First time playing a NL ring game at a casino, although I've played many times online. It was a $300 minimum buy-in game where most people bought in for $500. SB and BB are both $5 but minimum to come in is $10. This was at casino in South San Francisco and I've never seen anything like it. One guy in particular (Maniac isn't strong enough, but that's what I'll call him) was probably the biggest fish I've ever seen play poker. These hands were probably the most insane 3 of the night.
HAND 1:
Average player limps in for $10 in EP, Maniac makes it $50 to go and the SB re-raises to $120. EP and Maniac call. Flop comes 9h9hJs. EP checks, Maniac bets $100. SB and EP call. Turn 7h. Maniac bets $100 again, SB raises to $200, EP calls, Maniac re-raises to $400, SB goes all-in for another $150, EP also goes all-in for another $20 or so and Maniac (who has $3K in front of him) calls. River 2s. Maniac shows AhJc. SB shows JhJd for the boat, and EP shows quad nines! "AJ no good" Maniac says...no shit.
HAND 2:
Good player in LP opens for $40. Good player in SB calls, Maniac calls. Flop comes 8h4d2d. Checked to LP who bets $75. SB check-raises to $175. Maniac calls. LP thinks for a few minutes, shows Ac8c and folds. Turn is 3h. Both check. River is 5c. Both check. SB shows QhTs for queen high. No way he can win right? Maniac show 9c7s. He called $175 on the flop with 9 high and no draws. Q high takes it down and LP is pissed.
HAND 3
Marginal player limps in EP, generally good player in MP limps as well, BB checks. Flop 655 (suits irrelevant). BB checks, EP bets $40, MP calls, BB folds. Turn 3. Both check. River 5. EP checks, MP bets $100, EP check-raises all-in for $850. LP calls immediately and shows 66 for the flopped full house. EP of course has the fourth 5 (T5s). Unbelievable.
Although these hands were unbelievable, ridiculous pots were happening all night. The winning hands always seemed to either be really marginal (top pair, weak kicker) or the nuts. I can't wait to go back.
where did you say this was? *grabs car keys* In NL play like that, if you notice you're in wild game like that and can adapt, you'll be going home with alot of other players buy-ins. Just sit back and play tight until it gets you a big pot, then whoever you were in the pot with when you won the big pot, throw raises at him if you sense any type of weakness and take the rest of his money. then start working the image you've presented so far to the rest of the table.
This was at Lucky Chances in Daly City, CA (South SF). They only hold the game on Sunday evenings/nights as of now though.
I played some of my best poker in that game but finished down after losing $650 with JJ when a player went all-in with a flush draw and made it and after going all-in for $500 with AQ on a board of AATJ7 only to find the other player had AT.
I got lucky and had some real bad opponents in this one. The play pre-flop was loose and bad. Three players were out by the time the blinds were 30/60, and the chip lead bounced around. Up to this point I played only one pot, I was in the SB with AA and took down 300 chips on the flop.
Hand in question I'm on the button with KK and about 1200 chips, blinds 30/60 and play was still pretty loose. Player in MP raises to 120. I re-raise to 300. Everyone else folds, he calls. His call tells me that he doesn't have AA. I'm thinking he has AK,AQ, or a pair JJ or lower.
Flop Qh2d2h. He checks, I bet 300. He raises me another 300. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have QQ or 22 so I re-raise another 300. He put me all in for my remaining chips. I call, probably much to his surprise. This moron turns over JhTh. All he's riding on is a four flush. Turn is a blank, river Kh giving him his flush but it's too late, I made kings full. He's now down to about 100 chips and I'm now in the lead. As soon as the hand is over, this asshole starts cursing at me. I thought it was all pretty funny. In fact I needled him relentlessly until he busted out. Unbeleiveable, this guy RAISED JT, pre-flop when the blinds were still relatively low with 7 players left. He got played back at by KK, and then his flush got busted by my full house, and he complains about his bad beat. He had all sorts of choice names for me.
When bad players lose because of bad play, and then start cursing and acting like jerks it's just downright comical.
This jerk was so pissed that he was telling me I had no chance to win, and even after he busted out he stayed around and kept commenting. Although I fired right back at him. He really was funny making such an ass of himself. I stuck it to him even harder by never giving up the chip lead and going on to win the tournament. I then made sure to thank the jerk for his money
I would love those idiots if they didn't piss me off so much. Makes you wonder how many people have any concept of how to play the game
Playing 1/2 at UB last week and I flopped a hand with more outs than I could count. I think I had overcards, an open ended straight draw AND a flush draw. Hit my straight on the turn and my flush on the river. This moron starts to give me shit about losing with the crap hand he held (can't remember what it was so it must have been good ). Then he asks me if I'm an expert at 1/2 after I started to explain. I said yes (not that I am LOL ) and was going to continue to explain then hand to him (I know, don't educate the competion at the table) when the server crashed LOL. Did I mention I was playing UB (server downtime there is starting to get to me).
The funniest thing that has happened to me was in a SNG NL tourney. I went 3 rounds without playing a single hand. Coudn't even play the blinds after the flop. One guy speaks up and says "I hate people than don't play any hands" and of course several others joined in. I just sat backed and waited for my spots. Took down every hand I played while the others knocked each other out and the ones that were still in just kept passing their chips from one tho the other, except when I would reach in their and grab a handful for myself . I went on to win that tourney, and if I recall, I played heads up against the guy who started in on me
In the last freeroll I played in, I got KK in the SB and only one limper before me so I pushed it all in. BB folded, and the limper calls me with JTo. The board didn't help him at all. I was happy/befuddled at the time.
Last year a buddy of mine had a guys night when his wife went to see her relatives and took the baby with her. He got some of his neighbors and coworkers together for a poker game. I gladly came along in hopes of a profitable evening. There were seven guys there, and I only knew the host. The game was $30 buy-in .5/$1 limit HE. At one point I had over $100 in chips in front of me when one of my friends neighbors called me a poor sport because I kept folding and wouldn't give anyone at the table a fair shot at winning their money back. God I love poker!!
Another time some idiot at Foxwoods $2/$4 leaned over and told me that if I always folded before the flop, I would never have a chance of winning. All night when I would fold he'd just look at me and say "You gotta be in it to win it!"
I don't mind people calling me names for having a better hand or sucking out on them. The only thing that pisses me off is someone giving somebody advice on how to play. How terrible is this at 5/10 that somebody would give somebody advice when some people are trying to make real money.
No matter how long you play, you will always run into people who can't understand the game well enough to just shut their mouths. Even at $100-$200, or $25-$50 NL, the assholes are still there. Get used to them, casue they aren't going anywhere.
I'll add one little addition here....I love the guys who jump into shorthanded games and then all pissed when you show a winner that generally woudn't be played in a full game. Its one thing to not know what you are doing in a full game...but why compound your ignorance by adding shorthanded play if you don't understand it. They will sit and wait for premium hands...and then they will chase draws with no odds...how can they expect to win. I think its funny...and fun to really put them on tilt.
