Luckbox! ...Unlucky luckbox!

<-$2250>

How about we concentrate on how I turned $4 into $300 instead of how I got down to the $4 in the first place? Yeah, sounds good to me. Alright, alright, but I'll make it short. I'm trying to cut down on the whining about bad beats haha. Well there was the one hand where I turned the nut straight, aka broadway, and a boat was rivered against me. Several nice flops where I had top top and the river paired my opponent for two pair. To begin it all I was up against an open-ender with ace high and I river an ace, wrongly assumed I was good and called the made straight's bet. Okay I'm done.

I disgustedly call $2 with $4 left, I chose not to shove lol. The two bucks got raised to seven and a friend throws me three bucks so I can compete for the full main pot. I had 2 4 suited and hit my deuce on the flop! Down to 3 handed, the turn was a 9. Once the blank (to me) river hits, a guy bets and gets the other person to fold. He shows and proceeds to muck. This all happened pretty quick and I had not revealed my hand yet. His hand is deemed dead and my duck takes the $28 main pot. 

Soon after the excitement of having nearly SIX red chips donated to me by a misstep, I shoved with KJ suited. Everyone called. The flop gave me gut shot and I hit my 10 on the turn for broadway, but alas it also hit a potential flush on the board. Everyone checked the rest down & I am the only one with a hand. Take it doooown! 

The rest is a lot of short handed play, mostly 3 handed where I played the part of a bully with the short stack. One good hand I had was pocket twos. I raise to 17 preflop, the flop comes 5 4 3. I tell myself I'm shoving if an ace comes on the turn lol. I bet out and get the $20 called by one. The turn came an ace like I called it, I once again bet 20. The river does put a potential flush on the board, but I bet at it once more and it is folded to me. I drag a decent sized pot for 3 handed and am satisfied. A few more hands passed and we called it a night. 

I turned $4 into $298. Had to dig a hole for myself first though. My best to date had been $30 into $700... this may have been better. Is this the change I've been looking for? One can only hope. 

There are not going to be any more posts with the negative number increasing.
<-$2310>

Loosestar

<-1950>

Due to coming home late and needing at least a little bit of sleep, I neglected to create a post on the first day of my break. What a start to my break! What better way to start it than with a poker game? Lol. I was happy with my latest result therefore I felt I had some momentum and was going to gain some of my prior losses. WrOnG!

It started with a friend of mine & I going to our usual room. Unfortunately the game was already breaking as we walked in and because of us it didn't break. We played 5 handed for about an hour, all the while talking about going to Winstar as a group. I bought in and lost my first short buy-in on an all-in where I believed I had the best hand. I obviously didn't. I doubled my second short buy with a couple of fun hands. I rivered the nut flush vs another flush and flopped a slightly disguised straight with 10 8 - flop 9 7 6.

Finally we all decided to head north. I hadn't been up there in a long time; I was hoping for a good night to store in my memory bank about the place. As it usually is in the middle of the night, it was quiet and it had few tables open. I was trying to decide whether to play 2/5 or 1/2. Given my recent stroke of luck, I chose on the latter so I would have a couple of buy-ins just in case. I was catching hole cards left and right; they were gorgeous looking. Not a single flop would match them. I proceeded to become short stack due to pre-flop raises with mostly suited connectors (none were even gapped... it was 910, J10, 78, QK, etc.). Out of frustration I shoved with 56 of hearts, called by pocket sixes which held up. First rebuy, last rebuy. I sat tight and started folding for a change. It did help that I wasn't getting any cards to play with. The few hands I did play I lost to a slightly higher kicker and I got down to 71 when I looked down at pocket sevens.

There was a guy to my left who once every orbit or so, would raise preflop a ridiculous amount, get a couple callers, then shove on the flop and everyone would fold and get shown a bluff. He got caught one time and was exposed but nobody seemed to notice; weird. On my particular hand he raised to 50 preflop and it got folded around to me. I had little over that bet, I put him on two overs to my cards at best, so I shoved. He made a face and said he had to reluctantly call. The flop was all low cards below 7. I felt confident. The turn paired the board and the river I cannot even remember. He shows 4 2. The flop had a four and it just so fucking happened to be the same card that paired the board on the turn. Seriously? 

Sadly enough I will ALWAYS want that, and any other, guy who plays like that in my pots. Suckouts are part of the game. The sooner we realize it, the sooner we can keep pushing forth. In the long run the better hand wins.

