First time at Casino Poker at Harrah's in East Chicago, IN by MDL

First time at Casino Poker - at Harrah's in East Chicago, IN

by MDL

This page is part of Ken's Poker Page

On Fri, 26 Mar 1999 05:07:28 -0800, in rec.gambling.poker packerfn1@yahoo.com(MDL) wrote:
I always enjoy reading all of the RGP trip reports. After my first experience in casino poker on Monday I felt disappointed that I didn't really think I had much to share with the group. Then I started replying to a question on Chicago Poker on the 2+2 board and realized I actually had the exact kind of experiences that many in the group would enjoy, hopefully find humorous and maybe some info that casino newbies would appreciate. Since I didn't take notes I don't have many of those great hand details that so many include.. (how do you do that BTW, do you take notes at the table? Does any one mind?) so these would be more observational than chronological.
Observation #1: A little about the Poker room at Harrah's riverboat in East Chicago, IN
In the Chicago area on business I was psyched to finally be able to apply the practice and studying I've been doing for the past 3 months (hard to do living in WI). When I called a few month's ago the room's manager Mitch said if I knew I was coming down, call and let them know and they could pre-list my name. Now this was especially important because I specifically went to Harrah's instead of Hollywood Casino in Aurora because Harrah's spreads a 3- 6-12 Half HE/Half Omaha Hi game as opposed to Hollywood's minimum of 5-10. The trick is that only one table is spread like this and the rest start at 10-20. So I call and the brush say's he'll hold my name from 7-7:15 PM. Great!
So of course I arrive precisely at 7:19 and my name has been wiped (I know, I'm not complaining, but man I was coming from WI). So I wait, and watch, (well worth it BTW). The only reason I mention all of this is that trying to get people off that 3-6-12 table is like trying to take a gun from an NRA member (no flames please, it was the cleverest thing I could think of at the time). Finally at about 10PM I get seated. I don't really have anything to compare the room to but it seemed nice enough, and definitely full of people.
Observation #2 - A dose of reality - written for casino poker newbies.
Be prepared to invest a little money in your education at the tables. Maybe this is self evident to most but I must say after studying (not reading, studying) Lee Jones' Winning Low-Limit Hold 'Em book (A MUST READ BTW), practicing reading flops, simulating HE on the computer, etc.. I expected to crush any low limit table I sat at. Although I thought I held my own (see later observations) I dropped about $45 in about 5 hours play - at a table that I thought I should have had a great chance at beating handily. It actually is unbelievable to really experience the Loose Passive play after reading about it for so long, (Could this opportunity actually exist?). Believe me it exists.
Five to eight people saw every flop - unraised almost all the time. Talk about passive, I can remember at least 3 hands where every round after the flop was checked around - the table was just waiting for someone to take control of it. Well it sure wasn't me. I was just concerned about keeping up, reading the cards correctly, memorizing my hole cards, trying to determine how many outs I had etc... I was amazed at how quickly the 10-20 games moved (just as loose by the way) I'm still reading/analyzing the flop and the dealer's ready to flip the turn card. There's no way to prepare for the experience except to get into it so I'm not saying stay away. I'm just suggesting that you allow for a bit of a learning curve even if you've done your homework like I had.
Observation #3- My first bad beat... or was it? You tell me..
Hold Em, middle position, about my 15th hand (have played nothing yet). Peek at my cards to see KK. (Woohoo!). Ok, I'm smooth.. I know how to do this...3 callers to me, I raise, guy behind me re-raises, and about 5 people end up seeing the flop when I just call. Flop: 8K2 rainbow. Flash to Lee Jones' statement "Play flopped sets fast.. if you lose when flopping a set you should lose a lot of money (paraphrased foreshadowing)" Check to me, I bet, guy behind calls as does one other. Turn is a rag so I figure this will do it. Check, I bet, Guy Calls?, and checker folds. River (you guessed it) A. I wince and check. guy bets, I call, he shows AA and rakes the pot. I don't win my first pot until at least an hour and half of play. Welcome to casino poker.
Observation #4 - An obvious tell
I think shuffling chips is kinda neat (i know it's probably stupid) and I figured I'd just pick that right up and figure out how to do it at the table there. So ok you take 8 chips, cut them in half, put your hand like so and... well let's try it again...no its not like that...ok, watch the older lady with all the chips do it....how does she do that?... After two hours of blatantly signifying that this was my first time playing by trying unsuccessfully to shuffle 6 little chips I gave up... for now.
