Playing against bad players

Well, this ended up being a short session. I felt the poker gods were against me, but there are no gods that I can tell off (Ok, so that is another post). I just got unlucky, but I wasn't unhappy. A casino makes money by always being on the positive side of the bet. As a poker player we can't control that. And it hurts a little bit when you lose hands when you are like having a 90% chance of winning.

Quite possibly I should have stayed and bought in again, since I was getting goods hands and the table had players that weren't very good. I have a rule, that if I lose my buy-in then I leave. I probably should expand on that rule.

I think my first hand was 99. Called in middle position. Missed flop and folded to a bet. Lots of big cards on the flop.

I get 44 soon thereafter. I call. A few players on the flop. I flop a full house. T4T. I check so I can trap. No flush draws or straight draws. Only a T would call or another small pair. Turn is a 8. Player to my right bets 15. I call and the player to my left calls (both women). River is an T. Now the player who bet the turn is beating me or the player to my left. This is probably the worst card I could have received. Player to my right checks. I bet $20. Player to my left raises. And so I mention bad players on the table and I mentioned 2 women and they both are sitting next to me. I would presume a good player would have raised more. She doubled my raise. Was she being nice or just wanted a few more bucks. Player to my right folds...I guess she didn't have an 8. So either the player to my left has the 8 or a T. I'm not folding but not raising either. I would have definitely called more. She has an T9. I had a 85% to win that hand from the flop. Oh well.

Next hand...I get 44 again. But I miss the flop and soon fold.

A few hands later I get 33 in middle position. Flop is 522. I Bet $20 for my gutter and pair. I win. It was a straddle pot vs. 4 players.

QT of diamonds in BB. Early position player raises to $12. I like playing this hand for a few reasons. Its suited and closely connected, but it can get easily dominated, so you have to play it carefully. I call. Flop is a dream. JTT. So now I have the T and I can try for quads. Initial better bets $35. Only has like $75 behind. Folded to me. Easy play. I raise all in. We have about the same amount. I turn my cards over. Turn is a blank and river is the only card that can scare me. Its a J. Guess what, he had J9s. And wins. That is another hand that I'm in the lead after the flop big time (90%). Would it have been different if I bet out? How about if we both had deeper stacks? Would he call my check raise then?

Anyways, it was good playing at Graton again. I miss the place.