Here's Day Two of my Niagara Falls trip for August, 2007. For Day One, [url=http://www.ridgepoker.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=8933#8933:1b8zs59e]click here[/url:1b8zs59e].

If you remember from my last set of Trip Reports, I usually have trouble sleeping in hotels. The GF and I sleep with a fan on in the bedroom...the constant hum helps me sleep. So I finally got around to buying a very small, desktop-like fan. It helped a lot. I slept pretty well for the first couple of hours. But then I started tossing and turning, thinking about hands from Friday, thinking about what I need to do to my game. Finally, at 7 AM, I give up. I fire up the laptop and finish off Day One's Trip Report.

I'm dragging my feet as I shower. I really don't feel like playing poker. What the fuck am I supposed to do now? I came all the way here to play all weekend. I found out last night that Labatts won't be making the trip, meaning I don't have to worry about being at the poker room at any set time. But what else am I going to do? So, I decide to take my time, get to the room when I get there, and start playing. Maybe I'll get into it. Maybe I'll win some pots and cash out early.

When I checked in yesterday, the front desk gave me a printout of local places to eat and shop. I noticed Dunkin Donuts on there. Says it's right down the street. I decide to skip the free breakfast at the hotel (prepackaged muffins, bagels, juice, etc.) and go to Dunkin Donuts instead. I figure I'll take the same at yesterday for a bankroll...$300. I drop a deuce and head out. It's 9:20.

Get to the DD and have a muffin and milk. It's 9:40 and I call the poker room and get on the 1/2 list. I thought about not putting my name on a list...just showing up. But I'm afraid it will be crowded and I don't want to sit there and wait. Boy, I really don't feel like playing. I'll have to be careful I don't get bored and not pay attention.

10:10 as I get to the poker room. No traffic and the parking garage is pretty empty. I really thought it would be crowded. This time, the butterflies hit me on the Robert Moses Parkway. I feel like playing a little more, but not a lot.

I'm seated right away and who's seated to my right? None other than T-Bone. T-Bone usually makes it into every one of my Trip Reports. The guy is pretty good...usually walks away a winner. Last night I saw him at another table with a HUGE stack of chips. I mean massive and I don't think he plays 2/5. I don't know what game he was playing. Guy to my left has about $300 (max buyin is 100). About half the table has me covered.

They make an announcement about the players card. You get ten points per hour of play. What does that mean? Nobody knows. I'll have to ask later.

Pocket sevens in MP, just me and the blinds. Nothing on the flop and they check. I figure a bet will take it, so I bet $5. One blind folds, the other calls. As I learn later, this woman is a freakin' calling station most of the time. Calling huge bets and hitting. Can't bluff her. She has a few hundred in front of her, probably added a couple more to that, then almost went bust. Anyway, back to the hand. There's at least one overcard to my sevens on the board...maybe two. She checks the turn, as do I. The river pairs the board, it goes check/check again. I flip my cards up, she mucks.

A9 of hearts in MP, I shouldn't but I limp. Flop is 9 high with two diamonds. Checked to me, I bet 5, woman from above hand calls. Turn is another diamond, she checks, I bet $10, she calls. River is a fourth diamond, she reaches down and counts out some chips, I fold before she can even bet.

It's 10:50 and I add another $20 to bring me up to $100. T-Bones been pretty quiet. Not many raises or fancy plays.

AQ UTG+2, raise to 7, one calls, another raises to 14, I fold. I just don't want to get involved today. Not good. AA UTG, raise to 7 hoping someone re-raises so I can shove and not have to think. Nobody does. Four people call. Great. Flop is J-Q-A with two hearts. Even better, he thinks sarcastically. Checked to me, I bet $20, all fold. Cool.

A7o in BB and I get to play for free. Flop is all diamonds and I have the ace of diamonds. But I don't bet because I suck. It's checked around. Turn is an ace. I bet 7, all fold.

It's 11:25 and I'm down $1. 11:45 and we're 8-handed with no list. But 5 minutes later, we're full again.

