CMP
04-19-2004, 01:10 PM
Advice appreciated on any hands detailed. Sorry it turned so long and so descriptive with such little hand content.
I spent Friday night at Harrah’s East Chicago and Saturday afternoon/evening at Trump in Gary.
The good news: I was +$215 for poker – ($70) at $1-5 stud, +$285 at holdem ($3-6 full kill and $5-10)
The good news/bad news: I think I cured my fascination with craps by giving $100 of the winnings back in about 10 minutes – undid the work of the “hot roll” I threw in Vegas
I arrived at HEC around 10:30 on Friday night. There were about 6-8 people ahead of me on the $5-10 list, so I wandered for a bit, then I recalled from looking at the board that $1-5 stud appeared open. I was actually surprised that the room wasn’t packed to capacity – there were a few tables that were going unused, and I think I heard the floor say they only had one $10-20 HE game going (could that be right?). Anyway, maybe I should use this session to cure my fascination with $1-5 stud. I like playing stud, but I always seem to lose a little or break even at the $1-5 game – I wish more places offered lower limit structured stud. Anyway, first hand I get split kings, raise the max, get heads up and when my kings don’t improve, I get run down by two pair, 7s and 4s. Welcome to the game. In a short (less than 1-hour) session, I had split kings 2 more times and lost with both. One time I started with (AKs)K, and on 6th street I had trip kings and a 4-flush, caught nothing on the river and lost to Js full of 10s. I started deviating from my usual play, not really lowering starting hand selection, but lowering aggression for sure. Made one terrible call (or series of calls) starting with (AK)10J. 2 black Qs were out on 5th, and I called all bets to the end with no pair and caught one of the 2 red Qs on the river for a lucky win (I felt bad for knowing I was tilting/playing bad and my unlucky opponent). The last hand I basically gave away (another terrible play on my part) starting with something like (AJ)10suited, and catching 10s on 5th and 6th streets. One opponent paired his door card J on 5th as well, and I knew he had trip Js. With 3 Ts up in my hand, I didn’t fill and (gasp) checked on the river. He bet, and I cursed myself and called and lost to trip Js of course. So, I left $70 there on the $1-5 stud table, after getting great cards and having nothing hold up.
I arrived at my $5-10 HE seat, don’t remember what time, maybe 11:30 or so, and I was welcomed to “poker heaven.” I sat down under the gun and I said “I’ll wait,” expecting a chuckle or two. Someone offered that I could just post and get in now. He was not joking. Later a young, asian kid joined the game with $400, and asked “how do you play this game?” I laughed and said “right…”, thinking he was waiting for $10-20, but he too was serious. Semi-serious, anyway (he turned out to be a decent player that just played too many hands). Then we had home game rivals son and father-in-law. They were after each other. Son would raise K2o UTG. Dad played a lot of hands too, but didn’t often show down weird losers – but his good hands were getting destroyed, just one of those runs. Eventually wife/daughter (connecting son-in-law/father-in-law) joined the game too, first time ever in a casino, but she was the best player from the home game, I think! She had to be told when to do what and how much, etc., but she went on a big rush and took some $ off the table. There was also Draw-n-miss, Passive Guy (just as likely to turn over AKs as A2 with an A up and calling all the way), Miss Crazy 2-Pair (many hands caught both of her cards), ABC guy, and Young Asian First Timer and his friend. And me.
I started with my $130 left over from $1-5 stud, and in unremarkable fashion my stack dwindled to near the point where one hand would put me all-in. There was no way I was going to let it happen in this game, so I hit the ATM and reloaded another buy-in ($200) and got to work. Young Asian First Timer had a rush of his own and went up $400+ at one point (so he had $800+ in front of him). I’m pretty sure he slid a stack of $100 to his friend after he busted out the first time, but nobody else noticed or cared – actually, it was awesome that there were no rule-sticklers in our game to bring it down. It was loose, but everyone (except maybe Draw-n-miss) was having a good time, regardless of the beats.
