Up and down poker evening

Last night was a poker-filled evening of the live and online variety.

The NYC poker underground was greeted with a somewhat new entry, just a few blocks from my apartment. This game had a brief but unorganized life back in the winter and I attended a couple of times because Matty and ScottyCards were there to deal and play, but once they were no longer asked to deal, they stopped texting the game, and nights would go off without so much as a half-table, so it faded. Apparently the room s under new 'management'(if you could call it that) so Scotty promoted it via text, and I figured I could get a few hours in before the Mookie, or the Dank, or whatever people want to call it these days.

Upon entry at 7 there's already a full table! A second table is forming - but as the dealer went through the cards, it seemed like every deck they had only had 51 cards. Finally after about a half hour of dilly dallying I put down $200 and we started. A flopped baby flush against TPTK and then my 33 hitting a set against a shove, I was well on my way to $300 when this hand happened.

66 in MP, two limpers behind and I make it $8. For the record, it was apparent by this time that $8 in this game was going to invite callers, but I was still only 30 minutes into this game and I was still getting a bead on range. Button and BB call. I don't really remember the flop at this point - I think it was 8-J-X but I came out with $15, the button called, BB folded. The button was taking his time. The turn paired the board with an 8 and two diamonds, and I fired another barrel out. He ruminated for a while, and called. I'm thinking, ok, flush draw. His eyes were focused on the Jack, which was leading me to think I value bet on the river and fold to a raise. River is a 10 that gives the board three diamonds. I have him covered by a good $200, and I've been representing a big pair or maybe even AK or AQ with the diamonds, so I go on and represent the flush and shove.

He was not pleased to see that...he sat and was bewildered for about 45 seconds and I was convinced I had made the right play here. Finally he shook his head and said, " Flush? I have to call." And he turns over 10J. Well, no you didn't have to call! Aaand down goes my profit.

To even the tables out I am moved to the other table where I know more people...but a few people are sort of those 'gang attire' sort of people, one in particular with his arm in a cast. He's that like sneery unshaven too-cool-for=school type guy you'll often see at a table in NYC, not my type of people - and he was talking too much. We tangled in a hand that got me back in the plus column.

I make it 12 in MP with As10s, two limpers call. The flop comes 2-3-5 with two spades. I fire out 17, arm cast guy calls, other guy folds, I call. The turn was a face of some kind, a Q I think, but no spade. I check, he makes it 25. So I'm getting roughly 3-1 odds, with 13 outs. He's got me covered so my implied odds are huge if I hit so I call. Indeed, a spade. I make what looks like a block with 35 and he snap calls. I flipped over the nut flush a bit too fast so I never saw what he had. He muttered some kind of gang-speak under his breath and called me a chaser...well, don't give me odds to chase, I told him! One more big hand with 77 and a 7-A-A flop, and I left at 9:59 with a comfortable $127 profit.

I walk home to greet the Mookie, already in full swing. My Monday From The Rail did not go well, and tonight the Mookie would be no different. Out of 120 something runners I go out in 48th or something. I don't remember any critical hands, but I hope I run a bit better in the coming weeks of the BBT5. I have an invite to the Sunday invitational, so wish me luck!