Trip Report: Barona Casino (LC)

[ckj]

Due to all of your kindness and help with my poker game, I decided to post a trip report for your amusement and entertainment.


So yesterday (friday) I went with some friends to Barona Casino in Lakeside Ca to play a little poker. I was the only 2+2er but these are my close friends and I play with them in an occasional NL tourney held at one of our or our friend's houses.

We left at 1pm and due to traffic and driving 100 miles got there at about 3:30pm. The trip there was very nice with nice rugged scenery near the end when we were about to reach the casino. On the way there, I made sure to point out that the San Onofre reactor looks like a nice pair of breasts.

When I got there, the first thing I noticed was the theme of the casino seemed to fit perfectly in the surroundings. Basically a huge mountain estate, it looked very nice.

So after getting lost for about 15 minutes we finally found the parking garage, parked and went inside.

Upon entering, the first thing I noticed was the blinding lights. Wow, they sure had a lot of slot machines. More amazing to me, there were a lot of people playing said slot machines.

So we wandered around for about 30 minutes, having never been in a casino (for the purpose of gambling) before.

When we got to the poker room, I got a little nervous, having never been in one before, so I just observed things for a few minutes. The poker room was pretty small, maybe 15 well spaced tables. After getting reasonably comfortable my friends and I approached the brush. Each of my friends (two of them) wanted in at the 1/2NL 20-60 buyin game. I was appalled at the small max buy in, but I figured this way they couldn't loose too much, and instead opted for the 3/6 kill since I came to play some limit.

We waited for about 10 minutes before one by one, each of us got seated. I got seated at the table nearest the front, three to the left of the dealer. My friends got seated at the same table, but at opposite ends over at the right side of the room.

I buy in for $100 and I sit down right between the SB and the BB, and when it gets to the point where the button is on my left I ask the dealer if I can post. He tells me that I can just play! I am amazed and quite pleased that I do not have to post. I mucked whatever cards I was dealt.

Eventually I was UTG and I look at my hole cards and lo and behold I was dealt pocket kings. So I bet and I get 5-6 callers including the gentleman on my right. Flop was J-9-2 and it's checked to me and I bet. There are 4 callers and the turn is a blank. I bet and am called by 2. River is an Ace. I was watching the people at the poker table, many of them will play any Ax to the river. SB checks, and I check behind fearing he has an ace. Show down comes and he turns over AJ for two pair and I show my kings.

This pretty much set the pace for me at the table. Pocket 99 raised UTG, only one overcard which is a Q, of course one of the villians has one. AQ, nothing, AJ, nothing. I finally win a medium sized pot with AKs when my TPTK holds up. This is not to say the players were difficult, they were very terrible and very nice people. I was just getting cold decked mercilessly. Like flopping top two pair on an A83 board and the BB having 33 when he didn't look at his hand until I bet the flop.

At this point I've added on to my stack with another $40 and am down to $19 in chips. I finish out my orbit and go get something to eat with a friend that came but did not play. I had two rubio fish tacos while she ordered a cheeseburger at "Fiesty Kate's" and it was a pretty big and very good burger.

Afterwards I check in with my other friends and find out the BB jackpot has been won, and it was at their table. Those jerks won ~$330 each and they tell me the table became kinda wild after that, allowing each of them to increase their stacks.

And, my name goes back on the 3/6 kill list again and I get seated at a different table. I add on to my $19 with another $50 and I pretty much continue to play very tight and not getting any cards save for an AQ which with I hit my Q kicker and take it down.

Eventually I get 34o in the big blind and with one caller we go to the flop. A-5-2 rainbow. Sweet I flop the nuts. I bet out, hoping he has an A and he calls. Turn is a blank, I bet out and he folds. Hooray a miniscue pot. The very next hand I get dealt K[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and it is raised UTG. There are 4 callers so I cold call as well and the flop is X[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]X[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]X[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. Sexy. I bet, there are a few callers. Turn comes, it's a blank and I bet again. There is one caller. Uh oh, I think he has the A of trumps. River is a blank, I bet and he folds.

