Girlfriend schools Jim Brier and Clarky (long)

So Friday night, Jo (the girlfriend, for the uninitiated) and I are heading out towards the strip. It's a coin flipper between Mandalay Bay and the Stardust. We end up choosing the Bay. On the way, I try and remind Jo to be more aggressive with her raising. She is very new and gets intimidated at the table.


So we arrive. They are starting a new $4-8 half kill game. This is the game with $1 and $2 blinds. Perfect for myself who plans on enjoying the night, seeing a lot of flops, and drinking a few drinks.


A few hands in, I hear someone say "I can't buy 2 racks like Brier". I look up, and 2 to my right is.....Jim Brier. Cool! We'd been introduced briefly in January by a mutual friend who posts here, but didn't have a chance to talk at the time.


So I ask him "Are you the Jim who used to work for NASA?" He looks sort of taken aback and says "Yes", after which I introduce myself as Clarkmeister. Yup, what a loser I am. Not "Dave Clark, I post as Clarkmeister". Nope. I AM the Clarkmeister. Truly, a pathetic introcuction on my part.


So we are playing in about the most unbeatable 4-8 game in the city for a while. It eventually loosens up, though. Jo is playing very tight. Not being aggressive enough though. I catch her limping with QQ, and later with AA. I try and encourage her to raise more often. No dice. Yet.


Finally, the inevitable happens. She limps UTG, a few others limp, and Jim raises from the SB. I'm in the BB and fold. Jo calls, and the other limpers fold (remember, a raise takes it from $2 to $6). Headsup.


Flop is Q-x-x, bet-call. Turn Q, bet-call. River K, check-check. Jim turns over TT, Jo rolls over AQs. Scoreboard: Novice-1, Veteran-0.


OK, so I tell her quietly she is supposed to raise in there, or at least bet the river. She says she knows, but was worried about KK. I tell her it didn't matter since he likely would have folded to a bet anyway.


A few rounds later, Brier limps after a few limpers, I fold, Jo limps, loose button limps, like 6 people see the flop of K-9-3r. Checked to Jim who bets his presumed KQ or KJ. Jo calls, Fish calls. Turn is an Ace. Jim checks, Jo bets, Fish calls. River is a Queen. AKQ93. Jo bets, Fish calls, Jo rolls over AK and beats Fishes A3. Jim looks sort of dazed and I tell him "she had you all the way". He chuckles and says "I never knew how much trouble I was in!"


Novice-2, Veteran-0.


Few hands later fish limps on my button. I raise from my SB with 77, figuring I could blow Jo out of it and take the fish's money. She looks at her cards and hesitates. This means she knows she should muck, but they are "pretty". She calls. Fish calls. Flop is KK5, I bet, she calls, fish folds. Turn is a 3. I check. She looks at me and says "Are you going to checkraise me?" and bets. I fold. I ask her what she had, she said "K7s - I would have folded but it was you, and they looked nice" Sigh.


Novice 3, Veteran(s) 0.


Jim takes a brief break, and I leave the table for a very enjoyable conversation. The game is about to break, and we come back and keep it going. We both shake our heads as we witness her Kh3h take a pot on a (Jh 7h 3d) 3s 8c board without ever raising.


Finally, the night was coming to an end. But Brier had to take one more crack at her.


He should've known better.


She raises UTG. Incredibly, 4 opponents cold call. Who says you need to vary your game in LL holdem? Sheesh. Anyways, its 4 cold callers to Jim who says "SHE raised?? I need a set!" He then looks at his cards and calls, saying "I've got to see what she's *raising* with". 6 take the flop for $36


Clarky's no fool. I folded. [img]/images/smile.gif[/img]


The flop is benign. Tc 7h 3d. Jo bets, EVERYONE calls. 6 to the turn for $60 bucks. This is already the biggest pot of the night.


The turn brings a 6c. 89 just got there, and now there's a flush draw. Jo bets. 2 callers to Brier who raises. Jo calls, everyone calls, 4 to the river for $124.


River is a 7s. Jo bets out. Folded to Brier. Jim looks at the board, looks at his cards. Sighs deeply. Says "I have to raise". She looks at him. I see her grab more than 8 chips, but she decides to call.


Jim knew he was sunk. He looks at her and says "Pocket tens?" She nods and majestically spreads them out on the table. Tens full. Jim was kind enough to show his 7d6d for the 2nd nut. He was drawing dead and got there. She takes down the $156 pot.


Final score: Novice 4, Veteran(s) 0.


And the only final score that matters, the session totals:


Jo: +$255

Clark: -$135

Brier: -$165


******************************


These results which are in reverse order of EV, just go to show just how much short term luck is involved in this silly game.


Thanks to Jim for an enjoyable evening of talk, and for permission to post this story for everyone's enjoyment. He was truly a gentleman, and didn't at all do anything to detract from the joy that Jo felt. And make no mistake. On the way home, she wouldn't stop talking about how exciting it was to play against an author and win. She had a ball.


One last quote for the road. After the last hand, I looked at Jim and said "And they say YOU are weak tight, they don't know what weak tight is!"


I don't think he knew either, until he realized that there was no way his 2nd nut full was good.

//

Ok, so did Jim go broke in the 80-160, or he has some girlfriend too?


I understand if you can't answer!


D.

I think you have weaned her from video poker. Maybe we should take up a collection and stake her in the 80-160. The limp and call with the nuts could be entertaining up there. :-)

Good memory!


Yeah, she likes this WAY more than video poker now. I guarantee you video poker never got her as excited as she was on the way home that night.


Well...


...Other than the time she hit a progressive royal on a $5 machine for 22k.


But other than THAT, its not close [img]/images/wink.gif[/img]

Clarkmeister,


I was wondering why I didn't see hardly any 2+2 posters on my last two trips to Vegas...all you guys are hangin' out at the $4-$8 tables.


Good Luck


Mark

"On the way home, she wouldn't stop talking about how exciting it was to play against an author and win. She had a ball. "


for players beginning and not as seriously involved in the depth yet, this is what its all about. i wish i was still at that stage. it was alot more fun. now when i win huge, i know a bad streak could be right around the corner. a little jaded i guess. haha


good for her...right on!!!


even if she never reaches a high level of play, she'll remember that night for a long time.


nice post...


b

Evidently the twoplustwo poster is sometimes the tall, young guy handing the beautiful girl empty racks as she prepares to take his money home.

Sounds like a blast.