2017 Poker Discussion Thread

[Track Collector]

As the title implies, here the place for all of your 2017 poker-related discussions and comments. Looking forward to having proximity share all of his on-going activities and challenges in his talented and witty style, and for others to increase their level of participation.

May your year 2017 felt times be successful!

[proximity]

as i mentioned in the 2016 thread, i apparently have a diamond celebration dinner to burn by january 31 and i'm going to try and have it this saturday night january 7th at horseshoe baltimore.

please pm me if you're interested in coming.

in the past we've gone to binion's and guy fieri's for good food and gambling conversation about various topics including rebates, the tonkowa indians, rebates, easygoer 89's real home track, and rebates!! :)

hope to see you there!

--proximity

[proximity]

after a season opening victory thursday at horseshoe baltimore i returned to the charm city tonight for our paceadvantage diamond dinner!!

i jumped out to a good start going 3-0 with QQ but the 4th time wasn't a charm as the ladies ran into BOTH AA and KK in the same hand. an ace on the flop made it easy to get away though and when i got AA in the very next hand another ace on the flop made it easy for me to win the pot. :cool:

wrapped up the night with some great food and racing talk with forum members ronsmac and track collector down at binion's.

awesome red velvet cake for desert!!

game +137 (3/6 lim)
year +329 (2-0)
promo 0 (25)

[ronsmac]

after a season opening victory thursday at horseshoe baltimore i returned to the charm city tonight for our paceadvantage diamond dinner!!

i jumped out to a good start going 3-0 with QQ but the 4th time wasn't a charm as the ladies ran into BOTH AA and KK in the same hand. an ace on the flop made it easy to get away though and when i got AA in the very next hand another ace on the flop made it easy for me to win the pot. :cool:

wrapped up the night with some great food and racing talk with forum members ronsmac and track collector down at binion's.

awesome red velvet cake for desert!!

game +137 (3/6 lim)
year +329 (2-0)
promo 0 (25)Thanks Proximity for a great dinner. I always enjoy hanging out with you and Track Collector.

[Track Collector]

Thanks Proximity for a great dinner. I always enjoy hanging out with you and Track Collector.

Ditto this! Special PA racing friendships which started around 7 years ago.

Too bad some others didn't take advantage of proximity's generous offer. You never know when new friendships will develop.

My poker results were not as good as those of proximity, losing $118 over the multi-hour session of 1/3 NL. Then Ron tried to cheer me up by reminding me that Timonium is "only" about 7 1/2 months away. :)

Because I live a significant distance away, the horseshoe gave me a $10 promotional offer, which I was fortunate enough to convert to 10 real dollars with a single play at the blackjack table. :ThmbUp:

[Track Collector]

after a season opening victory thursday at horseshoe baltimore i returned to the charm city tonight for our paceadvantage diamond dinner!!

i jumped out to a good start going 3-0 with QQ but the 4th time wasn't a charm as the ladies ran into BOTH AA and KK in the same hand. an ace on the flop made it easy to get away though and when i got AA in the very next hand another ace on the flop made it easy for me to win the pot. :cool:

wrapped up the night with some great food and racing talk with forum members ronsmac and track collector down at binion's.

awesome red velvet cake for desert!!

game +137 (3/6 lim)
year +329 (2-0)
promo 0 (25)

Excellent start for 2017. :ThmbUp::ThmbUp::ThmbUp:

Hopefully just scratching the surface for what will turn out to be a very profitable year with your poker activities. :jump:

[proximity]

interesting thread (especially the last page ;) ) on vmb about the caesars quest for rewards promotion that i mentioned towards the end of the 2016 thread:

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php?threads/cet-quest-for-rewards.136962/page-5


;) ;) ;)

[proximity]

:( :( :( :lol:

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php?threads/cet-quest-for-rewards.136962/page-6

well that one was waaaaaaay too good to be true.

caesars fixed the computer and i'm back to one badge. the crazy thing was i had four badges but was only at horseshoe twice! :D

[proximity]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/174/poker-goals-amp-challenges/2014-i-aint-trying-survive-im-trying-live-no-limit-1406092/index176.html

i'm rooting for the guy to get 300 hours. he looked pretty worn out to me on thursday but seemed more sprightly on saturday. he was playing 1-3 right behind track collector........

[proximity]

after breaking out of the 2017 gate faster than a juice horse with eight quirin speed points i was last seen partying into the late hours of the night with fellow paceadvantage members ronsmac and track collector.

unfortunately it didn't take very long to return to poker reality as i dropped a pair of games on thursday and a marathon session friday at horseshoe baltimore casino.

it's the same old depressing stuff i've been reporting here for three years.

in one (3/6 limit) hand i raise a straddle to $9 with AK. 52 off suit calls three cold, hits a five and stays the whole way.

in another i limp behind a couple limpers with K8 of spades and raise a flop of K Qs 2s.

Q3 (no spades) calls the raise and turns a queen.

no help on the river.

just how brazen can these villains get?

one guy called one of my bets...... WITH NO CARDS!!! :faint: :faint: :faint:

technically i went 0-3-1 on the week as before friday's game i sat down for two free no-limit hands against the legendary cuserounder!!

facing the cuse i was more nervous that a career criminal in a police lineup and my fingers trembled uncontrollably as i pushed those rags towards the muck.

it would take a REAL paceadvantage hero to go against the cuse and fortunately we only had to wait about eleven hours and fifteen minutes for this to happen as our former rookie and poster of the year charm city whizz (guy's like the ezekiel elliott of paceadvantage) set up shop across from the legend in a 1-3 no limit hold em contest.

eventually, after a long back and forth struggle, we come to the big hand....

cuse: ?? ($15 pre flop)
whizz: KJ (calls small blind)

flop: A87 (cuse bets $50. whizz calls)

turn: 9 (whizz bets 80. cuse calls)


river: 3

whizz bets $110.

cuse goes in the tank and three agonizing minutes later his cards go in the muck to complete one of the greatest (non emd) victories in paceadvantage history!!

cuse: "did you have it?"

whizz: "i don't remember cuse."

and whizz got up and walked to the cage. he sat with the best. and he won.

(actually i think he did show) :)

thank you for reading.

game -40 (3/6 lim)
year +103 (2-3)
promo 10 (55)

[proximity]

the following link is intended for mature audiences only and is brought to you by horseshoe baltimore casino.

horseshoe baltimore.

never gamble on where you gamble!

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=51557187&postcount=4714

[RunForTheRoses]

after breaking out of the 2017 gate faster than a juice horse with eight quirin speed points i was last seen partying into the late hours of the night with fellow paceadvantage members ronsmac and track collector.

unfortunately it didn't take very long to return to poker reality as i dropped a pair of games on thursday and a marathon session friday at horseshoe baltimore casino.

it's the same old depressing stuff i've been reporting here for three years.

in one (3/6 limit) hand i raise a straddle to $9 with AK. 52 off suit calls three cold, hits a five and stays the whole way.

in another i limp behind a couple limpers with K8 of spades and raise a flop of K Qs 2s.

Q3 (no spades) calls the raise and turns a queen.

no help on the river.

just how brazen can these villains get?

one guy called one of my bets...... WITH NO CARDS!!! :faint: :faint: :faint:

technically i went 0-3-1 on the week as before friday's game i sat down for two free no-limit hands against the legendary cuserounder!!

facing the cuse i was more nervous that a career criminal in a police lineup and my fingers trembled uncontrollably as i pushed those rags towards the muck.

it would take a REAL paceadvantage hero to go against the cuse and fortunately we only had to wait about eleven hours and fifteen minutes for this to happen as our former rookie and poster of the year charm city whizz (guy's like the ezekiel elliott of paceadvantage) set up shop across from the legend in a 1-3 no limit hold em contest.

eventually, after a long back and forth struggle, we come to the big hand....

cuse: ?? ($15 pre flop)
whizz: KJ (calls small blind)

flop: A87 (cuse bets $50. whizz calls)

turn: 9 (whizz bets 80. cuse calls)


river: 3

whizz bets $110.

cuse goes in the tank and three agonizing minutes later his cards go in the muck to complete one of the greatest (non emd) victories in paceadvantage history!!

cuse: "did you have it?"

whizz: "i don't remember cuse."

and whizz got up and walked to the cage. he sat with the best. and he won.

(actually i think he did show) :)

thank you for reading.

game -40 (3/6 lim)

year +103 (2-3)
promo 10 (55)

Now THAT is how shit is done, wtg whizz

[RunForTheRoses]

the following link is intended for mature audiences only and is brought to you by horseshoe baltimore casino.

horseshoe baltimore.

never gamble on where you gamble!

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=51557187&postcount=4714


Wow seat 10 needs to lighten up.

[proximity]

cuserounder approaching 300 hours for january and claims there was a murder in the horseshoe elevator. :rolleyes:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=51619174&postcount=4841

idk if curtisonthebay hijacked his account or something but it turns out nobody actually died. it was merely hand and foot shots. it was probably charm city whizz and track collector arguing about emd and chris kay!! :D

meanwhile i was up at penn national suffering my sixth limit loss in my last seven games. :bang:

i ended up making the money back in no limit but not before value owning myself at what turned out to be a very passive table.

with A8 four or five of us see a flop of AKQ rainbow.

i bet small and one villain calls.

turn: 6

i bet a little bigger and villain calls.

river:6

this has to be a chop. i bet 15. villain calls. how do i lose?

he tables AQ. :bang:

game -80 (2/4 lim)
game +101 (1/2 nl)
year -237 (7-9)
promo 0 (160)

[proximity]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/174/poker-goals-amp-challenges/2014-i-aint-trying-survive-im-trying-live-no-limit-1406092/index176.html

i'm rooting for the guy to get 300 hours. he looked pretty worn out to me on thursday but seemed more sprightly on saturday. he was playing 1-3 right behind track collector........


http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/174/poker-goals-amp-challenges/2014-i-aint-trying-survive-im-trying-live-no-limit-1406092/index197.html

from what i personally witnessed he almost always seemed to be ahead in 1-3. for 2-5 i'm just not used to the stacks so i can't say.

played him once at 1-3 and he won like $11 before moving to 2-5. i told the dealer we could all exhale now. :)

one hand i raised 77 first in and he folded behind me. that was really my only experience "against" him. :D

[proximity]

thaskalos or anyone know what's going on with the venetian? it was pretty dead when i did my lv trip (there was some minor construction) but tonight has more games than any casino in town.

bravo:

Promotions
As of 12pm on 1/31/17, the Bad Beat Jackpot is at $164,909 with Quad 8's or better beaten as the qualifying hand! Jackpot updates daily, with the qualifying hand decreasing every two weeks. Complete rules available in the poker room. High Hand Giveaway: In January we gave away $102,000! Our next High Hand Giveaway will be coming mid April, details to follow. As of 2/1/17, we offer $4-$8 limit hold 'em with a half kill and above, with a generous rake structure, and $1-$2 NL and above. Call the Poker Room to inquire about game availability and to place your name on a waiting list. Poker Rewards can be used to enter any Daily or DeepStack Extravaganza poker tournament, for a table side massage from one of our Canyon Ranch Team Members, or for table side food from the Grand Lux Cafe. Please see a member of the Tournament Staff for more details. Start a private tournament or reserve a cash game for your group. Call our Tournament Director Tommy LaRosa at 702-498-6179 for more details. Based on dates and availability

Description # of Tables
4-8 HOLDEM H/K 2
2-5 NL HOLDEM 5
2-4 HOLDEM H/K 1
1-2 NL HOLDEM 9

[proximity]

to most normal people it's sunday morning.

but compulsive gamblers aren't normal people and i'm driving around the ghetto of chester, pa at 3:00 on saturday night looking for that venerable harness racino now known as harrah's philadelphia.

of course it's there.... right behind the prison :rolleyes: , and i grind out $20 of no limit profits and another caesar's quest for rewards badge in the process.

if only this was the first game (instead of the last) on my recent poker "vacation" then i could've died a happy man as a no-limit winner.

after a recent 1-2 win at penn national my no limit record for the last 37 months stood at 69-54 with only $11 of losses and with some time off from knish's truck i took off on tuesday night to spend the rest of the week in the place where the sand turns to gold: atlantic city!!

my goal was to win $12 to become a no limit winner and spend the rest of the week "relaxing" in low limit hold em.

with AQ i raise a couple limpers and see a queen high flop heads up.

i lose to a limped KK.

later we learn that the villain hates QQ because he "always loses with those bitches."

"uhh.... you are allowed to raise and three bet," i think to myself.

with 43 in the big blind i usually fold to a raise, but this raise is a small one that several people have already called and effective stacks are certainly deep enough that i decide to call.

on an 8 4 3 flop though i lose not to a set, but to that powerful suited three gap 84. :faint:

hours pass. i'm not winning any hands but when AK rivers trip aces i look to get (kinda, sorta) back in the game.

i lose to a set of 2s.

when the table breaks i finally get a break with a set of queens against a maniac. i can't get him to bite on a big turn raise but he's already put enough in that i now have a chance to get back in it and grind out my $12.

instead i go card dead and maniacs take over the game.

in one big hand two maniacs and another player are all all in on the turn with sets. yes.... three sets!!

maniac 2 takes it down with kkk but starts to give it back.

on a rebuy maniac 1 is all in preflop (hundreds) with AT off and maniac 2 calls!!

board: Q Q 9 6 2 (no flush)

ACE HIGH IS GOOD! maniac 1 takes it down!! :faint: :faint: :faint:

next maniac 2 is up against a woman and they go to showdown on a board of A K J A K.

the woman tables JT for a counterfeited bottom pair.

"playing the board" the dealer (erroneously) blurts out.

MANIAC 2 MUCKS HIS HAND!!! :faint: :faint: :faint:

another player looks to double up through maniac 2 when he flops a set of jacks on a board with two hearts. he shoves ALL IN for WAY over the pot.

maniac 2 calls with 92 and of course the board runs out heart, blank.

next he raises T6 and felts another player when he turns a gutshot.

somehow i manage to lose $41.40 an hour over ten hours against this advanced competition in what i believe was my worst no limit result in the entire history of the proximity poker tour.

the next day i quickly lose with two sets and can never recover, losing $99 in another ten hour game.

friday i finally grind out a $4 win in 2-4-6 limit company before moving my tack over to the borgata.

i wonder what will happen there.....

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in atlantic city where we've just arrived at the borgata where we jump right into some intense 10/20 limit hold em action.

i get off to a good start with 99 in this exciting game before quickly picking up where i left off last season.

generally i'm not a very aggressive blind defender in these limit games but this night i'm getting a lot of hands to defend with and then totally missing the flops. the game moves fast and the blinds and time rake are grinding me down. i have two final chances to get back in the game but i'm rivered by a (legitimate) flush and then a gutshot.

down $450 and nearly $1000 for the trip i drop down to 1/2 no limit where i'm greeted by yet another maniac who is getting hit by the deck. eventually lightning strikes and i finally.... and i do mean FINALLY.... win a decent no limit pot when 66 flops a boat!! i get two stacks (one smaller and one larger) but unfortunately the maniac isn't in this hand. eventually i quit with a $192 win so i can get some sleep.

over at harrah's i grind out $13 in 2/4 limit and another caesars quest for rewards badge before moving back over to the borgata for more 1/2 no limit. there aren't any maniacs at the table this time but i fall behind early before rallying to win another big pot with a set of tens. i cash out with a $152 win and wrap up the trip back at bally's in a 246 limit game.

unfortunately it's another bad outing at bally's. a set of tens is run down by a baby flush as is a flopped straight with KJ. i drop $75 and take off for harrah's philadelphia (chester) where i win $20 and get another caesars badge.

it's been a horrible week but on the trip home i hear some good news from penn national where a horseplayer known as the lion has been red hot at the hold em tables, going 18-3 and +2100 to start the year.

as for me, atlantic city evens my w-l record at 13-13 but i fall to -789 in the only stat that really counts.

thank you for reading. :)

trip

bally's 1/2 -414
bally's 1/2 -99
bally's 246 +4
borg 10/20 -450
borg 1/2 +192
hac 24 +13
borg 1/2 +152
ballys 246 -75
hph 1/2 +20

[proximity]

here's a great vlog recommended by the lion:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7niy1IA-uc

enjoy!!

[proximity]

ok poker fans after (kinda, sorta) surviving atlantic city and chester today's action finds us back in grantville (stepping onto the red carpet) at exciting hollywood penn national!!

bravo says there are five games going but the parking garage is almost totally empty and i begin to wonder. down in the card room though the games are going and i take a seat in everyone's favorite game 1-2 no limit hold em.

i get J2 four of the first five hands but eventually notch a decent win with 99. i flop a boat with AA but don't get any action before losing with KK and AJ, the latter overtaken on the turn by J9.

eventually the game breaks and my starting stack and a couple dollars of profits over to another game featuring our good friend and fellow horseplayer the lion.

after closing out 2016 with wins in like 10 of his last 12 games the lion hasn't showed any signs of slowing down in 2017; starting the campaign 18-3 and raking in about $2100 of profits.

the lion is making a mockery of this game. he's hollywooding at hollywood; standing up in the middle of big hands, "raising" first in, even stealing the proximity "shaking hands" act.

for the second time in a week there's a muck on what would've been a chop and naturally the lion is the beneficiary.

on a board of (approx) J 6 X 6 A the lion tables his KJ at showdown. the villain holds his J7 high in the air (a couple of us can see the hand) before tossing it into the muck.

it's mostly j x hands for me although eventually i score a win with a baby flush and manage a $41 win. but this night belonged to the lion who once again roared at hollywood with a near $300 score!!

thank you for reading!

game +41 (1/2 nl)
year -748 (14-13)
promo 0 (160)

[proximity]

if someone has AK i'm rich.

not gates or trump rich but the big share of penn national's 600k + bad beat jackpot will be more than enough for a railbird like me.

unfortunately everyone mucks.

to make matters worse it's now 12:30 am and a long day of high hands has just ended. my queen high straight flush, (with 98) drags only a tiny 3/6 limit pot. :bang:

the long poker weekend started on friday with my annual car inspection/ charles town trip.

as usual, things did not go well.

i jumped out to a slim lead against a weak field of 1-2 nl players but losses with KK, queens full of 8s (to quad 8s) and tt (to kk) put me out of my misery and i stumbled over to the track where i booked a rare live racing loss.

it was a depressing ride home but i looked to give it another try sunday at pen in another 1-2 nl game featuring the lion.

the lion struggled in this one and unfortunately suffered a (very) rare loss while i moved out to a $260 lead with my sights set on having my best game in proximity poker tour history and moving ahead "career" in no limit play.

unfortunately the cards didn't cooperate.

after folding about 100 out of 105 hands, 87
finally rivers a flush but is beaten by a player who limped utg with T2.

frustrated i move to a (rare for pen) 3/6 limit game.

i lose with KK but rally to get ahead as the high hand period is about to end.

AK (four bet pre vs aq off) sees a beautiful flop of ace-club-club. :headbanger:

but a blank on the turn is of course followed by a non club queen on the river :faint:and my 2017 limit woes continue.

thank you for reading. :)

ct -200 (1/2 nl)
pen +160 (1/2 nl)
pen -44 (3/6 lim)
year -832 (15-15)
promo 0 (160)

[DeltaLover]

after folding about 100 out of 105 hands,

Time to rethink your game?

[proximity]

Time to rethink your game?

22+, A2s+, 54s+, 75s+, suited big, sometimes off suit big is what got played.

[proximity]

a few weeks ago we set off for atlantic city with our sights set on grinding $12 (twelve) of profits and returning to the ranks of no limit winners!!

unfortunately we were rudely greeted at bally's with -$414 and -$99 sessions and our dreams of no limit glory were returned to the back burner.

later we'd hit another bump in the road at charles town but over time we gradually grinded back into contention.

i had high hopes for this week but it seemed like the cards had other plans as i opened with three losses to donkeys. i hung tough though to grind out an $18 win and followed up with a plus $154 session to FINALLY pull back ahead (albeit only $13) in no limit play for the last 38 months!!

meanwhile our high rolling buddy the lion had been on another hot streak since his rare loss in our last report. he won every day of the week and was looking to score big again with KK and raised to $10.

two callers joined the lion, seeing a flop of JT6 (two diamonds).

the lion bet $20.

one player folds but the other raises to $60.

the lion calls.

turn: 5

the lion shoves all in for a little more than the pot.

with KQ off.... not even diamonds.... the villain CALLS.

river: A. :bang::bang::bang:

thank you for reading!!

game +154 (1/2 nl)
year -660 (17-15)
promo 0 (160)

[proximity]

ok poker fans today's action finds us back at penn national where i'm grinding a long session with hopes to qualify for their new rakeback promotion!!

we're once again in 1-2 no limit company and there are some early fireworks when KQ flops the nut flush!! (AJ8)

a second eight on the turn slows my momentum a little (i still bet) but the river brings a beautiful T to give me my first lifetime royal!!!!!!!!!!!!

the villain has the nine of clubs and if he flips over the seven we're all rich as it will trigger the 641k bad beat jackpot!!

unfortunately he only has the 3 but what a rush to be within one card of such an enormous score!!

hours later i cash out with a $117 win; an overall solid ending to the month after the horrendous start to the atlantic city trip.

thank you for reading!!

game +117 (1/2 nl)
year -543 (18-15)
promo 0 (160)

[tucker6]

ok poker fans today's action finds us back at penn national where i'm grinding a long session with hopes to qualify for their new rakeback promotion!!

we're once again in 1-2 no limit company and there are some early fireworks when KQ flops the nut flush!! (AJ8)

a second eight on the turn slows my momentum a little (i still bet) but the river brings a beautiful T to give me my first lifetime royal!!!!!!!!!!!!

the villain has the nine of clubs and if he flips over the seven we're all rich as it will trigger the 641k bad beat jackpot!!

unfortunately he only has the 3 but what a rush to be within one card of such an enormous score!!

hours later i cash out with a $117 win; an overall solid ending to the month after the horrendous start to the atlantic city trip.

thank you for reading!!

game +117 (1/2 nl)
year -543 (18-15)
promo 0 (160)

I've never gotten a royal flush. Great on you. How much did you win on the hand anyway? So the villian went deep into the hand with a 93 same suited as yours? What was the betting like?

[proximity]

I've never gotten a royal flush. Great on you. How much did you win on the hand anyway? So the villian went deep into the hand with a 93 same suited as yours? What was the betting like?

villain checked and called the whole way. didn't win much.

this month i hope to start getting back to maryland more so i keep on pace to be caesars diamond again in 2018. i do enjoy playing at penn national though and although it's not (nearly) as much as maryland gives, it was nice to see them start a rakeback program.

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we'd been gaining no limit momentum since the horrible game at bally's, even rallying to move ahead lifetime!!

on this poker tour however, pretty much without exception, these milestone wins are quickly followed by catastrophic losses.

someday (hopefully?) the winning streak will keep going but unfortunately once again, misfortune quickly strikes.

our next no limit action finds us back at penn national. i quickly lose set over set and flush over flush and can never rebound in a $365 loss.

it seems so many times that action killing cards come when i get a good hand but it's only total blanks when i'm on the short end of the hand? :bang:

the lion, meanwhile continues to roll. he's finished the first two months like 30-6 with $3000+ of profits. in a developing situation though, it appears penn national is attempting to screw him out of his hard earned rakeback as his efforts are not listed in the official records book at the hollywood poker podium!! stay tuned poker fans!! :popcorn:

game -365 (1/2 nl)
year -908 (18-16)
promo 0 (160)

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we're back with more live poker excitement!!

this time we're up early on a sunday morning; a golden opportunity to make a run to the new mgm national harbor!!!

i take the scenic (western) route to mgm and what an amazing sight this casino is as it comes into view on the beltway!! absolutely beautiful property!

inside everything's shiny and new but i'm a little underwhelmed. i guess i thought it would be a little bigger and the ceilings a little higher? some decorations (like penn national's trees and horse statue for example) would've been nice between sections of table games and slots also.

the 39 table poker room is an l-shaped design towards the back on the left side of the casino (coming from the garage, not the resort). the tables are well spaced and feature possibly the best chairs on the circuit and thickly padded rails. cup-holders aren't built into the rails but portable holders that sit on the table are available (they tuck into the rail). i found the felt to be maybe a little too velvety (?) and with my short nails i actually had some minor trouble checking my cards.

a self serve coffee bar is a nice touch here and the room has beautiful and well positioned tvs.

i didn't get to meet poker director johnny grooms but overall i'd say he's assembled an impressive staff. the floor was prominent and fast enough in response to any inquiries and there's a lot of reason for optimism about the dealers. our own charm city whiz has jumped ship from maryland live! to harbor and i noticed other top dealers like anne and terry from charles town as well as kenny, vicky, and taylor from horseshoe. i've definitely missed some names here too. i did raise my eyebrows at one hire but that particular dealer had an above average down at my table so overall it looks like there's a lot of hope for this team.

some negatives were that the room was a little cold (even for a poker room) and the dealer uniforms were horrible. the poker room could use some artwork on the back wall too as it seemed a little bare.

the biggest negative though was the other players.

i played 4/8 limit and only about half of my table displayed what i'd consider acceptable poker etiquette.

slow play, rebuying for the minimum every fifth hand (it's a limit game!!), arguing with other players and dealers, taking long walks with short stacks, majoring in minor things, more slow play, more $40 rebuys when you have $1000 in your pocket....... rinse and repeat.

on the felt, another straight flush (third sunday in a row!!) pushed me out to nearly a $100 lead before the cards went cold. our old friend KK fell to AA and eventually i fell behind. i rally late though when i flop a set with my own AA and retire with a $24 win.

mgm pays $2 an hour in comps but these don't go directly on your mlife card.
you have to get the floor to put the comps on your card AND you have to tell them the specific place you're going to use them.

i got $13 comps for shake shack and $12.87 got me a shake and possibly the best hamburger i've ever had!! overall the food options were very impressive and not as expensive as i expected.

i took the quicker (eastern) route home and made it in a little over two hours. still though the distance and game conditions (at least 4/8) will prevent me from becoming any kind of regular here but it's certainly a solid candidate for the occasional day trip.

thank you for reading!

game +24 (4/8 lim)
year -884 (19-16)
promo 0 (160)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with more exciting hold em action; this time it's yet another trip to america's playground: atlantic city!!

the lion's wife has taken off for florida and he's eager to challenge some of the east coast's finest so i invite him along on the trip but not before cautioning him that new jersey people are THE smartest in the world.

paraphrasing woody stephens i tell him "them casinos get a lot taller when you cross that bay, son," but at like 30-6 and +$3,000 the lion fears no 1-2 player.

we arrive late wednesday night at the borgata and the lion's eager to dip his paws in the water so we join up for some 1-2 action.

i quickly fall behind while the lion's holding his own. with AT he flops a dime for top pair and turns an ace for two pair. the lion shoves all in over the pot and a younger player calls with AJ and hits his heart for the nut flush.

we're at the borgata so i'm distracted by the cocktail waitresses and stuff but i'm almost certain the lion didn't offer the kid anywhere near 3/1 on this hand so i'm flabbergasted by table talk that says that the kid "had to call."

to the kid's left, i rally a bit but a missed bluff when a villain gives up on a draw that was better than mine ends up making the difference. i had the chips in my hand but i'd already bluffed this player once and wasn't sure he wouldn't make the hero call with ace high so i didn't throw them in. live and learn.

game -15
year -899 (19-17)
promo 0 (160)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back at the exciting borgata in atlantic city for more poker action!

when we last left off, the lion, suffered a rare defeat and today's report finds us up early for some breakfast at casa taco before heading back to the poker room.

the lion heads for 1-2 where his raise with QQ is called and beaten by J5, the hand a reminder that you can't just go to no limit, or mid limit, or probably even high limit to elude these brutal beats. there is no escape.

over at 3-6 limit i get off to a good start and when my table breaks i look to extend my lead at a new table with a QQ of my own.

flop: KQ7

turn:7

villain: KK :puke:

with 76 from the button i limp behind the field and see a much needed flop of T98 rainbow.

villain: QJ. :puke:

meanwhile the lion has launched a furious comeback to break his borgata maiden, but the effort has knocked him out and several hours later i wake him up for some supper.

back in the poker room we jump into a LOUD 1-2 no limit game against local lawyer and author (devil leeds; a book about the jersey devil) voorhees scott macom.

the lion flops a straight but can't get a younger player who has flopped a set to bite on a $60 bet. good laydown by the kid!!

i win $11 and head for 24 where i win a quick $20 before the game breaks and i head back to 36 where i take a seat to the left to a loud and obnoxious action player. i don't do much here but eventually look down at AQ and call the action player's three bet after an early player raises. the early player caps it and half the table sees a flop of low cards. getting like a million to one i actually continue in this overcard situation. i'd love to see a queen but the turn brings an ace. the original raiser comes back to life and i start to worry but call down. i ask if he has the king and scoop a great limit pot for a one pair hand when he flips over AJ!! :cool:

back at 24 i lose $19 and return to the room to find that, overcome by intense anxiety, the lion has packed up and left for the more tranquil jungle of penn national. grantville's home and there's (supposedly) no place like it but for here and now i'm staying put in atlantic city. two more days to go.

