I Am John's Stomach Pains.

On The Precipice of Mediocrity, Teetering

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

One Night with Holz On Tilt  

So last night was my weekly Texas Hold-Em poker game with friends. The game changes homes quite a bit, has about 6 plays a week, and is usually either $5 or $10 buy-in, winner take all game. Now, this is the exact opposite of "high stakes", if one loses more than 10 bucks in a night, it's a surprise. In fact last night we only got one $5 game in, running nearly 3 hours. It's really just a reason to hang out and try and improve one's game for the higher stakes casino games.

Now, the problem is, I have been sucking hard-core as of late. Hard. Core. It's been over a month since I left on the positive side, and even that was fairly light. I've been getting my clock cleaned quite a bit, and last night was no exception.

Now, I like to think of myself as an okay player. I know the odds. I'll play some risky pockets into the flop and get out if I don't have anything. I've even dropped pocket K's when I knew I had to. But the truth is, I'm a gambler, and I love to play the long odds, especially when I shouldn't. I'll chase a flush and a straight, when all logic tells me my opponent has me beat.

My final hand last night revealed another fault in my play: I'm extremely gullible when it comes to bad players. One in particular, who I'll call Kernel, who has beaten me more times than I can believe. I'll set up the hand for you.

There are three of us playing, I'm on the button, Kernel's the small blind, and a third player Got-Love is big. Since I'm on button with three players, I go first, and I have 8-9 offsuit in my hand. We're all pretty even so I see the blind and raise, just to make the blinds commit. Kernel sees my raise, as does Got-Love, and the pot is good. Flop comes: J-10-4. With my 8-9, I've got an open-ended straight draw, and with the betting earlier, I'm planning on going All-In once it gets to me. Of course, since I have the button, I gotta wait.

Now, Kernel starts up with his whining and moaning about how late it is, which he's been doing for the past half-hour, and stating he wants to go home and sleep. So then he goes All-In, and being the chip leader, this will push both Got-Love and I to call with all our chips. It's Got-Love's turn, and he folds, so it comes to me. Now, the right move, odds wise, is for me to fold as well. The pot isn't that big, and really, if I fold, he'll still have to stay. But the straight was calling me, and I'm thinking he's going all in by matching up a four with a high kicker, and he honestly is tired. So, I call the All-In and take my chances.

He flips over pocket Mother-Fucking Aces.

I couldn't believe it. Not only did he simply call a measly raise pre-flop, but his All-In was really a stupid move to basically steal some paltry blinds, and some loose chips. Couldn't. Fucking. Believe it.

Suffice to say, the turn comes with no help, and then he rivers another Ace to trip me out. And once again Holz is kicked out due to overzealousness. The only solace I can take is that even with a huge chip lead, he was knocked out like five minutes later after a one-two punch of an A-J vs. an A-10 all in, then losing to pockets aces himself on the following turn.

posted by Holz | 2:46 PM | Rant & Rave, Bitches! (2)

2 Comments:

Between you and Wil and the rest of the yanks... What is this recent obsession with poker?

blu-blah blah flaven "Call".

What??

By Blogger Manchild, at 7/08/2004 4:55 AM  


"Between you and Wil and the rest of the yanks... What is this recent obsession with poker?"

Yeah, Wil's post yesterday made me decide on blogging on poker, and seeing as I had a good losing story, thought it would work. Personally, I love gambling, always have, and Texas Hold 'Em is the best kind gambling there is. Most other games are games of chance, Texas is all strategy.

"Did you learn nothing from Lauren Graham? You need to giggle a lot and play dumb. "

Damnit! That's what Kernel was doing! If I didn't know better, I may guess everyone at the table is being played...

"have any pictures of David Copperfield handy?"

No, but I do have a rubber chicken I used to bring to games and then stopped... come to think of it... I began losing when I stopped bringing the chicken.

By Blogger Holz, at 7/08/2004 9:13 AM  


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Right Now I'm Probably...
Watching:
Lost, Heroes, 24, Criminal Minds
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The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
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Final Fantasy XII
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Comic Quote of the Week
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"You took mine."


Wesley and Angel, Angel: After The Fall #15



Who Am I?
Name: Holz
Home: Sonoma County, California
About Me: I'm a comfortador.
See my complete profile

AKA:
Ozymandias, DrOzymandias, Darth Angelus, Darque Feonix, Trip McNeely
Kicking ass for:
29 years
Job:
UWing Systems Design Specialist
Walking Theme:
Believe It Or Not by Joey Scarbury
Most watched movie:
The Princess Bride
Most read book:
The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King


Where Do I Go?
Blogs I Will Most Likely Steal Ideas From
The Past
Some of My Favorite Entries
"Let a man get away with fuckin' you once, you stay bent over so's he can fuck you again whenever he damn well pleases. An' if one man can do it? Another will too. An' another, an' another still. So's being fucked, that's yer life. 'Til who you were, you ain't. 'Cause all you are is an asshole."
100 Bullets #42