Good Friday Poker

So, it's Good Friday. What's that mean to most of the world? Surely not Poker. But, to my dear friends, that's exactly what it meant. Thank you, Toby! I was able to sneak away to a live game just before heading out of town for spring break vacation with the family. It doesn't get much better than that!

I know Gordo is waiting for me to run over a couple of hands - mostly because he knows that one will involve him! Patience my dear man, patience! First a hand I played badly with Ritter.

Like many avid poker players I have read several "must read" poker books including Mike Caro's Book of Tells. How bad is it that I saw a specific tell that was mentioned in his books AND CHOSE TO IGNORE IT? I guess I do have something in common with Daniel Negreanu after all. D'oh.

Ritter limped in and I raised it up behind him with AJo. It gets folded back around to him and he calls. The flop comes out J7d5d. Not only do I see him look at the flop and immediately look away (CARO'S BOOK SPEAKS OF EXACTLY THIS TELL) I knew what it meant - he hit this flop hard. I should have just laid down my TPTK and saved my chips but, no oo o o o o, I call his Donk bet (betting into the preflop raiser) and the turn and river bets only to have him show me his flopped set of 5s. Nice hand. I mucked knowing full well I should have just let it go on that flop based solely on my read of his tell.

Now, Gordo, here's your hand - another I misplayed!

I limp in with QJc and get raised by Gordo. I call and we see a Q high flop with two clubs. I check intending to check-shove but he checked behind. The turn came a blank and I decided to fire at the pot since Gordo didn't seem to interested in betting and I was confident I was ahead. Gordo smooth called floated only to see a K - the perfect river card for his AK. I check called and even said, "You rivered me didn't you?" Of course he replied, "Well, yeah, I didn't think you had anything and were just trying to bet me off the hand." Not that I wouldn't do that, but why is it that nobody believes I have anything when I'm betting? Marshall (Mr. "I'm calling all the way to the river with my AJ only to spike and A on you") did the very same thing to me at Gordo's home game!

I did get some of my chips back from Ritter when I saw a free flop from the BB with QTo. The flop came out AKJ. I love me some floppied nuts. Ritter checked as did I and Gordo bet out. Ritter called and I continued to slow play my nuts by just calling. The turn was a blank but now Ritter bet out and I decided this was the perfect time to raise and hopefully build a pot, maybe even get heads up. Gordo went away and Ritter started mumbling something about me having two pair as he called. The river K paired the board and took away any chance I had at value betting my straight even though it was definitely better than Ritter's AT.

I think I may have figured out how to deal with Marshall. He mini raised my BB from the button. I looked down at 66 and flat called his raise. The flop came out 9 high rainbow. He bet and I raised him. He called. The turn was another small card and I shoved it all in. He started mumbling about feeling run over and that he should just call and suck out like he did the last time. I was delighted when he folded but I didn't show. I'm getting much better at knowing when I'm ahead in a hand but sometimes I still can't seem to get people to give up the chase and they run me down. That's horribly frustrating to me.

I went Card Effing Dead and ended up getting blinded out in the bitter end. I did make the final table, though, and had a great time. I'm so glad that I've managed to wheedle my way into this fun crowd of poker players and hope they keep inviting my dead money me back!