An interesting time at a local VFW game (2 Viewers)

[Legend5555]

So I was informed of a local game at VFW (Veteran's of Foreign Wars) near me. I heard they ran a $20 w/ one rebuy, but more interestingly, up to 4 tables of $1/$2 cash afterwards. So about 2 months ago, I headed over for my first time there.

Night 1 -

I meet the guy that runs the game. Pay my $20. $10 goes to pool, $10 to VFW. You can a bonus 5k in chips for donating another $2. I'm all for charity in cheap tournies like this, so fine by me. I have 18.5k in starting chips. Super weird, but I come to realize it has more to do with his total amount of chips. Each table has a full time dealer that is also playing. They get a 1k bonus for dealing, then another bonus at break if they are still in and dealing.

Aside: I used to run a free bar poker tournament for 5 years. This was right around the middle of the poker boom, 2005-2010. My game had between 50-120 players, less as the years went on. It had your standard mix of terrible players, but my core group actually cared quite a bit about poker. And we all took the free game very seriously. Before I ran it, I qualified for and won 4 championships in a row. Which were quarterly. So I had amassed about $2k in free food. But it was very often the same 10-15 people making that final sit n go. When we eventually merged with another bar league (as we were independent for a long time), my regs dominated everyone. I went on to play semi-pro online until black Friday. All of this expository nonsense is to lead in to the skill level I witnessed at this VFW game compared to what I was used to for such low stakes/"free" games. And they used the same structure I did (which isn't good).

So we start playing, and I'm struck by how I haven't seen poker played like this since about 2005. Most every flop is limped 5-7 ways. If there is a raise it's either too small or too big, yet everyone still calls. I start 5-6x opening my value hands as no one folds. I flop a full house with KQ on KKQ and someone just bluffs off their pot sized stack over 2 streets with 24o with another guy calling the turn all in by her and me with a naked flush draw. It's quite the scene.

I get down to 10 players, 9 make final table. By this point average stack is like 6bbs because the blinds after 2nd break go 5k/10k, 10k/20k, 20k/40k. I bust out in 10th. Final table pay outs are funky. All players at FT get an immediate $20, then top 3 get the rest of the pool in some way. This is regardless of number of entries, which can be anywhere from 40-70.

So, I hang around looking for the cash action. 3 tables are already playing. It's 11pm and they have a hard cutoff at 12:30am. But we get a table going. One player is full time dealer and sets the buy in for the table. Blinds are always $1/$2. And our dealer chooses $20-$60 as the buy in... Yep. I protest a little bit, but seeing as it's my first time, I don't want to ruffle any feathers. We play for a while. I cash out for $130 after busting someone with a straight vs. their set. They rake $1 or $2 based on pot size. But the total rake is capped at $40. This all going to the VFW. I find out that no table allows buy ins greater than $100. Oooooookaaaaay.

But most flops were limping affairs. Bet sizes far too small compared to pot size. People calling $10 raises with 56s with only $30 behind. General super passive play. Except for Scott.... oh Scott. Nobody likes playing with Scott. I like playing with Scott. Scott is a maniac. He plays fairly "normal" to start. But if he's up at all, then he starts raising 70-80% of hands pre to somewhere between $12-16. No one ever punishes him. Nobody moves in on him pre. They just call him down and bemoan their bad luck when he gets there with 74o. I had no hands to fight back at Scott. But Scott is just as easy to play against as the super passive people, and Scott gets up money a lot because everyone is terrible at combating him.

Best part... we played with a mix of dice chips and those WPT plastic chips. We don't even have enough to cover the table correctly and are forced to use reds as $1, greens as $5, whites as $10, and blacks as $20. I don't even try to fix that nonsense as we only were going to play for about an hour.

After we are all done, I chat with the guy that runs the game. I express some concerns over chip security, but that overall I like the people and the tournament. I ask if he is cool if I bring my own chips next time for the cash game, and he was more than happy to say yes. I try to help him out by showing him where he can buy some better chips if he's interested. Though given the locale and crowd, it might not really be worth the money unless he runs into some real issues. Which out of the 4 times I've now gone, I haven't really heard or seen.