36 -49
12 +11
24 +20
36 +63
24 -19

year -873 (22-19)
promo 0 (160)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in snowy atlantic city where we start off the morning at the amazing borgata!!

philadelphia sports radio 94wip is doing a live broadcast on the casino floor and there is a lot of excitement about the eagles signing alshon jeffery. supposedly my colts had some interest in jeffery as well as dontari poe but (so far) haven't reeled in any big names. this week i did see where the colts signed a player named al woods and my immediate reaction was that if we could just get bill benter under contract that......

anyhow i grab some breakfast at bread and butter before checking out of the hotel and heading down the the poker room to close out our borgata stay with a final game of 1-2 no limit holdem.

we start slow in this one as my preflop raise with QQ is called by a player with Q9
who goes on to river a straight.

just not a good week for pen shippers playing QQ here at borgata. :bang:

when i raise again and am beaten by a player calling with A9 i get up and move to the left of BOTH of these players. eventually i rally back to even but the table starts getting tougher. i drop a couple hands with AK and down $60 i wave the white flag and head over to bally's where i have a room for the night.

unfortunately at bally's i had to pay an extra $28 to get a bed for our friend the lion (who already tucked his tail and headed back to grantville) but since i have over $2000 of caesars rewards credits this isn't that big of a deal. of course though the woman at check in can't reverse the advance deposit charge that has already been put on my credit card....... sigh.

maybe things will go better against a weak 246 limit field down in the wild west poker room?

uhh....no.

i start losing from the opening bell but towards the end look to get on the board with KK. but the cowboys lose to 73 and in the very next hand JJ is rivered by a gutshot. :mad:

at this point i get up and storm out of the poker room towards the main wild west section where there's a concert, beer pong, 21 year old girls, and lots of fun things besides losing to rag playing donkeys.

suddenly though there's complete chaos and rumors of a gun and bally's security and atlantic city police are chasing people all over the casino floor!!

they run past me about five times in both directions. there are rumors, including one that it's outraged proximity poker tour fans that have finally snapped but no one can say for sure.

thank you for reading.

borgata -60 (1/2 nl)
bally's -100 (246 lim)
year -1033 (22-21)
promo 0 (160)

[charm city whizz]

At 3:42 getting drilled at 5/10 half kill Omaha

[Red Knave]

there are rumors, including one that it's outraged proximity poker tour fans that have finally snapped but no one can say for sure.
Ha.
Man, if I'da bin there ... ;)

Prox, have you ever tried tournament play? Tournies that have good blind structures with decent time between increases (and lots of players) can reward better play.
Are there 'rag playing donkeys' in tournaments? Of course. But they typically weed themselves out fairly early.

[ReplayRandall]

Ha.
Man, if I'da bin there ... ;)

Prox, have you ever tried tournament play? Tournies that have good blind structures with decent time between increases (and lots of players) can reward better play.
Are there 'rag playing donkeys' in tournaments? Of course. But they typically weed themselves out fairly early.
Best advice given out on this board in quite some time....:ThmbUp:

[thaskalos]

Poker tournaments require a totally different set of skills...IMO. Tight cash-game players often get a rude awakening when they venture into tournaments. Dan Harrington is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule.

[proximity]

Ha.
Man, if I'da bin there ... ;)

Prox, have you ever tried tournament play? Tournies that have good blind structures with decent time between increases (and lots of players) can reward better play.
Are there 'rag playing donkeys' in tournaments? Of course. But they typically weed themselves out fairly early.


quit tournaments while i was ahead.

i do see a lot of zombies in these fields but i simply don't enjoy tournament play.

[proximity]

Poker tournaments require a totally different set of skills...IMO. Tight cash-game players often get a rude awakening when they venture into tournaments. Dan Harrington is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule.


this from the famous limon #2000 thread on that other site:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/19/high-stakes-pl-nl/2000-random-shyt-457839/


I wrote about this years ago. Its one of my essays about how poker is hard, boring, and no way to get rich (unless you diversify**).
Another place you see this is in televised cash games. Contrary to many of the posts on 2+2 these games are BORING! Doyle is boring, Patrick is boring, ivey is boring, jman is fuqqing boring, reese was boring, chan is boring, greenstien ohhh so eye gougingly boring and, don’t say it, ZOMG!, im gonna say it…DURRRRRRRRRRRRRR is boring! (sans 1 hand but that just proves the point). Guy isn’t boring, gold isn’t boring, the gyno isn’t boring, negreanu isn’t boring, hellmuth isn’t boring, elezra isn’t boring, matusow isn’t boring…etc…do we see a pattern?

i'm about as boring as they come. :pout:

[proximity]

ok poker fans we are back at the amazing bally's in frigid atlantic city!!

when we last left off i lost with KK and JJ in back to back hands and there was a riot in the wild west section of the casino.

with a fraternity/bachelor party group on my (mr big shot diamond member:rolleyes:) floor i didn't expect to get much sleep but surprisingly i never heard a peep out of them.

instead at 5:00 am i am awoken by a peppermint patty sounding girl in the room next door telling her life story to some hapless chump on her cell phone.

peppermint patty doesn't want to be in a relationship with charlie brown. instead she wants to travel for work and have sex with lots of other guys is the cliffs notes. :popcorn:

when i hear this i think about getting up and knocking on her door but with the way i'm running in this godforsaken city she'd probably be bigger and uglier than the average lineman on the colts.

instead i drift back to sleep for a few hours before heading downstairs for a nice breakfast at johnny rockets.

on the way back to the room i stop at the check in counter and surprise, surprise; bally's CAN take the charge off my credit card and apply my reward credits!!

so the morning's going well and my play now is to sleep a few more hours before heading down to the poker room to avenge last night's loss to those high hand chasing donkeys.

at 9:00 though peppermint patty gets another call.

apparently charlie brown's abandoned her here in atlantic city and she needs a ride back to.... newark??

sigh.... :)

[dilanesp]

Poker tournaments require a totally different set of skills...IMO. Tight cash-game players often get a rude awakening when they venture into tournaments. Dan Harrington is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule.

One thing about large-field live tournaments that almost nobody seems to realize is that the variance involved is so large that it's unlikely that anyone has outrun it.

There are some mathematical truths about tournament play that players should learn before playing in them-- ICM and the like, as well as a bunch of pokerstove / equilator calculations about how wide ranges play against other hands-- but certainly if you are looking to make a consistent profit in poker, you probably need to play cash games (unless short field tournaments are frequent enough where you play, or you can play large field tournaments online) because at least you have a shot at attaining a decent sample size and establishing a real winrate. You'll never really know if your results in big-field live tournaments are due to running bad or good or your skill level.

[dilanesp]

this from the famous limon #2000 thread on that other site:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/19/high-stakes-pl-nl/2000-random-shyt-457839/


I wrote about this years ago. Its one of my essays about how poker is hard, boring, and no way to get rich (unless you diversify**).
Another place you see this is in televised cash games. Contrary to many of the posts on 2+2 these games are BORING! Doyle is boring, Patrick is boring, ivey is boring, jman is fuqqing boring, reese was boring, chan is boring, greenstien ohhh so eye gougingly boring and, don’t say it, ZOMG!, im gonna say it…DURRRRRRRRRRRRRR is boring! (sans 1 hand but that just proves the point). Guy isn’t boring, gold isn’t boring, the gyno isn’t boring, negreanu isn’t boring, hellmuth isn’t boring, elezra isn’t boring, matusow isn’t boring…etc…do we see a pattern?

i'm about as boring as they come. :pout:

BTW, this, from that piece (and limon was a big-time winning 1000NL player at Commerce for years), is brilliant:

The truth is the beginning of the hand is the MOST important part…BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. Just like w/ 9 ball every shot sets up the next shot(s).

[thaskalos]

Is the famous limon a better NL holdem player than the late Bobby Hoff? Because I heard it straight from Hoff's own mouth that deep-stacked NL holdem is essentially a POST-flop game. And I have read where numerous great players have echoed the same sentiment. And I -- admittedly NOT a "great player" -- agree wholeheartedly.

[dilanesp]

Is the famous limon a better NL holdem player than the late Bobby Hoff? Because I heard it straight from Hoff's own mouth that deep-stacked NL holdem is essentially a POST-flop game. And I have read where numerous great players have echoed the same sentiment. And I -- admittedly NOT a "great player" -- agree wholeheartedly.

This gets back to psychology.

Discipline is boring. That's what limon is saying when he rattles off a bunch of great players and calls them boring.

It's no fun to fold a lot. It's especially no fun to fold a lot against players who aren't as good as you are.

So the human brain is going to come up with reasons not to fold. This is called "motivated reasoning". It's no different than how even decent horseplayers who are behind on a card will suddenly come up with some amazing betting angle on the last race on the card when they were going to pass it.

There is a grain of truth to the idea that good players can make some loose pre-flop plays and get away with them because they have a big post flop advantage, especially in deep stacked no limit.

But it's also true that this is what the brain of every poker player wants to tell itself because it's frustrating to have to fold against bad players.

What limon is saying is that the winning players have tremendous pre-flop discipline (and are boring) and that because they do, they play better post-flop as well by avoiding getting into bad situations. They make more money in the long run by passing up temptations.

And that is true, even in deep stack no limit.

[thaskalos]

This gets back to psychology.

Discipline is boring. That's what limon is saying when he rattles off a bunch of great players and calls them boring.

It's no fun to fold a lot. It's especially no fun to fold a lot against players who aren't as good as you are.

So the human brain is going to come up with reasons not to fold. This is called "motivated reasoning". It's no different than how even decent horseplayers who are behind on a card will suddenly come up with some amazing betting angle on the last race on the card when they were going to pass it.

There is a grain of truth to the idea that good players can make some loose pre-flop plays and get away with them because they have a big post flop advantage, especially in deep stacked no limit.

But it's also true that this is what the brain of every poker player wants to tell itself because it's frustrating to have to fold against bad players.

What limon is saying is that the winning players have tremendous pre-flop discipline (and are boring) and that because they do, they play better post-flop as well by avoiding getting into bad situations. They make more money in the long run by passing up temptations.

And that is true, even in deep stack no limit.

I'd never disagree with you if you simply stated that correct pre-flop play is vitally important in no limit. But you've taken this a lot further in our poker discussions here, by suggesting that NL is "essentially a pre-flop game"...and this assertion is refuted by the vast majority of the poker "experts" out there.

One of the qualities separating the "expert" player from the merely competent one is the ability to control this "temptation" that the looser pre-flop play sometimes presents during the latter stages of the hand. The expert NL player does not abide by a set-in-stone pre-flop strategy; he reshapes his pre-flop strategy in accordance with the dynamics -- and the stack sizes -- of the game that he is participating in. What the onlooker may perceive as "undisciplined" pre-flop play may in fact be the optimal way of playing for the conditions present in the particular game at hand. The "relaxed" pre-flop play isn't just an "antidote for boredom".

In NL, the pot grows at a rapid pace after each round of betting...and the betting decisions get more and more critical as the hand progresses. When the player is comparatively short-stacked...then the post-flop decisions may often be considered "automatic". But even the short-stacked player can acquire a large stack during the game...and that's when the overriding importance of proper post-flop play becomes obvious. IMO...the only time when pre-flop play becomes as important as you make it sound, is when the player insists on remaining short-stacked forever...by table-hopping whenever he acquires a large stack. But, this method is hardly the preferred approach of the expert NL player.

[thaskalos]

PS...

I'd love to see the Whizz play a more active role in this discussion.

[proximity]

ok poker fans we are back at the amazing bally's in frigid atlantic city!!

when we last left off i lost with KK and JJ in back to back hands and there was a riot in the wild west section of the casino.

with a fraternity/bachelor party group on my (mr big shot diamond member:rolleyes:) floor i didn't expect to get much sleep but surprisingly i never heard a peep out of them.

instead at 5:00 am i am awoken by a peppermint patty sounding girl in the room next door telling her life story to some hapless chump on her cell phone.

peppermint patty doesn't want to be in a relationship with charlie brown. instead she wants to travel for work and have sex with lots of other guys is the cliffs notes. :popcorn:

when i hear this i think about getting up and knocking on her door but with the way i'm running in this godforsaken city she'd probably be bigger and uglier than the average lineman on the colts.

instead i drift back to sleep for a few hours before heading downstairs for a nice breakfast at johnny rockets.

on the way back to the room i stop at the check in counter and surprise, surprise; bally's CAN take the charge off my credit card and apply my reward credits!!

so the morning's going well and my play now is to sleep a few more hours before heading down to the poker room to avenge last night's loss to those high hand chasing donkeys.

at 9:00 though peppermint patty gets another call.

apparently charlie brown's abandoned her here in atlantic city and she needs a ride back to.... newark??

sigh.... :)

ok poker fans, we're back at bally's where i make my way down to the card room for a long session of stimulating 246 limit play.

i start out the contest raising with JJ but picking right up where we left off just last night my jacks are AGAIN beaten by a rivered gutshot. :bang:

certainly i'm a jinxed player but i vow to stay in the game and try to do my best and enjoy the day. eventually i rally to get back ahead but my lead is short lived as i lose with two sets in five minutes. :bang:

with AA in the small blind i three bet after an older woman raises from middle position. i beat her hand but another player between us (who cold called her raise with A4 off) gets three fours to beat me. :bang:

with T9 in the big blind i see a flop of A94 which checks to the button. i (correctly) sense weakness and call but probably should've raised. instead i suddenly lead out when a second four hits the turn. i'm a little worried when the CUTOFF calls this bet...... but i'm still beating his pocket fives.... UNTIL A FIVE COMES ON THE RIVER. :bang:

the game is very frustrating to me because i often play 10+ hour sessions and NEVER see these hands hit after i fold them. when i fold 64 though i scold myself when a flop of 642 comes on the board and gets a bet, a raise, and several calls from the field.

another player however, who played Q2 off, hangs in to see a queen on the turn and another two on the river for good measure and i pat myself on the back for yet another good fold.

my big blind comes around but there's an open seat on my right. the player on my left suddenly gets up and moves to this seat, so i'm still under the gun and look down at AA. :cool:

flop: 876

big blind: T9 :bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

thirty minutes later i again have AA against the very same player who is in with 83.

flop: J 8 2

turn: 2

river: 8. :bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

searching the pinelands for the jersey devil, giving peppermint patty a ride back to newark, or playing 246 limit hold em at bally's?

i'm not sure which of those options is the best way to spend a saturday.... but i'm convinced that playing 246 is the worst.

thank you for reading. :)

game -82 (246)
year -1115 (22-22)
promo 0 (160)

[Track Collector]

ok poker fans, we're back at bally's where i make my way down to the car5 (http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137056&page=5)d room for a long session of stimulating 246 limit play.

i start out the contest raising with JJ but picking right up where we left off just last night my jacks are AGAIN beaten by a rivered gutshot. :bang:

certainly i'm a jinxed player but i vow to stay in the game and try to do my best and enjoy the day. eventually i rally to get back ahead but my lead is short lived as i lose with two sets in five minutes. :bang:

with AA in the small blind i three bet after an older woman raises from middle position. i beat her hand but another player between us (who cold called her raise with A4 off) gets three fours to beat me. :bang:

with T9 in the big blind i see a flop of A94 which checks to the button. i (correctly) sense weakness and call but probably should've raised. instead i suddenly lead out when a second four hits the turn. i'm a little worried when the CUTOFF calls this bet...... but i'm still beating his pocket fives.... UNTIL A FIVE COMES ON THE RIVER. :bang:

the game is very frustrating to me because i often play 10+ hour sessions and NEVER see these hands hit after i fold them. when i fold 64 though i scold myself when a flop of 642 comes on the board and gets a bet, a raise, and several calls from the field.

another player however, who played Q2 off, hangs in to see a queen on the turn and another two on the river for good measure and i pat myself on the back for yet another good fold.

my big blind comes around but there's an open seat on my right. the player on my left suddenly gets up and moves to this seat, so i'm still under the gun and look down at AA. :cool:

flop: 876

big blind: T9 :bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

thirty minutes later i again have AA against the very same player who is in with 83.

flop: J 8 2

turn: 2

river: 8. :bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

searching the pinelands for the jersey devil, giving peppermint patty a ride back to newark, or playing 246 limit hold em at bally's?

i'm not sure which of those options is the best way to spend a saturday.... but i'm convinced that playing 246 is the worst.

thank you for reading. :)

game -82 (246)
year -1115 (22-22)
promo 0 (160)

I hear your frustration, but the dynamics are so much different in a low limit game vs. a no limit game.

For example, a healthy pre-flop race of $17-$22 is probably better than 50/50 to fold out the big blind T9. If they call, a lot of your chips are unfortunately going to go their way. Fortunately, this is made up via a significant number of hands where they miss the flop or connect poorly, thus earning you even more.

The same type of raise after the flop probably folds out 83 better than 50/50, and if not, it is very unlikely they are going to call a turn bet of something like $35-$40. All true unless they were already short-stacked, thus making them pot committed.

Leverage and/or fold equity is very small in low limit games, thus making one vulnerable to suck-out donkey plays.

In low limit, donkeys get to hold on to their money for long stretches of time. In NL, their mistakes are exponentially more costly and subject to more frequent busting out.

On a side note: While I am still studying, I decided to give up poker playing for lent. Was playing about 10+ hours a week over 1/2 nights. I'm sure when the time is up I will be anxious to return! :)

[proximity]

I hear your frustration, but the dynamics are so much different in a low limit game vs. a no limit game.

For example, a healthy pre-flop race of $17-$22 is probably better than 50/50 to fold out the big blind T9. If they call, a lot of your chips are unfortunately going to go their way. Fortunately, this is made up via a significant number of hands where they miss the flop or connect poorly, thus earning you even more.


in no-limit at bally's they play 1-2 and utg i'd usually "only" open for $8 ($5 plus the size of the pot). whether or not this folds out the blinds, idk? bad beats happen. the main point of this one was that the AA was HIS hand and the T9 was MINE..... until he suddenly moved seats three seconds before the cards were dealt. :)

the story gets even worse believe it or not as after the game i walk back to the main casino section to relax over a nice plate of general tso's at noodle village before heading home. on my way back to the garage though i'm accosted for "some help" by a homeless player who was in the game. sadly enough when i got up his "stack" composed of a red chip, four whites and a couple crumpled up bills (one may have been a fiver) was probably bigger than mine. :rolleyes:

only in atlantic city!!

[proximity]

tc, you should try ac sometime!! you probably have some "free" rooms in your caesars account? :headbanger:

[dilanesp]

One of the qualities separating the "expert" player from the merely competent one is the ability to control this "temptation" that the looser pre-flop play sometimes presents during the latter stages of the hand. The expert NL player does not abide by a set-in-stone pre-flop strategy; he reshapes his pre-flop strategy in accordance with the dynamics -- and the stack sizes -- of the game that he is participating in. What the onlooker may perceive as "undisciplined" pre-flop play may in fact be the optimal way of playing for the conditions present in the particular game at hand. The "relaxed" pre-flop play isn't just an "antidote for boredom".

Here's the thing. In theory, I can demonstrate mathematically that against bad enough players, you can increase your profits by playing looser in position (AND ONLY IN POSITION-- OUT OF POSITION YOU STILL MUST PLAY TIGHT) in a deep stacked no limit game.

Indeed, I can even demonstrate that mathematically in a limit game, though of course the advantage will be less than it is in no limit.

However, a lot of things that are theoretically true are not true in practice, because we humans have this need for instant gratification and these things called egos and all the rest.

And what actually ends up happening is as follows:

1. It is really easy to convince yourself to play hands you should fold (because of absolute hand strength, relative hand strength, or position) because you are facing bad players.

2. It is really difficult to tell the difference between +EV hands and -EV hands in a specific game situation, which feeds into (1).

3. The number of actual poker "experts" is far, far, far lower, than the number of people who think they are poker experts.

4. The gap in skill between people who style themselves poker experts and other players, when expressed in terms of the EV of a single hand, is far lower than these "experts" imagine.

5. As limon states, loosening up pre-flop puts the player into more difficult situations post-flop. Specifically, you create huge reverse implied odds for yourself, which is what happens when you are facing bets from players who have stronger ranges and you have a made hand.

Importantly, saying "experts adjust for different table conditions" (which is what you are saying) isn't an answer to this. Nobody's saying you should play a rigid table of hands pre-flop. For one thing, pretty obviously, a hand like KQ is a 3 bet against a certain type of player's raise, a call against another type of player's raise, and a fold against a third type of player's raise. There's a million examples like that.

I assure you that all the players limon called "boring" make those sorts of adjustments all the time. (Notably, one player he called boring was Tom Dwan-- if anyone is famous for making these adjustments, it's Dwan).

But the problem is with the SPECIFIC type of adjustment that goes "I'm better than these guys, so I can get away with playing a problematic hand that I otherwise would fold". Not an analysis of their ranges, or their specific exploitability, or anything else. Just "I can't beat them with my generically superior post-flop play".

And my claim (and I am sure limon's) is that players who think like that end up giving away money. Not only because the strategy itself isn't nearly as brilliant as they think it is, but because the KIND of brain that thinks like this tends to have huge discipline-leaks, whereas boring pre-flop play correlates with not having discipline leaks.

In NL, the pot grows at a rapid pace after each round of betting...and the betting decisions get more and more critical as the hand progresses. When the player is comparatively short-stacked...then the post-flop decisions may often be considered "automatic". But even the short-stacked player can acquire a large stack during the game...and that's when the overriding importance of proper post-flop play becomes obvious. IMO...the only time when pre-flop play becomes as important as you make it sound, is when the player insists on remaining short-stacked forever...by table-hopping whenever he acquires a large stack. But, this method is hardly the preferred approach of the expert NL player.

In mathematical terms, you are looking only at magnitude and ignoring frequency.

Every X hours, a live deep stack no limit player will get into a big pot post-flop where those superior post-flop skills may make that player some significant amount of money.

Much more frequently, that same player will put smaller amounts of money into the middle. She will win some of those pots, of course, but the expected value of those bets, often made against players with stronger ranges, is likely to be negative. And some of those "smaller" amounts of money will nonetheless be quite large, due to reverse implied odds and the amount of money it costs a player to make a second best hand in a deep stack no limit game.

The player will remember the big post-flop pots won and not remember all the more frequent smaller amounts lost, because that's how human brains work (plus confirmation bias!).

[thaskalos]

Here's the thing. In theory, I can demonstrate mathematically that against bad enough players, you can increase your profits by playing looser in position (AND ONLY IN POSITION-- OUT OF POSITION YOU STILL MUST PLAY TIGHT) in a deep stacked no limit game.

Indeed, I can even demonstrate that mathematically in a limit game, though of course the advantage will be less than it is in no limit.

However, a lot of things that are theoretically true are not true in practice, because we humans have this need for instant gratification and these things called egos and all the rest.

And what actually ends up happening is as follows:

1. It is really easy to convince yourself to play hands you should fold (because of absolute hand strength, relative hand strength, or position) because you are facing bad players.

2. It is really difficult to tell the difference between +EV hands and -EV hands in a specific game situation, which feeds into (1).

3. The number of actual poker "experts" is far, far, far lower, than the number of people who think they are poker experts.

4. The gap in skill between people who style themselves poker experts and other players, when expressed in terms of the EV of a single hand, is far lower than these "experts" imagine.

5. As limon states, loosening up pre-flop puts the player into more difficult situations post-flop. Specifically, you create huge reverse implied odds for yourself, which is what happens when you are facing bets from players who have stronger ranges and you have a made hand.

Importantly, saying "experts adjust for different table conditions" (which is what you are saying) isn't an answer to this. Nobody's saying you should play a rigid table of hands pre-flop. For one thing, pretty obviously, a hand like KQ is a 3 bet against a certain type of player's raise, a call against another type of player's raise, and a fold against a third type of player's raise. There's a million examples like that.

I assure you that all the players limon called "boring" make those sorts of adjustments all the time. (Notably, one player he called boring was Tom Dwan-- if anyone is famous for making these adjustments, it's Dwan).

But the problem is with the SPECIFIC type of adjustment that goes "I'm better than these guys, so I can get away with playing a problematic hand that I otherwise would fold". Not an analysis of their ranges, or their specific exploitability, or anything else. Just "I can't beat them with my generically superior post-flop play".

And my claim (and I am sure limon's) is that players who think like that end up giving away money. Not only because the strategy itself isn't nearly as brilliant as they think it is, but because the KIND of brain that thinks like this tends to have huge discipline-leaks, whereas boring pre-flop play correlates with not having discipline leaks.



In mathematical terms, you are looking only at magnitude and ignoring frequency.

Every X hours, a live deep stack no limit player will get into a big pot post-flop where those superior post-flop skills may make that player some significant amount of money.

Much more frequently, that same player will put smaller amounts of money into the middle. She will win some of those pots, of course, but the expected value of those bets, often made against players with stronger ranges, is likely to be negative. And some of those "smaller" amounts of money will nonetheless be quite large, due to reverse implied odds and the amount of money it costs a player to make a second best hand in a deep stack no limit game.

The player will remember the big post-flop pots won and not remember all the more frequent smaller amounts lost, because that's how human brains work (plus confirmation bias!).

I feel the need to remind you that this conversation between us began long ago...with your assertion that "NL holdem is primarily a pre-flop game". This is a declaration that I am sure would be refuted by 95% of the "professional-grade" NL players out there...and it has been refuted in print by practically every poker author who has ever written a "responsible" NL poker book. And yet...you have never retracted it, but you have instead chosen to provide only anecdotal evidence to support your side of the argument. To a man...every poker author that I've ever read emphasizes the overriding importance of post-flop play. Hardly anyone who has actually played NL seriously would consider post-flop play to be of lesser importance than pre-flop play, as you have done here...especially in the deeper-stacked games.

Those "difficult post-flop situations" that you mention above plague the "boring" pre-flop players too...and God help them if they lack the post-flop skills to effectively deal with them. The nature of deep-stacked NL is such that a "boring" pre-flop game won't offer you much "protection" if your post-flop game isn't up to par.

[dilanesp]

I feel the need to remind you that this conversation between us began long ago...with your assertion that "NL holdem is primarily a pre-flop game". This is a declaration that I am sure would be refuted by 95% of the "professional-grade" NL players out there...and it has been refuted in print by practically every poker author who has ever written a "responsible" NL poker book. And yet...you have never retracted it, but you have instead chosen to provide only anecdotal evidence to support your side of the argument. To a man...every poker author that I've ever read emphasizes the overriding importance of post-flop play. Hardly anyone who has actually played NL seriously would consider post-flop play to be of lesser importance than pre-flop play, as you have done here...especially in the deeper-stacked games.

