Thursday, December 29, 2011

Last-Minute Trip to The Shoe

On Tuesday I was all set to make a 90-minute drive to visit with two old college friends. However, one of the group had a last-minute business matter to attend to and the meeting was postponed to Wednesday, a day I considered for making a poker room run. So ... I made a quick decision to swap days, jumped in the car, and headed up to my favorite poker room at Harrah's Horseshoe - Hammond.
The drive up to The Shoe (2+ hours) is always pretty boring. After listening to more than I could take of Chicago Bears news (sigh) on the radio, I decided to make a few calls to pass the time. First call: The Crafty Southpaw, to throw a Beatles trivia question or two at him. Gary include my little challenge in a blog post. Yes, I will admit that he knows his stuff. Next time I will make the questions a little harder. Second call: Very Josie, figuring that she might be on her lunch hour. Good guess! Nothing of note in that conversation -- at least that I want to reveal! Were any ears ringing?

Soon I was at The Shoe and seated at one of the many $1/2 NL tables. Two players were spewing money and I was happy to grab some of it. Surprisingly A-A and A-K (flopped TPTK) both held up for decent pots. However, the spewers both busted and the table seated some better players, so I thought it was time to take a break and grab my free lunch buffet.

After a somewhat healthy feast (buffets just aren't the same when you are watching what you eat pretty carefully), I headed back to the poker room. I was seated next to a woman who was talking all kinds of funny and crazy shit including dropping F-bombs every few minutes. At first she was irritating, but later became more entertaining when she toned it down a bit. She was having one of those days where every hand loses. She didn't help herself by slow playing her A-A, allowing me a free turn card which improved my lowly 4-4 to a set. However, the table lucksack crushed me for half a buy-in when I thought my two pair were good, only to find out that he flopped a boat -- with his freaking J-3 os!

However, if there is one thing I have learned about cash games, particularly at The Shoe, it is to be patient and wait for your chance to get your money back in big chunks. This I was able to do (QQ vs JJ and set vs ?), and the evening session also was successful. Knowing that I still had to make the long drive home, I cashed out shortly after 10:30 pm, another successful poker day at The Shoe under my belt.

9 Comments:

Blogger Josie said...

There was plenty "of note" in that conversation. lol One thing to note is that it lasted for about a half hour - which is unheard of for me. Just ask Gary if you don't believe me. BTW I no longer give my phone number out to crazy male bloggers so you're lucky you got it prior to this new policy. :P

10:48 AM  
Blogger lightning36 said...

I know your rep for hating phone calls. Just more evidence of your undying love for me. Your toadies can eat their hearts out. : o )

10:56 AM  
Blogger crafty said...

Re: trivia, bring it on, I promise not to look anything up.

Beatles joke: Why can't you go to the bathroom at a Beatles concert? No John.

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

11:08 AM  
Blogger Memphis MOJO said...

Nice job. Playing at the Shoe for you is like an annuity.

12:18 PM  
Blogger SirFWALGMan said...

"However, the table lucksack crushed me for half a buy-in when I thought my two pair were good, only to find out that he flopped a boat -- with his freaking J-3 os!"

seriously your that surprised that your "2 pair" with one of the pair being on the board was no good?

1:31 PM  
Blogger sevencard2003 said...

u do know carmens in jail right? found out today, its why her blog has not been updated.

9:45 PM  
Blogger lightning36 said...

"seriously your that surprised that your "2 pair" with one of the pair being on the board was no good?"

Yes. In the short time that I had been at the table he had already shown two bluffs. I was playing the VJ (J-10) and felt pretty good against the guy on a J-3-3 flop. At worst I thought I might have been outkicked.

12:25 AM  
Blogger lightning36 said...

sevencard2003 said...

"u do know carmens in jail right? found out today, its why her blog has not been updated."

Thanks for the info. Tony. I saw that she was charged with Criminal Contempt. I do not want to even guess what happened here.

I have met Carmen before and have followed her blog for some time. Unfortunately, she just can't seem to get past her addiction to drugs and her many run-ins with the law.

2:23 AM  
Blogger Wolfshead said...

Don't know about Hammond but Chester includes steamed clams and shrimp on its buffet. Good deal when you are eschewing red meat

6:36 PM  

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