I'll get into night 2 another time. Maybe tomorrow.

 

[warma]

Get them a custom cards mold set- even a simple VFW Post xxxx design. They’ll love it.

 

[WedgeRock]

Ruger Chickens go up for sale in like 30 minutes!

 

[raynmanas]

I'll get into night 2 another time. Maybe tomorrow.

holy shit, you went back? i can't handle these kinds of games.

 

[ekricket]

Honestly sounds like a good place to relax, play some mean poker if you feel like it or donk poker if you feel like that. Great move bringing your own chips, structured equipment is a big plus for getting players going who are interested but not experienced, and that in turn can lead to regular games. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Legend5555]

holy shit, you went back? i can't handle these kinds of games.

It's essentially a zero rake, no risk (in terms of the play) game. And as we will find out in night 2, there is another perk. There aren't many places like that to play in my area. Only one "legal" card room in my state, and it's over an hour away from me. The short buying is annoying, but most of them buy in for over $200 over the course of the night.

 

[WedgeRock]

zero rake

$10 goes to pool, $10 to VFW.

You can a bonus 5k in chips for donating another $2.

They rake $1 or $2 based on pot size. But the total rake is capped at $40.

 

[Chawks45]

Honestly sounds like a good place to relax, play some mean poker if you feel like it or donk poker if you feel like that. Great move bringing your own chips, structured equipment is a big plus for getting players going who are interested but not experienced, and that in turn can lead to regular games. Good luck and have fun!

Exactly this.

Most VFWs will have plenty of space and a bar. The majority of patrons are veterans -- some VFW posts, like mine, only allow card-carrying members inside -- and the camaraderie aspect takes the top priority. Now, there can be some bona fide poker players. But for the most part, a lot of the combat veterans are there to play cards with like-minded people while exchanging shared experiences in a deployed environment and telling war stories, most of which have already been told numerous times among the group. None of the stories ever gets old, though, either told at the bar or at a poker table during a tourney. It's fun.

As for my VFW, I gave the quartermaster a full 1,500 ceramic chip set to use whenever needed at the post. It was a clear upgrade from the dice chips.

 

[Legend5555]

I said essentially zero. Not real zero. And I was only referencing the cash game. Plus, I view low limit charity and rake very differently.

 

[Legend5555]

Exactly this.

Most VFWs will have plenty of space and a bar. The majority of patrons are veterans -- some VFW posts, like mine, only allow card-carrying members inside -- and the camaraderie aspect takes the top priority. Now, there can be some bona fide poker players. But for the most part, a lot of the combat veterans are there to play cards with like-minded people while exchanging shared experiences in a deployed environment and telling war stories, most of which have already been told numerous times among the group. None of the stories ever gets old, though, either told at the bar or at a poker table during a tourney. It's fun.

As for my VFW, I gave the quartermaster a full 1,500 ceramic chip set to use whenever needed at the post. It was a clear upgrade from the dice chips.

If that cards mold group buy actually gets off the ground, I'll see if he wants to do anything with it. Even just getting some claysmith would be better.

 

[WedgeRock]

@Legend5555, are you a vet?

 

[Legend5555]

@Legend5555, are you a vet?

No. They allow anyone to play if they are donating to the VFW. I am in the bottom 20% in terms of age though, and I'm 40. There are a few younger guys and girls. And I'd actually say almost half the field is women.

 

[CrazyEddie]

Poker the way it was meant to be played - with a room full of people who have no idea what they're doing, enjoying themselves.

 

[Legend5555]

Night 2

So two weeks go by and I decide to head over to the VFW again. I pack up my CPS chips into a regular 500 aluminum case as I don't have a birdcage and I head out. I decided this time that I'm not going to waste my time with the tournament. So I get there a little later in hopes that I can start the first cash table. I end up having to wait for about 30 mins or so after getting there. I talk to the organizer and get the go ahead to run a table with my chips. Though I didn't bring cards, so we used some VERY well worn Modiano. Which I hate. But whatever.