Those "difficult post-flop situations" that you mention above plague the "boring" pre-flop players too...and God help them if they lack the post-flop skills to effectively deal with them. The nature of deep-stacked NL is such that a "boring" pre-flop game won't offer you much "protection" if your post-flop game isn't up to par.


Limon deals with this point. The people he plays against in high and mid stakes games who actually make money "play boring" pre-flop, while a lot of people who have written poker books aren't actually winning players in cash games (and certainly don't have the winrates of the people he mentions in his post).

There's also plenty of evidence from online that the biggest winners play pretty tight. And not only is that more accurate data, but it's a much larger sample size. Live players believe a lot of old wives' tales, including many who think they are "good", because their sample sizes are so small.


As for difficult situations- in any poker game, the player with the stronger range will have the second best made hand less often. That's basically the mathematical principle behind tight play.

[thaskalos]

Limon deals with this point. The people he plays against in high and mid stakes games who actually make money "play boring" pre-flop, while a lot of people who have written poker books aren't actually winning players in cash games (and certainly don't have the winrates of the people he mentions in his post).

There's also plenty of evidence from online that the biggest winners play pretty tight. And not only is that more accurate data, but it's a much larger sample size. Live players believe a lot of old wives' tales, including many who think they are "good", because their sample sizes are so small.


As for difficult situations- in any poker game, the player with the stronger range will have the second best made hand less often. That's basically the mathematical principle behind tight play.

Yes. But in the NL games...these "second-best hands" are much costlier, and can seriously damage the player...even if they occur "less often". In NL...a sound post-flop game helps you a lot more in this regard than a "boring" pre-flop strategy does...IMO.

I'm not defending all the "looser" players here, you understand...because I am on the "boring" side myself. In fact...my gambling motto has always been that "If you are not bored when you gamble...then you are playing the game WRONG". But I've crossed swords with some of these "loose/aggressive" players out there...and it hasn't been fun. And I can testify that a few of them are big winners.

[thaskalos]

Limon deals with this point. The people he plays against in high and mid stakes games who actually make money "play boring" pre-flop, while a lot of people who have written poker books aren't actually winning players in cash games (and certainly don't have the winrates of the people he mentions in his post).

There's also plenty of evidence from online that the biggest winners play pretty tight. And not only is that more accurate data, but it's a much larger sample size. Live players believe a lot of old wives' tales, including many who think they are "good", because their sample sizes are so small.


As for difficult situations- in any poker game, the player with the stronger range will have the second best made hand less often. That's basically the mathematical principle behind tight play.

When Limon labeled those well-known players as "boring"...was he insinuating that their post-flop play was somehow LACKING?

Because, when you say that the most important facet of NL is the pre-flop portion...then you are implying that the POST-FLOP part of the game is of less significance. And I can't quite picture Ivey, Patrik and Dwan agreeing with that.

[dilanesp]

Yes. But in the NL games...these "second-best hands" are much costlier, and can seriously damage the player...even if they occur "less often". In NL...a sound post-flop game helps you a lot more in this regard than a "boring" pre-flop strategy does...IMO.

I'm not defending all the "looser" players here, you understand...because I am on the "boring" side myself. In fact...my gambling motto has always been that "If you are not bored when you gamble...then you are playing the game WRONG". But I've crossed swords with some of these "loose/aggressive" players out there...and it hasn't been fun. And I can testify that a few of them are big winners.

It's definitely no fun to play against a good LAG.

As for a "sound post-flop game", of course you want to have one. But the problem is that there's only so much you can do. Hands come up that you basically have to pay off, or have to spend a fair amount of money on finding out where you are before you can fold. (E.g., you make a call on the button with K4 suited against a bad player's raise, figuring you can outplay him in position, the flop comes KJx and the turn comes a 4. If your opponent has KJ, you may eventually get away from that hand before paying off completely if you are skilled at post-flop play, but that doesn't mean the hand isn't going to cost you a ton of money which you would have saved by not playing it.)

[dilanesp]

When Limon labeled those well-known players as "boring"...was he insinuating that their post-flop play was somehow LACKING?

Because, when you say that the most important facet of NL is the pre-flop portion...then you are implying that the POST-FLOP part of the game is of less significance. And I can't quite picture Ivey, Patrik and Dwan agreeing with that.

Actually what limon says is that post-flop has the same relationship to pre-flop that late shots in a billiards game have to early shots-- one sets up the other.

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we last left off with yet another beating in atlantic city and i drove home with my tail between my legs. at least i lasted the whole trip, unlike our good friend the lion who tucked tail just two days in but was rewarded with some big winning sessions back at penn national while i struggled at bally's. :bang:

and after a long struggle, the lion finally got his pen rakeback but warned me that it wasn't an easy process. and (after a huge snowstorm) when i finally returned to pen, i understood what he was talking about as i had to give blood, fingerprints, my passport, social security card, driver's license, and sign about 14 different places to get my $50. i'm joking here..... kinda. :bang:

but hey, we actually got blood from the gambling stone that is penn national so it was worth it....even if we had to give a little of our own!!

so i beat a field of 2/4 novices out of $6 and collect my rakeback. an actual non-losing day!!! :jump:

when i return to penn national it's tranny night.

yes, the casino is filled with transvestites. :faint:

i get on the board early with AK and 98 and look to extend my lead with AA and QQ but of course both hands run into sets. i lose $79. meanwhile the lion (now 37-7 on the year!) pockets yet ANOTHER three digit win but picks up early mumbling something about too many trannies and seat change button hording homos for his tastes.

thank you for reading. :)

game +6 (2/4)
-79 (1/2)
year -1188 (23-23)
promo 50 (210)

[garyscpa]

ok poker fans, we last left off with yet another beating in atlantic city and i drove home with my tail between my legs. at least i lasted the whole trip, unlike our good friend the lion who tucked tail just two days in but was rewarded with some big winning sessions back at penn national while i struggled at bally's. :bang:

and after a long struggle, the lion finally got his pen rakeback but warned me that it wasn't an easy process. and (after a huge snowstorm) when i finally returned to pen, i understood what he was talking about as i had to give blood, fingerprints, my passport, social security card, driver's license, and sign about 14 different places to get my $50. i'm joking here..... kinda. :bang:

but hey, we actually got blood from the gambling stone that is penn national so it was worth it....even if we had to give a little of our own!!

so i beat a field of 2/4 novices out of $6 and collect my rakeback. an actual non-losing day!!! :jump:

when i return to penn national it's tranny night.

yes, the casino is filled with transvestites. :faint:

i get on the board early with AK and 98 and look to extend my lead with AA and QQ but of course both hands run into sets. i lose $79. meanwhile the lion (now 37-7 on the year!) pockets yet ANOTHER three digit win but picks up early mumbling something about too many trannies and seat change button hording homos for his tastes.

thank you for reading. :)

game +6 (2/4)
-79 (1/2)
year -1188 (23-23)
promo 50 (210)

Did you get any phone numbers? :)

[proximity]

Did you get any phone numbers? :)

nah, too ugly for 'em i guess? :)

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we're back with more excitement.

now i don't think i mentioned this but during my february run to penn national rakeback glory i was a lucky winner of a hotseat drawing and my prize was a lime green ticket for this month's table games sweepstakes day!!

note however that apparently i even run bad in this.

i got one ticket in my 51.73 hours of play while our good friend the lion got three in his 50.35.

good for him? uhh? not really. his uncle got twelve.

anyhow i figure i'll give it the old college try and head out for sweepstakes day but when i turn my ticket in i see people handing in big stacks of tickets several inches thick and i conclude that even the lion's uncle has little chance here with his mere dozen. apparently penn national was handing them out for stuff as common as just getting a blackjack? i guess my hotseat wasn't so hot afterall? i hear some players had hundreds of tickets and i feel like poor boy charlie bucket opening his three wonka bars versus veruca salt's 3/4 of a million.

over at poker, the room is swamped and i'm 45th on the list for 1/2 no limit hold em so i head upstairs for some racing. i like a price on a horse at aqueduct (the little guy has him second) but he runs up the track. back downstairs the lion gets in a game and i'm about to leave but when i see my name hit the bottom of the bravo screen i decide to stick it out.

eventually i'm called and get seated at the same table as the lion who is around even and checks a flop of T95 from early position.

there's a bet, a raise to $40, i fold pocket 6s and the action comes back to the lion who makes it $100. the action folds back to the $40 who makes the call and the lion shoves the turn.

villain 99
the lion 55 :bang:

so a rare loss for the lion who falls to 37-8 on the season but there's still hope for me.

once again i'm pretty card dead but i stay in the game with a set of aces and a small win with J9 from the big blind.

with 99 against a $5 straddle and a limp though i make a mistake and end up paying for it.

this should be a raise to $18 but instead i just call. the straddle checks the option and we see a jack high flop with two diamonds. the limper here had J5 which is the same hand that beat the lion at borgata.... but at least he raised preflop!!

with KJ from the hijack i raise three limpers to $14. the button and two of the limpers call and we see a jack high flop with one heart. i bet $40 here and the button shoves all in for $72. the two limpers fold and i call the $32. the button has AA and the board bricks out. :bang:

if i just call with aces in a situation like that i'm a loser every time. "they" just call, however, and everything right down to the jack high flop goes their way. :bang:

as for the drawings?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx8o7vpB9ho


game -200 (1/2)
year -1388 (23-24)
promo 0 (210)

[dilanesp]

with KJ from the hijack i raise three limpers to $14. the button and two of the limpers call and we see a jack high flop with one heart. i bet $40 here and the button shoves all in for $72. the two limpers fold and i call the $32. the button has AA and the board bricks out. :bang:

if i just call with aces in a situation like that i'm a loser every time. "they" just call, however, and everything right down to the jack high flop goes their way. :bang:

This is actually a nice subject to think about.

First of all, as a general matter, what's the purpose of calling here with the aces versus raising?

Second, under what conditions could calling be plausible as opposed to raising? What are you risking by not re-raising aces? What are you gaining?

Third, let's say you do just call. What's your plan on different flops? Are there situations where the correct play is different, such as check-call, donk-shove, or even check-fold?

Fourth, does the fact that the villain is a short stack change the correct strategy, from his standpoint?

(I won't answer these questions straight up yet, but I will tip my hand-- I think the villain played the hand badly, but it was less bad because he was short-stacked and would have been worse if he had more chips.)

[thaskalos]

...I think the villain played the hand badly, but it was less bad because he was short-stacked and would have been worse if he had more chips.)

The play was also "less bad" because Proximity is obviously a tight player. The button might have surmised that, if he raised, his aces would have only garnered a $23 profit in the hand. So...he decided to make the much riskier play with his short stack, in order to fish for a larger return. Most players get trickier with a short stack.

[thaskalos]

This is actually a nice subject to think about.

...under what conditions could calling be plausible as opposed to raising? What are you risking by not re-raising aces? What are you gaining?


Well...let's say that you are UTG...and you open-raise for $10. It's folded to me on the button, and I am holding aces. If our stacks are fairly deep, and since I have position in the hand...I might call with my aces in order to disguise the strength of my hand. Even if one of the blinds also calls...my position in the hand allows me to exert the sort of "control" in the hand that I wouldn't otherwise have.

If I reraise you preflop...then, even if you call...you'll check to me on the flop. And I'd rather have YOU lead the betting in this spot.

[dilanesp]

Well...let's say that you are UTG...and you open-raise for $10. It's folded to me on the button, and I am holding aces. If our stacks are fairly deep, and since I have position in the hand...I might call with my aces in order to disguise the strength of my hand. Even if one of the blinds also calls...my position in the hand allows me to exert the sort of "control" in the hand that I wouldn't otherwise have.

If I reraise you preflop...then, even if you call...you'll check to me on the flop. And I'd rather have YOU lead the betting in this spot.

Roy Cooke does that sort of thing in limit. It's obviously a better play in no limit than in limit, but it also carries a significant drawback, which is that in many of these scenarios a call is the same as a 3-bet (i.e., your calling range against a tight UTG raiser heads up should be pretty darned narrow). (The reason it's such a bad play in limit is because the situation is so obviously 3-bet or fold that any good player's call is going to look highly suspicious to anyone paying attention.)

Now, if we stipulate that the UTG raiser is an inattentive tagfish who is going to c-bet close to 100 percent of the time, the play starts to look a lot better.

In general, against a player who is paying attention, you don't to merge a 3-betting range into a null set calling range.

One other observation. I think a lot of players don't realize exactly how hard it is for their opponents to fold big hands pre-flop. For instance, I've been in no limit games where the action goes something like this:

5/5 blinds, $500 stacks. Tight player raises UTG to $20. Reasonably tight player 3-bets to $55. Button calls with AA.

The problem with this play is that if either of the opponents has a QQ+ (which is probably a pretty high probability given this action), you are leaving a ton of pre-flop money on the table here because players are extremely bad at folding QQ and KK. Indeed, even AKs or AQs will often make a call. In contrast, post-flop the board may run out in a way that looks unfavorable to their hand and allows them to lay it down.

And when you add to that the fact that you are giving them a cheap shot at setmining with reasonably decent stack-to-pot ratios, I tend to think this is generally overdone.

[thaskalos]

Roy Cooke does that sort of thing in limit. It's obviously a better play in no limit than in limit, but it also carries a significant drawback, which is that in many of these scenarios a call is the same as a 3-bet (i.e., your calling range against a tight UTG raiser heads up should be pretty darned narrow). (The reason it's such a bad play in limit is because the situation is so obviously 3-bet or fold that any good player's call is going to look highly suspicious to anyone paying attention.)

Now, if we stipulate that the UTG raiser is an inattentive tagfish who is going to c-bet close to 100 percent of the time, the play starts to look a lot better.

In general, against a player who is paying attention, you don't to merge a 3-betting range into a null set calling range.

One other observation. I think a lot of players don't realize exactly how hard it is for their opponents to fold big hands pre-flop. For instance, I've been in no limit games where the action goes something like this:

5/5 blinds, $500 stacks. Tight player raises UTG to $20. Reasonably tight player 3-bets to $55. Button calls with AA.

The problem with this play is that if either of the opponents has a QQ+ (which is probably a pretty high probability given this action), you are leaving a ton of pre-flop money on the table here because players are extremely bad at folding QQ and KK. Indeed, even AKs or AQs will often make a call. In contrast, post-flop the board may run out in a way that looks unfavorable to their hand and allows them to lay it down.

And when you add to that the fact that you are giving them a cheap shot at setmining with reasonably decent stack-to-pot ratios, I tend to think this is generally overdone.

I have been playing NL exclusively for the last 5 years or so...and I find that the game is very "situational". The texture of the particular GAME dictates how these particular decisions are made...and rules of a "general" nature don't bring forth the best results. In NL..."general" rules do not "generally" apply.

[dilanesp]

I have been playing NL exclusively for the last 5 years or so...and I find that the game is very "situational". The texture of the particular GAME dictates how these particular decisions are made...and rules of a "general" nature don't bring forth the best results. In NL..."general" rules do not "generally" apply.

I haven't played in your no limit games. I did play a significant sample of hours in 5/5 no limit here in Southern California, and I didn't find there were a ton of special situational decisions. Most players either had narrowly definable ranges (especially in raised pots) or were maniacs, and it was relatively simple to do the math and get your money in good against either type of players. The only time that you had to make significant strategic adjustments were in limped pots, where you ran into a lot of 75 to 90 percent ranges.

And this isn't the only example of "generally wrong" I saw. Defending the blinds with any two cards was common and I would label "generally wrong". Also playing any two cards in late position in raised multi-way pots, playing small pocket pairs and suited connectors without a good stack to pot ratio, and way too much slowplay of sets or better that left tons of money on the table.

Now, all of those things can be defended in particular game situations, I realize that. But what I'm telling you is that you have the tendency to make it sound like NL is this black box where every game is completely different and the expert psychologist has a huge advantage. That was simply not my experience, at all. I was able to do most of the calculations in my head (indeed, they were often simpler than in limit games) and the most common situations repeated themselves over and over. (Indeed, the reason I switched back to limit was because I found NL boring, even though it is profitable.) And certainly a good mathemetician has a huge advantage over a good psychologist in a California NL game.

If you play in NL games where this is not the case, you might want to move out to California.

[thaskalos]

I haven't played in your no limit games. I did play a significant sample of hours in 5/5 no limit here in Southern California, and I didn't find there were a ton of special situational decisions. Most players either had narrowly definable ranges (especially in raised pots) or were maniacs, and it was relatively simple to do the math and get your money in good against either type of players. The only time that you had to make significant strategic adjustments were in limped pots, where you ran into a lot of 75 to 90 percent ranges.

And this isn't the only example of "generally wrong" I saw. Defending the blinds with any two cards was common and I would label "generally wrong". Also playing any two cards in late position in raised multi-way pots, playing small pocket pairs and suited connectors without a good stack to pot ratio, and way too much slowplay of sets or better that left tons of money on the table.

Now, all of those things can be defended in particular game situations, I realize that. But what I'm telling you is that you have the tendency to make it sound like NL is this black box where every game is completely different and the expert psychologist has a huge advantage. That was simply not my experience, at all. I was able to do most of the calculations in my head (indeed, they were often simpler than in limit games) and the most common situations repeated themselves over and over. (Indeed, the reason I switched back to limit was because I found NL boring, even though it is profitable.) And certainly a good mathemetician has a huge advantage over a good psychologist in a California NL game.

If you play in NL games where this is not the case, you might want to move out to California.

And I am telling you that you have the tendency to make it sound as if I am allergic to poker math...even though I have never implied that in any of our poker discussions here. The assertion that I place the good psychologist in a "huge advantage" over the good mathematician exists only in your imagination.

[dilanesp]

And I am telling you that you have the tendency to make it sound as if I am allergic to poker math...even though I have never implied that in any of our poker discussions here. The assertion that I place the good psychologist in a "huge advantage" over the good mathematician exists only in your imagination.

You say a lot of stuff about how situational no limit is.

At least out here, it's situational only on the margins. Most of the time, you get an aggressive play, the player doing it has a very narrow range, and it's pretty easy to count up the combinations and take the appropriate action. Not a lot different than limit.

If the games are tougher where you are, my condolences.

[proximity]

If the games are tougher where you are, my condolences.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iqZVkQFDRs

hope that wasn't t'los against those 6s.

i will be in ac this week if anyone's playing. :)

[proximity]

ok poker fans, when we last left off everything was going wrong.... AGAIN... and truth be told i couldn't remember back to the last time something went right.

indeed i was just sitting around depressed and while all of you smart people were over in general off-topic debating serious issues i was trying to cheer myself up by watching some shania videos.

in one video however, we learn that not even guys with money, brains, cars or even looks impress shania too much and so i highly doubt my weekly three digit poker losses would do much to excite her?

i watch her high energy "party for two" but note that me and our high rolling pal the lion know a guy who looks like the dude in the video and he's dating a 265 pounder.... not partying privately with shania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzD0nd7tzNI

eventually i turn off the computer and decide to return to my best game: 3/6 limit hold em at horseshoe baltimore.

it'll be depressing to lose at the shoe, and i do lose with every big pair in the deck.... except our old buddy KK which drags a nice pot and gives me a little momentum. it's just the spark i need as i go on to win $72 and grab $35 of bonus money. i return the next day to play some more 3/6 but the game struggles to get going. eventually it picks up though and i win another $157 in a long session.

back home at penn national there's a special high hand day and i head out early only to find that 3/6 action has already commenced. i've arrived in time to get a seat though but it's bittersweet as i quickly fall behind $50.

but the tide quickly changes and the profits start rolling in. i don't win any high hands but i go 4-0 with KK and my AKs and AQs are hitting flops and holding. i drop a couple hands with JJ but overall i rarely lose a pot i'm involved in.

a much needed good week but still a long road to get back to even let alone ahead for the season.

thank you for reading. :)

game +72 (hsb)
+157 (hsb)
+227 (pen)
year -932 (26-24)
promo 35 (245)

[proximity]

i will be in ac this week if anyone's playing. :)

live report here from the borgata.

kicked off the excitement here at borgata with a 7-8 hour session of 3/6 limit hold em. i was looking to build on my recent winning streak but instead went back to being the worst seat at the table. i lose three times with KK and at least ten times with top pair and drop $82 in the game.

there was a bit of good news though as a flopped set of queens rivers a fourth and holds on for a $250 high hand!! :headbanger:

look for me to be back here tomorrow before moving over to harrah's where we'll be joined saturday by our good friend paris hilton!!

game -82 (3/6)
year -1014 (26-25)
bonus 225 (470)

[dilanesp]

live report here from the borgata.

kicked off the excitement here at borgata with a 7-8 hour session of 3/6 limit hold em. i was looking to build on my recent winning streak but instead went back to being the worst seat at the table. i lose three times with KK and at least ten times with top pair and drop $82 in the game.

there was a bit of good news though as a flopped set of queens rivers a fourth and holds on for a $250 high hand!! :headbanger:

look for me to be back here tomorrow before moving over to harrah's where we'll be joined saturday by our good friend paris hilton!!

game -82 (3/6)
year -1014 (26-25)
bonus 225 (470)

The worst seat at the table would actually be directly to the left of a skilled player.....

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with more hold em excitement from the borgata in windy and rainy atlantic city!!

following brief winning streak in maryland and pennsylvania we hoped to for our good fortunes to continue on the jersey shore.

they did.... kinda..... as i hit a $250 high hand at borgata but suffered a loss in the game which i quit to try a late supper at the borgata's buffet.

$12.50 of comp dollars for black card holders seemed like a steal and i chowed down on what was left of the chinese food. it was good but overall i still feel that borgata's bread and butter cafe gives me the best bang for my comp $$. and soon i won't have much choice anyhow as i'll probably be demoted to humble red card status in july.

after the buffet i went up to the room to rest for a while before returning to the card room to spend the night relaxing in some 2/4 hold em.

i'm to the left of two incredible donkeys.... what dilane would classify as the best seat (i think).

we encounter some really strange cats in our poker travels but the one guy actually surprises me. he seems somewhat "normal"..... well dressed, groomed, polite, could be your 35 year old yuppie neighbor..... doesn't really check a lot of "major donkey" profile boxes i guess.... but his play i'd label aggressive aunt hortense. playing 100% of hands and raising 75-80% of them!

he's raising these 94s, showing down bottom pair, losing and politely saying "nice hand" as his green chips are being distributed around this lowly 2/4 table.

i beat him with AA and he says "nice hand" but that's the only time i hear it as i lose hand after hand after hand after hand. :bang:

i lose with pretty much every low and medium pocket pair in the deck and about ten times with pocket 6s.

in the end i drop $120 in this recreational game and barely show a profit for the day despite hitting a high hand. :faint:

thank you for reading.

game -120 (2/4)
year -1134 (26-26)
promo 0 (470)

[_______]

Prox-

What percentage of hands did you play on the left of the consistent raiser?

Did you loosen your own tight standards or just play the hands you would normally play regardless of the maniac?

One of the problems with limit is that it's a lot more difficult to isolate against a player like this because EVERONE wants to be in against him on the flop. Being to the left of a maniac is more beneficial in NL/PL.

I will be making my annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas for WSOP 6/10-6/13 though I have no intention of playing in the tournament itself. I'll be in the Pavillion playing my favorite game (PLO) for as many hours as I can stand.

Want to again recommend getting out to the Rio at least once in your life during WSOP to play in the football field size temporary poker room that only exists May-July. I know the idea of playing against "fish" is a well worn meme but last year I sat at tables with drunks, people asking how to read PLO hands, and super aggro's who thought they had won low at a high only table they had been sitting at for 45 minutes.

It really is poker heaven.

[proximity]

Prox-

What percentage of hands did you play on the left of the consistent raiser?

Did you loosen your own tight standards or just play the hands you would normally play regardless of the maniac?

One of the problems with limit is that it's a lot more difficult to isolate against a player like this because EVERONE wants to be in against him on the flop. Being to the left of a maniac is more beneficial in NL/PL.

I will be making my annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas for WSOP 6/10-6/13 though I have no intention of playing in the tournament itself. I'll be in the Pavillion playing my favorite game (PLO) for as many hours as I can stand.

Want to again recommend getting out to the Rio at least once in your life during WSOP to play in the football field size temporary poker room that only exists May-July. I know the idea of playing against "fish" is a well worn meme but last year I sat at tables with drunks, people asking how to read PLO hands, and super aggro's who thought they had won low at a high only table they had been sitting at for 45 minutes.

It really is poker heaven.

he was basically paying the rake but i still didn't stray too far off my normal course in this game.

i'm considering going out again in august since i really enjoyed last year's trip.

good luck when you go. june will be here before we know it. are you still playing that local plo game??

[_______]

he was basically paying the rake but i still didn't stray too far off my normal course in this game.

i'm considering going out again in august since i really enjoyed last year's trip.

good luck when you go. june will be here before we know it. are you still playing that local plo game??

Not often but when I get a free Saturday I'll go. Was there about 6 weeks ago and dropped $300 over 6 hours. It's a good game when one of the 5/5 whales stops in but sometimes it's just a bunch of grinders playing ABC. I'm not very good if no one is out of line or I'm not getting slapped in the face with amazing cards.

[proximity]

ok poker fans our excitement continues at the borgata where, despite grabbing a high hand, we've yet to pick up a game win on the trip.

we'll try one final time in a 3/6 game featuring two donkeys, one playing (but not raising) pretty much every hand.

in a continuing 2017 theme the game goes bad.

oh, we get some cards this time.

unfortunately though they're mostly high red ones that see low black flops.

with a 76 of spades from the hijack though we're looking for yet another low black flop after another raise from the blinds sweetens the pot.

flop: 972

i actually may have bet this flop..... i can't completely remember the action.

i do remember overcards on the turn and river checking around.... at least until the river (aforementioned donkey playing every hand) bet from the button.

everyone folds here, including apparently JJ, and i'm put to a serious poker decision here with my 76. i end up making the winning call and (gasp!!) becoming a threat to actually get back in the game!!

and what a game it is.

on a board of JT98X a man with KQ is raising back and forth against donkey number two who also must have KQ when it gets over $30 right?

eventually to "save time" KQ "just calls."

donkey #2 tables Qx !!

free lesson: NEVER....EVER.... "just call" with the nuts in limit hold em! (you're welcome) :)

anyhow, i'm supposedly back in the game but the "hot cards" now go cold and i'm mostly a spectator the rest of the way. :bang:

it's yet another loss at the borgata.

maybe i'll have better luck at harrah's?? :popcorn:

game -72 (3/6)
year -1206 (26-27)
bonus 0 (470)

[dilanesp]

with a 76 of spades from the hijack though we're looking for yet another low black flop after another raise from the blinds sweetens the pot.

flop: 972

i actually may have bet this flop..... i can't completely remember the action.

i do remember overcards on the turn and river checking around.... at least until the river (aforementioned donkey playing every hand) bet from the button.

everyone folds here, including apparently JJ, and i'm put to a serious poker decision here with my 76. i end up making the winning call and (gasp!!) becoming a threat to actually get back in the game!!

I'm very interested in the exact action of this hand. Both in terms of how you ended up in the pot in the first place, and why the river call required any thought (maybe it didn't, I can't tell from the way you wrote it).

[proximity]

I'm very interested in the exact action of this hand. Both in terms of how you ended up in the pot in the first place, and why the river call required any thought (maybe it didn't, I can't tell from the way you wrote it).

everyone limped, i limped, cutoff probably limped, button limped, one of the blinds raised, everyone called.

the "hero" call didn't require too much thought against the villain, although AT LEAST one better hand folded so...

like i said i can't completely remember the EXACT action as this game was all the way back on april 7th and i've been pretty busy since then. i do remember a lot of what happens in these games but not everything. even though i've been pretty much getting crushed every game, i'm still trying to type SOME reports to keep our forum at least somewhat active. i will try to type up a harrah's report later.

how are you doing? any positive results to keep up our faith in the game?

