Home Game Tilt

We had a great turnout of 19 people for our latest live game last night including Surflexus, newcomer “The Rake” and his friend. It wasn’t at my house, but I still run the show at most locations. This includes bringing chips, table tops and helping the host set up the room. Then I give out the chips, collect money (thanks Mike), do the announcements and try to wrangle the herd of cats to their seats so we can start playing. We got off to a late start since people kept showing up and I was having difficulty getting it organized while introducing all of the players and running back upstairs for more chairs and counting out chips. This is where an accurate head count really helps. Thanks to all of those that responded early.

For the game itself, I entered the pot in only 3 hands. Real short, it went like this:

Fold every hand for level 1 of the blinds.
Near the end of level 2, I’m finally in a hand and open with a raise 3X the blinds and get 3 callers. Knew I was beat and fold to flop bet.
At the beginning of level 3, I’m in only my second hand and raise 3X the blinds and get 3 callers again. Knew I was beat by A,Q or K,Q and folded to flop bet.
A couple of hands later, while I’m in the BB, 4 players just call and I check with my 2,4 offsuit. Flop comes 2,2,6 with 2 spades. I decide to try something different and move in all my chips (1000) in to the pot (around 300). I want to run off flush draws, but maybe draw in someone slow playing a good pair. It was a very confusing bet and I like that. Gotta mix it up sometimes, right? It folds around to the button and he takes a long time thinking it through. He concludes I would not do that if I had the 2 and calls with his pocket 8s. I don’t blame him for that. This was exactly what I wanted. I actually saw it work for that same reason at a WPT final table. I was trying to look like a stupid bluff at a draw. The turn is a blank and he hits his 4% on the river and felts me with 8s full of 2s.

This is kind of how my last month has been going in live play. I have not played flawless, but for me, I have been making some of the best decisions in my short poker life. I usually know when I’m beat, even if I was leading preflop and when I do get my money in while I’m ahead, it isn’t holding up. I’m not talking coin flips here, I’m taking 70%+ favorite hands. Usually my problem online has been pushing in to bigger pocket pairs and getting felted. That part, I can work on. One exception was for the Brit Blogament last Sunday, when I got called by a pocket pair of 2s after I check raise the flop has me a bit puzzled. Of course he hits the third one on the turn to best my top pair good kicker. This part I just have to accept, move on and realize I've hit my miracle cards against other players in the past.

We started up a cash game when 4 of us were out and I got felted on the very first hand. I’m holding J,9 hearts on a board with no pair and 3 hearts (Ah, Kh, and another) and a straight draw showing. I decide to shove and our favorite Scottish chip slinger has Qh, 10h for the only hand that beats me. I was able to keep most of my second buy-in, but was ready to head to the house soon after the lower flush hand. I am glad I got to spend some time with The Rake and I’m sure he left a little amused at our cash table.

I see my Tournament Director / League Manager days coming to an end soon. I don’t mind hosting, but always organizing / running it is starting to take away from my enjoyment of the evening and my concentration during the game. This might be one of the reasons I have not been as successful in our neighborhood versus playing in Kaja’s. I couldn’t imagine putting on as nice of a setup as he does and still playing as well as he does while keeping up with us.

On the nights, like last, that I do get knocked out early and want to go home after socializing, I haven't be able to. If I’m hosting at my place it still sucks to get knocked out early, but it doesn’t bother me as much because I can always put stuff away later and I already have the expectation of “entertaining” for the evening. I hope this doesn’t impact the amount of games we play in 2008, but we will have to make some changes for the upcoming season.

I stayed up way too late last night and I’m beat, so no Mookie for me tonight. I will most likely be in the Riverchasers on Thursday.