My bud Conn hits the Road!

The Big Easy. Harrahs Casino Trip Report. By Doug Conn

Thought it might be fun/interesting to take a few minutes and post some hands / experiences from my semi-regular visits to Harrah's Poker Room.

I usually make it out there once/twice a week...

I'll be making posts here if/when I take my shot @ the touri-donks

7-15-06

Arrived @ Harrah's a lil after Noon.

Was happy to see a 'list of interest' for Omaha Hi-Lo (4-8-12) 5 people were on the list... I promptly added my name
(they won't open a table unless they have @ least 10/11 peeps)
So, While waiting I head over to a $3/$6 holdem game.

I move into the game on the 'cutoff' (one off button)
... First hand, I get dealt KK!
whooo hooo.... gonna be a good day!
(well... at least that's what I thought)
board comes 10-5-2 rainbow....
Guy in early position bets... 3 callers... I raise
... to make a long story short: I was head's up by the river (with the original better)... and.... I lose to 85o...
when a 3rd five hit the river to give the donk trips... whee

5 min in and I'm stuck $30

The pain continued as I proceed to fold for an hour 1/2...
didn't rake in single pot...
Ugh

so, I get up for a walk.... and go ta check the Omaha hi-lo status...
Still only 5 peeps on list
Looks like the Hi-Lo session aint gonna happen. ;(

I get back to the table just in time for my BB
75off suit... (the fun continues)
Family Pot... 7 peeps in...
Flop comes: 3-6-4 rainbow. I Flopped the nuts! whoohooo!
I check..... UTG bets
Mid position raises... EVERYONE calls
It gets back to me, I re-raise / make it $9 ... everyone calls
Turn comes another 6 (and puts 2 hearts out there)
Scary card .... but... I gotta bet... I do... 5 callers
River is an 7 (no heart) at this point, I'm either beat or tying (with another straight) so, I check....
mid position bets.... buttons calls... I call (expecting the worst)
and guy in early position calls.

...dig it...

UTG had 10-10, Guy in Mid position had KK (thank god he didn't raise pre... I'd have folded my 75o!) and a guy in late position had trip 6's

I SCOOPED that monster pot!

That HUGE win put me back in the green
(I bought in for $100... now had almost $200 in front of me)

A few hands later, I get AA UTG
I raise.... 3 callers
Flop = A-K-10
board ends up pairing giving me AAA1010
and I take down another bigun

Then I went card dead for aprox 2 hours...
fold, fold, fold, fold, fold
(I did take down a small pot when I flopped 2 pair from sb)

Then, I finally get a hand.... AA again
I raise... 4 callers (fn 3/6 donks just won't fold!)
Board comes K-6-8...
and I end up losing ($50+) to QJ
who hits runner runner JJ for trip Jacks

@ that point, I felt a lil Tilt comin on...
and decided I should leave while I was ahead
left before the next hand was dealt..

all in all, a good session

Walked with $120 profit & that's after spending $15 on lunch;
Mcallisters Rueben.... yum! and a Carmel Frappacino from Starbucks
(needed sugar and caffiene: was up till 4am playin Badugi!)

I talked to the Poker room manager before I split....
He said they've been running a regular O8/b on Wed.
I hope he's right... I'll be back on Wed to check it out

I'll prolly be going back on Mon as well
(fave day to play: Cracked Aces = a rack ($100)

Well, that's the news for today.

7-20-06

Well, I went ta check out the 8/b situ (yesterday a.m.)

Arrived @ 10a.m. and was happy to see a list of 8 waiting for Omaha Hi-Lo

10 minutes after I arrived, they called us to the table

When the peeps took their seat,
I realized I was @ Mega-tough table... filled w/grizzled vets
I was the yougest guy @ the table... (I'm 37)
Don't think there was anyone under 50
This crowd makes the 4/8 Omaha game look like a day care

I've seen many of these guys playing @ the higher stakes tables
& from the converstation, I gathered that many of em were invited via phone calls from some old crusty old guy in seat 4 who apparently is the person responsible for getting this weekly 8/b game going

I looked around the table... and tried to spot the sucker...
I couldn't find him (uh oh)

Stakes = 4-8-12 with a 1/2 kill

first hour was uneventful, I was playing MEGA tight and folded just about everything...

