I Love Commerce Casino

Commerce Casino in the Los Angeles area has always been one of my favorite places to play poker. It has it all – professional dealers, great game selection, and good food that is comped for those who play (I always put on a few unneeded pounds whenever I go there). Sadly, I don't have the opportunity to play there often, as business and family responsibilities keep me closer to home in Las Vegas these days.



I had not been to Commerce Casino in about four years until a couple of weeks ago. I was in for a pleasant surprise, as the casino has been expanded, a new high-roller section has been added, and there were six $40-$80 hold'em games going on a Wednesday night, which is definitely a lot for a traditionally weak poker night. I also ran into a number of old friends and acquaintances, and it was good to see them.



I took a seat and had been playing for quite a while in one of the $40-$80 games when I picked up the A♣ Q♣ under the gun. This is a hand that can be played for either a call or a raise from that position. When I am faced with such situations, those that can be played in two or more differing manners, I weigh the factors favoring each play and make the best determination of what to do from that analysis.



In this situation, I had a tight image and most of my opponents were cautious or fearful of my raises, particularly those that came from an upfront position. That fact spoke to a raise, as taking the blinds with this hand would not be a bad result. Yeah, I'd rather win a big pot with the hand, but $60 strange in my stack is never a bad result.



However, the big blind was the loosest player at the table, one who defended his blinds religiously, which negated some of the value of raising. For that reason, I chose to limp in with the hand, hoping to get volume, hit the hand, acquire additional bets from players drawing thin or dead, and win a big one.



Alas, in poker as in life, things do not always go according to plan. Only one player called behind me (and he was tight and straightforward), and the big blind knuckled. We took the flop threehanded with $140 in the pot.



The flop came down A 8 3, giving me top pair, good kicker, and a backdoor-flush draw. The big blind led into the field and I pondered my best play. Previously in the session, I had seen the same player lead from the blind when an ace hit the board in a shorthanded pot, and suspected that this was a bluff. Bluffing was a play he had a high likelihood of making. It just seemed that larceny was in his heart, and he was taking shots at every reasonable opportunity.



I like to make lots of trap plays against players who frequently bluff, especially in small pots, where the ratio of bets to be won by trapping to the pot size is favorable to me. I just call them, and let them bluff their chips off in situations where they are beaten and likely would not call a bet. The value of the additional bets in those situations is often very high, as my opponent is often drawing dead or very slim. But when players are yet to act behind me, the situation is much more risky. I do not want to give them a cheap card to draw out on me, which might be correct for them to do. When manipulating opponents, you want to make sure that you are not manipulating the situation as a whole to enable other opponents to make correct plays, as it may take away much if not all of the value of your play.



I thought about how this particular situation would play. Since the pot was small, there was significantly less risk in letting in the player behind me for a cheap card. The bettor was not someone who put much emphasis on reading hands, and would be unlikely to put me on an ace and shut down on the turn. He was the type of player who just kept betting until he faced resistance. All things considered, the situation seemed like one in which I should trap, even though I had a player yet to act behind me, which reduced the value of the play. I flat-called the big blind's wager. The player behind me folded.



The turn card was the Q, giving me top two pair and increasing the chances that my opponent was drawing slim. Once again he led into me, and once again I flat-called, looking to induce further action on the river. I didn't want to run the guy off the pot if he had total blanks, which I thought was quite possible given his style.

The river brought the 9. Once again he fired $80 into the pot. This time, I popped it, hoping that he had a strong enough hand with which to call. Without hesitation he threw his hand into the muck with a smile on his face. I sensed that his hand had no legitimate value.



I felt I had maximized my expectation of the hand by trapping my opponent. If during my play of the hand I let him get there with a hand that I might have made him fold with a raise, that's just poker. That was a risk that I was prepared to take. More importantly, it was a risk that was justified by the potential return versus the potential loss.

The times I get extra bets out of these types of situations more than make up for the extra risk I take.



Keep in mind that the smaller the pot, the greater the risks you can take with this concept. You generally don't want to make plays that reduce your chances of winning large pots. The large pots you lose in those situations are unlikely to be made up for by the bets you gain.



It doesn't seem that long ago that L.A. had just opened up to poker and the games were screaming live. More than a few poker pros made their fortunes during that era – and a few even held on to them. While the games aren't as sweet as they were back in the boom days when the sharks feasted on the guppies, you just have to love poker at Commerce Casino. There are perhaps bigger games elsewhere, and maybe better games somewhere – but you won't very often find bigger and better games offered with as much comfort and class. ♠



Roy Cooke played winning professional poker for more than 16 years. He is a successful real estate broker/salesperson in Las Vegas. If you would like to ask Roy poker-related questions, you may do so online at www.UnitedPokerForum.com. His longtime collaborator, John Bond, is a free-lance writer in South Florida.