16 game. Reasonable rake (for CA); they had just started up a rewards program when I was getting ready to leave back home. This was my "regular" casino so it has a special place in my heart ;-). Players were for the most part friendly, and regular enough that you could get a read on the most common ones. I really had fun here...
The Bike -
While not as busy as Commerce, this is my fav casino in LA. They don't charge as much; the games are varied and tend to be good, and you just have to give it to dealers who wear "No abuse" pins. Also they have a 10/20 game, which I applaud, even if the one at the Bike was tight/aggressive and was harder to beat than the 20 game the few times I was there.
Commerce -
The mecca. The experience. The $8 collection at the 20/40 tables. The players that make it worth it. Good stud games too. My commerce experiences will be expounded on later...
The Lucky Lady (San Diego) -
Great 8/16k game - friendly staff. I also heard they have 5/10 lowball on the weekends that is absolutely nuts but never witnessed it. Good 4/8 and 3/6 for LL folks too.
Sycuan (sp?) -
Low limit only plus some crapshoot tournaments. Good rewards program from a glance but not enough commitment to lower mid-limit games to keep me there. Crazy 3/6 O8 game but most are.
Viejas -
Best 8/16k in So Ca with good drawings on Mondays when I was last there. Several low limit games as well, and small buy-in tourneys almost everyday (the only one I entered I won /images/graemlins/grin.gif). Good casino in general.
Chula Vista (forgot casino name)
I was informed by a local pro to not spread word of this game around. As the players were rude and were extremely abusive to the dealers, and I probably won't be back for awhile, I don't care anymore. This is -the- best 30/60 game. On. The. Planet. And most of the players have overs buttons. I saw a guy blow 10k in an hour. This was probably too big for my bankroll the three times I tried. I had two decent wins and a 5k loss when I had the misfortune of getting AA twice and KK three times during a sessino /images/graemlins/tongue.gif.
My only word of advice: bring your setbelt.
Also: Rumor is the 8/16 O8 game is very good as well, but since I am not patient enough to wait the 20+ long list, I dunno ;-).
Also from my long experience, I'll post my short views on my 3 vegas trips:
Binion's during middle of WSOP month:
Fun, lively, lots of action. I was playing 10/20 mainly during this time (mid Apr), and games were pretty good. It amazed me how bad the chips/tables were though.
Mirage -
The two times I played the 10/20, it was loose passive (yum). It really *felt* like a 2/4 table with $5 chips. These were both busy weekends though, so I'm quite sure it is normally much different.
Bellagio -
I played 5 different games here during three times here:
15/30 was good at all times; usually more tight and aggressive than Ca games but ok once I adjusted. Since there are so many tables, this is probably the most varied game in LV... I saw a huge (2k+?) pot at one of these tables while I was at the 20/40 O/8.
20/40 O/8: Good, bordering on great game. Too bad I am best a marginal O/8 player. I should not have been on this table, but managed to make a profit.
15/30 Stud:
Was very good the time I played. And I had fun, because I made a profit and my mind was bored of HE.
30/60 HE:
I was only at this table about an hour (waiting for $500 tourney seat I won in a 1 table Sat). It was a decently tough game; didn't really have too much of a read on it beyond that before I moved on.
40/80 Stud: My idiot Mason experience:
i.e. how to lose 2k w/o really noticing or trying.
I am *maybe* a decent stud player. But after getting busted out of a minor $500 tourney on a Bad beat and not wanting to wait for a seat, I went ahead and sat down; hey, I had a big win at $30/60 stud at Commerce the week before, right? Never mind the larger guy at the end looked vaguely familiar. Even worse, I couldn't catch cards (I would have misplayed them anyway). Enjoy the money Mason. I deserved the lesson. And hell, apparently I had too much dinero anyway ;-). /images/graemlins/grin.gif
In any case, I enjoyed my short time making more money in poker than the Marine Corps... ;-)
I also managed to meet my fiancee (again - we knew eachother vaguely in high school), and I had a fun time while I was down there.
Now I'm back in Visalia, doing what I love most (coaching), and finishing up my credential, and I have a job locked up for next year. I hope to see y'all around the tables when I visit LA and LV when I can this year.
I hope this wasn't too boring!
cya
Mike
In any case, I started playing poker about a year and a half ago in Fresno, mainly 6-12/k and 3-6 HE.
Around March when I had gotten settled (and was pretty bored in Miramar) I decided to check out the poker scene. I had no idea the surreal turn my life was about to take.
When I got activated, I was grabbed away from my brand new teaching job (I have a math degree) and my coaching (I coach football and wrestling). I am not complaining; I could have been being shot at like some of my friends oversees - I just got a paid working vacation to San Diego.
In any case, since I had a math degree and thought i understood THFAP(i didn't - and today I still might not but i'm trying) I went to Ocean's 11 one day to play 8/16k.
