Mixers, 2/27/07

This is the Oregon Trail Poker League and last night was the first night of the new season. Just 3 8 or 9 player tables. With late arrivals we probably had 27 or so. The first table I was at was very quiet early on until on the third hand I picked up a hand under the gun and raised it. This made a couple of them unhappy so I often limped in after that...but the guy to my left made a habit of raising. On the bright side, I quickly got a good read on him. Any 2 cards 10 or higher meant 3 times the blind. As a result I made a great number of chips off him and a couple others. Pretty soon we got moved.

Same guy immediately to my left who was raising every. single. hand. And hitting it. Every time. I picked up the cowboys and made some bank off him, flipped a straight and made a bit more. I got moved to another table.

This time I had a calling station to my left, a guy who thought he had the best hand every time but still laid them down. After a while we had narrowed it a bit and were getting close to the break. About 3 times the guy now to my right mentioned, "I need to win a hand so I go into the break with something." He went all in once, twice, and then, last hand before the break, my big blind, a third consecutive time. I looked down at pocket 9s and called. He had q/10 but drew dead and I finished him off.

He was stunned I would call with pocket 9's. I just shrugged and said I got lucky. And maybe I did...one in 8 times I will hit a set, on more occasions I will hit a straight and he only had 6 outs that were not straight related. So I like my chances there and this time it paid off.

After a while I picked up A/10. I had not played in a while, we were short handed, so I raised it. One caller, immediately to my left. The flop gave me top pair, I checked, he raised, I reraised, he called. 4th street gave me a straight draw. He checked, I checked. The river gave me the straight. I raised. He reraised. I went all in. he called. We split the pot. Matching nut straights.

Not too long after we condensed to a final table. One guy was a bluffing machine. I doubled up a couple times, bled off a few to Josh who, for the third time, was immediately to my left...and he was going from short stack to chip leader repeatedly. Finally a pot he raised, I called, the flop came 5/2/5. He raised, I did not believe he hit the flop, I went all in, he called. He had k/5. I had him on the king, not the 5. I took a big hit.

The mad bluffer and I finally got involved when I checked in with 3/4 suited. The flop gave me an open ended straight and a four flush. He raised on 4th street and I did not believe him. I reraised all in with 17 outs. He said, and I quote, "Well, you caught me bluffing. But I think I will call anyway." and flopped up exactly what he said...nothing. 10/J. unfortunately, his nothing beat mine when none of my outs hit and I was gone.

I finished 5th, not great but not bad. I will be back.