Snickers99

Note...not a whole lot of poker and/or poker details in this report. I didn't play a lot of hands and it seems lately I just don't feel like writing everything down. I think now that I've played live a bunch of times, the newness has worn off and I just don't feel like taking notes anymore.

I took the day after Christmas off and had cleared it with the GF that I could go to Wheeling, West Virginia, to play some poker. I thought asking to play on Christmas day was a little risky. Actually, I wouldn't do that. But I did find out that there were people playing Christmas day and it was mostly new people who never played before. Hmmm. Maybe I should keep that in mind for next year!

So, I was planning on leaving around 1, do a couple errands, then head to Wheeling. Well, it was 12:30 and I was bored, so I left then. Did my errands and I was on my way by 1pm. Nothing exciting happened on the way there. But of course, as soon as I walk into the casino, I need to find a bathroom. I don't know what it is about casinos, but as soon as I walk into one, I need to take a crap. This could come in handy if I'm ever constipated. Luckily, the bathrooms are right across from the poker room.

I didn't know what to expect crowd-wise. Wheeling just started with other table games (BJ, Craps, etc) on the 20th, although I don't know where these games are in relation to the poker room. The poker room is kinda in an out of the way area and I didn't walk around to see where the new table games were. Thanks to my first trip there a few weeks back, I knew where to park to be close to the poker room. I get to the poker room at about 2:20 and it's packed. I fight my way through the crowd to the kiosk to sign up for 1/2 NL. I add my name to the list and then turn to look at the board. There's 7 1/2 NL tables going and I'm 23rd on the list! At least I figure I'm around 23rd. The board only shows the first 15 and the total number of people waiting. Since I did the kiosk thing before, I'm pretty sure my name is on the list, but don't know for sure since I can't actually see my name. But I watch the one lady at the desk and she doesn't seem like she's being very nice today. I don't want to tick her off more by double checking to see if my name is there. So I'll wait to see if my name pops up as people are called.

While I'm waiting, I hear the two women working the desk say that there are more dealers on the way and they hope to open up more 1/2 tables. Everytime someone signs up and asks how long, she tells them 15-20 minutes. Lies!! All lies!!! It's been 30 minutes for me already and my name still isn't showing on the screen (meaning there's at least 15 people ahead of me). I feel like I'm in that Chinese Restaurant episode of Seinfeld. I think about putting my name on the 2/4 Limit list, but don't.

Finally, just as my name actually appears on the bottom of the screen, some dealers show up. They start by opening another 2/5 table, even thou there's only about 12 names on that list and the 1/2 list is sitting at over 30 names now. Then she calls a 1/2 table. By this time, I'm like number 13 on the list. They're going to open another 1/2 table when they get the first one settled and I'm happy I'll be starting at a new table. Always like starting at a new table since I'll be buying in for the max ($200) and know that nobody will have more than me at the start. But of course, while we're waiting for the first table to get going, I get called for an existing table. Damn.

I wander over to my table and seat one is open. Hate seat one. And I hate seat ten. I leave my players card and go get my chips. No chip runners today. Because they called a new 2/5 and 1/2 table, the line for chips is long and there's only one window open. Great. It takes them a while to open the other window. Apparently, the poker room has no control over this as one of the ladies from the front desk has to practically plead with the one guy working the window to please get some help as she's about to open yet another table. He calls someone on the radio and a few minutes later, both windows are open. I get my $200 and head back to my table. I sit down UTG and you have to post when you join a table, so I wait one hand for my BB. It's 3:17...almost an hour wait.

I take a look around the table...looks like my $200 stack fits in. One or two people have a little more, but not much more. Looks like most everybody is between $100 and $200. That makes me feel a little better about joining a table in progress. First hand I play is pocket tens from the button...couple limpers, I just limp, miss the flop, fold to a bet.

Later, AK UTG. I don't know what the 'standard' raise at this table is. I try $7. Apparently, not enough as I get like 4 callers. Flop comes 5-6-9, I don't c-bet (I don't know why), it's checked around. Turn is another 9 and I was planning on betting. But the BB bets out, so I fold along with everybody else.

