It's funny how a bad beat brings you back. So last night there was an online benefit tournament for Bad Beat on Cancer so I decided to enter the $5 + $5 double stack tourny. The first hour looked pretty good which a quick double-up with my set against a flush draw with one card to come. And then, there was the quick demise.

A few hands where I took some hits and now I sat with 3,900 in chips with blinds at 60/120. Still plenty of play. I'm in the Big Blind when UTG goes all in for 960. Middle position calls and the rest fold to me... I have Jacks. So I weigh my two options. I decide to jam. Middle position auto-calls for half his/her chips stack. Flips 6's. I have no idea what Mr. All In had... I was too mesmerised to look when I saw the 6 hit the flop. Am I wrong to be pissed? How do you call off half your chips with 6's? Did he/she think I was pushing with a pair of 5's? Even if we just had overcards... he's still only around 30%. Grr... anger.

And did I mention I dropped a load of cash when Phil Gordon was visiting? Chinese Poker is the devil's game. It's insulting how quickly he can set his hand and scoop me ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME. Towards the end I was taking too long so he'd just pick up my hand and set it for me. I should have continued that way... those were the few times I was able to salvage a meager win. And there was no Surrender. It was a complete bloodbath.

So anyway, I haven't been back to play at the Sporting Emporium since my last post. It isn't even anger anymore. I've just been really busy. Plus I got a bike (which got stolen already, but it's OK cause I bought another one), so I spend most my weekends riding around town. I have my design classes during the week and work is pretty hectic so I really just haven't had the time. I'm starting to feel the itch though. Soon maybe. Perhaps my vacation away from the table will do some wonders for my concentration.

I've been meaning to put aside a moment to write in my blog to talk about poker for a bit. How well I've been doing (cash game, not tournament) but it seems I finally have found the time, but I have no desire to write anything about poker. No, I think I'm taking a break for a while.

This evening, after going to a few bars with a friend of mine, we found ourselves at the Sporting Emporium for some blackjack. After a few shoes, I was even and my friend decided to go home so I headed up to the poker floor. But wait a second, let me give you some back story:

On a few occasions at the Sporting Emporium I've gotten into some problems. Sometimes I'm mouthy, it happens. Once a guy tried to kiss my at the blackjack table, I politely pushed him away but he grabbed me and I ended up digging my pinkie into his eyeball as I pushed his face away from me a second time. That's when I got labeled a "bitch".... they were only "trying to have fun" but if a girl doesn't want to be touched, then that should be respected. The guy wasn't thrown out and was told to "play nice" even though I had to sit through the next 2 shoes listening to his friends dog me until I finally got up an left. No wait, this is going somewhere...

There have been several occasions with complete drunken idiots hassling me that I've just had to deal with because the Sporting Emporium seems to refuse to throw anyone out... no matter how drunk, as long as they're spending money. I'm spending money too, but I guess my money doesn't matter. I'm just establishing pattern here. I've grown accustomed to the treatment.

So last Saturday I'm at the Sporting Emporium playing No Limit and a guy comes over to the table and tries to sit in the seat my boyfriend has locked up... he's being a dick, my boyfriend argues with him... eventually it gets settled. Well, this guy is a real piece of work and just continues to be a real dick all night... I got in a few jabs here and there cause I don't like seeing my boyfriend hassled... and well, I like being mouthy. Anyway, later on that night as I'm about to cash in my chips, I run into The Dick in the hallway and he SMACKS MY ASS. I looked him dead in the eye and said "Don't fucking ever touch me" and laughed it off as "ha ha, silly girl"... whatever. I didn't bother going to the floor because A. I was leaving anyway and B. they've never done anything for me in the past so why would this time be any different?

