The poker gods were on my side - A CasinoRama trip report
I stopped by CasinoRama on my way to the cottage on Friday. I have to say that I really don't like the poker room there. The tables are too crowded, the dealers are slow and sometimes incompetent, and the rake is a $6 max. (Is this the same in Niagara these days? I have not been in either casino there in over a year.) However this is the most convenient place for me to play NLHE.
I had basically the perfect three hours of poker. I had one hand where I committed more than $10 and lost. In every other case, I folded early or won the hand. I didn't have many premium hands. I got pocket aces once and bumped it to $12 preflop. I got one caller who folded after the flop to a continuation bet. I had pocket kings once in the BB. Six people had limped into the pot - I bumped it to $17 and everyone folded. (Note: I never know the magic number at these games. Sometimes a bump to $12 will get six callers.)
I probably played less than 25% of the hands. It would have been less than that, but there were so many unraised pots I played in the blinds. The first significant pot I played was 6-7 suited. It was folded around to me in MP and I raised to $7. The button called and the BB re-raised to $15. I called and the button called. The flop came down A-6-5. The BB checked, and I checked, the button bet $15. The BB folded quickly, and I thought the bet by the button was weak, so I called. The turn brought a 4 (no flush possibilities). I checked and the button bet $25. I called - the river was a 3. I bet out $25 with the straight and was called by the button. He had A-K. I misread the flop bet, but got lucky on the turn with the odds to call his bet.
The only had I lost a significant amount of money once was when I was in the BB. I had A-3 suited and it was limped around to me with about six players in. The flop came down ace high with two diamonds. I thought about checking, but thought I might as well see where I stood. I bet $10 and everyone folded except for UG - a guy who thought he was playing for the WPT cameras. The turn brought a brick - I bet $30 convinced he was on a flush draw. He flat called. The river brought a diamond. I checked, he bet $100, I quickly folded and said "nice flush" and he showed me the 10 - 2 of diamonds.
The very next hand I had A-9 in the SB. Everyone folds around to the cut-off, who limps in. I am annoyed by this and bump it to $12. The BB calls and the CO calls. The flop comes down A-9-7 rainbow. I bet $25, the BB raises to $80, the CO folds. I have about $200 when I started the hand, so I push all-in. The BB (who was the 10-2 guy from the last hand) instantly calls. I assume that he has pocket 7's. He turns over A-J off-suit. Two bricks on the turn and river, and I get my money back plus interest. The BB leaves the table - and I take his seat.
I won some small pots, but the next significant hand I had was pocket 8's in the BB. I peeked early, and was ready to bump to $12 if it came around to me unraised. Everyone limped in, but the SB bumped it to $12 before I had a chance. This was the same player who had A-K against me earlier. I call, hoping for a low flop, and the button calls. The flop came down 6-6-3, with two hearts. The SB checks, I bet $15, the button folds, and the SB calls. I think he just wants to see the turn, or is possibly on a flush draw. The turn is is the 2 of clubs. There is a straight possibility, but I can't put the SB on 4-5 with the pre-flop raise. He checks, and I bet $30. He thinks for a few seconds and open folds his pocket 10s. I have to admit I was shocked. I push my cards to the dealer. The button says he thought about calling the flop - he knew I didn't have a 6. I said I didn't have a 6. The SB said I had pocket jacks. I said I had a pocket pair, and I just wanted to see a flop without an ace on it. "Good fold" I said.
Finally the last significant pot I played was in the BB again. I had J-7 offsuit and there were many limpers. The flop came down 7-7-3 with two hearts. I normally bet out in those situations (because I think a check/call looks too obvious), but I decided to check here. The woman at the end of the table who had rebought for $20 multiple times since I sat down, bet $12 all-in. The button (a very tight player) called, and I immediately put him on a 7. I hesitated and called. I figured it was going to come down to a kicker contest, but there was a good chance the jack was good. The turn brought the king of clubs. I checked, and the button bet $30. I called and checked dark. The river brought the jack of spades. The button bet $30, and I raised to $100. He thought for a second and called. I turned over the full house and he showed Q-7.
I must admit I got lucky with dominated hands winning so many times. I was pretty happy with my patience though, and definitely took advantage of my table image. I walked away up $490 for the session.
I had basically the perfect three hours of poker. I had one hand where I committed more than $10 and lost. In every other case, I folded early or won the hand. I didn't have many premium hands. I got pocket aces once and bumped it to $12 preflop. I got one caller who folded after the flop to a continuation bet. I had pocket kings once in the BB. Six people had limped into the pot - I bumped it to $17 and everyone folded. (Note: I never know the magic number at these games. Sometimes a bump to $12 will get six callers.)
