Barry
04-09-2004, 08:36 PM
As some of you know, I’m making a career change and have some spare time on my hands. Angel Fish’s brother was graduating from medical school in Miami so we used that as an excuse to organize a trip in our plane (Piper Saratoga TC) to AC and Tunica.
The original plan was to leave last Wed, fly to AC and play at the Borgata for 2 days, then fly to Miami for the graduation. However there was a storm system that was heading to the northeast so we decided to leave on Tuesday instead. The weather was foggy and the ceilings were low so instead of flying into Bader field, which is right in town, I wound up shooting an ILS to near minimums into AC International which is a little further out.
Borgata Notes
We called to make reservations ahead of time and the agent told us that they were “fully committed”. I then asked to be transferred to the poker room and one of the supervisors was able to get us a room at the casino rate, which was about $80 a night. If we played enough poker they would be able to reduce the rate to $40 a night. The place and the rooms are very nice.
On to poker….
In the back section they have their “high limit room” which is about 7 tables in which they spread 10/20, 15/30 and 20/40 HE as well as a few stud games. I found it somewhat unusual that they would spread all of those games. I also found out that just about every weekend they also have a 40/80 game going. While the lower limit games are raked 10/20 and higher are time games. $6 per ½ hour for the 15/30 and $7 at the 20/40. When I arrived they didn’t have the 20/40 going so I sat in the 15/30 game. It is quite easily the best 15/30 game that I have ever sat in. It was Very loose and fairly passive. There were routinely 6-8 seeing the flop in unraised pots and still 5 if the pot was raised. Any 2 suited, any 2 cards even closely connected were being played. If a flush got there you could be sure that someone had it, even if it was runner/runner.
Despite that, I got hammered the 1st night, losing nearly $1,000. Usual reasons, all my big pairs got outdrawn and none of my draws got there. Just 2 hands illustrate my point. I raise UTG with AKo and get 4 callers including the blinds. Flop is KJ5, I bet, 3 callers, including the blinds. Turn is a 9, I bet, the blinds call. River is a 8. SB now bets out and the BB raises. I fold my TPTK and the SB calls. BB shows T7o for a runner runner gutshot straight and the SB flashes his J8o for a rivered 2 pair. In another hand, a LAG, borderline maniac raises UTG+1 to my immediate right. (This fellow had raised w/ T3o earlier while he was sitting across the table. If it was checked to him, he would almost always bet until he got some resistance. If a pot was raised he would 3-bet it with any pair. He was sitting across the table from my most of the night and had just moved to my right.) I look down and see JJ and I 3-bet. A steaming LP fellow that had dropped nearly $2K by playing about 60% of his hands calls 3 cold; everybody else folds, UTG+1 calls. Flop comes J53r, UTG+1 bets out, I raise, LP calls 2 cold, UTG now 3-bets, I call, LP calls. Turn is a 7. UTG+1 bets out again, I raise again, LP again calls 2 cold, UTG+1 just calls. River is a 9 (no flush possible), UTG+1 checks, I look, think a bit and then grit my teeth and bet. LP now raises, UTG+1 calls, I call. LP stands up and says “See I can win with s*** cards and throws down his T8h. UTG+1 flashes his AA.
The next 2 nights the game played the same, and I much more than made back my $1,000 as a few of my draws hit, and a few less of the others did. I also played in the 20/40 game. It was an OK game too, but I went back to the 15/30 as that game had a much higher expectation.
On Friday, the weather system hadn’t moved and fog was worse so Angel Fish and Angel Guppy went to Miami on a commercial flight and I stayed until Saturday AM. I went down to Miami and met up with everybody, after the graduation. We had a small celebration and went to sleep.
We got up Saturday, left Angel Guppy with Grandma and Angel Fish and I headed off to Tunica and the Horseshoe. We stopped over in Albany, GA and called the poker room and asked how we would get to the hotel from the airport. The manager told us that he would send a shuttle for us. We arrived in Tunica, which has a nice little airport that is in the midst of an expansion do to the casinos. While it is only a VFR airport they will have a GPS approach available in the next few weeks and an ILS by the end of the year. Well the poker manager was true to his word, we had a ride waiting and it was the limo! Very nice.
