Poker@Sea - trip report
So just got back from a European Cruise with my Family. Twenty year anniversary so we went all out with the Norwegian Epic. Nice but too crowded.
On the first day at sea, I go down to casino and find two poker tables, the casino is hopping but no one is playing. Talking to the dealer he says the game does not start till around 10:30 at night and then goes to 4 AM. Asking on the rake, its 10% to a maximum of $25.00. As he said that I'm thinking no way I'm playing.
That night I couldn't sleep so around 1:30 AM I go to the casino and watch the game. The game was 2-4 NL with at max $400.00 buyin. OMFG I saw only 4 hands and everyone is limping in and calling off with top pair bad kicker!
There was on seat remaining and I almost killed myself trying to buy into the next hand. Bought in for the max.
I look around the table and no one had more than $250.00 in front of them.
Let the abuse begin!
Don't know about everyone else but most of the games I play in there is raising (lol) so just about every time it got to me I raised to $15.00. Well these Europeans don't like that very much. It took about one and a half orbits for them to figure out I was raising with crap. So two brave soles started to three bet me. Two hands of that and I started to 4 bet all in. Everyone was on tilt, and I'm having a blast raking in the chips.
One hour in everyone is now looking to play pots with me and I go on one of the sickest card rushes Ive seen. I was calling with any 2 cards and smashing the flop. Game was closed 1/2 hour later as everyone left. LOL. +$800.00.
Next day at sea they have a $100.00 rebuy tournament. It was bingo as you only start with 2000 and the blinds are 100/200. Since I was well up so far why not play. Only 20 players signed up for the game. To me this was a push or fold tournament and no one else knew this. They were limping and flooding down to 5BB. There were no tournament players in this game at all. 4 hours later I after pillaging the players at my tables I had 2/3rds the chips in play with 4 players left. I even stopped calling situations where there was a flip as I had such an edge on them they could do nothing. I just raised every hand they didn't. Won the tournament for $1800.00, net $1500.00.
Next day, the wife actually said to me so why don't you play every night! Thinking to my self 20 years of marriage and I have a cool wife. Took a couple of nights off to be with the wife and kids as we didn't take this vacation for me to play poker.
4th night of the trip I go to the casino at 11:00 PM and everyone at the table knew who I was..."TheCrazy Canadian". I was referred as. I got a kick out of this so I played just as wild as the first night. It was easy to play this way cause the most I would lose is $ 100.00 as none would buy in for more and they would eventually loose it. I saw some people buy in for $50.00...with that rake...Why! I left at around 1:30 AM + $350.00.
5th night of the trip same shit different day. Its as if all they knew was the basic rules on how to play. There was no creative play and they only played their cards. I got hammered (drunk) and still beat the rake, leaving the $ 50.00 or so.
6th night was the last day on the cruise so there was another poker tournament. Same as before but only 12 players played. Since everyone at the table was now pretty much scared to play with me I ramped up the aggression to the highest I have ever played. I abused the bubble for as long as i could. The smallest stack at my table was on my left and even though I could have raised him every time to seal I would fold so he could stay and I could steal from the rest of the table for another round. When we got 3 handed I had 3/4 of the chips in play. Safe to say I won again for $1100.00 net $900.00. Tournament ended at 8 PM. The family and I went for dinner and a show had a great time. Everyone was tired and went to bed around 2:30 but me...Im thinking poker of course!
Go down to the casino and there are only 4 players playing. Three I recognize. The one I don't has over $400.00 in front of him. I buyin for the $400.00 max and as soon as I do two others stand up to leave, both muttering about not wanting to play with me.
We start playing 3 handed realizing no way we are beating the rake. I win 6 out of the first 10 hands, half bluffs and the others real hands till this hand comes up.
I'm on the button with 10,10 and raise to 15. SB re raises to 40. He is the one that I don't know so I call really believing he has a strong hand. Flop comes 10,10,Q. He bets 120 into an 84 pot and I'm thinking please have QQ!!!!!!. I call. He bets 220 on a 8 turn I raise all in and he insta calls. GG he had QQ and the game is over as the other guy left. + $ 460.00 in 20 minutes!
Good trip overall nice to be a shark in a ship full of fish! Never considered myself to be one untill this trip. Too bad it was only one week.
On the first day at sea, I go down to casino and find two poker tables, the casino is hopping but no one is playing. Talking to the dealer he says the game does not start till around 10:30 at night and then goes to 4 AM. Asking on the rake, its 10% to a maximum of $25.00. As he said that I'm thinking no way I'm playing.