<-2250>

Little itty bitty step forward

<-2130>

Just as I proclaimed a couple of days ago, I played a tournament Saturday and a tournament on Sunday. Both were quite uneventful for me. I played well in both but one (or two?) little mistakes and you're out! 

The Saturday tourney was free. I made the right folds until the blinds were threatening to take over my stack and to a 3x bb raise, I went all in with KQoff for 4,700 and was called by AK. 1out.

The Sunday tourney was a paid/rebuy one. I built my stack to double the initial of 4,000 and sat on it. I got pocket 8's and to one person's all in, I called. I wasn't sure why the bet big, so I believed I was ahead and I was. I was also relieved to hear "i had an ace, I folded an ace also" when people at the table saw the AK of my opponent. I was dealing and I turned the case ace - 2out. Rebuy. The very next hand I got pocket 9's. The blind level and break time were approaching; what was also approaching was the end of rebuy periods at the same time. Before me, one guy went all in and my buddy called him/goes all in as well. I thought they either are both pulling a move or one of them had high suited cards and the other was pulling a move. I'm wrong on both accounts; one has jacks the other rockets! As the flop comes we all read it out loud to see what outs we had, unfortunately for me if my outs came, one of my two opponents would make a higher hand. I was just about drawing dead. The river came an ace, giving the aces a set but my buddy hit a miracle straight. 3out. Okay, last rebuy, for one because the rebuy period is over, for two because you are only allowed to rebuy twice and I exhausted all my attempts. I made this stack last a while, however, I don't even recall what hand I was busted out on. *shrug* So now I'm on break, right?

Oh I forgot, I have to drop off something to a dealer friend of mine... I have to go to where she works. Could it be a card room perhaps? Ha. When I get there and the game is in full swing with maybe 7 players and a lot of pushing of nice pots back and forth. One guy in particular was drunk and anyone around could just see his stack slowly disappear in front of their eyes. I sat for a while admiring all these lucky people who were playing with this guy, I just knew someone would catch him. "Fine, I give in; get me 100 in chips"

I sat tight and waited for a hand, in the meantime that guy's stack has gone from 900 to 600 to 400 etc. 

I get tens, raise prefllop to 20, 2 callers. Flop was 9 high so I shove, everyone folded. The drunk guy busted out, another big stack left & the game was coming to a close soon. I had 7 8 suited and I limped in for $2. 3 people in he hand and the flop gave me gut shot. Someone bet 6 at it; sigh, 'I call' (everyone knows I don't do gut shots) as does the other player. I hit my 6 on the turn for a 9 high straight, I bet 15. They both call and the river is a blank. I now get 20 bet into me and I make it 45, one call and one fold. I win.

The last memorable hand of the night for me was AK suited where I turned a king and I snap-called a $50 bet on the river to take it down. Up near 300 now, just a Jackson below. One more player soon busted and the game was over. Wow, what happened? I cashed out?...& I cashed out up?

How 'bout that break, huh? :p

.......I was talking to a friend of mine at work today and I may just follow what he does, partially at least, for a while. Just buy in small stack and nurture it. If you lose, beat it. He goes after a double up and he's happy to leave 100% profit, smart. I'll just stick to the short buys of 100 for now I suppose and see how that goes.

<-1950>

*suckout noise*

<-$1810>

The night began slow and downhill. I probably played too many hands too soon and lost my first buy in in a slow and steady manner. I reloaded for 150 more and played very tight. During the course of the whole night, until it got to 4 handed I believe I maybe played 5 or 6 hands total. I was tight! I stuck to pocket pairs and suited connectors as well as pocket face cards. A memorable hand that gave me some momentum was a set I turned. I raise preflop and don't recall the number of callers; the raise was 12. Flop comes 7 5 K. I check and a bet of 21 is made into me. It seems like an odd bet and I'm torn on whether its a flush draw or simply a king; I decide to call 21 and fold if the turn does nothing for me and is a heart, or reevaluate if it isn't a heart. The turn is a 9, my set card. I bet out 35 this time and get raised to 100... I have little left over the raise so I go all in and get called. He has KQ, river is a queen but he was drawing dead regardless as a king would have given me a boat. I double up and am more confident in my strategy of playing tight.

