Riding the rush, until the wheels fall off

So, I've been playing almost exclusively cash games lately. Last week at Gemini I went on the heater of a lifetime, cashing out for a new record (for me). I bought in for $255 ($200 + $25 fee + $30 in tokes over the course of the night). I sat down to play $1/2 and was hitting cards early. I raised from the cutoff with Q-10h and got two callers. Flop 10-10-8. I continuation bet, one call. Turn a Q. I check, kid behind me fires out $50. I raise him all-in and he dumps. I show the Q10 and am off and rolling. Over the course of the night I got dealt a ton of small pocket pairs and kept flopping sets. Some of the bigger hands: I get 6-6 in the SB. Button makes it $16 to go. He's been fairly conservative, but I am running hot so I call. Flop K-6-3. I check, he bets $35. I raise him to $100 even. He shoves in on me and I snap call. Turn? 6. Ship it! That pot was a hair over $700 total. A little later on, a really tight player makes it $21 to go preflop. I call with A3c and the guy behind me calls. Flop 2-4-5 offsuit. She puts $100 in. I raise all-in. Guy behind me calls off his last $30. She shoves her stack in. I table my straight, she shows AA, guy behind me has K3. Turn A. River a blank and I drag another huge pot despite splitting the main with the guy behind me. I dragged a bunch more smaller pots before getting moved to the main table. I finally felt the rush dropping off and lost about $160 back before getting up and leaving with $1600.

I went back a few days later and took a stab at the $2/5 table. I bought in for $450 and had it up to about $700 before getting mushed by Kai and his Q2. I finally busted out with AQ when I shoved into a guy with KK. Oops. I took a few days off and went back to play this last Friday. When I got there, there was a $1/3 PLO going but no seats, so I took a $1/2 NL seat. I ran my $200 up to about $300 before getting moved. I played for about 2 hours and dragged only two pots. The first was when I got a short stack all-in with my nut flush/gutshot draw and hit the straight. The second hand was completely idiotic on my part. I had 8-5-5-4 with the 5-4d. Bunch of limpers, BB makes it $15. A few callers, I call as well. Flop J-6-5 offsuit. I check with the intention of check-raising the loose player who raised, but he checks also. The tightest guy at the table pots it for $75. I immediately think JJ but I want to see if the turn helps me or not. Turn Kd for diamond draw also. I check, he shoves all-in. I am frustrated and a little stuck, and I don't even stop to consider pot odds or anything. I snap call. River 5. Quads, sirs. I roll it over and the guy explodes, showing his JJ and berating my awful play. That particular guy ended up making three nut boats that night and losing all three hands to quads. Sick.

I bleed down a bit and decide to go play $1/2NL since I can't get a hand to stick. The floor moves me to a brand new table and I run up my $200 to about $300 when our table breaks. They ask if I want to go back to the $1/3 and I do. With some different players I start on my rush. I pick off a few bluffs and cash out about $600 ahead. I couldn't play Saturday so I decided to head back yesterday (Sunday) and take another run at the PLO. There wasn't a table going so I ended up at $1/2 with Hiphop. On my third hand I flopped the nut straight and checked. Guy behind me bets $35 and gets two callers. I slam it all-in and take it down. Finally I get my PLO seat and get rolling. I am down early, including losing my first buyin to Sammy when I flopped a set of Q's and lost to his 2 out broadway straight on the turn. I rebuy for $200 and am down to about $150 when I turn a J high straight and fade three guys with draws to drag in about $300. I plod along for a bit, hitting Q's full and getting two guys with two pair to pay off my $45 bet. I then get into my PLO hand of the year so far. I get 9-7-7-4 with the 74s from the button. Family pot, flop is AJ7 with two spades. The hillbilly on the end (complete with coveralls) bets the pot. Sammy just calls. I call. Turn is the 9d. (two spades two diamonds now). Hillbilly pots again, Sammy just calls. I call. River 6c. Hillbilly shoves his last $95 in. Sammy flat calls. I tank. I am relatively sure the hillbilly was on spades and missed. Sammy's flat call confuses me. All night when he had the nuts he would re-pot instantly. The only hands I am afraid of are JJ and 10-8. I doubt Sammy has JJ because he would've re-potted the flop. I rule out 10-8 because he didn't re-pot the river. I finally call and table my set. Sammy shows AJ and the hillbilly mucks and I drag a HUGE pot. I play two more rounds and cash out up $500 (plus a massage) for the evening.

This weekend is going to be a big poker weekend for me, stay tuned for updates.