The Bat Cave

9:10 AM: Backpacks and meditation are back! The $30/$60 game @ Palace is supposed to start at 11 AM, but who knows if that will actually happen. What did happen was this game went until 5 AM last Sunday when I was in California. That’s impressive!

I played a very short and unhappy $8/$16 session last night. It was 9 PM before we headed to the casino and I needed to be up early today, so my head and heart weren’t in it. What I really wanted to do was play some $6/$12 Omaha 8/Better for a few hours until my wife was ready to go home, but somehow I went from 2nd on the list when I put my name up to 4th on the list and then I got slaughtered for -$300 in less than an hour in a short-handed game. Playing short sessions is one of my pet peeves and when I know it’s going to happen (like when I’m waiting for a seat in a game I want or we are on a time restriction like last night) I typically drop down in limits ($4-$8) or play a lower variance game (like Omaha 8). So after donating $300 and watching the game disintegrate before my eyes (like my chip stack), I was still third up for O8 and I didn’t want to play full ring LHE, so I just went home.

When I left there were 7 names on the list for $30/$60 today. The question is, will those seven names be there at 11 AM when the game is supposed to start, or am I waking up early for no reason? Probably the latter. I’ve suggested a later start time for this game, but so far it hasn’t happened. I think a 2 PM start would get off the ground much more successfully. We’ll see though.

I think this is a good time to thank everyone for their support. My decision to start blogging my poker exploits has been a pretty huge one. I have long felt like reviewing movies is somewhat of a chore to me, but I find that I thoroughly enjoy writing about poker and the people that follow me certainly seem to prefer poker content. January 2018 is already the busiest month my blog has ever seen – and before that, December 2017 and November 2017 were my best months ever. In fact, January 2018 has been such a huge month that it has already surpassed the total amount of views my blog got in all of 2016 and will pass my total for 2015 by the end of the month. The increase in traffic has been insane and I’m happy that so many people seem to be enjoying what I’m doing. It’s pretty cool. I believe there is a way to follow the blog and be notified each time I make a new post if you wish to have updates sent to you. Thanks again!

I’m going to spend the next 90 minutes meditating, doing a little exercising, drinking coffee and getting ready and then I’ll go see what’s happening at Palace.

11:02 AM: Batman can always count on The Riddler for genuine assistance. He said he’s playing at Palace, so I text him and ask him to tell the floor I’m on my way but might be a few minutes late because I don’t want to lose my seat and he replies: “I will make an announcement to the room.”

No shock here. 10 names on the list to start the game and so far three of us have showed up. Of the seven current no shows, I feel like only one of them is guaranteed to walk in the door in the next thirty minutes, so it could be a while before this thing takes off.

Trying to assimilate my wife to this new limit for us, as I’m about to leave the house I say, “Welp. Time for me to go win or lose thousands of dollars!”

11:27 PM: Only five us here and no one is excited about the lineup. One of them doesn’t want to start 5-handed and another doesn’t want to start 4-handed. I’m not sure a sixth player is going to trickle in within the next thirty minutes and one of these guys is already talking about taking off.

This game might not happen today.

11:49 AM: Cards are in the air. Playing 4-handed. Nothing like some high stakes short-handed variance to wake you up in the morning!

Hopefully the game going will be noticed on Bravo and bring some players in.

As usual, playing short-handed isn’t very conducive to live blogging, so probably won’t post many hands until we start to fill up.

11:57 AM: The game just got a little less sharky. A Palace reg that has only recently stepped up to $8/$16 just sat down with $1000. Rooting for him against these Fortune regs!

12:31 PM: We are 6-handed now. A rundown of my opponents: there are three regulars from the Fortune $20/$40 game – one of which I think is one of the strongest players there – and two Palace regs, both of which I suspect are playing above their comfort level.

Notable hands so far:

-I open SB with QJ and the big defends. Flop is KTx and I bet-call. I don’t suspect this player to raise this flop and fold at some point so I’m just check-calling and trying to make something now. I turn a jack, which makes me showdown bound and check-call again. The river gives me a straight and I lead and do not get called.

-Button opens, I 3-bet KJ from SB, big calls, button calls. Flop QT9 with two clubs. I bet, big raises, button calls, I call. I reraise here a lot – especially since the board is wet – but I suspect I will get a check-raise in on the turn the majority of time, so I take that line. The turn is the deuce of clubs (and I don’t have one) and I don’t love the situation but I execute anyway and both players fold when I raise.

-I open AK from cutoff, button and small blind call, big folds. Flop is KQ5 rainbow. I bet and both players raise. The small blind is a very good player, so I expect him to have KQ a lot here. Maybe 55. He definitely could have hands like KJs and KTs though, so I’m never folding. The turn card solves most of my problems though as I make top two pair and the good Fortune reg check-calls me down.

12:50 PM: The most recent player already quit. He sat down and played one orbit and then moved to $3/$6! LOL. You don’t see someone move from a $30/$60 game to a $3/$6 game every day.

1:00 PM: Super Dave is here to save the day! He just sat down with $2000 and these guys have no idea how much this game just changed.

1:08 PM: We are 8-handed! Rooting for Super Dave vs The World!

1:22 PM: Super Dave button straddles, I 3-bet TT from the big, a non-reg is not phased by the $90 cold from MP, and three of us see the 864 flop. I bet, MP raises, and Super Dave calls. 3-betting here is fine, but I just call, planning to bet safe turns and possibly fold to a raise from MP. The jack is pretty safe, so I bet and they both call. River pairs the jack, I bet, MP calls, and Super Dave makes a miraculous fold with K8. I win the pot.

Just lost a big one: Super Dave opens, there’s a call, I 3-bet AQdd and it gets capped. I get it capped on the 865dd flop, with all three of us still in. I check back the 6 and fold on the river when Super Dave bets and the other player calls. Dave shows Q7o and the caller wins with A8.

1:41 PM: Super Dave straddles, SB folds, I have QT in the big. I’m always defending this hand but this table isn’t super active and I think I’m better off 3-betting and trying to get heads up with the maniac. Mission failed. UTG 4-bets and Super Dave 5-bets. Flop is AQx with two diamonds. It checks around. Turn is the Qd. I think UTG probably has an ace, so I opt for a check-raise here and it works spectacularly. Both players put in two big bets on the turn. The river is the 8d and I check-call to induce bluffs. UTG bets and shows KQ with no diamond. Oh, so that’s why my turn check-raise worked? Whoops!

Edit: I forgot to mention I had the Td. I won this pot.

2:48 PM: Sorry, I was focusing on eating for a bit there. It’s been a pretty solid start for me. I’ve made the nuts twice with AK in showdown pots and I’ve been getting premium hands in my big blind when Super Dave button straddles (and sucking out with QTo when I’m not!) and I’ve only lost one of these scenarios.

As is, I’m up about $1500 after taking my first break.

Pesky Pete is first up on the list and he’s already been waiting an hour and if there’s any justice in this world, any justice at all, he will wait two more hours and take Super Dave’s empty seat.

3:10 PM: Super Dave is torturing two of the Fortune regs. I haven’t lost any meaningful pots to him yet and he appears to be up about $1500 playing about 85% of hands dealt.

3:12 PM: The $8/$16 shot-taker got a nice little bink and Pesky Pete gets to gamble with Super Dave. Boooooooo!

3:37 PM: UTG+1 opens, I 3-bet 77 on the button, he calls. I bet flop and turn before checking behind river on 9868Q and my hand is good vs KT. Where’s a 7 when you need one? Nothing too exciting but I just felt like I should post a hand.