Seeing as this is only my 2nd time, I get some incredulous looks from some of the presumed regs over running a table. So I will be dealing full time, playing, and running the bank. They ask what will be done with the money, as if I'd somehow hold on to it myself and take off. I'm a little shocked by this, but I tell them I've run several games before and the money will not be kept on me. It will remain under the table in the chip case. And when I take a break, we can either put it up in sight of all players or give it to the organizer. This seems to put their minds at ease. I set the buy in at $40-100. With allowed short buys after that.

I have a near error free night of dealing. Scott joins the table and does his typical insanity. Raising 85o and such pre to $14 when no one other than me, him, and one other guy is sitting on more than $100. They all just let him get away with it. One guy fights back a bit, but does it by calling him down a lot. Basically never re-raising him. I meanwhile end up seeing 63o about 17 times, and Q4o about 12. So I do pretty much nothing. Winning some small pots here and there when I've limped in some decent spots.

As dealer, I do get tipped. And to my shock, the typical, expected, and allowed practice is that those tips go into my stack. I realize how absurd this is, but they don't seem to care. And honestly, so many people are on such short stacks, that it almost doesn't matter as I will always have most of the table covered. But it's obviously a crazy advantage. What I noticed too, is that as the dealer, no one seems to notice how tight I'm playing. I'm also sitting at the well, so my stack is in the well. So no one really notices if I'm up or down. At one point halfway through the night, someone says, "I think Scott is the only one that is up!" I say nothing, as I am also up about $30 at that point. And she wasn't wrong. Everyone was losing. But people rotate in and out, and that status quo does not persist.

I raise exactly ONE hand all night, which is AA when we are 6 handed and only have about 20 mins left in the night. I make it $12 after a limp, and even though I announce to the table this is the first raise I've made all night, and they acknowledge this, I still get 3 callers. What's a range advantage again? I win the pot when I flop top set. I get one more bet on the turn, but nothing further. I finish up about $60. Most of which was tips as I nickel and dimed my stack away seeing flops and just missing everything. Scott finishes up about $300.

It's been so long since I've played in a game like this. You can basically never bluff except when people are checking around flop and turn. You can't thin the field pre. You just make hands, value bet, get called, win money. There are obviously exceptions, but this is the typical pattern. You want to raise 99 after 3 limpers? Prepare for 3 or more callers. I've had to adjust to limping with hands that flop well. The pots going to the flop are $10-16 limped affairs if Scott isn't involved or up money. And people's stacks are so short that getting the money in with strong hands is easy. And they never bet big enough to make you have to think about how to play your draws. The bets are like 20% of the pot. You just get to call and realize your equity.

The end of the night comes. The bank comes out perfect. No chips were lost/stolen. And I am now Scott's new favorite dealer.

 

[detroitdad]

No. They allow anyone to play if they are donating to the VFW. I am in the bottom 20% in terms of age though, and I'm 40. There are a few younger guys and girls. And I'd actually say almost half the field is women.

Thanks for supporting the Vets!

 

[Rhodeman77]

I was invited to a VFW that ran very similar games once. Every table was its own game with its own mix set of dice chips with the same strange color issues because of the lack of correct chips. Cash games were $1/2 with a $100 max. The play was bad but the drinks were cheap and I took full advantage of the $2 bourbon to dull my pain of being in the game. Unlike you I didn’t try to fix stupid and moved on.

 

[detroitdad]

@Marc Hedrick recently played at the VFW. Sounds pretty similar to his experience.

 

[grebe]

Yeah, Im following along! My brother always tells me of the atrocious play at his Moose Club. Being a vet, I should probably check out my local VFW, but my time is so spread thin these days I never do.

 

[Legend5555]

I was invited to a VFW that ran very similar games once. Every table was its own game with its own mix set of dice chips with the same strange color issues because of the lack of correct chips. Cash games were $1/2 with a $100 max. The play was bad but the drinks were cheap and I took full advantage of the $2 bourbon to dull my pain of being in the game. Unlike you I didn’t try to fix stupid and moved on.

Options in my area are very limited. And I'm not a big fan of raked home games. The atmosphere is chill, and there is a cheap full bar, and a snack bar.

At least I'm running a limit dealers choice this weekend at my house to balance it out.

