THE PARIS POKER ROOM

I convinced Bones to leave the Ghost Bar party early (1030P) because I was exhausted and looking to rest up for the Five Diamond. On our way back to Paris, we stopped by Bellagio and registered for the event so that we wouldn't have to stand in line while the event was starting the next day. When we got back to Paris, we decided to check out the new Paris poker room, and as it turns out, we played $1/2 NL until 3A. We each bought in for $300, the maximum, and Bones cashed out almost $900, while I finished about $30 down. The game was a joy to play. The only players we needed to worry about were each other. Bones was getting hands and I wasn't, so he took most of the money off the table. I would have finished a winner if it wasn't for my AJ v A5 battle vs Bones on the AA35Q board. There was a third player in the hand holding 42 who paid Bones off in the end. I laid down to Bones' raise on the river, losing about $150 on the hand.

I never played with Bones again, but I did become a semi-regular at the Paris game once I busted out of the Five Diamond. I never again had a losing session, and wound up about a thousand dollars up over the next few nights. I was in the habit of taking as many $2 flops as I could get into, since I was clearly the most skilled post-flop player at the table at any given time. The trouble is, there was nearly always a showdown, so I couldn't rely on bluffing, but had to have the best hand when the money went in the middle. There were two sequences that stick out, each from a different session.

I got aces and raised preflop to thin the field so that I could have an 82% chance of busting whoever chose to contest me, should he catch a piece of the flop. It came down exactly as planned, as my aces held up after my opponent flopped top pair. I won his entire stack and he bought back in for $200. The very next hand, I was dealt 72. I loved the irony of playing the worst hand immediately after winning with the best hand, and thought it would make for great copy if I could also win with the seven-deuce. I tried to get in for $2, but when the steaming player raised to $15, I still came in for it in a three-way pot. I caught a seven on the flop and called his $20 bet. Another seven fell on the turn, and the same guy I had just busted, pushed his new stack in with two overcards. I called and sent him back once again to the lady in the cage.

So, the very next hand, I announced to the table that I was taking Doyle's advice and playing anything while the streak is alive. I got 54d, which is one of my new favorite hands. I called a raise from a tight player and saw the flop come king-high, all diamonds. I checked and the tight player bet. I could have milked him, but I was so used to people pushing their stacks in, that I just went all-in, expecting him to call. He thought awhile and laid down aces. If he had the ace of diamonds, he would have played, but opted for the wise laydown instead of speculating that I didn't have a made flush.

The next night, I was playing with a new cast of characters, and the guy to my right made a couple of moves on me. First, we were all friendly-like trying to get into a hand cheaply. I had a pair of tens, but figured it was more profitable just to see if I could hit a set, rather than try to raise these jokers off their K4 and A3. After several limpers, the new lady in the big blind bumped it up to $20. After a couple of folds, the guy to my right decided to make a play for the pot and he pushed his stack of $80 in. Now that it was looking like I could play heads up, I decided to make the call. The lady who had raised folded as expected and left me and my tens heads up against KJ. I figured at worst I was a coin flip and at best he had a smaller pair. He wound up winning the coin flip, and got his stack close to $200.

I shook it off and awaited my next opportunity to outplay him. It was not a long wait. A few hands later, I played 54 in a multiway raised pot and the flop came 543. The preflop raiser made a stab at it, and when three players called, I decided to try to take it down with a big raise. It folded all the way around to the guy on my right, who just couldn't fold, and chose to push all in instead with $180. Okay, there were three hands to worry about - 76, A2, and 33. I didn't think he had any of them. I figured he might have 65. I made the call. He had T6. He didn't want to fold that pretty stright draw, and thought that I might be trying to steal it. It was a scary flop, but I figured top two pair were good against this guy, and it was. I raked a monster pot, reclaiming the chips I had lost to the coin flip, and sent a bully to his wallet.

As I was waiting for that game to start up, I bided my time in the $3/6 Limit game. There were a few interesting hands to report. My second hand, I got AA on the big blind and raised all the limpers that were trying to sneak in for $3. One guy actually folded, but everyone else took the flop, which came AT7. I bet and there were a few calls. The turn was a blank, so I bet out again and the callers were reduced to two. The river was a J so I bet a final time with my top set. This time, the button came back with a raise. I figured he had JT, because who in their right mind would still be in with KQ. I reraised and he rereraised. I knew I was dead, but paid another $6 to see it with my own eyes. He showed KQ, reminding me why I hate to play Limit Hold'em. I made the money back soon after when I raised with KQ, hit a Q-high flop, and bet it all the way, against three players who couldn't beat a pair of queens, reminding me why I love to play Limit Hold'em.

There was one local player who had occupied seat one at that table every time the game was going while I was in town. When I raised with JJ on his big blind, he folded, rather than get involved. I hit a set and had two players calling all the way. On the next round, he raised on my big blind, and with two other callers, I called with 53. I hit a five on the flop and check-called. I caught a trey on the turn and check-raised. He made the crying call on the river with his pair of kings, and berated me, saying "I respected your raise." For a moment I felt bad as if I had done something wrong, but then I realized that this was not a partnership. He makes a good enough living off the tourists to withstand an hour session against the rapacious dudeseeg. I said "sorry, man, I figured I'd take a flop and try to get lucky, and I did." I know that some players take offense to getting check-raised, but that's the way it goes - it's just part of the game. Despite my bad beat with trip aces, I wound up making $50 before the No Limit table started up.