Thursday - $200 Pot Limit Hold em Poker Classic at Binion"s
Only 116 runners showed up which is bit disappointing bearing in mind the no limit events attract over 300. It seems the septics don"t get pot limit, anyway top 10 pay and first prize is just under $6k.
7,350at first break (starting chips 5,000). Managed to do this without showing a single hand. I simply cannot miss a flop. Have hit 3 sets and managed to extract value bets each time. J 10 in SB, flop A K Q, wow. I am surprised when my limp with 2 2 doesn"t turn into a set. The only other move of note was with 5 limpers in front and me with A K on the button. I put in a pot raise and take it down with no resistence. Much more action thanthe no limit games. I am simply paying solid at the moment and have a great table image.
2,800 at second break. Big chips and loose play in front has lead to me only playing 3 hands during these 3 levels. AA in early position, I raise and the BB calls. Flop J 10 4 rainbow, check to me, I bet the pot, BB calls. Turn J (do not like this card), check to me, I check behind. River 8, BB thinks or a while before checking, I quickly check and he shows A 4. Would have to fold to a big river bet there I think, happy to take it down and up over 8k now. Cutoff raise with A J, BB calls, flop 10 9 7, BB bets out, have to release. The key hand of the session was as follows. Raise in early position with A K and BB (same guy as before) calls. Flop 9 10 K (2 hearts). BB checks, I bet the pot, he calls. Turn 5 of hearts, BB bets out for most of my remaining chips. I have to release and are down to 4k, dropping over halve my stack. This is a major difference between pot limit nd no limit. In no limit I could move all in on the flop and get him to lay down his flush draw (I assume he had a flush draw), but in pot limit you cannot do that, he may have called anyway as he was playing rather loose. Cannot seem to get in first, lots of acton before me, the blinds go through me twice, trying to keep patient. On the button with 2,800 when we go back, blinds 300-600, need to find a hand and commit to it and hope to double up.
Out 42nd after 3 hours an 40 minutes of play. First hand back, blind pot raise on button with no action in front takes down the blinds. Next hand no action again, find K J off in cutoff and a pot raise takes down the blinds again. Up to 4,600 now. Looking for a big handthat never came, had to fold in blinds and down to 3,700. Always action before me so when on cutoff and all fold to me I see a King first card and decide it is good enough. Pot raise, BB re raise, I call all in. K 2 vs A 4 (spades), happy with 2 live cards until flop 3 spades and I am dead.
Played well again, hit some monster flops early on. Needed to get paid more on those, perhaps I need to play them slower and risk the outdraw for more reward, something to ponder.
Pot limit really baffled the Americans. They were constantly asking how much they can bet. Another observation is that all bets tended to be pot size, when in no limit the player would have bet less. Example, blinds 25-50, typical raise in no limt 150 (3x BB) but pot raise 175, so everyone was betting the pot, weird.
No limit again tomorrow at Binion"s, $100 Poker Classic, before the big one (for me) on Saturday at the Rio.
Quick aside, I love Video Poker, I am actually up on it this trip. Had a few minutes to spare in Binion"s so put $5 in a jacks or better machine and turned it into $25 in 2 minutes. Only problem is that Binion"s pay out in quarters, so I rattle everywhere I go now. Earlier at the Circus, turned $20 into $45 playing Video Poker, and got comped in the process. Already have enough points for breakfast already. I may need it by the end of next week if the poker continues like this.
NO BAD BEATS - POT LIMIT IS NOT THAT DIFFERENT TO NO LIMIT, IS IT?
