Trip Update

Turning Stone is unlike any card room I've played in. Couldn't quite put my finger on it at first but I figured it out. A) Only casinon I know of (I heard there may be another in Minnesota) that you need only be 18 to enter and B) no alcholol. That's right, I played poker with a bunch of alcholol starved teenagers.

The 3 sessions went very poorly, reasonably well, and mediocre.

Very poorly (2-5 300 max NL):
1st big hand. Me QQ, short stack all in over the top (80 more on top of 60), AA. Enough said.

2nd big hand. Me KK small blind. New, older player first hand sat down in big blind. raised to 15 early, 4 callers (this was very, very common and did not mean and strong hand was out there), with 320 behind, I make it 100. Big blind makes it 200. Folds around. Pretty much pot committed (maybe I could have called and folded an ace on the flop? Doubt it) I went all in. AA. Enough said.

Reasonably well (5-5 500 max NL):
No very memorable hands, won back almost everything from first session but slid backward, decided I enjoy 5-5 more than 2-5, moves work better, people respond to bets.

Mediocre (1-2 100 max NL, with Mrs. Soxlover):
Several hours, crazy rake, up 27, really a poker pause. One memorable hand. Maniac had been on fire with cards and has about 250 behind, Mrs. SoxLover in small blind, maniac in big blind, me in cutoff with 160 behind me. Two limpers to me, I see KK and make it 10 (I know maniac likes to reraise any bet I make). Mrs. SoxLover calls me (uh oh), maniac calls behind. Flop is K33. Mrs. Soxlover checks. Maniac bets 40 and, with a drawn out questioning look, I called. Thank god Mrs. SoxLover folded (I don't know what the marital penalty is for slowplaying a monster against the wife but didn't want to find out). Turn comes a queen.

Maniac, who has one long priapic stack, does the old up and down stroke before pushing it in.

CALL!

Maniac is disappointed indeed as his jack three flops trips are no good and no miracle quads on the river. Poker justice! If I had had aces I'd still be steaming.

Rest of the session went less well though I booked a small win.

On the road yesterday, Cleveland and now Detroit. I'll be meeting with Bobby Bracelet in a few hours before we invade Canada or at least the card rooms in Windsor.