Here's Day One of my Niagara Falls trip for August, 2007.

After meeting up with Puck, Johnny, and Labatts in June, I was looking forward to meeting up with the guys again. We agreed on August. But everybody wimped out on me. Just joking around...shit comes up. That's cool. I decide that I'm going to do the same thing as last time...take the day off from work Friday and head up then. Then I decided I would take Monday off as well. Usually I have to watch the clock Sunday so I can get home at a decent hour to get ready to go to work Monday. But now I can relax on Sunday and play as long as I want. I might even stay the night again if I do REALLY well.

But back to Friday. I wanted to leave Pittsburgh at 10am, but don't hit the road until 10:20. Hit some rain on the way. And construction had Route 79 outside Erie down to one lane for a few miles. One rant. I stopped outside Erie to get gas and lunch. And what pisses me off is the people that pull in, get gas, and leave their car next to a pump while they go inside the store. WTF? I pull into the gas station and ALL the pumps are taken. And most of the cars are empty...nobody around. So I have to sit there and wait until one of them get out of the store and get back to their car. Fucking assholes. Don't leave your car blocking a pump while you waddle into the store to get a candy bar. Fucking pisses me off.

After Erie, I start to get fidgety. I'm starting to think this is too far to drive. With poker coming to West Virginia soon, I wonder how often I will be doing the Niagara Falls trip. I usually have a good time and like live poker a lot. But...I don't know. We'll see what happens when live poker is less than an hour from my house.

I pull into the Microtel parking lot at 2:30. Check in isn't until 3. I try to check in early...no go. They were sold out last night (and are again tonight). I have 30 minutes to kill. Luckily, the free WiFi includes the lobby. So I go back out to my car, grab my stuff and the laptop, and fire up the laptop. The front desk clerk said she'll try to get me in as soon as possible and not 5 minutes later, she calls me up. It's about 2:45. I'm checked in, get to my room, unpack, and go thru my ritual of deciding what to bring with me and how much money. I'll be playing 1/2 NL ($100 max buyin) and I decide on $300. I don't plan on spending it all. I figure 2 buyins, with some extra in case (and for food). I also decide not to play any Limit. Usually, I get on the list and will play 2/4 or 3/6 until a NL seat opens up. But I usually lose while I'm waiting, so I decide no Limit games for me this trip. I call the poker room at 3:20 and get on the list and I'm off.

Usually, it's a 20 minute drive to the casino. Down Rt 290, over the Grand Island, into Niagara Falls. But there's tons of traffic on 290 leading to Grand Island. There is a toll before the island and we're backed up pretty far. I'm thinking it's a combination of rush hour and tourists...more tourists. It's 20 minutes before I even get to the tolls. I was afraid it was going to be like that the whole way. But once we got on the island, it was smooth sailing. I wouldn't even say the traffic looked any heavier than it was in June (this is my first poker run in the middle of August when schools out). But I've never seen it so backed up before the tolls.

I get to the poker room at 4:00 and amazingly, I'm seated right away. Not only that, but the table was a little shorthanded. I made it 7 handed. I was surprised the poker room wasn't a lot busier. Before I am seated, I fill out the form for my players card. This is new to the poker room and nobody can tell me what you earn or how fast. Whatever. Later in the night, I hear a player say he thinks you get 60 cents an hour. Hmmm. I don't know anything about these cards, but that seems like a lot. Maybe if it gets slower at sometime over the weekend, I'll ask more details. You just have to make sure you check out when you leave because if you don't, you don't earn anything. (I did find out more on Saturday...see that trip report!)

While driving over, I decide what I need to do and what I want to accomplish. My goal is to win one buyin each day....$300 total. I really don't know why I set this goal. It's not like if I double up in 30 minutes, I'm going to stop because I hit my goal. I guess I'm saying it would be nice to win a buyin each day. Another thing I want to accomplish is to get out of my comfort zone. I'm doing a little better online, but I'm letting too many hands get away from me. What I mean is, gambling by staying in a hand when I have less than a monster. My online sessions tend to have me slowly leak, then hit a big hand...slow leak, big hand. I'm losing out. I'm planning on putting myself out there more this trip...figure out what someone has and what are the chances I'm beaten. Playing position, etc.

I usually feel sick as I walk in the poker room, but this time, I actually get the butterflies in the parking lot....of the motel...before I even start the trip to the poker room. I have never been a very confident person and I feel I have to prove to myself every time I play that I (mostly) know what I'm doing. I think my online game is starting to click and I'm looking forward to playing live where I can win a couple hundred instead of $15. I'm feeling much more confident. The butterflies go away when I'm dealt the first hand.

