Scenes from a Road Trip...

Spring Break 2011, we headed to the mountains...and we brought a few things...

Five minutes on the road and someone already needed a pitspot...

On the road, there was a lot to see:

We thought the PoPo was going to shut us down, but we just got a warning, wheeeeee!

West Texas is beautiful, even through a bug splattered window:

We finally get to @EvryDaySaturday's cabin, it was late...

You know it was her cabin because of all the crosses:

 The rest of the time was spent hiking, fishing, skiing and playing...

Mama even got in some poker time:

...and it was fun!

Road trip home was long but fun (even though we did get a ticket) and the girls were great.  We pitstopped at the Alien Museum in Roswell:

Road trips are a blast and I highly recommend them. But I do have to admit that if I never hear another Justin Bieber song or see/smell those crappy Slim Jim's (which I do not eat!) again, that'll be just fine by me.  Well, at least until the next road trip.  

Super Moon 2011

Before I finish up this post, I wanted to share about the $1/$2 cash games I got to play.  As I said on twitter, I was a little worried to sit down and try my hand.  The first night, I sat down with $200 and within 40 minutes, I was able to walk away with $400.  I played three hands during that time and got lucky with a flopped set of 7s that paid off nicely and an AQs raise from the BU that earned nicely too.

The second night, I sat down again with $200.  I played tightly and conservatively and the hands I showed down were Ts and AKs.  But then I wrangled with Tom...a grizzled poker and Korean War veteran who'd been at the tables each time I'd gone by the poker room.

When I sat down, Tom was sitting in front of about $800.  Within a few orbits, I grew my own stack to about $350 and was having a really nice time talking to Daniel and Angela, both of whom were on my immediate left.  I learned that Angela was a (winning) regular, having moved from a small West Texas town to try her hand at professional pokering in Ruidoso.  She was the best kind of regular - a true player, but the kind who made players feel good losing their stacks to her.  Given that she was two to my left, I knew I needed to be careful with my starting hands.

Tom's stack continued to grow - if everyone limped, he'd raise big in position and usually take down the pot preflop or with a flop c-bet.  If he had a good hand in EP, he'd raise it up and make you pay to play (his showdowns from EP raises were Qs and AKs, but I'd also see him get to SD w/ Q7s).  At one point, I tried to initiate some conversation with him, but he wasn't having it. So, I remarked on his poker face.  He just looked at me - not menacingly, but not necessarily friendly.  The next hand, he raises and I come along with a caller in front of me.  Tom c-bets the flop and the other player calls, but I fold.  Tom ends up taking down a pretty big pot and finally gives me a smile, saying, "I wanted you to stay in that pot!"  We laughed and all was fun and games as he continues to roll over the table.

Finally, Tom raises to $13 from UTG and he gets one caller from MP.  I look down at AcTc in the hijack position and for some pretty dumb reason, I decide this is the hand I'm going to tangle with Tom. I make it $30 to go.  Everyone folds save Tom and the MP caller.  Flop comes xx4c.  Checks to me and I make it $55.  Tom calls and MP calls (and is all in).  I was hoping with the c-bet, I'd get everyone out and take down a nice pot.  Plans foiled...now what?

Turn brings another c and the board is all lower cards.  At this point, I know Tom has a big hand, a pair of something - I'm thinking Ts or better, and he's beating the current board, at least with one pair.  And when MP called, I figured him for a set.  I have nothing but a long shot flush draw and the need for an A to fall to beat at least one of them or so I'm thinking.  This pot is huge and I want it.

Tom checks to me and I put in one stack ($100) and have one left behind.  Maybe I should've checked this turn card, but I have represented a huge hand pre flop, on the flop, and I'm going to continue representing that, so I bet.  Tom just calls.  If he had raised and put me all-in?  Would pot odds have dictated a call?  (using the Rule of 4 and 2* on the turn, the pot was approximately $400 and I had 9 outs to complete my flush and 3 outs to give me a pair of As.  So, 12 x 2 = a 24% chance of making my hand.  I only had $100 behind, so all I could call was $100 into a $400 pot...pots odds are more than the percentage of making my hand...I don't know if I could have or should have folded in that hypo.  And I think it's safe to say that he DID put me on a big hand, otherwise, why didn't he raise me on the flop or the turn?)

River card to come and I'm praying for a club.  Dealer burns and turns.  And BOOM.  Club.

Tom checks to me.  I slowly move my last stack in and he calls.  I'm embarrassed that I've river flushed but elated that it came.  I can hardly even look at Tom or anyone else at the table because I know I got lucky.  Tom turns over Qs, MP shows his flopped set of 4s and they all just stare agape at my rivered nut flush.

Tom doesn't speak and Angela whispers, "I never would've put you on that, girl." I tell her, "I got lost in that hand and then I got lucky" and she nods emphatically, yes.

And there you have it.  I don't think I'm completely over my trepidation of playing cash poker, but I do feel better after these two experiences, though I know I've still got a lot to learn.

Later gators and good luck at the tables!

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*I saw a great video on the Rule of 4 and 2 by Kara Scott for Party Poker, but I can't find it for the life of me....I'll edit and link to it if I find it. and found it again today so...EDIT 3/25/11 to include link to the Party Poker video...good stuff.  Thanks, Kara (on the extremely off chance she'd be reading this...but still...)