Sidenote: Wed is 'lucky table day' @ Harrah's: Every hour they draw a table #, and if your table wins, everyone gets $25.. well, we won the 11a.m draw (the only time they called our table during the 10 hour session) & put me up $5(whooo hoooo)

Just when I was feeling lucky...
I ran into a bad streak...
and dropped 1/2 of my stack over the next 2 hours
(one of these days, I'll learn to let a low draw go on the turn
....especially when it's an $18 bet!)

I began to get that 'you're goin busto' feeling
when the following hand goes down:

I get AA45 in the BB
6 callers in a kill pot ($36 preflop)
Flop comes A-A-6 (I flopped Aces full)
I check, wanting to see if anyone's gonna bet this thing...
Guy immediately to my left fires out... button calls, I call
Turn = 8d
I check again... lefty bets..button calls, I raise (bets are $12 @ this point)
lefty RE-RAISES! button calls and I cap it @ $48 (button still calls)
River = Kh
I bet $18.... lefty calls, putting in his last $16 into the pot *buttons folds in disgust (missed his low draw obv.)

Lefty turns over A-6.... for AA666 (ouch... for him)
My AAA66 scoops the whollllllle thing

That single pot was pretty much my profit for the 10 hour session

I picked up a few splits (and won a couple small ones)
but, that was 'the biggie'

Had a real bad turn of fortune when I ran into quads... twice!

1st time: I Had A2KK ... board = 336Q3j
& on 2nd hand
I had AA2Q on a 33355 board
was drawing to nut low on both hands
(& expecting to scoop w/boat and low)
Low missed both.... and neither boat was good
(ran into quad 3333's each time... sheesh)
Painful stuff

those two pots cost me $50+ ea

without that BS, I woulda walked away a BIG winner

all together, I walked away w/ $100+ (after lunch, starbucks,etc)

I had a GREAT time and will def be going back for more.
Hanging tough w/the old timers was a big confidence boost
+ after a couple hours, I managed to spot a couple 'suckers'
(yeah! I wasn't 'the one' !!!) hopefully they'll be back next wed.... I know I will

07/20/06

Decided to make run out to Harrah's this eve
Had some $$$ (winnings from yesterday) burning a hole in my pocket
and had 7 kids/girls @ the house... so, I decided to make my 'escape'

Good thing I did... my timing was excellent:

I arrived in the poker room about 6pm
I took a seat @ a 3-6 table (only game that had a seat)

Very 1st hand I get AK UTG.... I raise it up and get 3 callers
Flop comes rags... I bet... 3 callers.... turn and river are more rags...
it goes check check (turn/river) and... my A high is good
nice way to start a session

2 hands later, I get AA in the Cutoff I raise it up... & get 4 callers
It's checked to me on every street... and I bet every street
board = 8 - 3- Q- K - K.... the bullets held true (no K! whew) and I took down a $70+ pot

and then... bout a 1/2 hour later.... the mac daddy pot:
there's a live straddle (UTG posts an extra bb in the dark)
I Pick up KK in mid position... & raise it up to $9 ... two callers (button and SB)
then, mr straddle makes it $12... Since it was a "live straddle" I get to make a 4th raise I cap it @ 15... everyone calls...
$60 in the pot preflop... 4 way action....
to make a long story short: the kings held and I raked a $120+ pot

A few hands later I got AA again! (wow! talk about getting hit w/the deck)
alas, the bullets didn't hold up that hand (lost to 10d-8d who hit his flush on the river)

then .... I folded trash hands for another hour or so
@ decided the rush was over... I cashed in and split

All in all, I had a sweet lil 3 hour session

Bought in for $90 &
Walked w/ $240
$150 profit in 3 hours @ 3/6 = 8bbs p/hr (not bad eh?)

if this keeps up, I'm gonna be making my trips to
Harrah's MUCH more frequent!

that's the news from the big easy
check ya next time,
Conn

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Hope to see you all Sunday night at the first weekly VET Series Event!

Time, and all details here

2500 chips, 6 handed, 20 min. levels (similar to 50-60 min pro structure live)