The Bat Cave

10:20 AM: Just got back from yoga. I missed my first class in almost two months last Wednesday and I haven’t meditated since last Monday, but I did do a 10 minute session this morning. The reason I haven’t incorporated it into my routine yet is because I still haven’t done the reading required to create my baseline, but again, I figured some meditation this morning was better than none. I will try to get all my reading done tomorrow since I will likely be taking the day off.

So today is the last day that Palace will be spreading this $15/$30 Limit Hold Em game and it’s honestly a crushing blow for me. I love the Palace. It’s like my Century Link – I have a very distinct home field advantage and when I play elsewhere it takes me a while to assimilate to my new surroundings and a bunch of unknown players. But at Palace, I know everyone and I know their tendencies and it’s no wonder that I post my best results (as in Big Bets/Hour) there.

Unfortunately, the biggest game that Palace offers is $8/$16 and I grew out of that game the day that I got back home from the World Series Of Poker last year. I feel like I had the talent to move up long before that, but now I was grossly overrolled for it as well.

I feel like one of the biggest mistakes I made earlier in my poker career was not pushing myself to move out of the $4/$8 limit – because it was so much easier to drive 10 minutes to the local casino rather than 40+ to play a bigger game – and now I’m having the same problem with $8/$16. Palace is 5 minutes from my house while $20/$40 at Fortune is a good 40 minutes away if there’s no traffic and the average player in that game is substantially better. So I typically make it out to Fortune once a week.

So a local $15/$30 was such a huge thing for me. Even if it only happened on Mondays, there was potential for it to grow and start spreading on weekends also.

And now today is the last day. The alleged reason is because it is hurting the $8/$16 game and I can’t say I agree with that at all.

When this game rolled out Palace was an 8 table room and on Mondays – with the $499 jackpot promo going all day long – all those tables filled up, with massive lists, and multiple $8/$16 games and the $15/$30 went strong into the night.

But then Palace added two tables and those huge lists disappeared. People got in games faster and got their poker fix or busted faster. And the $8/$16 games started breaking earlier and I think the powers that be incorrectly blamed it on the $15/$30 game.

Palace also added $499 jackpots all day on Sundays as well, so players could pick one day or the other to play power sessions – thus decreasing the need to come on Mondays – or they wore out earlier after playing long sessions on both days.

I’m not saying that is exactly what happened, but it’s my theory and I think it’s a better one than what they have.

Finally, the $15/$30 game has gone until at least midnight every time so far, which means it was running at least 13 hours each time – a clear success.

Alas, this is the last day and next week they will be trying to spread a $30/$60 LHE game, which would excite me if I thought it had any real shot at sustainability. There are currently 8 names on the list for next week, which seems promising, but putting your name up on a list and showing up when the game is supposed to start doesn’t always coincide. I will be here to support it though and I hope it gets off the ground.

11:28 AM: Game started full for the first time today and there are multiple names on the waiting list. Perfect time to kill something! Just as it starts growing. 🙄🤔

Meanwhile $8/$16 is going strong with a second game on the verge of starting.

Today’s starting lineup includes Radio Mike, BVR (a friend from Kitsap County that would be a good Joker if he played regularly), and two certified maniacs!

11:39 AM: Running good against one of the maniacs.

Open QQ UTG, he defends SB and leads JT5 flop. I flat to raise turn. 5 on turn, he bets, I raise, he three bets… ends up showing Q5o.

He limps EP, I raise AQ, three ways to A82 flop. They both check-call. Turn is a King; I bet, the blind folds, maniac check-raises me; it’s close to a 3-bet here but I flat.

River pairs the 2 and now I think my hand is too strong not to raise, so I do, and he three bets and shows 82o.

I didn’t really think this river raise through though, as I overlooked the fact that I was chopping with all Ax hands.

I’ve also lost big pots to his J2o and J4s when I wasn’t at the top of my range.

