"Compton, Long Beach, Inglewoooood"
Today's blog update comes to you live from a comfortable desk chair at the Ramada Limited Suites in El Segundo, California.
Friday, I had a 9:00am appointment at the Federal Building here in Los Angeles to apply for and pick up my passport. The process was quick and smooth, and I was out of the building and headed for the Bicycle Club casino before 9:15. I soon found myself in a ridiculous -- I'm told typical -- California no-limit game. The blinds were $5 and $5, and the action was massive. There were plenty of $500 raises and $1,500 re-raises. One guy in particular was driving the play, but the whole table was perched on the brink of going busto in any given hand. The biggest pot I won happened immediately after I came back to the table from a quick stretch break. I posted the $10 to come in out of turn, and looked down at [T][J] off-suit. I got to see a cheap multi-way flop, and it came down [7][8][9] rainbow. Welcome back. The first player to act bet all in for his last $30. Two players called in front of me, and I flat called with a hammer lock on the pot. The player behind me was pushy, and after thinking for about three minutes, he said, "Two hundred." I managed to keep myself seated motionless untill the action came back around to me. I counted out my stack and moved all in for another $180 or so on top. My opponent sighed and groaned and muttered and I sat like a statue, afraid of doing that wrong thing that might incline him to fold. Finally, he did make the call, and when the board ran out rags, I triumphantly showed down the winning nuts. The hand pretty much played itself, and I ended up stacking two people and pulling in about $900 or so in chips. I found myself on the winning end of a few other pots and walked to the cashier with just short of two full racks of red (yellow) chips, showing a profit of $680 on my $300 buy-in.
I went and booked a room at the Best Western Inn & Suites in Inglewood, grabbed a shower and a shave, and headed back out. Casino number two on the list to visit was Hollywood Park, and it was conveniently located near my hotel (in the ghetto). I headed over there about 8:00pm, and my first impressions weren't particularly positive. I guess it was just an unusual poker environment for me. The room is massive; I would guess about 80 tables or so. When I got into my game, I was handed a rack of the worst chips I have ever played with. They were both slippery and sticky in equal measure. Impossible to shuffle, and I made a fool of myself a couple times trying to unstick the chips from each other to count out a proper bet. Literally the worst chips I've ever seen. The table was friendly though, unlike my cards. I was on an endless string of [8][3] and [9][2]. It wasn't the game to bluff in either, and I ended up donating two buy-ins, giving back $400 of my profit from earlier in the day.
Saturday, I slept in for a long time before rousing myself and heading out aimlessly. I drove north for a while through Venice and Santa Monica. I went as far as the Santa Monica Pier before the crowds and the traffic sent me puttering back to the highway and into Los Angeles proper. Dallas and his lovely (read: hot) wife Amanda invited me over for dinner, and I found their place in Westchester, back along the route I had taken earlier in the day. They are a great couple, and they have the three most beautiful children in all the land, Sam, Maya, and "Beanie". They are also in the process of adopting a fourth child, one from Thailand I believe it is. Dallas and I grilled some steaks to perfection, and Amanda made an amazing salad and cornbread. There was also some fresh pineapple, one of my very favorite fruits to eat fresh. It was capped off with an ice cream cone topped with M&M's, which the kids very much enjoyed wearing.
After dinner, Dallas and I headed back to Hollywood Park to avenge my losses from the previous evening. We sat down at the same table and grinded away for a few hours. Things went south for Dallas, and he got stuck a couple buy-ins -- a little worse than I had done the night before, but not much. I somehow managed to climb into two-rack territory, and cashed out a profit of about $600.
I had every intention of staying to play in Dallas' home game tomorrow night, but as I reconsider, I realize that I have to get back to Vegas tonight. I am headed back east on Wednesday, and I still have tons of loose ends to tie up before I depart. With apologies to Dallas, I am about to load up my gear and hit the road for Sin City. Los Angeles was a blast, and I'll be back soon. California Promises.
