Fishing Report from Commerce: 17 April 2004

Big J Money was right.

I've played twice at Commerce Casino before this past Saturday. Both times, I played 2/4 limit Hold'em. The first time, I made $100. The second time, I lost around $40. Since then, I've played limit Hold'em at Hollywood Park a couple more times. Both times at Hollywood Park, I lost. In nearly all cases with limit Hold'em, losing to bad beats was the norm. This was because most players at the limit games would play crappy cards and call everything and someone would invariably get the cards on the turn or river that they need while I'm holding the best hands pre-flop or on the flop. This turned me off to playing in IRL casinos.

Well, I tried the no-limit Hold'em tables at Commerce this weekend with Big J. And I can say without a doubt that the no-limit games are ENTIRELY different (as expected). You don't have as many call stations and fish as you do in limit. There would still be 1, 2 or 3 fish, but not the entire table. This made it just loose enough to be profitable, but not so loose that someone always ends up drawing a better hand than you.


Some choice hands ($100 buy-in NL, 2/3 blinds):

Dealt JJ in middle position.
All players before me limp in.
I bet $15. Three callers.
Flop: K-9-rag, two spades
I'm now in last position. Everyone checks to me.
I bet $50 on the $70 pot. One caller.
Turn: Q, no spade
He checks. I bet $60. He calls.
River: 10, no spade
I go all-in. He folds.

He told the player next to him that he was looking for another spade.

Later, Big J had already left and after another hour or so, my profit was dwindling a little, so I decided to play until the button came to me and finish. Here's that last hand:

Dealt AA in button.
A few limp in.
I bet $15. One caller to my immediate left.
Flop: K-rag-rag, rainbow
He checks. I bet $30 on the $35 pot. He calls.
Turn: rag
He checks. I go all-in with $110.
His hands are shaking as he reaches for his chips and he knocks a stack down all over himself. I had to try very hard not to laugh.
He picks up his chips and calls.
River: rag
I show my AA. And he shows me his QQ before he mucks.

With that, I racked up my chips, wished everyone luck, and cashed out with +$240.


That was fun. I need to go with you to Commerce more often, Big J.

And just think Xianti, those were the tightest tables I've sat at the four times I've played NL at Commerce. (Profit for Big J was +$73 in about 2-1/2 hours. Not great, but respectable. And definitely enough to cover beer money at the Long Beach Grand Prix on Sunday.) Most of the time, there are at least three or four fish on the table. This past weekend, there were really only one or two. Come to think of it, it probably didn't help that we were sitting at the same table. But, making money sure was fun! We'll have to hit it again when I get back from Chicago.