Reno Trip report Oct 30+31 (longish)

[L0QTiS]

Went to Reno with the wife for our Anniversary and managed to find a little time here and there for some Poker, however only one tournament and one 4 hour session at the ElDorado Poker room.

Peppermill Sunday weekly NL Hold-em tournament:

Mostly locals from what I could see - $30+$5 gets T400 with one $30 Re-buy for T600 which can be used as an add-on at the end of the first hour. This was my first live NL Tournament. I’ve played at a few live LIMIT tournaments at Bay 101 several years back, but nothing in recent years. 8 Tables of 10 per table so 80 players plus alternates. Final 8 pay.

I don’t recall exact specifics as I didn’t take notes, so please excuse any oddities.

Third or so hand in I limped with Q9s on the button along with several other callers. Flop QQx – checked through – I check. I didn’t think I’d get much action if I bet, and too early in the tournament for me to be sure of my opponents’ play. Turn brings a K, checked around, I make a pot sized bet and get a caller in the blinds. River case Q – checked to me, I bet about 1/3rd of the pot and again BB calls with Kx. Not bad to remove my initial jitters. Quite frankly, I’m surprised my opponent didn’t catch on since I’m sure I was trembling somewhat. Thankfully, after playing a few hands, these jitters went away.

I managed to get good to decent run of hands in the first two hours. A7s flops trip sevens, AQo flops AQx, AKo brings top pair top kicker – all of which hold up. I took the add-on at the end of the first hour. Second hour was more of the same. Picked off a few short-stacked players - my 88 vs short stack AJo holds up, there were a few others I can’t recall. Near the end of the 2nd hour I picked up a monster! Black Aces Under the Gun – blinds @ 150/300 , Raised to T900 – folded to the Button who came over the top for I think T2500, short stacked player calls all-in, and I stall for effect. Button was just moved from another table and has a very large stack and definitely has me covered. Watched him for about two orbits prior to this hand and he seemed a fairly solid aggressive player. I only saw him show quality hands. I put on my best “oh well” look and pushed in, Button immediately calls. He flips KK, short stack has K4s. The aces hold up and I double up plus the bonus from the short stacked player. At this point I estimate I was in the top 5 stacks but I could never really tell for sure. Our table broke and we were down to two tables. At this point I went card dead for nearly an hour. I think the best hand I saw was A4o in the cutoff during this time, and there were limpers that hands so I couldn’t see playing it. Adding to my dilemma was a very passive calling station in my big blind. I tangled with her at my other table earlier. Couldn’t put her on a hand and could check/call almost anything. I think I won perhaps one uncalled hand during this time. I watched my chips dwindle to the blinds and antes, but made it to the final table.

At the final table I estimate I was about 4th or 5th in chips. My card drought continues and I see nothing better than J4o. Within two orbits we lost two short stacks and now everyone remaining gets paid. Top prize was around $1500 if I recall correctly. Blinds are now 600/1200 and I’m down to about T4000-T5000 and remain in 4th or 5th chips wise. I find AKo in early position, push in and get no callers. Hang back a bit after that and see two more eliminated. I’m about 4th in chips and the player to my left is just about out. I decide to play it safe and wait until he’s gone before making any move unless I get a real good hand. I passed on playing a A-7 from mid-position and two hands later the shorty to my left doubled up all in with QQ so now I’m the short stack. I’m in the big blind with KJo player to my left raises all in. Folded to me and I ask for a count. I have him covered barely. If I lose, I can get through next hand in the small blind and perhaps 3-4 more paying in antes. I decide that if I have any chance to win or place better in this tournament I’ll need to gamble so I called. He had 99 vs my KJo. Flop all blanks, Turn K, then the river… 9 ug! Sorry conspiracy fans, it happens live too. Next hand I get JTo in the SB. Same player with the 9’s raised, all folded to me and I call all in figuring I already had about 45% of my stack already in. Raiser has A9s vs my JTo – I don’t recall the exact board, but I rivered a straight. Only problem is that it also made my opponent a spade flush and I’m out in 6th for a $135 payday and a $65 profit after leaving a $5 tip for the dealers. Not bad for my first live No Limit tournament.

