Black at the end of the tunnel

<-$1355>

Black? Is that you? I don't recognize you...

Okay I'll be brutally honest, I'm not sure if I'm in the black. However, if I'm not, I am damn close.

This post will serve as a blank slate because I believe I am as even as I have been in a long time and I do not remember all the sessions :(. I am being honest though, I have had enough positive cashes to where I do believe I made up the hole I was in. If I was to include playing in my own games it would be another story. I was in for 1 whole G the other night because of unreal suckouts. We've all been there, I was catching cards but they were unfortunately second best after all 5 cards were put out on the board. Flop top set, 3-way all in, first pitch flush for my opponent who had no business calling my preflop raise, yadidadida... stuff like that.

In any case, I had a $600+ session at the casino when I went about a week ago and a couple minor cashes in the vicinity of $300. The most recent being the past two nights, where; as it seems usual in my posts by now; I was in for quite a bit and climbed back to make profit both nights.

Last night I was in for two buy ins of 200 ea. I was busted by quad kings when I had kings full of queens. I received a 20$ rebate from my buddy and I turned that into 500 to which I added a little by winning at mexican sweat.

Tonight I visited three locations, haha. The games kept breaking early so I moved on. At the first game I was in for 3 buy ins! ...First buy in went with me flopping the nut flush and my opponent turning a boat. The river was also a 4th card of the same suit making me think he may have a flush as well.. errr NO. The second buy in went with me flopping top two Q10. After the check bet raise all in type of deal a ten came on the turn, but my opponent had two ladies in the hole to have a higher full house. The third buy in I was able to get back up to over 540, nearly even, then I donated back 200 and took the loss of 300 to another house. This game was very short lived. I was up 70 until the last hand where my opponent flopped broadway and I had an ace I believed was good. Only a minor dent of $15 from my buyin in this session. The third location was a new place to me and I played somewhat tighter and I was soon rewarded when I had pocket kings and two callers preflop. After a continuation bet was called and the board was not too scary I decided to go all in and was soon called to double me up. I didn't move much back up or down from that point. That put me $70 up for the night!

Sometimes the poker gods do work in misterious ways.

<$0>

Keep on keepin' on

<-$1455>

I don't have much to report. I've had 3 actual sessions since the last post however two were at my games therefore I cannot put them up if I keep the prior criteria. (the two non-posted sessions total +740).

The session I will talk about was the overnighter I prefaced in the last post; going to the casino.

The session isn't important until the last hour. In the eight hours prior I was busy getting stuck 600. A rare 1/2/5 game at the casino witnessed me getting in for 680. As I was sitting on 150ish I had kings and raised $20 preflop. I flopped a set and there was also a diamond draw out there. Since I was last to act I was able to raise the $20 bet & call to $120. The raise is to no avail as both other players in the hand call me and both hit their flush. The only consolation is that my buddy has the higher flush and is able to triple up. He rebated me $20 so I was now sitting on $65. 

Since the stakes are a little higher there are decent pre-flop raises which I capitalize on by shoving on bluffs and beef my stack up a little bit. I then catch A10 suited and A10 off back to back. The first I raise to 20 pre and get a couple of callers, I proceed to flop a gut shot royal draw, I continuation bet and everyone folds. The next A10 is very similar. $20 pre raise and I flop top top. I continuation bet again and I drag a nice pot again. Now up to about $250 I play K8 suited and flop 7 7 8. the turn is an ace and the river is a king. The action is pretty stagnant and an older gentleman bets $95 into a pot of about the same and I choose to make the gutsy call and am correct; thus nearly doubling my stack. Now sitting on just above $500 I am already very happy with the comeback and am ready to leave. I look down at one last hand a few minutes later; 10 10. I'm in the big blind and it gets straddled. Since it is a 1/2/5, the straddle is 10. 4 people call that and I make it 50. all 4 call. The very nice pot welcomes a flop of rainbow cards below a ten which cannot make a straight. A perfect flop for me. Small blind bets 30 and I raise to $175. Everyone folds and I reach my peak of $780 after stacking all the chips everyone just gave me. I am able to cash out $100 positive after a night that was a drag at best until the late rally. I just went to have fun and dug a hole I was glad to get out of.

