Some Poker Adventures

December 5, 2014.  While staying with my son in north Portland, I got involved with a group called Stumptown Poker, which plays Texas Hold'Em four nights a week in various bars on the north side. I decided to look for sites in or near the Brooklyn District, where my new apartment is located.

In asking around, I was told that a place on Powell Street called Aces Full has poker, so I visited there on this date. The website said there were games at noon, 3, 6 and 9, but the guy in charge said only noon and 6 now. The place looked like it was about ready to go belly-up; there were only two tables operating, and not many other people there besides the players and dealers at those two tables.

The place does not sell alcohol, but does have a small kitchen which will make you a sandwich. I had a panini which was excellent, and reasonably priced at $5. The buy-in for the game in progress was $30, with an additional $10 to the bar as a cover charge to play. I was invited to come in late and play in the game then in progress, but I declined. The 25% house rake is too unreasonable for my taste; besides, nobody looked like they were having any fun. There was no friendly chatter, no laughter, no light banter as is common with the Stumptown group.

The following Sunday I went back up to north Portland to play with the Stumptown group at the Greeley Street Bar & Grill. I sat there for the better part of the first hour without playing a hand, then had A-10 so I raised pre-flop. The flop came out 10-7-6; so, with high pair and Ace kicker, I bet big, and then got raised all-in! I couldn't imagine what the guy had; I was sure he couldn't have the straight because nobody in their right mind would call a guy who raised pre-flop with an 8-9, when that guy had not done any betting at all before then. Well, of course he had the 8-9 for the straight, and I was toast.

Then more recently, I stopped in again, same place, and the same thing happened! I finally get a hand to play, K-Q, and the flop comes out Q-9-8. I have top pair and King kicker, but another player had J-10!

These are tight players, but I still should be able to do better than this! But even so, is this worth an hour-long bus trip each way, to get up to north Portland? That is the question for the future.