roughrabbit
Pair
Conclusion of this thread: https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/scared-to-take-the-leap-starting-1-3.129852/
Arrived at the card room / greyhound track at approximately 8:20 pm and promptly walked back in time. Gaudy carpet, antique gassers and unique lighting choices, a true step back in time. I could understand why some reviews likened it to that of a flashback into the 80's. Nonetheless, it was a card room, and I was here to play cards.
Walked up to the podium to check my status on the waiting list, thankfully since I was short on time I was the only one and there was a warm seat ready for me. I laid out my $120 dollars, specifying I would like a barrel of $5s and a barrel of $1s, hoping to find one or two $1s worth harvesting for my personal stash. Based on the support from PCF I went the route of the short buy, brought more but figured I would see how the table played and stack depths once I sat down.
I navigated my way to table 3 and to my surprise, saw we were playing 5 handed for the moment. Not how I expected my first outing to go but shoot, feast or famine I guess. That said it appeared I was either equal in stack or not far off from the average stack at the table, this was reassuring.
Thankfully it took less than 3 hands to figure out what kind of table this was. Early position opens table folds, Player chop, Middle position opens table folds. So it looks like all I need to do is catch a hand. Well... hands were in short supply and I was short on time. Time seemed to tick by as my stack fluctuated insignificantly. Aside from the times I was able to limp my junk in the BB, in total I opened pre only 4 times. 2 opens no action and 2 opens 4 callers, I guess that's 1/3. My only two real hands of note are below.
I do want to give a word of advice to novices like myself, take a stroll around the room and check out what promos are going on, save yourself from the embarrassment of something like below.
I check my option in the big blind with
, 3 players to the flop.
Pot $9 (- rake)
Dry as can be. Action checks around.
Pot $9 (- rake)
I'm convinced a bet will take down the money in the whopping $9 pot. I bet $15. MP folds. villain looks at me from across the table and asks how much it is.
Shoot, guess I was wrong and am likely way behind. He asks "Do you want my help"? I stare like a deer in headlights. Help? Not something I'm used to villain asking at the table. I say something along the lines of say that again and he says
"Do you want my help?.... For the promo. The full house promo."
I begin to not so frantically scan the room, looking for a poster to explain what the qualifying hand is, no success and I'm sitting about 5 feet from the floor podium. Out of luck I ask, "Is the qualifying hand any pair full of eights?" At this point the regs all jump in, all talking over each other. Through their jumbled comments I make out "Nope, any full house, both hole cards have to play, He'll call your bet and you just pay him back from the $25 promo, There just needs to be $25 in the pot".
At this point I don't really know what to say and I probably look like I'm holding air (I am), I'm just ready for this hand to be over. Players continue to mansplain what a promo is, thanks bro, and sheepishly I let out "Nahhhh you're good". Miraculously he shrugs, says okay and mucks.
The next hand is an important lesson in making money. The whole time I was there I made sure to be intentional about verbalizing my actions, trying to make it easy on everyone involved. That said, I am a fidgeter always playing with chips or playing an invisible piano on the rail.
In the BB again, I call a $3 raise from UTG+1 with
, which sends 3 players to the flop.
Pot $18 (- rake)
I check, villain leads out for $10 and button folds. I've seen villain play junky hands all night but I've seen him play lots of broadway x junk hands. Good feeling he may have paired up and is ahead of me, regardless I call. Hoping to peel and get lucky.
Pot $38 (- rake)
Brick city. I check in turn again, villain slows down and checks.
Pot $38 (- rake)
BANG. We're in business. I take a second trying to think what size to go for value, debating just how much will get me called by worse.
"Is that a check?"
My eyes get wide as they move from the flop to villain and slowly back to my stack. In my hand is a single $1 chip that had been slowly bouncing on my stack for lord know how long. Oh no. Might've been doing it the whole hand, maybe just after the turn.
Pride is a funny thing. Faced with my second deer in the headlights moment and not intending to look neither inexperienced or like I am angling, I calmly look back over and just say "yes". Villain checks and turns over K8. Sigh, maybe my value bet gets called, maybe not but either way I cost myself the chance because of my fidgeting.
The experience was great, at times I think I forget poker should be fun and shouldn't always be a grind, it was honestly refreshing. I probably sat there with a stupid grin on my face 98% of the time, watching chips grow and shrink, players limp and call the 10x raise, players get sucked out on the river and multiple people get stacked. My biggest take away from my initial post was to consider this experience as a lesson, whatever losses I incur are the cost of the lesson. Framing the experience as a lesson really helped to loosen me up, made me selective with hands, pay attention to my opponents
After just over an hour it was time to rack up and head back to the hotel, and wouldn't you know it I was up! Massive score of $9 - my souvenir chip. Just enough to stop on the way back and get some snacks for my wife.
