Snickers99

Here is the first part of Day Three (and the last day) of my March 2008 Atlantic City Poker Tour Extravaganza! Mike-Eagles...if I get something wrong or leave something out, post it below!

Even though I only got about 4 hours of sleep, I'm surprising awake as I hit the free breakfast at the hotel. I eat way too much as they finally have the warm cinnamon rolls and I end up eating two as they are fucking good. If I do this again, I am staying at the Holiday Inn Express again just for the breakfast. Oh, and the room is nice too. I waited all weekend to use the line "no, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night", but it didn't come up.

I hang out in the hotel room as the plan is to meet mike_eagles at the Taj between 10 and 10:30. He's got about a three hour drive and he's planning on playing in the 12:15 NL Tournament. My plan is to play 1/2NL while he's in the tournament. At around 9:45 or so, I decide to drive over so I'll be there when he gets there. I'm making my way to the poker room when my cell phone rings. It's Mike. Turns out he's more or less right behind me in the hallway leading away from the parking garage...we got there almost at the same exact time.

We chat it up on the way to the poker room and both notice the Taj redecorated everywhere. Really looks different from the last time I was there. We get to the poker room and that's been redesigned as well. The Taj poker room is huge, but it looks smaller now...less tables. I don't know if there are less tables or it's the redecorating that makes it look smaller. Mike signs up for the tournament and we have like over an hour to kill.

Mike wants to get something small to eat before the tournament so we start walking around looking for a place. Neither of us know where we're going. We end up over at Resorts because I want to check out the poker room over there. I used to work at Resorts before moving to Pittsburgh, well before the poker boom. Resorts is always behind the times and never seems very busy. Mike and I walk forever trying to find the poker room. Finally, we ask someone and we find it. It's tiny and is mostly filled with Asian poker and Caribbean Stud Poker tables. There's like 4 poker tables off to the side and nobody is there. Way to keep up with the times, Resorts!

Mike and I walk back to the Taj and find a Sbarro's. Mike has a piece of pizza and a soda, and is nice enough to buy me a soda. I'm still full from breakfast, so no pizza for me. We chat about poker, sports, etc, until it gets close to Noon...then we head back to the poker room.

I sign up for 1/2NL and get called almost right away. Mike wishes me luck and I'm sitting at the table with $200. Second hand of the day, JQs in the BB. Jack high flop, I bet, one caller. Blank on turn, I bet, he calls. Nothing on river, I bet, he calls and flips over AJ. One hand, down $50. Ga-reat! I top off back to $200.

There's a guy who claims he's been here for 24 straight hours. He has about $1k in front of him. There's also an Asian woman who makes it $5 almost every hand. Of course, she's got the Asian accent, so every hand "five dalla!! five dalla!!". Nice enough woman, but NEVER shut up the entire time. Her and the big stack guy get into it a couple times. I'm told she bought in for $60 and now has about $300 in front of her. Seems like she either bets five dalla or shoves all in. Just have to wait for a hand and hope to get in the middle of these two.

The Taj dealers were the worst ones I saw during my trip. Not all were bad, but one was the worst. Asian woman bet her five dalla preflop and made it five dalla on the flop. Like three people called and then big stack guy would raise. Everyone but the Asian woman folds and the dealer gives everybody back $3...like making change for the BB. She did this two hands in a row. You could see the perplexed look on the player's faces when they get change back. They have no idea why they just got $3 thrown at them, but they take it.

Mike busts from the tournament, running into quad fours twice. I feel bad he came all this way and busted not too far into the tournament. He asks how it's going and I tell him I lost $50 on the second hand. He says he's going to go for a long walk and he'll be back. The Taj poker room is nice and bright, and not anywhere near as loud as Caesars last night.

Everybody tells the guy that's been playing for over 24 hours that he should get a player's card and get something for spending so much time there. He finally sees about getting a card and seeing if they can add in the hours he's been here. They give him a card, but can't add in the hours he was already here. He asks for a comp...anything. They say no.

9-10o on the button and I get to limp. 7-8-x on the flop and it's checked around? Not sure...notes a little lacking. A nice jack on the turn...we like to call that the nuts (no flush yet). I bet, chip leader guy raises, I re-raise, he goes all in. You love to hear that when you got the nuts! I'm good on the river, he mucks saying he had 2 pair (I believe him...he pretty much told the truth the whole day) and I double up.

More later!

__________________
"I'm disappointed in you, Scotty" -- Michael DeMichele at the 2008 WSOP HORSE Final Table
Check out My Blog, updated 8/24/08

mike_eagles

Yes it was odd that we arrived at the same time. I remember seeing 2 or 3 people talking on cell phones and me wondering if it was you. Then you mentioned the Flyers shirt and I saw the orange right away. Do you wear that is Pittsburg? LOL The best quote from that whole episode, I am about 5 feet away and Snickers says "I guess we should hang up now." Well it was funny at the time.

