Oh Canada

Just got back from three days in Ontario. My wife and I fell in love with the Niagara Falls area late last year, especially a little town called Niagara on the Lake, on the shores of Lake Ontario. We did the touristy stuff last time we were there, but this time we got a nice room in a bed and breakfast and planned to hike, bike, and relax.

Well, not quite what we hoped. Lots of rain meant only one bike run, and no hiking. We still had lots of fun, but my girl was disappointed that her plans did not work out.

I did get to play a little poker. Can I mention how much I HATE capped 50BB buy-in no limit poker? It's not poker, it's craps until you can get a deeper stack. Played for an hour at Casino Niagara and lost with AK to the mighty Q9. Then I played a while at Seneca and got it all in with AA raising a late position's flop continuation bet with pocket sevens, only to see him turn a gutshot and river a flush. Made some of it back and then it was time for the tournament.

Worst. Tournament structure. Ever. You start with $600 in chips, unlimited rebuys for one hour, 15 minute levels. 25-25, 25-50, 50-75, 50-100. Then they do a dealer tip add-on. Long story short I do two "top-off" rebuys early and finish at the break with $1950 when my top pair holds up against a club draw. I hate getting it all in with a pair, but the structure demands it and the shoddy play made it easier to bear.

Speaking of shoddy plays, I lasted less than twenty minutes after the break after building my stack to $2600 in about three hands. Across the table is the biggest donkey I've ever seen in live play. He had been playing next to me at the cash game and he was happy to get it all in with a gutshot or a 10-high flush draw, or bet big on the come. And I'm not talking LAGgy, I'm talking "I'm playing craps with cards."

I find A-10 on the button and raise 3x to 600. All fold except donk in BB. Flop is A-K-6 rainbow. He looks at me, looks at his chips, and bets $1000. This is one of those getting more common times in my live play where I have been paying attention, and I know that I know that I know that he has a weak pair, the King, or a gutshot. If I had $10K in chips maybe I could get away from this hand, but what else can I do with only 2K but push. He calls immediately.

With King 5 soooooted. I don't have to tell you what the turn card was, and I did not river a better two pair. The donkey has the audacity to taunt after he catches his 22%.

I don't care if someone outdraws me normally. It stings in a cash game, but that's what reloading is for. But when someone is that bad (who in the blue hell thinks K5 is good there), I make a good read, and get him to call all in drawing to 7 outs (with me having 8 outs of my own if he catches the 5 and not the King), that stings. I may have been less than charitable.

The bankroll is looking a bit slimmer than I had hoped 30 days before Mayhem. Back to the double shootouts and rebuys I guess! Onward and upward!