We arrived and checked in to a pretty decent room then went down and checked out the poker room. It was smaller than I expected, only 12 tables. They had a few 4/8 games going, as well as 1 10/20 and 1 20/40. AF went to her 4/8 game and I got on the list for the 10/20 and 20/40. I had just sat down at the 10/20 when they started up a 20/40 must move game. It wasn’t a great game and there were three locals sitting together that didn’t have a full set of teeth between them.
There were only 2 moderately interesting hands. Early on, a MP open raises, a LP 3-bets and I look down and see black K’s and I make it $80. They both call. The flop comes Qxx rainbow, I bet they both call. Turn is another rag, I bet, then it gets interesting, MP raises and the LP makes it 3 bets. I sit for a few seconds and wonder if the locals are putting a move on the tourist. I say that I’m going to lay this down just this 1 time and fold. The MP now makes it 4 bets and the LP starts moaning about the other guy getting lucky and calls. The river is a J, bet call. MP turns over QQ and LP flashes his AA as he tosses it into the muck. I guess that they weren’t putting a move on me.
Later on it got shorthanded and we were playing 7 handed and I open limped UTG with A9c. Aggressive fellow in EP raises and an LP and the button call, I call. The flop comes T75 high with 2 clubs. I check, EP raises, LP calls and now the button raises. As I am contemplating my action, the EP tosses in his chips to call. I tell him that I haven’t acted yet and I proceed to 3-bet it. EP says, I know when I’m not wanted and folds. The other 2 don’t look very happy and call. The turn is a red 8 giving me a straight draw to go with my flush draw. I bet, LP folds and the button calls. River is a 4h and I miss everything. I bet, the button looks very upset and he folds. That was the biggest pot that I won that night and it was a bluff. I went off to bed about even.
We got up the next day and met the manager that had arranged the ride for us. He comped us the buffet and put us on the list for when we got back. We also asked about room rates and he told us that the poker rate was $25 weeknights and $35 weekends. It also was very easy to get comps. Just ask. When we got back AF got into her 4/8 game, the 20/40 was full so I sat in the 10/20 game. It was pretty tight passive and all the folks were showing their cards after their opponents folded, just so they would know that they weren’t bluffing. I didn’t get any action on my big hands, but I was able to win a few hands on bluffs. I almost felt guilty bluffing these guys, especially 1 fellow that looked like he just came down from the mountains. He was missing most of his teeth; he had long grey hair with a beard to match. There could have been things living in there. His fingernails were also about 2 inches long. AF went into a tourney and since I had tofly the next morning I went off to sleep. She woke me up later to tell me that she had come in 12th. I told her that I was proud of her and then I asked how many had entered. She told me 25 and I told her that I wasn’t so proud of her after all. We got up the next morning and played for a little while before we left. We got another buffet comp and they also arranged for a ride back to the airport for us. On the way back we only got a van. Well it is true what they say about Tunica. It’s cheap and they really take care of the folks there, the only problem (at least at the ‘Shoe) is that the poker action is not very good. I sat down to play blackjack for a few minutes before we left and the pit boss offered me a buffet comp. Alas, as I was leaving, I turned it down.
We got back to the airport and then flew down to New Orleans to visit the in-laws and pick up Angel Guppy. We had dinner at our favorite restaurant in NOLA Jacques-Imo’s and we were too tired and full to make it to Harrah’s. I suppose that we were also a little pokered out too. The next day we did family stuff including the obligatory trip to the mall to get Angel Guppy’s picture taken with the Easter bunny. It was getting late and I had to fly the next morning so we passed on Harrah’s again. The weather was touch and go the next AM but we decided to leave and to dodge the rain and ice in the clouds. We stopped in Knoxville and at out second stop of Harrisburg, PA (right next to Three Mile Island) there were rain showers and fog so I shot another ILS approach to near minimums into the airport there. We waited for the showers to move on and we headed back to our home airport near Boston.
