Hail to the Natives

Since my last post, I haven't played much, a bit of online here and there but nothing worth talking about, at least I am still above even. YES!

I recently made 2 trips to Awkesasne to play at the Bingo Palace for some 1/2 NL, which is my favourite game to play; live or online. I prefer live though because I am a much better live player than online, so it really is too bad that I can't play live unless I go across the border because of the local busts. Anyways, I had already written a post about my trip but I left my computer open and didn't save the post and my mom turned off my computer and it took me like an hour to write up, so sorry if it isn't the best post in the world, but I just hate repeating everything, so this will be shorter hopefully.

I'll start off with my first impressions of the place. I have never played live poker at a casino before and from seeing Casino Lac Leamy and getting some advice from some friends, this place was not the place to go if you are looking for an amazing atmosphere, or comforting nice place that is smoke free and very well maintained. It was an old bingo hall, full of smoke and the drinks you order are in white plastic cups, how amazing. But whatever, I wasn't there for the scenery, I was there to win.

I will go through the memorable hands from the nights I went and any other tid bits I think you all would like to know.

Friday Session:

I bought in for $100, it was a $100 max table, I was down to about $60 from limping and missing flops with some small pairs and some suited connectors, wasn't getting the hands in the positions I wanted them to take control of the game. I was dealt AA and raised it up to $15 EP. One caller to my left who was limping every pot and calling the raise if it was raised up, and he had a huge stack. Flop was K 8 6 rainbow, I just shoved right away making it look like a missed AQ or under pair and was ready to buy back in again, but he folded.
Was dealt 33, limped EP, 2 more limpers and SB raised it up to $12, I called as did the other 2 limpers. Flop was J 3 7, it checked around for some odd reason. Turn was a Q, I bet 20, button (solid), made it $45, I called. River was an 8 and put the runner runner flush on board and I checked, he bet $60 and I shoved for $75 total and he insta-folded LOL!

I limped EP with Jc10c, and 2 locals from Ottawa that I recognized also sat down since the other table broke up. There was one more limper behind me and the BB (Ottawa friend) made it $12. I called and so did the guy behind. The flop was Ac 7c 2x, and it checked around. I felt like betting out but from how I had been playing all night I was worried about a check raise and it was more or less risking all my chips which I do not want to do after I have built up a decent stack. Anyways I decided to see a free card, also seeing this free card could disguise my flush a little bit because I had been betting out my draws all night. Turn was 6c, I hit my flush and now it was time to get paid off. BB bet out $25, I flat called and the guy behind folded. River was a blank and BB checked, I bet out $50 making it look like a steal, and he called and mucked his AQ and said he thought I was bluffing.

Flopped a set with JJ for a $15 raise pre 3 handed, didn't get paid off. A J 6 flop. I was OOP and led out the flop, oh well. Someone said they folded A 9 but I don't believe them.

Biggest hand of the night was against this loose older German male who I had been waiting all night for to take a chunk off him. I limped EP, yet again, with 66 and the German made it $18 to go in the SB and the BB called. I right away put him on a big hand and was hoping for my 6 to get paid. The Flop was Q Q 5, and it checked to me, this made me think hard about betting or not. The German is either checking because he has QQ, AQ, AK. The way he was playing he would bet out with AA, KK and even maybe JJ. But I was worried about the BB so I checked. The turn was a sickening 6 and I was just waiting for them to get it in. SB bet out $18, which was 1/3 of the pot, which was small for the game we had been playing and I put him on a AK, then the BB called, so now I knew for sure one of them had the Q and it was probably the BB, so I decided to raise to make it look like I'm stealing the pot since if one of them has a Q they are gonna think that. I made it $50 to go, and the SB instantly went all-in with his beautiful accent, I actually loved it. "OOLLLLLL INNNN". Anyways, BB mucked and I called. SB tabled AQ for trips and I showed my boat. I dodged the 7 outs and stacked up my chips. Roughly a $400 pot.

That was it for that night, I profited ~$350 which I was extremely happy about.

Monday Session:

Looking for some more action, I decided to take a stab at the game again, but was hoping for some action since it was a Monday night, wow I'm such an addict. Going out at 12am to play poker on a school night, oh my gosh, my parents would not approve.

I doubled up right away on a sick hand. I basically wanted to establish a crazy image and buy playing this hand, it seemed to work well for the night.

UTG (kid my age - loose and smashed) made it $7, I called on the button with 8c5c, and the SB (tight, older man with dentures) made it $15, UTG called, and I called. I right away put the SB on a monster, AA or KK and was hoping to hit the perfect flop. The flop was Jc 7c 2x, SB bet $20, UTG called, and I shoved for $65 more, and they both called. I spiked my club on the turn and the river blanked and they checked it down. I showed my flush and the table just went bananas. "8 5, how do you play that hand - wow 8 5.... holy shit" So from that I basically said to myself, yes, now come and get me.

Roughly 5 hands later, I made it $10 on the button with 6 4 off with just the blinds left to act. SB (loose, kid my age) called, and led out the J 4 7 rainbow flop for $12. I called to see what he would do on the turn, I didn't believe him for the J. I put him on a 7 or an open ended draw. The turn was a 6, decent card and he led out again this time for $40, and I shoved, and he called for his remaining $45 or so, and I held against his J 10 off.

No big pots for a while, just raising alot and showing my stupid hands taking down pot after pot uncontested, until I got KK. I raised it up to $15 with KK MP and another tight older man called as did an early limper. The flop was J 6 7 rainbow. Checked to me and I fired out $40, the older man made it $90 to go, and the limper folded. I put him on QQ/AJ and shoved my chips in the middle and he called me right away and luckily he had the only hand that insta calls me for over $200. QQ. The only other 2 hands he snaps me with is AA or JJ. I held up and raked in over a $400 pot. He said "good hand" and went on about his night. My last hand worth telling is a great hand where I made a very sick read and everything just went perfectly except for the pot being awarded to the degenerate who desperately wanted to make some money.

This guy had doubled up a couple times over the last hour and started to play tight since he had some money, roughly $250. He limped EP and I made it $12 with 65, folded back to him and he called. The flop was K 8 4. He checked and I bet $12, he min raised me to $24, and right away I put him on either the biggest hand in the world or nothing. I called to see what he would do on the turn, because if he checks I know he has nothing and I can take the pot away, if he bets, I fold my gut shot and move on. Turn was a J and he checked, so now I know I can steal the pot from him so I decided to check to try and conceal a big hand and get paid on the river, but I don't have a big hand lol. River was a 9 and he checked again, so now I know 100% he has nothing and I can take this pot down. I bet $40, it was about 1/3 of the pot and made it look like a sick value bet. He thought for maybe 5 minutes. He would play with his cards and hold them like he was going to fold and then put them back on the table and cap them. He eventually called me and I said I had 6 high. He said "6 high????!?!??!?!" and I showed it and he showed my 77. GROSSSSSSSS. Very nice call from him though, I guess that's what happens when you raise almost every hand and show bluffs all the time, but in the end playing my style proved to be profitable. The table broke and I told him about the nice call he made and went to the cage and took me $320ish profit.

All in all a very worthy trip, not for the venue, but for the players, they are horrendous, that's why I'm going again this Friday night. Wish me luck.......