Lydias

Before the late night softball game, Roman and I stopped in to Lydias. I think there were 14 or 15 people. Cole is doing some funky stuff with the blinds, too. Oh, well.

I folded the first three hands, and the blinds went up. I folded another, was in the big blind and picked up pocket 8s. I jacked it up 4 times the blinds more since there were several limpers, 2 callers. The flop came with 2 diamonds and an 8. Hmm. Someone might have a flush draw but at the moments I had the best hand unless someone slow-played pocket Queens which I did not believe. I doubled my initial raise, 800. Taz called. I put him on the flush draw or maybe middle pair or something. Turn was a blank. I raised 1000. He called. River was an Ace, but not a Diamond. No straights, no flushes. 2 overs to my set so he could have had me...but I doubted. Any reasonable raise would put me all in since I only had 700 left, so that is what I did. He went into the tank for a long time. I wanted him to call so I said something along the lines of, ""He missed his flush" to indicate I had a weak hand and sucker him into a call. Knowing Taz, I probably should have checked and let him hang himself but I didn't. He finally mucked. I wanted to establish an image so I showed my set. He claimed he had folded top 2 pairs. His ego is much too large and I don't believe that claim. Well, maybe he did...I thought he had SOMETHING and was not positive it was a flush draw. I had initially put him on a flush draw or maybe top pair. It is possible he flopped 2 pair.


Next hand I picked up the nickels in the small blind. I should have raised it when people limped to me. I weakly completed the bet and Roman checked. Flop was ugly with a King and I think a 9 or something. We all checked. Again, I should have bet but played it weakly, not willing to build on my success. When someone bet it and someone else called I folded. I played the hand weakly and deserved to lose my blind. I should have raised or folded.

Sadly, that got me into my old doker mode (donkey poker) where I will limp with any two vaguely connected cards. I limped with 5/7 hearts. Flop came 7 high with 2 hearts. I bet into it, one caller, the guy to the left of Roman who has something against me. Which is fine, I don't much like him, either. I raised on the turn, he folded.

I had a 4/6. Limped in from the button (weak play yet again). Flop came 3, 5, 6 giving me top pair and open ended straight. I bet, everyone folded.

Limped in with A/3. Flop came A, A, 7. I decided to try and get some action so I checked. So did everyone else. Turn brought a second spade, I bet, Jeff called. I put him on a draw but was not ready to decide which one. River was another spade putting a flush on the board. I raised 100 into a pot of 900. He looked at his chips and I gave him credit for the flush. He debated what to do and I knew I would fold if he re-raised. He just called, I said, "Just trips, your flush is good" and he looked relieved, showing his 8 high flush.

I played this hand very poorly. I should have bet the flop. I should have bet bigger on the turn. And on the river I should have either bet larger to put pressure on him or checked. Instead I gave him 1800 chips I did not need to with poor play.

By now the blinds were up again...yep, they raised twice in less than a circuit and a half. Now we had antes so it was time to steal some blinds as every pot had almost 400 chips in it.

I won a few more pots, lost a couple. Picked up pocket 6s, raised them, Roman re-raised. I put him on either something A/J or better or higher pockets. We checked the flop. We checked the turn. River gave me a set. I bet 2400. He called. I showed my set, he showed pocket 10s.

We needed to leave for the softball game, so I started playing pretty loose, playing a lot of pots. And winning them....oops.

Then I picked up A/2 diamonds. Eric raised. I went all in. Guy I didn't like went all in. Eric went all in. I think Roman was all in also. Sure enough, I got in with a bad hand...Eric had Cowboys. Flop gave me two diamonds. Turn gave me another one, they were all drawing dead. I had a huge stack.

4 handed. I was super aggressive, raising with even marginal hands.

One I felt bad about. I raised to 4 times the blind from under the gun. Folded to Jeff, who was away in the bathroom so got mucked...and he had Pocket Kings. Pretty good odds against the dog hand, K-9....

Anyway, I was taking people out like a madman. I kept the pressure on, taking out the 3rd place guy. And raising Dawg every time I saw him hesitate. And he kept taking his time. And when he was away (back when we were 3 handed) instead of mucking him, Leti made us wait for him.

With the speed the blinds were raising, we were already at something like 3/600 with 100 ante. And they were climbing about every 10 minutes. Very unfair to those of us playing.

So I raised every hand. It was going to cost him to play. Raised 7/10 hearts. He called. Flop gave me gut shot. Turn gave me double belly buster. I raised. He called. River gave me the nut straight. I raised large, he called with I think 2 pair.

I had about 35K, he had about 7K, I was late, I forfeited it to him and left. But I could have crushed him if I had time.

So one donkey move (the A/2 Diamonds to take everyone out) paid off HUGE, a few others got me enough small pots to make up for a donkey bet against Jeff's flush, and then I played beautiful big stack poker. Pretty proud of my performance.