The Bat Cave

10:02 AM: I did 13 minutes of meditation this morning and I believe that I have a solid daily practice now which means I feel comfortable practicing on a daily basis now.  I also received three books on meditation and mindfulness in the mail last week.  So yeah, I’m committed to this thing and I will constantly be weaving new practices and mindfulness tricks into my daily routines – and into my poker sessions.  The whole reason I started doing this in the first place is to prevent myself from going on the kind of raging tilt I experienced last week in what ended up being my second worst session of all-time.  There is no doubt the results of my session were affecting me emotionally and physically.  I felt defeated basically the entire day.  So the whole goal of meditation, and mindfulness, and yoga, is pain reduction; to be at peace with all the variance poker has to offer.

Someone has recently been trolling me in the comments section of my last post and they asked the question: “what qualifies you to be a professional poker player?”  Here’s the answer -not just for me, but for anyone that wants to play poker professionally: all you have to do is quit your job and have money to play with.  That is the only qualification you need.  What happens from there is what will determine if you can remain a professional poker player.  But some of the biggest perks of playing poker for a living are a) you don’t need to answer questions in a job interview or prove yourself to anyone and b) you don’t have a boss.

So I don’t know who this person is or why they feel like they need to try and rain on my parade, so I’ll just say this: I’m just sharing my journey and right now I happen to be playing poker for a living.  This is not an instructional blog.  You can read or not read – I don’t really care.

10:18 AM: Checking Bravo before I hop in the shower and start getting ready.  Currently 16 names on the $15/$30 list and 16 names on the $30/$60 list.  Last week, I asked the poker room manager what game we are playing today and he said “whatever everyone wants to play.”  I’m not really sure what to expect but I do know most of the names that were on that $30/$60 list last time I was at Palace were either game start flakes or part-time players, so even though a bigger game would be cool, I don’t think it’s realistic with the names on the list.  With that in mind, I fully expect them to spread $15/$30 today.

11:07 AM: Welp. 16 names on the list and we are starting $15/$30 6-handed. Definitely need some foot traffic because half this lineup play short sessions.

11:22 AM: There was a horrible train accident a few exits south of where I live off I-5. It is possible it is preventing people from getting here although I didn’t see any traffic in either direction from my exit.

Radio Mike started the game and beat me in a heads up pot and couldn’t help himself from smirking after the hand. I see you, buddy!

Opened with KQhh a few hands later and only the big blind defended.

He led out on the KJ9 flop, I raised and he called.

Turn was a T giving me a straight. He check-called.

River Q, putting a King high straight on the board. He check-called again and then… folded when I tabled my hand!

He’s a blog reader so I’ll say “thanks” and “sorry” and I hope you don’t read about this hand until you get home tonight!

11:50 AM: Finally picked up our 7th player! A $200 buy in! 😳

11:52 AM: And The Human Torch makes us 8-handed… on my direct left… with a $200 buy in.

11:54 AM: Full game!

Radio Mike comes back after missing his blinds and declines to post in the cutoff. I’m embarrassed for him.

12:20 PM: On my first break I am currently up about $100 which is the first time I’ve made it through the first 90 minutes of this game without being stuck at least $500. Progress!

12:55 PM: Radio Mike flopped the nut flush against me when I had top pair and he check-called me on the flop and turn… them check-raised me on the river when I went for some thin value.

And then he text me and said “I see that we are mortal enemies today.”

He’s not wrong.

1:34 PM: Just finished my breakfast and moved my table with my empty plate and dirty napkins right next to Radio Mike – one of his biggest pet peeves. It’s on bruh.

Someone immediately told him to ask if I had an extra water.

Not a very exciting first couple of hours. I have done more bluffing than usual, getting caught once check-raising a flush draw after the flop checked through.

Probably the all-time greatest maniac in Palace history just sat down in the $15/$30 game for the first time. He’s starting with $1k and is capable of getting in much deeper.

In honor of Michael Jordan and this player’s tendency to play aggressively with nothing, I will refer to him from now on as His Airness.

1:50 PM: His Airness has requested Overs buttons and now four of us are playing $25/$50 Overs. Radio Mike did not take a button because… who knows why.

2:11 PM: There hasn’t been a ton of action so far today but there was on this hand:

UTG limps, next player raises, both players to my right cold call, I 3-bet KK, one of the blinds calls and we go three bets six ways to the flop.

It comes down T63 rainbow. Someone donks into me, someone calls, I raise and four of us go to the turn.

4 on the turn and now the small blind leads out. One player and myself call.

River pairs the 6 and two of us call again. Small blind shoes… 52o.

Yup.

-$500 now.

I couldn’t help but notice Radio Mike chuckling out loud as he was watching the showdown.

2:59 PM: Guy that bought in $200 and cracked my KK with 52o – because those are the kinds of hands you play when you short buy – just cashed out $2000.

3:09 PM: I defend my BB with KQ. Flop is QT8 and I check-call Radio Mike on all three streets in what started as a 4-way pot. He has KK. He is definitely winning the battle today.

