Don't Call It A Comeback ... No Really, Don't

When you are sitting at a table with 17 percent of your initial (and what you want to be your only) buy-in, you usually wouldn't consider things going well. That was how I was feeling early in the night when I went out to Weatherford. Luckily though, my luck turned around and I ended up profiting $408 for the night.

When I was down to $17, I made a push all in with A-Q and was called by A-J. After it held up I won a few more small to medium-sized pots and was sitting pretty at about $70. That gave me enough to get back in a groove and play some hands normally. It was at this time that I was dealt Q-J of hearts. After limping in for $2 a guy four to my left went all in for $7 more. One guy called and it was back on me. I was about to fold but decided to see what happened on the flop, so I called.

The flop came out Q-J-6 rainbow. The first guy to act bet $15. Of course I am going to play this hand, but it is a question as to what to do from here. A call of the $15 bet would leave me with $46. The guy betting had me covered by about $30. I decided to simply call and slow-play my hand.

The turn was another queen, giving me the nuts. The first guy to act bet $30. So by this point, if I call, I will have $16 left. I figured the bettor (who was pretty timid and didn't seem like a big bluffer) had enough of a hand to call $16 more dollars should I go all in, considering there was now $135 in the pot (including my call and raise). I did go all in and it didn't take long for the other guy to fold. I was truly shocked by this. I flipped my hand up and the guy that was already all in threw his cards in the muck before a river ever came.

The next big pot I won was with A-10 when I tried to get things heads-up between me and a short stack. I was the big blind and the guy on my left called the $2. The next player raised it to $8. It folded around to the small blind, who called. I looked down and saw my hand, deciding to raise it up and take a chance at playing the initial raiser only, who had about $35 more. I made it $25 to go, thinking that was enough to get things down to two players. Not only was I wrong about the number of people who would be playing the hand from that point on, but about who those players were going to be.

The guy to my left thought for a long time and decided to call. The initial raiser folded. The small blind called. So that's three players and none of them were all in. By the end of the hand, I had a pair of aces that ended up winning the hand. I can't recall exactly what took place throughout the hand, but I know the flop was checked and that led to me hitting my ace and ultimately having the best hand on the turn.

The most frustrating hand of the night for me was when I folded what would have ended up the winning hand, but it was a correct fold at the time. I had 9-7 and saw a flop of 10-7-3 with two spades. The player to my right bet and I decided to see one more card and see what happened. After calling it ended up just the two of us playing throughout the hand.

The turn was a non-spade nine giving me two pair. My opponent bet $20 and I decided to play the hand aggressively and raise. I made it $60 to go ($40 more). The guy thought for a little while and made it look like he was going to raise. I told him I had $160 more if that influenced his decision. He thought a little longer and said he would go all in (which put me all in). The guy had been on a huge winning streak and been hitting hands for the past 15 minutes. I knew for a fact that he was playing hands like 9-5 offsuit simply to see if he could get lucky. He could have had two pair also, a flush draw or absolutely nothing and was trying to push me off my hand.

I thought for a long time and decided to lay my hand down. When my opponent showed J-8 for the straight I was relieved to know I had made a good lay down, until they rabbit hunted and showed a nine on the river that would have given me a full house and the pot.

The last big pot of consequence for me was when I held 5-6 on what was said to be the last hand of the night (but ended up not being so). With four of us playing the hand, the flop came 9-8-7 rainbow. I decided I didn't want to slow play the hand because being the last hand of the night I figured I would get a little action anyway and I had already lost two flopped straights that night anyway. So I bet $15 into a pot of $20 (it had been straddled pre-flop). Two players called my bet and it got to the guy I had ridden out to the game with. He said he had A-10 and wanted to call hoping for a straight. He decided to fold and take a break even for the evening (which eventually didn't end up happening).

So then there were three of us for the turn, which was a nine. After losing twice already when I had a flopped straight I figured I was beat now and wanted to take things a little slower, not wanting to lose a ton of money on the last hand of the night. I checked it and the guy to my left bet $25 (the pot had $65). The next guy called quickly and I decided to simply call. So now the pot has $140.

The river was a jack, making it to where only a ten is needed for the straight. I again checked and the same player who bet $25 on the turn made a $25 bet on the river. The next guy thought for a little bit. While he was thinking I decided if he called or raised then I couldn't continue on and call. But if he folded then I would call. The guy ended up folding and so I called. The bettor had a nine, but nothing to go with it for the full house. That pot put me up to the $510 range and I folded the last few hands of the night (minus a $2 blind).