Come Monday
It'll be all right
Come Monday
I'll be holdin' you tight
I spent four lonely days
In a brown L.A. haze
And I just want you back by my side
Friday, I had a 9:00am appointment at the Federal Building here in Los Angeles to apply for and pick up my passport. The process was quick and smooth, and I was out of the building and headed for the Bicycle Club casino before 9:15. I soon found myself in a ridiculous -- I'm told typical -- California no-limit game. The blinds were $5 and $5, and the action was massive. There were plenty of $500 raises and $1,500 re-raises. One guy in particular was driving the play, but the whole table was perched on the brink of going busto in any given hand. The biggest pot I won happened immediately after I came back to the table from a quick stretch break. I posted the $10 to come in out of turn, and looked down at [T][J] off-suit. I got to see a cheap multi-way flop, and it came down [7][8][9] rainbow. Welcome back. The first player to act bet all in for his last $30. Two players called in front of me, and I flat called with a hammer lock on the pot. The player behind me was pushy, and after thinking for about three minutes, he said, "Two hundred." I managed to keep myself seated motionless untill the action came back around to me. I counted out my stack and moved all in for another $180 or so on top. My opponent sighed and groaned and muttered and I sat like a statue, afraid of doing that wrong thing that might incline him to fold. Finally, he did make the call, and when the board ran out rags, I triumphantly showed down the winning nuts. The hand pretty much played itself, and I ended up stacking two people and pulling in about $900 or so in chips. I found myself on the winning end of a few other pots and walked to the cashier with just short of two full racks of red (yellow) chips, showing a profit of $680 on my $300 buy-in.
I went and booked a room at the Best Western Inn & Suites in Inglewood, grabbed a shower and a shave, and headed back out. Casino number two on the list to visit was Hollywood Park, and it was conveniently located near my hotel (in the ghetto). I headed over there about 8:00pm, and my first impressions weren't particularly positive. I guess it was just an unusual poker environment for me. The room is massive; I would guess about 80 tables or so. When I got into my game, I was handed a rack of the worst chips I have ever played with. They were both slippery and sticky in equal measure. Impossible to shuffle, and I made a fool of myself a couple times trying to unstick the chips from each other to count out a proper bet. Literally the worst chips I've ever seen. The table was friendly though, unlike my cards. I was on an endless string of [8][3] and [9][2]. It wasn't the game to bluff in either, and I ended up donating two buy-ins, giving back $400 of my profit from earlier in the day.
Saturday, I slept in for a long time before rousing myself and heading out aimlessly. I drove north for a while through Venice and Santa Monica. I went as far as the Santa Monica Pier before the crowds and the traffic sent me puttering back to the highway and into Los Angeles proper. Dallas and his lovely (read: hot) wife Amanda invited me over for dinner, and I found their place in Westchester, back along the route I had taken earlier in the day. They are a great couple, and they have the three most beautiful children in all the land, Sam, Maya, and "Beanie". They are also in the process of adopting a fourth child, one from Thailand I believe it is. Dallas and I grilled some steaks to perfection, and Amanda made an amazing salad and cornbread. There was also some fresh pineapple, one of my very favorite fruits to eat fresh. It was capped off with an ice cream cone topped with M&M's, which the kids very much enjoyed wearing.
After dinner, Dallas and I headed back to Hollywood Park to avenge my losses from the previous evening. We sat down at the same table and grinded away for a few hours. Things went south for Dallas, and he got stuck a couple buy-ins -- a little worse than I had done the night before, but not much. I somehow managed to climb into two-rack territory, and cashed out a profit of about $600.
I had every intention of staying to play in Dallas' home game tomorrow night, but as I reconsider, I realize that I have to get back to Vegas tonight. I am headed back east on Wednesday, and I still have tons of loose ends to tie up before I depart. With apologies to Dallas, I am about to load up my gear and hit the road for Sin City. Los Angeles was a blast, and I'll be back soon. California Promises.
Come Monday
It'll be all right
Come Monday
I'll be holdin' you tight
I spent four lonely days
In a brown L.A. haze
And I just want you back by my side
posted by Eric at
11:32 PM
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