The need to share

Here's another problem with online play: It's such a lonely experience. It's not that when I go to one of the local card rooms I'm chatting it up with the players or being friendly for that matter. I usually keep to myself and try like hell to take every last chip from them. But if you're doing well or if you have a nice rally, there's usually someone saying "Nice hand" or "Nice comeback" and you can sort of celebrate your success. But when you're playing online and you make a nice call you turn to no one in particular and blurt out "I knew he was bluffing!" Then you realize what an idiot you are because you're playing alone in your bedroom while the wife's out shopping.

That's the beauty of home games. If you kick some serious butt you have all of your friends there to witness it and you can have fun rubbing it in or just reveling in the fact that your stack is twice as big as the next guy. But when you're playing online it almost has this mercenary feel. You're there to win money and then sign off. The chat box is a cold place filled with bitter players and it usually serves as a distraction. That's not to say players in live games aren't distracting (just as Scott and his whining companion the other day at the O8B table). But for the most part, live play is so much more rewarding. And, of course, there's the converse of this discussion: When you lose live it's more humiliating or dejecting, but you take the good with the bad. I believe winning live far outweighs winning online, and losing live isn't much worse than losing online. The only saving grace for losing online is, if you aren't playing in an AIPS event, no one really knows who you are and you can just turn off the computer and slide into bed. No one sees you cry like a little girl into your pillow.

But all of this is a long way of saying I had a session yesterday that I was particularly proud of and yet it still felt a little hollow because it was online.

I had a rough early part of the session (as I often do) and had lost a decent portion of my bankroll. I actually had my first losing session in Deuce-to-7 on Stars (though it wasn't a bad session, just a losing one). I kept drawing at the nuts and kept bricking (just like last week's home game). So I played a little 5-card draw and won back half my losses (including making quad-sevens for a nice pot).

Then I had an itch for NLHE, but early on it was very frustrating. I'll give you an example: I'd see a cheap flop with 9♥10♣, flop two pair, but the board would come 9♠ 10♥ J♠. I'd bet out and get a call, then the turn would be an 8♠, which not only put four to a straight on board but three to a straight flush as well. They'd bet into me and I'd be forced to fold. Or I'd have JJ and raise and get two callers. The flop would come with an A and K and someone would bet out. There'd be a caller and when it got to me I'd have to fold. This happened quite a few times and then one runner-runner suckout later I was busted at the micro-limit table.

So I stopped and thought to myself (as it's often professed you should do) "Am I playing poorly or is it just bad luck and bad timing?" I came to the conclusion that I wasn't playing poorly and should buy back in. But this time I went in search of a larger-stakes table that looked easily beatable. I started observing a $1-2 NLHE table that had two maniacs seated next to each other. How did I find this table? The average pot size was $41, so I took that as a sign there was some gambling going on.

There are two types of maniacs in poker: One knows how to play and is just wild and unpredictable, and the other is wild and just plain stupid. He thinks his stack, if he shoves it, is like Kryptonite and we're all Supermen. I had two of these types of maniacs at this table and I couldn't resist. So I sat in and waited. You've all been there: You know these guys will pay you off if you pick up a monster and they have a piece of the flop. And you know they'll shove if you show any weakness.

Here's an idea of how they played: I had queens and raised preflop to $8 from UTG. Both maniacs called. The flop came A♦ 9♦ 6♦. I had no diamond and made a continuation bet of $10. They both called. On the turn came a 2♦. I checked, thinking one of them HAD to have an ace and/or diamond. One guy bet pot and the other guy shoved. I folded and the first maniac instacalled. They both had 9-10o, and neither held a diamond. So I realized right there they overvalued their hands and didn't really read the board very well.

I built my stack up nicely with smallish pots but never got into another hand with these guys for at least 40 minutes. Then the first of two big hands with them came up. I had Q♥ Q♦ (again) and was in early position. These two were in the blinds. I made it $8 to go, again, and they both called. It was three-handed to the flop, which came K♥ K♦ 5♦. I had the Q♦ but that didn't come into my mind. I felt it was a very good flop for me in that the odds of them having a K were slim, given the range of their hands and the fact there were two on board. So I bet $10 and this time I got one caller. The turn was another K, so if he had quads or AA I was behind, otherwise I had a lock on this hand. I decided to check knowing he might bluff at it. He bet $44 and I requested TIME. I thought about smooth-calling, but what if he had an A in his hand and I let him get to the river on his terms? So I minraised after about 25 seconds and he folded.