I get pocket fours in EP, limp, and get to see a flop of 4-x-x with two hearts. There's a couple people in the pot and I don't want anybody to get their flush cheaply. My $10 bet gets everyone to fold though. My first pot of the day.

The greyhounds are running today and the only TV I can see from my seat is showing the races. I like greyhound racing. Those dogs are fast!

My biggest loss of the day happens with AQ when I give up control of the hand to probably the best player at the table. He of course takes advantage and makes a good turn bet that makes me lay down my TP from the flop on a semi-scary board. I might have been good, but couldn't pull the trigger. My usual game is to sit and wait for a monster, but I'm trying to change this as there are pots I'm missing out on. Actually, I need some comments on this hand and will try to reconstruct it best I can. I have AQo in EP...maybe UTG. I raise to $12 (I think), get one caller. I feel this guy is the best player at the table and I believe he has me covered. Flop comes A-x-x (forget the other cards and suits...sorry). I think I bet $20, he calls. Turn is a King (no flush possible yet). I check, he bets $40, I think for awhile and fold. The more I think about this hand, the more I hate myself. Did I fold a winner? It's hands like these I need to get better at.

But I make up just about all I lost on the very next hand. AK with one or two limpers in front and I just limp. I had talked to myself on the way to the poker room....be more aggressive, splash around, take chances...but here I am going right back to passive Snickers. Plus, I tend to play AK weakly anyway. So, I'm happy when the flop comes A-K-x, rainbow. It's checked to me and with the rainbow board, I think about checking hoping for a bet from someone down the line. But I don't like to get tricky, so I bet $10. One caller. Turn is another face card and I'm slightly worried about a straight. I bet $20, he calls. River is a harmless looking 3 or something. I'm trying to decide on what to bet because other than the straight (or a slow-played set), I think I'm good. I bet $40, he folds.

I'm sitting at $178 at 4:38 and that's actually the last hand I wrote down. But I remember a couple others. AKs in EP, my $12 raise (standard now for the table, especially with one or two limpers in front of you) gets everyone to fold.

Pocket kings in EP, one limper (maybe...not sure), I raise to $13, guy calls all in for his last $12, and one other caller. Flop has a king (weeeee!) but is also three hearts (boooo!). I bet $25, other guy folds, I win a $2 side pot (yes!), guy that's all-in flips over something like Q-10, no hearts, and I'm good through the river.

I end up picking up some small pots here and there. J2o in the BB, Jack high flop but I have no kicker and it gets checked around. Another Jack on the turn and I'm thinking I might be ok now. I bet something (five? ten?) and get one caller. River is a nice 2 for the Big Blind Full House special. Now I'm hoping he has a Jack. I bet (maybe 10? 15?) and hope for a raise, but he just folds. In another hand, my raise to $20 in LP with Queens gets all the limpers to fold preflop.

KJ in LP. I always thought it was stupid when people say they have a favorite hand. I really don't have a favorite hand...one that I always like to play. But to be honest, I like KJ. I know it's a trap hand and I certainly wouldn't play it with a raise in front of me (or from EP unless I was pretty sure nobody was going to raise), and I can drop it unless I get hit hard, but I like playing KJ. So, I guess if I had to pick a favorite hand, my inner donk likes KJ. I'll have to look at my PT stats and see where I stand with KJ. So anyway, I limp and the flop is K-x-x...maybe something like K-3-2...can't remember. The BB bets out and it's folded to me, the last player in. I should have raised, but him being in the BB I was afraid of some goofy 2 pair and just call. When he checks the turn, I figure I'm good, bet 15, and he folds saying his kicker is no good.

