Poker Trips 2024 / 2025
This trip report follows on from my WSOP trip report here
Brrr. We're getting our first taste of winter in Texas tomorrow night with low in the low 20s. Spending today bringing in plants, covering faucets and trying to get the garage compacted enough to park inside again, lol. Yuck.
You could always rent a car and check out Parx in Philly for cash games. AFAIK the action is healthier over there. There’s several nice casinos in Philly now and I think AC has become kinda tangential over the years.
Definitely you could find higher than 5-5 PLO.
We use freedom degrees here in USA#1
Glad you’re back on the tourney grind!
Borgata Winter Poker Open
Day Four - Saturday January 4th
Luckily went down in good time for the 1:15pm start today because these are the lines for registration
Big O today and we start well getting 4/6 of a pot (5/8 or 1/8 if you’re on the wrong end,not uncommon in this game either)
The 4/6 I had A34xx on a 442 flop. Two callers
Turn 2. Bet call call
River 7
Bet call call
My A4 was good for high and 3 nut lows.
That unfortunately was the high point. Did not win a hand after that.
Todays eats. Chicken parm from the Italian place again in the food court.
So off in search of a cash game again and we found a 40/80 mix just starting with a nice 5 game mix of Stud 8, Omaha 8, 2-7, baduecy and badacey.
2-7 wasn’t being kind to me. Had 8-6 beaten 5 times [emoji30]
But was faring much better in badeucy including this hand that was good for a scoop with a 8-6 low and 6 dugi.
In for $2,000. Out for $2,800 after 6 hours. 1.6 big bets per hour. We’ll take it considering we took a pounding in 2-7.
Not falling for the long reg line again we registered for tomorrow’s 2-7 tonight before we went up to the room.
Got back to the room and saw that late reg was just about to end for a 2-7 on Chainsaw (private mixed games club I play in)so I jumped in. Why not? Good practice for tomorrow.
Ended up taking it down. Hopefully a good omen for tomorrow.
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Borgata Winter Poker Open
Day Five - Sunday January 5th
Enjoyed our usual morning swim
Then watched most of Liverpool vs Man United in the room before going down for the tournament. Liverpool are my English team. 2 points dropped today but still a healthy lead at the top of the table.
No action on that game or on the NFL afternoon games. Week 18 is like pre-season with teams with nothing to play for and resting starters. I would have needed to be fixed to my computer early in the week listening to pressers and reading beat writers and watching the screen to get ahead of the market but i wasn’t so passed, choosing instead to concentrate on poker today.
Deuce to Seven Triple Draw. A game that I’ve worked hard at lately and has become one of my favorites.
It is very volatile and swingy though.
Shortly after first break I was down to 15k from 30k starting stack, then I made a #2 and a #1 and got paid off and shot up to 45k at 2nd break.
I treaded water for much of the 3rd session before losing 2 hands near the end of the session to find myself back down to 30k at dinner break.
Dinner break coincided with the start of SNF so headed to the sports bar to watch.
And it didn’t take long before I got involved live pounding the under.
Which was looking good as I headed back to the tournament to see what I could do with my 5 big bet stack.
Well I got it in with an 8-7 after the first draw but villain made an 8-6 on the last change to send us back to the bar to watch the game.
Pretty much a no sweat winner in the end as the Lions won 31-9
Our poker bullets not finding the mark so far but we can always cash sports tickets.
We did check the cash games but no mix or stud running today and didn’t like the look of the PLO so called it a night.
Weather warning for snow overnight and during the morning tomorrow. [emoji3063][emoji3587][emoji301]️
Odds update on if we’ll leave the property during the trip:
Yes +6,000
No -10,000
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The sandwich looks good at least.
Surely you’ll go crazy if you don’t get a little fresh air this week? No way I could function without seeing the sky and getting some air, even if I live in a civilised country that doesn’t get those ridiculous winters
Perhaps you’re saving up your mtt run good for one glorious run to a win
Borgata Winter Poker Open
Day Six - Monday January 6th
Winter is coming? I think it arrived overnight.
We take a (very) quick stroll outside to get a few pics of the snow and video call the kids back home as they’ve never seen it in the flesh.
