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As part of
a week trip to Buffalo and surroundings to see old school chums, other relatives
and friends (20 in total) I played some poker at Seneca Niagara. It was a slow
period and I found the casino much different than I had found it on my last trip
a few years ago. Then there were times when they spread two 3/6 limit games. Now
we were lucky to see one. In fact, I could only expect that action on the
weekend, and actually only encountered it on Friday night. I love that game
because it has a 5/10 kill if a pot reaches $60. Unlike the kills in Vegas where
I might win two small hands in a row and redistribute my entire profit on the
kill button, here I am protected by the kill being tripped by $60 in the pot
(rake included) Playing a bit higher than 2/4 means that the terrible way NY
rakes the pots is offset. Here the house takes most of the rake after the flop,
so that small pots with tight players might see the house take in 33% of the pot
on a 2/4 table. The rake is the same on 3/6 or 5/10 so the action overcomes the
bad practice and brings the rake down closer to a consistent 10%. I was on an
ideal table, one with a maniac raising on nothing. However, I did not get the
cards that would make me rich. The maniac caught over and over on the river,
usually against other players, but a couple times against me. Eventually, he
could not sustain what was just bold luck and he lost it all but again it did
not go in my direction. Still, I loved the game. Players on both 3/6 and 2/4
were mixed with some newbies overplaying nothing and perhaps half a table of
good, solid players. No one was over aggressive except the one maniac. It was an
ideal game. 2/4 was good but I could not keep my money. My nephew Chris came
with me on Saturday night and we played for a long while at the same table. I
was up over a hundred when the table went to 5. I lost it all back.
Interestingly the dealer stopped raking small pots, so it kept me there playing.
But when I was down to $6 profit, I called it a night.
We went next to play video poker. There is one full
pay 8/5 bonus in the casino, but I did not find that one. We played 7/5 Bonus
that offers 98.01% payback. Not great, but certainly better than any of the
slots and better than the 8/5 JOB. I usually refuse to play those low tables,
but now that I am down to one Vegas trip this year, I am bending a bit just for
the fun, and I always bend if my nephew plays with me.
We did not have any luck.
I was down $510 when I left. On the way home I stopped
at Turning Stone and picked up $82 on the 2/4 table. I arrived about noon and
was seated at the first table; by midafternoon there were three tables and each
contained some players who knew very little about the game and called less than
second best hands.
I did not have
any great cards. Once at the second table I had A-Q unsuited and on the turn
was faced with one opponent who bet. He was not a great player, so I raised.
He called and called the river. He held 10-10. Other players on the table
groaned a bit and looked at me. I had raised with not much.
"I just had a feeling," I said. But I hope they knew I
had played the person rather than the cards, so they would respect some push out
bet in the future.
I left up $82
and pretty tired as I had less than 4 hours sleep and a quick nap in the parking
lot along the Thruway.
So, it was
not a winning trip.
I did park at the casino and walk to the Falls one morning. It is not very far to see the American side.
a week trip to Buffalo and surroundings to see old school chums, other relatives
and friends (20 in total) I played some poker at Seneca Niagara. It was a slow
period and I found the casino much different than I had found it on my last trip
a few years ago. Then there were times when they spread two 3/6 limit games. Now
we were lucky to see one. In fact, I could only expect that action on the
weekend, and actually only encountered it on Friday night. I love that game
because it has a 5/10 kill if a pot reaches $60. Unlike the kills in Vegas where
I might win two small hands in a row and redistribute my entire profit on the
kill button, here I am protected by the kill being tripped by $60 in the pot
(rake included) Playing a bit higher than 2/4 means that the terrible way NY
rakes the pots is offset. Here the house takes most of the rake after the flop,
so that small pots with tight players might see the house take in 33% of the pot
on a 2/4 table. The rake is the same on 3/6 or 5/10 so the action overcomes the
bad practice and brings the rake down closer to a consistent 10%. I was on an
ideal table, one with a maniac raising on nothing. However, I did not get the
cards that would make me rich. The maniac caught over and over on the river,
usually against other players, but a couple times against me. Eventually, he
could not sustain what was just bold luck and he lost it all but again it did
not go in my direction. Still, I loved the game. Players on both 3/6 and 2/4
were mixed with some newbies overplaying nothing and perhaps half a table of
good, solid players. No one was over aggressive except the one maniac. It was an
ideal game. 2/4 was good but I could not keep my money. My nephew Chris came
with me on Saturday night and we played for a long while at the same table. I
was up over a hundred when the table went to 5. I lost it all back.
Interestingly the dealer stopped raking small pots, so it kept me there playing.
But when I was down to $6 profit, I called it a night.
We went next to play video poker. There is one full
pay 8/5 bonus in the casino, but I did not find that one. We played 7/5 Bonus
that offers 98.01% payback. Not great, but certainly better than any of the
slots and better than the 8/5 JOB. I usually refuse to play those low tables,
but now that I am down to one Vegas trip this year, I am bending a bit just for
the fun, and I always bend if my nephew plays with me.
We did not have any luck.
I was down $510 when I left. On the way home I stopped
at Turning Stone and picked up $82 on the 2/4 table. I arrived about noon and
was seated at the first table; by midafternoon there were three tables and each
contained some players who knew very little about the game and called less than
second best hands.
I did not have
any great cards. Once at the second table I had A-Q unsuited and on the turn
was faced with one opponent who bet. He was not a great player, so I raised.
He called and called the river. He held 10-10. Other players on the table
groaned a bit and looked at me. I had raised with not much.
"I just had a feeling," I said. But I hope they knew I
had played the person rather than the cards, so they would respect some push out
bet in the future.
I left up $82
and pretty tired as I had less than 4 hours sleep and a quick nap in the parking
lot along the Thruway.
So, it was
not a winning trip.
I did park at the casino and walk to the Falls one morning. It is not very far to see the American side.