Snickers99

Oh hell no...unless I wish to get beat up that day! I only get to wear it (and others) on my poker trips.

Next part......

Mike comes back and sees I have more chips now. I get a suited connector and lay it down preflop to a raise. Mike, who is right behind me and is sweating me, makes a noise in disgust. Yeah, I need to open up waaaay more...loosen up, see more flops. Online, I usually call that. Don't know why I didn't live. We talk briefly about opening up.

A few hands later, 9-10s in EP. OK, let's try this, knowing Asian lady is going to raise to five dalla. I limp. An aggressive guy next to me makes it $12. I'm planning on calling when someone else raises to $25...I fold. Aggro guy shoves, Asian chick shoves, other raiser shoves. Three people, all in. And of course the flop is 9-10-x. Ten on the river would have given me the full house. I didn't even write down what the other people had. I think the guy next to me had Ax and the other guy might have had KK. Asian chick, it didn't matter...she was wild. She gets felted and burns thru another $220 before leaving. I got none of her money. And now someone else is raising just about every hand to $10.

Mike had left by this time...it's about 2:30 and I have $312 in front of me for a $62 profit.

34s in the SB, I complete, flop 4-4-A, checked around. Nothing on the turn, I bet $10, one caller. Blank on river, I bet $15, he folds.

Two black fives in EP and I limp, SB raises to $15, me and the other blind call. Flop comes K-x-x and both blinds (both aggressive players) agree I have a monster because I'm so tight. It's checked around as I think they're tag teaming me, trying to get me to bet. Blank on the turn and they check again. I bet $20, they both fold.

During this session, Asian lady left, came back, lost, left, came back, lost. Probably burned thru $500. One guy who wasn't there long hit quads, got paid off, and left shortly after saying his wife would kill him if he had a huge win and didn't leave. Whatever.

I really screwed up AK, folding on a flop of 10-J-K (2 clubs) and heavy betting. The winner takes it with K2. At one point I was up $100, but now am up only $26. This is a serious leak of mine...slowing giving back my money and it pisses me off. I just leaked back $74. Frustrated at myself and getting hungry, I decide to pack it in, get something to eat, and head to the Showboat. It's 4:45PM.

When Mike got a slice of pizza at Sbarro, I thought it looked good so that's where I went for dinner. I got a slice of the broccoli/spinach pizza and a Mountain Dew. As I ate, I got more pissed at myself for 'losing' $75. I need bad players to make money and I can't rely on that anymore. I need to start opening up, calling raises, making raises, seeing more flops. This is really affecting me online as I just don't get as many big hands (and/or am not getting paid off) as I used to. I vow to do better at Showboat.

I like the Showboat poker room. They have the House of Blues at Showboat and the poker room is supposed to be along the same lines. It's on the second floor away from the casino downstairs, although I learn they are moving downstairs in a few months and adding some tables. Like the other poker rooms I've been to on this trip, min/max is $60/300 and the rake is 10% up to $4, but if the pot gets over $20, they take an extra $1 for the bad beat jackpot. You need to lose with aces full of jacks or better, and both players need to use both their hole cards. There are four casinos in AC that share this jackpot and it's up to ~$48k.

The Showboat is connected to the Taj, so I walk over and make my way to the poker room. I get there and look at the electronic waiting lists. Says there's like 6 names on the 1/2 list. I go to put my name on the list and run into a guy I was playing with last night at Caesars. We both agreed that Caesars has a nice room, but it was loud. The guy at the desk tells this guy to go to the table in the back. So much for the 6 people on the waiting list...perhaps it wasn't updated in a while. I say I'm also for 1/2 and he tells me the same. As we're getting our chips, we notice that there are no open seats at that table. We go back to the desk and get seated at separate tables.

It's 5:40 and I'm just in time for my BB. I notice it's pretty warm in the poker room and everybody is complaining about it. They're trying to get the AC on. I think one of the reasons I like this room is because the last time I was here (in my Limit days), I did quite well. Hopefully, today will be the same. I look down at 6-4o and get to play for free. The flop is J-Q-4 and is checked around. Turn is a 6, I bet $10, one caller. River is a jack and I'm thinking I'm screwed. I bet $15, he folds.

QQ in mid to late position, 2 limpers, I raise to 12. One of the blinds calls as does one of the limpers. Flop is Q-x-x w/two hearts. Checked to me, I bet $15, the blind calls...I'm thinking flush draw. The turn is not a heart, I bet $50, and the other guy thinks for a while...claims he's on the flush draw...and folds. So far, so good.

