A Thor Loser

Well I was hoping to get a chance to write up my thoughts on Colossus, but that might take too long to pontificate about for now.  So instead, I’ll talk about the session I had last night while it’s fresh in my mind.  It was the best session I’ve had since being in Vegas, which isn’t really saying all that much.

I got to the table and who was there?  None other than Thor.  Yeah, the Norse god of Thunder.  The guy in the Avengers movies.  Ok, it wasn’t really him, he certainly wasn’t that buff, but he sure resembled him, long blond hair and all.  Funny thing is, one of my Facebook buddies is in Vegas now and she recently posted a pic of a guy at a poker table and said she was playing with Thor.  This could have been the same guy she played with.  Unlike the real Thor (and of course, we know there really is a real Thor), this guy had a British accent but didn’t sound like he just time travelled from Elizabethan England.

However, Thor was more like his half-brother Loki in the way he played poker.  Typical British aggro.  I kept my eye on him, thinking I could make some money from him if he overplayed a hand and I caught something.

Session didn’t start well.  On the button I limped/called $7 Ace-2 hearts.  I try not to limp in but it was so early in the session and I didn’t have a read on anyone—even Thor—so I made an exception.  It was five ways and an Ace-high board, one heart.  I called the preflop raiser’s $17 bet and it was heads up.  A second Ace on the turn made me think it was more likely that the raiser didn’t have the case Ace.  So when he put his last $50 in the pot, I shrugged and called.  The river bricked and he flipped over Ace-King. 

I lost more money raising with Ace-7 of spades and check/folding when I missed in a multiway pot.

Somehow I found myself sitting behind only $87 from my $200 buy-in, so I added on another $100, just in the nick of time.

Being the donkey that I am, I raised to $8 in early position with King-10 of spades.  Three players called, including Thor.  The flop came Jack-9-x, one spade.  Thinking that flop might have missed everyone, I went ahead and put out a C-bet of $15.  One player called, then Thor raised to $42.  The next guy folded. 

I smelled a rat.  I just sense that he didn’t have much, or anything.  I’d seen him make this move before and never get called on it.  Since I had both the gut-shot and the back door flush draw, and since I thought there was at least a chance King high was actually ahead there, I did something I wouldn’t have done even a few months ago and called.  The other guy folded and I was heads up with Thor.

The turn was a low spade.  I checked and Thor checked behind me, which gave credence to my thought that he didn’t have much.  Or else he was slow-playing a monster—unlikely.

The river brought the 9 of spades.  So I had the second nut flush, but the board was now paired.  I was sorely tempted to get to a showdown cheaply, but I was fairly convinced that he wasn’t strong enough to where that second 9 could have given him a boat.  Did he have Ace-x of spades for the nut flush?  Again, I felt that was unlikely.

I put out $60.  He looked over my stack and grabbed a bunch of chips—he had me covered—and put out enough to put me all in.  I wasted no time in putting forward the rest of my stack.  If my read was wrong and he had me beat, so be it.  I was pot-committed. 

He flipped over Queen-9.  He had trips, no boat.  Turns out that 9 of spades was the exact spade I needed.  Beautiful.  My read was pretty damn accurate.  Note, he raised me on the flop with middle pair and questionable kicker. 

In for $300, I was now in the black for the session.

Also, the flush got me a ticket for the midnight cash drawing.

Thor had a look of total amazement on his face, he clearly couldn’t believe what happened.  And he was clearly upset.  He still had chips, but a hand or two later, he picked them and disappeared.  I assume he returned to Asgard for some quiet reflection.  Or maybe he went somewhere to smash things with his hammer.

A hand or two later—same dealer—I limped into a pot with pocket 4’s.  Yeah, I do still tend to limp in with baby pockets.  About 75 people limped in as well.  I rather liked the flop, which was 9-9-4.   First to act, I checked, but no one bet.  So I bet the turn and no one called.  Oh well, at least there was enough in the pot to get me a second drawing ticket.

Still same dealer, I raised with pocket 9’s, and only had one caller.  The flop was Ace high, but he didn’t call my c-bet.

I called a raise to $7 with 8-7 clubs.  The flop was 8-7-2, the 8-7 were diamonds.  I called $20 on all three streets. The third player dropped out on the turn.  I just sensed this guy was weak but would keep betting, and would fold to a raise unless he had the flush draw.  So I Iet him build the pot for me.  He showed King-8 for just a pair of 8’s, so that was another decent pot.

On the button, I had Ace-Queen offsuit.  There were a ton of limpers so I made it $16.  To my dismay, four players called.  But I was happy to see an Ace-high flop.  It checked to me and no one called my $60 bet.

I called $7 from late position with King-Queen of clubs.  The flop was Queen high, and I called a player down when he kept making $10 bets.  It was the same guy as in the 8-7 hand and the same result.  He showed total air.

I raised to $8 with Ace-4 of clubs and folded to a guy three-betting to $20.

Later, that same guy bet $15 when I had pocket Queens.  I called and called his $25 c-bet on a low board.  I supposed I should have raised but I was thinking I might just bet if he checked the turn.  Unfortunately, the turn was an Ace and I folded to a $50 bet.  I am still thinking though I may have had the best hand.

Then I had pocket Aces and raised to $10.  There were there callers and the flop was all low cards.  I bet $35 and no one called.

That was it.  I had not slept well the night before, and I was having trouble staying awake.  I would have left by then to book my win but I wanted to hang around til the midnight drawing, since I had two tickets.  I was afraid of making a mistake in my tired state.  So I took a 20-minute break to walk around and avoid getting hands to play in my sleep-deprived state.  Fortunately it was a Slut Parade night so there was some interesting scenery to keep me alert, and awake.

I got back to my seat in time for the drawing, and fortunately was only dealt garbage so I didn’t have to think. Although I suppose it’s possible I was so out of it I might have mistaken AA for A4 and folded it. I woke up when I heard my name announced as one of the winners for the $100 prize.

I cashed out as soon as I was paid off.  Final result:  A $300 win at poker and a $100 win at promos.

Note:  the lady pictured below has absolutely nothing to do with this post.  But I know some of my loyal readers (I won’t name names) would object vociferously if all I gave them was the picture of Chris Hemsworth as Thor above (though I’ll bet my female readers will appreciate it).

So let’s just say the lady below looks like she could be a goddess to me.