My first day in the Brantford Charity Casino.
It was my birthday last Wednesday, and I arranged for my friends from university to come down and hit up the local casino and bars on Friday night. A few came early in the afternoon and we went for a couple of hours while waiting for the others to get off work and drive down.
I got a seat within 15 minutes of getting my name on the list for the $5/$10. I'm going to post some hands that were the most memorable.
The first hand I played was Ts8s, and I flopped the nuts (rainbow). I check/call. The turn is a 5 and it makes the straight look more obvious but I still got the nuts and can sucker anyone with an 8. I check-raise, and get one caller. The river is a T, and I check-call. The other guy has Jd8d for the higher straight(nuts).
I pick up Jacks and raise preflop in late position. The flop is Q T 9, both good and bad for me because there's an overcard but I have a straight draw. It's checked to me and I bet, get a few callers. The turn is a rag. I take the free card when it's checked to me. The river is another rag. A lady, who is an alright player, in middle position stares at me for a bit for a read (or because of my good looks) and bets. At first I think she has a pair of queens, but then I sensed weakness because she had to stare me down with top pair if she had it. I call and she has king high (missed straight draw).
I pick up 87 on the button and make a position raise preflop, there's a few callers. The flop is A87, nice!! They check to me and I bet, they call. The turn is an A. I bet and they fold under the impression that I had an ace. I showed my hand to let everyone know I didn't have an ace, I don't want to be predictable since I'm the new kid.
I pick aces in middle position and raise, and get some callers. The flop is king high rainbow, I couldn't ask for more. I check-call. The turn is an ace, I check-raise. The river is a blank. I check-raise, and beat AK. $2 tip
I pick up aces right before the button gets to me (Drats!! I love being on the button). There's only a couple of limpers, so I just call. The flop is jack high, I check-call. The turn is a Q, I check-raise. I bet the river, and win. $2 tip
I gave that dealer who dealt me aces twice $4.50 when I left. I ended up $225 richer in about two hours.
After the rest of my friends got here, we decided to go again around 2:00am because it's not as busy then usually. I got my name on the list before we went to the bar/strip club, and when we got there I was next on the list for a seat. Awesome timing!! Here is the big hand for the night:
The second hand I play I pick up KcTc and limp in from middle position, there is a raise and a lot of callers including myself (big pot). The flop is QcJcXx. I check-call, and there's a good amount still in. The turn is a rag club. I check-raise and there's still a few left. The river is Ac, I checked my cards to make sure I made THE hand. I bet and get one caller. After I showed, everyone was congratulating me on my big nuts(hehe). I dragged a ~$200 pot there. No casino bonus for the royal though. I gained instant respect from everyone at the table though. This one dude was telling every newcomer to the table about this hand.
This one guy two to the right of me was getting cards his way for the next few laps of the button. He folded maybe once per lap of the button, and only lost like a third of the hands he played. That was bad for my top pair top kicker or two pair hands against him. Here's a hand where it was me and him at the end, and I unsuccessfully tried bluffing:
I pick up Ad4d in the SB and call. The flop is Axx, two hearts. I check-call his bet, there's a few others in. I know he has an ace and most likely a better kicker. The turn is a blank, I check-call again and it's heads up now. I decide that I want to try bluffing him if another heart falls. A heart falls, and I check-raise. He flips over his hand without calling my raise, and I'm thinking that it worked because he had AT and was showing me a big laydown. The dealer tells him he didn't call the raise, he says "Oh sorry, I didn't see him raise." He throws in $10 and I muck saying "You got me." Everyone around the table was like "I thought you had the flush" because they wanted that guy to lose for once, I guess.
I ended up losing $160 in a few hours.
Overall, it was a fun day and I finished the day up $65. If I had cashed out after that royal flush I would be up $300+ for the day. Oh well.
Was anyone here there that day by any chance? If so, what do you look like? I might've seen or played with you...
I got a seat within 15 minutes of getting my name on the list for the $5/$10. I'm going to post some hands that were the most memorable.