My only memorable hands:
- I limp with KQo vs a bunch of limpers, and the flop comes Q-high rainbow, no obvious draws; Mr. ABC bets and I raise, he just calls; don’t remember anyone else’s action in the hand, but the turn comes a J, and Mr. ABC pauses and then bets out again; I thought “he has QJ and just made 2 pair,” but I called him down to see: QJ; the reads are getting better, I just need to learn the laydown part now
- Father-in-law raises in MP, and I call with the AQh in the SB for about 7 way action; flop is K-J-10, giving me the nutz; I bet and he raises, I 3-bet and he caps, with a few callers; turn is a brick and I bet and 3-bet; my prayers are answered with no pair on the river, and my straight beats dad’s set of 10s
- A hand or two after the above, I limp with 44 in late position for 6 or 7 way action and flop a set; I cap it with Miss Crazy 2-pair on the flop and the turn, and when the river brings the case 4, I bet and am called in 3 places – Miss Crazy 2-pair had, you guessed it, J7 or whatever for 2-pair on the flop; who knows what everyone else had
- I was not involved in, but saw several 5-6 way pre-flop caps
After about 3 hours in the game, I cash out $554, a net of $224, when the game started to turn over. +$154 on the night.
Saturday, after a morning of fishing, a few buddies and I headed to Trump for some $3-6 kill action. We arrived around 3:30 or so and there were 3 $3-6 games going with about 7-8 on the list in front of me. I think there was only one $5-10 full kill and one or two $10-20 ½ kill games going. 1 each of $1-5 and $2-10 stud, I think. And a must-move to a main game of $5-5 blind NL (no min/max buyin). The blackjack tables are gone from the room, replaced by more poker tables – 17 at least. Later in the day I heard them call down a ½ and ½ $5-10 game, HE and O8 – sounded fun, but we were getting ready to leave. Does this game go regularly, or was it a one-time thing? Instead of playing stud, I just watched the $3-6 games and the NL main game. There were some large stacks of $3K or more, and a few buying in for $200. I saw a naked bluff that was revealed that had the table rockin….don’t remember the final board or the pot or even if the river was a scare card, but the lead bettor bet $175, and his opponent raised to $400, the bettor asked for a count of the guy’s stack, hemmed and hawed, and finally folded A5s face up, for Aces and 5s two pair. As the raiser was pushed the pot, he flipped up J10s for nothing, no pair – the table was abuzz after that, and later I saw the bettor at the craps table.
So, I’m top of the list when the call down a new $3-6 game – fine with me, as none of the other games looked significantly better than the others. My 2 friends already seated in the original games got table changes to sit in my game, and we were off. Here, nobody was especially new here, but some played especially strangely. The table was pretty LAG pre-flop, and then settled down to loose-passive post flop, with the occasional surprising river raise. I had a strange run of cards, which was probably actually good for my play – I didn’t have many hands I was tempted to limp with – it was mostly total garbage with Group 1-2 hands peppered throughout. Lots of raise or fold, not much in between (outside the blinds). Won with JJ twice (once didn’t show, once flopped a set and showed down), QQ (didn’t show), and AA in a kill pot. Got AK, AQ, AJ a few times with mixed results.
Memorable hands:
- I had A7c in the BB and with 6 or so way action, I considered raising, but just checked; flop came 10-6-6 with 2 clubs; I bet out and one opponent (later revealed to be certifiable in the maniac category, but was new here) raised, a few called and I called; maniac’s turn bet blank got it down to 3 way; river brought the 9c, completing my flush; I bet out, maniac just called, and LP now raised; I guess that maybe I should’ve check-called, or bet but not be surprised to see 10-6 or 9-6 from either opponent (1010 or 99 would’ve been raised pre-flop); anyway, I bet, maniac just called, now LP raised, I said “I think I have to pay you off” and called, maniac called; LP flipped up the Kx of clubs and I took it down with the A-high flush. Maniac didn’t show, but said he had a 10 for 2-pair on the flop – that was the best he had, or he was overstating his hand (i.e., he had absolutely nothing); later this guy 3-bet with 72o and hit 2 deuces on the flop to take down QQ or something
- KK was having a hell of a time at this table…it was o-fer…..until I lost to it late with AK and no A, but I digress; I got KK in a kill pot and raised from EMP; the K-flush raiser from above (this hand happened before the one above, so I was glad to pay him back with the flush-over-flush) called $9 from the big blind (what a discount!); button had called too, I think; 3 handed…flop came 10-J-x, all hearts; I did not have a heart; checked to me, I bet out, and both called; turn was a 7 non-heart and now BB bet out…laydown bells were going off, but I just couldn’t….I called down and he showed me 98o without a heart….nice hand - when he leads the turn on a J-10-x-7 board with 3 hearts, should I be able to put him on J10, J7, 10-7, straight or set after calling a raise cold?
