A very late update

I’ve been back at The Caribbean. It’s been a while. In truth I didn’t like the way I felt about myself when playing poker and I needed a break. To some extent I even avoided my own home game, which I host almost every weekend.
The thing is, I do like poker. I love playing and thinking about strategy. I probably like poker as much as people who play video games enjoy playing Halo or Starcraft. (I have a Korean friend who lives & breathes Starcraft.)
Well, I needed a break. I had built my bankroll up to the point where I think psychologically I needed to spend some of it – to feel like I had earned something in the process. So I bought a new TV and a recliner, and some other goodies (my new iPad is supposed to arrive tomorrow and I can’t wait). I left myself just enough bankroll to continue playing at the $4/8 tables should I decide I like poker again.
I knew when I started to look forward to my home game that I could go back. I told myself I wouldn’t take it so serious anymore. I wouldn’t let myself get to the point that I felt like I didn’t like who I was.
So I loosened up, and went back to The Caribbean with a smile on my face and the intention of just having a good time. The people have changed a little bit. There are a few new, and pretty good players who seem to spend time there now. I like the new players; they mix up the game enough to make you think about what’s going on. It’s just interesting enough to make me want to come back and play some more. For the most part almost everybody is friendly, and they appreciate strategy.

Well, I have been back probably 6-10 times over the past couple of weeks, and tonight was one of those nights I feared. Poker is so difficult; it’s too easy to piss people off and make them mad, especially if you’re the kind of person who is willing to risk chips to make a play and put pressure on your opponents. I’m not the kind of player who will just call to the river without some kind of plan. If I’m in the hand, I want to try and win; if that means I think I can bluff and there’s at least a decent chance I’ll win, I’ll definitely try. If I get called and my coup fails, I’m okay with that – I want to try and play a game of wits. If I can show my failed bluffs, and use that information to get another opponent to call me down with a lesser hand because they think I bluff – I’ll use that opportunity to make as much money as I can. It’s all part of the game.

So tonight I was having a good time; I was enjoying the game and had even bought a drink for another player. An aggressive player was on my right (I liked that he was on my right and I got to act after him). I had been playing for about 3 hours or so and sitting steady at about $200, give or take. I had bought in for $200, so I wasn’t up or down necessarily. I had played a few hands, but for the most part nothing spectacular.

Several times I had started with Ace King and raised, only to have to fold on the flop or turn. At least 3 times I had started with either Ace King suited or Ace Queen suited, and flopped a flush draw – which didn’t complete. I started to notice one player at the other end of the table who was cold calling my raises, and even made a comment one time that I probably raised preflop with 7-2. It was good information; he hadn’t known the hands I had raised with because I had folded them without showing, so from his perspective, he figured I was just taking stabs and bluffing at the pot. At one point I was under the gun with pocket Kings and raised; he called me from middle position with 5-2 of hearts, and hit a straight. I folded without showing, and he told the person next to him that he was sure I didn’t have anything. No biggie – I overheard the conversation and (BIG mistake) I told him I had pocket Kings. It didn’t really bother me; I knew I was ahead when I raised, and – well, the board paired on the river so I checked and folded. It wasn’t a big pot and it was easy to shrug off.

Later, when I flopped a set of 8s and rivered a full house he bet into me on the river and I raised. He folded and said “Nice catch.” I didn’t show.

So by this time, I felt like I had inadvertently walked into a good situation. Here was somebody willing to call me down. I knew I wasn’t going to bluff him, but I was going to push a small edge with him because he preferred to believe that I was bluffing. This was information I was certainly going to use to my advantage.

So the following hand came up – I was dealt pocket 5s (5 of Hearts, 5 of Diamonds), and I was the small blind. Nobody raised, so I limped and the flop comes: 2 of Diamonds, 4 of Diamonds, 6 of Diamonds. I don’t have the nut flush, but this is definitely an interesting hand. I check, and everybody checks around. I figure if I turn a set I’ll check/raise, and if another diamond comes I’ll do the same – just to see where I’m at. If the 3 of Diamonds comes – well, truth be known I didn’t know what I would do if the 3 of diamonds came; I wouldn’t want anybody to fold – but I would want to build a big pot.

No matter, the 3 of diamonds did not come; instead, the 9 of diamonds came. Per my plan, I checked, and my “friend” bets. It’s folded around to me and I raise. He grimaces and calls. I figure he has to have a bigger diamond, so when the river comes (I don’t remember what the river was) I check and he also checks. I’m really surprised when he turns over pocket Kings – King of Hearts and King of Spades. No diamonds. I show my pocket 5s with the 5 of Diamonds, and take the pot.

I’m not telling the story because I won – I’m telling because of what happened next. He became verbally angry, and even the dealer said something. Of course I’m not one to back down; I made an underhanded comment that I felt a little vindicated for having my pocket Kings cracked with 5-3 offsuit – to which he comes back saying they were suited and he wasn’t going anywhere.

What followed was a verbal tirade of insults and underhanded comments from both of us. Passive aggressive to be sure – he’s telling me I always bluff and he’s going to look me up every time, and I’m thanking him for the information which I assure him I’ll use to my advantage. Back and forth it goes until we both get tired of insulting each other.

I’m just as guilty as he; and again, I find I don’t like who I am at the poker table. If I had to guess, this was the very same person who heckled me on this blog (coldplacepoker); his talk was the same kind of dirt that used to appear in the comments here.

As for my strategy; I make no apologies. Poker is a mind game and I enjoy matching wits with my opponents. I’ll use every bit of information I can to my advantage. As for my attitude; it needs to change.

One of the dealers from next door who was with her boyfriend came to my defense and told the floor supervisor about the situation. It felt good that somebody was on my side and looking out for me. I thanked her. Still, I understand that I need to keep my mouth shut more often in situations like this.

I left promptly; I didn’t want to make the situation worse than it was.

Well, maybe I’m back; maybe I’m not. If that happens again I’ll either find another place to play or quit all together. I still love Vegas and I still love games of strategy. It’s just too bad that this happens.

Updates

Wow I just realized that The Vegas Tourist folks have updated the look of my blog!  I love it – especially that my tweets show up now on the right.  That is pretty cool…

Well, I haven’t played poker in a few weeks, to be honest.  Two things have happened – first, I became very very burned out on poker and needed a break.  I realized the last time I was sitting at the tables, at Hooters, that I needed a break.  I had been playing for about 9 hours that day, and was up something like $450.  It was about 3:00am, and I was tired.  Something just kind of “clicked” – and I realized that I needed to take a break.  I just kind of *knew* like the way you know you’re tired and need to go to bed, that I needed to take a break or I was going to hate playing poker.  So I got up, cashed out, and went home.

So, it’s been a few weeks now and I still haven’t been back.  I’ve decided that I’m going to go back when I’m looking forward to going – I’m not going to play right now when I feel like I have to play.  So far I haven’t looked forward to playing yet – but I will soon.

Until then I’ve started something kind of new, and am pretty excited about it.  It relates to poker – because it started with a poker idea.

I can’t give too many details but a friend of mine and I came up with an idea for a mobile application, having to do with playing poker, which we both think would be beneficial to any serious poker player.  It’s something that hasn’t been done yet (which is why I can’t give away any details), and does not exist in either the iPhone app store, or the Android app store.  We would be first to develop such an app, so we’re both working on it and having fun getting back into software development again.

Anyway, I just thought I’d provide an update – I’m still around, and I feel bad for having missed the final table of WSOP this year.  I had planned on being there, but things just didn’t work out.  Hopefully next year.  :)

Happy Holidays!

The Ringleader

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