Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2008 9:06 am Posts: 235 Location: Gulf South
I spent the last few days playing at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, about an hour from where I live in Louisiana. They have a very nice poker room with some very good employees. I've been playing there for several years now and I'd guess you'd call it home base. Incidently I looked for Mrs. Fox when I was there but didn't see her. I would like to say hello to her since I enjoyed reading her blog when she tried the Las Vegas poker scene recently.
I play at Harrah's in New Orleans and some at the IP, but on the whole, the level of play at the Beau is quite a bit better. I play $1-2 so I can't speak for the higher NL games although I suspect that Harrah's would hold it's own talent wise in the higher limit games.
The first thing I noticed was that they've returned to a regular rake instead of a timed rake. I asked one of the floor managers why and he said they had decided to be more competitive. My guess is that their big competition is the IP and they want to keep the heat on. I did stroll over to the Hard Rock next door on Saturday morning before we left and they had no games going while the Beau had 5 or 6 tables going at well before noon. Now for a little poker. I decided to play some $4-8 limit before dinner on Friday night after we arrived and got stuck for $140 in about an hour. ugh. I usually do okay at that game, but it was one of those days. Anyway after dinner I switched to $1-2 and was able to grind my way to even before the evening was over. The next day I was able to play for another 3 hours or so and was able to pick up another $150 so I was happy with the effort. I played again the next day for 5 hours and managed another win of $250. The table was pretty active but you really had to have a plan when you played a hand because they would test you.
I did have a very interesting hand (at least it was for me) and after I post this one, I'm sure I'll get called every kind of a dummy for playing it the way I did. First a little background. We had the best LAG player I've have ever played against at our table. He was an extremely likable Asian Guy (AG) who was seemly in every hand and he absolutely ran over the table. He did get some good hands which added to the difficulty. He was not afraid to throw a pot sized bet out there pretty frequently which could very easily be in the $80 - $100 range which represented a fair portion of most of anyone's stack. At the time of this hand I had about $500 behind and AG had $600-$700. Anyway I get dealt AA in early position and make a standard $12 raise getting 3 callers including AG. We go to the flop (K 10 8 rainbow) and I decided to see what would happen so I checked. Well it was checked all the way around to AG who is last to act and he bets out $25. Since it was him I raised to $50 and it folds back around to him. When it gets to AG, he says "lets play" and raises it to $250. Well this was the biggest raise of the day for him so it sure got my attention. Of course I'm now kicking myself for not just calling but the milk has already been spilled. I tanked for a bit then laid them down. My reasoning was based on two things. First I was up around $300 for the day and it was pretty clear to me that my whole stack was going in at this point so I was about to turn a $300 profit into a $200 loss if I dropped this hand. Honestly that was the most important factor although due to the size of his bet I put him on 2 of a kind or a set, most likely a set. I did truly believe I was behind at that point Okay, there it is now go ahead and pillory me for how I played the hand. However before you do, I'm guessing unless my pre-flop raise was very outsized, I was going to get called by AG because he would play almost anything-especially when it was a nice sized pre-flop pot. He would get out of a hand if it looked grim for him and he did lose a few big ones, but he chipped up from around $400 to $900 while I was at the table with him. Okay give it to me boys and girls.
Oh by the way when I left the table I asked him about the hand and he told me that he had 2 pair on the flop so I felt a little better.
Glad you enjoy the games at the Beau. I play there pretty frequently as well, normally in the 5/10NL game on the weekends. Please come introduce yourself if you come back to the Beau!
As far as the hand, it definitely wasn't played optimally, but I am OK with your laydown based on how it was played.
Optimally, I would bet this flop that way I don't have to check and decide what to do based on others actions. In general, its better to control the flow of the hand yourself, and set your own price by betting. With about $50 in the pot, i would bet in the $40 range on this flop. If AG raises, then its time to play poker and you need to decide based on his sizing if you have the best hand or not. Unfortunately I can't help you in deciding that. Assuming he was truthful in saying he had 2 pair, then you made a good fold. If he was lying, this illustrates why a check raise then fold is a bad line, because you put added money in the pot then don't even get to see the turn card.
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2008 9:06 am Posts: 235 Location: Gulf South
Thanks for your comments, I sure can't argue with your advice here since the line I took was such a stinker. I don't think I'll be playing $5-$10 with you very soon unless I get a lot better. I was there again last weekend and had a good time. Boy the place was rockin' Sunday night, must have been because of the big tourney. I didn't play in it, although I would have liked too. Hope to see you soon at the Beau.
