My Achilles Heel

The Casino Arizona has just been raping me lately. It is the only location that I do not have a winning record at. I can't figure it out.

Over my last few visits, I have felt that the level of my opponents has been especially bad. The problem is that I have not been able to find a way to take advantage of it.

Last night I must have been dealt Ace Queen at least 8 times. The only time I won with it, was when I did not raise it under the guy and by some miracle, my pair of Queens held up. On one hand in middle position I raised it after the guy on my right called preflop. It's folded around to him and he calls. I pair my Ace on the board but the board also has two 4's. He leads out and I raise. He just calls. The turn is a blank and he leads out again. Now I'm worried. I just call. River is another blank and he leads again. I make the crying call, figuring he has 3 fours. Instead he turns over Ace-King. I asked him nicely why he doesn't raise with that hand. "I guess I am just too conservative". Ya think??? These guys are playing a game that I am not familiar with.

At 3-6 on a kill pot, I am dealt QQ in the small blind. There is one raise by a player who seems to be decent, and a reraise all in by a donkey. Another donkey on the button calls. I ask how much it is to reraise (because I lose track of the bet amount after posting $2 and they take $1 for the jackpot drop). I bet $24. They all call.

The flop is 8 high. I bet and the decent player raises me and the donkey calls. Alright maybe I am up against KK or AA. The table had seemed pretty passive until that point. I just call.

The turn is another low card but it puts 3 cards to a straight out there now. The flop had 2 of the same suit. I figure everyone is still drawing because the decent player had to have a pocket pair with all the raising right?? I check and decent player checks??? and donkey checks. What the fuck? So now my initial read is a bit off and it's obvious that the other players are drawing. Now I just need to dodge the flush and straight and I might win. The river brings a 4 card straight on board of 2-7-8-9-10. I'm finished now. I check again and decent player bets. Donkey calls and I muck. Decent player had 66 and had the straight. Donkey had 2-4 suited??!!

I don't know what Donkey was doing, but the decent player was more interesting. I can understand the raise with 66 in a kill pot. I can understand the loose call of two more raises after it goes by him. What I don't understand is the raise of my flop bet? He was two cards away from a straight and there were two over cards on the flop.

I was totally confused and took a walk. I remembered that I would tell myself that if I started out losing at a table that I would switch games. Even though the players are bad, my table image is shot because no one is afraid of me.

I went to the desk and asked to be put in a 4-8 game. After folding a few hands I am dealt AA under the gun. I raise. The guy on my left calls and the button calls. The flop is 8-9-10 with 2 clubs. I have the Ace of clubs.

I bet, it's raised, it's reraised by the button. Fuck!!! I just call hoping the guy on my left will slow down. No such luck as he caps it. So 4 bets for the three of us on the flop. Now I am praying for another Ace or a club so at least I can draw at a flush. The turn is a red 3.

I check and then all hell breaks loose. Raise, reraise, I fold. Now it's heads up and unlimited raises. Each player puts in 6 raises. Let's reflect......one of these players has Queen Jack. Odds are both players have it, but I've seen crazier things. My guess was that someone had Queen Jack of clubs and was freerolling the flush. Otherwise why put in all the raises?

The river pairs the 10. Now the straight is no longer the nuts. The guy on my left leads out and the button just calls. Now it's apparent that the guy on my left just got a full house. Sure enough it's 8's full of Tens. He just won a huuuge pot playing like an idiot.

When it was all said and done I only lost $202. I made some decent laydowns that saved me a few bets. Things will eventually turn around for me there but I doubt that I will ever make the big score that it would take to even things out.