Pensacola Greyhound Track, you'll always have a special place in my poker heart
Mindset is everything and it is good to challenge yourself. Had a couple of awkward moments, but had a great time regardless. The adjustment to a casino/card room was less intimidating and much slower paced than I expected. If you're anxious about the live experience, you won't know till you go.
Arrived at the card room / greyhound track at approximately 8:20 pm and promptly walked back in time. Gaudy carpet, antique gassers and unique lighting choices, a true step back in time. I could understand why some reviews likened it to that of a flashback into the 80's. Nonetheless, it was a card room, and I was here to play cards.
Walked up to the podium to check my status on the waiting list, thankfully since I was short on time I was the only one and there was a warm seat ready for me. I laid out my $120 dollars, specifying I would like a barrel of $5s and a barrel of $1s, hoping to find one or two $1s worth harvesting for my personal stash. Based on the support from PCF I went the route of the short buy, brought more but figured I would see how the table played and stack depths once I sat down.
I navigated my way to table 3 and to my surprise, saw we were playing 5 handed for the moment. Not how I expected my first outing to go but shoot, feast or famine I guess. That said it appeared I was either equal in stack or not far off from the average stack at the table, this was reassuring.
Thankfully it took less than 3 hands to figure out what kind of table this was. Early position opens table folds, Player chop, Middle position opens table folds. So it looks like all I need to do is catch a hand. Well... hands were in short supply and I was short on time. Time seemed to tick by as my stack fluctuated insignificantly. Aside from the times I was able to limp my junk in the BB, in total I opened pre only 4 times. 2 opens no action and 2 opens 4 callers, I guess that's 1/3. My only two real hands of note are below.
I do want to give a word of advice to novices like myself, take a stroll around the room and check out what promos are going on, save yourself from the embarrassment of something like below.
I check my option in the big blind with
, 3 players to the flop. Pot $9 (- rake)
Dry as can be. Action checks around.
Pot $9 (- rake)
I'm convinced a bet will take down the money in the whopping $9 pot. I bet $15. MP folds. villain looks at me from across the table and asks how much it is.
Shoot, guess I was wrong and am likely way behind. He asks "Do you want my help"? I stare like a deer in headlights. Help? Not something I'm used to villain asking at the table. I say something along the lines of say that again and he says
"Do you want my help?.... For the promo. The full house promo."
I begin to not so frantically scan the room, looking for a poster to explain what the qualifying hand is, no success and I'm sitting about 5 feet from the floor podium. Out of luck I ask, "Is the qualifying hand any pair full of eights?" At this point the regs all jump in, all talking over each other. Through their jumbled comments I make out "Nope, any full house, both hole cards have to play, He'll call your bet and you just pay him back from the $25 promo, There just needs to be $25 in the pot".
At this point I don't really know what to say and I probably look like I'm holding air (I am), I'm just ready for this hand to be over. Players continue to mansplain what a promo is, thanks bro, and sheepishly I let out "Nahhhh you're good". Miraculously he shrugs, says okay and mucks.
The next hand is an important lesson in making money. The whole time I was there I made sure to be intentional about verbalizing my actions, trying to make it easy on everyone involved. That said, I am a fidgeter always playing with chips or playing an invisible piano on the rail.
In the BB again, I call a $3 raise from UTG+1 with
, which sends 3 players to the flop. Pot $18 (- rake)
I check, villain leads out for $10 and button folds. I've seen villain play junky hands all night but I've seen him play lots of broadway x junk hands. Good feeling he may have paired up and is ahead of me, regardless I call. Hoping to peel and get lucky.
Pot $38 (- rake)
Brick city. I check in turn again, villain slows down and checks.
Pot $38 (- rake)
BANG. We're in business. I take a second trying to think what size to go for value, debating just how much will get me called by worse.
"Is that a check?"
My eyes get wide as they move from the flop to villain and slowly back to my stack. In my hand is a single $1 chip that had been slowly bouncing on my stack for lord know how long. Oh no. Might've been doing it the whole hand, maybe just after the turn.
Pride is a funny thing. Faced with my second deer in the headlights moment and not intending to look neither inexperienced or like I am angling, I calmly look back over and just say "yes". Villain checks and turns over K8. Sigh, maybe my value bet gets called, maybe not but either way I cost myself the chance because of my fidgeting.
The experience was great, at times I think I forget poker should be fun and shouldn't always be a grind, it was honestly refreshing. I probably sat there with a stupid grin on my face 98% of the time, watching chips grow and shrink, players limp and call the 10x raise, players get sucked out on the river and multiple people get stacked. My biggest take away from my initial post was to consider this experience as a lesson, whatever losses I incur are the cost of the lesson. Framing the experience as a lesson really helped to loosen me up, made me selective with hands, pay attention to my opponents
After just over an hour it was time to rack up and head back to the hotel, and wouldn't you know it I was up! Massive score of $9 - my souvenir chip. Just enough to stop on the way back and get some snacks for my wife.
Pensacola Greyhound Track, you'll always have a special place in my poker heart
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