tilted behaviour

The past weekend was absolutely hell!

It all started when I headed up to Melbourne on Friday to catch up with some mates. We grabbed some dinner at the local pub while watching some of the Geelong vs Saints match before going bowling.

Mat and GG spotted James and I twenty pins where each game was worth $0.10 a pin, $0.25 a spare, $0.50 a strike and -$1 a first shot gutter ball. With the adjustment, I won by a few pins followed by GG and James while Mat bowled atrociously and owed us each around the $3 mark before the second game saw us readjust the handicap to give Mat ten pins while GG still spotted us twenty.

Mat bowled slightly better, while both James and I couldn’t replicate our 150-plus score of the previous game as GG really cleaned up by bowling out of his skin as the Saints proved victorious and I missed out on my total points bet by two kicks.

Our next stop was Mat’s house where we decided to play a game of Risk – well a few games of Risk – which, when played between some competitive poker players really brought about some intense strategy as the clock ticked into the wee hours of the night. Once the final game was wrapped up, we played a quick game of Bluff, before having to drive GG home – well to Lynn’s house anyway – as we finally got some sleep around the 4am mark.

Once Mat and I finally awoke around lunchtime, we made our way to Westfield to spend a few hours baby-sitting his sister.

Spending nearly more time in the car looking for a park then wondering the shops, once we finally made our way home we watched Fremantle dispatch of Mat’s beloved Hawks before we made our way to Crown to kill some time before we all headed out for some casual drinks.

This is where my weekend from hell started as I took a seat on a $1-2 NLH table and swiftly made one of those once-in-a-lifetime plays!

Posting in late position, there was a raise to $7 and a call, and I tossed in the additional $5 with 6♦ 7♦. The flop fell Q♣ 5♣ 4♠. The original raiser checked, which was followed by a bet of $15. I called, as did the original raiser before the turn landed the 4♥. Check, bet $20, I call and the original raiser decided to opt out as the 8♦ landed on the river. My lone opponent instantly moved all in and I snap-folded . . . errr what . . . yep I totally misread my hand because in my mind I was looking for only a three or a seven, and when it didn’t come on the river I was always folding. When I announced “I fold” and dropped my cards just in front of me I instantly recognised what I did, but since I had already announced a fold, I didn’t think it was ethical to make up some story while revealing my winning straight. Instead I just dropped my head into my hands, didn’t say a word, and painfully watched my opponent and his K♣ Q♦ rake in the pot.

Several hands later after a limp under the gun, I bumped it up to $11 with A♠ K♠ and was instantly shoved on by the limper for roughly $70. I called it off, and was quite puzzled when he tabled his J♦ 10♥. Although I flopped an Ace, he somehow rolled out a four-card flush to force me to top-up once again. Then just two hands later after two limps, I made it $14 to go with K♥ K♦. Both limpers called, and after the Q♥ 10♥ 8♣ flop landed, the same opponent who held the King-Queen earlier, jammed for $140. I shook my head in a what the hell is going on motion before making the call for my $110 or so. The other player folded, and when the 2♥ fell on the turn, followed by the 8♦ on the river, the appropriately named donkey slammed down his 8♠ 4♠ proudly and grabbed my chips before I could even table my hand or signify that I had lost.

Forced to rebuy once again to be in for $300, I eventually started to see some hands hold as I edged out just a negative $100 session while Mat cleaned up – of course through the donkey on three occasions – before we made our way to Public House to meet up with some of the boys for a friends going-away party. It was there that I had realised that I left a bunch of Crown chips in my pocket – and since I wasn’t planning on being back at Crown for quite a while – was out of pocket a few dollars.

The night of having a few casual drinks and watching some beautiful woman walk past was interrupted by GG and his call for help as he was stranded at some club in the city that wasn’t his thing. Mat and I were getting a little peckish and decide to venture to AC/DC lane to find him and save him for an hour or so. Unfortunately GG wasn’t to interested in deserting Lynn, so we jumped back in the car to make our way to China Bar. Just a block away, GG hailed on us again as Lynn was now all partied out and ready to vacate the club. We did a u-turn and picked them up before tucking into some much-needed food with one of my favourite persons in the world . . . a drunk Lynn Gilmartin!