My boosted morale goes down a little bit while I bleed chips by calling preflop with nice cards but not coming even close to hitting and not wanting to start bluffing at pots where I would get called down.

A long while goes by and I have another pocket pair, this time a bit higher. I raise to 20 preflop and get 4 callers.That is a few more than I wanted but oh well, I would soon wish I had raised more and gotten all the calls also. Flop comes A J J. I bet out 15 and get raised to 60. I smooth call as I have two more behind me; one of them seems to want to call but they both muck. The turn is a deuce and after it is checked to me I check as well; bad move in retrospect. The river is another deuce. I bet 40 and I soon see my opponent reaching for an additional hundred on top of my bet. I'm very happy to see the raise but I know that my shove will not be called because, did I mention,  I have the stone cold nuts and the remainder of my chips will not be called by the bottom end of the boat. I have to attempt a re-raise anyways, I therefore put out another 120 over her raise. She asks if I really have pocket aces and we just wait a while until she folds and I flip over my pocket Jacks for the flopped nuts and high hand of the night. This is where the good in my night ends and the bad begins.

The game starts winding down and I start going downhill with it. At first I'm just sticking to my gameplan and playing tight and conservative. I bleed a few chips as is to be expected and am soon back down to my buy in (original+rebuy) and feeling the pressure of having lost all my profit. A few people leave and I hit a hot streak of cards... too bad they ALL lose. 3 hands in a row I am dealt kings, eights and aces. The cherry on top was my aces getting cracked. I raise a straddled hand to 25, called by two including the straddle. Flop is something like 3 6 7. I notice my opponent reaching for chips so I check. He goes all in for a little over 120, one fold and my insta-call. The turn is a 3, river is a 6. Runner runner boat, although the trip 3s had me beat already on the turn. 

I have high hand so $100 is waiting for me at the cage... I try my luck again and am soon dealt AK off. I have an extremely drunk and loose player in the hand with me, calling my 25 preflop raise. The problem is that I cannot put him on a hand since he is so wreckless... but I stick to my guns and believe AK is going to be good. Flop is low 2 4 7, I check, he bets 25 and I call. The turn is a five. He could have played anything and I decide to see where he is at. I go ahead and bet 25 this time. He has a large chipstack since he felted me earlier when I had the string of pocket pairs so he doesn't care... calls easily. The river is a 3. Hey I hit a miracle straight, yay. I have 50ish left so I go all in, get instantly called by the other miracle straight that was hit by the guy holding 6 10 in his hand.

I'm done, disgusted at the beats I took on yet another night when I believe I played well and could not get anything accomplished as far as climbing back out of the poker bankroll hole.

To the reader: I have a tournament I will be playing on Friday and one on Saturday, after that I will take a break for a little while. I have to figure out why I am playing well and getting constantly sucked out on, night in night out. I can't even say I'm running bad, I am getting good cards, getting my money in good, but it is just not holding up. A break will do me good although I have said I don't believe in breaks and I believe in playing through a bad run; this run has gone on long enough.

<-$2130>

Happiness isn't everything

<-$1640>

Just when I thought my 'luck' had turned and I played well, I meet a rude awakening.

After an unsuccessful game at my house due to lack of participation, a couple friends & I head over to play elsewhere. I decide to change it up a tad and be more selective about the hands I play. Unfortunately, since the huge hand of the night is still on my mind, I lack recollection of how I got the decent sized stack I was sitting on. Its quite a big game with rarely a pot less than 50 preflop. Most stacks are over a grand with me just below by about a hundred. I look down at Kings and raise 20 pre, four callers and a spade flop hits the board; Q 4 5. I bet out 50 and get just one caller this time. The turn is a ten of clubs. I bet 100, call. River is another queen. I have been playing so few hands that my image is extremely tight. I am representing a boat...just about every other person at the table said they would not have been able to call. I bet 100, he makes it 200. I have about 350 left and I instantly ship it. After a few moments of insecurity and moving his chips back and forth as if to get a reaction, he makes a 'fuck it' call. He has the queen... chased me down. There are so many possibilities out there...yet I still cannot get a fold. I had him covered by 55.

I proceed to quadruple the 55 in the next two hands by doubling up twice, however; the game is too big and I'm soon back to 60 by calling a couple times with nice looking suited face cards and seeing all low flops. I am tired and still steaming about the big pot, I ship with A5 diamonds, call by AQ off. Ace high with a Queen kicker takes it down. I'm very happy with the way I played, I played right and made the right moves for the most part. Me being happy with my play didn't make me money in the end, so it was all for not.

