5-Dizziamond
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Yo yo yo! This shizzee is from my hizzee right after a five double dizzy homegizzee. I'm flashin' da ice to celebrate my ill winnins. Holla back if ya hear me!
$83. Pure white profit. For all you readers who eclipse my stakes, try not to laugh. That $83 is four times my initial buy-in. I quintupled my money. And that, at any stakes, makes me wanna dance.
The beauty of tonight's game was that I actually deserved to win. I played well. I caught some cards at times, but catching cards wasn't the only thing that got me in the plus column. I made a couple of choice laydowns, had good hand selection, and really thought about each and every move. Sometimes, I'm on autopilot. Tonight, I was intentionally switching up my play. I was practically playing my game against type, but showing my old ways here and there to the other players. I don't think it was an intentional ploy, but rather an outgrowth of my attempt to focus. On many occassions I caught myself thinking, "Don't do that! That's just what you would think to do! Do the opposite." And opposite I did. I was more passive. I sent out feeler bets. Ah, hell, I don't know what it was. I was playing well.
My first big win was an early hand with the hammer. I had 27o, of course, but someone raised it pre-flop from .50 to 1.50. Usually I raise big with the hammer, but that's what Jordan would always do. I was in the SB, but I called anyway, hoping to overplay the flop. When the flop came down 349, I thought my goose was cooked. But I didn't think anyone else hit the board, so I bet out $3. Hole raised to $6. My stubbornness and a thought of pot odds short from my brain to my hand, and I was seeing the turn. 5. I checked it, expecting a definite sign one way or the other from Hole. He checked. The river was a 6. I hit the uber-straight, from 2 to 7. The hammer came full circle and smote thee. I raised $6. Hole called reluctantly. I don't know what he had. But when you hold the hammer, does it really matter?
After that, I won a couple of more pots. I wasn't hitting the board or getting good hole cards, and my stack dwindled back until I was just about even.
I started writing this entry last night, but I was too tired to finish. I'll continue where I left off. More accurately, I'll rewind a bit and explain how the game came about.
Yesterday morning, I was prepared to send an email to the 4 players who were coming announcing that the game may bust if we didn't get any more positive responses. Robbie Hole got on the horn, and suddenly his friend Greg (whose girlfriend played the worst and best poker mindgame to win a huge pot from me a while back), and Greg's friend Bobby (who looked like my lil bro's stunt double), were joining the action. Then, I receive an email from Marcos, telling me that he was coming with another 2 people (good pal Leano, and newbie Ernie). So, from five, we suddenly had 10. Fortunately, Greg and Bobby were stopping by late (a little after 9:30, I think), so my 8-seater table would be doable if I could only knock out one or two of the original players before Greg and Bob arrived. I jokingly announced this to the table and stated that I was going for Leano and Ernie, who were both on my right. Oh, table layout: (1) Me, (2) Katzner, (3) Marcos, (4) Robbie Hole, (5) Dave Roose, (6) Hafeley aka Neo, (7) Lean, (8) Ernie. Half of my prediction came true. Lean was the first person to bust and not rebuy. Ernie did the work though. When the players ragged on my pre-game chatter, I explained it was all a mind-fuck and I manipulated Ernie to do my dirty work. Yep, cause that's how I roll.
Now, I should give some idea of the player's skills. Katzner is always feared. He's great on his reads. However, he is definitely a tournament specialist, and by the end of the night, he is prone to pushing all-in with sub-optimal hands if he is already down. He wasn't catching cards either, which is sometimes the way with these things. Roose was pretty quiet in his play. I do know that he insisted on several occassions that I was betting with nothing. When he is right, I'll show every once in a while. After all, I hate to dissappoint. Hole was his usual aggressive self, but I can definitely see that he is becoming selectively aggressive. In the end though, he lost it all when his A3 faced an Ace high board, only to lose when a 10 hit the river giving Greg trips with his pocket pair. Greg is a shark. He's calculating and vicious with his bets. I give him a lot of respect, and even told him so at the table. By the end of the night, though, I was getting his game and was able to make most of my profit against him. By then, it was four handed, with Bobby and Marcos as the other two. Greg had a pile of chips, but they would soon be mine. Lean was getting tossed around unfortunately. I think he had second-best-itis. If he were to play more often, I know he could be a force at the table. But practice makes perfect. Marcos is a wild player and a fun guy to have around. But don't be fooled, because his wildness is grounded in good poker logic. Bobby was kind of slow-moving. He's a bigger guy, and I got the feeling he wasn't the sharpest tool in the draw. Even so, he hung in there, so I have to give him some credit. It's those players you underestimate that can kill you.
A couple of hands were disappointing. When we were down to 4, I had TT in the SB. I bet out and Marcos called only. On the flop, I hit the third T, for the nuts. I bet out and Marcos folded. I should have slowplayed, as he had AQ. Que sera! I had the same problem with Aces, getting callers pre-flop, but none after. Slow playing would have also helped me there.
I played a couple of flush draws, and two of them which paid off well. I guess I could go over some more details, but I don't recall much else of interest. That's always the problem with these recaps. If I take notes at the table, I look like a tool. If I don't I have to go by my piss-poor memory. And the final conundrum, whether any of you readers really care.
So, that is all for right now. Work has been crazy. On Tuesday, I go into battle at a motion hearing to dismiss my client's case. My battle will be hampered by about eight different issues that will be uphill. But, as we all know, you play the cards you are dealt. I wonder if the judge will call my bluff. If he does, I'll probably just yell, "HAMMER!" and run the hell out of there.
Adios, pokerinos!
posted by Jordan @ 11:37 PM,
9 Comments:
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At 3:19 PM,
said...
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This is a excellent blog. Keep it going. Here's a subject that interests many; how to buy & sell bath tub on interest free credit; pay whenever you want.
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At 3:45 PM,
GaryC said...
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And here I had no idea you were an importer/exporter of exotic bathtubs....I'll be damned.
Congrats on the home game win. Sounds like a good time, wish I didn't have to fly to NYC to participate.
G -
At 4:04 PM,
TripJax said...
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Is that not the gayest post ever above.
Buying and selling bath tub on interest free credit does interest me. How could anonymous have ever known?
Moving on...
"The hammer came full circle and smote thee."
Loved that one. Had a fellow employee look at me funny while they walked past my offices cause I was laughing at loud on that one.
And as for your work...oh to be a fly on the wall of that court room. -
At 4:05 PM,
TripJax said...
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sorry garyc...didn't mean to call your post gay...when i clicked on the comments anonymous was the only one up...i got called away mid comment and when i came back and clicked enter you had beat me to the punch. haha. gay post.
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At 4:14 PM,
Jordan said...
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Its ok, Trip. Gary's comments are often gay.
Moving away from the homophobic material, I usually erase the advertising comments, but you two have made this one a keeper. Buy and sell bathtubs? That takes the cake. -
At 4:36 PM,
GaryC said...
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Often as in more than half? Or just occasionally?
Perhaps we can play a "home game" on-line tonight, brothers? I will be there looking for fish. Hit me up.
G -
At 5:03 PM,
Jordan said...
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I'll do my best, G, but tonight is supposed to be me and fiance Kim night...balance and all. Good luck.
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At 6:01 PM,
Littleacornman said...
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"As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a bathtub salesman"
Inspirational stuff anon.
Excellent blog ;-)
If you like to swap links I'm at Littleacornpoker.blogspot.com
cheers,
little acornman -
At 9:50 AM,
said...
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Very nice. Keep up the good work.
