TAMPA DOWNS SILKS POKER

 I took a solo road trip to Tampa Downs and their Silks Poker room.  

I rarely drive far these days, but I'll go there again. This new extension of the major highway, the Suncoast highway, makes the driving much easier by eliminating traffic and takes at least fifteen minutes off the trip. 

There is no need to go to the dreaded 19 with all sorts of darting traffic and those orange barrels and sometimes bumper to bumper waits for the light.  Just a couple of easy turns and there I am on an almost deserted highway that is perfect for my current driving skills.

One new technology is the toll technology.  No booths.  Once in a while they put a buck on the Sunpass and show a sign.  

It was raining in spots, lightly, and then just as I got on the Suncoast a huge deluge fell and I could not see.  I learned that on this car, no matter how many times one plays with the light adjustments on the left stick-out control, the windshield wipers just won't go on.

That adjustment in on the right.  I was luckily still on the road when I found it.

I also learned that the small white crescent on the gas meter does show me how much gas I have left.  I find it hard to see and read.  I don't understand why they abandoned a simple gas meter, round and with a large arrow that moved between E and F.  

I'm still uncertain what I do to turn off the cruise control by accident.  Only that suddenly it just won't hold the cruise number.  

But I managed.

I was a bit late for the first poker tables, so I had to wait until the second 1-2 NL opened.  They first opened a 1-3 before they opened the 1-2,  and so the seven people on my list dwindled down to four.  However, I managed to get my seat 5 across from the dealer.  I can see so much better there.

Next trip I will bring a book of poetry.

There were three rather poor players when I started, but when I quit at about 3PM, those players had lost and been replaced by good players.  Still, there were no manics going "all in" for no reason preflop.  We always got to see the flop and all=in bets were very few and generally not for much money.

I also think that some of the limit players have moved to no limit, and the poorer collect at the 1-2.  

I had AA about six times.  That was amazing.  I won all but one of those hands. One time I had trip Aces and my opponent had trip queens.   I did not win any high hand awards, or hit a royal flush in spades that just needed a queen.  That Royal would have paid $600 as a bonus.

I folded one hand with trip 5's.  I would have won it.  Just read the fellow wrong.  That was my biggest mistake.  Also, I have to stop watching my cards and use my time to watch my opponents.  With only the one eye I get nervous that I've misread cards and my memory is not great either. However, my new cheap reading glasses really help with making everything clear, so I need to get disciplined.  

I bought in for $100, pushed it up to almost $300, and then stayed a bit too long and lost most of the profit.  I ended $71 ahead on the poker.  

My buddy Bill gave me some horse tips for the race, but I only hit once.  So I lost $15 on horses, but that included having a great time losing one race when my horse was in the lead up until the last bit of the stretch.  I bet trifectas and one win would have been a nice chunk of cash, but luck was not with me.

I had one O'doul's.  $5 plus tip.  Water was $2.50 plus tip although it was a very large bottle.  Food and beverage cannot be brought in.    

The fellows were very friendly and easy, bantering with each other a bit if they were regulars.  

I would go there again.

It is nice to have the live horses there too, so if the poker game is uncomfortable, I could just go outside and watch them.