Touring Arizona - Part 1

It's been a while since I've posted. Mostly I have just been grinding it out online, which is really not as interesting as live play, so haven't felt the need or desire to post anything about it. I suppose I could vent on how my AA's and KK's have been cracked (even after flopping sets), but you're not here to hear me whine... at least I doubt it.

Most recently, Felicia and I have been traveling around Arizona. Felicia did a lot of touring of the state looking for a house before we both moved. I was still in West Virginia at the time taking care of selling the house. Now, Felicia decided that I needed to see some of the state that we're living in. Plus, visit some of the casinos that I've not been to along the way. Bonus! :-D

First stop was Casino Arizona. So big they have two! We went to the "tent" that had the poker room. The place is huge! Big screen tv's all over the walls; ton of poker tables with all kinds of limits. Of course they made sure to include house games like Blackjack so they can profit from the operation ;-)

Felicia got on a $15/30 stud list, but people weren't moving too fast. I found a $5-150 spread limit game... yes, $5 - 150 spread limit. This is their version of NLHE. They have some kind or rule (for the tribe I'm assuming) that there can be no wager over $150, so this is their answer. It pretty much worked. Since they have a max buyin of $300 for the game, there were only a couple times that I was sitting there that someone would have liked to shove in, but had more than $150 and therefore had to stick to that wager.

Felicia was told that the $5-150 game was no good, but when I was there watching, I saw just a few too many young faces and had to take the open seat. Sure enough, it proved to be just enough of a good mix; some tight players, some loose. First time that I raised, I had AKo and made it $15 to go. One caller, KTT on the flop, I bet, he folds. So, they were observant enough to see me fold-fold-fold for the first round or two to figure out my hand. Was nice to get my blinds back :-)

I managed to get one of the kids' stack when I got to see a free flop with Doyle's hand: T2o. Flop is T32 and I bet the pot. I got called in 2 places. Another rag on the turn, I bet the pot again, around $70 this time, and one of the kids, raised all-in for about $72 more. With the rags on the flop, it was possible to have a straight, straight draw (he had bluffed before on a draw), or a lower two pair. I called. After the dealer put on the river, I told him I had two pair and tabled my hand. The way he was acting I thought it was good. Sure enough, he looked at my hand, looked back at his, back at the board, mucked. This brought me up to almost exactly $500.

Then I get a string of cards that went nowhere, and made, I feel, a couple good laydowns. The oldest guy at the table, probably in his 60's, would make it $15 to go pretty much whenever he was first to open. Not a bad stradegy. I never had anything worth defending in the big blind the majority of the time. Then I got QQ. He made it $15, I looked and saw the QQ, so made it $45. I figured if I just double it, I'd get it head's up, but do I really want to make it cheap for him to spike an ace or king? Unfortunately, an early position limper reraised $150 more. Old guy mucks, and I study the kid. Early position and limped. I watched him since he sat down and have mostly watched him fold-fold. I put him on AA or KK, most likely AA. He probably was waiting for the old guy to do his normal raise and reraise him. I just happened to get caught along for the ride. I mucked. Someone across from him told him to be careful when folding, he flashed an Ace. So, I felt pretty sure I made the best move. Even if he only had AK, I'm not about to spend $300 (since after his raise he did have about another $150 behind--he had bought in for the full $300) on a possible coin flip.

A few hands later I get JJ and raise open for $30 and got reraised another $30 to $60. This was the guy that went all-in earlier in the session with AQo. I had just gotten to the table, someone had raised in early position to $15, I muck AQo myself (figuring I'm dominated), and then a couple people call the $15. Until it gets to my man. He shoves in for about $70 more. Folds around to the kid on his right who calls with 44. My man turns over AQo and spikes a Q on the flop. I had wondered if he was capable of shoving like this often and that's why he got called with the pair. After watching him for about an hour, I think it was more just that he was looking to steal all the limpers and just got lucky. After that hand, he played pretty tight.

So, back to my hand. By this time, my man here has about $300. I'm putting him on a higher pair, just because his eyes are bugging a little bit and he's usually very calm. With him reraising only another $30, I called in the hopes to spike a set. Qxx on the flop, I checked, he seemed in a hurry to get in a $150 bet, I folded. Later in the session, I got to talking to him, and he stated that he had KK. Now, he could be lying, but after watching him go from the AQo steal to fold-fold-fold, I think I made the right move.

It sounds like I make a lot of folds and that people could be making moves on me. It's possible, but at the same time, I feel that I often make good reads. There have been too many times in the past that I have made a read, called anyway, and found that my read was right. For example, when Felicia and I were at Foxwoods, I played the $5/5 NLHE game there; twice I was able to catch bluffs. Ironically, both times I had A9s and turned two pair. Both times on the turn, the 9 brought a flush not of my suit and someone acting before me bet out. Just didn't smell right. Bet was too big and I was the flop bettor in later position. I either expect a check-raise or a smaller "feeler" bet. Shoot, with two pair, I'd probably call if they bet small too. Both times my hand was good. One, a guy was semi-bluffing with one of the suit. The other time, the kid was shaking his head saying, "I have nothing, small pair".

Then this happens. Game just started, older guy is UTG and straddles. Few hands later there are a ton of limpers and I have AA on the button. I make it $40 to go and get called in FOUR places. Checked to me on a flop of J62 and I bet $160. Older guy check-raises all-in for about $300 more, which is what I have. First thing that goes through my mind is "set". Next, I recall him straddling and wonder if he's on AJ. I think about the other hands that I caught people bluffing and figure that I'm probably not too wrong in calling. I call; I get shown a set. Once again I feel that I should have acted on my read.

Interestingly enough, I did get confirmation on my call. I was able to met Greg Raymer at Foxwood's through Felicia. The two of them had contact through 2+2 and were finally able to meet. I told him about the hand. He said something to the affect of "unless you're clairvoyant or crazy, you can't lay that down" (based on the chip counts and lack of any real read since the game pretty much just started). He's a very nice guy and it was great to meet him.

So, at Casino Arizona, I went from my $300 buyin, to a high of about $500, to cashing out around $360. Still up, but it did kind of suck having to lay down so many hands. I had so many pocket pairs that just didn't hit. 33 in the big blind, gets raised to $15. For $10, as long as the guy has at least $100 behind, I'll see the flop for a chance to bust him. I bled off some chips, but it could have been worse, and a win is a win. :-P

to be continued...

Posted by Glenn