I am down $700 already. My typical $15/$30 start! And the maniac has over $2k and an alleged 40 minute time limit. 🙏🏻🤞🏻

12:39 PM: The maniac just lost a monster pot with KK to BVR’s AA on a 774T9 board where both players were playing like they flopped full houses – with a player trapped between them.

I’m not joking. Cap flop. Cap turn. Cap river. KK vs AA on 774T9. I was asking for “quad sevens one time!” but instead I get to see BVR scoop a massive pot of chips that used to be mine.

And the maniac didn’t take another hand and left with less than $1000 after peaking at $2500. I haven’t won a pot in 90+ minutes and everyone at the table has more chips than they started with except me and one other player.

A total disaster. A hurricane that I was the only victim of and all my surrounding neighbors were able to collect the treasures from my wrecked home.

I’m down about $1100 and about to reload and reset now that the game has completely changed.

12:54 PM: There are now two $8/$16 games going with 5 on the list and $15/$30 is full with 8 on the list. But yeah… these games can’t thrive together.

First hand back from a break I post with KJo in the cutoff. It folds to me, so I raise and a player in the small blind that is capable of having any two cards (at least at $8/$16 – like Q4o against my UTG raise from MP) is my only caller.

Flop is QT7 with two spades. He leads out, I raise (with the J of spades as backup) and he three bets me. I call.

Turn pairs the 7 and he checks to me. I’m pretty happy to take a free card.

River is a King and he leads out. I’m beating QT, or any Q except KQ. Flush draws missed. J9 did get there. I feel like I’m only losing to KQ and J9, so it feels like I should be raising, especially against this player, but I’m running brutal so I just call and he shows A7 of spades which flopped a flush draw and turned trips.

1:38 PM: I just bluffed the turn successfully after it checked through on the flop. It was the first “pot” I’ve won in over 2.5 hours – and there were less than two small bets of profit in it.

I have my chips stacked in a way that I don’t know how much I have so I can focus on something besides how bad I’m running.

1:58 PM: I won my first showdown since the second orbit of the game! But I went right back to whiffing flops and missing my combo draws when I did flop something.

I couldn’t resist. I reorganized my stack: I am down $1840. 😮

It’s pretty hard to lose 3.5 racks in less than three hours but I’ve made it look really, really easy today.

This might be a good time to mention this: the most I’ve ever lost in a live cash game is $2300 – which isn’t that bad at the levels I’ve played and will certainly be topped – and today is looking like a strong candidate to challenge that.

2:40 PM: Finally got a great flop with a hand I opened: J94 with AJ in a 3-handed pot… but I don’t beat KT at showdown.

3 PM: I am down almost $2000.

Radio Mike is crushing it.

BVR is crushing it.

I’ve won one non-micro pot since 11:15, almost four hours ago – one of my all-time coldest stretches.

It’s kind of taken me out of the game so I’m going to really force myself to start paying attention and not succumb to the immense weight of this run bad. Starting…. NOW.

3:09 PM: A breakthrough! I defend my big blind with A8s in a multiway pot. Flop is A75 with two hearts. I check, the PFR bets, two cold callers call, and I call.

Turn pairs the Ace and I check, the PFR bets, one call, one fold, and I check-raise. I would maybe check-call against a solid player here, but this guy is way too loose and reckless, plus I thought I picked up a weakness tell. He 3-bets me though, the other player folds, I throw up in my mouth a little and then call.

River is the 4 of hearts and it checks around. I like that. I table. He shows A3o! I looooove that.

4:06 PM: It’s just all torture today.

I raise AA under the gun. One player cold calls and the big blind defends.

Flop QJ5 with two clubs. I bet and the cold caller raises, big folds, and I flat.

Turn is a 4. I check-raise and get three bet. More vomit. I call.

River 8c. I check-call and he shows KQ of clubs for a flush. Oh, I had the best hand? More vomit.

It is just sickening at this point.

4:12 PM: The player to my right just felted $1500 in a rather short amount of time and I’m stuck $2000 still. Do you know how hard it is to get crushed when the player you have immediate position on is hemorrhaging chips like he’s allergic to them? Very, very hard.

