Up $735 Commerce (Mar 27)

Very few big hands, but played great again. My one mistake was slow-playing a set of Queens early on... I lose like a $1000 pot, as I don't bet until the river when some guy's gone runner runner to a straight on me. Of course he doesn't put in a big raise... I'm not sure what hand he could have put me on that was beating him. Whatever, I mentioned this flaw in the last post.

I battle back, with next to no hands, but a keen sense of the table and a number of really good pretty bluffs. I played like a pussy for the most part though, I kept realizing spots where I was probably ahead, but refusing to gamble with the two maniacs at the table, who were: This Russian dude to my right, who was talking about just having won $80k at some tournament at the Bicycle, and this older Asian guy at the other end of the table. The Russian went all in on the Asian in one hand with a lone Q on a Q high board, and the Asian called him with queens up. The all in was $4700 on the river, and maybe like $3k in the pot before that. Insane bet, maybe a more insane call? I don't know, they acted so quickly in the hand that there's no way either of them gave it much thought. Anyway, games like this get me kind of nervous, as it's hard to tell where people are at, and I had no desire to gamble on my last day in LA, and I just wanted to sit in my shell, and let the gambling happen all around me, and grind out a small profit.

So, I do leave with a small profit, a huge feeling of accomplishment, and a wad of cash somewhere around $11k. As I drive around I listen to metal at full blast. I keep replaying this song in particular which has this line that I keep repeating to myself: “we've come to an understanding. You lose. I profit.”

I fly out the next morning, thinking how I should have stayed for the full week. But also, realizing that the best trips are invariably the ones that you wished lasted longer.