Burping, spilling food on the table, her lap and into her tea, along with plenty of other stuff saw us enjoy a very entertaining meal before we were informed that the boys had vacated Public House in preference for Blue Bar on Chapel Street; and consequently, that’s where we headed. Unfortunately that was a bad idea as we stood outside being denied entry as the wind continued to hurl and the bouncers continued to be douches. A few minutes waiting for James was quickly trumped by the warmth of the car as we dropped GG and a now asleep Lynn back home.

Sunday was the true day of hell for me as it began with my car not starting.

Mat’s Dad kindly jump-started it for me as I made my way back to Geelong. Once at home, that is where I realised that I had left my laptop power cord at Mat’s place to leave me powerless on the eve of leaving for Sydney.

I then decided to play on PKR for a while and loaded up some 100NL tables where I swiftly lost Queens against Jacks, Ace-King against 88 and Kings against Ace-King. I did manage to stack top set of Aces when I flopped a flush with 2♦ 4♦ as I finish down around $50 or so.

I say around because mid multi-tabling, my connection died and all my tables closed. The reason why? GG had passed on details of how to download Jersey Shore episodes, and consequently my desktop caught a virus that shut everything down. Regardless of what I did, combined with the fix I downloaded to combat the virus, nothing managed to work.

Either way . . . from folding the effective nuts, getting plenty of hands cracked, leaving my charger in Melbourne and conducting a virus . . . it was definitely a weekend from hell!

Growing up in Australian surrounded by Australian friends, there was never a doubt that footy code I would pick up as a little part-haired kid would of course be Aussie Rules Football . . . but times change!

Although I’m still – and always will be – a passionate Western Bulldogs supporter, recent times have seen me switch codes to soccer, or football depending where you live.

This is mainly due to my mates and fellow indoor teammates James and Mat who are huge soccer fanatics and Manchester United fans. Now having them sweat matches as they loyally support the Red Devils, made me get thinking that maybe I should support a team since I tend to follow the sport more regularly nowadays.

When I was younger I use to like Liverpool because Harry Kewell (since he was Australian and all) played for them, but due to him moving to Galatasaray at the same time my interest in the game began to increase, it doesn’t seem appropriate to support them.

There are a lot of players that I enjoying watching in the English Premier League, and picking a team was really difficult, but when Lucas Neill signed with Everton to join fellow Australian Tim Cahill, I found it completely appropriate to latch on and support Everton. Throw in the fact that their star player is Australian and also named Tim, and that my dad lived near their home ground when he was a kid and that their major sponsor is a Thailand beer company . . . did I really need any other reasons to support them?

I may only know a handful of players, and may even get some names wrong (thanks to James for the corrections), but I enjoy watching a team that I can now say I support and consequently can get passionate about.

However saying you support a team is one thing, but wearing their colours proud is another!

Consequently I jumped online the other day and had a look around the Everton Online Store. After spending the good part of half an hour looking at every item for sale, I decided to grab just two items.

Firstly a blue Everton Training Vest to slum around when the weather heats up or use for heading down to the beach or cricket training and secondly a black Everton Training Top to wear on a casual basis. Expecting them to arrive in another week or two, I was pleasantly surprised this morning to see a package on my desk containing two wonderful gifts!

Although they may not be the most highly sought after gear for Everton supporters, I feel that I’ll get the most wear out of these two items . . . and anyway . . . I’m still a noob supporter, because who knows what we’ll see in the future . . . maybe a personalised DUCKWORTH #10 will soon be on order!

It had been a while since I’ve been up to Melbourne – and with a going away ‘party’ and a friend’s 21st – there was no reason why I shouldn’t journey up the highway.

I say ‘party’ because it was actually my mate Oatsy’s farewell APL Tournament at the Veneto Club in Bulleen where he has been the Tournament Director for the last few years.

Driving up to Melbourne I planned to meet James in the city at around 6pm before waiting round for Mat to finish work at 7pm. I found a park on Spring Street and met James at Parliament station before we headed down Collins Street to meet up with James’ new Bec.