4:30 PM: On another break. I guess my last 1.5 hours have been a bit better than the first four hours. It’s not a straight down arrow… I’ve won some pots. I just got four bets in pre with JJ and lost to AQ. I am now 0-4 with JJ+ – and I think I’m yet to win with AK or AQ. I finally made a straight but I’m still 0% on flush draws.

In other news, $15/$30 is going strong with two on the list and there are two full $8/$16 games with 10 players on the list.

But $15/$30 is killing that game. 🤷🏻‍♂️

4:50 PM: I have asked for a seat change button in honor of The Human Torch being next on the list.

4:57 PM: I raise a couple of limpers with AKcc, button cold calls, small blind calls, and we go six ways to 532 with two clubs. I bet and get three calls.

Turn is an 8 and I bet my draw because I fucking hate money and it seems unlikely I would get raised on this board, but the button does raise and one of the limper three bets. Good read, Mac. Awesome. I can’t wait to put $90 in and whiff the river. I call. Button calls.

River 6h and it checks around because a running heart flush got there. Limper has A4o for a flopped wheel and button shows me 98 of clubs.

Just pure torture.

5:07 PM: I stole the fucking blinds! 💪🏻

5:17 PM: The Torch just sat down with $200. Well that’s not gonna get me even.

6:00 PM: So tilted. Open AQ and only the BB defends.

Flop AT8. He check-raises, I 3-bet.

Turn 8, he check-calls.

River K. FUCK. FUCK FUCK FUCK.

Chop with A9.

Open 99. Flop JJ9. I get two callers pre, The Torch calls my flop bet, and no action on the turn.

Folds to my small blind and I get to chop with KK.

What a bunch of bullshit.

6:14 PM: Holy shit. Momentum? I’ve won a series of pots in a short amount of time and I hit my first flush of the day! I would guess I’m still stuck over $2000, but I’m not sure.

6:25 PM: The Torch is in $600, $200 at a time. Another player just felted and rebought $200. Maybe the poker room manager is right: these people shouldn’t be playing this game. These would be smallish (though a misguided standard) buy-ins at $8/$16, let alone a game twice as big.

6:41 PM: I really wish dealers would stop moving the button before the hand is over. Without a doubt, moving the button twice is the number one mistake I see happen and it’s almost always because of this absolutely stupid practice. Save a few seconds so you can make the same mistake hundreds of times over your career.

7:17 PM: More comedy. I open KQo, two cold callers, Torch 3-bets the big blind. I resist the urge to cap it even though I probably have him smashed.

Flop AQ5 two diamonds. I snap raise him. Button cold calls. Torch three bets. We both call.

Turn pairs the A, which I like. Torch bets, we both call. I feel like I have the button beat – he’s definitely not a solid player – and The Torch could literally have anything. He bets dark.

River is the 2 of diamonds. I call. He has 87dd.

Unreal.

Then a new player I don’t know sits down and asks if that’s my extra water. I say yes and he grabs it and opens it.

YEAH MAN. THAT’S WHAT IT’S FUCKING THERE FOR.

7:39 PM: Here is something that definitely has not happened today: three or four bets went in before the flop and I won the pot.

7:41 PM: Player to my left just called two bets with 98 suited and then showed it to me before folding when it was capped back to him. How is that a real thing?

The Torch is felted again. He snapped me off with that 87 less than 30 minutes ago and, of course, I got none of that back.

A player that limped in earlier and called when it was capped back to him with KQo (and ended up beating my 99) just limped in and folded when a bad player raised and everyone folded back to him.

I seriously hate them all today.

7:48 PM: Another capped pot lost. QQ on the button outflopped by AK, which loses to TT on the river.

7:56 PM: Praise Jesus! I 3-bet QQ, flopped top set, rivered quads, and got paid off, plus won a $499 jackpot!

It’s a miracle!

In other news, they are spreading their third $8/$16 game right now cause, you know, this game is killing that one.

To recap: $15/$30 has been running for 9 hours and they have had two $8/$16 running for at least 8 hours, with a third one going down now.

