Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Weekend wrap


If you play live poker, and can't find anything to blog about, you're not trying hard enough -- I'm just sayin'. Here are a few more stories from my poker adventure last weekend at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi MS (shown above):

I'm all in, but I don't really mean it
In the $1/2 NL game, a player raised to $12, was called, and another (who had K K) raised to $40. It folded to a player who held 8 7. He meant to fold, but said "All in," and about one-half second later said, "I mean I fold, I fold." Between the all in and fold, the next player had mucked his cards.

The floor was called. The guy said he was tired, and just said the wrong thing. The floor ruled he was all in. (He had a little more than $300 in front of him.) The floor explained that a player had acted behind him, his verbal statement was binding, blah, blah. Everyone else folded and the guy with K-K couldn't wait to call.

A funny thing happened on the way to the bank. The flop came with a 7 and an 8, and this guy was less ticked off. Yes, his two pair held up.

Don't mess with me, I'm wearing a ballcap
A young, ballcap guy sat down at the table. The second hand he raised to $12, and got two callers. The flop was queen-high and he bet $30. Everyone folded and he turned over 8 4. The fact he showed us was his way of saying I'm here now, folks, and the game is about to change. I used to find guys like him annoying, and they made me feel slightly uneasy. Now, I like them at my table -- I have a ballcap, too.

What the heck is thin slicing?
On a deal with a $5 straddle, I called UTG with Q J. Kids, don't try this at home.

Bad. Hand. Out. Of. Position.

A lady raised to $12 (not large enough, imo), three called, so I also called. Once you start sliding down the slippery slope, it's hard to stop yourself.

The flop wasn't too bad for me: A K 10 -- I had flopped the joint, whatever that means.* Surprisingly, the guy who had been in the BB led out for $20. The board looked safe, so I decided to just call, and spring my trap on fourth street. The lady, who originally raised, called and two players folded.

The turn was the 4, and made a rainbow board. The BB led out for $30, so again I smooth-called. Now the lady thought for a while. I could tell she was thinking about whether to call or fold, and the hand was now a read out. I knew exactly what everyone had, do you?

You might be reading the board and the bets and trying to put it all together. I was at the table, so had more information than you. I was carefully watching all the players. I knew the guy on my right thought he had a winner (from his body language), so, unlikely as it might sound, he also had Q-J. The lady on my left raised preflop. She likely had A-Q or A-J. With A-K or pocket 10-10, she would have called a little more easily. With less, she would have folded.

The river was a rag, and the BB bet $40. What would you do? I again smooth called. The lady thought and finally called. You could tell she thought she was beaten, but the pot was too big, and she couldn't resist. Sure enough, she turned over A Q and I chopped the pot with the BB who had Q J.

"But mine were suited," he joked.

"And, therefore, you get half the pot," I replied, in tempo.

By betting the way I did, I got at least an extra $40 (of which I won half) out of the A-Q lady. Have you read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell? The situation in which you make snap judgments, and just know you are right, is something he calls thin slicing.

* [This web site says flopping the joint means somebody dropped a certain cigarette on the floor.]

So there!
Driving home, I saw a fairly young lady on a motorcycle. When I got to the stop light, she was just ahead of me. Here's what the back of her shirt said:

Yeah, you were just passed by a girl!!

I would have shot it, but my camera wasn't handy.

Heard at the table
After he lost a big pot, a man said: "If they meant for me to hold onto those chips, they'd have built them with handles."

(Where do they get this shit stuff? I mean srsly?)

Saw it, still don't believe it
A guy held Q 3 and raised from early position to $12, and got a caller behind him as well as the BB. Raising with Q-3? Seriously? Dude, get your meds checked - I beg you.

The flop was Q 10 6. The BB bet $10 and he called (the other player folded). The turn was 7 and the BB bet $20 and he called. The river was a non-descript rag, and the BB bet $60. This guy called, again.

The BB showed K J for a failed straight draw and a big bluff on the end. Doncha love live poker? I couldn't make up blog material this good.

Talkin' sexy
Driving down and back, I had help from Ms. Garmin. I love it when a woman whispers in my ear and directs me.


The Hard Rock Casino (above) is next to the Beau Rivage.


The Beau Rivage is one of the stops on the bus line. There are lots of ways to lose your money get to the gaming spots.


The ocean sunsets are great, even when clouds try and cover them up. (Taken from the Beau Rivage parking deck.)

Images by MOJO and shot with my Canon.

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One of this blog's loyal readers calls himself Crash. Up to now, he didn't have his own blog, but has decided to start one. He's handy with a camera, so expect photos, and maybe pokering. He's calling it Crash (of) course. I'll mention it again when he gets things going.

13 comments:

  1. Love this. Passed by a girl, huh?

    You have a great sense of humor. Mrs. Garmin? I gave up on those damn GPS things. They kept sending me way off course. One time coming from South Carolina back to Florida, the thing tried to get me to go to Hawaii!

    Nice photos, too. Love the sunset.

    By the way, that old house in Ocala...we drive by it all the time...it's been like that ever since I can remember. But I think the jungle will kill it pretty soon if it doesn't sell...

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  2. Loved the post. I'm kinda freaking that you smooth-called with the nuts, but like you said, you had the read. Woulda sucked if the BB turned over Ace-Ten, though.

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  3. @Jacoby: taking you to Hawaii, lol

    @Jamie: It's a cardinal sin not to protect your hand, but I was just so sure of everything, and was more excited about being right than winning the money.

    @dbcooper: thanks

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  4. This is an excellent wrap-up. Sounds like you had a great trip!

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  5. I'm a huge advocate of following your reads so I think smooth calling with the flopped straight is good here to go for the weak overcall.

    Besides, the BB might fold to a raise at the end if he has two pair, figuring you for a set or the straight.

    At a 1/2 table this is a board which is going to be played very passive/conservative by anyone not holding a set or a straight from my experience.

    I've seen similar boards go check/check at the end with both people turning over a different two pair combination.

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  6. well, a satisfying weekend. We wouldn't even be playing poker, if everyone played well. Very well written.
    Did you say Malcolm Gladwell? I started reading "The Tipping Point" and thought, what a godawful writer, this is drek. But I can't remember any of it and why I thought it was bullshit.
    Your photos are coming along nicely. The Hard Rock keeps going like the energizer bunny - didn't it begin in the 80's? They must be mass producing those giant Les Pauls.

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  7. I'm reading and laughing. Excellent read with that QJ hand!

    /j. (still bogged down by work)

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  8. Sounds like a great weekend of poker! Really enjoyed your recaps and the photos were beautiful! Loved the sunset shots!

    I'm glad to be back home and back online :) I have a lot of catching up to do!

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  9. Thx all who commented. Yes, was a fun little get-away.

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  10. Beautiful shots !! I loved this place..thanks for sharing..Unseen Rajasthan

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  11. MOJO-Thanks for the intro. The blog is starting slowly as I look for my style. I have read so much of you and bastin, that I don't want to unconsciously copy you. There will probably be more oddball things. Thanks again.

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  12. "Did you say Malcolm Gladwell? I started reading "The Tipping Point" and thought, what a godawful writer, this is drek. But I can't remember any of it and why I thought it was bullshit."

    Funny you say that. I've read excerpts of each of his books and came to the conclusion that I think he is someone who is very skilled at coming up with excellent concepts for books, but also someone who should really be using a ghost writer to making it entertaining for the reader.

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