Just Because You're A Professional Poker Player, Doesn't Mean You Can Beat 1/2 NL

Seriously. Apparently it doesn't.

So I went to the Horseshoe Casino, intending to play poker for ten-twelve hours and donk around at 1/2 NL. By the way, the Horseshoe itself is actually really nice. The poker room is much nicer than at Majestic Star or Ameristar. Anyway, so early on, wasn't hitting flops, then finally picked up 8s with only like 100 behind at that point. Raise, got like 5 callers. Gotta love cash games. Flop was 664, 2 hearts, bet like 25, everyone except bb folds. BB was a very good player. I put him on a draw, shoved, he beat me into the pot, oops. Reload time one. The shove was probably pretty bad.

Reload time two, pick up JJ in bb, bunch of limpers, button raises to 5 (whatever), I repop to 20, everyone else mucks, button calls. Flop is QQ3. I bet 30, button calls. Turn is a brick. I check, button immediately fires 100. Then he immediately starts staring at me intently in that "I'm looking strong but really want you to fold" kind of way. I put him on a mid pair and shove, he beats me into the pot. That needs to stop happening. He shows QJ and I'm drawing stone dead to the river. Jeesh. Also apparently I need to work on reading people.

So some of that was understandable and some of that was bad play. But I really wasn't too phased at this point. I was planning on being here for awhile, and the players around me weren't very good (or were typical for 1/2 NL). But what happened after that (you know, to lose the next 500) was one of the those "the poker gods are conspiring against you" days. I flopped top pair twice all day, and didn't win either pot. I had KK, QQ, JJ, and didn't win any of those pots. I was gambling some on preflop calls because there were a lot of decent pots built pre and just never hit anything. And then the final curse disguised as a gift was the psycho guy at my table who sat down. He raised to 20 dollars 90% of hands. The other 5-10% he raised bigger, $30, $50. He was just out of his mind. So I started calling with decent hands, because he'll inevitably stack off if I could hit a flop. But I couldn't. And I couldn't bluff, because he was never folding and therefore unbluffable. I kept making sure I had $200 behind for when I did hit. But I never did. Finally I picked up KK. I limped, with the intent to let psycho make a big raise. Except someone else raised to $12, and psycho just flatted. I put in $40 more, and psycho folded, the only time he ever folded pre.

The next hand I picked up AJ, and was just like screw it, I'm doing the same play, I'm guaranteed to be ahead of him. So I limped, he raised to 30, I put it another 100, which was pretty much what he had left. He called. The board came J75, 8, 6. And I thought, oh God. AJ, I called out. He showed down...J4o for a straight.

So at that point I only had 80 left, decided I was done reloading, I'd double it or go home. Bunch of limpers, button raises, I pick up AQ. He had KK. NH sir. I burned through $900 in four hours.

Anyway, I'm going back to the Horseshoe soon to change the karma of that place.

I am 27 today. Also 99 days until Bush leaves office. Party all around.

I'll be back to work for a full day tomorrow.

Pwning FT Nooner Like It's The AP 30r

A funny thing has been happening lately. I've been winning on Full Tilt! I don't know if this is evidence of the apocalypse, or just that God likes me a little more than I thought he did. Been playing day sessions all week (until today anyway), so I've been playing the FT $109 that starts at 11 central, and I've finished third and second for a very solid week. Throw in a third in the Stars $22 1r1a, and I'm on about six grand heater over the past three days. Can't complain about that.

The one thing I can complain about is my play at the end of the Stars tournament. When it got to be three handed, I was catching absolutely nothing in the way of cards. Picked up 5s in the sb, raised, donkish bb called. Flop came T97, all hearts, I have 5h. I bet about 3/5 pot, bb calls. Turn is a 9. I have basically one pot sized bet left. Put it in here, or c/f? The call on the turn didn't tell me much, could be pair or draw, and the guys a donkey anyway. I decide to shove, and get looked up by K7 with Kh. So I'm dead to two outs, and then gone. Shoving bad here? That hand got me muttering to myself, but I think I've convinced myself my play was actually ok (or at least not awful) given the wide range he was calling with on the flop. Frankly, I'd expect him to raise that flop, and then I would have been gone. Oh well, whatever. I'm done thinking about that hand.

The FT $109 I finished third in was unfortunate, was CL in the tournament and couldn't fade a straight draw with no overs against second chip leader three handed. Then next hand got it in JJ against TT against same player, T on the flop. Had a won either of those pots no doubt I win that tournament for an extra 2.5K or so. On the other hand, I kind of ran like a God in that tournament while behind, so I can't really complain. The poker gods giveth, and taketh away.

So it's the 9th now, and I'm up 5300 or so. Very solid start to the month. Can't complain about that.

JohnnyBax was playing on Cake the other day in an afternoon 25R I was in. Or at the very least someone using his screen name. But I'm assuming it was him. He had like 50K in chips. Does this mean real players are going to start playing on Cake? That would be terrible! Leave my donkeys alone! I found 'em first! Plus some of the AP regulars seem to be making their way over there too. I guess you can't have that big a fishbowl without people finding out.

Terrelle Pryor is the truth.

Casino Day! Gonna go hit the new Horseshoe over in Indiana. I still haven't been there since it opened, which is completely unacceptable. So today is the day. I will, as usual while playing cash games, probably just donk around at 1/2 NL, be social and have a good time. Also I live a pretty good life.

After that it'll probably be a light weekend for playing. My birthday is Monday, so I'm having a get together on Saturday of, well, whoever exactly it is that shows up. Cooper's at 9, at Belmont and Racine, if you're interested coming, random blog reader. Whoever it is exactly that reads this thing (hi Mom?).

But yeah, may play Sunday, may not, depends on my mood. Once I clear my birthday I'll be back in full working mode.

September Wrap

Back on track.

Month: +$7730

Year: $67,155

Didn't play really at all in the last week. Once again I'm content to coast when I get ahead for the month. That's a terrible long term thing to be doing, and I need to stop.

I'll try and get it back ramped up this week, but going to Madison this weekend so that might make it difficult. Need to get some day sessions going in order to get enough hours in.