Now there is no list. So I guess now that all those $8/$16 players are in games gambling… if they wind up going bust in the next few hours it will be because we are playing $15/$30 on a different table?

8:33 PM: I limp after two limpers with A6 of clubs. Couple more limps. BVR raises SB. We all call.

Flop K63. A few of us call.

Turn 6. I raise. Two callers.

River Q. BVR check-raises. Has KK.

I mean… it’s honestly insane.

8:38 PM: Watching the masseuse use an elbow to massage someone while she looks at her phone with her free hand. This has been going on for a while. Totally inexcusable. It’s feeding my tilt monster.

8:53 PM: Under the gun raises. Three people cold call. I call 66 on the button.

Flop 976 with two diamonds. I get it capped with the PFR, one other player tagging along.

Turn Q. He still leads, other player folds, I raise. He calls.

River is a blank. He check-calls.

And shows me 77. FUCKING SEVENS.

This can’t be real. It really can’t be. I’m almost back to where I was before that $500 jackpot.

Unbelievable.

9:06 PM: I’m not even trying to be nice at this point. A new player sat down and asked for an Overs button (I’ve been the only person with one all day) and a couple other players asked for them and threw them back when I said it was $25/$50.

Then they threw a little fuss about it and voted to make it $20/$40 and I said “Yeah, maybe we can get $5/$10 Overs going in the $4/$8 game too.”

9:46 PM: I feel like I should mention that I won my first pot with AQ – especially since it was my most significant pot of the day (minus the jackpot addition in that QQ hand).

I three bet a bad player’s open and went at least 5-ways to QJx. Checks to the player on my right and he donks. I raise, two cold call, and he calls.

I’m already envisioning losing this pot when I make top two vs KT.

The turn comes a 5 and they all check-call me again.

River is a 6! I basically have the nuts unless the bad player has something funky like Q6 suited or J6 suited. I bet, two of them call, and the player to my right folds KT face up. What a dodge! And my hand is good vs the two callers.

But then I went right back to losing massive pots with good hands. Including AK twice, which I’m like 0-12 with today.

No progress.

9:59 PM: I feel like I’m up $1000 now! I actually have good news.

The poker manager just came over and said the affect of this game on $8/$16 has been “grossly exaggerated” to him and he will no longer be cancelling it!

I think he’s done an amazing job with this room and getting rid of the $15/$30 was the first move he made that really puzzled me and I was really going to question his reasoning after he watched $8/$16 flourish all day while this game was full.

But he is reasonable! I’m glad he can see what’s going on and adapt. A lot of people would be stubborn after making a decision like that and stick to it just so they wouldn’t have to admit that they/their staff were wrong.

This guy continues to impress me and he really has done wonders with this room. I feel bad about some of the trolling I was doing on this blog earlier, but I’m going to keep it up for authenticity’s sake and fluidity!

10:21 PM: You know you have the M.U.B.S. (Monsters Under the Bed Syndrome) when you have 99 on the 763 flop in a 3-handed pot and know that you’re never gonna win.

Take it KJ.

11:02 PM: Two streaks broken! I just won with 88 on 96595 after getting check-raised on the turn and calling a river bet – the first time I’ve won with a pocket pair less than AA that didn’t make quads today…. in 12 hours!

And I only won with AA once… heads up against the big blind… when I flopped the nut flush draw with my overpair… and he folded on the turn.

I also broke my AK streak. I opened with it, a player I haven’t beat all day cold called, a blind tagged along, and we saw the AJJ flop. I bet (in Overs), and they both called.

Turn 2. I bet and don’t get raised. Heads up now.

River 2. I bet and don’t get raised. Can it be?! I’m good!

I am now down $2000, which is the best shape I’ve been in since that jackpot.

12:02 AM: Open AQ of clubs under the gun, one cold call, big blind defends.

Q42 two club flop. I try for some deception by checking because I’ve been raising and checking the flop a lot today, but it checks through.

Turn 8 of clubs. I bet, they both fold.

