Session #9

Again I had very limited time in which to play (like, less than an hour) before I had to make a 20 minute drive to an arena to play rec hockey, but what's a day without a few hands of poker, eh?

I got to the clubhouse around 11:30 or shortly thereafter and found myself in an eight-handed game. The same supertight/aggressive was this time seated to my left and I had a passive/aggressive (I think, I'm not sure on this guy yet) to my right. He also likes to make a straddle bet every round which is too bad for my position being under-the-gun when he does it. I like late position for straddle bets especially.

I won the first hand I sat down to with T-J suited when the flop comes Q-Q-T and the club owner makes two continuation bets on his preflop raise. I was mid-position and he was three ahead of me and I figured him for either AK or mid-pocket pair. I checked the river (just in case!) and so did he and I took it down and he quickly mucked his cards (he's good at that).

I then lost two bridesmaid hands in quick succession costing me half my stack. The first was a pocket deuces that made my set when the flop came Q-8-2. I bet aggressive and was called by the owner again and we were heads up. The turn brought an eight, matching the eight on the board and tightening me up. I bet aggressive again and he called. Now I don't normally do this, but I figured him for an overpair and I wanted to overbet the situation so I bet blind to goad him into calling and he did.... BLIND! Dammitall if the river brought another queen giving him the higher full house when he turned over A-Q.

Now here's where I've been testing myself lately when I take a bad beat. To avoid playing irrationally I have a mandate to only play top ten hands for three hands after a bad beat. This gives me time to cool down inside and to regain composure. I like to think I don't show anything on the outside and the owner made a comment about how unlucky I was that hand. I said 'yep, nice hand' and continued with my play like nothing happened.

I shit you not, four hands later (one after my bad beat layoff time period), I preflop raise with suited A-T in late position and the flop comes down A-Q-T. Second top two for me! Golden right?

Wrong.

I bet the flop and am smooth called by three players. Turn is garbage and I bet out, the next guy in line calls and then the old-timer makes it two to go. Uh-oh. He's a crafty one this guy. Damn near ninety years old and still plays poker every day. Don't get me wrong, I love the old fella and I call him my friend. But he does drive me nuts. He will make the exact same play with either the nuts or a complete bluff. You can never tell with him. All I do when he pulls this stunt is to revert to call mode. I call the second bet and the other two players fold. I check the river, he bets and I call. He turns over A-Q for top two.

Two quick hands early on and 75% of my stack is gone. I never recovered as my time was limited and I walked out after 50 minutes with $85 blown off.

Session Total = -$85 CAN.

Live MTD earnings are -$175 CAN.
Live YTD earnings are -$175 CAN.

Online MTD earnings are +$420 US.
Online YTD earnings are +$420 US.