<-$1355>

Tested positive

<-$2605>

So I took a week off. I know!! In the meantime I went and got tested. To my surprise I tested positive for a poker gene... I have not had a losing session since. Yeah, I was and still am as shocked as you are.

You would think I would have been eager to post about it, however, I was more eager to sleep after I tucked all those bills in my pillowcase. 

A decent explanation could be that I was down and out, to my last buy in and it was do or die. 'Do' it is, and no looking back. I forgot about the blog for a long time, then the holidays postponed it all. I'm headed to the casino for the first time in a long time tonight with some friends. Knock on wood.

I feel like I need to get back to posting quickly because I cant post about hands that happened due to long term memory loss? Haha. I'm lucky that I remember the numbers of how I did.

Another thing I have to figure out with the new year is whether I will be posting about how I do on my game nights. I used to play house and just recently started doing well, but I would not include that in my bankroll talk. I have done well the past 3 games I have hosted but will not include that in the numbers you will see. Therefore there will only be three sessions included.

Session one: Long session, extended over two locations. Dec 18th played from 8pm to 11am +400 at one place +200 at the other.

Session two: I had to go to work this session as well as the next so I had to leave early HA... I guess if i can't leave I have to ask to be scheduled to work early am. +250

Session three: Just the other night, amazingly juicy game, I wish I could have stayed. Was up 500 at one point but started playing too many hands in the end and was only up 100 which turned into 300 in just one hand. +300.

Total of +1150. KAWABANGA. 

Merry Christmas.
<-$1455>
p.s. If I included my winnings from my own games the number would definitely be below 1g.

Finally off poker break (6 hour long break)

<-$2775>

The six hours went by quickly and I found myself at my buddy's house to play in a 9 person freeroll for $1,000. Everyone lasted through the first two hours or so, one thing led to another and I made the final 5, then 4, then 3, then 2. Somehow I couldn't overcome that last hurdle and I got 2nd in a winner take all. I get nada. I'm very surprised the talk rarely if ever went towards a chop. I offered a chop when I was heads up and ahead 40k chips to 20k chips but it wasnt acted upon so I hushed. Oh well. I shoved 3 hands in a row with a good hand after being card dead for a few orbits. The last I flopped middle pair and a straight draw. I went up against top 2nd top. A 10 and his top pair held up.

I proceeded to go to my regular game and played way longer than I wanted to. I set my time limit and it blew past me without me paying attention. I was in for two buyins and was finally able to make a run near the end when the table agreed to do a round of each (hold'em and omaha high only). I was able to catch a run of cards and won probably 5 pots in a row. Ended in a positive but had I been able to win the freeroll, which I was so close to doing, it would have been a welcome sight to my unsightly number.

<-$2605>

Anyone refer me to a cyanide dealer?

<-$2215>

You know all those feelings people claim they get? Knot in their stomach or bad taste in their mouth or... say... the want to strangle someone? Yeah, they're all real. I had them all tonight. 

Bypassing the night I had at the poker table, one single event had a huge toll on me. Additionally the kick while I was down right after a hand from above was extended to me did nothing to raise my spirits.

