Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Poker at the Colorado Belle, Laughlin
I'm in Laughlin, Nevada, staying at the River Palms Casino. Last night I walked down to the Colorado Belle to check out their poker room. I played a friendly game with eight players, most of whom were locals. The Belle has a very nice room, maybe 12-15 tables, and it appears to run smoothly. They have an "Aces Cracked" promotion and the normal bonuses for high hands similar to most other rooms along the strip here.
I played an interesting hand heads up against a World War II veteran who was sitting two seats to my right. He told us he got married after the war, over 60 years ago. In the war, he stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, was captured by the Germans, and spent the remainder of the fight in a prison camp until being liberated by the Russians. As he told us these things, I could see in his eyes an emotion that I'll not soon forget. He's among a rare and dying breed of men who fought the last "great war" and suffered much.
Our poker hand began simple enough. We were playing $2-$6 Spread Limit and I was in the blind. I had 8-5 offsuit. The one-seat who was first to act called, the three-seat called, and the Veteran called at the cut-off position. I checked my blind. We had four players going to the flop.
The flop comes A-5-5. My ragged 8-5 hits a set. As the first to act, I check hoping to trap. The one-seat checks, the three-seat checks, the Veteran bets the maximum of $6. I immediately put him on an Ace, probably an A-Ten or higher. He's a little loose, like many elderly veterans, so he could also have an Ace-rag, maybe A-3 or even an A-5.
So, when he bets the flop I'm thinking he just has some kind of Ace. Would he bet if he flopped a full house? I doubt it. I feel my set of 5's is good, so I should make a lot of money. I just call his bet, thinking I'll check-raise him on the turn. The one-seat and three-seat both fold to the Veteran's bet on the flop. Now I am heads up, out of position, going to the turn.
The turn comes an 8! Hallelujah, I hit a full house, 5's full of 8's. I've got him for sure now. I check the turn, the Veteran bets $6, and I call. I don't want to chase him off with a raise. I'll check raise him on the river. He's got an A-K, probably suited diamonds, because there are two diamonds on the board. He's pretty strong with his Aces up and a nut flush draw. I'm hoping he catches his flush diamond on the river. I call his bet.
The river is a 4 of diamonds. I'm putting him on an A-K or A-Q of diamonds, and he's got his nut flush. My full house should make some real money here. I check the river hoping to raise him when he bets. He bets the maximum of $6, and I raise $6. He reraises $6. Since I'm short-stacked I reraise all-in for $4 more. He calls.
I turn up my 8-5 offsuit, showing a full house 5's full of 8's. He turns over an A-5 offsuit, showing that he flopped a full house, 5's full of Aces! I was dead.
What's interesting about this hand is the situation and how it played out perfectly for the Veteran. I played 8-5 offsuit because I was in the blind and received a free look at the flop. As it turned out, I hit a set of 5's with an 8 kicker and the Veteran hit a full house holding A-5, on a flop of A-5-5. I was behind all the way, and drawing almost dead with quad 8's being my only out. The other interesting thing is that I only lost a small amount of money because I was short-stacked. Had I possessed a lot of chips, I would have lost a bundle. I was unlucky on the flop, but lucky I was short-stacked.
After the showdown, the Veteran smiled, giggled like a school boy and looked at me. He reached across the table with his wrinkled and well-tanned arm and offered me a handshake. He said, "You had a great hand, too!" I shook his hand, laughed, and said, "Nice job. Great hand. You deserve it."
On my way back to my room at the River Palms I was thinking about that hand, the Veteran, his war stories, his 60-year marriage, and was thinking how much I love playing poker.
I played an interesting hand heads up against a World War II veteran who was sitting two seats to my right. He told us he got married after the war, over 60 years ago. In the war, he stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, was captured by the Germans, and spent the remainder of the fight in a prison camp until being liberated by the Russians. As he told us these things, I could see in his eyes an emotion that I'll not soon forget. He's among a rare and dying breed of men who fought the last "great war" and suffered much.
