Two Live Poker Recaps

On Thursday night deadmoney5 and myself went up to Running Aces Harness Park in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities. They had a $80 Omaha 8 or better limit tourney. They had a total of 31 runners. With 5k in chips to start and beginning blinds of 25/50 and 30 minute levels. I have to say that this was the worst play I have ever seen in any tournament that I have ever played in. The only thing that comes remotely close was the old cheap buy-in tourneys at Luxor back when the first hour was limit and it switched to no limit after that.

How bad was it? Here were tow hands in particular that I saw. In the first three levels one older dude at the table folded twice pre-flop. TWICE!!! That's it. I saw him call down on a paired 9 high coordinated board with a three flush out with AAJJ. When he said all he had was aces and jacks it was apparent he had no idea how to play. One other winner was the guy to my left who plays AQQQ single suited UTG. When the flop came a low coordinated board he called a bet from one of the blinds and then decided to fold once it was two bet. How bad is this?

As for my game I played pretty snug. I slowly chipped-up and had around 7k at the first break. In the next couple of levels is when I started accumulating chips. I had the nut flush draw on one hand that got there on the turn. There was a low possible and a raising war broke out. The turn and river was capped as two idiots both had the nut low. The blinds were getting up there and I actually got all-in on that hand and won a around 9k for my half.

As the idiots started busting fast and furious I was slowly gaining more chips. Probably should have won more. When we were down to two short handed tables I played one big pot where I had the nut low on the turn and hit the wheel on the river for a nice scoop. When we reached the 9-handed final table I had around 20k in chips with the blinds at 1k/2k.

Paying only 5 spots I was an average stack at the table. Still 9-handed I was crippled when I played A3610 from the button (I know, not great). Flop comes 887. The SB leads out and I call. Turn is the 9 and I call another bet. River bricks out and I make a crying call with the straight and he shows 87 for the scoop. After that hand I had 4 big bets left. A couple hands later I played JJ98 single suited (I know, not great again). Flop comes 109x. All of my chips went in on the brick turn and I didn't improve and busted out in 9th.

If I lived up here I would play that tourney or any other Omaha tourney they offer every single time. About 2/3 of the field is drawing dead before it starts. So +EV.



On Friday night I headed down to Canterbury Park to play some limit poker. When I got there around 8:30 there was open seating at 3/6 LHE and a healthy waiting list for the 6/12 Stud8 game. I put my name on the Stud8 list and took a seat in the 3/6 game. I bought in for my standard $120 in the game. In the first lap around the table I won three hands that all went to showdown. As I would figure out fairly quickly the table was pretty loose passive.

All told in the first hour I won 6 pots. Every hands that went to showdown I won. After an hour I had almost 300 in front of me. Not bad for a 3/6 game. The next 2 hours of so I bled down to around 200 and stayed at that number for another 3 hours after that. As the night went on the game started getting filled with even more lose passive players along with one SAG. Funny thing the SAG didn't start out that way but near the end he went bananas.

Two big hands back to back against the SAG. I have 77 and call his raise along with 3 others. Flop comes J73. I check call along with everyone else. I get a check raise in on the turn and get one to tag along. I lead the river and get the SAG to call who had top top. Decent sized pot. Very next hand as I am still stacking my chips I raise with KK and get 3 callers along with SAG. Flop comes K96. I check and SAG last to act puts in a bet. Both players call and I peel. Turn J. Two checks and I check. SAG bets, one call and I put in the raise. SAG 3bets other player gives up and I flat knowing I can get in the check raise on the river. River bricks and I check. He bets and I 2bet. He three bets and now I have to think if I can raise here. I do it and he raises back. Now I'm worried about the straight but that doesn't make too much sense if he bets the flop. I just call and he shows KQ lololol.

Those two hands pumped the stack nicely. I won a few smallish pots after that and the table eventually breaks after around 7 hours of play. I had 8 stack 40 high and some more on top of that. Needed 4 racks to cash out and had $350 when it ended for a $230 profit. I have to think that may be one of by better LHE sessions ever. Hard to tell cause I play it so rarely any more. I'm considering going out there tonight but will have to play it by ear.