First time at the Cass

[Nevah play JJ]

Last night was my first ever game at the wonderful Sky City Casino playing the regular Tuesday night freeze out.
I must confess I did win the spot through Player of the week, which made the whole experience very exciting.

I asked TD's other players and pertty much anyone who had experienced playing there about what to expect when going to play there and was given heaps of great advice..
eg: don't table talk, stick to your own game plan etc, etc..

First of all, I have to admit that playing there is a completely different experience. The dealers are so strict, one bloke acted out of position twice and boy was the dealer on to that!

I guess playing NPL we have a bit of table talk going on and sometimes it can really make a boring game a bit more fun, but I did like how on the ball the dealers were and how quickly the flow of the table went.

BUT...
I guess I expected a different standard of play than what NPL provides.
I hear players saying all the time that NPL players are chasers, four legged long eared fluffy end tailed pets, that they have no idea how to play etc etc....

However I personally didn't find the standard of play offered by these other people to be any better.
I had one bloke next to me that was really good and you could see he was someone that played a proper game ... he had pocket Kings first hand and bet properly, he didn't chase, he didn't play crap cards or anything of the sort.

However we had 2 players at the table that just continued to raise with things like 2-4 unsuited, A-6 blah blah blah....

The frustrating thing was he kept hitting, how do you play against something like that????????

I ended up getting knocked out I got dealt A-10 unsuited, I called the raise (if I had reraised there was no doubt in my mind the other players still would have called).
So I called the raise and the flop produced a 10, so I had top pair with a awesome kicker.
I went all in....
The bloke to the right of me, (the one I mentioned above) whispered good luck to me, which was really nice of him, I kind of got the feeling he was most unimpressed with the poor standard being offered by some of the players at the table.

2 callers..

Turn card came, one other player went all-in...
The other player called....
I still had top pair.

They turned over nothing.. NOTHING!!! I couldn't believe it!!!! they had not hit, they had nothing, they didn't even have a card higher than the 10.

River card produced a 7 and gave the second all in player a straight.
UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He had nothing until the river, not a single thing...
I just don't get that kind of play, how is that better standard than what is being played by NPL players? I can't see how it is.

Anyway, I am very must looking forward to playing my last Player of the week and kind of feel a bit better knowing a little better what to expect.

[Bacon]

Good read JJ. Congrats on getting a POTW ticket.

What I think when people say it's a better standard at the Cas, they are talking about cash games. Because on each hand, you are risking your own cash.

But in a buy-in tourney, you'll still get people playing strange cards, cos that bet isn't real money.

That's what I reckon anyway.

[Shannon]

Hi JJ

I agree with Bacon, congrats on the POTW!!

My say on the cas:

the players at the cas tend to be more aggressive.

Raising with 2-4 off-suit is a play at the blinds, it is a deceptive raise (and would have come from a player in late position). If you re-raise his raise pre-flop he would probably lay it down. But if you only flat call his raise and the flop comes 2 J 4, who can blame him?

I saw what you saw my first visit to the cas, but you have to learn to adjust your game when you are moving through different formats. The cas is a real game, where people make plays and steals when they have nothing. It is not a calling game. It is more aggressive.

As to your all in on the flop, you may or may not have got one of them to fold (the one that hit the straight) because he could have decided to Jam his hand with the stop and go method regardless of what came on the flop. He had probably pot committed hisself prior to the flop anyway so an all-in would not have stopped his calling even when he had nothing (which by the way is the type of call you want when you put your chips in, unlucky that he drew out).

But you did not say what the other player called you with. IMO, players at the cas tend to be better players, in saying that, I believe that they are more educated in the strategies and theories of poker (a very mathematical game if you want to progress further than the local pub game, that is afterall, just fun). Depending on blinds, chipstacks, your all in amount, and the amount in the pot, I may have called your all in with KQ or any two overs to the flop putting you on the 10.

In saying what I have just said, don't ANYONE reading this please take that I am saying that none of you are educated, it is just that there is sooooo much more to poker than raising calling and folding and the players that venture to the cas are more developed in the other areas that are texas hold 'em.