3:53 PM: This game is in trouble. Two players have left and a very key player passed on his open seat – even though he was unimpressed with Pesky Pete’s +$9000 win from a few weeks ago because, you know, he’s “won $10,000 in $30/$60 many times.” But as easy as winning $10k in this game is, he’s decided to play $8/$16 instead today.

If Super Dave cashes out, this game is dust.

4:22 PM: I’m getting Super Dave’d now. He button straddles, Peter 3-bets SB, I 4-bet BB with AQcc, both call. Flop J76cc and I wind up lose to Dave’s 33.

I open KJo and only Super Dave defends and I can’t beat his A3o after flopping KQT.

4:46 PM: Super Dave cashed out a little less than $3k. That leaves us 4-handed. I thought the game was over but these guys still want to play. Eh. I think I’m a very good short-handed player, but that doesn’t mean I’m invincible from variance and none of these guys are slouches.

5:04 PM: Battling with Pesky Pete.

I can’t lay down the JT on J77ccTK after we cap flop and I call down. His A7 is good.

I can’t lay down the JT on 862T after getting check-raised on the flop and getting 3-bet on the turn. Fortunately, the river comes a 6, counterfeiting his 82. Obviously, I check back, perplexed, and on a mission to put in $0 with the best hand this pot.

We picked up two players. Game on!

5:12 PM: MP opens, I 3-bet QQ, big blind and opener call. Flop T73 with two diamonds, I bet, big raises, MP calls, I 3-bet, and they both call. Turn is 9d and I don’t have one. I lead, big calls, MP raises, I snap fold, big calls. River 4d, big donks, MP raises, and the big goes deep into the tank before calling with… red aces! Wth.

5:27 PM: Peter is so annoying. He opens cutoff, I 3-bet K9cc, big blind is all in for $35, Peter calls. Flop is QJ3, two diamonds, one club and Peter check-calls. Turn is Kd and he check-raises me. My first instinct is to pay this off in frustration but he’s just never bluffing here and I’m probably drawing dead and I find my zen moment and toss it in the muck. Peter shows T9o and the big blind has 87dd but loses to Peter when the river comes a fourth diamond.

5:40 PM: Peter opens button, I 3-bet with Q8hh, the big blind comes along, and Peter calls. Flop is J32 rainbow with one heart. I bet and both call. Turn pairs the 2 and we check to Peter and he bets. He’s never flatting with a jack on the flop and I would check-raise big pairs here a decent amount, especially since I’ve been missing a lot lately, and I pull the trigger on the total airball check-raise… and they both fold.

6:22 PM: We’re playing a fun game called everyone gets to get there against me. Open 84cc? River a flush. Nice hand. Open 97hh and flop middle pair when I have top pair? Turn trips. Easy game. Open A6o, flop trips 6s, let me turn top pair with KJ and get a check-raise in? Pretty unreal.

6:33 PM: Peter has almost beaten me into submission. And now there’s another player in the game that I seem to be incapable of making a winning hand against. As much fun as it is to lose basically every pot I play in a game that isn’t particularly good anyways, I think I might head home soon.

6:50 PM: KK holds up against Peter. He’s not totally immune to losing pots to me!

The other player I can’t beat is pretty new to me but he’s been playing in the bigger games at Palace since we started spreading them and seems to be a new regular. Since I think I’m yet to win a showdown against him over multiple sessions, this player – who I have previously referred to as Cubs hat – will now be known as Game Genie.

Flopped a set of 7s in a 3-bet pot, so, you know, it’s not all bad.

I’m not going to go out of my way to do this, but we are playing 5-handed and it seems like beating Game Genie in ONE showdown is something that could happen.

8:15 PM: My bad. My good friend (and former roommate) just walked into Palace and I spent the last half hour talking to him on a break.

8:24 PM: First hand back I can’t shake Pesky Pete off ace high on the QQ7Jx run out. I defended the big with K8 and raised the flop and barreled turn which seems optimistic against a probable ace high, but Peter has seen me take this line with a Queen so many times I think he folds a decent amount here. When he tank-calls turn though I know he’s calling river, so I check back that street.

I did the impossible. Pesky opens cutoff, I 3-bet JJ, and four of us see the flop. The board runs out 76297 and I bet all streets and win a showdown against… GAME GENIE!

I deed it!

Game Genie is almost felted and our 5th player just left.

8:43 PM: I quit the $30/$60 game when it got 3-handed. I have to admire the tenacity of one of the remaining players. He’s taking on Peter heads up – even though Peter is basically incapable of losing any pots.

His run in the $30/$60 here has been unreal. Palace has spread the game four times now and he’s had two sessions so good they typically only happen once or twice a year. He won $9k once and I’ll report what tonight’s final total is when he’s done. It’s truly disgusting. One player commented “even he’s irritated by it” referring to me, which he said “is a compliment about your emotional stability” and is definitely a testament to how absurd Peter is running.

Peter plays really well though, so I don’t want to take anything away from his ability. He’s a good player -my toughest regular opponent in the greater Tacoma area – but, my God, the deck is slapping him across the face in these big games.

As for me, I finished $30/$60 at -$685.

I am now playing $4/$8 with my good friend and I’ll be going home as soon as he’s done playing.

UPDATE: Pot-After-Pot Pete won $5780, which he says brings his $30/$60 hourly win rate to $500/hour after four sessions. Incredible!

11:10 AM: Today marks the first day of $15/$30 on a Friday at Palace. This game is starting full which is pretty cool because I left here last night with four names on the list and also because the game usually doesn’t start full on Mondays.

Palace also decided to start spreading PLO on Saturdays. So now I have the option to play $15/$30 twice a week, PLO twice a week, and $30/$60 once a week – less than ten minutes from my home! A year ago the biggest game they had was $8/$16.

I used to think that playing most of my hours at Palace was costing me money (and it certainly was – even though the $20/$40 at Fortune is a much tougher game than $8/$16 at Palace, my hourly is significantly higher in the bigger game). I’m happy to feel good about playing on my home turf. If the $30/$60 game takes off – and I’m not sure it will – then I really won’t have a reason to go to Fortune unless I want to play on a Thursday.

That’s a pretty cool turnaround from this time last year. It’s possible that I will spend less than 25% of my total hours in 2018 playing $8/$16, which has been my primary limit for three years now. I have to say I’m really excited about the opportunity and it wouldn’t surprise me if Palace eventually starts spreading $15/$30 every day.

11:23 AM: Starting lineup consists of Chief Wiggum, two $15/$30 regulars, one semi-regular, one action player, and three players I haven’t seen play this limit yet – one of which is a nitty $8/$16 regular.

I’m starting with $2000 – $800 in green, $1180 in red, and $20 in white. I have Overs button on my stack and so far no one has asked me for one.

11:45 AM: First significant pot: four limpers, SB calls, I check KJo. Flop is KJ3 rainbow – SB leads, I raise, maybe someone else calls, nit on the button raises, SB calls, I cap it. Three players see the 4c on turn – I bet, the nit just calls (ruling out 33 now), and SB calls. River is a 9c, bringing in a backdoor flush and completing QT, which is what I think the button has after capping flop and calling the turn. So I check-call and that is what he shows me.

It’s pretty uncanny how I get off to a rough start every time I play this game.

