TR SNIPPET LIVE POKER

ORLEANS

I have been avoiding the Orleans limit games since a trip two trips ago, but it was logistically wise to take my sons there from the Gold Coast, some for the live poker and others for the nickle 3 play.

We could then all go back to our Gold Coast beds or easily cab back to the Bellagio at different times based on our comfort.

I was still at the poker table with my local son Peter, sitting next to him, at almost 2 AM.

The Orleans game has changed.

They rake a maximum of $3 for the house. They take $2 for the bonuses and promotions. While we were there, the two high poker hands for that hour were paid a bonus. Of course, I caught my jack high straight flush at midnight. The promotion ran 9 am to 11 pm. Probably I was counterfeited on the river by a queen so that both my cards would not have played.

Both my sons made a pile of chips and then lost it back. It was a great game. Plenty of players paid off good cards. I made $82. Very nice.

Only one dealer was out of it. He did not know what current promotions were running. He did not answer me when I asked to slide down a seat until I said, “Hey, you with me?” and then he managed to say, “Yes, Okay,”

I still tipped him. But I wish now I had not.

All the rest of the dealers were just grand. They paid attention to questions. They called the game. They held up folks who were might bet out of turn.

One old woman would lean with her chips well over the line and seem to be betting out of turn. The dealer kept reminding her that the action was a long way in front of her. She took an attitude, annoyed at the dealer, and said she would lean like that everytime.

I told her that if she was going to signal her intention to bet, the dealer would be forced to remind her it was not yet her time. That was the dealer's job. The dealer looked directly into my eyes and her eyes said, “Thank you and , What part of, “Don't look like you are going to bet out of turn,” did this old bitty not understand?

But I think my comment changed her behavior. She restrained her impatience.

Son Cory joined the table and knowing nothing of that exchange, sat next to the old bitty, and he chatted her up and kidded with her and got her smiling.

That was nice.

One fellow with a heavy accent (maybe Greek) felt we all needed to be lectured in detail after every hand he won from us.

He caught a huge run of full houses and flushes on the river. Some of them took my son's money when his trips were beat.

Each one he felt he needed to recap the action, and if possible highlight his superior play.

I was not in very many hands, but I had my trips beat by him. The old guy had skillfully let me bet first, and then raised. It was good poker.

But lecturing about it was very poor etiquette. My answer,

“I know what happened. I was here for that hand.”

A few at the table laughed.

He was one of those guys who, after he has decided to fold, studies the cards a while, and talks to himself or to the cards or shows them to the dealerand shakes his head, all the while holding up the game.

Remember, this is 2-4 limit, so he is not playing to gather information on those acting behind him. He just thinks the game revolves around him.

He lost at first, but then he got good reinforcement on his ego by catching great hands.

A young Black man joined the table and verbally took the old guy on in friendly but intense banter.

He was just wonderfully entertaining.

He was a good player; he was doing mind games with the old guy, and rattling him, and I was enjoying it. He was funny and had us laughing while he took our money with good hits that he disguised with the banter.

Some players who do that are annoying, and some are entertaining.

He was pure stand up comedy.

My son Peter should have quit a hundred or so ahead as the table did change to very different and better players and when he bet into perceived weakness, he was trapped.

The first set of players could easily be read and showed weakness. The second set were not so easy to intimidate. They sometimes waited for him.

He plays once a week at our home game and takes money almost every week with aggressive betting. In fact, he brought money earned in one game to Vegas as his bankroll. He lost most of it, but he had a good time.

I had a grand time playing with two sons on the live poker and two more on the nickle three play.

Say, here is an Orleans question. If I let the casino know I am there in the poker room on days I don't bet VP, would that poker room play unbalance my daily average? Would it kill my two nights comped every six months?

I did not give my card, but they do pay some comps per hour. It is not a big sacrifice because I generally have more B Connected points than I can use on my solo adventures, but had I been sure I would not lose my free night offers, I'd have given my Player's Card at the poker.

I know not to go to the Orleans buffet on a day I am not gambling and use my Player's Card to save the price. That makes me look like a lower roller than I am.

Does earned poker comps on nights with no VP play affect free room offers.

I took the boys to play on a Sunday when the Orleans offered a grand promotion, high hands that paid very well each hour. I like playing when there is that bonus.

Contrast the bad beat jackpot. A hand that qualifies must be flopped. How absurd!

There are then local promotions, but they don't affect me. The Orleans takes $2 for promotions, but caps the rake at $3. They will tell you that they rake 10%, but if you just count money out of the pot, a $10 pot is raked $2 or 20%, a $20 pot is raked $3 or 15% and then the full money taken away goes down closer to 10%. So, playing 2-4 with local rocks and small pots tends to be a tough game to beat. And when the $2 is raked with a bad beat that must be flopped and no other bonus pays, it is just a rip off.

