High Hand Angle Shooting

Most people in the Omaha game are playing for the high hand money every half hour, which explains the quantity of players in a hand and also the quality of hand selection.  I won the first one on Sunday and had a pretty good lock on a second one with quad 10s until the guy next to me flopped quad jacks.  So later in the evening there are quads posted with a few minutes until the next high hand money starts.  I am playing A/K/x/x on an ace high flop.  It is bet and called by several players.  The turn is another ace plus I pick up a flush draw.  Again bet and called in several spots.  The river is a 9, not pairing anything in my hand, but bringing in the flush draw.  The first player to act, who has also been the original bettor fails to act.  He stares at his cards for several seconds.  I ask him if he needs help reading his hand.  He doesn't answer and continues to just sit there.  I get it, he is waiting for the clock to run out as he has filled up.  I call for the floor.  The supervisor comes over and I and other players along with the dealer explain, he then tables his hand showing aces full, even though no one has checked or bet.  Another player mentions she looked at the clock when he started this and saw 35 seconds remaining.  The floor awarded him the pot, but ruled it ineligible for high hand  ( it would have had to hold up for 30 minutes anyway).  I exchanged words with the ex dealer seated next to me who said I had done the same thing.  Don't think so, but would only have done to protect my existing hand, not try to slide into next one.  Also would not delay the game for half a minute.  I later apologized to the player as he spoke with the floor about it away from the table.  Bottom line, it sucked the joy out of the game for me and I cashed out a left.  Not sure if I even want to go back.

My stack earlier in the evening.  Cashed out with $206 on a $200 buy in.  Big whoop.  Up about $140 in picture.

A Game of Attrition

Talking with my "baby" sister this week (o.k. she is 3 years younger than me which makes her duh, let me do the math, 71 minus 3 is 68), we talked about one of my classmates that passed away this week.  She expressed the opinion that I had lost a lot of them (around 30 at last count out of 230 in class of '65).  I told her that she had probably lost nearly as many from her class of 1968.  She was not aware of very many but I assured her that actuary tables don't lie.  A day or so later she sent me a pretty long list, almost the same percentage from her smaller class.

The guy who died was not a good buddy, but he was a good guy and married to another classmate who I have known my whole life.  He had a lot of health issues going back 20 years including prostate, 2 strokes, 2 heart attacks according to another classmate.  He was in bad shape when I last saw him 10 years ago, so his passing did not come as a huge surprise.  That said, it has been gnawing at me.  I do know that we are all seving the same sentence here on earth, but with each loss it brings it closer to my thoughts.  RIP Keith.

Zig Zag

Ever notice how sometimes we zig when we should have zagged, and visa versa?  Today was that kind of day for me.  Sleeping poorly, waking up at 4:30 a.m., unable to go back to sleep probably should have stayed home.  But, since I missed my regular poker day on Sunday, had to play the 10:30 tournament.  It started off well, almost doubling up with a turned 2nd nut flush in a multi way pot.  Then the zigs began.  Raising to $400 with pocket 9's after 2 limpers with 50/100 blinds, the under the gun older guy re raised me to 1200 after big blind called.  I immediately knew he was trapping with a big hand, aces or kings.  I fold, but the big blind shoves his last 1600 with A/10.  UTG predictably tables kings.  I am congratulating myself on a good read and good fold until the board pairs 8's and the river is a 9.  Who knew?  I then proceed to fold a suited king on the button only to see the nut flush appear on the turn and 2 pair win a huge pot.  Later fold 10/4 on the button only to see a full house and another missed opportunity.  I chase a king high flush draw only to fold on the river when it misses.  Lucky for me as a lady had ace high draw. 

My last hand was a shove of 4 big blinds with A/Q.  A/K calls.  Flop is magic, 10/Q/Q but my bd luck continues when a jack hits the river.  Like I say, just off key the whole game.

