There and Back Again: A Punter's Tale by Matthew Harris

[Rexas]

You don't have a voice that high, or a chest quite so bouncy, so I would like to see you try

[DrDreh]

You don't have a voice that high, or a chest quite so bouncy, so I would like to see you try

I will prove you wrong, you have my word

[Rexas]

Blog time!

So, Uni is out for Easter, and this meant coming home properly for the first time since my leap into the world of serious live grinding. I managed to drop by the pubs which gave me the enthusiasm for the game that I still retain. I know that I owe them a lot, and I hope I’ll never lose sight of where it all started. I came in for some pretty serious ribbing during their poker league, I can tell you. Lots of “Who’s the pro now!” and all that (getting it in with 10bbs QQ < AA was a particular highlight. “I thought you were meant to be good, how can you call there?”) Generally, the banter was wonderful and it was massively refreshing to be home for a while. Family time is precious time, which I hope I can have lots more of. I also took a trip down to the local (ish) genting club, lost a few flips, had a sick spin up in blackjack, and cursed at some macdonalds run bad when their 24 hour place was shut for one night only for some sort of maintenance/painting/holiday. Had to go home and settle for doritos and salsa instead, and to be honest, that’s not a bad trade off.

Whilst I was home, a nasty rumour was brought to my attention that I may have been missed while I was away. Naturally, this meant coming back almost immediately to verify/quell such nonsense. I was intending to drive back to Notts anyway, since a myself and a friend were planning on playing the student championships in Coventry, so we made the journey a little early, and after dropping him off at his place in Loughborough and my temporary accommodation, I jumped back in the car and was back home in DTD within minutes. What a line up those games had that night. Bunch of fantastic characters on every table going, and had I not been so tired from the day, I would have definitely stayed for a very long time. The round of each that we got going was a fantastic game, and with any luck there’ll be lots of games like that in the future. “Heroic” is a pretty good way of describing it!

So yeah, student champs. Coventry G Casino is a beautiful place, really fantastic. Absolutely loved going down there to play. The £110 high roller (I know…) was a bit of a ride for me. I was chip leader on my table for pretty much the entire day and for a little while in the tournament after two lovely little hands, which I think I’ll put up. In the first, I have 55 in the Hijack with a very aggro btn and bb. Early ish position opens for a just over min raise to 225, I call, folds to the bb who then makes it 650. Early position calls, I call, effective stacks are 180bbs. Flop comes A J 10 rainbow. Now, it is worth pointing out here that I had an interesting read going on the BB. He’d shown a bluff twice after tank raising, and had this weird habit of shifting his cards back and forth with his hands, a habit he had kept up after showing the bluff, but had not at other times when no hand had been shown. So, he c-bets to 650, early position folds. I make it 1600. BB shuffles his cards, stares at the board, tanks for a good 3/4  minutes, and makes it 4200. Now, at this point, I’m fairly confident that this is a raise so he can fold. After a little less than a minute, during which time he remains very rigid and refuses to make eye contact, I make it 9000, and he insta mucks. I smile, declare “I’m a genius!” and muck.

A little while later, we get hand no. 2. Blinds are still 50/100, and this happens. Utg, who has yet to play a hand and doesn’t really seem very confident in this 3 bet/4 bet/5 bet sort of young internet kid game, checks his cards, visibly shakes, and makes it 350. I’m sitting right next to him. I look down at KK, and raise to 900, and while I’m busy wondering whether I should fold to a UTG reraise, call to set mine, or set the guy in, I get a tank cold call from the hijack, at which point I feel his range to be limited to maybe 9/9, 10/10, J/J, possibly A/Q or A/K. Folds to UTG, who calls, which makes things an awful lot easier for me. Flop comes 8/Q/K with two hearts. Utg donks for 1500, and I pretty much wet myself and make it 4200. Cold caller folds, utg puts his head in his hands, shakes like a 5 year old with an etch-a-sketch, and shoves. I snap him off, he particularly triumphantly instantly flips over QQ, I table my KK, and sympathetically say “unlucky buddy, that’s a bad one”. He disappears for a while, comes back about a level later, and we have a nice conversation about how he’s going to rebuy, and how I’ll see him on the final table. Incidenatlly, I do see him on the final table. More on that in the next instalment of “from drinking to binking”!

