A buddy of mine who has never really played “real” poker before wanted to go play so we scheduled a trip to Commerce Casino Friday night. He brought an out of town friend with him who has some experience but because our common friend was a newbie we decided to start him off at the $1/$2 tables. Since our newbie buddy didn’t get seated at the same table as both the out of towner and I we could have just played any limit but we had already signed up for $1/$2 on the off chance that we might all get seated at the same table.
What a frustrating night. I didn’t lose big but the only way I can describe the evening was that it was like getting kicked in the testicles for six hours. I lost every single big hand I played. I lost with hands like KK, QQ, AKs, AK, etc (never got dealt the bullets). Big pairs pre-flop and sets simply would not stand up on that table. I did win some hands here and there which kept it from being a totally disastrous evening but the crazy part was that it was always with some crap cards that I played for free in the BB or when I limped in with a questionable hand on the button. In fact, a few of us started joking about how we were going to have to change our strategy and start playing only crappy hands. You could almost guarantee that if you had QQ or better the flop was going to come three suited cards. No exaggeration, I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many hands with four suited community cards . . . ever! If I had two diamonds the flop was sure to come club, club, club. I couldn’t even draw the right color 🙂
Here was a typical hand:
QQ in late position (I think I was in the CO). Nine players and everyone has called to me. I raise. Everybody calls. Nine players see the flop and it’s Qxx. It gets checked around, someone in late position bets and I raise. Everybody calls! Now this is the point where you’re saying sweet. Huge pot building and I’ve got a set with the high card on the board. All I have to do is avoid an overcard in the off chance someone has pocket kings or aces. Turn brings another rag card suited. Two to a flush are now on the board. Checked to me, I bet and we lose a few players but there are still 3 of us left. River brings a suited blank. If anybody has made the flush the only way I can win is to scare them off the pot. But who would stay in to a pre-flop raise and a raise on the flop trying to catch a runner, runner?. Checked to me, I bet. We lose one player and the guy to my left calls. He shows 49s. How the hell did this guy call a pre-flop raise with 49s and hang on for a runner, runner? In fact, I asked him just that. I was joking friendly about it but I said “Dude, you played 49s to a pre-flop raise and called a raise on the flop???” No kidding, he replies “Hey, I’ve been getting lucky going in with any hand whenever you raise. If you raise, I’m going in no matter what I have.” And he wasn’t kidding. I caught him several times getting ready to muck his cards and when I raised he pulled his hand back and called the raise.
Random Thoughts:
In Lee Jones’ book he talks about these ultra-loose tables. I always thought he meant 5 or 6 callers seeing a flop. Even the .50/$1 games people fold to a raise. This $1/$2 tables wouldn’t fold to any bet. It didn’t matter what people had. I saw more family pots with all nine players in than I’ve seen anywhere else. Amazing.
Despite the fact this was a $1/$2 table there were a couple of folks who seemed like pretty solid players. After watching half the dealers and several players come over to say hello to him I asked the guy sitting next to me how often he played and he said he comes in there 2 or 3 times a week. I didn’t ask but it seemed curious that he hadn’t moved up in limits.
One woman came over to our table and announced that it was only her second time playing poker. Several times, on the river, she would show her cards to another player who was still in the hand and ask what she should do. I guess that’s how you know that televised poker is really drawing in the fish.