[dilanesp]

everyone limped, i limped, cutoff probably limped, button limped, one of the blinds raised, everyone called.

the "hero" call didn't require too much thought against the villain, although AT LEAST one better hand folded so...

like i said i can't completely remember the EXACT action as this game was all the way back on april 7th and i've been pretty busy since then. i do remember a lot of what happens in these games but not everything. even though i've been pretty much getting crushed every game, i'm still trying to type SOME reports to keep our forum at least somewhat active. i will try to type up a harrah's report later.

how are you doing? any positive results to keep up our faith in the game?

76 suited is too weak to play in the hijack. The lowest suited connector that captures its fair share of equity in a multi way pot is 87s. The button can add enough EV to allow you to make looser calls, but in the hijack, 87s should be the weakest suited connector you play (unless you look to your left and see people folding).

I appreciate your reports. Don't worry if you don't have all the details.

I'm doing fine. Working, playing some 8-16 and not taking it seriously. I am just below even for the year but I haven't played a ton of hours. The player pool is just as terrible as it always is and I will be fine. :)

[proximity]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=40417966&postcount=10

not that long ago you were beating much tougher games opening 87s from early position?

there's that precipitous of a drop from 87s early to 76s (and 8+ handed) in the hijack?

[proximity]

i know it's a different game and you have and need your loss leaders (and i don't) so i guess i'll look at it again. 65s is basically my cutoff there and you're correct that i don't have any proof that this hand is profitable for me but of course right now i'm getting curb stomped with much better than that, so....

since there's a good opportunity to get extra tier and reward credits this month i'm going to try and put in some solid hours and hopefully get back into some kind of contention.

i am sorry to disappoint the forum but the cards just aren't coming and for the first time my enjoyment of the game is starting to fade. :bang:

--proximity

[tucker6]

i know it's a different game and you have and need your loss leaders (and i don't) so i guess i'll look at it again. 65s is basically my cutoff there and you're correct that i don't have any proof that this hand is profitable for me but of course right now i'm getting curb stomped with much better than that, so....

since there's a good opportunity to get extra tier and reward credits this month i'm going to try and put in some solid hours and hopefully get back into some kind of contention.

i am sorry to disappoint the forum but the cards just aren't coming and for the first time my enjoyment of the game is starting to fade. :bang:

--proximity

I'm not disappointed in you at all Prox. My only suggestion is to play less often with more cash on hand. Practice online and take it from there. I appreciate your updates and have read every one. Take care.

[dilanesp]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showpost.php?p=40417966&postcount=10

not that long ago you were beating much tougher games opening 87s from early position?

there's that precipitous of a drop from 87s early to 76s (and 8+ handed) in the hijack?

It's 87 suited, prox. That makes all the difference. I wouldn't do it with 76 suited.

Think of it this way. The raise isn't that important. Let's say I open-limped 87 suited out of position. Now I end up in a 7 way pot, maybe someone else raises, maybe not. My 87 suited captures its fair share of equity, doesn't it?

Now change it to me raising. One of two things generally happens. Either the raise does not get respected, and I get into that same pot with my same fair share of equity. Or the raise gets respected, and I end up with a hand that I can represent as a big ace, broadway, or big pocket pair on the later streets.

Now, in the hands that I take down because people respect the raise and fold better hands, it doesn't matter whether I have 65 suited or 87 suited. But in the hands where I end up playing in a multi-way pot, it matters a lot, because 65 suited doesn't capture its fair share of equity and 87 suited does. So I should end up with a net loss on my 65 suited raises and a net win from my 87 suiteds, unless the table is so nitty that a lot of my raises get through and fold out my opponents.

The drop isn't "precipitous" so much as it is that the 7 is the lowest low card that results in a positive share of equity in a multi-way pot. T7 suited is the lowest two-gapper, 97 suited is the lowest one-gapper, and 87 suited is the lowest connector. Fool around with PokerStove and you will see this.

Now when I'm on the button I think I make up enough from playing last that I can overcome a hot-cold equity gap, so I will play more suited junk in multi-way pots. And in the cut-off, I can make the case for a bit of this too. But you are basically almost never going to act last limping in from the HJ in a loose 3-6 game. And out of position, I want an equity advantage.

[dilanesp]

And here's a long 2+2 thread with a lot of math in which we discussed the issue about limping suited connectors:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/17/micro-small-stakes-limit/why-i-limp-decent-amount-amp-dont-balance-pre-flop-loose-games-warning-there-will-math-1306432/

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in exciting atlantic city, where after striking out at the borgata, we move over to harrah's.

i settle into a nice room at harrah's (i did have to pay a little for it) and head downstairs to check out the action.

it's friday night and you can feel a buzz of electricity generating around the pool where none other than paris hilton will be taking center stage in almost 24 hours.

i was going to grab a sandwich but the sub shop in the food court is being remodeled so i head straight for the poker room and jump in a fast moving 2-4 limit contest.

i buy the button to get in the game (you have to post) and look down at T4.

flop: t87

i bet, villain calls.

turn: 4.......

villain:77 :bang:

stay at borgata, move to harrah's, wherever.... it just NEVER ends.

after multiple losses with top pair my boat's again drifting away from the shore. eventually i get back in the game with a flush that beats two sets but when a flopped two pair gets beat in back to back big blinds it's yet another loss in atlantic city.

the line's too long at bill's burgers and i forget i have a food credit for room service so i go to bed hungry. in the morning i decide to leave the harrah's donkeys to paris hilton and see if i have any luck over on the boardwalk.

next: a new low. :pout:

game -74 (2/4 lim)
year -1280 (26-28)
promo 0 (470)

[dilanesp]

ok poker fans we're back in exciting atlantic city, where after striking out at the borgata, we move over to harrah's.

i settle into a nice room at harrah's (i did have to pay a little for it) and head downstairs to check out the action.

it's friday night and you can feel a buzz of electricity generating around the pool where none other than paris hilton will be taking center stage in almost 24 hours.

i was going to grab a sandwich but the sub shop in the food court is being remodeled so i head straight for the poker room and jump in a fast moving 2-4 limit contest.

i buy the button to get in the game (you have to post) and look down at T4.

flop: t87

i bet, villain calls.

turn: 4.......

villain:77 :bang:

stay at borgata, move to harrah's, wherever.... it just NEVER ends.

after multiple losses with top pair my boat's again drifting away from the shore. eventually i get back in the game with a flush that beats two sets but when a flopped two pair gets beat in back to back big blinds it's yet another loss in atlantic city.

the line's too long at bill's burgers and i forget i have a food credit for room service so i go to bed hungry. in the morning i decide to leave the harrah's donkeys to paris hilton and see if i have any luck over on the boardwalk.

next: a new low. :pout:

game -74 (2/4 lim)
year -1280 (26-28)
promo 0 (470)

I'm willing to bet the 77 guy waited for the turn and saved you some money.

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with more excitement from america's playground: atlantic city!!

0 for the borgata and harrah's we move our tack over to the boardwalk where we try to reverse our fortunes at bally's.

i grab a cup of coffee at the new bally's dunkin donuts and start down to the poker room where i'm just looking to have a relaxing afternoon of cards in this town. i don't have to hit the bad beat. or any high hands. just a nice relaxing afternoon. that's all i want poker fans.

instead things hit a new low when i stop at the poker bathroom and "courtesy flush" a toilet that spares my new pumas but overflows all over my jeans.
:bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::b ang::bang:

it's a disgusting scene but i clean up as best as i can and make it out to the car where i change into some new jeans in the back seat.

i shouldn't even play poker at this point. i mean REALLY how low can this poker tour get?? :rolleyes:

but inspired by the very spirit of this paceadvantage poker forum i WILL myself back to the card room and plop $200 down on a 2/4/6 limit table against another weak field.

with 53 from the big blind there are four small bets in the pot and we see a favorable (watching too many neeme vlogs?) flop of A53.

i bet and one villain (utg+1) calls.

turn: queen.

i bet, villain calls.

river: ace.

i check, villain checks and tables Q4 off suit.

at this point it seems that these hands are just going to follow me around the city. i might as well go back to the bathroom and wait for another dirty toilet to overflow on me. so much for a relaxing afternoon of poker.

fortunately though i launch a rally and overall i'm assisted by these horrible boardwalk chasers. a couple times an old "lady" that kinda looks like benny hill goes runner-runner on me but i slowly extend my lead towards the three digit mark.

in the end though another utg limper with 42 rivers my TT and then the game breaks with my stack only $37 ahead of its starting point. not exactly what i wanted but a great result for atlantic city!!

next: cheaters never prosper??

game +37 (246)
year -1243 (27-28)
promo 0 (470)

[proximity]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFM9AREN62I

[proximity]

ok poker fans we wrap up another exciting atlantic city trip with a stroll down the boardwalk to the tropicana.

in a shocker it's back to all rags as i spend almost an hour folding Q5 and K4 in a 246 limit contest.

although they rarely win a game now the phillies are absolutely pounding the washington nationals like 12-0 in the first inning on this night. i'm about to fall asleep but suddenly wake up when the tv skips over some porn channels on the way to a new game that some of my opponents may have a little action on.

anyhow i'm fading out but still watching the game like a hawk and when it's supposed to be my big blind but the dealer moves the button twice i play dumb, stay quiet, just toss out my small blind and look down at AA. :cool:

i feel bad for the big blind when i flop a set and turn a boat against his turned flush but i take no prisoners and pound him without mercy. and when i get AA again in the very next hand i win another one to suddenly move ahead for the game!!!

unfortunately though that's all the winning i do and up $11 i head back down to my car at bally's where i'm too depressed to go straight to my car and end up at a blackjack table. this is a sure sign that it's time to call 1-800-gambler but hey, it's saturday night in atlantic city.

an hour later i'm down three digits and cursing myself for not heading straight to the garage. :bang:

when i move to third base though i begin a rally and notice a redbird laying on the floor at my feet. i know the eye in the sky is watching us all but please kick me out of atlantic city for picking up this casino property.... PLEASE!!

i hide the chip under my foot for a round or two and eventually make my move when i reach down to "tie my shoe."

i add the chip to my normal bet, get a blackjack, and slip to the cage with a pink chip of profits for my troubles!!

thank you for reading!

game +11 (246)
year -1232 (28-28)
promo 0 (470)

[proximity]

here's a horseshoe video recommended by our good friend the lion:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V57NuvNp4cU

horseshoe footage starts around 8:08.

there was some big controversy that night where one younger woman was following an older lady around the room and yelling "call me a bitch... call me a bitch!!" but i guess trooper arrived too late to record any of this?

i was in the room until about 1:00 am but he doesn't really have any footage where you can see our game or any of the other tables in the room.

this is what it looks like though!! :)

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we last left off with yet another disappointing atlantic city trip and today's action finds us back at the beautiful horseshoe baltimore hoping for a rebound to greater fortunes.

it's going to be a long wait to get into my regular 3/6 limit game so instead we try our luck against the local 1-3 no limit talent.

unfortunately i find myself at a table of "regs." i am in good position against a couple of the weaker players but with a steady diet of Q4 off suit hands i'm not getting much to show down against them.

eventually i strike with a set of fours and eek out a $28 win. i spend the night in town and return the next morning to swipe my total rewards card to take advantage of a generous rewards credits promotion.

with this promotion (and their body of work) horseshoe has earned my business but on this day i'm just not feeling it and head out to the garage to take off for charles town.

it's pouring down rain as trucks are passing whizzing by me at 90 mph on 70 west.

long time readers of my reports know it's 2200 miles to cove fort. ;)

i stop to grab some coffee at a dunkin' donuts when switchfoot comes on my radio:


We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside


these lyrics do not escape me and i have to ask myself serious questions driving in a downpour to play 3/6 limit holdem and $5000 west virginia breds at charles town, wv. do i need to get a life? or does the rest of the world? :confused:

a $10 come from behind win at 3/6 doesn't do much to answer these questions but over at the track i LOVE a horse named GREY GATOR on the penn national simulcast.

i don't think GREY GATOR can lose and i'm pretty sure about a horse named NEUTRONSTAR two races before GREY GATOR runs.

i try to "lock in" a price on a pick 3 here but when i call the adw i'm informed that pen no longer has a pick 3 on this sequence of races.... only a 20 cent pick 6!! :bang:

both horses win though and i grab another lone speed win with a charles town horse named LUCKY CANDY to finally give me a winning night on horses.

on nights like these the game seems so easy but of course we all know that it really isn't easy and that these nights are too rare.

for once though there's hope for winning and it's a relaxing trip home.

thank you for reading!!

game +28 (hs)
+10 (ct)
year -1194 (30-28)
promo 0 (470)

[Track Collector]

long time readers of my reports know it's 2200 miles to cove fort. ;)

Yes, but only 1400 miles to St. Louis! :)

I been off the poker grid for about 15 weeks, including no personal study. The past 8-9 weeks have been spent working 50+ hours per week at local Flower Tent, which closes for the season this Sunday. I've been so far away from poker I may need a refresher course on what makes a good Pre-Flop starting hand. :eek: I'll need to make a visit to the Horseshoe too within the next 4-6 weeks if I want to keep my food credits from expiring. Current value is about $110.

Still strongly thinking about some more coaching beyond the 1 hour I had with one professional player. He was ok, and maybe my expectations were unrealistic, especially after just a single hour, but I was concerned whether he would be able to teach to my learning style. I would be interested though with another professional whose name was given to me, but it remains to be seen whether he is still willing and available for coaching.

[ReplayRandall]

Maybe this will get that burning flame reignited in your "poker soul"....

Welcome to the 2017 World Series Of Poker

The 48th running of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) officially opens its doors Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The something-for-everyone schedule includes gold bracelets, satellites, cash games and deep stack tournaments running for 49 consecutive days with the Main Event reaching its final nine players in July 17th, 2017. Nearly 500 poker tables will be set up across more than 100,000 square-feet of ballroom space to accommodate the players from around the world who attend poker's annual pilgrimage.

http://www.wsop.com/2017/

[proximity]

https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php?threads/borgata-sent-out-mlife-cards.142048/

any Borgata fans get a new mlife card in the mail?

I did.

good: i'm gold until (thru?) September 2018!

bad: my number doesn't match the mlife number I already have.

ugly: the new information comes up when I log into Borgata but I can only log into mlife using the "old" account.

since I didn't really have too many mlife points I guess i'm just going to use the new card Borgata gave me if I go to vegas or national harbor??

read on "that other site" that there were some long lines to exit the Borgata garage too now that they're officially using the new cards....

:popcorn:

[Trips]

[QUOTE=proximity;2182175]https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php?threads/borgata-sent-out-mlife-cards.142048/

any Borgata fans get a new mlife card in the mail?

I did.

When I read the sentence above I was looking forward to an exceptional story. Wonder if that was because I thought it said milf. :lol:

[proximity]

When I read the sentence above I was looking forward to an exceptional story. Wonder if that was because I thought it said milf. :lol:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgD6W7frmGM

indeed we can only wonder if stifler's mom has received her proper mlife pearl card from Borgata! :)

in other news I hear a couple of our best p.a. posters are at a local casino. we probably don't deserve one, but maybe we can get a tr?? :popcorn:

[Track Collector]

You must have "inside" info. ;)

I made my return to the felt at the Charles Town Races tonight. My poker log shows my last game was almost 4 months ago.

I raced off to a quick start, and I was up about $60 after just the first three hands. I stayed around that level for a while, and then the following hand:

I was dealt AA and raised $20 pre-flop and had two callers. The flop comes 9 7 K rainbow and I lead out $25. The player behind me raises to $50, and the other player then goes All In with about $125. I decide to get out of the way, and the remaining player goes All In. Both have 9 7 hole cards and end up chopping the pot, but another pair (that doesn't give them a full house) did not come later, so I would not have won had I matched the All In.

After treading water at around breakeven for a while I end up Rivering a third Ace but lose to a Rivered Full House. Turns out I was behind the whole way anyway as the lady had flopped a set of 10's. This knocked my starting bankroll of $272 down to about $140. I slowly chipped it back up to almost breakeven with trip K's, then got some value with a full house to be up about $100.

The lady who had rivered the full house against me was on a downward spiral, and had changed seats. After going in a number of times All In and not being called by anyone, I called one of her All Ins for $52 with pocket Q's, thinking it was probably about a coin flip. Before the flop we both flipped our cards and I unfortunately learned that instead of a 50/50 coin flip I was an 80/20 underdog to her pocket K's, which ended holding up.

Overall a fun night, and a winning one too at $54. :)

I ran into Charm City Whizz, who was there while his lady friend was playing at an adjacent table. Not sure how much he played, so perhaps he will report in. He did show me a screen shot captured on his phone with a recent bowling series. Not sure if it was a league match or just a bunch of folks bowling together, but his games were 278-280-278 for a fantastic 836 series!!!! I recall him saying too that he had the first 9 strikes in the last game before leaving a solid 8-pin on the first ball in the 10th frame. GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT ROB! (I'm a little jealous, as I have never had an 800 series, and I'm significantly past my physical prime where I might still have the opportunity and ability to do so.). The lesson here is to avoid participating in pot games with Charm City Whizz! :)

[proximity]

I was dealt AA and raised $20 pre-flop and had two callers. The flop comes 9 7 K rainbow and I lead out $25. The player behind me raises to $50, and the other player then goes All In with about $125. I decide to get out of the way, and the remaining player goes All In. Both have 9 7 hole cards and end up chopping the pot, but another pair (that doesn't give them a full house) did not come later, so I would not have won had I matched the All In.



country roads, take me home...... :faint:

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with more mid-atlantic excitement starting with a couple thursday trips to horseshoe baltimore.

although i conceded that i'm probably not going to make caesar's diamond for 2018 i decide to try to commit to getting to horseshoe at least once a week and thus the idea of "the thursday game" is born. my goal is that at least somewhat consistent attendance can get me up to a quarter of a million reward credits and possibly back to las vegas for another exciting and relaxing vacation!!

i arrive at the shoe late on the first thursday of this new era..... but not apparently not late enough because my normal game of 3/6 limit is struggling to even get going at all. i take a couple laps around the casino before deciding to jump into a 1/3 game where the only thing weaker than my opponents is my pathetic starting hands. it's Q5, K4, or J6 pretty much EVERY hand and i'm practically blinded out. i drop $119 and eventually move to 3/6 where i grind out $130 win to finish at plus $11 for the trip.

the following thursday though 3/6 is running strong and so am i with a gate to wire $171 win.

i'm starting to gain momentum and next show up at penn national where it's high hand day.

i start slow but storm back to get ahead over $100.

i give another player some smaller chips for a green and although i only have the green under one other chip in this 3/6 limit game the dealer tells me to move it to the very top of my stack.

"yes, ma'am!!"

when she tells another player to do this however, the guy goes off on her and they're fighting about this for the rest of the down.

he gets up to take a break before the new dealer comes in and she tells the new dealer.... who stays quiet for 25 minutes before suddenly trying to get the guy to move his green chips.

of course there's another big argument about this and the floor is almost called over a couple greens in a limit game on an incredibly busy day.

there's a two hour break in the high hands and of course all the high hand chasers get up to take their own breaks and leave the rest of the table short handed. no one says anything when yet another player suddenly gets up and moves to a new 3/6 table. an attractive young girl comes to the table but an old man tells her she also was supposed to go to the new 3/6 table. another debate breaks out about green chips in limit games. the floor is called. i decide to go home and do some hiking. it's a beautiful sunday afternoon.

thank you for reading. :)

hsb -119 (1/3)
hsb +130 (3/6)
hsb +171 (3/6)
pen +77 (3/6)
year -935 (33-29)
promo 0 (470)

[thaskalos]

...an attractive young girl comes to the table but an old man tells her she also was supposed to go to the new 3/6 table...

It sucks to be old...

[dilanesp]

i give another player some smaller chips for a green and although i only have the green under one other chip in this 3/6 limit game the dealer tells me to move it to the very top of my stack.

"yes, ma'am!!"

when she tells another player to do this however, the guy goes off on her and they're fighting about this for the rest of the down.

he gets up to take a break before the new dealer comes in and she tells the new dealer.... who stays quiet for 25 minutes before suddenly trying to get the guy to move his green chips.

of course there's another big argument about this and the floor is almost called over a couple greens in a limit game on an incredibly busy day.

Obviously that rule's less important in limit but I've seen it matter even there. What players do here in Southern California is put the high denomination chips under a rack. And then someone assumes they are going all-in and puts in another raise and they lift up the rack and expose the chips.

So I think it's good that this room is enforcing it. There's really no excuse for players maintaining their stack in any manner where it is difficult to do a count.

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with more mid-atlantic excitement and today's action finds us again at horseshoe baltimore for another installment of "the thursday game."

the room is completely dead but a handful of us start a fast moving 3/6 limit game where i'm repeatedly POUNDED in the big blind.

(1)JT is third to limped queens and J7 (2 pair) but of course KT (nothing!!) bets the turn and costs me an extra $6. :bang:

(2) JJ raises a button straddle (A9) to $9 but of course the villain hangs in to river an ace. :bang:

(3) 54s flops a gutshot and a flush draw against limped kings (flops a set). of course both draws miss as the board runs out 5 4. :bang:

(4) 99 leads AK until another ace hits the river.

i might have won one hand (?) before the game breaks completely with me behind $115.

i watch a blackjack tournament for a little bit and walk around the casino. another horseplayer is trying to start a new 3/6 game and tries to recruit me for it but i'm not sure it's going to go and plan to head to maryland live! for a change of pace.

but the game does go and fortunately i stay because i catch fire right from the start in a $195 win!!

meanwhile downstairs i see i'm 3 for 3 at penn national before charles town throws a little water on the fire!!

great night of gambling though as proximity momentum begins to build!!

thank you for reading!!

game -115 (3/6)
+195 (3/6)
year -855 (34-30)
promo 0 (470)

[cj]

I don't even play poker but your recaps are always entertaining!

[dilanesp]

I don't even play poker but your recaps are always entertaining!

Prox could write a very good poker book. He sort of reminds me of Andy Beyer- Beyer is a very good handicapper, of course, but what makes him the king of handicapping books is that he's a GREAT storyteller to go along with the handicapping.

[DeltaLover]

Prox could write a very good poker book. He sort of reminds me of Andy Beyer- Beyer is a very good handicapper, of course, but what makes him the king of handicapping books is that he's a GREAT storyteller to go along with the handicapping.

You are correct of course but storytelling is a weak approach to a technical topic as handicapping.

[thaskalos]

Prox could write a very good poker book. He sort of reminds me of Andy Beyer- Beyer is a very good handicapper, of course, but what makes him the king of handicapping books is that he's a GREAT storyteller to go along with the handicapping.

I, myself, am currently working on a book which intends to chronicle my recent gambling exploits in Las Vegas. I plan to title it..."Las Vegas on $2,700 a Day"...which is about what my stay there is currently costing me.

[proximity]

I don't even play poker but your recaps are always entertaining!

thank you cj!

I admit the monthly butt kickings are taking a little wind out of my sails but i'm thinking of putting together another vegas run here to possibly give our 2017 tour a second wind.

we're not even halfway home yet so there's still hope!! :)

[proximity]

Prox could write a very good poker book. He sort of reminds me of Andy Beyer- Beyer is a very good handicapper, of course, but what makes him the king of handicapping books is that he's a GREAT storyteller to go along with the handicapping.

mr beyer is a LEGEND and i'm not in his class but for the poker reports I do try my best to capture the uniqueness of each game. a certain atmosphere combining the energy of the casino, the table, and my own personal life circumstances at the time.

hope you are doing well and getting some time to play!! :)

[proximity]

I, myself, am currently working on a book which intends to chronicle my recent gambling exploits in Las Vegas. I plan to title it..."Las Vegas on $2,700 a Day"...which is about what my stay there is currently costing me.

when you see me in the racebook next month beating penn national with a single beattie methodology measurement known as sustained juice (sj) make sure you remain jaded and recognize that conditions in Grantville are ideal for beating the races with such a mechanical system of rating. :)

[Trips]

I, myself, am currently working on a book which intends to chronicle my recent gambling exploits in Las Vegas. I plan to title it..."Las Vegas on $2,700 a Day"...which is about what my stay there is currently costing me.

Give up the hookers and save $2,000 a day.:ThmbUp:

[proximity]

Give up the hookers and save $2,000 a day.:ThmbUp:

:D:D:D

piling up those milf life rewards credits....:)

[thaskalos]

Give up the hookers and save $2,000 a day.:ThmbUp:

How I wish you were right...

[Parkview_Pirate]

I, myself, am currently working on a book which intends to chronicle my recent gambling exploits in Las Vegas. I plan to title it..."Las Vegas on $2,700 a Day"...which is about what my stay there is currently costing me.

Toss in a few horse racing tales and other gambling exploits from your days in the Windy City, and count me in for at least two advance copies....

[dilanesp]

I, myself, am currently working on a book which intends to chronicle my recent gambling exploits in Las Vegas. I plan to title it..."Las Vegas on $2,700 a Day"...which is about what my stay there is currently costing me.

Ouch! Variance sucks.

[thaskalos]

Ouch! Variance sucks.

True...and I prefer to think of it as a "test of character". It's part of my new, "positive-thinking" outlook. :)

[thaskalos]

Here is an interesting hand that I recently played at a 2/5 NL table at the Venetian:

With pocket 10s in middle position, I made it $25 to go...and I was called by a disbelieving Asian woman on the button. A 10 showed on a dry flop...and I gingerly wagered $35...which was also called. The case 10 miraculously appeared on the turn...and I embarrassedly wagered another $70...which was also called. The river-card completed no straights or flushes...and, after donning a puzzled look, I cautiously placed another $100 out there. The Asian woman gave me a scornful look, and called...and then mentioned something to herself in a foreign language when I showed my hand.

And, as I was stacking my chips...a neighboring player told me that my hand would have taken down a substantial best-hand jackpot...had it not been for the fact that the jackpot was put on hold for that particular week. It seems that the Venetian was hosting a set of popular tournaments at that time...and they figured that the poker room would be quite busy even without the best-hand jackpot inducement.

I thanked him profusely for sharing that useful information with me...

[cj]

You are correct of course but storytelling is a weak approach to a technical topic as handicapping.


You must be a blast at parties! :lol::lol::lol:

[Parkview_Pirate]

...I thanked him profusely for sharing that useful information with me...

:D

When releasing the audio version of your book, please make sure the voice actor has a thick Chicago or East Coast accent to convey the proper level of sarcasm.....

[proximity]

You must be a blast at parties! :lol::lol::lol:

alphas like emd only run with the koolest kats in the jungle brother.... :)

[proximity]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/news-views-gossip/poker-vlogger-could-colluding-stsngs-wsop-rio-1674245/

:popcorn:

[dilanesp]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/29/news-views-gossip/poker-vlogger-could-colluding-stsngs-wsop-rio-1674245/

:popcorn:

Without commenting specifically on this, I have a general comment.

The poker world is full of sleazy people, including famous, respected, sleazy people. The game attracts sleazeballs, because it offers the promise of not working for a living (ha!), because I think gambling in general attracts some non-stellar characters, and because there are simply a ton of marks among the general public that doesn't understand the mathematical principles of gambling games.

Some examples:

A WSOP main event champion was one of the prime movers of the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal.

The best cash game no limit hold 'em player in the world tried to cheat major casinos out of millions of dollars by colluding on a edge-sorting scheme in high stakes table games.

Numerous famous poker players have been prosecuted by the federal government on various fraud, tax, and white collar crime charges.

There are legendary stories of good poker players skipping out on debts.

The late Amarillo Slim, one of the true legends of the game, was infamous for shorting pots in cash games.

Some major pros were caught up in the wrongdoing and ponzi schemes at Full Tilt Poker.

The author of one of the best books on limit hold 'em was cheating in online games by multi-accounting.

So nothing surprises me. This isn't a vocation full of choir boys.

[thaskalos]

Without commenting specifically on this, I have a general comment.