12:01 PM: One limper, I raise cutoff with QJcc, Chief Wiggum cold calls, maybe the big defends. Flop Kc9d6d – I bet and Wiggum and the limper call. Turn is a beautiful Tc, giving me the nuts with a Royal Flush draw. I bet, Wiggum calls, the limper check-raises, I 3-bet, Wiggum still calls (I’m thinking a diamond beats me now), and the limper caps. I miss my flush on the river, but it’s not a diamond, and I raise when the limper bets – and then I get the briefest glimmer of hope when he decides to do the let’s-not-waste-anymore-time-I’m-just-gonna-call-with-the-nuts move.

12:14 PM: Woah. Something good happened in my first two hours of playing. One limper, I raise AJo from MP, Wiggum cold calls (hmm… might need to change seats), and four of us see a J98 rainbow flop. The limper donks, I raise, Wiggum calls, and the limper 3-bets. Eh. The limper is capable of having Tx here. It’s definitely not always a straight. I could cap, but I decide to call and re-evaluate on the turn. It’s an ace. He still leads and I think my hand is too good to call down with, especially with a player still behind me. I raise and I’m pretty happy to see Wiggum fold and the limper just call. River is a 3 and I get another big bet in and win the pot.

Then I defended KTss from the big and outflopped the PFR and got paid off on all the streets.

A rare good early start for me in this game!

1:03 PM: The blinds just ran the board out and paid $6 to see if the big blind could hit a $250 High Hand that has to hold up for 17 minutes with 7 tables going. He missed… the small blind won the pot and I swear I saw him give the big blind $15 back. I actually get to play poker with these people.

1:23 PM: One limper, I raise with KK, button cold calls and three or four of us see the J88 two spade flop. I bet and only the button calls. I consider check-raising a blank turn but I opt to bet instead. He raises me. I think 3-betting here is plenty reasonable but I don’t know this player super well and decide to call. The river is a king. The standard line here is to check-raise but I think he will check behind a jack and there’s a chance he will raise me if he has an 8, so I bet… and he folds.

1:50 PM: Last night I fell asleep with The Roots discography on shuffle and it inspired me to make a special playlist for today. I added every Roots album, every Mobb Deep album, most of Prodigy’s solos, every Tribe Called Quest album, all three Q-Tip solos, every Pharaohe Monch album, and Organized Konfusion’s Equinox. I’ve been enjoying the hell out of it.

It also made me realize that Black Thought is probably the most underrated rapper of all-time. I think a number of people would leave him off their top 10 all-time list – and that’s simply inexcusable. I’ve been going through Eminem’s discography recently and while many would consider Eminem a top 5 rapper, his discography pales in comparison to that of The Roots. Black Thought has simply been rapping at an elite level for 25 years now and has arguably been the most consistently great rapper over that time span. If someone wanted to argue that he’s the best to ever do it, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. His loyalty to The Roots crew is pretty amazing. 25 years and he’s never made a solo album. Dude is incredible. Can we please show this man a little respect?

Now back to the pokers.

2:18 PM: Open cutoff with KcJo, both blind call. SB donks on the K74 two club flop, BB calls, I raise, SB calls and BB folds while thanking me for raising. Turn is 2c and now the SB check-raises. I call, whiff my flush draw, and wind up losing to K4hh.

Fellow blogger playing $15/$30 again. I guess if he’s going to be playing in my games regularly I should give him a name. I will call him BlackJack.

2:43 PM: Back from a break and I post in the big blind. Chief Wiggum limps under the gun, MP raises, and I defend J4cc. Flop is J43, one club and I check-raise the PFR, he calls, and we are heads up. Turn is a 6 and it goes bet and call. River is a King and I’m pretty sure he has AK, so I check and my check-raise goes according to plan.

That player limps under the gun on my button and it folds to me. I decide to iso with the 97cc, but the big blind defends and three of us see the J83cc flop. The limper donks, I raise, the BB 3-bets, limper calls, and I cap for value. The turn is a 7 and the limper donks. That’s annoying – I was definitely checking behind. We both call. River bricks and I fold and the limper wins with a set of 8s.

3:11 PM: My desired seat finally opened up and I am now on Chief Wiggum’s direct left and can put a stop to that cold calling every raise I make nonsense.

I have to say this game is pretty amazing right now.

3:21 PM: I open UTG with QJcc, MP cold calls, and Wiggum defends. Flop is Q76 with two clubs, flipping me the world. It’s probably unbalanced to check here because I’m basically betting my entire range here but I decide to check for a little deception and because I don’t hate too many turn cards. It checks around. Turn is 5c and I get four bets in against Chief Wiggum and another big bet on the river and he flashes me T2cc.

3:31 PM: Folds to me in the small blind and the big blind asks me to call so we can run the board out for a possible High Hand and I say no.

😂😂😂

3:41 PM: Radio Mike is in the game!

And get your personal fans out because THE HUMAN TORCH is on the list!! He is sixth up though and it is highly possible that he will be bust long before he gets in this game.

Taz also just got a seat. That makes The Torch fifth up now.

I’m on a bit of rush. I outflopped JJ with AQ in a 3-bet pot and bets went in on every street and I played a rather large pot with 77 on an 8822x board vs 44. I think I’m up about $900 overall at the moment.

3:51 PM: Spoke too soon: AA < KQ.

4:03 PM: Private exchange between Radio Mike and me.

Mike: Consider yourself lucky. I only have 2.5 hours to try and kick your ass. Me: If you even have chips in 2.5 hours I will be surprised. It’s nice to have poker friends!

(Sorry about the formatting up there. No matter how many times I try to correct it, it just goes right back to that.)

4:15 PM: These are back-to-back-to-back hands:

Taz limps, I raise button with KJdd. Flop is QJJ and Taz pays me off all the way.

Taz limps, I raise with KK from cutoff. Flop is K73 and Taz pays me off the whole way.

Chief Wiggum limps and I raise hi-jack with KK. Taz folds his big blind. Dang it. Flop is K82, Wiggum check-folds and I give the table a courtesy show.

4:25 PM: Chief Wiggum open-limps the cutoff, I raise with AQ, and both blinds defend. Flop is AJ5, all spades, and I have none. The small blind donks (which means little) and the big blind, an $8/$16 reg playing $15/$30 for the first time, raises (this means something). Wiggum folds and I call, but I’m not loving this spot. The small blind also calls. The turn pairs the 5 and two of us call again. The river is a red deuce and they both check to me. I like this development and I’m debating whether I should be betting or not, but I ultimately decide to check and the big blind tables 98ss.

5:04 PM: Unknown raises UTG, I 3-bet JJ and get it heads up. Flop is K87 and he check-calls. Turn is a 3 and he check-calls again. River is a 2 of clubs, completing a backdoor flush. He checks to me again and I don’t think he has a king so betting feels pretty mandatory. He check-raises me and with no history I call to see what he has and he shows me QJcc. Yowza.

5:11 PM: Hi-Jack and cutoff limp, I limp with A5hh and five of us see the flop for one bet. It comes 874 with two diamonds and one heart. The big blind bets, HJ calls, and I call. I’m thinking in my head that the 6h would be my perfect card and somehow that’s exactly what comes. The big blind checks, hi-Jack bets, I raise, the big blind folds AA face up (😮😮😮), HJ calls. River is the Jh, making my flush and he check-folds.

5:25 PM: Running hot. Solid sequence: open AT UTG+1 and only big blind defends and he calls me down with QJ on QTxxx.

Then he opens button, SB calls, I 3-bet AQ, whiff, and lose to button’s 98.

Then I open button with QJhh and both blinds defend. I whiff my overcards and flush draw and fold the river. Pretty cool! That puts me close to even.

