[Garland]

Live Trip Report Casino Arizona November 14 to November 19. This includes a time line of events. I hope you enjoy it. Cliff Notes on the bottom.

Stats:
Number of days for this trip (including travel days): 6
Hours of poker played so far: 55
Number of 2+2ers met/seen: 2 (that_pope and Howard Beale)
Number of poker rooms played in: 3 (Casino Arizona, Fort McDowell and Wild Horse Pass)

I finished exam FM, and decided to reward myself by taking a trip to Casino Arizona where the action is (hopefully).

November 17:

I forgot to mention that at Fort McDowell the service was really, really slow. It was understaffed I believe.

November 18:

At around Noon, I go back to Casino Arizona to eat breakfast $5-$150 spread because that’s the only game open, and I want to eat breakfast/lunch first. I order a breakfast quesadilla and orange juice. Highly recommended.

At around 12:40 PM, I get called to the $20/$40 with Howard Beale in the game. I could post my BB with a kill in play, but I opt to let the button pass and post in the CO. Good play?

Hand #1:

Remember “Where’s Waldo?”, where you have to find how many Waldos are in the photo? Well here’s a hand where you have to identify the number of mistakes. Tightish old guy limps UTG, and at the time I judge the table to be loose passive enough to induce a lot of limpers and limp UTG+1 with 77 and there are 4 other players including the blinds. The flop comes A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. Checks to UTG who bets and everyone folds to CO who calls, SB calls. The turn is 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. Now it checks to button who bets, SB check-raises, UTG cold-calls, CO now 3-bets, SB calls and UTG calls. The river comes 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] checks to button who bets and gets called by SB and UTG. SB had J8, UTG had AQo and Button had A2o. So how many mistakes in Hand #1?

Hand #2:

Loose aggressive pudgy African American woman with a gold tooth UTG limps and I raise on button with A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], SB cold-calls and UTG calls. The flop come Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. SB checks, UTG bets, I raise, SB folds, UTG 3-bets, I 4-bet and UTG just calls. I give UTG my best “worried please give me a free river card” look as the turn card appeared. The turn comes 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and sure enough UTG doesn’t give a free card and bets out, I raise again and UTG calls. The river comes 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and UTG check-calls and shows Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]7[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].

Hand #3:

There’s a very loose player who raises in EP, called by button and I 3-bet with red KK in the SB, and all call. The flop comes A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. I bet, get raised by EP and everyone folds.

Hand #4:

Interesting observed hand with Howard Beale. Super hot mid 30s super-lag limps UTG (to be referred as super-lag from now on), tricky laggy UTG+1 calls, Howard Beale raises it up with AK with K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], and there are like 6 players total including the blinds. The flop comes 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. Check to UTG who bets and begs Howard to raise and clear the field. UTG+1 calls, Howard not doing what UTG wants calls and everyone calls. The turn comes 8[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and African American gold tooth woman in SB (villain in Hand #2) leads, UTG raises, UTG+1 cold-calls, Howard escapes and folds, to SB who calls. River comes 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. Now it checks to UTG who bets, UTG+1 raises, SB cold-calls, UTG 3-bets, UTG+1 4-bets and SB finally gets the hint and folds, UTG just calls and says he can’t be a straight flush and UTG+1 shows 55.

Hand #5:

Super-lag guy UTG limps (winner of Hand #4), and I raise Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] to isolate, BB calls and UTG calls. The flop comes Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] UTG bets, I raise, BB calls 2 and put him on a pair + straight draw, UTG calls. Turn comes 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. All check to me and I bet and they both call. The river comes A[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. All check to me, and I bet, BB calls, UTG folds and BB shows QJo.

Hand #6:

After having to show the “crap” I raised in Hand #5, I get more action than before. This time there’s a limper and I raise with QQ and get called by SB (winner of LAG Hand #3) and BB. I see the flop of Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. Check to limper who bets, I raise, SB cold-calls and limper calls. Turn comes an 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], and SB checks again, limper is stupid enough to donk into me again, and then I raise to charge the hopeful flush draw…except this time SB 3-bets. He doesn’t have a flush draw. Limper calls and I call. Pair the Goddamned board just one time. River is the 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and SB bets, limper calls. I’m not good enough to fold a set here and hope he misplayed a set or two pair or something and call myself. I’m shown what I expect to see: T9o for the open-ender on the flop. I make limper reveal his cards: Q8. I’m not proud of myself for invoking the IWTSTH rule, but he had check-raised me twice in previous hands, and I was getting a bit frustrated with him. That said, I’m still not proud of myself for having that moment of weakness. Set #1 down in flames.

Hand #7:

There’s a kill (one of many) for super-lag, so he has to post $30 UTGish. It’s passed to Button (villain with Q8 in Hand #6) who looks like he wants to go home and puts in just short of a full raise all-in ($30+$20). I ask what my options are from SB with A6o as some places only allow you to complete to $60, which I would pass, but if I were allowed to put in full raise I would go for it. I see a disinterested BB and UTG I’m not sure. I am told I am allowed to put in a full raise on top with $30+$20+$30 to complete the full raise. Because of the dead $100 money in the pot at the time, I figured it was worth to isolate even if I happened to be dominated by another A or pocket pair higher than 6, which wasn’t necessarily true. I happened to win this pot.

