mblax10
10-23-2004, 06:04 PM
Friday at work I decided tonight would be a good night to travel back to Potawatomi and play some poker. Wow, what a good decision that was. Potawatomi is about an hour and a half drive for me, and leaving after 7PM on a Friday, I knew I would have to wait for a table, but I was prepared for this and planned to play early into Saturday morning.
I arrived around 8:30 and was surprised to see only 1 name on top of the 5-10 board. Unfortunately, after about half an hour, I realized the list actually started at the bottom of the board and there were about 6 players ahead of me. When I finally figured it out, I took a walk downstairs. Sure enough as soon as I start to watch the craps table, my pager goes off.
I race back upstairs and make my way through Bingo Heaven to the crammed little poker room. I am told I’m at table 3, which I’m glad because I recognize 2 players at the table, and had also observed a few hands at this table earlier while waiting for my seat. Oddly enough his is my 5th time playing at Potawatomi and every time I’ve played at table 3 even though 2 other tables of 5-10 have been running.
I sit down in the 7 seat about 9:15 and wait 4 hands for my Big Blind. I get to see a free flop with QTo on my first hand. The flop came Queen high, turn was a 10. I bet the whole way and had 1 caller on the river, top 2 is good, and my night is starting well. I would never drop under my $200 buy-in the entire night.
Early on, there are a lot of weak players, and not a lot of showdowns. This seems like a table I think I can really control. The first couple orbits, the 8 seat and myself are winning almost every pot with good aggressive play. We are staying out of each others way, which also makes me happy. He doesn’t recognize me, but I surely remember him. I played in a NL tournament at the Chip-in with him last spring. I made a big lay-down to him late in the tournament in a hand that still haunts me where I probably had him beaten. Before that hand, I was near the chip lead and ended up finishing a couple spots out of the money. I decided not to refresh his memory on that particular hand, but did comment that we had played a tournament together up north.
Not long after I sat down the 8 seat cashed out almost a full rack or red chips. Even though he was a nice guy, and we chatted a little I can’t say I was very disappointed to see an aggressive player to my left decide to call it a night.
The first big pot I played, 3 players limp to me in MP, I raise with AKo and catch a little piece of the AKK flop. I bet the whole way, get 1 caller and get to show my flopped boat. The player who called me was a young girl in the 5 seat who seemed very new to the game. Her boyfriend, who wasn’t much better a player than she was, was in the 4 seat. We all had a good laugh at one point when the floorman came over and commented that he’d never seen two poker players cuddle at the table before.
I continued to cruise all night. I was playing tight aggressive, raising and following many hands hit or miss. This was just one of those nights were everything was going right. When I didn’t have a big hand and needed my opponent to fold they did. When I did have a hand, I was getting action.
The biggest pot off the night came on a kill pot. 4 players and the SB call $10. I decide to raise with JJ in the BB (Probably not the best play, but I felt like I had good control over this table, and with 4 players limping, a lot of over cards are already sitting in their hands.) 6 of us see the flop which is 9 high, rainbow. I bet and get 3 callers. Turn is a 2 which pairs the board. I bet and go to the river heads up with the player on the kill button who has replaced the boyfriend in the 4 seat. This player has played a lot of junk. Twice he flopped no pair, no draw but stayed in to catch runner runner two pair and suck out on a big pair. I think I’m ahead, this player has not been afraid to raise, so I think I would’ve been raised already if he had a 2 or a bigger pair. River is a jack, I bet when he calls I ask “Did I river you?” and show my jacks full. He says yes, and mucks his hand before I can ask to see it. From what I’ve seen of this player, and his reaction to my jacks I put him on a hand like J9-A9 or a small PP. I discussed this hand with 2 other players at the table, one thought I was ahead the whole time, the other thought I needed the river Jack. I’m still not sure but am leaning towards I was best the whole way. Either way I won a big pot and now have over $400.
As the nights gone on, the old man in the 1 seat has been chatting away the whole time. If you’ve played 5-10 at Milwaukee you probably know who I’m talking about, if not, I’m sure you’ve played with similar players elsewhere. The entire time at the table, this nice old rock is trying to spread his years of card playing wisdom on the rest of the table. You better not sway from “Poker His Way” or you’ll hear about it. I find it entertaining for a while, he’s a very predictable player, his play and his teachings are all extremely tight passive. We are in Wisconsin; maybe this guy taught Phil Hellmuth how to play. I say that, because you better not playback at this guy with what he thinks are inferior cards or you’ll never hear the end of it. He started to call me Mr. Raiser and the Gillete Man, which I had no problem with.
I received my first lecture from this gentlemen when I raised with Jacks when folded to me in MP. He wasn’t even in the hand, but when I showed my jacks, the teacher commented, “He raised with just Jacks before the flop?” Little did I know his attention was going to be shifted to me very soon. He limps in UTG, folded to me in LP and I raise with K9. We are heads up and the flop is Ace rag rag. He checks and I bet, thinking he should be able to get away from his hand unless he has AQ or AK, he calls, Oops. Turn is a 9, he checks and I bet again. This player also loved to give his hand away. He would always make a comment when he was in a hand basically telling the table what he had. Before he called my turn bet he said “While, you need an ace to beat me right now.” I’m considering checking behind him on the river until, a beautiful 9 rolls off. He checks and I bet. He calls and asks if I have an ace. I tell him, “Your not going to like this,” and show my hand. He flips over Pocket 10’s.
