Sunday at the Shoe

Above: One of the entrances to the Horseshoe Casino Hotel.

I played in the 2 p.m. poker tournament at the Horseshoe Casino Tunica Sunday (we call it The Shoe). I guess I should say I showed up. About half-way through, I was knocked out when A-K < J-J. Gotta win those races.

Here was the most exciting deal of the day. A guy raised from early position and an old man on my right called. It folded to a lady who moved all in. The first guy moved all in as well. The old man on my right showed me his cards: J-J and then folded. You absolutely are not supposed to show your cards (they even announce this before the tournament and state that you will receive a penalty), but the dealer didn't say anything.

I thought it was aces against kings, but I was wrong. The first guy had Q-Q and the lady had K-K. The flop was Q-x-x and everybody oohed and aahed. The turn was an ace, but the river was a king! More oohing and aaahing. Justice had prevailed, I suppose, as, in the end, the better hand won.

The old man who folded pre-flop was proud of himself and told the table that he had folded jacks. He announced this two more times in case anybody had missed the first pronouncement about how brilliant he was for making an obvious fold.

This was the worst played deal I saw all day: A guy limped in and it folded to the the big blind who made a good-sized raise. The first guy called. I don't get that. You have a limping hand, but you're willing to call a big raise with no other players in the pot. What's up with that? It turns out he had 9-9 and should have raised to begin with. The flop was Q-J-10 rainbow. The big blind made a continuation bet and the guy with 9-9 moved all in for about 200 big blinds! The first guy shrugged his shoulders, called, and turned over A-K for the flopped Broadway straight. Unreal.

Above: I've started going to the parking deck. It's in the back and the poker room is in the back, so shorter walk than from out in the parking lot.

Photos taken with my P&S.