The first hand I played was Ts8s, and I flopped the nuts (rainbow). I check/call. The turn is a 5 and it makes the straight look more obvious but I still got the nuts and can sucker anyone with an 8. I check-raise, and get one caller. The river is a T, and I check-call. The other guy has Jd8d for the higher straight(nuts).
I pick up Jacks and raise preflop in late position. The flop is Q T 9, both good and bad for me because there's an overcard but I have a straight draw. It's checked to me and I bet, get a few callers. The turn is a rag. I take the free card when it's checked to me. The river is another rag. A lady, who is an alright player, in middle position stares at me for a bit for a read (or because of my good looks) and bets. At first I think she has a pair of queens, but then I sensed weakness because she had to stare me down with top pair if she had it. I call and she has king high (missed straight draw).
I pick up 87 on the button and make a position raise preflop, there's a few callers. The flop is A87, nice!! They check to me and I bet, they call. The turn is an A. I bet and they fold under the impression that I had an ace. I showed my hand to let everyone know I didn't have an ace, I don't want to be predictable since I'm the new kid.
I pick aces in middle position and raise, and get some callers. The flop is king high rainbow, I couldn't ask for more. I check-call. The turn is an ace, I check-raise. The river is a blank. I check-raise, and beat AK. $2 tip
I pick up aces right before the button gets to me (Drats!! I love being on the button). There's only a couple of limpers, so I just call. The flop is jack high, I check-call. The turn is a Q, I check-raise. I bet the river, and win. $2 tip
I gave that dealer who dealt me aces twice $4.50 when I left. I ended up $225 richer in about two hours.
After the rest of my friends got here, we decided to go again around 2:00am because it's not as busy then usually. I got my name on the list before we went to the bar/strip club, and when we got there I was next on the list for a seat. Awesome timing!! Here is the big hand for the night:
The second hand I play I pick up KcTc and limp in from middle position, there is a raise and a lot of callers including myself (big pot). The flop is QcJcXx. I check-call, and there's a good amount still in. The turn is a rag club. I check-raise and there's still a few left. The river is Ac, I checked my cards to make sure I made THE hand. I bet and get one caller. After I showed, everyone was congratulating me on my big nuts(hehe). I dragged a ~$200 pot there. No casino bonus for the royal though. I gained instant respect from everyone at the table though. This one dude was telling every newcomer to the table about this hand.
This one guy two to the right of me was getting cards his way for the next few laps of the button. He folded maybe once per lap of the button, and only lost like a third of the hands he played. That was bad for my top pair top kicker or two pair hands against him. Here's a hand where it was me and him at the end, and I unsuccessfully tried bluffing:
I pick up Ad4d in the SB and call. The flop is Axx, two hearts. I check-call his bet, there's a few others in. I know he has an ace and most likely a better kicker. The turn is a blank, I check-call again and it's heads up now. I decide that I want to try bluffing him if another heart falls. A heart falls, and I check-raise. He flips over his hand without calling my raise, and I'm thinking that it worked because he had AT and was showing me a big laydown. The dealer tells him he didn't call the raise, he says "Oh sorry, I didn't see him raise." He throws in $10 and I muck saying "You got me." Everyone around the table was like "I thought you had the flush" because they wanted that guy to lose for once, I guess.
I ended up losing $160 in a few hours.
Overall, it was a fun day and I finished the day up $65. If I had cashed out after that royal flush I would be up $300+ for the day. Oh well.
Was anyone here there that day by any chance? If so, what do you look like? I might've seen or played with you...
Comments
Flop is 679 I guess? 79J also gives you the nuts... but then you end up winning ;-)
First hand and you get gutshotted. I tell you, casino games are rigged. Bad beats like that never happen online. No, wait....
Nice. It's not a bad bluff on her part actually. I would probably have bet the turn in your spot, to protect your hand (if its good) and get the free showdown (if it's not).
Very, very, very nice. Makes you wonder what people are calling you with on the flop.