<-$1810>

Walkin' on holy water

<-$1840>

Finally some okay news to report. No big whoop I suppose, perhaps I can build momentum from it.

The night started out with me and a couple friends going to a 'bar game' in dallas. Small stakes 25c/50c ...what can you really do there except be miserable?... you can lose! duh, of course! In for 60$ and down to 15$ I let my buddy play my stack and he played really well and built it back up, then I urged him to go all in with my $ when he got pocket 6's. He ran into 8s and 10s also in the hole of other players. Boohoo.

Against my conscience's advice we went to the regular $1/$2 spot where I found a full table so I had to wait. I finally got a seat and I bought in for 160.

I proceeded to lose a big chunk with AK suited soon after sitting. I raised a straddled pot to 25 and got two callers. Two decently loose players that are in alot of pots. Flop came K 10 4 with two clubs. I bet out 50 thinking I'm good. I get called by both and pray for no club. The turn is another 10 and a club. I check (giving up?), followed by a $100 bet to which we both fold. He shows a ten for trips, sigh. 

Now down to 75$ish I'm just laying back and folding. I get pocket queens in the sb. It goes around and someone raises to 10, one caller then me. I go all in over the top for $71 total. The guy to my left instantly ships his stack which is about 220 to which a couple limpers fold. Then a hesitation from the original raiser and the statement, "oh gosh am i going to get sucked out on again??" ...followed by a reluctant call/all in for about 220-250. Next guy also calls and has exactly the same amount as I do, $71. He has 7/6 off and called due to good odds... The initial raiser/hesitant one has Aces... how do you hesitate preflop with that? Insta-shipper has nines. Flop is jack high and the turn is one of the two miraculous queens. I win the main pot, I'm still in, wow.

I sit on the near 300 that I win in that pot for a while, drag some small pots here and there in a pretty standard 1/2 game. No crazy stuff tonight. We had just lost two people and were 5 handed. I was in a conversation with the guy to my right and casually look down on pocket fours. I limp into the straddled pot and we see a cheap flop. A 9 4 two dimes. UTG bets 15 and I call while still talking. This bet gets raised to 40 and the original bettor folds reluctantly. I announce raise and put 60 on top, making it an even stick. She instantly goes all in and before I have time to hear her I say call. I feel I'm way ahead, 'till I see the pocket nines she flips over. I'm cursing inside and out loud and walk away from the table and back to my chair just in time to see THE CASE 4 peel off as the river. Quads. Sick river...ship it. What makes this story is a little additional fact, however. The initial bettor folded pocket queens due to the ace on the flop and being raised... a queen came on the turn. 99 vs 44 vs QQ flop A94 turn Q river 4. Unreal.

I'm now sitting on 560 and my money starts going down. Its shorthanded, blinds are coming around faster and the game turns into a 1/2/5 with a straddle almost every hand. I get back down to 350 after getting rivered 3 hands in a row, I was mad. Finally one player leaves, another gets busted (KQ vs 44, flop 4KQ, blank turn river Q) lol, and we're down to 3 handed. One choses to cash out soon after and the remaining gent and I decide to play heads up. I'm now down to 210ish. We play 1/2 for a while then deem it pointless and turn it into 5/10. I'm very proud of myself for keeping up with this guy who I've come to respect alot and is a great player. We go back and forth without much aggression. The big hand for me was a flopped nut flush where i got paid off well. I cashed out 400 even. Lots of entertainment and adrenaline was provided tonight... but without the two "suckouts" I had, I would have lost like I have been. Has my luck changed? 

<-$1640>

Crown shows you the trush!!!1

<-1240>

Let me start with, trush was a purposeful spelling mistake, and the 1 was also purposeful! Even a lil tipsy I'm Very grammar concious. LoL

I guess I needed a few shots of crown in order to admit this.

I played horrible two days ago. Its sad when you cannot remember more than two hands that dismantled you when you lose 2 and a half buy ins. As I think of it, I just remember the last hand I went out on. King high flush over Queen high flush to one of my best friends... that sucks. He did warn me, but I hit the flush too... :( (sad smiley). Oh well, not much I could do. I also got busted on a hand where I flopped a straight and a girl that had just sat in, her first hand, flopped a set and turned a boat on me. I have A2 and flop is 3 4 5. She has 45 and turn is a 4. She bets out 35 and I ship it, since I only have about 100 left and I get just about insta-called. Oh well, again. I lost big that night.