5:34 PM: Next orbit. Same player that went runner runner flush with QJcc on K87c flop also beat my AT with the QJ and AQ with the 98. He opens cutoff this time. I 3-bet SB with AQ. We are heads up. I bet the K85 flop. He calls. Turn 6; we both check. River 8; we both check. He wins with A5o. He’s already proven he’s not folding hands so I’m not trying to power through these whiffs.

No. He’s not annoying me at all right now.

6:00 PM: They showed me some mercy after I lost like 10-12 pots in a row and folded on the turn when I had TT. But the very next hand I get six way action with QQ and get outflopped by 77, which can’t beat 43 at showdown.

6:07 PM: Well my tilty image isn’t going to improve with this hand. Folds to me on the button and I raise with T9o, small blind 3-bets, and big blind calls. Flop is K74, SB leads, BB folds, and I can’t just fold here getting 10-1, can I? Seems like my pair outs should be live a decent amount of the time so I peel flop and the turn is a 6. Well, I certainly didn’t call the flop so I could fold on the turn when I picked up nut outs. River is an 8. Oh boy. He still bets, I raise and he snap calls and tables AA before I even show my hand.

I guess I should probably stop complaining now.

6:24 PM: Radio Mike has left and, as expected, The Torch did not survive long enough to make it in this game. Fortunately there is no shortage of people I want to play with on the list.

Action Bronson and Part-Time are in the game now.

Finally have some Overs going. Part-Time, Taz, Action Bronson, and a bad semi-reg (with $500 lol) are now playing $25/$50 with me.

6:39 PM: Part-Time straddles button, I 3-bet KQdd, Taz calls from MP and the three of us go to the K87 one diamond flop. I bet, Taz folds, Part-Time raises and I 3-bet. Turn is a 2 and now he raises me. I call and we both check on the river and he gives me a free showdown with K7 for some reason.

6:46 PM: Currently walking around outside on a break. I looked at my time stamps and I have shown one winning hand in the last 2.5 hours and that was T9 on a K74 flop. And I’ve been raising a lot of hands. I can’t even imagine what my image looks like right now, but since I probably look like I’m on mega steam I’m going to open tighter and c-bet less often for a while.

It has been a pretty brutal stretch. I think I was +$900 at my peak three hours ago and I’m probably down at least $500 now.

7:03 PM: Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do. You just get to lose. Part-Time limps UTG, I’m next and raise AK, the dude that’s been torturing me from the seven seat defends his big blind. I finally flop a pair on ATx and both players call. Then I get check-raised on the Q turn by the big blind and he winds up showing me KJ. The good news is he has an Overs button now too, so I got to lose even more on this hand. Holy hell.

7:21 PM: Seat 7 has like $2000 in front of him. He sat down with $400 and I’m the only person he’s winning pots against. So sick. He’s not a regular but we are playing a lot of hands against each other and he has a Cubs hat on so that will be his identifier today.

I open JJ, cutoff 3-bets, big blind all in, I call; then check-call flop and turn on Q high board before getting a free showdown against AA.

8:20 PM: Nothing exciting the past hour. I flopped a set of aces and got one small bet after the flop. I ate dinner. Street tacos. Yum. I’m down $800.

8:41 PM: Cubbies button straddles, I 3-bet AA from the big, everyone else folds and he folds on the Q82 flop. I mean come on. I guess little wins are better than large losses. Bright side!

8:50 PM: I can see a light! Folds to a regular action player in the cutoff I’ve mentioned many times before but have yet to give a nickname, but I will now. Megaton raises, I decide to 3-bet the Q9o on button and the big blind caps it. Flop is JTx, big bets, and we both call. Turn is an 8 and I get two big bets from both of them and the big blind pays me off on the river.

Just saw this line from Action Bronson: four players limp, SB calls, he raises in the big; it checks around on the flop and then he just power folds on the turn. I get to play with these people every day. 8:56 PM: I didn’t expect this game to be in jeopardy this early in the night but we are currently 8-handed and it looks like 2-3 of these guys could be leaving any minute.

9:06 PM: Sigh. Whole table just evaporated. 5 players literally just left at the same time.

Playing 3-handed with Taz and one other player. This is a pretty good spot but who knows how long they’ll play with me. Honestly, I expect Taz to eject as soon as he loses a couple hands.

9:20 PM: Unlikely to post any hands while we are playing this short.

10:15 PM: On a break. I’ve been straddling on the button every orbit. Playing 3-handed I don’t really see a down side to doing this.

In the straddle with Qd5x. Taz defends. I check. He check-calls me all the way down on K96dd-4d-J with… J5o, no diamond. Scratching my head on that one.

I call SB with 93hh. Other player checks big. Flop T83. I bet and he calls. Same on 9 turn. But when the 9 pairs on the river, he raises. I 3-bet and he calls with J9. What a runout!

I guess 3-handed play has been good for me. I’m down $600 overall now.

11:12 PM: Epic comeback. I crushed it 3-handed. Ended up finishing +$265.

I’m not going to lie. I ran really really good, but my opponents were making it pretty easy too. I won’t go into the constant mistakes they were making but I will give an example of just how pure I was running.

I straddle T4hh on the button. Both players call. Flop is T76 one heart and two diamonds. The small blind leads out and raises me back when I raise. The turn is the 7h and I raise him again. I don’t think I have the best hand, but I don’t think he will raise back unless he has a full house and I can check back if I don’t improve on the river – and I’m planing to call a river bet anyway. But he does 3-bet me. I call. River a flush and call again while saying “I might have gotten lucky.” He tables 98 and my flush is good.

Eh. Not a great session. Lots of hours of torture but, as usual, short-handed play was good to me and I’m pretty happy to finish with a win.

9:30 AM: Today is supposed to be the first day of $30/$60 limit hold’em at Palace on a Sunday, but I’m honestly not sure what to expect. Long term, the game definitely has a chance to succeed on Sundays if players from outside of the Lakewood area come to play in it. That’s obviously more likely to happen on a Sunday than on a Tuesday at 4 PM when everyone would have to drive through traffic to get there.

When I left Palace last night, there were nine names on the list. Now there are ten. I think the game will probably happen though. I know for a fact at least three players will be there and two of them are allegedly bringing friends that will play. I’m guessing about 30-40% of the list are guaranteed flakes, so chances are the game will be starting with 5-7 players and hopefully they will play long enough for other people to venture in or for existing players to take their $500 shots at the game.

I’ve had an odd weekend so far. I played in a $10/$20 house game on Friday night that featured a ton of games I either have zero or little experience in. It’s impossible for me to pass up this opportunity to learn new games – especially since the other players aren’t particular experienced either – but learning at the $10/$20 level isn’t exactly ideal. I think our lineup of games looked something like this: double board omaha, razz, stud hi, stud 8, omaha 8, limit hold’em, badugi, badeucy, archie, drawmaha, and 2-7 triple draw. It was a blast, but I got cooked. We spent the last 60-90 minutes playing only double board omaha, archie, and drawmaha – all games I’ve never played a hand of before Friday. I lost $1115 which is kind of absurd, but I had fun and I’d go back in a heartbeat. Obviously learning new games is fun and I like to have all the skill sets in my repertoire and if there’s a mix game option available when I travel, I would usually prefer to play in those games.

