Weekend update

Friday I planned to meet the Korean ATM at the club, his first visit to the new locale. Getting out of work early (at around 4:00) because of the market close, I had run up to check out a club in mid-town that had advertised to FTrain that it was starting to spread afternoon games. I had never been there so I was going to have to talk myself in, but nobody answered the buzzer so either the advertised games were not on or they are especially paranoid.

I did run into an insurance defense lawyer in the stairwell who was also looking to get into the same club. I did him a service (or maybe not), taking him down to my new regular club, which just about the time we got there was ready to spread a game for us and 3 others that were waiting with the floor lending his services as a prop while jumping up and down to iron his shirt on another table.

In my biggest mistake of the evening, I sat down immediately to the right of my new friend. I had correctly read from our conversation down on the subway that he was not a particularly experienced player. I was right, as he pretty much called every bet I made, which normally would be a good thing but really was not working for me as he was laying odds for the table to call around.

He once called my 20 bet on cowboys into an unraised pot (too small, I know, but I did want at least one caller!) and got me 3 callers for the ace that inevitably flopped (and not for him). He would also pop me from time to time often with players after him ready to give him action and he with a mediocre hand that lost. He of course went on to lose all his money but unfortunately it was flowing to the left and not to me.

My (least) favorite hand of this mode was Korean ATM's first big hand after he made it past Ivan the Terrible. In typical fashion, my albatross limped UTG with God knows what, and 3 other callers including ATM in the small blind around to me in the big blind with slick. Trying to find the magic number that would take the pot or thin the field, I raised to 25. Albatross without much hestiation of course called. 35? 50? How much into a 10 pot did I have to overbet? The third player thought for a moment and also called, compelling the 4th and ATM to call as well. All of a sudden I have AK with a 5-way 130 pot with no information other than the fact the it was unlikely anyone other than me had a premium hand. Not death walking, but nevertheless a bit frustrating in comparison with what I was trying to accomplish.

Flop hit 977 rainbow. ATM checked to me and I frankly did not have the heart for a continuation bet. I was pretty sure there was at least one small pair out there, I knew Albatross was more likely than not to call me with all but the largest of bets (leading to a compelled call by the hypothetical pair), and with the board already showing a pair, I didn't think it prudent to make that move. Just as well as it turned out.

Albatross checked, 3rd player bet 25 which was called around to me. I folded and Albatross, a man of consistency if nothing else, called.

Turn came a 6, Albatross checked and bettor checked, as did the man on ATM's right. ATM went all in for 200 more. Wow! Something was up. Indeed it was as it folded around (including Albatross) to the man on ATM's right, who immediately called. ATM had flopped trips with 87, but was drawing dead to the man on his right, who had flopped a 97 boat. Not sure there was much escape from that hand.

Bad night for each us (I was stuck almost 400). The weekend has been better, not so much in poker but in good parties. I did make a bit of a comeback in a sit and go, but still under combined B&M and online. Trying my luck as I write this in a 5 rebuy on stars.