3:39PM: After watching Peter pick off bluff after bluff from His Airness, Peter limps early, His Airness raises, I 3b TT, Peter calls and it gets capped.

Flop is 986. Peter donks, His Airness calls, I raise and they both call.

Turn is a K and they both check. This is a must bet. Peter calls and now His Airness raises. We both call.

River 2. His Airness bets, I call, Peter tanks and folds and I say to him “he has it this time” and he tables 75.

Another big pot between the three of us. His Airness limps, I raise QTcc , Peter 3b button, Airness caps it.

Q32 all diamonds. His Airness bets, I raise, Peter 3b and we both call.

Turn is Th. I donk into Peter and they both call.

River Jd. His Airness bets and I reluctantly fold. Peter calls and His Airness wins with AcKd.

Marathon Monday: where Mac runs Miserably against Maniacs.

-$700

4:40 PM: The rivalry with Radio Mike has dissipated because he’s up a couple racks and no longer playing any hands.

Peter: He’s just running the clock out now.

Me: He took a knee two hours ago. The only reason he’s still here is so I don’t make fun of him for playing a three hour session.

Radio Mike raises the next hand.

Me: Oh wow, he remembered he was here.

The game has slowed down considerably now that His Airness has busted and left, with Peter and Radio Mike getting the bulk of what must have been $1800.

The Torch is next up the list, looking to make his second cameo of the day. No one is after him. We definitely need the night shift to start showing up because half these players will probably be gone in the next couple hours.

5:24 PM: I raise a couple of limpers with QJhh and we end up going 5 ways to the 974 flop, with one heart. I check here a lot, but I decide to bet since there are a lot good turns for me to continue to barrel on. I get raised though and one of the limpers cold calls. I call.

Turn 2h. I’m definitely happy to check-call here but the limper raises. I cold call the two bets and the other player stays in also.

River 3 of hearts and my running flush beats the limper’s flopped set of fours.

That suck out puts me down about $150 and sends the player on my right into raging tilt.

6:29 PM: The game survived the lull! 5 people on the list now with The Torch in already.

I haven’t won very many notable pots but I do have more chips than I started with now. Ever so slightly.

6:48 PM: Well that was fun while it lasted. I raise one limper with KK, one cold caller, and we go 4-ways to J64dd flop. I bet and two players call.

Turn is 3 of diamonds. I bet, the next player raises, the third player cold calls, and I call with the Kd.

Brick river and I lose to 87 of diamonds.

I also tried to bluff Radio Mike unsuccessfully after defending my big blind with KxTd on 653dd6d4 and he picked me off with 88 after tanking for about 12 minutes and then told me “you wanted to table that bluff so bad you were twitching and frothing at the mouth.”

Bastard. I’m happy for him. In three years of playing together he’s never beaten me this badly!

7:06 PM: I still haven’t flopped a set today but just I just turned deuces full after it checked around on the 997 flop.

7:34 PM: Radio Mike is ordering food. Why is this a big deal? Because I’ve never seen this guy play longer than 6 hours and we are now on hour 9 and he’s so settled in he has a meal coming! Must be nice!

The composure of this game has changed for the worse. The Torch is felted again and replaced by one of the best regulars at Palace. Another friend of the blog is in the game and up like $1000 in his first 30 minutes of play. More than half the table are solid regs now.

I just realized I’ve tipped $1 in the last 90 minutes.

7:44 PM: Action player in the game! Sitting down with $330. 🙄 I was going to take a break but this guy could be felted before I come back.

8:10: Ryan O. proposed a round of button straddles to liven the game up, something it is definitely in need of. This would be an ideal time to run good!

8:19 PM: Momentum shift!

My straddle. A couple callers. A new player raises. I defend K4dd.

Flop KJ6 one diamond. The PFR bets and I raise but both blinds cold call and the PFR reraises. Sigh. We all call.

Turn is an Ace; the PFR bets and I fold. I know my pot odds are favorable here but the Ace is such a bad card to continue on. The cold callers look like QT a lot and the PFR looks like he has Aces up, at worst. Radio Mike check-raises and the PFR reaches for a three bet and as soon as he puts it in I shake my head because Radio Mike basically always has the nuts here. He caps it. PFR calls and I request the dealer to put an Ace on the river.

He pairs the King instead and Mike check-calls and loses to AA – the first tough pot I’ve seen him lose all day.

8:41 PM: But I can’t beat the guy. I just flopped top pair against what I thought was an overpair so I turned my hand into a bluff when an Ace hit the turn and he just flatted, so when I rivered two pair I thought might hand might actually be good. Two straights and a flush were on board now though which explains why he just check-calls with AA.

I am now down $850 and I think Radio Mike has all of it.

I am now taking an extended break after playing multiple hands in the same orbit quite questionably. I’m sure the troll in the comments will be happy to see me struggling again. Maybe I’ll apply for a real job tomorrow.

I am now down the most I’ve been stuck all day and the game is at its worst. Not a good combo. It actually wouldn’t be terrible to pick up and leave right now but I’m still interested in playing.

