Riverside cash tonight after bad week :D

Felicia is funny. I asked her if she minded if I go out and play some live poker, and she asks, "just need to get out of the house?" I replied, "no, I want to go make some money!"

I've had a bad week:
- Monday I finish a whole $5 up; but, a "win is a win", right?
- Tuesday, I end dead even for the day.
- Wednesday I took a small loss.
- Then Thursday I try to change it up and play NLHE. I got stacked 3 times. Once I had QQ, and when I was raised on the flop, I figured he was on a draw.. but he got there. Second, I thought I caught up when I turned top two; but, no, he didn't raise UTG+2 with AA or AK.. but 77 and he had flopped a set on me....doh! Third, I guess I was tilting.. and when it was raised in front of me and I had QQ, I shoved.. and was shown AA that held up. I got out of games at that point.

Tonight, I was hitting and hitting while playing the micro-limit HE online. I told Felicia I had to go play some live since I was running well and to try to make up for my losses yesterday. Well, I did :) It's nice when a plan comes together, LOL.

I'm writing this, not because I won though; but because I was so happy with my reads. That's one thing about live poker that I'll never get playing online (unless, perhaps, if I stop playing 6-9 tables.. ahhhhhahahahaha)... is the ability to be able to read people.

Sometimes though, I'm reading the wrong person. -grin-

So, I'm playing 2/6 spread limit HE to start. I called first and they told me they had a 4/8 game going. I asked if it would break up when the Friday night tourney started.. all I got was: "don't know". Brother. But, I've seen two 4/8 games on Friday nights before, and this being a holiday weekend, I thought surely they'd have one going. Wrong!

I won my first hand when I flopped a set and it held up.. I actually contemplated getting up while I waited for my 4/8 seat. But I saw they were mostly seniors that telegraph a lot and I'd probably be able to read them pretty well. I ended up getting stuck in a hand that I flopped top pair, good kicker. I almost mucked it with both a straight and flush draw out there. But no one was acting like they had it already and there were a lot of callers. I figured, dang, if they miss, this will be a nice pot. Of course, it was bet and raised on the river when the straight got there, so I was able to get out. Though, that made me down for the 2/6 game.. ugh. I just don't have a good track record for that stupid 2/6!

Finally they called me for No Limit. I asked them again, "no limit? not 4/8?" "Nope, no limit."

Kewl, whatever.

Sat down and a couple guys I could tell were from the NL tournament.. then a few more.. all from the tourney. Sometimes this is bad. But many times, it's good! They want to get back the money they lost and will play too loose or over bet the pots, like they're still in the tourney.

First hand I'm the Big Blind and get Q9o. I get a free look at a flop of KJT rainbow. Oh happy day. Now, I've had soo many straights out run, that I bet right out. I get called by one of the kids from the tourney. Turn, nothing threatening, but I hoped if he was going to chase, I'd make him pay and potted it. He mucked, and I showed. In the beginning of a game, I like to show when I have it so that I'll get respect later. I like to try to pick up small pots now and again when I can tell no one has anything ;) The kid thanks me for showing and we play on.

Later, I'm in the BB with AJs this time and only the kid and the lady to my left have limped. I figure no one's strong, I've seen both of them raise open before, so I make it 25 to go to try to pick up the pot. The lady mucks right away; the kid agonizes and finally calls. Flop is AQ8r and I bet 35. The kid insta-raises... something like 50 more. I'm watching him and he does the whole "Caro" act of looking away. I keep looking at him until he finally looks my way. I ask: "what? you flop two pair or a set?" He nods and and says, "Yeah." I was getting ready to muck, but then I didn't like the agreeing. But that Caro looking away... I said, "ok, I'll give you this one; but next time I'm looking you up." After I muck, he flashes me 88 for a set, saying "good fold. You showed me before, so..." I tell him thank you, and am internally pumping my fist, thinking, "yes, did the right thing, did the right thing!"

Few hands later, the kid raises to $15 UTG, I find 99 and call; so does the lady on my left. The lady has been pretty tight, so I'm hoping to get my set. I do :)

Flop comes down AT9r and the kid bets 20. I announce "raise" and make it 60. Lady pushes in. Whoo; where did that come from?

Kid flashes his cards to his buddy and mucks. (Friend later says something about, "that's why you're better than me, I would have called with AQ." Good laydown by the kid ; )

Now I have to worry about the lady. Can't be AA. With a raise and a call, she'd have to reraise, right? I ask her, "you didn't slow play AA, did you?" She just stares. Can't get anything. I'm just hoping it's not TT and call. She called preflop with ATo and had the misfortune to flop top two when I caught my set. She even did the TV thing and was calling for it: "Ten or an Ace; Ten or an Ace". Blank on turn; river is case 9. When you're running good, you're running good :)

Once again, I almost got up. Ye olde hit-and-run. I thought, I'm up about 170.. I'll blind down until about 150.. see what I get.. go home if I don't get anything.

Riiiighhhht.

Once again, in the blind I get a hand: AQo. But it's a 6 handed pot, so I just check. I get a Q-high flop, but it's all diamonds and I know my Ace is hearts. I probe bet it $20; I want to make 'em pay if they're drawing. Maybe let the Ace of diamonds hit top pair and think he out ran me ;)

I get min-raised to $40 and cold called by the button. "Warning Will Robinson! Warning!"

I'm looking at the raiser and I know that while at times that min raise is a made hand, trying to suck you in... too often its that someone's looking to get a "free" card on the turn. The inbetween guy did seem uncomfortable about calling, so I finally called, hoping they were drawing.

Turn is a blank, and the guy bets $25. Button calls. I think, think, think. I ask the dealer for time. Bettor looks confident; but is it Caro again? Acting strong but really weak? Still drawing? I mean, come on, only $25?

Then I finally said the most intelligent thing, pointing to the guy that was on the button : "I got you cold-calling the $40 on the flop....", and I muck. I really hate mucking TPTK (in limit, 99% of the time, I will call down with top pair, despite raises and I'm still shocked at times when I get pushed the pot with all the action that was happening).

On the river is another 7, pairing the board, and the turn bettor checks. But he did it like, ok button-dude, you keep calling, you have to have something... and at that point I knew I had him beat! I jump up out of my chair, not wanting to see what weak holding he won with.

I raked my hands through my hair and finally sat back down... in time to see the button stacking chips. "You won?" I asked. "Yeah, I had a flush. He kept betting for me.. plus, it was just 43suited.. at first I thought he might have a higher flush, but I'm not going to throw it away."

Yes! I was right!! That last thought before I mucked; the silent one in the middle. That's the one that you have to watch for. It took me a while.. I kept watching the guy that raised me.. but finally wisened up and made the right move.

Fortunately for me, Riverside has a high hand promotion and my quads 9's from earlier held up and I got $50 for it.. basically, what I lost on the AQ hand, LOL.

So, there you have it. "Never give up, never surrender!" (Yes, I watched "Galaxy Quest" this week ; )

And, yes, I finally got my butt out of the chair and said, thank you, I'll be taking this home so that I can book a win for the week... hahaha!

Hope all you're hands are holding up too. But if not...

"Never give up, never surrender!"

Posted by Glenn