The Poker Summer So Far

I haven't been playing much lately (hence the lack of posts) so this one post ought to catch you all up.

I played the $40 PLO tournament at Adam's house last weekend. Started off grinding, built up a stack and dusted off most of the profit. I was up and down for a while but I felt good and was playing well. There were two spots where I used the ole Stop-N-Go with much success (got Adam and Con both to lay down flush draws on the turn - both would've hit if they stayed in). Made the final table pretty easy, there were only 15 runners. I got into one hand where I made my patented DP Idiot Call™ in a three way hand. I got dealt AQd99. I limped in and Lakewood Josh potted himself all in for 3x the blind (I want to say 2500ish). Data repots over the top of him and all in. I hear the little voice in my head say call, so I do. I end up making the nut flush on the river and stacking both. After that I turned a gutshot straight flush and stacked Con. At the beginning of three handed play (in the money) it was me, Adam, and RR Dave. I had 100k in the chips, the other two 25k a piece. We played three handed for a long time before Dave finally stacked off to Adam. Heads up was all me until my AAxx got cracked and Adam went on a tear, winning a few races and finally crippling me. I ended up second, which bothered me because I felt I played better than 2nd place but what can I do when a guy gets hit with the deck heads up?

Played a bit at Nautica this week with little success. The $2/4 and $3/6 limit games are turning into a circus sideshow. The cheating/angle shooting is so obvious it's ridiculous. It's clear no one at Nautica gives a shit what happens at these tables. I was playing $2/4 with three guys all playing out of the same handful of cash, they would pass chips back and forth. They were also selling chips to other players (not allowed) and pocketing the cash rather than putting it on the table (also not allowed). There is rampant signalling and soft play. The angle shooting is ridiculous. I played $3/6 with this one guy who has $200 in cash in his hand, which he never sets on the table. He buys $20 in chips off of someone and plays a hand and loses, then buys $20 more. The table minimum is $60. If he's in a hand he buys more chips and puts them in play mid hand, also not allowed. He and two other guys were there yesterday all showing each other their cards. If they didn't like a card on the deal they would intentionally fuck up the deal and start yelling "Misdeal!" even if it wasn't. The volunteer dealers are woefully stupid and just redeal. We had three misdeals in four hands because of this, which caused me to leave. I am not losing anything at these tables, but I'm not killing them either. Sometimes it's just funny to watch the show. I gave up complaining to the floor months ago because they don't care and won't stop any of it.

I played some $1/2 with little success as well. I got into a horrendous hand a few days ago that I'd like to share. Playing $1/2 around 11PM (an hour to close - usually crazy time). I start with $200 and work it up to $350 with a flush. I get into this hand: on the button dealt Js-10h. UTG (who has over $1200) limps. Girl at the end makes it $16, she has only about $60 behind. I call the $16 as do the SB and BB. UTG re-raises to $69. I have seen him do this repeatedly with very light holdings to try and squeeze. Mid girl shoves. I flat call, SB and BB fold. Flop comes K-J-3 two spades, but I don't see it because I am staring down Mr. Big Stack. He is staring back and open/shoves all-in. I tell him I think he missed and I call. Turn is the Qs, so I have open ended straight draw, flush draw, and a pair of jacks. River is 10d. He says "straight" and tables A-8h for the two out miracle river. $830+ pot vaporizes in front of me. What do you say to a hand like that? Yes, you can argue I shouldn't have called $69 preflop but I read the hand perfectly and had way the best of it when the money went in.

Had a spotty day yesterday. Lost $40 in Linda's tournament and decided to hit Nautica to kill time. Lit fire to $110 in the cash game playing $1/2. I didn't drag a single pot. Turned trip A's from the BB lost on the river, flopped lots of open end straight and flush draws and bricked them all. Went back to Linda's with Krazy Mike and caught fire in the triple pot limit. Stacked Chuck for $30 when I raised preflop in PLO8, turned straight, flush, and low draws and missed them all. He was also on a draw and my A high won the pot. Bought in $60 and cashed out $238, covering my losses for the day with a little cherry on top.

Some days I feel like I really can play this game.