Thursday, June 23, 2005

Crankitude & poker

I've been rather cranky lately, for a lot of reasons - my job is difficult right now and very stressful, mostly. There's the other general neuroses I have, too, which are actually starting to get a little more amusing and at least they're funning and I have a wonderful supportive peanut gallery to listen to the stories of how I'm an EEEEJIOT.

However, this is not to say the peanut gallery is not a big bunch of enablers. Case in point: I had a particularly bad day at work, and I was talking to BG and April H. and said that I was cranky and they both said I should go to the casino. I said that I really shouldn't, it's a school night, I need to be up in the morning but I was so tired of being responsible. They encouraged me to screw reponsibility and go play.

... so I did. And I gotta say, taking other peoples' money is always a pick-me up. I picked up my friend Adam and we trucked down to Trump, I staked him in the little game, and sat down in the $400 / $1000 game and proceeded to win a $600 pot in my first half hour. I almost decided to pick up and leave right then! I was pretty impressed with how I won the hand, although I think my "the girl is a rock, she never bets if she misses the flop, especially if it's scary" image might have gotten a little tarnished by this hand:

I'm on the button, $5 / $10 blinds. Brian is UTG+1 and he raises a lot, so his raise to $30 brought in another 2 callers with him, and I look down and see Ah 6h.

I call, as does the BB. $150 in the pot.

Flop: Th 9s 8h

They all check to me, and I'm on the button. What are YOU going to do? Me, I have a really good draw (at least 9 outs, probably the 4 7s give me a good straight, and who knows if my A is good), good position, and a rock table image, which should get some folks to fold.

I bet $100. BB folds, Brian folds, JJ calls, otherguy folds.

Turn is Ad, JJ checks to me.

I know I'm good here. This is because JJ, if he had the straight, would have checkraised the flop massively, being afraid of the flush - that's just how he plays, he will want to take the hand down there, and can't slowplay something past the flop. JJ doesn't have the straight; I think he's on a OESD or the flush draw.

I bet $200, JJ calls.

River is a Td.

JJ does something, looking at his cards, and then his chips and my DINGDINGDING bluff detector is going off loudly; he says, "$400" and starts pushing chips in. I think for about 10 seconds and say, "Call."

The act of saying "Call" does make my heart race, because it's not an easy call, actually. But I'm trusting my instincts, and my instincts say that JJ thinks I can be pushed off pots [which is true, but my 'screw you i have the best hand' detector is working much better now] and that's what he was trying to do. If he had a real hand, he would have make a big move earlier, and I have to trust that read.

JJ says, "You win," and doesn't turn over his cards. I immediately flip over my A6h, and the table erupts in an, "Oh my god you bet that flop, what were you doing in the hand in the first place?" I said, "Hmmm I have this button thing, and I had a huge draw, and y'all checked to me, right?"

Brian was especially annoyed because it turned out he had A9. Raising on A9? What the heck is that kind of move anyway? Maybe I am a rock...