Seneca Trip Report - Part 1
After finally getting my passport for the trip to Myrtle Beach I decide to venture to Seneca a couple of weeks ago and discovered a tourney they were running. A two day, $200 buy in with late registration for 9 levels. I get in at level 4, 100 / 200 (25) with a starting stack of $15k. It is a re-entry and this is the last day 1 flight.
It already has almost doubled the guaranteed prize pool of $50k at just over $90k.
The structure was so much better than the last tourney I played at Seneca, over 5 years ago. This had 30 minute blinds and they went up VERY gradually, In fact, I think they copied Buzzzards blind structure. I took my time chipped up here and there and ran it up to $60k.
The blinds are now 500 / 1000 (100) and I look down at Qd-Qc UTG and raise it to 3k, folds to button who 3 bets to 10k (40k behind), I shove he tanks and finally calls and flips over Qh-Qs. I say, "Chop it up, unless you want to run out clubs", to the dealer.
Flop has two clubs, turn a club and river a CLUB. Ewwww. but yay for me.
They announce that there will be five more hands then on to day two.
Blinds are $1200 / $2400 (300) and my stack size is $175k, table is 8 handed
UTG, I am dealt 9-9 and raise to 5k
UTG+1 calls, button calls, and BB calls - pot is $20k ish
Flop is A-Q-9 rainbow and I lead out for $13k - UTG+1 calls (he has me covered), everyone else folds
Turn is a K -
I lead out for $20k and UTG+1 goes all in. I tank for a bit, I cannot figure out what he would shove with, except two pair type of hands. But this is for my tournament life and a massive chip lead going into day 2. I ended up calling and he flips over J-T for the nuts, board doesn't pair and I'm out.
The room is run really well, the dealers are all friendly, efficient and fast and get to keep their own tips. They open a new table as soon as there is a waiting list of 10 players. And, unlike the rest of the Casino, it is smoke free.
TR to be continued......
It already has almost doubled the guaranteed prize pool of $50k at just over $90k.
The structure was so much better than the last tourney I played at Seneca, over 5 years ago. This had 30 minute blinds and they went up VERY gradually, In fact, I think they copied Buzzzards blind structure. I took my time chipped up here and there and ran it up to $60k.
The blinds are now 500 / 1000 (100) and I look down at Qd-Qc UTG and raise it to 3k, folds to button who 3 bets to 10k (40k behind), I shove he tanks and finally calls and flips over Qh-Qs. I say, "Chop it up, unless you want to run out clubs", to the dealer.
Flop has two clubs, turn a club and river a CLUB. Ewwww. but yay for me.
They announce that there will be five more hands then on to day two.
Blinds are $1200 / $2400 (300) and my stack size is $175k, table is 8 handed
UTG, I am dealt 9-9 and raise to 5k
UTG+1 calls, button calls, and BB calls - pot is $20k ish
Flop is A-Q-9 rainbow and I lead out for $13k - UTG+1 calls (he has me covered), everyone else folds
Turn is a K -
I lead out for $20k and UTG+1 goes all in. I tank for a bit, I cannot figure out what he would shove with, except two pair type of hands. But this is for my tournament life and a massive chip lead going into day 2. I ended up calling and he flips over J-T for the nuts, board doesn't pair and I'm out.
The room is run really well, the dealers are all friendly, efficient and fast and get to keep their own tips. They open a new table as soon as there is a waiting list of 10 players. And, unlike the rest of the Casino, it is smoke free.
TR to be continued......
Comments
So this week, I decide to try again but this time the 1/2 cash game. I show up at 4pm and am seated right away in seat 1. Don't have to post as a new player and am dealt in the next hand. The action is like I remember it, raise to $10-12 preflop, get four callers, chasers going to chase, etc...
I decide I am going to play loose pre-flop, and tighten up post flop as there is no point in bluffing most of this crowd. It's an up and down afternoon as I chip up to $500 then back down to $300, never going below the starting stack of $200. I'm at a good table with only one other solid player and three real fish. The rest are very straight forward players and you can tell when they have it.
No one, except one player, pick up on the fact that when I am betting post flop, I have it.
The hand that started it all.
I am in the BB and look down at 6h-8h, UTG+2 makes it $10 to go, three callers and I call. Pot is $50 and the flop comes
5d-7h-Th, I check and it checks to the button who leads out for $30, I check-raise it to $80, everyone else folds and button shoves to put me all in, I call and it runs out Js - 6d - I say, "I missed" and table my hand. Button stares at the board and yells "I knew it, I knew you were on a flush draw !" and then mucks his cards, saying he had A-K and that I rivered him.
I didn't bother to tell him that he was a HUGE underdog after the flop.
Then three sisters, who I think used to be regulars there, came in and all sat at our table. They were friendly, having fun and didn't mind gambling. I stacked the eldest with my K-Q vs her Q-J on a queen high flop and she barreled every street of a three flush board, I just didn't think she flopped a flush, so I called her down, she was not happy with me.
When they left, things really picked up. I had just over $600 in front of me and went on the kind of heater you can only dream about for 1/2. I got paid off and held every high pocket pair I had. Hit trip 2s twice, trip 8s another time. turned straights three times.
When the floor came over to load the tray, every half hour or so, he asked what was going on at our table, then he looked at my stack and said "oh", lol.
By 6am, when I decided I had to leave for driving sake, I had $1800 US sitting in front of me ! Best 1/2 session I have ever had.
Not a bad hourly rate, I'd say.
side note - no bbv posts for next 6 months
Your other option could be to play 2/5 at fallsview which is very soft on weekends. It may be even softer this weekend with most grinders in Montreal at playground.
The only thing that concerns me about 2/5 is the higher buy-in. I'm just starting to get a decent bankroll going (I was using real life money before) that I don't want to risk that much yet.
Hopefully I'll run good enough to move up to 2/5 in a couple of months.
FYI... The min BI is $100. I was like wtf when I saw it 2 weeks ago.