Jo Cool

I failed to mention that this was the FIRST session of poker I'd ever played with sunglasses on and you know what?  I'll always play with shades on going forward.  First of all, it allowed me the freedom to really focus my gaze where I wanted it to be without being obvious.  When I'm not in a hand I'm still watching the players' reactions to opposing bets and it was freeing to do this behind the shades.  Plus I think the shades gave me confidence that I wasn't betraying my actions with tells.  Yeah, I got a few comments about the shades, but so what.  Stuff like "Ooooo she's putting her shades on, you're in trouble."  I'd take them off between hands and put them on when I felt I'd be playing a hand.  In hindsight, I won't be doing that again.  I need to just leave them on for the whole session.  It does make for a darker atmosphere, but I'm telling you it's worth it.

So me and my shades amassed a good sized stack, and I decided that it was time to take a break and make some phone calls.  I had to call Ma and explain that I was in Foxwoods and wouldn't be coming over for lunch.  It was before noon and I was already ahead $500, which I told my mother.  To which she replied...

"Oh my God, don't play no more.  Go have the buffet.  You say you no like the buffet but you like it. Have  a nice lunch and no more playing the poker.  You're gonna get those guys mad.  You're a woman alone you know."

Shoulda listened to my mother.  But I digress....

So I get back to the table and theres a very young man in the 3 seat eyeing my chips.  "Ohhhh those are your chips?"  he says.  "Um, yeah".   He tells me he wants to tangle with me in a pot, and truthfully we never got into a significant battle.  (smart kid)  But we're chatting up a storm and having fun.  The waitress comes over and nods to him like she knows him and says..."Milkshake?"

I spit half my soda on the table and say "That's your signature drink?  A milkshake?"  He tells me the milkshakes at Foxwoods are awesome and throws caution to the wind by asking the waitress to spike it with kalhua.  Ooooooooo 

He's a decent albeit tight player and played consistently well.  I doubled up his buddy who was sitting to my left and that was the beginning of the end for me.  There was another very sharp player that kept playing me and getting my chips.  I started bleeding chips and did the exact wrong thing I should've done.  I started chasing nut flush draws to the river in hopes of getting my money back.  This is exactly how I WON the money originally!  By making people pay to chase.  Jesus, hindsight is 20/20 isn't it?

That one very sharp player and he was a player alright, called my hand after I'd been involved in a pissing match heads up play with another woman.  I raised preflop and she called.

Flop was 10H,8H, 2D.  she checked, I bet and she called.  Turn was a 9 of hearts.  She checked, I bet and she called.  River was the 8 of spades.  She bets out and I raise her $80.....not so much that would make her fold, I thought.

She's thinking and then she says to me, "I have a flush you know."

I reply "So, do I."

She thinks a little more and then folds.  Mr. Sharp Player calls my hand out loud and I'm so impressed I turn it over to show he's right.  What did I have? (leave a comment unless you're Milkshakes or Avacado as you know what I had)

I brought my stack over $800 and after I lost the last all in I called, I was up a little over $300.  Holy fuck, I'm a tard!  I walked away in a frenzy.  Yes, I won my $300 for my tourney buy-in but sheesh.

Before I leave I gave Avacado and Milkshakes the URL to this blog.  My plan was to pass out business cards with the information but SOMEONE is seriously lazy and slacking. 

Play smart.

Josie