EPT
"DAN come to my bar 10/20 game 8 people good game...W Bar." The text message from an insane girl that I had met playing poker in the past. Yesterday I got that exact same message from her and went there because she said seven people were playing...only to arrive and theres no game and even she already had went home. Thats what casino managers do here...they usually lie and exaggerate about the games to ploy people into coming who would otherwise not have come. Once the degenerates come even if they were lied to and there is no game they usually will stick around and wait for one to form. This girl is the works. Not your typical korean girl by any means. She's about 30 years old, attractive though she has an insane look to her face. She uses fucked up korean slang and fucked up english slang all the times. Has a very very dirty mouth cussing all the time and never uses the respectful way of speaking korean to anyone. Don't go all-in on her with a draw and hope to hit without getting a "YOU WANNA DIE MAN? FUCKING SHIT YOU SHIT FUCK WHAT THE FUCK GOOOOOOOODDDDDDD!!!! *combined with her bashing her head into the table*" Anyways, I think she's a cool person and her and I were kinda friends from casino'ing so I decided to go check this place out because hell, if I can up the stakes by 10x i'll take that chance because even if it's not open again I can just go home instead of wasting my time on a 1/2 table.
I stroll up to the door of W bar at 1:00 AM. It was a very windy night and the wet was damp from the on and off raining all day. This place is in a different area from all the other casinos and there was not a soul in sight outside the bar other than some taxi's waiting outside the hotel across the street. But the door to the W Bar was a huge steel door with a locking mechanism. No doorbell, just a keypad to enter the password for the door to open. I didn't feel too safe being there alone and the mood of the night wasn't helping me too much. But nothing could prepare me for what lay inside.
*CLICK CLICK SLAM SLAM* Two car doors immediately open and shut as two guys get out from cars parked next to the bar on both sides of the bar. They are both wearing ear-peices that you'd think special agents wear. They walked up asking who I was and I said I was invited here by the girl whom I'll call Jesse. They asked if I came to play games and I said yeah and they immediately punched in the code and I walked in while they got back into their cars. I strolled through a semi-lit hallway, turned a corner, went down some stairs, turned another corner, walked down some more stairs, and then into the main room. I saw Jesse at the only table running and walked up to her and said hi. I hadn't really scanned the room with my eyes yet but then I stood tall and looked all around and saw things that I never expected to see. In korea the underground poker casinos generally attract the same people always nowadays. I did not recognize a single person aside from two dealers that I knew a long time ago who were dealing at the places I first playing live poker at. The table had a range of characters at it. Some young muscular guys with scars on their faces, some 40ish year old guys who just look completely dumb as hell and talk complete shit, some harsh looking old guys in suits, and one very slick looking dude with sunglasses on over his intense beady eyes. All around the table were small normal tables with more harsh looking guys in suits drinking alcohol or talking business together. There was also a main bar and several doors leading into back rooms. Sitting in seat three at the table was The Boss. This guy was atleast in his 70's, very short, long slick shiney grey hair with a pair of multi colored young-gun sunglasses resting atop of it. His face wasn't extremely harsh or scary looking, but this guy was scary as hell. He wore a purple and blue colored jump-suit and was covered in bling bling. Everyone in this casino acted abnormally too. Usually koreans use respectful tone and dialect and rarely curse...but these for these guys yelling "SHIPPAL KAE SEKKI YA" was completely normal and they didn't often speak up to eachother as "hyung" (respectful way to speak to a man older than you thats your friend). But with this guy, The Boss, not only did they use manner speak, they used the super respectful way of speaking in Korean every time they addressed him. This guy even had three young girls sitting next to him, behind him. The girls were young and extremely beautiful paying attention to everything he did and said but never speaking for themselves. They occasionally massaged him too. The game was 10/20 and the minimum buyin was 2000$. I got 2000$ in chips and took a seat. As I scanned the room some more I realized there were hired whores everywhere with these suited gangsters at the outside normal tables. This place put every casino I had ever been to to complete shame. All those 'gangsters' at the other casinos are wannabe's. I was in the midst of the Korean mafia.
"HI, WHATS YOUR NAME?" Says a cocky young one sitting two seats to my left. Him and the guy to my immediate left and right were the three jokesters at the table. I was in for a ride. "Dan." I replied. "IM MICHAEL," he responded and instant laughter burst all over the table letting me know that his name is not actually Michael but its some fucked up Korean humor.
"WHEH AH YU FRUM?"..."America."
"DO YOU HAVE GUN?" Asked the stupid looking yet crazy guy to my immediate left. "Yeah I got one but only in America."
"CAN YOU IMPORT IT FOR ME? I WANT GUN. KOREA SO HARD TO GET GUN." he says as the Michael chimes in pointing at the crazy one "he's korean mafia, real mafia man."
