So Friday night RunnrRunnr (donnie) and I headed for the Halifax Casino with 3 of our buddies that we grew up with. We were leaving right after work, and it was a real long day waiting for the seconds to tick away at work so we could get out of there for 18 to 20 hours of getting away time.
The trip down was filled with stories, jokes, shooting the shit and anticipation. We often talk about how the trip to the casino can be so different from the trip back, especially if you are down big after getting your ass kicked at the blackjack table. Going down you are giddy with excitement, looking forward to gambling it up. Coming home if things didn’t go according to plan….shes a different drive.
We got into Halifax about 7:10 and went up to the rooms to get cleaned up and we then headed to the old TGIF’s location for supper and a few refreshments. We all remarked on how quiet the casino is now as we walked down the escalater into the casino. I took a quick run over to peek in at the poker room to see how much action was going on in there. There were 3 waiting at every table on the board and I went in to the restaurant for supper.
We hit the casino floor at 8:45. The next 25 min was fucking carnage from my end. We all sat down at the same black jack table, and I was down 100 bucks right off the bat after losing my first 8 hands. I sat down excited, happy to be out with the boys 3 of which i rarely get to see any more, and looking to gamble it up. Before 9 ocklock i was down 100. By 10 after, I was down 200. Jesus. Into the pocket again for another “brownie”. I changed seats from next to Donnie and moved over to next to Troy. From this 100 third buy in I managed to bring it back a little and over the next half hour to 45 min i got it to 245. I decided at 10 to 10 it was time for a breather to call my dad, give a quick call home and just catch my breath.
It wasn’t all bad news in the early going. Zeek was up big, at one point winning ten straight bets of 25 bucks, and at one point sitting with nearly 800 in front of him from a 140 buy in. Jeff and Troy were not so lucky, won’t be mentioning numbers, but….ick, it was choppy waters they were treading in. Donnie wasn’t doing too bad, he short bought in, 80 i think, and had to reload once. While I was walking around catching my breath, I decided, to move away from draft and start into the Jack. That’s what we need, a little rocket fuel…………WOOOOOO.
When I went back to the table, business had picked up, and the boys were making a comeback. Then fulfilling my roll as a cooler, I sat back down for session 3, and the tide turned again. Zeek’s luck had turned and he dropped a little bit and decided to go try his luck in the poker room. I started raising my bets, and a couple times, Jack fueled, started to spite bet “a pile” turned to Troy and said after being releived that I won, “jesus, that was a tilt bet, didn’t even count em”. Not trying to be a big shot by any means, my 9 5 dollar chips was still less than his two 25’s, but for me,…..Shane’s getting CRAZY! I think i make 4 40-50 dollar bets at the bj table, going 1 for 4 on the bets. I had split a 20 dollar bet 3 more times, winning all 3, so essentially those were 3 more 40 dollar bets, but I still was down 125 when I get up again, for the third time at 11:15 and headed for the poker room.
I walked into the poker room and sat at the same table as Zeek. This was my first time ever playing in a casino, sad since I spent 8 days in Vegas last year. I will admit, I was a little intimidated. Certainly not by the caliber of play, or percieved caliber of play, as I had only the stories told to me by Josh, Scott, Tim and Zeek of the craziness. I was just out of my comfort zone a little, so what did I do? More Jack please.
I sat down on the button, and I paid my 3 bucks to buy my seat. I bought in for 150 of my 175, don’t ask why I kept a 25 dollar chip….breakfast? My plan was to just sit an orbit and watch the players, to get a read of what I was getting into. Will give you my initial thoughts as I looked around the table, Left to right.
Next to me Asian player barely seemed to speak english. Only seen him play one hand to the river. It was Fold Fold Fold, 15 dollars, Fold Fold Fold, 20 bucks. He rarely got action.
Next to him, young guy, who one of the older guys at table asked “are you 18? You got ID”. He was typical “internet player” had hoodie on, hat on sideways, tatoos of the suits up and down his arms. He was an aggressive player when he played, often raising and reraising.
Next to him, a guy I would tangle with in 2 biggesh pots. Bit of a Nit, and another “image” guy.
The next seat swapped in an out 3 players during my 90 min of play. No one really of any real action.
Next seat was a guy 60 ish, who seemed to take offence when the young guys at the table raised him. He talked a bit, and his trash talk sounded funny with his french access.
Dealer was next
Then Zeek. Have played a lot with Zeek, altho not much of late. He may be the only person alive who will have more bad beat stories than me. He was slightly on tilt due to the downswing at BJ, and for the most part we stayed out of each others way.
Next to him, was an action guy. Drinking a little, talkative, playing a tonne of pots, and splashing around. Real nice guy, chatting it up, took a couple bad beats and handled them good naturedly, and reloaded twice, but had trippled up the last buyin by the time I stood up.
The next seat was at first occupied by an aggressive woman, the only one that sat while I was there. She played quite a few pots, and often raised when she did. After she got up, she was replace by a mountain of a guy, guy who made Zeek look tiny (no easy task as zeek goes about 6?1 250 probably). He was a baseball player on the CDN national team, and was real nice guy, also was drinking. He started off tight, but within one orbit was really being aggressive.
