Renton Casinos...

Well, I woke up in the parking lot of the Drift on Inn and Hollywood Casino in North Shore, Washington at 11:00. It was just in time to make Pokey the dog and me breakfast and get inside for the 11:30 morning tournament. Who needs to shower and change clothes when you are an old guy and a dog traveling in an RV. It would be different if Caren were with us, but brushing my teeth and hair is enough for this morning. (I will refrain from trying to turn this into a joke about the “hair of the dog”.)
Who do I want to impress anyway? (I know who will be there, 40 other old guys, who have the time to play a poker tournament at 11:30 in the morning on a work day. Beside they wouldn’t be impressed if I came in a Tuxedo. In fact, it would make the jokes that much worse.)

I made the final table and went out in third place for $220. I only got all-in lucky once. Early in the tournament I went raised all-in with an Ace-King diamonds and got called by a pair of Kings. The flop had an Ace and he was upset, but as I candidly admitted when he said he had the best hand pre-flop “You got to get lucky, to win one of these things.”

I was the chip leader when were at three and the other two were playing super cautious. We also had made an agreement to split the pool $220 for 2nd & 3 and $270 for 1st so I played a little more aggressive at this point thinking I could dominate. I would have if it wasn’t for two hands getting outdrawn. The first one I went all in with KK against 99 and a third 9 flopped. He won that one.

The very same guy I went all in with 99 two hands later and he turned over AQ. A third 9 flopped giving me almost a lock. However, anything can happen in a poker draw and it did. The other two in the flop were J,7. The turn was K, and the river a 10 for him to hit a runner-runner-gut-shot straight. It was a very low probability, but as I say about probabilities in poker draws, after the fact it is a 100% probability and no amount of skill can beat a lucky draw.

I felt very good about my tournament play and it took two low probability outdraws to get me out of the tournament.

So we headed south through Seattle to a South East Suburb of Renton. I am planning on playing here tonight and finding a place to stay the night here.

Pokey and I stopped at the main public park for some serious walking time and dog playing time. He has been such a great companion on the trip and has done so well in the RV with me.

I just flipped on the hot water heater. I may take a little nap, make dinner, and take a shower before I go to Diamond Lil’s or Freddie’s Club. I have a program on the computer even when I am not on-line that let’s me look up any address in the U.S. and get directions to it. It has served me well in finding my way to small casinos I see advertised in Poker Magazines.