Some Quality Time with Clarkmeister

[andyfox]

Spent a couple of nights in Las Vegas for a trade show, and got to spend some time and play cards with Clarkmeister.

The Mirage has added tables, but you're crowded in like sardines. Very uncomfortable place to play. Every table was in use when I got there late Sunday afternoon. The quality of the playing cards is atrocious. A strictly minor league operation all around.

I met Clarkmeister in a 10-20 game. He was running over the table and had a zillion chips. They called us for the 20-40 game and we both got into the same table. I have posted before about how I felt the Las Vegas games were much softer than others have said. While this had been with limited play, usually on weekends, the 20-40 game Clarkmeister and I played in has confirmed my thinking. The game was unbelievably soft. Very passive and very loose.

Clarkmeister ended up with two zillion chips. I didn't do much and begged him not to post if I ended up losing in the game, because if you couldn't beat this game, you should try tennis. Fortunatelym, I got lucky and end up winning $126.

Clarkmeister is a superior player, one of the top limit players I've seen. And he's a terrific guy, great company, great sense of humor, a pleasure to play with, so long as you don't get involved in a hand with him.

Sitting on my left, he was begging for me to raise in the cut-off so he could 3-bet. Finally I obliged him, and I understand why. I royally butchered my pocket jacks to his A-K when a king flopped and another came on the river. A couple of rounds later I raised from the cut-off again with A-7s and Clarky 3-bet me again. This time the big blind 4-bet and I surrdendered. Turns out we all had Aces, the case Ace flopped and Clarky finished second. Nothing he could do about this one; as I say, he's a superior player, and a superior guy.

We're going to do a sequel this weekend in L.A. Stay tuned.

[Clarkmeister]

Was great to see you again.

I appreciate the kind words about my game, but its safe to say anyone looks good when they are making hands like I was. If you had seen me on Monday night, I might not have looked quite as good. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

My favorite moment was when one of the 20-40 regulars started referring to you as "the suited guy" after your open raise in MP with Kc7c won with a flush against some poor guy unlucky enough to try and take you on. It'll be a while before you can cash in on any of your usual "tight white guy" equity in this town! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

See you in a few days.

[James282]

[ QUOTE ]
when one of the 20-40 regulars started referring to you as "the suited guy" after your open raise in MP with Kc7c

[/ QUOTE ]

I only played once at the Mirage and one the regulars called me "the little 2s guy" after I made an isolation raise from the button with 22 against a weak CO, got called by the BB, and got runner-runner quads against a flopped ace high flush against said BB. He reminded me of a cowboy. I wonder if it was the same guy.
-James

[Ulysses]

Nice post. I don't know why this thought just hit me, but all of a sudden I'm wondering where I might be able to find some studded leather wrist cuffs.

[hillbilly]

"Sitting on my left"....what possessed you to make that blunder?...heh, nice post.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
"Sitting on my left"....what possessed you to make that blunder?...heh, nice post.



[/ QUOTE ]

He moved there unfortunately. I went through quite a bit of trouble to move to the seat I was in, which had him and another tight player immediately on my left, and the fish on my right. Sly as a Fox though was on to my evil plan and quietly moved to my right as soon as a seat opened, giving him first right of isolation on the fish, and keeping his blinds safe from my shenanigans.

[andyfox]

Email me at andyfoxfc@hotmail.com.

[andyfox]

I don't think Clarky will object to my telling this story.

We were talking about a hand I had played a while ago, which I believe I had posted about, where I had raised on the button with pocket 2's. (I know it must have been a while ago because I have since adopted the policy, much criticized here, of not even looking at my second card when the first one is a deuce.) Anyway the board ended up something like 8-7-3-8-7 and I had been betting all the way behind two checking opponents. As I was counterfeited on the river and was trying to decide whether to give up or bet, both of my opponents mucked in front of me. Cool! Clarkmeister related a similar experience.

Not five minutes later the exact thing happened to Clarkmeiester. He bet on the river with his pocket deuces and his opponent folded. Cool!

