Texas Hold 'Em

Had not played for...well...a LONG time so decided to do so. Small crowd...11 people. I got sat next to Terry. Forgot how much I dislike sitting at the same table as him.

Was almost completely card-dead. So I was mostly just folding and watching. Danny has not changed his game, neither has Terry. Todd bluffs less but more effectively, the new guy bluffs and gambles...he likes to stay in on runner-runner flush draws, will bet if everyone checks, etc. Bill was playing a cautious game. I just wanted cards so I could snap off the new guy's bluff. He has blatant betting tells; if he is bluffing he eyes the pot, mentally counts it out and then bets that amount. If he has a strong hand he overbets the pot. Took me 3 hands to figure that out. Paid off, too.

From the big blind checked it with pocket 4s. Sadly, after over 20 minutes that was the BEST hand I had seen. Part of my theory of poker is to bluff successfully, people have to believe you catch hands at least occasionally. I was not raising the 4s because if I did and someone re-raised I was folding. Flop was ragged, 10 high. I bet. New guy and Terry both called. Turn was a 10. I bet...and he reraised a significant amount. Terry called, I folded. At the showdown Terry had the 10...he claimed he had it as well but Terry's kicker was better. He did not show so...maybe.

Finally won a hand from the big blind with A/10 when an Ace flopped. I bet it to the river against Danny and Terry. Normally with 2 callers I would be nervous but I have a great read on Danny and Terry is an eternal optimist. I put him on a low Ace. Sure enough, Danny had 2 nice connectors with long-shot draws and Terry had an A/6. So I was up about 25%.

Now I had chips and they had seen me play a hand. Picked up pocket 7s from the button. 2 limpers, I raised 3x the blinds. New guy took my 300 raise and added 750 more. Folded to me, Todd behind me. A quick calculation told me I was getting about 3-1. I had his hand narrowed to a good pair or a strong Ace and, based on a conversation he had just had where he expounded his Big Slick theory I actually weighted it pretty heavily towards the Slick. I had a decent read on him so decided to play the raise despite the poor actual odds figuring my implied odds were through the roof and, if he did not hit, I was going to semi-bluff him out of the pot...though I would figure I had the better hand.

Sadly, the flop was horrible for me mostly because it had a King. The only reason that bothered me was I figured him for the Big Slick so figured he had just left me 2 outs as the hands I put him on pre-flop that I was beating were now limited to a strong Ace. I briefly debated a raise but instead elected to check. He bet it strong enough that I believed he had it since it fit his profile of a strong hand. I folded, he showed...pocket jacks. So he had me beat beginning to end. But I was still okay with my play. When you are hitting nothing and get a chance to play a low-medium pair heads up with a bluffer for 3-1 chips...well, I will take that chance. Ironically, against nobody else at that table would I have called his initial re-raise. Sigh.

Back to card dead. Picked up a few chips here and there and at the break I was exactly where I started...3000. But the smoking had started and Terry was getting on my nerves. I thought about turning in my chips but elected to just wait and put them all in. I could justify the all-in because with blinds of 200/400 I had an M of 5. After I went through the blinds once without getting to play. 2400. Then Terry pulled one of his annoying things. I decided I was going all in next hand regardless. I was not even going to look at my cards. I was not having fun, the smoke was getting to me...it was time to go. But then I thought better of it and looked at my cards. A/J suited. Smurf. Who is behind me? Todd, Bill, bluffer. Terry had limped, Danny had folded. Send in the chips. I smiled internally to see the disgusted flip Terry did. I knew he would be folding.

Todd called pretty fast which did not worry me. He is pretty loose and will call with goofy hands...low suited connectors, that sort of thing. Of course, there was every possibility he woke up with a real hand but those are the chances you take when you go all-in with a mediocre hand like Ajax. Bill got out of the way and bluffer went into the tank. Finally he folded since Todd had called so it was heads up. Todd had deuces. Straight race.

Bluffer had folded one of my Aces but it was a weak Ace. Flop brought 2 7s and an 8. Turn was a Queen. I was down to 11 outs...thankfully, none of them hit. I would have been chip lead if it had and I was ready to leave. So yeah, I got beat by a pair of deuces...but hey, sometimes that happens.

Oddly, I feel like until I chose to go on tilt I played really, really well. I had solid reads on everyone. I got out of Terry's way when I checked in the big blind with j/5 and the flop came K/J/K. I put him on a King because of how he checked. Bluffer gave him a bunch of chips on that hand. But it was typical of the day that I knew when I was beat and got away from hands, made nice size bets when I was ahead and added to my stack...I just did not have enough fun to try and make my pile bigger.

On the other hand, my results were brutal. 8th out of 11th in a pretty weak field.