Aussie Trip - January 2007 - "Any Harder"
I had only been at the table for a few minutes, when Kylie - the rather cute dealer turned to me and said "any harder"? A tricky question. I thought about a suitably smooth response but the best I could come up with was "ooh I don't think so" in my best Kenneth Williams voice - a fine start to the evening.
This was the third night of my stay in Sydney. I have been shamelessly poncing dinner from several Brits who have emigrated down under but this evening I was staying with a native - Steve who I had first met 2 years ago in Melbourne. He has recently had his first child so he has not been able to get to the tables much recently - so when a trip to the "Star City" casino was suggested I was more than happy to oblige.
There is only one place to play poker in Sydney and don't they know it. We put ourselves down on the waiting list expecting to have to wait 2 hours to get a game. Luckily they started up a new table and we were off - buy in of $200 to $500, blinds of $5 / $5. There is a sit down fee of $10 per hour and the rake from the pot is 10% with a cap of $10. It was going to be difficult to make a profit...
...actually it wasn't. Luckily very few of the players had a clue how to play. It was a limpers paradise and I got off to a flying start having sneaked in with K4 only to hit a K44 flop followed by 4 on the turn. I was already way ahead of the only man who bet the flop and when I made a smallish reraise he decided to go all in - instant double up for me.
The evening wore on and being an observant bunch we noticed that Kylie had a sparkly rock on display. It transpired that it had been her birthday on Saturday and her boyfriend had given her a porsche. Apparently he then proceeded to propose on New Year's Eve. I was going to quote a variation on Mrs Merton's famous quip - substituting Kylie for Debbie McGee but I thought it might be too sophisticated for the audience.
Steve was sat to my left and I was quite content for him to bully the table. Unfortunately he had a rather obnoxious regular to his left - he was the spitting image of Woganowski in Something About Mary and as the evening wore on he acted more and more in character. However he was just about tolerated because he spread his chips liberally around the table. The only disappointment I had was when Woggie made another ridiculous pre flop mini reraise and I put him all in with my AJ vs his 66 and I did not improve.
Eventually we emerged in the wee small hours with Steve up $1800 and me a puny $900 to the good.
However on Friday I went for further training - $200 buy in $5/$5 and after getting no hands for about 3 hours I hit a good run flopping a set twice in about 10 minutes, and then hitting a nut flush on the turn. I had been down to my last $100 out of a buy in of $200 plus a reload, but after this little run I had $1000 in front of me.
I then had a little rest, until running over the big loser of the table when my AK hit a flop of K63 with 2 hearts and he decided to go for the draw which did not connect.
Then I had the classic coup from the big blind where I picked up 56. Under the gun raised to 25, there was a call from mid position and the button so I am quite happy to call. The flop is 789 with 2 hearts. I decide to bet 75 rather than check raising and the original raiser thinks I am trying it on so he goes all in for his remaining 120. The mid position limper then calls thinking he is going to get to see a flop. The button folds and I go all-in putting the limper in a tough spot. Unfortunately he decideds to fold rather than putting in his final $400 - and when the all-in man shows black A9 rather than red he is virtually drawing dead. I have to go off for a beer shortly after so I cash up $1500 in profit...nice.
and "Any Harder?" - that is what the dealer asks the blinds when they have the option to raise - so now you know.
This was the third night of my stay in Sydney. I have been shamelessly poncing dinner from several Brits who have emigrated down under but this evening I was staying with a native - Steve who I had first met 2 years ago in Melbourne. He has recently had his first child so he has not been able to get to the tables much recently - so when a trip to the "Star City" casino was suggested I was more than happy to oblige.
There is only one place to play poker in Sydney and don't they know it. We put ourselves down on the waiting list expecting to have to wait 2 hours to get a game. Luckily they started up a new table and we were off - buy in of $200 to $500, blinds of $5 / $5. There is a sit down fee of $10 per hour and the rake from the pot is 10% with a cap of $10. It was going to be difficult to make a profit...
...actually it wasn't. Luckily very few of the players had a clue how to play. It was a limpers paradise and I got off to a flying start having sneaked in with K4 only to hit a K44 flop followed by 4 on the turn. I was already way ahead of the only man who bet the flop and when I made a smallish reraise he decided to go all in - instant double up for me.
The evening wore on and being an observant bunch we noticed that Kylie had a sparkly rock on display. It transpired that it had been her birthday on Saturday and her boyfriend had given her a porsche. Apparently he then proceeded to propose on New Year's Eve. I was going to quote a variation on Mrs Merton's famous quip - substituting Kylie for Debbie McGee but I thought it might be too sophisticated for the audience.
Steve was sat to my left and I was quite content for him to bully the table. Unfortunately he had a rather obnoxious regular to his left - he was the spitting image of Woganowski in Something About Mary and as the evening wore on he acted more and more in character. However he was just about tolerated because he spread his chips liberally around the table. The only disappointment I had was when Woggie made another ridiculous pre flop mini reraise and I put him all in with my AJ vs his 66 and I did not improve.
Eventually we emerged in the wee small hours with Steve up $1800 and me a puny $900 to the good.
However on Friday I went for further training - $200 buy in $5/$5 and after getting no hands for about 3 hours I hit a good run flopping a set twice in about 10 minutes, and then hitting a nut flush on the turn. I had been down to my last $100 out of a buy in of $200 plus a reload, but after this little run I had $1000 in front of me.
I then had a little rest, until running over the big loser of the table when my AK hit a flop of K63 with 2 hearts and he decided to go for the draw which did not connect.
Then I had the classic coup from the big blind where I picked up 56. Under the gun raised to 25, there was a call from mid position and the button so I am quite happy to call. The flop is 789 with 2 hearts. I decide to bet 75 rather than check raising and the original raiser thinks I am trying it on so he goes all in for his remaining 120. The mid position limper then calls thinking he is going to get to see a flop. The button folds and I go all-in putting the limper in a tough spot. Unfortunately he decideds to fold rather than putting in his final $400 - and when the all-in man shows black A9 rather than red he is virtually drawing dead. I have to go off for a beer shortly after so I cash up $1500 in profit...nice.
and "Any Harder?" - that is what the dealer asks the blinds when they have the option to raise - so now you know.
posted by charlie at 11:40 PM
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