A Tale of Two Wins

30 APR 07

Saturday nights at the Muckleshoot are a raucous affair. Buckle your seatbelt and hang on. I start out at 4/8, double up, and get to 10/20 where the deck absolutely clobbers me in the head. This is a game with a half-kill, meaning after you win two in a row, you have an automatic post of $15 and the next hand is 15/25. If you win, you post again and this repeats until you lose.

I won 9 in a row.

After 30 minutes, I was up over $1100. The whole table was commenting about it. I tried to make light of it, but it’s clear they weren’t happy. Unfortunately, I didn’t adjust for the fact that I put the table on tilt and caused everyone to draw to everything.

I ended the night up only $200.

Fast forward to last night and I get stuck playing 3/5 NL. I lose a buy-in pretty quickly, but a succession of good reads and good hands has me up a little when the following hand comes up. I’ve got Q6 in the big blind in an unraised pot with 6 limpers. The flop has a six, two overs and two hearts. I check and it checks around to one player who bets $15 into this $35 pot. I make a loose call as do 5 others. The turn is a Queen, giving me top and bottom pair. I bet $55. This is a mistake and prices in all draws, including the small blind, who I am certain is playing two middle hearts. He has shown about 5 bluffs up to this point and proudly dumps is craps cards in the middle for all to see. He’s bluffed me out of two pots already.

The river is my dream card – the Queen of hearts. I have the full house. He has the flush.

Now, several players were “playing friendly” up to this point. Checking the nuts. Honestly advising another player to muck a losing hand and showing – that kind of stuff. Gee – thanks guys! Well, I looked at this guy, who checked to me, and I acted up a little bit. “Aw, man. Did that make your flush?”

I grab a bunch of random red chips and dump them over the line. He quickly calls and starts cursing me even before he gets the money out there. I can’t even repeat anything he said. I honestly thought we were going to have to call security.

Sorry guys,* but at the table, you are not my friend. Sure, we’ll laugh and joke, but I’m there to get your money.

Anyway, back to the point of this post. Both nights I walked away up $200. Which night would you rather have?

* I’m not really sorry.

Oh yeah- to the inevitable comment from my wife. I get it. I should have walked away the first night when I was way up.