- My AA did hold up in a nice kill pot….I raised from MP, and maniac 3-bet from LP….there were a few limpers who decided not to call 2 cold and folded; we were heads-up, so I just called; flop came K-5-5 with 2 hearts, and seeing monsters, I decided to find out cheaply if he had KK….I check-raised the flop, he just called and he folded to my turn bet – think check-raising the non-scary turn is a better line?
- One kid had a kill-rush of about 7 hands in a row, and most decent pots too
The long stretches of blind-paying and the KK suckout had me down for much of the day, but the AA and A7 hands above came together towards the end of the session, so I left after about 5 hours of play +$61.
My other 2 buddies had busted out of my game and were playing $5 craps downstairs when I came down. I watched a ridiculously hot shooter about 5 to the right of my friend, who wanted to roll the dice. Since he was staying and I was way up, I decided to put down $100 and take a roll myself, since I had a hot roll in Vegas which was so cool. So, long story short, I bet $5 on the pass line, backed it up with $10, placed $6 on 6 and/or 8 (but most of the points were 6 or 8, it seemed), and for 5 straight rollers, including me and my friend, it went point, 7, point, number, 7, -- no points made, no front line winners on the come out, no 6 or 8 hit, and in about 10 minutes, my $100 was gone. I’ll stick to poker.
I spent Friday night at Harrah’s East Chicago and Saturday afternoon/evening at Trump in Gary.
The good news: I was +$215 for poker – ($70) at $1-5 stud, +$285 at holdem ($3-6 full kill and $5-10)
The good news/bad news: I think I cured my fascination with craps by giving $100 of the winnings back in about 10 minutes – undid the work of the “hot roll” I threw in Vegas
I arrived at HEC around 10:30 on Friday night. There were about 6-8 people ahead of me on the $5-10 list, so I wandered for a bit, then I recalled from looking at the board that $1-5 stud appeared open. I was actually surprised that the room wasn’t packed to capacity – there were a few tables that were going unused, and I think I heard the floor say they only had one $10-20 HE game going (could that be right?). Anyway, maybe I should use this session to cure my fascination with $1-5 stud. I like playing stud, but I always seem to lose a little or break even at the $1-5 game – I wish more places offered lower limit structured stud. Anyway, first hand I get split kings, raise the max, get heads up and when my kings don’t improve, I get run down by two pair, 7s and 4s. Welcome to the game. In a short (less than 1-hour) session, I had split kings 2 more times and lost with both. One time I started with (AKs)K, and on 6th street I had trip kings and a 4-flush, caught nothing on the river and lost to Js full of 10s. I started deviating from my usual play, not really lowering starting hand selection, but lowering aggression for sure. Made one terrible call (or series of calls) starting with (AK)10J. 2 black Qs were out on 5th, and I called all bets to the end with no pair and caught one of the 2 red Qs on the river for a lucky win (I felt bad for knowing I was tilting/playing bad and my unlucky opponent). The last hand I basically gave away (another terrible play on my part) starting with something like (AJ)10suited, and catching 10s on 5th and 6th streets. One opponent paired his door card J on 5th as well, and I knew he had trip Js. With 3 Ts up in my hand, I didn’t fill and (gasp) checked on the river. He bet, and I cursed myself and called and lost to trip Js of course. So, I left $70 there on the $1-5 stud table, after getting great cards and having nothing hold up.
