Trip Report (long post)

[FirePhil]

I was up in London for work this week and managed to fit in a couple of nights at the gutshot playing cash games. They opened their new tournament area on Monday night and it looks very nice indeed, they've taken over the building next door and it's about 5 times the size of the old playing area which is now used for the cash games. It really takes the venue to another level, it was always very cramped before but now they have loads of room and it means that the cash games are always running and don't need to wait for a spare table to become available.

The game I played both nights was £1/£1 PL holdem, £25 min and £50 max buy-in. It was mostly 10 handed with a few times where it was 7-9 handed. All dealer dealt with 5% rake capped at £10. The game was unbelievably loose, taking flops 6 or 7 handed in raised pots was quite common and some of the hands that got shown down were crazy. There were a couple of decent players but an abundance of shockingly bad players.The highlight being this hand:

5 limpers and the BB raises to £7 pre-flop and everyone calls. Flop comes 5 6 9 rainbow and the BB bets £25 and gets one caller in EP. Turn is a king and the BB pushes for £35 and EP calls. River is a blank and the BB shows 84s for 8 high, EP shows 72o for 7 high. Over £150 pot with 8 high.

The game was so loose I was playing pretty tight, only a few hands of note:

73o on my first big blind, no raise and I flop 2 pair. Bet the pot and get 2 callers then they both folded to my turn bet. Up to £70 straight away.

UTG raised to £4, 3 callers to me in the CO with KJs and I called, the button called and both blinds folded. 6 players to the flop which came 2 5 J, checked to me and I bet £20, only the button called. Turn was an ace and I set the button in for his last £4 and he had 34s. Back down to ~£50.

AKs on the button, very aggressive player in the CO raises to £7 after a few limpers and I flat call, the BB re-raises to £25. The CO calls, I call and fold when I miss the flop and the BB pushes. I hate the way I played this hand. Down to ~£30.

3 limpers, SB checks and I checked with AJ in the BB. Flop came ace high, I checked and EP bet £5, 2 callers back to me and I raised all-in for about £30, everyone folded. Back up to ~£50.

Last hand of the night, I raise to £4 UTG with KK and get 3 callers. Flop comes ace high and it's checked around, turn is a blank and it's checked around, river is a jack and I check-call £9 and win the pot.

That was the first night, I ended up cashing out for £80.50 after about 3 1/2 hours play. The second night the table was even looser, 3 or 4 straddles every orbit, people playing blind pre-flop, betting the pot on the turn before they'd seen it etc.

AA in the BB, a load of limpers and I make it £7 and get 3 callers. Flop comes ace high with 2 diamonds, I lead out for £20 and get 1 caller. Turn is a blank and I set them in for their last £8 and they call. River is a blank, I show the nuts and they muck. Up to ~£80.

AKo in EP, I raise to £4 and get 3 callers then the BB re-raises to £21 all-in. He was a pretty awful player, I re-raise £51 more all-in to isolate fairly sure I'm racing at worst. Two of the original callers take a long time before folding, one of them called the clock on themselves . Flop comes all low spades (I have the K), turn and river are blanks. He shows KJ, nice hand sir, please buy-in again. Up to ~£100.

KQs in LP, 2 limpers and I raise to £4, BB and one limper in MP (bad player from above hand) call. Flop comes 3 T J, BB bets £8 and MP raises to £34 all-in. I think for a while and I decide that there is a good chance that my overcards are live and I have a backdoor flush draw. The BB has £25 more and looks like he's going to call and I like my pot odds if he does, I call and the BB does come along as well. I miss everything on the turn and river, BB shows QJo and MP has 77. Turns out I had 45% equity so I'm pretty happy with the call and my reads. Down to ~£50.

Lost a few small pots when big hands missed on dangerous flops, then last hand of the night I got AQ in the CO and raised to £5, BB and bad player from previous hands call. Flop comes Q J 6, BB bets £15, bad player calls, I push for £30 total and both call. Turn is a king and river is a 2, both other players checked it down. I say it's my last hand either way and show my AQ, the BB shows a jack and mucks, bad player shows 88. I take the pot and leave with £104 after about 3 hours play.

Total of £84.50 profit for 6 1/2 hours play so I'm pretty happy with how it went. I'd recommend anyone to play the cash games at the gutshot if you're in the area, mostly bad players but nice people with a lot of good banter going on.

[DonkBox]

good post phil, nice to here about live cash play as it's something i've only played drunk at stanleys once! As for the gutshot taking over the next door is that permanant or just for the showdown poker tour they've got going on this weekend?