Tonight I played at a pretty fun and good natured home game. Sort of an easy game if I played straight. I think I played bad but I ended up 70 up. Didnt matter in the end since I went to another game at 2am haha. I didnt chalk up the win and sat in for 170 and lost it all plus gambled for another 100. Yes I gambled :o. We played for high card for about an hour... I had my opponent down to 25 bucks and he won 4 straight....you can count it up...25x2=50 50x2=100 100x2=200. I lost a bill...not a big deal. The crown hadn't even hit me yet. Hell it just hit me as I stepped in the door. Was a fun night and I had drinks. Not a big deal. Whats big is going to be the difference between the red up top ^^^ vs the red down on the bottom. Sucks. Hopefully I can turn it around as Sunday brings a new week along. Last week sucks... look for yourself at the bottom number, blah!!

<-1840>

Run Forrest Run

<-$650>

This will be short and quick. I'm running so bad and the frustration is mounting equaling me not playing well on top of running bad. I did okay at my own game the other night, won a tourney and about 60 in the cash game. Tonight...different story. I'm getting tired of posting about losses, and thinking of making this a different blog. I'm just venting, frustrated alot with this unfortunate run. Several times tonight I raise pre and flop two pair and my opponent either sucks out with a straight or flush on the turn, or straight outflops me with a set on a rainbow board. I staked a friend and he did well, about the only positive out of tonight. Another one in the books in red. Stupid is as stupid does.

<-$1240>

Cooler Talk

<-450>
 Dumbfounded, shellshocked, astonished, stunned, speechless, stupefied and taken aback. All words that can describe my feelings as of about 30 minutes ago. Tonight was the night of coolers for me, or against me. Only two coolers happened, but in a session where I know I played well and did a good job, they stung big time. 

I started with a 200$ stack as I often do. I played very tight for the first hour or so. I finally played a big hand and won it, and showed, thus establishing a certain image which allowed me to bluff a few times. I built my stack to a little over 300. I then played K10 off. It was straddled and someone min-raised to 10. I called along with 4 other people. Flop was K Q 9, two hearts. First to act goes all in for 35. One call and one fold and its to me; I decide to call. Turn is my money card, Jack and not a heart. It is now heads up and my opponent bets 50, I then raise to 120 and get called reluctantly. The river is pretty blank, 5clubs. I shove for 93, kind of looking to be called. He folds,and I take down the hefty & nice pot of 300ish with the straight. I'm up near 500. 

Up and down a little bit then I get Jacks. Someone had straddled; I make it 20 and get 3 callers. Flop is 3 4 5 rainbow. I bet out 60. Fold, all in for 190, fold, then to me. I insta-call. Aces. Blank turn and river, I lose. Back down to 340. Cooler #1: .Little bit of tilt and a small loss here and there I get down to 150. I get AQ suited and its a raised pot preflop to 30. Flop is AJ6. I go all in, get insta-called (she warned me and told me to take my bet back but I had shoved my stack out there - the dealer and I agreed I was all in) she had AK. No queen shows up.

I buy back in for $150 and proceed to turn it into 500 again rather quickly. One of the hands that doubled me up was pocket 8's called by AQ on a lower than my pair board. Something like 2 3 6 or so. They held up and I was on my way. People are getting tired and/or busted by now and the game is in its final stages. 

Cooler #2: It goes down to 3 handed. I get K J clubs. Mandatory straddle, I raise to 25. Called by one. I'm still in shock so I dont quite remember the flop exactly or the betting, I believe the flop was 2 3 4 one club, the 3. We both check. Turn is another 4 - the 4 of clubs. I believe I bet out 40. I get called. River is 5 of clubs. He bets 75. I hollywood a little but I'm sure I'm golden. I think for a split second of A2 clubs for the steel wheel (straight flush wheel) but I laugh at myself for it. I more likely put him on the nut straight with 67 or so. This player has done this so many times to me, hit gutterballs on the river after going all board without anything. I make it an even $200 - two fisted raise. He's a bit boozed up but it takes him a few to shove his whole stack in. He has me covered not by much. I started the hand with 425 or so. I stand up and make some muffled noises like groans ...I guess inside I knew I was beat but I didnt give myself time to think it out...just couldn't fold anyways... 3 handed come on - I'm golden. Aren't I? Two numbers and one word.

