Opposition

G-Vegas is a bit damp and dreary. Thursday rolled around with me failing to set up a home game for the second consecutive time. Even GucciRick tried to gather the troops for a game in his garage, but 'twas to no avail. After dinner and a simultaneous conversation with G-Rob and the Mrs. to determine where and when I should next play cards, it was decided that we'd head to the Black Stallion game. G-Rob's mood was a bit down after Monday's lackluster effort at the $2/5 game. We got seated at table 2 upon arrival and bought some chips.

I decided to try my best not to be a pussy. On my second hand, Sgt. (FU)ry straddled my small blind for $5 and 5 limpers came along. When I looked down at AQo I figured I was ahead of the majority of limped hands and determined that simply completing the straddle was far too pussy-like in a vaj-tastic kind of way. I raised to $35, only (FU)ry calling. With a 667 flop, I led out confidently for $60 and Sgt. (FU)ry folded, claiming to be folding a pair and knowing I had a higher pair. "Jacks?" he said. I feigned amazement, showed him my Queen and said "Close. Nice read though."

After Tuesday's grind wherein I never had a profitable stack in front of me, it felt good to "earn" a pot as they say right off the bat. Thankfully, I'd not look back.

G-Rob was his usual self, winning huge pots with J4o and J4s. Buying in for $450, it wasn't long before I was staring down a $1k+ stack to my right. Yes, the stack was thankfully to my right.

With KTh in the big blind, I checked my option. The flop came Ks5d2s and I led out for $10. After 5 people called my bet, I knew that the flush draw was on the agenda of at least two players. The turn was the Ts completing the flush and I felt I was done with the hand, even with two-pair. That is, until it got checked around. Slow playing fools. The Tc hit the river and based on the player-types remaining in the hand, I led out for $50. I got called by two flushes who let me get there for free. It was a case of "the jackpot giveth, and the jackpot taketh away." The last player to act had QsJs and failed to bet the turn, fearing a fold from everyone left in the hand. It would deny him a chance to catch his jackpot draw that he picked up on the turn. In an effort to win the $2000 prize, he cost himself a $200 pot.

Unfortunately for G-Rob, his stack size was undulating like a bobble head doll on a dashboard. Up and down, up and down. While I chipped up bit by bit, he was all over the place. Unfortunately, he paid off two sets for large bets and went in the hole.

Meanwhile Sgt. (FU)ry was busy bluffing away the $500 he had in front of him. On a board of Jc9c5h3c6s, he finally led out for $60 on the river after check-calling me pre-flop and post-flop. I was holding a measly AJo for TPTK. I began to ask questions and like Radio Shack, he had answers. "You have 78? 78 would call my flop bet." He said no, because if he did, he'd have 78c and would have flushed up on the turn. "You have a flush?" I asked once again. It was then that he gave it away. He gave away the most reliable tell I've seen anyone make. It's the tell G-Rob and I have used before and it's been relatively reliable under the right circumstances. I called and he mucked.

G-Rob's fate met an untimely end when he got it all-in post flop with a pair and a flush draw. Unfortunately, there were two opponents, one with top two and the other with a better flush draw. He did manage to win the small side pot on that hand, not much consolation however. His last few chips were sucked away from him when his top two failed to dodge an 11-outer on the river when someone's pair and straight draw got there. We left not soon after, moods diametrically opposed.

I booked a $500 win, the first such win since early February. G-Rob finished down and pondered taking some time off. I told him that's why I stayed home last Thursday. It's hard enough missing a game when you want to play, but it's doubly hard to stay away when four of your close friends are playing too. But that's what I did last week, just to get my mind right. I needed to quell the irrational enthusiasm I had for the game and take it much slower. I won't be playing at all this weekend.