The Bat Cave

It looks like the 15/30 game is alive and well on Fridays again. With the game scheduled to start at 4 PM, there are a staggering 26 names on the list! I don’t know what to make of that, but clearly having a scheduled game start makes it much easier to get something off the ground than trying to start it from scratch every day. On a day to day basis, it seems like we can’t get five people interested in a 15/30, so 26 is pretty mind-boggling to me. It will be interesting to see how much of that list is real. Even if a third of those names are flakes or no shows, that’s still enough players for two full games. I’m excited to see what happens, but I’m one of the first nine names, so I’ll be playing regardless.

Yesterday I was planning to play PLO at 6 PM, but I woke up at 7:45 AM for a dentist appointment after staying up late, traveled 2+ hours round trip to go to that appointment and made it back home a little after 4 PM.

I went to lay down for a bit and next thing I know I’m waking up at 5:45 and not going to make the game start. Plus, I wasn’t really feeling up to immediately jumping in a poker game after being asleep for almost two hours. With only 10 names on the list, I wasn’t sure the game was going to be too strong and I ended up not going at all.

In fact, while it did start, I saw on Bravo that it was dead by 9:30 PM.

Instead, I stayed home and organized my 500+ collection of DVD/Blu-Rays, transferring them from their cases and putting them into binders by category. My big grey recycling bin is now overflowing with empty DVD cases. The process saves a ton of space, but it was also quite soul-sapping. I must have thrown away over 90% of the bonus material discs I had. It feels wrong and I sort of want to keep them, but the reality is… I never watched any of that stuff anyway. It’s also pretty revolting to think that I’ve probably spent over $10,000 buying movies in my lifetime, especially when you consider how infrequently I watch most of them and how many of them will never be watched again for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t be surprised if that number is well over 25%, but when we have kids, maybe they will wind up watching all of them. I dunno.

Here’s how much space they took up before (plus at least four cabinet drawers):

Here’s how much space they take up now:

And here’s this picture, just because:

3:34 PM: I’m currently playing 4/8 while I wait for the 15/30 to start and I found this hand to be rather amusing:

There are multiple limpers, button raises, I call BB with ATdd, and limpers all call.

Flop is 766 with two diamonds. I decide to donk out because I feel this is the best way to get multiple bets in on the flop. I’m not looking to check-raise the button and possibly find myself heads up. It’s not the worst if that happens but I don’t think it’s the best either. I get called in a few spots, including the button.

Turn is the 2 of diamonds and this time my only customer is the button.

The river is a 7, double pairing the board, but that’s not a concern as we clearly still have the best hand and it looks like he’s going to call. So I bet and he does call, but then he turns over the 86 of spades. Say what?

The very next hand I get to the river for free from the small blind with A3 on J823A and a 92 year old 4/8 regular calls my bet and turns over 75 high.

I gave him his $8 back.

I will be back with a starting lineup and remaining list in about 25 minutes.

Starting Lineup: random, 8/16 reg, Part-Time, red chip reg I haven’t seen in a while, nitty reg, random, Chief Wiggum, and No Hair

There are four remaining names on the list and I think zero of them are here. Yikes.

I thought the list might have a lot of fat on it, but geez. Oh well, traffic should be good all night.

I give this starting lineup a C and that’s because there are two randoms in it.

On the plus side, 7 of 9 (not the randoms) now have 25/50 Overs buttons.

And one of the randoms just switched to 4/8 Omaha… because that’s what people do… sit in 15/30 for an orbit and drop to a 4/8 split pot game.

But Flea just walked in the door as the seat opened and he was first on the list as a call in.

I now give this game a B-.

4:25 PM: This random lady at my table just brought a partially smoked cigarette back inside with her. That is a crime against humanity. What kind of person does shit like that?

4:51 PM: Flea opens under the gun, Part-Time cold calls, and I defend 86cc from the big.

Flop is Q86 with two hearts and I decide to just check-call on this street and check-raise on most turn cards since Part-Time is still in also.

Turn is the 5 of hearts and I do check-raise when Part-Time quickly folds. Flea does his typical Hollywood shenanigans before eventually calling.

River is the 6 of hearts. Flea is definitely the kind of player that will raise me on the river with one card flushes so leading out has merit, but I decide to check-raise instead and wind up getting four big bets in on the river because, as mentioned, Flea is the kind of dude that would 3-bet here with worse way too often. He calls and I’m good and apparently I got “lucky” because it sounds like he has 55 here.

6:00 PM: Some random I don’t know just sat down but NoHair knows him and he is very excited about his presence.

6:06 PM: Defend my big with A6 of clubs in a 3-way pot and check-raise Part-Time and Flea on T63ccd and we wind up capping it 3-ways.

Turn is the 8 of diamonds and I go back into passive form, Part-Time also checks – which is weird since he bet and raised on the flop – and Flea bets. I call and now Part-Time check-raises. Geez. Do I need to explain how weird it is for us to cap the flop and then for him to try and check-raise the one player that was just calling? It’s crazy. Flea has just over three big bets to start this street so get gets it in there and that allows Part-Time to cap it.

Ouch. I have now put four big bets in on the turn.

No worries. 7 of clubs on the river and I get all of it. Flea had 97 of diamonds and Part-Time claims a set, which makes sense.

My first hand against the new player, I complete small after one limper with QTo and he raises the big blind and triple barrels on Q54J4 with A7dd which never had any sort of draw. I like him already.