6 2 clubs

<-$800>

Gift-wrapped benjamins

<+250>

Tonight I was dead money. I was the one player you abso-freaking-lutely want at your table.

I firs went to a little home game where it should have been an easy double up. I was doing good until I decided I didn't believe this one guy, two hands in a row. He stacked me. I technically putt him on flush draws both times, the first time should have been enough for me not to do it again; but like I said, I was dead money.

Once busted and a little on tilt I went to the main game. I proceeded to lose some more here. In my defense, I put it all in with the best hand and got sucked out on. AQ vs KQ with a queen high board, turn King. This brought my initial buy in of 300 crashing down to 60. I stuck around (i just typo-ed "I suck" ha...) for a while and folded. I just so happen to flop a flush in a $10 preflop raised hand. Another guy flops the nut flush and another flops a set of deuces and turns quads. Nice hand sir. 

I try to shake all this stupidity off me and get the guts to rebuy once more. I shouldn't have, I was tilting bad and was just waiting for a hand to ship it with. I get this opportunity on a raised and re-raised preflop hand. I call the $17 final bet. I have A9 of clubs. flop is 10 5 10 with two clubs. I bet out 20, fold fold fold, and my friend makes it 120 letting me know he has a 10. I wasn't even going to elaborate on tonight, I was going to write -700 and be done, but he wanted a mention in the blog so there lol. Anywho, I insta-shove on him! Woohoo... my move is complete. He has one of the most difficult calls of his life to make for an additional $20 or so. I miss on the turn, I miss again on the river and he boats up. He had 10 8 suited.

I went from playing great on one night and ending the session badly to a horrible showing.
The only way to go is up.

<-450>

I leave bearing gifts...

<-200>

Blahhhhh! As i write this, keep in mind I did still have quite a good night. I'm very happy with my play and the outcome is favorable, but it could have been so much better!! As you see, by scrolling all the way to the bottom of the post, I made about 450. I did, however, lose over half my stack in the last 20 minutes. I was sitting pretty on $1,240 when I got K 10 suited hearts. I raise to 20 preflop, called by two. Flop K 10 8. I bet out 25, then raised to 60 and the 60 called by the 3rd person who was drunk and pretty much not a factor. It comes around to me and I put 100 on top. Both call (the latter is now all in - irrelevant), ugh. Turn is a 5. I bet 100, he calls. river is another 5. Check check. He flopped a set of tens. -$400 on that hand. Little later the game is winding down, I look down at Kings. I raise 25 preflop and get called by two of the three players left other than me. flop 9 6 9. Long story short he called with 9 10 suited, like I would have done. I bet 35 on the flop, 100 on the blank turn and we both check the river. Down to what I cashed out. I gave out gifts in the amount of $600 for my bday in 20 minutes lol.
The road to success was very sweet. I cannot pinpoint any particular hand that was a huge pot. It was a slow and steady build, from the 210 I bought in for to the peak of 1250. I played well and timed my bets and aimed for specific victims and it paid off. I busted a few people several times. They happily went to the ATM and reloaded, putting a big ATM sign over their head that I tapped into.
One memorable moment of the night was when I got the only pocket aces of the whole night. I raise, re-raised, re-re-raised...blah blah all in I insta-call, Aces vs Aces. ...chop pot! SURPRISE!

<+255>

Quite a pricey meal, wouldn't you say?

<+360>

 Fold, fold, JJ. Third hand, yay its going to be a good night! I raise to 15, 3 callers. Flop A 9 blank. I check, check after me, then $30 bet. Everyone folds including me. He shows an ace. Cool, good fold. 

K4 K4 K4 K4 Q2 23 32 J5 82 72 6Q, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh, card dead for the rest of the night. One time I got Q8 suited spades so I decided to play it, flopped a flush draw and missed it the rest of the way. I did however bet every street so I tried a bluff on the river, $60 bet and I got called by both other players - one rivered trips, other boated up on the river lol. Q8 was also the undoing of my first buy in. Once again suited Q8 clubs this time. I raise it 15 preflop, 2 callers. Flop comes Q 8 9 - all spades. WRONG BLACK DAMN IT. Checked back to me. Now, I don't want to see another spade, I bet 50. Called by both. I put them on trying to draw out on me with high spades. Turn is a 3 of clubs. I feel safe after they both check again. I don't have much left, I shove for about 60ish. Re-raise all in for 700, as well as an insta-"aw, I call....".

