Badger Poker...Steaming

Sometimes you get a bad beat and go out quickly. Other times you get the bad beat, start to steam, make a move and get very lucky. I did the latter last night at the HAND. It helped me work my way back to a workable stack, but in the end, one bad move knocked me out. It was deja vu when I sat down. There was Tigers hat, Gonzo, Granny, and WG. It felt just like Monday night! Then Twins fan and his lady joined the table as did Tigers hat's wife. Smoker chick sat to my left and Pierced Eye was 3 to my right to round out the table. Except for a brief time on Monday, I had experience with everyone at this table. I felt my feel on these players was pretty damn good so I was looking for to some good play.

Things got out to an interesting start. Got sixes on the first hand and limped on in. Called 500 on the flop but folded the turn. 3 overcards were too much. Second hand I limp again with K Q just to fold to an A high flop. From there I didn't play much for the next half hour. There wasn't much action at the table. Gonzo was playing every hand, winning a bunch of small pots. He commented that he would win the small ones and then lose the big ones. Sure enough if he didn't dump a good pot to Pierced Eye on a flush. Four cards to the flush on the board and he called it down with his straight. Everyone knew she had it too. I should have paid more attention to this. Instead I read it the wrong way.

I limped in with A J from the small blind. Smoker Chick bumped it 500 from the BB. Gonzo and I both called. Flop came J 7 8, two diamonds. It checked around. Turn was another diamond, the 9. I had the A of diamonds as well as a gut shot straight draw. I bet out here to show I had caught my flush. Smoker Chick folded as a good player would. Gonzo thought about it and finally called. River was the Q of spades. I bet out 2500 to once again show I had the flush. Gonzo called quickly and showed K Q. He called all that with absolutely nothing and sucked out on the river. I was pissed. Twins fan gave me the WTF look. There must have been smoke coming out of my ears as I was steaming. Suddenly I was down to only 4k left.

A couple hands later I saw 8 8 and pushed. Yeah, I was on tilt. Two others had limped in so it seemed as good as any time to push. I was happy to get out of there if I lost. Tigers hat thought about it and folded. He was pretty sure he knew what I had (I have a good rep with him. I don't think he can read me at all). It came around to the first limper, Pierced Eye who said this was the best hand she had all night. She called my 4000 bet. But then WG, the other limper, went over the top. Oh shit! I knew I was in trouble now. PE called his bet as well with A x. WG had pocket rockets. I got up to go as Tigers hat flipped the flop. I nice red 8 was the first card I saw. No A came and I tripled up. Got lucky while steaming! Not bad.

A couple of hands later, WG pushed UTG for 5300. I looked down to see J J. I thought about it for a while and counted out my chips. If I called, I would have around 7500 to play with. With plenty of time to go, I decided he didn't have an overpair. I placed him on an A only, especially since he was down and had resigned himself to playing the second chance table. I called. Pierced Eye went for the ride too. WG showed A 7 and PE showed A 3. He called for an A. He got the A on the flop. But along came a J and I knocked both of them out. At the first break, I was sitting right around 24k. Not bad.

But the second session was pretty rocky. I gave 5k to Twins fan's girl when I tried to limp with Q J hearts. Flop came J 10 7 all diamonds. I bet it out but she called. Turn was an A so now I had the straight draw as well. River was a rag. She bet out 2k and I gave the crying call. She showed her A. Actually she had A K hearts so I was in trouble from the start. I tried to limp on other hands to no avail. Towards the end of the second session I would rebound a bit but only after I realized how much I had bled out. I was in the big blind when the bet was raised to 4000 by Tigers hat. Gonzo called. I looked down to see A K off. I thought of the hands Tigers hat had raised in the past and made my move. I went all in. He called for a chip count. I had 12800. He had me covered. What? I realized how much I had given away and was bummed. Gonzo thought and folded. Tigers hat showed K 9 suited. He had no help and I doubled up. Next hand I got A K again and knocked him out. I was back in the game again.

But in the third session, Tigers hat's wife (THW)started to run the table. Worse yet, she wasn't showing many cards. She used her big stack well. I bled some chips out on 10 10 to her. Flop came A high and I mucked her 3k bet. She was constantly raising and picked on the small stacks really well. I got blinded down a bit when they moved more players in. With blinds at 2000/4000 and about to go up, I made my bad play of the night. A new guy with a healthy stack of chips raised UTG + 1 to 8k. I looked down and saw K 8 suited. It folded around to me and I decided to defend the blind. I called to see a flop of 2 2 A. He checked as did I. Turn was an A. He checked again. Now I thought that maybe he just had a king high and was using his stack to buy the blinds. I bet 4000. He pushed all in. I knew I was beat but felt pot committed. I called with my last 8k or so. He showed A K and I was drawing dead. Well played. I should have checked it down and just folded to a bet. But with blinds about to go up again, I felt I need to do something. What a bad decision.