Why don't you come closer, promise a story I will tell

Since nobody offered me any words of encouragement or support yesterday in my time of need, I had to look for it on my own. Ha! Just kidding.

Yet I did find inspiration in the form of Commander William T. Riker, of the Starship Enterprise (The New Generation). Without elaborating, let's just say it's a really good thing I don't have cable TV at home. In yesterday's episode, Riker, Data (an android) and Worf (a Klingon) get trapped inside a...you guessed it...casino. This casino was apparently constructed by some alien species in order to house a human being that they found. The aliens had no guidelines other than a dimestore novel called "Hotel Royale", which they found on the human's ship. So, everything in the casino was just as it was in the book. I had never seen this episode, but after about 5 minutes, my feeling was that at some point glamour boy Riker would be involved in gambling for all the marbles. So I got out the pen and paper to take some notes.

Worf, who almost always gets relegated to the auxiliary roles, did manage to get the best line in. When Riker, Data, and Worf come across the decomposed body of the original human, Riker says "Looks like he died in his sleep." To this, Worf replies with what can only be construed as the sincerest sympathy, "What a terrible way to die!" Classic Klingon warrior mindset.

Anyway, Riker and Co. eventually figure out that to escape the casino, they must live out the novel as the foreign investors that purchase the hotel at the end of the story. So they hit the craps table, break the bank, buy the hotel, and are able to leave. So I realized at that point that craps is the game I should be playing, and I gave it a try yesterday and won $3400!

OK, not really. But what I did do is start my own novel. It was a very simple beginning: "Good news! Last night I won $300." That was all I wrote. I figured that I would then simply go and live out the novel. If there ever was a foolproof plan, this was it.

I decided to check out the Palms casino based on a few recommendations. I ended up really liking it. There is something about that casino that is very relaxed and peaceful. The best way I can describe it is that if felt "normal", as opposed to virtually all the Strip casinos, which are overstated and rather in-your-face. I ended up making $520 on the night at their $2-$5 game. In the Star Trek episode, Riker also wins extra money and distributes it to the other patrons after buying the hotel. However, even though my story was written to win only $300, it is not yet finished, so I kept the extra $220 until I know more about how it ends.

Chuy again got the Korn reference. Today's is kind of tough.

HAND OF THE DAY:
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I've noticed in the past that often, after making a large raise with a really good hand that is not the nuts, I will call an over-the-top re-raise quickly, and without thinking. This is a habit that I would like to break. Most of the time my hand is strong enough that I would call anyway, but a prudent player would take it slow and consider the situation before committing a significant amount of chips to the pot.

So yesterday, I had both red jacks on the button. A few limpy-limp callers were in front of me, so I raised to $30. At this stage of the night, I'd been playing tight and also hitting a lot of big pocket pairs, so my bets carried a lot of weight at the table. So imagine my surprise when a woman re-raised me all-in for another $52!

I got slightly confused at that point, and tried to figure out what was going on. I'd forgotten that I was on the button, and started looking around the table for it. I was trying to see what postition this woman was in. If she had been first or second to act, it would have increased the likelihood that she had been slow-playing AA or KK. Eventually I figured out that she was really in middle position, and the lack of an initial raise most likely meant high cards or a small pocket pair, so I called. Turns out she had 66 and got no help, so I took the pot.

Now of course, even if she did have AA or KK, I'm roughly a 4-1 underdog, and I'd likely call a $52 raise anyway. But the point is that it's a good idea to get in the habit of taking your time before any decision of this type. What if she had $75 more and was UTG? In the past, I would have called without thinking, so this represents a step in the right direction for me.

Play well!