Perfect Storm

Of Course I would start a poker blog to track my results (in life as well as poker) at the exact time a perfect storm of circumstances would conspire to keep me out of the cardroom. Well the holiday season has finally slowed down my real job and as a result I played some sessions - just on the weekends. One two sundays ago and then both days this past weekend.

The first Sunday I felt rusty and it took me what seemed like less than an hour (maybe it was two) to burn through four buy-ins (total of $1,400). I made what felt like decent decisions at the time but I wasn't being honest with myself about their quality - lots of close decisions where I probably could have gotten away with checking down but decided to push and try and buy some fold equity. In my regular game that can be just silly and so I got callers when I really didn't want them (and when they should not have been calling - but I know these guys and should know better) and my outs never came.

This past weekend was better - focused on putting people in positions to make errors which is always a profitable strategy in my game. Made back the lost buy-ins on Saturday and then made some profit on Sunday. I was lucky, but some random examples of how soft the game can be stick out.

There was the nice younger guy who looked like a football player - he was huge. He was seated two to my right on Saturday and had only been at the table for a few hands when the following came up. Under the gun raised to $40 (BB is $5) and it was folded around to Youngster. He re-raises to $100 and it is folded around to original raiser who min re-raises to $160. At this stage everyone at the table knows the original raiser has Aces and so I expected Youngster to call and see what happens. Was I ever wrong. Youngster makes it $300 to go and Original Raiser responds by going all-in for about $600. Youngster had about $550 in front of him and calls. I figured it was Aces v Aces and we would get to see if any one caught a four flush board, but to my surprise Youngster turns over jacks. JACKS!! He sees the Aces of the Original Raiser, gets no help from the board and shrugs his shoulders and asks no one in particular "what could I do?"

So about one orbit later I'm on the button with AK diamonds. Youngster has about $500 in front of him (having re-bought) and the cut-off (who has been playing relatively tight) has about $200. I have them both covered. Youngster raises two limpers to $40. Cut off thinks for a few seconds and pushes his stack. I'm happy to play a coinflip with the cut off given the amount already in the pot, but I have no idea what Youngster has or what he will do. If he has a pair or something like AQ I could buy some insurance against the cut off by getting Youngster to call an over bet. I raise to $500 and Youngster calls. I flip over my hand (I don't like the grandstanding on all-ins preflop) and Youngster says "we have the same" and flips over AK off. Cut off shows 88. I comment that we don't actually have the same as mine are suited. The dealer promptly pulls out a king high flop (unlucky for cut-off) with one diamond. Youngster says "good hand" to which I try and respond in my wisest tone - "two more cards to come". Dealer kindly turns and rivers diamonds and I scoop the pot.

More observations later.