Cash Games - Hell Raisers

Bodog is truly the site with the craziest poker players alive. I plunked down on my chair and played about 40 minutes of cash games after dinner out with the parents. With Bodog, I'm trying to build my bankroll gradually and adequately, so I decided to sit at a 10NL table. What I witnessed was play never before seen in my entire life. These guys at the table should have filed a patent because their play was friggin unbelievable and so extraordinary that I wholeheartedly endorse their categorization as "Hell Raisers."

These maniacs would routinely raise 10x, 17.5x, and even 21x the Big Blind. Who does that? I saw a couple all ins from people in early position, and I planned to wait for a good hand to stack off these donks. The saddest part of all is that I only broke even before this table dispersed. The best hand that I got was 1010, but upon raising this hand I was reraised to 12.5xbb by a guy a couple spots to my left. Despite the maniac tendencies at the table, my poker sense really felt like I was dominated by Kings or a higher pocket pair. I contemplated folding right there, but with the opportunity to stack him if a 10 hit the board, and the additional plus that I had position on him (i.e. would act after him, so I could get some information by his bet/check before I acted) I cold-called his raise. The flop came all undercards, and he bet the pot (~2.60). I pretty much felt he had me with KK or AA, so I folded right there. I was convinced that I would have a much better opportunity later rather than risk all my chips (inevitable) with my 10s on this hand.

I was down to like 8.50$ and decided to raise it up 4xbb with AQ, but I got 4 callers, and after someone check-raised my continuation bet (the flop missed my AQ), I went down to 7.40$. No problem though; I took down a few smaller pots sensing weakness each time via checkdowns, and I was able to take down a decent-sized pot to put me a little above my buy in (10$) when i cold-called a preflop raise of 3.5x with 88 and led out on the flop and turn despite 2 overcards and 3 spades by the turn (which I think helped me and scared the crap out of my opponent). After a couple rounds went by and people started to leave the table, I ended a few cents above my buy in. Not much, but hey I'm following proper bankroll management here! Most of the time I get to stack these guys, so I'm not worried, even if I get stacked myself. The only time you need to get mad at yourself is if you fail to make good decisions. Just make sure you get all your money in with the best hand(or at least objectively think you are), and everything else will fall into place.

I only got to play at another table for like 10 mins (so I could have some time to get this entry in!), but I made ~12.5bb; most of it was with KK when I got 4 callers after my 4xbb preflop raise and everyone folded to my pot-sized flop bet to take down a ~3$ pot. That was about it. I tried to get the microphone working today but there was a bit of a compatibility issue. Not to worry, I'll get it resolved and we'll have the vids up soon! Cheers.