An interesting session at Delaware Park - 2010-07-30 trip report

This session was fairly standard...  I was definitely running hot, getting Aces or Kings about 4-5 times within the 10-11 hours I was there.  I wound up winning approx. 5 (FIVE!!!) buy ins over that time, which was by far, my single-best session.  Truly amazing, because I wasn't playing particularly well, but the players at my table were simply TERRIBLE.

In seat 4 was a guy who "plays online," but plays the play money tables at PokerStars.  He apparently regarded his live, real money as fake play money, because I don't think he approached his live poker game any differently...  He had a wad of cash and was not afraid to go through it - chasing down top pair, no kicker in the face of serious action, or calling down middle pair in the face of decently-sized value bets.  He was the textbook definition of a calling station; TPTK was good enough to go to town on him.  I think the whole table realized that there was a true ATM, and we were all working on "rewarding" his "good moves" for winning a pot and silently racking up when he lost.

In seat 8 was a guy who claimed online poker was a joke and rigged.  He was one of those Ed Hardy wearing punks... 20's, gaudy hat, sunglasses perched on the brim of his hat (just a total mess of fail trying to represent cool)...  just thinking he was hot stuff.  This guy was a total aggro donk - not afraid to shove at the slightest threat.  He was clearly out to prove that he had the biggest ego at the table.  In a prior, earlier hand, I had laid down AQo to action where he raised EP to $10 and I 3bet to $40 (he had been putting out a TON of action, and we're $300 deep effectively).  To show the respect I was getting, the seat 6 (whose game I respected) folded his JJ to me and it came back to schmuck who laid $100 on top of the $60.  Correct or incorrect, I'm not willing to go to the wall for 150BBs, which was exactly what this hand threatened.  I folded and he proudly showed AcTc - he "knew" he was ahead and got me to fold the worst hand.  He was *SURE* of this!  Game on!

I told my wife that I was planning to leave at around 10pm; the drive is 1 hour 45 minutes from my house, and if left, it would get me home at a reasonable hour.  However, given the two turkeys above were involved in the game, and had full stacks, I was not going anywhere.  My wife understood this - she's more results-oriented - and was more than happy to let me keep going until I busted one or both of them.  Seat 4, a truly nice guy regardless of his play, decided to pack up leaving Ed Hardy alone as the weakest player.  Watching his play, I couldn't wait to bust him so bad - all I needed was a hand and he'd do the rest of the work for me...

I would get my opportunity when I limped T9o in the MP to a table *FULL* of limpers...  we saw a limped 8-way flop of Q Jd 7(I think because it's the only card that makes sense).  SB ($600+) leads the flop for $12.  Ed Hardy calls ($185(?)) and I call my open-ender ($1000).  Turn is a beautiful Kd.  SB again leads for $35, Ed Hardy calls and I call - I don't believe there's a lot of value in raising here for a few reasons:  I have no reason to believe SB will stop betting (I can't get stacks in because SB is competent and will not allow that to happen against me, whose game he respected as well), if I raise, he'll stop betting and go cautiously, and I'm afraid of losing Ed Hardy who I think I can stack on the river.  Anyway, I call behind with my turned straight.  River is the Ad, putting a running diamond 3-flush on the board.  I'm not very concerned with that hand, given the action, but it certainly is a possibility to consider.  SB leads again, though for a small $25 river bet.  Ed Hardy insta-shoves his remaining $125 into the pot (couldn't wait!), and I decided to flat - counterfeited by the river Ace - sure it gave Ed Hardy the straight as well.  SB was contemplating a call and started to tank...  while he was doing this, Ed Hardy flips up his Td and pushes it forward leaving one hole card face down.  SB says - "WHOA!  I haven't made a decision yet." [long pause] and Ed Hardy quickly covers up the exposed Ten...  SURE!  like SB didn't see the exposed card, you ass.  What planet are you from?  You're sitting two seats away from him, dumbass!  Next thing I hear from SB is: "You know, I was going to call, but I can't now...  I'm beat." and folds.  This sends me through the roof!  WHAT A F*ING IDIOT!  First, I'm counterfeited on the river (in after thought, probably my fault because I should have charged for that turn card), but now I'm not even getting half of the $125 that I should have gotten because of this SCHMUCK.  WTF?!?!?!?  Well, much to my surprise, the dealer ships me the whole pot.  When Ed Hardy sees what's going on, he starts protesting on the grounds of split pot.  Now, I didn't say anything other than show my dissatisfaction about dude prematurely turning his cards face up, but dealer says that he folded his hand; you need 2 cards to lay claim to a pot, and he only showed one and pushed them both forward, into the muck.  Ed Hardy was not getting any table support; they saw clearly what he did, and all hated him as well so had no problem with awarding me the pot.  Floor was called - too late already, I'm racking up and moving out - but floor rules in favor of the dealer's ruling regardless. He even started to angle shoot, saying he exposed his 7o but flipped it back over, which was patently untrue.

That's what I call poetic justice.  I tipped the dealer $25 and took leave the next hand.  In thinking about it while driving home (with the $100 I should have had to split but instead wound up with in full because of schmuck's two errors, should I have given him back his money?  Perhaps, if he was a nicer guy, not full of piss & vinegar, I would have considered it.  Perhaps if I wasn't out to bust him and him alone, on principal, I would have.  Perhaps if he didn't show that Ten, I would have.  This guy was out trying to proves something, so F him.

Good game!