The poker world is full of sleazy people, including famous, respected, sleazy people. The game attracts sleazeballs, because it offers the promise of not working for a living (ha!), because I think gambling in general attracts some non-stellar characters, and because there are simply a ton of marks among the general public that doesn't understand the mathematical principles of gambling games.

Some examples:

A WSOP main event champion was one of the prime movers of the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal.

The best cash game no limit hold 'em player in the world tried to cheat major casinos out of millions of dollars by colluding on a edge-sorting scheme in high stakes table games.

Numerous famous poker players have been prosecuted by the federal government on various fraud, tax, and white collar crime charges.

There are legendary stories of good poker players skipping out on debts.

The late Amarillo Slim, one of the true legends of the game, was infamous for shorting pots in cash games.

Some major pros were caught up in the wrongdoing and ponzi schemes at Full Tilt Poker.

The author of one of the best books on limit hold 'em was cheating in online games by multi-accounting.

So nothing surprises me. This isn't a vocation full of choir boys.

Why is Amarillo Slim the only "cheater" that you've bothered to mention by name? Do the rest of them deserve the "protection" that you've provided them with?

[sammy the sage]

Why is Amarillo Slim the only "cheater" that you've bothered to mention by name? Do the rest of them deserve the "protection" that you've provided them with?

He dead...can't sue...no libel...

[how cliche]

Below is a trip Journal of some shots I took over the holiday weekend. Was a big deal to me. Sent it every day to my regs back home. Enjoy or skip. Your choice.

June 30, 10am
Greetings from fabulous Las Vegas.

1 hour to game time. About to head to the Golden Nugget to reg the 570 BI 500k guaranteed tournament. Ready to get this grind going.

Did a lot of readying myself for the long days of these shots. Getting myself in physical condition, but still look like a somewhat overweight middle aged random. For an hour a morning 4 days a week, 5 weeks ago I started out being able to jog one block, then walk two. Not long after that was reversed. I kept progressing til this last week I effing jogged 6 miles in an hour 5 days. Hoping it will pay off in the form of longer focus over more days. Struggling with circadian rhythms currently. The pros I'm facing all get up at 9:30 or 10. I get up every day at 5:30. I tried my best to make a late rise today and the best I could do was 8. Advantage pros. Maybe tomorrow.

TMI. Update at day's end.

5:45pm.
Dinner break. Started with 25k. Have 70k now. Level after dinner is 400/800/100a. Not among the chip leaders but above chip average. Crazy hands to talk about when I get more time. Table full of pros. Everybody putting everybody in shit spots all game long.


July 1, 1am
And I'm out. I don't feel bad about it at all, except for the $570 hit to the wallet. I got it in good pre flop as the fave and got passed to cripple me down. Then I had a hand with too much equity and two streets to go to fold for the rest of it. Back to that in a minute.

Early on it's 200/400/25a and a late 50's aged white pro opens under the gun to 1300. I started the hand with 30k, Two players called him. On the button I have two red kings. I 3 bet to to 6800. Opener min 4 bets me. I'm not going anywhere. Flop comes out 8 high all black. He c bets the pot. It's exploitable to think this, but he only has aces. It's the only thing that makes sense. I cussed and said" It's a ****ing cooler. I know it." Thought about it for a couple minutes and folded on the flop. When he was eliminated later I grabbed him on the way out the door and asked what he had there. He said " I had Aces. You had Queens or Jacks." I believe him 100%. It's ok to be exploited from time to time. But really only an amateur folds there. That's me.

A level later There's a raise by the same pro from 2nd position and a call from the 'reg' and '3-bet' geared to the nines pro to his left. In the bb I have AK off. I balance that spot with squeezes and calls. It was a call this time. The flop came out 10 high all clubs. I have the ace of clubs. I checked. As I knew they would, the opener cbet half the pot. The other pro called him. I decided to check raise them so if there's one caller I have a pot sized shove on any turn and I was gonna call off if they put me in. Took me about two minutes to get the math right. The opener folded the caller called after a long tank. The turn was the 8 of hearts which changed nothing. I paused 15-20 seconds, looked at the dealer and said, " All in." Dude took about three minutes to fold. Very very proud of this hand. It's a professional line of play and I was fine if I got eliminated by a heroic call.

Later I lost 75% of my stack all in pre at 800/1600/200a w AK. I was 3 bet shoved by a loose aggressive player and I called. He had AQ and flopped broadway. I said, "Nice flop" and proceeded to ship most of my gambling discs over to him.

I lost the other 25% when I opened under the gun with KK and the bb defended. The flop came out TJQ all hearts and I held the king of hearts. Villain check shoved on me and I had two streets to realize my equity. I decided to call knowing I'm sometimes behind to a flush and other times he has the ace of hearts and possibly hit an under pair to the king. He had the 65 hearts and I couldn't pass him.

Tomorrow's another day. Get 'em at the Wynn.

10:30am.
Noon start for the Wynn 600 BI 100k guaranteed game. Felt going into the trip that today's game offers my best chance at a deep run. Remember the formula. The online BI & guarantee multiplied by 10 equals the live class level. I've won these online and top three finished a few times. Just gotta run good and I'll be around at the end.

July 2, 2am.
Tournament Poker can be a cruel and excruciating beast.

There were 237 entries today and the prize pool exceeded the 100k guarantee. It paid 37k for first and a min cash was worth a 670 profit from the BI. The money was to be reached at 35 players.

There's 39 of us left and despite taking three horrible beats over the course of the game, I managed to rebound from them each time and I was well above chip average. The blinds were at 2000/4000/500a. From a starting stack of 15k, I'd built up to 170k. 42 bigs. Then this hand happened.

Table chip leader is a twenty something euro with glasses and a hoody. Very tight aggressive player. Solid, but with a low 3 bet percentage. He has 270k & is in the big blind. It folds to me in the cutoff holding JJ. I open to 8500. Button and small blind both fold. The big blind 3 bets me to 22500. I don't spazz and decide to just call him. There's 52k to the flop. The board comes out 38J unsuited. He c-bets 30k. Because it was a 3 bet pot, and because too often it goes check check turn, check fold river, I raise him to 70k and he snap shoves and I snap call. He has AA and I'm a 91-9 favorite to win the hand and have a 350k stack on the bubble. Yay! Then the turn ace sent me back to my room. It hurts so bad right now, and it's difficult to give the whole rah rah tomorrow's another day self affirming pep talk.

I love this game. I hate this game.

10:30am.
Nothing like a soul crushing defeat to finally be the key to more than 9 hours sleep and feeling rested for a change.

Noon start at the Venetian. It's the third and last flight of day 1's for their 600 BI 300k guarantee game. Day two restart will be at 11 tomorrow and I think I'll bag 'em tonight with a stack to splash around on day two.

Yesterday's game had a soft field. Very soft. At the Nugget everyone was putting everyone in shit spots all game long. Did my part in making them hate theirs too. At all tables I was in the minority as an amateur. Yesterday, at Wynn, I believe in my heart and mind it was 90% amateurs & I was almost always the one putting them in the shit spots. It's entirely why I took four beats as the heavy fav, the final one being the death blow.

My second table was the effing dream, because there were two gigantically stacked fish in seats 2 and 7. Neither understood simple concepts like showdown value. These were the ag fish who you like to play from any position and just keep letting them bet. I doubled through both of them and then finished one of them off. Thanks to them I had a stack. Then in the following six levels I proceeded to get villains to go all in way behind pre and on the flop, only to pass me on the turn or river. I took the JJJ death blow at my third table. It's a shame as it was Pete's game to win. Yeah I just referred to myself in the 3rd person, cuz I stink. After the KO, I was talking to a TX based pro buddy of mine who coaches me from time to time, and he said, "Good players bubble a lot." He's right. I just have to take my lumps, shrug it off, and move on as if it never happened.

Playing well. The mistakes I'm making are minor when they happen. Really too bad I only have three shots here. Thinking today will be the day I'm on the right side of variance. Today's the day I go in with queens and crack aces. I can sense it. Deep run coming.

July 3, 2:30am.
Unfortunately I went out late day 1 at the Venetian.

It was level 13 of the 15 levels scheduled to be played day 1. 1000/2000/300a and from a starting stack of 20k I had built to about chip average at 75k. 37 bigs. I'm in the cutoff holding AK spades. I open to 5k and it folds to the bb who 3 bets me to 14500. He's a serial light 3 bettor. He's been caught by the table at showdown a few times doubling up short stacks or getting lucky and busting them and getting lucky to cripple bigger stacks with running cards. He four bet earlier with QTo and flopped a straight. All that made it feel like a 4 bet shove. He snap called me with KK. Of course he has a top 1% hand the time I go in. Of effing course. Very standard spot. No ace ever came. There was a sweat for him when a Q & J hit the flop, but alas there was no help on the turn or river. I felt in my heart and mind I would be on the right side of variance today, but alas it wasn't meant to be. I'll play some dailies or bet some horses for the next couple days, lick my wounds and go home humbled by this humbling game.

I can take away a lot of positives from this experience. I enjoyed it, with the exception of the death blow at the Wynn. I made a few missteps, but they were minor. I can steal and resteal with the pros to build a stack. I can 3 bet light. I can follow through on bluffs. I can figure stack to pot ratios if I give myself time to do it. I'm not currently capable of 4 betting light, and it felt like there were spots to do it, but it takes more guts than I have right now. I can induce shoves when I'm a heavy favorite. I can take big pots with both value and air. I can exploit fish. I can hang with many pros. I can balance the ways I play identical spots with different lines of play in order to keep villains confused. I can switch gears. I can identify which opponents to play which way. I can wait for hours when I'm card dead. It's why you build a stack. In the end it's just three shots, and the feeling is that I'm better than the average villain, but I can improve a lot. Top 20% villain, but they only pay top 12.5.

Honest assessment. I'm not a fish, but I'm not a shark. Closer to shark than fish, but I need to work at it.

12:30pm.
It's too bad I took the death blow at Wynn, cuz I had a plan on how to abuse the bubble. Maybe Mike, if he's reading this can tell me if this is sound bubble strategy as chip leader.

At home when I play online I have screen grabs of the following ranges, purely for when I have a big stack and we're approaching the money. They're to remind me if I'm playing too tight. I tried hard to commit them to memory for live games like the one I was about to win. The premise is: the closer to the button you are, the wider your stealing range is. But with the bubble in play it gets even wider. I was gonna open the following ranges from the following positions.

Button: top 50%

Cutoff: top 40%

Hijack: top 30%

All other positions: normal

If they fought back at me I'd fold with anything but top 5% range.

3:30pm
Here's a hysterically heroic hand I played yesterday at Venetian that worked out, but I don't recommend this play versus many villains.

At 150/300/25a I caught and stacked an Asian twenty five year old on a bluff with top pair third kicker.

Starting with 30k, I opened to 700 from middle position with KQo. There were two callers. Button and small blind. 2650 to the flop.

The board came out K93 two spades. Small blind Asian leads 900. 1/3 pot. I know what this is. It's a blocking bet so he can realize his equity cheaply. I can raise here, but I'm only getting called by hands that beat me or strong draws that can improve to pass me. I want to keep all his bluffs in there and seek to control the size of the pot. It feels like 80% flush or straight draws, 15% A9, Q9, JT, J9 4% random crazy bluffs. 1% 3's. I call, button folds. 4450 to the turn.

Turn is the 8 of diamonds which changes nothing. K938, two spades. He barrels again 1125. 1/4 pot. My opinion hasn't changed. I call. 6700 to the river.

River is a pretty tough card. An offsuit 9. K9389, no draws got home. He announces, All in for 17,800. More than twice the pot. The size of the bet doesn't make much sense for value, but a ton of sense for bluffs. I stood by my ranging and hated my spot and I took waaay to long to follow through with the decision. I talked to him and he gave me nothing. I got clock called on me. I said, " I think I'm good here 4 of 5 times." I called and was right. He had A5 spades.


July 4, 10:30am.
OK. This is the last hand I talk about. Promise. The rest of them were so standard and predictable, they're not worth repeating. I'm giving you the highlight show.

After I picked off euro's bluff at the Venetian I was extremely card dead. For the next 120 minutes I didn't see a flop. All I did was fold fold fold fold fold fold steal fold fold fold fold fold steal fold fold fold fold fold etc. I went quiet, so to speak. The hand I played was very villain dependent. There was an Indian born 30 year old silicon valley semiconductor engineer under the gun. In middle position there was a 60 year old Israeli army officer. Both of them had fold instincts stronger than most. They kept seeing monsters that weren't there for them. Anyone else but those two and I never play the hand this way. I was under the gun + 1.

250/500/50a. Started the hand with 54k and have them both covered by quite a bit. Under the gun opens to 1100. Holding A4 diamonds I 3 bet to 3250. Middle position calls, opener calls. 11k to the flop.

The board comes out 47T rainbow. Under the gun checks. I cbet 4400. Both call and both look very very uncomfortable. Things are starting to get tippy for their shorter stacks. They probably have hands like AQs AK KQs 88 99 ATs. I thought there was an outside chance one of them held JJ. I got it in my mind If I could muster my inner oscar winning actor I could get folds from those hands with a turn barrel depending on the card. I really don't want to see paint. 24200 to the turn.

The turn is a 2. 47T2. Under the gun checks. I barreled 11,500 and when I knew that both were watching I did something players do when they're very strong. I leaned back in my chair, reached for my water, unscrewed the cap, took a measured sip, replaced the cap, returned it to the coffee table on my side, resumed an upright position and stared motionless at the felt. They told me what they folded. Under the gun folded JJ, middle position folded QQ. Since I had both an ace and a 4, it was the perfect opportunity to play the "I'll show you one card" game. I said, "Left or right, which one do you wanna see?" I flipped over the 4 and both thought they avoided disaster. The reality: I was going to give up if anyone called the turn.

I hope you've enjoyed the updates. I've tried to make them thoughtful and informative, but in ways that are inclusive to novice learners of the game. I appreciate all the support. Thank you.

[dilanesp]

Why is Amarillo Slim the only "cheater" that you've bothered to mention by name? Do the rest of them deserve the "protection" that you've provided them with?

I actually think he was a bigger sleazeball in a certain way, because he's the one of them who cheated at live poker. Most pros at least conduct themselves honorably at the poker table. That's why I named him.

At any rate there's no libel issue- everything I said is easily verifiable.

[ReplayRandall]

OK. This is the last hand I talk about. Promise. The rest of them were so standard and predictable, they're not worth repeating. I'm giving you the highlight show.

I've got to start working out more, as your "highlight show" wore me out.....I just don't have enough internet stamina anymore. Thanks for the entertaining post though, you definitely have the chops to hang with the big dogs, you might just be one yourself.....Good luck in your future tourneys, Pete.

[thaskalos]

Below is a trip Journal of some shots I took over the holiday weekend. Was a big deal to me. Sent it every day to my regs back home. Enjoy or skip. Your choice.
.
.
.
I hope you've enjoyed the updates. I've tried to make them thoughtful and informative, but in ways that are inclusive to novice learners of the game. I appreciate all the support. Thank you.

I thoroughly enjoyed your "update"...and I couldn't have read it at a better time. The thought had recently occurred to me that perhaps I should venture into a tournament or two...as an antidote to the boredom that I often feel during my cash-game marathons. Your wonderful narrative has cured me of that notion...hopefully for good.

I am eagerly anticipating any follow-ups that you'd like to share with us. :ThmbUp:

[tucker6]

Why is Amarillo Slim the only "cheater" that you've bothered to mention by name? Do the rest of them deserve the "protection" that you've provided them with?

I also noted that several of those tidbits have a another side to the story. I could find hundreds of CEO's going rogue that would make these poker stories look like child's play. Bad actors exist in every profession.

[dilanesp]

I also noted that several of those tidbits have a another side to the story. I could find hundreds of CEO's going rogue that would make these poker stories look like child's play. Bad actors exist in every profession.

Of course bad actors exist in every profession, but gambling attracts more of them, because it presents itself as a way to beat the system, make money without doing legitimate work, etc. Plus there are a lot of marks and suckers in the ecosystem.

You could make a longer list of CEO's simply because there are far more people doing legitimate work. But given the population of professoinal gamblers (probably a rounding point on the population as a whole, .1 percent or something), the number of scandals in poker is ridiculously disproportionate. And that's not surprising at all.

[thaskalos]

Of course bad actors exist in every profession, but gambling attracts more of them, because it presents itself as a way to beat the system, make money without doing legitimate work, etc. Plus there are a lot of marks and suckers in the ecosystem.

You could make a longer list of CEO's simply because there are far more people doing legitimate work. But given the population of professoinal gamblers (probably a rounding point on the population as a whole, .1 percent or something), the number of scandals in poker is ridiculously disproportionate. And that's not surprising at all.

The really sad part about "cheating" is that some "professional poker players" consider this to be just, "maximizing their edge" in the game. And then, with their next breath...they'll declare that, "the most valuable asset of a gambler is his reputation". :rolleyes:

I remember Johnny Chan's comment when he was asked on TV about the relative "honesty" of the poker community, when compared to the rest of the "business environment" out there:

"I'd rather lend $10,000 to a poker player, than to anybody else"...Chan remarked.

I've spent almost as much time around poker players as Johnny Chan has...and my opinion on this matter couldn't be more dissimilar.

[proximity]

Below is a trip Journal of some shots I took over the holiday weekend. Was a big deal to me. Sent it every day to my regs back home. Enjoy or skip. Your choice.


sorry you didn't win, but I enjoyed it. :)

[dilanesp]

The really sad part about "cheating" is that some "professional poker players" consider this to be just, "maximizing their edge" in the game. And then, with their next breath...they'll declare that, "the most valuable asset of a gambler is his reputation". :rolleyes:

I remember Johnny Chan's comment when he was asked on TV about the relative "honesty" of the poker community, when compared to the rest of the "business environment" out there:

"I'd rather lend $10,000 to a poker player, than to anybody else"...Chan remarked.

I've spent almost as much time around poker players as Johnny Chan has...and my opinion on this matter couldn't be more dissimilar.

I agree. Chan's statement is ridiculous, and lots of pros think that doing shady things is a legitimate part of their edge.

I will say one positive thing about poker players, though. And it really is true, despite my general negative opinion about their honesty.

If you gave me a choice to leave $3,000 of my money for 30 minutes on a church pew in a crowded church, or at a poker table in a crowded cardroom, I'd choose the poker table. :)

[thaskalos]

I agree. Chan's statement is ridiculous, and lots of pros think that doing shady things is a legitimate part of their edge.

I will say one positive thing about poker players, though. And it really is true, despite my general negative opinion about their honesty.

If you gave me a choice to leave $3,000 of my money for 30 minutes on a church pew in a crowded church, or at a poker table in a crowded cardroom, I'd choose the poker table. :)

Even without the dealer there? :)

[ReplayRandall]

If you gave me a choice to leave $3,000 of my money for 30 minutes on a church pew in a crowded church, or at a poker table in a crowded cardroom, I'd choose the poker table. :)

Nothing like the sage wisdom from a beloved attorney....:coffee:

[dilanesp]

Even without the dealer there? :)

Sure. But with the cameras. :P

[how cliche]

Got to thinking about it this morning and besides 4 betting light, what else is immediately obvious to me that I can improve on?

I had value hand's periodically throughout the games against good players and when deep stacked I only got 2 streets of value post flop. Flop and river every time, even the times they were the in position 3 bettor pre. How does one get 3 streets more often? I should work on this.

[dilanesp]

Got to thinking about it this morning and besides 4 betting light, what else is immediately obvious to me that I can improve on?

I had value hand's periodically throughout the games against good players and when deep stacked I only got 2 streets of value post flop. Flop and river every time, even the times they were the in position 3 bettor pre. How does one get 3 streets more often? I should work on this.

No limit or limit?

In limit, you should be looking for 3 streets most of the time when you think you have the best hand, because the cost of paying off a raise is not very high anyway.

In no limit, you need a hand that will get called three times, which requires (1) a strong enough hand (so you aren't value-owning yourself), (2) an opponent who is willing to pay you off and has a strong enough range to do it frequently, and (3) a cooperative board (you probably aren't going for three streets of value anymore with AhAd when the flop comes Jc9c4d and the turn is the Tc).

[how cliche]

I'm an MTT NLH tournament player.

Two examples from over the holiday weekend.

1st game at The Golden Nugget. Level one 25-50. 25k effective stacks. It opens from middle position to 150. Cutoff and button call, small blind folds. It gets to me in the big blind holding AK off. I squeeze to 750. Button is the only caller. 1825 to the flop.

The Flop is 3A7 rainbow. I cbet 925. Button calls. 3675 to the turn which is a ten. 3A79. It goes check check.

River pairs the 7. 3A797. It goes check bet 2k call. Pretty obvious the king kicker plays & I couldn't get him to try and take it on the turn. Probably had AQAJAT. Less often 88JJQQ and because I checked turn he didn't believe me. IDK seems a generic hand.


3rd game at Venetian. 50-100. Both of us had a good first level. Effective stacks 32k.


Two limpers. In the hijack I hold 99. I open to 500. Loose aggressive early 20's button 3 bets to 1250. Not folding a top 5% hand. I'll speculate and call. Depending on the board texture I'll continue or not. 3350 to the flop.

Flop comes out K49. Dude always cbets and I don't want to reveal the strength of my hand so I check call his 1700 continuation. 7750 to the turn. Which is a 5. K495. It goes check check.

River is a king. I have to get value. I bet 6700. He takes a long time and eventually calls. I made up my mind that I was snap calling the aggression he was trying to level himself into. He was looking for courage and was lucky he didn't find any.

This hand feels like I missed a street.

[thaskalos]

I'm an MTT NLH tournament player.

Two examples from over the holiday weekend.

1st game at The Golden Nugget. Level one 25-50. 25k effective stacks. It opens from middle position to 150. Cutoff and button call, small blind folds. It gets to me in the big blind holding AK off. I squeeze to 750. Button is the only caller. 1825 to the flop.

The Flop is 3A7 rainbow. I cbet 925. Button calls. 3675 to the turn which is a ten. 3A79. It goes check check.

River pairs the 7. 3A797. It goes check bet 2k call. Pretty obvious the king kicker plays & I couldn't get him to try and take it on the turn. Probably had AQAJAT. Less often 88JJQQ and because I checked turn he didn't believe me. IDK seems a generic hand.


3rd game at Venetian. 50-100. Both of us had a good first level. Effective stacks 32k.


Two limpers. In the hijack I hold 99. I open to 500. Loose aggressive early 20's button 3 bets to 1250. Not folding a top 5% hand. I'll speculate and call. Depending on the board texture I'll continue or not. 3350 to the flop.

Flop comes out K49. Dude always cbets and I don't want to reveal the strength of my hand so I check call his 1700 continuation. 7750 to the turn. Which is a 5. K495. It goes check check.

River is a king. I have to get value. I bet 6700. He takes a long time and eventually calls. I made up my mind that I was snap calling the aggression he was trying to level himself into. He was looking for courage and was lucky he didn't find any.

This hand feels like I missed a street.

If you bet the turn...does he call a serious bet on the river? My guess is he doesn't.

[how cliche]

it's a question i asked myself. versus his entire range i probably played the hand well. idk. i think i get a river shove out of him a lot with one hand. ak. i feel like he had a lot of kq and kj off. a little less kt. there's also a good portion of his range that's ttjjqq, teeny bit of aa. i like to hope that's where he was. if so then i like the larger river play i made, cuz it looks like i want folds and that the line i took was fishy.

immediately after the hand i thought the best line of play was check call, donk turn, shove riv. feel like i'm only getting that paid by ak 44 and 55 with the run out.

all told it was value. got almost 10k of his stack from him on a dry board hand. really only booted it if he held ak 44 or 55.

[thaskalos]

If he had 44 or 55, the turn doesn't go check-check...and you don't get the crying call on the river. It's also debatable that he checks back on the turn with AK...given his "aggressive" nature. He probably held QQ or JJ...and you got as much as you could out of the hand.

[dilanesp]

On the 99 hand, that board is really dry, which limits the amount of value you can get from your opponent's range. A ton of stuff is going to be folding to any aggressive action by you.

On the AK hand, if you are looking to get more value, increase your flop bet. 1220 is 2/3rds of the pot. You could even throw out a nearly pot sized bet of 1600 or so. Not only does that bet get you more immediate value, but it sets you up to get more in on the later streets.

[how cliche]

the issue i have with betting .666-.8 on the flop is: it was a table full of pros. pros are attentive. a lot of hands miss me and i still want to cbet. if i bet .75 when i hit and half when i miss they'll pick up on the sizing tell very quickly. these players were the real deal. this little 600bi game more than doubled the 500k guarantee and there were multiple tv dudes i had to my left.

[how cliche]

the issue i have with betting .666-.8 on the flop is: it was a table full of pros. pros are attentive. a lot of hands miss me and i still want to cbet. if i bet .75 when i hit and half when i miss they'll pick up on the sizing tell very quickly. these players were the real deal. this little 600bi game more than doubled the 500k guarantee and there were multiple tv dudes i had to my left.

[ReplayRandall]

the issue i have with betting .666-.8 on the flop is: it was a table full of pros. pros are attentive. a lot of hands miss me and i still want to cbet. if i bet .75 when i hit and half when i miss they'll pick up on the sizing tell very quickly. these players were the real deal. this little 600bi game more than doubled the 500k guarantee and there were multiple tv dudes i had to my left.

You see what I put in bold above? This is exactly what you DO want them to pick up on. Later, you can exploit them by betting opposite....that is, if they're really attentive pros like you say they are.

Bottom-line, DO be perceived as a strict, tight math guy, you'll do much better in the long run if you keep your "genius" to yourself....

[how cliche]

Question. Saw earlier Thask put the phrase "update" in quotes. Now I see RR put the phrase "genius" in quotes. What do these quotes mean?

Updates were given to the regs back home the moment I got back to my room, as they were fresh in my mind from hands recently played. Then there was some next day reflection I felt was worthwhile for readers. IDK.

I've not ever claimed myself to be anything approaching a genius, but do think I'm a man of reasonable intelligence. It makes one wonder then why I spend so much time and effort chasing the rabbit called tournament poker. Maybe I'm of unreasonable intelligence after all.

Regarding adjusting cbet sizing in game as a reverse tell, that's an advanced strategy that's beyond my skill level currently. It's an interesting idea and would like to hear in game examples you've employed, RR. I then could devise a plan to implement it and start going after it sooner.

[how cliche]

not that anyone cares, but i played in a 160 BI daily at bay 101 today. 90 runners. finished 8th. +540 for the effort. 4100 for 1st. that's -400 up top to pay 10th and 11th 200 each. dailies are structured poorly. chip leader had 25 bigs. i went out with 11 bigs in the big blind. cutoff open shoved his 11.5bb with aces. i had 99 and it's a must call. standard.

skill edge over these fish negated by the structure. 20m levels. skips a lot of levels. field of 90 and there were maybe 2 decent players, both northern part of the country italians and neither cashed. felt badly for them as they were skilled. then there was the chip leader who thought he's good. lol. kept limp folding. kept calling all ins bad w sub chart range and passing. i hope he finishes first, seriously. then he'll not work on a thing.

[proximity]

not that anyone cares, but i played in a 160 BI daily at bay 101 today. 90 runners. finished 8th. +540 for the effort. .

good job and I do think people care. It does get quiet here sometimes though.

are you still running? your progress was pretty impressive. I'm trying to merely hike 100 miles here in july to get ready for vegas. a little behind pace so far but i'll get there. :)

[ReplayRandall]

Question. Saw earlier Thask put the phrase "update" in quotes. Now I see RR put the phrase "genius" in quotes. What do these quotes mean?

Bottom-line, everybody's got the math, ranges and positional leverage down pat....So tell me, where's your edge? Your edge should be your image or perception to others at all times. Your "genius" is how good you conceal your solid game in a droll, math geek stealth mode.....That's your edge, let them think they're the geniuses while you show them nothing.