After this hand, I catch a rush of cards. I raise in LP with KT flop 2 10’s and win a monster pot. I get in another big pot with a tight player My QJ beats his AQ on a board of QxxJx. He was a nice guy, and I tell him sorry, as he got most of his chips in on the flop, and the last of his chips in on the turn.
The teacher now begins to let me have it. Saying how lucky I am and commenting on how bad my play is. For a little while I just smile and look down at the over $600 in chips sitting in front of me. He does have a point, the deck is running me over tonight, but I also feel like I’m playing well. I’ve made players fold the best hand on many occasions. Unfortunately, the teacher won’t let me hear the end of it and I finally tell him he’s right, I have no idea what I’m doing. Too much caffeine for me and a long day puts me into a heated argument with this guy. I don’t think I was ever out of line just basically telling him that I didn’t appreciate him commenting about how I play. I never said anything negative to him, but I wasn’t exactly proud of myself. The argument put a damper on an otherwise great night. I basically continued to tell him in a confrontational manner to play his way, let others do the same, and that I’d be happy to play with him any day. About half of the table was regulars who are very familiar with this players running commentary. A few of them seemed to be getting a kick out of the fact that somebody snapped back at him.
Our teacher left and I was thinking I should be doing the same soon. First however, I had to play a couple of big hands against an aggressive player who moved from seat 2 to 1 when the rock called it a night. The first hand I had A10 with a 10 10 6 flop. He had the 4th 10 and I won a huge pot. My final pot I drag in is a kill pot vs. this player. I raise with Ax of clubs on his blind again. He calls. Flop is K, club, club. He checks and calls my bet. Turn is a blank, he checks again and almost beats me into the pot when I bet. River is a club. He check raises me, I re-raise and he calls showing me Qx of clubs. He starts mumbling to himself that he didn’t think I could have the flush too. He then says “I can’t beat this kid in a pot.” I decided to remind him that earlier he had beaten my Pocket Kings with AK when he flopped an Ace. I had paid him off and showed him my Kings that hand. He replied, “Your right man, he’s got a good memory.” He was right too, I did win quite a few pots from him and took a lot of his chips.
All-in all, it was an incredible night, where not much went wrong. I can only remember losing 3 showdowns all night, and suffering one beat on the river although there were probably more. At about 3:30 am, I fill up almost 2 racks of red chips and cash out up $675. Not bad for 6 hours of $5-$10.
I arrived around 8:30 and was surprised to see only 1 name on top of the 5-10 board. Unfortunately, after about half an hour, I realized the list actually started at the bottom of the board and there were about 6 players ahead of me. When I finally figured it out, I took a walk downstairs. Sure enough as soon as I start to watch the craps table, my pager goes off.
I race back upstairs and make my way through Bingo Heaven to the crammed little poker room. I am told I’m at table 3, which I’m glad because I recognize 2 players at the table, and had also observed a few hands at this table earlier while waiting for my seat. Oddly enough his is my 5th time playing at Potawatomi and every time I’ve played at table 3 even though 2 other tables of 5-10 have been running.
I sit down in the 7 seat about 9:15 and wait 4 hands for my Big Blind. I get to see a free flop with QTo on my first hand. The flop came Queen high, turn was a 10. I bet the whole way and had 1 caller on the river, top 2 is good, and my night is starting well. I would never drop under my $200 buy-in the entire night.
Early on, there are a lot of weak players, and not a lot of showdowns. This seems like a table I think I can really control. The first couple orbits, the 8 seat and myself are winning almost every pot with good aggressive play. We are staying out of each others way, which also makes me happy. He doesn’t recognize me, but I surely remember him. I played in a NL tournament at the Chip-in with him last spring. I made a big lay-down to him late in the tournament in a hand that still haunts me where I probably had him beaten. Before that hand, I was near the chip lead and ended up finishing a couple spots out of the money. I decided not to refresh his memory on that particular hand, but did comment that we had played a tournament together up north.
Not long after I sat down the 8 seat cashed out almost a full rack or red chips. Even though he was a nice guy, and we chatted a little I can’t say I was very disappointed to see an aggressive player to my left decide to call it a night.
The first big pot I played, 3 players limp to me in MP, I raise with AKo and catch a little piece of the AKK flop. I bet the whole way, get 1 caller and get to show my flopped boat. The player who called me was a young girl in the 5 seat who seemed very new to the game. Her boyfriend, who wasn’t much better a player than she was, was in the 4 seat. We all had a good laugh at one point when the floorman came over and commented that he’d never seen two poker players cuddle at the table before.
I continued to cruise all night. I was playing tight aggressive, raising and following many hands hit or miss. This was just one of those nights were everything was going right. When I didn’t have a big hand and needed my opponent to fold they did. When I did have a hand, I was getting action.
