Spirit Mountain Trip Report

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Day 1, Table 2

So my first table pretty much just dismantled. Three people left, another to the bathroom, someone to dinner and no one on our waiting list. I played one hand of 4 handed against Wannabe, raising J4 on the button to steal the blinds, then decided to leave the dead table and get back on the list for the other 2/4 table. Up $75 for this table. Yay me!

I balla’d up and asked the dealer before that hand (not knowing I was only going to play one) if we could play for reduced rake. MAAM to my left said, “What does that mean?” Standard.

So the wait for the next table was at least 40 excruciating minutes. It sucked because I was only staying from 5pm-9pm. That’s very little playing time when over 1.5 hours of it is in the queue (for you British types).

I took a trip to the restroom during my wait, walking again past all the slot monkeys, mindlessly pushing the “spin” button. That really got me to thinking. What is the difference between them and us?

It’s really not as simple at all as the answer I’ll give. Some just want some easy fun, a little entertainment. Others are actually looking to hit it big.

We have some of the same motivations they do. Some of us may want to hit it big. The huge difference is, we are willing to do the work it takes to have the opportunity to win more. Our road may be longer than theirs, but there is absolutely no guarantee that they will ever hit the big jackpot.

There’s no guarantee for us either, but our method is sure as hell more likely to succeed. You might say our gambling is more secure. Does that make us more risk averse than them? More driven? I had a lot of time to think during all the driving, waiting and observing so pardon me for the philosophy or whatever you want to call it. Back to the action.

Table 2 Lineup:

I was in seat 4. Seat two was OPA from Table 1, LPA game to remind you. Seat 5 ended up being The Straddler from table one who got on the wait list right behind me. The only other seat I can remember clearly is seat 9, or Asian Drunk Rebuyer, loose aggressive, with a bit of bluff in him, which I didn’t realize until Day 2. We’ll call him Chatty.



I was making some pretty decent laydowns that evening. Ones that I was maybe less likely to make online.

KK to me, I raise and get 2 CCs and the blinds. Oh joy, not! Flop comes K39…all spades. F***! Sure I like the set, but the mono board is going to have anybody w/ a zero of spades or higher drawing on me. I c-bet and get called in at least two places. I’m praying for the board to pair on the turn so my pulse will drop. Blank. I lead out again and get called by the same guys. Stupid river is a spade. I’m first to act and check, one guy bets and OPA raises. I curse in my head and fold. OPA shows AQs and drags the pot. He flopped it. I would have loved that board to pair because he was paying me off nicely.

Later I had a raised up AJs on the button with 5 others. Flop of J94, two hearts, I had diamonds. UTG leads into me, a couple callers. In my head I’m all “FU pal” and drop the neutron bomb of a $2 raise on the him and the callers. He and another called. Turn: 2x. I bet, get called by two. River: 7x. I bet and only he calls w/ KJ. Dominated! Booyah!

Another hand I’m in the sb w/ K4s, 6 limpers, so I complete. Flop comes K4X, two suited. Check please? I c/r the field, turn is something innocuous. I get a bet from whoever calls there. River is another 4. Very nice. I can’t remember if I got one or more bets there. Ship it.

The Straddler had straddled a couple times when it was my BB. That has nothing to do with the next hand though. I pick up A4 in the BB. 3L (limpers), I check. Flop is AXX. I check to The Straddler who had limped UTG. She leads out, we get at least one caller. I’m feeling frisky so I C/R. She calls and says, “Uh oh.” Turn I bet and she calls. I wasn’t so sure my hand is was good at that point. I check the river and she also does, showing A7s, her 7 plays and I lose that one. On second thought, she wasn’t the best person to make that move on. Now Chatty would be the guy to do it against. She’s less likely to bet middle pair or something like that from UTG. I should have known that.

Finished that table up $2. Total nights revenue, $77. I drove home and hit the sack, not intending to return the next day.

Next day…maybe today, maybe tomorrow.