8/23 - O11

My first table last night was pretty dead with several short stacks and not much money on the table, so I requested a table change. Within the first 10 minutes of changing tables, I flopped quad 6s holding a pocket pair and actually got a little bit of money from a guy with top pair. I kept getting AK on the button and raising, and people obviously stopped believing me that I had a real hand. In one pot a EP limper re-raised to $60 after I raised to $17 on the button, and 3 of us saw the flop. I flopped the nut flush draw with AhKh, a straight draw, and 2 overs, and the guy in early position went all in for a little more than 1/3 of the pot. I called and the other guy folded from the blinds. Don’t ask me how, but I missed all 84 of my outs, and his pocket 5s held up.

Right about that time, we hear some rumblings and then some loud cheering from the table that I was initially sitting at. Brutal, they hit a bad beat jackpot! A guy I know (tyler – I’ll get you!) had just shown up and sat in the seat that I had been sitting in at that table and they hit a jackpot 10 minutes later. This happens about 20-30 minutes after a jackpot was hit on a 4-8 limit holdem table right next door.

After another table break I ended up back at the jackpot table. The 40% share guy ($8600) was keeping his rack of white chips on the table as a display of dominance, consistent with his jackassical ways. I’ve played with him before and he is a pretty bad poker player and has actually been kicked out of oceans 11 for being obnoxious. Anyway, he doubled people up twice soon after I sat down, with terrible river raises holding nowhere near the nuts. He apparently still hadn’t learned his lesson when I raised with AJ and got 5 callers, including him. I was in fairly early position, so I checked the Ace on the flop and Jackpot bet. I was the only caller and he says, “There it is!” we both checked the turn, and I felt pretty good about my AJ on the river, nothing scary out there, so I bet for value and he min-raised me. Against a good player I would probably muck here, but I called and he showed down A8, 1 pair.

The table started breaking up and we were down to 4 handed, which obviously is a much looser style game. I turned top 2 pair with 6-4 and made a nice bet when checked to, but was raised all in. I dumped top 2 pair and he showed 5-2 for straight. I later check raised when I turned two pair with 10-7 and the guy came over the top of me. I had bottom and 2nd pair and made a good laydown in a 4 handed game. he showed pocket 7s for a flopped set. I got a bunch back when I flopped two pair with K-10 and turned a K to fill up. The guy paid me off the whole way with what I assume was AQ, top pair, good kicker.

At this point I was right about even, being in the game for 2 buy ins. Our table broke and I had a choice to sit in a full game, so I did. On the very first hand I pick up pocket KK. In 10 hours, the biggest pocket pair I had up to that point was JJ. I raise in early position to $17, which was a pretty standard raise for the game, but I wasn’t sure how this table was playing. Hoped I didn’t scare everybody off. 1 caller and the small blind re-raises to $50, and the big blind cold calls 3 bets! I’ve got almost $300 more behind, so I’m faced with get the money in now and probably take down the pot, or see if I fade that damn Ace on the flop and then get the money in. there’s $117 in the pot of other people’s money, I won’t sweat it if I just take it down now. I shove. The small blind tanks for a bit and then calls……and then the big blind calls too! Obviously the small blind doesn’t have AA, but I’m hoping they both have Qs, Js, and/or 10s. well a Q and a J flop, which I pretty much hate. I river a K, and win a huge pot with top set vs. AK’s top pair. I was good the whole time though. The big blind didn’t show, but he had to have 9s or 10s. it turns out i had 56% equity in the hand vs. AK and 10s. but i got 3:1 on my money so i'm happy with the calls.

So after clawing my way back from down a buy in, I cash out up close to 2 buy ins. Nice way to wrap up. That session hurt my august bb/hour winrate though……down to +27 bb/hour.