Random thought: Is there a bad 8/16 game in southern california?
So, after a few big wins, a few losses, no bills to speak of and a constant rereading of THFAP and Middle Limit Holdem, I start playing in the 20/40 game at Ocean's 11 pretty regularly. I also start going around on weekends when I have time; some time following I will post about my experiences... for the time being, while I do not condider myself a great player, I was either good enough or lucky enough to come up a pretty substantial winner during my short little tenure. For now, I have some comments about the various casinos I managed to visit in So. Ca. (mainly SD but some LA):
Ocean's 11: Great 20/40 game, really good 8/16 game. Reasonable rake (for CA); they had just started up a rewards program when I was getting ready to leave back home. This was my "regular" casino so it has a special place in my heart ;-). Players were for the most part friendly, and regular enough that you could get a read on the most common ones. I really had fun here...
The Bike -
While not as busy as Commerce, this is my fav casino in LA. They don't charge as much; the games are varied and tend to be good, and you just have to give it to dealers who wear "No abuse" pins. Also they have a 10/20 game, which I applaud, even if the one at the Bike was tight/aggressive and was harder to beat than the 20 game the few times I was there.
Commerce -
The mecca. The experience. The $8 collection at the 20/40 tables. The players that make it worth it. Good stud games too. My commerce experiences will be expounded on later...
The Lucky Lady (San Diego) -
Great 8/16k game - friendly staff. I also heard they have 5/10 lowball on the weekends that is absolutely nuts but never witnessed it. Good 4/8 and 3/6 for LL folks too.
Sycuan (sp?) -
Low limit only plus some crapshoot tournaments. Good rewards program from a glance but not enough commitment to lower mid-limit games to keep me there. Crazy 3/6 O8 game but most are.
Viejas -
Best 8/16k in So Ca with good drawings on Mondays when I was last there. Several low limit games as well, and small buy-in tourneys almost everyday (the only one I entered I won /images/graemlins/grin.gif). Good casino in general.
Chula Vista (forgot casino name)
I was informed by a local pro to not spread word of this game around. As the players were rude and were extremely abusive to the dealers, and I probably won't be back for awhile, I don't care anymore. This is -the- best 30/60 game. On. The. Planet. And most of the players have overs buttons. I saw a guy blow 10k in an hour. This was probably too big for my bankroll the three times I tried. I had two decent wins and a 5k loss when I had the misfortune of getting AA twice and KK three times during a sessino /images/graemlins/tongue.gif.
My only word of advice: bring your setbelt.
Also: Rumor is the 8/16 O8 game is very good as well, but since I am not patient enough to wait the 20+ long list, I dunno ;-).
Also from my long experience, I'll post my short views on my 3 vegas trips:
Binion's during middle of WSOP month:
Fun, lively, lots of action. I was playing 10/20 mainly during this time (mid Apr), and games were pretty good. It amazed me how bad the chips/tables were though.
Mirage -
The two times I played the 10/20, it was loose passive (yum). It really *felt* like a 2/4 table with $5 chips. These were both busy weekends though, so I'm quite sure it is normally much different.
Bellagio -
I played 5 different games here during three times here:
15/30 was good at all times; usually more tight and aggressive than Ca games but ok once I adjusted. Since there are so many tables, this is probably the most varied game in LV... I saw a huge (2k+?) pot at one of these tables while I was at the 20/40 O/8.
20/40 O/8: Good, bordering on great game. Too bad I am best a marginal O/8 player. I should not have been on this table, but managed to make a profit.
15/30 Stud:
Was very good the time I played. And I had fun, because I made a profit and my mind was bored of HE.
30/60 HE:
I was only at this table about an hour (waiting for $500 tourney seat I won in a 1 table Sat). It was a decently tough game; didn't really have too much of a read on it beyond that before I moved on.
40/80 Stud: My idiot Mason experience:
i.e. how to lose 2k w/o really noticing or trying.
I am *maybe* a decent stud player. But after getting busted out of a minor $500 tourney on a Bad beat and not wanting to wait for a seat, I went ahead and sat down; hey, I had a big win at $30/60 stud at Commerce the week before, right? Never mind the larger guy at the end looked vaguely familiar. Even worse, I couldn't catch cards (I would have misplayed them anyway). Enjoy the money Mason. I deserved the lesson. And hell, apparently I had too much dinero anyway ;-). /images/graemlins/grin.gif
In any case, I enjoyed my short time making more money in poker than the Marine Corps... ;-)
I also managed to meet my fiancee (again - we knew eachother vaguely in high school), and I had a fun time while I was down there.
Now I'm back in Visalia, doing what I love most (coaching), and finishing up my credential, and I have a job locked up for next year. I hope to see y'all around the tables when I visit LA and LV when I can this year.
I hope this wasn't too boring!
cya
Mike