Friday Night at the Muck

Went to the Muck on Friday night late after dinner. Got there at about 9:00pm and the place was jammed. I could not get into a game. They only had two big games going and a long list for the $20/40. They would not start a new game because they were worried that they would break one of their 8 $4/8 games. WHAT?? They had 8 of them, what do they care if they break one. I can not stand how they run that place. They just don't care. I hope one of these days they get some competition but not today, so they will run it how they see fit. I sat around for about 30 minutes before getting a 10/20 seat. I have not played down at that limit in about two months, and I had forgotten how bad the play is in that game. The players were just horrible. Lots of limpers with weak hands hoping to hit. It was even better for me as this game was full of weak tight players. If they missed the flop they would go away. I bluffed with 5 high and 3 high out of the blind twice when an A hit the board and everyone went away. What a great game. Then one of the bigger game players came and sat in the game as he also was waiting for a seat. I had him to my direct left, which was not perfect but at least I had him close. He is a young kid who is developing his game, and plays a little too aggressive out of position sometimes. I was in the BB with A,4 off, and he raises UTG and gets called in four spots behind him. I figured I was getting the odds to call one bet and see the flop. Flopped the straight with 2,3,5 rainbow. I checked hoping to check raise, he bet, two other callers, I raise, he three bets, everyone else drops, and now I just call. He had a big overpair, at least he was going to play it that way and I knew I could get a raise on the next card as well. A Queen came off on the turn. I checked, he bet, I raised, he three bet, I capped. He must have made a set on the turn, as I know he has played with me before and he would not have given me that much action without that hand. DO NOT PAIR THE BOARD. Blank on river. I bet he calls and asked me if I flopped the straight, Yea I said and show my A4, and he mucked without showing. I wish that would have been $30/60 but of course the play would not have gone down that way in that game anyway. I would have probably not even been in the hand to start with.

I took my $200 profit and went to the $20/40 game when finally called at about 10:00pm. That game play was almost as bad. Lots of bad players, who were weak tight as well. Unfortunately I did not get any cards to play. I lost my profit within a few rounds with nothing and then bluffed from the button with 3,5 clubs into a field of 5 people who limped before the flop. I raised with the button, and bet on K high flop when checked into me. I go one call and then he dumped it on the turn. Got back to just about even and then moved to the $30/60 game.

I was hopping for a good Friday night gamble game. There was only one $30/60 game going, and it was full of rocks. All of them rocks. Not one gamble spot in the game. My game plan now was to play hands in position and bluff at pots when nothing hit, or try to make funky hands against premium hands I knew would only be played. This kind of worked except that we had a string of pots where all high cards came out on he flop and I had to dump all the hands I played. I got stuck $800 in that game, and then it got short. I am amazed that at this level there is still not much experience playing short handed. I just ran over the remaining 5 then 4 then 3 players, until I was up $300. I think I busted all the remaining players and the last two quit me. Crap, it is Friday night and there was not enough people to keep the 30 game going past 1:30am. Wow. That sucked. I ended up winning a total of $299, not what I had in mind but I guess better than being stuck. I will hopefully play more than twice this week and see how much progress we can make. Talk to you soon..SJ