Warning - Poker Content Ahead

Yes, with the end of my summer theatre season, this weekend I actually played poker. And a couple of lengthy sessions, not just a few hands here and there between scenes backstage. Friday Special K, Brian the Red and I cruised down I-85 to the House of Blood for some beers and cards with the G-Vegas boys. As always I had a great time, and as usual, I had a couple of less than stellar plays to report.

I managed to stack off to our host on the second hand of the night, because I'm just that damn good. I don't remember our positions relative to the button, except that we were in early position, and Blood was immediately to my right. I picked up pocket eights, and put out a little raise ($8) preflop. There were several callers, and my eyes lit up when there was an eight in the door. They dimmed a little to the two hearts out there, and I wasn't exactly thrilled with the 8-J-Q flop with two hearts, but I fired out $50 when Blood checked. Everyone else got out of the way, and Blood called. He checked again when a third heart came on the turn. I died a little inside with the third heart, but fired out $100 anyway, because I'm only so bright, and in this equation "only so" = "not very."

Blood called, and insta-shoved when the fourth heart hit on the river. I had the 8h, and with only about half my first buy-in left on hand #2, I made the crying call. He shows Kh-10x for the flopped open-ender and the four-flush that was significantly better than mine, and I was the first rebuy of the evening. There are so many ways that I misplayed this hand that I can't count them all, so let it suffice to say that I was happy to scratch my way back to even for the night by the time my next Hand of Note occurred.

Of course, this happened about two minutes after I realized I'd gotten back to even, which is how these things happen, right? I picked up 6-6 in early position, and limped in. There were a few limpers, and then someone behind popped it up a few bucks. I called, as did several others, so we were probably 5-handed to see a flop of 6-3-2 with two clubs. I was a little more excited with this flop, since I'd made top set instead of bottom set, and the other two cards were less likely to be in anyone's hand, so I led out for $75 (again, about a pot-sized bet). Action folded around to Rocket, who I'd never played with before, and he moved all in over the top.

I couldn't tell exactly how much he had in front of him, but it was close to my stack, if not more. Otis thought for a long moment before folding, and then Blood got out of the way as well. I went deep into the tank, because I had no idea about his game. If he had a smaller set, I'm in amazing shape. If he had a pair and a flush draw, which I considered his most likely holding, I was in pretty good shape. If he had an overpair, I'm thrilled. If he had 4-5, I'm fucked. Finally I decided that I couldn't put him on the one specific holding that I was behind, and I called off the rest of my chips. He had me covered by about $45, so it was a $550 call for me to make with top set.

He tabled 4-5 suited for the flopped straight, and I needed one of 4 outs to save my evening. Turn was nothing, but the 3d on the river gave me my four-outer and a $1200+ pot. It was a rough beat to put on him, but most folks at the table said there was no way they were laying down top set there. I almost did, because I felt a little snakebit after losing my first buy-in to Blood so early, but finally made the call, got my money in behind, channeled the Luckbox, and raked in a decent profit for the night. I don't think I played particulary well all night, but I got lucky there and in a couple of key spots to take down a nice profit on the evening. Unfortunately, Special K and Brian got their asses handed to them, but the unfortunate thing about poker is there has to be a loser to the same amount that there is a winner.

I continued my streak of bad play on Saturday, with less lucksackish results, but that's a tale for a little later in the week.