Back to Binion's

Felicia and I went to Binion’s this last Mon-Wed so that she could play some satellites for lamers and to compete in the $1500 Stud H/L event. Meanwhile, I played NLHE.

Of course, one dream table that I sat at, the biggest fish (BF) swam away after just 2 hands that I was dealt in. To give an illustration though, here’s the last hand that he played. BF was sitting to my immediate right (wonderful position) with about a grand—about 4 blacks, about 1/2 stack of green and a few stacks of red. He limps in UTG, I fold, guy to my left makes it 15 to go (this was at the 2/5 blind table). Gets folded to the SB who makes it 50. BB, also a large stack, but looks a solid player, gets out of the way. BF looks at his cards again and goes “sure, why not”, and exchanges his red for two greens. The original raiser (OR) calls the 50. Flop is JT8 rainbow. SB checks (?), BF bets 100. OR thinks and calls. SB shoves in his stack, about 260. The BF looks back at his hand and goes “I need a Queen”…BB says “hey, there’s still someone else in the hand”. “Oh, yeah, OK, well...OK”, and BF plops in another 160 to call the all-in. The OR is rubbing his face…he doesn’t want to call, but I think with the amount of money in the pot, he goes ahead and calls anyway. Turn is another T and both BF and OR check. River is a blank, and they both check again. Now here’s the funny part. BF turns over 96s: he had open-ended draw on the flop, no pair. OR turns over 77: all over-cards to his pair on the flop, so he couldn’t bet when BF bet the flop (but probably had a read on his from past play that he’d bet draws). SB turns over the winner with QQ. So, any Q or 7 makes BF a straight, but 1) two of the other players had 4 of those cards, and 2) after the paired turn, either of those cards makes a boat for one of the other two! Talk about drawing dead. And of course, THEN, he leaves. I get to see what a great table it was before I got there, LOL.

Either way, however, I had a great session. I got back all that I lost the last time, plus a little more.

One of the players at the table I recognized from a previous session at another 2/5 table. He (I’ll call LH for Long Hair –grin-) and another player to my left were playing very loose and aggressive. Unfortunately for me, they were both to my left. I couldn’t raise out the other players. Plus, it made me want to play just a little looser myself, because I knew that whatever I played, I was certain would be better than anything they played. If I raised to protect my hand, they would just fold. I just ended up bleeding some chips away, and I didn’t like the situation, so that day I switched to a 1/2 table.

Once again, LH was to my left, but several players away. I recognized him, mostly, for when he turned over 32s for a wheel. I knew I liked having him at my table. The solid player (SP) that was in the BB in the hand I talked about with BF moved to BF’s seat, directly to my right, but that was fine for me, I had position.

Three times at that table, I had KK. Once, got no call; I was first in and raised. Second, there were several limpers, including SP on the button. I saw the KK in pocket and made it 50 to go. All folded to SP, who I could see look at me out of the corner of my eye and called. Was kind of surprised by this, thinking that if he was in, he’d probably be in raising. Then again, if he was in, he probably had a good hand, maybe was trapping with a strong hand, and so he was wondering if his hand was beat, but called anyway.

We took the flop HU of Kxx. I checked my top set, he bet 50 into the pot, and I check-raised all-in. Again the look, but I think he knew exactly what happened, and released his hand. Thinking back, I wonder if I could have gotten more out of him. However, I’m not sure I could have. I think if I just flat called him and checked again on the turn, he’d check behind. If I took over the betting on the turn, I’m not sure. It might have confused him; but in my reading of the player, I don’t think so. I think I’m just glad that I got 100 out of him.

Third time I got KK, LH had flat called and a Californian looking guy (Cali) makes it’s 50 to go. He’s done this a couple times, so I’m not really putting him on AA—just too often to get AA that much. Again I’m in the blinds (BB I think this time), was folded to me and again I see KK. Trying to get it HU, I make it 100. All fold to LH who’s stuck in the middle of us. He goes “alright” and places a C-note in the pot and drags back his red. Cali says, “I call” and brings out another 1/2 stack of red. Flop is KTx: another flopped set! I bang the chips in my hand on the table, checking as in frustration. Interestingly, LH puts 100 into the pot. Cali thinks about it a bit and goes “I’ll just call”. I happily (all on the inside of course) shove in my stacks and 100’s (bills) into the pot (I started with 500 and had both the others covered). LH says “alright” and puts in his last $100 bill and about 60 red into the pot. Cali is short stacked as well and puts his last reds into the pot.

Some people don’t like turning over their cards right away, but since I normally have the nuts when I shove in, I don’t have any problem showing my hand. I turned over my KK; LH turns over TT for second set (ouch!); and Cali, last in the bunch, turns over AKo for TPTK. No runner-runner aces, no one outer T, and I take down the huge pot! :-D

LH got up and took off, but Cali stuck around and took out some more money. No more memorable hands, but I do know that I finished the session almost $600 up! Awesome.