Poker---->Such a boring game nowadays..:sleeping::sleeping:

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with more "Thursday game" excitement and yet again we're in 3/6 limit company at the fabulous horseshoe Baltimore casino.

we last left off with a solid outing to close to within only $855 of even for the year but tonight it's back to getting pounded as I lose about 20 times with KQ to start the game and fall behind $181.

the game has hope though.

one hand i'm not involved in is capped four ways pre flop but when running diamonds fall after a 345 flop a new player is complaining how he probably got run down (he did) after flopping the nuts.

"you played 76s out of position for a cap? dilane would have a coronary!" i'm thinking to myself but then the kid tables 62, so....

indeed I do start to launch a comeback and there's actually hope that i'm gonna come all the way back.... until my neighbor "howlin' wolf" runs me down on the river with a 63 off.

down a "respectable" $49 I head for the exits.

it's a "Thursday game" tradition that I stop at a certain diner on the way home but there's intense construction going on so I try a new spot.

i'm enjoying my dinner about as much as a guy who just lost in 3/6 company at horseshoe can when my waitress sits a guy and three younger girls at a table right beside me.

this group just came from a bar where one of the girls, emily (about a 5 1/2) got FOUR numbers.

in the ensuing minutes we learn that one of the bartenders, john, is a strong favorite due to his "cuteness."

however, a quick check of facebook puts the issue in doubt when it's revealed that john's a big fan of...... Donald trump.

in the end though cuteness trumps politics as john's features win out. he will soon be one happy bartender!!

thank you for reading.

game -49 (3/6)
year -904 (34-31)
bonus 0 (470)

[how cliche]

thanks prox. glad at least you care.

i wouldn't call what my fat butt does running. it's jogging. 10m miles. all the real runners go whizzing past each morning when i reach the public parks which are my fav spots of the 6 mi journeys, except for the fitness shaming. haha. now that the lv shots are finished i've cut down to 3 1/2 mornings a week. every other day.

you're taking some shots in lv soon? do tell.

i'll say this. think hard about your schedule. i almost entered a bracelet event, simply for the wow factor of the series. really glad i didn't. one visit to the rio is fine. played 4 hours of cash and left up 2 hundo. didn't compete there and unless my roll doubles, there's a ton of good value for half the price all over town i'd rather take shots in. rio felt like a poker walmart. and as an aside, one of my biggest pet peeves was going down at the cash game there. players were continually arguing with the dealer and dealers kept calling floor over. every single time the dealer was correct. couldn't get a table change and this table was a dream for me game wise, but the players were argumentative jerks.

[dilanesp]

Question. Saw earlier Thask put the phrase "update" in quotes. Now I see RR put the phrase "genius" in quotes. What do these quotes mean?

Updates were given to the regs back home the moment I got back to my room, as they were fresh in my mind from hands recently played. Then there was some next day reflection I felt was worthwhile for readers. IDK.

I've not ever claimed myself to be anything approaching a genius, but do think I'm a man of reasonable intelligence. It makes one wonder then why I spend so much time and effort chasing the rabbit called tournament poker. Maybe I'm of unreasonable intelligence after all.

Regarding adjusting cbet sizing in game as a reverse tell, that's an advanced strategy that's beyond my skill level currently. It's an interesting idea and would like to hear in game examples you've employed, RR. I then could devise a plan to implement it and start going after it sooner.

Against observant opponents, carefully think out your bet sizing strategy. And that can include a consistent size or some sort of reverse tell.

Against mouth breathers, bet as much as you think they will call when you have it.

Also, remember lots of bad players don't care about pot size. They think of a bet as big in relation to their stack.

[dilanesp]

not that anyone cares, but i played in a 160 BI daily at bay 101 today. 90 runners. finished 8th. +540 for the effort. 4100 for 1st. that's -400 up top to pay 10th and 11th 200 each. dailies are structured poorly. chip leader had 25 bigs. i went out with 11 bigs in the big blind. cutoff open shoved his 11.5bb with aces. i had 99 and it's a must call. standard.

skill edge over these fish negated by the structure. 20m levels. skips a lot of levels. field of 90 and there were maybe 2 decent players, both northern part of the country italians and neither cashed. felt badly for them as they were skilled. then there was the chip leader who thought he's good. lol. kept limp folding. kept calling all ins bad w sub chart range and passing. i hope he finishes first, seriously. then he'll not work on a thing.

Good job.

Bear in mind, all tournaments, even deep stack non-turbo structures, have tons of variance in them. (Ask Vanessa Selbst about what happened yesterday!) You probably have a huge edge in the sort of tournament you played in even though you got coolered.

[Track Collector]

I've been on good run the past month. Have cut my yearly losses to about $250 (or about -$3 per hour). Not earth shattering as the number of total hours is very low (due to a 3-month break), so results may be very much due to normal variance vs. "good" play.

About 2 weeks ago I had a hand where after about 20 minutes I lost my entire $300 by-in with top or at worse chopping full house vs. villain's Quads. Obviously not happy, I reached in my pocket for my 2nd buy-in. Then I nibbled here and there, fighting the demons of distraught from losing such a big hand, while also mostly avoiding the temptations to over-press and play hands I should not be playing. After about 5.5 hours later near the time I had originally thought about quitting I decided to book this $10 winning session. Certainly no where close to my highest winning sessions, but probably one of the most satisfying.

No poker this week, as I am off to my most-favorite track for the annual 4-day meet in Prineville, Oregon. :jump:

While in-flight and during some of the other down times it will be back to "The Grinder's Manual" by Peter Clarke, an excellent book even though it is geared for 6-max on-line players. I am not quite 50% thru and really enjoy this book. A big thank you to Thaskalos for his recommendation some time back!

[how cliche]

TC, good job rallying back from the nearly inconceivable beat you took. I 100% get booking a win there. Small in $, gigantic in satisfaction. It's what I call a foundation win.

RR & dilan, I can see your points about taking spots here and there to use deceptive sizing, particularly with value hands. I think I actually do that already. For example, a page or two ago I was bitching about only getting two streets. Check the 9's full river bet. 85% pot of a 3 bet-c bet hand. Lot of dudes think that makes sense only for fold equity. Regarding sizing up fish, I won't often continue whatsoever if I have nothing and they have a lot of top pairs in their shit. Friendly advice. Don't bluff fish. They don't know why they're doing it, but they always call. But yes, when you're made, there's no need to be deceptive. Miss no streets. Keep making bets that get called til they're committed and stack them whenever possible.

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with more mid-atlantic action, this time "stepping onto the red carpet" for another exciting high hand day at hollywood penn national!!

anticipating a capacity crowd i arrive early for this tilt and secure a seat in 3/6 limit company. i fall behind early before flopping quads (of course before the high hands start:rolleyes:) to creep back towards even.

the room's filling up fast as the high hand kickoff approaches. poker boss dan and sprightly pen dealer veronica are celebrating birthdays and as this room of hardened gamblers belts out a stirring rendition of happy birthday i catch a glimpse of our pony playing friend the lion, who is not amused after losing with a set of nickels to a villain who should've folded but instead stuck around to river a remote longshot.

indeed the lion is angrier and more focused than apollo creed in rocky 2. he is all business!! (he comes back to win and go 53-14 on the year!!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhZD3Rw8hrc

i'm still behind but in better spirits than the lion. indeed when i come back and win i'm going to buy a statue for the church, a sno-cone machine for paulie, maybe some hats....

instead the game goes the other way. :mad:

i lose about 20 times with AJ.

i flop two sets and turn two flushes in this long afternoon and evening but i lose all four of these hands.

i lose about seven times with JJ.

finally i start to rally but then lose yet again with AJ.

in the end i drop $189.

it felt like a thousand.

thank you for reading.

game -189 (3/6)
year -1093 (34-32)
bonus 0 (470)

[proximity]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/27/live-casino-poker/borgata-player-caught-cheating-casino-did-nothing-casino-responsibility-1677063/

I know dilane saw this one but I thought i'd post it for anyone who hasn't.

if this is true it's scary.

[thaskalos]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/27/live-casino-poker/borgata-player-caught-cheating-casino-did-nothing-casino-responsibility-1677063/

I know dilane saw this one but I thought i'd post it for anyone who hasn't.

if this is true it's scary.

How does the player with the baby flush allow his pot to be pushed to a player who mucked his hand...and had to go back into the muck to retrieve his cards? Who CARES if the dealer was too quick in dealing the next hand...if the victim actually saw the cheating take place, he should have told the dealer right away that the man went into the muck to retrieve his hand. And if he DIDN'T see what happened...then, what the heck was he looking at?

[dilanesp]

How does the player with the baby flush allow his pot to be pushed to a player who mucked his hand...and had to go back into the muck to retrieve his cards? Who CARES if the dealer was too quick in dealing the next hand...if the victim actually saw the cheating take place, he should have told the dealer right away that the man went into the muck to retrieve his hand. And if he DIDN'T see what happened...then, what the heck was he looking at?

I think people should be very careful to judge players in situations like this. Stuff happens very fast. I have called the floor on obvious mistakes and by the time the dealer realizes and the action stops, 3 people have called or folded. It's VERY hard to protect your hand when there is confusion and diversions. Cheaters and angle-shooters feast on this environment.

And I am not surprised one bit by the Borg's allowing the pot to be pushed and the guy to leave before the tape is reviewed. I haven't been in that many situations where surveillance had to be called, but I have seen several floormen refuse to impound pots that needed to be impounded. Believe me, there is nothing you can do if the floorman is insistent, other than stuff that will get you thrown out of the casino like physically interfering with the pushing of the pot.

Hopefully the New Jersey gaming people will force Borgata to make this right.

[proximity]

ok poker fans we last left off with another thrashing..... that contest a rare limit loss at penn national.

losing energy and desire, I skip a couple Thursday games before the poker bug bites me again and i'm up early on a Friday morning heading for Charles town.

it takes me hours to win a hand at Charles town and I spend the entire day and night chasing. in the end I wave the white flag with a $67 3/6 limit loss.

of course the next week I again plan to hit horseshoe Baltimore for "the Thursday game" but if recent history is any indication i'll probably end up sleeping all day again before trudging out to penn national for some live racing.

a message though from our friend track collector saying that he's going to hit the horseshoe gives me the motivation I need to get my lazy ass moving.

it's high hand night at the shoe but there's still not a big crowd and I continue to worry about the future of this room. the comps are still pretty good here though and it remains my personal favorite.

the first high hand is an hour long one and is to be followed by a series of half hour high hand periods. despite its length though (and liberal qualification rules) no one is hitting big hands. aces full of tens stands for awhile before aces full of queens takes over with about ten minutes to go.

with AA though I flop a set and a board pairing king on the river puts me, PROXIMITY, in the driver's seat with only five minutes to go!!

with only a handful of tables in the room it holds up and we add (a much needed) $225 in the bonus category!!

meanwhile, over in the no limit section track collector doesn't need any gimmicks; he wins his hundreds at the table like a real man before stopping to visit on his way out the door.

at the 3/6 table he gets a bird's eye view of what kind of psychos play this game when he witnesses a dispute over $1. (yes, ONE DOLLAR):faint:

i believe the dispute involved a straddle and when shoe poker manager victor is called to the table i (only half jokingly) tell him they should just eliminate straddles!! victor's not going for it though and Mississippi straddles will remain. :D

i hold on for a $29 win.

thank you for reading. :)

game -67 (ct 3/6)
+29 (hsb 3/6)
year -1131 (35-33)
promo 225 (695)

[tucker6]

at the 3/6 table he gets a bird's eye view of what kind of psychos play this game when he witnesses a dispute over $1. (yes, ONE DOLLAR)


You met the Dukes?

[tucker6]

well done on the bonus. Just remember when you have bad luck next time that the guy with aces over queens was none too happy. Luck finds us eventually, even when we try to hide from it, lol.

[how cliche]

I've returned on a Monday to brag a little and to respond to the dealer mistakes issue.

The brag. Fam's out of town so I competed in ten 12.5k + guaranteed games Sat & Sun. Finished 10th in one and 3rd in two. Lost flips with 88 & JJ to narrowly miss finishing 1st in the final table tries.

But, both were great final tables imho. My personal gauge of a good final table is: If you're 1/9 you finish first. In any other spot if you improve your position it's a good session. If you improve two or more positions it's a great session. In both final tables I entered 7/9 and improved to 3rd. Very, very pleased.

The one where I was eliminated in 10th I was dumb. 5 handed, good player limps under the gun. I'm BB with 15bb and 6/10 holding K5o. SB completes. I check. Board comes K72. Check/check/ limper bets 40% pot. SB folds, I shove. He snaps w AA. What's the saying? "Never go broke in a limped pot." Got what I deserved for being a fish.

Yes dealers make mistakes, but players make too many complaints. Stop fishing for reasons to instigate and own your shit. Police the game and take action before it has to go to floor. I can't count how many times floor gets called over after the fact for not anything real. And when floor's about to go back to their kiosk I mention I'd like a table change cuz they're constantly arguing with the dealers.

[how cliche]

Line Check Please.

$33 BI, $12,500 Guarantee. Paid at 99. 4000/8000/500a. We're 4/18 in the lojack starting w 325k. Villain is in BB w 260k.

Holding ATo I open to 16k. BB defends. 49k to the flop.

Flop is AQT, A & T are hearts. BB checks. I bet 23k. He check raises to 58k. I call.

Let me explain. I crushed this board. He almost always 3 bets AAQQJJTT&AKAQAJAT. KJo he might defend with, but he more likely 3 bets. KQ hearts and historically this player defends. He sometimes will defend with hands like J9,98,97,76 hearts. I want to keep his semibluffs in and depending on the turn I'll go with the hand. 165k to the turn.

Turn is the 6 of hearts. He shoves 186k. You what???

[how cliche]

Ok. No replies. I folded and it was a very very tough fold. IDK if it was disciplined or if I got owned. Ace of hearts made flushes a lot less likely, I really think so. All he's repping is KJ and flushes. Aside from that I beat all his shit. The shove made sense with his line, but I'd more expect some blocking lead on the flop than a check raise, shove turn line with a flush draw. I went in the tank and while he only reps KJ and flushes, I doubt very very much he's risking his life bluffing. Pay jumps are forthcoming that mean things. Gross spot and I'll never know if I was right. I felt like I only needed to fade hearts and paint to go in on the turn. KQh and QJh are both prominent parts of his defend range. The problem I have with the fold and why I think I might've been owned is his line makes sense to get folds a lot more than it adds up for value. That said, if I'm him with a flush or broadway on that board and at that stage, I probably try for the max too. IDK. Ownership has its privileges.

[ReplayRandall]

Line Check Please.

$33 BI, $12,500 Guarantee. Paid at 99. 4000/8000/500a. We're 4/18 in the lojack starting w 325k. Villain is in BB w 260k.

Holding ATo I open to 16k. BB defends. 49k to the flop.

Flop is AQT, A & T are hearts. BB checks. I bet 23k. He check raises to 58k. I call.

Let me explain. I crushed this board. He almost always 3 bets AAQQJJTT&AKAQAJAT. KJo he might defend with, but he more likely 3 bets. KQ hearts and historically this player defends. He sometimes will defend with hands like J9,98,97,76 hearts. I want to keep his semibluffs in and depending on the turn I'll go with the hand. 165k to the turn.

Turn is the 6 of hearts. He shoves 186k. You what???

You see what I put in bold? I believe you should have 3-bet min raised back on the flop, making it 93K. If this doesn't stop him cold in his tracks, thus buying you the turn no matter what comes off, then he'll just shove right there, and you'll know he's flopped the straight. This way it's easier to get away from the hand for much cheaper than the scenario you let play out, never knowing if he played you off the best hand, IMO....

[proximity]

Luck finds us eventually, even when we try to hide from it, lol.

will soon be hiding in vegas!! :eek:

[how cliche]

Idk RR. There were other factors that make a flop min 3bet-willing to fold or flop min 3 bet-check back turn a bad play, imo. Mainly placement in standings, and resulting payouts. If I place what you suggest, I drop from 4th to 13th. If I just call and the turn bricks like it more often does I can go in. If I just call and get away from a wet turn I drop just to 7th and retain a mid 20-ish bb stack. Also, If he calls there, he's doing it a lot to induce a turn shove. Stack preservation in relation to payouts late is very very important. The next meaningful increase was to occur when down to 12. That proposition becomes unlikely if I do as you instruct.

Interested in what shots PROXIMITY is about to take in LV. Need to know Prox.

[ReplayRandall]

Idk RR. There were other factors that make a flop min 3bet-willing to fold or flop min 3 bet-check back turn a bad play, imo. Mainly placement in standings, and resulting payouts. If I place what you suggest, I drop from 4th to 13th. If I just call and the turn bricks like it more often does I can go in. If I just call and get away from a wet turn I drop just to 7th and retain a mid 20-ish bb stack. Also, If he calls there, he's doing it a lot to induce a turn shove. Stack preservation in relation to payouts late is very very important. The next meaningful increase was to occur when down to 12. That proposition becomes unlikely if I do as you instruct.

Interested in what shots PROXIMITY is about to take in LV. Need to know Prox.

One thing we can both agree on, one of the villian's cards was Kh.....IMO, he flopped the straight, and wasn't about to let you see the river, unless you doubled him up.....BTW, you could have called, got lucky and sucked out.

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we're back with more mid-atlantic excitement and today it's yet another edition of "the thursday game."

for this contest i opt to head out to the sands (bethlehem, pa) where i plan to do some shopping at the puma outlet, beat some 3/6 donkeys, and maybe hit another high hand.

there's terrible traffic on the way out 78 east but they've (finally) completed a lot of the construction off the sands exit and i arrive with plenty of time left in the night to meet my goals.

i kickoff the gambling in a 3/6 limit contest that's about as stable as a kardashian marriage. it seems like at least two or three players are away from the table all the time but i still can't win a hand. with JJ i finally get on the board when two villains miss a queen high flop.

with JTs i'm getting big odds to call for an 8 following a 976 flop. a queen on the turn makes me open ended and i river a king to crack aces and move ahead for the game. shortly thereafter i quit at +18 and head over to the mall section of the complex to do some shopping at the puma outlet.

the hits just keep on coming here in 2017 though poker fans.

a cute mall security guard informs me that the puma outlet has been shuttered. :bang::mad::(

i grab some nike socks at famous footwear. maybe nike will change my luck for the rest of the year? could it get any worse?

at least for this night.... it can.

i start game number two with several playable hands..... they all lose.

AK hits a flop but is beaten by 63... and not from the blinds.

after some more losing, AK hits another flop.

this time the hand appears headed to victory until another player (who check-called the whole way) slowly rolls over AK too.

at least i didn't lose the hand. :rolleyes:

it's getting late and this game has more clowns than ringling brothers. tired, frustrated, and hungry i wave the white flag at -115 and head over to the food court to grab some fine asian cuisine at far east.

however, a jill scott concert has just let out at the event center and the line at far east extends almost to hong kong and i drive home hungry.

proximity loses again.

thank you for reading.

game +18 (3/6)
-115 (3/6)
year -1228 (36-34)
promo 0 (695)

[proximity]

Idk RR. There were other factors that make a flop min 3bet-willing to fold or flop min 3 bet-check back turn a bad play, imo. Mainly placement in standings, and resulting payouts. If I place what you suggest, I drop from 4th to 13th. If I just call and the turn bricks like it more often does I can go in. If I just call and get away from a wet turn I drop just to 7th and retain a mid 20-ish bb stack. Also, If he calls there, he's doing it a lot to induce a turn shove. Stack preservation in relation to payouts late is very very important. The next meaningful increase was to occur when down to 12. That proposition becomes unlikely if I do as you instruct.

Interested in what shots PROXIMITY is about to take in LV. Need to know Prox.

I will be arriving sunday night and staying until the following Thursday, august 10th.

if anyone's going to be there and wants to meet up to handicap a card, grab some supper, go to a diamond lounge, or even play a few orbits please pm me.

it's a much needed vacation for me and i'm not a tournament player so I won't be taking any shots. I'd like to maintain Caesar's diamond status and i'm behind pace so I do have to gamble some on slots and tables at all nine Caesar's casinos. for poker i'll probably just play low limit hold em at Excalibur and flamingo with maybe a few games at Bellagio, the mirage, or some other properties. i'm not really in no limit shape but if I do ok in the Caesar's slots and table gambling maybe i'll play some and that'll be my shot?

in the hand you posted I imagine I would have folded for the 186k but again i'm not a tournament player. in 1-2 it probably wouldn't have reached that stage because I would have opened more and bet more on the flop and I would've had to call for his few remaining chips.

[how cliche]

Enjoy your vacation prox.

Have to tell you, as an aside, I've substituted cycling for jogging. I hardly ever drive to and from work these days. It's 10.5 miles-40 minutes each way. Takes me 25 minutes longer heading in and is 5 to 15 minutes quicker going home. All flat. They say the fitness equivalency of cycling 3 miles on flat ground is 1 mile jogging on the same. Difference is: I don't hate cycling.

[Track Collector]

I will be arriving sunday night and staying until the following Thursday, august 10th.

I hope this trip turns out to be everything you hope it to be.

Looking forward to frequent, periodic reports as you have time and can gain internet access.

Don't spend TOO much time at the blu pool. ;)

[proximity]

Enjoy your vacation prox.

Have to tell you, as an aside, I've substituted cycling for jogging. I hardly ever drive to and from work these days. It's 10.5 miles-40 minutes each way. Takes me 25 minutes longer heading in and is 5 to 15 minutes quicker going home. All flat. They say the fitness equivalency of cycling 3 miles on flat ground is 1 mile jogging on the same. Difference is: I don't hate cycling.

they say the best workout is the one you do. lower impact too!

[proximity]

I hope this trip turns out to be everything you hope it to be.

Looking forward to frequent, periodic reports as you have time and can gain internet access.

Don't spend TOO much time at the blu pool. ;)

i'm not tan enough for blu pool because it's been raining here almost every day for three months. i'm sure you guys got a lot of it too. :bang:

[proximity]

ok poker fans, one final game before we head out of town for our annual poker vacation!!

today's action finds us in 3/6 company at penn national and once again finds us trailing early.

the hour's getting late and it looks like i'm about to lose..... again. :bang:

but(t) when the table talk turns in a direction that might even make jenna jameson blush, my cards turn completely around with ace high flushes on back to back hands scooping two nice pots and suddenly putting me in the lead!

we hold on for an $80 win and a little momentum as my phone gets a message that it's time to check-in for my flight to VEGAS....

game +80 (3/6)
year -1148 (37-34)
promo 0 (695)

[tucker6]

ok poker fans, one final game before we head out of town for our annual poker vacation!!

today's action finds us in 3/6 company at penn national and once again finds us trailing early.

the hour's getting late and it looks like i'm about to lose..... again. :bang:

but(t) when the table talk turns in a direction that might even make jenna jameson blush, my cards turn completely around with ace high flushes on back to back hands scooping two nice pots and suddenly putting me in the lead!

we hold on for an $80 win and a little momentum as my phone gets a message that it's time to check-in for my flight to VEGAS....

game +80 (3/6)
year -1148 (37-34)
promo 0 (695)
slay the Vegas dragon Prox. While you're at it, steal a little from Thaskalos' pocket. :)

[thaskalos]

slay the Vegas dragon Prox. While you're at it, steal a little from Thaskalos' pocket. :)

Why not? I've been so generous during my stay here...that the locals are starting to call me "Santa Claus".

[how cliche]

Sometimes online multi-table grinding just doesn't satisfy. There's an appetite. A player needs a decently structured live game to reg. Let's try the 350 bi 9:30 am game at Lucky Chances today. 12,000 starting stack. 30 minute levels, no skipped levels. 30m is slightly turbo. Equivalent to 10 minute levels online, which are standard for 8 max and 6 max tournaments. Closest resembles an 8 max 33 bi 5k guarantee game. Should be finished by 8-8:30 tonight, 20k guaranteed to the winner.

[tucker6]

Why not? I've been so generous during my stay here...that the locals are starting to call me "Santa Claus".

:ThmbUp:

When children start sitting in your lap at dinner, you'll that is the time to quit.

[proximity]

Why not? I've been so generous during my stay here...that the locals are starting to call me "Santa Claus".


pm me. maybe we can play a little? help boost the ratings around here. :)

[how cliche]

Well the Lucky Chances game didn't work out well for how cliche. There's a lot of tournaments where you get towards the late stages and you must win a flip. You can see the money and you've fought and clawed to have 25bb stack. Someone loose aggressive opens. Then you look down at AK suited and your stack size dictates you go in pre with it. They call off and you're either healthy approaching the bubble or you're headed to your car. Gentleman, start your engine. So it goes.

[dilanesp]

Regarding cliche's cooler-- it's very hard to get away from coolers in deep stacked games without good reads. Because you can't really go around folding aces up just because there is one possible straight. That sort of thing makes you ridiculously exploitable.

[how cliche]

Don't think a 25bb AKs 3b aip vs a 27bb TT open is a cooler as much as it's what we all sign up for as tournament players. In those spots I will likely always embrace the variance and hope to prevail in the penultimate level before the money. I'd rather play for a run than a mincash, because I don't cash often enough for min cashes to be a profitable. On many a main event when those kinds of tv spots run rampant on days 5 and 6 with substantial pay jumps at stake, I've overheard many say, "It's the world series of flipping." Usually the flip winner. Like it or not, it's the grand bargain we've all agreed to. Jmho.

[dilanesp]

Don't think a 25bb AKs 3b aip vs a 27bb TT open is a cooler as much as it's what we all sign up for as tournament players. In those spots I will likely always embrace the variance and hope to prevail in the penultimate level before the money. I'd rather play for a run than a mincash, because I don't cash often enough for min cashes to be a profitable. On many a main event when those kinds of tv spots run rampant on days 5 and 6 with substantial pay jumps at stake, I've overheard many say, "It's the world series of flipping." Usually the flip winner. Like it or not, it's the grand bargain we've all agreed to. Jmho.

Tournament poker has ridiculous variance. This is the basic reason I am not a fan of people spending tons of money to play the WSOP. It's basically gambling because it's almost impossible to know if anyone truly has established a positive winrate (and even if someone like Phil Hellmuth has, there are very few of them).

Of course, smaller scale tournaments have the same variance but are so full of bad players that of course they are profitable for good ones.

[proximity]

you guys coming out to vegas this weekend? :)

[how cliche]

This was a pretty big mistake I made last night to end the Sunday grind. I'd regged games all day and was having a slightly losing day, managing just two low level cashes from 12 games. But the 3rd cash enabled a final table run & it guaranteed an at least mildly profitable session in a 33bi 5k guarantee game.

From 212 runners we're down to 5. Began the ft 7/9 so it was a good ft already. OK, to finish 5th pays 415. 1st was 1500 ish. 4th I believe paid 560. Anyway the chip leader was the sb to my bb & I was now 4/5. 4x it had folded to him and he open shoved on me, but my range was indefensible. The 5th time it folded to him he minraised from a 50bb stack instead of forcing me all in. This time I'm holding KQo and have a stack of 16bb. The change of tactics on his part indicated he wanted to induce a shove and I obliged. He had KK and I was out. In a vacuum I made the right move. In the flow of the game I noticed the difference. However, I lectured myself about being exploitable whatnot & gave the villain exactly what he'd hoped for...

[ReplayRandall]

This was a pretty big mistake I made last night to end the Sunday grind. I'd regged games all day and was having a slightly losing day, managing just two low level cashes from 12 games. But the 3rd cash enabled a final table run & it guaranteed an at least mildly profitable session in a 33bi 5k guarantee game.

