This forum, in particular, is probably one of the least negative/troll-filled places on 2+2. Don't think anyone is trying to poo-poo your idea, just giving honest advice. CO is a great place to live... just not a great place to play poker for a living. Guess we're all assuming the average adult would have > $1000/mo living expenses.

As Wizard points out, the 30/60 LHE game is the only realistic option. The rake in the 2/5 & 1/2 SL games is murder. If the $100 bet cap is ever raised and more games could be spread (or 2/5 could switch to true no-limit), it'd be much more feasible.

Do you know if there is there a plan for this? I haven't heard anything legit other than people wanting it to happen.

Same here. I'd love for the cap to be raised or eliminated, but my understanding is Amendment 50 (this raised the max bet from $5 to $100 and allowed casinos to stay open 24 hours) was a struggle to get pushed through as-is.

Personally, I don't see it being changed anytime soon. Wizard probably has a better feel on this than any of us, but my understanding (in my own words) is they want to keep Black Hawk a small/historic town and don't want to turn it into a big gambling town blah blah blah and raising the limits would would do this.

Collusion in the 30/60 LHE game

There have been a few mentions of collusion/team play in the 30/60 game (brief discussion here http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/sh...postcount=1323), and many rumors, I now have have firsthand experience to report. This happened on Tuesday afternoon. A couple of notes: 1) I'm not a regular at that game, I have around 50 hours since March, but I recognize most of the regs already, and 2) I also posted this in my blog in House of Blogs, Another middle-aged white guy Another dream, but I'd like to hear from any of the regs (or former regs, Wiz) at that game.

The two ladies involved in this are definitely regs but I didn't recognize the victim as one.

Here's how it went down: I'm in the 2 seat, folds to me and I fold as well, the young Asian (I believe Vietnamese) gal (YAG) to my left, she's a reg and open limps from middle position. Older Asian woman (OAW) on her left calls. These two talk in between hands in either Chinese or Vietnamese, I believe it's the latter but I can't be certain and it's not too relevant. Folds to the blinds who both call. Flop is AAT. Checked to OAW, she bets, small blind calls (FWIW, he is also Asian but I didn't recognize him as a reg) . YAG also calls, and she says something very softly in Vietnamese. No way dealer could hear it, and I couldn't understand it.

Now is when it gets ugly. Turn is a blank, checked to OAW who bets, SB calls. YAG now picks her cards up off the table and holds them up to eye-level, so that OAW can see them! I'm fairly sure that I see OAW's eyes dart in that direction before YAG tosses them into the muck. While this is going on, I say something like, "keep those cards down'. Dealer isn't paying enough attention, I tell her what I saw. She tells the YAG to be careful about exposing her hand, the two yell at me that they weren't showing cards, whatever.

I probably should have made the dealer call the floor, but none of the regular floormen were there at the time. The whole situation really bugged me. I know a couple of the regular floors reasonably well and will chat with them this weekend. The bottom line is that I don't think there's a lot that can or could've been done, it's just a he said, she said situation. Next time will be different, I was caught off guard this time since I've not seen that BS before. I put this completely on the YAG, she initiated everything. I would bet that her soft-spoken word would translate as "ten". And, the dealer was also a young Asian gal, these other two talked with her in Vietnamese between hands. I don't believe she was complicit, but I doubt this would've been attempted if a sharper dealer was in the box.

Any thoughts on this situation, and on other team play that goes on in this game, is appreciated.

30/60 is way above my limit but I have been in several weird spots between two asians where immediately after one folds and the other is still in the hand they start yapping it up in a language i can't understand.

but in other news played a 3-5 for an hour and 10 minutes today and quadrupled up through a super donk who had somehow amassed over $4000

best hand.

Me: 9A
Villain PFR to 20 after I limp and I call for a 4-way flop.
Flop 997

I check, he bets 45, I raise 145, he raises 245, I raise 345, he calls.
Turn Blank. I bet 100, he calls
River Ace, I bet 100, he calls and flips over TT

Are there any other big tournament series worth mentioning other than colorado state championship and wsopc? Thanks

And the hpt

HPT & WSOPC both draw big crowds, including out-of-staters who come specifically for these events. CSC not as big.

I've never experienced that, although certainly non-English is heard at the table between two players with no cards. What you're saying is extremely dicey, are they trying to be subtle so dealer can't hear? English only during the hand, especially strict enforcement if one still has cards!