6:27 PM: I open A9ss, the new guy 3s, button caps.

Flop is 962 with two hearts and one spade. New guy donks, button folds, and I’m loving the situation, but I just call.

Turn is another 9. Now I check-raise and he calls.

River is an offsuit 7 and he raises after I bet. Huh? I start tanking, wondering how I can ever just call here but I talk myself out of it and just call. He has the hand you’d expect him to have: 92 suited.

7:31 PM: Yikes. They are starting a second 15/30 game. Not really sure how I feel about that, but I didn’t bring an extra insulin pump for some reason and my current one is nearly expired so… I might need to drive home and grab one. A second game at least means I won’t have to wait forever if I wind up having to leave and get picked up.

8:05 PM: Frankenstein is in the game! And just as they start a second game, this table starts to crumble. We have lost three players since the other game started.

The maniac new player is still here but he’s been racked up for a while and looks like he could leave any second, especially if people keep departing this game.

I straddled on my button an orbit ago and in the interest of creating a livelier atmosphere. That investment only cost me $225 when I flopped a pair, turned a gutter, and bricked the river.

Fortunately, I flopped top two with AK in a 5-bet pot from my big blind and then I had JJ in a 5-bet pot from my small blind on a final board of Q54QJ, but I was pushing the action the whole way that hand and no one called me on the river.

8:29 PM: Jesus has been resurrected… with his first public poker appearance since the WSOP. He is not in my game yet – he’s in the feeder – but he is very anxious to get over here and do something dumb enough to get blogged about. I can’t wait!

9:06 PM: Frankenstein vs The Dark Knight:

I come back from a break and post, someone raises in front of me and I 3-bet with QTo because I want the button and blinds to fold, but Frankenstein calls from the small.

Flop is 955 and they both check-call. That’s not surprising so I’m planning to barrel off on a lot of turns but it’s a queen and I bet for value. Now Frankenstein check-raises me. Eww. I shouldn’t be good here but I have a hand I’m not really supposed to have and I’m unsure about it all, so I call down and he shows the QJ. So thin!

A few hands later, I open AA and he 3-bets me in position. I just call.

Flop is Q65 and I check-raise.

Turn is an ace and I’m pretty surprised when he raises me here. I raise back and he calls.

River pairs the board and he calls my bet again and flashes me the case ace.

The new manic and NoHair have left and been replaced by Mr. Plow and Mighty Mouse.

9:47 PM: You know you’re a special kind of sicko when you look down at the QTo in the big blind and it folds to the button and you’re hoping he raises because you just want to play poker. He does raise! His first open from the button tonight. I happily defend.

Flop is JTx and I check-raise. He calls, but it looks like he wanted to raise, so I’m on alert.

Turn is a great check-calling card anyway – a king – so that’s what I do.

River is an ace and I lead out and he says, “did you hit your only out again?”

He calls, I table, and he says, “yep, that was your only out. Stone cold dead again and you got your one out.”

I guess I still lose when a 9 comes? I don’t actually say anything when people start saying dumb stuff like this. I just let them vent and sit there quietly.

I guess this is the other hand I was drawing “stone dead” on:

I open JTdd, he defends big blind and then I barrel all three streets on K76d8d9.

Stone dead.

10:11 PM: I lead in a multi-way limped pot from small blind with 97 on Q86 rainbow and get raised in two spots. I call.

Turn is an offsuit 5 and I decide to lead out because I want Frankenstein to call before the other player raises with his super itchy trigger finger, but Big Frank folds and the other player just calls.

River is a jack. I lead, he raises, I snap-3-bet and he caps it. I groan audibly because I immediately see how likely it is for him to have the nuts here, as T9 flopped a double gut shot. I call and he does show me that hand.

10:25 PM: Folds to button again and he opens. I defend A3ss.

Flop is Q82 with one spade. We both check.

Turn is the jack of spades. I bet and he calls.

River is the 7 of diamonds. I bet… he tanks… he folds!

I was probably drawing stone dead there too.

11:15 PM: I am officially without an insulin pump. My blood sugar is currently 170. This should be interesting. At this point, if I go home, I’m not coming back.

12:10 AM: Finally a clash with Jesus. He opens utg, I 3-bet with KK, big blind calls, and so does Jesus.

Flop is 752 and Jesus check-raises me. Other guy folded and I flat to raise the turn.

It’s a 9. He 3-bets. Sigh.

River is a 7 and he still bets. So basically what he’s saying is: he has AA, he has quads, or he raised under the gun with 55 or 22… or he binked the turn. I call and he shows quad sevens.

I open A8hh and Mighty Mouse defends his big blind.

Flop is 642 rainbow and we both check.

Turn is an 8 and Mighty Mouse leads out saying, “I think I’m betting the best hand.” I’m not so convinced, but I just call.

River is an ace and he checks to me. I bet and he immediately raises me. Ouch. Okay, let’s think about this. This is a strong line, but my hand looks like one pair of aces (or a bluff) so if he has two pair, I think check-raising this river is a good line. I tank for a while but eventually conclude I’m still beating way too many hands. I 3-bet, he calls and I’m good.

12.40 AM: I decided to call it a night rather than let my blood sugar get out of control, even though there were still two full games running.

Final Score: +$713

Fortune 20/40 tomorrow.