January 30 – Put the $6/$12 in Action

Had not planned on playing tonight, because I was beaten down from the work week, and the thought of going outside in the cold made me want to curl up in a blanked and play online in my bed.  But, when I saw the $6/$12 game going and Live, I decided to tough it out and head on over.  As a backup, I planned on going up to Horseshoe to play the pink chip mix, which actually had two tables going.  But, since O8 is my favorite, I wound up at Live.

Game had several regulars, as well as some new faces.  I was owned by one of the noobs who smashed my JT65 BB special after a JJ6 flop, when I found an ace on the river to complete his AJXX hand.  I was off to a crummy start, didn’t win a pot for over an hour, and was quickly stuck about $275.

The hand that turned things around for me was an EP limp with As3s4x6x , that hit its bingo flop of 7s5x2x.  I ended up hitting running spades to scoop, and I was off to the raises.  A few other scoops, and a couple splits in large pots, and I was ahead.

I was also called out for pulling the “Phil Hellmuth Insta-Shove” move (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_JuOu-D4Z4).  I had raised out of the blind with AdKdTx2x, picked up like 5 callers, and flopped KxTx4h.  I bet, and of course 4 guys call.  Turn was the scary Qh, but I fired anyway, only to get raised by the nit on my immediate left.  I mutter something nasty under my breath, and make an easy call (I know I’m better than 10-1 even if half my scoop outs are dead).  Amazingly, a Tx jumps out on the river, and I Hellmuth bet.  Good times!

So, the first month of the challenge is over, and I feel like I played pretty well.  I have to go through my app on my phone to get an hourly for the challenge, but I’m sure it is pretty high.  I’m still motivated to play, and I hope to keep my run-good going.

Session +$227/Challenge +1740

January 24th – $4/$8 O8

I was back at Live on Saturday, playing the game that was the impetus for this blog, $4/$8 LO8.  The game was good, with a couple of certifiable maniacs in the game.  My results were not good, but that will happen in jammed up pots when you don’t make a hand.  I felt like I ran pretty poorly overall, missing a few big two-way hands, not connected on hands with nut hands and draws in the other direction that couldn’t connect, and misses on my high hands that were set to scoop, but were chased down.

So basically, I got stuck while the game was aggro, and then tried to dig out once it was passive, which can be a challenge.  I am convinced that it is basically impossible for me to lose in these loose-passive type O8 games, because at the end of the day, I am getting multiple bets in multi-way when I have good hands, but I’m getting off cheaply when my opponents have good hands, because they are all afraid to put raises preflop, or even on the flop.  No really interesting hands, mainly straightforward decisions.

I almost forgot—I played about 20 minutes of 1-2 NLHE before the O8 session.  Several notable hands there.

Hand 1:  Bought in for $200.  MP raises $12.  1 call.  I call As4s.  BB calls.  Flop: Js 7x 5s.  BB check.  Raiser bets $35.  Next guy calls.  I pop it to $95.  BB fold, raiser folds, caller sets me all-in.  I call.  He has AxJx.  Turn 3x.  River 6x.  I win.

Hand 2:  LP limps.  I make it $10 from cut-off.  Btn call.  BB call.  Limper calls.  Flop: Kd Jd Tc.  Check to me.  I bet $20.  Btn folds, limper folds our of turn while the BB is getting a beer.  BB calls.  Turn Kc.  BB moves-in for $85.  I call. He was Tx8x.

Hand 3:  EP limps. I limp 5s4s in MP.  Another 2 limps.  Guy from last hand makes it $10 from BB. All call.  Flop Qs 6x 2x.  BB bets $10.  One call.  I like the price and call.  Turn 4x.  Checked around.  River 6x.  BB bets $40!  Limper folds.  I shrug-call. He has KJo.   So I was winner like $465 in about 20 minutes.  Got called for O8 and left.  Fun game.