The table seems interesting. The first two hands, somebody wins with AK, somebody wins with AA...neither raised preflop. Is this NL or Limit?

At this point, I still don't know if Labatts is going to make it this weekend. I think that if he doesn't, I think I'm going to skip the buffet tomorrow. I really didn't like it that much last time. Maybe I'll just get a burger or something at the snack bar. But that's tomorrow. Oh, and I need a new name for the waiting list. I used to use Mike when I played Limit. There was another Mike, but he played NL. And it's too common of a name. So when I started playing NL, I wanted something different so I knew they were calling me. I went with Snick. But now when I call, they always put it down as Nick. Last time, someone took it down as Nick S. Close. So I need to come up with a new name. I thought of FBT, but I have no idea what that would come out as over the phone if they can't get Snick right.

I suppose I should work some poker in here somewhere. Usual rules....I have to write everything down because I won't remember it. But I don't have time to write down everything like stack size, etc. So the hands could seem incomplete...especially if I ask for advice since I'm not going to provide all the details. When describing hands, x means a meaningless card or I forget what it was.

Nobody has raised at this table, so I don't know what the going rate is. Usually at these tables, it's $7. AKo UTG+1, UTG folds, I raise to $7, everyone folds.

K4o in the BB, I get to play for free along with some limpers. Flop comes 4-8-9. Checked around. Turn is another 4...sweet! Oh, but wait. The button didn't check and wanted to bet the flop, but the dealer didn't see him and dealt the turn. The four comes off the board and is shuffled back into the deck. The button bets the flop, I fold.

We're 8-handed now. Pretty tight/passive table. Nobody really has a lot of chips. There is a guy who almost everytime says "yeah yeah...I call". Super annoying. I suck at telling if people are drunk or not, but I had a feeling this guy was a little. Turns out I was right. He was sucking down rum & grapefruit juice. He was a big time calling station. Classic situation...he'd call you down with anything. You never knew what he had. But he was paying off everyone.

AKs in BB. There's one limper, and a quiet guy raises it to 12. I haven't seen him in too many pots. There's one caller in front of me. I decide to fold. Weak. Comments?

Pocket eights in EP, I limp with a couple others. Flop Q-5-6. Rum & grapefruit guy bets $5. WTF, I (with others) call. Turn is a 4. He bets $5 again...WTF, I (with others) call. I miss the river (I think it was a ten), he bets $10, everyone folds. Maybe it was a mistake, but I felt I had to call these little $5 bets. I'm not sure if there was a flush draw on the board.

It's 4:50 and I add $20 to my stack. UTG+3, two in front of me limp. I have AKo, raise to ten, all fold.

Floor to table 11!!!! In a hand I'm not in, on the flop, drunk guy bets out $5 (again...WTF?). He's HU with the guy to my left. Guy to my left throws out a $25 chip (he's got like $200 in $5 chips). The dealer deals the turn. Whoa!! Hold on! He was raising to $25. Dealer says since he didn't say raise, it's just a call. Meanwhile, drunk guy says fine, fine...and throws the additional $20 in. I agree with the dealer...don't you have to say raise? The floor comes over and the situation is explained. The floor rules that it was indeed a raise. The ruling about if you don't say anything so it counts as a call only pertains preflop. After the flop, it's considered a bet (or raise) to the amount you throw out there unless you specifically say how much. At least here at Seneca. Did not know that.

2-2 on the button. Couple limpers, I limp. Flop is J-2-x rainbow (I think). Checked around to guy two seats to my right, who bets $10. I raise to 30. Hmmm. Maybe too high. Everyone folds. I'm down $1 for the day.

On the button again, A9 of hearts. I limp with a couple others. Two hearts on the flop and the chase is on. It's checked to me and I bet $10. Drunk guy is the only caller. Remember, he's been calling down everybody. Right now, I have nothing. No heart on the turn...he has to have something...he checks, I check. Heart on the river, he checks, I bet $10, he folds. WTF? He's been paying off everybody! Jag-off.

My AQ runs into AK and I lose a good $30. I played this one weakly and it probably saved me money. Later, AQ again, this time UTG+1. I raise to $10, Four callers. Nothing on flop, it's checked around. Nothing on turn, someone bets, I fold.

