Los Angeles trip report...(long) Part 1

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I just returned from a week of training (Poker) In LA for a new system we have installed at work. For those of you who don’t know I am a Telephony Engineer with a major Wireless Company and there are new products that are out all of the time that we evaluate and use. In any event, I wanted to post a review of the rooms (3) that I visited and my impressions of the games and the people. I hope you find it interesting and maybe even helpful.

I arrived at LAX after a great flight which is amazing since I really am a very nervous flyer. I had made an upgrade to first class using some of my miles and was really looking forward to the comfort for the 4 hour trip. However United, in its infinite wisdom, changed the type of plane we were taking and I was moved back to coach. Crap, nonsense, and other comments. The flight was very smooth though and the pilot absolutely GREASED the landing. We didn’t even know we were back on the ground until he hit the brakes. Oh, I also LOVE the “From the Cockpit” feature that United has. You can listen in to all radio talk from take-off to landing. It really is a nice feature.

I had about 4 hours to kill before I could get my room at my hotel in Buena Park and a map showed me that no less than 3 casinos were between the airport and the hotel. Hollywood Casino is the closest to LAX but I had been there on previous trips and wanted to try a different one. I chose the Bicycle Casino which was about ½ an hour from the Airport and very easy to find.

The “Bike” was holding their “Wearing of the Green” tournament series which has a tournament of some kind or another almost every day of the month. I put my name on the list for 3-6 HE and had about a 10 minute wait for a table. I played with a number of obvious regulars and a couple of people who were visiting as well. The Bike is a very nicely decorated club with 4 or 5 different sections including an outdoor gaming area for the smokers. The main floor has about 100 tables with 2-4 and 3-6 HE making up the bulk of the games. There was also a pretty good sized Stud section as well as a number of 2-4 to 6-12 O8 tables. California also has a game called “Mexican Poker” which seemed to be a combination of Omaha and HE. It actually looked like the name of the game was simply “The dealer is going to deal us a bunch of cards. You look at yours and decide to throw money at the pot. Then we all turn over our cards and the dealer will tell us who won.”

I played 3-6 for a couple of hours and was down about ½ rack when this hand came up. I was in the BB and wake up to find AKh. No raisers so I bet out. I was called in 3 positions including the small blind. The flop came A T 3 with 2 hearts. Now, I like the hell out of this hand. The SB checks, I bet, all call. The turn comes with the gorgeous 6h. The SB bets, I raise and all call again. The river brings us a 4 of clubs and the SB bets again. I raise and then get re-raised by a MP player who has been fairly tight the whole time. SB calls and I cap with the nuts. Both call and I take down a really nice pot to bring me a little bit over even. I played for about another half hour or so and then went to the tournament room to see what the story was on the games they were holding.

The tournament that night was a $300 buy in NLHE tournament with re-buys. A little stiff for my taste but they were holding satellites right then for $40 which got you an entry and $30 cash for a win. I sat down with a younger kid to my left and an older gentleman to my immediate right. For our $40 we were given T200 and blinds started at 10 and 20 and moved every 15 minutes. It quickly became a crapshoot as players were going all in from the very first hand. I managed to survive the “maniacs” and was in pretty decent shape with about T600 with 3 people left. The “kid” to my left was holding around T1100 and another player had the balance of around T3-400. An AA vs TT all in by the 3rd chip holder doubled him up when neither improved and chip stacks were all just about even. Blinds by then were becoming a factor at 100/200 and it was really a crapshoot. I ended up third when my KJs was called by a 9Ts and a 9 on the flop followed by a blank on the turn and a T on the river did me in. I decided to not play in another one as I really didn’t like the “crapshoot” feel. More on the Bike later, including a rather disturbing situation that I feel sums up the problem with poker in LA.

Sunday, Golf and Poker.

Sunday was spent doing two of my favorite things. Being around anything golf and playing poker. I got up quite early (time change) and turned on the laptop to play some online poker. The Embassy Suites has a fairly decent wireless connection but they charge $10 per day for access. My next trip will include a stay at a hotel with free high speed access. At my breakfast reading of the sports page I found that the PGA Champions tour was having the final round of a tournament that very day at a club about 40 minutes north of LA. Since I had no plans I decided to go have a nice walk and watch some of my golf hero’s play. I drove up to Valencia Country Club and paid the $15 admission. I hadn’t been there for more than 20 minutes when one of my favorites came to the 10th tee. Lee Trevino has been a favorite of mine since I can remember. I enjoy his humor and his game. I decided to walk along through the whole back nine. It was a great experience and I even spent a few minutes talking with the golfing great as we walked up the fairway on 17. A dream come true.

Being slightly sunburned, I decided that the evening would be spent in the cool environs of the Commerce Casino. I had been there a few times before so I knew what to expect. For those of you who might never have been there, Commerce Casino is freaking HUGE!!! Easily twice the size of its nearest competition, the Casino is bustling 24-7. I decided to play in a 2-4 game as the 3-6 had a list about two miles long. I bought in for ½ a rack and played with the maniacs. I really don’t have any memorable hands but one from that session but I did leave with $150 more than I showed up with in a little over 3 hours. I also have no “star” sightings from this trip.

If you go to Commerce and want a quick bite to eat, try the Brisket of Beef sandwich. It’s a very nice portion of beef on a soft roll with fries and drink only $5. I also had the club sandwich another time which was very good.

Now to the hand that I mentioned earlier. This really isn’t about the hand at all but the aftermath. Dealer abuse is a real problem at this card club. They are working hard to improve conditions but they still tolerate actions that I find quite appalling. I had been playing about 30 minutes sitting at my favorite seat 8 and caught an AJs on the button. My opponent, an older gentleman of around 60 in seat 2 had been running over the table and I decided to make a stand right here no matter what the flop. I got a bit lucky when the flop came A 3 8 rainbow. The guy bet, he had 2 callers and I raised. He re-raised, two callers again and I call. The turn was a T giving me no real help but made a 2 flush on the board. I figure him to come out firing and was a little surprised when he checked. Both of the other players checked and I bet out. He raises with a smirk and says “I can’t get any help from these (expletive deleted) dealers so I gotta make some myself”. The two previous callers both fold. I smirk myself, well I think I did, and threw out the re-raise saying “we make our own anyway”. He calls. The river is a J giving me top two and erasing the flush draw. He checks and I bet, he raises (?) and I re-raise. At that point he says “I must have had 11 or 12 outs and this [censored] (meaning the dealer) just couldn’t do it.” We turn over and he shows the JQ of the two flush giving a simple pair of J’s. I turn over my AJ and he just throws his cards and starts muttering and glaring at the dealer. Right then the dealer, a woman, says “ouch” quite loudly and holds her hand. Apparently, one of the cards hit the dealer, cutting her hand slightly. I immediately say “what was that for? She didn’t tell you to bet every street on a draw”. Two other players also jumped in to chastise him for acting that way. He told me to shut up and mind my own business and said that he didn’t mean to hurt her. I told him to apologize which he refused to do. I called for a floorman who came over. I explained the situation and he looked at the dealers’ hand which had an obvious mark on it from the card. The floormans’ action at that point is what amazed me. He turned to the offender and said I must tell everyone to not throw cards and then he walked away. That was it. No wonder the abuse goes on when it is tolerated like that.

All in all, Sunday was a great day. I will write more about the week later including some No limit action at the Commerce. What fun!!!