I don't want to talk about the next hand...I lose set over set to T-Bone no less and get felted for all but $7. Fuck. I pocket the 7 and rebuy for 100. I'm down $120 (not counting the $7 in my pocket). I lose this hundred and I'm gone for the day. I need a big hand.

Later, I get two red aces on the button. UTG makes it 6, three call, including a new guy who just sat down....this is his first hand. I wouldn't mind taking it right her, so I raise to $50. All fold....except the new guy who flat calls me. Well, crap. What now? Oh, I so don't feel like being here. Flop comes with two hearts and maybe 8 high? He checks, I only have 35 left, so I go all-in. He thinks a moment and calls. I flip over my hand, he doesn't. Turn and river are both hearts for the nut flush, he mucks face down. I more than double up.

It's 1:00 and I'm at 186 (bought in for 220 total).

Got two assholes on either end of the table who are straddling just about every time. I fucking hate straddles. One asshole is to my immediate left, so I'm facing a straddle every time I'm in the BB. I go on an incredible run of bad cards. A stray pocket pair here and there that go nowhere. And some marginal hands, but I'm getting them OOP or facing a raise in front of me. So I fold preflop.....a lot. Now it's 1:40 and I'm at 167 (+ the 7 in my pocket).

The poker room is dead. It's 2:00 and there's only 6 tables going. I really thought it would be crowded what with tourist season and all. I thought maybe the family would hit the Falls while Dad hangs out in the poker room. But I was way off. I'm pretty sure I won't be coming back up in the summer. Hotel rates are high and the poker room is dead. As a matter of fact, one of the people at the table makes a joke that poker is a winter sport.

There's no point in writing down any hands as I just don't have it today and I can't believe the rotten cards I'm getting. I lose a small pot or two...I river someone for a higher two pair. I am getting shit for cards. It's 3:00 and I'm at 166...a dollar less than almost 90 minutes ago. I'm just not playing any hands.

Finally, at 4:40, I give up. It's just too frustrating getting no cards. I decide that I'll hang out in my room and maybe get an early start for tomorrow. I think there's a somewhat large tournament tomorrow. Maybe I can pick off some tournament players and make some money. I cash out a total of $164. Bought in for $220 total, so I lost $56. I'm up $10 for the weekend.

I decide to get another fried chicken wrap for dinner. On the way to Morrie's Express, I make a pit stop in the Men's room. I walk by a nickel slot machine. WTF. Throw $5 in. I was doing better at the slot machine than poker. I had that baby up to ~7.50 before crashing back down to my original 5. I cash out. I earned no bonus points, but I break even.

Oh, I forgot about the players card. I got the information while I was leaving. As I mentioned, you get ten points an hour. So, I ask, what are these points good for? Great answer....we don't know yet. Nothing right now. They're still working on that part. It'll be food comps and the like, but nothing yet. Yeah, great. So I'm earning points that can't get me anything. Why would you introduce a program without figuring out all the details?

Sorry there wasn't much poker in this report, but I really didn't play many hands.

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

Some days are like that man. you're still getting great live table time, so there is lots of value in that.. I know some people that would be really happy only being down $60 or so.. Considering where you were 6-8 months ago (scared to play NL) you've come a long way man!

Another nice report!

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Thanks, Randy. I agree. Only losing $60 (a little more than half a buyin) isn't that bad. Especially when I was down 120. I just didn't get the cards to try to start anything. It was a weird session. I felt like I had to play because I drove four hours to be there. If there was a local card room, I wouldn't have went.

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

Live play can be dreadful when you are not getting cards but hey at least you did this:

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"A tell is a gesture that lets others know what kind of cards he's holding. In other words, if every time one player thinks he's holding the best hand he then urinates all over himself, that would be a tell.- Mr. Cranky Movie Critic

Cool report. You can't always get cards and you didn't get stupid with the hands you did play so that's good.

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They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown. - Carl Sagan

I also despise the straddle. If you want to straddle every hand go play a higher limit jackweed!

I love the straddle. SORRY.

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They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown. - Carl Sagan

I am the same, except for the sorry part.

Straddling = profit :).

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