Roller coaster

Down and up night at the club.

I sat down with 300 at what seemed to be a good table in a reasonably good position: I was in seat 9, rocky old guy in 10, unknown in 1, KATM's childhood friend Steve whom I'd met last Thursday in 2, unknowns in 3 and 4, two tight-weak players in seats 5-6, aggressive criminal lawyer in 7 and unknown obligatory Asian player with sunglasses and spiky hair in 8.

Unfortunately, the way the first hand I was dealt went down it looked like it was going to be one of those nights. UTG I limped in with Q♦ J♦, with 3 other limpers including Steve with about 180 behind, seat 5, seat 7 and the big blind along for the ride. The flop was three pretty little diamonds. Steve opened for 10 and only seat 7 called. I called too. I was worried a bit about A♦ or K♦ being out there, but figured a slow play was in order--if someone was showing strength AND a fourth ♦ appeared, I could consider laying down but I wanted to try and extract some value first.

Turn was a 10♣, which in a stretch could have completed a straight draw. I checked again and Steve bet 50. Seat 7 folded and I pushed feeling like I had a reasonable chance of getting called for 120 more and even if not, a decent 90 pot worth taking down on the turn. Steve called alright, with A♦ 2♦.

Chips!

I played at that table for a little longer when a familiar face walked in: Eiki of Eiki and Scott. Fairly soon, a second table had been set up and they were seeking a volunteer to move, offering 7 points in the club's loyalty freeroll system. A whore for points and not feeling so spectacular about the table anymore, I hopped up and moved. This table had Eiki two seats on my left, not so great since he is pretty aggressive but potentially good since he never believes I have a hand and a few unfamiliar faces, including the same guy upon whose kings I sucked out on Thursday with suited 67, and Owen, a decent player and fellow Sox fan who I am fairly sure at this point has close to no respect for my game (recurring theme here?).

Well I am not sure my play improved my reputation very much but after dropping a little more, in a few big hands I did recover my entire buy-in and got up with a small profit. I am not convinced I played particularly well but I got lucky--in one case very lucky--where I needed to be.

Notable hands:
1. Limped in in LP after straddle and 2 callers with A♣5♣ . Eiki on button, BB and straddler limped/called as well. Flop was A 10 rag, two hearts. Figuring my ace was probably if not surely good when checked to me, I made it 15 to go. Eiki called me and everyone else folded. Turn was a off-suit jack and I led out 50. Eiki called again. River was a blank and I checked. Eiki then put in 150. I was not happy at all. He either had flopped a low set or two pair, or was bluffing with a busted flush draw. I just did not see a bigger ace here. I laid it down, feeling that I misplayed this hand. . Later Eiki claimed he had monster, though I'm not sure I believe him. Comments welcome

2. Following an UTG limp, I, with about 240 behind, limped myself 2nd UTG with 6♥5♥, one of my favorite hands. 3 fellow limpers to Owen in the small blind, who made it 15 to go. Folded to me, and putting Owen on a high pair, I called, thinking that as he had me covered, he had enough money to warrant seeing a flop. One caller behind, and the flop was K♦6♦5♦.

Experiencing a brief brain freeze, I tapped the table to check. Owen was somehow peeved at this as he was supposed to have been first to act and bet 20. I knew that a raise here was likely to give away my strength of my hand since it would have been fairly clear I was planning a check raise, but I really didn't want a caller here as my hand was very vulnerable to any diamond and only slightly ahead, or so I thought at the time, of an overpair with a diamond. So I bet 100. The guy after me folded and Owen first cursed, then went all in. His curse let me know I was probably not facing a set or a flush. I thought I was ahead of any other hand. As it turns out, while I'm killed by KK or 66 and maimed by 55 or a higher flush, I'm still a very slight dog against any overpair with a diamond and only a clear favorite against an overpair without a diamond or an unpaired diamond. At any rate, I was well priced in as long as he did not have a set or a flush. In fact he had the queens with the diamond and I won the coin toss.

Furious, he got up and left, complaining that he knew I had 56 because I "always play shit like that". Guilty as charged.

3. In the cutoff with 4 limpers (the table was like this) and 420 or so behind, I limped as well with J♥9♥. Six people saw the flop, which was jack hi with two clubs. Big blind opened for 15, and I put him most likely on middle pair or a weaker jack, with a small chance he had hit a low set (theory being he would have probably bet preflop with a stronger holding). Suck-out victim from Thursday (mentioned above) called behind with 69 more behind. I put him on a flush draw (figure a jack raises here to find out where he is). Thinking I might have the best hand and wanting flush draws to pay for the privilege (also thinking I might be able to force out a slightly stronger jack) I made it 50 to go. First player folded (later telling me he had had JTo) and victim, after a pause, pushed in his remaining stack. Figuring he almost certainly had a flush draw that wanted to see 2 cards, I called the 34 raise. Unhappy I was to see he had smooth called the initial bet with KJo. Happy I was to spike a 9 on the river. One of these days, he is owed a major suckout against me.

4. Hand that I'm most glad I did not play:
When you get up at this club at a dealer push, as long as there are no players waiting to get in, you have the option to play through to your button without paying time, though if you win any pot, you must pay time. Push came exactly when the button came to me, so I took the free hand. 6 limpers to me and I had A3o. I hate that hand, even with the button as you really can only win a lot a money with it if you flop two or maybe a straight, and you can lose a lot if you just hit your ace. So even with those pot odds, with 515 behind, I folded. Flop came 245 rainbow. Ugh. Action on every street as two players got all in by the river, the board not having paired or suited up.

It seems that one of the fish had decided to limp in EP with 36 offsuit. He had started the hand with more than 400 behind. That would have hurt! Note to self: continue folding weak unsuited aces.