Atlantic City mugging

I've been down in AC for about a day and a half now, but it feels like a year. I can't remember the last time I ran this badly. It's a bit of a shock, too, because I've been running good, nearly nonstop, for 3 months now.

Warning: If you don't like hearing about brutal, soul-crushing beats, then now's your time to flip to another blog.

The adventure started with. 9:30a bus down to AC Friday morning. No problems there and by the time I rented my car and checked into my motel, I was at the Showboat just in time for the 2pm tourney. I never got much traction in the tourney and ended up losin 2/3 of my stack early on when my KK got run down my JJ when a Jack came on the river. I managed to work myself back up to 11,000 in chips (just over the starting stack), but the blinds had gotten to 600/1200 by then. I picked up AKo in the BB, saw a raise to 3600 and pushed. My opponent had QQ and I lost the flip. Ok, no big deal. -$65 so far on the trip.

I walked over to the Taj and played 5/10 Omaha Hi/Lo the rest of the night, through 2am. By the time it was over, I was down 2.5 buyins ($500). Not a huge deal, considering it's Omaha, but it's painful to see people cold calling 2 raises with nothing but a pair and seeing them go runner-runner for the nut boat to your flopped boat. This happened twice to me, by the way.

My Omaha game has been off lately, so I walked off the table and passed by the Pai-gow pit, where I managed to double my 200 stake to 405. My only bright spot of the trip. Down $360 on the trip so far, no big deal.

I woke in the morning intent on playing $1/$2 NLHE all day. I've been running really well at no limit and I felt confident and relaxed that I coul make up my losses.

I went to the Borgata and had a seat at 11:30a. I was up 100 pretty quickly and felt like things were turning around. Then, 3 guys got up to my left and were replaced by 3 big stacks who started getting very aggressive. I requested a table change, rather than be at a disadvantage out of position to these bangers. My casg game revolves a lot around playing lots of cheap hands that have the potential to win big pots (suited gap connectors and the like) and having these guys on my left was going to make that impossible. So I smartly found a tbale that would work for me. My new table was a dream. There were 4 stacks bigger than 600 and they were generally limping or raising light and then betting BIG on the flop. Perfect if I hit big.

My first opportunity came with ATo. I was in late position with a bunch of limps and I raised to ten, mostly to build a pot. A few people called and the flop was KJ8, rainbow. It checked to me and I checked. I had to think that someone had a big enough piece of it that I couldn't bet them off it. The turn was a beautiful Q. Even better, the board was still rainbow, so there was no possibility of a flush. The first player bet out 15. Another player called. The third player raised to 45! I opted to call here rather than push my remaining 140 because I hoped to get another caller or two, but both players folded. It was now heads up and the river was a Queen. Fuck. He bets out 50 and I just call. He shows KQ for the boat (4 outer, awesome). I can't put him on a boat because he never bet the flop with KQ! Yes, he could have had QJ or even Q8, but he could also have Qx. Not sure if I could have gotten away from that bet given I was getting something like 4 to 1 to call the river.

I bought in for another 200 and worked diligently to stop steaming. I managed to cool down and started playing around again. I was in the SB with the Darko (25o) and was 6th in the pot to call a PF raise to 7. The flop was 348 with 2 diamonds. I checked and it checked all the way around. The turn was the Ad making me a straight but puttin a flush on board. I bet out 25, just to see where I'm at and get one caller. I'd seen him show down lots of crap hands and chase lots of flush draws with just a single suit, so I knew he didn't have the diamonds. I put him on an Ace of some sort. The river was a Black Ace. The board was now 348AA. Perfect for me. My thinking was if he had made two pair on the turn, he would have raised me, although the diamonds might have slowed him down. Anyway, I bet out 50 and he pushes all in! Going on my original read of his having an Ace, I figure he's pushing with trips and a good kicker so I call. Nope. A3 for the rivered boat. Another awesome 4 outer on the river. Sweet.

At this point, the table is starting to feel sorry for me. I've lost 400 in just 2 hours with hands that were 92 percent to win on the river. I take another walk to blow off steam and finally reason that I shouldn't get discouraged about losing like that. It's not like I pushed with an 8 percent chance! Although, I did call these all ins with the losing hand. But really, how many people are folding the nut straight just because the board pairs. If I always folded the hidden straight, I'd lose lots of money to people who bet their trips.

