Foxwoods Trip Report (Long)

dseiler116 · #1 03-13-2006, 12:53 PM

Hit up Foxwoods this weekend for my first B&M trip.

We got there around 11pm Friday night, and the place was packed. My buddy and I put our names on the list for the $1/$2 NL tables and after they opened up 3 new 1/2 tables, we wound up getting seated at a full ring about 11:30. Not too bad considering I've heard about some pretty lengthy wait times.

Needless to say, I got caught up in the excitement of it all. Those of you who can remember your first time in a live casino can relate especially when you've only played home games and online. My heart was pounding but as the game when on I calmed down. I came in there with the number one beginner mistake on my mind (playing too many hands) and focused on staying away from that. I loosened up my starting requirements as I got into position, but early on I was folding like mad. Pretty good action, at least 5-6 people to the flop. Fun to watch, as I defined the words 'card dead'.

First action I get, pair of nines in MP3. I raise it up to 5BB and push out everyone except MP2 and the blinds. Flop comes off K A 9 rainbow. I fired off around 10+ BB's in an effort to scare away any draws. Everyone dumps except MP2. I'll be honest here, I was so excited I flopped trips I wasn't paying much attention to the board after the flop. I just wanted to take down the pot right there. Turn comes off with a 3 so I make another hefty bet. MP2 calls and a J hits the river. I quickly show my trips, he turns over Q10. I couldn't fathom, with all those overcards on the board, that he would have hung in that long as I was betting heavy. Maybe I wasn't betting heavy enough? My first action..OUCH.

Saturday afternoon we jumped on about 3pm. Average table where pre flop varied from 3-4 players in to sometimes 7-8. As soon as I sat down I watched a guy on the end (BB at the time) take down a nice pot. He had to be stacked at least 4-500 BBs, and the players at my end said he was a terrible player who had gotten very lucky. As I try to do with most things at the table, I swallowed the information with a grain of salt. My buddy caught a few hands early and almost doubled his stack. After a while of nothing significant, I'm looking down at JJ. I bet about 5BB, got 4 players to call. What hits the flop? AAK. No reads other than the guy to my immediate right who, when he finally bets, bets big. Of course, he fires off a 10BB and I am forced to fold. Ugh.

From there, I couldn't catch a face card to save my life. I brought new meaning to the words 'card dead'. When I caught I made it pay off, but other than that I had very little to work with. In my head I know that good cards do not a player make, but it didn't soften the blow any. Ultimately I couldn't fight the boredom dragon as it reared back and pushed me into pots I had no business getting into and chasing without thinking first. I know I chased a few hands further than I should and loosened up the starters a little too much at times, but I learned many valuable lessons at the table.

My only complaints about Foxwoods were the 4-5 'trainee' dealers on our table for the first 3-4 hours we were there and the chip distribution. I guess the lowest staked game in the house gets no damn respect, oh well. I know they have to learn but some of these guys barely knew the game itself, nevermind the slow deals. I also didn't like the fact that in a 1/2 NL game they would give you $100 (max buyin) in $5 chips. Of course, they make change and you eventually get $1 chips, but I noticed players are more inclined to raise with a few $5 reds rather than a certain increment of the BB. Instead of raising 12 or 18 and playing BB increments, they would raise it 25 or 45 based on the number of chips. The entire time I played I didn't see anyone raise it based on the blinds. It just seems like the house does it intentionally, is this normal?

Overall I took away alot from the experience, and while I was first upset with myself for making fundamental mistakes I knew I would learn from them. It was a hell of a trip and one I hope to make again very soon.

signal · #2 03-13-2006, 01:33 PM

I was also there over the weekend, but I am a limit player. You sound like you had fun despite the mixed results. I can't wait for the new room to open. I think it will benefit the 1/2 NL players the most since that is the game that usually has the longest wait list. I think they are adding approx. 40 tables.

The trainee dealer thing was crazy too. It seems like every deal the dealers would expose a card or two while they were pitching the cards.

I said that they changed the name of the game from Texas Holdem to Texas Expose'em....

It really makes you appreciate the good, veteran dealers. I know I have more respect for the good dealers now after witnessing some of the trainee dealers. Most were nervous and lacked confidence; however a few seemed to pick it up really quickly.

The time charge must've sucked with the trainee dealers and I think hands/hour went down throughout the whole room. Well it will be worth it to have trained dealers and more tables when the new room opens.

