Orleans

Orleans Poker Room

This weekend I played a bunch of 1/2 NL with my wife at the Orleans.  I was definitely hoping to have some fun and crush.  I've had some really good days at the Orleans in the past so I was hoping for some terrible players and big wins.

There was a lot of limping that caused a lot of multiway pots.  More players than I'm used to, like you'd routinely get in pots with 6+ people seeing the flop.  It made for some weird spots.  For example in one hand early on Friday I limped with 9-9 from early position.  About 6 people saw the flop and it came out J-8-6 with 2 clubs.  Guy bets out 10, 2 people call, I call.  Next guy goes all-in for 22.  Everyone calls.

My call closed out the action, so I guess I had some options there.  I could have raised, but I had more of a showdown value hand than anything else.  At the same time, the pot is big and there are a ton of potential draws and overcards that can hit, so there are a ton of scare cards that can get me off of my hand if I do have the best hand.  Since I have no way to get the all-in guy out though, I don't think just calling was that bad.

Called himself a "famous poker player" lol

Turn was a low club and it checked to me.  I decided to bet $35.  Pretty small bet compared to the size of the pot.  I think I've been betting too small a lot of the time lately.  In this case I guess it's OK.  It should accomplish what I want - getting people out if they don't have anything, or maybe getting value from an 8.  If someone has the ace of clubs here though I think I'm giving them proper odds to draw.  The pot was like 12 (pre) + 110 (flop) + 35 - 5 (rake) and they had to call 35, so they were getting 150:35 or over 4:1 odds.  Well, plus their odds need to be even less because they would have an overcard they could hit against me too.  I guess against a flush draw I'm giving them proper odds, but that's OK if I don't want to risk a lot to get overcards out, or get value from a low pair.  It has to be better than just checking.  The river was a 10.  He checked, I check.  I won the side (he had an 8) and the all-in guy turned the nut flush.  So I basically broke even.

Another interesting hand came up when I had 7-2 in the blind and checked.  Flop came 4-5-6.  There were 3 people in.  I bet out 6.  Next guy called, and the final guy made it 15.  I called, as did the other guy.  Turn came the 8.  I bet out like $15 or $20.  I guess this isn't really the best move necessarily because it turns my hand face-up, but whatever.  Next guy calls.  Now the flop raiser raises huge, to $100.

He had about $300 total.  I think he at least has the 7 100% of the time, so I'm basically looking to chop at best.  Of course, he could have the 7-9 in which case I would be stacking off with an extremely low chance to chop.  I decided to fold.  He showed the 7-8, so he flopped the straight.  Would have chopped, but my decision was 100% right to fold since chopping was my very best option there.

This dealer would not shut up

Got in a big pot with a draw when I raised with 9-8 suited to $7 preflop.  2 callers, and the flop came out J-10-x with J-x of hearts and 1 club.  I have clubs.   Now a guy in the blind leads out for $15, the guy in the middle calls, and I call.  The turn is a low club, giving me a backdoor flush draw.  Same guy leads out for $30, guy in the middle calls, and I call.  The river is a offsuit, so I miss.


Now the guy betting all the way checks.  The guy in the middle checks too.  I thought the first guy might have had a strong hand, but now that he checks I don't think he's that strong.  Although, I guess he could still have something like A-J and just be taking a really passive line here as many live players will tend to do.  The guy in the middle I basically put on a draw and am not worried about at all.  So I figured that I might be able to take this down by betting.  I bet out $75.

Nice hair bro

Probably not the best bet, for a couple reasons.  First of all, my bet doesn't make any sense.  The story I'm telling with how I played the hand does not add up.  If I had something like J-10, I would have had to raise the turn.  The board is so drawy.  If I had an overpair or a set I would have had to raise the flop or turn too.  So my bet really looks like I missed a draw.  I figured at 1/2 people might not be that great of hand readers so maybe even though it doesn't add up, I could get away with it.  But the second thing is that I think the guy betting all the way had to have SOMETHING, and if it was AJ+ he is definitely going to call.  Anyway, the guy betting all the way folded (which should have meant I was golden) and the other guy calls me with 10-7.  Flopped a pair and flush draw, rivered trips.  UGHHHHHH.  I pretty much got what I deserved there, but if I got snapped off it should have been from the first guy.  Bad luck the second guy had trips.

I had a couple decent hands over the weekend, like when I flopped a set and busted a guy, and another when I got all-in against a short stack with a draw and hit.  But I had some other bad hands too.  I flop a straight with 10-9 on a K-Q-J board, guy had K-J and turns a jack.  Flop top two with K-J, other guy calls down with K-Q and rivers a Q.  Have A-K with the ace of spades, flop comes K high with 3 spades, get it in on the turn against a small flush and don't draw out ($400+ pot).

Overall I played 9 hours over 2 sessions at the Orleans this weekend and ended up losing $700.  A pretty big loss at 1/2.  It was frustrating for sure.  Didn't play any yesterday, but I'm going out tonight.  I'm just going to tighten up a bit, think more, and play my very best.