So I buy in another 200. This time, I chip up a bit again until I'm up 150 on the buyin. Players have been cycling through the table and I get QQ against a new young player who had just sat down. I raise to 15 and he re-raises to 35 on the button. My hackles raise and I just call. Flop is T95. Another rainbow. I check to the reraiser. He bets 20, suspiciously low. AK continuation bet? I opt to call. Turn is a 9. I Hollywood and check to get a free card. It works. River is a rag. 2 maybe. I check one more time. He bets 25, I call, he shows AA. Ok, I lost the minimum there.

The game goes on and I lose a medium pot when I turn an 8 flush and lose to a JAck flush. A bit later, I get AQ. I raise to 12. The AA kid calls and I make a joke that now he's just calling me because I'm running like ass. He laughs and assures me he's not. I loudly check blind and the flop is 778. He checks. Turn is a J. I check, he checks. River is an Ace. I bet 20, he calls. I show AQ. He shows AK. We share a laugh but I want to beat his face in. 10 minutes later, I have AKo, I raise to 15 and AA kid's friend calls. Flop is J 85. I check, he bets 20 and I decide on a different tack and check-raise to 45. If he's got a small pair or AQ then he has to fold, right? No, he moves all in instead! In my mind, I insta-fold, but I want to see if I can get him to show. I make big Hollywood. "Do you want me to call? Show me one". Etc... I finally muck in mock disgust (QQ, I say) and he says, "I had you crushed" and shows JJ for top set. True 'nuff.

I have 70 left and promptly get QQ again. I raise to 15, get re-raised to 35 from the AA kid and I shove. This all looks familiar, no? Well, he calls and tables AA. Again. He looks almost pitiful doing it and I want to punch out his teeth, but what am I supposed to do? I don't get my Queen and I'm now officially down 600 on the day (965 on the trip).

I leave the Borgata, narrowly missing Kearns and Stephane somehwere in the room, and head to Harrah's for dinner. I have a passable stromboli and head to the poker room for one more session. I figure a new room might be better for me. Um, not so much.

I start out the session in great style, going up another 150 on the buyin but that's just the fattening up before the kill. It starts when twice, to the same guy, I get check-called on every street when I have top pair, King kicker to his top pair Ace kicker. That's both times to the same guy. Then I ran into a doozy. Qd9d in the BB. It limps around and the flop is 3d-4c-Td. It checks around to a guy who's been check-calling hands and showing down middle pair. He bets 5 dollars. A few people call, myself included. Turn is 4d. I bet 25, it folds to this kid who raises to 65. I'm guessing he hit the 4 on the turn, giving him trips. I push for 130 more and he pauses. "I guess I'm going home," he says. Then he makes another statement which turns my blood cold. "If you have the boat, I'm beat. I call.". He turns over Ad8d. Fuck!

I'm down to 70 and I pick up 23o in the SB and a semi-aggressive player raises to 5 in early position. Almost everyone calls, including me for 4 dollars more. The BB calls and the flop is 238 with two clubs! I almost bet out, but my feeling is the raiser is sitting on a monster. To my chagrin, it checks around. Turn is an off suit Ace and I figure the raiser must have an Ace, so I bet 25, hoping the raiser will put me all in. But the BB, who is a big black guy who is playing his very first hand, beats hims to it and moves al in with his short stack for 80. I put him on and Ace, or a draw or both. There's a possibility of 45, but I can live with that. Otherwise I have him beat, right? The original raiser folds as does everyone else and I call for my remaining chips. The BB shows....A2 for a turned two pair. That's a 3 outer if you're keeping track at home. God forbid a 3 should come on the river to bail me out and I am down another buyin. That's 800 on the day and a whoppins 1160 for the trip so far.

It's only 11:00p when I tuck tail and head back to the motel.

A lesser man would hang himself in the bathroom. I'm just gonna finish watching Doc Hollywood and call it a night. Sunday could be a savior, or a very long day.