Session -$140/Challenge +$1513

January 23 – Back to the Grinding Board

Headed off to Live for Friday night fun night.  There was a big list for the $6/$12 O8 most of the afternoon, but by the time I arrived, it had been called, and the game didn’t get off.  I settled for the $6/$12 HORSE, which actually had a better lineup than normal.  Most of the Regs in that game were apparently at the Horseshoe in Baltimore, playing the pink chip game, which was also running as a HORSE.  I’m just too lazy to head the extra ten minutes up the road to the ‘Shoe, plus Mrs. MJOMAHA would be subjected to 1/3 NLHE, and the ridiculous $6+1 rake, so I settled for Live.

The session was actually pretty fun.  A couple cool players in the game.  Of course, this reg http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=48063 was there to cause his usual problems.  He scored well last week at Borgat, final tabling and OE and a HORSE tournament, but that didn’t seem to positively impact is disposition.  We played a gross Stud/8 had where I opened with (Ah 6h) 4h and he defended his (XX)2c bring-in.

4th st:  (Ah 6h) 4h 7h vs (XX) 2c As.  He check calls.

5th st:  (Ah 6h)4h 7h Kh vs (XX) 2c As Ac.  He bets, I get tricky and just call.

6th st: (Ah 6h)4h 7h Kh  Jx vs (XX) 2c As Ac 9x.  He leads.  I raise, he 3-bets.  I sense trouble and call.

7th st:  He dark bets.  I miss my low and just call with the flush.  He has made Aces-up, and I scoop.  Then he goes crazy, stating that I’m awful, and he started 234ccc, and had the best hand the whole way.  I tell him that if that was all he had, he was a huge dog the whole way.  He tells me he was best on 3rd.  I suggest we run a million times and see who wins.  He tells me I’m a fool….on and on and on.  I shouldn’t have engaged him, but I couldn’t help myself.

The razz was totally out of hand, for whatever reason.  I won a $200 pot that went bet/fold/fold on 6th st!  It was capped out 3-ways on 3rd and 4th!

Session = +$50

January 19 – Delaware Park or Bust

Decided to make a stop at DP on the way back home, as they were running a $100 tourney with a $12.5k guarantee.  Okay structure, plus I actually like the room.  The floor people are great, dealers….ehhh.  Tourney was pretty lame for me.  Made through half the field before busting out.  Played a cool hand.  At 200/400, a tightish guy limped, I opened OTB with Ts7s (19k stack)…I had a tight image, and felt like I could outplay the limper….but….both blinds call.  Great!  But it got great, once the flop came out 7x7x3x!  And now the SB leads for 2200.  Folds to me.  I flat.  Turn Jx.  SB jams 12k.  I snap.  She has QQ.  I win.  Just a perplexing line.  Of course, winning was not to be, and I left with $100 less than I arrived with, and headed home.

January 18 at Borgata

Settled on playing the $230 Shootout, although the structure looked crummy, and I haven’t played many sngs lately. Figured it was a better bet than getting stuck in the pits! With quick 15 minute levels, I hoped that folKS would keep the Hollywood in to a minimum……yeah right! Thats just not possible nowadays. Anyway, three guys got a hold of chips early, and then dump them to the same guy! So 30 minutes in, one guy has half the chips in play!  I couldn’t hit anything, and finally shoved kqs into big stacks AA. Gg me. Oh, I also had a fun hand where I limped utg for 400, on cue, aggro internet kid makes it 1500, I snap jam my ak, and he snap calls a9. Board runs out 33t44 and he fist pumps. I complimented the fist pump as the next hand started, and he turned a little red. That wound up being the highlight of the tourney for me.

Next, I hit up up a 2-5 nlhe game for the first time in about two years. I won $100, but the game just seemed awful. Slow. And very few 3 street pots. Someone is usually stuffing before that point. I was happy to get called for $20/$40 stud.

