Blogger Poker (Pt 2)

As Poker Grump said several times during our session "Poker is easy."
And yes, it certainly is when you are being run over by the deck.

In the 1st Installment of last nights tomfoolery I covered most everything except the actual poker itself.  And, since at one point I used to claim that this is/was a Poker Blog I figure that I at least owe it to myself to blog about poker when I get around to playing some.

However, because I'm easily side tracked, I'd like to share a short story before I get to the actual poker.
I discovered, after being made fun of by my trio of cohorts, that there is a bathroom much closer than the one I'm used to hitting up.  They all pointed and said "You know, with a casino as big as this there are bound to be more than one bathroom."  So, next time I had to talk to a man about a horse I made my way over to this new found pissing spot to enjoy the "more comfortable" accommodations.

While doing what it was that I came to do and making erotic faces (don't we all?) I got to overhear the end of a conversation from two buddies who enjoy pissing together.  As the one finished he started making sure everything was tucked back into place and turned to his buddy and said "You know, I'm not washing my hands this time" to which his buddy replied "Well me neither."
Then they left the room, comments fulfilled.
This was humorous to me mainly because this is a conversation that I have never had, nor ever thought about having with friends.  If I choose to not wash my hands I don't feel the need to announce it in advance to anyone, let alone a room full of total strangers with dick in hand.
And, the fact that his buddy thought it was a good enough of an idea to go along with perplexes me.  This, to me, is the perfect time to rip your buddy a new asshole and try to embarrass him.

Now, for what you all came for.

Upon arriving at the casino I was immediately seated at table 6 and requested my table change to follow "that old man right there."
Rob got called for his table change and I was taking his seat.  Not too long later my wish was granted and I'm now sitting at a table with two people I am familiar with and who I know I'll have a good evening talking to.

My goal was to play tight and try to not get involved in too many pots. I only brought one buy-in and I really wanted to last at least until the Grump showed up (he was taking his time to photograph the eclipse).
So, all of that goes out the window when I see my first hand is QQ (1st of many times for the evening) and I raise it up to $17 I believe.  No callers but Rob made sure to grumble about me raising (after he limped I believe) so I made my typical comment about "Doesn't everyone raise their first hand" to which he replied "Well, you sure as hell do."
After the fold around I showed my hand and said "Sometimes I even have a hand when I raise" or something to similar effect.
The night picked up quickly as I called a small raise with 88 and 5 or so people went to the flop.  The flop came out a beautiful J83 with two spades.  (I feel horrible here because I don't remember 100% exact details).  I believe that Prudence put out a bet which I think got a caller.  When it got to me I decided that 1) the board was too draw heavy and 2)I want to let Prudence know where I stand so I 3) raised.  I believe that Guy X called the raise and then Prudence pushed.  It folded to me and I announced that I have no choice but to call which but a look of dread on the face of Dear Prudence.
Guy X was not very happy about this situation and folded.  It appears as though everyone and their mother hit this flop and sadly it was Prudence and I who hit the hardest.
I flipped over my middle set and she showed her top 2.  Guy x claimed to have J9 of spades (which would have gotten there on the turn) and another guy said he had AJ.
My hand holds up and Prudence announces that she will be gunning for me.

Not too long after this my favorite dealer comes to the table.  Tall, bald and good personality.  He gives Prudence some cough drops and I let him know he needs to share.  Next thing I know I've got two beside my chips and I'm a happy camper.
Kirk settles in and deals me 8-4 of spades in the big blind and I check when a lot of people limp.  The flop comes out all goddamned pretty with a 4, a second 4 and then finally and 8.  Yes, the grrouch flopped himself a boat.
I checked and either Random person bet and Rob raised or Rob bet - I don't remember. I must be getting old. It got back to me and I raised and Rob called.  I was not quite happy about this.
The turn came out something to which I paid no attention to and so I put out a hefty bet.  Rob thought about it and I told him that he just needed to go away because my next bet, on the river, was all in no matter what fell next.
Prudence looked at the board and had flashbacks of the nasty 8's that I held against her and gave me a look. I shrugged like "yeah, I've got it" and Rob finally called.
The River was shown and I pushed much like I said I was going to expecting Rob to just go away after my HUGE sign of strength (the betting, the talking, the basically stating out loud I hit harder than you did buddy) and I showed my boat.  Rob flipped over his trips as well and I do understand that it's bloody difficult to get away from that hand.
Less than 30 minutes and a triple up - sadly all off of my friends and basically none off of anyone else.
However, my main happiness was that I knew was going to book a winning session and I could just play tight and wait for hands and just talk and have fun.
Whatever - shit doesn't go down like that.
I was dealt about 30 pocket pairs all night long, I saw a ton of flops with them and I hit a few sets.

