Trip Report Harrah's New Orleans (too long)

[Pokergod]

Let me start off by saying that the 4 dat trip to New Orleans, from Jax Fl, seemed like such a good idea when we decided to do it... but it went so wrong. Let me explain.

One of our party had a doctors appointment, so we didn't leave until Thursday at about 3 PM. It's about 8 to 8 1/2 hours to New Orleans, and Tropical Storm Bonnie was rolling through the Lake City area, and I figured we'd be lucky to get there before Midnight.

Bonnie was no big deal and we drove through what rain there was in about a half and hour. Rest of the car ride was uneventful, and the drive down I-10 was downright boring. The three of us had been playing in a home game in Jax most of the night before, and we were juiced about bringing back a pile of money from New Orleans. Our plan was to play mainly side games, hoping to play 20-40 or 30-60 HE. We then would take our huge winnings and try to qualify through satellites for the Msin event to be held on Sunday.

Sounded like a good plan at the time. And I think it probably was a good plan, except it all started to unravel, and rather quickly.

We pull up to the Hilton, which is across the street form Harrah's, and there is no valet parking. No big deal, it's a waste of money anyway, so I park the car. We check in and find out we need to pay 22.00 a day to park in the parking garage at the Hilton. Um, wait, we're staying here. Why wouldn't it be free for guests? 22 bucks/day. Really? Wonderful.

Room is nice, nothing special, 26th floor. The elevator goes up the outside of hotel. It's nice. You can see the mighty Mississipi.

I immediately bump over to Harrah's, find the poker room, and it is mayhem. 12:30 early friday morning and it is mayhem.

Ok, ok, just get seated and it doesn't matter anyway. They have 20 tables, and twenty more in the tournament area. A bunch of 3-6 and 6-12 HE, a couiple no-limit HE's, and a pot limit and no limit Omaha High, a 15-30 omaha high, and one 15-30 HE. That was their biggest limit game, the 15-30.

What is going on here? I just drove 8 hours, am spending 130 dollars a night on the room, and 22 dollars a day to park the car, to play 15-30 HE?

Well, we're here, so let's make the best of it. It takes about an hour to sit down, but once I do I am licking my chops because there are literally 6-7 people seeing every single flop, and it doesn't matter who raised, or from what position, they were in there to see that flop.

Of course I jump out and lose a rack right away. Ok, it's typical big swings. I play along, and it's seriously like we are playing 2-4 or something. Either these people have no idea how to play, or something has changed in the game of HE over the past couple of months.

I end up coming back that 1st night and win $470. I quit playing a 6:50 AM ands decide to see if can get a comp for the buffet. No comps for any food for the poker room. BUT WAIT!!!! The floor man tells me if I play the table games, blackjack, roulette, craps, etc, I can get comps no problem. I just looked at him like he was retarded and walked away without saying anything at all.

I was not happy, this was going to be a waste of time, and Harrah's is raping these newbie's for everything they were worth. The poker boom is here, but the greedy casino's will do everything in their power to screw it all up.

I get about 6 hours sleep and it's back to the tables. I again get seated in the 15-30 HE game and play there from 2 PM until 6 AM the next day. I am down two racks at one point when this hand comes up.

I get QT of hearts UTG+1. I raise, I don't know why, but it was popular. Nearly every person called, and it get's to the SB, who 3 bets it. Great. So, I throw in the third bet and swear to not play like an idiot any longer. Flop comes down A-7-3, with one heart. SB checks. I bet out without hesitating. 6 callers. I ask myself why I bet out, I had no good answer. Turn is a black King, putting two spades on the board. SB checks. I bet again, now I have a gutshot and maybe some of these tools will fold. 5 callers. Come on Jack, come on Jack. River is a red 6. I bet again because the pot is just enormous. Fold, fold, fold, fold, the SB hstitates, he's thinking, he picks up chips, I know he's going to call, he sets the chips back down and looks back at his cards, he's going to fold.,.... He folds.

The pot had $315 in it pre-flop, another 90 on the flop, and another 150 after the turn. It was at least a 550 pot. And they let me have it with queen high. Wow, this is nuts. Shortly after that I win another big one with AQ, and I'm actually ahead a bit for the day. I end up giving back about $200 to break about even.

I have to say that I do not like the variance involved with these games that have a lot of people seeing all five cards.

Saturday was terrible. I played from about 2 PM until 1 AM sunday morning and felt like I never won a pot. I feel like I played ok for the most part, but I did play bad for about an hour and it cost me almost $500. I will admit to that. After that I took a walk and sat back down. I ended up going into the game for $2700 before winning back $700 of it. It was brutal. I now hate Hold Em.

We decided to get the heck out of Dodge. My other two compadres lost as well. All in the run of cards though. As i was looking around the table most everyone was losing, I mean they'd win the occasional pot, but overall they were slowly losing. I just felt like I could not make a hand.

It's a new day in the poker world. I need to buy Ed Miller's book. Is it at Barnes and Noble? Where can I find it?

I wanted to stop in Biloxi on the way home, but that was nixed by the other guys. Oh well.

