Life and Times of a Poker Addict

Sometimes things just go utterly, completely and ridiculously wrong. Got blasted for another $500 tonight at the Warehouse. And then another $133 by the clowns on Party Poker.

Okay, so where to begin? Buy in for $100 and like six hands in I got J10 offsuit on the button. There were three limpers in front of me and I raised to $8, getting two callers. Flop comes J 10 8 rainbow. Two checks to me, and I bet out $15, which Schneck calls. River is a 7, we both check, and the river is another 7. He bets all in, which has me covered and I had $50 left. I could've let it go, but I didn't, and he had played A9 suited and hit the straight.

Rebuy up to $200, and I'm hanging right around that number when one of the most ridiculous hands that, (A) I've ever played in, and (B) seen played, occurred. I have QJ offsuit in the cutoff, three people limp, so I do too. The button raises to $12, and everyone calls, so I do as well. Flop comes KQJ rainbow. The first two to act both check, and middle position bets $25 into the $60 pot. Here's where we can get all analytical.

I've got the button on Aces. I don't think that there Kings, Queens or Jacks out there because none of the other people raised preflop or reraised the button. If I'm getting tricked by a limp-smooth call, so bet it. It's very possible that there's an underpair of 10's or lower, maybe even two hands like that. Or big Aces like AK, AQ or AJ; which is even better since that would kill all the Aces. I could smooth call the $25, and see what happens, but if Aces come over the top and there are two or more other callers, I'm going to be getting 4 or 5 to 1 on my money to see where I'm at. If everyone calls the $25, now there's $200 in the pot, we see the turn and I have $160 left. If it's a brick, I'm still in the same position. So if I'm going to be in the same position on the turn where I will certainly push all my money in, I might as well take a shot at knocking some players out on the flop.

I push in for another $160, Button calls, early position re-raises all-in for another $100. That puts both the original flop bettor and the button in. Both go all-in as well, the only other player in the pot, in between early position and the flop bettor (Poker Don), folds.

Here are the hands by position:

EP: A 10 spades
Poker Don: J 10 offsuit
MP (flop bettor): 9 10 offsuit
Me: QJ offsuit
Button: Aces

Two flopped straights, an overpair, two pair and a bottom pair with an open end draw. Another Queen had been folded, but I had the best chance at sucking out with four live cards. Unfortunately it bricked out.

Sayonara, Benjamins.

Rebuy for another $200. A little time passes and I get Ah9s in middle position. Two people limp in, and I raise to $12. Schneck calls my raise and the flop comes K85 with two hearts. I bet $15 and he calls. Turn is a third heart, I check, he bets $52 and I come over the top all-in with the nut draw, figuring I also have the Aces as outs. Schneck thinks for about seven minutes before calling and turns over Kc9h. I brick the river and I'm down to $50. Schneck says something to the effect of, "I thought you had it, I was just trying to give you a little money back," a statement which almost got him mauled by a bear.

I double through a couple times and get back up to $150 and then give some away when I make a lower flush than Jag, back down to $48. Get AQ offsuit on the button, and JT, Schneck and Don all limp. I move in and JT calls. Schneck thinks for a second, then calls as well. JT has sevens, and Schneck has K9 of clubs. Flop comes KQx with one club. Turn is the Queen of clubs. River is the Jack of clubs, and Schneck sucks out and breaks me with K9 again.

He made another comment about having tried to get me money back and I said quick goodbyes before I lost my temper in my tilt-a-whirl state.

I'm not even ready to go into the crap that I ran into on Party but it's heartening to know that they can't always suck out on you, right?

I might need to take a week off and get the mind right. This week has demolished my bankroll again, just in time for my trip to AC, which suddenly looks less appealing. I'll be back at it sooner or later...