So that brings me to tonight. I went out tonight and had a great time. I'm all dressed up with my hair all done and for the first time in a year I really got out with friends and had a good evening. I head up to the poker room and end up at the No Limit table opposite The Dick. He starts in with the whole "oh this girl doesn't like me..." blah blah to the whole table and I said, "Yea, because you smacked my ass last week." Mistake. He's like "no I didn't, I smacked your little boy's ass" (boyfriend) and stress here that he said LITTLE... oh, this is going to go bad. So my boyfriend overhears him and says "No, you hit her ass" and he's like "oh, your right, I did" and gives my boyfriend a High Five. ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? IS THIS EVEN HAPPENING?
The guy continues to talk at the table... saying things about how girls like to have their ass smacked and how he's sure I enjoyed it, but I'm not going to get another one even if I beg... on and on and on. Now, I don't know if guys understand this or not, but this is COMPLETELY DEMEANING. Who the fuck are you to talk to me, or any woman, this way? I'm sitting at a poker table with 9 guys all having a laugh.. not because of some donkey ass play (which I totally respect having a laugh at my expense) but laughing at my suspect sexual proclivity? What? If I was a guy, would we be having this conversation? Would I be asked how I liked to do it? How I wanted it?

I tried to shake it off... tried to laugh it off... but it got to the point that it was just enough, I told the dealer to tell the guy to shut his fucking mouth and called the floor. He was asked to shut up but that didn't help him muttering under his breath. I didn't want to think he got the better of me... but I just felt like garbage. I just don't even want to go back there. I feel so dumb. I feel worthless. I don't think guys understand what it feels like at times to be completely demeaned in front of a bunch of people. People you "have" to face again. I guess not if you don't go back. Sporting Emporium is the only place I go to play poker, so I guess I take a break for a while.

Blackjack is the new Poker

Oh, I can't even remember anymore what it was I was bloggering about before this post, so let's start fresh, shall we?

Poker has been dead to me for many a week now. I've been playing blackjack regularly a few days a week for the last month or so, and dare I say I am rather hooked. Oh, mock me if you will. It's a game of luck, there's no skill, it's boring, yadda yadda yadda.

A. It may be a game of luck for the most part but you've never seen the donktastic players at the Sporting Emporium poker room. After the last tournament where Q3 suited went all in against me THREE TIMES by TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE and WON ALL THREE TIMES... well, you lose a little piece deep inside every time. Eight deuce suited. Etc, etc, etc. Oh, and here's a popular one... when people bust out they like to rebuy in and just throw all the money in on the next hand hoping to win with any garabage they've been dealt. It's just annoying... there's not "game" there... it's just a complete gamble crapshoot.

B. There is a little bit of skill involved in Blackjack. You have to memorize a chart and be able to add and subtract numbers in your head... while drinking. Oh, and talk and be sociable to those sitting around you. Ok, I don't need to be sociable cause I'm a bitch, but under normal circumstances, most people would at least acknowledge other people around them exist. And as far as skill in poker... please see point A.

C. And lastly, it's NOT boring. I get to play every had. And I have a limited amount of money to lose. In poker I have to sit there like a good little girl and wait for a "good" hand. I can't help it, I need the attention, I like to be where the action is. And ya know, winning a bunch of money is definitely NOT boring.

Oh, and I forgot to mention another large contributing factor of my turn away from regular poker to blackjack... at the Sporting Emporium they do not serve alcohol on the poker floor. However in the blackjack area, that alcohol runs fast and heavy... and free. Yum.

Busted

Why do I even pretend that I'm a "good" poker player. I'd like to think I'm better than average... I mean, just being in Ireland for the last 6 months has shown me just how many god awful players there are sitting down at the table. Yes, I'd like to think I'm better than them. Well, I like to think I'm better than most people generally, but this isn't the blog for that. Anyhow...

I went over to the Sporting Emporium to play their single rebuy scalp tournament. I made it about 5 levels and busted out just after the break. On a completely shit hand, so I'll spare you the story. I just feel really unfocused lately. I feel like I'm letting my ego involved too much. I just don't know where to start over from...

This Saturday I think I'm going to try again... hopefully I'll learn some patience.

Irish Open

So, I think my boyfriend is getting sick of my constant angst centered around my lack-luster poker performance lately... mind you, I've never been all that good.... but I'm really trying this time. I swear. So I thought... well, why not just complain to everyone and no one all at once in a nice tidy little blog... and so we begin.