Hey cool. The exact same thing happenned to me on, I think, my 2nd casino trip, but I played it more aggressively and made more money. Bet-raise-reraise on the flop, bet-raise-reraise on the turn, and bet-call on the river.
Huh? Right before the button gets to you? Are you in the blinds?
You know, yesterday, after playing for about 6 or 8 hours I hadn't seen aces or kings yet, and the blinds hadnt been chopped ONCE at that table since I had gotten there. I pick up red aces in the small blind. Sure enough, it folds around to me. I turn to the big blind, and say, do you chop? He says, sure, so I flip over my red aces. He flips over KdQd.
Very nice.
Geeeeez. I have never made a royal in any kind of poker (casino, online, or home game). I made a straight flush once at Brantford, using only one of my cards, and got no action.
Wow. A check-raise bluff at $5/$10. Ballsy. The problem is that people rarely lay down any kind of a hand in that game for just one bet. Unless if you are up against one of those old rocks who plays about one hand every 3 orbits, this type of tricky play usually won't work at $5/$10. I had some success with moves like that (drawing to a bluff) at $10/$20, but I will only try it at $5/$10 against a few specific people.
From your post, you sound like a good, tricky, aggressive player. Your game might be better suited to $10/$20. You gotta have the bankroll though... the swings are huge in that game. I find that I have more success just playing solidly and aggressively at $5/$10, and rarely getting tricky. I mean, here you are trying to check-raise bluff the guy, and not only was he not scared of your check-raise, he didn't even NOTICE it!!! Your play went so far over his head that it bounced off the ceiling.
Hey, you lost less than me.
Not bad at all for your first day there. You will be killing that game in no time. It's pretty soft.
Keith
Were you wearing a Boston Red Sox hat? If so, I was there for your second session when you hit the royal flush. Its the only "made" royal flush I've seen in live play and it was clubs so I'm guessing I was there. If I recall correctly, you were sitting in seat 8 and we were at table 8. I was sitting in seat 5 with a Tennessee Titans hat on and wearing glasses (normal ones, not sunglasses). When you got to the table I moved seats and you took my previous seat I believe.
Anyways, congrats on your Royal. I'm sure I'll see you there again sometime.
I agree with this 100%.
In my opinion, quite a few of your plays were very questionable plays at the $5-$10 level, but the exact same plays would have probably been nice, creative plays at $10-$20 (or higher).
You sound like one of those players who will eventually turn against $5-$10 and say, "I hate that game because it's too much like bingo."
My overall assessment was that you probably missed a lot of bets if this game was full of the typical "close your eyes and call" chasers characteristic of the $5-$10 game. A lot of the moves you made (most often slowplaying specifically) cost you a lot of calls. It costs you a lot of money to let the chasers chase for free.
And if your game actually *was* a $5-$10 game full of fancy, solid players, get on the table change list for crying out loud. 8)
One last thing, calling one bet pre-flop with AA, unless you attempting a limp re-raise (or something similarly fancy), is a serious mistake in *any* game.
ScottyZ
Doing that is usually indicative of a flush draw. Better to memorize your hole cards. If you have to look, then do some acting to cover it. Scrunch up your eyebrows and try to look pissed off or worried when you look at the cards. Maybe no one noticed it, but it's still not a good habit to get into on flush draws. A good player would pick up on it fast.
So, actually in this case, he gave out a false tell since he had already made the (royal) flush.
Of course, memorizing your cards is the best idea in general. If you have trouble doing this, the alternative is to look at your hole cards *every* hand.
ScottyZ
That was me!! 8) I was in Seat 9 though, I think. Thanks for switching me seats
About this, I limped in from the SB and hoped for a bad flop because I didn't want to scare off players by raising. But then again, in a $5/$10 game, I guess those people will call an extra bet preflop most of the time.
I always memorize my cards. I just had to check to make sure that I made the royal flush and didn't mis-read my hand. Hellmuth did this once and it costed him a tournament win, I think. Plus, there was four clubs on the table anyways.