 

[Legend5555]

Night 3

Another 2 weeks goes by. My wife tried to go in the in between week, but a water leak shut the whole place down. We are trying to get into a rhythm of alternating weeks at this place. But that depends a lot on my wife and her friend's home workout schedule. So I head out again, chips and Desjgn cards in tow. I decide to go early this time and play the tournament for awhile. Try to get to know some more of the players.

I'm not a super outgoing guy at the poker table. Or in general for that matter. But I'll talk if others want to engage me. And it's much easier when they want to talk poker. I meet a couple and their son whom I have seen there every week. Turns out, they run games on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 1/2 with a whopping $50 cap buy-in until the total bank reaches $1k. At which point they allow $100 buy-ins. Spicy! Talking to the husband separately, turns out he wants to up the buy in. I don't think to $200. But definitely more than $50. He said others have tried to convince him to lower the stakes, and he's tried .50/1, but it's not that popular. It's so funny how this is typical of a lot of super recreational players. They are very willing to buy in for $50-100 4-8 times. But won't put $200 in play at once. Afraid to lose $200 in one hand unless that $200 already means they are up on the night.

I decide during the tournament that I'm not going to try and stay in through the break. The cash will start by then and that is far more lucrative. A relatively new guy to the VFW sits down next to me though. And while clearly a rec, actually has a clue about what he's doing. He asks about the cash game and I tell him it's super soft, but they all buy in short. He's a little irritated by that. A sure sign that he's not a total slouch. I start to call raises with all sort of junk and eventually get it in as bad as I can with 89o vs 99 on 932. I'm sooooooo sad!

I meet up with Scott and we gather up the necessary people to start a cash game. At this point, I realize that I brought my standard index decks of Desjgns. Not exactly something that is going to work with the mostly 60+yo crowd. So back to the shitty Modianos again. Most people buy in for $100 at this table thankfully and we are off to the races.

Very first hand dealt, there are 5 limps to me on the button and I have 22. I limp and we go 8 ways to the flop, which is favorable: 332r. Everyone checks to me and I bet $10 into $16. I get 1 caller. A younger kid, probably mid 20s. Turn is a 9. He checks to me. I bet $25. He calls. River is an offsuit 8. I have no idea his competence level. But it feels a lot like he has something like 45, 66, 77, MAYBE a super slow played 3 as he was in the BB. He checks again. I decide to just go for it and jam for $63 into $86. He doesn't think long before folding. Already doing better than last time!

I actually play a normal hand 2 hands later when there are 2 limps to me. I make it $12 with AQs. One of the limpers calls. I flop a flush draw and take it down with a Cbet. Weird hand for the VFW. Scott at this point has been wondering around even though he locked up his seat. Turns out he was trying to find some more money. We allow him to short buy for $32. The other players think this means he'll bust fast and be gone. I'm just happy he's at the table. Scott gets into some all ins and slowly builds his stack. Eventually Scott is now sitting on $250. Same guy from last week keeps battling him. I take a strategy of making small raises pre with hands I want to play so as not to face a 7-9x raise from Scott. It explodes in my face as he reraises me twice. Once when I have ATo and have to fold. Another when I have QJs and just completely whiff. Both times, he showed AK.

Our table gets whittled down to 6 players. Those that lasted in the tourney are now getting out. Most are choosing other cash tables to avoid Scott. But when those fill up, they are left with no choice. 3 older ladies sit down. And they are already visibly annoyed to be playing with Scott. At this point Scott is now on about $550. Most of them just limp/call or limp fold away their money to him. One lady takes a stand and actually calls him down with like 4th pair and wins a $120 pot off him. But that money pretty much goes right back to him in about 10 mins. It's hard to say if Scott knows he is playing off his image or not. At least he bets like a lunatic with all his hands, bad and good. He just has it far less often than he should. But tonight, Scott could not miss. And no one folded to him except me. Mostly because I just couldn't get the hands at the necessary times.