Nice!

I hoped it wasn't malicious because I thought they were decently respected. It was barely audible though. The husband and wife pair. You never know about people though.

I think you did fine and there's not much more to be done in this situation. Them knowing that you're aware of them is likely enough to stop them at least for a while. I'd have done the same, and made sure the flashed cards were turned over if i were in the hand.

The rumors get out of hand, and in my 500+ hours in the game, there has been very little for me to worry about. But you would be foolish in any game not to be aware of it.

"Will sometime early next year be getting a decent cash infusion. I plan on taking my shot at poker at that point. Was leaning vegas but with the new CO laws black hawk is looking nice."

"If I can get my roll up to say around 40-50k by the time I get out there what is my ideal cash game? Not awful familiar with spread limit but I am willing to learn. I have seen some say buy in 2-300 some 900. Not sure which game my roll would be equipped for."

Herb, let's just call it intuition and good observational skills. You can learn a lot about someone and their background through their writing. You're going to take a shot at poker after you get that 'cash infusion?' You played 7 hours a day for 5 years? That sounds like you played for a living before? Your phrasing makes it sound like you're taking a shot at poker for the 1st time seriously. You have contradicting statements. You're not very familiar with spread limit poker? They play it elsewhere, California quite commonly. You don't know what limits you'd be appropriately rolled for but you played 7 hours a day for 5 years?

Herb, FBI agents during their investigations and questioning of suspects and writing analyses use these same skills to determine if suspects are telling the truth. They look for contradictions, things not adding up, back-tracking, etc. It's a science.

Thanks, Wiz. I did speak with one of the main floormen yesterday when I was there and described the situation and identified the players. He didn't seem shocked when I told him who the YAG was, said something along the lines of "I wouldn't it past her". Anyway, time to move on, as you say, just remain vigilant.

no disagreement that there are better places to play if for no other reason the other spots don't make you drive ~1 hour each way just to get there.

and i know i make mistakes every time i play... but the records i have been keeping over the last several months would indicate the 2-5 game would appear to be VERY beatable with good table selection. there are plenty of bad players playing up in blackhawk.

I'm not saying 2/5 isnt beatable, but the best players aren't making much more than 25/hr.

Admitting that I'm running well I can only speak from my personal experiences.... Since I started keeping meticulous records on poker journal

In early august and logged 17 sessions at Astar I'm at 50.82$/hr

And I spew off a few hundred chips every night

People are really really bad

+1 that people are bad. I have just shy of 400 hours logged on PJ in BH, and I have a win rate if $21.94/hr. 90% of that is at 1/2 or 1/1 with the other 10% at 2/5.

Less than a few hundred hours is not enough to draw conclusions from. I remember there was one casino in Seattle that spread a 2/5 game with a $300 max buyin. It was my bread and butter game on off nights when bigger games weren't running. I played about 140 hours in the game and looked at my hourly on my app, and it was $125/hr. I know for a fact that was some of the softest 2/5NL I've played, but I don't believe for a second that win rate is sustainable. It inevitably dropped over the next few hundred table hours.

Variance is a mind numbing, brain twisting thing. And it is very convincing sometimes.

Also another variance mind blower from my experience: at Venetian I have well over 200% ROI over 80ish tourneys, and at the series I have a negative ROI over a similar sample. Needless to say, 260% ROI isn't sustainable, and I'm not -EV at WSOP.

I admitted im on the happy side of variance right now... but combining all the money im losing to people's weird suck outs and my own spewing of chips overplaying a couple hands i think its certainly possible to play +25$/hr

last night i flop flush, get it all in on the flop with a called 4 bet and the opponent hits his river card.

-$600 pot

i check raise a guy on flop with pocket KK to $125 which he calls with middle pair 8's holding 8-J... no draw. turn comes 8. I fire another 100$ he goes all in for last $26. I call.

-600$ pot

I overplay AQ on an A, 8,3 flop against the worst player at the table who spends the flop turn and river calling my 3x100$ bets.... and flips over a set.

-700$ pot

And after buying in for $200 I cashed out $1255


PEOPLE ARE BAD

Where you at table 6, seat 2?

i dont think so... i think I was at seat 4 or 3... table 4 or 6

Yes that was me... villain 1...

I just posted in a thread in mid-stakes LHE regarding the 30-60 Ameristar game. Is there another dedicated thread specifically for that game? And if not, can we start one?