First time at a B&M- a little trip report

[bholdr]

sooo.... I've been playing online for over a year now, pretty successfully for the last few months, and i've managet to start up a "live play" bankroll for B&M play.

Last night, i made my first trip to a public cardroom- parkers casino in shorline, washington (i live in seattle). Online, I play 1/2 and 2/4 holdem, and up to 3/6 stud. Given what i've read here, i was assuming that the games would play like the online 1/2- and i brought 500$ with me in case i hit a bad run, got outplayed, etc.

They were spreading two tables of 4/8 and one 8/16. i was tempted to jump right into the 8/16, but caution got the better of me and i sat in on one of the 4/8 games. here is what i noticed and what i felt about the game:

- the players were terrible. the 4/8 played like a loose .50/1 table at party on a friday night. this meant big pots, and also suckouts. AA beat by 95o KK beat by 23s, etc. luckily, i've become desensitized to that, and didn't throw a fit like some people were doing. All my monsters got paid off handsomely. Biggest hand of the night for me? 99 from the BB, six players in, i don't know why, but i just called. flop comed 3x 9s 3s i called a raise on the flop, and bet out when a spade hit on the turn. the nut flush jammed it, and it was heads up on the river for another four bets. about a 25BB pot. i needed it, too, as i was stuck about 90$ at that point.

- There were two 18-22 year old kids at the table wearing sunglasses and listening to I-pods, and generally taking the game Waaaaayyyyy to seriously. they never said a word, were into giving me the staredown for like 30 sec every time i made a raise, etc. This pissed me off. I was having a good time, perhaps not playing my A-game (i had no need for my A game, i just played by-the-book WLLHE), chatting with the other players, etc. every time i tried to talk with these guys, they'd look at me and shake their head no. bitches. they were predictable, easy to read players, i was not impressed. both got broke before midnight. They were just genreally bring everybody down.

-there were three older guys in the game. one, a retiree donating about a hundred bucks an hour, one a drunk donating about the same ammount, and one that knew what he was doing, and when he left was up over 500$. they were frendily and talkitive. it was fun playing with them. everytime somebody said something that made the drunk laugh, he threw them a couple chips. nice guy.

- the pace of the game was FAST! there was one dealer that dealt cards almost as fast as they come out online. it was a beautiful thing, as in most of the home games i play we are lucky to get in 20 hands per hour. there, it was probably pretty close to 50. i liked it a lot.

- i thought the relitivly big bpots and bets would make me nervous, that is, i thought putting in 32$ in on 4th and 5th might give me that ol adreniline rush that i used to get whenever i'd make a big bet. no such luck. i miss that feeling, but am too smart to chase it. they were just chips to me, which, i suppose, is how it should be.

-later in the night, i put in for a move to the 8/16, but i got tired before i was called up and left with an 80$ profit. at one point i was up over 300$, but that's when i got the AA and KK within about a five hand span. i had a bourbon to help me chill out, i noticed it loosened me up a bit, which is good, because i was being a little rock-ish.

- I got berated for a play that i thought was pretty good, even though i lost the pot. I was on the button, EVERYBODY called (geez). i had JTs, so i put in a raise on the drawing strength of my hand and my position. I flopped a straight draw and ended up with a pair of Js on the river. made a crying call and lost to two pair. one of the sunglasses kids made a disrespectful "hmmph!" sound, and pulled his shades down and said something like: "man, what were you thinking? JT is NOT a raising hand!". I made a point to move to his left a few hands later. he didn't like that either.

-towards the end of my session, an actual GOOD player sat down. he was waiting for a seat in the 8/16 too, and clearly outclassed the rest of the table, myself included. the dealer (who was somewhat inexperienced, from what i gather) kept looking at him like he was looking for validation, and the dude gave him tips on how to handle the cards and count out the side pots, etc. this guy got a lot of respect from the staff, etc- at one point he mentioned that he used to be a dealer. He was tricky and aggressive. he folded AJ from UTG, and when the cards flipped over as he threw them at the muck, everyone ('cept me) was shocked that he'd muck such a good hand. the next time he was UTG, he raised woith garbage, and everyone folded. he showed T4s, and pretty much owned the table from there on. he made value bets and isolation raises, raised his draws from position on the flop to get free river cards, etc, etc, all the while being frendily and conversational and helping everyone have a good time. i liked his style a lot, and aspire to play that way myself (except for raising with crap).


Final observation: It was FUN. i had to keep a tight reign on my bets after i got comfortable, because with all the conversation, action, and different personalities, it was easy to get lost in just having a good time.

i may go back tonight, but will probably do the empire reload instead. online play feels boring and methodical, now. i will definitly be playing in cardrooms more. (and most likely 8/16 or more next time).

[toots]

Next time you get the evyl staredown from the Dennis the Menace types, just make faces at them, blow your raspberry at them and giggle a lot.