I took down pkt As with 35o the other day in a tourney because he missplayed his hand and never gave me incorrect odds to call....but apparently it is my fault for being a donkadonk anyways.... some would say why would I play it and I would say, why would he not play his hand in a manner that would get someone to fold 35o?!?!?

My thoughts anyway.

As long as you enjoyed yourself, because it is different. my first time there, my hands shook ALL the time, lol.

[Nevah play JJ]

Thanks Bacon and Shannon...

What you both put is very really interesting..

I hope I am reading you right Bacon, do you mean that if your playing $5-$10 limit then they would play differently?

I guess it is a funny thing though, because you still have to buy in on the tourny format, so to a small degree it is still real money.
It is interesting that it could be seen as anything else but...

I definately agree with your line of thinking and to be honest, when I was betting, I treated the chips like real cash money, maybe that is one of my mistakes????


Shannon...
I really enjoyed reading what you had to say.
Personally I could understand why you would call my all-in if you had 2 over cards, but these two nothing higher than a 9.

If I had not played loose or agressively until that point, how could you not think that I am holding something and folded?

It was like another player at the table, he had pocket 3's... he chased those right to the end, going all in at the river and was knocked out.
The flop, turn and river were all over cards and didn't once put the other
player on anything.
Why would you chase that??? Surely you should fold...

I understand what you say about the aggressiveness of the way they play, but that just seems stupid play to me.

Did you find when you started to play at the Cass you had to change your playing style much?
If so, how much and how did you manage to do so?

[maccatak11]

I ended up getting knocked out I got dealt A-10 unsuited, I called the raise (if I had reraised there was no doubt in my mind the other players still would have called).
So I called the raise and the flop produced a 10, so I had top pair with a awesome kicker.
I went all in....

2 callers..

Turn card came, one other player went all-in...
The other player called....
I still had top pair.

They turned over nothing.. NOTHING!!! I couldn't believe it!!!! they had not hit, they had nothing, they didn't even have a card higher than the 10.

River card produced a 7 and gave the second all in player a straight.
UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If only one card made the player a straight then he didn't really have nothing as you say, but he called on a straight draw. Do you remember, what were his cards and what were the cards on the flop?

Chip stack amounts are also important, because if he had an up-and-down straight draw he might have had the correct odds to call with his straight draw.

Pre-flop, did he have cards like 89, 56 or even 86 or 45 suited? These are all playable hands in late position, especially in an unraised pot!

I need more information before commenting on whether it was a bad play from him/them or not.

[Nevah play JJ]

Mc...
The 7 filled a gap to make the straight.
I do know it was not connected or suited connectors....

I honestly can't remember what he had in his hand, the one and only out was the 7
And it turned up...
LOL... what did I do to upset the card gods so much?!?! LOL

[Bacon]

Thanks Bacon and Shannon...

What you both put is very really interesting..

I hope I am reading you right Bacon, do you mean that if your playing $5-$10 limit then they would play differently?

I guess it is a funny thing though, because you still have to buy in on the tourny format, so to a small degree it is still real money.
It is interesting that it could be seen as anything else but...

I've only played a tourney at the Cas. Flopped a King High str8 on a rainbow board, went all-in, had 3 callers, and the last caller hit runner runner flush. At the time I couldn't believe it, but I can now.

Play limit games online, and I do play a little differently there. Just minor things; in a tourney, in the lower blind levels, I will call with a larger range of hands.

In regards to the buy-in, yes, it is real money in a way, but if you have a $1500 starting stack, and the buy-in was $45, then effectively the chips are worth $0.30 each. Whereas a $1 chip in cash is $1.

[Ondie J]

Whereas a $1 chip in cash is $1.

You're mathematical mind is brilliant bacon! Brilliant! Now dance!

[David]

In regards to the buy-in, yes, it is real money in a way, but if you have a $1500 starting stack, and the buy-in was $45, then effectively the chips are worth $0.30 each. Whereas a $1 chip in cash is $1.

LOL No they're not
If it was, the entire prize money would go to one player! (Since they'd have all the chips)

[Luke05(Jamo)]

there is one thing there is a time and place for ever hand, why not c a flop with a6 if it's cheap and u have a big stack.