We grabbed Mat outside of his work and made our way in peak hour city traffic to the Veneto Club a little late, but thanks to the huge turnout, the event was behind schedule.

James, Mat and I were all bounties for the night and Oatsy introduced us – along with the other few bounties – as we took our seats at our assigned tables.

Luckily for me us bounties started with a 5,000-chip starting bank compared to the other players 3,000 as I got stacked early on. With a few limps ahead of me for 50, I made it 325 to holding A♠ A♥ and was called by both the blinds. The flop fell down J♠ 8♥ 3♥ and I made it 775 to go. The lady in the small blind check-called as the big blind folded to see the Q♠ land on the turn and a check from both of us. The river fell the 2♥ and she fired out 2,000. I shook my head threw in two chips and called out to the Tournament Director for a rebuy as I held my rebuy card up in the air. The lady turned over J♥ J♥ to rake in the pot as I topped up another 2,000.

Mat was out shortly after the first break when he found the old King-high and made his way home to get changed, as I got moved to a table to take up Bec’s seat. I shoved dark a few times before eventually calling off my chips in a three-way all in pot after sweating just the 8♠. My 2♠ to go with it did me poorly after one of the all-ins flopped top set of Jacks as I exited the tournament to now go and sweat James.

We poked and prodded at his continued folding until he finally called off his chips with a dominated A♥ 2♥. Everyone shared a shot with a very wasted Oatsy as we made our way to the city to hit up our 21st party.

Mateusz Pater, Andrew Oataway, Bec Hoult, James Bernard and Brendan White

The original plan was to meet one of my fellow poker friends Michael Palti at the Red Hummingbird on Russell St, but due to some dress code complications, Palti and his entourage were forced to move to the cocktail bar Mai Tai’s just down on the corner.

We began our night with all of us ordering a surprisingly strong mix of Long Island Red Bull’s and Long Island Ice Tea’s as we did what everyone does when consuming alcohol . . . talking shit!

Palti was busy entertaining his friends, but eventually found some time to come talk to us before leaving us to continue chatting on about everything and anything. Another round of cocktail’s followed as Palti and some of his mates headed to Maccas for a late-night snack. We eventually finished our drinks before deciding that Stalactites was our answer to some hunger!

Bec and Mat had never been before, and a fantastic garlic-covered souvlaki later, they had been broken in the Stalactites way!

We called it a night, and after driving Mat and Brendo home, I drove the two lovebirds to the station where James had left his car, and I made my way back to Geelong at the healthy time of 4am . . . now to catch a few hours sleep before cricket!

It has now been nearly ten days since I last played a hand of poker!

“That’s not a big deal” you must be thinking, but for someone that has played some form of poker everyday for the past few years . . . let me tell you . . . it is!

On the flip-side however is that I haven’t once felt the urge to play any form of poker. I may be only one click away from loading up a sit-n-go, about a ten metre walk to over twenty different decks of cards I can fiddle with and about an hour to Crown to get a live fix, but even with all these potential poker distractions, I still haven’t veered off course of staying away from the game for the remainder of 2009.

Friends re-runs, dominating FIFA on my playstation and cricket training have keep me occupied in those boring times of the day, but it is my new addiction to a computerised board game of Risk that has kept my ass glued to my chair and eyes firmly set to conquering the world as poker drifts far far away!

For those of you that don’t know, Risk is a strategic board game released in France in 1957. The primary object of the game is world domination by occupying the world or to complete a mission on a board that is divided up into six continents and forty-two territories. Normally played with an actual board, dice, armies and reinforcements, the computerised version was shown to me by my mate James who introduced me to the original version of the game.

Completely addictive due to its varying nature of scenario’s, dilemmas and strategy needed, there is great personal reward when you can capture the world by owning up to seven computer opposition souls; and in the picture below . . . world domination was an understatement!

He just never stood a chance! C’mon Western Australia . . . FIGHT BACK!

If you have something on your mind, download the game, boot it up, and you’ll totally forget about whatever it was once world domination strategy goes swirling through your head at a 100-miles an hour!

There are about fourteen different officially licenced versions of the game, but I think I might try an add a fifteenth . . . Risk: Shuffle Up and Deal*!

