Seneca Weekend (Saturday night) birthday trip REPORT
Hello all!
Well, after the initial rush on interest, there resulted in a hearty crew of 7 forum members heading to Seneca for some poker and birthday merriment. I can give my rundown of the trip, and hopefully some of the others will kick in too...
First, I will start with Friday night, as it was my *actual* birthday. Having just turned thirty, I decided a quiet, reserved night of reflection was in order. Well, actually, that really meant about 15-20 people stopping by through the night to have a few drinks.... but we started at 3:00 in the afternoon and I stumbled home from a bar downtown at about 3:30 in the a.m. Thanks to those that came out (twothree, stpboy, itsame, etc.), and I hope you all had a good time!
I had arranged to meet Zithal at a 401 carpool lot at 10:00, so after getting up at 9:15 in the morning looking and feeling my best we were off to USA!!!
For about 15 minutes...
After shifting me weight, I notice that I had left my wallet in my car... back at the parking lot... so slight delay, and once again, off we go to USA!
Zithal and I arrive at the Hampton in at around 2:30, check in, and head to Seneca! For those who've not been, Hampton (Rainbow Road) in is THE place to stay, it is literally a 2 minute walk to the casino, nice hotel, and the breakfast was even decent.
Zithal and I spot Moose, Mmoose and AcidJoe pretty quickly at the tables, after a quick chat, we sign up for some poker! Zithal throws his name down for 3/6 limit, and I sign up for 3/6 OM/8 (with a Kill!) The table is called maybe 5 minutes later, and by 3:00, we were gambooling.
Luckily, I was seated two seats left of Moose, who had switched from his NL game! Between us was a charming fellow named Matthew (more on him later). Anyways, a standard table that you would expect - loose passive preflop, chasing / betting post flop. I don't really have many hands of interest, but I ended up down $180 by the time we left for dinner at 8:00! I'll share one hand in a moment, but I just want to thank Moose, and eventually compuease (who came down around 5-6 pm I believe) and also joined the hilarity.
The table would go to kill blinds anytime the pot was greater than $55 scooped (after rake), which of course resulted in sequential kills fairly often. Which is where I won my one biggest hand of the day,w ith our friend Matt again. Matt is a "professor", telling the table about how the low always comes runner runner, or never comes when he has the lock low, and that you should never raise pre-flop in OM/8. Gentle teasing throughout the day, but with an oh-so-subtle mocking from myself, with appreciative laughter from Moose! Anyways. in this hand, I flop the nut flush, re-raise Matt, and isolate him, and he calls. Turn goes check / bet / call, and when I bet the river again when no low drops, Matt goes into his little act and angrily calls - as he has been doing all day (shockingly down $100 too!), showing 2 pair and the "lock" low draw. Matt informs me how lucky I was that he didn't boat up, or catch the low. I agreed wholeheartedly that I was glad he didn't catch a 4 outer after he was behind the whole time, but thanks for calling.
Anyways... he was entertaining, and it was so bad that even the dealers would comment on his... personality when he would take one of his frequent trips from the table. Luckily for us however, Moose and I were politely asking the lovely waitresses for "CC and ginger" and Moose kept count with straws so we would know how stupid we were getting. Of course, when he ordered a "CC and Rye"... that should have been a hint...
We break for dinner, and take in the buffet, which is quite good, and not bad for $18, this is also when Moose gave the tally of 11 drinks each.. Coincidentally this is when we also learned that Moose can be LOUD
After dinner, I switch back to 1/2 NL, and proceed to lose my next $70 (total of -$250 for those counting at home) before calling it quits come midnight. One hand felted me once when my AK on an A84 flop gets called by AQ and turns a second pair. However, a hand that is interesting:
Several limpers, maybe 4 and then SB completes, Here's in the BB with KQc and checks. Flop is Q-9-2 rainbow, so I bet $7 into the $12 pot. Folded around to cutoff who raises to $15, and "spidey-sense" is going off, hero just calls. Turn is a 4, hero checks and CO bets $30 of his remaining $60, hero folds, showing the Q, and is immediately chastised by the gentleman to the left of him - I figured the min re-raise, and the willingness to pot-commit himself screamed at least two pair (he was a decent player, aggressive but smart). Thoughts?
Anyways, Zithal and I meet back at the room, watch some T.V., and the Mooses come by!! Moose tells us that he's overall up about $5... so it's SNG time!!! Moose pushed for the weekend
Anyways.. travel on back today is pretty dull, but it was a great weekend trip, and thanks to everyone that could make it out!!
