Milacs Casino Trip

Wife and I went to Milacs last night to have a night away and play a little poker. Tournament starts at 6:15. I arrived at 5pm and went and signed up and then hit the slots for a while. Actually had good luck. Move over to poker room at 6:10 and there are not many people around. Soon it's time to start and they only have 7 players. Great! Glad I paid early to beat the rush. Kind of wishing I hadn't signed up so I could back out. Anyway we get started with 8 players and soon the table is a full 10. Play is very loose early with very little preflop raising or much of any folding. Guy to my left is running hot to start tournament and before the first blind level is over he has taken two players out and of course they both rebuy. Which makes no sense in a tournament that is only going to pay 2 or 3 places. A few hands later I raise with AK only to get almost the whole table to call. Flop is all small cards and checked to my. I make a pot sized bet and everyone folds but guy to my left. Turn pairs the board. He checks I check. Flop misses me again (thank God). He bets, I fold he turns over quads. Over the next few blind levels I manage to flop top pair twice with good kickers and bet all the way to the river only to beat by a guy that was chasing a flush draw and catches a straight and another that chases a flush draw to hit an ace on the river to beat my kings. Needless to say it was a fast night for me. Reraised the guy to my left all in with A-10 suited for him to call with pocket 10's and the flop the case 10 to take me out. Then went and played blackjack and slots waiting for a cash game to start. Did pretty well was up about $50 when the announced that the 3-6 game was starting. Now I really don't like playing 3-6 at Milacs but decided to play anyway. It went well early as I was able to several good size pots and was up about $100. Then it begins. I get KK in early position and raise. Everyone but one calls. I bet it hard all the way to river only to lose to 6-2 off that made two pair on the river. Then later I have A-Q suited. I limp in as I know that big blind will raise as he has done every other time. He does. I reraise to make it $9. No one folds. Flop is Q-8-3. I bet. BB raises. I reraise. Now 4 players in the pot. Turn is a A. No flush draws. I check. BB bets I reraise. 3 players now. River is a J. Player that has just called all the way bets out. I call. BB folds. Guy turns over 9-10 off. He put in $36 on a gutshot draw and hits it on the river to win my big pot. It brings me back to about even. I get up and cash out and have learned my lesson. Never again will I play the 3-6 game at Milacs. Might just as well all put in $20 a hand and play showdown. It plays out the same. The thing that irks me is that these guys actually think they are poker players. LOL! So overall I am happy with the trip and had a good time but I might just as well stay home and play free poker as it plays out almost exactly the same.

Fun Aggression

I haven't had much time for poker this summer as I spent most of my time fishing at the lake, but that season is almost to an end so I hope to play a little over the next few months. I did get a chance to play last night and a few weeks ago. I have been experimenting with a new poker style for me. Hyper aggressive during the early stages when the blinds are low and cost benefit is also low. The last two tournaments I have played almost every hand preflop in hopes that the chips I gain will outlast the chips lost by aggressive play. I will say one thing it is a fun way to play and it is easy to put others on tilt when they are not expecting this type of play from you. I actually think the style can work. I just need to tweak it a bit and not play every hand. I like the fact that the other players can not put you on a hand and that you will get a call when you have the best hand. The down side is that players will chase you down farther for more of their chip stacks. Now last night I didn't make it to the first break, but I was happy with my play and actually lost two big pots by getting rivered. The first one I flopped two pair into a guy that had raised preflop. I reraised his continuation bet after the flop but he still called me all the way down with a flush draw but he actually went runner runner for a straight to beat me. The second hand I limped in under the gun blind only to have KK. No one raised and flop came out all low cards. I bet 3 times the pot size to try and get players out, but still got one caller. Turn was a queen so I made another big bet that the player called. River was an ace and of course he was on a nut flush draw the whole way and beat me with a pair of aces. The only good thing was that I never moved all in or I would have been out. I have been following the WSOP lately and it seems that the aggressive players are doing better. Who knows maybe it will work for me!