Caesars Indiana Trip Report

[illmatic]

Went for the weekend, haven't been there in a while, probably a year or more. There were not that many pure donks there, I think they have all gone broke. Most players were OK, most still exploitable but not spewing chips. The major exploitable leaks were people who could not get rid of any overpair or top pair, people who chased too much, people who called raises but would fold to a continuation bet. A lot of the more decent players still made significant errors like not calling on a draw when pot odds clearly dictated it, or not betting for value

There was a guy who did not ever bet on the river unless it was the nuts. He had like Q high flush, no bet, or he had a straight, the river makes the runner runner flush, no bet, or trips without the FH, no bet. Tough to get any money out of him, but he saved me money a few times when I would have called a healthy value bet.

It started out badly for me, after the first 5 hours I was down $500 really not doing anything terribly wrong, but bleeding chips by raising suited connectors and any two broadway late position and trying to build pots, but never connecting enough to take one down.

I moved around but at every table always tried to show some small bluffs, show down 72o that I raised and continuation bet, things because they are relatively cheap plays and I like to stay active and create action.

I played so long, I can't remember the details of most hands, but after rebuying twice, I started to finally get in a few good situations.

The first big pot that I won, I had 10s 8s early position and middle position put in a live $10 straddle. They have a new rule that you can straddle from anywhere for any amount. The action then begins with the person to the left of the straddle with the straddle having last action. So it comes around to me with like 5 callers, of course I call and the straddler then raises to $30. One or two others call the additional $20 and I call getting great odds.

The flop comes Ac Jd 9s. I have about $200 behind, and the straddler is a guy that has taken a few pots from me when my draws didn't hit. He is tight preflop, generally ABC type player. Does not do that many tricky things. I check to him, believing he may have an ace, and he bets a small $50 into a $120 or so pot. I think a bit and then call after others in late position fold. Turn is a low spade, giving me open ended plus a flush draw and now I am ready to go down with the hand. I think about my options and then check, because I don't think I have enough to push him off top pair and figure the runner runner spade and the straight are well hidden enough that even if I hit he will pay off. He puts in $80, I consider going all in and then just call. River gives me the flush, I push the little I have left, he calls, ship it.

So that got me started, then I won a decent $250 with nothing fancy, my AA vs someone's KK when the money went in on a Q high flop.

Another very big hand, I am doing well now with probably $600. In mid position dealer exposes a Kd and makes it the burn card. I look down on the button and see KK! Someone comes in for $12, 3 or 4 callers. I thought about how much to raise and then went with $40, trying to get maybe 1 caller. Instead, I get 2 callers, including UTG who is short with about $55 after calling my raise.

Flop comes J high no legit draws, UTG pushes the rest of his short stack in, next player a loose guy calls the $70, next player folds, now I raise it to $200 straight for sure I have the best hand and wanting to play only against UTG who I think is probably in bad shape. Calling is OK here too I guess but this pot is already big and I want to win it. Loose guy considers my raise and I still have $300 behind and really don't want to dodge his kicker or whatever outs he has for that much so I say, "Hey you'll get to see my hand..." point to the other guy "he's all in" and MP finally folds. UTG turns up A5o.

Well you know what the turn was... A. UTG celebrates, but for a moment the world goes quiet, the skies part and I get a feeling of calmness as the dealer turns the river card in slow motion... the case king! Guy who folded to the $200 gets upset because he would have made runner runner flush and a $250 or so pot comes my way.

Final big pot. Later in the night/morning (about 5am now) I am about to leave but a guy sits down saying he just won $1000 in roulette, and I think well I guess let me stay a little longer...

So I put the straddle on for $10 in the cut off. Two callers and roulette guy in mid position pops it to $40. I look down and have 5 5. Well, it's a somewhat loose call for $30 more, but the guy has a full buy in of $300 and I have to defend my straddle so I think situations warrant a call.

Flop comes ten high with a 5 in there, and two spades. Guy bets $80. I sit back and do a little hollywooding, pretty obvious the guy is on a big pair here and I want him in. He sees I'm thinking about calling and says "are you on a flush draw?" and I look at him and say suspiciously.. "Huh, yeah maybe *you're* on the flush draw.." trying to make him think maybe I have top pair and trying to decide if it's good and that I think maybe he's making a move on me with a flush draw.

I believe all the money was going in, so this hollywooding was probably not necessary but I wanted to make sure he was going to stack off. Anyway I say "make it 180", he immediately pushes for the rest of his 300, I call immediately and he goes "do you have aces or kings?" I say "No..., he goes "YEAH!!!" turns up QQ, I finish my sentence ".. I have a set of fives." and goes "NOOO!!", like he didn't even consider a set was possible. People getting blinded by their top pairs = monies. Turn is another spade (he had Q of spades) and thank god the river is a blank and $600 pot gets shipped my way.

So that was pretty much the big pots of the night, I did lose a few decent sized ones with the second best hand, but managed to keep myself out of trouble and not lose a monster pot during the night, and ended up about $300 for the evening.

One hand of interest, I was huge stacked now at $1000 had some semi-connected junk and limped for $2 on the button. Flop comes some cards nothing to do with my cards but one big card. I bet $10 after all checks around looks like no one wants it. Only one guy calls in mid/late position, a guy who loves to float and has done it against my continuation bets a lot, he has folded to a second barrel before. This guy was leaking money due to this hole all night.

Turn comes something giving me a gutshot. I consider the second barrel, but I am not sure what he has and I am up on the night, so why bother -- I'll give it up. Check check, river fills my inside straight! He checks. I then quickly bet out a mild overbet of $30, trying to make it look suspicious. I wanted it to look like a suspiciously bigger bet. Guy stares me down, I try and look nervous. He calls with A high saying "I know you're bluffing", I turn up the straight, ship it.

Overall I actually think I like Argosy better, they are supposed to be expanding the room to 30 tables. Argosy is a nice cleaner room and all tables have autoshufflers, plus it is raked and there is no bad beat jackpot (which is quads over quads at Caesars what is that about?) all of which I prefer. There may be one or two more drunk donks at Caesars though so that is definitely a consideration.

Have not been to Argosy for a while though either, anyone have thoughts either way on the best place to play NL?

later,
illmatic