Los Angeles Trip Report Part 6

by Nolan Dalla

This page is part of Ken's Poker Page

On 22 Oct 1998 01:46:33 GMT, in rec.gambling.poker nolandalla@aol.com
(NolanDalla) wrote:

After another 4 hours of sleep.........

This morning's breakfast results in a net win of $45. I play Foolproof
Poker (thanks RICHARD ALLEN) and wolf down a short stack of buttermilk
pancakes while I manage a nice stack of poker chips. Hey, not bad for 45
minutes of "work."

Back downtown on the blue line for another meeting. This time, no auto
accidents. At 2:00, I'm taking a taxi from downtown to the COMMERCE. I'm
ready to kick some serious ass today -- as it's Friday and I figure all
the car salesmen just got their paychecks cashed (I'm terrible, I know --
so tar and feather me). I get seated in a $15-30 hold'em game and here
what happens:

This game is completely the opposite of what happened the previous day.
There are no passive players. Everyone is raising and re-raising. Half
the players have ball caps and mirrored sunglasses and the other half are
rocks. It's not the type of game I want to be in. Table selection.
Table selection. Table selection. That's what it's all about, people.
Sure, I can probably beat most of these players -- sorry to seem cocky --
but now I'm getting my mind in THE ZONE where nothing else is going on in
my head except P-O-K-E-R. That's it. When you reach that level, where you
can't remember your date of birth, but you remember exactly what to do
when you get check-raised on a flush draw on the turn...that's when you
are IN THE ZONE. TO an outsider, when I get up from a game like this it
may be taken that I am surrendering or that I am not ready to play at this
level. Bullshit. That's not it at all. It's just like my mentor MIKE
CARO says -- "The majority of your poker profit comes not from your own
brilliance, but from the mistakes of your opponents" (Note to MIKE: I
hope I have not misquoted you here). When I see a table full of serious
players, that's not a game that promises a lot of positive EV. CHIP REECE
could sit in this game, but he's not going to make a lot of money. The
big scores (like the previous day) come when you are at table full of
loose-passive players or maniacs who are consistently "missing" their
draws. That's the lesson of poker success at the middle -limits. Hunt
for the "softer" games, then WHAM!

Bust their balls. Sorry for the graphic descriptions here, but that's
where the money is.

So, I get up about an hour into the game. I manage a very modest win.
Results: PLUS $35. Of all the decisions I made during this road trip -- this is
the one I am MOST PROUD OF. That I had enough DISCIPLINE to recognize
a very limited situation and got off the game to find a greener pasture. So what
if I made two grand yesterday...unless you draw the same clods again, it's
a whole different ball game. I move to a $9-18 hold'em game.

Now, like I said, I am in THE ZONE. There isn't anyone that's going to
take my money and if they do they are going to have to earn it. I know
this sounds extremely conceited to talk this way, but imagine yourself
when you are on a rush and playing against what is obviously
less-experienced and less-knowledgeable competition. I mean, it's like
taking candy from infants.

They can whine all they want about how "lucky" I am, but Daddy's going to
end up with the stew.

I play $9-18 for two hours. I wear my radio headphones tonight and find a
great classic rock station. While Led Zeppelin wails in my ears, the
flushes and trips hold up and earn me a nice score. Result: PLUS $305

Funny Story: Here's a first. You've got to imagine this, but it's the truth.
On the way to the COMMERCE, I saw a sign by the roadside that advertised
SHOES FOR SALE. I was coming into COMMERCE by taxi from downtown and saw
at sign at the previous exit that said ITALIAN SHOES ON SALE: 3 FOR $100.
Now, I don't know about you people, but Italian shoes run at least $100
a pair. So what if they are factory rejects. I don't have BRUCE KRAMER
or MONTE CHRISTIANSON type income here, and I have to cut corners. I need
to take something back to MAREITTA and think I've found the perfect
"gift." Note: On a trip to Houston once, I stopped in a discount show
place and bought her several pairs of shoes and have always had a knack
for knowing the style she likes. So, as my blind comes around, I announce
to the dealer to skip a round as I head to the front door. I immediately
hail a taxi which gets me to the shoe store just before closing time.
About 2 minutes have elapsed since I left the table. Now, I'm standing in
this joint looking a 10,000 pairs of ladies shoes. I grab three pairs off
the shelf (real leather) and tell the clerk to wrap 'em up quick. I flip
out a C-note plus change and my taxi is waiting with the meter running. I
tell the driver to get me back to the COMMERCE ASAP! He's there in two
minutes and sure enough I waltz in the door like Barishnikov, hurling
three boxes of ladies shoes at the coat check girl with a $5 bill for her
trouble. Another minute later, I'm back downstairs in the $9-18 just in
time to catch my big blind, which has just come around! I post and play
another few rounds. Now let me tell you something my friends. I may
never go down in history for my card playing nor my writing. When my body
turns to dust, few people are going to remember that DALLA fellow. But in
the history of recorded time, I will bet anyone of you out there that I'm
the only poker player in the world that has got up from a live game, went
and bought his wife three pairs of shoes and got back in time to catch his
big blind. Please call the Associated Press.

Taxi back to Crystal Park.

I play $6-12 hold'em because the high-limit lists are long. I'm the only
Caucasian at the table. It's eight Orientals and White Boy. For those
that do now know, or who have not been to California before -- there is a
tendency of non-Asians to look at Asians in a monolithic way, that they
are belong to the same culture. This is far from true. Actually, there
are intense rivalries and biases within the Asian community which
translates into a substantial amount of action at the poker table. Seeing
one Asian re-raise another is more of a cultural affront than it is a
strategic decision based on mathematical principles. Re-raising seems to
be the modus operandi for announcing: My manhood has been violated.
Therefore I re-raise! Trying to avoid the general stereotyping here, many
first generation Asians play in an extremely reckless manner that can be
absolutely terrifying to a novice player. But if you have enough
discipline and enough of a bankroll to sustain some wild swings, this is a
great environment for making money. Result: PLUS $115.

Bed time. A nice modest win for the day of ~$380.

More to come (Including: HOLLYWOOD PARK, A VIST TO BELLAGIO,
MEETING STU UNGAR, and more!) Stay tuned!

NOLAN DALLA

Continue to Las Vegas Part 1

Published with the permission of the author.
Reproduction without the author's permission prohibited.

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