Random thoughts about my interests which include (in no particular order) poker, finance & investing, politics, football and whatever else I happen to see that piques my interest

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Fooling myself

I decided yesterday was a good day to head to the Hard Rock in Tampa and take a shot at the nitty old men at the Omaha 8OB table.  There wasn't a table going when I got there at 11 but I was number 10 on the list and they opened a table almost immediately after that.  I got a seat and sat down for a hopefully profitable session on the poker tables. 

I should have listened to Styx on the way over there because Fooling Yourself fit perfectly.  I sat there and dumped worthless hand after worthless hand for hours.  I have had some bad sessions like that before but eventually the cards always turn and when they do they can turn big.  Not yesterday.  I dumped almost every hand that wasn't in the blinds preflop in the first hour.  Every decent hand had lousy flops and there weren't many of those.  I did showdown one hand with the nut flush but that was beaten by a boat.  I expected it but the guy played so loose he could have had a set or a lower flush as well.  A lot of loose calls especially preflop.  A number of hands went 9 handed to flop, everyone but me.  Of course most of them were getting better cards than I was too so that helped them but I was surprised by some of the winning hands. 

In an hour I'm down about fifty bucks and UTG in a kill pot where blinds at 6-12.  I don't like being in a hand in this position without a really good hand but I look down at KQJ10 with the Q10 suited.  Not great but an ok hand.  I was just sick of folding and decided to play it.  Flop is near perfect.  AQ10 with the AQ of clubs. OK not perfect but I did flop Broadway.  I bet out and got 4 callers.  One guy was already all in preflop.  I figure I'll lose to a flush but I'm gonna push what I got.  I do have the club king but no other club in my hand.  Turn is a nice safe 8 of diamonds.  I keep betting and they keep calling.  Hoping for a red 9 on the river but it's a jack instead.  I figure I'm splitting this pot but bet anyway.  Everyone folds so I take a nice sidepot but I split the main with the all in who also flopped Broadway.  Beats a stick in the eye and gets me just back over my starting stack to boot.   

The next 3 hours were more of the same without the nice hand to get me back to even.  My stack dwindled and though I rebought a partial buy in as it got lower I just didn't want to throw in too much money, especially since I was gonna leave around 3 to head home and cook.   I can't tell you how many times I saw hands with 5,7,9.  Or I'd see 3 good cards like QJ10 and then get a 3.  I fold fold fold waiting for something to turn but its in vain.  Twice I did get AA in my hand and flop a set of aces and lost both times to a flush and a straight.  The second was the worst as the guy kept pushing his flush draw, doing my betting for me while I reraised him.  Then the river gives him a straight instead.  So I decided 4 hours of this was enough and took my losses and myself from the poker room.  I did manage to make it up playing a little 3 card poker so I left the building even.  Beats leaving having lost everything.  What was irritating was having an easy table to beat down and never catching the cards to do it.  It's like playing holdem against a bunch of aggro donks who will call down anything with 3rd pair and raise on crap but keep getting 73 off and never hitting anything.  Every once in a while you get AK and see 872 flops while you're idiotic opponents are calling you with 72. 

I might go play some today but after yesterday's lack of luck I'm a little leery of hitting the tables.  I know the PQ wants to play in a tourney tonight so maybe I'll get her to drop me at Derby Lane this afternoon while she naps then join her in the tourney.  Anyway stay lucky people. 

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