[rfgqqabc]

Love the trip report

Do you find yourself a little disconnected from other students? Very few know about the stakes I play etc, but we had a trip to a sporting event in Dublin and on the way back a few guys played some blackjack. I span £40 into £190 and ran (thin  ), but everyone else was flabbergasted and just fist pumping around the room for me. I find it really hard to relate to friends that want to walk to the supermarket or the girls I lived with in first year who'd spend £8 on a night out.

[Rexas]

Honestly, it's been pretty surreal for me. While I'm actually playing, I've always been able to play for pretty much any amount of money once it becomes chips, but ever since moving up to some higher stakes and having some much bigger swings as a result, I've found myself walking away wondering what the hell has happened to my life :p This month, I was close on 2k down by the 9th, and by the 12th, was like 500 up, and it really hit me in that time just how much things have changed. I was thinking about it in terms of wages from my old job, and managed to have like a 3/4 month swing in the space of two weeks. Pretty crazy

Student wise, I felt pretty little isolated at the student champs. Just little things, you know? A bunch of them went and changed up for a bunch of chips at the roulette table, then used their own deck of cards and found a table in the corner and dealt themselves a rake free cash game, which I thought was a bit out of order. I was watching people being very rude the dealers, drop drinks and food everywhere and sit and laugh about it... Just generally be very disrespectful. I know that this is only a minority, but that minority is so loud and so obvious that it feels like a lot more. Poker is giving me a life and an income right now, and to see people abusing my workplace was kinda tilting :p

I know what you mean about the stakes too, i've kept the poker thing reasonably quiet in terms of how much I play/make/lose now, but my blackjack shenanigans can get a few funky looks. Had one at the student champs where I was doubling to recover, got dealt 7/7 vs a 6, split, got dealt 4/4, doubled both, ended up with over 600 on a spin and got there, all the while wearing a uni hoodie :p embarrassingly, made more playing blackjack than poker #skilledge. Whenever someone does ask about what sort of money I'm playing with, it can become a little awkward. I feel like i'm being a little arrogant if I jump into playing histories and money reports etc, but at the same time I don't wanna be a dick and not answer them. Tough one.

[Rexas]

So yeah, student champs, disaster. Busted shortly before day 2 in the high roller, played a hand badly. Busted two bullets in the ME too, although one was a very very late entry. All in all, poker wise, a disastrous weekend. Still finished in profit due to some proper blackjack rungood however, so cannot complain.

Interesting tale of the weekend however was our (me and my mate Dave's) journey to day 1b of the ME. Dave was awesome and let me stay at his place in loughborough with him, while we played the student champs together. Actually had an awesome time, but this was by far the highlight. Dave's house was, unfortunately, freezing cold. The heating was on a 3 hour clock, but it seemed to take the first hour to get going, and the last hour to slowly cool back down to freezing. We were running a little late, due to my inability to get up on time, and as I was going to the shower, I shut the bedroom door behind me. My logic was that, while we had the heating on, try and keep the door shut to keep the heat in. It was only when I got back out of the shower, that I realized that each door has a lock. Said lock requires a key. I don't have a key, it's not my room, and neither does dave. First time I've ever booted a door in.  Felt a little bad, tried to convince myself it was variance, ended up admitting that I hadn't paid enough attention and it was entirely play bad :p

