Edinburgh Poker Adventure Part IV -- Great Cash Games

I woke up a little before sunrise on my fifth day in Edinburgh, walked over to the Circus Casino's poker room, and found a nearly full table at 3:20 AM. Is this a great trip or what! The game was not the standard $1/2 no limit but $1/3 -- having followed a large Thursday night tournament that attracted a slightly more deep pocketed crowd than the typical mid-week event. There was one empty seat that I took. On my immediate right was a guy with about $1,200, and with the stripes completely aligned. It didn't take a brilliant reader of tells to figure out that he was likely to be very tight. To my immediate left was a short stacked player. And to his left was the other large stacked player -- a very young guy with about $1,500 in chips. The rest of the players had $400 or less -- soem with only $50 or so.

I bought in for $500 (read "pounds" for "$"). Circus Casino doesn't require the posting of blinds, so I took my first hand in the cutoff position. I was dealt 92 off and folded to the $20 bet made by a player in mid-position. The pot was reraised to $60 by the young guy with the big stack to my left. He ended up hitting a straight, having raised with 47. While I was getting set up with chips and the like I noticed he made other very aggressive moves. I put him down in my mental book as a loose and aggressive player.

On my next hand I was dealt A-10. Two players called the $3 big blind. I was two off the button and made it $20 to go. The young aggressive player called as did another player. Everyone else folded. The flop came T-9-2. The young guy tossed in $25. I figured he was just being his typical aggressive self -- trying to buy the pot. The next player looked at his down cards, thought some, didn't seem to be acting, and finally called the $25. Having top pair and top kicker I made it $100 -- hoping to take the pot right there. The young guy quickly said "All in" and laughed. The third player folded and I thought briefly about what I had seen. Could this young gun really have me beat or was he just making a move on a new guy at the table? I didn't want to lose my stack -- but then I knew that he knew this -- had seen him play aggressively with little before, and figured that this was just the kind of situation I should not back down from. If he had an overpair I still had the three outs with my Ace. So I boldly called.

He flipped over AA. I didn't improve (in fact the case Ace came on the River but that gave him a set). So on my second hand I was down $500. Aaargh.

I did not put my tail between my legs and leave -- though part of me wanted to do just that. I immediately went to the cashier, changed $1,000 US into pounds and received $580 in pound chips to resume my battle.

I sat back down and, unintimidated, fought my way back. After an hour or so, stealing some pots, making some tough calls, and in general playing solid no limit poker, I was back up to even. One hand in particular stands out as memorable.

I was dealt 8c6c in the small blind. The young player to my left, under the gun, raised to $20 -- his standard raise at this hour. Three players, including the tight player to my right called as did I. The flop came 8h7d2c. I bet $50. The young turk called. The tight guy to my right folded -- as I hoped he would.

The turn was the Ad. I bet $100 -- hoping the young guy didn't have an Ace and would assume I did -- and would fold. He called. The river was the beautiful 8s. I bet $200. The young guy thought for a long time -- nearly three minutes, before finally calling me. He had AJ. Lucky me.

They closed for the morning a few hands later. It had been a great session. Though I left down about $40 for the session, I felt great for having clawed back up from such a large deficit in one session. I wasn't sure if I would be playing at this place again during this stay -- but I was certain that I wanted to return. With a
$3\hour table charge and a line up of largely beatable and readable players, I thought that this would be a great place to play regularly. I might make a trip to Edinburgh JUST for the poker.