So last night I had the opportunity to go to Ho Chunk casino with my big brother Pete, and boy did we have fun! We got there at about 830 local time, and were prepared to win some cash. Right away we made sure to get a membership card, thanks to the good advice of our friend and mentor Bruce. He was telling us the good slots to search for, where the poker room was, etc. Right away I checked out the poker room, quite mall, about 12 tables, roughly equivalent to the size of the casino in Michigan that we normally go to, maybe a bit bigger. I signed up for a 1-2 NL table, and was ready to play! Unfortunately two people were in front of me, so I would have to take some time until I got called. We followed Bruce's advice, which netted us our first big win of the night when Pete won $125 at one of Bruce's lucky machines! We played the seed down to 500 credits, which was $125, making him +$105.
When Pete was cashing his ticket I got called to the poker room, I couldn't believe I was moments away from playing some live poker! I decided in order to remember the session better I would try to document every hand I played the entire night. I didn't bother filling out hands I was folding, because for the most part they were rags. Now I'll try deciphering my notes to tell you how the night went.
The first hand I played I feel like I played safe, and may have lost the minimum. We are dealt K5os in the small blind, about 3 players limp and we complete out of the SB, BB checks and we see a flop of K34 with two clubs. I like my hand but I'm not in love with it since we have 3 limpers in the hand. I check and it gets checked around to the button who bets out 10. I call since we have a decent hand, and we are heads up. The turn brings a 7, so now I have a gutshot to go with my top pair. I check once more and the player bets out 20. I call again and the river is the Qc. Pretty bad card here, and I am hoping this guy is scared of the clubs. He isn't and goes all in for 35. I have to muck and lose the first hand I played.
The next hand we play is J9c. I don't have all the information but I'm pretty sure I limp in. We flop a flush draw and check it. Turn is an ace and I bet 10, get a fold. I think I bet the flop too but my note says I only bet 10 on the turn, so if I did bet flop it was for 5 or so.
This next hand represents how I played the entire night. We are dealt K2s on the button, marginal hand but we have position so we raise it to $8 after a couple limpers, they both call and we see a flop of 247. I bet $15 and get on call. I don't love my hand but I feel if I barrel I can represent a strong hand. The turn is a 6 and the player checks to us again, we fire $25 and thankfully get a fold.
The next hand we play begins with a player raising it to $10 preflop. I watch and see 4 other players call with the guy and I look down at QQ. Tough spot, the table had been veerrry tight so far, so normally when people came in for raises they had a little something something. I decided to play a little small ball and only call. The flop came out K J 4 and I don't like my hand at all. The original raiser bets out $20, but with so much money out in the pot I decide to peel once to try and hit a queen. Not getting the right odds but the implied odds were through the roof for this table, meaning if I hit my hand I am likely to make a lot of money! One more guy calls and we see the turn bring an Ace. Now I really hate my hand, but to my surprise the original raiser checks. I have no problem checking behind and neither does the last player in the hand. We see a Jack hit on the river and now no one wants to bet, we get 3 more checks and see the hands. The original raiser has AK! WOW! If this is the way he is going to play AK I am going to make a lot of money at this table! He missed tons of value, especially since the player behind me had KQ!
The next hand I get dealt K5h and I immediately think of my buddy moose who loves K5! I say why not and limp in. Unfortunately the player to my immediate left had different plans, and raised it to 8. I call since two others decided to join the party, and we see a flop of Ah 4c Th. I love my hand but decide to again play it safe and check to the original raiser. He checks and we see a Qd hit the turn. I decide I have to bet my huge draw here and bet $15. Everyone folds and I win a nice pot.
One of the biggest losses of the day came with us holding T5h in the SB. I limp in and see a flop of AAT with one heart. We check around and a guy bets out 10. I think the guy may be going for a steal/we may have similar hands so I decide to call. The turn brings me a flush draw with the 4h. This is a card that keeps me in since it isn't an overcard, and it gives me additional outs to hitting a flush. I check and our villain bets out $15 and we call once more. The river is a T. Well almost impossible to leave the hand now, I check call once more for $20 and he shows me his A4 to take the pot. I show the table my barf hand just for shits and giggles saying "of course I have to pick up the flush draw on the turn". Which is bad luck, since if it doesn't come I can easily justify folding on the turn. Overall major barf hand.