* name needs lots of work

As I drove down the highway this morning, I felt refreshed and prepared to take to the felt for Event 12: $550 Main Event of the Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series.

Stationed right near the bar and toilets I knew my table would break early – and thankfully it would – as I had a few aggressive cash game players along with Sam Higgs, Chris Barrett and Ivan Sop. With a deep structure to the tournament due to its 20,000-chip starting bank and 45-minute levels, I normally accumulate some easy chips early on, but in this case it was very difficult.

During the first level with blinds at 25-50 I played seven hands; winning two and fluffing the remainder with A♦ 6♦, 4♥ 4♦, 9♠ 8♠, 6♦ 4♦ and A♥ K♠ to see me finish the level with a tad over 19,300.

A few hands into the next level our table broke and I was moved about four metres across the room to join a table of what seemed like no-names apart from Karsten Kobbing and Joseph Humunicki. Unfortunately for me, Karsten would pick off a bluff from by raising me on the river. In a limped pot I checked my option holding Q♣ 5♥ to see a 5♥ J♣ 10♠ flop fall and a bet of 300 follow from Karsten as both the blinds and another player checked to him. I decided to represent two-pair and made 1,000 to go; Karsten mulled over a decision for about thirty seconds before making the call. I fired 1,700 when the K♦ fell on the turn and when the river landed a 6♣ I fired for 2,400. Karsten asked for a count and made it 5,500 to go. I toyed with moving all in, but it would have only been an additional 10,000 or so, and he probably would have made the call – later on I talked to Karsten about what he had, and he told me he floated with a pair and a backdoor straight and spade draw and got lucky on the turn; so something like K♠ 10♠ is the most likely holding.

I headed to break with a measly 13,000, but was luckily enough to chip up straight away once play resumed. A player that I had played with many times on a cash game level entered the pot with 750-chip raise, and I defended my 100-chip small blind with 8♦ 8♠. The flop fell Q♦ 10♠ 8♣ and I check-called 1,100 before both of us checked the 2♣ on the turn. The river blanked, and I was pretty sure that he had nothing more than Ace-King or something of that nature where he didn’t hit the board. Consequently I toyed with checking to see if he would bluff, but instead fired out a small bet of 1,700. About a minute later he made the call, I tabled my set, and he mucked as I raked in the pot to move to over 17,000.

Seven hands later I was moved once again – this time fifteen metres and two tables away – to join Jim Mastorakos, Stewart Allen, Eugene Poudel, Jesse Smith and Mat Hawker. Early on I raised A♠ Q♣ to 1,100 after four players limped ahead of me with only one limper – an aggressive cash game player – making the call. I flopped top two-pair and led out for 2,100 hoping to get shoved on as he only had 10k-ish in his stack. Unfortunately he quickly folded and I was back to nearly 19,000.

However I would soon hit two road blocks after Stewart made it 525 to go from early position with only Mat making the call. I bumped it to 2,100 from the cutoff with A♥ K♥, and once Stewart was out of the way, Mat made the call to see a 10♥ 2♣ 6♠ flop fall. Mat led out for 1,500 and I felt that Mat had a pocket pair like Queens or Jacks and I decided to float him with two overs and backdoor hearts. I decided not to raise, as I’m fairly certain he would come along with me. The turn landed the 7♥ and once he checked, I quickly checked behind to see a free river. Unfortunately if landed the J♦ and when Mat fired out 3,000 I quickly mucked and he flashed me a set of rivered Jacks.

The following hand Mat opened to 550 and I made the call holding J♥ J♣, and Stewart joined us also to see a 9♥ 7♥ 5♦ flop land. Stewart checked, Mat bet out 1,100, I raised to 2,600 and Stewart pushed a stack of about 30,000 into the middle. Mat quickly folded to put me with a decision for my last 11,000. I think I only beat a hand like 8♥5h or something like that, but most likely he had two-pair or could even be doing that with something stronger like a set or a straight. It took me about three minutes, but I eventually folded as we jumped into the 100-200 with a 25 ante level. I finished the level with 11,000 and during the break Stewart told us both that he had flopped two-pair in the Jacks hand.