The rest of my night was similar and I avoided big losses against an over pair and against flopped quads (where the guy checked every street to me).
I hit 4 total sets and stacked two people.
I flopped a boat and stacked someone.
I turned a boat and stacked someone.
And I won a bunch of other random pots where I didn't get the opportunity to stack people.

During the evening we had one had that was raised to $7 either UTG or UTG+1 and everyone at our table called it and I think 4 people from other tables called it as well.  It got to Rob in the big blind and I told him that pot odds dictates he has to make this call.  he agonized for some reason and eventually folded and I told him that I couldn't want to get home so that I could make fun of him.
Of course the flop comes out and he grimaces like he would have nailed it and tripled up or whatever so I made sure to let him know was only $5 more and he has very poor decision making!!!

Grump called a PFR from Prudence with The Most Powerful Hand in Poker and flopped trips and took a pretty good pot off of her (This is a theme that ran strong most of the evening with her.  She kept getting really good second best hands).

Overall a pretty fun and entertaining evening with a huge score by me.  Now I have to figure out what to do with all this new found wealth.
Should I invest it in hookers and blow?
Should I get a massage with a happy ending?
Should I get an unhappy ending?
Should I invest it in my future (A new computer with a kick ass graphics card to play Diablo 3 on)?
Should I get it in all ones so that my wallet looks bigger and I can attract the chicks?
Should I pay someone to sit behind me at the poker table and call me baby?
I do not know the answers to any of these important questions.

Blogger Poker (part 1)

There are so many different titles that I wanted to use for this blog post, or even subtitles.

I wanted to start out with "You can't win them all ... so crush the ones you do"
I wanted to do a play on Rob's ending for his recent post (which also references Grumps post) which is "Three sides to every story ... Rob's, Grumps, The Truth"
"Poker is easy"

This is the night that almost didn't happen for me.  With the computer problems that started a couple of days back and slaving away trying to make my computer love me again (which, by the way, she does) I had been tired and exhausted.  This exhaustion, of course, had nothing to do with the fact that I've had many late nights and my body still insists on getting me up at somewhere between 5:30 - 6:30 and calls that sleeping in.
So, tired is a mild way to put it.

I started my day off installing Diablo 3 finally.  It's been a journey that I think started me going to a strange site to test my computer for compatibility, ruining some boot sector files which I guess were not repairable, having to erase all of my data and start over from scratch (which was an easier process back when I was rocking Windows 95 and NT and had a desk top instead of a lap dance) and resetting my computer back to it's original factory settings.
I'm just thankful that I use Google Chrome as my browser of choice (I am Google's bitch at this point) because it backed up all my settings and bookmarks to the mysterious cloud where Tu-Pac, Biggie and Elvis hang out while trying to corrupt my data with pot, hookers and PB and Banana sandwiches.  I love you Big E!

So, after a little bit of that I fall asleep and take a nap without remembering that I'm supposed to be at a home poker game at 1 o'clock.  I get the call at 5 after asking me if I am still coming so I throw some clothes on and hurry out there while I'm being blinded away.
I last less than two hours only getting one real playable hand (QQ) and still trying to play 75% of my hands.  I leave shortly thereafter because I think I'm going to be meeting up with a chick (which never happens) and end up at home playing some Diablo 3.

After being my first few quests I notice I've gotten a message from the Grump himself asking me if I was still planning on meeting up with Rob.  I think about it for 3 seconds and ask Rob where he is, is he playing and a series of messages later I have set up a group meeting of the blogging mind at BSC.
Rob states that he has to eat (whatever) and Grump states that he wants to watch some chick named Eclipse dance (more believable) and head out anyway because I don't play often and I'm planning on making it an early night to take care of some other business (and this never materializes).

I get to BSC and there are seats open.  I am pointed to table 6 where I will be replacing the elderly boob lover who is changing tables to sit next to a lovely young Prudence. I tell the floor man that I'd love to follow the old tally-whacker over to that table and purty puhleese put my name up for a table change - he is powerful and makes it happen.  I play for maybe an orbit folding the likes of 82 before getting the call to move tables and get into one of my favorite seats, the 1 seat.
This was good because Prudence (and after all this time I finally got her real name which I thought was cool) was in the 4 seat and Rob was in the 5 so they were mid-table and easy to talk with.

This was the set up. I've got to head into work and I've still got a lot of typing to do including some really bad poker on Rob's part (not as bad as he makes it out to be), some good lines by everyone's part and just a good time in general.  THIS is the main reason I play poker.  I love to socialize and have fun. This is the reason I will probably never move beyond the 1-2 NL games as well because at these tables I can afford to not study every detail of my opponents while chatting up those whose company I enjoy and still turn a profit (at least, I used to be able to until someone shit in my Wheaties.).

I also had Prudence make a comment which leads me to believe she might have actually read a recent post I made.  Makes me smile - I just want to entertain others after all.

Part two maybe coming later today - depends on how hammered I am at work and when my evening plans will start.