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to head to the casino I started to wonder if I really wanted to play. The answer was unclear. I’ve been pushing myself lately. I sort of took the 2nd off, but I did stop in the casino to eat something and I played $4/$8 for 90 minutes and my last day off before that was Christmas Day. Since the 26th of December, I’ve played 108 hours of poker – almost three weeks of work in a 10 day span. That’s an average session length of 12 hours for 10 days with only one day off.

So I guess I hit a wall yesterday. I decided to go to the casino anyway and it didn’t take long for me to start thinking it would be a short day. The two biggest action players in the game smashed me over the first 30 minutes and immediately racked up and left. The game is rarely bad at Palace, especially on a Saturday, but I was in one of the worst $8/$16 games I’ve played in there. The main game looked really good, but my wife was in that game and so was the Palace cornerstone who I have a long-standing agreement to never bet against – the only poker player in the world I have this arrangement with. And I really don’t enjoy playing with either of them. Well, I actually do enjoy playing with my wife – because we play hardcore poker against each other – but after being accused of collusion somewhere around 3-4 times, I’ve grown wary of it. I mean sometimes she has AK when I have AA and the board runs out KxxAx and other people are in the pot with us. Plus, we have a ton of experience with each other and know each other’s ranges and tendencies pretty well, but I feel like I can’t exploit that knowledge without occasionally raising an eyebrow. So I try to avoid playing with her these days.

After a while of playing in a bad game, running mediocre/bad, and realizing I wasn’t going to be table-changing, I just decided to go home instead and potentially rest up for the $30/$60 game today. I’m not exactly sure how much sleep I got, but I was in bed by 7:30 PM. I fell asleep pretty quick, but I woke up later for several hours and then basically every 90 minutes or so all throughout the night. I hit snooze a number of times this morning, but I feel pretty great now.

Just finished my coffee and I’m about to jump in the shower, head to the Palace, and see what’s going on.

11:25AM: As expected, most of the names on the list didn’t show up. 14 names on the board and six of us are here playing.

Starting lineup:

Chief Wiggum – my WSOP backer that I gave a different name in a previous blog post.

Jesus (not my nickname for him; everybody’s nickname for him): a Fortune reg that hasn’t cut his hair or shaved in 5 years.

Bill W – a local recovery center owning I’m naming after one of the AA founders.

Unknown – one of the action players that torched me in 8/16 last night – obviously playing way over his head and sitting down with $500.

Regular – another Fortune reg that I’ve seen all over the place when I travel. Lots of experience and has played higher limits. I run into this guy everywhere so he needs a nickname. I’ll think on it.

11:47 AM: Picked up player #7. Another unknown random sitting down with ~$700.

11:58 AM: First notable hand: Bill W limps early, unknown raises, I 3-bet QQ from the SB and they both call.

Flop is J94 with two diamonds. I bet, Bill W raises, unknown folds, I 3-bet, and he caps it. I call down and he wins with J9ss.

12:14 PM: We are joined by an 8th player, a Palace regular that plays all the bigger games here and is in and out of the building all day long every day. I will call him Part-Time.

12:42 PM: Folds to me in the small blind – with a $3 total rake at these stakes I don’t see any reason to chop – and I raise with KJo. Chief Wiggum defends his blind.

Flop is 942 rainbow and I bet-call.

Turn is a T and since his most likely hands are pairs of 9s or worse, I feel like I have good equity against his range and possible double barrel fold equity, so I check-raise. He calls.

River is an 8; I bet and he calls. I roll my hand and The Legend is in the box and snap mucks my hand and I’m like “What?”

Apparently, Chief Wiggum raised the river and I didn’t see it and the assumption was that I was folding, which would definitely be true. A little unnecessary advertising and image-building on my part.

1 PM: The random that sat down with $700 is felted and gone so we are back to 7-handed.

The unnamed reg from Fortune looks pretty alert today but he usually appears on the verge of sleep, so tired he can barely keep his eyes open. He will be Rip Van Winkle.

The other unknown player is stacked up – sat down with $500 and probably has $2k now.

1:22 PM: Good orbit:

A few limpers, I raise KK in SB, Wiggum defends, others call.

Flop J63cc. Chief Wiggum pops me, I 3-bet, he caps it. Hmm… he’s pretty straight forward. I guess I’m calling down now.

Turn T; check-call.

River T; now I’m ahead of all the random two pair hands and only losing to 66 and 33. JJ is not in his range and I doubt he’d play JT like it was the nuts on the flop, so I lead and he calls and shows AJ.

One limper, Part-Time raises cutoff, I 3-bet AK on the button and Chief Wiggum caps from the SB. Three of us see the flop.

Board comes down K32, Wiggum leads, PT calls, I raise, and only Wiggum calls – and then he calls down when the board runs out clean and I’m good.

I open KTo, button calls, Rip defends BB; flop 987 and I check to balance my non-c-betting range. It checks around. Turn is a 6 and Rip leads out, I call and the button folds. River is a king and he check-calls and my straight is good.

1:43 PM: The other random player just left with about $1k, so we are back to 6-handed with one call in on the way.

I’ve been running white hot. I’ve had TT four times, KK twice, QQ. I’ve lost with three of those hands but I’ve definitely been run really well overall. I haven’t counted but I might be up $1500 already.

2:08 PM: Momentum halted. Part-Time opens JTo and outflops my AJdd and then limps in with KTo and outflops my JJ.

Lots of premium starting hands so far today and even though I’ve lost with nearly half of them I doubt anyone at the table is feeling any pity for me. I’m certainly running better than anyone else in the game so far.

We are joined by a good friend of mine. He has crazy amounts of money invested in Crypto currencies and convinced me to throw down on Ripple. I will call him The Crypt Keeper.

2:33 PM: This happened a while ago but it was significant. There’s action in front of me, I 3-bet JJ on the button, Bill W takes three cold from the Big and five of us see the flop.

I think some players check-call me on the 932 rainbow flop and then Bill W check-raises me on a blank turn. I decide to call down since we are heads up now, but I’m not sure it makes sense. He’s a reasonable player and he’s so set-heavy here with no two pair hands in his range and only TT as a possible overpair that I’m beating. Plus he reeked confidence. But I called down and he had 99.

2:46 PM: Only up like $400 now. I’ve had TT-KK an absurd 11 times and I’ve lost with six of them. That’s pretty bad playing 6- or 7-handed.

3:03 PM: I open QQ utg, Rip Van Winkle three bets from the SB, Part-Time calls, and I cap.

Flop comes K83 rainbow and I decide to check back. Way ahead or way behind here.

Turn is a blank and only Rip check-calls.

River bricks and I’m confident he never check-calls a king twice so I bet, he calls, and I win.

Two hands later Part-Time opens on the button and I 3-bet JJ from the SB. Flop is T83 with two spades and I bet-call.

Turn is 7s and I check-call again. Whiff my flush draw and gut shot and bluff catch on the river but he has Q4ss for a flush.

Yes, that’s TT+ 13 times in four hours now and I’m barely up.

A few hands later I open KJo from the cutoff and The Crypt Keeper defends. Flop is QT3 all clubs and I have none. He check-calls. Turn pairs the 3 and we both check because I don’t think triple barreling this hand is going to work.

River double pairs the board with the Q, he leads out and I snap-call. He has a naked ace and I reward his misguided value bet. I’m never folding KK, JJ, or any boat, or ace high. And what am I calling with? Basically nothing and somehow I have literally the only two card combo I would call and lose with.

3:39 PM: And now, amazingly, I am stuck, after running AK into AA on an Ace-high board in a 4-bet pot vs Bill W. Wonderful. Running like white hot lightning preflop and somehow finding a way to be losing.