Exactly one orbit into the fifth level the player under the gun opened to 1,100 with blinds at 150-300(25) and after Eugene called, I shipped my additional 9,000 into the pot from the small blind holding A♠ A♥. The original raiser folded and as Eugene deliberated, he said, “I think I’m ahead Tim . . . I call” and flipped over pocket Tens. However, in continuation of the way I’ve been running recently, a ten-ball landed on the flop. I turned a gutshot to the wheel, but alas I was out the door and back on the highway home!

Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series – Main Event Chip Stack Graph

Apart from the bluff I ran against Karsten, I don’t think I did too much wrong, but it just caps off a terrible weak of bad luck and close calls.

Consequently I’ve decided to take some time off playing poker until 2010 – that includes cash games, tournaments, live, online, home games, play money, everything!

Hopefully you guys will stay loyal to Tilted Behaviour as I continue to take a few minutes of your life every time I make a normally useless post!

The car was full, the boot packed and the esky filled with alcohol as I began my drive from Geelong to Doncaster and then to Traralgon for a weekend with the boys.

We ended up leaving Melbourne around 7:30pm once everyone had finished work with three cars including James, Mat, Brendo, myself, James’ brother Adam and his four Irish back-packer mates along with some of James’ soccer buddies.

Arriving at the Monash University Gippsland campus, we all checked into one of the on-campus residential dorms that had six bedrooms for us twelve guys. We settled in, grabbed some food, and began a long night of drinking, kicking a soccer ball up and down the hallway, Bluff and Kings.

After a 4am end to the previous night debauchery we were all woken relatively early due to the soaring heat that seeped into our rooms.

James had to coach a soccer match in Moe – the main reason why we all came down as he gets very very lonely – and had left early along with a full car of followers, while the Irish and Adam began drinking. Mat, Brendo and I headed into Traralgon to grab a pub meal, scoop out what the town had to offer and also let Mat place a bet or seven on the races.

The town, although small, still had everything that we needed as none of us managed to finish our pub meal. Mat was unable to gamble up riches, but still managed to keep some money in his pocket as we returned back to the University to play a six-on-six half pitch soccer match.

The blazing heat continued to beat down on us as the Irish, along with Adam and Brendo, were no match for the ‘home’ team. We all returned back to the dorm to shower and prepare ourselves for a huge night out!

Our first stop was Star Bar and an order of Jagerbombs! We all settled around the pool table as the place was fairly quiet. Eventually the ladies started pouring in – and what surprised us all was the fact that out of the whole place there were only about twenty blokes; with us making the majority of that number up. More and more alcohol began to be consumed as we all hit the dancefloor to show these country-folks what us city slickers are made of.

Probably the funniest part of the night was when I organised a funny photo with James involving two bridesmaids on a Hens night. They both had these blow-up dildo’s and I asked them to spitroast him for a funny Facebook photo.

”Do you want to do him from behind or from the front?”
“I take it from behind, but I won’t give it to you from behind!”

We all burst into laughter and snapped away at scene before making our way to the second stop of the night – Inferno / Saloon Bar.

If any of you have been to Cheers on Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn, then you would know exactly what this place was like. Two different dancefloors with different music, pool tables, multiple bars and a young crowd overfilled with guys. We all went from room to room dancing and drinking the night away before a few of us ended the night early at around 4am.

Waking up around midday to find a few of the boys returning home early due to prior commitments, the rest of us packed up the dorm and grabbed some lunch before making our way back to Traralgon to catch the last match James had to coach for the weekend.

A favourable 3-1 scoreline ended our weekend as the Irish and Adam headed to Phillip Island while James and I made our way back to Melbourne.

It was a surprisingly comfortable night in the car, and once up at around 11am I headed to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre for the second consecutive day to have a shower.

With the annual Shane Warne Foundation Charity Tournament being held at Crown, only two $1-2 NLH tables were in operation once I arrived, and consequently I had to wait nearly ninety minutes to grab a seat. I spent my time waiting round having some lunch and catching up with some friends – mainly tournament supervisors Frank Bianco and Renee Howard.

