Sarasota Kennel Club is conveniently located adjacent to SRQ (Sarasota Int’l Airport) and hosts a smoke free poker room with approximately 30+ tables in addition to their greyhound dog track wagering.
I strolled in on a Wednesday night and sat immediately upon requesting a 1/2 NL game. Less than half the tables had action at around 6pm. A 6:30pm NL tournament started shortly after I arrived. Just as I sat and laid down my buy-in, I saw the hammer get coolered in a Blind vs. Blind hand against A7 on a Q77 flop. I have no idea how the PF action went but I assume the BB called a raise PF with 72s.
I noticed I was easily the youngest guy at the table with the exception of one black guy who happened to be missing his two front teeth. I doubt it was due to hockey. He got coolered in a hand which cost him most of his chips but later went on heater to turn his last $20 into almost $300 cracking pocket Aces twice. In both hands, the players with AA misplayed their hands miserably. He also doubled with AK and again after flopping a set with pocket 7’s. Every time he had a monster hand he’d min-reraise the action and every time he got paid.
After buying in for $100, I bled down to about $80 and doubled up against a player who couldn’t fold his 99 against my pocket Aces after limp calling my PF raise then calling my reraise on a J-T-x rainbow flop. Afterwards, I bled down to $125 seeing a few flops until doubling with a set of 4’s on a QhTh4s flop. Guy to my right let me limp PF utg with 44 along with 4 other players then went apeshit with his KsQs. Shortly after, the table busted. I cashed out $250 and reflected on some of the action over a few beers.
The room is clean, smoke free, well run and can be profitable. Several players at my table couldn’t fold a pair or draw. Friday afternoons they have 50 cent beers and hot dogs downstairs and Saturday nights it’s $1 hot dogs and drafts.
