2 days of local poker

...well almost local ;-)

First I had my usual poker day in Kufstein and on the next day I made a visit to the Concord Card Casino in Linz.
It's now about half a year that I was there the last time. Luckily my girlfriend was on a business-trip to Linz and I had no travel cost this time.

The last times I was there they barely could fill one table of 4/8 Hold'em (that often broke after 3 hours) but were running hot with 7-Card-Stud. Seems times have changed!
The didn't get 7-Card-Stud running but had two tables of 4/8 available. Of course both became shorthanded after 3 hours but the game continued on one table for 4 more hours. Meanwhile they started a 10/20 Hold'em (which is still above my limit). But it looks like Hold'em starts to build up slowly everywere. That's good news!

The game itself was a rollercoaster. Still a lot of aggressive play that resulted in huge pots. I like big pots as they allow to play a liitle more loose pre-flop. In addition you can push the action on valuable draws. The downside is the increase in the swings. With a $200 Buy-in I went from there down to $60 up to $250, back to $60 and cashed $295 after 7 hours of play.
Didn't get great hands but some decent ones that cashed in big pots. One time I missed a really huge pot after not getting my 9-outer with the Nuts-Ace for a flush. I tried to fool the last opponent on the river with a bet but it didn't work out as he had a straight and wasn't willing to fold such a big pot. Good for him (he was one of the rare decent players in that place) but bad for me :-((
I was quite succesfull with sets this time. Just one bad beat here: Bet pocket 6's, flopped a set and raised them through a blank board - just to get rivered by a set of Jacks - oh well.

No reason to complain. Compared to my beginner time (hell that sound like a long time ago but in fact it was January) I play now with more risk involved. I still consider my play tight. But beside of beeing aggressive I can adjust and change my style. That allows to play marginal pocket hands from time to time, especially with cheap flops. I got pocket Aces cracked an I won with pocket Aces. I lost with a full to a higher full the day before but cracked a full with quad Queens. Everything is possible - as long if the value is right. Pot-odds rule!

I can't understand people complaining and whining about bad cards and bad beats all the time. You play a half drunken guy who plays every hand and that can't be bluffed from his hand - fine! You can be sure to catch some bad beats but he will pay for his play sooner or later. If you lose your hand to a decent player (or at least a decent hand) no reason to complain either. If you had the right pot-odds it was o.k. to play the hand (regardless of the result). If not - than you made a mistake.

The typical cry baby story from yesterday: Hero gets J3o being the big blind. No raise. Flop comes JJx. UTG bets. Hero raises. Some calling and some folding. Turn comes an Ace. Hero checks to see what happens. The other players check too. River is a blank again. Hero bets, it's folded except for one player. Cry-Baby calls and is shocked to see a set of J's. He was holding Ax for two pairs (AAJJ). "Oh well, how can you win against people playing and raising J3o!" More funny a little later he tried the same with K2 (except he was the button and not the big blind)...