Holding your ground

Tonight's game was essentially a wash for me (actually a $3 loss, but that's okay given a $20 buy-in). The unfortunate drawback of planning your strategy around loose opponents, intending to play solid, straightforward poker is that if you cannot maneuver your way into a solid spot or pick up some good cards, you are going to be hard pressed to take the chips. If the players are impossible to bluff, you must have a hand. I was unable to find one for most of the night.

That being said, the opportunity to earn was definitely there, and will definitely be there for a while. The game tonight was actually better in many ways than the game last Friday. At one point there were nine people at the table, which is great, and they mostly shared a similar style. I think I'm beginning to get a better feel for the way my opponents in this game play, particularly those who were there both weeks. I think that if I had to describe them I'd say that preflop, most everyone in that game is a calling station. Play is in fact marked by its loose passivity if nothing else. It would seem like with everyone playing stacks of just 40 big blinds (BB), the action would be forced somewhat, but players will routinely make calls they shouldn't make (especially preflop), along with raises that are way too small.

In fact, I saw one player in particular make a play like that which I wanted to discuss. Fivehanded (four players had already cashed out and left at this point), everyone had called around to him in the big blind, and he raised - the minimum! I really don't like that raise. Everyone has already called for $0.50, making the pot $2.50. Even if I'm next to act after the big blind, once he raises the pot is offering me 6:1. What can I fold here? As I discussed earlier, there's a lot of calling before the flop and not much raising, so I know most likely everyone's just going to call and see it. So, he's essentially just doubling the pot out of position, with what is likely a hand that wants to see the flop against only one opponent (or why not just take the $2.50?). The player in question made this play at least three times throughout the night against multiple limpers. I think the raise has just got to be larger, maybe even more than the pot. If it's not worth the raise , why not just see a flop for free? I actually can't think of a hand that would make that raise, except maybe KQ suited, which I suppose doesn't mind multiple callers (still better not to be out of position, though..).

As I said earlier, I didn't get very many hands tonight, but am not going to get too bent out of shape about it. I do think there's such a thing a self-activated tilt when a player stops seeing good hands for what seems like hours and starts either playing mediocre hands too strongly or making optimistic calls, and I was probably guilty of that in at least two or three hands tonight. However, I excercised pretty good damage control, given the cold cards and the tough beats I took.

Lee, who placed third overall in last year's Monday night games, played tonight with us as well, and finished up $24, adding to his 50-50 1st/2nd split with me from the night of the 4th.

Also, ileuce from FullTilt won a 250pmc 90-entrant tournament tonight! (see Playing for "fun"). Congratulations!

Tonight's Bad Beat Story

BrixtonGuns: 88 Trey: 77

Flop: Q 2 2 Turn: 4 River: 7

(This one cost me $9 or $10)