Rama on a Thursday afternoon- a report
I was able to get to Rama for my first time on Thursday. I have been to Brantford and Niagara but never out to Rama before. Since I was on my way back from a conference in Cornwall. Yes, Cornwall. The armpit of Ontario. FYI, there is nothing to do in Cornwall. However, I did find a game at my conference centre on my first night. That was fun, but I digress.
My brother-in-law (a sometimes Bristol player) and I arrived at about 8:30am. We stayed the night in Orillia and wanted to get started early. The only game available was a $20/$40 that had been going all night. Since that is beyond my bankroll, we signed up for the $2/$5 and were advised to come back at 10. Telling myself I wouldn’t play any slots, I sat down at The Price is Right machine. How could I say no to Rod Roddy (Rest in Peace) saying “Come on Down!� So after I lost $20, but admittedly I had fun doing so. I watched a few games of Let it Ride and Three Card Poker. Not too exciting.
We came back to the Poker room at 10 and got our seats. I don’t know if there ever called us over the loud speaker though. I never heard anything. Regardless we got our seats at the same (and only table) and the cards were flying in about 20 minutes. I bought in for $140.
Start Time: Approx 10:20am.
I went into this game with one strategy. Very Tight, aggressive. I know that there will be a lot of chaser (which is good) but top pair won’t win a majority of the hands. The table is very loose, very passive. I didn’t play a hand (other than blinds) for about an hour and a half. In that time, I observed the following.
French Chaser - beside the dealer, he chased all flushes to the river. Any suited cards were good. The first hand he took my brother-in-law, Aaron for a good pot when he hit runner runner flush to Aaron’s flopped straight. Aaron raised or bet every street.
Aaron - beside French chaser. I know his play. I typically avoid his raises.
Teacher - 40/50ish guy who “taught†us how to play. ABC player with weak hand selection.
Me!
LoL - Beside me was a little old lady who talked to me the whole time. Basically she was a calling station who never, never, ever raised. She had a lot of good stories from the old Toronto roaming casino days. One was great about QQQQ getting beat by AAAA which was beat by the Royal Flush. Who knows if it was true, but she told it really well. The best part about her was her tell. I think STPBOY would have trouble reading her. When she missed her straight or flush on the river, she slammed her hand down and would say, “DAMN!†and get ready to muck her cards. At first I thought she was playing us but it was true. She showed my her hands almost 90% of the time.
Local Woman - chases a bit but folds when she is beat.
Nondescript guy #1 - never won a pot, rarely made it to showdown.
Nondescript guy #2 - won a pot or two. Called, never raised.
The Kid - also a teacher but a really bad one. Example: #2 guy had AA flop was A97 rainbow. Two players. #2 bets, another guy (whom I will get too, I call him Doyle) calls. Turn is a 7. Bets again. Doyle calls. River is junk. Bets again and Doyle raises. He calls. Doyle had A9. The Kid in all his wisdom said to guy #2, “Wow, you should have been afraid of pocket 7s, good call.†So I knew this guy was a dummy. Also he had the by the book tells. Pre counted out his calls or raises before action got to him (never faked it) and prepped his cards to muck if he didn’t like them. Again, never faked it.
Angry guy - he didn’t start out angry. He got there though. Raised with any pocket pair preflop. Raised with junk after the flop.
Doyle - old guy in a big ole white Tilly hat with giant glasses. He looked like Doyle, was an okay player.
For the most part the table was fun. LoL was entertaining as was the regular. French guy talked a lot and I just decided to have fun. So I would applaud nice hands which was well received (not angry guy).
I am in the BB and I get dealt 2d2c. 3 limpers, The Kid, French guy and the teacher (SB). Flop is 6s, 6d, 8s. Checked all around. Turn comes my miracle 2 of spades. A weak full house, let’s see who has the flush or maybe worse. Checked to me, I bet $5. The Kid calls. French guy raises (high flush?). I thought the teacher mucked and I re-raised. The re-raise was cancelled when the dealer pointed out I was out of turn. Damn dumbass mistake by me. I let excitement get to me. The teacher ends up folding. The kid says, “Well I would have folded if that raise stood, but I’ll call now!â€. Huh? Well, I have him beat. The river comes a brick. I bet, the kid decides to fold now. French guy raises me for the last of his chips. At this point I knew I was good. I called.
