More Ups and Downs

Started my poker weekend off very, very wrong. Went to Eddie J's $1/1 game and sat down with $150. I got bloodied, bad. I lost half of my first buy-in on two stupid bluffs (I know better than to bluff ProWest, even though I read him correctly and he was weak he still called and picked me off). I didn't get a single pair higher than 9's, flopped no sets (had trip 5's once with 5-4 in my hand), no straights, no flushes, only one boat (the 5-4 hand). Every single time except for one when I raised a hand I missed the flop completely and was forced to fold to post flop action. Each time I got my money all-in I had the worst of it and lost all but one all-in (I cracked Bill's KK with Q9 for $70). Throw in a public fight with Kirsten about me sitting at the same table as her and you have a -$450 night.

I got up Saturday morning and, after cleaning a furnace for a nice old lady, I decided to try and make some money back at the $5/10 at Nautica. I got there at ten till 3 and got on the list. At 3:15 I was still only halfway up the list and they weren't opening another table. Itching to play, I decide to accept a $1/2 seat when they ran out of waiting. I sat down at a table with some deep stacks, one guy (Mr Aggressive) had over $800 in front of him. Hand 3 I get pocket 10's and raise to $7. Six of us take a flop of 6-7-8. Mr. Aggressive leads into me for $15. Guy in the middle calls. I raise him to $45. He calls the $30 and so does the other player. Turn is a J and both players check to me. I fire out $100 (leaving $42 behind). Mr. Aggressive mubles something and folds, middle guy (with $136 left) says "I got an open ender, I know if I hit it I am good". He tanks for a minute and shoves the $100 in. River is another 7 and he checks. I bet the $36 and he calls. I show the 10's and he shows 9-8, ship it! I debate cashing out now but it's only 3:30. I figure I'll wait for the seat fee again. A round later, I am in the BB with AK. 8 others limp, and I decide a raise here won't do much good because I am out of position and have been missing flops. I check and the flop comes K-10-3 with two diamonds. I fire out $10 and Mr. Aggressive snap calls. He's on tilt now because a player at the end of the table took half his $800 stack in two hands. Three other players call. Turn is the Kc. I fire out $50. Mr. A snaps calls. Everyone else folds. River is a blank. I fire out another $100. He sighs and the throws the hundred in and declares "I have a K". I say "Ace King" and table my hand. Ship it again! I'm up to $650+ right now. Seat fee is closing in, I look down at 5-7s in the cutoff. Middle position guy makes it $7, one caller, I call, button makes it $28. Button is very tight/solid, I know he's on a top 5 hand. First raiser calls, and I decide if the other guy calls I will too. Of course he does, and I do. Flop 4-6-A with one spade. First raiser checks, middle guy checks, I check, and button...checks. OK, he's got KK, QQ, or JJ. Turn is the 9s. Now I have straight and flush draws. First raiser bets $40. I know he's got an Ace. Middle folds. I call and button languishes and folds. He told me later he had QQ. River is an 8. Yahtzee! Checks to me, I fire out $100. Guy goes in the tank and finally calls and shows AJ and I scoop another huge pot. I am sitting on $886 when I get tapped on the shoulder to pay my fee. I decide to cash out, filling two racks and salvaging my weekend in less than 45 minutes.

Saturday night at Dave's was not so kind. These up and down swings are seriously aggravating. Sit down 4 handed with Jewish Andy, Dave, and Kirsten. Plod along for a bit and down to $75 of my original $100 when I get AJ suited. Dave raises to 3, I re-raise to $8. He calls. Flop Q-10-Q. Check check. Turn A. He checks again, I bet $15. He shoves on me. I really think he's either on a weaker Ace or a 10 and he doesn't believe me. I call and he shows me the Q-10 for a flopped full house. Total idiotic misread by me, and I reach in the ole pocket. Second buy-in bleeds away to about $60 when I get 10-10. I raise preflop to $6. Flop comes K-7-3 all diamonds (I do not have a diamond). Andy bets into me, I shove. He reluctantly calls and asks if I flopped it, I show my 10's. Turn is a 5 and he turns up 4-6 for the inside straight. Rebuy! I screwed myself in two big hands against Dave. The first one he raised preflop and I called with 6-8. Flop comes 2-3-4. Check check. Turn a K. I bet out $10. He raises to $25. I shove and he tanks, and I realize he has a hand. Oops! He turns a K face up and asks if it's good. He seems to be convincing himself that I have a straight, so I turn up the 6. He finally folds and I show the bluff. Jeff runs the board out, I hit the 5 and would've doubled up if I hadn't been bluffing. UGH. Later on, I get 6-7. Dave raises preflop again, I call again. Flop 3-4-7. I bet $10. Dave makes it $20. I put another $50 on it. Dave tanks, and I declare I have $120 behind. He counts out $170 and sits there discussing the hand. He says he has an overpair, so I tell him pick a card. He picks the 7 and I turn it up. Now he's really confused, do I have a set? 2 pair? He asks for a deal - he puts the $50 in and we cap and run it out. I decide to accept and turn the straight. Dave said later he wouldn't have put any more in if I refused the deal, so I guess I got as much as possible. Later on, about $100 from even I dump about $60 to K in a hand. I get 9-7h, she raises and I call. Flop A-10-8 2 hearts. She bets, I raise her $40 more. She tanks and I show her the 9h. She's still deciding what to do so I show the 7h and she's really sick. She asks for the same deal as Dave, call the $40 and run it out. I offer to run it twice, she refuses. I agree and she turns up KK no heart. I brick out (of course, too many outs) and she scoops. Total for the night: Down $175.

Decided to head to Nautica and make another withdrawal from the $5/10 donkeys. I bought in for $200 and was up and down a little. I took a nice $80 pot off of a rock early on. He hadn't been playing any hands, and suddenly raised to $10. Most of the table called, as did I with 4-8c. Flop Q-4-7. He leads out for the $5, 5 callers. Turn a 6. I have 4's and a gutshot. He leads for $10, everyone folds to me, I call. River a blank, he leads again and I call again. He says "No pair" and I table my 4's. Ship it! The wildest hand happened when I was getting close to leaving. I had bled down some more, kept getting playable hands but missing flops. I was the blind with 3-7d when someone in the middle made it $10. Someone else three bet it to $15 and two callers. I decided to cap to prevent an extra turn around and I had a feeling on this one. Flop 6-7-8 all clubs. Check to the three bettor, he makes it $5 and is sickened when everyone calls. Turn is the 7s. Yahtzee! Checks to him, he puts $10 in. I raise to $20. Three callers. River is a Jh. Checks around to me, I bet the $10. Three callers. I table my 7 and they all piss and moan and fold. Ship it! After three seat fees and parking I profit $77. Not spectacular but not bad either. I'll take a win.

Final weekend tally: +$97. One week till Vegas.