Never give up. Never open-ender.

A player in early position min-raised, a late position player re-raised and the EP smooth called. The EP often min-raised. No, make that always min-raised. The flop came with an Ace and a ten and all of the money went into the middle. EP showed a set of Aces and the LP had Tens full of Aces. EP went ballistic after LP said, “Your smooth call cost you your stack.” The exchange continued for a while, which was enlightening in many regards, primarily because EP spent a lot of energy on discussing his playing style. Eventually, things calmed down and LP wrote “FWIW, sorry for the bad beat. You have to have a strong heart to play this game.”

EP may have felt better a little later when he once again min-raised with Aces and I flopped top two pair, Aces and nines.

I was having one of those nights, hitting just hard enough to get me into trouble or missing OESDs and nut FDs with beautiful double-suited Broadway wraps. If I had a low wrap, the flop came high, and if I had 9 through Q, then a wheel draw flopped. Big sets were equally ineffective. In the course of a little over 200 hands I had bled nearly three buy-ins. I looked at the clock. The magic time of one o’clock in the morning had passed without an uptick in my stack. I was going to have to accept the loss and hope for a better tomorrow.

Then it happened. The room changed personnel. The Calling Stations and LAGtards woke up on the other side of the world and settled in for some mid-morning poker with their coffee. And they were hitting gutshots. I postponed bed.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha, $0.25 BB (9 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP2 ($24.25)
MP3 ($24.65)
CO ($34.45)
Button ($42.70)
SB ($9.70)
BB ($15.40)
UTG ($16.70)
Hero (UTG+1) ($36)
MP1 ($5)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with Q, 9, 9, K

1 fold, Hero calls $0.25, MP1 calls $0.25, MP2 calls $0.25, 2 folds, Button calls $0.25, SB calls $0.15, BB checks

Flop: ($1.50) A, 5, 7 (6 players)

SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, Button bets $1.45, SB calls $1.45, 1 fold, Hero calls $1.45, 2 folds

The lead-out bet on the flop was by CS #1, the king of the gutshot. His caller was the LAG. Both players had been in almost every hand since they had sat down. In such situations, I’ll play a hand like the one I had if I can see a cheap flop.

Turn: ($5.85) 2 (3 players)

SB checks, Hero bets $5.60, Button calls $5.60, 1 fold

As I’ve said before, the great thing about calling stations is they don’t know when they’re beat. Although, I must say, I made it very clear.

River: ($17.05) 8 (2 players)

Hero bets $16.25, Button calls $16.25

Total pot: $49.55 | Rake: $2.40

Results:

Button had 7, Q, A, 4 (flush, Ace high).

Hero had Q, 9, 9, K (flush, Ace high).

Outcome: Hero won $47.15


Moral victory achieved, it was now time for bed.