4:10 PM: We are 5-handed now. Bill W lost a couple of big hands back-to-back and apparently that was more variance than he could handle cause he immediately racked up and left us for $6/$12 O8.

We are one player leaving away from having a really bad game.

4:30 PM: I have now had 99+ somewhere around 20 times today and I am stuck over $1000. That would be hard to do in a full game but we have been 6-handed most of the day. Insane.

5:15 PM: This hand feels like my last few hours in a nutshell: I open QQ utg, Crypt Keeper 3-bets the button and Part-Time cold calls from the big. I just call.

Flop is K83. Checks to Crypt Keeper, he bets, Part-Time raises, and we both fold. Just gross.

Or this one: I open JTcc, Crypt Keeper cold calls from the SB and Jesus defends his big.

I c-bet the Q87 flop and give up when the they both call and the turn bricks. I miss my gut shot plus backdoor flush draw but Crypt Keeper hit his backdoor flush draw with J9ss.

5:45 PM: Shocking development: we have a full game now and it’s not bad. Pay-Off Pete is on the table and is currently NOT on pace to match his $9k win the last time we played this game.

6:26: And we’re back to 7-handed. Part-Time actually played a reasonably long session for him and Jesus had a family emergency.

The game has gotten kind of limpy with the recent additions. No complaints from me. I haven’t really played any interesting hands recently but I did stop getting big pairs every orbit and I’ve actually ran a little better. Go figure!

6:32 PM: And just like that we are 6-handed again. One of the more splashy Palace regs sat down for like 15 minutes, beat Peter out of three big pots, and cashed out. Ouch!

The game is hanging by a thread all of the sudden.

7:22 PM: 4-handed now. I open SB with AKcc. Peter defends.

Flop JcTc3. Peter calls. Turn pairs the Ten and I think he never has anything here and will bet his air a lot so I plan to check-raise. He checks back though. River is a 4 and I check-call. He has Q4o.

We will all be looking forward to his thoughts on that one in the comments section.

7:38 PM: Fortune reg opens, I 3-bet button with ATo, he calls.

Flop AJ8 with two spades and he check-calls.

Turn is a Ten giving me two pair and now he check-raises. I hate it. Definitely not the kind of board texture I’m happy about this situation. I call.

River Ace! Bink. He still leads and I get two big bets from him.

8:12 PM: Game is over. I’m headed home. I’m going to hang out with my wife for a bit before she goes to sleep and then I will post a wrap up.

10:13 PM: Ended up finishing the session -$839. Pretty unfortunate. I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking this sounds like an exaggeration but I had 99+ around thirty times today. Thirty. And we played short-handed for most of the day. And I lost money? Seems ridiculous, but poker loves to bring out the seemingly impossible. I had about an hour of walking on water before losing most of the big pots I played throughout the day.

I won’t be playing in this game next week so I don’t know if it will go or not. I’m flying to Burbank to play in the LAPC at Commerce next Sunday.

Not sure if I will be posting a Marathon Monday live blog tomorrow.  There were only four names signed up to start the game at 11 AM – by far the least I’ve seen heading into game day.  I will be there at 11 but if it doesn’t look like it will start, I’m going to head home and get some other things done and have someone text me when they are ready to play.

9:20 AM: When my alarm went off at 7 AM this morning I was presented with an opportunity: I could start my 2018 off by turning my alarm off and sleeping an extra 2.5 hours and being as fresh as possible for the $15/$30 game at Palace today or I could start my 2018 off by pushing myself out of bed after roughly five hours of sleep to do my daily meditation routine and head to the gym for yoga class. I chose the latter. However, when I called Crunch Fitness a few days ago to ask about their New Year’s Day hours, they didn’t inform me that all classes today would be cancelled and I didn’t think to ask, so that was a fun surprise when I showed up this morning. Rather than sulk in the fact that I could have slept in and still been productive before poker, I took the opportunity to do some lifting, which is something I don’t make enough of a priority. I think I’ve had my gym membership for over two months now and I’ve lifted maybe three times.

I gave myself a pretty good, albeit kind of short, workout. I did 4 sets of 8-10 reps on bench press, 4 sets of 8-10 reps on back squats, 3 sets of 5 reps dead lifting, and some bicep and shoulder work with some dumbbells. I was going to do some jogging/running, but I saw my blood sugar plummeting with two down arrows and decided heading home was my safest play. And now I’m hurting. Especially my legs. But it’s a good hurt and even though I could have slept in and I might hit a wall earlier tonight than I want to, I’m still pretty happy about my dedication to self-improvement. It’s a good start to 2018!

Time is a funny thing. It zooms by. Especially after high school. And there really doesn’t seem like there’s enough of it in a day. I play a card game for a living and I still don’t feel like I have enough free time. I get backed up on things I want or need to do all the time. For instance, I’d like to make more than one poker update on my blog each week, but finding the time to sit down and write about my various sessions throughout the week is difficult if I don’t blog while I’m playing, which I have to admit is fun but isn’t quite optimal for paying attention. At this moment, I have a number of hands from last week that I want to write about, plus movies and TV shows I have opinions on, and various other ideas – particularly my 2017 wrap up and goals for 2018.

Speaking of movies and TV shows, I feel like I don’t watch nearly enough of what I want to. Not because I can’t, but because I don’t make it a priority. Clearly family and poker are better priorities, but sometimes I look at my Netflix queue and I realize there are movies that will never make it to the top. The fact that I still haven’t seen the last two Best Picture winners, Spotlight and Moonlight, kind of boggles my mind. I don’t necessarily think watching great movies or TV shows is the most productive use of time, but it is one of my favorite things to do, so I’d like to try to find more time for it this year.

But enough about my intentions for 2018. I will have a whole post about that soon. I do want to address something about this blog. Obviously I want people to read it and hearing it referenced in poker rooms is pretty cool because it means I’m gaining an audience and when you write you want more and more people to read your material. But it’s worth keeping something in mind: people play poker for different reasons. Some people play for fun, some play just to get in there and gamble it up, some people are actually trying to make money. Not everyone is trying to play good poker and that is okay. I think giving people nicknames that sort of reflect their personality or their playing style is fun and gives the blog a humor factor, and while I may be poking some fun, I’m not trying to be mean or hurt anyone’s feelings. So can we exercise a little discreetness? If you want to know who The Human Torch is, there’s no need to ask me out loud, at the poker table, when they might be sitting there with me. And using these nicknames in public will make me feel like I have stop writing them and I don’t see how that’s fun for anyone.

Lastly, before I start getting ready for my session, I’d like to announce that after this Tuesday the $30/$60 LHE game at Palace will be moving to Sundays. If you want on the list for tomorrow you can call (253) 581-5851 to reserve your seat for a 4 PM start or you can call Wednesday to put your name up for the Sunday game. I’m not sure what time they plan to start Sunday, but I should find out today. I have no idea if the game will go tomorrow, but I’m confident that the switch to Sundays will give it some real viability. I heard from numerous people at Fortune that they would be willing to come play on Sundays when they don’t have to work or fight through peak traffic times to get to Palace.

See you on the felts and Happy New Year!

11:14 AM: Welp. 14 names were on the list for today and only four showed up. Currently playing 4-handed with a starting lineup that includes BVR, Muffin (my wife’s nickname for him, not mine), and one other. Muffin has played some short sessions in this game even when it was full so we definitely need some walk in traffic soon to prevent this game from breaking early.

