Return of the Boat People

TooloftheMan and I went and played a little 3-6 LHE at the Harrahs here on Saturday night. We were both wanting to try out this game after our intense bootcamp the previous weekend. I think we both had withdrawl symptoms. Yes, my wife had a friend over to watch movies (and the boy) so I was off for guilt free poker.

We arrived around 9:45 and didn't get seated until about 11. I think Harrahs has 12 tables. 3 were running 2-5 NL, 1 was 6-12 limit and the rest were 3-6 limit. When I spoke about this game to Felicia I told her I thought it was unbeatable. That is not true, I now realize. You need to play tight, lay down when you're beat and raise your good hands as much as possible.

The suckouts were many, the damage minimal.

Marty was in a blind with K9s. He made top pair and bet out. That innocuous 5 on the river, yep gave two pair to the chick playing K5o. I got AA cracked by the old man playing 9To. The flop came down TTX. Of course i paid him of. The whole time screaming in my head "He's got a 10, He's got a 10!!!!" He made it sooooo much better when he started telling the table how 9To is the most powerful hand in poker.

My KK held up. I was worried when the flop came out QQx. I thought "Here we go again.". I bet out and even called a raise. The turn was a diamond, and I made the K high flush on the river. The two pair would have held.

We saw a pot get capped pre-flop. What was it? AAvsKK? No, K9s vs Q10. Plus 2 others that called the whole way.

I played QJo in late position. The flop comes down Q-8-5. I get caught in a raise war (capped) I lay it down figuring one of them for a set and the other for Q-8. After the the turn they both check, after the river....check. Q2 vs Q3. They end up chopping.

So I got down to $20 from my original $100. I figure things are sure to come back to me so I go and buy another $40. Sure enough with in 45 minutes I am back to even, $140. I played 56s and caught a straight, Ace high led out betting the whole way. I gave back a little and finished down around $40-$50. I caught about 5 small pocket pairs and very good starting hands that never improved. That saw me seeing a lot of flops and not getting anywhere.

The guy to my left called every pot all the way down with second pair or better. A few times he raised all the way with nothing.

Fish. We left around 2. A 3 hour session. With more time this game can easily be beaten. A three hour session has too much variance. A good 10 hour session a few days a week and bingo! Just gotta find the time. I now realize the when I have been taken by this game before I was playing like a donkey. I fell into the habit of "Any Two". Playing the way I did on Saturday I found myself making a good analysis of hands. And realizing (for the most part) when I was beat. Now if I can just lay it down.