Live Poker: Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, NV

Had a great time this afternoon lunching with Bob, the Poker Grump, over at the Palms. As those of you who read Bob’s blog know, he is a regular player who has played at most of the cardrooms in Vegas. As such, he had built up some bucks on his Palms player’s card, with which he generously took care of our tasty Mexican meal at Garduños.

We had a good time talking blogs, online poker, the WSOP, among other topics. Afterwards, Bob suggested we run over to the poker room for some low limit HE. Feeling a bit fatigued (am still waking too early), I said I thought I was probably too tired for cards, so we hopped on the elevator to go back to the parking deck.

Then I changed my mind. I had the rest of the day free, and wasn’t that pooped. And who knows how packed my schedule is gonna be starting the end of this week? So we rode back to the casino & strode over to the poker room.

We got on the list and took a seat at an empty table. Bob pointed out one of the dealers, named Murph, and mentioned he kept a blog, too. (Which I have since checked out -- cool stuff.) After five minutes or so a spot opened up and I took it. Bob came around to watch. In fact, Murph dealt the first couple of hands I played.

Started out receiving a steady diet of lousy starters -- I’d get deuce-trey no less than four times during the couple of hours we played -- and so I wasn’t involved with very many hands. Finally picked up in late position and limped in. The fellow to my left raised, and a good six or seven of us saw the flop come 8-9-10 rainbow. Checked around to me and I bet, the button raised, and everyone folded. I three-bet it, and when he just called I was fairly sure I was okay. Turn was a trey and he called my bet. I checked the 7 on the river, but he checked behind, showing A-10. After tipping the dealer I was up $14.

Bob ended up taking his seat shortly afterwards, sitting on my left. Have to admit, knowing Bob’s experience, while I liked the fact we were sitting close enough to chat some, I was thinking I’d rather be on the other side of him. He’d end up cracking my Big Slick on one hand. Then on another I rivered a king-high flush to crack his kings.

A little later on I limped in with to take a flop with six or seven others -- one of the very few non-typical hands I played the whole day. Bob instantly made me rethink my decision to play such crap by raising it up. Everyone called (of course), and when the flop came I was glad I was in the hand. Three more diamonds.

Checked to me and I bet it. Bob and all but one of the rest folded. We made it the river without the board pairing, my opponent calling me down the whole way, and I took a largish pot. I also got entered into the diamond flush jackpot they have at the Palms, meaning if my name gets drawn tomorrow morning, I’ll score an extra hundy for my good fortune.

In order to get in the drawing, I had to get a player card, which I happily did. The floor manager took my ID to take care of it, then came back over to tell me my state was one that didn’t allow its citizens to get player cards. “That’s fine!” I said jovially, falling for the joke like the rube I am. After the laughter died down, he returned shortly afterwards to give me my player card. Later on when I cashed out, I thanked him for making an “exception” for me.

I ended up $51 ahead, pocketing one of the chips for a souvenir. I’d hit some cards, but wasn’t the luckiest one at the table. That would have to have been the fellow to my right, who made two diamond flushes, and on another hand managed to flop quad aces to secure another jackpot ($116, I think). On that hand the player to his right had raised preflop and he’d three-bet, so the two were heads-up. His opponent checked the flop and he bet it, and his opponent in response folded his K-Q face up. The winner then showed his aces, and the floor was called over to take care of the jackpot. Amid all the congratulations, Bob asked what I thought was a salient question: “Were you afraid he’d draw out on you?”

We left not too long afterwards, and as we walked out of the Palms I told Bob I was glad we went back to play. (Read more about the session from Bob’s POV over at his blog.)

Would definitely be cool to win that drawing. I mean, really, wouldn’t it be a lot more fun just to keep flopping flushes & winning jackpots than actually to have to visit the ATM?