The night went well obviously, but the money won isn't going toward starting a new bankroll yet. So until I play again.

Weatherford Trip Is On

I'm taking a chance tonight in my Weatherford game and am going to try to scratch together a little money to start building the bankroll again. We'll see how it goes. I'll have details from the night later tomorrow or Monday.

My plan for the night is to play pretty tight until I build something of a stack, but I might change that plan when I get there depending on who is at the table. Playing loose, aggressive can pay off in this game if you catch a few breaks.

Final Entry For A While

This entry is about a week late.

After two buy-ins for $200 and being as low as $40 I worked my way back to $370, which would have only been a $30 loss for the day. However, my aces went up against queens that tripped up and I lost it all on that hand.

It sucked. I was sad. I'm broke for my poker account. So until a job is found and I get some extra money the poker journey will be done for short period.

Another, Final Visit To Choctaw

Due to the annoying promotion they call Aces Cracked at Winstar, I opted for a trip to Choctaw Casino today. I won $220, but it was mostly uneventful in my four hours at the table.

The only hand of consequence was when I held pocket sevens. The flop was 7-8-10 with two spades. Three players checked to me and I bet $5 into an $8 pot. Two players called.

The turn was the three of hearts. The first guy checked. The second guy bet $20. I just called because I was a little surprised by the bet all of a sudden. Surely the three didn't help, so he had to have had something on the flop that he was slow playing. The first player who had checked folded.

The river was the three of clubs. My single opponent thought for about a minute and then bet $60. I instantly moved all in for another $121. The guy then said, "If you've got the boat then you've got me." He called and I said, "Yep, full house," showing by pocket pair.

That was three-and-a-half hours into the session, so I killed another 30 minutes, lost one hand, won another two or three small ones and called a day. For the amount of time I have played in 2010, I am up $90, but since mid-November I've profited $1,710. Not bad.

I will be going back to Winstar tomorrow, so until then.

A Crazy Rush With A Sad Ending

Sorry for the long wait, but I haven't really had time to post this.

My Friday session, while only taking five hours, was one of the longest of my life. I was running very cold in the card department, getting very few hands good enough to play and even less that won. I ended up losing my initial buy-in of $150, but the way I went out was worth the loss.

Like I said, I started with $150 and won a little pot very early, but then lost about $50 on a hand with K-Q not long after that. The flop came out K-9-5. I had limped in late position and a player ahead of me bet $5. A woman called and I raised it to $20. It folded around to the woman, who called.

The turn was a black two. The woman checked to me and I bet $25. She called quickly and we went to a river, which was a ten. The woman again checked. I really had no reason to think she had me beat, but since I hadn't been playing with her long I decided to err on the side of caution. So I checked and showed my pair of kings. She flipped over a pair of tens in her hand to make trips.

Between that hand and my fourth from the last hand nothing of importance took place. I hung out between $75-110 all day long. My low point for the day was $40, which I was able to double up with A-K.

The beginning of my winning streak began with 6-3 of spades. I decided to get a little aggressive with this hand and raised it to $8. I got three calls and when the flop came with neither spades or sixes or threes, I was a little let down. However, it was checked to me and I led out with a $15 bet. Everybody folded and I felt some relief at finally winning a hand.

The next hand I was dealt A-Q and ended up winning a medium-sized pot against K-Q when we both hit the queen on the flop. The very next hand was pocket kings. I raised pre-flop, got four callers and when the flop came with two nines and a four, I led out with a bet and everybody folded. I was feeling great about my luck and my stack was up to $130 at this point.

The next hand, and my last, was pocket fives. Everyone at the table was discussing the way my luck had turned around and I was claiming that it wasn't anything I was doing, but rather the dealer helping me out. So the pot is raised to $10 pre-flop and when I look down at my fives it has already been called by two people. I say something like, "I feel like I have to play this hand because of the way the dealer is helping me out." I do this in hopes that if I hit a five on the flop then nobody will believe that I have a big hand. So I call.

