El Paso Poker

I was in town again and went back to the House of Kings since it was closer to where my brother-in-law lives and they seemed to have the most games going.

I didn't know there was a free-roll but since there was, I jumped into it. They do strange things like double board bomb pots every dealer change. I only made it to the second dealer change when on a bomb pot I got it all in with a boat on one board against a woman who was running like God who could only beat me with an 8 for a higher boat. Naturally she binked it.

I was able to get into the $1/2 game and bought in for $400. There were some huge stacks but also a few that were less so I didn't feel like I was at a total disadvantage.

The play was very much like $2/5. Lots of straddling, lots of big bets on every street, double board bomb pots with every dealer switch and other times they did splash pots tossing $100 into the pot and $5 from every player. They dealt, put out a board, and everyone flipped up their cards. The winner got the pot. I won one of them with trip 8s.

First big hand I played was a big loss when my two red Kings lost to 52 of spades. I played it fast - three-betting to $50 pre and betting $120 into $200 on the scary 89J board with two spades but folded my hands face-up when villain shoved the spade turn. I reloaded for $100.

Only a few hands later, everyone folded to me (which might have been the most unlikely thing that happened all night) and I had A9o on the buttion.

I raise to $15 and both blinds call... Flop AK4, two diamonds. Checked to me, I bet $25. Both villains call.

8 of spades on turn. Two checks and I bet $75. Small blind gets out of the way but the young Asian guy with a huge stack in the Big Blind called.

River 3 of diamonds completes the front door flush. I didn't want that but I wanted the Big Blind to shove in more than enough black chips to cover me even less.

Guy just saw me fold Kings face up and he played so aggressively I think he doesn't just call every street if he has a flush draw. I am also a little tilty from the Kings so I decide I will just leave if he has me so I called.

He mucked... Tilt call for the win!

I won a small hand when i flopped a set and turned a boat but also bled away chips when good non=premium starting hands didn't connect.

Finally on a double board bomb pot I had Q78x, one suit, in early position. I flopped trips on a T88 board and bottom two on a KT8 board. I knew nobody else had an eight and I knew that people would bet so I checked. A different crazy Asian dude with a huge stack potted it for $35, and two players called. I potted it when it got back to me, making it $210. Crazy Asian calls, other two get out of the way.

I only have $405 behind so I shove blind before the dealer puts out the turns. Crazy Asian dude called before the cards came out as well!

I flipped it up hoping I could fade any draws and at least win the board with trips. I don't exactly recall what came out other than the river on the T88 board was a 7 giving me a boat. He showed QQ99. He might have had a flush draw somewhere that I faded, not sure. What was apparent was that I got it in real good and I dragged a $1,300 pot.

I didn't do much else and bled away some of my stack. I decided I would leave after the football game ended and I did up $708 and that includes what I spent to get into the club which was I think $22.

The room didn't have free beer anymore, instead having a full bar that you had to pay for. A beer for $4 and a beer and shot for $11.50 wasn't terrible though. They also had massage girls though I did not partake.

The staff were really friendly again. They seem very nice to people who are traveling through town. It would be nice if they had shufflers like the casinos I play in back East, but it's a well run room.

I am going back tomorrow for the Monday freeroll with my brother-in-law. I don't think I will play $1/2 again, it was nice to come out with a win but it was also kind of terrifying! 😀

Appreciate the report - I am planning a poker trip thru West Texas and trying to decide if including El Paso would be worth an additional 9 hours or so of driving time. If there is only the one worthwhile stop, probably not. FWIW I played at the Speaking Rock Indian Casino back in the late 90's. Didn't win a single hand of 7 stud in over an hour. Was a pretty rough place in a pretty rough neighborhood. Looks like it closed in 2002.