Naturally, while we're playing, people are coming and going. When I first sat down, there wasn't really any weak players nor any really aggressive players. The guy to my immediate left played a lot of pots, but wasn't very good. Not bad, but he would call preflop and fold the flop alot. If I had to pick someone as the table donk, he would be it...but he wasn't that bad and eventually left. We didn't have anybody shoving all in with TP on the flop or calling to the river with a draw. One guy sat down with $40 (the minimum) and I thought of Johnny. Short stack mother fucker!! This guy was weak, as you could imagine since he was sitting with such a small stack. Almost every time he was in a pot, it was super easy to get him to fold by making a good size bet or raise. I thought he would be playing short stack poker, but I think he was just trying to limit his losses. He eventually busts getting it all in on a straight draw and missing. He rebought for another $40 and had about $25 when I left. One guy sat down and he seemed pretty good. The dealers seemed to know him and he looked like he was about to fall asleep from being sick. He said he was recovering. Then another guy sat down and while I don't know if he was good, he was aggressive and would straddle every chance he got. Even though this is just my second time at Wheeling, I might have actually played against him before and remember not liking him then. The table starts breaking out into mini battles as aggressive guy and sickly guy go at it for a few hands, and then aggressive guy pisses off another guy and they go at it in a big hand.

The most I was down was like maybe $50 after the AQ hand and I won most of what I lost on that hand with the very next hand...the most I was up was maybe $15. I don't like these table dynamics now. I pay my blinds and I'm sitting at exactly $200...which is what I bought in for. OK, one more round. If I'm under $200 when the blinds come around, I'll stay (can't leave a loser!). Over or at $200, I'm leaving. I chuckle to myself as I get KJ in EP. Nope, sorry my old friend. Can't play you right now with so many preflop raises being thrown around. Then I'm up for the BB next and I still have my $200. True to my word, I get up and leave. It's 6:25, so a little over 3 hours and I broke even. One of the reasons I decided to leave was I had a headache from lack of food. They have table side food service and I should have ordered something. I was going to get a Coke, but it looked like the waitress was avoiding our table like the plague. I even tried to get her attention as she whizzed by, but she didn't even slow down. Fuck her, then. Sickly guy asked the dealer to get the waitress (they have a button they can press) and it must have been 10 minutes or more and no waitress so he had to ask again. Still no waitress when I finally left. I wanted to grab something like a soft pretzel or hot dog on my way out but the only snack bar I know of was closed. It's in the betting area for the dog races and it must only be open when they are racing. They were racing earlier, but not when I left (I think they raced that night, thou). My car is right outside the doors and it would be pretty stupid to walk all the way back to the main casino just to get something to eat and walk all the way back to my car...defeating the purpose of parking so close to the poker room...so I just leave.

The dealers were OK. The one that was dealing when I first sat down was a little unsure, but not bad. I think one of them made a somewhat major mistake as the last card dealt to the button flipped up and was exposed. I know if this happens in any other position, they continue the deal and then the exposed card is replaced by the next card in the deck. But I thought if the last card dealt was exposed, it was a misdeal and all the cards would be collected and redealt. The dealer just gave the guy the next card off the deck. I don't know why it matters when it's the last card, but I know I've been involved in hands like that at Niagara and a misdeal is always called. Maybe this isn't true at Wheeling.

We also had one dealer that was just way too perky. I don't know about you, but I like a dealer that you really don't notice. He (or she) sits down, says hi, then runs a good game...keeping things moving, keeping track of everything. I think the good dealers are the ones you don't notice. This one dealer was out of control. As I mentioned in another trip report, Wheeling has this system where they have the little computer thingy in the table that keeps track of open seats. If you have a players card, they swipe your card and tell the system what seat you're in, and your first name appears on the screen in front of the dealer. This dealer decides to use everybody's first name as we're playing (if you don't have a card, you show up as 'guest' on the screen). And that's fine, in moderation, but she was too over the top...."deuce to call...Michael?? No? Ok, you sir? Two? Two? Nope...onto Roger...Roger..playing for two? Yes? OK, one caller...Tom, you in for 2? 2? 2? 2? In? No, out...ok, out, out, in, out. Here's your flop...Roger, bet? Bet? Bet? No? Call? Ok....", and so on for 30 straight minutes. It was too much. And she was going too fast. One hand, after the flop, she totally skipped the guy on the button, dealing the turn instead of making sure he checked. So she had to take the turn card back, shuffle, and deal another turn card.