In the end there was about $2k on the table. Scott cashes out for $750 off his $32 investment. He tips me along the way, and gives me $17 at the end to get down to the even $750. I finish up $90. A couple others finish up under $100. But most everyone just went broke to Scott. Scott barely knows what's going on at this point as he is MANY drinks in. He tells me that he almost didn't come tonight as his wife's father just died early in the week and his wife was still gone tending to the issues surrounding that. I tend to believe him, but Scott is the kind of guy that gives me the impression that his stories may not always be on the up and up. But generally people don't lie about things like this. And he seemed genuinely sad about it when talking to me. I'm glad I could help by dealing him all the winners. Plus, anything that keeps Scott in the game is a plus.

Bank comes out good. I pack up and leave. I end up getting up at 5:30a on 4 hours of sleep to tend to the kids so my wife can sleep in this time. Still not sure if the late night poker was worth that though!

 

[Legend5555]

I have a night 4 from last week coming up. But may not get to that until tomorrow. I'm going again tomorrow night as well. I'm going to try and figure out what size set the organizer needs for the tournament and if he wants cash chips as well. Just for his tournament, he is likely going to need 2500+ chips by my rough calculations based on number of players, re-entries, bonuses, and color ups. Not sure how he is going to feel about spending 400-900 dollars depending on the chip quality.

 

[JustDave]

I can't tell if scott is a god or a total idiot, but these stories are great!

 

[warma]

Scott joins the table and does his typical insanity. … I finish up about $60. Most of which was tips as I nickel and dimed my stack away seeing flops and just missing everything. Scott finishes up about $300.

Sounds like Scott may have the right strategy.

 

[Legend5555]

Sounds like Scott may have the right strategy.

It will catch up to him if he plays with me or a couple others. It's not much different that how people like Dimitri Nobles amassed a 500bb stack in the 2006 main event. Eventually he ran into players that knew how to combat him and busto he went. Given what I've learned about Scott, it's very likely a case of him accidentally playing a style that works against most of the field. He also is just on a heater. There are only so many times you can inflate pots with J7, 74, 32, go multiway, and get there before it catches up with you.

In night 4, I finally find out what playing at a table without him is like.

 

[Legend5555]

Night 4

So last Friday my wife is working out with her friend in the garage home gym. The 15 month old is in bed. The 5yo wants to work out with them. I'm a moderately overweight slob, so working out is like staring into the sun as a vampire for me. So I head out to the VFW for round 4. This time I remember my old people cards... I mean jumbo index Desjgn. We'll see how these people react to them as they are bridge sized and considerably thinner than Modiano poker sized garbage.

I arrive at 7:20 and decide I'll donk around in the tournament again. It's a nice relaxing time and the best way to chat with people. I sit with an older couple... I guess they are almost all older couples , that I have played with before on night 1. Guy is a star wars nut. He is always in the same Star Wars shirt. A much more elderly gentleman sits to my left. While a bit passive, he actually plays his strong hands like a poker player. He tells me he is banned from several Gulf area and Florida casinos for card counting. He asks if I've even played blackjack. I tell him I have, and have done some counting myself. He says I should think about playing to earn some real money. I tell him, it's not my thing. But in my head I'm saying, "Do I look like I really want to fucking bore myself to tears and have to constantly count shit when I can just beat people at poker?!? C'mon old man!" He tries to talk to me several times over the course of the night, but dude's voice is so quiet that I have to get my ear up to his mouth to hear him. So most of this "conversation" is me not hearing him at all, and me saying "yeah." I may have agreed to knock off a casino. I'm not sure.

I win a couple hands. Lose some hands. Nothing of serious note. Then I start raising and calling with a lot of junk near break to try and get out. I've already missed the first cash table starting. And Scott is at that table. I could try and bust and play at that table, and even though I wouldn't call myself a real chipper, playing with dice chips is a little beneath me at this point. And I don't really want to suffer through someone other than me dealing. I hate dealing to myself enough, I don't need to add some random mostly non-experienced person dealing to me. I don't want just 15 hands an hour for God's sake!