The flop comes 5-3-2 with two diamonds. This is huge and I am salivating at how much I can make with this hand. The original raiser bets $20 into a pot that has $40 in it. The guy on my right then raised the minimum, making it $40. So by this point I am pretty sure I can get a caller if I go all in, which is what I do. I push all in for $120. The original raiser folds and the guy on my right asks how much it is and then calls. He flips over A-4 of diamonds. Oops! He has the straight and the nut flush draw.

Really, if the guy hits the flush it doesn't matter. I just need to pair the board for a full house to win. That never happened and I walked away broke. But those last four hands were so full of enjoyment that I didn't mind so much. Let's just hope it doesn't become a habit of losing.

Until tomorrow when I plan to go back to Choctaw in order to avoid the Aces Cracked promo at Winstar.

Getting Back On Track

Yesterday was the first time since starting to play poker frequently again that I made a trip to a casino two days in a row. On Tuesday I went to Choctaw, and on Wednesday I went to Winstar.

I ended up profiting $150 for the day after playing for eight hours. That equates to $18.75 an hour. Not bad. For the year I am only up $25, but since starting my records back on Nov. 18, I have profited $1,640.

Hopefully I can remember all the hands of significance from yesterday. I should have typed this up last night, but once I got home I was so tired from the day of play and driving I just went straight to bed.

In about an hour I was down $70 after misplaying three of a kind on the flop. I had K-10 and the flop came out 10-10-8 with two hearts. I was first to act and checked into four players. The guy on my left bet $10 and I simply called with no others playing along.

The turn was the seven of hearts. I checked again and the guy bet $15. I called again.

The river was the three of spades. This time, thinking I had the best hand and he hadn't bet on hitting his flush on the flop, I was going to check-raise him. He bet $20 and I raised him the minimum. He insta-called and said flush. Dang it.

I usually don't slow-play trips when there is a flush draw on the flop, but this one time I decided to play sneaky since it was going to be heads-up play. Learned my lesson there.

I quickly got that $70 back though, and then some, when I flopped a set of eights and rivered a full house against a guy who had turned a straight. The only thing that stopped me from making more money off the guy was the turn card that made his straight also made a flush and he thought I had that hand. Had a flush not been possible, I don't think he would have even seen the possibility for a full house and I could have made lots more.

The big hand of the day for me was actually a split pot, but since another player (the old man who beat my three tens with his flush) came along with me and the other winner, we made some good money.

I was at about even (maybe a little above), when I received K-Q of clubs.  Seven of the nine players at the table limped in to see a flop that came out K-10-9 with two clubs. The fourth player to act led out with a $10 bet. A tattooed lady, a young guy, myself, and the old man (who was the small blind) called the bet. The other two players then folded.

The turn was the two of hearts. It checked around to me. With top pair and the second nut flush draw, I can play this a couple of ways. I can take the free card and see if my flush comes, which if it doesn't then hopefully a showdown is done and I get to see if my pair of kings with a queen kicker is good. My other option is to bet. But then there are more choices to make regarding the size of the bet. I can make a bet relative in size to the pot and trim down my competition in case I don't hit my flush and need a showdown for free, or I can bet a small amount to bring people in for less in the hopes I hit my flush and there are enough people in the hand that having a good hand will get paid off.

Against four players I doubted I would get the luxury of another check down to hope for the best. For that reason I ruled out taking the free card. So it was down to betting. I opted to make a pot-size bet and hope to either win it there, get called by only one player who will check it to me on the river if I miss, or get called by everyone and hit my flush so I get paid big.

I bet $50 (pot was at $60). The old man called my bet, the guy who bet $10 on the flop folded (he said he had 10-9 which was bottom two pair on the flop), and the tattooed lady folded. This is where it got interesting. The young guy then moved all in for another $66. It was now to me for $66 with a player behind me.

Now if I were this kid and was playing the way he had played this hand, my cards would either make a straight or a set. To play it this way I would have to be crazy to have nothing since I'm going to likely be called by at least one of the two players still in the pot. However, I was not the one playing his hand. After paying close attention to this kid for about a minute, I was pretty confident he didn't have a huge hand. So, now I had to decide how big his hand was. Did he have two pair, was he overvaluing top pair, top kicker, or did he have a big draw that he was semi-bluffing like I had done with my $50 bet.

I finally decided I was playing this hand. So with $140 in front of me, I pushed it all in. I wanted to get the old man out so I could have a better chance at winning the pot against the young guy. But to my surprise the old man called for all his chips, leaving me with about $30 left over should I lose.

