Commerce is Where The Action Is

I have been at the Commerce for the better part of a week now and I have to say the action is great. The tournaments with new TD Matt Savage have been completely revamped as far as structure, and it has been a big success. The turnouts have been great. For yesterday's HORSE there were over 200 players, with the no limit events events attracting large fields.

The cash games have been wild as well. The no limit holdem game that is popular, is a $20-$40 blind with a $20 ante. The action has been wild. Two of the regulars tangled in a hand where they both had AA and were all in pre-flop. The younger player Rod, asked if they could "chop" or just split the pot, Bobby, who is a long time player said no, and goes on to make a flush. Now that's a bad beat, because almost any other player would chop. Both players were over 30k deep so it was painful. I had the same aces versus aces the day before and chopped without hesitation.

There have been a few interesting cash hands. Unabomber Phil Laak, was in a hand with Chris, a well-known high stakes cash player, and with a few limpers in the pot Phil raises to about $1,200 in late position. Chris re-raised enough to put Phil all in, about $10,000. Phil wasted no time calling with AK, Chris showed 66. Phil asked do you want to run it more than once, meaning to put out 2 or 3 complete flops, turns, and rivers, and then divide the pot based on the results. Chris said no and Phil spikes a king on the flop, which holds and he wins. Interestingly enough, Phil started in the game with a min buy and left with over $40,000. I had one good hand last night when an early position made it $160, which is pretty standard, and just about everyone called, including me from the button with 10 5. The Flop came j 5 2 and the initial raiser opened with $700 into a $1,120 pot and I called. The turn brought a 10 and he again bet $3,000 and I raised $4,000. He quickly called and the river brought the 4. He checked and I moved all in for my last $7,000 on the table. He tanked and folded pocket kings face up like he made a big lay down. I was leaving the game and he asked to see my hand and I showed, which I don't usually do, and he said "you are so lucky to make a flush on the river." I replied that I had him beat on the turn with two pair; he looked again and just shook his head.

There was one other interesting game going on between Jean Robert Bellande and Jeff, who is a young really good online and live player. They were playing a high stakes pot limit Omaha heads up game, and Bellande was being spotted 5 starting cards instead of the usual 4. That's right I said Jeff was spotting Bellande, not the other way around. When I left they were several hours into it and Jeff was absolutely slaughtering Jean Robert.

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