Feb. 15, 2007 - Chumash Casino

Description: I was looking forward to getting up to the casino during the couple of days prior, and took $200 with me (obviously, more than my usual $100) since I figured that I might be there a while and didn’t want my bankroll to end my play before I was ready to leave (probably a mistake that I won’t make again – I mean I may do this if I’m with others and dependent on them for a ride home, but if I’m solo, I’m going to stick to my $100 or $120 bankroll [and yes, I know that a lot of people say you’re not “supposed” to use stopgaps or preset win or time limits, but dammit – nearly every time I start out losing, I just keep on losing; so until I figure out why {tilting, poker-radar not working, whatever}, I’m going to stick to my stopgaps]).

As I was saying, I had been looking forward to it, but on the drive up, I felt… “not ready” or unfocused to play – again, this should have warned me not to play or to only buy-in once, but I didn’t listen (you can tell that this isn’t going to end well)…

Anyway, I arrived and a seat was open on the $60 NLHE table (seat #2, my favorite spot) and I sat down. I was dealt in as my chips were being brought to me and found KJo, so I limped in – followed by several other limpers. After a flop of 9h 8h 2c, it was checked around to seat 8 (button) who bet $6, and we all folded.

OK, first hand done & my analysis of the other players is underway. After 20-30 minutes I had a preliminary read on the others: seat 1 was something of a limp-in / calling-station with weakish hand selection, 3 was fairly solid (picky with his cards and got away from boards that went sour), 4, 5, & 6 were action limpers – loved to see flops, especially 6. 7&8 were buddies and 7 was the raiser at the table – 8 would then either fold or reraise to isolate, and generally crush his buddy because 7 was not disciplined. 9 must have been a rock cuz he didn’t play a hand in that 20 minute period.

During this time, I played some hands that were iffy (QTs, T9o, 56s) given my position at the time, and my stack dropped to ~$25, but I consider this the investment or recon phase for information gathering (some semi-bluffs, marginal reraises, etc.) to help get my reads.
After this I tightened up and waited: after a few rounds & staying afloat with 2 LP steals and a top-pair weak-kicker flop-raise getting folded to me, I picked up Kh Ks in the BB. 6 players limp to me and I pop it to $8 (which became my standard raise for this table). Everyone folds to 7, who, of course, calls. I check the flop of J85 (2 diamonds), and he bets $7 – I move in (for <$20) and he calls after a thoughtful pause. Now, Kings had actually shown up twice at this table since I sat down, and had gotten cracked both times, so I’m hoping that it’s not bad mojo for me… I flip the kings up and scoop the pot after another 5 and A show on the turn / river (no diamond) and he flashes Q9h as he mucks (like I said, weak hand selection – if he’d had an A, I’d have obviously been toast). Hurray for me, I’m back up to ~$60.

I pick up AQo next hand (in SB) and decide to push with it. 3 or 4 limpers this time and I pop it to $8 again. BB folds but 6 and 7 call this time and the flop comes AK8 with 2 spades. I lead out and bet $10 and show the AQ after they fold (I don’t generally show, but I wanted to reinforce a tight image so I could get away with some steals later).

Back to crap cards for the next 20-30 minutes, and I make a steal to keep my stack in the $80-$85 range. I picked up QTs (again) on the button and decide to play it with 3 others in the pot. It’s checked to me after a Q98 rainbow flop and I bet $6, and all fold except for 7 (of course), who calls. He bets $10 after the Kc falls on the turn and I (pretty sure that he’s full of crap) call (this is generally my M.O. at this $60 table – if you’re willing to bet, I’ll just call all day as long as I figure I’m still on top, then river-raise – and people don’t seem to figure it out). The river brings a surprising Jh to fill my gutshot. He bets $10 again and I raise to $25. Now, he starts talking to himself about the hand and his buddy (seat 8) pipes up “could have JT and been slowplaying a straight from the flop.” 7 hems and haws for a few more seconds and flashes A7 as he mucks. I collect the pot and I’m up to ~$115 – then things go bad.

