Foxwoods

Took the afternoon off Friday and headed to Foxwoods. Got to the poker room at around 2 and I was looking to play 4/8 Omaha8. However, the list was about 8 people long, and the person at the desk said that there was an interest list going for 1/2 Pot-Limit O8. It was open seating at that point, so I joined in and soon we had a full table of 10 people and the game got going.

Early on I made a pretty bad blunder with a strong hand. I had AQ42 on the button and called a $6 raise. One of the blinds also called and the flop came with 2 clubs and 2 low cards, giving me a Q-high flush draw and the nut low draw. I called a $12 bet from the preflop raiser, the other player folded and we were heads up. The turn was the 5, completing both of my draws. The PFR checked and I checked behind (I know, terrible). The river was the, 5 putting a possible full house on board. He checked again and I not only check behind but I turn my hand face up instead of letting my opponent reveal his cards. My opponent mucked and I took the whole pot. Definitely should have bet the turn, honestly didn't like the way my opponent checked it to me, so I thought he may have been trapping with a better flush. He probably had at least 1 ace in his hand as the PFR, so Ax2x is a possibility, but almost all the time I'm at least ahead for half should be an automatic bet. River is probably debatable. I would play better later in the session.

I was getting trash hands so I played very tightly, and it caught the attention of the rest of the table. One guy asked me what hand I was waiting for, and I responded somewhat jokingly, "AA23, double suited" (statistically the best starting hand in this game). The guy responded that it won't make any money because no one else will have anything when I get it. Not sure I agree with that, because that hand produces a lot of possibilities. Besides, in this game people were playing pretty loose (and somewhat aggressive), so it could make money if I played it right.

So anyway, I played very few hands. I did get A278 on the button and called an $8 raise from the player in the hijack seat (even though it was pot limit people were raising to $8 even though $7 should have been the max). The player in the big blind calls as well. Flop comes down T87 giving me bottom 2 and the nut low draw. The BB checked, and the preflop raiser bets pot, $25. I have a tough decision. At this point I have about $100 left, it's either raise pot or fold. I still have a player behind me as well who is pretty aggressive and could be trapping or could be ready to make a big raise on a draw.

After deliberating for a minute I decided to fold. I gave the hijack player credit for a strong hand here, either an overpair with a low draw, some kind of big wrap draw maybe with a flush draw, or overpair with a flush draw. I figured the reverse implied odds dictated a fold, I may only be a little ahead for high and I could be splitting low.

The BB ended up calling and the hand ended up going to showdown. The BB had a flush draw that came in and the other player had AA2 and ended up making low. Maybe I could have blown both of those players off their hands with a big raise, but it was risky and I think I like my fold.

I continued to play pretty tight, but got KQJ9 with no suits OTB and played in a limped pot. Ended up flopping a wrap draw when it came AT9 on the flop. With no low possibility for the hand, so I called a $12 bet in position, and then bet the K turn when I hit two pair (but I was really trying to represent the straight). I did get one call, the river was a low card, I ended up checking it down and my kings up beat his missed flush draw.

An orbit later I was on the button again and flopped an A-high flush when the board came 874 and I had A356. This was a 6 way limped pot, everyone checked to me, I announced "pot" and everyone almost instantly folded. Had to bet there of course but surprised no one had or wanted to contend with me with the nut low.

I was almost back to even after that pot (started with $100), and a few orbits later I got AA93, my best hand of the day, but in the SB. A new player who had just joined the table a few hands prior raised it up to $8 in early position. He got a few calls and I elected to just smooth call with my hand. BB folds and there are 4 of us in the hand. Flop comes T75 and it gets checked around. Turn is K. I am first to act and check. The preflop raiser bets $25. Folded back to me and I announce that I'm raising the pot. While I'm counting it out the PFR says, "I can't beat a flush" and shows KK. That was fine with me, because I couldn't have beat a rivered full house.

Left soon after that, ended up making $43 in the four hour session. I definitely took that to the bank (or the cashier's cage) as just an hour prior I was down $40. Good times.

Mohegan Sun

Sorry for no updates, but after months of hardly playing online, finally went down to Mohegan Sun Friday. I haven't played poker in an actual casino since 2006. I've been wanting to check out the Sun's poker room since it opened in 2008 and I kept putting off going down there. I figured it would be my last chance to go for awhile with my work schedule changing in a few weeks and no more weekdays off (which is when I prefer to go).

