Several months ago I received a free offer to travel to Canada and spend a night at Caesars Windsor (formerly Casino Windsor) and get a free $150 at Nero’s Steakhouse. Last weekend was the weekend I selected, so Victory and I made the trek over the bridge to Windsor for a night. The laws require a birth certificate (not yet a passport, which is good since I don’t have one yet). However, I only had a copy of mine, so while concerned, felt like it I would be allowed to cross. There was a $100 buyin tourney starting at 10am, so I wanted to leave the house by 8:30 to ensure making it (they close entrants at 60). Victory took a long time getting ready though, so I was worried we may not make it on time.
The Canadian border guard gave me a hard time, but he let me across (which was important since the wait to get back into the US spanned the entire bridge as well as some Canadian sidestreets). Driving to the casino was easy (as I know the roads decently from traveling there often in my formative gambling years). Upon arrival I entered the garage and noticed they had a lot for diamond members (my first good fortune of the trip). So I was able to immediately park on the ground level and enter the casino. It was my first trip there in at least 4-5 years, and it has significantly changed. They don’t allow smoking there now, and they completely gutted the inside. It was quite nice inside, and the poker room was very nice as well (though somewhat small).
We arrived in plenty of time for the tournament, and my friend Al from work, along with his wife, came for the tournament as well. Right before the tournament started, I tried to get a bloody mary to start things off right, but Canadian law doesn’t allow drinks until 11am. They only got 25 entrants, which meant they paid only the top 3 players (breakdown of 1375, 750, 375).
Here are a few of the key hands from the tournament (starting chips 2000, blinds start at 25/50, with only 20 minute levels until level 4 when levels are increased to 30 minutes):
Hand #1: My stack is around 1800, blinds 25/50. UTG+1 raises to 200, I flat call with 77 (almost re-raised all in, but decided I could flat call and evaluate and find a better spot if necessary). One of the blinds came along as well. Flop was 985r, checked to the preflop raiser, and he bet 500. The bet was large, and into 2 players it screamed strength to me. I elected to fold, even though I had a feeling I should have moved in there. The blind folded too, so I never saw the hand. Later I saw a similar situation with the same player, and his 500 bet was bottom set, so I felt better about my fold.
Hand #2: My stack is about 1550, blinds 25/50. UTG (woman who had been fairly active and raising) raises to 200, folds to me, I am on the button with KK. I debate how to play this one, and figure she will fold if I move in, yet I want to get more money in, so I make a small re-raise to 600, and after some debate she folds what she says was JJ. I’m not convinced at all of this, but file it away.
Hand #3: I’ve started to chip up some getting KK again and AA once. My stack is about 4500 and blinds are 50/100. I raise from the CO or Button to 300 with TT, folds to BB (woman from previous hand) and she calls. Flop comes Axx (x is lower than T). She checks to me, I reach for chips, and then decide to check. Turn is a J, she bets out 500…. I debate and call. River is another A (good card for me). She bets another 500….at this point I’ve deduced she has either trip aces or nothing, and decide that her small river bet has priced me into a call. She turns over K2 and my hand is good.
Hand #4: I have about 6K, blinds 100/200. I raise 5s4s to 600 from LP, BB calls (3000 behind). Flop is KsQsJx. BB leads 1000. I think that there is a real chance of him folding if I move in (because live people love to do this), so I move in, and he looks disappointed, but say’s “I have to call”. He has QT, the turn blanks, and the river is the As. He shouts “Yes”….but not so fast my friend, your straight loses to my flush.
Hand #5: I have 9K or so, blinds still 100/200. I raise to 600 with AhAx, button calls, leaving himself 1200 behind. I have been very active for a while now that I have accumulated some chips. Flop is Kh9h2x, so I decide to give him some rope to hang himself, not worrying about a free card, he bets 800 of his 1200, and I move him in. He mutters to himself “Why did I bet so much?”, and I keep thinking “Because you did what I wanted you to do.” He asks me if I have a flush draw, and I just stare straight ahead. He finally calls with 44, and doesn’t hit his 2 outer.
Hand #6: After a few players have given me some chips. I am around 12K, and there are about 12 players left. Blinds are 200/400. I raise Kh2h to 1000 from the button. The BB calls (leaving only 1500 behind). Flop comes AhTx2x. He checks to me, and I put him in. He debates and then calls with KQ, and the turn and river brick and I knock him out.
Around this point they break for the final table. I have 15500, and the average stack is around 5500, so I have everyone way outchipped. Victory and Al both also make the final table, however both are really short with 2000 or so each. I raise the first hand UTG+1 with AsJs, and all fold. I decide to show to set the tone for me to be able to steal frequently and abuse my chip lead. The problem is that nothing seems to work out at the final table. Al busts in 6th or 7th by making a pretty poor play. Finally 5 handed, I double Victory up with 54s vs QJs. Then 4 handed I double up the short stack with JTs against A8. Victory also re-stole from me one time when I had T9o, and she moved in. I made a close fold, and she showed AQ. Hmm, this final table isn’t working out so well. I am at least able to maintain with some steals, but there is no chip accumulation on my part. 4 handed the short stack wants to talk chop, but we turn him down, and Victory busts him shortly after that. Once we are 3 handed, we are all pretty even in chips (around 17K). We all agree to chop equally (I was especially inclined to so that Victory would ensure a nice payday). Our opponent was eager as he feared we would not play against each other very hard (he was wrong in that regard), but it was probably a correct fear in most cases.
All in all I was pleased by my play, and Victory played a perfect final table, nursing a short stack most of the way through. She even made a very nice call on a flop of low cards with AQ.
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