Once my seat was called I found myself seated next to fellow low-stakes grinder and mate Rob – who had been absent from the recent few weeks of home games as he has been opting to donk off at Crown!

It was yet another terrible session as I was in for $200 within the first hour before winning my first pot and then spent the next few hours doing absolutely nothing with the stack I had in front of me before eventually being in for $300. Rob was on tilt after donking his once $300-plus stack and left as James took a seat on my left (as seen playing poker below . . . maybe it ain’t his forte though).

We had both intended on playing the Aussie Millions Opening Event satellite, but due to my recent run bad I decided to just see what I could make of this third buy-in.

James busted from the satellite early and then proceeded to lose $200 in cash games as my stack had been cut to barely fifty big blinds. I decided to just see it out and try and run it up to $100 or get stacked before grabbing some food and maybe catching a movie before hitting the felt again later that night. With my last $23 I eventually got it in holding J♠ 6♠ after there was a raise to $10 and seven callers. The original raiser called the re-raise before the player on his immediate left pushed all in for over $150. Everyone folded, the original raiser called holding King-Queen to be in horrible shape against the re-raiser’s Kings. The board ran out with two Jacks on it, but when a nine-ball landed on the river to see the King-Queen make a straight I made my way to the rail as I waited for James.

James donked off another $100 and joined my upstairs in the food court to try and get off tilt. I cold drink and plate of rice later I was fine, but James wanted to hit the $5 blackjack tables.

Since I found it hilarious when he lost – as he was betting $5 a hand – I started cheering for the dealer to deal him 20 and himself 21 etc. Down $45, we left the blackjack table only to stumble across a $15 squeeze Baccarat table!

The only difference was that on ties you lost your bet, but if you made eight or nine with three cards you were paid out two-to-one. Following the trait of the last few hours, James dropped $200 after betting on the opposite to everyone else just so he could squeeze and then slowroll all of us slanty eyes.

He made his way downstairs while I remained trying to get unstuck. All I could manage however was a $50 profit after hitting nine in three cards on my last squeeze.

Returning downstairs I found James on a $2-3 NLH table, and once the seat on his immediate right freed up after a half hour of sweating him I decided to fill it.

Half an orbit would past until I was in the big blind and then proceeded to go on a mini-heater and win the next four pots. After James had straddled I flopped top pair holding King-Jack and found two streets of value, before check-calling three streets next hand holding King-Queen after flopping top pair on a straight and flushing board. The third hand saw my tens holding up against Ace-nine on a nine-high board, and my King-Queen managed to win another pot on the fourth hand after again flopping top pair.

Sitting with over $450 in front of me after my initial $200 buy-in, I decided to call it quits for the night after an orbit went by. This may have been a stupid decision but over the past few weeks every losing session has seen me profit on my first buy-in before getting stacked – and after the roller coaster of a week I have had I decided just to pocket the profits and return to Geelong.

All in all it was a huge week for me (sarcasm detector soaring) as I profited a whopping $90 after playing seven sessions over three days . . . sigh . . . what a waste of time . . . but least I didn’t lose!

A new week and another trip up the highway to play some cards!

Once I arrived at Crown at around lunchtime I sat down on a new $1-2 NLH table and gambled with my first $80 holding K♥ 10♥ against Aces, Kings and some random holdings on a board that ran out King-high.

I eventually ran my rebuy up to around $130 before opening to $6 with 9♣ 9♥ and after getting two callers, got a further two streets of value on a board of 10♦ 9♦ 6♣ 7♥ A♠ before Mat arrived after work and took a seat on my table. Just before we were due I was dealt 9♠ 8♠ and raised to $11 after two limpers. Both limpers called along with another player to see a flop of 9♦ 7♦ 10♣ fall. One limper fired out $15 and I made it $45 to go. Two calls later and the 6♠ on the turn saw me move all in with only one player making the call holding 4♦ 3♦. The river bricked out and I cashed out $271 as both Mat and I made our way to Brendo’s home game.

We were expecting thirteen-odd players, but as home games normally run, there were a few empty promises and just the normal group of guys turned up to fill the table.

I played terrible and was in for three buy-ins before managing to claw back a buy-in and some as the night wound up after playing five-handed for the last hour or so.

