Excalibur on Monday

Not the most appealing ad IMO

It's Monday night, I had a successful weekend of poker, and I was all pumped up to kick some serious ass.  I didn't know where to play, so I just rode up the strip to see what looked like a good idea.  I saw the Luxor and Excalibur, and thought where would the shittiest players in the world play?  Those places.  So I pulled into Excalibur.


They had 1 table of 1/2 NL going and 1 table of 2-6 spread limit.  :-)  I got on both lists and after about 40 minutes got in the 1/2 game.  Right away people were just fucking hammering me!  It sucked.  Plus people were pretty short stacked, which handcuffs you into playing tighter than I really want to play.

I played a ton of hands that didn't go very well.  First, I raise with A-J in late position to 11.  Get 3 callers.  Flop J-9-8 with 2 diamonds.  Checks to me, I bet 23.  Guy raises all-in for like 100 total.  Argh.  I thought about calling for sure but eventually just folded.  He didn't look like he was bluffing, and I figure even if he did just have a draw, my cards don't play very well against a draw.  So he either has a 2 pair / set hand which kills me, a draw which isn't good for me either.  The only hands I really do beat are QJ / KJ.  So I think that was a good fold.

Little bit later I raise in late position with 7-6 suited (probably not a great idea given everyone's short stacks).  Flop comes 7-5-4 with 2 clubs.  Looked pretty damn good to me.  We're heads up, guy checks to me, I bet 10.  He raises me to 25.  I'm just like fuck you, all in (other guy had like 90 total when we saw the flop).  He calls.  He has 4-5.  Coin flip, I lose. 

Later on, I have Q-10 suited and raise in late position to 8.  Flop Q-x-x with 2 of my suit.  Like 6 people saw the flop.  Guy leads out for an all-in bet of 16.  2 guys call, and I raise to 80.  Probably more than I should have raised, but whatever.  I figure worst case I get all-in and I can't be in THAT bad of shape.  The guy with the bigger stack folds, the other guy calls for 60, I brick the turn and river, he has A-Q. 

Excalibur

 

I tried not to get too tilted.  It was definitely frustrating.  I was now down $300 playing against basically the shittiest players around in the shittiest casino around.  Also, I couldn't play all night, so I wanted to make my money back but it seemed questionable.  Especially since everyone was short stacked, so I'd have to bust multiple people to get back in it.  But whatever, I was hanging tough and kept a good attitude. 

Few other hands:

Raise with A-A under the gun to 10, everyone folds.  Sigh.  I also learn later that they have an "aces cracked" promotion where you get to spin the wheel, which would have given me a better reason to limp with aces if I wanted to.  Totally could have chosen that path especially based on the promotion.

In the big blind, straddle to 4.  Few people call.  I raise to 20 with AK.  Guy in the straddle calls me.  Flop 9-6-4.  I bet 25, he raises all-in for about 125, I fold.

Raise with Q-Q to 8.  One caller in the blind. Flop Q-J-10 with 2 clubs.  Checks to me, I bet 10, he calls.  Turn 8.  Check, check.  River, king.  He bets out 45, I fold in disgust, he shows the ace.

I did win a couple hands really late in the session, with K-Q and K-J, nothing big though.  Also, I had this hand with 4-4 that I think I played really shitty.  I limp with 4-4 (for 4, there is a straddle).  Comes around to the straddle guy, he raises to 21.  He only has like 125 or so, maybe 140.  The two guys before me fold.  I call, hoping the next two people are going to call (although I have no information telling me they will).  They both fold.  Flop is 9-5-4.  He bets 25, I call.  Turn jack, he checks, I bet 45, he folds.  Limp was fine, calling the 21 was really stupid I think just because the guy has nowhere near enough money to make it worth it, plus I didn't think he would necessarily just spew all of the chips he did have if I hit.  So I won, but it was not good.

Overall I ended up losing $240.  Not really that bad considering I lost a couple flips (essentially) and didn't have much else going on.  Going to play some more tonight for sure, perhaps at Wynn.  Maybe even 2/5!  :-)