Our poker hand began simple enough. We were playing $2-$6 Spread Limit and I was in the blind. I had 8-5 offsuit. The one-seat who was first to act called, the three-seat called, and the Veteran called at the cut-off position. I checked my blind. We had four players going to the flop.
The flop comes A-5-5. My ragged 8-5 hits a set. As the first to act, I check hoping to trap. The one-seat checks, the three-seat checks, the Veteran bets the maximum of $6. I immediately put him on an Ace, probably an A-Ten or higher. He's a little loose, like many elderly veterans, so he could also have an Ace-rag, maybe A-3 or even an A-5.
So, when he bets the flop I'm thinking he just has some kind of Ace. Would he bet if he flopped a full house? I doubt it. I feel my set of 5's is good, so I should make a lot of money. I just call his bet, thinking I'll check-raise him on the turn. The one-seat and three-seat both fold to the Veteran's bet on the flop. Now I am heads up, out of position, going to the turn.
The turn comes an 8! Hallelujah, I hit a full house, 5's full of 8's. I've got him for sure now. I check the turn, the Veteran bets $6, and I call. I don't want to chase him off with a raise. I'll check raise him on the river. He's got an A-K, probably suited diamonds, because there are two diamonds on the board. He's pretty strong with his Aces up and a nut flush draw. I'm hoping he catches his flush diamond on the river. I call his bet.
The river is a 4 of diamonds. I'm putting him on an A-K or A-Q of diamonds, and he's got his nut flush. My full house should make some real money here. I check the river hoping to raise him when he bets. He bets the maximum of $6, and I raise $6. He reraises $6. Since I'm short-stacked I reraise all-in for $4 more. He calls.
I turn up my 8-5 offsuit, showing a full house 5's full of 8's. He turns over an A-5 offsuit, showing that he flopped a full house, 5's full of Aces! I was dead.
What's interesting about this hand is the situation and how it played out perfectly for the Veteran. I played 8-5 offsuit because I was in the blind and received a free look at the flop. As it turned out, I hit a set of 5's with an 8 kicker and the Veteran hit a full house holding A-5, on a flop of A-5-5. I was behind all the way, and drawing almost dead with quad 8's being my only out. The other interesting thing is that I only lost a small amount of money because I was short-stacked. Had I possessed a lot of chips, I would have lost a bundle. I was unlucky on the flop, but lucky I was short-stacked.
After the showdown, the Veteran smiled, giggled like a school boy and looked at me. He reached across the table with his wrinkled and well-tanned arm and offered me a handshake. He said, "You had a great hand, too!" I shook his hand, laughed, and said, "Nice job. Great hand. You deserve it."
On my way back to my room at the River Palms I was thinking about that hand, the Veteran, his war stories, his 60-year marriage, and was thinking how much I love playing poker.
Day 238 on the road.
Starbucks at the Aquarius Casino, Laughlin
Yesterday I played cards at the River Plams and earned two more free nights, so now I'm paid up through Monday, April 14. I may decide to extend my stay even longer. I'm not sure yet. As long as I'm having fun, making a little money, and have free room and board, it's tempting to just hang around for a while.
Last night after "work" (if you can call playing Omaha Hi Lo for seven hours "work"), I walked down the River Walk along the Colorado River to the Colorado Belle Casino to check out their poker room. I played for a couple hours and had a nice time. I met an 86-year-old World War II veteran who was captured by the Germans after he stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He spent the remainder of the war in a prison camp until being liberated by the Russians. You can read about an interesting poker hand we played heads up on my poker web site at http://www.7seat.com/ .
After I left the Belle, I hit the River Walk on my way back to the River Palms and stopped off at Joe's Crab Shack for a nice dinner. I dined at a table on the patio overlooking the river, watching the ducks and fish play with each other below me. The air was cool, the sky was clear, and I was thankful for having a such a fun day.
Below is a silly video clip I made while taking a morning trip to Starbucks at the Aquarius Casino for a cup of coffee.
Starbucks at the Aquarius Casino, Laughlin
Yesterday I played cards at the River Plams and earned two more free nights, so now I'm paid up through Monday, April 14. I may decide to extend my stay even longer. I'm not sure yet. As long as I'm having fun, making a little money, and have free room and board, it's tempting to just hang around for a while.