Very next hand, JJ UTG. I raise to $10 again, two callers...the button and one of the blinds. I get my set and the blind checks. Non-scary board...no straight/flush draw and I'm pretty sure if I check, the button will bet. I base that on his play and the fact that I just raised preflop and folded the hand before. Maybe if I check, he's going to think I'm weak again and bet out. I check and he bets $20. Blind folds. I try not to check/raise a lot. I think you can sometimes get more money out of someone by just straight betting out. But this seemed like a good spot to do it. I min-raise to $40. He thinks about it and calls. I have about 35 left. Turn is nothing, I go all-in. He thinks for a moment and calls. Sweet. I flip up my cards, he nods, but doesn't flip up his. The river is dealt, he mucks, I double up. I think I started the hand with ~$90.

Few hands later, KK on the button. 3(?) limpers, I raise to $18, one caller. I get another set and it's checked to me. I ask the guy how much he has. He says 80-something. Oh...didn't realize he had so much. He must have had a green chip in there (I'm in seat 9, he's in seat 2...can't really see that far). I bet $40 (about pot size), he folds.

It's 6:30, I'm at $218. Oops! Miss counted. $189.

AK, raise to $10, two callers. I miss the flop, c-bet, and take it down. I think my image is good right now...I've showed down some big hands. I'm going to try to use this against the right people.

I'm freezing my ass off. It's always cold in the poker room. But I thought maybe in the middle of August, it would be different. Nope. Some people are wearing long sleeves...others are wearing light jackets. Yes, it's that cold. I have no long-sleeve shirts with me.

Elvis...table 11 for 1/2 NL!! When you are waiting for a table and your name comes up, they call your name and table number. Elvis...good phone-in name. So this guy sits down and...it's Elvis! He's got the dark hair, the sideburns, and Elvis-like glasses. Young Elvis, not Old Elvis. He stays for two hands and gets called for 2/5. As he's leaving, I think about asking "is he leaving the building?", but don't.

QQ, maybe on the button? Couple limpers, I raise to 18, all fold but the guy to my right. The raise puts him all in and he reluctantly calls. He doesn't flip his cards over, gets no help, and mucks.

7:05 and I'm at $216.

I play AQ weakly and get rivered. Was up against AJ (who raised preflop). Ace on turn, Jack on river and I'm just calling. But if I raised the turn, he probably would have stayed in. Not that I should think that way. I played the hand wrong. What happened to me playing outside my comfort zone?

I've pretty much stopped taking notes at this time. I'm slowly leaking chips. QQ again and it holds up. I've had queens at least 4 times today...maybe 5. No AA, but KK once and AK a couple times. Seems like I'm either getting huge pocket pairs or crap. Not many suited connectors. A couple pocket pairs here and there. It's 8:25 and I'm down to ~187. I start to think about leaving.

No cards for a while and the slow leak continues. I need to fix this. I need to take more chances and take down some smaller pots here and there. But I didn't seem to get into the position to take the small pots because of the cards I was getting. I think I can beat 4 people at the table, but can't get any good starting hands.

I lose a hand (didn't write it down) and am down to 140-ish. Then won a big hand (didn't write it down). It's 8:50. Preflop raises have gone from $7 to $10 to now $15. I'm getting uncomfortable with the table and I'm hungry. I decide to pack it in. I cash out and check out with my players card....$186. Bought in for $100, added $20, so I'm up $66. Not bad. I think it could have been more, but I'll take it.

I go get my fried chicken wrap, call the GF (got the machine), and head back to the hotel. The GF calls me on the cell phone while I'm driving back. Illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving in NY state, but I quickly answer it, tell her I can't talk, and call her back when I get to the hotel. Watch some TV, eat my dinner, start writing this report, go to bed around midnight.

__________________
"I love the deer meat!!!" -- Randy
Check out My Blog, updated 11/15/08

I would have giggled.

__________________
Randy: I'm wrong

Hi Snicks, thanks for the report. Some comments.

On the people calling all-in and so on without showing. That's lame. In Oz, if either player is all-in then both can be asked to show (or must show). How irritating.

What position are you in? The quiet guy, seen him raise PF before? Any history on the caller, weak, aggro? Most important: how big is your stack? If you only have 50BBs, I like a push. If you are more like 100+ BBs, calling is great.

No good. Cbet? Flop texture?

When you are short stacked like this, I really like the minraise on the flop to a big bet from a late position player. It really screws with their mind. Very good line to get value when short, and if they start folding to minraises well... that is very good for when you are not short :).

If you ask that question and then bet less than his stack, that can be quite intimidating. It might not have mattered in this case, but in general, I'd push after asking that question.

__________________
I have been blogging. Last updated April 29th. http://www.feltpoker.com/blogs/ugignadl/

ASPLODE!