Afterthoughts – Oddly enough, most of my hands in the first several hours were pretty straightforward, or at least I felt the decisions weren’t close. I lost momentum after that AA vs KK hand then the card drought hits. I was fairly lost given my utter lack of cards and terrible steal potential given the passive player in the blinds. I suppose I could have pushed all-in to steal but was really unwilling to take that much risk just to keep up in chips. Anyway, I’m really happy with the win and looking forward to playing again elsewhere when the opportunity arises.

El Dorado poker room

Very nice room enclosed in glass except for the entrance - non smoking (I think until 1AM), appeared to have about 8-10 tables. Sunday night, they had one 4/8 Omaha hi-low with 1/2 Kill, one 1-5 Stud, and one 3/6 Holdem with a Full Kill. I think there was another holdem table but I didn't see if it was 3/6 or 4/8 w/Kill.

Put my name up on the 3/6 Holdem game and asked about Omaha hi/lo - seat was opened and I'm welcomed to it. Never played B&M Omaha so why not now. I play online O8 nearly exclusively so I'm due. Bought in for $250 which was probably more than needed, but I've never played in live kill game so I wasn't sure what to expect. Blinds were $2 and $2 which I thought was odd for a 4/8 game but whatever. The game was 8 handed with one seat open and one walker. I got about 3 or 4 orbits before the game broke and my name got called for Holdem. Never won a pot or had much of a had worth pursuing past the turn save for one. A2sXX in a kill pot where I flopped two of my suits three handed on a high flop. River didn't bring my flush so I folded, but it cost a stack and a half. I think I voluntarily entered in just two more hands folding on the flop or turn with low draws which either didn't surface or got counterfeit. Based on what I was seeing players show, this could have been a profitable game, but unfortunately it didn't last more than an hour and I moved over to Holdem.

As far as kill games go, here's what I observed after a little time (I’m completely new to them). At an Omaha Hi/Low Kill qualified at (I think) a scooper at 10x the big blind, at Holdem it was one person winning twice in a row. Omaha kill happened far more often than in Holdem kill so essentially, the HE game was 3/6 the majority of the time with the occasional kill hand. For some reason I got it in my head that full kill was going to be a crazy out of control game but it didn't turn out that way.

Moved to my holdem game in seat 3, blinds are $1 and $2 - again I thought this was odd but I'm sure it was designed to encourage small multi-way pots from the flop and to encourage action in later streets. Delt in immediately, didn’t have to post, cool! Second hand in I pick up AA (now in UTG+1) and try to raise to $6 - dealer correct me that $5 is the correct raise ($2 blind + $3 small bet = $5). I get 5 callers. Jack high flop, somewhat ragged I bet and 4 call, Turn blank - I bet, 4 callers. I don't recall the exact river card, but it brought the 3 flush, I lost my nerve and checked and it checked though and MHIG. Lasted about another orbit when seat 6 vacates and I move over for a better view of the board.

Table mostly passive, a mix of mostly locals and a few tourists including myself. I can't tell you how many times I saw 72s tabled and win with two pair or flush, it was just amazing. Average hand saw 5-8 to the flop. Guys to my right picked up on the fact that I was playing tight, even saying "if he bets I'm out" even before the action gets to me?! I was able to take advantage of this once on AJo which I raised in the CO and we flopped a scary board (all diamonds if I recall), all checked to me, I bet, all fold.

I managed to keep a Hefeweizen Wheat beer in front of me at all times, reordering at least every other orbit. Despite this, I felt I wasn't getting enough action on my good hands so I tabled my hand on a bluff when I attempted to push off the kill poster heads up on a scary board. Kill poster to my left - one limper I limped with A6s, kill checks. Board is ragged all diamonds - I hit none of it. First limper checks, I bet, Kill calls, limper folds - I'm now heads up with the Kill. Turn is Ad. I bet, Kill quickly calls. River irrelevant - I check, he checks and I say "well if you had a diamond I doubt I was going to get you to fold anyway so" and I table my ace-six and he shows 7x7d. Dunno if it helped my "image" but I think it was a worthwhile attempt. From what I could see, many people tend to defend their kill post probably beyond reason.

Later I flopped Top pair, straight flush draw with 87s which rivered a flush for a nice capper to the evening. The rake seemed unusually high, but I think it was due to the jackpot rake. $1 was taken out immediately with another $1 at I believe $20, not really sure beyond that. I played for about 3 hours or so at this table, hit a few hands and eventually cashed out +$50 overall for the evening.