AA in MP, one caller, I make it $12, one blind calls. Flop Q-8-8, checked to me, I bet (maybe $15?), he calls. Turn is a blank and he checks. I count out my chips, barely in front of my cards, and the dealer says 'sorry sir, your chips are ahead of your cards...I'm going to have to count that as a bet'. WTF? Yes, technically my chips were ahead of my cards, but I didn't push them forward or anything. Where am I supposed to keep my cards, in the middle of the table? There was no 'bet line' on the table and this had me a little rattled. I was afraid to move my cards and have it considered a fold because I moved them forward. Luckily, it was only $35 and I was planning on betting $30. And he folded. But I was really careful the rest of the night to make sure I counted my chips next to my cards. Never had that happen before. I was in seat one and was keeping my cards close to the rail to protect them from being swept up in the muck. Later, at least one other person was warned to keep their chips behind their cards...at least they got a warning.

Usual cast of characters at the table...aggressive guy (who wasn't really too aggressive), calling station guy, tight lady, etc. Our stacks are basically the same, except aggressive guy (who I should really rename 'knows what he's doing guy') who has a pretty big stack. There is one weird guy. He kinda looks like a pedophile, geeky, had glasses, he wearing 6 rings, and at least one bracelet. He did not look like the type of guy that would wear 6 rings. He kinda looked like the type of guy that would be in his one bedroom apartment and gets into his poker outfit before heading out...changing into his poker persona. Creepy looking.

3-5o in the CO, I call because I said I wanted to loosen up and see some flops. And the flop is 5-5-6. Checked to me and I make it $10...one caller. Turn is an 8, checked to me and I bet $15, he folds.

AK in LP, one caller, I raise to $11, all fold. Then the usual slow leak begins. I do win one small pot...AQ UTG, raise to $11, 2 callers. Miss the flop, but my c-bet takes it. Still leaking and I'm at $232 at 8:55. Again, all these hands I'm winning (and I probably lost some that I didn't write down), and I'm only up $32. It's the slow leak that's killing me.

K5 of spades in LP, no raises, so let's see a flop. Flop is 7-2-2 with two spades. There's a bet of 17, folded to me. Gotta take chances, right? I'm the only caller. Turn is not a spade, but it goes check-check. River however is a spade and he again checks. Now, how much to bet? Probably 40ish in the pot, let's try $25. He thinks for a while, says he thinks he has me beat, calls, and flips up pocket sixes. Nope, sonny...pair of sixes no good. Says he didn't even see the flush out there.

Sorry so long...last part hopefully coming soon, including the biggest hand of the week.

__________________
"I'm disappointed in you, Scotty" -- Michael DeMichele at the 2008 WSOP HORSE Final Table
Check out My Blog, updated 8/24/08

Snickers99

Oh, and I have just a couple of very bad photos to post...most taken while driving. Nothing interesting. But I took the time to take them, so I guess I'll post them.

__________________
"I'm disappointed in you, Scotty" -- Michael DeMichele at the 2008 WSOP HORSE Final Table
Check out My Blog, updated 8/24/08

Snickers99

Last part...pics to follow at some time.

The dealers at the Showboat were fine. No major errors or anything. There was one woman dealer with what I think was a Russian accent. Remember from the Day One Trip Report that I suck at figuring out accents, but it sounded Russian...whatever. She was kinda cute, but I LOVE that Russian accent. In my book, you get an extra point for having a Russian accent. For example, if you're a 7, you automatically become an 8 if you have a Russian accent.

Q-10o in the SB, I complete. Flop Q-J-9...top pair, straight draw...I bet $7, one caller. Turn is an ace, bet $15, she calls. River is a ten for two pair, but any king beats me. We both check...she flopped two pair and I rivered her for a higher two pair.

Hand of the week and of course I played it weakly...at least in the beginning. AKo in the SB. There's been one guy who's been drinking Coronas all night. Not slamming them down, but he's had a couple. He's been semi-aggressive, raising anywhere from $12-23 preflop (usually 17) just enough to piss me off. And he once again raises to 17. I should have re-raised, but I just call along with 2 or 3 others. The flop is A-Q-x, all clubs and I have the king of clubs. I check and it's checked to the raiser who bets $40. It's folded to me. No guts, no glory, right? I'm the only caller and I hope and pray for a club on the turn. I figure I might be ahead anyway, but a club sure would help. I'm only afraid of AA, QQ or AQ. All possible hands. The turn is a beautiful club and I'm thanking the poker gods as I roll my eyes and check...trying to sell that I hate that card, but not oversell it. He checks. Damn. Blank on the river and I need to value bet the nuts. I try $25 into a pot that's over $100. He thinks for a while and then says 'raise'...sweet! I try to not show any emotion and just stare at the board. He counts out the $25 and throws that in, calling my bet. He then shuffles his chips, counts out some, shuffles, counts, grabs a couple green chips and raises $75. I insta-shove and he insta-mucks, chucking his cards into the muck with great force. I guess I should have slowed down, counted out my chips, then shoved...he might have called. Any raise from me probably would have put me all in anyway, but I should have done some acting there. At any rate, HUGE pot and I suddenly have $455 in front of me and have the biggest stack at the table. After the next hand, the Corona guy gets up and leaves.

