It’s pretty pathetic, actually. A number of us LA-based bloggers are probably not going to make it to the big pokerfest at Sam’s Town next weekend. Whether it was that sad fact or some incomprehensible desire to drive to the Valley that led us to do it, I don’t know. But when the big hand hit the 8 last night, I found myself sitting with the Film Geek, HDouble, FHWRDH, and some non-blogging guy (NBG) in Film Geek’s NoHo pad.

We were originally planning to play a small no-limit tournament, but with only five players in the game, we thought it best to play NL ring. I do believe that Iggy and Pauly were playing online at around the same time, but what that says about poker blogging and NL ring, I don’t know. Lots of things I don’t know, apparently.

Seat 1: HDouble
Seat 2: FHWRDH
Seat 3: StudioGlyphic
Seat 4: The Film Geek
Seat 5: NBG

Hand of the night:

Poker Geek in the SB, etc., etc. Folded to Poker Geek, who limps. NBG makes it another $1.50 to go. Poker Geek calls. Poker Geek’s often shows down the best hand if he’s in in. Flop comes J73 or something like that. Poker Geek throws out $4 and NBG folds. Poker Geek flips over the hammer, which makes it the second time he’s won/stolen a pot with it that night.

No, that wasn’t the hand of the night.

NBG in the small blind, etc., etc. Three limpers, including NBG. Flop comes 77Q. “That’s good for the hammer.” Checks all around. Turns comes 2. “Even better!” Checks all around. River is a 7. NBG puts out a small bet. Everyone folds and he flips over the hammer. From trips to the boat to quads, but alas, no action.

No fish:

No action was what I got with my biggest hands. But I played them wrong. I kept forgetting I was playing with guys who were watching most of my moves, who could calculate outs and odds, who could tell the difference between desperate and confident overbets. My last live experience (and granted, that was limit) had me showing every single one of the hands I was involved in, and I failed to adjust my postflop play to the changed circumstances.

All in all, it was nice to play some real poker for once and it was good to meet the others. HDouble’s a stand up guy and just about as tall as he claims (poor guy had to squeeze all six feet plus of himself into my MR2). The Film Geek does a mean David Spade, and really ought to consider audio blogging his posts from now on. NBG was pretty damn amazing in putting people on hands. Sometimes eerie. And FHWRDH played some solid poker: you probably want to fold when he raises. I’d love to see all these guys in action at Hustler one of these nights. Maybe we can make it happen.