Reno report

So I went to Reno for a work conference for two days earlier this week. Stayed at the El Dorado. I played 3-6LH and 1-2NL. Ended up dropping $220 between both sessions. I did win about $400 playing the wheel of fortune slots but gave part of that back to finish the trip up even.

The first night was 3-6LH and it was the most passive LH game I think I have ever played. Really boring and not much fun. Had aces once and they held up having a guy call me all the way down. Had a co-worker sweat me. I explained the game to her. Had a CAL next to me which always makes the night fun.

2nd night after winning my $400 on the Wheel Fortune slots (crazy run cashing out for over $100 5 times on 2 different machines) I decided to try the NL game. I bought in for $100 and raised the first hand I got (AJo) and got no callers to begin my session up $3. About an orbit in I chased a flush and won a decent size pot as I hit my flush on the river, when the guy had turned the str8. A few hands later, I then checked the BB with A5 against 2 limpers. Flop came Ace high and I checked called a bet. We all checked the turn and I checked called the $20 river bet and won when the guy only had King high. So after the first half hour I was up about $50 playing more hands than usual due to the passive nature. Then I made a bad play and lost half my stack.

I'm sitting in the BB and look down at JJ. There were 5 limpers and I decided to just check. Probably should have raised but so many calling stations that even if I made it to say $20, I'm sure 2-3 of them would have called. Anyways the flop comes K high and lead out for $10 which is roughly a pot size bet. 1 guy calls. Turn comes a blank and I lead out again for $20 and he calls. River a K and I check. He bets $40 and for some reason I call and he has K7. Knew I was beat and still called. So now down to about $75. They break another table and we get 2 new players. Guy to my left immediately wins a big pot and starts bullying the table. He however, does always have it and is running hot. Wins a massive pot when he flops a str8 and gets a guy to donk off his chips with an over pair. Another hand he flopped set and had another guy donk off his chips. He won about $600 in less than an hour including about $60 from me when I made another bad call. I complete from the SB with A5 and he checks the BB. 2 limpers ahead. Flop comes Kx5. Checks around. Turn puts out a 2nd heart. I bet and get 2 callers. River is the worst card in the deck for me, a 5 of hearts. The flush draw got there. For whatever reason I bet $15 and get raised by the BB to $45. I think and say to myself this guy has a flush but my hands didn't stop and I throw in 6 more red chips and he has the 42 of hearts. I then nursed a short stack and eventually lost on this hand. I limped with Q10 from MP and the blinds call. Flop comes Q7x. SB makes it $20 and I move all in for $26. He calls and the turn is a blank and the river is a 7. Guy next to me goes your good and I said I don't like that 7. Sure enough the sb had a seven and won.

Now right before this hand we had a guy sit down and buy-in for $300. He proceeded to lose that in like half an hour playing like a maniac. He lost a major pot when he raised to 20 pre-flop and the flop came J high and a guy doubled up with this AJ when the crazy guy had QJ. This put the guy on tilt and he raised the next pot to $47 pre flop. I had limped with deuces and the guy next to me limped with 108. The guy to my right called the $47. He was all bitching and moaning the whole time next to me about not catching cards. I folded and so did the guy next to me. Flop came 101010. I would have flopped a full house and the guy next to me quads. Anyways, the guy to my right instantly bets about $100 and the crazy guy looks pissed and doesn't hesitate to put him all in for his last $100 which the guy calls instantly calls
. Crazy guy flips over AJ and the other guy 99. Turn a blank and river an Ace. Crazy guy takes down monster pot and recoups most of his losses.

Next hand I have 86s and limp and a few other limpers. The crazy guy makes it 15 and me and one other guy call. Flop comes Q97 and the crazy acts first and bets $15. I say to myself he has nothing and if he does I have an open-ender. I go all in for about $56 more and everyone folds. I show my 86 and got some props for my play. I just wanted to slow the crazy guy down and play back at him.

This next hand I'm not sure if I made the right play. One guy told me I did and another guy told me I should have called. I checked bb with 92s. 3 limpers and sb in the hand so 5 of us. Fklop comes 1087 rainbow. Checks around. Turn comes my gin card a J. I bet 6 and get 2 callers. River comes and an Ace hits. Now I'm thinking that I got called with KQ and they made a higher str8. I check expecting it to check down or call a small bet. There is $28 in the pot right now. Last guy to act makes it $40 to go. He had just sat down and I had no read on him. I turned to the guy next to me and said I think he has KQ. I took about a minute and then folded. He overbet the pot, just smelled funny to me. I only lost $8 on it so not bad. Not really getting odds either to call. The guy to my left agreed with me and the guy to my right didn't. Not sure if correct play but I thought I was behind and felt I wasn't heavily invested so laid my str8 down. The guy never showed his cards nor would tell me what he had. A few hands later, I was shortstack (I had rebought for $100). I made it 12 to go with JJ and got 3-4 callers. Flop came 10109 with 2 hearts. I moved all in for my last money (between $40-50) and got no callers. Very next hand I get dealt 1010 and raise it to 12 and get 3-4 callers again. Flop comes Q high and I bet $15 and immediately the guy to my left raises me to 45. 4th time he had done that to me. I fold showing my 10's and he shows me KQ. I wait and hardly play for the next orbit and then wake up in MP with KK. I have $57 left. I make it $15 to go and get 4 callers including the crazy guy in the BB. Flop comes Q98 with 2 spades. Pot has $61. I have $42 left and go all in. Guy to my right goes man I really want to play and folds. Crazy guy in BB calls me and I'm thinking he has wither a flush draw or maybe Q10 or QJ. I turn over my KK and he turns over QQ for flopped top set. Turn comes a 10 and the guy next to me said he folded KJ. I left after that down $200.

It was by far the hardest NL table cash game table I had ever played. We got about 5 new players from when I started and they were all good players except for the crazy guy. I made 2 bad calls but besides that felt I played decently. Just not enough experience yet in this game to feel comfortable. This was my 7th session playing 1-2NL in a casino and have left a loser 4 times. I think with more experience I will improve but not sure if I really want to play NL cash games. I'd rather learn other games and play higher limits of LH.