Alan Ng Pechanga Poker Report

For you low limit players, I've had a great deal of success at Pachanga Casino in Temecula, CA. I love this casino. They have a great poker room. It's large and there's a lot of tourist. For those of you who have been following my blog, you know that I like playing low limit and the way to make a lot of money at low limit is to play tourist. Especially playing those who want to learn poker.

Two month ago, I won $80 and just yesterday I won $120. That's almost unheard of when you play $2-$4 Limit hold'em.

Approaching the Game

When playing live poker, it's important to have a basic strategy and to pay attention constantly. My strategy is always build an aggressive table image and don't play loose. When you first sit down, it's important to understand the kind of players you are with and then build a strategy to play against their weaknesses.

Invariable at low limit games against weak player, you run into two types of players, the maniac and the calling stations. Maniacs always bet at the pot thinking that they will steal it. Calling stations will call to the river with any hand.

Round 1

The best thing about playing against tourist versus online is that when you win, you win big. If you normally play against good players, you're pot of often $12 - $20. Against loose tourist, you pots can earn you $40 - $60. The real money is drawing to straights, flushes and full houses. Because you'll destroy everyone who holds onto their top pairs.

I usually go to Pechanga before my shows on Saturday. I have about two hours to play. I usually like to play 4 hours. When you sit down at the $2 - $4 tables, the rake is very high. In fact, when the blinds are posted $2 big/$1 small. The blinds are immediately taken from the pot.

Two notes here. Because the rake is so high, the only way to counter that is by winning more and losing less. Sounds simple but it's true. If you're playing every hand, you will lose money. You need to play fewer hands.

Second, because the blinds are removed immediately, it's more difficult to raise pre-flop. In fact, I rarely raise preflop. If I'm the first to act, once the blinds are post and I raise, If everyone folds, I win nothing. Also, if I raise in late position, especially on the button, no one will fold if they came in for a bet. So raising to isolate is useless. Save your money and decide how you'll play post flop. The best time to raise preflop is in middle position with at least two people betting. Then you have a chance to knock other players out.

Let me highlight a few hands from table. When I sit down, I want to see who I'm playing with. At this particular table. I had weak aggressive players and one good player.

After about an hour of playing, I'm at break even using the principles stated above. After 90 minutes of play, no one has ever raised preflop. I am in late position and I'm dealt pocket aces. I decide to go against my strategy and raise with pocket aces. I'm thinking someone will fold. Lo and behold, no one folds. With 9 players at the table and my raise there is now $32 in the pot ($4 rake removed). The flop comes 9-6-2 rainbow (no flush draws). I bet $2. Everyone calls. Now there is $50 in the pot. The turn brings a King. Great card for me. I bet and everyone folds except two other players. Pot is now at $62. The river brings a rag. I bet and then called for an additional $12. I flip over my pocket aces and I take home $74. This is why you play tourist.

The good poker player was in the hand till the end. He said that he figured that I might have Aces from the start, but he was willing to make the investment. Let me reiterate my point. At a good poker table, half of the table would have folded preflop. Instead of winning an average size pot, I win a huge pot.

Round 2

Let me tell you about yesterday, since it's fresh in my mind. I sit down and before I do, I like to have a choice of seats. I'm usually looking for the aggressive players and I try to get to their right. The table only had four players. Seats 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 were open. I picked the aggressive players at seats 7,9. So I took seat 3. Great choice. Directly to my left and right were tight players.

After about two hand, new players showed up and filled the tables. Here's the breakdown of the table:

Seat 1 - New player and calling station. She plays down any hand and rarely folds. She raises with a made hand. She was winning a lot of hands, which is good because she has confidence that any hand will win. If I ever have a premium hand, she'll pay me off.
Seat 2 - Tight player. Plays made hands and raises premium hands.
Seat 3 - Me
Seat 4 - Tight player.
Seat 5 - Casino regular. Aggressive with no fear.
Seat 6 - Tight player.
Seat 7 - Casino regular. Aggressive and has played seat 5 many times and love beating him. Seat 7 is the maniac, who likes to bet in order to steal the pot.
Seat 8 - Tight player.
Seat 9 - Tight aggressive player, who likes to bluff.

This is my competition. My basic hand selections is any ace, any king suited, any pocket pair, any high connectors and any suited connectors.

Here's a few highlights. I'm dealt A-7 unsuited in middle position. I realize it's a loose call, but good enough to limp. The flop comes J-7-4. I hit middle pair and seat 9 bets to steal. I call with middle pair because the size of the pot is going to grow giving me proper pot odds for my $2 call to hit an ace or 7. If I don't hit on the turn, I'm out. The turn comes my ace. Perfect. I have two pair. It's checked to the calling station at seat 1. She raises. I figure she hit the ace and my two pair is going to beat her. Seat 2 calls and I raise. My strategy is to get down to me and seat 1. I don't want anyone else to get lucky. It works and everyone folds to seat 1. She calls and seat 2 calls because he's already made a bet. The river is a rag. Seats 1 and 2 check and I bet. I flip over my two pair, seat one shows her aces and I win a nice pot.

When you have a lot of callers, go for straight and flush draws. I won a few hand on the river with a made straight. These hands bring in enough money to make it worth while.

A few hands later, I'm in the small blind and I'm dealt 7-2 diamonds. I thought wouldn't it be funny if I could win with this. I call in the small blind and the flop comes K-J-7 with 1 diamond. A pair of 7 is worth a call on the flop. Rag hits another diamond. I decide to call the next bet. The turn is a 7 to give me a set. The board is bet and I reraise. The maniac says I better not have a 7 and I flip it over.

Here's some insight:

When tight players raise, they have a hand. Fold if you don't have a premium hand.
When a maniac charges the pot to steal, challenge them only if you have a hand. If you have top pair, an over pair or an ace. Reraise or call.

I won about three more big hands. I entered the table with $100 and I'm now at $250 and I have to go soon to perform. I decided to leave before the big blind hit. But because I have a lot of money I thought I'd be nice and pay through my blinds. I also played Q-x suited, just to get some money back into the mix. After the blinds passed and I entered middle position I left. Image is everything. I may have won big, but I didn't want to rub it in.