Live @ Commerce @ The Bike

Damn it! Things were going along so smoothly.

Throughout the month, I have been finding mostly soft games at the Bike with many regulars who have enough tells and obvious betting patterns to yield good results for me. Then something happened...a good thing to start, then something else.

I was hanging at the usual Starbucks on Friday, talking to a girl who works there. I know her name but she just calls me "weird guy." (I don't know why.) She's only 18 and has a girlfriend so I am not thinking about anything beyond chatting. She's one of those rare well-read, smart, interesting eighteen-year-olds. We have cool talks about everything from books to sex. On this day, we got to talking about getting high. It told her I have never had my own stash, only ever smocking out when it was offered to me when hanging out. Then she asked, "What are you doing later?" I'm playing poker. "What time?" Around 8:30. "Oh." Why. "I was going to offer to smoke you out." She seemed a bit disappointed. I was flattered and a little excited, feeling very much accepted. But I had to decline. I was in full poker mode. I had to stick to my plan and keep playing this month. But I asked for a rain check.

I arrived at the Bike a little after 9pm as usual and got into a 5-5 NLH game. Sadly, everyone at the table was really quiet, appearing very suspicious though not involved in a hand at the time. As always, that is not a good seat for me, especially since most of these guys were pretty tough competition. They weren't going to call off a bunch of chips with an inferior hand. So I would have to get lucky. I did so early on flopping two-pair from the big blind in a limped pot. An aggressive player across the table in late position was doing the betting so I decided to let him. He bet on the turn and river and I flat called each time feeling that he would not call a raise at any time. I was right. He was betting with nothing.

A short while later, I was sitting on a smidge over 400 (my buy-in amount) when I found J-J UTG in a straddled pot. There were a couple callers then the straddle made it $50 to go. $40 more to me and I had to decide whether to call or raise...I wasn't going to fold. I wanted desperately to put him on A-K but couldn't. Instead, I figured him for Q-Q. If I was right, I would need to out flop him to win. Calling was the correct play here.

I did and saw a J-high flop with two diamonds. The straddle lead out for $75 and, again, I had to decide whether to raise or call. He had me covered and I had about 350 behind so he could find some fold equity if I did raise. I opted to use my position and let him continue betting into me. The turn was a Ten that change nothing for me. This time, he bet out $125. It was time for me to make a move. I went all-in figuring he was committed if my read was correct. After a little thought, he called the additional $225. I had made the perfect play because the river brought the Ad which would have been an action killer. I tabled my set and he mucked. For some time after that, I could tell he was looking over at me, maybe wanting to say something. It wasn't until later, at another table, when he said, "Why did you have to flop a set?" He also revealed that he did have an over pair. My read was good.

However, the table was still not good for me. I was sitting with 900 after getting lucky. I had only been in play for an hour and a half. I wanted to cash out but just couldn't get myself to walk away. I wanted to be good to the game and maximize my potential. But there wasn't much potential there. So I was only being good to the game. I leaked 100 back over the next 30 minutes, then the game broke. This was my chance to get out with a decent profit while not being responsible for breaking the game. Still, I just couldn't pull myself away.

I opted for a 3-5 NLH game as there were no 5-5 NLH seats open. I was hoped to find an easier spot in the smaller game anyway. And with the $200 buy-in, I was free-rolling. On my second hand played, I was second to act where I found A-A. I raised to $20 after UTG limped. It folded around and only the SB called. Even the limper folded. The worst part was that the SB started the hand with only $46. The idiot put almost half of it in by calling. I laughed along with him and the others next to him while I asked why he didn't just put it all in. He didn't have an answer. The flop was 2-3-Q. I put him all in and he said, "Why the heck not?" and called then showed K-5o. Turn: A. River: 4. I laughed about losing to his wheel since it didn't cost me much.

Then the floor man called me for a seat in a 5-5 NLH game. I didn't even know I was on the list and didn't want it. But there wasn't any money in play at my smaller game so I decided to check it out. I didn't recognize any players as "soft" but, for some reason (or lack thereof), took the seat. I added $200 to my $150 from the previous table and joined the game. In my first SB, I got K-K. 3 or 4 player had limped and I raised it to $30. Everyone called for the additional $25. The board was Q-high with two hearts. I led out with $100 and it folded to the cutoff. He was wearing a cap, sunglasses, and headphones and was getting a massage. He asked how much I had left even though it wasn't at all hidden. I made sure my hands were not blocking his view but he seemed to be waiting for an answer so I asked if he wanted an exact count. Then he called. The turn brought the 10h. I had not put him on a flush draw when he called the flop because it just didn't seem like it. Plus, I had not been at the table long enough to have any real read on the guy.

He had position and I still figured to have the best hand. So I had to bet. Checking and calling (or checking and hoping for no bet) would be the worst play in this situation. All-in. He waited for me to stack it off and push everything forward before finally calling. That made me feel good about my hand. The river was another 10 and head waited for me to show. I did and he slo-o-o-wly revealed Ah-2h. Some other people at the table gave him crap for slow-calling and slow-rolling. I left it alone and pulled out another four bills.

I played a few more dead rounds before deciding to make the next my last for the night. I was only down slightly on my rebuy so I would be cutting my loses. Almost finished, I picked up T-T UTG+1. I raised to $20 and was called by the player on my right who I had been talking to and who had also just come back from the ATM. With no chips in front of him and no other callers, it was like we were playing for my money. The flop was 9c-7d-6s. I bet $35 and was quickly called. The turn was the 4s. Again, I bet, this time $75 to move him off of a possible straight draw. His chips had just arrived so he settled up for the previous bets and called this one with a bit of a sigh. The river was a red 5 and I began to think. With a four-card straight on board, I could easily be beat but I could be missing a bet. Before I finished thinking, he quietly said, "Don't bet." I believed him and checked. He showed down 9s-8s. I had him all the way but his draw kept improving. He was empathetic about drawing out on me but I thanked him for saving me a bet on the river.

I looked at my rags UTG, mucked, and picked up. I was stuck 195 for the night after being outdrawn three times. It could have been worse but it could have been better if I had followed my instincts. I knew things weren't right that night. The soft players were M.I.A. and the Commerce Crazies were over for a visit.

SEEYa