I was surprised to find out that the school lasted FIVE weeks and ran Mon-Thu 6-9pm. I missed the first week due to some timings of interviews and what not. My next surprise was to realize at the first night of class that “class” consisted of the “students” playing pretend 3/6, while one of us dealt. So based on the number of “students” we really only dealt for a half hour, every other night.

My next big surprise was to learn that there is discrepancy about how to throw cards, what to do between the cards, etc. We even had a half hour conversation about minimum raises on a NL table. You would think that after 250 years of poker being played and the countless hands played, this would be fairly standard, at least within a given casino. But it’s clearly not.

So what does this mean to you as a player. Well basically rules are open to the interpretation of the room supervisor. If you don’t like a decision made at the table, ask for a supervisor and they may say something different.

It is important to note however, that when it comes to rake and taking of the bad beat that they did all agree on that. So for the most part, the stuff that matters is covered and consistent.

I got seated at the Omaha H/L 4/8 table. Now when I sat down, I was very aware of the fact that there were some huge stacks of chips around me. Each person had at least $200 in reds and more in white. So, when I sat down with $80, this old guy said to me, “There’s a $100 minimum to sit down at this table.”

I didn’t know anything about him so I responded with, “You mean I can’t just lose my eighty dollars and then leave.”

It got him to smile, but he said, “Nope $100 minimum.”

So I decided to hit him with logic, sense humor did not work. I said, “Well you can have an empty seat for fifteen to twenty minutes while I waddle to the ATM, or you can have a player in this seat now, as I’m the last one on the wait list.”

That worked. Well I folded the first two hands, as I had crap, and then the old codger says, “Oh you’re going to play tight, ere ya?” I said, “Apparently,” with a grin and got the two people across the table to laugh.

Then I do play a hand. I have AA38 (suited with spaids). Flop comes 882, so I bet and get check raised. Now that confuses me so I just call. Turn is a 4, River is a T, no flushes out there and this guy is betting with authourity, so I’m planning on getting quartered and the clown has A238 or some such thing. Nope, he turns over his A3TJ (not suited) and proudly says, nut low. I say me too, plus the 8. So I quartered him.

Now he had a huge stack and either he sat down with a lot or he was underestimating the new player or some other people really suck at O8. I think it’s the last two really. So, I’m thinking I need to head back up there as they spread the game every Friday and Saturday now.

The tournaments were played in a restaurant that had been cleared out. All day long they had different priced satellite/sit and goes running all day. I played in the $300+$40 tournament. Here is a brief synopsis.

• The tables were well spaced and were of good quality. The chairs didn’t swivel but were easy enough on the posterior.
• The dealers were all professional and very good. Apparently they travel the countryside following the circuit events. In fact, our dealer knew two of the players by name. I did not see a single misdeal and the pace was good despite the lack of automatic shufflers.
• The tournament was well organized and registration was easy.
• The competition was stiff. Many of the players had been there all week and travelled the country playing in these smaller events. There are more details in the My Play section.

The Poker Room

This is an outstanding poker room.

• 18 tables - well spaced
• Auto shufflers on all tables
• Very good dealers
• Same selection included Omaha H/L from 4/8 to 20/40 limit, Holdem in many varieties of Limit and NL, there was even a PL HO game going on.
• Competition seemed weak, but that may have been because it was mainly populated with folks that busted out early.

The Casino

It is very well laid out. The staff is friendly and laid back. Good game selection too. The thing that surprised me was the denominations being tossed around on a Wednesday morning. I was watching one guy toss a black chip on every hand at blackjack. In KC, with the $500 limit that could get you packing in a hurry. But they did not seem to have such limitations there.

My Play

So after I listened to the dealer chit-chat with one of the players that apparently plays in every game at every circuit event, I was a little freaked out. Well not scared, just amazed. I think it would actually get to be a grind to travel and follow those things but to each is own, and he did play well.

So, of course, first hand, I’m the BB with pocket Ts. There’s a raise and a reraise to 300 in front of me. I figure I’m about to see AA v KK, since this is the first hand and fold. (We only had 1500 in chips and blinds were 25/25.) Flop comes with 2 clubs and a 6 and the other two end up all in. As you might expect, it was 666 v a flush draw (AK). The turn brought a club and jubilation for our donkey on the draw. The river paired the board and gave our boy with the sign of the beast a full house. I’m sure we sounded crazy, as we were all gasping and then the dealer shouted out, “Seat open! Table 44.”

The game kind of stayed that way. I got pocket 9s and opened with a raise from the button. The traveling pro player reraised me, I thought, folded and flipped my 9s. He turned over Ks. I lost with pocket 5s that hit the third on the flop, but a river brought a straight possibility. He checked, and I fortunately checked behind him. I won a hand with KQ from the SB and flopped 2 pair but got no action. Last hand, pocket 9s again. Blinds are 50-100, and I’m down to 500. I move all in and get quickly called by the button. He turns over Js, I was excited at first when the flop brought an 8, until I realized it was an 8 not a 9. And that was my tourney. Then I went an played O8 4/8 and didn’t make up any ground.

Summary

I think I’d like to go back there. They have a good game selection and they are pretty relaxed.