Poker Trip Report 10-3 to 10-6

[tigerpiper]

Getting ready for radio- not much better to do.

I went out with a college friend and his co-workers. I'd been there with him 10+ times and the co-workers a couple of times.

I got there first at 8 a.m. on Friday. Went to the Venetian and checked my bag then went to play 1-2. We were on the poker rate, so I needed some hours. The poker rate is great, but 6 hours/day is a lot. My friend (B) wasn't going to be there until 7 so I wanted to get a head start.

Early morning Friday I'm sure generally sucks, but there were two games, and I did ok, made $190 then left to go see if any other rooms were less nitty and to check some lines. I checked out quad(!), harrahs, caesars, mirage TI then Wynn. Made a bet on SDSU at mirage, then played a bit more at Wynn. After getting bumped into (by a seat) 5 times, I left Wynn up $1 (that's how I roll) and went back to V.

Got a comp at Noodle Asia then played some more. I think Noodle Asia is very good, and I like good food, but some locals said it sucks. What?

I had some comps from an earlier trip but $2/hour at V is no real deal as the food is $$. Good though.

Made another $200 then got bored and went to the sports bar to watch SDSU.

Sorry I don't remember the hands. I remember one from this session though. An old fart had complained when someone doubled through him with a set (33) and said "People always beat me with trash".

A round later, I called a small $8 raise with 32 ss in the sb. Maybe 5 to the flop for $40. Flop is 32q cc. I bet in $30 and get called twice including old fart and unknown nit. Turn is something, no club, I bet $110 and call call. WTF?

River is no club, I shove for maybe $100, call, old fart folds and I'm good. Shocked. I have no idea how bottom two is good there, but whatever.

Then I go play video poker and get my drink on watching SDSU blow then cover. Amazing. Just how sports betting goes. My friend gets there, we go to BLT, play some more poker. If you want me to write more, let me know.

More sports, more poker, more drink. No hookers or blow.

[BUBBLES]

Bring it on.

[ShadyJ]

Getting ready for radio- not much better to do.

I went out with a college friend and his co-workers. I'd been there with him 10+ times and the co-workers a couple of times.

I got there first at 8 a.m. on Friday. Went to the Venetian and checked my bag then went to play 1-2. We were on the poker rate, so I needed some hours. The poker rate is great, but 6 hours/day is a lot. My friend (B) wasn't going to be there until 7 so I wanted to get a head start.

Early morning Friday I'm sure generally sucks, but there were two games, and I did ok, made $190 then left to go see if any other rooms were less nitty and to check some lines. I checked out quad(!), harrahs, caesars, mirage TI then Wynn. Made a bet on SDSU at mirage, then played a bit more at Wynn. After getting bumped into (by a seat) 5 times, I left Wynn up $1 (that's how I roll) and went back to V.

Got a comp at Noodle Asia then played some more. I think Noodle Asia is very good, and I like good food, but some locals said it sucks. What?

I had some comps from an earlier trip but $2/hour at V is no real deal as the food is $$. Good though.

Made another $200 then got bored and went to the sports bar to watch SDSU.

Sorry I don't remember the hands. I remember one from this session though. An old fart had complained when someone doubled through him with a set (33) and said "People always beat me with trash".

A round later, I called a small $8 raise with 32 ss in the sb. Maybe 5 to the flop for $40. Flop is 32q cc. I bet in $30 and get called twice including old fart and unknown nit. Turn is something, no club, I bet $110 and call call. WTF?

River is no club, I shove for maybe $100, call, old fart folds and I'm good. Shocked. I have no idea how bottom two is good there, but whatever.

Then I go play video poker and get my drink on watching SDSU blow then cover. Amazing. Just how sports betting goes. My friend gets there, we go to BLT, play some more poker. If you want me to write more, let me know.

More sports, more poker, more drink. No hookers or blow.

So you thought you were bluffing? Why would you be betting that much if you dont know how btm 2 is good there? Stick to sportsbetting.

[abrown83]

Getting ready for radio- not much better to do.

I went out with a college friend and his co-workers. I'd been there with him 10+ times and the co-workers a couple of times.

I got there first at 8 a.m. on Friday. Went to the Venetian and checked my bag then went to play 1-2. We were on the poker rate, so I needed some hours. The poker rate is great, but 6 hours/day is a lot. My friend (B) wasn't going to be there until 7 so I wanted to get a head start.

Early morning Friday I'm sure generally sucks, but there were two games, and I did ok, made $190 then left to go see if any other rooms were less nitty and to check some lines. I checked out quad(!), harrahs, caesars, mirage TI then Wynn. Made a bet on SDSU at mirage, then played a bit more at Wynn. After getting bumped into (by a seat) 5 times, I left Wynn up $1 (that's how I roll) and went back to V.

