JJ's Blog

Little advice. Get a players' card from Greektown. You'll need it to get access to their new parking deck. I guess when parking gets tight in downtown Detroit (i.e., when there is a playoff hockey game, tigers game, and a music festival on the same day), Greektown gets hardcore with their parking.

So, I played a little poker at G-town. Lost $220 playing NL $1/$2 blinds. No big pots to speak of. I just sort of lost $40 here, $40 there, next thing you know, I'm down $220. So I switched games and played $3/$6 limit. Went on a pretty good rip. Won $218 for a net loss of $2. What a comeback!

Then, I played $1/$2 NL $200 max for about 2 hours. Won $122. No big confrontrations. One time, I flopped a straight and got pretty good value on 3 streets. One hand, I flopped two aces to go with the Ace and 10 in my hand and found a non-believer in the group. The other hands were just preflop raises followed-up by a cbet to take down small pots.

Good weekend of poker, landscaping, kids stuff, basketball, etc...

So I played some high stakes shufflboard in Dallas ($20 a game). Won $80. Still running good.

It helps when your opponents are bad, hate to loose, and have a weakness for trying to "get their money back".

So I’ve been on a pretty good streak lately at the poker table. I just finished my sixth winning session in a row this past Saturday night.

I’ve also stepped up, a little, in stakes. Three of my last 4 sessions have been $5/$10 limit. I think the 5/10 game plays a little bigger than $1/$2, $200 max NL game. The pots seem to be around $60 - $80 and you can cycle up and down $100 real easy.

The game was 5/10 Hold’Em/Omaha round by round at Greektown. I went with my good buddy, JB. You gotta love Greektown. This game was really, really soft – full of old retirees who only raised with the nuts. I’m going to make this my new #1 game of choice.

I was down a little when a huge hand broke out. I have J-6 offsuit during the Hold’em round. Somehow, I turned this trash hand into a $1200 profit for me – read on.

Here’s how it went down. One retiree raised preflop and is called by another retiree – both ladies – mother and daughter I think. The flop comes A-A-A. I’m not sure how the betting went, but the turn and the river each see a bet and a call. The first lady tables KK for a full house Aces full of kings. The second lady tables A-Q for quads. The table erupts in cheers. The bad beat jackpot just hit.

The table share was $1280. Man! I’m a good poker player.

The rest of the night was uneventful. I joined JB at the 3/6 limit table and donked off about $60 bucks unable to concentrate too much.

I did have one good play at 3/6. I’m in the BB with 7-2 offsuit (no kidding). With 4 people to the flop. The flop comes 7-2-4 with two hearts. I bet, UTG (JB) calls, UTG+1 raises, fold, action to me.

I smell a free card play coming (I saw this guy use the play once before). This is the play where a late position player raises the flop and hopes action is checked to him on the turn. That way he gets to see 2 cards for the price of 2 small bets (made on the flop) instead of a small and a large bet.

So, I’m thinking, “what’s the best way to “blow up” a free card play?” Here are my options (A) 3 bet the flop and lead on the turn (B) call the flop and lead on the turn.

I chose (A). It worked! Both EP players groan and call the 3rd bet on the flop. Then, when I lead out on the turn, both players groan and call again. Then, when the river is a blank, both players muck - both of them on a flush draw - one of them on a straight flush draw. I quietly celebrated what I thought was a pretty good limit poker play.

It looks like the last post was just about a month ago. I guess I'm not playing very much poker. Probably a good thing. My daughter is in softball which is really cool. I love it. But she has games 2 nights a week. Also, I'm playing in a bball league 1 night a week - also very cool.

I got in some casino action this last week. On a business trip to Cananda, I stopped in a for a few hours at the Great Blue Heron. This was the place that kicked my ass about 4 sessions in a row. But, I was coming off of a win the last time I was there, so there'll be on intimidation this time.

Played $5/$10 limit Hold'em. The canadians are pretty bad at this game. Not all of them...just most of them.

I won $310 in about 4 hours of play. I played really tight and got some good hands - especially in the small blind.

Example: I have A-9 off suit in the cuttoff. 2 players limp in front of me. I've got a calling station in the small blind. I fold. Good play, right?

Example 2: I've got K-J off in middle postion. 1 player limps. I fold.

I flopped a full house from the SB with 8-8 and won a big pot. I flopped the nut flush with Kc-8c in the small blind an won a big pot. Then, I rivered a straight flush with the Ah-5d from the small blind and set some American dude from Atlanta on uber tilt. Finally, I flopped 2 pair with 8-9 in the small blind, my opponent turned a straight, then I rivered a boat and won a nice pot - once again from the small blind.

With AA, I won a nice 4 handed pot - can't belive the hand held up unimproved.

I lost a couple of nasty flush over flush hands - where I thought I'd raise for value on the river. Oops.

5 winning sessions is a row. Whoo Hoooo! No jinx.

Off to watch the Pistons clean up a small mess they have with the Sixers.