A lot has happened since my last post... which, sure enough, was over a year ago. A global pandemic due to COVID-19. Quarantine. Masks. Changing the way we live and work. Even the way we shop.
Also, the way we play poker.
We can't go to the local casino anymore... at least here in Cleveland. JACK Cleveland Casino closed their poker room and it doesn't seem like it will return anytime soon, if ever.
PokerStars "Home" Games
Fortunately, I have a great network of friends that found creative ways to continue playing poker during quarantine. Back in March, Eric, Dave and Cheryl from the CPMG organized a Home Game group on PokerStars. The group quickly grew to over 100 members, so the daily low-stakes ($20-30) tournaments got pretty juicy. The 7pm tournament quickly became part of my nightly quarantine routine and Dana even got involved in a few games. I was fortunate to win several tourneys and never had to pay to replenish my "play money" bankroll on PokerStars. The PokerStars tournaments still occur a few nights per week, but participation is generally in the 9-15 range instead of the 20+ that used to play during the height of the lock down.
PokerNow & Windy Crest Poker
A friend of mine also introduced me to PokerNow and Windy Crest Poker, two sites that do not require you to download anything. You don't even have to create an Account on PokerNow, which is really nice. Once I started playing with the PokerNow group -- July 4th was my first game with them -- I've played pretty much every night that a game breaks out. I've only played on WC once and quickly dropped $150 at a PLO cash table. WC has its advantages over PokerNow -- game selection, bank/cash outs to name a few -- but I 'm a much bigger fan of PokerNow's interface. Plus, it's really easy to set up a game on PokerNow. A few quick settings and you're up in running in seconds.
The game we've been playing regularly is $1/1 HA ($200 max buy in). I hadn't played $1/1 cash since my online grinding days prior to Black Friday, so I was a little out of my comfort zone when I started playing with the group. I'm also one of the more inexperienced players in PLO, so I was particularly cautious during those rounds. I was a break-even player in July, but August was especially kind to me. I built a legitimate bankroll, enough where if I dropped a couple of buy-ins on a particular night, it wasn't crippling to me.
Unfortunately, September was a losing month for me in the PokerNow cash games. I was a loser in 10 of the 15 sessions I played that month, and the biggest win I booked was $75.
We continue to have regular games on PokerNow, but we've been mixing in more low stakes ($0.25/$0.50 - $100 max) games to make the swings less painful for all.
Adam's Cash Game - $1/2 ($200-300 max) - NLHE, PLO, Big O rotation - 10/2/2020
In late September, I received a special invite from Adam to play a $1/2 cash game at his home on Friday, 10/2. His first game since early March! My family and I haven't been socializing much during the pandemic aside from outside activities like golf, so I wasn't sure I'd be able to attend. He did make me feel more comfortable when he said masks would be required at the table and he was limiting seats to 7 players. He also deep cleaned his basement and had hand sanitizer available, which the players used frequently.
I was so excited to play. I prepped all week by dealing out mock 7-handed Big O hands during slow periods at work. But I was even more excited to see the people. Everyone arrived close to 7pm and we drew for seats. Sitting to my immediate left was Branden, followed by Marc S, Adam, Jen, TK and Prowest. I wasn't thrilled with the seat draw, but I'm not so sure there would have been an *ideal* seat draw with this group of players. All are incredibly tough to play against.
I bought in for $200. The very first hand, I'm UTG and raise to $5 with JT off-suit. Branden 3-bets to $12 and I’m the only caller. Flop is K 9 3 rainbow. We both check. Turn [K 9 3] Q. Bingo! I bet $15 with the nut straight and Branden calls. River is a blank. I bet $50, which was roughly a pot-sized bet. I probably should have bet $30 or so to induce the call, but to my surprise, Branden raised to $110. I go all in for a bit more and he calls with top set of Kings that he slow-played on the flop. I felt incredibly lucky to double up on Hand #1.
A bit later, during PLO, Jen straddles to $5. Prowest calls. I make it $20 with AsAhQs9h double-suited (Spades and Hearts). Marc S and Prowest call. Flop Jd Td X, with two diamonds.
It checks to me and I bet $30. Marc is the only caller. Turn [Jd Td X] Q. We both check. River [Jd Td Xx Q] K. I bet $50 with Broadway and Marc folds.
During Big-O (O8 with 5 cards instead of 4)... I'm UTG with Ac Ah 2h Kc Ts, double-suited (Hearts and Clubs) and raise to $5. TK makes it $20. Prowest and I call. Flop Qs 9h 8c, rainbow. TK leads $30. I don't have much besides the Aces, a gutter and backdoor flush draws, but I want to see a Turn. Prowest and I both call. Turn [Qs 9h 8c] 5h. This gives me the nut heart and nut low draws. This time, Prowest bets $40 and TK and I both call. River [Qs 9h 8c 5h] Td. I miss and fold the river. TK scoops a big pot w KJ.
Another Big-O ends up being the most interesting pot of the night, at least for me. I start the hand with $436 and look down at Kd Qd Jx 6s 3x in late position facing a raise to $7. I realize this isn't a great hand for Big-O, but I call and it's a family pot, 7 ways. Flop is Js Ts 9x, two spades. Adam leads pot for $50. Jen and TK call. I obviously call with the nut straight. Turn [Js Ts 9x] 8h. Adam bets pot again, this time $250. Jen folds. TK thinks for a while and calls. I don't know what to do...
This is the biggest bet I've faced in YEARS. I have the nuts, but there are a ton of cards that would make me snap-fold the river. Any card that pairs the board (the 2 remaining Jacks since I had one in hand, 3 tens, 3 nines, 3 eights, plus any spade. If I counted correctly, that's about 18 cards that beat me. I'm also worried that Adam and Terry are both holding KQ as well. Calling a $250 bet to potentially chop 3 ways just seems a bit risky, but I make the call as well. Part of my thinking was that if I fold the nuts and it ends up being good, I'll probably be massively tilted the rest of the night. River [Js Ts 9x 8h] Ac. I fade spades and the board pairing -- THANK GOODNESS! Adam and TK both check. I go all in for my remaining $129. Adam insta-folds and TK thinks for a while. Now I'm feeling fantastic because I know I'm scooping a huge pot whether TK calls or not. Eventually, TK makes the call with a lesser straight (and missed nut spade draw) and I drag a massive $1,250 pot.
After winning that huge Big O hand, I'm card dead the rest of the night and give back a few hundred dollars to the table. We called the game at 4:34am and I cashed out $984... a nice profit of $784.