__________________
Randy: I'm wrong

Well, that is out of context. Normally I despise minraises. In fact, if there was any way in which it might succeed, I would campaign to remove the minraise from hold'em.

However as I explained in this case it's a good way to get some value. The largest factor there is the fact that Snicks is very short. He obtains a large amount of information as well.

Watching how people react to various annoying things like minraises gives the observant opponent a huge amount of information about villain's game.

__________________
I have been blogging. Last updated April 29th. http://www.feltpoker.com/blogs/ugignadl/

I'll try to comment on Ugi's comments, but I just woke up so I don't know if I'll make sense. :)

Yeah, I hate it too. Of course, since I'm in the hand, I can ask to see his before he mucks, but don't. I should though. But apparently, at least at Seneca, you don't have to flip them up.



As stated, I'm the BB. Yes, this was the first time I saw quiet guy raise preflop. And I can't remember to answer the other questions. This is why I think about not taking notes...if I'm not going to note everything, maybe I shouldn't write down anything.



Again, didn't write it down, can't remember. I'm assuming drunk guy was in the pot and I knew he would call with anything. I felt I needed something.



I don't consider $90 shortstaked when max buyin is 100. Yes, it's only 45bb, but do you consider it shortstacked when you have 90 and cover half the table? This goes along with me thinking most players here wouldn't think of my raise as a min-raise. They would think of it as me betting $40 (or $20). They just see me stacking up $40 in reds in front of me. Just like I don't think most players here consider the amount of the bet to the size of the pot. It seems they just think about the size of the bet itself. And I wanted him to call.


Yeah, I screwed that one up. I really expected him to have around $40 or 50, and I would have put him all in. Once I asked and he said 80-ish, I wasn't sure what to do. I was way ahead and wanted to get something. Next time, I'll just bet unless I can see how much he has and I want to play with his mind by asking first. I don't think I'm that experienced in live NL to start playing mind tricks thou! Thanks for the comments, Ugi.

__________________
"I love the deer meat!!!" -- Randy
Check out My Blog, updated 11/15/08

No worries Snicks. I have to teach in the morning and should really get to sleep, so some quick replies.

On shortstacked: Yes, I'd consider 45BBs short. Max buyin at the softest local game for 1/2 NL is $80. That's 40bb. It doesn't mean that at 11 am when I sit down and everyone is at 40BBs I play like I am a full stack. Don't underestimate your opponents either, most do think about some things like odds. They just don't think about them properly. I still like your move here.

Drunk Guy: Yeah I remember you mentioning him. So he paid off people all night. But his odds of hitting the flop and making a pair aren't good enough to stop you betting. You can bet, get the other guys out and be HU with this softie. It's a dream situation :).

__________________
I have been blogging. Last updated April 29th. http://www.feltpoker.com/blogs/ugignadl/

It sounds like you lose a lot of small pots, and win a few big ones. THAT is exactly how I make money, consistently, in cash games, month after month. It seems to be much easier to turn consistent profits in these cashaments. I only wish I had discovered online cash games years ago! :lol:

Great trip reports. Fun to read! Thanks! :D

That's bullcrap. It's a call unless a raise is announced, regardless of pre or post flop. The only exception to the rule is if more than one denomination of chip is used, then it's considered a raise whether you declare it or not. If the "caller" spilled in a $1 chip with his $25 chip, it's considered a raise at Seneca.

I have also noticed a decrease in quality of dealers. Your hand where you would have made trip fours happened to me several months back. Worse for me, I turned a set of 4s (as opposed to your trips). The dealers are not paying attention to the action, but still expect tips. The dealer that screwed me will not get another tip from me until I have saved in tokes what I would have earned from that pot. Dealers are like users: Fuck 'em all!!!!

__________________
"Seriously, even if you're not the most skilled player in the tournament, remember that Jamie Gold actually won a tournament" - Randy

I thought the same thing, and I think most of the players at the table thought so to by their reaction when the floor said it stands as a raise.

You know, now that you mentioned it, there were more dealer mistakes this trip than usual. A couple times, the action sped by someone still making a decision and the dealer was getting ready to deal the next card before someone spoke up. You might be able to say that a player acted out of turn, causing the whole table to act...but the dealer should have stopped everybody. They were letting the players run the table instead of taking control. It's the same dealers I usually see (as far as I can tell)...but they were sloppy. I could imagine that job gets boring and repetitive, especially in the summer when you'd rather be elsewhere, but it is their job.

__________________
"I love the deer meat!!!" -- Randy
Check out My Blog, updated 11/15/08