Aw shucks...I have 4 outs haha, a Queen or an 8 that don't show up. Jack high flopped flush vs 6 5 of spades who also flopped it. Out $300.
Usually I would leave being as card dead as I had been, but the game is shorthanded now and there are 3 big stacks at the table that I know can get very loose with their money. I buy back in for $260.

Not much to say here, I go after my read which was correct all along and I get sucked out on by a heart flush on the river for my stack. I straddle - 5handed. 3 callers, I then raise 15 on top. Both call. Flop 9 8 5 with two hearts. I had suited 10 9 of spades and I flop top pair. I feel I'm ahead, BB checks and I bet out 25 - call, call. Ok maybe I'm not ahead, but I also know one of the two can be calling with nothing at all or a draw. Turn is a 3. Check to me, I bet 50. One stays in and min-raises me, the aforementioned person. I put him on hearts and shove over the top all in, probably about 100 more. He calls without much animation with the nut flush draw and hits the 5 of hearts on the river. Oh well, pretty sucky.
I had a couple burgers and 2 sprites during this whole ordeal. I made sure to go to the fridge and grab two more sprites when I left to balance out my expenses for the night.

I'm surprised I ended up writing so much about such a crappy night. Next time will be better, at least its all I can hope for.

<-$200>

Hole cards no good unless crap...DUH

<+590>

Where to start? I guess chronologically would be most suitable.

I did play on Saturday although I made no effort to post about it as I had little effort at the table.

I don't even know how long I played. Got short stacked quick & raised with J10 to 15 in a $1/2/5, flop two jacks, bet 25, guy shoves all in way over me with a diamond draw with 24d, diamond on the river, I lose and I get a long nights sleep. 

Last night was a little different. Long session and I was stuck most of the night. Mostly due to untimely good hands that were beaten. I probably misplayed them as well which did not help my situation.

Don't remember how I spread my first 200 amongst the table... I'm sure it was dumb. CHECKS! Quite a bit of money on the table now, make it a Vegas table max buy in of $300.

Lots of limping at this time so I raise to 15 with aces called by 2. Flop 8 6 8. I bet out 40. I'm already pretty dead. Called by same two. 10 on the turn. Guy checks, I check, one guy bets 70, next guy calls, I make it 165. Fold, then a pondering call. River is a 9.  He checks and I give up & check. I may have missed a river all in, but this guy was a calling station so I probably would have been busted. A8 vs AA. Good check.

I build back up a little to 300ish. In a hand with the same guy later on, I raise a suited 2gapper to 15. Two calls. Flop 6 7 K. I flop top pair. I bet out 30. Called by one. Turn is a 9. Top 2 pair. I bet 50 - raised to 100. (this is where I should fold) I shove, he calls. River blank. I figure 8 10 suited. 8/5 off suit. Oh well. Looking back I would have done the same in his shoes, just stings. I take a one hand break then put in the last bill I had in my pocket. 

Absolutely card dead I just blind my stack away. Catch a hand here and there and get walks. 3 to be exact. 

I get frustrated, call off a couple pre0flop raises, then fold as I completely whiff and my stack gets cut in half.

Fuck it, I'll resort to "trickery" and gambling. l play a hand half blind. I announce to the table I only looked at one card and I did. Its the ace of diamonds and I shove for 61. Fold all around then one caller. He has my favorite hand, pocket 6's. I flip over the ace of hearts. Its red ...same thing. Then I flip over the ace of diamonds. I do a double take...haha. I can't believe it and I'm sure everyone thinks I'm full of shit. Wait, that's not all, flop 3 4 5. Too many outs syndrome prevails and he misses the billion cards he could have hit.

Still pretty bored even after that excitement. I raise and bet on the flop with nothing and take down a few pots.

