Hit the commerce with Ephro last night and I think he lost all respect for LA poker players. The high limit room only had $100/$200 and up games going so we ponied over to the main room. I asked the guy if they had a game bigger than the $4/$8 listed on the board and he said, “Yes, right over here.” Ephro and I sit down and ask what the stakes are and the dealer says $4/$8. Jerkoff.
I got aces cracked twice in two orbits. Both times I picked them up in the blinds and had 7 or 8 callers before it got to me. The first guy to crack me was this older Asian dude who called two cold with pocket threes and hit his set on the flop. After my aces got cracked the second time I turned to the dealer and pleaded that she not deal me any more aces. I had lost half a rack in two orbits because of those damn cards.
Any illusions that Ephro may have had that LA had some good card players quickly evaporated as we watched hand after hand go 7 – 9 handed to the flop even with raises and re-raises. The pots were monsters and the winning hands were usually complete junk starting hands that sucked out on the river. I think they should have just reversed the win percent pre-flop. Aces pre-flop were a dog while J4o was a monster favorite.
Our table busted and we were seated at Gus Hanson’s table. Well, it wasn’t the real Gus Hanson but I couldn’t think of a better name for the Russian dude who raises 26o from the button into six callers. All night long Ephro was getting pushed off good hands only to watch the pot go to ace high or some other ridiculous holding. I just turned to him and said, “Kinda reminds you of $1/$2 on Party, huh?” Ephro responded, “$1/$2? No way. More like 0.05/0.10.”
My redeeming hand of the night was right after Ephro and I had declared we were going home after the next orbit. I catch AKs (hearts) in LP and raise. I get six callers. Flop comes coordinated low cards making a straight possible but two hearts. Checks to me, I bet and everyone calls. Turn is another straight making card but it’s a heart. EP bets into me?!?!?! It’s folded around to me but I’ve got two players to my left who are still in the hand. I decide that I have a better chance of making money on this hand if they both just call rather than if I throw a raise in there and knock them out. Of course, they fold to one bet. River completes the straight on board and the EP player checks. I bet and he makes a reluctant call as he says, “If you have a ten, you beat me.” Then it dawns on me, this guy thinks we’re chopping the made straight on the board. I said “No, no ten. Just a flush,” as I tossed my AK of hearts on the table. The pot ended up being huge and put me up for the night. We saw one more hand and bolted.
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Hi, my name is Bill Rini and this is my poker blog. I've been blogging about poker and the poker industry since around 2003-ish. Like most people I started out playing poker as entertainment in home games whenever we wanted to sit around and smoke cigars, drink beer, and eat pizza, and needed a good excuse. I started playing online shortly after the first online card rooms opened and it wasn't long before I was playing 20, 30, or even 40 hours a week or more. One day I received a phone call about a program manager position at Tiltware which was the company that consulted to Full Tilt Poker on software development and marketing. After Tiltware I spent about 2.5 years working at Party Poker where I was the poker room manager.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah, Commerce. Sounds like there’s even more loonies there on the weekdays. Though the last time I was there I had aces cracked by some old asian dude who capped the betting preflop with J5 offsuit. Ever play the 6-12 there Rini? I wonder how it is these days.
And count me as a 50% yes for Vegas.
I used to love those crazy nofoldem games at Commerce and the Bike. Sure, it’s a roller coaster, but it usually winds up being a super sweet roller coaster. Drawing hands for the win, baby.
Btw, I call two cold with pocket 3s at that kind of table without a second thought. It is ++++EV.
Still confirmed for Vegas, though I haven’t made any arrangements yet.
I don’t think I’ve played the $6/$12 at Commerce (the Wynn and HP, yes). I would have had we been able to find a table. In fact, I think we had originally set out to find a $10/$20 game.
You made a key mistake that night – sitting down to a low limit game at the Commerce. With 4 or 5 old Asian dudes calling you down to the river with a gutshot, one of them is bound to catch.
I would tell you to go play the 100-200 NL, but the action has become pretty much the same. At least at the NL table you can talk someone off their hand – maybe.
-Z