My High $$$ NL story

[TTinCO]

Spent a few days in Palm Springs on business earlier this month which led to a poker bender at a local casino there. I started out playing 100-500 buy in NL, and was doing well-very well actually. By the 3rd night, I was up about 2400 in 12-18 hours of play. I was unbeatable...probably busted about 10 guys out the 2nd night. On to the 3rd night. I'm playing 100-500 buy in again, and am up maybe 100 or so. Pretty uneventful, and a tight-but very aggressive table which basically evolved into me & a few of the local sharps with one other out of towner.

One thing leads to another, and several of us end up starting a 1k-5k buy in NL game. Fun game, good people....lot of chatter going on-one of those poker games where everyone is smiling & having a good time messing with each other and no one is getting hurt too badlly.

Then walks in "Ozzy" or "The Oz" as he's known around there. The guy looks like a mess. Either a long term burnt out hippy, or a guy who found out about meth a long time ago. Regardless, I get the heads up from the locals that this guy is the real deal. Two actually left the table before he sat down-one of which mumbled "I'm not playing this fuck".

Long story short, he sat down with the full 5k buy in (Mistake #1-I bought in with 2k...big mistake) and started throwing his weight around. He caught some serious breaks, everything went his way. I couldn't believe the cards he was pulling, but he was pushing hard enough to keep me out of most of the pots.

It took about 5 hours, but he eventually cleaned me out of my 2 dimes, and about a total of 17-20K from the table by the time I left. No way he pulls this shit all the time, but he was the feared "local pro", and he beat everyone's ass just like they expected him to.

I'm still going to hook horns with him next time I'm out that way-Despite the schooling that he issued to that table.

 

[degenerategambler]

Great story TT, I'm sure he is looking forward to seeing you again too. How comfortable were you at the table, considering you were at a table with stakes you don't normally play at? Hard to play a couple levels out of your normal zone and take on someone who is very good to boot.

 

[TTinCO]

I was definitely out of my zone, and it didn't help anything with him being in the seat to my left. I went into it with a "make it or break it" attitude, and it seems that the only way to move up the ladder is to get some experience at the higher levels (probably more of a self comfort level thing than anything).

He pushed hard & often-especially being the 5k stack when I think the rest were in with 2-3k. Every time he got called, he had it. He just beat the holy living shit out of the table. I got tight(er) early as he started the beatdowns, and it just got worse from there. I eventually took some shots & got smoked just like the rest.

 

[Matt24]

What blinds were you playing? 5/10? Was he raising about everytime preflop? How much was he raising it up to preflop?

 

[TTinCO]

We started at 25/50....and he made a habit of popping everything to 100-300 regardless of what he had. He bailed post flop a couple times, but the cards he was getting were just sick.

I would have pegged him as a huge bluffer if I hadn't seen the damage that he did when called.

 

[firemanx]

tough break TT, but the only way you get comfortable @ those levels is by playing em.

 

[QuickLearner]

Playing against maniacs is tough. I usually just find another game (which is a lot easier online). Some people thrive on it, but I hate the roller coaster ride. As happened in your case, the players who you want in the game often leave.

 

[ProPokerPlayer]

If this guy was Ozzy87? (i think) you were playing against one of the best up and coming players around...he was in a recent issue of card player where again i think, im not sure was at the final table of the poker stars big live event held last nov/dec......no shame in being beaten by that guy...although i kinda think the 2 guys who got up when he sat down were the 2 best players at the table...lol

But regardless the "secret" to playing like he did is having a bankroll your not worried about losing....as ive said before you cant play in a live poker game with scared money....believe me ive tried it amd regardless of skill level or run of luck if your scared or intimidated about putting all your stack at risk your in a really bad spot......myself ive had tp stop going to the local b&m cus i dont have the roll, i can go play a lil 3/6 but if i sit at the nl table im screwed....and i know that im as good or better than most of them there but the buy-in is a lot of money to me right now...im just sitting, trying to see cheap flops and flop the nuts.....it dont happen often enough and besides thats NOT how you play winning poker

 

[QuickLearner]

P3, it couldn't have been Ozzy87 if the description is accurate unless he was wearing a fright wig and fake beard. Ozzy87 is about 17 years old.

 

[Matt24]

Ozzy87 went broke I believe. You guys werent too deep stacked for 25-50 blinds. I would have just been moving in on a player like that often.

 

[degenerategambler]

Its funny, I played against a player online on Friday night that had one of the most incredible runs I have ever seen a bad player have. He started with $40 at a .50/1.00 table, and was up to $500 inside of an hour. I had to stay at the table for an extra 3hrs to get my share back with a little interest but it was unbelievable. I had him inside of 15 minutes all in with 2 pair vs my flush, with one card to go and he caught a fh on the river and he just soared from there. He went in with the worst of it almost everytime and could not lose. He ended up leaving with $200, which I was actually happy to see him keep. No one who has that kind of run should leave penniless. Hopefully it keeps him interested in poker for awhile longer.

 

[degenerategambler]

Ozzy87 went broke I believe. You guys werent too deep stacked for 25-50 blinds. I would have just been moving in on a player like that often.

Matt in that situation, how marginal of a hand would you move in with?

 

[ProPokerPlayer]

I know with me it would have to be a prem hand the first time i moved in.....10/10 or better maybe AJ... but if he folded which i think is what your hoping for, id also want to move in on him with something like Q8, show it to him when he folds to let him know he aint slappin me around...if he plays a pot wildly with me we'll play it for all our chips....Doyle talks about this in SS2..you have to either play back at him or get up from the table...bullies dont quit bullying until u give up or show him u cant be bullied....which goes back to my orignal reply, if your scared to play ur whole stack you MUST get up from the table CUS the bully aint scared.....yet!!!!

 

[TTinCO]

if your scared to play ur whole stack you MUST get up from the table CUS the bully aint scared.....yet!!!!

If I learned one thing, buy in for the max-I don't think you can survive starting short.

I don't think I was playing scared at all. I picked my spots carefully & pressed when I thought I was in good shape-and was wrong. I did play tighter than usual early on, and watched him inflict some pretty heavy damage before I had a hand worth a crap. I eventually reached a point that was an odd mix of moderate intimidation and the urge to be overly aggressive and try to pop him once.

Just another lesson learned.

 

[Matt24]

Matt in that situation, how marginal of a hand would you move in with?

He had around at min of a 5k stack with 25-50 blinds. Given that we only have around 2k, we may as well move in, if he makes it anywhere between 300-400 to go preflop. If he is making it the more standard 150 to go, then we have more room to maneuver and can just raise it up to 500 or something with a wide range.

if he is raising 5-6x an orbit, I'm popping him with ATs, AJo-up, 77-up, KQs. If my stack gets bigger to aroudn 5k or so,then I'm going to call a lot more and play postflop.