I arrived at my $5-10 HE seat, don’t remember what time, maybe 11:30 or so, and I was welcomed to “poker heaven.” I sat down under the gun and I said “I’ll wait,” expecting a chuckle or two. Someone offered that I could just post and get in now. He was not joking. Later a young, asian kid joined the game with $400, and asked “how do you play this game?” I laughed and said “right…”, thinking he was waiting for $10-20, but he too was serious. Semi-serious, anyway (he turned out to be a decent player that just played too many hands). Then we had home game rivals son and father-in-law. They were after each other. Son would raise K2o UTG. Dad played a lot of hands too, but didn’t often show down weird losers – but his good hands were getting destroyed, just one of those runs. Eventually wife/daughter (connecting son-in-law/father-in-law) joined the game too, first time ever in a casino, but she was the best player from the home game, I think! She had to be told when to do what and how much, etc., but she went on a big rush and took some $ off the table. There was also Draw-n-miss, Passive Guy (just as likely to turn over AKs as A2 with an A up and calling all the way), Miss Crazy 2-Pair (many hands caught both of her cards), ABC guy, and Young Asian First Timer and his friend. And me.
I started with my $130 left over from $1-5 stud, and in unremarkable fashion my stack dwindled to near the point where one hand would put me all-in. There was no way I was going to let it happen in this game, so I hit the ATM and reloaded another buy-in ($200) and got to work. Young Asian First Timer had a rush of his own and went up $400+ at one point (so he had $800+ in front of him). I’m pretty sure he slid a stack of $100 to his friend after he busted out the first time, but nobody else noticed or cared – actually, it was awesome that there were no rule-sticklers in our game to bring it down. It was loose, but everyone (except maybe Draw-n-miss) was having a good time, regardless of the beats.
My only memorable hands:
- I limp with KQo vs a bunch of limpers, and the flop comes Q-high rainbow, no obvious draws; Mr. ABC bets and I raise, he just calls; don’t remember anyone else’s action in the hand, but the turn comes a J, and Mr. ABC pauses and then bets out again; I thought “he has QJ and just made 2 pair,” but I called him down to see: QJ; the reads are getting better, I just need to learn the laydown part now
- Father-in-law raises in MP, and I call with the AQh in the SB for about 7 way action; flop is K-J-10, giving me the nutz; I bet and he raises, I 3-bet and he caps, with a few callers; turn is a brick and I bet and 3-bet; my prayers are answered with no pair on the river, and my straight beats dad’s set of 10s
- A hand or two after the above, I limp with 44 in late position for 6 or 7 way action and flop a set; I cap it with Miss Crazy 2-pair on the flop and the turn, and when the river brings the case 4, I bet and am called in 3 places – Miss Crazy 2-pair had, you guessed it, J7 or whatever for 2-pair on the flop; who knows what everyone else had
- I was not involved in, but saw several 5-6 way pre-flop caps
After about 3 hours in the game, I cash out $554, a net of $224, when the game started to turn over. +$154 on the night.
Saturday, after a morning of fishing, a few buddies and I headed to Trump for some $3-6 kill action. We arrived around 3:30 or so and there were 3 $3-6 games going with about 7-8 on the list in front of me. I think there was only one $5-10 full kill and one or two $10-20 ½ kill games going. 1 each of $1-5 and $2-10 stud, I think. And a must-move to a main game of $5-5 blind NL (no min/max buyin). The blackjack tables are gone from the room, replaced by more poker tables – 17 at least. Later in the day I heard them call down a ½ and ½ $5-10 game, HE and O8 – sounded fun, but we were getting ready to leave. Does this game go regularly, or was it a one-time thing? Instead of playing stud, I just watched the $3-6 games and the NL main game. There were some large stacks of $3K or more, and a few buying in for $200. I saw a naked bluff that was revealed that had the table rockin….don’t remember the final board or the pot or even if the river was a scare card, but the lead bettor bet $175, and his opponent raised to $400, the bettor asked for a count of the guy’s stack, hemmed and hawed, and finally folded A5s face up, for Aces and 5s two pair. As the raiser was pushed the pot, he flipped up J10s for nothing, no pair – the table was abuzz after that, and later I saw the bettor at the craps table.