Because of the snow they cancelled today’s NLH flight, so the mix game players were promoted from out of the dungeon into the much nicer room upstairs.
On deck today a really fun mix - BEAST - Badugi, Eight or better Stud, Ace to Five, Stud, Triple Draw 2-7
We start well, making a 6-4 in a big multi-way ace to five pot and are up to 50k from 30k starting at the first break.
We continue to accumulate chips and go to dinner on 80k
We try the buffet today and it’s okay. Decent selection but the meat is a little dry for my taste.
We go with prime rib and roast pork.
Followed by tiramisu for dessert.
Back to the beast and unfortunately we get slain. There’s a guy on our table running god like making wheels every hand it seems. He beats our 8-6 with a wheel in 2-7 and does the same again to our 6-5 in A-5 and that’s all it takes at 5,000 - 10,000 limits to be sent to the rail before we make the money.
Not one cash game going in the high limit section today which only seems to be open at the weekend so we sit at 2-2 PLO for a little while looking for a spot to get it in.
It comes early on when we make it $25 to go pre with AA65ss and get 4 callers.
Flop: 346 with two diamonds
Before it gets to me someone has bet $100 and someone else has called.
Our one suited ace is diamonds so we shove $425 all-in with the over-pair, nut flush draw and straight draw.
Original bettor has more than us and goes all in as well forcing the caller to fold.
There’s no talk of going twice from either of us. Sangre.
Turn: A
River: Q (brings back door club flush)
We show our set of Aces and are good. Villain had a flopped set of threes.
We play for another hour and don’t find any more spots to get involved and decide to call it a night.
In for $500, out for $1,000 after 2 hours. Tournament buy-in recouped.
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Always nice to win back the buy in at cash. You’re right - that meat looks really dry
Sangre. I like it.
Run it twice is for cowards.
Well done in the PLO. It's time for a tourney cash!
Borgata Winter Poker Open
Day Seven - Tuesday January 7th
Green 19, Blue 80, Omaha, Omaha, here we gooooo.
We’re calling an audible.
Since we’re 0 and 5 in the tournaments here with no realistic shot at the leaderboard, we’ve decided not to stay until Sunday and instead go to Fort Lauderdale tomorrow to catch the start of Hard Rock’s series.
We might have been influenced by the guitar trophy. [emoji3][emoji450]
Actually the mini Borgata trophies here are pretty cool as well.
So last day here at Borgata and it means that we can’t play the PLO tournament today as it’s a two day affair.
Beautiful day today, but still bitterly cold so the snow hasn’t melted.
Probably our last morning swim of the trip.
Spent the afternoon doing some work on the laptop in the room before going down for dinner when Old Homestead opened at 5pm.
9oz filet with hash brown and demi glaze and a half bottle of cab sauv. It was okay, nothing special. 7/10
The steak price wasn’t that bad but they killed me on the wine. My 9oz filet they call petit. There is also a 16oz on the menu but the 9oz was plenty for me.
Then off to the poker room to grind cash for the evening.
We arrive just as they’re starting a new $2-$2 PLO game and get a seat. (Again no mix or Stud running and we don’t like the look of the $5-$5 PLO)
We go through the full life cycle of a cash game:
Opening stages - the game has just started and everyone is trying to play good and tight. Pots are small and contested heads up or 3 ways at most.
Warming up- people have lost a few pots and are beginning to play looser. Pots a little bigger and 3 or 4 ways.
Bingo- the stuck players now just want to gamble and are playing any 4 cards pre-flop. Big multi-way pots with all-ins.
This is obviously the best state of a cash game, but you have to be careful not to get drawn into playing bingo with them. The looser they play, the tighter you need to play.
Cooling off- the stuck players have gone broke and been replaced by new players who are in the opening stages. The benefactors of the stuck players’ chips are now playing tight to hold on to their winnings.
Alas we were not really benefactors of the loose stuck players chips. In fact only 1 player, seat 3, benefited, winning all the big pots and pretty much killing the game.
Despite getting trapped into one hand of bingo for $600 pre 4 ways with 5-6-7-8 which seat 3 won with the nut flush (I made a straight) we manage to hold our own and book a small win.