Mat was in the first week of his new 9-5 job, and even though he let me crash at his place in his bungalow, I was unable to access his shower and therefore had to think of an alternate mean of cleaning.

I jumped in my car and drove to the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Albert Park to use the change rooms there. With RMIT holding their exams, it was completely packed with university students doing some last minute cramming before sitting down at a desk for a couple of hours. With both the basketball and badminton change rooms closed due to the exams, I made my way to the pool check-in and explained that I had been directed there – consequently avoided any admission fees!

Once clean and refreshed I made my way to Crown just before midday to hit the felt of a $1-2 NLH table.

Two hands stood out on my way to another losing session. Firstly after building my stack to around $185 I was dealt 9♥ 9♦, and was run down by A♣ 7♣ on a 5♣ 5♥ 2♣ 3♣ A♥ board.

Secondly I was dealt 10♠ 9♠ and opened to $6, and after finding two callers including the big blind, led out for $11 on a K♥ Q♣ 8♠ flop. One call, one fold and the J♦ fell on the turn followed by a $25 bet from me. Again my opponent made the call to see the 7♠ land on the river. I had a sick feeling (don’t laugh) that he may actually have Ace-Ten, but I really couldn’t miss any value and decided to bet $55. My opponent instantly moved all-in, and having only $25 behind, I made the call being sick to my stomach. Of course he rolled over A♥ 10♦ and I was forced to rebuy once again.

Down $200 I cut my losses and my way to our indoor soccer match in Doncaster where we triumphed once again in the first game of the season. With a scoreline of 17-10 of thereabouts I was only able to contribute a solitary goal from one attempt after spending most of my time in defence.

Even though James didn’t play, he joined us at Mat’s house where we spent some time recovering and playing this board game called Bluff.

Basically you start with a cup of five dice, roll the dice in the cup and reveal them in secret. The first player then bids on how many of a particular number have been rolled. For example if I said there were five three’s then there would have to be five three’s out of the fifteen dice in play. If a player thought I was bluffing, then would reveal all our dice. If they were correct I would lose one of my dice and we would continue playing. If they didn’t think I was bluffing they would up-the-bet by announcing five of a greater number or six of any number and so forth. The game is decided when your opponents have lost all their dice and you are determined the winner – of course there are a few more intricate rules but there is no need to explain them at this point in time.

We played until about 2am or so with James owning our Bluff souls! Mat hit the hay, James returned home and I ventured back to Crown for another session.

Once back at Crown I sat down at a $1-2 NLH table once again and pushed my $80 buy-in into $200. I basically grinded it up slowly before dropping a huge chunk of it before running a bluff. With a raise to $12 ahead of me and a few callers, I made the call holding A♠ 5♠ to see a flop of 7♦ 6♦ 3♠ fall and the original raiser fire out $20. Having $135 in my stack I made a raise to $55 as I firmly put this guy on Ace-King/Queen etc and felt that he would fold his two overcards – but if not I still had my guttaball as outs. After about three minutes in the tank he folded and I was back to $200.

Another orbit went by and I decided to cash out and take a break for a little while as I made my way upstairs to the smoking terrace where there was actually a nice breeze and no smokers to bother me.

I took my seat on another $1-2 NLH table with $80 and found it to be the most aggressive I had witnessed in a while. A player to my left would continuously open to $40 or $50 and continuation bet $50 to $100. When I arrived he had around $500 on him, and after about twenty minutes he had gifted it to everyone on the table apart from me. Then in a raised pot of $10 I held A♠ J♠ and check-raised all in against him on a J♥ 2♥ 2♦ board only to find him holding 6♣ 2♠.

Sigh! I rebought, but before I could take him on, he hadn’t gifted a further $200 to everyone and was on his way out the door. My rebuy would eventually be run up to over $300 after firstly turning top two in a multi-way pot and then rivering a straight and having an opponent bluff into me.

I decided to call it quits as the sun began to rise, and since I was in the city I decided to take residence in my car for the night . . . yes I am complete degen . . . and what made it worse that I did it last week and was even more prepared this week with a pillow, sleeping bag and some trackie pants to sleep in!