Verona Trip Report

Awakening on Saturday morning was particularly easy this weekend. Tickets to the potential boxing fight of the year and my share of a hotel room covered by my buddy as a birthday gift from a few weeks earlier, not bad. Lucas Mattyhsee versus Ruslan Provodnikov..a battle of knockout artists with chins like industrial strength steel. My friend suggested we should gear up with Argentinian flags and headbands and ride in to the arena in style at the TurningStone Casino in Verona, NY. At the time we laughed it off with the other 3 friends attending this event with us, but here we were, draped in light blue and white ready to cheer Lucas on in his main event bout with the Russian firecracker. Before the fight we had some time to kill though and we were in a casino which means a few things; you had to gamble (at least a little), we could check out the weirdo degens that think they can beat the most bizarre games if they play it long enough, talk to a few good looking girls who had no idea what to do with themselves after losing $30 on roulette, and walk past the poker room. Ah, the good ole poker room. Despite this spot having too many places where people could smoke and blow their Marlboro’s in your face you could still smell the slight stench of fish emanating from the entrances. I wanted to sit, with my new found knowledge of the game from TPE, I had to sit. But..it wasn’t time yet..with 4 friends looking to start the night off with some kraps and only a couple of hours to go until the fight I had to resist the urge to stack some chips on the tables. But my time would come. We hit the kraps tables and all throw $100 down for some dice throwing. Up and down goes the money in our stacks meanwhile all the dealers utter their weird sayings as different numbers hit the felt. We had a good time but all I could think about was exchanging those dice for some cards in a few hours and getting in some 1/2. Match time for the fight quickly approaches and we head out to the arena. Argentinians flock around us for pictures and speaking to me in Spanish. Bear in mind I speak Spanish as well as a newborn speaks anything. But none the less they love us all the same because of our attire. I’ll allow it. The fight commences somewhere around 11pm. Lucas gets out to an early lead after some strong rounds and a bleeding cut above Provodnikov’s eye. I had the rounds scored 5-2 Mattyhsee when things seemed to turn around. Next thing you know I have the score tied heading in to the 11th round. With two rounds to go these two warriors battle it out and punch after punch we grow more and more nervous about the decision the judges will make because despite taking shot after shot Provodnikov stood strong. A few minutes after the final bell rung the crowd sat in anxiousness for the decision..”and the winner by decision..Lucaaaaaassss Mattyhseeee”. Ohh the victory feels just right. Surely good vibes as I start gathering myself for the moment I have been waiting for. I strut my way down to the poker room, garnering respect from the other Lucas fans on the way out. I get to the desk and put myself in the queue for some 1/2. Still rocking the Argentine gear, I see the faces of some 30-40 year olds licking their chops and some younger guys getting their drink on just waiting for this idiot covered in colors from the boxing match getting ready to sit down at their tables. Little do they know this guy has some BigDog, some KB, some DannyN13, some Brokos, some Alioto all laying out solid thought processes in their videos for me to relay on to these tables and take their money. At least that’s what I was half expecting half hoping. I get seated at a table in the 9 seat. A fish to my right, a slightly bad player to his right, a guy who looks like a competent player to his right. And the rest were nits. First hand I see started with me from the cutoff. Limp, limp, limp, chuckle..laugh..limp, limp, however many limps it takes to get to me. I look down at A♥️K♥️. “I’ll raise to 15.” A couple guys look up like uhh damn man. I just think to myself oh this is going to be a good night. Two callers, the small blind and the competent guy in middle position. Flop comes K♠️ blank blank. Rainbow board. Not bad. It checks to me, “20”, small blind folds and the MP calls. Turn another blank and he checks. “35”. He looks at me for a few seconds and mucks. A few hands later a similar situation arises with a couple limps and I raise to 8 in late position with Q♣️10♣️. One caller, the competent guy in MP. The other fish just keep feeding me their limped big blinds..I’ll take that. Flop comes A♣️ and two suited ♦️ low cards. He checks to me and I C-bet for 12, he thinks for a little while and just calls. Considering he didn’t raise preflop I assume he didn’t hit the ace but could definitely have two ♦️ in his range and might be looking for the flush. Turn comes the 8♠️. No straight draw out there and I feel like I can get him off his hand without getting to showdown with Q high. He checks again and I bet out 25, again he tanks for a bit and calls. At this point I figure he has the flush draw and maybe some show down value with a low pair. River comes a complete blank and he checks a final time. Q high here but I’m repping the ace big enough to get him to fold any low pair he might have now that his flush draw whiffed. “50”. He looks disgusted and folds but I flip over the Q high. They all look at me like wtf man you bet that with nothing..image..set. So a few hours pass of playing tight aggressive and just taking pots one by one. Never once getting caught in an overly awkward hand. Around 4am I get dealt AQ off suit on the button. Folds/limps to me and I make it 12. Two callers. Flop comes 667 rainbow. Checks to me and I bet 1/3 pot. One caller, one fold. Turn comes the sweet ole Q for top pair top kicker. He checks again and I bet out about 1/2 pot. The guy looks me up and down for a while and calls. In the back of my head I say to myself this guy seems like an ego filled 30 year old who won’t let a 23 year old wearing a flag for a cape push him around and bluff his way to greatness. Not too worried about his hand here. River comes a blank and he checks. I make it 2/3 pot and he shoves for $134 over my bet. Hmmm..with about $400 behind me at this point I have a decision to make. I could fold and just move on or go with my read here that tells me he doesn’t have the trips but isn’t going to let me push him around. My bluff a little while earlier hopefully engraved in his recent memory. I think about his moves so far. He called my preflop raise out of position so I eliminated the high card with a 6 rag for trip 6’s. He could make that preflop call with pocket 7’s but based on how he played he wouldn’t slow play his trips on the flop. I think I’m ahead on that turn with the top pair every time. Could he have two-paired the river? I’m going to say not likely considering it was another low card and he wouldn’t have made that preflop play with Q rag. The big shove..weak I say..WEAK. I call. He looks stunned as this young kid who stumbled in from the boxing match makes the big call with just top pair. He flips over K7 for a single pair that just won’t cut it. Rake em in boys. He buys back in immediately. Destined to give me more of those chips. At this point my stack rises and rises until I count out $826 and look at the time. 7am, I guess I’ll call it a night, or morning. +$650-700 or so for the night. Chop em down gentlemen. Chop em down.