Hooray, I've tripped the kill pot. The kill button flips over and I straddle for 6. I get 78o and like a nit I check my option. Flop is Q7x and I bet and am called by a middle aged asian man. I wimp out (probably do to my run of cards) he bets, I haven't seen him out of line and I fold.

I get nothing playable for an orbit or two, and then my friend comes over and says we're leaving soon. So I finish out my orbit. When I'm utg and it's my last hand I get 66 and limp. There is just the BB who calls. I bet the flop which was J-high and he folds and I drag a miniscule pot but tip the dealer anyway.

Amazingly I brought my last $69 up to $129 and cash out only $60 down. Which is not bad considering my poor run of cards. I check back in with my friends and the are each up $400. When I was talking to them I found out that my friends were occasionally tipping the dealer red birds--wtf! And the dealer was tipped about 25 each when the BBJ was won. Wow, they were giving lots to the dealer and they were still up. The play was equally terrible at their table apparently, except they caught cards, enough that they could donk around a little and be up regardless of the jackpot.

Ride home was pretty much uneventful. But I just have to say, playing live in a casino has been the most fun I've ever had playing poker. I'd rather go to a card room than play online any day, enviornment is just so much more enjoyable and it's so much more fun to feel the chips, the cards and the felt. I definately will go back, if not to baronas, another card room for sure. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Cliff notes:
Brag: The BBJ was hit at my friend's table and they each won $330.
Beat: Two of the people I went with had curfews and they are 20.
Variance: I had to be at work today at 6:45am and thus it didn't really matter.

[jh7193]

Nice report, sounds like you had some fun. I've only been to the casino a few times and have been too chicken to play. I live pretty close to Turning Stone, one of these days I'm going to try it out.

BTW how long did you actually play for at your tables?

[ckj]

I played for about 3 hours at the first table and about 3 hours at the second. The time goes very fast and the pace is almost as fast as online play at times. It's so fast, I was slowing up the table at times due to my clumsyness by fumbling chips etc.

[nerdking]

I've played at a couple of cardrooms here near Portland and I will agree with you it is fantastic to play live. The 3/6 limit live is worse than some of the .02/.04 games I've been in online. All you can really do is play your best and pray.

[marchron]

[ QUOTE ]
Hooray, I've tripped the kill pot. The kill button flips over and I straddle for 6. I get 78o and like a nit I check my option.

[/ QUOTE ]
No problem, if anybody limped in before you. If it's folded to you, though, you must raise it up with any two, especially from the button.

[00Snitch]

whats a kill game.

ps. anyone who is "too scared" or whatever to play in a casio are the biggest pussies in the world. you have no idea how much fun it is, and the games are so bad (although OP's game sounded somewhat tight for a live game), so so very bad.

[marchron]

Kill game: when one player wins two pots in a row (outright; no chopping), the limits for the game are doubled (though the blinds remain the same) and the player "on the kill pot" posts the new small bet amount blind no matter his position.

So OP got his kill pot from the button. The game is now 6/12, with the same 1/3 (I presume) blinds, and OP posts $6 blind on the button. So, if it's folded to him, he has an easy raise with A2C to steal the blinds, since he'll make it $12 to go.

[RemyXO]

[ QUOTE ]
This pretty much set the pace for me at the table. Pocket 99 raised UTG, only one overcard which is a Q, of course one of the villians has one. AQ, nothing, AJ, nothing. I finally win a medium sized pot with AKs when my TPTK holds up. This is not to say the players were difficult, they were very terrible and very nice people. I was just getting cold decked mercilessly. Like flopping top two pair on an A83 board and the BB having 33 when he didn't look at his hand until I bet the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, standard. I have dropped $400 at Foxwoods recently having terrific hands and constantly getting killed on the river with some wild-a$$ runner runner.

But when the deck is not too brutal, these tables are a goldmine. Just adjust to some people playing all kinds of crap.

Plus, the power of observation in live play is HUGE!
I definitely prefer live to online!

Second the motion to pussify people who are afraid to play live.