K7 of spades on the button and I see a flop of 8-6-5 w/two spades. Pretty nice flop for me. It's checked to me and I bet 10. Tight lady on the end calls. She's an OK player, but tight, so since she called me I figure she has something. I have lots of possibilities, but no hand yet. So, when the turn is a blank and she checks, I check as well. Nothing on the river and she checks again. I missed everything, bet $15, and she folds her hand face up. At the time, I though she folded pocket 5's, but that would have given her a set and she wasn't that tight! So either I wrote down the wrong flop or she didn't have pocket fives. 4-5 maybe? At any rate, she had me beat, but folded.

It's midnight and I'm up $255 (plus $26 from the Taj) and decide to call it a night. Again, the Showboat is kind to me. Next trip, I think I'm going to skip the Taj and play at the Showboat more. If I had to rank the rooms I played in, I would rank Taj the toughest (more aggressive players), then Caesars (not as aggressive as the players at Taj, but somewhat aggressive), then the Trop (not too bad, but we were short handed most of the time), then the Showboat (not aggressive at all...better for my tight/nitty game). Granted, this was after only one day at each...not a huge sample, and a WSOP Circuit event taking place at Caesars.

I cash out and make sure I get swiped out from my player's card. I'm hoping any comps I get are added to my account right away as I'm hungry and actually have a $5 comp from last time I played sitting in my account. But it looks like it isn't automatic as I check some 15 minutes later and I still only have $5. So I take that $5 and head to the deli food thingy. The line moves slow and as I'm waiting to be waited on, a VERY drunk woman with her not drunk husband (or BF) get in line behind me. She's swaying back and forth, tugs me on my shirt, and wants to know what the hold up is. I say I'm waiting to be waited on. A minute or two later, she gets disgusted and pretty much shoves me out of the way so she can get to the counter. Whatever...I'm not going to get into a fight with a drunk lady and it's apparent the husband/BF has his hands full. Finally someone comes over to wait on us and she starts giving her order. The husband/BF says to hold on, that I was first. But I just smile and say go ahead...that's ok. Again, wasn't worth it. I get a chicken salad sandwich because I really couldn't decide what to get because I didn't like anything they had. Normally $7, but it only cost me $2 with my comp.

That's it as far as poker playing. The totals...up $202 during 23 hours of play. Of course, that huge AK hand saved my trip. Should have been more as I played too many hands weakly. I had wanted to play Saturday before heading to my sister's for my Dad's birthday party, but didn't want to ruin the good feeling of being ahead. And I don't like playing when I know I have to leave at a set time. So I slept in a little, checked out close to Noon, and left. I am sure I will be doing this again and am thinking about early in the week of Thanksgiving as I always take Thanksgiving week off. Maybe a Sunday to Wednesday thing.

BTW, as you could imagine, I don't eat very well while on these trips. Here's a list of what I had to eat during this trip:
Free breakfast at hotel (2 times): Danish, mini omeletes, warm cinnamon rolls, sausage, apple juice, milk
Two Tasty Kakes & milk
Two cheese hoagies
Two small bag of Doritos
Two orders of chicken strips from Wawa
About a third of a big bag of Fritos
King size Milky Way
PB Twix
Broccoli/spinach pizza at Sbarro
Chicken Salad sandwich
Cup of Cherry Coke from Wawa
Tons of Mountain Dew and various cups of soda at the poker table

__________________
"I'm disappointed in you, Scotty" -- Michael DeMichele at the 2008 WSOP HORSE Final Table
Check out My Blog, updated 8/24/08

Ugignadl

Look forward to the pics .

Carrera

I'm thinking you want to be betting around 2/3 of the pot, not less than half...


EDIT:
P.S. nice report as always

sfustsh

tl;dr

Now you know why I don't read much of the TR forum.

__________________
Carrera: fuck you

as just above it means big bet.
so again fuck off

Snickers99

Man...I even broke it into pieces. Use the "Thread Tools" at the top of the post to get a nice printable version. Then, read it when you're on the toilet! Problem solved!

__________________
"I'm disappointed in you, Scotty" -- Michael DeMichele at the 2008 WSOP HORSE Final Table
Check out My Blog, updated 8/24/08

mike_eagles

Great report as usual. I will have to make sure I take good notes in Vegas.