The Bat Cave

First off, congrats to Art D for shipping the new monthly Palace tournament last Saturday. This is definitely a case of the cream rising to the top. Art is certainly one of the better tournament regulars in the Puget Sound area right now and it’s no surprise to see him take that thing down.

Also, Joker took third but I doubt anyone cares about that.

Sunday was the Main Events of Global Poker’sRattlesnake Open series and… it was a total collapse.

Not on my part, but on the site’s software. I’m actually surprised I haven’t seen any bad publicity about the end of the series because Global had three Main Events planned for last Sunday with huge guaranteed prize pools and then it ended up being a total shit show.

Sometime around noon (pacific time) just as the $22 Low Main Event was about to start, the tournament lobbies on Global stopped loading… I was registered for the Low and the $110 Medium already but I couldn’t register for the $218 High.

This was bad.

No one else could register either, so the Low was running far below the Guaranteed prize pool and no one else could join.

And then the Medium started waaaaaay below the Guarantee.

And then the Low went on break and never started again.

And then the High was completely cancelled and eventually the Medium stopped running and the site went offline altogether.

I eventually got a refund and a little profit for the tournaments that froze, but I have to say Global’s handling of this situation has been amazingly bad. I never got an email from the site explaining the refund or an explanation of what happened or an apology. If you didn’t play the events or read about the mess up on social media, you’d probably never know about it. Global has posted zero acknowledgment of the situation that I’ve seen.

I don’t really care that much about the incident. I was disappointed that I planned my whole day around these tournaments and didn’t get to play them, but as far as feeling ripped off or cheated, I’m not on board with that.

Obviously the site was experiencing technical difficulties at the most inopportune time. I don’t think they should be held accountable for the massive overlays. No one could register!

With that said, they could be more involved with the aftermath instead of pretending like nothing happened.

Oh well.

I lost half my stack in the Medium right before the disconnect… hence my comment in chat.

Almost forgot about the wedding we went to on Saturday. Let me preface by saying I’ve met these people once in my life before and if I were quizzed beforehand on what their names were I could maybe come up with one of them.

And then my phone went off when they were exchanging vows like a true asshole.

Fortunately I was sitting on a bale of hay and the whole thing was actually pretty informal and no one looked at me like I just assaulted the bride.

It was actually pretty cool and quite a bit different from any wedding I’ve ever been to. Certainly the first one with a rain delay.

And cows.

Monday I took the day off and Tuesday I popped into Palace to play their $5000 weekly freeroll for the first time.

It was a great performance. First I bluffed off 67% of my stack on T6342 by check-raising the turn against a weak bet and then making hefty bet on the river… and got called by a pair of 4s… with a 5 kicker. I got picked off by someone that didn’t even know they had a straight.

Then I opened to 50 at 10/20 blinds with T9 of clubs, got the QT9 flop, the small blind led 75, the big blind called, and I jammed my remaining 710 in the middle. The small blind snap-called with QJ and immediately spiked a straight on the turn and I hit the rail as one of the first players out.

I played 8/16 for a few hours but went home early a $300 winner.

I took Wednesday off and played 8+ hours last night and had my worst 8/16 session since August of last year – a solid -$814. I won two meaningful pots the whole day and never had any upward momentum that lasted longer than a single pot.

Here I am again at Palace and there is no 15/30 game at 6:30 PM on a Friday. These are depressing times. I have zero desire to play 8/16 regularly again and I also have little desire to drive to Fortune multiple times a week. I am ecstatic to be leaving the Puget Sound poker scene for the next six weeks.

Today started off just like yesterday. I open KQ and get the K77 flop against 77 on the very first hand dealt.

Then I get a free play from the Big with JT and bet all three streets on J423J and get called down by one player that has… AJ.

What.

Already down a rack.

6:36 PM: Some good news though… I made these guys…

…look like this:

6:41 PM: Whoops. Thought I published this an hour ago.

7:00 PM: Another free play from the big blind with K8 and I get the KJ88J run out vs QJ.

I guess it’s just my time to get tortured for a while. Let’s get it out of the system before June!

7:14 PM: Some run good! Hit&Run opens, I 3-bet A9ss and the button cold calls.

Flop is K64 with two spades, I bet and the button raises. H&R folds and I call since jamming my draw here out of position makes zero sense against this player.

Turn is an ace, which is nice but isn’t a card I’m looking to check-raise as KQ, KJ, KT, etc. check back way too often. I bet and they call,

River is a spade and now it’s time for my opponent to execute the expert slow play by raising me with AK after I get there and I’m able to collect three big bets on the river.

8:05 PM: I’ve had some hands hold up and find myself with the tiniest bit of sugar as I switch tables. But one last hand before I go!

Limpers, I raise AA, all call. Flop is JT6 with two hearts. Checks to player on my direct right, he donks, I raise, and three players cold call.

Turn is jack of hearts, which seems like it should be the worst card in the deck for me. They check to me though and I can’t see how I can bet here.

River is an 8 and one of the flop cold callers bets, but he’s a crazy person and then the original flop bettor just calls. Well, I can’t fold in this spot and I actually think I might have the best hand.

I don’t. The crazy guy turns over T5 of clubs, which isn’t a pair or a draw, but the other player turns over Q9o. Yawn.