The jury's still out on whether Wheeling or Mountaineer will be my main poker room. I need to go to both a couple more times. So far, I've been to Wheeling on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas...probably not the two best days to judge the crowd and players. I need to go on a Saturday and spend a long time there a couple times. I'm hoping to go at least once in January...maybe twice. This table was probably tighter and better players than my last trip to Mountaineer (where Johnny's table had a lot of good players). While my table there was a little rough, there were at least 2 or 3 donks that were not very good. This table at Wheeling didn't really have any bad players that I could take advantage of.

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thebatsman

Awesome Report Snickers ...you are the best

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Eruu

Awesome as usual. And speaking of KJ, we probably have a couple of new guys here who haven't seen [url=http://www.billfillmaff.com/:23vku1qb]Fillmaff[/url:23vku1qb]yet.

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bigloser2448

Hey Snick, Great Report! Why is it there always seems to be a bathroom story in your reports? You sound like me. Whenever I tell a story (particularly, related to some new department store or something since I haven't been to Casino's lately), it invariably includes a detailed explanation of the bathroom; the size, smell (or lack thereof), supplies provided, paper or "air", etc.

Anywho, I'm sure my 1st casino story will be no different, complete with "bathroom report", btw, my wife hates when I spend so much time talking about the bathroom.

Oh, and...
He surely had KQ! nh :nod:

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bigloser2448

OMG. Is this guy for real???
I got through 15 seconds of his first video. 15 seconds that is, that I'll never get back, thank you very much.

:shock: I'm assuming that since I haven't heard about him, ever, that he's a waste-case?? :shock:

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Check out Bigloser's Blog: The Genesis of a Micro-Grinder...

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Eruu

Fillmaff is a poker legend.

__________________
Bernie Wayne - You stick with me kid. In a few years you'll be wearing diamonds big as horse turds and farting through silk.

johnny

I'm sorry I couldn't make it man. Just going to get a chance to sit down and read your report tonight! From what I've scanned though it sounds like it would have been a tough trip!

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Blog Updated 6/21, Oooops, I'm goin to Vegas in a few days.
11:09:32 PM Randy: limit poker is easy
11:19:03 PM Randy: ok, i suck at teh limit

Mirage: FU PKOER
Mirage: F
Mirage: U
Mirage: FUFUFU
Mirage: up a $1.45 still YES

Snickers99

Hee hee....it probably started because I was doing it without realizing it. And then the guys started making fun of me, so now I have to include one! Can't wait until AC so I can check out those bathrooms! :wink:


QFT...BigL, you have to watch all the videos. They're hysterical. When I was writing the TR about KJ, I made a note to myself to go back and watch the videos again. I haven't watched them in a while.


Don't sweat it man! You've got a business to take care of. With live poker so close, I'm sure we'll be meeting up a lot. Thought about going this Saturday, but we just spent the last 3 1/2 days in NJ visiting family, so I might want this weekend to kick back and do nothing.


The point is, I have to stop sitting back and waiting for monsters. I believe I posted about that before. Even if I got a monster, that table wasn't going to pay me off. I need to adjust and didn't. Sitting and waiting doesn't work like it used to. At least not in West Virginia. I need to start playing small-ball poker or something and stop waiting for those huge pots that aren't going to come.

__________________
"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

The AC bathrooms are usually pretty clean, at the casinos anyway. Now on the AC expressway will be another story! When is the AC trip planned? I may have missed something. Just started my new job Monday so haven't been online much.

Snickers99

First off, congrats on the job! Saw it in another post, but forgot to respond.

AC is probably early March. Probably somewhere between the 3rd and the 11th due to Penguins games. :wink: Have to figure out how many days and where I'm staying. Don't worry...I'll PM ya!

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