Got a comp at Noodle Asia then played some more. I think Noodle Asia is very good, and I like good food, but some locals said it sucks. What?

I had some comps from an earlier trip but $2/hour at V is no real deal as the food is $$. Good though.

Made another $200 then got bored and went to the sports bar to watch SDSU.

Sorry I don't remember the hands. I remember one from this session though. An old fart had complained when someone doubled through him with a set (33) and said "People always beat me with trash".

A round later, I called a small $8 raise with 32 ss in the sb. Maybe 5 to the flop for $40. Flop is 32q cc. I bet in $30 and get called twice including old fart and unknown nit. Turn is something, no club, I bet $110 and call call. WTF?

River is no club, I shove for maybe $100, call, old fart folds and I'm good. Shocked. I have no idea how bottom two is good there, but whatever.

Then I go play video poker and get my drink on watching SDSU blow then cover. Amazing. Just how sports betting goes. My friend gets there, we go to BLT, play some more poker. If you want me to write more, let me know.

More sports, more poker, more drink. No hookers or blow.

So you thought you were bluffing? Why would you be betting that much if you dont know how btm 2 is good there? Stick to sportsbetting.

I don't hate the way he played it.

I just hate that the guy with KQ/AQ didn't raise on the flop to take control of the hand.

[ShadyJ]

So you thought you were bluffing? Why would you be betting that much if you dont know how btm 2 is good there? Stick to sportsbetting.

I don't hate the way he played it.

I just hate that the guy with KQ/AQ didn't raise on the flop to take control of the hand.

Dont get me started on how he played it. His turn sizing was awful with effective stacks.

[Deal]

Cliffs: No hookers or blow.

Recommendation: Skip reading.

[Dan Druff]

I always enjoy these trip reports. I encourage everyone to post more stuff like this, even if you trips didn't involve anything outrageous.

Regarding the poker hand...

You were playing 1-2, right?

First, I don't love the 32 suited call for $7 more in the SB. I always hated 32 suited. Any pair it makes is beaten by another pair. Any flush it makes is beaten by another flush. It can only make two straights, and only one of those two straights is the nuts. Two pairs get counterfeited very easily. And as you said yourself, you weren't confident that your two pair was good, even with an uncoordinated board.

I muck 32 suited to every raise. I'll only see it for free or for half a bet.

But putting that aside, you apparently had about a $250 stack going in, and the pot was $40 preflop, 5 ways.

On the flop, I wouldn't have bet out. I would have let someone fire at it, then check-raised them. Then I would have shoved it in on the turn. If they shoved over me, I would have evaluated what to do based upon my remaining stack and the opponent himself. Note that most people are calling off with a flush or straight draw there, as well as top pair.

I don't understand the turn bet because you were pot committing yourself, and yet giving the guy a chance to fold the river if he missed his draw. I guess you could get away cheaper if counterfeited, but I don't like it.

Maybe a really good NL cash player like Corrigan can weigh in on this.

[Corrigan]

Maybe a really good NL cash player like Corrigan can weigh in on this.

[Dan Druff]

I was hoping for more when I saw you had responded, even if it was to call me a limit auto-c-betting donkey.

[BeerAndPoker]

I would want to be deeper with 32s to call but you are in the sb nearly closing the action so their are worse plays then this.

With that said in this hand lets say you make a flush you might be drawing dead to a bigger one and lose a lot of money if a fourth flush card don't come or when the fourth flush card does come your hand is nearly always crushed unless your lucky enough where villain doesn't have ace or king high flush and is able to fold a few lower then that which you can bluff them off.

For me playing $1/2 I don't love bluffs like this against randoms who are inexperienced because it's hard to bluff people who never consider what they might be beaten by but only see their hand as a flush which they feel is always going to be strong yet that isn't necessarily the case.

I think 32s can be played from time to time from experienced players who are able to control the pot to however they want it but I would be playing fast unless I pickup signs I'm beat which just takes experience to do.

One time I remember playing live $1/2 with 32s and someone made it $5 which 3 others called so I completed in the BB. The flop came AT6 all the same suit which flopped me the flush. I played it hard betting nearly pot on the flop. I think I bet $18 into $20 and got called in one spot so now the pot was $56. The turn was a different suit card and I see the villain had $90 left so I just grab out a $100 stack and put it in there, he snap calls me with his AJ with no flush draw and I win the pot.

I bet it to charge the guy because lets face it if another spade comes I'm screwed a huge majority of the time and at this point I can't feel I'm behind but villain may not either and think I'm just betting hard because I'm afraid of another spade with a random Ax hand or villain may have a pair with a flush combination he is willing to gamble with regardless. I can't remember what the river card was but in this particular hand if the river brought four to the flush he probably saves whatever money he has and if he does bet I hate it.

Just my take if your not a good player with decent hand reading abilities my advice would be to pitch the 32s in a Live $1/2 NL game just because their should be WAY better spots for you to make money and this one can lose you a lot from time to time.