From 212 runners we're down to 5. Began the ft 7/9 so it was a good ft already. OK, to finish 5th pays 415. 1st was 1500 ish. 4th I believe paid 560. Anyway the chip leader was the sb to my bb & I was now 4/5. 4x it had folded to him and he open shoved on me, but my range was indefensible. The 5th time it folded to him he minraised from a 50bb stack instead of forcing me all in. This time I'm holding KQo and have a stack of 16bb. The change of tactics on his part indicated he wanted to induce a shove and I obliged. He had KK and I was out. In a vacuum I made the right move. In the flow of the game I noticed the difference. However, I lectured myself about being exploitable whatnot & gave the villain exactly what he'd hoped for...[/QUOTE]

Oh well, no one's perfect, but we did have a similar discussion about reverse tells in posts 146-147, and Dilan's post #153....At least you won't forget what you just learned in your above example.....Onward and upward, just keep getting better everyday..;)

[proximity]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tHsRBlWyx0

didn't get to watch this yet but apparently there's footage of a game friday night at the excalibur. i got a chance to meet the trooper before this game and thought he was a pretty nice guy. seemed a little more laid back irl. told him i enjoyed the videos and thanked him for taking the time to make them.

hope everyone here is well!! :)

[PaceAdvantage]

I can't believe I was in Vegas last week and completely missed out on the fact that you were there too.

I tried to hook up with thaskalos, but he was out of state...

I had a great time nonetheless...played poker at Aria exclusively, and really liked their room.

Was at Rio for Penn & Teller and was pretty shocked to see, at the home of the WSOP, their poker room was not only tiny, but EMPTY. And when I mean empty, there wasn't a SINGLE SOUL playing in there...maybe something was up that I didn't realize, but I found that shocking and sad. Home of WSOP and nobody wants to play there...lol

After the show, when I walked by again, it looked like they had one table going, but it wasn't even full...

[proximity]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tHsRBlWyx0

didn't get to watch this yet but apparently there's footage of a game friday night at the excalibur. i got a chance to meet the trooper before this game and thought he was a pretty nice guy. seemed a little more laid back irl. told him i enjoyed the videos and thanked him for taking the time to make them.

hope everyone here is well!! :)

ok I got a chance to watch this and there are shout outs to adam, emma, and some dude who asked about trooper wear at the Excalibur but no shout out to proximity from pa (and pa)? :faint:

[ReplayRandall]

ok I got a chance to watch this and there are shout outs to adam, emma, and some dude who asked about trooper wear at the Excalibur but no shout out to proximity from pa (and pa)? :faint:

What happened to that blonde gal named Molly who was with Trooper a few months ago?

[proximity]

I can't believe I was in Vegas last week and completely missed out on the fact that you were there too....

that really sucks since I've already met tom (derby) and cj (Preakness) and meeting you (Belmont) would complete what I call the paceadvantage triple crown!! :D

I took some notes on my phone and will try to make some reports when I get time.

I flew back to dulles and ended my summer vacation tonight at Charles town and must say it was kind of sad when I saw longtime bartender tracy working in the racing section. I remember she was working that very same bar on the night that I met my first paceadvantage members track collector, cj and cj's dad dennis who kept tracy busy filling my glass. dennis, we miss you dearly my friend.....

[proximity]

What happened to that blonde gal named Molly who was with Trooper a few months ago?


I think I read on "that other site" that she broke it off......

[ReplayRandall]

I think I read on "that other site" that she broke it off......

What, played too much poker and not enough Poker?

[proximity]

What, played too much poker and not enough Poker?

maybe the other way around? :D

[ReplayRandall]

maybe the other way around? :D

Maybe Molly didn't like drinking Starbucks 10 times a day?..:pound:

[proximity]

Maybe Molly didn't like drinking Starbucks 10 times a day?..:pound:

:D:D:D

and the gift cards keep rolling in with no end in sight...

:coffee::coffee::coffee::coffee::coffee::coffee::c offee::coffee::coffee::coffee:

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we last left off with an $80 win at penn national and 24 hours later united flight 1529 is landing in las vegas where we'll kick off our 2017 poker vacation!!

we'll be staying eleven nights at bally's on this trip before flying back to dulles and wrapping things up at historic Charles town.

in addition to poker caesars entertainment has challenged us to earn 5400 (much needed) tier credits by playing slots and table games at all nine of their vegas properties. this program is called vegas quest for rewards and special "badges" can be earned by playing 25 tier credits on slots and or tables at a casino in a single gaming day.

we land about 9:00 and things go wrong almost immediately as before I know it my cab is out on the freeway.

yes, I've been what's called LONG HAULED. :bang:

keep the 86 cents jerkoff. :mad:

inside the hotel I check-in to yet another nice room at bally's and head downstairs to start out on our quest for rewards. I begin with blackjack where I get down almost $250 before rallying all the way back for a $56 win!!

i check my player's card in a slot machine and find I've earned a whopping 228 tier credits..... far exceeding the 25 needed to earn my bally's table badge.

over on the slots though things don't go my way at a three reel "cash wheel" machine. i drop $47 in 25 tier credits of play which will earn me my bally's slots badge and bally's property badge; which is an extra 200 tier credit badge when a player gets both the table and slots badge for a particular property.

no poker tonight. instead i go out on the strip to walk around and take in the lights and exciting atmosphere.

great to be back in las vegas!!

quest +9 (+9)
poker n/a

[PaceAdvantage]

Weren't you just in Vegas? lol

Must be nice...:ThmbUp:

And forget those taxis...Uber/Lyft the way to go...

[proximity]

Weren't you just in Vegas? lol

Must be nice...:ThmbUp:

And forget those taxis...Uber/Lyft the way to go...

i was there july 30- august 10.

the day 1 report was july 30.

overall this trip was a lot different and not as good as last year's but i still enjoy las vegas and hope to be back a lot in the future.

[PaceAdvantage]

Ahhh....I get it now...:ThmbUp:

[dlivery]

Just a Quick question:

What makes or breaks Vegas

Besides the Blue Pool

Good:pound: Luck

Just seems like a abyss of Money

[proximity]

Just a Quick question:

What makes or breaks Vegas

Besides the Blue Pool

Good:pound: Luck

Just seems like a abyss of Money

it's a great vacation for me since i'm a compulsive gambler with a ton of caesars points who enjoys walking, sun, and much prefers warm temperatures to cold.

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're up early for our first morning in vegas and i decide to take the smelly walk across the freeway and train tracks to get the rio out of the way in our vegas quest for rewards.

it doesn't have much competition, but this seemingly innocent decision will prove to be the best choice in the entire history of this sorry poker tour as at a $15 blackjack table i win, and win, and win, and win, and win, and win...... finally stopping with $615 of profits before giving back $41 on the slots. it would be great if i could get a run of cards like this at poker, but i never do.

back at bally's i spend the afternoon at blu pool and get a mild sunburn. last year i made fast friends several days at blu pool but this year i didn't make any.

did i get uglier? or is it just variance? or was i already ugly and last year was variance? who knows? it's good to relax and get some sun though.

we kick off the poker with an evening of 2/4 limit over at the flamingo.

this game's another circus, maybe even goofier than what i encountered in my recent trip to the sands. one clown's not even looking at his cards!!

it's basically new town, same story.

kk can't fold out 76o preflop and the villain hangs in to hit a single diamond for a flush.

with aj i get to raise a flop of aqx rainbow and can't fold out a queen who calls the two bets behind me and of course goes on to turn a third one.

i end up dropping $46 to fall behind in poker but overall it's a great day of gambling thanks to the blackjack at the rio!!

thank you for reading!!

quest +574 (+583)
poker
--flamingo 2/4 -46
--trip -46 (0-1)

[tucker6]

ok poker fans we're up early for our first morning in vegas and i decide to take the smelly walk across the freeway and train tracks to get the rio out of the way in our vegas quest for rewards.

it doesn't have much competition, but this seemingly innocent decision will prove to be the best choice in the entire history of this sorry poker tour as at a $15 blackjack table i win, and win, and win, and win, and win, and win...... finally stopping with $615 of profits before giving back $41 on the slots. it would be great if i could get a run of cards like this at poker, but i never do.

back at bally's i spend the afternoon at blu pool and get a mild sunburn. last year i made fast friends several days at blu pool but this year i didn't make any.

did i get uglier? or is it just variance? or was i already ugly and last year was variance? who knows? it's good to relax and get some sun though.

we kick off the poker with an evening of 2/4 limit over at the flamingo.

this game's another circus, maybe even goofier than what i encountered in my recent trip to the sands. one clown's not even looking at his cards!!

it's basically new town, same story.

kk can't fold out 76o preflop and the villain hangs in to hit a single diamond for a flush.

with aj i get to raise a flop of aqx rainbow and can't fold out a queen who calls the two bets behind me and of course goes on to turn a third one.

i end up dropping $46 to fall behind in poker but overall it's a great day of gambling thanks to the blackjack at the rio!!

thank you for reading!!

quest +574 (+583)
poker
--flamingo 2/4 -46
--trip -46 (0-1)

The answers to the questions are YES, YES, YES, AGREED. :lol:

[proximity]

The answers to the questions are YES, YES, YES, AGREED. :lol:

thank you for reading!! :D

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in exciting las vegas where we kick off the morning pursuing the quest for rewards at the cromwell.

we grind out $25 of blackjack profits at the 'well before losing back $55 in slots to suffer our first quest casino loss.

for poker we're back over at the pink bird where we jump into some 1-2 nl action.

i fall behind after losing with all of my first several raises including AA to a straddle. following a flop of QTT the villain raises me on the turn and in frustration here i make a mistake by showing the aces and folding. when the villain leaves about an orbit later i get the feeling that i had him beat. whether he simply overplayed a hand like AQ or KQ or totally bluffed me i sensed a feeling of anxiety that he "got away with something."

anyhow, my no-limit's clearly a little rusty but i launch a comeback when i finally win a hand with a set of sixes. when AA comes again i three bet JJ and of course call the villain's four bet shove. an ace comes right on the flop and not even i am unlucky enough to lose the hand from there. i grind out a $28 win despite the early pounding.

over at 24 limit though i drop $10 and take a break to head over to blu pool before heading down to the excalibur for some night action.

i start off in 1-2 no limit. the game looks promising but it breaks before i can win even a single hand. :bang:

i lose $18 and quickly get a seat in 26 spread limit.

last year i really enjoyed this game, going undefeated for the trip but a repeat performance won't be in the cards.

i jump out to a quick lead with KQ but AQ loses twice in a row and i fall behind. i spend the final two hours of the game tossing T5, 95, and 94 into the muck and wave the white flag at -94 for my first career spread limit loss at excalibur.

thank you for reading.

quest -30 (+553)
poker
--flamingo 12 +28
--flamingo 24 -10
--excalibur 12 -18
--excalibur 26 -94
----trip -140 (1-4)

[RunForTheRoses]

ok poker fans we're back in exciting las vegas where we kick off the morning pursuing the quest for rewards at the cromwell.

we grind out $25 of blackjack profits at the 'well before losing back $55 in slots to suffer our first quest casino loss.

for poker we're back over at the pink bird where we jump into some 1-2 nl action.

i fall behind after losing with all of my first several raises including AA to a straddle. following a flop of QTT the villain raises me on the turn and in frustration here i make a mistake by showing the aces and folding. when the villain leaves about an orbit later i get the feeling that i had him beat. whether he simply overplayed a hand like AQ or KQ or totally bluffed me i sensed a feeling of anxiety that he "got away with something."

anyhow, my no-limit's clearly a little rusty but i launch a comeback when i finally win a hand with a set of sixes. when AA comes again i three bet JJ and of course call the villain's four bet shove. an ace comes right on the flop and not even i am unlucky enough to lose the hand from there. i grind out a $28 win despite the early pounding.

over at 24 limit though i drop $10 and take a break to head over to blu pool before heading down to the excalibur for some night action.

i start off in 1-2 no limit. the game looks promising but it breaks before i can win even a single hand. :bang:

i lose $18 and quickly get a seat in 26 spread limit.

last year i really enjoyed this game, going undefeated for the trip but a repeat performance won't be in the cards.

i jump out to a quick lead with KQ but AQ loses twice in a row and i fall behind. i spend the final two hours of the game tossing T5, 95, and 94 into the muck and wave the white flag at -94 for my first career spread limit loss at excalibur.

thank you for reading.

quest -30 (+553)
poker
--flamingo 12 +28
--flamingo 24 -10
--excalibur 12 -18
--excalibur 26 -94

----trip -140 (1-4)

Is the Cromwell the old Barbary Coast NW corner of lv blvd and flamingo? It is also in Carsar's orbit?

I like these reports, I was really trying to win a seat to the Wynn tournament but failed. I'll live through your report.

[proximity]

Is the Cromwell the old Barbary Coast NW corner of lv blvd and flamingo? It is also in Carsar's orbit?

I like these reports, I was really trying to win a seat to the Wynn tournament but failed. I'll live through your report.


hope you live better than that brother. :)

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we are back with more excitement from fabulous las vegas!!

we kickoff this Wednesday with more quest for rewards gambling. this time we're at caesars palace where two energetic dealers entertain us through what is mostly a winning session of blackjack. i'm winning here but don't get a single blackjack and make it my goal to stay until i do get dealt a natural. my blackjack never comes though and quit at plus $100 for the session. i thought maybe i stayed too long in pursuit of the elusive blackjack but over on the slots i see that my action has only earned me 26 tier credits..... barely enough to earn my caesars table games badge. hmm?

no luck on the slots at caesars as i drop $53. the $47 win though does put me ahead exactly $600 in the chase for the quest for rewards badges though, so so far so good!

i guess some people never learn as nightfall finds us back over at the pink bird for more 2/4 limit punishment.

** aj< k5o (ak5 flop) :rolleyes:

**jj< aa (it happens)

** kj < qto (k54 flop.... board runs out j-9) :rolleyes::rolleyes:

** kk<a2o (q53 flop.... 4 river) villain called 2 bets pre!! :rolleyes:

** qq--- flops set!! :jump: --- rivered by gutshot :mad:

** 87s ---flops trip 8s...... holds on to win!!!!


** kk<9x (girl flops middle pair, turns another 9)

** a2s (flops ace, rivered by gutshot)

**aa <kk (villain doesn't even 3 bet pre) :bang:

** ak< 64 and kto (both call 2 bets pre)

** kts (turn top 2, lose to flush on river)

** i'm not in this hand but it's capped four ways on both the turn and river:

board: aaj74

showdown: a7>jj (no aj anywhere)

** ak under the gun: raise and win side pot SEVEN HANDED.
54 off wins main!!

thank you for reading!!

quest +47 (+600)
poker
--flamingo -178
----trip -318 (1-5)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in las vegas for day number five of our gambling adventure and this morning's action finds us pursuing the quest for rewards at the linq.

what's missing at the linq?

profits.

at the blackjack table I fall behind and stay behind to suffer my first 21 loss on the trip (-$89) while at the slots it's business as usual (-$19).

after a relaxing afternoon at blu pool I kickoff the night's poker action over at the pink bird in 1-2 nl company.

it's another frustrating outing. i'm not getting any cards but i'm hanging in there and raise with qj suited.

q9 off calls this raise and I fire three streets at a t94 54 board. the villain almost folds the turn but hangs in to make the call and I make a mistake on the river by just not betting enough. maybe he would have called anyhow and I would've lost more? I don't know but I should've bet more. the game breaks and I lose $56.

I decide to try some 1-2 at bally's and it's the same lousy cards as at flamingo. :bang:

with AK in the big blind i'm facing a few limps until the cutoff raises to
$12 with the small blind calling.

I reraise to $32 and the $12s fold but one of the limpers calls the $30 and we take a flop of T82 heads up.

I fire $60 at this pot and the villain goes in the tank for like five minutes. so long that i'm shocked that no one called clock, but they didn't and eventually he folds. I hang on to win $51 in this game so it's a $5 poker loss for the day. not bad for getting zero cards but I still think it could've been a win had I bet more on the river at flamingo. live and learn.

thank you for reading.

quest -108 (+492)
poker
--flamingo -56
--bally's +51
----trip -183 (2-6)

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we're back in exciting las vegas and this morning's quest for rewards finds us over at the fabulous flamingo.

we kickoff the gambling with some $10 blackjack and the double downs just KILL us here at the pink bird. it's so bad that if I don't double down this game is a win. instead it's a $120 loss and there's big news right outside the casino doors as it's RAINING IN LAS VEGAS.

i'm standing there watching the rain when i'm approached by a prostitute asking if I want to have some "fun." last year I think I saw one prostitute but this year I encounter dozens. "I MUST be getting uglier," I remind myself. I don't have any "fun" but maybe next year (if there IS a next year) i'll give up the gambling and just do a prostitutes vacation? I could maybe save some money that way!!

anyhow there's still business to do at flamingo and I grind out $1 on a double diamond machine for my first slots "win" of the trip!! just as I hold on for "victory" in the shadows of the 25th tier credit and alarm goes off throughout the casino. it keeps blaring over and over and over, only interrupted ever so often by an automated pink bird message that says "an alarm has been activated, we are investigating the cause!"

we begin a long night of poker down at the Excalibur
where I get a chance to meet the famous youtube poker vlogger trooper97. the trooper seemed like a pretty nice guy actually (pretty calm for drinking all that coffee) and I told him I enjoyed the videos, especially the Baltimore and atlantic city trip!!

I shoulda went in his 1-2 game but instead begin the night with some 2-6 spread limit. with A2s on the button I limp behind the field and flop an ace on a board that runs out AQXXX. a woman in early position has me outkicked but seems content to check it down but a Q8 somehow gets the idea that he's best here and costs me $5 on the river. later though I flop a flush with Q9s from the button and hold off the (single) blind who flopped a baby flush and redraw to a straight flush. the game breaks and I book a $48 win and walk back down to the Bellagio where I jump into a 48 limit (1/2 kill) contest.

in just my second hand at the table AA falls to 94s..... and NOT from the blinds. at the Bellagio? really? is NOTHING sacred? oh, that's right.... it's four eight.... what a joke!!

five minutes later with KTs on the button I see a flop of k 83. a young Russian bets and I raise. yes, i'm beating him here. he has AQ..... a three outer.... which makes him look like a genius when OF COURSE the ace comes on the turn.

MONTH AFTER MONTH AFTER MONTH I just get POUNDED poker fans.

a couple missed draws later i'm down $99 but against players this bad I just need time and I get just enough; storming back for a mighty $9 win just before this prime time game right in the heart of the las vegas strip.... also breaks.

outside it's raining again.

next: DON'T DO IT PROXIMITY!! :faint:

quest -119 (+373)
poker
--Excalibur +48
--Bellagio +9
----trip -126 (4-6)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in las vegas where it starts raining again just as I exit the Bellagio. it's sad that our poker tour has gotten to the point where $48 and $9 wins are considered a good night, but it's been a good night of poker. it's still early though and my only Friday night on this vegas trip and I KNOW not to do it but I duck inside the Cromwell and when I exit the other side there's the pink bird staring me right in the face.

i'm really going to lose in 2/4 company at the flamingo..... AGAIN??

uh huh...

it's a brand new game against a table of neophytes and of course I draw the big blind. I check the option with my 42 off and bet out on a beautiful flop of Q 2 2!!

turn: queen. :bang:

with A8s on the button I limp behind the whole table and the small blind raises. we all call and a flop of AK3 checks to me. I bet and bet again when a third heart (7) comes on the turn. another king comes on the river and I check behind the field.

small blind: A9.

yes, the villain raised the small blind with an A9 and check-called the entire way.

T5 off (big blind) flops a dime for top pair and turns a nickel for two pair. but the nickel's a heart and when another heart falls on the river I lose to a flush. business as usual here at the pink bird.


with A9s on the button I limp behind the field. the small blind raises.... again.... this time with KJ off and flops a straight. of course I flop a four flush and the board bricks out. two hands later the guy picks up and moves tables despite just paying the blinds.

with AT off a kid with KT bets out on a flop of AK9. maybe i'm getting tired because I don't raise him like I did the Russian at the Bellagio? no matter, king on the turn. :bang:

with T8 in the big blind I see a flop of t98. blank on the turn. nine on the river. villain..... 98. :bang:

I miss yet another flush draw with A9s and under the gun I raise KQs. five players call this raise and the big blind re-raises!! I call and the guy beside me folds!!!! THAT'S RIGHT.... HE COLD CALLED A RAISE SECOND TO ACT AND THEN FOLDED FOR ONE MORE BET!!

75 off suit wins the hand!! :faint:

A7s sees a beautiful flop of AQ7..... but J3 suited turns a flush. no help on the river (of course).

TWO HOURS AND THIRTY MINUTES into the game KT flops a king from the big blind...... and holds on for my first win of the game!!

(just) before the sun comes up I rally back to "only" lose $51 for the game.

thank you for reading.

quest n/a (+373)
poker
--flamingo -51
----trip -177 (4-7)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in las vegas where i'm getting pounded game after game after game.

since i was up so late chasing losses at the flamingo i decide to skip the quest for rewards and spend some quality time at blu pool.

back inside the casino there's a rare bally's 3/6 game going and i decide to play while i have a chance.

with QQ i raise a straddle and we see a flop of j95.

the straddler (of course) has j9.

a3 in the big blind flops an ace but is outkicked by aq.

we're a little over an hour in and the game's getting short. i get up before my big blind comes. i haven't won a single hand.

i try to continue down at the mirage but there's one of those mid-length slow moving lists so i make my way down the strip, eventually winding up at the wynn.

we're playing 1-3 no limit and overall this is a pretty tough table for that level. two europeans join the game shortly after i do and rip through nearly $700 in about 45 minutes but i don't get any of it. in fact, i don't even win a hand until 1:15 into the game when i c-bet bluff at a board of all low cards with AQ.

this game isn't going good. i stay alive making another c-bet bluff with AK but over the hours my $200 stack gets ground down to $83.

i raise JJ to $20 and get a call before the big blind three bets to $60.

my instincts are telling me to fold (again) but the villain's been in a lot of hands and ultimately i opt to shove my final $63.

i beat the first caller (who calls again with 75!!) but sure enough, the big blind has kk and (since what's left of my money is back at bally's in the safe) i'm out.

$284 of poker losses on the day and i didn't show down a single winning hand. i'm beginning to think poker's not for me anymore as i dejectedly walk back to bally's on this beautiful saturday night in vegas.

it's still early so i crack open the safe and decide to continue the quest over at planet hollywood.

i start with the slots this time where i suffer a miserable $56 loss as an old lady's blowing smoke all over me. the 25th tier credit couldn't come soon enough.

i get down at blackjack but start to rally back.

a bunch of mexicans begin to jump in and out of the game which is good as the tier credits meter's rolling as the dealer and floor are inspecting their passports.

when they start to play though..... things quickly go bad. they're jumping in and out of the game and making pathetic plays that work against me every single time. i now know there needs to be a wall at the border.... or at least a basic strategy test. as the final chips are lost i smash a plastic cup all over the table and depart planet hollywood before i'm kicked out. f#$% them. and f#$% las vegas. :mad:

quest -356 (+17)
poker
--bally's -84
--wynn -200
----trip -601 (4-9)

[Track Collector]

Vegas has been pretty tough on you.

I hope at Timonium you are not reduced to stooping for discarded tickets containing late scratches or poaching self service betting machines for unclaimed $0.20 vouchers!

[proximity]

.

I hope at Timonium you are not reduced to stooping for discarded tickets containing late scratches or poaching self service betting machines for unclaimed $0.20 vouchers!

i'll be fine there. i'm severely underbetting my roll and i do apologize to you for that.;)

[how cliche]

I guess this is what we sign up for, but I do tire of it. Regged a 550 over the weekend and it took me until now to get over it enough to post on the matter.

It's like a broken record. Have a decent stack close to the money, induce a shove as the favorite and get passed to collect not even a mincash. This time 4 from the money starting with 30bb holding qq I 3b & villain 4b shoves with 77. Rivers a straight and I think I might have yelled, "f**n f*** you! " I do know for certain I toppled my chair cuZ I stood up too abruptly. Hurts.

[proximity]

I guess this is what we sign up for, but I do tire of it. Regged a 550 over the weekend and it took me until now to get over it enough to post on the matter.

It's like a broken record. Have a decent stack close to the money, induce a shove as the favorite and get passed to collect not even a mincash. This time 4 from the money starting with 30bb holding qq I 3b & villain 4b shoves with 77. Rivers a straight and I think I might have yelled, "f**n f*** you! " I do know for certain I toppled my chair cuZ I stood up too abruptly. Hurts.

it really is.

at this point i'm just hoping to survive the season and make caesars diamond again so I can go to vegas without the resort fees. although when you flop an ace and still lose with almost every big ace you have..... I don't know why I want to go back?

I don't even get offers from the atlantic city boardwalk anymore, although Borgata and harrah's in the marina are still pretty generous to me.

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we're back in las vegas where the sun still comes up on sunday morning even after "black Saturday" where we didn't show down a single winning poker hand all day or night before getting absolutely BURIED in casino gambling at that toilet planet Hollywood. :bang:

there are still two casinos to go on our quest and I kick off the gambling over at paris.

I start with blackjack where I put in a good session with a table of high rollers.... or at least I think I do. I've ground out $80 of profits but when I stick my total rewards card in a slot machine I've only earned 14 tier credits for my play. :bang:

I don't know poker fans? I just don't know. :bang:

so I return to the pits and at a $15 table I just get DESTROYED. I win maybe one or two hands, but i'm QUICKLY down $240 at the table and (still having to play slots) I stop and ask the floor if they know how many tier credits I got for this loss.

answer: not a lot.

just then, however, a pit boss comes in from the clouds, asks if i'm "on the quest," and has mercy on me. I think he's my guardian angel or something?

"you WILL make it," he tells me. and I do.

over at the slots I now have 62 tier credits and a triple diamond-- bar-- triple diamond gives me a $65 win; my best session yet on the one arm bandits.

for poker, I spend the night down at the Excalibur.

I grind out $25 of no limit profits and probably should've stayed in this loose game but end up taking my 2/6 spread limit seat when my name is called.

at 2/6 I flop a flush with KJs from late position and make a mistake when I continue betting against multiple opponents when another diamond turns.

of course the ace is out there and this costs me an extra $12. maybe I've played too much at casinos where the king is usually still good or maybe i'm just coming unhinged due to the daily beatings? probably both.

