February: Session 1 with Coco

Went to 'the Park' last night and it was looking very grim. One $400 table that was no good, the $500 game was going but looked shitty and there were three $200 tables that all looked tight. Then I saw a fourth $200 table that was more in the $40 NL section and got the only open seat on that table. I recognized a couple players to be action players (not necessarily bad players) so I knew the pots should be good.

As soon as I sat down I picked up that there was at least one horrible player. There was also a guy in the two seat that looked familiar. I kept trying to figure out if I knew him from somewhere when I got a phone call to go outside. I came back inside and he was talking baseball with another player and I realized it was Coco Crisp, who used to play for the Red Sox and now plays for the Royals.

We actually have a mutual friend that I knew was friends with him so it was easy to strike up a conversation that eventually led to him saying he was at the casino to learn the game because the poker games get so juicy on the team plane that he wants to win consistently for side money.

I was surprised that he said this because he was actually a pretty good player. I'd say he was better than at least half the table (I guess that's not saying much considering the Hollywood Park talent pool). But he didn't make any mistakes in the two hours that I played with him. He missed one bet but he had a flush draw/straight draw with two overs on the turn and I think he was just hesitant to bet. A guy with a pair of eights ended up winning the hand.

Anyways just to share the info with the few folks who read this, apparently on the team plane (Red Sox), they have a $600 betting cap because the salary range is so high they want everyone to be able to afford to play. Big Papi (hopefully you know who that is) throws in $600 blind every time. Apparently other high-paid players make similar moves and the best player on the team is back-up catcher Kevin Cash, who always wins. The team poker motto is "Where Cash goes, the money goes."

So Coco is trying to get to the same level as Cash, but it looks like Coco is doing alright. I think he won about $800-1000 from the game, which is way above average. Not to mention that Cash's 2008 salary was $400,000 and Coco's was $5 mil.

Anyways I hand-picked the donkey of the table out and got his stack when a jack flopped and I had AJ vs. his KJ. At this point I was up $300. Not long after I get 77 in the small blind. A bunch of limpers and I raise it to $23. Three callers. The flop comes 2-7-J with two spades and I weak bet $25. One call, then a raise to $100 by the #2 donk of the table. I go all-in (he has about $290 more) and he insta-calls with his ace-high flush draw and rivers it.

The very next hand another guy pushes on me with a club draw and one over and hits his king on the turn.

Lucky for me I get in a huge pot with the nut flush. I have Ac6c and the blinds are raised to $15. The flop comes 789 with two clubs. I check, raiser bets $60 and gets a callers. I make it $120, donkey calls in the middle, raiser and caller both calls the additional $60. Turn is the 3c and I bet out $60. Donkey surprisingly folds, original raiser calls, then the caller goes all-in for $140 more. I only have $60 at this point so I'm in there for $60 and the original raiser says he can't fold and calls with his set of sevens. River is an off-suit ten and I make my money back +100. I ended the session up $150 in two hours and some change before I left to go to my girl's house.

The bad part was that when I left the game got really juicy with my good buddy "money train" sitting down in the game. I'll have to catch you next time Money Train.

I'm gonna start a list of recognizable players that I play against in 2009 on the side panel of the blog just for kicks. Former USC standout and New York Giant defensive back Terrell Thomas is also on there. I played agasint him last week at HP but he's also a friend from my school days at USC and like Coco he's a good poker player as well.

2009 Numbers:
January: 120.75 hrs., +$14,873.00

February:
02.04.09 2.5 hrs., +$150

4years!!