I arrived at The Empire at 7PM with £350 in my pocket but chose to sit down with £300 in chips. There was a very loose player two seats to my left and a tight player to my right. Sprinkled in with these two was another fairly loose player to my immediate left and a few student types who talked the talk and initially looked like they knew what they were doing but, as it transpired, were not really that great; we're talking stuff like raising to £5 from the small blind after about 5 or 6 players have already limped in!
Early doors I just play tight and limp a few hands only to fold to raises. There are a few hands where I raise in late position and these come to nothing but I do notice that the loose player (two seats to my left) likes to call me and just seems to want to get involved with me - I think he has me down as "weak/tight" and, judging by his glances and body language, I also believe that he thinks he can push me around. (We'll call him "Rotund South-East Asian Guy" or "RSEAG" for short.) I fluctuate around my £300 starting stack for ages and then get to the only key hand of the evening:
Key Hand Of The Evening
It's folded around to me in the hijack seat and I look down at A 10 so I bet £8. Of course the RSEAG calls on the button and there is also a call from the big blind (one of the very soft and dodgy student-type players). The flop comes 10 9 2 with two clubs. Dodgy student-type guy checks and I'm happy to raise it to £18 with what I'm sure is the best hand. RSEAG calls and the dodgy student-type folds.
The turn comes a Jack. I'm still sure I have the best hand but I check to show weakness with the intention of calling his raise. His predicted raise is about £25 which I duly call. The river then comes another Jack. This is quite a good card because it means he is unlikely to have another Jack himself - and, due to his very loose play and my read that he is just trying to raise me off the pot, I do not put him on overpairs. I check - and feel sure that if he bets it will just be a steal attempt. He Hollywoods a little bit and then throws in about £78. I figure that this is just NOT the time to ignore my instinct or my read and I say, "I think I have to call" as I match his £78 call bet. He declares that he only has ace high so I show my A 10 for the two pair and to take down quite a large pot which puts my stack onto about £440.
Interestingly, quite a few players at the table (mostly the student-types who have around £70-£100) are surprised at my call but I just tell them that I knew that the villain had had his eyes on my chips for a long time and that I felt he was stealing with any two. I guess they're just not versed in the wobbly-way. Any road, with my image (as someone not to be messed with) and my ego puffed up a bit, I then fail to capitalise and proceed to fritter away about £35 with true, bog-standard weak/tight play. With the time at 10:15PM and not wanting to make a late night of it, I rise from the table and take me leave with a stack of £405 and £105 to the good.
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As I say, although the session did not take place in July, this will have to be chalked up as a July session - A mighty fine start folks!
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