Brutal session at Aria 2/5. I’m going to record the 3 big losing hands here so I can remember them later to analyze.
First though, the emotional experience of this table. There was a coked-up, bullying asshole at the table. He’d burned through 4 buy-ins, then built a big stack through aggression—3-4x overbets, showing bluffs, berating players. I got caught up in his energy (similar to the earlier session, except much less pleasant). I was talking back to his smack talk.
After an hour I took a walk & had a talk with myself. I need to be connected to my own energy, not anyone else’s. After that I didn’t give him any energy. Felt good to set boundaries like that. Next I need to learn not to get engaged in the first place.
Here are the hands. Analysis later.
1300 effective. Villain is a pleasant Japanese guy, seems to know what he’s doing but willing to gamble. Earlier saw him make a big laydown vs another OMC.
Pre: mp limp, villain makes it 35 nta, I call sb with 88, limper makes it 165, call, call ? I think this should be a fold unless they are guaranteed to pay off (like the coked up asshole).
(490) 632dd check check villain 200 I call (? I’m okay with this call since lta he has a lot of bluffs).
(890) Ks Not great for either of our ranges. Still if he has 77-JJ it’s going to be a tough call. I jam 935. He tank calls with QQ.
Next hand. This is the first time I’ve ever had the clock called on me. I think the line is easy but I couldn’t do the math fast enough under pressure.
1450 effective with CUA (coked up asshole). EP 35, CUA 200, call, I call sb with 54s, fold. I’m targeting CUA here. If I hit, he’ll double me up. I should still should be folding (what is my calling range there? raising range, given that he’s never folding?) If I fold here & call this on the button I’m not whining about it here.
(600) Flop is 863, no spade. Check, CUA 300, fold, I call, fold. It’s calling 300 to win 1250. He’s not folding to a raise? Really? Maybe this is a jam to realize my equity & gather what fold equity there is. Against his actual hand he might have folded. Maybe.
(1200) Turn Qr. Check, 450. This is where I tanked. What does the math say? He has 500 back. He’s effectively all-in (he in fact jammed dark). I’m calling 450 here to win 2150. I need 21% equity. (I’m assuming my pair outs are no good. My straight outs are pure, even if he has a set.)
Let’s look at some equities. Against his exact hand (AQ), I have 20.5% equity, so it’s break even. If we throw in AK & AJ for bluffs, I have 29% equity. Add in all the sets & I still have 27% equity. He’s certainly over-bluffing here so this is a profitable call. Hmmm… In game the answer I came to in 2-3 minutes was break even. I called for tilt equity, river was a Q, I folded.
The key variable here is how much he has behind. With less behind it’s a fold. With way more behind at what point does he not jam blind? This guy in his mood, a whole bunch, which makes this a highly profitable call.
This is the kind of high-variance play I need to be prepared to make if I’m going to be professional. Next time I’ll know quicker what to do. (The profitability also depends heavily on the willingness of the villain to stack off if I hit. Take that away & the turn is definitely a fold, maybe the flop too.)
Last hand, can I make a monster laydown? 1250 effective but both villains have monster stacks ($6k+) I open UTG AcAh to 20, 4 callers. Fuck.
(80) Flop JdTd4h. Check check I 60, sb calls, mp OMC calls. I don’t like how coordinated this flop is but what are you going to do? I also don’t like 2 callers.
(260) 8s. Check check I make it 200. Call call. Double fuck. Am I in the “better made hand vs a draw” situation? If so, I have $0 equity. If they’re both on a draw, then I have hope. In any case, I’m out of value.
(860+1000) As. Check. OMC makes it 600. Here’s the decision point. I’m up against 2 hands on a straightening board. If OMC doesn’t play a set this way then I’m fucked. Can I lay down top set? I jam because maybe it’s a set? (really? OMC? With a giant stack left to act behind?), SB over-jams, OMC calls. They both have KQo. I walk out wrecked.
The good about this hand—my flop & turn bets got called by worse.
I was shocked at the intensity of my emotional reaction. My lower lip was quivering like it hasn’t since I was 5. Holding myself centered in the face of CUA was exhausting.
Lessons
Playing with jerks isn’t worth it. Table change. I know what kind of table I have skills for. Get on one of those tables. Life is too short for emotional abuse.
I need to be prepared to make high-variance plays. I also need to be emotionally prepared for the downside of those plays. Given how the rest of this trip has gone (-$9k), I’m not sure I am. Time to move down in stakes for a day or two. My roll is fine. My heart not so much.
The bluff is okay. I should have folded to the pre-flop limp re-raise. As played, he’s folding much of his range. I’m also doing this with some value hands so it’s not profitable for him to make this call.
Time for some r&r. Workout. Soak. Nap. Lunch. Back at it when I feel like playing.