Joe Speaker

I went to a wedding in Albuquerque this weekend and the last place I thought I’d find myself was a poker table.

Yet, at 1 a.m. on Sunday, that’s exactly where I was.

Since my last trip to “Brown Town,” as my friends so hilariously dubbed it, Indian casinos have sprung up like milkweed. But The ABQ has issues. Like a section in the local rag with mug shots of all the people who have been arrested for DUI. Like random checkpoints. And Indian casinos where alcohol is not allowed outside of the bar.

Which really affects my “drunken idiot” image at the table.

It was a great game. Loose-passive to the extreme. If a player limped, they’d call a raise. If they were dealt two cards, they’d like enter the fray. It was all I could do to not rub my palms together in anticipation of all the money I was going to win.

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Three hours earlier, I’d been in bed. A  late Friday night combined with endless wedding festivities (once the DJ played “My Humps,” the minutes of my continued attendance were numbered) had send a bunch of us back to the hotel with headaches and dreams of sugar plums. But I hadn’t seen the groom in a year, so when he called and said the wedding party was headed to the casino–only two miles from the hotel–I really couldn’t resist, despite being already in underwear.

As it turned out, the wedding party was gutted themselves, so after a couple Newcastles in the vacuum-sealed lounge–no beverages in or out–they went off for a late-night snack, at which point I took my leave to the poker room.

The structure was great. 1/2 NL with a $200 buy-in. If I could get those conditions at Morongo, I’d buy a suite and live there on non-AJ nights. My love for the game increased exponentially when I immediately doubled up.

The raise was to $10 and I looked down to find The Drizz (that’s 99) in the SB. I called along with the rest of the table and at least three casino janitors. The flop came 9-high rainbow and I checked. The raiser put in $60 and when it was folded to me I  re-created the Pacino-De Niro scene from “Heat” before pushing all in. The 7s with KK couldn’t call fast enough and I was stacking redbirds when a King didn’t come.

After winning another pot on the turn with TPTK, I was brushing up against $500. Then it all went wrong.

I have to give kudos to the table. The straddle was in full effect and it’s primary adherent was the guy to my left. I called the extra $2 from the BB with my 9h6h. When I flopped a flush, I decided to go cagey.

I checked, as did the straddler. The 5s bet $10 and, because the straddler was a full-on maniac,  I just called, hoping he’d do something insane and I could get a better read on the 5s. He did exactly as I’d hoped and pushed for $57 total. The 5s flat called.

Danger Will Robinson.

That really should have told me what I needed to know. Yet, I called nonetheless. Two calls so far, neither of which gave me concrete information. My read on the 5s was that she was happy to gamble. Which she was. But she also didn’t put a lot of money in on draws.

The turn was the 9d and after careful deliberation, I led out for $90. You know what’s coming, right? The 5s pushed. I finally got the info and folded. She had the nuts and I’d given away way too much money on the hand, one I could have gotten away from with an earlier bet.

Oh to have been able to down a SoCo shot at that particular moment.

Then I ran JJ into QQ. Again the 5s who played it about as passive as one could by only calling my raise from the SB and check-calling the K-high flop. I didn’t put any more in and neither did she. A few missed flops later, I was down $19 and it was late, late, late.

When I walked outside, it wasn’t the gifted chips that bothered me, but the knowldege I won’t be getting back to The ABQ anytime soon. Man, I’d love to play that game on a regular basis.

Oh, and best wishes to the Bride and Groom, who bailed after eating and left me to do what I do.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 27th, 2007 at 11:35 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.