Next to him, and the seat to my imediate right was at first occupied by another typical internet guy. I dont think he folded one hand, sometimes linking sometimes raising to 10 or more pre. He talked alot, and needled people good naturedly. He showed a couple bluffs, and got warned for stringbetting twice while he sat there. He would later be replaced by another kid who looked 18, who reloaded 4 times in 45 min that I was there, and was in for at least 500 I would say.
About 5 hands in I got AQ of spades and made it 7 to go. 5 callers. Flop came AQx diamonds with two diamonds. It was checked around to me and I made i made it 10 to go, i was min raised and just called. 3rd diamond on the turn, and I bet out30. Oponant asked me how much I had behind and I told him I bought in for 150. He called, the river bricked off and I checked, worried about the flush and he checked. PHEW.
Nothing much happened for the next dozen hands, I never got any big hands, called a couple pre flop raises with hands like 33, and J10 suited and was sitting at about 190 bucks when he following hand occured.
I was sb with 46 of spades. 4 limpers and I completed, 6 to the flop. Flop came 2d, 3d, 5 of clubs. I checked hoping for some action, and here it came. BB checks, 1 hole checks, and the next guy bets 5, into the 12 dollar pot. Zeek makes it 10 to go. The girl makes it 20. I make it 60 to go. Fold around to the girl. She calls.
Brick on turn, I bet out 50, she instacalls.
river the beautiful 7 of spades, I got the nuts. I think for a moment, praying I look like I got a decision to make. I end up with a smallish bet of 30, praying for a call and she pushes over top. I call just a little more and she shows
A 4. She flopped the wheel to my 6 high straight…and I dragged a 347 dollar pot leaving her with with 9 bucks. The heart was beating pretty good, this was the largest pot I have ever won live i believe, I have won two 370-400 dollar pots online before.
After winning this pot, I really tightened up. I had really been kicked in the junk at the blackjack table and had lost a lot of money very quickly. This pot had gotten me up into the black, and I stinkingly started playing to conserve that small win rather than playing as I should. I bought a few more Jack’s and cokes, and tangled a few more times at the table and played two pots very poorly. Folded a flush in a freaking 140 dollar double paired board for just 10 more bucks, possibly the nittiest play of my life, but was sure he had the boat. Whether he had it or not you got to call there. Idiot.
I had sat nearly a full orbit, my third to last hand and raised to 11 and got 5 callers. Sigh. Flop came 236 rainbow, no spades, and my AK of spades was nooooooooo good. I had bet out 10, but then got raised and reraised. The ball player had been holding 23 and ended up dragging a monster pot versus zeek and the guy in between them.
As I was saying, I started playing very tight weak, and was trying to sit on my small win. Not happy with how I was playing I decided to shut er down at 20 to 1 and go back out to see what the boys were up to at the black jack tables. I just wasn’t playing my best, and I didn’t feel it was in my best interest to stay there.
At this point I was down about 14 bucks on the night and was thinking about shutting er down. The boys were scattered throughout the room playing at three seperate tables, and I walked over to Donnie’s table, where he was sitting alone. I talked to him for about 15 min, telling him about the poker, and thru 30 down on the table and lost it with 3 quick min bets. Sigh….lol
Jeff and Troy were down, and had pulled the pin for the night. Troy particularly had the far away stare of a beaten man…lol. We were needling him pretty good about it, and to his credit, he handled it goodnaturedly. We walked around for 30 min deciding what to do, when Donnie and I decided to go get a drink. I got another Jack, Donnie still on the beer. Troy and Jeff decided they were done, so donnie and i were trying to decide, poker or blackjack. Donnie wanted to go back to the blackjack table so back we went. Adams was standing there talking to us, when these two little punks, MAYBE 240 pounds COMBINED, says to Adams “HEY thats our seats”. Troy said “huh?” and the mouthy little fucker says “thats my fucking seat” and Donnie says “There are two seats there, you sitting in both” and the guy mumbles something under his breath. “this guy thinks he’s a big shot” he says to his friend, and Donnie says “i can hear you i am sitting right here” he shoots back “I was fucking talking to you” . Jesus here we go I thought to myself. For the next 15 min Donnie and this 18 or 19 year old kid yapped back and forth. Troy Jeff and Zeek, problably 675 lbs between em standing behind me, and loudly made fun of the two young kids. The guy would stay on 14, 15, 16 regardless of what was showing, and would chastise donnie when he hit his 16 “to learn how to play the fucking game”. yeeeeesh. I mumbled to the kid once after his telling donnie “to fucking smarten up” to shut his fucking mouth but I don’t think he heard me. The poor dealer, a young girl early 20’s didn’t say anything, but must have been uncomfortable. The kid, was happy with a couple of donnie’s play towards the end of our session and seemed to try and make amends, and donnie kinda let er go. Ol’ Donnie Blackjack was ready to throttle this kid I think, and I was fully expecting us to get kicked out…lol.
All in all it was a great fun night. I left the table at exactly EVEN STEVEN for the night gambling wise, but of course bought about 12 drinks or so and ate supper. Donnie was the only winner winning a couple blacks I think, and as I said the other three were down. It’ll be a while before I get down there again, problably not in 2008. I’d love to get down there sometime with the TNT crew. I truly think those cash games in there are beatable. Don’t bluff just play your strong hands hard and you will be paid off. If you made it all the way thru this post, thanks for reading!