He had a jack high flush. Big pot for me. French guys leaves and the Kid asks for a table change a few hands later.
I won a few more good pots. I lost on showdown once with AA beat by QQ with a Q on the flop. When the flop was capped I knew I was beat. Oh well. My 10 10 beat a KK with my 10 on the turn. So it happens on both sides. However, the KK guy (who replaced the kid) just called me all the way to the river.
Last big hand.
In the BB again with KJoff. 5 limpers. Including angry guy, Doyle, nondescript #2 (now at my left, LoL was gone), Aaron and someone else. Flop is J 9 3 rainbow. I bet, called to angry guy who raises. Doyle calls, Aaron drops out, another drops, I re-raise. I put angry guy on Q 10 instantly. Maybe two pair, but I doubt it. Folded to him. He caps. Hmm. No way he has trips. Not limping. He may have me fooled. Doyle calls. I call. Turn is a 5 of hearts. Two hearts on the board. I have the K of hearts. I check. He bets. Doyle folds. I call. Now here is where I think I nailed him. The river is a 7 of hearts. As soon as it hit he immediately looks at me. Not his chips, not his cards. Me. Instantly. I check, he bets. This is where I think I should have raised since I truly thought I had him beat. Somewhere inside told me I had him. He chased the straight and missed. I called. He had Q 10. I show my KJ and take the pot. He was livid. “How could you call that? I represented the flush!â€, he spits at me. I laughed. “But you didn’t have it.â€, I replied. He got more and more angry saying he bet like he did from the start and blah blah blah. He was livid Later his flush was beat by a full house (on the turn) and lost it again. Any thoughts on my play here?
In the end I finished at 2:30 and was up to $307. Not bad for basically watching for the first hour and a half.
My brother-in-law (a sometimes Bristol player) and I arrived at about 8:30am. We stayed the night in Orillia and wanted to get started early. The only game available was a $20/$40 that had been going all night. Since that is beyond my bankroll, we signed up for the $2/$5 and were advised to come back at 10. Telling myself I wouldn’t play any slots, I sat down at The Price is Right machine. How could I say no to Rod Roddy (Rest in Peace) saying “Come on Down!� So after I lost $20, but admittedly I had fun doing so. I watched a few games of Let it Ride and Three Card Poker. Not too exciting.
We came back to the Poker room at 10 and got our seats. I don’t know if there ever called us over the loud speaker though. I never heard anything. Regardless we got our seats at the same (and only table) and the cards were flying in about 20 minutes. I bought in for $140.
Start Time: Approx 10:20am.
I went into this game with one strategy. Very Tight, aggressive. I know that there will be a lot of chaser (which is good) but top pair won’t win a majority of the hands. The table is very loose, very passive. I didn’t play a hand (other than blinds) for about an hour and a half. In that time, I observed the following.
French Chaser - beside the dealer, he chased all flushes to the river. Any suited cards were good. The first hand he took my brother-in-law, Aaron for a good pot when he hit runner runner flush to Aaron’s flopped straight. Aaron raised or bet every street.
Aaron - beside French chaser. I know his play. I typically avoid his raises.
Teacher - 40/50ish guy who “taught†us how to play. ABC player with weak hand selection.
Me!
LoL - Beside me was a little old lady who talked to me the whole time. Basically she was a calling station who never, never, ever raised. She had a lot of good stories from the old Toronto roaming casino days. One was great about QQQQ getting beat by AAAA which was beat by the Royal Flush. Who knows if it was true, but she told it really well. The best part about her was her tell. I think STPBOY would have trouble reading her. When she missed her straight or flush on the river, she slammed her hand down and would say, “DAMN!†and get ready to muck her cards. At first I thought she was playing us but it was true. She showed my her hands almost 90% of the time.
Local Woman - chases a bit but folds when she is beat.
Nondescript guy #1 - never won a pot, rarely made it to showdown.
Nondescript guy #2 - won a pot or two. Called, never raised.
The Kid - also a teacher but a really bad one. Example: #2 guy had AA flop was A97 rainbow. Two players. #2 bets, another guy (whom I will get too, I call him Doyle) calls. Turn is a 7. Bets again. Doyle calls. River is junk. Bets again and Doyle raises. He calls. Doyle had A9. The Kid in all his wisdom said to guy #2, “Wow, you should have been afraid of pocket 7s, good call.†So I knew this guy was a dummy. Also he had the by the book tells. Pre counted out his calls or raises before action got to him (never faked it) and prepped his cards to muck if he didn’t like them. Again, never faked it.