The young guy said, "Well I'm beat." To which I replied, "Eh, I wouldn't be so sure just yet, but I have outs to get better." I flipped up my K-Q of clubs. He was genuinely happy to see me have that hand and flipped over another K-Q, but he realized I had my flush draw and again became concerned. After saying I had outs to get better, the old man realized it was the flush I was talking about, to which he said, "Oh no you don't." He flipped over A-4 of clubs. So now I am begging for no club or ace to come (unless it was the jack of clubs to give me a straight flush; but I was later informed that the tattooed lady had folded that).

The river was a blank and the young guy and myself split the main pot, while I got all of the side pot.

This put me up somewhere between $150-190. At my high point I was at profit of $194. But then the old man cracked my aces with K-10 when he rivered a 10. He had flopped top pair with the king and I bet the flop and the turn, which he then raised all in and I immediately called. The horrible river came and I lost $100 on the hand. That started a horrible trend of losing for about two hours and my low point came at down $130. I even had to go into the pocket for another $100 to keep me afloat.

For the life of me I don't remember the hand that put me back to even. I know something happened to get me back to the $250-300 range and I hovered there for about three hours. For probably an hour-and-a-half of that three hours our table was short with only six or seven of us at the table at any given point. During this porition of the day nobody was winning or losing money. We simply were putting out our blinds and folding to any aggression. Once we finally filled up again the money started flowing. I broke out of my $250-300 spot when I won a decent pot with a set of fours that I hit on the turn. That put me up about $50 and I was close to calling it quits. However, then my last big hand came.

The hand that got me up the $150 was when I turned a straight with 10-8. It was the second nuts by the end of the hand (only K-10 beat me for a higher straight) and when the guy check-raised me on the turn and led out for $50 on the flop, I made the mistake of playing it too cautious and simply calling the final bet. I could have easily made another $50 by raising the minimum since he had two pair that he thought was good, but my wary play cost me. That is one of the pitfalls of playing for money I really need is that I will occassionaly (maybe once every four or five sessions) make a bet that is abnormal to how I would usually play because I don't want to risk losing the money I have in front of me.

Until next week.

New Life Extended

Although this Web site is sort of dedicated to my trips to Winstar World Casino where I play poker and relay those stories to you, I changed things up today by going to Choctaw Casino in Durant, OK.

I was at the casino for five hours, but only played for four because the list to sit down took a while despite being third on the list when I got there. It was eventually decided to start a new table with the players on the waiting list, which was made up of six people. So I started out against five opponents, but we were eventually full after about 45 minutes.

One interesting note about this table was it had all local residents and regulars who are stable, conservative players, except for one young guy. This guy was hands down the biggest D-bag I have ever seen at a poker table. Of course he had the sunglasses and ipod headphones, but he also wore a blazer with his jeans and told us he would beat us all because he could read his opponents flawlessly. Real quote from him: "I don't want to say I'm arrogant, but I am from Dallas." This kid would make erratic raises ranging from $7 to $25 pre-flop and played a few of his hands blind. He always checked the flop in the dark when in the small blind. Everything about him oozed doucheyness.

He went broke in about an hour.

I hardly played a hand when the Cincinnati Kid was at the table, but once he was gone I opened up a bit. It helped though that I started hitting some hands.

I busted one guy for about $60 by flopping top set with nines when he held pocket tens. The very next hand I had pocket jacks, which I raised pre-flop, and they held up against three players despite two aces on the flop.

My final big hand was when I turned the nut flush with A-K of clubs. With six players putting in $7 in pre-flop and it checking around on the flop, I was able to hit my flush and nearly busted a guy. The opponent bet $20 on the turn, which I called hoping another person would call. They didn't and we went to the river heads up. My opponent checked the river and I bet $30. He called and didn't show the losing hand.

The only significant hand I lost was with Q-6 of hearts. I raised it to $8 pre-flop in late position and had three callers come along. The flop was A-9-6 with two hearts. It was checked to me and I bet $15 into a $32 pot. The player on the button called and the other two folded. This put $60 in the pot.

The turn was a black two. I led out with a $25 bet. My opponent called. We both checked the river that did not give me my flush and he showed 9-6.

After four hours of play I ended up with $250 of profit. A good day.