Derby Lane

I got in a few housr at Derby Lane last night. I was meeting Mike and Scott there around 9:00. i got there a little early and decided to hop into a 1/2 NL game. The play at this table was really, really bad.

I bought in for the full $100 and quickly realized that tihs was a loose passive game. There were tons of limping going on. I was able to limp into a few pots with suited connectors. One early hand I had 7c6d in the SB. It was a 3 way limped pot, I called and the BB checked. The board ran out with 4 clubs and it was checked all the way down. I ended up winning.

The first key hand of the night was when I had just stepped away from the table for a minute to see how the other two were doing. Walking back the dealer just started to deal and I got back just in time. I look down at As,Ad and raise it up to $9 after one limper. ITs called behind me, the button calls and the limper calls. The flop come out JsXsXs. Crap. Its checked to me, I check and the person to my left goes all-in for $19. The button calls, EP folds and now its up to me. The person with chips has around $75 behind (I have him covered). The flat call behind doesn't seem to strong to me so I decide to shove. He thinks for a minute or two and decides to fold saying he folded a flush, more about that in a second. My hand holds and I take a decent sized pot.

I don't believe this guy folded the flush because of some of the horrible call he made with marginal hands (or worse) on the end. Case in point. On a board of Q,10,9,x,x he leads for $15. He gets raised to $62 and decides to call with 7,7!!!!!! What???? The other guy had Q,9 for two pair.

Now the really bad hand of the night. A tight player raises to $10 in MP and I have the hand I lose more money with in the SB, KsQs. I call. The flop comes Q,10,x and I check call a $15 bet. The turn is a blank and I check. He shoves for his last $55. Here is where I am really trying to improve my game. I never want to lose a lot of money with top pair. LIKE A FUCKIN FOOL I CALL! He flopped the set. Based on the table it wouldn't have been a bad call but against this particular player this was just a horrible, horrible call. I was down to my staring stack of $100.

I loosened up considerably after that. I played lots of hands for a limp. I never really hit much was was down to around $90 and decided to get up and see how the other two are doing. When I get back I had just missed my BB. I post behind the button and get 5,4. I check and we go to the flop 5 handed. The flop comes down 6,4,3. Some one in EP makes it $10 to go. I decide to raise here to $25. Everyone folds to the EP player who calls. the turn brings a 7 which also brings out two flush draws. HE checks to me. With both flush draws I just decide to shove here. I have him covered (he has around $40 or so). He thinks for a bit so I know my hand is currently good and he doesn't have a 5. He says "I know you have me beat" and calls. He flips over 10,10. Yikes. He is drawing to a chop. The river is a harmless 7 and I win the pot.

A lap or two later I get Blaz's hand, A,J in MP and raise to $11. One guy calls. Flop comes 8,8,6. I check, he checks. Turn is a 2. I decide to give up on the hand and check and he checks behind. River is a 10 and it goes check check. He flips his cards and has 5,2 and wins. I muck my cards and the douche asks to see them. What a prick..

The next chance I get to see his cards I am asking. I get it on a Q,J,10,10 board he shoves and the guy to my left calls. The river is a K and the guy to my left shows a 10. Douche mucks. I ask to see the cards and the dealer fires them in the bottom of the muck after I ask to see them. WTF!!!!! No more tips for that dealer.

I ended up leving when the BB gets to me with a small $41 profit. Not happy with how I played but happy that I did turn a profit. Could have been much better.