I make a short road trip to Kansas City this past weekend to practice my limit holdem skills. All we play here is no limit and it is easy to get rusty.


I get to the Ameristar Casino poker room at 10:30 AM and find sign up for the 15/30 Holdem game. The manager said the main game was full but there would be a must move beginning shortly and asked if I wanted to play in another game till it started. I was put in a 3/6 must move game with a kill just as the game was beginning. After being informed it was a Jackpot game I asked one of the locals the specific rules (Boy am I glad I did that). In the first 30 minutes I am up 20 BB and everyone is really friendly so life is good. About this time the list is called for the new 15/30 game. The solid local player on my right declined his seat and I asked him why. He pointed out a husband/ wife "team" whom he will not play with if they are seated next to each other. I consider this information and decline my seat as well when called, after all this 3/6 is pretty juicy so far. I win a couple of consequetive more pots and get called to the main game.


My first hand at this table is AA in the cutoff, I raise and get 3 callers. The flop comes AJJ, it is checked around. Turn is the 8h, I bet 2 callers, the river comes a beautiful J of hearts. It is checked to me, I count the pot and see $32, there must be $30 to qualify for the Jackpot and Aces full of jacks or better with both cards playing must lose to quads or better only one card need play. I know I am beat and check, the EP turns over his QJ, I show my full and he asks how I can check and seems mad as hell untill I tell him we won the jackpot and I was saving $12.


All of a sudden the table is happy to greet me. It turns out the JP is only $1668, still nothing to sneeze at, I get 50%, the pot winner gets 25% and the balance goes to the other 6 players dealt in that hand. Only the 2nd time I have ever played in a JP game so I suppose I am way ahead of the rake. Still it turns out to be a lot better than moving to the 15/30 game!


I tip the dealer $50 and am told this is way too much. How should I know I never win these darn things anyway :-) Never made it to the 15/30 game so I suppose I need to go back again to get that mid limit practice I was seeking.


Everything I touched that day was golden, played craps for an hour and picked up $620 more then just sat down at a Three card Poker table to watch the "silly" game and got talked into playing by the cute dealer. I buy in for a $100 with no clue what to do. I put $5 on ante and pairs and here come the cards. First three hands I make a straight and two flushes. I tip the dealer $10 bucks am still ahead a hunsky and tell the table this game is too easy and away I go!!!


I eat at the seafood buffet compliments of the craps pit boss and drive back home a lot happier, and a little wealthier for the trip.


Jimbo