We took a trip to the casino last weekend and I am proud to say that not only did I win a the poker table, but overall we came back with more cash than we had when we left. While the trip was fun and much needed, it was also a learning experience. I sat down at a live poker table for the first time in my life. For me it was very intimidating considering I have only been playing the game for about 2 months. My hands shook on every bet I place and other players pointed it out. The good news was that it was not really a tell because they shook regardless of the quality of my cards. In my first 4 hour session I walked away with over $350.00 dollars on top of my original bankroll. I went into the game with a very specific strategy and it paid off. I got lucky and was playing against some people that were making poor decisions and a guy who though he could scare me off of big bets because I was a beginner. I only bet when I had the nuts and he paid for it. I wiped him out after about an hour and a half.
Later that evening I went back to the table and was winning again until a change in the room occurred that I did not pay enough attention too and it cost me. The poker room was running a promotion that gave away several thousand dollars over the course of three days with the day I was there being the last day. The final drawing was for $4,000.00 and the room stayed full until that drawing. I hit the table 2 hours before that drawing and got up about $250.00. The drawing came and went and the room started to empty out. Before I realized what had happened, all the marginal players who were basically waiting to see if they won the $4,000.00 had left and I found myself at a table full of experienced players. If I had walked away at that moment, I would have been up almost $600.00 for the weekend. I kept playing and found myself loosing consistently for the next 3 hours.
I got short stacked to about $75.00 (from a high that evening of ~$575.00) but rallied and came back to ~ $300.00. Then things went bad. I lost a few hands and sat looking at a bankroll of less than $250.00. The hand that killed me was a straight draw with two other players in the action. A guy I had been battling with held my attention and I didn't notice the old timer who had played very conservatively all night make a few large bets on the flop and the turn. I was too focused on the other guy that had been eating my lunch all night. I drew a low end straight on the turn and raised. The other guy called and the old timer re-raised. All the signs pointed to me being beat but I didn't notice. I was tired and kinda pissed that the other guy had short stacked me twice and I made a bad call that put me all in. The other guy called as well. The river came and was no help. Everyone showed their hand and the old guy produced the nut straight. Jack high straight. The other guy and I both had the 9 high straight. We both got taken on the sucker straight. The old guy took in about $600.00 on that one hand ($1/$2 table) which probably made his evening as he had been forced to re-buy at least once since I sat down. My only consolation to loosing my bankroll (I started the session with what I won early so I still had a net gain) was that the other guy I was having trouble with lost too. I thanked the table for the lesson and walked away a little dejected but overall happy that I had the guts to play at all and that I still came out ahead.
If my wife (who also hit a big jackpot) and I had walked away at the right time would would have been up over $1000.00. We still came home up but not that much. The next morning I went to the blackjack table, won some then lost a bunch. We left, still ahead, but we both agreed we should have stopped at midnight the previous night. It all worked out well in the end and it was a successful trip. So successful that I can't wait to go back.
I learned quite a bit about the game of poker that weekend, the most important of which is that I have a lot more to learn. What surprised me was how loose some people can be when playing with their own money. One guy did nothing but lose all night and just kept throwing hundred dollar bills on the table. EVERYONE knew how this guy was betting and that he would bet on crap hands and chase Aces all the way to the river. I made money off of him and so did everyone else but he just kept at it while drinking all the time. I am glad he had the money to piss away because he made my first live poker experience a success. The most important thing I learned though was that there is a time when you are no longer in a good position to win and you should walk away. I did it right the first session but failed to walk at the right time during my second session. It is a lesson not soon forgotten.
Thanks again to Scott for introducing me to the game. I don't know whether to thank him or curse him for igniting the fire of a new obsession but I am grateful for the chance to hang out with some really good people regardless. He invited me to his house game without ever meeting me in person. I have yet to win any cash at that game but my time is coming. I am learning more each week and have some new strategies to test out at the next game. Here's hoping Scott is on my right next time.
One last thing, if you like poker but have never sat at a live, casino game I highly recommend it. Take a couple of hundred dollars that you won't mind losing and play until it is gone. It is a mad rush and easily worth the money if you lose it all. Just remember, set a point where you are going to walk away both high and low. That way you will be happy no matter what the outcome.
