Harrah's Week Two, 11/01/08

Returned to Harrah's this past Saturday and met up with Bill and Davey. They were on table 15 sitting next to each other and the game looked...hmm, not good. Though they did have that cat who thinks he's nice that I would not have minded sitting in the game to break it off in him. But alas I would be put on table 23, I think, by the poker room cage. Before I got there I talked to Davey and Bill for a minute, Davey was up quite a bit, but I know how he plays and I am sure he opened this table up, and had probably pissed a few people off, but that's my boy. Bill was chilling waiting for his time. I got called to my table and said my see ya's and told them that I'll make a table change and be back soon.

So I sit down, (mental checklist, tight aggressive, watch for a bit, play position.) I get in under the gun, look down at AQ of spades and make it $12 to go in the 1-2 NL game. I get three callers. The flop is JJ2, big blind bets, I call, turn pairs the board again, BB beats I call, river is a blank, BB beats again, I call. WHY? WHAT THE HELL CAN I BEAT? MAYBE A BLUFF! MAYBE!!!! Well he shows AJ off and I muck quickly and smile at myself...first hand, mental checklist out the window and $75 down.

Another thing that I like to do is get to know the guys next to me or at least be nice to them, you see I am a very large guy and quite intimidating, so that it is easier to take money from them. Well it worked, had a very loose weak aggressive player to my left and a nice young weak tight kid to my right. We talked and it was more small talk then anything. I was back on my game plan and up a couple hundred at this point. The guy two to my right was another decent player who had about six hundred in front of him due to hitting quad kings versus pocket aces, where they got it all in on the flop, he turned the quads...lol! At least that was the story I got when I got back from the bathroom.

Well, here is how being nice sorta works out. I am in the big blind, 7-4 off, three limpers to the flop, weak aggressive, descent player on the button and weak tight in the small blind. The flop, 10 7 7 rainbow, YAHTZEE! Check around to the button, $10 bet. SB calls, I call, the rest fold. Turn card, 7, UNO!!!! Well, that was the first thing that came to mind. SB bets $20, I call button calls. River is a deuce. SB checks-"WHAT THE HELL!"-I can't check behind, because I notice the button wants to check also. Shoot! Well I cut out $70, slight overbet, or it looks like it and bet. The button stands up and looks at me, "You got quads?" In the amount of time that I am typing this I had to answer, which I did, "Yes, I do." I tried to sound like a liar. He said that according to the way I had been playing he believed me. I did not like that he said that but oh well, I really was hoping for a call, he folded. The SB with about $100 left goes, "Do you really have quads?"
I answer, "Yes, I do," now with a lot of confidence.
"Will you show if I fold?"
"NOPE!" I said quickly. Now I figured he was not going to call.
"Well, I gotta see them. Right?"
He cuts out $70, and slowly pushes it across the line and quickly flips up his 10 8 off. I show my 7-4 off and pull in the pot.
"Guess you were telling the truth," as he smiled at me, pushed away from the table and said good game as he cashed out.
I don't know if he called because it was easy to give me his money or because he thought I was a liar, I'm going with easy because I think I was likeable.

Well the game eventually broke and I was up real nice for a 1-2nl game. I move to another table where the action was a little crazy. Four way limped pots and a $20 bet when the flop would hit...YUMMY! I entered with about $350 and after an hour I was down to $125, freaking crazy, I had to let a lot of big hands go. Well I straddle, I have my reasons for straddling in a loose game. I may give that away another time. There are six callers including the blinds, here is a funny thing, the big blind completes and at this point I am raising with whatever I have to take this pot down, when the one seat, about middle middle position, throws out four red chips. The dealer said you already called. He looks a little frustrated so instead of raising, I look down at 10-5 off and knock the board. The flop comes 10 5 2, check around to the guy who wanted to raise. He throws out $20, this guy who has been playing slow, min raises quickly. YIKES, I think, big hand. 5's, deuces? Folds around to me and I just call the $20. Folds to the bettor and he re-raises all in, about $60 more. I look down at what I got left and go F it! I'm all in, the other guy beats me in the pot. The two guys to my left say I like your hand, the original bettor turns over pocket kings, the slow player who got fast all of a sudden turns over pocket deuces. I still have not turned my cards over. The kings go, "what you got man?"
"I'm in second and you're in third place," I respond.
The turn is five. "I just took first place, fellas."
The river is an ace, I show my 10 5 off and they don't look happy. The original bettor goes, "shoulda raised."
I get up after a few big blinds and get away up $60, from that second session and head home. I may get to get away again for a third week in a row...wish me luck.

Stay nice as rice and mello as jello!