The biggest pot off the night came on a kill pot. 4 players and the SB call $10. I decide to raise with JJ in the BB (Probably not the best play, but I felt like I had good control over this table, and with 4 players limping, a lot of over cards are already sitting in their hands.) 6 of us see the flop which is 9 high, rainbow. I bet and get 3 callers. Turn is a 2 which pairs the board. I bet and go to the river heads up with the player on the kill button who has replaced the boyfriend in the 4 seat. This player has played a lot of junk. Twice he flopped no pair, no draw but stayed in to catch runner runner two pair and suck out on a big pair. I think I’m ahead, this player has not been afraid to raise, so I think I would’ve been raised already if he had a 2 or a bigger pair. River is a jack, I bet when he calls I ask “Did I river you?” and show my jacks full. He says yes, and mucks his hand before I can ask to see it. From what I’ve seen of this player, and his reaction to my jacks I put him on a hand like J9-A9 or a small PP. I discussed this hand with 2 other players at the table, one thought I was ahead the whole time, the other thought I needed the river Jack. I’m still not sure but am leaning towards I was best the whole way. Either way I won a big pot and now have over $400.
As the nights gone on, the old man in the 1 seat has been chatting away the whole time. If you’ve played 5-10 at Milwaukee you probably know who I’m talking about, if not, I’m sure you’ve played with similar players elsewhere. The entire time at the table, this nice old rock is trying to spread his years of card playing wisdom on the rest of the table. You better not sway from “Poker His Way” or you’ll hear about it. I find it entertaining for a while, he’s a very predictable player, his play and his teachings are all extremely tight passive. We are in Wisconsin; maybe this guy taught Phil Hellmuth how to play. I say that, because you better not playback at this guy with what he thinks are inferior cards or you’ll never hear the end of it. He started to call me Mr. Raiser and the Gillete Man, which I had no problem with.
I received my first lecture from this gentlemen when I raised with Jacks when folded to me in MP. He wasn’t even in the hand, but when I showed my jacks, the teacher commented, “He raised with just Jacks before the flop?” Little did I know his attention was going to be shifted to me very soon. He limps in UTG, folded to me in LP and I raise with K9. We are heads up and the flop is Ace rag rag. He checks and I bet, thinking he should be able to get away from his hand unless he has AQ or AK, he calls, Oops. Turn is a 9, he checks and I bet again. This player also loved to give his hand away. He would always make a comment when he was in a hand basically telling the table what he had. Before he called my turn bet he said “While, you need an ace to beat me right now.” I’m considering checking behind him on the river until, a beautiful 9 rolls off. He checks and I bet. He calls and asks if I have an ace. I tell him, “Your not going to like this,” and show my hand. He flips over Pocket 10’s.
After this hand, I catch a rush of cards. I raise in LP with KT flop 2 10’s and win a monster pot. I get in another big pot with a tight player My QJ beats his AQ on a board of QxxJx. He was a nice guy, and I tell him sorry, as he got most of his chips in on the flop, and the last of his chips in on the turn.
The teacher now begins to let me have it. Saying how lucky I am and commenting on how bad my play is. For a little while I just smile and look down at the over $600 in chips sitting in front of me. He does have a point, the deck is running me over tonight, but I also feel like I’m playing well. I’ve made players fold the best hand on many occasions. Unfortunately, the teacher won’t let me hear the end of it and I finally tell him he’s right, I have no idea what I’m doing. Too much caffeine for me and a long day puts me into a heated argument with this guy. I don’t think I was ever out of line just basically telling him that I didn’t appreciate him commenting about how I play. I never said anything negative to him, but I wasn’t exactly proud of myself. The argument put a damper on an otherwise great night. I basically continued to tell him in a confrontational manner to play his way, let others do the same, and that I’d be happy to play with him any day. About half of the table was regulars who are very familiar with this players running commentary. A few of them seemed to be getting a kick out of the fact that somebody snapped back at him.
Our teacher left and I was thinking I should be doing the same soon. First however, I had to play a couple of big hands against an aggressive player who moved from seat 2 to 1 when the rock called it a night. The first hand I had A10 with a 10 10 6 flop. He had the 4th 10 and I won a huge pot. My final pot I drag in is a kill pot vs. this player. I raise with Ax of clubs on his blind again. He calls. Flop is K, club, club. He checks and calls my bet. Turn is a blank, he checks again and almost beats me into the pot when I bet. River is a club. He check raises me, I re-raise and he calls showing me Qx of clubs. He starts mumbling to himself that he didn’t think I could have the flush too. He then says “I can’t beat this kid in a pot.” I decided to remind him that earlier he had beaten my Pocket Kings with AK when he flopped an Ace. I had paid him off and showed him my Kings that hand. He replied, “Your right man, he’s got a good memory.” He was right too, I did win quite a few pots from him and took a lot of his chips.
All-in all, it was an incredible night, where not much went wrong. I can only remember losing 3 showdowns all night, and suffering one beat on the river although there were probably more. At about 3:30 am, I fill up almost 2 racks of red chips and cash out up $675. Not bad for 6 hours of $5-$10.