8:26 PM: 15/30 starting but first a leveling war with Flea.

I defend a small blind raise with T9 of clubs and flop goes off multiway. Small blind checks on 742 with two clubs and I go ahead and bet my flush draw. Flea raises and two players cold call so I three bet my draw with two overcards and everyone calls.

Turn pairs the 7 and I decide to check and so does everyone else. I should probably bet this card since I’m the only one that’s shown any real strength.

River pairs the 3 and now I do go ahead and bet. Flea raises me and he never has a hand here so when the other players fold, I go ahead and reraise, but unfortunately he goes into the tank as ultimately calls with ace high.

Finish 8/16 -$149.

15/30 starting lineup: Rocksteady, Flea, and some new recent regulars.

8:46 PM: Solid start to 15/30. Defend A3 from the big and run into small blind’s A9 on A93. Blah.

8:57 PM: Limper, a raise and a reraise in front of me and the player next to me calls three bets cold and then says “would you call?” after I fold and shows me JTo and I say, “yup.”

This guy is driving me nuts. He’s a bit drunk and being super friendly and talkative and of course I’m sitting right next to him, trying to mind my business, listening to the Mariners game and typing on my blog.

But then he starts saying how lucky we all are to be here and not in a jail cell, or at war, etc. and that he’s just super happy to be able to play in this game right now.

And goddammit.

He’s right.

And then I just ruined his day by raising him on the river with quads. Which apparently is a no no and something he’ll remember.

No friends at the poker table, PAL.

10:30 PM: This game is kind of juiced right now. Guy to my right has been drinking and is now opening J5 suited from hi jack when I’m in the cut off (not advisable).

Then I just saw Hit&Run raise under the gun and a player from middle position that has the disguise of a tight-solid player turned over Q4o at show down. What.

Weird spot with KK. Hit&Run opens under the gun, there’s like three cold callers, and I have KK in the big blind. We all see the flop for three bets.

It comes down 743, I lead, Hit raises, and the whole field cold calls. I decide to just call him and reevaluate all my options on the turn.

The turn pairs the 7 and I’m fine with that. Shouldn’t change much really. My current plan is to check-raise when Hit&Run leads but then an actual tight solid player raises and I reluctantly fold my hand. Hit calls and then donks when the river is a 6. He wins with 55 and the other player flashes 87 of clubs.

10:43 PM: I’d like to take a moment of silence to remember all our fallen 15/30 comrades, may you all Rest In Peace: Humpty Dumpty, Curious George, Game Genie, Tick, Taz, Dansby Swanson, Radio Mike, Mister Magoo, Elmer, Action Bronson, and probably a number of others I might be forgetting… because you all stopped playing!

I thought you were all nickname worthy and then you disappeared from my life with no warning.

And a special RIP to The Human Torch. You started this whole thing, man, and we miss you terribly.

🤐☠️👻⚰️🤐

11:03 PM: The Flea is wearing sunglasses.

That is all.

11:29 PM: Drunk player limps, I limp 44, another limp, a raise, and six of us see the flop for two bets. It comes down 874 rainbow and the drunk on my right leads out, so I raise, Flea and Rocksteady cold call, the drunk torches a 3-bet, I cap, they all call.

Turn is a 2 of hearts and how lucky can one man be? The drunk kid leads right into me and I get to raise the other guys out or make them pay $60. Flea folds but Rocksteady calls. Strange. I guess I’m trying to fade T9 or backdoor hearts?

I’m watching Rocksteady as the river falls and I’m pretty unhappy to see him reach for chips and bet. It’s the 9 of hearts. Drunk calls and I overcall. He shows K5 of hearts and the drunk guy turns over the J7o. Lol. How does he not help me win this pot?

12:30 AM: I somehow just got $75 in on the A65 two clubs flop with AK vs QQ heads up and couldn’t win the hand.

Even worse, I actually check-call the queen river because the club draw (and AJ and AQ) got there and this clown is putting three Overs bets in on the flop without the queen of clubs in his hand.

Also worth noting, he just called preflop. With QQ. Waited for the ace to flop and then went crazy.

These are the people I’m losing to tonight.

Everyone is playing exceptionally bad and I am not benefiting. I’m close to being stuck despite hitting two High Hands today. I could be up $1500 real easy right now.

12:53 AM: Just lost with KJcc on AK5ssd flop to J6dd.

Pretty cool stuff happening.

12:59 AM: A few notes before we get into this hand; a) this player has been running exceptional against me since he started playing here a few weeks ago and b) I’ve been running miserably the last few hours.

One limp, I raise KK, both blinds defend. Flop is 432 with two clubs, drunk guy donks, I raise, and the small blind calls it cold. Sigh. Turn pairs the 3 and I’m not even remotely surprised when this guy that has been walking on water vs me check-raises. I call down, wearing my emotions on my sleeve like an idiot and this guy shows A9 of spades for the super punt (no spades even on board).

This is a prime reason to contain your emotions when you’re playing poker because it’s never a good look when you act like a cry baby before winning the pot.

I’m ashamed.

2:15 PM: Called it a night.

Final Score: +$479

But it felt more like -$1500.