11:27 AM: Boom. Two new players. The game will live! We are joined by an incredible loyal 49ers fan – decked out in starter jacket, hoody, and hat – and Trader Magee, former local pawn shop owner and WSOP backer of yours truly.

11:39 AM: Literally just got up from the table to walk over to the waitress to get two bottles of water. I sit back down. Trader Magee asks me if I have any Advil; I give him some. I go sit back down. A minute goes by. He asks me if he can have one of my waters.

This is a real thing, people.

11:57 AM: We are 7-handed now and have our first crazy.

12:15 PM: The crazy is felted but hopefully coming back and Joe Montana abandoned us for an $8/$16 starting.

My only hands of note so far:

Open JTcc, Trader Magee calls, maybe one other. Flop is J98 with one club and Trader Magee pops my flop bet. I think this is a good hand to put in my check-call down range unless I make my straight, so that’s my plan.

The turn bricks, but the river is a Ten, which induces a check around and I outdraw his 98.

Cutoff limps, BVR raises button, SB defends, I defend 53o.

Flop is AK3 with two hearts and the SB donks. My preflop defend is really bottom of the range stuff, so folding to this flop bet is probably advisable, especially since BVR is going to raise a high percentage of the time. But we’re playing short and I has pair so I call. Both others call.

Turn is a 4 and SB is all in for $13. With extra outs now and no threat of a full raise, I have an easy call. One fold and BVR just calls.

River 5 and I donk because it’s clear that I’m at least winning a side pot. BVR calls and I beat his AJ and win the Main against whatever SB had.

The crazy reloaded $500 and we picked up a Palace maniac. We will call him Super Dave, in honor of notable stuntman Dave Osborne. Super Dave is capable of playing any two cards from any position, either calling or raising, and has basically no rhyme or reason to his betting patterns. I have both lunatics on my right so I’m in a very favorable spot for the next hour or two.

12:34 PM: I open JJ under the gun, BVR calls on the button, Super Dave three bets from the SB and I cap.

Flop is KTx rainbow, SD bets, I raise, BVR cold calls, SD three bets, and we both call.

Turn pairs the T and I feel really good about the situation when it checks around.

River is a total brick and SD leads. I call and BVR somewhat reluctantly overcalls and says “KQ.” Well that’s obviously a monster. SD tables AQ and I briefly daydream about the 4+ big bets I would have won with a Jack on the river.

12:41 PM: Super Dave opens hi jack, crazy #2 cold calls, and I call with 86ss on the button because I want to try and get the easy money while it’s here. I think there’s a good argument for three betting here to get the blinds out and make sure I have the two yahoos all to myself.

One or both of the blinds call and we see a flop of 744, two diamonds and one spade, SD bets, #2 calls, and now I clear the blinds out with a raise. SD folds and #2 calls with all sorts of weakness showing.

Turn is a 9, a good card for me, and he check-calls.

River double pairs the board with a 4 and I bluff at it even though I think this run out decreases my chances of getting it through. Still, I can’t just let him show down weak busted draws that have me beat. He calls with A9 and wins the pot.

12:52 PM: Super Dave has felted and reloaded for $1k.

Real quote from SD just now: “I have to tell myself I don’t have to raise.”

12:57 PM: Trader Magee just coolered Super Dave by making a one card flush vs SD’s flopped top set, a situation no one else at the table is happy to see unfold.

1:02 PM: Welp. Trader Magee for him again. He turned the nut flush vs. Super Dave’s seven high flush and SD didn’t miss a single raise. Cap flop cap turn cap river, with a third player along for the ride until the river.

Very next hand, two limps, I raise QJhh from SB, three calls.

Flop KQx with one heart. I bet and Super Dave raises. I call and we are heads up.

The turn is a 9h and I decide to check-raise my monster draw that could also easily be the best hand. I get three bet, brick the river and pay off his K3o. Lovely. It’s always nice when things work out perfectly for everyone.

The next hand I lose a big pot on the button and the hand after that I limp with the maniacs in the cutoff with J8s and get stair-stepped into a cap before flopping zero equity.

That puts me at roughly -$650 and out the door for my first break of the day.

1:21 PM: Return to my seat in time to see Super Dave felting to Trader Magee. Nope. I’m not jealous.

1:27 PM: Some good news. I pick up QQ and KK on back-to-back hands and not only do they both win, but I get paid through showdown.

And then Super Dave sits back down with $500.

1:31 PM: One limp, Super Dave raises button, I three bet A9ss. They both call.

Flop 875, with two spades. I bet and only SD calls.

Turn is a King and same action.

River pairs the 7 and he’s never folding a pair, so I plan to check-call and pick off bluffs, but he checks back with A3 and I win.

Back in business!

1:48 PM: In case it isn’t already apparent what a special character this is, how about this hand? Heads up pot between Trader Magee and Super Dave. Board is K42 or something and Magee bets and Super Dave shows Q6o and calls all the way down unimproved.

Then I have AcK in a 5-way pot. Flop is J75, all clubs. I bet-call flop when Trader Magee raises and Super Dave cold calls. The turn and river are inconsequential to my hand and Super Dave check-raises Trader Magee before calling three bets with… 52o. One pair. Trader Magee flopped a flush.

No. They are not related.

Meanwhile, I coolered Magee by defending AT and flopping top two vs his AK and find myself down less than $300 after bottoming out around -$850.

And the action is so insane that The Legend can’t even maintain his composure in the box.

2:08 PM: Full game now and five of us have $25/$50 Overs buttons.

2:16 PM: Super Dave has left us. With a $2500 overlay. At least. Maybe $3000. I’m not sure. In less than two hours.

2:21 PM: SB raises in a multiway pot, I defend A6cc, Trader Magee limp-raises, and it gets capped multiway.

Flop is 986 with one club and everybody calls Trader Magee’s flop bet.

Turn is a Q and checks around.

River gives me trip sixes and the SB leads out. I should definitely have the best hand here but I have four players behind me and calling almost certainly makes me more than raising. I do pick up an overcall (from JJ) and SB shows AK high.

I believe I have sugar now. I also added on $500 in green after Overs started.

2:46 PM: Blog legend Radio Mike has joined the table!

3:13 PM: I’m about even on my second break of the day. I’ve actually had a decent number of interesting hands I didn’t write about because there were coming at such a rapid pace. I’ve called river bets with ace high twice and lost showdowns to people that were bluffing. It’s always amusing watching my image get tarnished while people look at me like WTF and I just sit there calmly.

3:27 PM: I heard Rain Man lose a pot to someone the other day and mutter something about “FBI agent” and I thought it was kind of hilarious, especially when I saw his opponent kind of perk up when he heard.

Well, that guy is sitting in s4 now and I’ve come to learn he is a retired FBI agent – and also Michael Keaton’s former neighbor in Montana! – and his conversation is threatening to break my concentration because he’s friendly, open and incredibly fascinating.

It’s also kind of funny that he used to do that for a living because he seems to have no spatial awareness – he’s the player weeks ago that had his phone practically sitting in front of me for hours – keeps his chips in a rack and so far to the side that he has nothing immediately in front of him, constantly acts out of turn, and thinks anyone that says something in his vicinity is talking to him.

4:03 PM: Special Agent Jack Crawford just picked up KK back-to-back in his blinds and won both pots. The very next hand he open-limps on the button while laughing and flashing a King to the two of us on his right. The small blind called, the big blind raised, and Jack… folds.

Yes, the ol’ open-limp on the button and fold for one more bet move. Something I’ve never seen in 13+ years of playing poker.