"Uhhh I don't think that's such a good idea, not only dangerous for me but I wouldn't really trust you with a gun." I say as the two of them begin cackling like crazy fuckers. Then the one to my left says "HAHAHAHA TRUE IF I HAD A GUN AND WE ALLIN AND YOU WIN ALL MY CHIP MAYBE I SHOOT YOU" as he put his hand in the figure of a gun up to my head. Laughter ensued on the whole table. And lets be honest here. Rekrul was scared as fuck.
This table was loose as hell. It was normal for 300 preflop to get 4-5 callers and it was a 99% chance that there was a bet of atleast 700$ on every single flop. Slow play and check-raise was the name of the game for me. Can't really play tricky poker here when the best chances of winning money in such a game is playing only premium hands that hit flops. Everyone was going wild and I was getting extremely cold decked. One guy explained in korean to the table that in America the games don't play like this at all, that everyone folds like crazy all the time to any bet preflop or on the flop, and on the flop it's usually 1on1. They kept making fun of me and calling me American style. I felt kinda pathetic on that table with 2000$ folding every single hand. But what could I do the EV+ was there and I only had 2k more in my wallet at the time. I'll sacrifice the fun I get from buying in huge and bullying tables full of tight asses for the money that was to be earned in this game.
AsQc in the big blind. Finally a "MONSTER!" hand! Everyone limps in for 20 and I make it 420 to go I had about 1400 behind at that point. The Boss calls me and the flop lands down AK3 all clubs giving me top pair queen kicker and the nut flush draw. The Boss does not take shit and bets a lot of flops and bets big. I check he fires out 700 and I go allin for 700 on top of that. He instantly calls and flips over 8c6c for a flush. I put out my cigarette that I was smoking just to fit in with these guys and flip over my hand. "I need a club."
The crazy stupid guy to my immediate left grabs another cigarette and sticks it in my mouth and lights it. "CLUB CIGARETTE LUCKY CIGARETTE CLUB CLUB CLUB!!!" as he pounds the table like a gorilla. Not that he wanted to defy The Boss, but sucking out on people and seeing people suck out on people brought this guy extreme pleasure. Then the other psycho guy with Waldo glasses to my right took out another cigarette and goes "TWO CLUB CIGARETTES CLUB CLUB CLUB, CLUB FOR DAN!!!!" as he sticks it in my mouth and lights it too. I'm sitting there puffing on two cigarettes as the turn and river land red as blood. No club for Dan. The Boss rakes in the 4000$ pot as I calmly say "nice hand" and put out my cigarettes. The Boss tries to throw me back 200$ in chips because he felt bad I guess and I said in Korean "No, no, no, that's okay really I don't need that."
The Boss finally speaks and says in Korean, "Dan, I insist."
The room went silent and all eyes were on me. I could feel the heat of the power that this guy commanded over all these mafia dogs. I really didn't want the money cause normally its my rule to not give and to not take but there was nothing do. "Well then, thank you very much sir."
I bought 2k more and the game resumed. I continued to fold and they continued to make fun of me for it. I felt like "the white guy" as I have explained that phenomenon in my previous articles. The short stacked grinder. I continued to get terrible cards Until finally I limped in the SB with all limpers I had AsJs and the psycho guy in the big blind made it 300 to go. He got four callers and I knew BB had shit so I moved allin for 1600 on top of his bet. He instantly called and everyone else folded. I flipped my hand over and he flipped over QcTs. I tell him good luck and he goes "GAMBBBBLLEEEEE" and shakes his head crazily as he high fives me. He lands his ten on the flop and the turn and river bring me no help. 4K down now.
I look in my wallet and there's barely any money left and the psycho to my right sees it and lets the whole table know. "AMERICAN BOY IS BROKE HAHAHAHAHAHAHA" I said I'll be right back guys gunna get more cash. I left the place and got in a cab and started to think.
'Man...these guys want to hound me, they don't like me at all, I'm sitting there like a bitch folding and they all just want to stack me. This is the best game ever. If I want to stay in it I'm going to make these guys like me.' The plan was set.
I went and got 10k and came back and bought in the full 10k. The average stack at the table at this time was probably 5000$. Everyone was like whoa where'd you get that cash? What do you do for a living? I reply "I don't care about money, I won the lottery in Ohio 1.3 million. POWERBALL BABY!" Everyone was excited..I think they thought I wasn't going to come back. I ordered a beer, smoked some nasty cigarettes, and began to play poker. Finally I started getting decent cards. I got AA and raised to 200 UTG and got 5 callers and flopped drilled A86. I checked and the next to act bets 600 and gets two callers and I checkraise to 2000$. First bettor on the flop calls and everyone else folds. Turn comes a king and I put him all-in for 2000$ more and he calls with AQo and I win a nice pot. I gave the guy back 400$ of what I took from him and everyone commented about how much of a gentleman I was and good player I was and that they liked me. Though I can recall countless times when people walked by behind me I imagined the back of my neck getting sliced open by a knife.