That night I couldn't sleep so around 1:30 AM I go to the casino and watch the game. The game was 2-4 NL with at max $400.00 buyin. OMFG I saw only 4 hands and everyone is limping in and calling off with top pair bad kicker!
There was on seat remaining and I almost killed myself trying to buy into the next hand. Bought in for the max.
I look around the table and no one had more than $250.00 in front of them.
Let the abuse begin!
Don't know about everyone else but most of the games I play in there is raising (lol) so just about every time it got to me I raised to $15.00. Well these Europeans don't like that very much. It took about one and a half orbits for them to figure out I was raising with crap. So two brave soles started to three bet me. Two hands of that and I started to 4 bet all in. Everyone was on tilt, and I'm having a blast raking in the chips.
One hour in everyone is now looking to play pots with me and I go on one of the sickest card rushes Ive seen. I was calling with any 2 cards and smashing the flop. Game was closed 1/2 hour later as everyone left. LOL. +$800.00.
Next day at sea they have a $100.00 rebuy tournament. It was bingo as you only start with 2000 and the blinds are 100/200. Since I was well up so far why not play. Only 20 players signed up for the game. To me this was a push or fold tournament and no one else knew this. They were limping and flooding down to 5BB. There were no tournament players in this game at all. 4 hours later I after pillaging the players at my tables I had 2/3rds the chips in play with 4 players left. I even stopped calling situations where there was a flip as I had such an edge on them they could do nothing. I just raised every hand they didn't. Won the tournament for $1800.00, net $1500.00.
Next day, the wife actually said to me so why don't you play every night! Thinking to my self 20 years of marriage and I have a cool wife. Took a couple of nights off to be with the wife and kids as we didn't take this vacation for me to play poker.
4th night of the trip I go to the casino at 11:00 PM and everyone at the table knew who I was..."TheCrazy Canadian". I was referred as. I got a kick out of this so I played just as wild as the first night. It was easy to play this way cause the most I would lose is $ 100.00 as none would buy in for more and they would eventually loose it. I saw some people buy in for $50.00...with that rake...Why! I left at around 1:30 AM + $350.00.
5th night of the trip same shit different day. Its as if all they knew was the basic rules on how to play. There was no creative play and they only played their cards. I got hammered (drunk) and still beat the rake, leaving the $ 50.00 or so.
6th night was the last day on the cruise so there was another poker tournament. Same as before but only 12 players played. Since everyone at the table was now pretty much scared to play with me I ramped up the aggression to the highest I have ever played. I abused the bubble for as long as i could. The smallest stack at my table was on my left and even though I could have raised him every time to seal I would fold so he could stay and I could steal from the rest of the table for another round. When we got 3 handed I had 3/4 of the chips in play. Safe to say I won again for $1100.00 net $900.00. Tournament ended at 8 PM. The family and I went for dinner and a show had a great time. Everyone was tired and went to bed around 2:30 but me...Im thinking poker of course!
Go down to the casino and there are only 4 players playing. Three I recognize. The one I don't has over $400.00 in front of him. I buyin for the $400.00 max and as soon as I do two others stand up to leave, both muttering about not wanting to play with me.
We start playing 3 handed realizing no way we are beating the rake. I win 6 out of the first 10 hands, half bluffs and the others real hands till this hand comes up.
I'm on the button with 10,10 and raise to 15. SB re raises to 40. He is the one that I don't know so I call really believing he has a strong hand. Flop comes 10,10,Q. He bets 120 into an 84 pot and I'm thinking please have QQ!!!!!!. I call. He bets 220 on a 8 turn I raise all in and he insta calls. GG he had QQ and the game is over as the other guy left. + $ 460.00 in 20 minutes!
Good trip overall nice to be a shark in a ship full of fish! Never considered myself to be one untill this trip. Too bad it was only one week.
Comments
I pray for the day it happens to me!! So, total +/- for the poker playing? Did it cover the trip?
Mark
http://www.pokerforum.ca/f7/ncl-cruise-line-trip-report-17565/
Although they never had to stop the game to empty the tray they also never had to refill it!
Only way it was profitable was cause of the bad players. My knee still hurts from trying to get in my seat so quick!
Congrats on the 20 year anniversary as well.
D
and well done at the tables, too . . .
PS (it's lose)
Nice tr and well done!