Sat. 8/4 session

the bottom line is that i won money in the session. i left a little bit disappointed though, not because barry bonds chose saturday night (the night after we went to the game) to hit his record-tying 755th home run, but because i made a bad call to lose a big pot right before i was going to leave.

after sitting down at a new table when my first one broke, the first hand i witnessed was for $600 (and one guy's whole stack) and was won by a pair of 5s with a 6 kicker with 3 overcards on the board. wow. the winner of the hand is a notorious donator, but the point was do not bluff him. he called a $100 re-raise preflop with 5-6 suited !

i raised in late position with AK and got 2 callers including this maniac. flop was KQ5. i like this flop vs. 2 players. he checks to me, i bet the pot, the button calls, and the maniac raises! i call and the button calls. turn is a J. checks to me, i check, and the button goes all in. the maniac calls, and i end up folding. the button had KJ and the maniac wins the pot with 5s full of Queens when he rivers a 5. and his Q-5 was not suited. just sick.

i later called his straddle in early position with KK. by the script he raised, got a caller, and i re-raised. i knew he was coming along too. he called. flop of course had an A. (i had KK three times in the session and twice an Ace flopped.) he checked, i bet, and he called. turn was another Ace; check-check. he went all in on the river for about $165 with about $240 in the pot. if he didn't have an Ace, i had him crushed, but if he did.......i thought his range was so wide here, and i'm getting a good price, so i called. he showed down A-8.

about 1 orbit later, he later paid me off when i ended up getting all my chips in with AA on the turn. he didn't show, but he couldn't beat 1 pair thankfully. i think he was in the 2/3 NL game for over $1800.

that table broke and i got a seat at the 1 remaining table. there was a lot of money on the table and the game was fast the action was hot.

there was a remarkable hand that played out soon after i sat down. the early position player on my left called the blind, along with a couple of others. the cutoff raised to $12. two callers. the player on my left re-raised to $125. the cutoff smooth called, everyone else folded. the EP player had about $450 to start the hand and was covered by the cutoff. the flop was Q-10-4, they got another $300 in the pot. the turn was a Q and the player on my left went all in and was called by the cutoff! now $900 in the pot. the river was a 7 and then they showed down: the early position showed pocket 8s and the cutoff showed AK, no pair! he won a $900 pot with a two 8s. incredible and / or ridiculous read.

i chipped up pretty well at this table including your standard flopped sets, 2 pair, etc. one hand i doubled up with pocket AA. i re-raised an early position raiser from $10 to $20. 3 players to the flop, which was King high. it checked to me, so i bet $50. the initial pre-flop raiser raised to $120. i shoved and he insta-called. uh oh. until i turn an A. he showed down pocket Ks and had flopped a set, which lost to my turned set of As. suckout, re-suckout. sorry guy. weird though, that he raised to $10 preflop, which was a tiny pot building raise. if everyone just called he could be playing one pair vs about 6 people out of position. then i min-raise him and he just calls??! wow. i didn't feel that badly though, cuz he should have re-raised my $20 bet preflop and we would have gotten it all in anyway.

the hand that left a bad taste in my mouth was literally right as i was going to leave. i was about 13-14 hours into the session and i had As10s in the small blind. i called a mini preflop raise. the flop was 6s9s7d. i flopped the nut flush draw and a gut shot with 2 overs. pretty good flop for me. but with 4 players in, i decided to check and see what happened. there was a bet and a raise on the button. i called the raise and the bettor folded. turn was the 7s, giving me an Ace high flush. i didn't really like that card as it paired the board. i would have rather seen the 8h or the Qs, or a total blank. i'd rather have a draw to the nuts, than have a made flush drawing to 1 out (8s).

checked and called $50 by the button. the river was a blank. i still had an Ace high flush. i checked hoping to show down, but the button bet $200 with about $240 in the pot already. i could beat 2 pair, a straight, or a weaker flush. if he had pocket 6s or 9s, or 9-7, i was dead. he raised the flop bet, so he could have A-9, 6-7, or 8-10, or Ks8s. i called.

what would you have done there?


he showed 9-7 offsuit for the turned boat. don't like my call there. there are just too many ways i'm beat.

but like i said, i still left a winner, just not as winner-ish as i would have liked.