The Irish Open is being held at the Burlington Hotel about 3 blocks from my apartment, so Saturday evening I walked down there to play in some cash game action. The waiting list for the 50 and 100 euro NL tables were rather lengthy, so I opted for the 250 NL table. Blinds were 2/5 with a 10 euro straddle. I bought in for 400. Here we go...

First hour was really slow and I had shit cards, which was good, since I wanted to observe the table. It was an extremely loose table and it was normally about 25-50 euro to see a flop. I started picking up some hands and started raising and re-raising the pots. This always messes most guys up in the head at the table because the normal image for a female player is tight/passive. Or at least that's my perception of their perception of me. So they're not sure how to play. I think. Anyway... moving on.

For a solid hour I never had to show down a hand and had doubled up to 800. Oh, how the boys at the table knew me so well. They tried to give me some lessons. Like the hand I made a loose call in early position with 7h-8h. The raise was to 50 or 55 with my straddle on, so I called off the additional 40 with my suited connector and picked up another limper along the way. Three in the pot, which was about 200 euro. Flop came Jh 2h 6s. I come out with a bet of 250. It's risky, but I figure I have a flush draw to back me out just in case. First guy folds and the original raiser goes into the tank. Yadda yadda yadda. He's got a flush draw and he really wants to call but he doesn't have a pair yet... yadda yadda. So he folds. Yay, win. And 3 guys sitting next to me are all like "it was so obvious you hit a set of jacks... you should have checked and then had him bet and raise him... you're never going to win any money that way..." Yea boys, you've got me pegged.

But let's get to the part of the story where I leave the table broke. So there's 3 defining hands. These hands are open for opinion and speculation, although please remember I'm playing at a pretty loose table:Middle position with A-10o, I raised to 20 and got about 5 callers (sometimes I like to raise a small amount because I know SOMEONE will raise the pot regardless of what they have and I don't want to call with my hand. Plus I know if I get re-raised I definitely am mega-beat). So the guy in seat 9 says "this is as good as it gets" as he called my raise... so keep that in mind. The flop is A-2-2 and I check (I am first to act). It checks around. Turn is a 7. I bet 75 and everyone folds except for seat 9 who calls. River is a 6 and I bet 125. Seat 9 raises to 275. Practically a min-raise. Fuck. He had A-2 suited... he flopped a boat. Honestly though, let's forget it was A-10, it could have been AK and faired the same... where is the mistake here? I think it was on the flop for not coming out with a bet (thinking I was slow-playing... LOL) because if I got called on the flop, I definitely would know I was either splitting the pot... or very very behind.

Every time there was a 10 euro straddle, the same crazy swede would raise almost every pot. Most pots I would re-raise and he would fold (I always had a hand at least). So this time he raises the pot to 25 euro, I look down at Qs and re-raise to 75 euro to get some more people out of the pot. I noticed when I raised that he shut his eyes, like saying, "i can't believe this bitch is raising me again". It comes back to him, he had about 350/400 euro total and pushes all in. I thought about it... I just didn't think he'd give me that look when I said 'raise' if he had As or Ks so I called. He had A-K. Flopped the King. Oh well. But here's the question... could I have folded there. Meaning, if you know you can win smaller pots... do you really want to put 300 euro on a coin-flip (say if you knew it was a coin-flip) or do you just fold and pick another spot. I mean, the correct play is to call there... but I guess I'm just asking a general question of "what would you do in similar situations?"

The last hand. It was dumb. I limped in first position with As waiting for a raise. There was no raise and there was 5 people in the pot. The flop was 8-9-3 and I bet 25 euro (size of pot). I got 2 callers. Turn is a 2, and I bet all-in for 105 total. So there's 100 in the pot, and I bet 105, and I got one caller. Let's do the math real quick: 100 to win 205. He had a 7-10 for an open ended straight draw... what is that... 18% there to win? So of course the J comes on the river and he scoops the pot and I leave broke and dejected. I'm just being snotty about the last pot there... I slow played Aces... same old cautionary tale.