Seymour Goes on the War Path

Got up a bit before 10am and decided for a return engagement at Mandalay Bay. By the time I arrived lunch was being served at the MB buffet and I decided to give it a try. Big mistake. It is attractive and comfortable, but the food just wasn’t there. It was at the start of lunch and all of the food was already cold.

Still, I was full and Seymour the Seagull and I headed to the poker room and were seated immediately. Wow, great table, mostly loose weak with a couple over aggressive types post flops. My number one target was getting hit in the face by the deck, but was slowing down. He had a distinct betting tell and I was waiting to take advantage of it. He also stated to a friend that he was going to be more careful with his cards because he didn’t want to blow his winnings if his luck turns bad.

I can’t remember the exact cards, but the essentials follow: I am sitting at about $250 and he has everyone well covered. He is in early position and raises to $7, which signals he does not have a premium hand, but something like two face cards or maybe AT/A9. I call from MP with KQoff, less for the cards but more for the hope for outplaying him post flop. Five see the Flop of AKx with one heart and two spades. He bets $20, a solid indication he has TP. I call, and everybody else folds. The Turn is a heart, putting two flush draws on the board. He immediately bets out about $80. I am now 100% sure he has only TPMK and is scared of the draws on board. I get into my schtick with “Da Bird”, basically arguing over what should be done, call or raise. After a bit of this I go AI, figuring he’ll fold.

The following was about five minutes of pure theater. My opponent was quizzing me about whether I had gone AI on a draw or with nothing. I said that I wasn’t playing the cards, Seymour was. So he asked if “the duck” was going AI on a pure bluff. I asked but Seymour said no. He asked if “the chicken” would show one card. Seymour said no, and didn’t like being called a chicken since he was a seagull, after all. After humming and hawing for a while, counting out chips and trying to get my reaction, he looked to be about ready to fold, but finally pushed in and I was set to rebuy when a Qh hit the river. He showed AT for top pair and almost had a heart attack when I showed a rivered 2pr.
For the next few hours I dominated the table. Various threats were made to cook and eat Seymour, and every newcomer to the table was warned about “Da Bird.” I worked my stack up to about $900 (+$600). After that the makeup of the table changed radically, including my target leaving. I gave back some chips and decided it was time to go. After seven hours I left up $488.