I Have the Ace of Spades

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Alright, my apologies for taking so long to post again.  Clearly, I'm not dying.  My liver, kidneys, heart, blood sugar, urine and everything else is fine.  We're gonna check the thyroid thing again in a couple months but we're not too worried about it for now.  The only thing that appears to be wrong is the rheumatology.  Aparently I have either rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis.  Either way, I may have to take disease altering drugs from now to eternity.  I have to see a rheumatologist first so that's all I know for now.

Vegas.  It would appear that I've decided to go to Vegas during the WSOP.  In fact, barring something hideous happening today or tomorrow, I'll be flying out Sunday.  I'm going mainly to play 2-5 cash at the Rio, but there will be a few tournies sprinkled in.  I'm sure I'll play a few single table satellites and there may be a tourny at the Venetian or the Golden Nugget I'll play.  But primarily I'll have my head down, focusing on the cash games.

This week seems to be getting back to normal in Jacksonville.  I was here for two full weeks leading up to last weekend and I was only able to make up the $800 I was behind from the week before, and cover $900 in hotel costs.  Don't get me wrong, it's hard to complain about being even, but this week I've paid for the hotel and I'm up about $850.  I have today and thursday to play and then I'm going with a couple guys to Cherokee on friday.  It would appear the weekend 2-5 game has been out of control there so I have to go smack it down.

In the midst of my previous two week battle, I had my single biggest daily loss in Florida, downticking $1626.  I wasn't too happy about that and decided to hit the other room the next night.  I haven't been to St. Johns Greyhound Track in about two and a half months so I decoded to switch it up.  I played a pretty interesting hand there.

I was in seat 2 and the villain was in seat 9.  He had about $1050 in his stack and I had about $1200.  He liked to put in piles of chips on flush draws and he was having a few drinks.  That's about all I knew of him.  He straddled and I called the $10 with 55.  A couple others called and villain raised $60 more.  Having watched him play and hoping to build a monster if I mined out another 5, I called.  The button called as well.  The pot held $220 when the flop showed up Js5s4s; not the perfect flop but workable.  Villain led out for $60, I raised to $220, the button folded, and the villain wasted no time catapulting $160 more into the pot bringing the total to $660 and fulfilling my hope for a big one.

The turn brought a red 3 and the villain checked.  I still had $900 in front of me and he still had $750.  "Three," I said, sliding three stacks of red into the middle as the agony twisted the villains face.  God, he didn't want to put in $300, but damn if he wanted to fold his hand.  I figured he had the As and he said something about pocket aces as he tanked for a record time.  During his dilberation, we conversed in a friendly manner.  I was coming off a big loser from the night before and I didn't want to lose this pot, but torn, I also wanted him to stick $300 more into this monster.  I decided to find out if he did have the As and so, being clever, I said, "I have the ace of spades."  "Oh really," he said sarcasticly and made a horrid mistake, picking up the As and SHOWING IT TO ME, thereby squashing any doubt I may have had and most importantly, killing ANY FURTHER ACTION he may have gotten if he hit a spade or a deuce on the river!  I still wasn't sure of his second card, but having him show me was a beautiful thing.  But that wasn't the only screw I drilled into this kids mind.

After what seemed like a month in the tank, villain obliged me with a $300 call.  Here's where my next clever act would come.  As the dealer was pulling in the $300's, I asked villain, "You checking the river dark?"  Go ahead, ask me if it worked... IT DID!!  This guy checked dark and protected me from an ace hitting the river!  He already killed himself by confirming the As and now, if another ace hits the river, I'm not putting another dollar into the pot.  If he doesn't check dark, and an ace hits, and he bets, I'm calling.  The pot was $1260 and he had $450 left.  But now, he's given up all he had.  And the best news of all, the river pairs another 4.  I bet it all and he actually thinks he may still be good.  It was then that I realized that he must indeed have pocket aces.  He finally did one thing right and folded.  He showed me pocket aces.  It sure is fun stacking a $1260 pot.

Aside from mind fucking that kid, I was beginning to question myself last week.  I suppose that's normal when things aren't going as well as they once were.  It lasted a couple weeks and I'm back on track now.  I got pretty unlucky last night and found myself in the game for $1600, but managed to grind it back for a minor loss of $155.  My 2-5 sample size is getting bigger now with 418 hours recorded.  My hourly is still $51.74, even after that ugly downspike in the graph.  My confidence is back this week and next week I'll be taking that confidence 2100 miles from here. 

Rio, be prepared.