After Coventry, I came back home, and grinded my local genting club, and took a ride down to Aspers in london for the first time. Disaster. I can't even remember how it all went at Southend, suffice to say that I had to adjust my calling ranges to account for some of the hand valuations that were happening, and ran into the top of several peoples ranges, including a guy who flopped a flush twice in the space of 5 hands, while we were 4 handed. Aspers could have been a disaster, but I was saved by some tremendous thinking, especially in this hand. I open 66 from the C/O, and get a call from both blinds in a 1/1. Flop comes 7/7/4 with two hearts. Checks to me, I c-bet, BB calls. Turn is our money card, the  . BB now donks out a little less then half pot, and we raise, believing that he cannot fold a flush or a seven here. He calls. River comes an offsuit 10. BB donks a little under half pot again, and we put in pretty much a 3x raise. He tanks, and eventually calls. I table my 6's full, he apologizes and tables 7/4 for the flopped nuts. As I'm staring with a kinda open mouth, he looks at me and says "I put you on 10s." I quickly regain my composure, smile, say nh, and spend the next half hour having the most wonderful massage I've ever had, from a particularly lovely Brazilian girl, all the while wondering what on earth just happened.

So all in all, we reach last Friday in a comfortably 4 figure hole for the month, having not had an actual winning poker session since mid march. I then decide to head back down to Southend, determined to beat the game before heading back to uni. Won a big pot with AA where I riverd a flush, then another one where i had KQ on a QQJ flop K turn vs QJ and somehow J10 in a three way all in. Then, these hands happen.
I have 2/2 on the SB in 1/1, playing about £500. Flop comes    . I check, which I actually don't like very much, but either way, the old boy utg makes it £12. Folds all the way to the btn, who has been solid all night, who makes it 37. He is playing about 300, old boy about 120-140. Now, old boy is pretty loose, plays draws very strongly and tends to generally overvalue hands. I figure that if he has a flush, he has a flush, whatever. The other guy however could have anything from a flush, to J9, to 99, to a J with a K/A of clubs, maybe even A9 with the A of clubs, all are comfortably ahead of the old boys range. I believe that this guy will not continue in the hand without a flush, and my set is likely good against this guy. I plan on raise/folding. I make it 88, old boy flats with about 30 behind, btn tank folds. I put the old boy in on the turn, and he FOLDS and shows me  . I announce "what a bluff!" and scoop the pot, only to be shown    by the btn who folded. I love my life.
Little while later, a guy loses a big pot when a 4th flush card hits the river, and angrily mucks his hand. I've been playing with this guy for hours, and he has never straddled. He throws in a straddle, on my BB. It folds right the way through to the SB, who calls. I look down at J2os, and make it 12. Straddle unsurprisingly makes it 27, sb folds, I think that this guy is doing this very light, and I make it  66. The look on his face tells me that he wasn't strong, or expecting to be 4-bet. He thinks for waaaaayyy too long to be strong, and calls. i figure this guy is likely tilty, and just trying to hit a flop. The flop comes J94, two hearts. I make it 90 as a c-bet, he thinks for way too long again, and calls. At this point, I don't think I can put him on a made hand. Maybe a 9, rarely a J, maybe 10s, never an overpair maybe Q10, maybe some random flush draw. Turn card is a 10. I had literally no idea what to do at this point. I figure I have a good chance of having the best hand, but don't really know what I want to see from the villain, especially if I check. In the end, I put him in for 300 odd, maybe a little less. He tank calls, and im like ffs im dead here. The disaster  hits the river two, completing literally everything. He looks at me, and I say I have a J, and table it. He then angrily states that he called me, so I have to show both. I'm feeling like this is a dead cert slow roll, but rules are rules, so i table the deuce. He calls me all sorts of names, then throws his hand into the muck and walks away. Again, I wonder what on earth is going on here. Ended that game up the better part of 1k, then spent the next day chopping a £30 comp for £510 4 ways (I had the chip lead, so does this mean I can shave @belton? ) and leave for uni feeling considerably better about myself and my bankroll, and after a few other sessions, am actually up for the month, albeit only a little way. Swings, huh?