Good Luck
Later that evening I went back to the table and was winning again until a change in the room occurred that I did not pay enough attention too and it cost me. The poker room was running a promotion that gave away several thousand dollars over the course of three days with the day I was there being the last day. The final drawing was for $4,000.00 and the room stayed full until that drawing. I hit the table 2 hours before that drawing and got up about $250.00. The drawing came and went and the room started to empty out. Before I realized what had happened, all the marginal players who were basically waiting to see if they won the $4,000.00 had left and I found myself at a table full of experienced players. If I had walked away at that moment, I would have been up almost $600.00 for the weekend. I kept playing and found myself loosing consistently for the next 3 hours.
I got short stacked to about $75.00 (from a high that evening of ~$575.00) but rallied and came back to ~ $300.00. Then things went bad. I lost a few hands and sat looking at a bankroll of less than $250.00. The hand that killed me was a straight draw with two other players in the action. A guy I had been battling with held my attention and I didn't notice the old timer who had played very conservatively all night make a few large bets on the flop and the turn. I was too focused on the other guy that had been eating my lunch all night. I drew a low end straight on the turn and raised. The other guy called and the old timer re-raised. All the signs pointed to me being beat but I didn't notice. I was tired and kinda pissed that the other guy had short stacked me twice and I made a bad call that put me all in. The other guy called as well. The river came and was no help. Everyone showed their hand and the old guy produced the nut straight. Jack high straight. The other guy and I both had the 9 high straight. We both got taken on the sucker straight. The old guy took in about $600.00 on that one hand ($1/$2 table) which probably made his evening as he had been forced to re-buy at least once since I sat down. My only consolation to loosing my bankroll (I started the session with what I won early so I still had a net gain) was that the other guy I was having trouble with lost too. I thanked the table for the lesson and walked away a little dejected but overall happy that I had the guts to play at all and that I still came out ahead.
If my wife (who also hit a big jackpot) and I had walked away at the right time would would have been up over $1000.00. We still came home up but not that much. The next morning I went to the blackjack table, won some then lost a bunch. We left, still ahead, but we both agreed we should have stopped at midnight the previous night. It all worked out well in the end and it was a successful trip. So successful that I can't wait to go back.
I learned quite a bit about the game of poker that weekend, the most important of which is that I have a lot more to learn. What surprised me was how loose some people can be when playing with their own money. One guy did nothing but lose all night and just kept throwing hundred dollar bills on the table. EVERYONE knew how this guy was betting and that he would bet on crap hands and chase Aces all the way to the river. I made money off of him and so did everyone else but he just kept at it while drinking all the time. I am glad he had the money to piss away because he made my first live poker experience a success. The most important thing I learned though was that there is a time when you are no longer in a good position to win and you should walk away. I did it right the first session but failed to walk at the right time during my second session. It is a lesson not soon forgotten.
Thanks again to Scott for introducing me to the game. I don't know whether to thank him or curse him for igniting the fire of a new obsession but I am grateful for the chance to hang out with some really good people regardless. He invited me to his house game without ever meeting me in person. I have yet to win any cash at that game but my time is coming. I am learning more each week and have some new strategies to test out at the next game. Here's hoping Scott is on my right next time.
One last thing, if you like poker but have never sat at a live, casino game I highly recommend it. Take a couple of hundred dollars that you won't mind losing and play until it is gone. It is a mad rush and easily worth the money if you lose it all. Just remember, set a point where you are going to walk away both high and low. That way you will be happy no matter what the outcome.
Good Luck
Now that you are a pro, there's a free & friendly card game at Incahoots on Weds nights at 7pm. I'm the short nerd with glasses if you want to say hi.
FWIW, I was on your right twice Friday night! :)
Hewy: What are the details of the game? I'd like to hear more.
Scott: I know! Two chances I had to take you down and I failed. I was careful of the check/raise like you pulled on me the last time, but I failed to get the cards I needed to win the critical hands. You're definitely the guy to beat though and I'll keep learning.