Seat 1 has left and been replaced by a tight fairly solid player, 3 and 4 leave and a couple of kids sit down (yay, nothing is more fun than taking money from hyper-aggressive teenagers – Chumash is an 18+ casino – and send them crying to mama), 6 leaves and is replaced by a maniac asian lady, 8 leaves and 7 moves over to the 8 seat, and 9 leaves to be replaced by a solid girl I’ve played against before. The problem was the new 7, he was a very solid guy who totally through me off my game – I had trouble reading him and, by the time my bankroll was gone, I had let him lead me down the donkey trail; and I couldn’t find my way back. Again, I have no one to blame but myself – for making the bonehead maneuvers that I did, and for not acknowledging that my head wasn’t fully in the game – that I should have left and saved myself a lot of aggravation.

Examples:
1) I pick up Kh Qh in MP/LP – 7 raises it to $6 from UTG (his standard raise) and it’s folded to me, I call and the BB calls. Flop is KT5 all spades – 6 checks, 7 bets $10, I call and 6 folds. I’m a bit worried about AK so we both check the 7d on the turn (but I should have bet to see where I stood) – here I figure the flush is not in his hand and my KQ is probably best. The river is Qs – now, for some reason I removed the flush from his likely-holdings and I didn’t revisit it here, so I thought my 2-pair is good – he bets $10, I insta-call (stupidly) and he shows 6d 6s for a baby flush. Crap.

2) I pickup AQs in EP and pop it to $8, it’s folded to 7 who calls and everyone else folds. Flop is T32 rainbow and I check – he bets $10 (his very very standard continuation bet) and I call. My radar tells me that at this time he doesn’t have anything, and the turn brings the 5c and a gutshot in addition to my 2 overcards. I check-call his $10 bet. The river brings 9h and I still feel like his $10 river bet is fishy, so after a deliberate pause, I raise to $25 (~half of my remainder). He moves in and I insta-call, again (stupidly, again) – I flip my ace and he flips AK. Crap. Chips on 3!

3) I pickup Qs Th in MP/LP and limp along with 5 others. The flop is As Ts 7c, and 7 bets out his usual $10. With no raise preflop, I’m doubtful of the A – I (along with 1) call and assume that my middle pair good kicker are good. Turn is the 9s and now I’ve got a 2nd nut flush draw with my 2nd pair. 7 bets $20, 1 calls, I consider moving in (dammit, why didn’t I?) and call. River brings a red 6, and 7 moves in – 1 ponders and folds, I look down & only have $19 left in front of me. With a pot of ~$120 I’m getting 6:1 odds – I look over and he’s staring at the board (something he always did) and his hand is covering his mouth (something I’d not seen him do before) – 2 tells that could indicate a bluff – but I’m not sure he’s not false advertising, and I’m getting my chips ready to call…

But I friggin’ fold! WTF? What is wrong with me? I’m getting great odds and looking at him after he mucked – I’m almost certain I had him! Dammit! I looked at the A, at the 3 spades, and at the gutshot straight draw and talked myself out of a huge pot – just shoot me.

Next hand I pick up Ad Jc in MP and pop it to $6, 3 callers (3, 6, &7), the flop is J63 all spades – TPTK for me. I move in (for $13), 3 calls and everyone else folds – he flips over Ah Ks and fills his flush on the river. Crap. I’m done, and it’s the long drive of shame back home for me…

Bottom Line: I played like a donkey (started OK, but got off my game and couldn’t recover) and ended up down $200. Poker drawer is now at $1,000 even.

Lessons: When I feel like my head is not in the game, don’t play (or limit myself to 1 buy-in). As mentioned before, I also need to be more aggressive on occasion (to mix up my game and for hand protection, which I usually do when flush / straight draws are present), and not dismiss likely hands that my opponents are holding from my ‘poker-radar’ coverage. Also, I needed to do less calling and more raising or folding – especially when I wasn’t sure where I stood.