[ShadyJ]

I always enjoy these trip reports. I encourage everyone to post more stuff like this, even if you trips didn't involve anything outrageous.

Regarding the poker hand...

You were playing 1-2, right?

First, I don't love the 32 suited call for $7 more in the SB. I always hated 32 suited. Any pair it makes is beaten by another pair. Any flush it makes is beaten by another flush. It can only make two straights, and only one of those two straights is the nuts. Two pairs get counterfeited very easily. And as you said yourself, you weren't confident that your two pair was good, even with an uncoordinated board.

I muck 32 suited to every raise. I'll only see it for free or for half a bet.

But putting that aside, you apparently had about a $250 stack going in, and the pot was $40 preflop, 5 ways.

On the flop, I wouldn't have bet out. I would have let someone fire at it, then check-raised them. Then I would have shoved it in on the turn. If they shoved over me, I would have evaluated what to do based upon my remaining stack and the opponent himself. Note that most people are calling off with a flush or straight draw there, as well as top pair.

I don't understand the turn bet because you were pot committing yourself, and yet giving the guy a chance to fold the river if he missed his draw. I guess you could get away cheaper if counterfeited, but I don't like it.

Maybe a really good NL cash player like Corrigan can weigh in on this.

I dont know Corrigan but you really have to play in these games to understand the play. I see a ton of online players that get crushed live because they cant adjust. I had somewhat of the opposite problem in online cash.

One of the biggest leaks I see in live players is cbetting into too many players and not understanding what boards to cbet and what to check back. They just always cbet no matter what, so because of this I think I would have played it probably exactly like Druff said. Theres is something to be said for leading since theres so many calling stations, but its the type of hand Id like to get all in asap and probably against just 1 opp.

[Dan Druff]

I always enjoy these trip reports. I encourage everyone to post more stuff like this, even if you trips didn't involve anything outrageous.

Regarding the poker hand...

You were playing 1-2, right?

First, I don't love the 32 suited call for $7 more in the SB. I always hated 32 suited. Any pair it makes is beaten by another pair. Any flush it makes is beaten by another flush. It can only make two straights, and only one of those two straights is the nuts. Two pairs get counterfeited very easily. And as you said yourself, you weren't confident that your two pair was good, even with an uncoordinated board.

I muck 32 suited to every raise. I'll only see it for free or for half a bet.

But putting that aside, you apparently had about a $250 stack going in, and the pot was $40 preflop, 5 ways.

On the flop, I wouldn't have bet out. I would have let someone fire at it, then check-raised them. Then I would have shoved it in on the turn. If they shoved over me, I would have evaluated what to do based upon my remaining stack and the opponent himself. Note that most people are calling off with a flush or straight draw there, as well as top pair.

I don't understand the turn bet because you were pot committing yourself, and yet giving the guy a chance to fold the river if he missed his draw. I guess you could get away cheaper if counterfeited, but I don't like it.

Maybe a really good NL cash player like Corrigan can weigh in on this.

I dont know Corrigan but you really have to play in these games to understand the play. I see a ton of online players that get crushed live because they cant adjust. I had somewhat of the opposite problem in online cash.

One of the biggest leaks I see in live players is cbetting into too many players and not understanding what boards to cbet and what to check back. They just always cbet no matter what, so because of this I think I would have played it probably exactly like Druff said. Theres is something to be said for leading since theres so many calling stations, but its the type of hand Id like to get all in asap and probably against just 1 opp.

When I was playing NL on Bodog, I had a lot of leaks at NL cash that didn't really matter much against fish, but were easily exploitable against good players. Fortunately, because the NL regs didn't like me for bumhunting (a practice that has always been accepted in the limit community), they made fun of me for those various leaks, and it actually helped me get better.

One of those leaks was c-betting way too much. I have learned when to just check/fold on the flop, even if I was the opener preflop. Incidentally, Q23 is a pretty good board to steal if checked to in late position, but on the other hand, there's a fair chance someone has a Q out of 5 players seeing the flop. The downside to not leading out is the fact that 1-2 players are often straightforward and just check around with less than top pair, but as you said, I would prefer to rope someone with a Q into getting a lot (or all) of the money in immediately.

The $30 lead-out wasn't horrible, but I would have done it differently. Regardless, I would have gotten it all in on the turn either way (unless I got counterfeited or a flush card hit).

I have also started checking behind the flop a little more often in limit in recent years. When I am really "seeing things" well, I can check behind in a ton of spots where I am behind and avoid a check raise. One night at Bellagio about 2 years ago, when I was definitely playing my A game at a 5-handed table, I had amazing success in knowing exactly when to c-bet and when to check behind, which is sometimes tough at limit. But my success at doing that depends a lot both upon my alertness at the moment and feel for the opponents.