I'm supposed to have already left due to work @ 5am and I start catching cards...fun fun. Before all that, I do play 10 2 successfully bluffed all the way and I had JUST enough for a call-liking person to fold, $75. Up to 220ish. I call last orbit. Lots of limping so I follow suit. Then I change my mind. J7, K7, 108 all suited hearts, raised to 15. People know I'm pressured to leave and I'm stuck. I'm making moves, right? J 7 4 flop. 65ish win. K7, flop K 7 10 turn blank river K. I misplayed this hand though, I could have potentially doubled up... I was getting called quickly on the flop and turn so I blind bet 50 and my opponent insta-folded. made about 100$ in any case. 108, whiff the flop, fold. Just felt like putting it in there.

An extremely lucky finaly 20 minutes made me back everything but $195. I'll take nights like this if there in fact IS a flipside to making some money in the near future. Still up, yay. Play shit people, it pays off sometime.

Oh yeah on a side note: I found out today I work with Doyle Brunson's niece. I also found out a new name for a hand, 2Q

DUCK BITCH!

<+395>

Jack in the night

<+412>

I suppose that in order to make money, one must get unstuck first. Correct?

Surely it is when you lose your first two buy-ins within the first hour cause you're dumb.

Had I been someone else I might have called it a night and left...down $400 - but noooooo...

In my defense, there was a lot of dead money on the table, and more coming.

Tonight was a tale of big slick and pocket jacks. The latter of which was my best friend; I saw them five times.

I saw big slick a few more times than jacks, but the only pots I won with it were pre-flop raises not called by anyone. I did, however, lose my first two buyins with AKsuited. One of which was a 4-way all-in for a 700$ pot. Flop is 9 Q J. One guy flops a straight, 'nother has top 2 pair and third person didn't show. I river broadway but that means nothing if the turn is another jack for a full house for contestant #2! 

After a third buy, now in for 700, here comes mighty Marco. 

I didn't get aces once in this long 8 hour session, but kings, queens and my aforementioned jacks played a big role in the successful $400 surprise win.

Soon after the latest rebuy, kings double me up as big winner contestant #2 flops top top (top pair top kicker) and thinks its good enough. I was now sitting on 580 and just a bill from even. I'm stoked. Funny part is I cannot recall how I went from 600 to 1150 but that was my high point in the night. I know I had a couple more sets of jacks and one just jacks holding up against an AK which didn't connect with anything on the board.

Its never that easy to just rack up and leave... ha! There has to be another down and back up - swing.

I got the downswing out of my system after calling a 75$ river bet with just ace high. Yep I did it... lost, but I did it and proud of it. I was beat by bottom pair on the board...I had the right read ...he had shit; I had worse shit :p

I proceeded to take about 250 back with ladies against the same person and I was back to my nearly 1,100.

Caught b2b big slick near the end of the night but its probably not even worth the mention it just received.

All in all... stuck unstuck and jacks bailed me out. Seven come eleven, in for 700 out with 1100. $50/h :p

<+802>

Back in Black

<-$230>

Lets start by saying Ive been meaning to do this for a while now.

What better time than when I finally got out of the red in my bankroll... - w00t.

I did need some help though... from a pretty dumb and boozed up individual haha.

First of all I was nice and chose to stake a friend, so a good deed gets rewarded - but my patience was definitely tested ...maybe endurance and practice in folding is more like it.

I started the day stuck $230 since I started keeping track of my 'roll

I took $200 with me and got to  $350 rather fast... caught a flush on the turn and got paid off.

I proceeded to go card dead for a good several hours while the game got short handed.

Finally a fun-loving money-hating guy sat down and the table got fun but still frustrating as I still had no cards.

Down to my starting stack, I caught pocket 9's to this fella's preflop raise to 15. 

Call, 9c Jc 4h flop. i bet 25, he makes it 60, i shove for another 115 on top. insta-called by an open ended draw with Q10. Turn blank (3d), river 4. Boat. Stack $420.

Confidence on my side... I catch a few hands but nothing going. Soon I get QJ ...flop two queens.

The turn apparently puts something that could potentially be mistaken for a straight (nonexistent though) because once again all our chips are all in. I check, he bets out 17 on the flop. Call. $50 more on the turn, I make it an even stick. He shoves (I have him covered by 50ish) and I instantly say call.

Him claiming he has a straight scares me half to death before I realize there is no possibility of making a straight with the cards on the board. River blank enough for me not to remember what it was... 

Game soon breaks. I cash out over $800, finally back in the black zone of my poker adventure.

<+$412>