Last night after "work" (if you can call playing Omaha Hi Lo for seven hours "work"), I walked down the River Walk along the Colorado River to the Colorado Belle Casino to check out their poker room. I played for a couple hours and had a nice time. I met an 86-year-old World War II veteran who was captured by the Germans after he stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He spent the remainder of the war in a prison camp until being liberated by the Russians. You can read about an interesting poker hand we played heads up on my poker web site at http://www.7seat.com/ .
After I left the Belle, I hit the River Walk on my way back to the River Palms and stopped off at Joe's Crab Shack for a nice dinner. I dined at a table on the patio overlooking the river, watching the ducks and fish play with each other below me. The air was cool, the sky was clear, and I was thankful for having a such a fun day.
Below is a silly video clip I made while taking a morning trip to Starbucks at the Aquarius Casino for a cup of coffee.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Day 236 on the road.
Starbucks, Aquarius Casino, Laughlin, Nevada
I'm at the Starbucks inside the Aquarius Casino looking at the long line of gamblers waiting to buy a latte and a muffin. Just outside the entrance are rows of slots and the pit containing tables of blackjack and other various table games. Unfortunately, the Aquarius has no poker room. For whatever reason, this casino doesn't care about poker.
I played an 8 hour session of Omaha Hi Lo yesterday at the River Palms and had a great time. Late in the day, I hit quad Kings and won a $130 bonus and a free room for the night. So I actually earned two more free rooms at the River Palms--one as a bonus for the quad Kings and one for playing a few hours in the poker room. I'm going to extend my stay for another week and see how things go. Right now I'm in no hurry to move on.
I had dinner at the Italian restaurant at the casino, and it was way below average...not good at all, especially for the price. If you consider the Olive Garden or the Macaroni Grill a "10", then I give the River Palms' Italian restaurant a "3". I'm not surprised. Casinos are famous for having lousy food. That's why I usually drive into Bullhead City across the Colorado River and eat at Chili's.
I shot the video clip below while driving south on Casino Drive. It shows you the Tropicana and the River Palms and gives you a brief view of casino row at Laughlin.
Starbucks, Aquarius Casino, Laughlin, Nevada
I'm at the Starbucks inside the Aquarius Casino looking at the long line of gamblers waiting to buy a latte and a muffin. Just outside the entrance are rows of slots and the pit containing tables of blackjack and other various table games. Unfortunately, the Aquarius has no poker room. For whatever reason, this casino doesn't care about poker.
I played an 8 hour session of Omaha Hi Lo yesterday at the River Palms and had a great time. Late in the day, I hit quad Kings and won a $130 bonus and a free room for the night. So I actually earned two more free rooms at the River Palms--one as a bonus for the quad Kings and one for playing a few hours in the poker room. I'm going to extend my stay for another week and see how things go. Right now I'm in no hurry to move on.
I had dinner at the Italian restaurant at the casino, and it was way below average...not good at all, especially for the price. If you consider the Olive Garden or the Macaroni Grill a "10", then I give the River Palms' Italian restaurant a "3". I'm not surprised. Casinos are famous for having lousy food. That's why I usually drive into Bullhead City across the Colorado River and eat at Chili's.
I shot the video clip below while driving south on Casino Drive. It shows you the Tropicana and the River Palms and gives you a brief view of casino row at Laughlin.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
My stay at the Tropicana is over. I moved across the street to the River Palms yesterday and my room is in the west tower overlooking the Colorado River. The room is entirely comped by the poker room at the Palms, so I can't complain.
I had a problem with the the TV when I first moved in. Someone ripped out the cable connector from the back of the TV, and therefore when I turned it on I got snow and static. I called room service and it was quickly fixed. So I'm happy about that. The other issue I've had is with the bath water: it's the color of iced tea. The hot water looks rusty-brown and nasty, but when you turn the sprocket to cold water it clears up. Go figure.
