Trump, IN Trip Report and Question for $6-12 players

[CMP]

Phoned in from the road around 10:15am (thanks to Iplayragstoo for the poker room #) got on the $3-6 list.

Arrived at 10:45 and we were about 5 down on the list. There were 7 games going - 3 3-6, 2 6-12, baby NL aaaaaannnnnd....I forget what the 7th was. No $1-5 stud and no $10-20 yet.

Took a seat to watch the Illinois-Iowa basketball game and the $3-6 list was not moving. However, the $6-12 seemed to be moving okay. Then, they opened up a $10-20 game, which freed up a lot of $6-12 seats, so I added my name to the $6-12 list and finally got a seat around 11:30. The room wasn't crowded yet, but nobody was leaving the $3-6.

Of the 2 $6-12 games, one lineup was significantly older and one was at least half younger guns. I was called to the older table. I requested a table change before sitting down, and the brush told me there were seats open in the other game, so I got the change right away, and boy am I glad I did.

My game featured 1 LAG, 2 guys who seemed pretty TAG/decent, 2 rocks, me and 4 LP/LA who were in every hand(one of whom had been there since 9pm the night before). I chopped either my first or second BB, and was worried for a bit before figuring all this out, but the game's good-time gambling nature would soon be revealed.

A typical hand was 7 ways for no raise, or 5-6 ways for 2 bets.

The phrase that caught on at our table was "pot odds." As in, "I gotta call - POT ODDS!" With varying degrees of genuine enthusiasm. After people busted out, when they were spotted heading into another game or down in the pit, we greeted each other with a cry of "pot odds!"

My first taste of pot odds resulted in me calling a raise on my first or second button with 77, going off 6-way for 2 bets. The flop was T-high with a 7 and 2 diamonds and was capped. Turn put a second flush draw up and completed various straights and I was check-raised (who 3-bets here?). I got 2 bets on the end when the board paired for a 22-23 BB pot. Welcome to the game.

I hit trip 7s 2 other times that day -- both against one of the guys I had pegged as tight/decent. He didn't show one hand, but an A came on the turn and he saw my check-raise through, so I presume it was a big A cracked, and the last time, he made the nut flush on the end, but I had 7s full on the turn.

Big pairs AA and JJ held up.

I went about 50-50 with AK/AQ.

I gave a bunch back on kill pot draws, and when my AK ran into KK with the final K on the flop.

The "pot odds" play along mentality with suited conectors made this a high variance game, but I managed to walk away up 12.5 BB after about 5 hours.

We had an exciting near jackpot hand. Pre-flop raised, flop was A-A-x and 2 stuck around raising each other. Turn K. River T. And we had AK vs.......AQ. D'oh! Jackpot was 45K+.

I guess the midwest/Chicago has finally caught up with other poker booming places (as reported previously here by Chicago Troy, I think). At 4pm on Saturday afternoon, there must've been 50 people on the $3-6 wait list. Unreal.

So, for the $6-12 regulars here, if any. How are the games, usually? My game was GREAT. But the first table I mentioned saw an argument break out and looked generally not that pleasant. They started a 3rd game sometime and my friend took a seat and described the game as tight-passive - he said he chopped probably 1 out of ever 4 rounds.

Sorry if this is a non-spectacular report, I only get to the boat once every few months.

CMP

[tribefan9]

Glad you had fun. In my experience the game is like the one you described 50% of the time, and 50% of the time it will be tougher. I have often sat in games that are only 3-4 to a flop. These are obviously still very beatable.

On the weekends (which is the only time I go) the 6-12 games often get very juicy later in the day once the 3-6 list is 50+. You will start to see first time players who would rather be playing 3-6 but don't want to wait for a seat join the 6-12 game.

[dlk9s]

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I hit trip 7s 2 other times that day

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With numbers like that, you should've played some slots.

[runnerunner]

The $6-12 is much softer when the $10-20 is going. I have been in a few games that are pretty much as you described them.

[CMP]

A funny aside: I was there with like 4 other guys. We had 2 in one 3-6 game, 1 in another 3-6, and 1 in a different 6-12 from me.

So the (married) guy who's sitting solo in the 3-6 comes up to me just before I'm about to go and asks (loud enough for everyone at the table to hear) "Hey, when you take cash out of the ATM here, do you have any idea how it shows up on your bank statement? Because that's a problem I don't need." Needless to say, the table let him have it (good naturedly), including the dealer.

I gave him $100 on my way out the door and apparently he turned his session around and was +$25 for the day after all was said and done.

Lol though, classic line.

By the time I left at 4pm, the $1-5 stud had started, along with the big NL game, and a $2-10 stud/8.

CMP

[casinogosain]

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So, for the $6-12 regulars here, if any. How are the games, usually?


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I used to play in the $5/10 (ne-$6/12) and now play the $10/20. You'll find that if the 10/20 is going then the 6/12 is soft. If the 10/20 isn't going then the players disperse amongst the $6/12 and the NL games. The floor will occasionally start a $200-500 buy-in/$2/5 blinds NL for the people on the 10/20 and big NL game wait lists. Not an easy line-up.

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Sorry if this is a non-spectacular report, I only get to the boat once every few months.


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Good report. Wish I could have made it out that afternoon. I may make it there this afternoon (maybe around 1:30-2, stay until 6 or so).

-Ash