RENO - Biggest Little Cash Game in the World - PART 3

 Just got back from the WSOP, but before I can regale you with tales of triumph and tragedy from that great event (and there were plenty of both) I have to finish what I started with the conclusion Blog regarding my Reno summer Peppermill Poker escapades!

After my biggest losing cash game session in my life (a whopping $400 loss I believe) I retreated to the cozy confines of my room and dined on an angus cheeseburger that was quite excellent and quite a bit better than the previous evening's French dip.

I awoke refreshed and once again hit the cafe counter - this time for an omelette that was way to big and that I sadly had to leave unfinished as I didn't want to have to be rolled into the poker room.

I strolled in just after 11am and Michele was holding court once again, and this time with a much bigger stack of chips than she'd had the previous day.  They likely had been playing for several hours at this point.  I said howdy and chatted just a bit before registering for the noon donk-a-ment.

Once again the field seemed delightfully soft - lots of passive play and of course very loose in the early levels.  I chipped up rapidly after the first break as I cranked up the aggression and my opponents instinctively tightened up.   I had a full double and then some when I flopped the stone cold nuts and the villain had 2 pair...

It was shortly after this hand that THAT GUY showed up at our table.  You know of whom I speak.  You've also seen him at sporting events and at movie theaters.  You usually hear him first, but eventually you come face to face with THAT GUY.  The non-stop talker who won't SHUT THE FUCK UP.  Yeah, he showed up.  Thankfully, I was prepared.

Thank GOD for earbuds.

And so in my cocoon of silence (or rather the not so silent Zac Brown Band) I continued on and had two more hands of interest before my departure just a few spots from the money (spoiler alert!)

Back down to a dozen big blinds or so, after inevitable card-deadness and active big stacks, I checked my option in the big blind with Qh9h after the active and big stack cutoff suspiciously limped.  Flop was 7T3 with 2 hearts, my plan was to check raise jam and I did.  Villain tanked for awhile then found a call with the A7 of diamonds.  Ok.  Thankfully the turn spiked a 9c and the river hit a Qd for good measure.  Nice double up which propelled me to the final table.

It was there that I flopped two pair with K9 and got it in only to run into a set of eights.  I was crippled with half a big blind behind, which thankfully the Peppermill let me put in first before the required ante, so I stood to quintuple up with T3 which turned trips, unfortunately one of the 4 other players in the hand turned broadway and so I was out!

Boo!  Or rather, Yay!  I was eager to get back to cash.  It was around 3pm and I ducked out for a bite, but then came back in and got seated initially away from Michele for a couple of hours.

Again, I was excited because the table was older and seemed to be pretty soft.  But I tempered my excitement remembering the day before, how my overconfidence had gotten the better of me more than once and led to unnecessary spew-age.

I chipped up just a little bit at my first table.  I had requested a table change to have a chance at getting over to Michele, and the change came through and I moved on over...

Once again she was a couple of seats to my right, and I would never go easy on her (she's too good of a player for that) but once again we never really got tangled up in any significant hands together.   The drunk fellow who sat down on my immediate right however, he would be my salvation for the evening and the poker trip at large.

This was a very loose and passive bunch and I found myself checking my option in the single $2 blind with the mighty A2 and 6 limpers behind.  The pot was 12 dollars and the flop was 7T2 rainbow, and believe it or not (though I believed it) it checked through.

Turn was another deuce (happy dance ensued on the inside)  I then did something I rarely do, I led out.  I fired a $10 bet, because the board had two spades and I had none, and I figured any kind of draw was likely to call.

Fortunately, I got better news than that - it folded around to drinky on the button and he check-raised me to $30.  This was either a massive combo draw or a made deuce (or in some horrible alternate universe a boat that he had slow played when it was just a set on the flop) so there was no reason for me to fool around.  I re-raised to $130 to go and he mini-tanked and called, leaving himself about $150 behind.

The river was not a heart and didn't pair the board further, so I led out all-in. Drinky beat me into the pot (gulp!) and proudly rolled over K2 for the second best trips.  I quickly showed my hand and his smile faded and he slumped in disgust.  I was thrilled to drag a $300+ pot.  Best of all, Drinky re-loaded (both with the booze and with chips).

This is more like it!

About an hour later a young buck sat down across the table and decided he was going to take control by putting out a $10 straddle on every hand.  He lost a couple big pots (not to me unfortunately) and re-loaded, but didn't slow down with the straddles.  I bided my time and eventually did wake up with AA in middle position.

I opened to $30 (over a limp by Drinky), definitely playing my hand face up here, and of course the button defended his straddle, but so did my old friend Drinky! 

Flop was Qh3h2s, Drinky checked, I bet just under 2/3 pot ($60) and naturally the button flat called.  He had been doing this in pretty much every hand, so honestly I wasn't that worried about him.  Drinky then surprised us all by jamming his almost $200 stack into the middle and re-opened the action.  I was happy to reship my $600+ in chips and Mr. Macho Button Straddle-Man had to painfully release his hand after the obligatory theatrics.

I knew I was likely way ahead here, so the old tournament player in me quickly turned up my cards when the turn bricked and before the river came...  Drinky saw what I had and quickly flung his cards into the muck!  Before the river was turned up!  So yes, that means that whatever the river was - it didn't matter.  The chips got pushed my way and Drinky sulked.  And Drinky re-loaded.

Unfortunately he only reloaded for a single C-note.  That hundo did eventually find it's way into my stack when I finally flopped a set after three full days of play, and so I finished up the evening in for $300 out for $1045.  

So great to book a nice win (my biggest ever in cash, jeez I really need to play more of these things!) and get unstuck for the past 3 days.  I ended my entire Peppermill poker party with a $435 profit!

I was exhausted, I was elated when I cashed out at around 7pm.  Michele was still playing, but I was burnt toast and I wanted to be able to get some rest for some super fun Tahoe hiking and hanging out with my good friends from grade school the next day.  We were all celebrating our belated 50th birthdays and it really was the reason for the entire trip!  The poker just turned out to be a great bonus!

I would entertain you with exciting tales of our cash game and tournament play up at the cabin, but I fear it would just be too much excitement for one blog!   Besides, the man code forbids it or something.  A private poker game among friends is a sacred thing, blah blah blah...

Anyways, if you are still here that means you read the whole thing!  I really appreciate it!  

Stay tuned for my 2021 WSOP re-cap in another week or two - I was going to video the whole thing ala' Rampage or Andrew Neeme, but then decided it was too much work.  So I pretty much stuck to twitter and I'll be pulling my hands from that source to create another poker blog (and not a Vlog) re my WSOP adventure.  Can't wait to share it with you!