You never raise pre-flop

Pretty Bird wanted to learn to play Hold 'Em from someone other than me so we decided to play at the beginner lessons at the Luxor on Saturday. I love the Luxor, one of my favorite places to play, they have consistently the best dealers in Vegas. So we get on the same table, I make sure to put her to my left, and we take the lesson. After the 20 minute lesson you can buy in and play some $1/$2 limit. The table is full and everyone decides to buy in for at least $20. There is a husband and wife and then a mother/mother-in-law on the same table. The husband is apparently 'good', so good that he lost $400+ the night before at the $4/$8 game and wanted to try the lower limits. Then right before cash play starts on the $1/$2 the Luxor starts a $50 sit and go (yes Girard I love sit and go's also) and the husband gives his wife his $40 in chips and heads to the sit and go.

Now I'm not a great player but I'm fairly certain I'm the best play at this table. The first hand I get junk, Pretty Bird gets junk, and we're the only two players to fold, typical for $1/$2. Mom is the button and just called. The flop is 8/8/A. The SB leads out the entire way to the river and the mom calls the entire time. They flip over, the SB has 3/8 and the mom has AJs. Now in a normal low limit game in Vegas the SB probably calls anything. In a learning game people are much more conservative for at least the first 30 minutes or so. I explain to the mom that she probably should have raised pre-flop and then SB wouldn't have seen the hand. SB even chimes in saying he probably would have folded. Wife interupts me, "No you never raise pre-flop". Wha?

TMac - "No, really she should have raised"
Wife - "Nope you never raise, you don't win enough to risk the extra money"
TMac - "Really lady, raising pre-flop is how you win a lot of hands"
Wife - "You don't know what you're talking, you don't even know that Aces are only 30% to win. Trust me, my husband knows how to play poker"

At this point I decide to just let her be, I wasn't going to win my case. Sure 10 handed Aces probably only win 30% of the time, that of course is why you don't play 10 handed very often if you can avoid it. The altercation has really upset wife. Wife plays just about everyhand and is able to catch two pair a couple of times and a few straights. She then points out that she knows what she is doing, see she has a lot of chips. Husband now returns, having gone out first in the sit and go, apparently he thought calling with KJo an early All-In was the way to go. Husband has now lost $450+ in two days playing. I've been to Vegas six times in three years, never lost most than $80 in one session, and never left Vegas down. My basic math has me up in Hold 'Em about $900 in my six poker playing trips. Two of those trips were really good, winning $240 in 90 minutes followed by another $120 that night is good I hear.

Anyways back to the game. I don't catch many cards but I am able to leave about $35 up in the hour it took Pretty Bird to lose her money. Part me wanted to stay longer but we had a concert to get ready for and some dinner to eat. I did have a couple of good hands.

I have 22 in early position, I raise and get two callers, wife and another player. Flop is 2/3/K. I check, wife bets, other player calls, I raise, wife calls, other player folds. Turn is 2, mmm...I like nuts. I check, wife bets, I check-raise again, she calls. Who cares what the river is, it isn't a 3 or a K. I'm able to check-raise her for a third time. I take some chips, win a $20 bonus from the house.

Another hand I have 2/5 in the BB, unraised, flop is A/4/K. It is checked, I check. Turn is like an 8, adding a second diamond. I bet, one person calls. River is a 3, no diamond. The other person flips over her cards, she has 3/4. Now it is a learning game and the dealer does tell her I can still bet but now I have to be nice poker player and just check, I know I have her beat, which of course I knew I did even without seeing her cards but I still must check.

I didn't play but four hours or so this weekend so hopefully I will get much more time on the tables in March.