A few hands later I got involved in a hand with the other maniac when I was dealt K♦ K♣ on the button. The UTG player had raised to $6 and I reraised to $20. The maniac called and the UTG folded. The flop came A♣ 2♣ 9♣ and I had the K♣. I bet $30 and he shoved for $80 more. Even though there was an ace on the board I wasn't afraid because I had the nut-flush draw twice and given that he's a maniac I figured him for just a club in his hand, maybe Q♣ Q♦. So I called pretty quickly. The flush didn't get there and when the hand was over he showed 8♣ 8♥. I felted him, but even though he had bought back in like twice while I was there, he didn't rebuy this time. Oh well. I had one last maniac to dispose of, and it didn't take long after that.

I had been so patient, waiting for the right opportunity to felt this guy. My stack was so large (I bought in for $100 and was up to $300) that I took a chance with 4♥4♦. A person with a stack as large as mine minraised to $4 and I just called. The maniac, now with just $90 left, called and the flop came J♥ 4♣ 7♦. And BINGO was his name-o. The raiser checked and so did I. The maniac bet $12 and the raiser got out of the way. I just called. That board had no real draws other than a couple of gutshots or if he held 5-6 he'd be open-ended. So I took a chance he had just a jack. The turn was a 2♠ and I bet $15. He just called, so now I was wondering if he actually was on a draw or not. The river was an A♠. At this point I thought "This guy either now has a decent hand or he missed his draw. If I check he's going to bet either way because he can't win unless he bets a busted draw and if he has something like two pair he'll want to get paid off." So I checked, and he instantly shoved his last $60. I instacalled and he turned over J♦4♠.

Two maniacs, two busts. And with the both of them gone and my stack a very healthy $400 I signed off. But again, no one was there to high-five. I later celebrated with my wife, but the excitement had worn off.

-- Chris    

Comments

[Chi-Guy]

Chris,

I am glad the Ante Up! nation can be there to help you share in your successes. I will give you a virtual high 5 from my laptop. (Insert High 5 here).

I know sometimes I need someone to share a good poker story with. I often have to wait until my Tuesday night group to share an on-line experience. As long as we are on the topic. Last night, in a home game, I hit on one outer on the river to give me a steel wheel playing O8B. There were six people in the pot!

[Snuffy]

You need people on AIM or Messenger to share with. Works good.

[Erik]

You don't have a house pet you can share your stories with?

[Yzerman]

You get used to it after a while. I work at home a lot and run into the same isses. Some times you just need someone to speak with and you start to second guess yourself and your game.

Nice win!

Yzerman

[loser64]

I agree with Snuffy. Also, unless you are friends with the live players do they really mean it or care that you won?

[Chris Cosenza]

Thanks Yzerman.

That's a good point, loser, but there just something different about schooling someone at a live table and having everyone around you see it. You get to see their reactions, etc. I don't know, it just felt empty when I beat up on these two online. I have the AIM thing but it's just not the same.

[Deryl G]

I think I'm the exact opposite. I always feel like a "mercenary", so when I win in our home game I also have some guilty associated with it. Not because of the amount of money, but just about my approach to the game against people that are my friends.

[Vindice]

I just save up my stories and blow about half of the next work day boring my co-workers with them.

[sandy]

great job. I have to honestly say while I was reading I was excited to read how you were going to felt the next guy...

My boyfriend also plays and sometimes we watch each other play online and give feedback or congratulate. Last night I was playing in a SNG and by the time we were heads up my BF was home from work to watch.. The other guy had me about 3:1 in chips when we started and I came back to beat him. He never had a shot or control. I embarrassed the guy. It was excellent. We talked about it for a solid hour after...

[Chris Cosenza]

I would never call Fasso and say "There's this donk at my table who is about to give me his whole stack. Watch me take it!" because he would log on, sit down and take the money before me!!

Deryl: I see your point. Sometimes it is difficult to plot as hard as you can vs. your friends because you have a soft spot for them. But I have learned to turn that off and take every dime I can from them, and the way I do that is, I KNOW they are trying to take every dime I have too. It's eat or be eaten.

One of the first times I played with Fasso he said something to me about another player in our game with complete clarity and profoundness that it has stuck with me ever since: Yeah, he's a nice guy, but I'll take the pink slip to his car if I can.