Mixers, 4/3/07

About 20 people again. Started off with the limp/limp/limp strategy. As usual, most hands I tossed after the flop. Hit a couple. Bert, who prides himself on his ability to figure what you have, was getting a bit frustrated because he had no clue what I had. That led to a hand where I limped in with 6/8 off, not really a playable hand if I am playing tight but eminently playable when playing trash hands.

The flop gave me 8,9,5 rainbow. I bet out with my middle pair and Bert called. The turn gave him a queen. I checked, he bet. I knew he had the queen, figured him for something like q/rag. I totalled my outs: I needed an 8 for trips or 7 for a straight. 7 outs, 14%, getting 5-1 on my money...I called. The river was a 6. Oops. I forgot those...I had actually had 10 outs. He bet and I called. "Straight?" he said. "Nope" I replied. He flipped up his queen and started to reach for the pot. I flipped up my hand and said "Do have 2 pair though."

He saw what they were and started venting about "river rats" and "donkeys" and how I should not have called either bet. I pointed out I had way more outs when I called his first bet than he had when he called mine...and that I actually was getting about 9-1 pot odds for a 5-1 call. He did not like that.

Not too long after that I had A/5 and an Ace came on the flop. He led out with a raise. I knew he had an Ace and figured his kicker somewhere between an 8 and Jack. I have no idea why I called...but I did and he got his chips back. Sure enough, he had A/10. I am fairly confident in my reads of him.

All night my reads were spot on. I got out of the way of back to back boats by Tor, trips by Linda, 2 pair and a straight by Roman. But I was not catching any cards. Then I got moved to the other table.

There I ran into a girl I actively dislike playing with. She complains about everything. She complains about not being able to smoke at the table. She complains if you muck her hand when she isn't there (although that is the rule and it happens to everyone). She threatens and just generally makes the game un-fun. So I tried to find a hand I could call off all my chips and feel respectable doing it. But I kept hitting them and doubling up. Finally I got moved back to the other table but by then the enjoyment factor was gone.

I went all-in 3 or 4 times, only to have everyone fold. Finally the guy to my right doubled the blinds from under the gun. I came over the top all-in with K/Q suited (which pretty much lets you know I was done for the night as I well know that is not a playable hand from early position, especially when someone represents a legit hand). He had me dominated with A/K. First card was a queen...oops....second card a King...oops...third card an Ace. We both flopped 2 pair....fortunately the turn and river were both blank and I was free.