Recently I was in Iowa on business and found out that they have poker rooms all across that state. I found myself at the poker room outside of Des Moines, Prairie Meadows. I got there in the early afternoon and they had lists for the 3-6 limit game, a 1-2 no limit game and a 2-5 pot limit omaha hi/lo game. It was not until 2pm that I sat down in a 3-6 game. I made $40 in an hour. I moved to the newly opened, and short (4 men) 1-2 no limit game and left three hours later up a buy in.
The dealers were pretty good, they moved the game quickly, the rake was max $4 a hand, there was not a time rake ( I was very happy to see that) and though there was every reason to deal slower than normal those dealers did not.
At one point I was playing with phone ring tones through the Zedge application and played a Samuel L. Jackson ring tone as the next dealer sat down, the ring tone said this, "Shut the F&%K up Fat man!" The dealer looked like Santa Clause, the white beard and large frame...I felt like crap for the round and tipped more than normal whenever I won.
The funny thing about this place was you knew who was good, who was average and who were the fish, and the locals did not tap on the fishbowl at all. I made so many mistakes, I missed bets, I checked down with the best hands, I basically let the cards play and could have made another buy in. One of the locals who sat down with $200, was sitting with over $1000 as I left. He picked the right spots and the right fish to snap off and I will tell you those fish were not believers, they called down with the second best every time, chased the one outers and snapped off the average players only to give that money to two of the better players at the table. I was not one of them, but I kept my distance as I was still trying to re-learn how to ride the bicycle.
Prairie Meadows only downfall is that the poker room is on the third floor. They have about 12 tables, other than that, there is decent action, if you abc it you will win. The dealers are excellent, but I did get a bit upset with one of the dealers who heard me playing the ring tones for most of his down but when one of the better regulars got in the game, "Sir, please don't do that during a hand in progress." It pissed me off only because he should have said that the first time I did it when others were in the hand. Was I the only black guy in the room, yes, but never felt like that was a problem and I won't say that this was why he did it but I think he got some back bone because he wanted to show out for that regular.
I played later at Riverside out side of Iowa City, much bigger poker room about 20 tables, only three were going when I got there, (a soon to be busted) 2-5 no limit, a must move 1-2 and a main 1-2 nl game. I continued my streak of playing bad but it got worse. I called a $112 bet with $74 in the pot with pocket 8's, with one card to come, the board had a 7, 9, 6, 2 on the board. I had 10 outs, but did not fold. J on the river he tables aces. Not a bad beat, me being a lunchbox and paying this kid off. He played it well and got me to make a mistake, what upset me four hands later was how he played his pocket jacks. So four hands later he is in middle position and there are two limpers to him, he pops it to 12 a 2-5 player from the broken game calls and another player in early position calls. The flop is 664, early checks, he bets $25, late (2-5 player calls) so does the early position player. Turn is a 5, early checks he bets...$25! Late calls, so does the limper. River is an 8. Early checks, HE CHECKS, river bets $75, early folds, pocket jacks shoves for $225. Late takes some time thinks it through and eventually calls, he hit a freaking straight on the river, of course this kid is upset because he thought is jacks should have won. What happened to protecting that pot on the turn? Any way, I make another bad call with AK suited on a paired board when my suit gets there on the river. He had a full house. My last mistake was to not price a kid out of an open ended straight on the turn, he hit the river against my set of jacks. All mistakes by me, myself and I. 'nuff said.
Iowa was fun, and there is a heck of a lot of corn!
Just wanted to give a huge shout out to Poker Monkey and an awesome finish in the WSOP main event, he gave me something to be excited about since I could not be there, checking on how he was doing while walking around with my cell phone this weekend.
Alright, you all stay nice as rice and mello as jello!