About an hour later I raised a limper with pocket 8s, a guy 3-bet and the limper and I both called. The flop came A-A-J, the limper checked, I bet, the 3-bettor folded and the limper called. By the river the board was A-A-J-3-J. So here was the same situation. Following Clarkmeister's lead, I bet behind his check and he called me with K-Q. Clarky watched the guy stack my chips and remarked that I obviously don't have as honest a face as he does.

Truer words were never spoken.

[CrackerZack]

Surely a problem with opponent selection. I like to play with opponents who don't realize that KQ beats 88 on an AAJJx board.

Either way, good post. Enjoy the LA version.

[Mike Gallo]

(I know it must have been a while ago because I have since adopted the policy, much criticized here, of not even looking at my second card when the first one is a deuce.)

I have adopted the same policy from utg in tough games. A friend of mine who reads the boards calls that... "the Andy Fox school of thought" /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Hmmmm, interesting.

Clarky watched the guy stack my chips and remarked that I obviously don't have as honest a face as he does.


Great thread.

[slamdunkpro]

This wasn't by chance the week of the 14th - 20th?

[Clarkmeister]

Sunday the 22nd.

[Clarkmeister]

"I don't think Clarky will object to my telling this story."

Nah, you can relate any of the stories. Though it might send some around here into a seizure if you told them that I showed my 22 to the whole table when that guy folded on the 97669 board.

I still wonder if you put me on specifically AQ when you called my river bet in the AK hand. I mean, that wasn't exactly a good board for JJ, despite the fact that I'd have likely 3-bet you there with stuff down to like ATs and 66. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Joe Tall]

"despite the fact that I'd have likely 3-bet you there with stuff down to like ATs and 66. "

Yes, but would you have 'begged' for him to open-raise so you can 3-bet w/ATs or 66?

Great story, Andy,
Joe Tall

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
"despite the fact that I'd have likely 3-bet you there with stuff down to like ATs and 66. "

Yes, but would you have 'begged' for him to open-raise so you can 3-bet w/ATs or 66?

Great story, Andy,
Joe Tall

[/ QUOTE ]

Let me clarify. I had been "begging" him for a long time. I don't actually look at my cards until its time for me to act. So I wasn't begging him on this hand. Actually, its kind of funny because he raised, I looked down and saw my AK and exclaimed "FINALLY!!" as I reached for my 12 chips. Of course, I wouldn't have been so excited had I known what he had. /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[andyfox]

Yeah, I was hoping A-Q with the A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. After all, that's a hand I could beat. /images/graemlins/smile.gif If memory serves, I flopped a striaght flush draw. My call on the river was simply atrocious.

I know you didn't think so, but I thought I played my first pocket kings hand badly too (when the black guy had pocket aces), and not seeing the guy holding his chips to call and then going back for more when I had pocket queens on the final hand (when he caught trip on the river) was a fitting culmination to a night of bad play with my big pocket pairs.

[andyfox]

"Of course, I wouldn't have been so excited had I known what he had."

Of course, he would have been excited if he had known how I was going to play it. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[andyfox]

I conveniently left out the fact that I messed this hand up as well by checking behind on the turn.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah, I was hoping A-Q with the A /images/graemlins/diamond.gif. After all, that's a hand I could beat. /images/graemlins/smile.gif If memory serves, I flopped a striaght flush draw.

[/ QUOTE ]

Memory serves correctly. I had AdKh, you had JdJx and the flop was KdTd9d with 9 and K coming on the turn and river. I remember telling you "Andy, that's my flop." the second it came down.

[ QUOTE ]
I know you didn't think so, but I thought I played my first pocket kings hand badly too (when the black guy had pocket aces

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, I'm telling you on a normal day you are good in that situation. He's overaggressive, though it may not have seemed like it that day. Thankfully you had the TWG thing going on because normally he'd have buried you on the turn.

[mike l.]

"We're going to do a sequel this weekend in L.A."

sounds fun. can i come?

[Clarkmeister]

Yeah, I was actually going to send both yourself and Rick N. a message tonight.

PM me or drop me an email.

dave121871@yahoo.com

[Ulysses]

I think I'm OK for now. I just happened to see a posting and email address on RGP which compelled me to look up a website... For some reason, I found wrist cuffs to be hilarious.