Another 3/5 Session at Muck

First off, I learned last night that getting to the card room at 7:30pm on a Friday night is in no way "getting in before the rush." I was so proud about leaving home at 7 to get there early...suffice to say that valet was full (a rarity) and I was 37th on the list for 3/5.

Not so bad, except for the fact that this meant I'd have to not get tilted while I waited. The choices of things to do while you wait on a 37 man list are sorta limited, and all include tilt-inducers. I could play blackjack (tilt factor 5, also way too many $5 bets per hour), I could play craps (tilt factor 1, boredom factor 8.56), I could sit at the bar (tilt factor 7.4). In the end I played limit, which provides a variety of tilt factors depending on what sort of cards I'm dealt. I'm happy mucking for an hour, but am easily thrown off balance by some of the stupidness.

Example: Old asian guy thinks it's his job to put on a kill pot, so any time he wins the kill button he raises the next hand hoping to put on a kill. He does this for the 3rd time this hour (last time ended up showing Q4s), there are two callers, and I call with 67 of spades in the BB. Flop 34T with two clubs. It checks around. Turn is a 5 to give me the nutsack, but (ominous chord), it's a second diamond. The button bets, I c/r, 2 players call 12 cold (nice), and the button calls.

Obviously a club would be a scarecard, as would the board pairing. But I don't think I can get too excited about runner runner, right? (ominous chords repeat). River comes K of diamonds, I check call and he shows some junky flush. It doesn't bother me that he limped with T8 sooted. It doesn't bother me that he got there and got an extra bet on the river. But...he did call two cold on the turn, and for some reason I can't abide that shit.

That said, I play good. I buy in for $200 and at 10:20 or so am called for my seat and rack up $325

Again, the 3/5 game is sweet. There's drunk Fort Lewis soldier that puts in a dead straddle on my first hand, then moves in when it's raised to $50. Everyone folds. He moves in at least one other time in the first round, and he's buying drinks for anyone that would like one. No one else is raising, for the most part. 3bets are nearly non-existent, and so are usually minimum (b/c why would you want to lose customers when you 3bet 2%?).

The first hand I play: in the cutoff, one limper to me. I raise A9s to $25 and am called by drunk soldier and the limper. Flop comes 886 two tone but not my suit. EP limper makes it $30 into $80, I'd very much like to raise and would almost always do so online, but don't know whether he'd fold 22 here, so I go away. Soldier calls. Check/check on the turn (ten of blank). The river is an offsuit Queen, soldier check/calls $50 and EP shows 66 for the win.

Next hand I play, it folds to the button who raises to $20. I make it $65 from the sb with AA and everyone folds.

At least three other times that I can remember I raise limpers with strong hands and meet no resistance (AQ, AQ, AK).

Then, 3 limpers, I make it $35 in the sb with JJ. A different EP limper calls. No read, very quiet asian man. Flop comes k34 rainbow. He has a bit less than $200., and as I'm wondering if I should bet he's stacking his chips up in a tower to move in. He could be trying to intimidate me, but it doesn't matter b/c I'm way ahead or way behind. If he has the king he'll move in, and if he doesn't he'll fold, but the turn card almost certainly won't make a difference. So I check and he quickly check behind.

The turn is a blank, and now I figure I'll just take it down. I bet $40 and he quickly moves in. I felt a little steamy that he extracted a bet out of me and fold for the extra $145.

My last hand, so I could make it back by 1 to feed the baby: UTG I make it $20 with AQ (offsuit red) and get 4 callers. Flop AJ9 with two spades and I'm smelling disaster brewing. I bet $60 and thank jebus when everyone folds.

I still think it'd be hard to lose money at this game if I played it every day, but I can't play it every day and don't have the roll to lose even two buyins. I'll prolly still take some shots at it, but must be wary, for I do like poker and would have a hard time getting going again if I did something stupid.