The room itself is nice enough, and has a sitting area with table and plenty of room. The bed is comfortable and I haven't detected any smoke-smell or odd odors. So, I guess I'm set for a while. As long as I play in the poker room for a few hours each day, the room is free.
The only other minor issue I have with the Palms (as compared to the Tropicana), is the parking. The Palm's parking garage is detached and I have to walk outside the casino and venture next door to go to my car. It's not a bad walk for me, but for a senior adult or person with limited walking range, it would be a chore. At the Tropicana, the parking garage is attached and you have direct access to your room and the casino directly from the garage.
My opinion of the Tropicana? Very nice and I would stay there again. I like the Tropicana's cleanliness and central location on the strip. It's buffet is lousy, however, so avoid it. I like the Starbucks at the Aquarius, but there is no poker action at that casino. I like the poker room at the River Palms, and they certainly have the best comps on the strip. So, if I could build me a new casino, I'd take the Starbucks from the Aquarius, the poker room from the Palms, and the amenities of the Tropicana and put them all under one roof!
I played Omaha H/L last night with a very nice group of people in the Palms poker room. We seemed to hit it off and had a great time playing together. There were no crazies or drunks or nut-jobs playing. We all agreed to meet back today for another long session, so I'll be at the felt most of the day and early evening. With this group, there's the possibility we'll play all night.
I had a problem with the the TV when I first moved in. Someone ripped out the cable connector from the back of the TV, and therefore when I turned it on I got snow and static. I called room service and it was quickly fixed. So I'm happy about that. The other issue I've had is with the bath water: it's the color of iced tea. The hot water looks rusty-brown and nasty, but when you turn the sprocket to cold water it clears up. Go figure.
The room itself is nice enough, and has a sitting area with table and plenty of room. The bed is comfortable and I haven't detected any smoke-smell or odd odors. So, I guess I'm set for a while. As long as I play in the poker room for a few hours each day, the room is free.
The only other minor issue I have with the Palms (as compared to the Tropicana), is the parking. The Palm's parking garage is detached and I have to walk outside the casino and venture next door to go to my car. It's not a bad walk for me, but for a senior adult or person with limited walking range, it would be a chore. At the Tropicana, the parking garage is attached and you have direct access to your room and the casino directly from the garage.
My opinion of the Tropicana? Very nice and I would stay there again. I like the Tropicana's cleanliness and central location on the strip. It's buffet is lousy, however, so avoid it. I like the Starbucks at the Aquarius, but there is no poker action at that casino. I like the poker room at the River Palms, and they certainly have the best comps on the strip. So, if I could build me a new casino, I'd take the Starbucks from the Aquarius, the poker room from the Palms, and the amenities of the Tropicana and put them all under one roof!
I played Omaha H/L last night with a very nice group of people in the Palms poker room. We seemed to hit it off and had a great time playing together. There were no crazies or drunks or nut-jobs playing. We all agreed to meet back today for another long session, so I'll be at the felt most of the day and early evening. With this group, there's the possibility we'll play all night.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Day 233 on the road.
Firehouse Coffee Company, Bullhead City, Arizona
I left Prescott Monday morning and drove north and caught I-40. Then a few miles west I took the scenic and historic Route 66 to Seligman, the beginning place of Route 66. A strange little town…I need to read up on the history of Route 66 and see just how Seligman fits in to the story.
I shot this video in Seligman. It's posted on YouTube.
I made it to Laughlin around 2 p.m., checked in with no problems and settled into my room on the 16th floor…Room 1656. A very nice room. So far, I’m pleased with the visit here.
Last night I was uploading photo and video clips from my Route 66 adventure but my laptop ran out of disc space…not a surprise. So this morning I went to WalMart and bought an external hard drive with 320 GB…that should last a while. Video clips and photos take a lot of space, creating huge file sizes. My laptop is not equipped fo
r a lot of video and picture editing. But the WD My Book drive is so far working great. I’ve spent the last hour backing up my files and cleaning up my laptop hard drive.
The best place to work in the Laughlin area is across the river in Bullhead City (dumb name). The Firehouse Coffee Company has internet access and enough room to spread out and work. All the Starbucks locations are in the casinos, and it's too noisy to get any work done there. So I'm glad I found this place.