It was a nice trip. Lots of flying and lots of poker. I will definitely be back to the Borg’ to play in those soft games. I don’t think that I would go out of my way to go back to Tunica, but it’s worth a stop if it’s on the way.
The original plan was to leave last Wed, fly to AC and play at the Borgata for 2 days, then fly to Miami for the graduation. However there was a storm system that was heading to the northeast so we decided to leave on Tuesday instead. The weather was foggy and the ceilings were low so instead of flying into Bader field, which is right in town, I wound up shooting an ILS to near minimums into AC International which is a little further out.
Borgata Notes
We called to make reservations ahead of time and the agent told us that they were “fully committed”. I then asked to be transferred to the poker room and one of the supervisors was able to get us a room at the casino rate, which was about $80 a night. If we played enough poker they would be able to reduce the rate to $40 a night. The place and the rooms are very nice.
On to poker….
In the back section they have their “high limit room” which is about 7 tables in which they spread 10/20, 15/30 and 20/40 HE as well as a few stud games. I found it somewhat unusual that they would spread all of those games. I also found out that just about every weekend they also have a 40/80 game going. While the lower limit games are raked 10/20 and higher are time games. $6 per ½ hour for the 15/30 and $7 at the 20/40. When I arrived they didn’t have the 20/40 going so I sat in the 15/30 game. It is quite easily the best 15/30 game that I have ever sat in. It was Very loose and fairly passive. There were routinely 6-8 seeing the flop in unraised pots and still 5 if the pot was raised. Any 2 suited, any 2 cards even closely connected were being played. If a flush got there you could be sure that someone had it, even if it was runner/runner.
Despite that, I got hammered the 1st night, losing nearly $1,000. Usual reasons, all my big pairs got outdrawn and none of my draws got there. Just 2 hands illustrate my point. I raise UTG with AKo and get 4 callers including the blinds. Flop is KJ5, I bet, 3 callers, including the blinds. Turn is a 9, I bet, the blinds call. River is a 8. SB now bets out and the BB raises. I fold my TPTK and the SB calls. BB shows T7o for a runner runner gutshot straight and the SB flashes his J8o for a rivered 2 pair. In another hand, a LAG, borderline maniac raises UTG+1 to my immediate right. (This fellow had raised w/ T3o earlier while he was sitting across the table. If it was checked to him, he would almost always bet until he got some resistance. If a pot was raised he would 3-bet it with any pair. He was sitting across the table from my most of the night and had just moved to my right.) I look down and see JJ and I 3-bet. A steaming LP fellow that had dropped nearly $2K by playing about 60% of his hands calls 3 cold; everybody else folds, UTG+1 calls. Flop comes J53r, UTG+1 bets out, I raise, LP calls 2 cold, UTG now 3-bets, I call, LP calls. Turn is a 7. UTG+1 bets out again, I raise again, LP again calls 2 cold, UTG+1 just calls. River is a 9 (no flush possible), UTG+1 checks, I look, think a bit and then grit my teeth and bet. LP now raises, UTG+1 calls, I call. LP stands up and says “See I can win with s*** cards and throws down his T8h. UTG+1 flashes his AA.
The next 2 nights the game played the same, and I much more than made back my $1,000 as a few of my draws hit, and a few less of the others did. I also played in the 20/40 game. It was an OK game too, but I went back to the 15/30 as that game had a much higher expectation.
On Friday, the weather system hadn’t moved and fog was worse so Angel Fish and Angel Guppy went to Miami on a commercial flight and I stayed until Saturday AM. I went down to Miami and met up with everybody, after the graduation. We had a small celebration and went to sleep.
We got up Saturday, left Angel Guppy with Grandma and Angel Fish and I headed off to Tunica and the Horseshoe. We stopped over in Albany, GA and called the poker room and asked how we would get to the hotel from the airport. The manager told us that he would send a shuttle for us. We arrived in Tunica, which has a nice little airport that is in the midst of an expansion do to the casinos. While it is only a VFR airport they will have a GPS approach available in the next few weeks and an ILS by the end of the year. Well the poker manager was true to his word, we had a ride waiting and it was the limo! Very nice.