I mean someone's got to have fun.

[memphis_aces]

[ QUOTE ]
Next time you get the evyl staredown from the Dennis the Menace types, just make faces at them, blow your raspberry at them and giggle a lot.

I mean someone's got to have fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

My comment is just to laugh at them and throw in a "What are you looking at? Am I wearing your shirt? Did I #### your sister or something? Fill me in here..."

That and I almost always wear my "why are you wearing sunglasses and a hat at at 3/6 table t-shirt" under my buttondown. If I get one of those types I'll often make a comment about how it's a good thing I wore my shirt tonight and shed the button down for a while. Usually makes the whole table laugh at them and loosens things up nicely.

[Jersey Nick]

[ QUOTE ]
Next time you get the evyl staredown from the Dennis the Menace types, just make faces at them, blow your raspberry at them and giggle a lot.

I mean someone's got to have fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

Toots, you Eff-en rule. I hope to run into you at F'woods someday so I can buy you a drink. It's your fun posts like this one that got me into B&M playing in the first place.

Bholder, great trip report. Hope you continue to enjoy good fortune at the low limit tables and beyond.

Nick

[radek2166]

[ QUOTE ]
- I got berated for a play that i thought was pretty good, even though i lost the pot. I was on the button, EVERYBODY called (geez). i had JTs, so i put in a raise on the drawing strength of my hand and my position. I flopped a straight draw and ended up with a pair of Js on the river. made a crying call and lost to two pair. one of the sunglasses kids made a disrespectful "hmmph!" sound, and pulled his shades down and said something like: "man, what were you thinking? JT is NOT a raising hand!". I made a point to move to his left a few hands later. he didn't like that either.


[/ QUOTE ]

NH

[David K.]

Great story, thanks for the words.

[ QUOTE ]
one of the sunglasses kids made a disrespectful "hmmph!" sound, and pulled his shades down and said something like: "man, what were you thinking? JT is NOT a raising hand!".

[/ QUOTE ]

When that happens to me, I act like I'm a total newbie taking the advice seriously. I'll go: "Really? Damn, I'm so dumb. Sometimes I raise with even less than that. So maybe I shouldn't raise unless I have, like a queen or something you think?".

I just get a kick out of them thinking I have no clue when I know they make way more mistakes than I do.

[radek2166]

IMHO. I pay much more attention when I play live. I have a certain ability to tilt people. I ALLWAYS HAVE A DRINK IN FRONT OF ME! Gives the image I want to give. I run my mouth alot. My side of the table is usually smiling and having a g00t time.

The other night we pissed off some lady she got mad cause we were talking football. I honestly try not to be a dick at the table I find that very -EV. Sometimes you have to be to protect the integrity of the game. I was at the MGM Grand the other night. Some WPT wana be kept announceing the flush possibility straight or FH that might be out there. Made the game a pain in the ass. So I asked for the floor.

He also was out of a hand. I was in the restroom. The story I got from the LPP on my right was that Mouths buddy mucked his cards towards LPP's cards and grazzed them. So mouth calls for a floor person. Gets LPP's hand declared dead.

Made the table very tense. IMHO not a g00t thing. I try to avoid dicks at all cost.


One thing that you might find helpful is if the room is slow watch the game.

I went to the casino the other day 1 table running. Its 7am. I go out and play some VP. Two people leave I get called. I sit inbetween 2 lags. I could have choose the seat to the right of the lags. I didn't cause I hate seats 1 and 10.

[smoore]

[ QUOTE ]
Next time you get the evyl staredown from the Dennis the Menace types, just make faces at them, blow your raspberry at them and giggle a lot.

I mean someone's got to have fun.


[/ QUOTE ]

Sitting with a big outlaw biker once (named Tiny, of course) at a low limit game and a sunglass kid was giving him a two minute staredown after he limp-reraised. The biker leans over to me and says, "Watch this." I get into a position where I can see the biker better and he's staring at the kid, slowly licks his lips, winks and blows the kid a kiss.

I nearly lost it and the kid couldn't even look at the biker anymore. He left about an orbit later.

[radek2166]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Next time you get the evyl staredown from the Dennis the Menace types, just make faces at them, blow your raspberry at them and giggle a lot.

I mean someone's got to have fun.


[/ QUOTE ]

Sitting with a big outlaw biker once (named Tiny, of course) at a low limit game and a sunglass kid was giving him a two minute staredown after he limp-reraised. The biker leans over to me and says, "Watch this." I get into a position where I can see the biker better and he's staring at the kid, slowly licks his lips, winks and blows the kid a kiss.

I nearly lost it and the kid couldn't even look at the biker anymore. He left about an orbit later.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did he get his phone number before he left?

[The Goober]

I was actually there last night at one of the 8-16 tables. The good player you mentioned (who used to be a dealer) I think I know who you are talking about - what did he look like?