After settling in yesterday I walked the northern half of Casino Drive and visited the poker rooms at various casinos along the river front. The poker rooms are small and there was very little action going on. You can read more about my poker playing adventures on my poker blog at www.7Seat.com. Part of the fun of playing poker is writing about the characters I meet and the poker rooms I visit.
A total of 13 casinos are lined up in a row along the Colorado River. I'm staying until Friday at the Tropicana Express. For the weekend I will move to the River Palms where I have a free room thanks to the kind folks in the River Palms poker room. As long as I play for a while each day in their poker room, my room is free.
The Tropicana is the tall one in the back. I'm on the 16th floor. The room is above average, very nice, and the hotel/casino is also very nice (not smoke-filled at all as some had written on the TripAdvisor.com forums).
Firehouse Coffee Company, Bullhead City, Arizona
I left Prescott Monday morning and drove north and caught I-40. Then a few miles west I took the scenic and historic Route 66 to Seligman, the beginning place of Route 66. A strange little town…I need to read up on the history of Route 66 and see just how Seligman fits in to the story.
I shot this video in Seligman. It's posted on YouTube.
I made it to Laughlin around 2 p.m., checked in with no problems and settled into my room on the 16th floor…Room 1656. A very nice room. So far, I’m pleased with the visit here.
Last night I was uploading photo and video clips from my Route 66 adventure but my laptop ran out of disc space…not a surprise. So this morning I went to WalMart and bought an external hard drive with 320 GB…that should last a while. Video clips and photos take a lot of space, creating huge file sizes. My laptop is not equipped fo
r a lot of video and picture editing. But the WD My Book drive is so far working great. I’ve spent the last hour backing up my files and cleaning up my laptop hard drive.The best place to work in the Laughlin area is across the river in Bullhead City (dumb name). The Firehouse Coffee Company has internet access and enough room to spread out and work. All the Starbucks locations are in the casinos, and it's too noisy to get any work done there. So I'm glad I found this place.
After settling in yesterday I walked the northern half of Casino Drive and visited the poker rooms at various casinos along the river front. The poker rooms are small and there was very little action going on. You can read more about my poker playing adventures on my poker blog at www.7Seat.com. Part of the fun of playing poker is writing about the characters I meet and the poker rooms I visit.
A total of 13 casinos are lined up in a row along the Colorado River. I'm staying until Friday at the Tropicana Express. For the weekend I will move to the River Palms where I have a free room thanks to the kind folks in the River Palms poker room. As long as I play for a while each day in their poker room, my room is free.
The Tropicana is the tall one in the back. I'm on the 16th floor. The room is above average, very nice, and the hotel/casino is also very nice (not smoke-filled at all as some had written on the TripAdvisor.com forums).
A look at Casino Drive to the northeast from the Tropicana parking garage.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Day 230 on the road.Wildflower Bread Company, Gatewall Mall in Prescott
I'm enjoying my cup of coffee and bagel this morning at the Wildflower Bread Company at the Shops located in the Gatewall Mall shopping development just east of downtown Prescott. They have free internet access, so I've got my laptop and thought I'd do a little work before leaving town.
I've enjoyed my visit to Prescott. I could certainly live here. It's such a pretty place. The elevation is about 6,000 feet above see level (Phoenix is about 2,400 feet I think), and therefore the temperatures are much cooler. During the summer, I'm told it can reach 90 degrees but "you really don't feel it." I'm also told that people from the Phoenix area come here during the summer to escape the heat. Just a short drive for about an hour through the mountains from Phoenix and you can leave the desert behind and live in the mountains.
I'm driving to Laughlin, Nevada today and will be there at least until Friday. I'll then decide what to do next. I may stay in Laughlin for a few more days if I like it. If not, I'm thinking my next stop will be Mesquite, Nevada, a town to the northeast of Las Vegas. I will probably be in Henderson (suburb of Vegas) in a week or two. Then I'll settle down for while and see what develops. I plan on being in the Vegas area for at least a month, if not longer.
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