Left the house a little later than I wanted to and arrived at the casino at around 2:15. Took me a good 15 minutes to get to the poker room and get my name on the waiting list. I wanted to play some Omaha hi/lo, but unfortunately they weren't offering it. The selection was pretty scarce, it was a choice of No Limit holdem (1-2, 2-5, 5-10), Limit holdem (2/4, 3/6), one stud game (1-5 spread limit) and 1/2 Pot Limit Omaha. I put my name in for the 3/6 limit game, went to the cage and bought $200 in chips. After waiting for about 15 minutes I put my name in for the 2/4 as well. I was 3rd on the list when a seat opened up in the 3/6. After the first two people were MIA (or at another table and didn't want to leave), I got called.

I sat down at the table and after the current hand was done the dealer said "$3 to play" so I posted the blind two off the button in this 10 handed game. I got some junk hand and no one raised so I got to see the flop for free. It didn't help so I folded. I really got nothing for the first two orbits so I wasn't in any hands. I took notice of the other players at the table and this game played tighter than I was used to in live games. It was basically 4-5 to the flop on average instead of the 7-8 I was used to 4 years ago at Foxwoods. There were a few solid regs at the table and a few tight-passive players along with a few loose-passive players. But everyone at the table at least had a little common sense and weren't playing every hand. At worst, I would say people were playing about 45% of the hands dealt to them.

There was still bad play though, especially preflop. Three different people had KK preflop and did not raise. One hand later in the session I had 97o and got a free play in the BB after a few limpers. Flop came 9-7-2 rainbow. I was first to act in I think a 4 player pot and checked. A woman bet in middle position and I checkraised. It got down to heads up with her and me and it went bet-call bet-call on the turn and river. She had the two kings and let me draw out on her for free. Probably would not have called that for 1 bet out of the big blind.

My biggest pot of the day came when I had QJo in the small blind. Limped pot with 7 players. Flop comes QJ 2 giving me two pair. I check, player to my immediate left (BB) bets, the player to her immediate left (UTG) also calls. All else fold and then it gets back to me. I call with the intention of raising the turn unless it's bad. Turn comes Q, best card in the deck. Completes a flush but gives me a full house. I check, BB checks, UTG bets, I raise, BB calls, UTG 3-bets, I cap, BB calls, UTG folds! River comes T completing a possible Royal flush. I bet, the player to my left called, I showed my queens full, she had trip queens. The other player who folded certainly had to have a flush. $70+ pot right there.

Had a few other interesting pots with that lady who was UTG in that hand. Had played tight for an hour plus and come in 3rd or 4th to act with AK. This was the first hand I had raised all day. I had only limped in up until that point (because I had no hands that would justify raising). She calls, and 2 other players called. Flop came A-A-9 rainbow giving me trip aces. I bet, she calls, other players fold. Turn is a 2, I bet she calls. River is an 8, no straights or flushes on board. I bet, she raises. I'm obviously wondering if she filled up, I elected to just call and she had trip aces with a lower kicker. I took the pot. I figured she calls the 3-bet if she has just trips and 4-bets if she has the boat. I would be committed to calling the 4-bet. So it was a question of winning 1 more bet vs. losing two. I didn't think it was worth reopening the betting.

Another hand I had with her was when I had AQ on the button. She was in the big blind. A player limped in, I raised, and she called. The other player called the raise as well. Flop came A54, checked to me, I bet, she calls in the BB, other player folds. Turn comes 8, she checks, I bet, now she raises. I call. River is 3 and it goes check-check. She turns over AK.

Another interesting hand I had was when I had 87 on the button. It was a limped pot with like 6 players, flop came 8 7 6 with two s. I had top two pair and this guy who was two seats to my right bet after it was checked to him. I raised, figuring I had to protect my hand. If the pot was small, I would have folded because of the reverse implied odds but because it was pretty big I raised hoping to knock people out. One person called the two bets, and then the player in question made it 3-bets. Yikes. I knew he had to have me beat at that point, but if it's a straight I have outs to a full house. Had to call. Turn came J and he bet, I called, the other guy called. River was a the 6, pairing the board. He bet, I called, the other guy folded, he turned over his T9 and I told him "nice hand" and insta mucked. Not happy with that, maybe I'm being results oriented but as drawing really light and maybe should have just folded turn.

Even with those reversals, ended up +$24 in about 3 1/2 hours of play. I actually miscounted the chips initially before taking them to the cage and thought I had $223, so I took that extra $1 and figured I'd fool around on a slot machine before I left. I played this penny slot with a jackpot, but the machine only accepted $5 bills and higher, and would give you credits. I was betting $.03 at a time and was down $.39 when I made a score and won a few dollars. I had a $7.31 balance and figured I would play with the $.31 and if I lost it I would take my $2 profit and cash out. I didn't win another spin so I cashed out and ended the day up $26.