9:55 PM: Real progress. First, I make it to the river with AQ top pair against Radio Mike and he fold, which is the first time we’ve made it to 5th street together and I won since the first hour of the game.

Then I raise with QQ on the button, Radio Mike 3b his big blind and one of the limpers back-caps it.

Flop is KQx; Mike leads, I raise, he reraises and I flat. Heads up now.

Turn is a Ten and I’m MUBSing about KK because this guy has been walking on water all day, especially against me, and he can really only have AA, AK, and KK here. We are obviously beating more combos than we lose to so I still have an easy raise. He immediately stacks his initial bet and reaches back for chips – a move that is almost always followed by a raise. And if he does raise here he basically always has KK. I know him that well. He just calls though and I comfortably bet the river and win against his AK!

I was down $1200 at my bottom, but I am now down about $600 after this mini-rush.

10:19 PM: KK capped on the button in a 5-way pot? This situation hasn’t worked out yet for me today.

Ace in the door… sigh… followed by a King! 🤗🎉🎊🎇

The 3-bettor donks into me, I raise, and two others cold call and the original bettor flats.

Turn is a wheel card and only two players check-call.

River is another blank and my Kings finally win a big pot!

Approaching even now.

10:47 PM: It’s Radio Mike’s button straddle and it folds to me in the hi jack. I raise with JTo, the cutoff folds, and Mike says “this is an automatic fold” and then calls?

I say “what’d you say?” and bet Dark. Flop is 985. Pretty decent. He calls.

Turn is a K. I bet and he almost goes to fold and then calls again.

River pairs the King and this time he snap calls and wins with 83o.

This guy.

In roughly 10-20 minutes this game will have been going for 12 hours. Radio Mike’s average session length is probably less than 5 hours. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play more than 8. He’s up like $2k. It’s amazing how energizing running good can feel.

Variance in the game is increasing as everyone is seeming to realize that the game is much better with a mandatory straddle.

11:27 PM: Button straddle KK and get the 765 flop vs 43o – a hand that is not in one of the three blinds.

KK has been my death hand today. I did win my biggest pot of the day with it but I’ve lost big pots the other four times I’ve had it.

Trending back down again… about -$900 now.

11:42 PM: Well this was really weird. I forget to straddle my button because I’m playing OFC hands and one player limps, the cutoff tank-raises (huh?) and I look down at AK and 3b. The limper and cutoff both call.

I double check my cards, like I always do, and this time I look down at two Kings. What? I mean wow. I really saw AK the first time I looked and I was honestly shocked to see KK.

Flop is T9x and the cutoff check-raises me and I get Peter out with a 3b. The cutoff calls. He seems a little inexperienced and I think he’s playing big right now. I don’t expect much trickery so when an Ace turns I am planning to bet both big streets because I really think he has QQ, JJ, or Tx. He surprises me by leading out though. I’m definitely not convinced but I don’t really think I should raise here. I call.River is a blank and now he ranks again and then checks. I snap bet and he calls and KK is good. 2 for 6!

11:56 PM: Radio Mike is leaving us.

12:54 AM: It seems like my Monday blogs lose a little steam after about 11 PM. I know one of the reasons: my WordPress app gets really buggy at the end of the day and I don’t know why. It’s like the more words I type or the longer I have the app open, the tougher it is for things to process. It has crashed/frozen on me three times in the past couple hours and each key I press lags behind. It’s all very annoying.

1:03 AM: Uhm so this just happened:

That’s my hand. $2500+ jackpot. Second Royal Flush of my life* and I’ve played a lot of hours. Like a lot a lot.

*of my life means live games (I have like 12 Royals online) and non-Omaha.

2:08 AM: I am definitely hitting a wall. I actually have sugar now – jackpot aside – and I’m ready to go home but the game is getting shorter and shorter and I would really enjoy playing 6- or 5-handed with this crowd.

Actually, one of these guys is taking a ridiculous amount of time with each decision. Not sure I can stomach that in a super short game.

2:29 AM: My luck with KK has turned around. I’ve had it at least 10 times today and I’ve won five times in a row now.

2:56 AM: Here’s an interesting one: cutoff open limps, I raise 87ss on the button.

Flop A87 won two clubs. Cutoff check-raises me. We are heads up now so I just call to raise the turn.

Jack on turn. He checks. Okay. I bet and he raises me again. Lol. I’m pretty tempted to 3b here but there really aren’t any value hands in his range that I’m beating, so I call.

River pairs the Ace and he checks again. I check back and he’s shows J4 of clubs and his Jack beats me now.

So I got check-raised twice by the worst hand and then it checked around when he pulled ahead. Fun!

3:46 AM: Just got home.  Pretty sure the game broke when I left, but that was another solid 16.5 hour $15/$30 session.  I actually ended up making $188 for the session which is a decent result considering I was stuck most of the day and down as much as $1200 at one point.  With the jackpot (minus tip), I ended up making $2540 for the day.  What a day saver!