Not sure If I'll be back to Harrah's anytime soon. Biloxi Grand is much better, and Tunica used to be just great for the games and the way they treated poker players. Maybe that has changed too. Vegas is only a plane ride away.

I usually try to put some flair in my trip reports, but I'm becoming more and more miserable as I relive this past weekend. Forgive me.

-PG.

[tylerdurden]

They had 15-30 HE? Wow, I was down there end of July and the biggest HE game they were spreading on a Saturday was 10-20, though they had a 15-30 Omaha game.

[Derringer]

Okay. I will be there this Sunday, and will be in town all week. I have been there several times, and it is not my favorite card room. Too much noise bleeding in from the slot machines, and the room is poorly lighted. No comps is understandable, since the house isn't in on the odds. Nevertheless, NOLA is a fun town.

A few things. The parking scam there is standard, just like in NYC. That's just the way it is. The city has all these special interest groups [like "The Mob"] that have finagled the parking market and ordinances through the local politicians, who are all corrupt.

The tables there are usually loose/aggressive or loose/passive. You have to tighten up there to win, and your winnings will not usually be large, but they will be consistent. As I mentioned in another post in the software/books section, I have used my Wilson simulator and the principles of Lee Jones' book to win when the players are as you described ay Harrah's NOLA.

Cheers,

Mike

[M2d]

[ QUOTE ]
It was at least a 550 pot. And they let me have it with queen high.

[/ QUOTE ]
hey, you had second nut (no pair) [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I picked up my copy of Ed Miller's (NPA) book at Borders in Emeryville, CA, if that's any help. the B&N's around here didn't have it when I looked.

[ChicagoTroy]

[ QUOTE ]
I get QT of hearts UTG+1. I raise, I don't know why, but it was popular.... Flop comes down A-7-3, with one heart. SB checks. I bet out without hesitating. 6 callers. I ask myself why I bet out, I had no good answer...

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you should be thanking God there was no $30-60 game...

[Pokergod]

Yes, I'm thinking you may be right. It was a bad play. I was out of position, I had nothing, but I guess they had nothing either.

It was just so bizarre, the whole weekend was just weird. I never felt comfortable. I kept taking beats, and I'm sure I tilted for a while. I don't know, I really hate those loose, wild, games.

Next is the Borgata, hopefully things will go better there.

-PG

[Pokergod]

Actually I stopped by a Borders here in Jax and it's due to arrive over the next couple of days. Thanks for the tip.

-PG

[koolmoe]

[ QUOTE ]
We pull up to the Hilton, which is across the street form Harrah's, and there is no valet parking. No big deal, it's a waste of money anyway, so I park the car. We check in and find out we need to pay 22.00 a day to park in the parking garage at the Hilton. Um, wait, we're staying here. Why wouldn't it be free for guests? 22 bucks/day. Really? Wonderful.


[/ QUOTE ]

Harrah's used to have a deal where you could get a Frequent Players card and get really cheap parking in the Harrah's parking garage if you had enough points on the card. Not sure if the poker room counted, but you could make out better just playing cheap slots and losing every pull than paying for parking, IIRC. There are a number of hotels within walking distance of Harrah's parking garage.

[ QUOTE ]
What is going on here? I just drove 8 hours, am spending 130 dollars a night on the room, and 22 dollars a day to park the car, to play 15-30 HE?


[/ QUOTE ]

If you ever decide to return, you might check out the Harrah's website for last minute deals. I was considering going there last weekend, and they had rooms as low as $39 per night from some of their partner hotels. Here's a link:

Harrah's NO hot deals

[ QUOTE ]
I wanted to stop in Biloxi on the way home, but that was nixed by the other guys. Oh well.

Not sure If I'll be back to Harrah's anytime soon. Biloxi Grand is much better, and Tunica used to be just great for the games and the way they treated poker players. Maybe that has changed too. Vegas is only a plane ride away.


[/ QUOTE ]

Coming from Jax, I'd have probably stopped at the Biloxi Grand instead of heading to Harrah's. Saves you 1.5 hours of driving, parking is free, and you can usually find a really cheap hotel within easy driving distance. The poker room is quieter there too.

Unless you're looking for attractions outside of poker, there's no real incentive to keep driving.

[Pokergod]

You're right. We thought we were being smart because the tourney was in town that week. We were sure there'd be a 30-60 going, with some pretty poor play. As it turned out I decided to play poorly in the 15-30.

It's one of those things where had I won a grand or so it would have been a great trip. I will most likely stop in Biloxi next time.

Thanks for the suggestions though. I do appreciate it.

-PG

[ChicagoTroy]

[ QUOTE ]
I kept taking beats, and I'm sure I tilted for a while. I don't know, I really hate those loose, wild, games.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, the two hands I quoted, you either a) were tilting terribly, or b) are a compulsive gambler. Since you say you don't know why you made those plays, and any decent player would know exactly why (e.g., "I was tilting"), my guess is you are a compulsive gambler.

You don't like loose wild games?! Don't create them.

Gamblers Anonymous (www.gamblersanonymous.org) 213-386-8789