Better Than Traffic

July 24, 2007 – Commerce

I had to go to a seminar in LA, and rather than fight rush-hour traffic, I told wife-Amy that I’d be home late and would wait out the traffic playing poker (what a great excuse).

I ended up $80 ahead playing ~3 hours at the $40 NLHE table, but only 2 hands stand out…

1) I got seated next to this guy that was just drunk as a skunk – overbetting, showing bluffs, getting suck-outs whenever someone would call… And I just sat and waited. I pick up KK from UTG and raise it to $6, and he raises to $12 – everyone folds. It’s back to me and he’s saying, “ooh, I really like my hand, if you move in I’ve got to call.” Well, OK; I move in, and he instacalls. We don’t show our hands as the flop comes 4, 9, J rainbow, and he’s now nervous, saying, “man, I hope you’ve got AK”. I flip the kings as the turn is a 2 – he shows 77, and the river brings an A. Yay, double-up for me.

2) I had been moved to a different table and was playing for a while in the 3 seat, when I picked up TT in the BB. 7 people had limped and I didn’t want to pop it to the $15 or $20 it would take to chase most of them out – so I limped too. Flop was a very exciting 6s, Td, Qs, making me happy, but a bit worried about someone with straight or flush draws. I led out & bet $10, and only 2 people called. Turn was the 9h, and now I’m getting a bit worried, so I bet out $20, and only the button calls (who was a nice guy and a decent player). River was the Kc, and I groaningly check – he checked and missed his flush draw (which is what I put him on, but I was afraid that [with my luck] he’d have the Js for the straight – but he didn’t). So I bet the right amounts (except preflop) to give him the wrong odds, and it all worked out like it was supposed to.

Net = $80

Poker Drawer = $740