We are about to go on break, I raise K9o from UTG. That's an approved raise 10 handed, right? Flop comes K99... so much for trying to donk it off. I'm not going to get broke this hand unless my opponent bets and I fold, and she ain't betting. So I just play it for real. I'm coming back from break to 27bb. WAY too much! I head to the snack bar to get some water and Red Bull as I'm feeling REALLY tired today. 5am wake up, work, pick up kids, play with kids, coupled with bad sleep the night before. Anything for poker I guess. I comment that I'm thinking about spewing off my chips to get into the cash game. Lady I just beat in the K9 pot is right behind me and says, "After you just won that pot?!?" I'm thinking, the pot was only like 9bbs. I pivot, "Well, maybe not. I have a hard time losing on purpose. My pride in the game won't let me do it very easily"

I go back and sit down and see the Star Wars couple playing the card game Casino. My wife and I used to play that a lot. I try to talk some poker and make some connections. A lot of these people are running home games and I'm trying to get some invites. I mention I prefer to play mix games these days. They have ventured into Omaha. I mention SOHE, which I don't even really like that much, and they seem to think it sounds pretty cool. Then I mention Drawmaha and I completely lose them. Oh well.

Break is over. I manage to spew off my chips in about 15 mins. The 2nd cash table has already started. It's being run by one of my home game players, who used to be a regular at my bar game. His name is Ryan. I have no clue what he actually does. Every time we invite him to a game, if he's busy, he is travelling and playing low limit cards somewhere. I suspect he does something with drugs. But I honestly have no clue. I've never in the 15 years I've known him ever heard the word "job" come out of his mouth. Granted, we aren't "friends." But still. You'd think at some point I'd have heard something about what he does. As far as I know, he only comes into existence when I text him.

So I get out and start the 3rd cash table. My table is me, 5 ladies in their 60s & 70s, 2 ladies in their 40s, a guy in his 30s, and a guy in his 80s. Doesn't look super promising. I set the buy in at $40 - $100. Debbie (60s lady, seat 9) says she doesn't like it when people buy in for a lot. She doesn't like to play "big." Okay Debbie... okay. She buys in for $60. Only one person buys in for $40. Most everyone else is $80 or $100. So maybe not looking so bad after all. There are also 2 sets of mother and daughters at the table. So we get under way.

First orbit: no raises. Most pots 6-9 ways. Most post flop bets are $2-$4. 4-5 callers. This table is looking better and better. Oldest lady at the table one of the mother's, is on a heater. She bought in for $100, and is up about $200 already. My first hand of note comes about an hour or so in. I limp 99 on the button after 4 limpers. I COULD raise, but only if I want to play a massively bloated pot against 3-4 opponents. So... no. I flop a set and get some moderate action. I show the table to be friendly. Normally I would let them think I'm the "young" bluffing whipper snapper. But they'll call anyway. So it makes no difference. I'd rather get some respect on the chance a halfway decent bluff opportunity comes up so I can bet someone off 3rd pair. This of course never comes up. So I'm just an idiot.

Debbie starts to get a little annoyed with me as I'm not dealing her any winners. "I'm trying Debbie. I know I dealt you bad a couple weeks ago when Scott won $700. I'm trying to make up for it!" The funniest person at the table is mom #2, Irish. At first I thought it was Iris. But it's Irish. Irish is quite witty and has a sharp tongue. She calls me out on raking $5 instead of 2 from a pot, when in reality I was changing out the rake. I explain it to her and she openly berates herself for being a moron. Later as she is shuffling the deck for the next hand, she finishes and slides it to me, I reach for it, she takes it back and shuffles again, then slides it towards me, before sliding it around in a circle as I try to grab it. Well played, Irish. When someone tries to buy the button as they come back into the game, I explain what's happening to the table. "The $2 is live, the dollar is dead." Irish, "how do you kill a dollar? Who killed it? What happens to it now? Do we bury it under the felt?" There were a few times a particular lady at the table thought she knew the rules better than me. I just let her. I try to make it clear it's a friendly game, and I'm there to help facilitate it for them. So as long as they all agree on weird stuff like paying a missed blind to the person that won the hand when that blind was missed, I just go with it.

Table lineup changes a bit over the night. The husband of a 40s brunette lady comes and sits. He bets like a normal person. Later he comments to me "I didn't know it was customary to bet so small at this table." Another 50s woman takes over another spot. One thing I've forgotten to mention is how often players ask, "what are the values of the chips?" I'm using my CPS chips. They have denoms. That is how used to dice chips these people are. I get compliments on the chips and the cards. Though some people complain the cards are too small. They get over it though.

