Trip Report - Salamanca, NY (Seneca Allegheny Casino)

[jaydreb]

While visiting my in-laws for Thanksgiving, I had the chance to take a trip to the Seneca Allegheny Casino in Salamanca, NY on Black Friday. I’ve been there a couple of times before. It’s basically in the middle of nowhere. Somewhere on the road from Binghamton to Erie. Yikes!

Poker room has around 25 tables, most of which were in action on this night. They had several tables of $100 max NL (1/2), one table of $200 max NL (1/2), a couple of tables of $400 max NL (2/5) and I think one table of $1000 max NL (2/5). They also had 2/4 and 3/6 limit games going.

After a very short wait, I sat down at the lone $200 max NL game. I buy in for the $200 maximum. Blinds were 1/2. The table was great. A lot of action. Generally, 4 or 5 players seeing the flop. Typical preflop raises were from $8 - $12 and usually got several callers. Although the play was loose and wild preflop, most of the players were reasonably competent post-flop. Here are my memorable hands, including the biggest pot I've ever played:

Hand 1

I’m dealt A A in EP and raise to around $10. I get 3 or 4 callers, including Villain in the SB.

Flop comes J9x. SB leads out for $15 and I raise to $60. Folded around to SB who immediately pushes all-in. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] He has me covered. Unfortunately, I have no read on this guy as I just sat down. Since I’m not good enough to lay down AA to an unknown on this flop I decide to call. Villain turns over J9o. Ugh.

Turn is a blank.

River is a lovely Ace. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] I suckout and win a big pot and double my stack to around $400. To his credit, Villain takes the beat very well.

Hand 2

The very next hand I’m dealt K K UTG. I raise to around $10 and get 3-5 callers. Flop comes KJx (don’t recall suits). [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] BB leads out for $15 into a pot of approx. $40 and I raise to $60. Everyone folds, including BB.

Even though I know it’s a mistake, I flash my KK. I can’t resist. How often do you get AA and KK back-to-back in a live game? This sparks the obligatory “why did you raise? I would have slow-played” comments. I still think my raise was correct. The pot was multiway;I had a big hands and wanted to build a pot; there was a straight draw on board; the pot was already big; and I had no reason to think I wouldn’t get called.

My stack is very healthy at this point. $450+.

Hand 3

No more than 10 hands later and I’m dealt A A in MP. I raise to around $12 and get called in 3 or 4 spots, as usual.

Flop comes Q7x. Checked to me and I bet around $30. SB/Villain calls and everyone else folds.

Turn is a blank that may have put a flush draw on the board. Villain leads out for $60. He has about $100 left. I know nothing about this guy, although by the end of the day I have him pegged as a ROCK. My gut tells me I’m beaten, but I move all-in. Villain insta-calls and flips over Q Q for a set of Q’s. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

No help on the River and my stack is cut in half.

Not sure what I should have done on this hand. I felt that folding to the $60 turn bet would have been weak, particularly without a read on the Villain. I also felt that if I called the $60 bet, I probably would have been committed to calling a river shove, although I’m not sure if this is correct. I would have been getting over 2.5:1 on a river shove, I think.

How all this ended up with me pushing, I don’t know. It’s much tougher to keep track of stack and pot sizes live than online!!

Hand 4

Less than 10 hands later, I’m dealt A K off in LP. A limper or two and I raise to $12. 3 or 4 callers.

Flop comes Q J T (with 2 spades). [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I don’t have a spade. Checked to me and I bet around $30. BB calls. I have him covered.

Turn is a blank. Checked to me and I bet around 2/3 pot. BB calls.

River is a blank. Checked to me and I put BB all-in. He mumbles something about missing his hand and folds. He says he had a straight and flush draw and I have no reason to doubt him.

I take down a nice pot.

Hand 5

I’m dealt A K off in EMP. Maybe 1 limper and then guy on my right tosses in a single $5 chip. Somewhat confused, I mumble “Is that a call?” No one responds to my question. I then toss in $12. I’m told that I can’t raise, however, because I already said “call”. I don’t argue because it’s very possible that the only recognizable word that I mumbled was “call”. So I just call.

It gets raised to $12 behind me and 3 or 4 of us call the raise.

Flop comes down Ace high. Checked to me and I make a health pot-sized bet and everyone folds.

Hand 6

NOTE: THIS IS THE BIGGEST POT OF MY POKER LIFE

My stack is probably around $450 at this point.

I’m in EMP and look down at J J .

Villain 1/UTG raises to $12. Villain 2/UTG+1 calls. I call. And 1 or 2 other players call behind me.

Flop comes J 4 4 [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Fireworks in my head!!

Villain 1 leads out for $50. Villain 2 RAISES to $100.

Umm…Yeah… At this point my biggest concern was getting as much money as possible. Villain 1 started the hand with approx. $250 and has about $190 left in his stack. Villain 2 started the hand with around $200 and has about $100 left in his stack. I figure that Villain 1 has an overpair and that Villain 2 has either an overpair or a 4. If he has pocket 4’s, so be it.

Villain 2 is pretty much pot committed to this hand, but I want to get Villain 1’s stack as well. Afraid that if I push over the top Villain 1 will fold his overpair, I just call. This sets off alarm bells at the table.

Happily, Villain 1 calls. I pray for a low card on the turn.

Turn is a 6. Checked to me and I bet $100. Both Villains push all-in and I insta-fist-pump-call.

River is a lovely 3. I flip over my Jacks and rake what was probably around an $800 pot!! Easily the biggest of my poker career.

I wasn’t sure about the tipping etiquette for a big pot like this. I’ve been tipping like $2 for a typical pot. But this pot was like $800. I ended up tossing the dealer $15. Too little? Too much? Just right?

This ended up being the last notable pot of the night. I cashed out around $1100. Not bad.

If anyone’s ever lucky enough to be in the lower tier of NY State, give this casino a try.

[Javanewt]

Thanks for the report. Nice cards [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I probably would have pushed with the AA, too. If just calling, it would be tough to fold to a river shove.

I'm a good tipper. $15 is high, but if it felt right and you don't mind, who's to say? Glad you had fun and made some money.

[grouchie]

from what I am told by a friend living in Erie, the casino usually only gets about 7 total tables of poker going most nights any more.

Said the foot traffic has really died down since Erie opened up slot casinos...

[cdhockey]

tipping 15 bucks is a nice gesture, maybe a little high by most people's opinion. I probably would have tipped anywhere from $10-15, so im in agreement. Getting aces twice and kings in the first 25 hands must have been nice. Nice win.