Trip report

The weekend trip was fun and I really enjoyed spending more time with my family than I usually get to enjoy. My 4 year old nephew especially. He was very entertaining throughout the entire weeked. He's very argumentative and loves the "opposite day" stuff. So throughout the entire weekend we tried to tell him I was his mother's brother and he would just NOT have it. Yet he would still refer to me as uncle Dustin. :) Too cute.

First night in the cabin we didn't play much cards because it got late. My mom, brother and I played a little play chip 3 handed cash game on the bedroom floor. I took the time to try and explain a few topics to them and analyzed a few hands after they were over. My mom took away something from my discussion on image and aggression. I more or less explained that I was dumb for trying to bluff my brother all the time because he hardly ever folds a hand and that I'd be better off bluffing Mom because she played tigther. And likewise I explained I would give Mom more credit for a hand when she bets than Hunter because of his image.

So that set up for the actual tournament we played the next night with three of us and two other older relatives (grandma's cousin and her husband I believe). Mom really tried to be more aggressive than she was the night before based on what I had said about her. And me trying to bluff my brother all night before enabled me to get a lot of value from him when I was hitting the deck. Long story short me and mom ended up heads up and it only lasted one hand. I raised 2.5x the blind from the button with A4o and she called with J6o. Flop came A K Q. She checked and I put her all in and she didn't spike a ten. So I made 30 bucks on that game and she broke even. Overall it wasn't nearly as nerveracking as I thought it could have been and I'm glad to have won it.

Then Kristina and I stopped by the Isle of Capri in Lake Charles on our way back Monday. My plan was to put $100 down on the bonus holdem table game and double it quickly, then take the $200 to the 2/4 no limit table and see what I could do there. Despite the fact there was only me and one other guy at the bonus table (your odds are better if there are more players) I managed to make about $120. Started out by flopping trips, and the biggest pot I won was when I caught the AA and got paid $150 on my bonus bet. Then on top of that I made a full house so the dealer matched all of my other bets on the table. I felt bad for the other guy because the dealer was handing him some pretty brutal beats and he ended up busting.

So I took my profit and went to the poker room but had to wait on a no limit seat so I sat down at limit and lost $30 of my $100 buyin there. There was a very loose aggressive talkative Indian gentlemen to my left who was very fun to sit next to just for entertainment value. We ended up starting a new table for 2/4 no limit and to make a long story short I made about another $100 there.

I really only played two significant pots, with the biggest being AK from the small blind. I raised to $30 after a few people had limped. And older gentlemen who was the first limper called and so did the Indian. Flop came A 7 9 and led for $50 and was called by the older man. Turn is a K and I shove my remaining $96 in the pot. While he's thinking about it I offer to show him a card and turn over the K. Immediately the Indian guy says Ace King for sure! The older guy was pretty sure his hand was no good and folded AQ face up.

I'm really not sure what I was thinking when I did this. It's not something I normally do even in my home games. I guess I just wanted him to call me since he obviously had a piece to think about. But based on my tight image my range was so tight after rasing preflop, betting the flop and shoving the turn that it really wasn't a good idea at all. Oh well at least I got called preflop and on the flop to not make it a complete waste.

One final note before I get back to work here. I've been wanting to hook up my laptop to my flatscreen HDTV to multitable with. I tested it out the other night after buying a wireless keyboard and mouse and alas, I was disappointed. The poker program comes out pretty blurry so it's hard to see people's names and the dollar amounts people have and what they're betting etc. So I'm going to return the keyboard and mouse today on my way home. I just know if I kept them I still probably wouldn't use them that much.

Ooohhhh and one more final final note. The Dark Knight midnight IMAX screening is tonight! W00t! I'm going to lose my fucking mind counting down the hours tonight. :)