I lost a little back the next day when the 2/5 looked kind of tough and I ended up playing the 1/2 game instead. They were so loose! And several times I would have won a good pot w/ a weak holding that I mucked, playing my normal tight ways. So, I go ahead and loosen up. I lost $120 on that table! LOL.

$40 of what I lost was a bluff river bet that I thought the other guy wouldn’t call. I limped along with most of the table with JcTs. Flop came 97x, two clubs. BB bets out $10. With how loose everyone has been, I called with my gut shot, 2 overs and back-door flush. To my surprise, everyone else folded! On the turn is the Qc, giving me 4-straight, 4 flush. He bets 15, making the pot around $50, giving me more than the 2-1 that I need and I call. River is another Q, so I missed. He checks to me, and I quickly bet out $40, over twice his last bet; hoping that it was just large enough that he can’t call without a Q or without clubs. He thinks about it and calls anyway, turning over 9s7c, for the flopped two pair that he just couldn’t give up. Now I understand his bet on the turn: he turned a flush-draw, too, along with the two pair. Too bad it didn’t get there! That’s low limit for you; had it been the 2/5, I would have won that with a similar size bet.

During times that I wasn’t running well in NL, I played a little limit poker. Dropped some in 4/8 when AQ brought nothing and KQs fell to an Ace on the flop. Those were the only 2 hands that I played. After that, I played some 10/20 when I was called to the table. On the button with J7o, I tried to steal when it was checked to me, but the SB 3 bet and I called. KJx on the flop and SB checks to me, I bet my second pair and he check-raises. LOL, I say “nice hand” and give it up. Get AQ and raise UTG. Only one caller; a guy that I’d seen bet any pair when he was in the hand (I’ll call him AP). Qxx on flop: I bet, AP raises, I reraised, AP calls. I bet the turn and he calls. I bet the river he mucks. Cool.

Later I get JJ in the BB, there are a couple limpers, one lady UTG, AP, and an gray haired older guy (GH) raises. I see the JJ in the BB and reraised to try to get it HU. The two in the middle call the two cold and GH says “I was just kidding”, but calls too. All rags on the flop and I bet; call, call, call. Q on the turn—dang it—but I shoot again representing. Call, call, GH raises. I think about the amount of money in the pot, realize that I don’t have the proper odds, but call anyway saying “I think I’m more worried about her”, pointing to the lady on my left that limped UTG. Truer words never spoken as she makes it 3 bets. Oh brother! I’m wondering if she limped with AA to trap. But, once again, call and call. So here I sit with JJ, a Q over card and a raise and a reraise. The pot is huge by this time and I call, hoping to hit a J. I don’t hit and I save money! I check, lady bets, AP folds, GH calls, I muck knowing JJ’s no good. I was right about the trapping as the lady turns over QQ for the turned top set. I say “very nice hand” as she drags in the humongous pot that I built for her. Hmm, maybe I should have asked for commission.

Later though, I got my money back when I found AA in the SB and raised. The lady calls from the BB, the couple limpers (including GH) call. Flop is AQx. I take a couple reds from my stack, but before chucking them in, I jokingly say to the lady, “you don’t have Queens again do you?” She laughs and says “no”. I say, “OK”, and fling in the chips. Folds to GH and he calls. Hmm. I wonder if he has an Ace and check to him on the turn. Check. Dang it. Under my breath I say “that didn’t work”, and bet the river and he calls. He looks very confused when I show my hand. I put him on making the play and trying to bet me off the hand. Ah well, best laid plans, and all that.

Later I didn’t feel so badly about my play when someone else tried the exact same thing. Once again, GH raised and got two callers. JJx on the flop but he bets out anyway and both call—BB and one limper. Turn’s a blank, GH figures he’s beat and checks. BB bets out and the limper calls. GH takes another card off and calls too. River is a 9; GH checks, BB checks, and limper checks. Before anyone can act, BB says “ship it” and turns over J9s for the nut full-house. He was putting the limper on the case J and looking to check-raise too.

All-in-all I ended up $4 at the 10/20 after 2 hours!

So where does this leave me? After playing a lot of NLHE and a lot of limit 4/8, 6/12 and 10/20, I’ll have to say that while limit may not have as much swing as no limit, I still prefer NLHE. Yes, you can lose your whole stack, but you can also double, even triple through! You lose your stack one session, double through the next, you’re even ;-) Or in my case, lose your 200 buy-in twice at a lower game, then double through your 500 buy-in at the higher game, and you’re up! :-)

Posted by Glenn