So, I’m top of the list when the call down a new $3-6 game – fine with me, as none of the other games looked significantly better than the others. My 2 friends already seated in the original games got table changes to sit in my game, and we were off. Here, nobody was especially new here, but some played especially strangely. The table was pretty LAG pre-flop, and then settled down to loose-passive post flop, with the occasional surprising river raise. I had a strange run of cards, which was probably actually good for my play – I didn’t have many hands I was tempted to limp with – it was mostly total garbage with Group 1-2 hands peppered throughout. Lots of raise or fold, not much in between (outside the blinds). Won with JJ twice (once didn’t show, once flopped a set and showed down), QQ (didn’t show), and AA in a kill pot. Got AK, AQ, AJ a few times with mixed results.
Memorable hands:
- I had A7c in the BB and with 6 or so way action, I considered raising, but just checked; flop came 10-6-6 with 2 clubs; I bet out and one opponent (later revealed to be certifiable in the maniac category, but was new here) raised, a few called and I called; maniac’s turn bet blank got it down to 3 way; river brought the 9c, completing my flush; I bet out, maniac just called, and LP now raised; I guess that maybe I should’ve check-called, or bet but not be surprised to see 10-6 or 9-6 from either opponent (1010 or 99 would’ve been raised pre-flop); anyway, I bet, maniac just called, now LP raised, I said “I think I have to pay you off” and called, maniac called; LP flipped up the Kx of clubs and I took it down with the A-high flush. Maniac didn’t show, but said he had a 10 for 2-pair on the flop – that was the best he had, or he was overstating his hand (i.e., he had absolutely nothing); later this guy 3-bet with 72o and hit 2 deuces on the flop to take down QQ or something
- KK was having a hell of a time at this table…it was o-fer…..until I lost to it late with AK and no A, but I digress; I got KK in a kill pot and raised from EMP; the K-flush raiser from above (this hand happened before the one above, so I was glad to pay him back with the flush-over-flush) called $9 from the big blind (what a discount!); button had called too, I think; 3 handed…flop came 10-J-x, all hearts; I did not have a heart; checked to me, I bet out, and both called; turn was a 7 non-heart and now BB bet out…laydown bells were going off, but I just couldn’t….I called down and he showed me 98o without a heart….nice hand - when he leads the turn on a J-10-x-7 board with 3 hearts, should I be able to put him on J10, J7, 10-7, straight or set after calling a raise cold?
- My AA did hold up in a nice kill pot….I raised from MP, and maniac 3-bet from LP….there were a few limpers who decided not to call 2 cold and folded; we were heads-up, so I just called; flop came K-5-5 with 2 hearts, and seeing monsters, I decided to find out cheaply if he had KK….I check-raised the flop, he just called and he folded to my turn bet – think check-raising the non-scary turn is a better line?
- One kid had a kill-rush of about 7 hands in a row, and most decent pots too
The long stretches of blind-paying and the KK suckout had me down for much of the day, but the AA and A7 hands above came together towards the end of the session, so I left after about 5 hours of play +$61.
My other 2 buddies had busted out of my game and were playing $5 craps downstairs when I came down. I watched a ridiculously hot shooter about 5 to the right of my friend, who wanted to roll the dice. Since he was staying and I was way up, I decided to put down $100 and take a roll myself, since I had a hot roll in Vegas which was so cool. So, long story short, I bet $5 on the pass line, backed it up with $10, placed $6 on 6 and/or 8 (but most of the points were 6 or 8, it seemed), and for 5 straight rollers, including me and my friend, it went point, 7, point, number, 7, -- no points made, no front line winners on the come out, no 6 or 8 hit, and in about 10 minutes, my $100 was gone. I’ll stick to poker.