The One That Got Away
I went scrolling through the table lists at Pacific Poker looking for the juiciest tables. I was focusing on $2/4, and thinking I might even try a little $3/6. I got to the bottom of the $3/6 list and the first table listed in the $5/10 section caught my eye. There was one open seat. The table view flop percentage was listed as 79%. The average pot size was $84. What!?! That can't be right. I opened the table to see for myself. On the first hand I obeserved the UTG player raised first in, and got 5 callers. I immediately plopped into the open seat, which was immediately to the left of the UTG player who had raised first in. I will now refer to him as "BF".
BF folded that hand to a turn raise. Next hand he was on the BB, and 4 people limped ahead of him. He raised when the action got to him, and everyone who had limped called, except SB, who 3-bet, and then BF capped. That dropped 2 of the people who already had 2 bets in, but 3 players saw a raggedy A-high flop. Flop betting was capped by all 3. Two turn raises folded one player. River betting was capped between the sb and BF. SB showed AQo for a top pair. BF showed 32o, which spiked an inside straight draw when a "4" landed on the river.
I nearly shat myself. It has been forever since I have had perfect position on a full-blown maniac. Not only that, but he seemed to be effecting the rest of the table to the extent that they were overplaying their hands as well. Oh happy happy day!
Well, long story made short, BF busted in two orbits, and I never caught a hand. He went out UTG capping T9o pre-flop, and re-raisng every street holding the idiot end of an inside straight draw that didn't hit this time. To my chagrin, he immediately punched off the table once he was felted, as did two other players. I stuck around for another orbit, but the table dynamic had changed so dramatically that I decided it was no longer the right place for me to be playing. I was out 2.5 BB. Not a bad investment for an opportunity like that.
I am getting more comfortable with that mentality - I am paying for opportunity. It's been a helpful perspective. I just need to keep reminding myself of this as the cards and chips go the other way, as will happen sometimes.
I found a good $2/4 table, but couldn't turn a profit. The luckbox on my left couldn't stop flopping two pair (which he seems to believe is a great slow playing hand). He snatched a few good hands from me this way, and I also gave him one poorly-played call down on his turn raise for an extra two BB he didn't deserve. I dropped about 10 BB on that table and then had to punch out as I'd promised Mrs Bull I'd watch a DVD with her. Again, I was happy to pay for that opportunity as I will beat tables like that in the long run.
That 10 BB was just a loan. 