It had been more than a decade since going to a casino on New Year's Day with James and I was going to be alone if I did so this year, but I had such a fiscally good year in poker last year I wanted to keep the good times going. So I elected to head north on the first evening of 2023, but the results were not what I was hoping for. I ended up losing three buy-ins that totaled $800.
The first hand of significance was a loss. I had J-6 offsuit with no diamonds. The flop was J-10-6 with two diamonds. I was first to act and bet $10 into a $15 pot. I got called by three players. The pot was now at $50. The turn was the ace of diamonds. It checked around to the button who bet $25. I was the only caller and we went to a river with a pot of $100. The river is the king of diamonds putting four diamonds a four to a straight on the board. My opponent didn't look happy about another diamond coming and he had about $80 remaining. I bet $25 expecting to fold to a raise and if he didn't have a straight or flush he wouldn't call. He did end up calling and had turned a higher two pair.
The next hand was a winner for me. I had A-K offsuit and raised $12 pre-flop. I got two callers for a pot of $35. The flop came out ace high and I made a continuation bet of $15 after the first player checked. The button was the only caller and the pot now had $65 in it. The turn was a king and I continued betting with top two pair. I bet $25 and the button called. The river was an eight, which paired an eight from the flop. I still felt confident I had the best hand, but wasn't sure if he would call any kind of bet. So I elected to check-call any bet he made. My opponent ended up betting $75 on the river and I called. He had jacks for a worse two pair.
I made a questionable raise from middle position with Q-6 offsuit. I made it $15 and was called by only the button. The flop was J-J-K and I continued with a $15 bet. The button called and we both checked the turn, which was a nine. The river was another nine and he checked. The pot was $60 and I bet $30 hoping to get a bluff through. He called with K-6.
My favorite hand of the night was bluffing a Q-9 off a nine-high flop when I held pocket eights. It was the same player who had earlier called with the two pair when there were four to a flush and four to a straight on the board. He made a continuation bet after raising pre-flop and I took his bet of $25 to $75. He folded and showed. I told him I had flopped bottom set.
I played K-J offsuit on the button timidly after flopping top pair and simply calling a minimum check-raise from a new female player who didn't know much about casino poker. She check-raised the flop, checked the turn, and then bet the river after hitting the last card to give her two pair while holding K-4. A normal player I would have gotten to fold earlier in the hand, but she wouldn't fold much after hitting something on the flop.
I put $185 in pre-flop with tens after limping under the gun. A middle aggressive player raised to $30 with sevens. The new girl went all in for $52 with jacks. A late position player called with A-Q offsuit. It folded back to me and I shoved all in to isolate with the original all-in player. Both players ended up calling. The flop was A-K-3 all diamonds. I was the only person who had a diamond in their hand. The turn was a seven. The river was a blank. A diamond or a 10 would have won me a $600 pot.
In for $800 and with $280 in front of me, I was dealt red aces. I raised on the button to $15 and got five callers. The flop came ace high with two clubs. The small blind bet $12 into a $90 pot. Four players called and I raised to $80 straight. The niece of the new girl was now playing and she called, leaving herself $12. A second player went all in for less than the $80. The turn was a six, giving me a full house. I bet the last $12 she had and won the pot.
I bluffed a river bet of $75 with two jacks and a king on the board. I got called by pocket nines after calling his flop bet and checking through the turn.
The last hand of the night was losing with jacks on a ten-high board to 10-6 after raising to $15 pre-flop. The worst part of it was losing the side pot to 8-5 after an eight came on the turn and she had called with the five as the bottom pair. I knew I was losing after the flop, but was hoping to get lucky when I pushed on the turn to win a $1,000 pot.
The lesson to be learned in this is I need to not make bluffs at WinStar like I can in Weatherford. If I hit the big hands then try to get paid, but if I don't have the nuts then I need to keep the pot small.
I did end up winning $800 a few nights later in Weatherford, so for the year I am basically back to even and can start over.
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