Of course, some casinos take a full $5 as the rake, and then a buck or two for the promotions. So, the Orleans can be a great place to play, especially on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday when the high hand awards are given.

The high hand awards stop at eleven. I hit a straight flush to the jack an hour later. However, the river counterfeited me with a queen, making my seven not part of both cards playing. So I would not have been paid a bonus anyway. Two cards in my hand had to play.

TUESDAY'S GAME

I had comped nights at the Orleans for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I decided to keep my VP bankroll for just Wednesday because I would get a point multiplier that day. I was also tired after having family all week and wanted to just relax at a slow poker game for the first of my solo trip.

I played 7 hours and lost $1. So actually, I was a winner because I used my Player's card this session.

I was up and down. I lost $25 at the 2-4 game and realized that it was not giving large enough pots. I did meet a great fellow there who was into the boxing profession and very talkative.

I also pissed off an Asian fellow.

Here is how that happened.

I flopped trip sevens in early position with two in my hand and two diamonds on the board.

I checked.

The turn came another diamond and Asian guy's wife caught the Ace high flush and bet. I called. The river paired the board with a second 10.

I check raised my opponent and she reraised me my last $5.

It was such a surprise to her that she could lose that hand. She was mad. She quit and went over to sit behind her husband.

I engaged an older good natured fellow who looked Cuban to me and we talked about a few things, none of them poker.

Three hands went by that I folded.

The Asians were still steaming mad and Asian guy could not let it rest. He stared at me and said, “You Win!” I was confused and asked, “What?”

“Are you deaf,” he barbed. “I said, “You win!”

“I have not played the last three hands,” I said, “ And while I may be a little deaf, at least I am not rude.”

And so the exchanges started until the dealer said, “Enough,” and the Cuban fellow lectured the table on taking good care of the tourists because they fund the city.

I assured him that I was not offended.

I might have said, since it was the verb tense of the attack that had confused me, “I also am not inarticulate; I can speak English in more than just the present tense.” or, “You can't really expect success at this game if you reraise on fifth best hand or are surprised that a paired board might give your opponent a boat. “

It had been a large pot and part of a half kill so it was a 3-6 hand.

And still I left that table down money.

The 4-8 I next played was a grand game. There was good reason to raise to push out because folks would fold.

They would also bet into perceived weakness.

I check raised often.

Sometimes I did that on the turn when it might have been better for me to wait until the river.

I also did well on the button when I raised to see free cards. Folks would call the button raise, then defer to me on the on the flop or turn. I'd get a free card. So I did it when I had Ace little suited.

Once I even did it with K-9 suited and caught the flush. That was a poor play. I just got lucky.

As well as giving me free cards, that strategy misrepresents to the table my hand as a high pair or high cards. I did it with middle suited connectors.

That misrepresentation sometimes made it possible for me to bluff even when I had missed the draw. These folks remembered my raise, and if they checked to me on the river, after we had checked the turn, then I generally bet my pretend high pair. I was only once caught stealing the pot.

Even that was not a bad thing because it mixed the message that I was a tight player, and I got more callers when I had the goods.

We had one bulldog on the table and I can see how he did well with the strategy of continuing to bet once he was in the hand. I'm just not good at playing that way, and it could destroy a bankroll.

The bulldog did not always have a grand hand, but the confident intensity of his betting sent the message he had something wonderful, so he dominated this table where players would fold.

4-8 is often less a no foldem holdem.

PALACE STATION

This is a local's game especially at football time. Both the 2-4 with kill and the 2-6 spread were full of folks who all knew the dealers, the brush, and each other. At times the 2-4 was tight and small pots.

I basically lost money overall. This game is not a draw to get me back into the casino. Even the Orleans was easier.

The Golden Nugget downtown is much softer and a much better 2-4, perhaps the best in Vegas. Certainly it is the best from 2 AM until breakfast.

I had my Aces cracked and missed a good pot my first night with one fellow who persisted and caught the river. I thought I would lose my second night, but on the river I caught the nut diamond flush and took down a really large pot for this table.

My other wins were not great.

Some of the players are very surly. This is not the place to look to find people on vacation having fun and bantering. This is the place where folks face the randomness of life with disgruntled victim whines. They don't like it when the odds don't predetermine the individual outcomes. Truthfully, they don't like much of anything at all. It is an extreme contrast to the, “It's only money” folks at tourist games.

There was one old guy who chuckled because he had put a lit cigarette just outside the door of the casino and he would sneak out for a few puffs between hands.

A bit of the smell of it would waft into the poker room and there were complaints. He just kept quiet.

I'm not a fan of smoke, but I was enjoying the game of it.

Finally, someone heading out the bathroom noticed the cigarette.

