$0.50 / $1.00 Early Morning Fun (Or Lack Thereof)

12/13/2007

I am working right now, and at the same time decided to play a little $0.50 / $1.00 NLHE on FTP at the same time. It is not even 8:30 A.M., and I already have some good hands to post. I am going to be writing this at the same time I am playing, so this post may stretch out over many hours of play, as work has been slow as the doctor's offices and University hospitals I work with are already winding down for the holidays. Doesn't seem too many people want to negotiate contracts during the holiday season. Go figure.

Hand #1
I have been sitting at this table for about 3 orbits, not playing many pots, and stealing just enough to not fall below what I bought in for as I judge the table. This one player, Paxan-63, is not a very good player. He checks way too often when he has a good hand trying to trap, and he calls people down with less than great hands thinking that he is always getting bluffed. And he never stops to think about what he is doing - never considers you may have hit that flush draw, or already have two pair, etc. So this hand came up:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1805201

Needless to say, I was a little upset. I nailed him perfectly for 2nd or 3rd pair, and like a moron he calls me. Only to hit a 5 outer on the end. Beautiful.

Hand #2
The very next hand I played (after I rebought in for the max) was this:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1805207

How beautiful was that. Flop the nut flush, and he checks the turn when he hits his straight to allow me to see a free card on the end to give me the nuts. I did not even have to slow play it to get him to make a move on me. What you cannot see on the hand history is that he took almost no time at all to raise me, nor to call my All-In. He thought I was on tilt, and did not for one second think I could have actually have the nuts, which is exactly what I had.

Hand #3
Well, this luckbox bad player gets tangled with me again. This time I take the beating.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1805211

I don't know how I could have played this any differently. I flop an open-ended Royal Flush draw against a guy who could be betting with as little as middle pair. The fact I was able to just call and not lose more money on this hand actually makes me happy. I still had many outs on the river to nail him, and if I had hit any spade it would have been goodnight nurse for him. As it turns out, as I type this the luckbox is now sitting on almost $400. He nailed a Q on the flop against a guy who overplayed his AK after the flop, and he held AQ. Another $80 uptick for his account on that hit. I just want to be the one he donks his money off to when he doesn't nail his hand and he still bets like he has the nuts. Should happen soon.

Hand #4
Great. I just play my last hand with this fool.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1805217

Not only is this gross that the case J hit the turn, and he outkicked me by one freakin' card, but the worst part is that he leaves the table after this hand. Bye-bye $400 of trying to recoup. The highest stack at the table now is $180, and he seems to be a pretty decent player. This sucks ass.

Hand #5
I am such a donk.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1805226

Enough said. Not breaking news here - someone with Ax flops trip X's when I have a small pocket pair. And I can't let it go. Good for me. Why do I do this to myself?

Hand #6
I cannot believe this.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1805229

I cannot believe this fool called me down with a set with all of the ways he could lose on the end, if not already losing (which he was). So what happens? Miracle fucking card on the end. Such bullshit. I am felted. Again. Down $150 in about 2.5 hours. Bullshit. How the fuck do you call a $24, pot-sized re-raise there with straights and two potential flush draws out there. The last $10 I lost was irrelevant - it was all of the money leading up to the point that was what drives me nuts. Dude min raises pre-flop. He pretty much min bets the flop.

What drives me nuts about this type of hand is that play like this absolutely justifies playing like this going forward. The skills to play Hold 'Em then continues to erode. Now, you would think that is a good thing, right? You want people to play like idiots.

BUT, what happens. They always seem to suck out. At least they seem to do so online. I just don't get it. I don't see how this happens over and over and over again.

As you can tell, I am EXTREMELY frustrated right now. I planned on playing for the entire day. I am so sick right now I might not play again today at all. Fuck this.

Steak