Got to play with this guy http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=85127 who is a talented and always entertaining stud player. I actually watch him closely, because I think I could learn something about stud from him. Played interesting hand with him.  I open (A3)A and he defends (XX)Ks, while another guy defense the 4x bring-in.  One dead spade, and nothing else of note was dead.  Fourth St comes (A3)A7, (XX) KsQs, and (XX)4x8x, and I bet and the king raises, 4x8x folds and I just call.  5th St (A3)A72, (XX)KsQs3x, and I bet, he calls.  6th St (A3)A723, (XX)KsQs3x8x.  I bet he calls.  I catch a seven on the river, but I check, he bets and I instacall.  He says Kings-up and I win.  Discussed the hand later, and he said he made Kings and threes, and he didn’t have a spade draw.  Interesting, because I never fold unimproved aces there against him anyway.

SIck to death of Atlantic City and ready to go home.  Should be back on the grind at Live next week.

January 17 Evening Cash at Borgata

After the tournament, I made the trip up to Atlantic City.  Mrs. O8 wanted to play the BWPO Women’s tournament on Sunday, so how could I refuse?  I arrived around 8pm, and was immediately seated in a shorthanded $10/$20 O8 must move game.   The game was pretty good, with some goofy hands being showed down, but unfortunately, we got down to 3-handed  and nobody wanted to play.  I was first up for the main game…but it ended up being a loooong time before I got seated.

There was a huge blow-up in the main game in what should be a pretty straightforward situation.  In a kill pot, the river action goes like this:  bet $30, call $30, raise to $60, raise to $90 guy (somehow oblivious to the 3-bet) calls $30.  Now all hell breaks lose, because once he is informed that it is actually $90 total, he immediately takes back the second $30 he put in, and snap-mucks his hand.  Floor is called.  Floor’s boss is called.  All the while, the guy with $60 in the pot is refusing to act until he knows what will become of the second $30 that the guy with the mucked hand put into the pot.  This goes on for seriously 15 minutes, until the guy finally puts his second $30 in the pot.  Then, he goes and has words with the floor for another half hour, before finally leaving.

Borgata, and AC in general lets players just get so far out of line.  It makes for a crummy environment and experience for recreational players.  Take me—I have to deal with conflict–REAL conflict–all week long at my job.  I don’t want to deal with that crap in the cardroom.  It makes me miss online poker so much.

Anyhow, once I finally got seated, things went downhill.  Missed some draws.  Got sucked out on.  This one was my favorite.  UTG limps, folds to me and I raise OTB with Ac2c5x9x.  Blinds and limper call.  Flop is 7c6c7x.  Check to me I bet only limper calls.  Turn is 4x.  Check/bet/call.  River is 9x.  Same action.  He rolls JJJ5.  At first I was thinking, “geez, pretty light BB defense”…but then I realized that he had limped that.

-$230/Session (I’m tracking these results in my database, but I’m only going to count $4/$8 and $6/$12 for purposes of the low limit challenge, mainly because I don’t have regular access to anything bigger).

Delaware Park Tourney

DP was having a well structured $200 NLHE tourney, with 40k in chips, and 30 minute levels, so I decided to journey up north to play. Probably should have passed. Ran ice cold throughout…held TT twice, no other pairs, AS and AQo. That was it. I was just over starting stack 3.5 hrs in when this hand came up…400-800 blinds, i have 41k. A goofy-spastic player opens cut-off for 2200. I flat kqo. BB calls. Flop is the dangerous looking kx9h8h. Bb check, Co bets 7k!. I flat, bb folds. Turn is the kx. Before I can internally fist pump, the guy has pushed for 55k all-in!! I pause, just to make sure I am going to go with this, then call. The guy was deaf, and he kind of grunts and shakes his head, so I turn my hand up. He slowrolls…..88!. I miss, say good bye, and am out the door. Tournaments are so fun! Off to atlantic city!

January 10

Decided to head over to Live for an evening session.  Was able to sit down immediately in a $6/$12 must move game. Game was fairly mediocre.  I met a nice guy who works for the GAO, so he was interesting to talk to, and at least made the time go by quickly.  After a little while, I was moved into the main game.  There was one terrible guy (and by that, I mean way too loose—the other folks in the game are just way too weak-tight), and once he went broke, the game just kind of sucked.  I played a cute stud/8 hand where I ran out (Ax 7x)Ax 7x 6x 4x (5x), but that was no good vs the villian’s (44)xxxx(4).  Fun times.  In another nice one, a guy who I’ve been friendly with, and who I know respects my game, dials up a call with Qto after I raise utg with KK.  He then finds a call on the AA9 flop, and again on the 8x turn. Good game, I guess.