We arrived and checked in to a pretty decent room then went down and checked out the poker room. It was smaller than I expected, only 12 tables. They had a few 4/8 games going, as well as 1 10/20 and 1 20/40. AF went to her 4/8 game and I got on the list for the 10/20 and 20/40. I had just sat down at the 10/20 when they started up a 20/40 must move game. It wasn’t a great game and there were three locals sitting together that didn’t have a full set of teeth between them.
There were only 2 moderately interesting hands. Early on, a MP open raises, a LP 3-bets and I look down and see black K’s and I make it $80. They both call. The flop comes Qxx rainbow, I bet they both call. Turn is another rag, I bet, then it gets interesting, MP raises and the LP makes it 3 bets. I sit for a few seconds and wonder if the locals are putting a move on the tourist. I say that I’m going to lay this down just this 1 time and fold. The MP now makes it 4 bets and the LP starts moaning about the other guy getting lucky and calls. The river is a J, bet call. MP turns over QQ and LP flashes his AA as he tosses it into the muck. I guess that they weren’t putting a move on me.
Later on it got shorthanded and we were playing 7 handed and I open limped UTG with A9c. Aggressive fellow in EP raises and an LP and the button call, I call. The flop comes T75 high with 2 clubs. I check, EP raises, LP calls and now the button raises. As I am contemplating my action, the EP tosses in his chips to call. I tell him that I haven’t acted yet and I proceed to 3-bet it. EP says, I know when I’m not wanted and folds. The other 2 don’t look very happy and call. The turn is a red 8 giving me a straight draw to go with my flush draw. I bet, LP folds and the button calls. River is a 4h and I miss everything. I bet, the button looks very upset and he folds. That was the biggest pot that I won that night and it was a bluff. I went off to bed about even.
We got up the next day and met the manager that had arranged the ride for us. He comped us the buffet and put us on the list for when we got back. We also asked about room rates and he told us that the poker rate was $25 weeknights and $35 weekends. It also was very easy to get comps. Just ask. When we got back AF got into her 4/8 game, the 20/40 was full so I sat in the 10/20 game. It was pretty tight passive and all the folks were showing their cards after their opponents folded, just so they would know that they weren’t bluffing. I didn’t get any action on my big hands, but I was able to win a few hands on bluffs. I almost felt guilty bluffing these guys, especially 1 fellow that looked like he just came down from the mountains. He was missing most of his teeth; he had long grey hair with a beard to match. There could have been things living in there. His fingernails were also about 2 inches long. AF went into a tourney and since I had tofly the next morning I went off to sleep. She woke me up later to tell me that she had come in 12th. I told her that I was proud of her and then I asked how many had entered. She told me 25 and I told her that I wasn’t so proud of her after all. We got up the next morning and played for a little while before we left. We got another buffet comp and they also arranged for a ride back to the airport for us. On the way back we only got a van. Well it is true what they say about Tunica. It’s cheap and they really take care of the folks there, the only problem (at least at the ‘Shoe) is that the poker action is not very good. I sat down to play blackjack for a few minutes before we left and the pit boss offered me a buffet comp. Alas, as I was leaving, I turned it down.
We got back to the airport and then flew down to New Orleans to visit the in-laws and pick up Angel Guppy. We had dinner at our favorite restaurant in NOLA Jacques-Imo’s and we were too tired and full to make it to Harrah’s. I suppose that we were also a little pokered out too. The next day we did family stuff including the obligatory trip to the mall to get Angel Guppy’s picture taken with the Easter bunny. It was getting late and I had to fly the next morning so we passed on Harrah’s again. The weather was touch and go the next AM but we decided to leave and to dodge the rain and ice in the clouds. We stopped in Knoxville and at out second stop of Harrisburg, PA (right next to Three Mile Island) there were rain showers and fog so I shot another ILS approach to near minimums into the airport there. We waited for the showers to move on and we headed back to our home airport near Boston.
It was a nice trip. Lots of flying and lots of poker. I will definitely be back to the Borg’ to play in those soft games. I don’t think that I would go out of my way to go back to Tunica, but it’s worth a stop if it’s on the way.