Thanks for your comments, I sure can't argue with your advice here since the line I took was such a stinker. I don't think I'll be playing $5-$10 with you very soon unless I get a lot better. I was there again last weekend and had a good time. Boy the place was rockin' Sunday night, must have been because of the big tourney. I didn't play in it, although I would have liked too. Hope to see you soon at the Beau.
Yeah, I was there playing cash games Sunday night and it was super busy. I'll be there the next 3 nights. Come introduce yourself if you see me. If you don't know who I am just ask the floor to point me out. See you soon!
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 8:33 pm Posts: 557 Location: Wherever the bed bugs call home
Minireview: I played at the Beau Rivage this past week, and let me say: It was the most fun I've EVER had playing poker. I've never played in games that deep. The 1-2 played with 200-1k stacks (7/10 were 600+ stacks). The 2-5 avg stack was about 3.5k. I usually play in some short stacking games, so I was a bit timid after winning $600 ($800 stack) and still having it covered by half the table at 1-2. The players are average, just buy in for MUCH MUCH more than your typical room. The trip started off amazing, as in, the best I've ever done, but then the cards soured the next couple days and I "gave" a lot back (quotes because I still would've been positive for the next couple days if my 85%s would've held up).
As in all poker rooms, watch your money (isn't exactly easy when you are trying to figure out your opponents play for future considerations while looking at the board when the dealer is pulling in the chips); one dealer accidentally shorted me by $300 on an all-in which i quickly corrected (he grabbed my bills, put them out in front, and then neglected to count them). A couple of the dealers 'seemed' a bit rude/not-as-friendly-toward-non-locals despite what i considered overtipping, but that may just be my over sensitivity. The floor was nice, they even remembered my name! I say that despite being scolded like a child for stepping over the rail to go to the bathroom (hey, i was against the wall).
Also, I could've sworn i saw BB in the 9/10 seat on the table right behind the podium... was that you a couple days ago (Friday night)? Just basing that on your avatar =). Whoever it was, he seemed to be having a good time.
I highly suggest everyone check out the Beau at least once if you like action at the 1-2, 2-5 level.
_________________ "I would rather make the gravest of mistakes than surrender my own judgment. "
YES! I played there Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night in the 2/5 games. I wish you would have said hi and introduced yourself! Glad you enjoyed it though. I love playing there and they treat the players great.
I never much liked the action there compared to new Orleans, or the room itself. But you are right about the staff and how well the room is run. I do feel like the games are not as soft as new Orleans, and everyone seems like a regular (bad for profit IMO). I haven't played larger than 1/2 there and it does play deep, but not deep like harrahs and not as loose either. If I were grinding and trying to reduce variance this would be the place for it. If you want to get paid off, play at harrahs. Even tho the games are 1/2-2/5 they play MUUUUCH higher. I've seen over 80k on a 2/5 table there a few times.
Actually the 1-2 and 2-5 games at Harrahs NOLA have capped buy ins whereas the NL games at the Beau Rivage are uncapped. I have about 1000 hours of play at both casinos. My thoughts: The games at the Beau play deeper on average than Harrahs The games at Harrahs are softer during the week than the games at the Beau The games during the weekend are relatively soft at both places The games at the Beau have more regs in them on average than Harrahs The staff and comp policy at the Beau is far far far better than at Harrahs
Well harrahs has a cap on the starting buy in of 300 dollars at 1/2 but you can still buy up to the largest stack. Used to be half he largest stack. Idk Benton, if someone's stacked 1500 at a 1/2 game will people come in for more? People may start off stacked deeper, but is there enough new money coming into the room consistently to keep your game full ring? Do people often just buy in for 2k at 1/2 there? And again, I'm basing my information from a lot of play at harrahs, minimal at the beau. I take what information I can get about Mississippi casinos. Living in new Orleans not much reason for me to drive an hour and a half to play when I can be at harrahs in 15 min. Perhaps I should just ask. Are there reasons for me to go to the beau more often? Anything more than just a lil change of scenery?
I rarely ever play 1/2 so I'm not sure to be honest. I would say the average stack is about $500. I can say that the average in 2/5 is deeper at the Beau than Harrahs but that doesn't mean the games better. I mean the other day in a 2/5 game I bought in for ~15k. There were two other stacks that were 7k+. The game sucked. So stack size doesn't relate to great games. I'd say the better games are in NOLA due to more tourist traffic. If I lived in Nola I'd go to the beau during tourneys and when I need a change of scenery on the weekend, as the weekday games are pretty rocky. Hope to meet you one day in Nola.
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