The next hand I play is another small ball type play, the player to our immediate right from the first hand raises it to 7, and we look down at KK. I decide to just smooth call, and so do two others. The flop comes out 2c3s4c and I decide I need to take this pot down. Original raiser checks and I bet $15, everyone folds and we win another nice pot.
This next hand was really a make or break point in the session. I get dealt K5s(ty mooose) and of course have to limp in. So do 3 others and we see a flop of Js Ts 2d. I try taking it down with a bet of $10 and get one call. The turn brings a 5c and I bet out $25, the same player calls once more. The river bricks for us completely and is something random like a 6h. I take a big breath and fire one more barrel, $40. The player thought for a bit and mucked his hand. I wanted to desperately show my hand, but my image was soo solid I couldn't risk it.
A new player comes to the table and sits to my immediate left. He seems like a recreational player and seems verrry bad. I get dealt 23d on the button and decide to try to steal since it was folded to me. I raise to 10 and the small blind calls, bb folds. The flop comes out A Q 4 and the player checks. I have to bet here to represent the ace and do with a bet of 10. The player hoos and hummms for a bit and finally calls. He showed a TON of weakness before he called, so I had to take time to interpret what it meant. If this player was an experienced player he could be doing it as a reverse tell. Thankfully I had read him as being genuinely confused on what to do. The turn came a 5 and I knew I had to bet once more, especially since we picked up a straight draw. I wanted the player out so I bet a solid amount of $20. He cuts out the call right away, shakes his head and mucks his hand. He tells me he folded a queen, and I 100% believe him. I tell him good lay down, I had AK. I even shook my head when he folded, pretending like I wanted a call. I did little things like that the whole time to set up these players to make them think I had it every time.
Our next hand is T7s in middle position, I'm feeling the MOJO at this point and opt for a raise in middle position, I make it $8 to go and get 3 callers. The flop is JQ6 with one spade, I continuation bet for the millionth time, and get 3 folds.
HAND OF THE SESSION!
This hand is a great one, I definitely won't forget it anytime soon! WE get dealt KQ in late position and raise it up to 8. A tight player calls and we see a flop of Ac Tc 9s. Player checks and I continuation bet to $15. The player acts pretty quickly and makes it $30 to go. Now had this raise been anything but a min raise, I may have folded. But once again the implied odds are through the roof since I feel like this player has a hand here almost 100% of the time. If I manage to hit my hand I will get paid, at least that is the plan. The turn comes out and I nearly jizz my pants when I see it, the Jh!! Wow, heart is definitely pumping crazy fast, and no me way too loud! I don't think the player was paying attention since he quickly bet out $35. I look and think about it before taking a stack of chips ($50) and tower it onto another stack($50) and push it into the middle. I raise this mofo $65 and he clearly hates his life. He is shaking his head, really confused and asks me "Will you show?". Now I have a lot of options of how to respond. If I say yes he will have an easier time folding because he KNOWS I will show him. I decide right away this is NOT the way to respond to this particular player. He was a level 1 thinker, so I go straight to the jugular "Gotta pay to see" but I say it somewhat coyly. He asks "What did you say" and I try to respond again, just a little bit louder "pay to see". He does not like this response once bit, and clearly wants to know if I have it or not. He thinks for a little longer before deciding to go all in. I am ecstatic, I very clearly have the best hand, and quickly announce call. I flip my hand up quickly and show the nuts. He looks disappointed and shows me AsTc. I saw two black cards and quickly wanted to barf, but after closer inspection I saw I wasn't having to fade as many outs as I had thought. The river blanked out with a 4 and I raked the huuuuge pot ~$470. I tip the dealer $10 and am loving life. The rest of the night pales in comparison to this gigantic hand, so I'll end the story here. In the end I walked away up $210, once again having a winning live session in a casino!
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