Day 3: Step Back

Yesterday, Thursday October 26th, I really didn't plan on going and playing. Wednesday night I stayed up all night playing and went straight to work. Work was a struggle but to be honest I pulled a lot of all-nighters in college and now I can manage them. I did take a 10 minute nap in my car after lunch.

Towards the end of the day a friend of mine at work (Viet) asked me if I wanted to go to Hustler Casino with him. I told him if he's willing to go to Hollywood Park, I would join him. So we agreed and headed to HP after work.

I got there about ten minutes before Viet and put my name on the 100 NL and 200 NL lists, as HP was packed today because of a 100k guaranteed tournament going on upstairs. I was immediately seated at a 100 NL table and my first hand was dealt 44 in middle position. I called the $3 blind, as did six players. The flop came Q94, beautiful. One player bet $15, I called, hoping that the diamond flush wouldn't hit (slow playing and hoping the flush doesn't come.. possibly a bad move) and on more player called. The turn was the dreaded 3 of diamonds, bringing the flush. The early position caller came out and bet $25. I actually put him on a flush but with the pot at $$60, I felt the $25 bet was weak and if he doesn't have the flush, I have the best hand. If he does, I still have a draw to the full boat. So I called. The river was a wonderful 3, giving me fours full of threes. He actually checked the river and I went all-in for my remaining 57. He only had about 60 left also and he made the call, showing Kd2d. First hand and I more than doubled up.

Almost as soon as that hand was over I was called for the 200 table, so I moved right away and now was essentially paying 100 (for the day) to play the 200. I caught a flush draw on my first hand and lost about 60 chasing it with three people in the pot. Within about 10 hands my stack dwindled to about 60. I had 7-8 in middle position and called a $15 raise after two people called before me. The button also called, as did the small blind. The flop came 7-8-K and I went all-in. I got one caller and more than doubled up to about 160 or so. The very next hand I received KK. At this point I'm certain that to the table I seem to be a very loose, wreckless player. I raised to 15 and two people called. The big blind, who is a fairly tight-aggressive player, re-raised to 45. At this point I was thinking "Perfect" and I went all in. Everyone folded and he insta-called and furiously flipped over AA. I didn't catch and lost the hand.

The night started to go uphill from there and I ran my stack to 1000 (with a buy-in of 400) but I really think my fatigue set in and my stack started getting chopped down. One hand that really hurt was I had K-10 and the board was 7-8-9-J and I bet 30. A player who I tagged as very tight went all-in. I thought for a while and folded, putting him on Q-10. He said "good fold" and showed 7-7. He didn't even see the straight on the board and I could have doubled here to about 800. Pretty sorry lay down by me.

Three hands later I caught AA and raised to 20, four callers. Flop comes J-9-2. I bet 40 and a guy goes all-in for 150. I call and someone else calls. I ended up with the third best hand as the raiser had 22 and the caller made a gutshot with K-10. Overall I think I started off playing really well but fell apart as the night went on. I was at the casino from 7 to midnight and had a few buddies there.. Viet (lost 50 at 2/4 L), Matt (lost xxx? at 4/8 L) and Pete (won 450 at 200 NL). Some chick that I have seen before gave me her number so that was funny. She's a poker-obsessed first-grade teacher, probably about my age and I would say she's about a 7.

Another thing about this night was that the whole time I was playing my (ex) girlfriend was texting me because she found some picture of me online at a party and I had my arm around a girl. The girl was my best friend's girl friend's best friend and my ex claimed it was a date, which was wrong. So she was saying that the picture was taken while we were together and that I was on a date, which was extremely fictional and kind of aggravating while I was playing.

So after today, my numbers are as follows:

Last night
100 NL: +130
200 NL: -530
Overall: -400

To date:
40NL: -100
100NL: +30
200NL: +1932
Overall: +1862