I rally back in back to back blinds when I beat a nice girl on my right. with A8, her A2 flops two pairs on me before I river an eight. then my J6 outkicks her J5 on a j23 9j board. of course she shouldn't be playing J5 though, so....

i'm looking good in a crucial splash pot when QTs flops top pair and a flush draw. the flush doesn't come though and Q6 beats me with two pairs and it's back to even followed by HOURS of misery.

kk is cracked heads up by a steelers fan and AJ and AT flop aces but lose to A7 and A5 which make two pairs. eventually I get tired and quit at -53.

thank you for reading.

quest -95 (-78)
poker
--Excalibur 1/2 +25
--Excalibur 2/6 -53
----trip -629 (5-10)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in exciting las vegas where there's one final stop on our quest for rewards: harrah's.

i grab a $100 blackjack win to move back ahead $22 on the quest but it's all going to come down to the slots. twenty five tier credits to go and i choose a humble triple diamond machine.

good choice!

i hit a bar--triple diamond--triple diamond and retire with a $71 win as the machine hits the final tier credit.

against all odds i finish the quest ahead $93 and 5400 tier credits will soon be coming my way. i will have the chance to stay caesars diamond and to return to las vegas next year.

but will i want to?

because the poker that led me here has turned on me.

badly.

one game tonight: 2/4 over at the pink bird and i'm sitting by a familiar face, a nice woman named lou ann who used to play at charles town before she moved to las vegas with her husband.

we're having a good time talking about the mid-atlantic circuit and i'm actually doing well in the game.

with Q9s from the button i turn a full house before lou ann rivers a jack to give her queens full of jacks.

i "just call" and eventually hang on for a $3 win.

who says nice guys finish last? :)

quest +171 (+93)
poker
--flamingo +3
----trip -626 (6-10)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back in exciting las vegas where we've finished our "quest for rewards" gambling but still have two days of poker and palm trees ahead of us!!

we kick off the day's action with an early 1/2 nl tilt over at the pink bird.

i'm hanging in there in this one when i raise our old friend KK to $17. two players call and we see a flop of T99.

i bet the flop and one villain drops, but the other hangs around.

king on the turn!! FINALLY I HIT A CARD. :cool:

check. check.

blank on the river. i bet. he raises. i three bet. he shoves. i call.

villain: 99. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

month. after month. after month, after month, after month.

beaten at EVERY turn. beaten at EVERY flop. beaten at EVERY river.

fortunately i have this villain covered though.

i rally back to win $42.

after a little relaxation at blu pool we move down to the excalibur for some night action.

i start out in 1/2 nl and i'm starting to get my no limit sea legs under me. i'm playing well.

with AK i raise and a villain three bets.

i call and bet $30 on a king high rainbow flop with two low cards.

the villain raises to $168.

i fold and the villain tables KK.

his set of cowboys is good enough.

i lose $15 before moving to 2/6 spread limit where i win early with AA but end up being pretty card dead over the hours.

late in the game i raise AQ and hit another flop: Q 5 2.

villain: 22. :rolleyes:

the game breaks with me down $27 to put me back to exactly even for the day. way better than usual for this season, but still one game to go: 3/6 down the strip at the mirage.

i lose four times with AQ to start the game and can never get ahead. i'm down $16 and when this game also breaks i call it a night.

thank you for reading.

poker
--flamingo 1/2 +42
--excalibur 1/2 -15
--excalibur 2/6 -27
--the mirage 3/6 -16
----trip -642 (7-13)

[proximity]

ok poker fans, special thanks to all of you who have been following the trip and we'll wrap up the las vegas action with one final day and night of hold em excitement!!

we kickoff the action at Bellagio where we're in 4/8 (1/2 kill) company. the cards are SO bad here that I only play one hand in the first 90 minutes of the game.... a KT. but KT's winner and i'm winning in the game!! 33 loses but j9s flops a straight! AJ flops top two but looks like it's going to lose to a flush when i'm raised on the turn. AJ's good though and i'm up $100 and eventually quit with an $84 win.

over at harrah's I grind out $28 in 1/2 no limit company and leave when the game starts to get short. i'm starting to get tired and I wonder if I should call it a night and checkout their topless cowgirl show? I remember wanting to do this last year too but never did.

over at the flamingo I win my first hand with 99 and eventually retire up $33.

down at the venetian there are $500 high hands and the room's pretty busy. this is a pretty nice poker room but it's back to business as usual with the cards. flop top pair, lose to high hand.... rinse and repeat. with KQ I raise and i'm leading on a Q 7 5 rainbow flop. king on the turn. ace on the river. villain: JT. :bang::bang:

I don't say anything but for some reason a kid needs to make his opinion known. "it's 4/8 and she had overs....."

overs?

he's about to get power-slammed through the table. :)

one final hand: KK I raise and small blind flops a set of 2s. :bang:

minus one hundred at venetian. :bang:

that should be it. I should be over at the harrah's cowgirl show (which I think I could actually get a free ticket for since I have a diamond card) but we can't leave vegas on a losing game.

final stop: 1/2 nl at caesars.



I make a bad play here when I turn an ace and pay off $30 on a board with two jacks. next I raise JJ and a donkey with $90 calls with Q7 and flops a queen. so it's a bad start. I hang around to win some hands but can never make much headway as the bad players begin to leave the game. it's getting late, i'm exhausted, and have to get up to checkout of the hotel and head to the airport.

for 2017, las vegas has beaten me.

thank you for reading.

poker
--Bellagio +84
--harrahs +28
--flamingo +33
--venetian -100
--caesars -143
----trip -740 (10-15)

[proximity]

great september promotion at md live!

details on this page at that other site:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/199/poker-venues/maryland-live-arundel-mills-mall-hanover-md-faq-op-added-2014-02-02-a-1365845/index472.html

play 30 hours a week

$200 first week
$250 second week
$300 third week
$350 fourth week

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're up early on Thursday morning to pack our bags, checkout of the hotel, and head for the airport.

las vegas has beaten us.

still one more stop on our annual poker vacation though and i'm up early on Friday morning at the turf motel in Charles town.


I've brought little cash and a horrible nagging cough back from vegas and I spend some time tailgating in the racino parking garage with some cheap cough syrup and a monster energy drink. i'm listening to a radio station called true apple country 105.5 and lorrie morgan comes on with I didn't know my own strength:

I've been living with a bankroll on the mend
wondering how will it ever be strong?
I know i'll live to play again
I've just been in vegas too long.....


I take another swig of cough syrup and head into the racino to kickoff the day's gambling with some 3/6 limit action.

I jump out to a $90 lead but losses with AA and KK cut that in half.

several suited aces (that miss everything) later my lead is down to $1 before the blinds take it all away.

I just can't get out of this losing streak no matter what I do and a hand with K7 from late position illustrates my frustrations.

four of us see a flop of Q T 8
and the first two players check to the player on my immediate right who bets.

I raise and EVERYONE CALLS.

of course the board bricks out and the two early players table their hands:

A 8

A 9

the bettor mucks.... he couldn't even beat bottom pair (flop) with an ace kicker and how the other two players call my flop raise??.... I have no idea. it's not like I was using the free card play all game.

moving on in a (very) rare break AT from the big blind outflops AJ to get me back in contention before one final loss with KK seals my fate and I head over to live racing to enjoy my final night of vacation.

thank you for reading.

game -28 (3/6)
2017 vacation:
-768 (10-16) :bang:

[how cliche]

The K7 hand is probably tilt manifesting itself in the form of fancy play. Sorry to say it to a nice guy, but that's what it reads like. Unless you're in the blinds and it's an unraised pot, you want to mostly fold or occasionally steal with it pre. If it's a raised pot you want to fold 95% and 3 bet 5% of the time. Not a lot of good things are likely to come from K7, unless it's you forcing the action both pre and post. Even then it behooves you to know when to give up. My opinion.

[proximity]

The K7 hand is probably tilt manifesting itself in the form of fancy play. Sorry to say it to a nice guy, but that's what it reads like. Unless you're in the blinds and it's an unraised pot, you want to mostly fold or occasionally steal with it pre. If it's a raised pot you want to fold 95% and 3 bet 5% of the time. Not a lot of good things are likely to come from K7, unless it's you forcing the action both pre and post. Even then it behooves you to know when to give up. My opinion.

the hand is actually on my late position starting hand chart for these games.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_hold_%27em_starting_hands

the now dead pokerrroom link had the ev's from all positions (it shows K7s being dead even overall) and I used a lot of this data to make my chart for these small stakes mid-atlantic games.


i'm pretty much done with limit poker so maybe i'll post the chart sometime?

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back from vacation and our next action finds us in a humble 1-2 game at Hollywood penn national.

in a recurring theme it takes FOREVER to win a hand in this one, but QUEEN HIGH finally drags a small pot and we're on the board!!

with AK I raise a couple limpers to $11 and one of them hangs around to see a flop of:

A T 3.

the villain checks and (although i'm primarily a bettor) I actually check back here before betting another $11 on the turn.

the villain calls my $11 and leads out $22 on the river.

something doesn't feel right here and I just call.

villain: 33.

big ace. flop ace. lose.

this just happens again, and again, and again, and again, and again........

"nice check back on the turn..... you lost the minimum," one kid at the table says.

i'm getting a lot of experience at that.

too much.

thank you for reading.

game -85 (1/2)
year -2001 (47-51)
bonus 0 (695)

[Track Collector]

ok poker fans we're back from vacation and our next action finds us in a humble 1-2 game at Hollywood penn national.

in a recurring theme it takes FOREVER to win a hand in this one, but QUEEN HIGH finally drags a small pot and we're on the board!!

with AK I raise a couple limpers to $11 and one of them hangs around to see a flop of:

A T 3.

the villain checks and (although i'm primarily a bettor) I actually check back here before betting another $11 on the turn.

the villain calls my $11 and leads out $22 on the river.

something doesn't feel right here and I just call.

villain: 33.

big ace. flop ace. lose.

this just happens again, and again, and again, and again, and again........

"nice check back on the turn..... you lost the minimum," one kid at the table says.

i'm getting a lot of experience at that.

too much.

thank you for reading.

game -85 (1/2)
year -2001 (47-51)
bonus 0 (695)

One of my weaknesses that I hope I have done a much better job of correcting recently is to not overvalue TPTK or TPGK (with Aces being the pair). Players at 1/2 and 1/3 are typically straight foward and as a whole don't bluff enough at the proper frequency, particularly on the river. For the villain to lead out on the river with a $22 bet meant they had at a minimum of two pair (with an above average chance that Aces are one of those two pair) rather than trying to bluff or get to a cheap showdown. The big red flag here was the villain's turn call, which was then confirmed by the river bet despite being out of position). As difficult as it is to do (especially when one is getting very few if any playable hands), IMHO it is +EV to fold against this river bet unless you had at least another pair to go along with your Aces.

The villain of course did get lucky despite going set mining in a heads up situation, which IMO has to be significantly -EV given the bet size. If they consistently do this, they are great to have at your table. ;)

[proximity]

One of my weaknesses that I hope I have done a much better job of correcting recently is to not overvalue TPTK or TPGK (with Aces being the pair). Players at 1/2 and 1/3 are typically straight foward and as a whole don't bluff enough at the proper frequency, particularly on the river. For the villain to lead out on the river with a $22 bet meant they had at a minimum of two pair (with an above average chance that Aces are one of those two pair) rather than trying to bluff or get to a cheap showdown. The big red flag here was the villain's turn call, which was then confirmed by the river bet despite being out of position). As difficult as it is to do (especially when one is getting very few if any playable hands), IMHO it is +EV to fold against this river bet unless you had at least another pair to go along with your Aces.

The villain of course did get lucky despite going set mining in a heads up situation, which IMO has to be significantly -EV given the bet size. If they consistently do this, they are great to have at your table. ;)

you don't think i'm at least 25% there? especially since i never made an aggressive move towards the pot?

we were almost 200 deep too so i don't fault the villain for calling $9 at all.

[Track Collector]

you don't think i'm at least 25% there? especially since i never made an aggressive move towards the pot?

we were almost 200 deep too so i don't fault the villain for calling $9 at all.

When the villain calls your turn bet, the question that you need to ask yourself is what could he/she possibly have here. In 3-6 limit game the answer is that it could be crazy stuff. In 1/2 NL as I stated before, players have to play more straightforward because the mistakes are magnitudes higher and bankrolls can quickly disappear from bad play. With pocket pairs that do not match the board they are folding. The probabilities are high they have Ax, with lesser possibilities of 2-pair aces over, or 2 broadway cards with a gut-shot straight draw, or trips.

I am assuming the board run-out eliminates the straight possibility. A lead-out bet out of position runs the risk of being raised, so it eliminates some of the weaker holdings the villain might have. If the villain were bluffing, the lead-out bet is WAY too small to get folds. So the smallish bet was made either as a value bet hoping to get called, or for pot control to get to showdown with a reasonably decent hand where the villain still believed they had an excellent chance of winning. IF I had aces over I could see calling here, but not with less.

If I did my math correctly, it appears the villain barely made the required payoff vs. risk when choosing to set mine heads up, not exactly a recipe for success long-term.

Did you have 25% equity to call the river? Someone who has one of those calculators could tell you once you make an assumption of the villain's range.

[proximity]

When the villain calls your turn bet, the question that you need to ask yourself is what could he/she possibly have here.

i did ask myself that and even beyond that.... what could he have based on what he thinks i have given the way the hand has played. i could have raised 77+, jt+ here and given his two checks i could be delayed c-betting here with as little as queen high. even if we both have middle pair and i have him outkicked the ace on the board gives him additional outs for a chop. when he bets the river i did pause but certainly thought i was more than 25% to win the pot.

at showdown i did table the hand (i know, i do this too much) and he was disappointed that he didn't bet MORE when he saw the AK.

so idk cd?

[proximity]

i can't do anything right in the casinos.

one night i couldn't get through to the adw and won back most of those timonium "tote" losses i suffered though. so some good news cd.

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we're back with another exciting 1-2 no limit game at Hollywood penn national.

QQ, TT, and AQ all lose without seeing a flop when I fold to HUGE 3 bets.

the villains table all of their hands though and all three are.....KK.

so it really does win sometimes!

it wouldn't be a proximity game without an ace flopping an ace and losing. fortunately this time I don't lose much when my A9 from the big blind is outkicked by AT.

I play for a few hours and (yet again) rack up without winning a single pot.

meanwhile a few tables over our friend the lion is continuing to ROAR.

with AK he crushes a guy who has AQ. I watch as he flops NOTHING with AJ and tries to bully a bad old lady. she doesn't fall for it and he loses more than I do when my aces flop an ace..... BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER IN THE BIG PICTURE.

why? because he pockets ANOTHER three digit win.... something I haven't done in like..... oh, forever.

with over 80% winning sessions :eek:the lion is indeed the undisputed KING of the pen poker jungle!!

thank you for reading!!

game -100 (1/2)
year -2101 (47-52)
bonus 0 (695)

[proximity]

ok poker fans after a stellar vacation we returned for two games at penn national where we dragged a total of one pot, and not a very big one when queen high takes it down.

our next game finds us back at the beautiful horseshoe baltimore in 3/6 limit company. will we win a hand? let's find out.

we start with AQs and see a flop of A 7 5.

villain: 77.

raise big ace, flop ace, lose.

happens pretty much every game now.

finally 80 minutes into the action we river a straight with two rags from the big blind to pick up our first pot. and since the villains here don't like to fold much it's enough to put us ahead $5.

but the lead won't last.

Ad5d sees a beautiful flop of A 5 7d and a promising turn of 8d.

but the river blanks out and the villain tables 64 (big blind) for a turned straight.

finally with KK i get to three bet preflop and hold on until the river where 98 off (called 2 cold from early-middle) hits a straight.

one win, a chop, and another $100 loss.

my friend the lion texts me about the game and starts trying to convince me that "no limit" is the answer to all my problems. of course since he's winning 80% (+) of his games this is like rhys hoskins trying to tell me to take up professional baseball.

what would've happened if the game was no limit?

*777 isn't going anywhere vs AQ.

*with the A5 i bet 2/3 of the pot and the straight draw calls and hits.

*i could PROBABLY drive out 98 with kk..... IF I HAD ANY MONEY LEFT BY THAT POINT.

no use talking about the game with a friend. because when you're losing you have no friends.

it's all your fault.

it has to be.

no one wants to catch your disease.

game -100 (3/6)
year -2201 (47-53)
bonus 0 (695)

[proximity]

ok poker fans, we are back with more mid-atlantic excitement. it's proximity's birthday and we will celebrate with a trip to marvelous BALLY'S ATLANTIC CITY!!

Caesar's is offering a special September deal where we can get a 500 tier credit bonus on a 500 tier credit day so i don't play anything when i arrive in town birthday-eve but i'm up early to start with blackjack just minutes after the new gaming day begins at 6:00 am.

"which hand?" the dealer asks when i take a hit.

"uhh? i'm only playing one hand?" :confused:

sigh. apparently i'm playing "illegally" since i tapped the felt with my left hand..... confusing the dealer.... even though i'm only playing one hand and there's an empty space between me and the Asian angel on my left.

I've seen it all now and retire with a small win before heading out to the boardwalk for some fresh air. i decide to walk down to country kitchen (days inn by Tropicana) to get an egg and some coffee. of course i'm hit up for change both going and coming.

back in the casino i'm holding my own on the slots but after a power nap i start getting hammered on a humble triple diamond machine. bar-triple-bar is about the best the machine can do as the tier credits pile up as the bankroll goes down, down, down.

after the sun goes down i try to get a sandwich at taste of the shore (?). i'm only behind one woman in line, but she's a BIG woman and when her order starts to approach my total net worth i give up and head for the POKER ROOM.

a few hours of 2/6 limit should get me to 500 tier credits and i look on as a player's ace flips over when he folds pre-flop and the table can't believe it!!
with an AK of my own on the button i see just how crazy this table is. the hijack bets a flop of A 5 4 rainbow and i raise. the small blind calls two cold here with J 6. i win the hand, but WOW.

so i'm winning, but believe it or not, i'm losing too as i still need those tier credits and suddenly i'm not logged in bravo. :faint:

the floor "backs me up" but apparently not too much as i end up having to lose some more on the slots before the night is over. :bang:

with AsTs though my luck changes back when the Ts flips over and is replaced by Ac. :cool:

on a flop of K66, J T hangs in and gets excited when the board runs out T J.

"oh, i have two pairs too," i tell him.

i hate to deflate a man's hopes and dreams, but hey, it was MY birthday.

thank you for reading.

game +73 (2/6)
year -2128 (48-53)
bonus 0 (695)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with day number two of yet another exciting ATLANTIC CITY trip.

day number one found us winning at the poker and blackjack tables but taking an absolute pounding on the slots. :puke:

we'll close out the trip with a day of poker and the day starts well as I jump out to a quick lead in 2/6 company at the bally's world series of poker room I the wild west section of the casino.

unfortunately, however, i'm in the "main game" featuring "regs" who take frequent and lengthy breaks. from sixty year old pot smokers to long lunch breaks to normal smoke breaks...... you name it. it all adds up to a short table. eventually I get sick of seeing double the number of players at one of the other 2/6 games and ahead $54 I bolt for the Tropicana.

Tropicana features a brand new poker room. the room is nice enough but it's tucked way back in the corner behind even where the old room was so idk how much casual traffic it's going to pull in ? and truth be told, the room probably shouldn't have pulled me in since this little stroll down the boardwalk isn't getting me any much needed caesars tier credits.

but when i flop a set and river quad 9s it appears that the gamble could pay off as Tropicana has an hourly high hand that i take command of! another player tells me that it's like $300 AND i get to draw a ping pong ball or something for an added bonus. indeed this could turn the whole trip around!!

however, with just five minutes left in the hour, the other 2/6 game breaks and a player from this broken game comes to our table and immediately flops quad tens. :bang::bang::bang:

i rack up with a $25 loss and head back down to bally's for one final game of 2/6 where i go back to being incredibly card dead.

i fold about 100 hands in a row before running TT into AA.

in a recurring 2017 theme AQ flops an ace but loses to A9 offsuit. JJ loses. 87s misses completely. i drop $39 and point my car for Grantville.

thank you for reading.

game +54 (2/6)
-25 (2/6)
-39 (2/6)
year -2138 (49-55)
bonus 0 (695)

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back from atlantic city (although i'll be returning SOON) and our next action finds us stepping onto the red carpet at exciting Hollywood penn national!

we step up to big bet today after swimming with the minnows on the jersey shore.

with AK I raise a limper or two to $10 or $12 and four of us see a flop.

A Q 3.

I bet this flop and get one caller. when another queen comes on the turn I bet again and he shoves all in for about $70 more.

usually i'd say this hand is a fold at pen but I take some time to think about it.

I do end up folding and the villain tables AK for what would've been a chop.

I consult with our friend the lion
(71-16 season, 69-15 pen) who first says fold but then changes to call. so who knows? i guess i was just outplayed. it happens.

i rebound a little when T7 drags a pot from the big blind and look to win another one with AA on the button.

i raise several limpers to $17 here and get one caller. we see a flop of J 8 8 and i bet again. the villain calls and leads out for $45 when a 2 hits the turn.

i shove all in.

he calls with a Q 9 off suit.

river: 10. :rolleyes:

i consult with our friend the lion about this hand.

he can't believe it, although this stuff happens almost every single time i play.

the very next night however, the lion raises QQ.

he gets one caller.

he bets an ace high flop.

the villain calls.

the lion bets the turn.

villain calls.

then finally.... on the river.... the villain hits his king to beat the lion with one pair: K 4 off suit. :faint:

anyhow, hoping this atlantic city trip goes well and best of luck to everyone here in the pa poker forum!

thank you for reading!

game -180 (1/2 nl)
year -2318 (49-56)
bonus 0 (695)

[garyscpa]

Looks like you need a slumpbuster

[dilanesp]

the hand is actually on my late position starting hand chart for these games.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_hold_%27em_starting_hands

the now dead pokerrroom link had the ev's from all positions (it shows K7s being dead even overall) and I used a lot of this data to make my chart for these small stakes mid-atlantic games.


i'm pretty much done with limit poker so maybe i'll post the chart sometime?

I will raise K7 suited on the button to steal the blinds. It's well above average and that's a +EV play.

After a single limper, it's fine to either raise it as an isolation play or call it hoping to get a 4 way pot. It would be bad to fold it.

After a couple of limpers, I'd just call with it.

After a raise, I would fold it unless the raiser has an extremely wide range, in which case it's a 3-bet.

I don't like hand charts very much. This is a great example of a hand that can go up or down in value in different situations. The real value here comes from the position on the button.

[proximity]

ok poker fans we're back with another exciting trip to america's playgroud, the place where the sand turns to gold..... wonderful ATLANTIC CITY!!

it's a relaxing and uneventful drive down to the shore and despite the fact that i've spent the year getting cards that would make a pauper out of phil ivey i try to keep my thoughts positive.

eventually i arrive at spectacular bally's by the beach. it's 1:00 am you would think i could just check right in at that time but of course this is the proximity poker tour. the diamond line waits and waits and waits as an ugly couple tries the difficult task of checking into a hotel room.

eventually i get to the desk and 30 seconds later i'm sent to an interesting little suite in the curtis on the bay tower. i don't really need a bar, a jacuzzi, and multiple bathroom sinks..... but hey, i'll take it!

for tonight at least, i'm a winner!

tomorrow: cards in air.

[RunForTheRoses]

ok poker fans we're back with another exciting trip to america's playgroud, the place where the sand turns to gold..... wonderful ATLANTIC CITY!!

it's a relaxing and uneventful drive down to the shore and despite the fact that i've spent the year getting cards that would make a pauper out of phil ivey i try to keep my thoughts positive.

eventually i arrive at spectacular bally's by the beach. it's 1:00 am you would think i could just check right in at that time but of course this is the proximity poker tour. the diamond line waits and waits and waits as an ugly couple tries the difficult task of checking into a hotel room.

eventually i get to the desk and 30 seconds later i'm sent to an interesting little suite in the curtis on the bay tower. i don't really need a bar, a jacuzzi, and multiple bathroom sinks..... but hey, i'll take it!

for tonight at least, i'm a winner!

tomorrow: cards in air.

the fact that i've spent the year getting cards that would make a pauper out of phil ivey i try to keep my thoughts positive.

LOL go get em brah.

[Track Collector]

That was the sound of a -$339 session of 1/2 NL at Charles Town races after 10 hours of play.

It was inevitable, I had been on a roll the past 2.5 months with something like 10 winning sessions out of 14. Hopefully this thud is short-lived.

My to-date results are:

Hours Played = 195
Session Wins/Losses = 27/17
Net (Excluding promotions) = + $453
Net (Excluding promotions) Hourly = + $2.32
Promotions/Comps = $400 + ~ $5

While not satisfied, I am still pleased with my results. Of course my results could still be largely due to luck. It is nice to have a few extra dollars after playing a game and challenge I enjoy, but a reasonable person would see this as folly.

Some day just to be different I might make my first visit ever to the Penn National poker room. Without a doubt the first order of business SHOULD be to learn what this fellow "the lion" looks like for the purpose of bankroll preservation! I recall being introduced to him something like 7 years ago, and I don't think the encounter lasted more than 30 seconds.

To borrow a phase used by James "Split Suit" Sweeney, Happy Grinding!

[proximity]

the fact that i've spent the year getting cards that would make a pauper out of phil ivey i try to keep my thoughts positive.

LOL go get em brah.

trying to get us off unlucky 13, i up-voted your post and down-voted my own.

happy thanksgiving!!

[proximity]

Some day just to be different I might make my first visit ever to the Penn National poker room. Without a doubt the first order of business SHOULD be to learn what this fellow "the lion" looks like for the purpose of bankroll preservation! I recall being introduced to him something like 7 years ago, and I don't think the encounter lasted more than 30 seconds.


the lion (77-18 season) doesn't have a face you should forget but i'll give you a pass since i think the lights actually went out the night you met him at pen? :D

if you do go to pen, hopefully you're far down 81 s with some extra $$$ by the average hour that insomniac's been arriving at the card room. :rolleyes:

[Track Collector]

After finishing my Friday night bowling league I headed down the back way to the Charles Town races for some late night 1/2 NL poker. I was a little bit apprehensive after my previous session, wondering if the good variance had finally caught up to me and I was due for some run bad. Things started off on bad side when I encountered a stopped train just below Shepherdstown, WV. After seeing no movement for 20 minutes I decided to take another back road and hope that it eventually led me back to the desired location.

When I arrived a was seated at a short game of six people. (I guess this is good because one normally has a 30+ minute wait for the time and day of week). A few hands later in early position I raise to $11 with pocket Kings. One person calls. The flop comes up Q 9 8 and I lead out $25. The other player calls. A 3 comes on the turn and I lead out $25. Call. A 7 falls on the river, and intending a check/fold, the villain surprisingly checks back allowing me to see what he had. It was J 10.

A few hands later I whiff with AQ, only to be beaten by AK.

Still within the first 15 minutes of being seated I limp in with pocket 5s. The flop yields a set. Yeah!! The river results in the villain hitting their open ended straight. :bang:

After about another hour and a half I see my stack dwindle down to around $120. I know that one should be topping off their stack to get back to near the maximum buy-in, but I just didn't feel like doing so. Sure enough it looks like I am headed to another lost $300 buy-in.

So in the BB I get AKo. Someone in mid-position raises to $10, and I think there was one other call until the CO, who has been somewhat aggressive, especially in late position. He makes it $50. I shove my $120 remaining stack. The original raiser calls, and the CO ends up folding. The flop yields a King and the rest appears to run out safely. The villain unhappily turns over QQ. I decided I had beat the odds and headed for home before I was to be BB again.

At the time I made the shove I for some dumb reason thought it was significantly +EV because of a coin flop plus the extra money in the pot from the CO raiser. Turns out I was only 43% plus the extra money, so probably very close to =EV. Sometimes it pays to be lucky rather than good!

[Track Collector]

Just finished another long session of 1/2 NL at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

Just like Friday night, I endure long stretches of being card dead. Of course this is superior to having the 2nd best hand. :)

The session was basically unmemorable, which is why I don't have any specific hands to detail here. I do recall though on at least two instances where I had very good hands, but because I was timid in my betting, the villains were able to get there at the end. I must of forgotten it is better to win a little rather than to end up with a hand loss. This is beginning to become a reoccurring theme, so will I learn this lesson and make the appropriate adjustments in future session? It remains to be seen.

After 10+ hours the table broke and a few others found there way to other tables with open seats. I decided to call it a night with a -$117 result.

[Track Collector]

After making the previous post I remembered one hand from the previous session that is definitely -EV. I had 59o in the BB. The 3 other players checked around thru the river, and I mucked my hand without showing after someone said they had a pair of 3s.

As the next hand is being dealt, it dawned on me that the turn card was a 5.

Sometimes poker can be easy for others when I am in your game. :blush:

[dilanesp]

After making the previous post I remembered one hand from the previous session that is definitely -EV. I had 59o in the BB. The 3 other players checked around thru the river, and I mucked my hand without showing after someone said they had a pair of 3s.

As the next hand is being dealt, it dawned on me that the turn card was a 5.

Sometimes poker can be easy for others when I am in your game. :blush:

I am of the opinion that low stakes players should simply show every single hand at showdown.

Your opponents won't get any additional information (or if they do, they won't know how to use it), plus you will pick up an occasional pot when you don't realize you have the best hand or an opponent mucks a winner.

Leave the throwing hands into the muck for higher stakes games where people actually pay attention and can exploit you. (And even then, show first a lot to speed things up.)