Epic

Sometimes you win small in cash games and sometimes you lose big.  Yesterday's game was fairly epic.  It started fine, playing tight and winning.  At my peak probably doubled my buy in.  And then the wheels fell off.   Lost hand after hand, including 3 full houses.  The players were "T" in the 1 seat, an aggressive good player particularly when he is winning like yesterday.  Seat2 was "V", a very tight Asian player who only bets or calls with the nuts.  Easy to play against.  Seat 3 was a loose regular who is usually lucky.  Seat 4, "V", sporadic player who runs very hot or very cold.  He was running hot.  Seat 5 had turnover with an older lady who I played no limit 1/3 against recently.  She was a very marginal player.  She left down and gave her seat to "pretty boy", one of my least favorite people.  He buys light and plays every hand.  Seat 6 was "J" whose favorite seat happens to be mine too.  We race to get here early to lock it.  I "won" unfortunately.  Seat 7 was a jovial regular "M".  He plays well and is fun to have at the table except for when he takes your chips like yesterday.  Seat 8 was occupied by one of my favorite poker buddies, "B", who admittedly loses nearly always.  I have talked to him about the need to play fewer hands but he refuses to do so.  He suffered a larger loss than me.  I was in seat 9, my favorite.

The hand that really tilted me was a button straddle hand from seat 1.  He was straddling a lot and winning, so in the cutoff I folded 4S/5S/7x/9S as I suspected it would be 3 bet and frankly, while playable with 6 or 7 callers in late position it is a weak hand.  Nonetheless I would have played it for $4 or even 8 with multiple callers but folded wisely I thought when he raised and it got re-raised and capped at $20.  The flop came down 6S/7S/x, giving me the open ended straight flush draw.  The turn brought the 8S, giving me the 9 high straight flush in a gianormous pot, and also a $150 high hand bonus. Unbelievable.  The $20 fold cost me $300+. Made some other bad folds like top set on a straight and flush board, and bad low hands that would have won. That said also made some good laydowns that others would have called.  Comes with the territory in omaha 8B, but sometimes the fold costs you the pot.  Not sure if it all comes out in the wash or not.

The only bright spots were winning a high hand with a pair of 4's against 2 players, and collecting one high hand with aces full of kings.  Despite this, big loss and a dreaded trip to visit "Adam", or the ATM.  Better luck next time I say.

P.s.  congrats to Dewey for Wildhorse cash.  Would have liked to have gone but the stars did not properly align this year.

Don't Tap on the Aquarium Glass

Before I opine on the main topic, an update on recent play.  Can sum it up with "small wins".  Made two final tables this week for a profit of $20 on one, $30 on the other.  Also a 3/6 cash win of $10.  Best day was yesterday with a $120 buy in for Omaha, cash out 8 hours later for $277. Highlight was playing on the table next to Rep Porter, big time pro.  He was in the massive pot limit omaha game with a few thousand in front of him.  I asked my friend Paul, the tournament director if he could arrange a heads up match for us, $400/800 limit.  Ha ha.

So, despite my win yesterday it was a miserable game due to my seat next to a retired dealer.  He was always somewhat of a curmudgeon when dealing, and is now insufferable as a player.  He commented almost nonstop on my play to the point I put on headphones.  He was seated on my immediate right and also was very aggressive.  The thing was, I was playing super tight and nearly always had a good hand to call his raise.  I won pot after big pot from him.  While I was stacking chips, he was rebuying, into the game at least $400.

So, to my topic, "Don't Tap on the Aquarium glass". I read this years ago in  Mike Caro book.  He keeps it light and friendly so people don't resent losing to you.  He pointed out that when you criticize a player, or point out his mistakes, he begins to play better!!  You certainly don't want that.  I try not to target obnoxious players cause I have found that it usually backfires.  It is best to focus on good poker decisions and let karma do her work.  So, the lesson for Mr. Obnoxious is, don't tap on the glass, it disturbs the fish.  But, the thing is, I will never tell him this, cause, you know, don't want him to improve his game.