Agua Caliente Casino Trip Report - aka Day 2

Wooot! Live poker rocks!

When last we left our hero, he had been through a marathon day and ended up down $130 at the Commerce in LA.

Day 2 started with a course on "IT for Laboratory Automation". There were no celebrity sightings, alas. The class ran from 8:30am and was supposed to end by 4:30pm, but due to issues with the instructors droning on and on and on we finally got out of there about 5:30. I stopped by the hotel to drop off my stuff and headed out to the Agua Caliente Casino, the place that is pimped by John O'Hurley (famous Seinfeld man).

Got to the casino about 6:15. They had 3/6, 4/8, 6/12, and 10/20 LHE as well as 6/12 LO8 going. They had an interest list for 100/300 buyin NLHE as well, but no open tables. I got on the LO8 and the 4/8 LHE list. Went to find some grub. There was a pizza place right next to the poker room, so I grabbed a slice and a water. The Agua was frio, but the pizza was muy caliente (steeler can correct me if my grammar is off) and I almost burned the crap out of the room of my mouth. Luckily, I spit it out prior to serious injury, but I did get a few strange looks from the Geritol Generation that was eating there as well.

After the slice cooled and was consumed, I went to see where I was on the boards. Still 4th in line for LHE, and 5 for the LO8 game. Damn. Went walking and found the 5th sign of the Apocalypse in the form of a "Deal or No Deal" slot bank. Is there anything that casinos won't try to use to make a quick buck? I neglected to feed any of the machines nor sit at blackjack and came back to the poker room about 15 mins later after my circuit of the place. I was at the top of 4/8 and 3rd for LO8. About 2 mins later I get called for the LHE game.

The floor points me to my table and it doesn't look good. I see 6 seats with silver hair and a walker leaning against the wall next to one. Uh oh. Danger Will Robinson, Danger!

There are 2 seats open, and one is about to post the BB so I take that. I sit with $160 and have about a medium-sized stack. First hand is the red 10s. I love this hand, but have no idea how the table is gonna play. 4 limpers to me, SB completes. I raise and all call. Gonna be one of those types of tables, I guess.

Flop is a thing of beauty. 10 7 5 rainbow. I check to see what will develop. Check, bet, call, call, muck back to me. I raise to see how many I can get on the hook, and I'm slightly worried about str8 draws. All call.

Turn is a black Ace, but so now there's a possible flush (don't remember if it is a club or spade one tho. Would be nice if it was clubs, since club flushes are impossible to hit). I bet out $8 and next guy pops it to $16. One muck, one call. I'm loving this. They probably both have Aces. I reraise to $24 and both call. The pot is VERY nicely sized. The river is the 5 that completes the flush. I bet, hoping that the flush hit someone, but doubt it. One caller. I show the boat and rake in a $120ish pot. Nice way to start the game!

Three hands later I find AsKs in the CO. Raise again, only 2 callers. Flop is all red (but not all a suit), A high. Checked to me, I bet, two call. Turn is a black card. Checked to me, I bet two call. River is a black 7. Check, check. I bet, one muck, one calls with A9 offsuit and I rake in another pot.

I try to play the rush with Q10 suited and miss. KJ off and miss. I finally get back to folding. About this time a new guy comes into the game across the table from me. I wish I paid attention to how much he bought in for, but I didn't. He will start to play a key role at the table.

A few hands after the new guy sits I notice that he's calling PF without looking at his cards. He only checks them after the flop. Hmmmm...this could be fun!

This game has a kill, as did the LO8 at Commerce (forgot to mention that one). A few hands later the guy to the right of the calling station gets the Kill in the SB. I look down to see two red 5s. I'm in the CO or CO+1 so I raise to take it down right there. SB and calling station call. Flop is 5 7 10, all spades. Ick. Checked to me, I bet. Two callers. Turn is Kh. Checked to me, I fire again. Both call. River is 6d. Check check, bet. SB calls and calling station mucks. SB shows 66 (one 6 was a spade, and he said he was trying to hit the flush) and rakes in a big pot. Next pot is another kill, but I have nothing and muck. Dude took out quite a bit from me, and I'm gonna start watching him, too.

Little bit later I have AcKc. Raisy-daisy!. Three callers. Flop is Q-hi with 2 clubs, no pairs. Bet into me, I raise. Two call. Turn is a blank. Checked to me. I bet it again, one caller (not the calling station). River completes my flush. I bet, he calls and shows Q-8 off (didn't have 2 pair). I'm starting to realize that these folks will play just about anything.

I go up more by tightening up a little, since they are all so loose. I get my stack up to a nice $330 when the wheels fall off and the deck goes cold. I have AQ outdrawn by 63 on a A 6 10 flop that he rivers a 3 (mr calling station there). My stack moves back down to about $220 after an hour and a half and I'm thinking about leaving. I'm now #2 on the list at LO8 and I'm debating if I should play if they call me.

I look down UTG+2 and find two black 10s. Could lightning strike twice? Let's find out! Flop is 10 K 5. I bet, two to my left raises. Calling station and 2 others call. I'm a bit worried about str8 draws again. Turn is an A. QJ just got there, but I don't think anyone has it. The table has been playing and A like it is going out of style, so I bet it again. Another raise by the same guy, calling station and one more call. River is a 5. I bet, both call. Raiser shows A10 for 2 pair, calling station shows A3 off. I rake a nice pot and get up over $300 again. I get up to take a leak and notice that there's an empty seat at LO8 and think "sweet, I might be able to just move over without having to buy in for more". I see there is a guy sweating the guy to the right of the open seat. On my way back from the men's room, the sweater is now in the seat and the dude is sliding chips to him (wrong on about 4 levels). I look at the board thinking it is the guy in front of me, maybe. Nope. Still #2 on the list.

I get back to my table and post my BB and ask the woman next to me if I should say something to the floor. I don't want to be an ass, but I've been waiting for a seat over there for like 3 hours. The floor comes over for something else, and she says something to him about it. He says he'll check it out, that it was wrong for someone to slide in. I'm now getting tired tho, and feel like an ass for saying something (must be my good manners). I decide to get up on my next blind and leave. The floor is over at the LO8 table. I stand with $296 and go to cash out. I don't want the damn LO8 seat anymore. I'm a little ticked that the dealer didn't do anything about it and let the dude sit. Just as I get to the window...they call me for LO8. Whoops. Guess they booted the guy. I tell the floor that I'm not happy about the dealer letting it go, and that I don't want the seat. I leave up $136 and now am up $6 for the trip!!! Wooo HOOOOO!!!!

Life is good. I'm off to the Morongo Casino here in a bit after I grab some lunch. Took a 1/2 day course this AM on the "Introduction to Lab Automation" and I'm chomping at the bit for more action. I'll post later with a Day 3 update.