I wound up playing way too lone, and the game finally broke around 430 am.

I was very disappointed that the $6/$12 never went.  I need to steel myself for playing the $4/$8 o8 again.  After all, challenging myself in that game was the whole point of this blog.  And, I just hate that HORSE.  OE is one thing, but that HORSE is just rotten.  Another problem though, is that only one 4/8 game has being getting off.  Usually there are two.  That’s a problem for a waiting for a seat perspective.
It looks like I’ll be heading to AC for the weekend.  Probably a stop at Delaware Park on Sat, and on to AC for Sunday.  I’ll probably play either $10/$20 O8 at the Borgata, or $10/$20 OE at Wild West.

-$13/session

January 9

$6/$12 went off today.  The players wanted to have a $10/$20 kill instead of the normal $8/$16, and the floor obliged us.  I couldn’t really get anything going during this session, and I was probably down about $160 at one point.  I eventually dug out, and I was stuck about $30 when I went to grab some dinner.  When I came back, about 25 minutes later, the game had broken!  So, I had my first losing session of O8 in a while.

The $6/$12 HORSE was running, so I put my name up for that, as well as the $4/$8 O8.  I wound up getting called for the HORSE first.  Fortunately, they had decided to drop hold’em from the mix, which was fine by me.  Interesting hands included getting a scoop with 2245 on a 94237 runout, where I bet the river, was called, and was still good!  In stud/8, I had an interesting river spot where I had made (JK)JQJ7(Q) vs a guy with (xx)Tc8c7cTx(x), and two guys going low, both with paired door cards, one with open aces, and another with open deuces.  On the river, the action was aces check, deuces check, and then the open tens bet.  I was 99% sure I was good, but I decided to call, hoping for the overcalls, but in retrospect, I think raising is best.  My thought was then if either AA or 22 made trips, I could get the overcalls…maybe even with less than that.  I felt nobody had a low, but I guess I should have blasted regardless.

+$392 in the HORSE

Challenge +$1,653

January 3

I had a great session today.  I was very happy to see the $6/$12 that I played yesterday went all night and never broke.  There was even familiar face still playing in the game when I showed up today! Once again though, the lineup was not the usual O8 suspects found at Live.  Things didn’t get off to a great start, I missed a couple low draws, and then missed a combo draw in a kill pot that I had jammed up, and I was quickly down about $120.  The turning point came when I scooped, scooped the next hand with a junky kill hand, then scooped again in the next hand.  There, I held A975 with the kill in the cutoff.  8 way limped pot.  Flop came off 974r.  Checked to me and I bet.  5 callers.  Turn was Qx.  Checked to me again.  I kinda doubt I’m good, but I figured if I could fold out A3 or maybe some of the 1 pr queen hands out there that it was a good bet, so fired again.  All call.  River is the 3x.  They all check again!  Pretty sure I made a bad play here by just checking, but I did…and scooped again.

Picked up a few more pots here and there, until this doozy came up.  I had QQ73ds on a kill pot in the BB.  6 callers, Btn raise, SB mucks, I decide to gamble and all call.  8-way action.  Flop Qs9x8s.  Pretty sharp!  I prefer to direct bet here, since this flop will usually slow down the preflop raiser, who in the low-limit games is like 75-25 AAxx to A2xx.  I bet, and 6 guys call.  Turn is the wonderful 9x.  I bet.  4 callers.  River is Jx.  I bet, call, raise!?  Folds around to me I 3!, hoping I haven’t run into 99 (but assuming it is either J9xx or JJxx), he calls, I win.  At this point, I had over 5 racks of blue chips on the table, and it was just about time to head home to watch the big UFC pay-per-view, so I hauled by chips to cage and left.

Session +549/Challenge +1,683