Angry guy - he didn’t start out angry. He got there though. Raised with any pocket pair preflop. Raised with junk after the flop.
Doyle - old guy in a big ole white Tilly hat with giant glasses. He looked like Doyle, was an okay player.
For the most part the table was fun. LoL was entertaining as was the regular. French guy talked a lot and I just decided to have fun. So I would applaud nice hands which was well received (not angry guy).
I am in the BB and I get dealt 2d2c. 3 limpers, The Kid, French guy and the teacher (SB). Flop is 6s, 6d, 8s. Checked all around. Turn comes my miracle 2 of spades. A weak full house, let’s see who has the flush or maybe worse. Checked to me, I bet $5. The Kid calls. French guy raises (high flush?). I thought the teacher mucked and I re-raised. The re-raise was cancelled when the dealer pointed out I was out of turn. Damn dumbass mistake by me. I let excitement get to me. The teacher ends up folding. The kid says, “Well I would have folded if that raise stood, but I’ll call now!â€. Huh? Well, I have him beat. The river comes a brick. I bet, the kid decides to fold now. French guy raises me for the last of his chips. At this point I knew I was good. I called.
He had a jack high flush. Big pot for me. French guys leaves and the Kid asks for a table change a few hands later.
I won a few more good pots. I lost on showdown once with AA beat by QQ with a Q on the flop. When the flop was capped I knew I was beat. Oh well. My 10 10 beat a KK with my 10 on the turn. So it happens on both sides. However, the KK guy (who replaced the kid) just called me all the way to the river.
Last big hand.
In the BB again with KJoff. 5 limpers. Including angry guy, Doyle, nondescript #2 (now at my left, LoL was gone), Aaron and someone else. Flop is J 9 3 rainbow. I bet, called to angry guy who raises. Doyle calls, Aaron drops out, another drops, I re-raise. I put angry guy on Q 10 instantly. Maybe two pair, but I doubt it. Folded to him. He caps. Hmm. No way he has trips. Not limping. He may have me fooled. Doyle calls. I call. Turn is a 5 of hearts. Two hearts on the board. I have the K of hearts. I check. He bets. Doyle folds. I call. Now here is where I think I nailed him. The river is a 7 of hearts. As soon as it hit he immediately looks at me. Not his chips, not his cards. Me. Instantly. I check, he bets. This is where I think I should have raised since I truly thought I had him beat. Somewhere inside told me I had him. He chased the straight and missed. I called. He had Q 10. I show my KJ and take the pot. He was livid. “How could you call that? I represented the flush!â€, he spits at me. I laughed. “But you didn’t have it.â€, I replied. He got more and more angry saying he bet like he did from the start and blah blah blah. He was livid Later his flush was beat by a full house (on the turn) and lost it again. Any thoughts on my play here?
In the end I finished at 2:30 and was up to $307. Not bad for basically watching for the first hour and a half.
Comments
Loosen up.
I get a kick out of people who say this. 'I knew I was beat on the flop, but I called down'. That's not KNOWING you are beat.
The question to ask on the river is "If I raise him, will I be ahead when he calls?". You generally need to be 66% sure you are a winner in order to make these bets (Heads up) profitable. If it's got a busted draw, he's not calling, he's folding.
That's true. As I said, I didn't have the balls to raise. Weak play. He would have folded.
See you @ Bristol.
JohnnieH
My point was that the call was correct
(unless you really think that 66% of the time you are ahead of a guy that caps the flop, bets the turn and bets the river <I dont think you are>).
My apologies.
2/5 at Rama is limit. the Rake is effectively $5 per pot. (they say 10% to a max of $5, but I dare you to find me a pot where it isn't raked max)
That's a pretty sweet win for a 2-5 game. Nice session. As far as the KJ hand: The turn call isn't horrible. I doubt you chase out an OESD with a raise. And the river check call is fairly automatic if you think you're ahead. By checking you induce him to bluff if he's on a missed draw (which he wouldn't have called if you bet), or if you are wrong with your read and he has you beat, it only costs you one bet. Nice hand.
I don't understand this. Why would you need to be ahead 66% of the time instead of 50% of the time?
You win one bet when ahead but lose two when he raises and you are forced to call.