The "V" doesn't stand for Victory

After my foolishness on Sunday at Gabe's, I was really looking forward to hosting my Thursday night cash game. I wanted to get back on the horse.

One of the new guys at work, Mike V, found out about my poker game, and wanted in. He's 17. He plays regularly with his buddies, and I was impressed when he told me what games: Omaha, Lowball, O/8, etc. I immediately pegged him as a player. He and his buddy Judo arrived, ready to mix it up.

The seating arrangement:
Seat 1: Mike (that's me)
Seat 2: Emo Andy (formerly "New Guy Andy")
Seat 3: Albert
Seat 4: Judo
Seat 5: Mike V
Seat 6: George
Seat 7: Oklahoma Jeff
Seat 8: Shawn
Seat 9: Woody

I drew the button, and the fun started. Now, I was drinking that night, and I didn't take notes besides the seating, so I might be exaggerating here.. In the first eight hands, Mike V folded once and raised preflop seven times. He followed each preflop raise with a bet on the flop. I have never seen someone sit down and be so aggressive right off the bat.

While his flurry of chips was impressive, it wasn't very effective. He picked up several small pots, but when he started running into strong cards, he started losing bigger pots. He rebought before the button had completed two rotations. He wasn't involved in many showdowns, but when he showed QJ-hearts, I took note. And if everyone was going to be loose, I was going to be tight and wait for some nice cards, especially when the 20 cent blinds were getting raised to $1.50 and $2 preflop. No sense in challenging the young gun just to prove a point.

Few hands stand out, but I did enjoy Mike V's comment about halfway through the night. In response to one of my preflop raises, he said, "I'm not calling that raise. I haven't seen him lose a pot yet."

I was very fortunate again. My ratio of showdowns won was bordering on 100%. I attempted a few bluffs, possibly with the best hand. My two black kings weren't scared of the ace on the flop, and I took down that pot. My pocket threes limped in, hit a set on the flop, and the river filled my boat. I got paid on every street of that hand. I won a small pot with aces. My second pair of black kings flopped a boat when the board came 666, and Shawn (Ax) and Woody (T8) bet into me.

I made what possibly was a foolish laydown, holding 82 in the big blind. Unraised pot, and the flop was all clubs, 862. There was a bet, and a raise by Shawn before it got to me. I folded. Shawn picked up the pot, showing K6 offsuit, no clubs. The turn was a blank, the river was a 2. I folded a boat in a hand where I was never behind, despite the dangerous flop.

Against better competition, it would've been a wise fold. In my home game, I have noticed that there is a lot more betting on the flop and checking on the turn. The flop is where people make their move, and the turn is where they back off if they were bluffing, betting with weak hands, or betting on the come with flush or straight draws.

I caught a tell from Shawn in an odd hand. I was on the button with 9s, 9d. One person limped, Shawn limped, I raised to $1 total. It was folded around to Shawn, who reraised me to $2.50 total. Huh? You're going to limp in late position, then reraise me? Some of the other players saw my bewilderment on my face.

The flop was K43, all clubs. I didn't like that flop. But, what's this? Shawn is shifting in his seat and fingering his chips like he's going to bet before checking to me? Shawn didn't like that flop either. Very reminiscent of Forty Ounce Dave. I knew Shawn didn't have much more in his stack than was in the pot, so I went all-in. Shawn hemmed and hawed for a little while, then folded. We played out the hand, and a red ace showed up on the turn. Shawn was audibly disappointed to see that ace. Perhaps he had ace-ten with no clubs.

The way that hand played out was the only way I could win it. Had I pushed all-in preflop, Shawn is almost certain to call. He has a tough time folding Ax preflop. If I don't bet the flop strongly, he'll see that ace on the turn, and the hand is his.

Here's to the upside of variance. I reacted well to what the rest of the table was doing, I played aggressively at the right times, and most importantly, almost all of my strong hands held up. I was the big winner of my game again, in for $10 and out for $63. Mike V and Woody were in for $35 and $38, respectively, and busted out. To be fair, Mike V will probably adjust and do well at my game if he returns, and Woody was high.