Had some free time and a little free cash, so I popped over to the track for a little 1/2 HE for an hour. Doubled up and left. Folded early and often, winning most of my money on two hands I played while in the blind.
4-7s, I was able to call a single raise pre-flop with 13:1 odds. Two spades on the flop and one on the river gave me the flush. I didn’t raise it up on the river, content to check-call out of fear of the bigger flush (weak, I know!). There had been some betting on the come at the table, so I was expecting the A or K-high flush to be out there. Luckily, it wasn’t, and I was able to come to an understanding of the phrase “monsters under the bed”.
The next orbit, I pick up 77 in the blind. Unraised pre-flop, I did my best indo88 imitation, albeit silently, saying “Just ONCE let me hit my 2-outer!”. A 7 on the flop answered my call, and I just bet out with 5 callers. A guy two seats to my left raised me on the river and I just called with a possible straight on the board. Turned out he’d rivered a 3 for Kings-up, and was mightily disappointed to see my set.
I’ve always had bad runs at this track (lost 40 BBs in 2 hrs last Christmas, tilting after having KK, flopping a K, and getting run down by 2-3o who was calling my raises and check-raises with nothing to runner-runner the wheel – bitch!). So, it was nice to get some fortuitous cards there, for once. I just played it straight-up, no tricky stuff, no bluffs. Bluffs don’t play at these tables, but value bets do.
The table was new when I arrived, and we had a hooded-guy (ala, Unabomber) and a sunglass-wearing, hat-wearing, jacket-wearing guy (ala Hellmuth).
Two guesses who were the first two to bust out…
[Snicker…]
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Ah, well, Turkey Day was pleasant enough yesterday. Ate too much, listened to the Brits in the family slam the Catholic church, and kept my tongue between my teeth like a good boy (as if I’m going to debate the sins of the Inquisition? And the Inquisition is relevant to me how?).
I’m just an ignorant American, no need to bother…
Thanksgiving Break
Spending the weekend in Jax at the in-laws, timing couldn’t be better, as I was just coming out of a soul-crushing run of SNGs. Early-on, I was pressing too much when the cards were going bad, trying to accumulate chips to play the waiting game on the bubble. I wasn’t getting any cards at all, and it’s rare to get people to lay down hands in low-dollar SNGs until you’re at the bubble. Oddly, I actually started seeing better results in the occasional $6 SNG I’d throw in, as compared to the $.50-$2.00 games. Wierd. Although, those $1 games are definitely an oddball – it’s like everyone there is playing with their last $1. Play gets tight, but extremely aggressive, and emotions run very high on bust-outs. The most pleasant times occur as I’ve taken my shots at the $6 and $10 game.
So, anyway, a break is definitely in order. I was ignoring my own advice and observations, squeezing in games rather than waiting for good conditions that would allow me to play patiently and concentrate.
I’ve always said I don’t have the temperament to play this game for serious money. DISCIPLINE. I still have too many lapses. I know how to play well, I know when to play well, I know when not to play at all, but sometimes I just… don’t.
“My name is BSN, and I am a fish…”
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As I said above, I’ve seen emotions run very high in some of the smallest games. One guy attacked me out of the blue when I wasn’t even in the hand that put him out (I had been pulling the short-stack all-in move a few hands earlier and must have doubled up off him.) Another guy at a $1 table was a classic table captain, telling us how bad we were playing and announcing his laydowns (“easy laydown” as he said with top 2 pair on the flop, facing my pot-sized check-raise). And, when he busted out seventh and started the donkey-calling, I reminded him that we were all just a bunch of pro’s screwing around at the $1 table for shits-n-giggles.
However, I’ve found the best tactic for diffusing an attacker is to simply type “stop, you’re hurting my feelings”. It’s worked 100% of the time. It just highlights to everyone that I know they’re trying to tilt me, and how ridiculous the effort is.