Atlantic City Trip Report

Saturday Day: 2/4 Limit @ Showboat, +$60
Saturday Night: 1/2 No Limit @ Showboat, +$75
Sunday Afternoon: $40+$10 Turbo Donkament @ Bally's, -$50
Sunday Afternoon: 4/8 Limit Mini-Blinds* @ Harrah's, +$90

*Before I elaborate, the 4/8 Limit Mini-Blinds is just like a 4/8 game, except that the blinds are $1/$2... the Pre-flop raises are still $4 each... so a raise is to $6, a 3-bet to $10, etc. This was my favorite game I've ever played live.

The 2/4 limit game was your usual donk-fest... There was a long wait list for 1/2 NL. So I sat down with a rack of White Chips and donked it up in 2/4. I left with a Stack and a half of Red and a few whites, so I estimated $60 profit. I don't really remember the hands exactly, but TP was usually good.

After dinner I went back and played some 1/2 NL, and bought in for $200. I lost a big pot early on when I ran top pair into 2 pair, but took a lot of pots without a showdown, including one gutsy semi-bluff with just a diamond draw. I only made 3 donk plays the entire trip at the tables, and two were at this table.

I raised to $7 from MP with Q-T of crubs and got called by the Button and the Blinds. Flop is K-9-2 rainbow. Checks to me, I bet $11, and get called by just the button. Turn is a 10. I check and the button bets $25, leaving her with $6 behind. I thought about it for a few seconds, then said 'I'll raise the rest of your chips'. She called...

Turn: J

I say 'sorry' and flip up my Q-T, she sighs, shows A-A (nice pre-flop raise... oh wait) and leaves. This pot took me to about $450. Only one other guy covered, and he tightened up when he saw my willingness to gamble.

That guy and his $550 stack left an hour later, when I had about $600 in front of me. During this time, another lady bought in for $300 and was playing VERY aggressively. She built up to about $400 in 20 minutes with lots of aggressive plays, never showing a hand down.

Donk Play #2 was the costliest play I've ever made. I raised to $7 from EP with A-T. LP, Villain in SB called and BB called.

Flop: T-8-7 rainbow.

Checks to me and I bet $20. Villain raises to $65. Folds to me... and I didn't really think about it, I just thought she was putting me on air... I immediately said All-In and she pushed her chips (about $320 more) in like Chris Ferguson would... I knew I was destroyed.

Turn: J
River: 2

She turns over 8-8 and takes down a pot worth close to $800.

From there I was back to even for the session... but I won a pretty decent pot with K-3 sooted (top pair delivers), got my stack to $275, then called it a night.

Sunday

My dad called while I was playing table games... which from now on will probably just stick to Pai Gow and Blackjack after I got owned at all Let It Ride and Craps games... and only had 1 good hand in Three Card Poker (3 8s for $360).

I registered, then I looked down and noticed it was a Speed Tournament... LOL This sounds fun. 12-minute levels, 10K Starting Chips and 25/50 levels, so I was thinking it shouldn't be too bad.

I played very tight early on, played only 3 hands the first hour:

Hand 1: Get T-T, raise 3x, flop an overpair, C-Bet and Take it Down.

Hand 2: Immediately after Hand 1, get KQo in MP, Limp Along with 3 EP limpers, 7 handed to the flop of A-8-2. Hand Over.

Hand 3: With about 9500 in chips, get JJ in MP. UTG (Yamaka-Jew who bluffed twice, including one sick hammer throw) raises 3.5x. I smooth-call (which I always do with mid-pairs in this spot), and BB calls too. 3 handed to the flop.

Flop: K-J-T Rainbow.

BB checks and UTG snap-shoves for 10K. I make a small mistake and Snap-Call. Snap was the small mistake, because BB took forever then folded KQo face up! UTG showed 9-9. Faded the 3 outer and doubled up to a shade over 20K. Took that to break.

Hour 2: Mistake #3. The blinds are now huge. I think 400/800, and I have a 20K stack. UTG shoves for 6K. LP calls for less. I have A-3 of hearts in the BB. I decide I need to gamboool to get some chips, and I called. EP: 5-5. LP: K-T.

Flop: J-7-5. Oops. That left me with 15K.

Before I knew it, I had 13K, and it was 6.5 big blinds. I got moved to a new table and did a lot of folding. Finally, A guy who just lost an all-in shoved for 11K from UTG+1. I'm next to act and I look down at AQo. I called, everyone else folded. UTG+1 shows Q-6 of Diamonds. Hooooooooooooooold...

Flop: 9d-8x-5x... you know where this story's going...
Turn: 8d
River: 5d - houiahgoidhogiahbo

I had less than a big blind... Next hand was J-3 so i folded... UTG i had A-9o, so i threw my last 1600 in. A MP player shoves to isolate, and shows the JackAce. No 9 for me and I'm bounced.

4/8 Mini-Blind at Harrah's... this was fun and not as swongy as I thought. The play was MUCH better here than at 4/8, and the rake was the same. I played much tighter, but I made some funky plays here and there.

My favorite hand of the entire trip was this one. I'm on the button with 9-4 of crubs. 4 limpers, so I limp (<3 Button), blinds call. Flop is Jc-Js-6s. Folds to me, I bet to try to take the pot, just the BB calls...

Turn: 8c. He checks, I bet and he snap-calls. He either has a 6 or a spade draw...

River: Qc (obv: CRUBS ALWAYS GET THERE!)

BTW, this was the only flush i remember hitting all trip. He check-calls, I show him my flush and tell the table "The Key to Winning Poker is Simple: Run Good." He mucks his 6-3o.

I was swongy, and at one point was down a nice chunk, then I won a pot with a middle pair and said "Hm I wonder If i can get a rush going"...

Next Hand: T-T, flop an overpair, take it on the turn.
Next Hand: J-J, flop an overpair, get value all the way.

Yep, got a small rush. I wound up winning here too. I thouroughly enjoyed this game, and I played from 5pm until 11pm.

I think I'm ready for Vegas... Maybe we'll get that 5/10 AWESOME game going ;)

Played the Riverchasers last night, and ran into an old nemesis, Bessin. Bessin cost me a FT at HORSE during Skillz a few weeks ago with some weird (see: bad) play, but I got trapped good here: QQ EP, I raise, Bessin and Buddy call, flop is K-8-4, I bet, Bessin Calls, Buddy Folds. Turn: 10. I check, and Bessin insta-bets 500. I usually read this as bruff, so I shove, and Bessin snaps with A-K. Oops.

Tonight is HOSE in the Skillz Game, And I plan on bringing my D- game as usual.

My Nickname of 'Biggest Donkey in the Universe' is gonna catch on. Just Watch.

-BDitU