Poker

The games at Ballys were incredibly loose and the players split between incompetent, weak and local (lots of off duty dealers). The standard raise is to $12 and you can expect 3 callers.

It took me a while to get used to the game and to realise that most of the players had weaker hands than I was giving them credit for.

In the first session I lost $65 and in the second I won $165. The third session was very interesting.

I was actually in trouble (I had lost $200 and rebought for $300) when an incredibly drunk plumber from Ohio, who had just moved to Vegas, sat down at the table and shook the whole thing up.

Seat 1 me
Seat 2 was a weak player (who claimed his regular game was the 5/10 game at the Bellagio - !)
Seat 3 was a french bloke who didn't speak English and didn't know how to play poker (he was calling everything and at that point was holding about $400 and had a big FISH sign on his forehead)
Seat 4 was the card room stalwart, Marty (old guy - fairly rockish with $300)
Seat 5 drunk plumber

Seat 6 off duty dealer (very tight has $100 is looking to double up)
Seat 7, 8, 9 (30 something solid players with about $300 a piece)
Seat 10 - reasonable player with about $800 in front of him

Plumber sits down. 1st hand folded to him, he raises to $75 (might have been more but for the string bet) everyone folds. 2nd hand, two limpers, plumber raises to $75 (everyone folds) plumber shows KK and claims first hand was AA.

Plumber then proceeds to raise every pot to about 25 or 30 and is re-raising all in at every opportunity before showing a bunch of 23 off suit type hands and complete bluffs - he's now getting serious action and telling seat 10 he is going to take all his money.

Meanwhile Marty is creaming himself "hey let me get you another drink", "that's unlucky you had to call there - you had a load of outs with that (gutshot) straight draw and ace"; but gets felted when the plumber cracks his aces with 9 4. Half the table is on semi tilt and frightened "hey fella this is a 1/2 game". Marty buys back in.

I get K 10 (in the cut off) plumber is BB (seat 3 was on a break). I raise to 10, plumber calls. Flop K 8 8. I bet 15. Plumber raises to 45. I sit and think, before going all in. Plumber says I think we have the same hand and then folds (he claims AK).

Plumber still running over the table. I have K 3 spades in the button. 3 limpers. Flop 2 7 K. Checked to me. I bet 10. Three callers. Turn 10. Plumber bets 70, 1 fold, plumber says to seat 9 you go all in and I will call, seat 9 folds.

Plumber looks at me and says now your different. I think he has a 2, but possibly a 10. I go all in. He thinks and calls. River 10. He says if you have a 10 you got me. He shows 7 2 off suit for a smaller two pair (phew) and I have doubled up to about $650. with the lucky river (I had 8 outs).

Plumber rebuys (trys to buy in for $500, but the maximum is $300). He doubles up against seat 10, loses 2/3 of that to Marty who has also just cleaned out the Frenchman and is literally wetting himself ("I'm dying for a piss, but I can't leave this table").

Then I get Kh 7h in the button. Plumber bets 10, seat 10 calls, I call. Flop A 3 9 all hearts (hello). Plumber bets 10. Seat 10 calls. I call. Turn is 6s. Checked to me I bet 20, both plumber and seat 10 call. (pot is 123). River 3c.

Plumber goes all in for 89. Seat 10 agonizes before reluctantly calling (I think he has forgotten I am in the hand) and has about 200 left. I'm sure he doesn't have a boat. Plumber is now standing (so probably no boat).

I say raise. Seat 10 mucks before I say how much, showing AK. Plumber shows 43, shakes my hand, says I knew you would bust me and is gone.

I finished up $369 , so $469 up for the trip.