I have had the itch to go play some live poker for several weeks now, but my off Friday was a perfect opportunity. I opted for Greektown, since I didn't have a lot of cash and just wanted to play 1/2. I arrived around 9:45am, and there were only two tables open. The idiots that run the place didn't open a third table until 10:30am, despite the act that they had a dealer available and a full list. When they finally called the game, my name suddenly disappeared from the list. Despite that, I sat down at the table anyways, without a problem.
My first major hand of the day was about an orbit in. Despite the table starting fresh, a player at the other end of the table was acting very steamed. He had raised pre-flop to about 17-20 on 3-4 hands in a row. In this hand, he was UTG and straddled to 5. EP raised to 10, one player called, and I raised in the CO to 50 with AsKs. Folds to UTG (steamer) who moves all-in for about 150. Folds to me and I quickly call. He shows KdQd. The flop is a K with 2 spades, and my hand holds up and I am ahead early. At this time, one of the players comments that I made a pretty big re-raise with AK (obviously most live players aren't accustomed to 3 betting "light").
The very next hand, I pick up AK again. EP raises to 10, one player calls, and I decide to flat this time with AK. The rest fold, and the flop comes ATx. First two players check, and I bet 20 (in hindsight too small of a bet). The original raiser calls, and the two of us see the turn. The turn is another T, he checks and I check. The river is an incosequential rag, and he bets 40, I call and see QT and a good deal of my profits are gone.
I am up about 50 when this hand occurs. A player raises to 6 and after a caller, I call with 77. One of the blinds call and the flop comes 865. The original bettor bets 20, I call, and the blind calls. The turn is a 2, and both players check to me. I bet 50, and then the BB goes all-in for 104. The other player folds and I call knowing that I am behind, and he shows an oddly played TT. The river bricks and I lose the pot and am suddenly stuck.
A little while later, there is a table full of limpers to me and I raise to 16, and everybody folds to the button, who calls. He is a player that has tangled a bit with me up to now, but never taken it too far past the flop. The flop comes KJ3 with two diamonds. I make a smallish bet of 20, and he raises to 100. At this poin there is only one hand I am afraid of, and that's KJ (I guess 33 is possible too...but not very likely IMO). I think for about 20 seconds and then shove for 180. He starts thinking, and at this point I know that I have him. He calls and has K9, and my hand holds, and I am back in the black. He mentions something about it being a good call and that he was putting a move on me. I am not afraid of folding an overpair or TPTK if I think I am beaten, but this wasn't one of those cases. As a general rule, folding these type of hands is bad poker at 1/2.
An orbit or so later, I decide to straddle for 5. A few players call the straddle, and when it gets back to me I raise to 30 with AJo. The big stack (about 500, covers me) in the CO calls and the SB (about 135 before the hand) calls. The flop comes Jh6h2x rainbow, and the SB immediately shoves all-in for about 105. I take my time to debate the best play. Ultimately I determine that I am going to take my chances that he doesn't have a set, and decide to raise, to make the bigger stack pay if he decides to come along with a flush draw. I shove out two stacks of chips (about 250ish) and the big stack folds. The BB sheepishly says "Nice call, I was stealing." and shows K6, so he still has 5 outs. Fortunately he misses and I pick up a very nice pot.
At this point I am rolling, and have been very active. A few players limp to me and I decide to limp KdJd from the button. The flop Kx8d5d, all check to me and I bet 10. The BB and another player call. The turn is the 7d. All check to me again and I bet 30. The SB raises to 100, the other player debates and folds (what he later told me was 87 for 2 pair). I am fairly certain that I have the best hand, despite the possiblility of the nut flush and straight flush, that's a chance I am willing to take. So I move in and he calls another 80 or so with QdTd, drawing stone dead. The river is another 8, which would have lost me the hand to the player who folded 87. Fortunately the SB check-raising kept the other player in the pot.
Right before my BB, I take a bathroom break, when I get back I post from the cutof with Th2h, and I see the flop 5-6 handed. The flop is Kh9h2x, and one of the limpers bets 10, one player calls, I call (probably should have raised here) and the BB calls. The turn is another heart, and they check to me, I bet 20, and the BB check-raises to 40....all fold to me. He has been reasonably tight, and never gotten out of line post flop, but he could have a smaller flush, so I debate and call. The river is a blank, and the BB bets 60. I go in the tank, and say "I'm not in the habit of folding flushes." but I get no response. Finally my curiousity gets the better of me and he shows Ah4h for the nuts. I know that I should have found a fold on the river, but I didn't have enough info to distinguish whether he had a baby flush or a bigger one. Too bad because it's a hand I never would have played had I not been a poster.
I am starting to mentally prepare myself to leave, up about $250. I straddle again, and one player calls. The BB (fairly transparent player with about 150 or so) raises to 15. I make a loose call with KTo, and the limper calls as well. The flop comes Kxx with 2 clubs, and the BB checks to me. I make a bet of 30, and the limper folds, and the BB calls. By him calling I think he either has a middling pair or a club draw. The turn is another K, he checks to me and I decide to just get it in, and put him in for about 100. He calls fairly quickly and as AcJc. He misses and I regain some momentum.
Finally, the clincher hand, and one of my few live suckouts. UTG raises to 7, UTG+1 calls, 1 more caller, and I close action out of the BB with 54. The flop is 542, UTG checks, UTG+1 (very laggy player who has been playing a ton of pots) bets 10, BTN (tight player) raises to 20, and I make it 60. UTG+1 goes all-in for 120. The BTN debates (asks if i can re-raise if he calls) and folds (he later says he had 77). I call, still thinking I could be ahead of him and he shows 63 for the nuts. Despite his loose nature, I wasn't putting 63 in his UTG+1 raise calling range. The board comes 25 for me to suck out in a nice pot.
A few orbits later, despite being on a nice run and the table starting to become fun, I call it a day, as I promised Victory I would be leaving 30-45 minutes before I actually did. All in all, a fun day with a tidy profit of $583.
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