Horseshoe - Council Bluffs Trip Report

[northkent]

I'll start by saying that this will probably be the most boring TR ever. See the end for the Cliff's NOtes.

I flew into Omaha for business on Tuesday, July 10 for a quick visit. I had to drive 2+ hours to Grand Island for my business location, so I was hoping to play some cards on Wednesday night before my flight out Thursday AM.

I get to the airport at Grand Rapids at 5 AM for my 5:44 flight and see it has been cancelled. I got re-scheduled for a later flight that got me to Omaha by 3:30 PM. This turned out great, because that made it too late to get to Grand Island to conduct any business that day and I headed over to the 'Shoe for a little bonus poker action.

This was my first time to the casino and it was very nice. The poker room was pretty dead. They had two 3-6 LHE, one 2-5 NL, one 1-3 NL table and one 3-6 Omaha table running. I didn't have a lot of time, so I sat down immediately at a 3-6 table. I thought at first it was going to be a rock garden, but that quickly changed. I took down the first two pots with pocket pairs (8's and J's) with little action. Before long it was 6-8 to the flop in raised pots. At one point, I flopped full houses twice and lost both times within one time around the table. Overall, I dumped two racks in about 5 hours and had enough. I started to remember why I have been playing more NL in the last six months or so.

I headed out for Grand Island, which has to be the most boring drive in the world, unless you find corn to be a thing of beauty.

I get to my office at 7 AM the next AM, take care of business, and hit the road at 4 PM to head back to Omaha. I was hoping to meet up with 2+2'er ATrebek to play that night, but the phone number he had PM'd me was not connecting. I get checked into my hotel and he finally calls me with the news that he is already playing and will put me on the list. Definitely NL this time.

I get to the 'shoe around 7 PM and got to meet ATrebek, who had been playing 1-3 for a while. He's a good player who is waaaaaayyyyy more aggressive than I am.

AFter waiting 40 mins or so, I got called to a new 1-3 NL table. ATrebek joined me and we took the 8 and 9 seats. It didn't take ATrebek long to get a reputation as he raised five consecutive pots at one point early. I didn't see all of the hands, but I'm pretty sure he actually had raise-worthy cards each time. He had more than doubled up early, but it went down hill for him from there.

I started out playing pretty tight and played pretty much straightforward poker and got up $150 or so. ATrebek had to leave about 10 PM and that is when it started to get interesting for me.

I dwindled back down to my original $200 buy-in when the table broke around 1:30 AM. I moved over to another table with some LAG's with big stacks. Two hands of note happened early.

I am on the button with K [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] and five limpers to me. I limp and the blinds come along for 8 way action and a flop of J [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]10 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]2 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].

Aggro in EP bets out $25, super LAG in MP min raises to $50. Both guys had me covered and I smelled a triple up. I knew I had the best hand already and I didn't want to lose the EP's action. I smooth call the 50. Turn is 9 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. Bingo.

EP checks, MP bets 75, I shove my remaining 150 or so and get both to call with their straights.

A bit later I am dealt two red Kowboys on the button. 4 limpers to me and I pop it up to $23. I get two callers. Flop is A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

Checks to me and I bet out $75. One guy folds and the other instacalls.

River is another [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] and I re-check to make sure I have the K. Villain goes in the tank for a minute and checks. I bet out $125 and he tanks again, muttering something about a set. I knew he had a set of 3's. He called.

River is another diamond and I have the nuts. Checks to me and I bet $150 praying for a call. He tanks for no less than 10 minutes and ends up folding. I should have either shoved or bet less to make it look like a steal. Oh well, I've only been playing NL for 6 months or so, so I still suck at this game.

My flight wasn't leaving Omaha until 11 AM so around 3 AM I decided I was going to pull an all nighter or stay until all the tables broke.

The only other interesting (as if any of the other stuff has been) happening of note was around 4:30 AM when two identical twin drunk butterfaces show up and decide to buy in for $100 each. One of the dealers had overheard them saying the table was a bunch of easy targets. It took exactly two rounds for them to go busto. By then it was 6 AM and the last table broke.

My max stack was over $1k at one time and I ended up with approx $850.

I even made it back to my room in time to sleep 3 hours before my flight.
Cliff's Notes.

Horseshoe - nice room.
3-6 - sucked
ATrebek - Nice guy
1-3 NL made some dough while busting out a couple of drunk identical butterfaces.