After some more poker I continued to go up and down up and down but my stack was slowly growing. I gained lots of confidence and was playing well. At the start of the night not only could I win a pot, but I was SCARED to win a pot off these guys. Eventually I was even bantering back and forth with some of the younger ones in hands joking around getting comfortable. Though, no matter how comfortable I got I was still scared as hell.
Assorted looking freaks, goons, thugs, along with very slick looking gangsterish types were all over the room, probably about 4x as many people watching as playing. In the back room you could hear a guy cursing another guy out and slamming him into the wall. But nobody seemed to react at all as if it was normal. More young beautiful girls being ushered into the the smoke filled room as psycho eyed crazy men in racing jump suits that didn't even know them instantly go up to them and half-molest them and in general joke around and go crazy with them. Countless times throughout the night the whores would slap one of the guys in the face really hard and he'd back off and everyone would start to laugh at him. It was a zoo. This is how the mafia plays. Gambling and whores.
AA in the big blind everyone limps in I make it 420$ to go. Two of the limpers call everyone else folds. Flop lands 743 rainbow and I bet out 800$. One guy calls. I had been watching this guy a lot when he calls and raises. Obviously I have AA on that flop I'm ahead of him but his call secured that feeling. The guy just hated to give up pots. Turn hits Js making it impossible for a flush to come on the river and I bet out 1500$. He calls instantly and the river comes a 2. I could have sworn on the flop he had a three or a four only, or maybe even a seven. Regardless if I push all-in here he's probably going to fold. So I value-bet 1000$ into a pot of 5500$. Without hesitation he pushes all-in, 2000$ more on top of my 1000$.
In hind sight, the pot odds were far too great and the board was damn good to ever fold no matter what my read was. But I hesistated because this guy had never made a bluff like this no matter how crappy of a calling station he was in other hands. The guy to my immediate right then stood up and started yelling like a crazy hyena. "COME ON COME ON COME ON IN CALL CALL, BIG POT BOY COME ON CALL CALL GAMBLEE HAHAHAHAHAH CALL COME ON MAN CALL CALL CALL!!!!!!" spit was flying from his crazy mouth and some hit me in the face. I look up at him like "What the fuck?" and then The Boss clears his throat and says calmly in Korean. "Shut the fuck up."
The goon instantly bows to him and sits down very quickly and clasps his hands and stares at the floor.
"Call, I got aces."
"TWO PAIR!" he says as my vision blurs a little bit. Losing a 12k pot in a live game feels bad especially when you get sucked out on. Online it's not that big of a deal but seeing a guy rake in that mountain of 100$ chips hurts.
"FUCK NICE HAND!!!" I say as he flips over his cards. I take a peek to see what two pair he had and if he rivered it and the blurred vision wears off and I see his 25o, one pair of deuces. I give a fucked up expression and everyone at the table starts laughing at me again including the guy who just lost the pot to me because he obviously did not give a shit. One younger guy says "I told you we play dirty," as they all kept laughing (except The Boss). But hell, I was happy and raked in the pot. I gave that guy 400$ back and said you can have this but please don't try that again. Everyone started laughing again and he smiled at me.
Whew. I sat there with a monster stack, having everyone at the table covered and some people saying "Wow this guy is good." But most of them kept saying I'm just a lucky fucker who gets good cards and only bets good cards. The game then slowly began to die and it got down to 4 handed at which time they raised the stakes to 20/50 NL without my approval. It was me, The Boss, the guy who had just tried to bluff me, and one slick guy who spoke english pretty well and while being scary as hell looking was one of the rather nicer guys at the table. Everyone was tired as it was now 7 A.M. but we continued to play short handed. I was on the button, The Boss limped in for 50 and I made it 200 with K6 diamonds. All three of them called and the flop landed 982 with one diamond. Everyone checked and the turn was the 5 of diamonds. The Boss bet out 600$ and I knew he was weak. I was going to go for my draw (seven, diamond, or king) and if I failed to hit it try to bluff him out anyways. River came a queen no diamond and The Boss checked. I bluffed 1600$ and The Boss thought forever and ever talking about how I only had good cards every time I bet. But The Boss is the ultimate calling station, I'm proud to make him think for so long before calling with his pair of eights haha. I flipped over my hand and said in Korean looking directly at him "I have nothing sir, very very nice call" confidently as if I didn't give a shit (actually I didn't give a shit, I was still up 10k on the night.) The Boss then spoke up in Korean. "WOW I didn't know you are capable of bluffing, you are a real poker player, I am impressed, your manner is good too, very nice" as other people watching seconded his opinion. I'm in. I have secured my spot and safety in the worst 10/20 and 20/50 poker game in the existance of humanity. $ $ $ $ $
The game shortly there after died and we all cashed out. The Boss stood up grabbed my hand and shook it and said "Dan please come back often." I replied "Of course this was a lot of fun." After saying good-bye to everyone I walked out of that place with about 25k on my body. Thank god it was daylight by then.
The moments I walked out of that place and got in the cab were the most paranoid moments of my life, I was looking behind my back every two seconds.
Thank you for reading,
Rekrul