Here is how the hand played out:

My stack 640

My opponent 520

4-handed - I am on the under the gun and I straddle. It is raised to 15 by the big bilind and I make it 40 which is called. The flop comes 9 8 5 with two clubs. I bet 100 and my opponent thinks for a couple seconds then CALLS TIME and says he has to go pee really badly and runs off to the restroom. He had announced his need pre-hand and pre-flop as well. The dealer and I and the other players look at each other and unanimously announce that we have never experienced such a thing. Floor is called. He comes and by the time all is explained my opponent returns to my 100 bet. As the floor man is walking away he says "oh by the way you only have about 10 seconds left on 'time'". Around 25 seconds go by when the floor comes back counts down and says "ok your hand is dead". At which point my opponent goes "oh what? huh?" all confused as if he had just woken up. He then asks for a re-ruling. Amidst the confused player and the dealer and floor man the floor says "ok you have 5 more seconds to decide" WHAT THE FUCK??????? and my opponent says "all in". I'm beside myself and cant figure out what just happened. I'm faced with a decision when I should be sitting with 700 in front of me and we should be on the next hand. I should have mucked in disgust but I'm pissed and tilting and you can just imagine. I call with Jacks. No draws hit. He shows queens. I've made worse calls. 

Next hand I shove with A8 and the donks (seriously they were playing middle pair shitty kicker and such, of course he had to catch queens last hand) call me. Two callers to my 120 all in. I triple up with a flopped ace.  Soon after I get aces and the "Queens" are betting into me with a preflop raise. He flops two pair and turns a boat with 6 4 and I ship all my $ to him.  Unreal night. I was amongst all new people I didnt know and had little to no back-up. I should have just folded and cashed out...or just said FUCK NO, ITS A DEAD HAND. I was in a daze. The drive home was numb. 

I hope you guys do realize its not the money, I dont have endless amounts but I wouldnt put it on the line if I didnt have it. Its nights like this when you completely get fucked over that make me question why I even bother.

I guess I need to take a long six hour break from poker.

<-$2775>

Lets get this over with.

<-$2135>

I havent been posting even thought I promised I would be better about it like I used to be. I'm sorry.

Here's a recap of how i've not cashed in the past few games:

+$25 - Huge game. A 2/5 game with 8-10k on the table. One round each omaha hi & hold'em. Short session.

+$70 - Dont remember the session altho I remember the number.

+$250 - Short session pre-work all 45 minutes worth.

-$570 (too many positives in a row, had to have one right?) - Two games in a row 6pm-11am lol. Stuck big in the first game and came back with the help of hitting a high hand. Stuck more in the second although only lost 1 buyin after a lengthy climb back.

+$145 - Decent session before work once again but all six hours worth this time. I made one bad call where I hit trip Aces on the river only to run into a back doored flush which I didnt even see on the board.

Total -$80

<-$2215>

Been there, done that...

<-$1635 >

...and I didn't like it one bit. This is a very bad post to start being timely again, but I guess I have to sometime.

Another horrific night for me and my non-existent bank roll. It started off decent and it turned into a roller coaster which I could handle. Down to 100, back to 160, back to 80, then 120...etc. I finally lost it with Kings to a back and forth raising match with apparently AQ...all in pre-flop, hit his ace, the rest is history.

I rebought and built my stack back to 600. Lost a chunk of it on a hand where I had queens and had to fold to my opponent putting me all in on top of the 100 I had just bet. I folded. Straight possibility on the board. I dwindled down and got trapped badly on a hand where I had K10 of spades. The flop came A A 7 with two spades. We checked it down to the river where the river came a deuce of spades. I bet 20, he made it 40, I made it 80. He went all in and I instantly called only to see him flip A 7. Stinger.

I proceeded to get 100 more out of pure gamble and shoved with pocket 10's and doubled up. I then caught a flush on the river which also gave me about 1/2 my stack more. Up to 300. Feeling good about it we played a few rounds and I looked down at A8. I raised to 20 preflop and both called. The flop came 5 6 7 rainbow. I bet 40 and one folded, The next person made it 130... I had 200 left in front of me and I shoved. He instantly called. The turn was a 4. The river was a 3. 8 high straight. He flips 8 9. ....I'm beyond myself. A bad night overall. Apparently I should be used to nights like this seeing as I have them quite too fucking often. Ha. I'll bounce back, first I need to collect some debts from people so I actually have some $ to donk off as I have gotten accustomed to. Maybe I can pull off an upset once in a while.

<-$2135>