August Challenge and the $2K coffee

Carolina John won both categories of the August Challenge.

He had the biggest chip stack at approximately $2,300. He also had 43 opponent bustouts, which about doubled my tally and edged out Todd at 38.

I ran well below expectation for the 10-day period. That could have been corrected very quickly at 3 am Saturday morning but instead I lost the biggest pot of my life.

I had made a big call with QQ against a player who checkraised all-in on the flop for $350 more on a T82 board with two spades. He had JJ and after that pot I stood at over $800. It got the adrenaline flowing and I took a walk and got a cheese danish at the gift shop downstairs. When I got back to the poker room I ordered a coffee with cream and put the danish aside.

John was sitting to my left, and to John's left was an Asian woman named Too. She had about $1,000 in front of her. She had made half of it by calling an all-in on the turn with a gutterball and flush draw against her husband. I'd been playing with her all weekend and knew she was a really loose player who was running hotter than the sun.

I still hadn't gotten my coffee when I picked up AQ of clubs on the button and raised to $12. John called, Too called, and the European in middle position with about $400 in front of him also called.

The flop came KJT with two hearts, so I flopped the stones. John checked, Too led out for $20, the European called, I called, and John called.

Turn came the 9 of diamonds, putting a four card straight out there. Too led out for $60, the European pushed for $370 (with a bare queen), and I insta-pushed over the top for $800.

Too goes into the tank. She thinks about it for so long that by the time she calls I am pretty much putting her on what she has, a queen for the second-nuts along with a flush draw. A ridiculous call, but one I would expect her to make at least half the time.

River is the nine of hearts and I throw my danish clear out of the poker room and into a row of slot machines. I take a walk for a half hour asking myself why I run so fucking bad and why I had to lose that pot instead of having $2K on the table.

By the time I get back, though, I'm not really mad. I'm more in a sort of spaced out zone where I don't care about the money anymore. I sit down and put on my ipod and ask if the cocktail waitress came by with the drinks yet. I'm told she did not. She comes by fifteen minutes later and doesn't have my drink.

She asks if anyone wants anything.

"Yeah, I ordered a coffee with cream about two thousand dollars ago."

So that was that, and by the way Too lost everything she had on the table over the next 10 hours or so, plus several rebuys. She lost a huge chunk of it to John in a $2K+ pot where the hands never went to showdown. During that same session I actually busted her twice after she busted me, but for nothing close to the amount that was at stake during our first hand.

Coolers

Been taking it easy the last couple days in anticipation of a week of non-stop poker.

The Duke gets to keep his title as he came out and played the other night. I got coolered a couple times, like when I ran Ace-high into a set of threes, and then getting colddecked with Seven-high versus pocket aces. I doubled up my opponent both times, but what are you gonna do? On some hands you are just destined to lose money.

Then the tables combined and I had a conversation with Kevin about appropriate aggression levels for small stakes no limit games. I got unstuck and then up a bill or so when a guy open raised for $100 when I had limped with King Kong.

Shortstackers

Took myself to the Strip and sat at a table with Ason, the self-proclaimed "Pro's Pro."

Ason is in from LA and shortstacking it like a live version of Mark Vos on FTP. Not that he has to shortstack, he just likes it like that. If the Duke had Ason's bankroll he would be at Binion's sitting behind a rack of green.

If the Duke does not play tonight I demote him to Constable or Ombudsman.

Santa Barbara

I figured it was time to pay the piper so I took my coupe to the shop. I hate that fucking piper guy. Condo in Santa Barbara, he's bragging about, while I shell out close to $1K in twenty dollar bills.

The first live session of the month was a hit-and-run 1.2 bi winner.

Today was all about the swings. Played an hour in the morning, then a couple 2-hour sessions later in the day. All three- or four-tabling:

morning session: even (nlh)
session 2: -4 bi (nlh)
session 3: +6 bi (plo)

I had kind of a realization about my real leak that has been holding me back in this game to some degree, which is that I have been outcome oriented instead of process oriented. May get into it more in future posts, for now will just say I will play hours and not worry about results cause the results will be there at the end of the month. Peace.

Swings of PLO

When I feel myself start to tilt, I gaze at the painting from Goodfellas.
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Cashed out most of the FullTilt moneys to give myself a live bankroll. My plan: to play at PH but also play a few hours online each day to get rakeback and Ironman freeroll points.

After the cashout I went on a heinous run in PLO where I lost like nine straight 60/40s for stacks. My play was not the best as I was continuation betting too liberally and playing too loose when I got popped. When you are running bad you tend to think people are constantly making plays at you, and when you are really, really running bad you want to call just to see how they got you this time.

Good thing I'd started mixing in NLHE into my online mix. During this run my PT BB/100 for the past month went from 12 to 7 in PLO, and from 4 to 11 in NLHE. In like three days.

August Challenge

Carolina John is coming to town August 17th and will be here for a week. I would like to see a rematch of the May Challenge, which featured sidebets between John and Todd and myself, but it looks like Todd has given up poker to work for his wife in her insurance office.

R.I.P. Re-Bet
1980-2007

UPDATE: According to an obscure text message unearthed by Egyptologists, he may be still alive and coming to town on the 18th.