Hopefully your next trip will provide you with some nice pots.

tom10167 · #3 03-13-2006, 01:33 PM

We just hired 100+ new dealers, it surprises me that they're on a 1-2NL their first night though. Really surprises me actually, usually they're on 1-3 stud or 2-4LHE.

The chip distribution? If you want white, ask for them, it takes twice as long to hand out two stacks opposed to one barrel of red which is very fast. Or, you can go to that place where you're supposed to get chips. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I'm glad your wait wasn't that bad you came at a very busy time for us, I wonder what games died to get that up and running.

People raise to 12 all the time, I hate it because then I spend ten minutes making 500 white chips for the 9 callers, when 15 makes it a lot faster.

Oh well, glad you enjoyed your stay, you from Boston?

dseiler116 · #4 03-13-2006, 01:38 PM

[ QUOTE ]
We just hired 100+ new dealers, it surprises me that they're on a 1-2NL their first night though. Really surprises me actually, usually they're on 1-3 stud or 2-4LHE.

The chip distribution? If you want white, ask for them, it takes twice as long to hand out two stacks opposed to one barrel of red which is very fast. Or, you can go to that place where you're supposed to get chips. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I'm glad your wait wasn't that bad you came at a very busy time for us, I wonder what games died to get that up and running.

People raise to 12 all the time, I hate it because then I spend ten minutes making 500 white chips for the 9 callers, when 15 makes it a lot faster.

Oh well, glad you enjoyed your stay, you from Boston?

[/ QUOTE ]

Im from NY actually. Took us about 3 hours to get up there.

As for the chips, I guess I can understand it from a dealer point of view, but NO ONE at the two tables I played raised for anything except $5 increments. Especially pre-flop.

Definitely had a blast. Be back real soon.

tom10167 · #5 03-13-2006, 01:50 PM

Oh yeah? I used to live in Dutchess County.

The DaveR · #6 03-13-2006, 01:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
First action I get, pair of nines in MP3. I raise it up to 5BB and push out everyone except MP2 and the blinds. Flop comes off K A 9 rainbow. I fired off around 10+ BB's in an effort to scare away any draws. Everyone dumps except MP2. I'll be honest here, I was so excited I flopped trips I wasn't paying much attention to the board after the flop. I just wanted to take down the pot right there. Turn comes off with a 3 so I make another hefty bet. MP2 calls and a J hits the river. I quickly show my trips, he turns over Q10. I couldn't fathom, with all those overcards on the board, that he would have hung in that long as I was betting heavy. Maybe I wasn't betting heavy enough? My first action..OUCH.

[/ QUOTE ]

But people told me you can protect your hand in NL? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

DoubleTwentyOne · #7 03-13-2006, 02:03 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I'll be honest here, I was so excited I flopped trips I wasn't paying much attention to the board after the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good report, wish my first time was as exciting, I was stuck playing 3/6. Anyway, let's get one thing clear here:
Set = Pocket Pair in hand + 1 on board
Trips = 2 on board + 1 in hand

You flopped a set of 9's, not trip 9's. In non-flop games, trips and a set are equivalent hands and can be used interchangeably, in flop games like Holdem & Omaha, they are completely different hands and should be treated as such when playing them and refering to them. In short, a set is much more powerful and way more desirable to have than trips.

dseiler116 · #8 03-13-2006, 02:20 PM

Thanks for the clarification. I always get those two confused.

Was the 3/6 game that boring?

DoubleTwentyOne · #9 03-13-2006, 02:51 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the clarification. I always get those two confused.

Was the 3/6 game that boring?

[/ QUOTE ]

Obviously you haven't had the pleasure of playing low stakes limit holdem in a B&M. Let's just say I found out the hard way that trying to race 20 people to the river with AA gets really old really fast. I played 3/6 a total of 3 times in my life before I switched to NL, I haven't looked back since.

dseiler116 · #10 03-13-2006, 02:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the clarification. I always get those two confused.

Was the 3/6 game that boring?

[/ QUOTE ]

Obviously you haven't had the pleasure of playing low stakes limit holdem in a B&M. Let's just say I found out the hard way that trying to race 20 people to the river with AA gets really old really fast. I played 3/6 a total of 3 times in my life before I switched to NL, I haven't looked back since.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been stuck on the misnomer that limit was a 'safer' game because you couldn't lose your whole stack. A very small part of me feels that way and as I play more and more NL in the small stakes I realize that just isn't true.