I probably played less than 25% of the hands. It would have been less than that, but there were so many unraised pots I played in the blinds. The first significant pot I played was 6-7 suited. It was folded around to me in MP and I raised to $7. The button called and the BB re-raised to $15. I called and the button called. The flop came down A-6-5. The BB checked, and I checked, the button bet $15. The BB folded quickly, and I thought the bet by the button was weak, so I called. The turn brought a 4 (no flush possibilities). I checked and the button bet $25. I called - the river was a 3. I bet out $25 with the straight and was called by the button. He had A-K. I misread the flop bet, but got lucky on the turn with the odds to call his bet.
The only had I lost a significant amount of money once was when I was in the BB. I had A-3 suited and it was limped around to me with about six players in. The flop came down ace high with two diamonds. I thought about checking, but thought I might as well see where I stood. I bet $10 and everyone folded except for UG - a guy who thought he was playing for the WPT cameras. The turn brought a brick - I bet $30 convinced he was on a flush draw. He flat called. The river brought a diamond. I checked, he bet $100, I quickly folded and said "nice flush" and he showed me the 10 - 2 of diamonds.
The very next hand I had A-9 in the SB. Everyone folds around to the cut-off, who limps in. I am annoyed by this and bump it to $12. The BB calls and the CO calls. The flop comes down A-9-7 rainbow. I bet $25, the BB raises to $80, the CO folds. I have about $200 when I started the hand, so I push all-in. The BB (who was the 10-2 guy from the last hand) instantly calls. I assume that he has pocket 7's. He turns over A-J off-suit. Two bricks on the turn and river, and I get my money back plus interest. The BB leaves the table - and I take his seat.
I won some small pots, but the next significant hand I had was pocket 8's in the BB. I peeked early, and was ready to bump to $12 if it came around to me unraised. Everyone limped in, but the SB bumped it to $12 before I had a chance. This was the same player who had A-K against me earlier. I call, hoping for a low flop, and the button calls. The flop came down 6-6-3, with two hearts. The SB checks, I bet $15, the button folds, and the SB calls. I think he just wants to see the turn, or is possibly on a flush draw. The turn is is the 2 of clubs. There is a straight possibility, but I can't put the SB on 4-5 with the pre-flop raise. He checks, and I bet $30. He thinks for a few seconds and open folds his pocket 10s. I have to admit I was shocked. I push my cards to the dealer. The button says he thought about calling the flop - he knew I didn't have a 6. I said I didn't have a 6. The SB said I had pocket jacks. I said I had a pocket pair, and I just wanted to see a flop without an ace on it. "Good fold" I said.
Finally the last significant pot I played was in the BB again. I had J-7 offsuit and there were many limpers. The flop came down 7-7-3 with two hearts. I normally bet out in those situations (because I think a check/call looks too obvious), but I decided to check here. The woman at the end of the table who had rebought for $20 multiple times since I sat down, bet $12 all-in. The button (a very tight player) called, and I immediately put him on a 7. I hesitated and called. I figured it was going to come down to a kicker contest, but there was a good chance the jack was good. The turn brought the king of clubs. I checked, and the button bet $30. I called and checked dark. The river brought the jack of spades. The button bet $30, and I raised to $100. He thought for a second and called. I turned over the full house and he showed Q-7.
I must admit I got lucky with dominated hands winning so many times. I was pretty happy with my patience though, and definitely took advantage of my table image. I walked away up $490 for the session.
Comments
When did they make the rake $6, Has it always been that high?
How is the rake structured? Is it $2 on the flop and $1 at 30/40/50/60?
What's the rake for 2/5?
Did playing 11 handed change things much?
I believe it has been like that for a long time, but don't quote me on that
I could have treated you to the buffet;)
Playing 1/2 11 handed means having to work much harder at controlling the pot size. There are so many times that you end up acting after half the table has limped into the pot. My experience on Friday was unusual compared to previous visits. Very often you could raise to $12 or $17 after several people have limped in, and everyone calls the raise. On Friday people would fold to a $12 raise preflop.
I played other hands during the afternoon, but I reported on the ones that were significant. I limped in or called with suited connectors, suited aces, a couple of small pairs, but I really didn't have many playable hands. There really isn't a chance to bluff much in a game like that, unless you can isolate. I had a couple of continuation bets that won me pots, but it wasn't worth seeing a flop against five or six other players unless you had a legitimate chance to make a strong hand.
If it were PLO8?