Meetin' Friends and Playing Poker

Spirit Mtn., Grande Ronde, Oregon. We dinked around most of the day (Saturday), went shopping, picked up some nice kitchen stuff at Lincoln City. LC is a nice lil tourist trap but today the tourists are inside. Driving rain since we pulled in last night. We stopped at our fav internet cafe this mornin, Cyber Cafe. Sent a few Shark things out and sipped sum nice coffee. Stop in here if you want to use their computers or just hook up to the sweet WI-FI. 6 bucks an hour which is the same as Starbucks.

Realizing we were dangerously low on liqour we stopped and picked up several bottles of adult beverages, sum bloody mary mix and a few nice cigars. Oregon booze is about 25% less then Washington, so that was all the excuse I needed to fill up the backend of Raisins Grand Cherokee. oops -130. Hope I can play sum pokah tonight and pay fer da booze....stay tuned. Picked up sum margarita mix that looks good and will try that when I get home. The Jose Cuevo mix that raisin gets at Costco is just to sweet for me. Hope I found a new friend (1800 mix I think?).

I couldn't decide between Grey Goose and Smirnoff, so I got both. Raisin drives us back to the Casino (30 miles) as I fall asleep to catch a lil nap (averaging 4 hrs sleep per night, last 2 weeks). We head up to the room and pour a couple stiffies. Its almost 7 PM and still no Poker. I suggest we find Raisins fav game (4/8 kill) and get busy. She reminds me that I promised a big Neteller withdrawal so I comply and stuff her beloved "hundies" in her unorganized mess she calls a purse. You wanna see someone take fifteen min. to find a pen or nail clippers? Hang with my wifey.

As we head over to the large Poker room a yung feller in a striking ensemble (Shark old style shirt, jeans, cool wool hat) marches up to me and says "Shark!". Hey, its Joe Wong "the student" and long time Shark player (and winner). He mentioned he would try to stop by (hes 2 hrs away) and he made it! I introduce "the stud" (as I have called him for almost a year) to the warden and we head off for a nice din din. On the way we meet his nice Mom and Pop, Dad is a dead ringer for John Chan (maybe 100 pounds less) and mom has a great smile. We chatted and couldn't coerce them to leave the pai gow table and eat dinner on us.

Nice dinner, good times. We realize that Joe is only the second member we have met in person. The first was Charles Wheal (great guitar player from San Fran that invited us to Doc Maynards, a famous club in Seattle.......tix at door...sweet ya, we with the band..we bad...).

Joe is an outgoing 21 year old, marketing student and master Scotty Win impersonator. I bout peed me depends as he spouted Scotty speak and flirted with Raisin. She loved it and almost went home with him instead or yer hero. Maybe we can hire him when he graduates? Definately a sharp kid.

Okay, dinners over...Joes says "hey Shark, I really appreciate all your help this past year, you really have helped make me a good player"! Wow, I have lots of players that write emails saying the same thing but in person it's whole different feeling. Thanks buddy, you made my day!

Then he quickly changes the subject. "hey Raisin (he called her that, funny) lets find sum donks shall we?". Yes we shall my friend!

Joe grabs a seat at a 2/4 table (hey, hes a student) and yer hero starts with 4/8 kill. Raisin joins my table 15 min later and sits to my left. hmmmm, more training needed, but whatever, sit down ya cute lil vixen...

My std. buyin is 20X the big bet and with a kill I will tack on a lil extra. I sit with $200 and survey the donktropolis that is 4/8. I notice 2 guys I played last time here (only been twice) and they do have many regulars here. The Casinos are limited in Oregon so many regulars drive long distances to sit. My plan is to terrorize this table for a stake of $500 then move to the next game above (and only game above) 10/20 w/kill. I always stick to my plan and set that as a goal. Then i'm sittin at a game I can take 2-4 grand out of with only 200 invested. Its a good wager.

I quickly realize (maybe 1 hr) that the players here are better than your std. 4/8 see every flop ATM, no foldin, riv chaser. This is actually my preferred table and dream of 10/20 as I start taken down nice pots with major aggression as my tight play and big cards punish the A3o, QJo, or anything soooted (Harry Carey lookalike calls 16 bucks pre raise from Shark (kill) with K2s, ha!) that these guys play. Its still way better then most 4/8 games live but probably a skill level of .50/1,00 online (no exagerration). 4/8 at Tulalip, Marysville resembles play chips sum nights.

Raisin quickly realizes she in a bad mofo seat. ha! Had sum nice big pairs early and my re-raises may get old honey bunny, how bout you sit over by Harry Carey? She likes that idea and slides over next to this every hand playin, whiny guy that couldn't win at .01/.02 online. He just can't believe his K2s 85s 24s 56s 82s won't make a flush even though he pays me off (and anyone else)to see every riv. His stack of $200 will be distributed to all players eventually and I make a note to get most of them since I don't like his lack of skilz and constant complaints.

Side bar: I check on Joe to give him sum encouragement and hes chattin up a sweet asian grrr as he stack a nice stack a chippies. Hes up. Back to my table.

Its 2 hrs into our session when this hand comes up. I have 68o in mid position and after 3 folders, I decide to raise it up to rep another strong hand. 1 caller and raisin calls also which makes me nervous. Shes tighter then a baby seals sphincter, and likes to stay away from sharkeeee when I raise pre. But I also know she would reraise with AA KK QQ AKx and maybe JJ or 10 10 (good student). I put her on AQ or AJ and start thinkin of a way outa this mess, ha!

Flop comes 9 6 2 and I like it. Harry bets raisin calls and I raise. If my read is right raisin will look for the exits (shes tight right, no pair and i'm raisin) and Harry just wants to play every hand in case his flush chasin plan comes together. Harry folds to my rayz (huh?) and now raisin smiles and calls. hmmmmm. WTF? I stare her down and table laughs cause they all know we playin with shared money and she ain't backin down, lol.

I figure i'll keep bettin since pot is big and i'm probably gonna lose my $$ to my wife and thats a good outcome. We got Harrys money, right (again). Turn blank, I bet. She calls. Fold gdamit. Riv blank and i'm firin. No time to show weakness and the farce is over anyway. Shes got me.

I still hope my read of AQ or AJ is right but she doesnt usually call down good players with no pair. (good student).

I flip over my very weak pair of sixes with monster kicker and she tosses her hand in muck. ha!

I can't believe I took it down. I ask honeybunny, AQ momma? "yes but it was sooooted" Hey good read, nh, gg. Table seems impressed with my nifty read. Harry can't believe he folded the winner. No flush draw so decided for an early exit probably.

6.5 hr session ends at 4am Sunday morn. Raisin crapped out about 1am. Tally Raisin -60 (4 hr session) Shark +235 or 36.15 an hr, 4.5 BB per hr. Okay night, that never got me to $500 goal. Reached 460 twice and was eyein 10/20 kill.

I try to think positive and realize I paid for 1 nights lodging and a ton a good booze with this win. So, a cheap weekend was had by all. Raisin always seems to beat the slots for 100 or so and does it again today. She hits and runs which is the only way to beat these -ev 1 armed profit centers.

The warden is all packed and we are headin for more Poker and an early trip homeward. We always miss our best friend Cody and our girls Sam and Dan (even on short trips).

Cats will act that they don't know us when we come back and thats fine with me.

Be aggressive! Bet rayz or fold! Don't chase longshots or miracle turns/rivs! Don't be a Harry...

Shark