Mark
Well, after the initial rush on interest, there resulted in a hearty crew of 7 forum members heading to Seneca for some poker and birthday merriment. I can give my rundown of the trip, and hopefully some of the others will kick in too...
First, I will start with Friday night, as it was my *actual* birthday. Having just turned thirty, I decided a quiet, reserved night of reflection was in order. Well, actually, that really meant about 15-20 people stopping by through the night to have a few drinks.... but we started at 3:00 in the afternoon and I stumbled home from a bar downtown at about 3:30 in the a.m. Thanks to those that came out (twothree, stpboy, itsame, etc.), and I hope you all had a good time!
I had arranged to meet Zithal at a 401 carpool lot at 10:00, so after getting up at 9:15 in the morning looking and feeling my best we were off to USA!!!
For about 15 minutes...
After shifting me weight, I notice that I had left my wallet in my car... back at the parking lot... so slight delay, and once again, off we go to USA!
Zithal and I arrive at the Hampton in at around 2:30, check in, and head to Seneca! For those who've not been, Hampton (Rainbow Road) in is THE place to stay, it is literally a 2 minute walk to the casino, nice hotel, and the breakfast was even decent.
Zithal and I spot Moose, Mmoose and AcidJoe pretty quickly at the tables, after a quick chat, we sign up for some poker! Zithal throws his name down for 3/6 limit, and I sign up for 3/6 OM/8 (with a Kill!) The table is called maybe 5 minutes later, and by 3:00, we were gambooling.
Luckily, I was seated two seats left of Moose, who had switched from his NL game! Between us was a charming fellow named Matthew (more on him later). Anyways, a standard table that you would expect - loose passive preflop, chasing / betting post flop. I don't really have many hands of interest, but I ended up down $180 by the time we left for dinner at 8:00! I'll share one hand in a moment, but I just want to thank Moose, and eventually compuease (who came down around 5-6 pm I believe) and also joined the hilarity.
The table would go to kill blinds anytime the pot was greater than $55 scooped (after rake), which of course resulted in sequential kills fairly often. Which is where I won my one biggest hand of the day,w ith our friend Matt again. Matt is a "professor", telling the table about how the low always comes runner runner, or never comes when he has the lock low, and that you should never raise pre-flop in OM/8. Gentle teasing throughout the day, but with an oh-so-subtle mocking from myself, with appreciative laughter from Moose! Anyways. in this hand, I flop the nut flush, re-raise Matt, and isolate him, and he calls. Turn goes check / bet / call, and when I bet the river again when no low drops, Matt goes into his little act and angrily calls - as he has been doing all day (shockingly down $100 too!), showing 2 pair and the "lock" low draw. Matt informs me how lucky I was that he didn't boat up, or catch the low. I agreed wholeheartedly that I was glad he didn't catch a 4 outer after he was behind the whole time, but thanks for calling.
Anyways... he was entertaining, and it was so bad that even the dealers would comment on his... personality when he would take one of his frequent trips from the table. Luckily for us however, Moose and I were politely asking the lovely waitresses for "CC and ginger" and Moose kept count with straws so we would know how stupid we were getting. Of course, when he ordered a "CC and Rye"... that should have been a hint...
We break for dinner, and take in the buffet, which is quite good, and not bad for $18, this is also when Moose gave the tally of 11 drinks each.. Coincidentally this is when we also learned that Moose can be LOUD
After dinner, I switch back to 1/2 NL, and proceed to lose my next $70 (total of -$250 for those counting at home) before calling it quits come midnight. One hand felted me once when my AK on an A84 flop gets called by AQ and turns a second pair. However, a hand that is interesting:
Several limpers, maybe 4 and then SB completes, Here's in the BB with KQc and checks. Flop is Q-9-2 rainbow, so I bet $7 into the $12 pot. Folded around to cutoff who raises to $15, and "spidey-sense" is going off, hero just calls. Turn is a 4, hero checks and CO bets $30 of his remaining $60, hero folds, showing the Q, and is immediately chastised by the gentleman to the left of him - I figured the min re-raise, and the willingness to pot-commit himself screamed at least two pair (he was a decent player, aggressive but smart). Thoughts?
Anyways, Zithal and I meet back at the room, watch some T.V., and the Mooses come by!! Moose tells us that he's overall up about $5... so it's SNG time!!! Moose pushed for the weekend
Anyways.. travel on back today is pretty dull, but it was a great weekend trip, and thanks to everyone that could make it out!!
Mark
Comments
...at 2 am, after 12 straight hours of degenerate gambling. I thought you guys were poker players?
