The first substantive hand I was involved in I mis-played AK: too soft p/f and ended losing 85 of my 300 stack. (Max buy-in for $2/5 here is $300) Played a few more hands, took small pots - up to 280 when I got AA. Played it excellently to get all the chips in on the turn heads up (7s4hJs Qd), river Qc and I lose to Qs9c. NH. I told the dealer to lock my seat and went out for a breather.
I did a tilt-check: all my mind was focused on was how I wanted to be in that spot again and again with seat 9. And a couple of other good reasons for being at the table: there were three other players overvaluing their hands besides seat 9 and all were willing and had done full re-buys and this kind of table was exactly what had led me to good sessions before my tilt-capade. So I got $300 more out of the machine. Yes, I know casino machines charge an arm and a leg and your firstborn but I thought the worst poker decision would be to leave.
The table broke after another hour or so of me not doing much and I sat at a table that looked just as good - except for one reg I'd seen before, quite the table captain with a loud voice and an opinion on every hand, lots of gold jewelry to go with his manicure, but he's not rude or bad-tempered by any means. He's actually quite a good player and a great reader of other players' hands. He's occasionally caught out by a fish making one of those bizarre winning hands, or folding to what seems to have to be a superior hand, but he doesn't berate them so I can live with him.
Tonight he had K4 on a 4d4cQd10s10d board and folded to a monster re-raise only to find the winning fish proudly showing his Ad6d. Fish had nearly folded on the flop, and actually play was stopped for a minute while players discussed it with dealer, but it fairly was decided since he hadn't released his cards, he was indeed allowed to re-check them like he wanted to and call the big re-raise he was facing. Table captain was (obv) one of the players asserting that since fish hadn't released his cards, they were live. Table captain did tank quite a while before his fold on the river but couldn't figure what he was beating. He never thought the fish was quite that much of a trout to be certain his flush was the nuts (and neither did the rest of us).
Anyway, that dynamic aside, my first real pot after a few limpers I raised to $35 w/ AcJc in LP, got two callers, saw Js 5c 7h, pot is ~$120 and I get donk-bet into by a reg for $75. He's a laggy older Asian player (always frowning but doesn't say much) - I tanked for a bit: He could have a set, 2pair, a worse Ace - really I'd seen everything with this guy, and especially that he likes to bet people off their hands. I figured I couldn't do anything but shove/fold with my stack. (sat with something >$300 after last broken table) I shoved. He called. J hits turn (Table Captain looks at me and says: you've got it now) river 10. Frown turns over 5d7c. Bit of an iffy way for me to double up, but I'll take it!
After that I continued to sit up and breathe and play well and also get lucky. Stacked a really nice old gent (about 80yrs old) who played quite well mostly but got too tricky with KK: I was in CO w/Qd10d, pot limped around entire table to SB who raised to $35 (into pot of ~$37 after rake), the bet was called in all but one spot so I called too and my gent on the button flatted with his K's as well. Flop came Qx10x6x, ck ck ck ck... to me. I bet out, old gent raises, I Re, he shoves and we're all in and I finish with a house to his KK. Felt kind've bad that it was him over anyone else because we'd been chatting along happily, but mostly I felt great of course.
I went on a good heater and ended well up.
Session stats:
Duration: 6:16
Buy-In: $600.
Cash-out: $1,435.
+$835.
Overall:
P/L: +$3,340.
$/hour: $15.39
Hours: 217
My heater was of the nature that a player I recognized (as a person I didn't much like tbh, obnoxious with a 'poker' baseball cap on) kept saying to the rest of the table: "You guys have sh** for brains when you keep playing with seat 6 in the hand! hahaha!" and the like.
It annoyed me even a bit after I left, but then I realized a guy like that was perfect - if he's so convinced of poker voodoo then he's someone I should play with again.
Anyway, playing well and spotting when I wasn't playing well and adjusting etc. leaves me feeling relaxed about Vegas tomorrow - but still on guard against the tilt-capade. I guess I'm also looking forward to seeing what celebrations Las Vegas creates for Easter LOL!
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