Recently I made a Journey to check out the Poker Room I've been hearing so much about in Lake Charles, LA at the L'auberge du Lac Casino Resort. I heard things like you have to get there early just to sit at a table and that the game is always full. I heard they had a 6 - 12 Limit game and a steady 2-5 NL Holdem game (Which this was true) but when I arrived, I just realized I am not rich enough to be there lol. Basically the Poker Room was about 7 or 8 tables and they had a spread of two 4-8 Limit tables and two 2-5 NL tables. I Put my name on both lists and had an open seat on 4 8 limit. So I sat and played until there was a 2-5 seat to open up and that didn't take very long at all.
When I moved to NL, I only brought $300 on me and Minimum buy in was $200. Looking at the table, the average stack was about $500 and there were two players with $1k+ so I just opted to buy in for All $300 and just try to have a single barrel for the day. I really hate doing that but I also drove two hours to play so I didn't want to just leave because there wasn't a 1 2 NL game that I prefer to play and I've heard that there were some juicy games. Well starting out at this table I realize that it is a must move table but the players were extremely tight and timid and it didn't take long for me to start opening up my game as the standard raise was suprisingly $15-20 to get heads up. I wasn't used to this being that other 2-5 and 5-5 games I've played the standard was $25-40. I was loving it and having my way with the table. I went on a 3 hand heater and basically stacked a guy with KK when he made a weak attempt to bluff me off my hand on a Q high board with both the Flush and Straight were showing but with his cheesy smile and the way he was staring me down, I just had the vibe that he was ACTING strong but actually weak. I made the call and he showed Q5os for top pair and I scooped a nice $280 pot. The next two hands added an additional 80 bucks to my stack then the Table broke to fill the other two NL tables and I had $645 and a decision to just Cash out or sit at one of the tables that I recognized multiple solid players and very little fish. This was aggravating and the Average stack went from $500ish to about $800-$1000. Instead of doing the wise thing and just cashing out and taking the $345 profit, I decided to take my chances and sat next to a guy I know to be pretty loose but also pretty good as well. There were a couple others that were loose and I quickly got a bad end of a hand when my QQ was outdrawn by AQ on a 10J5A8 board then another hand where a guy flopped the straight vs. my top pair top kick. I get down to my initial buy in and floated around that spot when I chose to call a guy who has been raising light and betting hard to steal pots with 76os. There was one other caller in Late position with the Raiser in Middle position and I was in the BB. Flop came J54 with two clubs and I bet about 1/3 the pot and was immediately 3bet by the original raiser. I figured him for something like QJ, J10, J9 at best or even a PP but no set. The guy in late position folds and I flat. The turn card brings the Kc and there is about 165 in the middle while I have 235 behind, I just immediately shove and the dealer takes my chips and starts to count my stack. The original raiser tanks for a bit and then makes the call showing 54 off suit for two pair. I hit a 7 on the river that doesn't help and realize I had the guy covered by about $18 bucks. Take my money then get up from the table looking to cash out. I regret making that move just because I shouldn't have played the hand preflop to begin with. Honestly I shouldn't have even sat at the table since it was a bad decision based off Game Selection in the first place. That is a key component from being a Profitable poker player to a losing poker player....Game Selection.
Well Moving on to Friday for the league game I continued to display my great show of bad luck in the tournament by raising preflop with 66 and getting 3 or 4 callers then with the board falling 874 Thinking I'm good I lead out about half the pot, enough to commit myself, and of course my good pal Luckbox Leprechaun strikes again and shoves all in over me (I have him covered by about 2300). I make the call hoping to spike a 6 or 5 and what does he turn over......65 off suit....beautiful timing sir, and I just simply reply "That's how I roll...." as I burn and turn and burn and River two meaningless cards that dont catch me up. The very next hand I deal, I look at Qd9d and shove all in for about 2350 total and everyone but the big blind folds. He looks at me, laughs, and says, "What do you want me to do Matt??" I told him, "Honestly, I don't even care anymore haha." So he calls and I am delighted to see he holds Qs9s. I sarcastically say, watch the spades come out as I begin to burn and then count out 3 cards for the flop.....(Yes I am the dealer, how sick is that) Flop flips 10 of spade, 8 of spade, 6 of spade....FUUUUUUUUUUUUU I just kind of kill the deck then get up to go get something to drink while everyone busts out laughing. They say I have to atleast finish the hand to make it official so I quickly put the turn and river and write myself down as knocked out. I need to do some serious catching up in the next NL game to get back to contention for the top 9.
Well after that whole episode, I wait and continue to deal until we have enough to start a .50 1.00 cash game and I realize I don't have any cash on me. I am fortunate enough to have a guy willing to let me borrow a little and just pay him back tomorrow when I go to the bank and I buy in for $50.00. At first things start out slow and I scoop a small pot here and there and I am in a good spot at the table with 2 or 3 tight players to my left and a loose cannon directly to my right with the other loose cannons across the table from me. I slowly work my stack up to about $180 flopping Q high flush to beat Mrs. Prissy's 9 high flush on a cooler hand. Flopped a set of 2s to beat KK, Just running good for once and having hands hold up and building my confidence for the night. Then there is a hand that absolutely tilts the other big stack at the table that we were all waiting for. Beau Brewer, the guy I complimented in the past for his reading ability called a huge bet to double up with just a pair of 8s (2nd or 3rd pair) on a Qs 8d 3d board vs. the loose cannon directly to my Right who loves to bluff and make loose calls to tilt the table in his advantage. he showed 7d 2d vs. Beaus Qd 6d and it holds. Well the guys are like awesome play Beau and clowning the loose cannon etc. just giving him a hard time in good humor basically, nothing personal, then you can tell it was about to get to the Super Tilt point, Then another guy grabs a decent pot when he goes all in, then another pot......Then I look at Ac 4s in Late position and a minraised pot with about 3 or 4 callers. The flop falls with I think two clubs and maybe a pair of 4s for me and everyone checks. Turn is another club and everyone checks to the loose cannon who looks at his cards then decides to bet 8 bucks into a pot of about 22. I say let me check and see if I have IT too and look then Raise him to 29 and everyone folds and he starts asking me what do I have, and if I have IT, then calls. the River is yet another Club and gives me the nut flush with no possible straight flush or boat on the board so I know I have the best hand and he bets into me AGAIN. This time $20 and I immediately raise another $20. He has about $85 to $100 after the $40 and is still trying to figure out if I'm bluffing or if I really have it, then he shoves all in on me and I snap call showing my nut flush, He tells me he also had it but smaller then tosses his cards in the muck and gets up. I finish off the night for a profit of about $435 and make up for my trip to L'auberge. It was nice to finally run good for a night again. Need to start making more of a habit of that!
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