Yawn.

Defend K5 suited in a 3-way pot. Check-raise K65 flop and they both fold.

Fucking YAWN.

12:21 AM: Multiple limpers. I raise AKo and everyone calls.

Flop is 743 with two diamonds. I check, BB bets, cutoff calls, and I call with A of diamonds in my hand.

Turn is Q of diamonds. I check, BB bets, cutoff folds, and this seems like a good time to semi-bluff and check-raise since I suspect this player (new to the game) won’t realize that I rarely have a made hand here, plus I think I should have some fold equity against his flop betting range.

He calls though and the river is a non-diamond 8. I go to reach for chips and he’s already trying to call, so I decide not to torch the bet. He checks back? With a jack high flush?

Yeah, that’s more like it.

12:34 AM: Taking my first break in hours. Just raised with QQ and everyone folded. Next hand I open with A9o a littler earlier than I should just because I want to feel the pain when I get multiple callers because I’m holding a piece of shit. All four players left in the pot call. I whiff. YES. MORE OF THAT.

I’m pretty close to quitting. I’m gonna sit back down and if I’m still feeling steamy I’m gonna call it a session.

1:32 AM: Welp, I’m home now. What a nightmare of a day. These last two pots I played did it in for me.

Two people limp and I raise T9 of spades on the button, both blinds defend and the limpers call.

Flop is 883 with two spades. I bet and two players call.

Turn is an Ace and only the small blind check-calls me.

River is a 6 and he checks. I bet thinking he might be on a spade draw that could be bigger than mine or maybe he will fold a 3 or a medium pocket pair. He calls with A7 of spades… and then does that whole get halfway out of his chair and say “what does he have?” spectacle some people do when they catch you bluffing.

I missed the same draw you did, asshole.

Then I raise the button with AK and get the AK6 with two spades flop in a 5-way pot. The big blind donks, one player calls, I raise, and they both call.

The turn is a 9. They both check to me and I bet. The big blind check-raises, the other player calls two bets cold, I three bet it, the big blind caps, and the other player calls again. I call.

The river is a T of spades and they both check to me. I look at them like “yeah fucking right” and check it back. Somehow the in between player doesn’t have spades. He has A9. Somehow the big blind doesn’t have a set of 6s. He has AK also. I take no solace in splitting this pot. Zero happiness that I didn’t lose the whole thing on the river. I flopped top two on the AK6 board and I can’t scoop a pot.

Done with it.

I finished -$2265 for the day which is my second biggest loss in any game EVER. And the only reason I didn’t set a new all-time worse loss today was because I hit a $449 (after $50 tip) jackpot.

I’ve made an effort to keep my blog pretty PG and refrain from any cursing, but today I decided to paint an honest picture of how I was feeling as I was feeling it. I think it’s more authentic. I think it might be funny. I know it’s therapeutic.

I basically played with the physical sensation of tilt for the entire session. Like, I could feel it coursing through my body. Was on my A-game? No way. But I do think I played pretty well under so much distress. I wasn’t spewing chips by playing hands I should be folding or raising with garbage (that A9o hand I mentioned being a possible exception) and I think the bluffs I did execute made a lot of sense, even when they didn’t work. I just ran nightmarishly bad the entire day and there wasn’t much I could do about it.

I have to say I’m very happy about where my C-game is. No one wants to play their C-game, but everyone should work on improving it. I’ve mentioned this before, but I believe one of my biggest edges is how good I am at losing. A lot of players have a Titanic gap between their A-game and their C-game – even players I think are way better than average – and I truly believe that my gap is rather small. Small enough that I think my C-game is better than most of my opponents’ (in the Tacoma area) A-games. There is no doubt I was on visible tilt most of the day and even though I was physically distraught, there wasn’t much deterioration in how I was actually playing. There is a difference. I won’t pretend like there isn’t, but I would guess that most people I play with wouldn’t be able to notice it.

Anyways, I will be happy to put this day behind me and hopefully I won’t be pressing this all-time low threshold again any time soon.