Just one interesting hand history to share and it was from a double board bomb pot.
We have A-T-5-3
Top flop: A-4-6
Bottom flop: T-3-7
The bet is $100 when it gets to us which we call and 3 of us see the turns.
Top: A-4-6-Q now with two clubs
Bottom: T-3-7-6 rainbow
The guy who made it $100 on the flop bets out for $225
On the top we picked up the nut flush draw to go with the straight draw
On the bottom we picked up a gut shot to go with our two pair.
We have $625 remaining. What’s your play?
We give the villain credit for a set of aces but we now have a lot of outs to beat him and think our two pair is probably good on the other board.
Not really worried about the 3rd player who is a weaker player.
We shove. 3rd player folds and villain who covers us calls.
Rivers:
Top: A-4-6-Q-7
Bottom: T-3-7-6-K
We make the straight on top and don’t improve our two pair on bottom.
Villain shows AAxx for a set on top and one pair on bottom and we scoop [emoji3][emoji123]
Just a chip stack pic. Forgot to take a pic of the bomb pot we won.
In for $1,200. Out for $1,500 after 5 hours.
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I rarely play PLO so w/e but you didn’t think you were strong enough to raise the flop?
I love DBBPs -- I would have done the same. Also, you might have been robbed on the wine, but just as much so on the potatoes! LOL. $16 for basically one or two potatoes 😉
Agree with just flatting flop.
Two pair is extremely tricky in DBBP’s because you are frequently eating your own outs. I like continuing because you have nut equity working on both boards.
When someone has a strong hand on one board, like Mr Set of Aces… but nothing doing on the other board, you have to proceed very cautiously.
Travel Day
Day Eight - Wednesday January 8th
Not much to report today. Checked out of Borgata and headed to the airport.
The direct flight to Fort Lauderdale was full so I had to go via Tampa with a 2.5 hour layover, which was nothing compared to the 9.5 hours we did on the way here.
In Fort Lauderdale now and in some crappy hotel near the airport for 4 nights until we can move to our regular accommodation at Staybridge Suites on Sunday. Tried to change my original reservation but they were full.
Final numbers from Borgata:
Tournaments: -$2,500
Cash Games: +$1,300
Sports Bets: +$1,850
So we ended up making a little, but not enough to cover the expenses:
Spirit Flights: $800
Borgata Hotel: $650
Work to do then at the Hard Rock.
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Do you not do enough spending at the Hard Rock to get decent room rates?
Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Day Nine - Thursday January 9th
Sunshine and palm trees. That’s more like it, even if the locals are saying it’s cold here because it’s only in the 60’s lol.
Big O to kick us off and we chip up steadily but not spectacularly, and sit on 70k at the level 12 break with 17 remaining. No dinner break as it’s a 2pm start.
Below average but still very workable, until:
We get it all in here on the flop and have our opponent crushed. Could not wish for a better spot. We both have the same low draw but I have a pair of aces and the nut flush draw, but somehow only end up with 1/4 of the pot, thus reducing my stack in half and am out soon after in 15th, two short of the money.
Similar luck on the football game. Oh well, tomorrow’s another day.
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That hand is gross :(
Lucky Hearts Poker Open
Day Ten - Friday January 10th
Omaha 8 today with an 11am start which I prefer.
The re-entry period went for us like this:
Start: 25,000
End Level 4: 21,000
End Level 8: 26,100
No extra bullets needed but not much headway. In truth I didn’t play well, but not as bad as some.
I saw hands like 35TK and 569T call 4 bets pre and end up winning pots, and from good players as well. I must be playing the wrong game.
We keep battling and hit dinner break on 53,000.
Chicken parm and baked ziti from the food court.
Not sure what was in the food but I didn’t win a single hand after dinner. Not even half a pot.
It allowed us to watch the football game in the sports book which was pretty packed.
The result went our way today.
The National Championship game opened Ohio State -9.5 with a total of 45.5
Initial lean for me would be dog and over but no play yet.
So seems like we’re in a bit of a tournament funk. Hopefully we can get out of it soon.
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Keep battling!
I think I like Ohio State on the money line, don’t see them losing. Trenches. Free money.