Hand #8:

BB loser in Hand #5 has definitely had enough of my “loose” raising standards when he’s in the blind and it’s passes to me. He’s getting kind of tricky on me and making some more moves on me. So I open on the button with Q9o, and he calls out of the SB and then BB folds. The flop comes 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]4[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. He checks, I bet, he check-raises, I 3-bet, he 4-bets, and I call (with intent to raise blank turn). The turn comes 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] He bets, I raise, he calls. The river is 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and it goes check/check and he says “I missed everything” and shows the J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

Hand #9:

I raised from HJ with QQ, and get 3-bet by a strong aggressive older woman player (she is actually a poker host in Casino Arizona) in SB. Super lag in BB calls what he thought was just a single raise, but is then forced to put in 3. And then I cap it and he’s forced to put in 4 along with SB. The flop comes 974 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. SB checks, Super lag bets, I raise, SB folds, super lag 3-bets and I call (I’m gonna raise a blank turn). Turn is an offsuit 8, and he check-calls me. River is a blank, and he check-calls me again, and I win.

Hand #10:

I limp with UTG old woman poker host and Howard Beale on the button with 55, the SB completes, BB taps the table, and we see the flop of J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. It checks to me, and I expect to bet and take it down. I get called by everyone. The turn comes 7[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. It checks to me again, and I bet and get called by SB and UTG. The river comes the bastard 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] It’s checked to UTG who now bets, and I make the crying call hoping she was on something like 76 suited and was betting two pair. No, she showed Q9 soooooted. Set #2 down in flames.

Hand #11:

Super-lag strikes again! UTG super-lag raises with two cards he’s interested in and is called by Howard Beale in MP with JT soooted and the SB. The flop comes JJx and UTG bets, Howard raises, SB calls and UTG calls. Turn is a blank, check to Howard who bets and all call. River is an A, check to Howard who bets, SB calls, UTG raises, Howard and SB make the obvious crying call with J while UTG shows the AA.

Hand #12:

I have 99 and go 11 bets on the flop on a T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]3[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] board with a super-lag and lose to TT. Set #3 down in flames.

At some point I’m down 4 racks, but manage to bring it back to just down 2 and change due to a timely KK in a kill pot and JJ that actually held up for once. Howard had already checked out, and as soon as I finished my dinner, I was done with the game too. Howard thought the game was fine, but I thought it was too tight and a little too tricky for my tastes. I like the Bay Area limit games and Commerce $20 games better. Then again I only played it twice, and maybe I just picked the wrong times…who knows?

I decide to make one last casino run. I go to Wild Horse Pass just for the experience. I was warned: They have no restriction on smoking at the tables.

Here’s what I found at 11:00 PM:

$2/$4: 1 Table
$3/$6: 5 Tables
$4/$8: 3 Tables
$8/$16 1 Table

They had a list for $15/$30, but I heard that rarely goes.

I entered in a $4/$8 game and found it to be a wild and loose aggressive game that I wish all mid-limit games played. ***** game. I win 3 massive pots with KQs on a QQx, flopping sets with 77 and KK. It was very wild and fun.

Only low stakes? Smoking allowed in the room? $2 jackpot drop? I don’t think I’ll be returning again.

It reminds me of 2003 when smoking was still legal in card rooms. Ick.

November 19: I get up much too late to do anything but eat and go to the airport. I decide to go to the Waffle House, which looks interesting. One of the side dishes, I can choose between hash brown and grits. That’s the last time I ever order grits.

Cliff Notes: Playing at Casino Arizona and provided lots of hand histories.

Day #1: Lost my initial buy-in at $5-$150 spread.

Day #2: Played $20/$40 limit. Started short-handed, and ended short-handed (even heads-up). Was up a little and down a lot. Down as much as 2, but settled down to a very small win.

Day #3: Played $10-$150 spread limit. Lost a little after more than doubling the buy-in. Moral of the day: Don’t limp re-raise with AK.

Day #4: Visited KO’s Bar and Grill in Scottsdale. Played $10-$150 spread limit at Casino Arizona and won a little. I moved on to Fort McDowell where I won some more at $5-$150 spread. God the service at Fort McDowell was really, really slow.

Day #5: Played $20/$40 limit the majority of the day and almost lost 4 racks. A couple of big hands brought me back to only 2 racks loss in about 10 hours of play. Went to play at Wild Horse Pass in a low-stakes donk-a-thon for a couple of hours. Worst day financially in the trip. Howard said the game was good, but I begged to differ. Even with the super-lag was good for the game, the table wasn’t making really loose adjustments to this as this would be a good effect. Maybe the fact he was running white hot inspired fear at the table.

All told, a minor disaster of a trip financially. I’d have to grade the Arizona Limit Hold em’ 20/40 games as only ok to decent—from ** to *** 1/2 of ***** stars. Their spread limit games, however can be fantastic. Maybe I’m just a better spread limit player :P.

Next up: Seattle (X-mas time), New Jersey, Minnesota, Tunica (I want to go during tournament time in Janaury). There’s been a suggestion to go north to Vancouver, Turning Stone, Niagara, Toronto, Windsor/Detroit. Any other suggestions for the next trip? I would definitely be open to going to 2 or 3 places in the same area, and I definitely prefer no-limit to limit.

Garland