I always win at the casino. Despite my lackluster success the last couple years in home games, I never lose for real money in a real setting. Today was a personal best. Playing an hour and half at 1-3 no limit, I ended up $525. Oh yeah, baby!
Why do I win in the ‘real’ world? I think it’s because I play conservative. I just don’t play bad hands. I’ll stare into space for as long as it takes to get starting hands. I bluff rarely, and only I’ve already established a table image as a very tight player.
Tonight I played well, and I got lucky. The second hand I had pocket kings, which led to $80 profit. Twenty minutes later my suited A-9 caught the nut flush on the river.
It was time to leave. The Celtics* game had just ended. I would play one or more two hands and call it a night. One fellow who liked to straddle did it again. I had taken him three out of four big hands already. I figured I’d try a bluff, and raised it up even with a lousy 10-2 of hearts. He called. Dang! Fortunately the flop was three hearts. He had flopped a set, and we were soon all in against each other. That one hand made me over $300.
Ah. Feels good!
* I couldn’t bet on the Celtics. It turns out that Caesar’s Palace actually owns a piece of the Celtics, so can’t take action. Just as well, they won but didn’t cover the spread.