The sng was a fun game of Insane Pineapple!
Also, I am 'up' one American penny, that I found in the casino parking lot on the first day.
Good times!
Before playing at the casino, I drag Mark off to Cole's Restaurant, and we proceed to grab a couple of tasty burgers. Mark got the Kobe beef with cheese and bacon, and I decided to give the regular Brushetta burger a try. Very yummy.
For drink, we started with a round of "Racer #5 IPA" which is a great example of a IPA for people starting in the style. Mark enjoyed it, and we can only hope that Ontario starts developing a taste for real IPA's. Our second pint was the Edmond Fitzgerald Porter (which is one of the best examples of a US porter) I loved it, but Mark not so much, but I think that may have been partially due to the palette wrecking nature of IPA's.
We head to the casino and pay tribute the monstrousity that is the wheel of fortune machine to appease the gods before our trip. I put in $20 and don't realize that I'm playing $4 a hand. I bust quickly and Mark gets one spin of the big wheel. He eventually busts too and we head for poker.
At the poker room my intent was to play 1/2NL for most of the day. I saw AcidJoe and MMoose at a 3/6 Limit table, so decided to join them there.
Wish I could give interesting hands, but it was 3/6 Limit which means "play ABC poker and hope a) that you hit your draws and b) that others don't hit theirs." It's a pretty non-challenging brain activity which is good when you have a steady stream of CC and Ginger coming to the table.
I guess this is the most amusing hand...
I'm UTG and am not paying attention too much. The guy to my left, constantly played out of turn and did so this hand resulting in the rest of the table acting before me and it wasn't until the big blind checked that I finally mentioned that I had a hand. I ask if I have to fold or if I can call the bet, (6 to the flop at this point), and I'm allowed to limp in.
The flop comes 5TA and I thank my lucky stars and lead out. Everyone calls, of course. The turn in the 5 and, so I bet my Quads. I lose a couple people this time, but everyone else calls. The river is the T and I suddenly perk up. If someone's holding TT, I hit the Bad Beat jackpot, and take down $19,000 (or, more likely, $10,000 after taxes). I know it's not happening because even at a table this bad, TT would have raised my bet on the turn.
I bet out and it's folded to the last player to act and she finally "has to call" and shows 22..... I say "Tough call..." and think ", but not really since NONE OF YOUR HOLE CARDS PLAY, but thank you for the free $6."
By dinner, I'm down $100, and eat a lot of crab legs to make up for it.
After dinner, I'd figure I'd head to the 1/2 tables, but decided to keep MMoose company at the 3/6. I make back most of my losses and watch a table close to us hit the Bad Beat jackpot.. damn... shoulda been me.
Our table died out around 12:30am, and we were offered to be moved to a 2/4 table. I decided to leave at that point (down a total of $18) and headed back to the hotel, to meet Mark who had already headed back.
Mark and I break out the bottle of rye and we start drinking that mixed with pop from the vending machine. Mark had a bad reaction to something, but it clears up quickly and The "Moose"s meet us in our room and, after hearing that Moose is up $5 we decide to have a $5 SnG game of Insane Pinapple, which I win due to my excellent ability to call with bad hands and hit flops and i end the trip down $3.
Everyone breaks for bed and we finally crash, get up for the breakfast buffet, then head into Buffalo so that I can pick up a bunch of nice beer for the trip home.
Good times by all, even though Mark won't invite me ever again 'cause he can't come out ahead at the casino if I'm there.
Mark
I'd actually love to see a calculator on this. Was doing more thinking on this and here's my thoughts... If you're sure your opponent has a pair in their three cards and you have three that are somewhat connected, I think you have to call.
The high pair is pretty much playing his one hand (the pocket pair), while you have three card to play with and get to see the flop before throwing it away. So, in effect, you're playing three hands against their one, so you're almost creating a mini-implicit collusion affect here.
And as you and I discussed, it's probably akin to the Omaha effect, where no hand is really more than 60% over any other (though I think I may have found THAT hand last night)...
Obviously, Omaha has more possible hands (6 different HE hands), while pineapple has, as you said, 3... perhaps it is closer to never more than 70% at worst? I was going to simply say 75%, but you lose 2/3 of your hands on the flop.. in CRAZY (or insaneo) pineapple only.... math guys?
Mark
I am really sorry I missed saying Happy Birthday to you. I rarely get on this site anymore.
Sounds like it was a fun trip, I'd love to make a trip down another time.
Happy belated Mark.
E.
Mark