Observation #5 - I have the right attitude, some others don't.
I truly have a goal to become a really good casino poker player. To the point of it becoming a secondary, "fun" source of income. Surely I have a long way to go, but I will always strive to be the kind of player that people like to play against at the table. I may have been quiet for my first time but I smiled, laughed at other's humor, and kept my composure over this situation that occurred.
Showdown among 5 players (post-flop, turn and river all checked around) Board reads QQ887. I flip my A6s (hey it was checked around) over face up in front of me. Dealer looks around for a Q, doesn't find one, looks for an 8, nope. Guy in seat 1 says "I've got a 7" like he wins it. Dealer starts grabbing cards, including mine, when I finally figure out "Wait a minute the 7 doesn't play, my A is the high kicker, I win." Of course others at the table also figured this out and correct the dealer. Dealer looks at remaining hands and sees 2 guys with Ks and starts chopping the pot and I say... Whoa there, I had an A and you mucked it. Seat 2 says, yep I saw it. Dealer kind of blows it off and starts sliding the pot to these two guys. Now I protested again, but really didn't make a big deal out of it (the pot was maybe $15) and ask for the floor or anything, because I figured it was a good lesson that I won't forget - Protect my hand at all times! I'm glad I learned it for $20 and not for $100 at some future time. The point is I didn't stay mad, I didn't tilt. And I will try to keep that going for as long as I play cards.
Observation #5a: I see my first tilt.
Watching 10-20 before I play, trying to keep up with the speed and get reads on player's hands. Seems like the entire table sees the Flop of AQ6, bets, raises, etc.. Turn comes rag, bets, raises, folds down to two guys. River: 6. Bet, raises, finally called and leader turns over AQ. Guy in early position turns over Q6o for the full house. Loser flings cards across the table at the dealer and starts berating the winner (as he's pulling in all these chips) "Don't you ever f**ing fold" and F this and then over the next few hands just starts bitching at everybody at the table (while playing way too aggressively and losing with obvious junk hands). I can tell I'm going to love the first time I can put someone on tilt - accidentally of course. :)
Observation #6: I suck at Omaha Hi
I even practiced dealing entire tables full of hands to decide what I would and wouldn't play preflop. I think I've got the idea now though, definitely a nut game with 8 people seeing every flop, so if I don't have it or can't draw to it I gotta get out. I just found it difficult to quickly assess where I stood with all of the possibilities out there. If I'm going to return to that game, I need to practice reading my hand and the flop faster and better, and throw away the non-nuts. Any help from the group would be appreciated.
Observation #7:It's all one big session, (unless you live 2 ½ hours away from any casino)
I wasn't playing with mortgage or food money and I established with myself that it would be ok if I busted out on my first trip for some reason (besides I was ready to crush this game remember), but $100 is still $100 and with a new house, a wedding in 3 weeks, etc... I really wanted to come away at least even... Besides, I wanted to show my non poker fiance that I could really do this. This was a mistake. Towards the end I chased some hands I shouldn't have and it cost me money. It's tough not making that mistake when you can't play often, but I think I can be disciplined enough to not make it again. Sorry honey. :)
Observation #8 - Someone at the table is newer than me.
About midnight young kid (yk) sits down on dealers right with a rack of whites. Seems to be his first time (or a really good act I thought). First Hand - Omaha Hi 7 see the flop of K6x with two clubs on the board. Bets go around, turn is the third club. Good player in seat 3 raises a bet and all fold to yk who calls - heads up. River is no help and Seat 3 bets $12. yk looks at his cards, looks at the board, looks at his cards again, and raises $12. Now Seat 3 pauses, looks at his cards, at the board and re-raises, yk just calls. Seat 3 turns over the nut flush. yk smiles big and lays down KK6 for what he thinks is a full house. Dealer "Uh.. you only play two cards sir.." Table is split between grimaces and trying not to laugh.
Well, that's enough. I hope you enjoyed my observations. Any newbies who want to keep in touch feel free to email me or post responses. Good luck at the tables. I appreciate all feedback.
Michael
Our Hero's tale continues in this report: Newbie Update (the Nightmare) - Aurora, IL by MDL - 6/29/99
Published with the permission of the author.
Reproduction without the author's permission prohibited.

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