Asians Can Read my Soul

The last couple of days have been rather uneventful, in the terms of dealing, but a lot of fun otherwise.

The day after the half and half event I came into work and all 3 rooms seemed to be jam packed with players, due to the 1.5k NLHE and the 3k HORSE and other Day 2 or 3's from other on-going events.

Unfortunately, my day didn't parallel the day Harrah's was having. I got put into the 1.5k and dealt 3 hands before my table broke. When your table breaks you get a break right away and then are homeless and have to be re-assigned to a new location... and since this tournament was breaking so darn fast there was tons and tons of dealers with nowhere to go. So, I go see my Dealer Coordinator and he tells me that I go on break again and then come back to see him in a half hour.

I was feeling really crappy that day, the upstairs area of our town home is really hot, so I sleep with a portable fan right next to my damn face... and that had unfortunately given me a sore throat and uncontrollable coughing. Needless to say, 2 straight breaks was not helping, as I rather have my time occupied so I would not feel worse.

Finally, when I go back to see Dan the D.C. again, he tells me that I am going to deal the Mega-Satellite into the Main Event. Mega's are multi-table satellites that award seats to the main even for every 10k in the prize pool. I dealt that for two downs and then Dino comes to see me on my push to get my keys because he had been sent home early. I told him I felt like crap and if he wanted to say he could take my spot. After some deliberation, he decided he should, since he had already missed a couple of days, due to his own illness, and took my spot.

From there, I had to go to the Gold Coast, which is right next to The Rio, to cash my check. Great thing about cashing your check here is that they not only do it for free but they usually comp you something too... because they obviously want you to come in and put your paycheck in play. Well, that is excatly what I did. I had been so darn good about not gambling but as soon as I got my money from the cashier's cage they called out open seats or 1/2 NLHE in the poker room.... so naturally I could not resist.

The room itself is tiny as it fits only four tables, but the dealers were really good and friendly and the players the same. The game was playing pretty loosey goosey pre-flop, but people were making big lay downs after the flop... so this seemed like my sort of game. I pounced on weakness and was taking down tons of pots with bluffs, semi-bluffs, and of course made hands. I ran over the table for a while until this Asian guy decided to read my soul and make one of the sickest reads I have ever seen, on me or otherwise. Here is how the hand played out...

I had Js-6s and raised from the button after two limpers to 8 bucks. I was often raising my button as I was just trying to establish the lead from position since people were playing their hands so weak-tight after the flop. Anyhow, the small blind and both limpers call.

Flop Qc-9s-9c

Check around to me and I naturally checked on a four handed flop with the texture of that board.

Turn 8s

Check around to me. Now, I did something where I was trying to establish a play for later... I checked, but some time before I did it, trying to establish like I had a hand and was deciding whether or not to bet... because I planned on betting the river if it got checked to me on the river.

River 7d

So it all went according to plan and it got checked to me again and I fired 15. I figured I may get called with pocket pair here, but thought everything else was folding, and thought it was a good spot to bluff. I thought the bet sizing was not poor, since it was half the pot and taking a line of 2/3 or 3/4 would seem like a bluff and 1/2 seemed like either a value bet with a pocket pair or a big hand trying to get another pair to pay me off.

Well, the unthinkable happened the small blind check-raised me to 30. Everyone in between folded and when it got back to me I just kept thinking of what hand would he check-raise me with here. I figured any full house or straight would probably lead the river since the 7 seemed like a non-action card and the flop and turn had been checked already.... a queen would have either lead or check-called and a pocket pair the same. I thought maybe he had a blank 9 and thought he was ahead.... but the more I thought about it the more I thought he would lead the turn for info.

So my instinct was overall telling me he was putting me on a steal, and was re-steal bluffing... but if I was wrong I may have fold equity to a queen, some against a 9 and very little but still something against a straight. So I decided to pounce and I re-raised to 90. He thought about it for what seemed like forever... I concentrated on a spot and did not move my eyes from there. He finally called and said "I have an Ace". He had Ah-5h. I was in utter shock. I mean the guy made an absolute soul read on me. That is just purely nutty.

Obviously that kind of took the wind out my sails, and I played a lot more straight up from there. I still ended the night 140 up, but I was not having as much fun.

After cashing out I went back to the Rio to pick up John and Dino and we went back there again, but this time just to have a good time with some other dealers playing 2/4 limit hold'em. We met the fastest dealer in history, named Coco and really had some fun with her on the table. I cashed out 5 dollars up at 7AM and went to bed so I could make it into work the next day.