-65 @ The Commerce Casino

What a horribly dreary session. When I was first up on the board a fellow came over and asked for a table change. That was going to mean that I would wind up in the seat he didn't like. Now it may be he wanted to leave the table because he was superstious, but it might have also have been that the table was no good.

It was the latter.

I played for two hours and could make nothing happen. I knew that I shouldn't expect the same type of cards that I had on my last session, but it was just awful. For example, my best pocket pair were black 8s and the flop gives two hearts. So one of the cards that would give me a set would also give a possible flush. I had A,K once (no AQ, AJ, A10 or A9), raised it pre-flop and got 10,6,6 in return. I had A,3 suited as big blind twice in a row and the first time the board came A,3,10,6,K. Started out great, but I got raised on the river by the guy who had the J,Q. The second time the flop came 10,A,Q and two guys who eventually showed K,J capped it at the flop. When I did have something it was very hard to get money because the table was so tight, and I took a couple small pots (one was actually only $3, just me in early position with K,Q and the big blind) here and there so at least it wasn't a total disaster.

Updating the blog

I've decided to change the format of the poker tails and use blogging software instead. It is easier to maintain and I also think it is easier to read. I've now gone through and converted everything. If anyone is reading this and actually cares, you can use the comments feature to tell me what you think, report typos, or to comment on any of my hands.

+229 @ The Commerce Casino

Unlike last year when I had a really bad run during my time off from work, this year is looking pretty good so far. What a day. I raised pre-flop with K,J of spades at a new table and got an open ended nut straight draw on the flop. I made it on the turn but got raised on the river when the third diamond fell (and the possibility of a straight flush). I called and the guy had the small end of the straight. Other hands of note include

A,7 suited as BB. 8,7,7 on the flop. I checked but it was checked all the way around. An 8 on the turn and I bet only to get raised. Damn. I knew he had an 8. But maybe he had a 7. The A on the river improved my hand if he didn't have an 8 so I checked and called. Sure enough, he only had a 7 so I took the pot. Lucked out on that one.

I took another good pot when I flopped a set of sixes, but the biggest hand of the night was when I had KK in late position. Five of us capped it (actually, one guy was two chips short and was all-in) pre-flop. 5,5,10 came on the turn. That's not good for me but I decided to call all the way since the pot was huge and I did have 2 outs. I've just calculated that the probability of making my Kings full of 5s is just 8.4% and that is 10.9 to 1. What were the implied odds on that hand? There was $58 in the pot at the flop. Assuming that 5 people called the flop and turn brings the pot to $103. I will have put in $9 of that, so the pot is offering me 11.4 to 1. So it turns out that my call isn't that out of line even though we only had 4 people call the turn. Of course I really need to be able to do these calculations on the fly and not work them out after the fact. The turn was a blank but I made my miracle card on the river when another K fell. I raised and the guy who had been betting reluctantly called. He was pissed to see my boat.

Just a few hands later I had pocket J in late position. I again raised and got a great flop of J,4,3. The 6 on the turn was kinda annoying, but I didn't think that a 2,5 would stick around after all the action. On the river I again got a miracle card: K. No flush but a great high hard to keep people in. The river was checked to me, I bet, got raised, and I re-raised. He called and sure enough had only a K. Toby, the fellow sitting next to me had pocket 4 which he tossed when I raised pre-flop. Lucky for him.

The final hand of the note was Q,10 diamond in late position. K,8 of diamonds on the flop so I'm in it for the long haul. I raised when the 9 of diamonds came on the turn and got two callers. Sadly, I didn't get a J to make a straight flush but the regular flush was enough to take the pot.

After two hours I decided to call it a night (that's over $110 an hour at a $3/$6 game!) since we had guests coming over and I wanted to do some things around the house. Between some good starting cards, boards that came through and a healthy dose of luck I've had a nice run this past week.

+46 @ The Commerce Casino

My second hand of the day was big slick (I was small blind of course and since it was a family pot I smooth called) and got rewarded with K,10,2 on the flop. However, when I bet only one person stayed in and he then mucked on the blank river. A few hands later I had Q,9 suited twice in a row. I tossed it away as the small blind but then limped in on the button. The flop came K,Q,_ with one of my suit. It was checked around and I bet even though I didn't have a good kicker. Many callers. The turn was another of my suit and I called the bet. My flush showed up on the river. It was checked to me, I bet and got raised! I called and the other fellow only had two pair. A couple more top pairs with good kickers left me up $90 but after an hour without much in the way of cards I decided to leave while I was still up.

+224 @ The Commerce Casino

The only thing that can make playing hooky from work better is when you head to the casino to play poker. I refused the first table that was open because a jerk I have played with before was there but it wasn't long before the next open seat came up. In the first 20 minutes I had some great hole cards with K,J, then A,J then K,Q of hearts but I had miserable flops to go along with them and I cut my loses. A couple guys were just pouring money into the table so I felt good about my long term prospects. However, after an hour I was down $60 and so I bought in for another $100. After another half hour my luck started to change but it was a bit bumpy.

A,K suited with A,K,10 on the flop. I made it three bets on the flop and got three callers. I bet the 9 on the turn and got two callers, bet the J on the river only to get raised. Yeah, I know that I should have slowed down on the river and probably checked then called but I didn't want to show weakness. Instead I showed that I was willing to donate $6 to the pot. I mucked while the other person called and paid to see (of course) the straight.

The first hand I won was a nut flush but since I had to go runner runner to make it, I wasn't able to get much money from it. However I followed that up by taking a pretty good sized pot with pocket queens and rags on the board.

But the hand that really made my money for the night was K,J suited as the small blind. The pot was raised before the flop and I was among 8 people who called. The flop came 10,Q,_. I checked then called as did 7 people. The turn was an A. I checked, it was bet by the guy who raised pre-flop. Many callers and I raised to get 5 callers. I bet the blank river and had 4 people call. Very nice pot.

After that I just had some nice cards that came through. No monster pots, no pocket pairs of note. I did mave a medium flush that held up, and since I was way ahead I losened up ever so slightly and with A,6 suited paid all the way to the end with 6,3,3,_,6 to get my boat.

Making over $220 in just 4 hours at a $3/$6 table is pretty sweet.

-143 @ The Commerce Casino

The table started out to be pretty live but a couple changes after the first hour really slowed it down and people started playing pretty tight. Combine that with moderate cards and moderate play and it didn't make for a very successful night.