Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Holly Blah

Well I have been back twice Gave it all back. Only played one hand really bad. QQ vs AA. I just kept calling down on a ten high board. I really deep down knew I was beat. It was one of those times when you finally get a good hand and cannot let it go. I talked myself into him having JJ. Oh well. Back at it Thursday.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Hurray

for Hollywood.

Went to the morning session at the new casino with my buddy Big Slick. He did not fare so well. Down $500. That was hard to imagine considering he flopped quads, three sets, two straights and a full house. He also rivered quads. The full house he had to split when the board double paired, but every other hand he won. He loves betting and chasing draws. They just did not hit today.

I was up another $260. Flopped a set with 44 on a 48A rainbow board. Great board considering half the players at our table would call down with any ace. I made a straight with Q9c on the turn. The small blind had flopped top set with JJ and pushed all in into the nuts. Nice day for me. Not much else.

Good Day

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Hollywood Casino Part Deux

Played another short session today. Three hours.

Had my choice of two tables when I sat down. Went with two women. I know, I know. I am a stereotyping bastard. Well, the other table had a bunch of regulars. I did not notice one regular at the chick table.

I sat down and immediately noticed that the lady next to me had very little knowledge of the game. Her hand motions while in a hand can only be described at erratically tentative. Almost as if every action was a question, only performed so swiftly in order to avoid embarrassment. If she was wrong she would just play it off like she was doing something else. When she rivered two pair on a four way checked down board, I heard her give a little squeal. She put in a $5 bet with great self satisfaction. The other lady was a total rock. She was playing next to her husband. He was weak tight. Two other dudes were just as bad. I had picked the correct table.

The one truly talented player at the table raised it to $11 in early position. Four callers to me in the cutoff. I have AcQc. I call of course. If I were in the blinds and it was off suit, I probably fold. I really do not like AQ. The big blind comes along and we see a flop of KcTc3c. Gin!!!! The original raiser makes it $35. Folds to new girl. She says "oh well" and goes in for a total of $60. I put out a stack of $100. Big blind folds and original raiser folds. He flashes JhJC. I win. She never showed Would have liked to see. I love playing with new players. It is like time traveling back to when I first started playing. I have long since come to grips that I too once played and behaved that way.

Over all it was a good day. I flopped two pair three times and won. I turned a nut straight. I flopped a set. Everything just seemed to work today. Nice.

Overall myself and many regulars at the Missouri casinos are in agreement. The new casino has generated great games. Just like last week. There were eight "fish" and two "sharks". For lack of better terminology. I am no shark but I ain't no guppy. Usually the ration is reversed at the other casino's. Hope it lasts.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Hollywood Casino

A new casino opened up last Friday. Its name is Hollywood Casino and it is located on the second turn of Kansas Speedway. It is also twenty five minutes door to door from my house. This is significant for me in that all other poker rooms in KC take me about an hour door to door. That extra half hour is a big deterrent. I may have more poker in my future.

The advertising campaign leading up to its opening billed Hollywood as Kansas City's first true Vegas like gaming experience. They sort of got there. It obvious it is not riverboat like the Missouri casinos. The ceilings vault. There is no smelly river. Everything is state of the art. Slots, table games are all shinny and new. They biggest non Vegas amenity is the alcohol. It is most definitely not free. No big deal, as I rarely drink and play poker.

The poker room is nicely and conservatively adorned. Just like the rest of the casino. There is not much flash, neon or flashing lights. Other than the slots that is. I walked up to the podium to put my name on the 1/3 nl game. I had to wait a while as the men in suits still seemed to be learning the ropes. The list was ten long and I put my name on it. They took my cell number so I could be texted when my seat was available. This I really liked. The other rooms do not do that. In fact I have never been to a Vegas room that does that, though I am sure it exists.

I wander off and lose $75 playing table games. I get my text 30 minutes later and go get my seat. The tables are nice and the chairs swivel and are comfy. The only issue is they shoehorned 12 tables into a space for 10. Hard to get around and no matter where you sit you are getting bumped by other players.

The play was way soft. A lot of players must have come in from the Kansas side that do not usually make it over to Missouri. I saw a lot of the regulars but only two were at my table. Usually the ratio is reversed. I get in cheap with 57d. Flop is 3s6d8d. Two of us call smallish bets to the river where I hit my straight. It checks to me and I get two players to pay me $40. I hit two sets in two hours. End up a buy in. Lots of calling down with top pair this day. Nice.

Over all a nice experience. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. I have the Bravo Poker Live app for my phone. Lets me see how many games are going on in all three poker rooms. Yesterday, Hollywood had 9. Ameristar 3 and Harrahs 3. The average used to be nine between Ameristar and Harrahs. So Hollywood must be drawing from the west.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Vegas

Spent the Superbowl weekend in Las Vegas. Only played two short sessions of poker. Up a couple hundred. I decided to stay with the group this time. They played a lot of Pai Gow. So I played a lot of Pai Gow. I was up on that too. I hit a straight flush on the bonus for $250. I won every session. I only threw craps once. I borrowed $5 from my buddy and ran it up to $400. The down was my sports bets. I made seven $100 sports bets and lost everyone. Oh well. Great time. Saw Motley Crue. Was not my first choice but the group was going. It was a great concert. I forgot how many of their songs I know. I recommend it.

The only had one semi strange incident at the poker table, I was at the Golden Nugget playing 1/2 nl. Eventually there was a button straddle. Now in Kansas City where I play most of my poker wherever the straddle is, action begins with the hand immediately to the left of the straddler. At the Golden Nugget, they only allowed,as far as I could tell, button straddles. Furthermore, the action always started with the under the gun player and continued normally until it reached the button straddle and then skipped him. Then the blinds would act and then action reverted back to the button.

Is this normal in Vegas? Is this normal anywhere else? I had never seen it and I am intrigued.

MT