Tampa Downs Poker

Had a fine day at the Tampa Track playing poker. I won $43 breaking my run of bad luck. I played $1-$2 no limit all the while and enjoyed it. I got such terrible cards that had I played 2-4, I would have lost a good bit of money because none of my cards became much of anything. I had pocket aces and won a good pot. I guess I won only four pots in all. I lost one that I followed to the river and called a $15 bet because I thought the guy had nothing. Otherwise I folded most of my afternoon. I felt very good about it. The flavor of the game changed before I needed to leave, and I cashed out with my winnings, paying attention to my gut feeling that I did not want to be in this game any longer. That too is a good skill.

I won a hand with pocket fives just because one was a spade and completed a flush on the river. Very small pot. I bet my pocket nines after a flop of rags and had two callers, so I just checked. Those cards held up to win a pot. I played A-6 of diamonds and the turn gave me a straight. In spite of the fact that I had been very tight all afternoon, one fellow called my $20 river bet. I won one hand with a $5 bet when I held A-6 of hearts and two came on the flop. five or six people folded after my $5 bet and I thought perhaps at that point I was being seen as a tight player. I won one other hand on the river when I was last to act and had just a queen with ace kicker. I suspected that others could beat me but were not very strong and I counted on my reputation. One tough old fellow thought and thought a long time before he folded and I suspect that he had me beat. It was my only bluff bet.

I had very poor cards most of the day. A few suited connectors that caught nothing. Some small pockets that were generally useless after the flop. No trips. No full houses. No two pair.

The fellows who started the game were old guys who all knew one another, played fairly conservatively, and were too often in too many pots. Later some aggressive young fellows joined the game and made some all-in bets on practically nothing, but most of the day, guys bet what they had, or bluffed with just small bets under $20.