4:18 PM: Radio Mike, probably itching for a blog reference (a ploy that clearly worked), walked over to my side table, asked if that is my extra water, opened it up and took a long drink.

A solid troll but he did throw me a $1 chip a few minutes later.

4:39 PM: Radio Mike raises a limper from MP, BVR cold calls, SB calls, and I defend Ks8x.

Flop is AK8 with two spades. I get a check-raise in and three of them call me.

The turn is a Ten which isn’t great but I fire anyway and all three call.

River pairs the Ten and I check-fold my cards into Radio Mike’s face.

I swear I will blog a hand I beat him in again someday.

4:45 PM: We are 6-handed now which kind of sucks for the game’s long term success today, but of course, I prefer…

…and one of the floors is now propping the game, sitting down with $1500.

5:00 PM: Radio Mike opens under the gun, I three bet 88 on the button, the BB sticks around and Mike calls.

Flop is K97 and I decide to check back.

Turn card is a Queen and it checks around again.

River is a blank and now Radio Mike bets. He basically never has a King, I think he rarely has a Queen, and I’m discounting straights and better also, which makes this a pretty trivial call for me.

He tables 98hh. Of course he does.

5:33 PM: I may not be able to beat Radio Mike in a showdown, but I am up around $500 on my fourth break of the day.

I was also informed by Radio Mike, via text message, that my friend (BVR) is “running like Kershaw in the playoffs.”

6:00 PM: BVR gets a reprieve when I open 99 and call him down when he donks the turn on 763K4.

But then I open KTo, get a couple callers preflop and triple barrel the Q8xJA runout with BVR calling me down.

6:13 PM: I open AsTx and fire all the bullets on T93ssXs3 and Radio Mike called me down! 🙇🏻

Streak over?

6:42 PM: There hasn’t been any traffic for this game. We are still 7-handed, including a floor prop that has been MIA for the last hour or so.

I love playing short but I don’t necessarily want to head home by 8 PM.

6:50 PM: I open the button with 22 and both blinds defend.

Flop is QQ3 with two clubs. Only Radio Mike calls my flop bet.

Turn is an 8 and I check back, planning to showdown or call a bet on basically all rivers.

Fortunately the river is a deuce and I get two big bets from Mike.

7:34 PM: Another blog legend in the building: Pay Off Pete! He sits down and two more players rush to the table to fill the game!

Peter posts in the big blind immediately and runs his T4 into KK in a limped pot on a T94K4 board and lost all the bets you’d expect him to. Solid hello.

8:15 PM: In honor of Peter’s arrival and a newly full game I am now enjoying an 8:15 cup of coffee.

I certainly haven’t enjoyed any momentum today. I’m currently up about $125 and I’ve been in that realm for what seems like hours now and my notable hands have been few and far between.

8:53 PM: Stuck now. Peter has basically raised me every time I’ve put money in the pot. It’s funny how that works sometimes. He’s not picking on me – not that he wouldn’t – he just had a better hand every time I play. Like this:

I open button with A8. Peter three bets big blind. Flop is A53 with two hearts; he bets and I call. Then this crafty bastard check-raises me on the Th turn. I call even though I have no heart and then I spike an 8 on the river and I think about raising for a brief moment before deciding calling is best and he tables AT.

9:16: I’m making it sound like Peter is running good. He’s not. I just can’t beat the guy.

This just happened: UTG opens, maybe some other people call, Peter defends his big.

I missed the flop action but on the turn the board is 5422 and Peter has three bet and the UTG player caps it.

River is a King and Peter leads out and gets raised again. Says something about “55 under the gun” and calls. It’s not 55. It’s KK. Peter rolls 42. Yowza.

10:11 PM: Button straddles and i three bet AhKs from the big blind (small blind acts first), rest of the field clears out and button calls.

Flop is QT6 with two clubs. I lead, he raises, I decide to three bet because I think he’s spazzing, and he caps it.

Turn is another club. Maybe a 7. I check. He looks at his cards and actually says “dang it” before checking behind.

The river is the 4 of clubs and I bet my air and he snap folds. I have no clue what just happened but I like the result!

10:29 PM: I open AA under the gun and it gets capped with four players committed before it gets back to me. Always nice to have the nuts preflop and no one has any clue.

With that said, I’m out of position against three players so I’m already mentally preparing myself to lose this already massive pot.

The flop comes down 552, which ranks very high as far as boards that are easy to navigate are concerned. I check, someone bets, someone raises, and I cold call because my hand strength need not be revealed yet. At least four of us see the turn.

It is a Jack. I check. There’s a bet and a call and now I check-raise. The turn bettor calls, Peter folds, and I get paid off on the river and win a huge pot.

11:04 PM: I open QQ under the gun and get three customers.

Flop is J94 with two hearts. I bet and the cutoff and big blind call.

Turn is the 4h. I bet, cutoff calls, and the big blind, a very straight forward player, check-raises. Seems like we have two outs. I fold and so does the cutoff.

11:19 PM: Cutoff open-limps, I raise AKss, big blind defends.

Three of us to 853 with two spades. Cutoff check-calls.

Turn is Js, giving me the nuts and now he donks into me. I raise, he calls.

River pairs the 8 and he donks again. Such a weird line with a full house that I just have to raise again. He three bets and shows me 33. 🤦🏻‍♂️

11:24 PM: New player just sat down. He’s one of my biggest nemesis (nemesi?) at Palace. Constantly trying to outplay me and over playing his hands against me and then has a uncanny success rate of finding a way to get there. He plays with a lot of ego and seems to be pretty full of himself. He’s definitely nickname worthy. I will marinate on it for a bit.

I’m pretty sure I’m up again thanks to that AA hand but my chips are stacked oddly enough that I really don’t know and I kind of like it that way.

12:45 AM: Well he’s out of the game now so the pressure is off. I have some ideas but nothing seems magical or obvious. Until next time!

I did play a strange hand with JJ. Three players limp in front of me and I raise on the button. Six of us see the flop.

It comes Q66 with two diamonds. The first limper donks, Peter calls, the cutoff calls, I call, and so does the small blind.

I think the turn is a 5 and everybody checks to me. It’s so tempting to bet here but I really don’t think I have the best hand. I check.

The river bricks and the flop bettor bets again, Peter calls, and so does the cutoff. I’m perplexed and I usually call when that’s the case but it just seems so unlikely one of these guys doesn’t have at least a Queen. I fold. First guy tables 22, Peter has Q5 suited and the cutoff shows 88 for some reason.

*fistpump*

1:51 AM: Game has broken and I’m heading home now. I’ll have some post-game notes in a bit.

2:41 AM: Finished strong tonight with several late tangles with Peter, basically all of which I won, and one of which I asked if he cared if I mentioned it or not. He gave me the okay and said it would be good for his image.

In this hand, I believe the button or cutoff opened, Peter called the small blind and I three bet AA from the big blind. They both called.

The flop came down J87 and they both called my bet.

The turn paired the 7 and they both called again.

The river was a 6, I bet, the other player folded, and Peter check-raised. I paused for a few seconds about to try to piece together the puzzle, but then I quickly realized I’m never folding and I don’t need to waste anyone’s time and called immediately. He tables A9. Pretty creative.

Thanks to the solid upswing at the end of the night, I finished the day +$962.

I really want to take tomorrow off and I suspect the $30/$60 has 0% chance to take off again on a Tuesday, so I will not be planning my day around it. I’m going to relax and possibly see a movie and if it has a chance without me in the building, then I will show up and play.

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!