One super annoying thing about all the short stacking is the amount of times I've had to do more than 1 side pot for a hand. It's annoying. And I get questioned nearly every time I calculate out the pots. Inevitably, someone jams pre for like $10, someone that limped then calls all in for less. Then 3 people call and play more action on the side. It's by far the worst part of the game. But when you play with people this loose and bad, you just do what you have to do.

I raise A7s from utg+2 to $8. I get 2 callers. Flop AA4. I decide to slow play. Checks around. Turn K. I fire $14. One call. River brick. Checks to me, I bet $20, and get called by a K.

40s blonde lady has been up and down all night. Her range is... wide. I've seen her limp call T2o. I've seen her call flops multi way with 22 on 67Q. But she has been winning. And is also the biggest tipper at the table.

Old guy jams UTG for 5 whole dollars. 3 callers to me. I make it $30 from button with QQ. SB is the 40's blonde lady. She cold calls the $30 without any hesitation. Folds back to brunette's husband in CO and he calls. $30 in the main, $75 on the side. Flop KK7. We are only about $100 effective. Checks around. Turn Q. Queue Vince Van Patton. Both check to me again. There is a flush and straight draw available. I should bet to get called by that, because they won't fold. But i'm tired. I check like an idiot. River brick. Checks to me AGAIN. I fire $40. Both fold. Blonde says she had J9s. Husband had A2. Good calls pre. Good calls. I beat old man in the main, but he had K8. We all have to explain to him how he lost the hand.

I raise to $12 with AQs from UTG. I get 5 callers. Wonderful. Flop KQ5 two spades. We check around. Turn 7s. I check. Blonde checks. 60's lady bets $20. Husband calls. I fold. Blonde calls. River 5. Checks around. 60's lady wins with 88! But she had the 8s guys. So totally fine.

We end the night up $180. Oldest lady that when on a heater early ends up on lock down. She cashes out for $320. Blonde out for a small profit. Husband out for small profit. Wife out even. About 1.5k on the table or so.

I see Scott cashing out as I'm leaving and ask how he did. In for $200, out for $700. They just keep giving him money. Nobody knows how to play against his aggression. But, I'm thinking it might be better to be off his table so I can better drive the action in the hands against all these loose passive players. Having to have the majority of hands go through Scott gets a bit tiring. So I think I'm going to try and be off his table again tonight and see how that goes.

Until Monday everyone! Have a great weekend!

 

[CrazyEddie]

Night 4

So most of this "conversation" is me not hearing him at all, and me saying "yeah." I may have agreed to knock off a casino. I'm not sure.

Be sure to post the story.

... with pictures!

 

[WedgeRock]

Afraid to lose $200 in one hand unless that $200 already means they are up on the night.

You should have let the guy know he could green light his players to fold...they don't have to call down every hand.

Turns out, they run games on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 1/2 with a whopping $50 cap buy-in until the total bank reaches $1k. At which point they allow $100 buy-ins.

Nevermind.

 

[WedgeRock]

I see Scott cashing out as I'm leaving and ask how he did. In for $200, out for $700. They just keep giving him money. Nobody knows how to play against his aggression. But, I'm thinking it might be better to be off his table so I can better drive the action in the hands against all these loose passive players. Having to have the majority of hands go through Scott gets a bit tiring. So I think I'm going to try and be off his table again tonight and see how that goes.

Might be better you're not playing at his table and he still wins. You don't want anyone accusing you of collusion, especially when you're bringing your own cards...

 

[Kain8]

After reading through all these nights and the betting that occurs, why in the world do they not just play limit? None of these vets or regulars want to bet in relation to the pot AND they want the buy-ins low enough to keep the game "friendly." A $1/$2 or even $2/$4 limit game sounds like it would be immensely popular.

 

[Legend5555]

After reading through all these nights and the betting that occurs, why in the world do they not just play limit? None of these vets or regulars want to bet in relation to the pot AND they want the buy-ins low enough to keep the game "friendly." A $1/$2 or even $2/$4 limit game sounds like it would be immensely popular.

You would get laughed out of there. I'm pretty sure half these people don't even know limit poker is a thing.