First trip to a casino.
 

First post, so be nice.

So I took my first trip to a casino to play poker earlier this week (I'm 19) and I had a great time.

I read over a ton of the B&M threads and they helped me not feel and look like a total newb to live play. Many regulars didn't believe me when I told them it was my first time.

The casino is one sick place. Tons and tons of old people pumping money into the slots, sad...

Half the people in the poker room were readable within 10 minutes of sitting down with them. I didn't know it would be that easy. The guy next to me folded to a preflop raise on my first hand and said "If those last two guys had folded, I'd play, but now I don't have pot odds." Then 2 hands later his AA beat k10 all in on a flop of k10x and thought he was ahead when the $$$ went in!!


Anyway, I got there at 11pm and sat down with $100 at 1/2. I built it up to $400 by 3 am and tried to sleep but it was too hot in the car and I was way too excited. So by 5 am I was back in for another $150, only this time I busted quickly and rebought for $100. Then I got really hot and somehow ended up with $700 in front of me. I was feeling good.

At this point my friend who I went with sits down at my table since it was the only one going. He has been to the casino dozens of times, wins a bunch and loses a bunch but has plenty of money to spend. I, on the other hand, was taking a big shot playing 1/2 since the highest my online BR can support is .25/.50. I brought $400 of offline money with me. Now to the biggest hand of the trip.

My friend was down about $500 and I was up around $700. I felt kinda bad for him even though he has way more $ then me. Before we got there we planned on not sitting together, but since he wanted to play this was the only running table.

He has $150 in front, I have $700+ UTG with 44

I open for $10, then he calls and we go HU to the flop. Flop comes 4910 rainbow. there was like $20 bucks in the pot and before I act I tell him to lay down his hand. "John, I got you. Fold. For your sake, fold." Then I bet my entire stack. He laughs, obviously thinks I'm stealing the pot. I get worried because he was way down and if he lost this buy in we would leave because he wasn't gonna lose anymore and it was his car. So again I tell him I have him beat 100% and he needs to fold.

He calls, I shake my head and flip my set, he flips JJ.

I just didn't understand. He small balls it with me preflop then calls $140 into a $20 pot, was so sick.

Oh yea, obv the turn was a jack. Was there anything else I could do? If I check he bets his overpair and then if I only call more $$$$ is just in the pot, thats mean. I was not going to slowplay my friend for money. If I CR all in he calls with his overpair. I thought just going all in and telling him was fair. It just sucked. Thoughts?

Anyway, I still left the next morning up over $550 so it was a good trip and I wanna go back real soon!

Thanks for reading and all the helpful advice in the forum.

Re: First trip to a casino.
 

You made the right play. Also, this is nowhere near the right forum.

Re: First trip to a casino. -- nice report
 

If you and your friend are sometimes forced to play at the same table, you can either play your friend as hard as you would play anyone else, or you can try to avoid being in a hand with him. I dislike the softplay option myself. In any case, by his actions, your friend has made it clear that he won't softplay you or hesitate to take your money, so in the future, don't softplay him either. No hard feelings. You both know it's a game. Sounds like you did the best you could, and now you know where you stand. Flop trips? Play him as hard as you can, and may the best cards win.

Now I will tell you a funny story. This at Bellagio 15/30. My friend was seated at my table while waiting for bigger game to open up. We always try to sit as far apart as possible, because logic will tell you that cut-off, button, and the blinds are most likely to be in a lot of hands together. However, for whatever reason, in this particular hand, we ended up heads-up. Flop comes, friend says, "I'm really strong. Fold." I'm disgusted but I do and he shows the hand. He was really strong, unbeatable, blah blah.

At this point in time I was blonde. Lady next to me was a gypsy or perhaps of another Mediterranean ethnicity. She explodes. "Why does he softplay this lady? Look at that! Floor! This is prejudice!" She's really freaking. After I explained to her that we'd known each other for donkey's years, she cooled down. And the next time I saw her, she was over it. But in the heat of the moment, she really thought my friend was offering a better deal to blondes than brunettes. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I guess I'm saying, be cautious with softplay, even heads up, if there's any chance of it leading to a misunderstanding.

Re: First trip to a casino. -- nice report
 

You are female?

Re: First trip to a casino.
 

[ QUOTE ]
Also, this is nowhere near the right forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why not? OP had a good rush in first ever B&M trip and wanted to share it with the people credited for prep and for feeling comfortable there.

Fine first post, jme1222.

Re: First trip to a casino.
 

gg

Re: First trip to a casino.
 

Yeah, just to reiterate what someone else said, be very careful of talking to your friend during a hand. That can lead to problems, accusations of cheating, etc.

Nice first trip by the way. Where were you that you didn't need to be 21?

Re: First trip to a casino.
 

I live in San Francisco and was playing at Jackson Rancheria Casino Hotel in Jackson, CA, in the middle of no where. 2.5hrs away/

Re: First trip to a casino.
 

wow jme1222 did u use the bap $$ for that trip?? hey been a while since I heard from you! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]