Feeling very nervous for tonight. In a "big" 1/1 game with a bunch of great guys and great players (and myself), which I'm secretly buzzing for and pretty confident I can have a good run. However, I have to show off my cooking skills tonight, and frankly, this can only end in tears and several unwelcome days in the loo. Many apologies to anyone eating anything I have to cook, even the brilliance of Melissa and Goulder (see fry up attempts) will struggle to compensate for me

[Rexas]

Wonderful game last night. Spewed hard in one hand, but apart from that, felt like I made good decisions, found some good spots, competed with the field, and overall had a really good time. Had a few little epiphanies, which is always nice, feel like a better player now than I was a week ago. Nothing particularly special happened, except that for possibly the first time ever I was correctly "put on AK". Satellite into the Monte was a disaster, in all finished the whole night like 60 down, which all things considered was not a bad effort.

May will be massive for me. Intending to play the deepstack (if it runs?), the ISPT (for a couple of bullets) and the GPS Sheffield. I will also be selling action for both, will post soon as to how much. Likely to be 50% of the GPS and 33% of ISPT/Deepstack, with no mark up.

[TightEnd]

DTD has a £150 Deepstack running 4-5 May, not the usual £300 due to ISPT qualifying schedule

[Rexas]

DTD has a £150 Deepstack running 4-5 May, not the usual £300 due to ISPT qualifying schedule

Thanks matey, in that case, will be playing/binking deepstack but not selling any. Hopefully those pesky omaha nutters will be staying away

[Rexas]

Sick 1/2 game today. Lost a bundle, sick downswing I'm suffering for right now, with a the odd bit of play bad mixed in. Losing a lot of money. Very disheartened. Wish I could learn the patented make it lots of money pre and literally always have the best hand by the end to win huge pots. Maybe one day.

[cambridgealex]

Sick 1/2 game today. Lost a bundle, sick downswing I'm suffering for right now, with a the odd bit of play bad mixed in. Losing a lot of money. Very disheartened. Wish I could learn the patented make it lots of money pre and literally always have the best hand by the end to win huge pots. Maybe one day.

It's a good trick to learn yes

[pleno1]

Ahhhhhh it was you who was moaning about Alex tonight? I thought so. Cya tomorrow

[Rexas]

Sick 1/2 game today. Lost a bundle, sick downswing I'm suffering for right now, with a the odd bit of play bad mixed in. Losing a lot of money. Very disheartened. Wish I could learn the patented make it lots of money pre and literally always have the best hand by the end to win huge pots. Maybe one day.

It's a good trick to learn yes

I hope you step on a lego.

[jgcblack]

Sick 1/2 game today. Lost a bundle, sick downswing I'm suffering for right now, with a the odd bit of play bad mixed in. Losing a lot of money. Very disheartened. Wish I could learn the patented make it lots of money pre and literally always have the best hand by the end to win huge pots. Maybe one day.

It's a good trick to learn yes

I hope you step on a lego.

In the interest of balance and because having said it to you in person, I want you to be able to look back on this in x amount of time and chuckle.



You need to address your behavior at the table when something that isn't ideal, happens!




You know what I mean but for your reminder and anyone else that can help you (no saint here myself), when we played together in a tournament this weekend there was a hand where a guy raised  from 10-15bb's, had a call behind him and in the BB you found  .

The chips quickly were in the middle and he said the magic word.

Both of us look at each other, smile and relish in the 63.011% of the pot you are about to earn no matter the result.

The board rapidly runs out a harmless

 


Then the pain hits on the  river card.

You quietly push your stack in the middle to be counted, confident you have chips left you say "nice hand" and then something snaps.
You look up a little slanted and glare at the guy as you quietly say "nice call..."  (understandable, not the best idea tho)

What isn't OK though, is that you then say it another 3 times every 5 seconds or so, waiting for a reaction; getting a little darker; a little more sarcastic each time.  I told you a little later how cringe-worthy it was, how the rest of the table noticed it... and how when you did go on to spin your 2bb's into a small stack over the next orbit or so, instead of the rest of the table now being happy for you - they all sat there wishing you'd bust already.
Unfortunately you did bust, but afterwards there were at least two comments about the hand above.

Really hope this comes across how I mean it, it isn't to be rude or harsh, its to just 'prod' you into making this part of your game a conscious decision and that you can pay a little more attention to it yourself.

[TL900]

John Black, the king of table manners.