“Who's cigarette is out here?” he asked.

But the old gent kept very still.

“They are not supposed to do that,” one woman remarked.

“Well, I'm putting it out.” the fellow said with annoyance.

And the old guy just smiled.

On his key fop he had a plastic piece that said, “Jesus is my driver.”

Now, I thought that was pretty ironic.

GOLDEN NUGGET

Drunk guy see notes

Morning guy from San Antonio. Had been stationed in Iceland. Another guy used to live in Saratoga years ago. His sister just packed up a car and drove to Vegas. They both have been there ever since.

Texas was an aeronautical engineer. Good fellow. Friendly. Not much in common. The rest were locals and all had to beat. I left a bit early because all the loose players were gone.

My raises for high hand did not work. On woman to my left bet into me after I raised preflop on the button.

Thursday night

I played a few ours and was up quite a bit and then I lost a few very good hands. So my profit was just $24 when I quit. No high hands. I did play a 2-3 of diamonds and caught the wheel straight. That made me some money. I check raised once on queens.

Gravel voiced guy sat next to me. He was very loose. We bet eight preflop and he had Q-10 and I had K-K. I'd have won but one player stayed and caught a straight.

Very friendly and nice Hawaiian woman played next to me. Not much conversation anywhere.

I quit at 3 when the table broke. I needed to get some sleep anyway

Friday night

Played poker all night and did not do so well. I started with $100 from the VP and bought in for $200 more. I cashed out for $155.

Had one talkative guy at the table who just would not shut up. A drunk came and he kept helping him play his hand by saying he should call or fold or whatever.

He started swearing and was 86ed from the table, but he was back in a couple hours.

I also sat next to a great Asian fellow and we hit it off quite well. I ended up giving him my Silver Strike ring for a coin protector. I did not bring so many rings this trip. He was delighted as he has a coin that will fit in the ring.

This was the most chaotic game I have played. When they let the motor mouth guy back in again, I left. I'd had more than enough. A couple grumpy men too playing just $20 and going home in a huff.

PLAZA

I played with two of my sons at the ProPoker electronic tables.

We were attracted to the low stakes tournaments at the Plaza, but when we arrived they had canceled the seven oclock tournament and the next was in an hour.

We played some video poker while we waited.

No one won much money. Dana and Frank passed on playing the tournament and walked down to play JOB at Main Street Station. They had a grand time with an old guy they met down there who ended up being a bit of a racist, especially where Asians were concerned. They enjoyed him as a character, however.

They then were hungry and went for a bite at the Brew place. Frank was disappointed in his hot dog, but Dana liked the pot stickers.

A bit after eleven we headed home. It was to be a very confusing and frustrating drive. I kept missing the turns.

The first part was great, full of amazing raucous banter. When three brothers get together, they are great fun. It is amazing how a blended family like this could so fully bond with each other, enjoy each other, support each other. There are very few tensions between these men and I think they will age together joyfully, although they seldom manage a reunion.

This was special too because there were no women with us and no children. The birthday boy was missing, off playing 2-5 no limit poker. That was a shame, but he does not like low stakes.

I went to the Plaza for the $40 poker tournament on my solo part. They got enough to guarantee $500 for the winner. There were just ten of us in the tournament. Each person had a $5 bounty. It is the most frugal poker in town.

And folks play poker. They don't come and and because it is cheap play a game that is more like bingo. It is nicely run.

I see the same people there.

Two of the managers of the room played with us and a very pleasant young Black man I've seen before and like very much. One of the dealer's blond girlfriend was there as she was before when I played. They gave us two free drinks this time.

I took one bounty, so I lost $35

ARIA

I don't play no limit poker because I don't have the bankroll to sustain bluffing. I'd be playing with scared money.

I have always wanted to play at Aria and on this trip I had just enough time for a short game, low chipped, quitting broke or a bit ahead.

I played very tight and felt that my opponents were very good. I had Mr. Loose guy two to my right.

There were few free flops. Someone generally tossed in a $15 bet to take the blinds and see the flop.

Another reason to play tight.

I did limp in once with 10-Q and then bet a bit when the flop was 10-small-small. I checked and folded on the turn when the A came and was called. Of course, the Q showed on the river. Both other players had A-8 and just the Aces. I'd have won.

My second playable hand was just before I needed to leave for my buffet and show. I had 5-6 on the large blind suited clubs. The guy to my left bet the $15 and there were some callers. I could see the flop for $13 more, so I did.

J-7-8. Now would have been a good time for me to push in early position. Playing low chipped gives early position an advantage for semi bluffing.

I did not and it was checked around.

The turn was a 9.

I go all-in on my small straight.

My opponent calls with his Q-10 and higher straight caught inside.

Q-10 was not good to me no matter who held those cards.