The Poker Rollercoaster Stops at the Top

After not playing any poker last weekend I was looking forward to my once a month free weekend. Friday night I decided to start at Julie's house for the $40 tournament. I was doing well early, including making a clutch call for all of Mike's stack. I had AJ off and raised preflop. Flop came 10-9-3 two diamonds, I c-bet and he shoved in. I put him on a drawing hand and after tanking finally called. He showed KQd and bricked twice. After the break I hit my nut gut Broadway draw on Big Country for his stack. Then the wheels came off. I was at 48000 when Kristina hit me for 18000 on her three out miracle two pair. Then I made a bad read on a guy who was all-in and I called him with 66. Of course he has AA, and I double him up. After that I lost to an increasing series of 3-4 out draws until I shoved with KQ on the button and ran directly into Aces (again).

Irritated, I set off to TK's house for some $1/1. We started a PLO game and I was up about $100 when the game split and we condensed to one table of Hold'em. Full table I started getting hit, including my last hand where I raised preflop with QQ, flop comes 2-3-2 and I stack off to Ryan's A2. It sucked that we could only buy $150 at a time, as by that time average stacks were $300-500 and no one was folding for $12 preflop.

Saturday we hit Dave's for the tournament and my bad run continued. I flopped two different straight flush draws and bricked both, losing about half my stack. I then stacked off when I shoved with a double gutter and got called by bottom pair/open ended straight and bricked out. I reluctantly agreed to bank the cash game, as I was only 2nd out. I started with $100 and got mushed on hand #5. I called Wolverine Dave's raise preflop with KQ, flopped a pair of Q's, turned a set of Q's and lost to his AQ. Rebuy! I got crushed on my 2nd buyin when I shoved with an open ended and pair and lost to a dry pair of 10's. Third buyin of $100 I got mushed when I shoved with my two overs and flush draw against pocket 9's and bricked out again. I was going to quit but I decided one more full buyin, since K was still in the tournament and I was banking. I bought $150 more and started finally making hands. I raised with AK, flopped top two, and stacked a guy with A-rag. I got lucky on Dawn, I called a raise preflop with AK and flop comes K-9-3. I bet, she raises, I shove and she snap calls and shows K9. I then catch running clubs for the nut flush and stack her. I made the majority of my profit in two absolutely horrible hands. In the first one, I limp UTG 6 handed with K9. Mailman and Colin limp, Mike and Meats check. Flop K-9-4. We all check to Mailman who bets $5. Mike folds, Meats makes it $10. I raise to $20. Colin folds, Mailman tanks for a minute and then makes it $70. Meats calls all-in for less. I tank. I try to narrow down what Mailman limped with that he's suddenly getting froggy with. I eliminate KK and 99, as I am holding K9 plus he didn't raise preflop with position. I figure if he has K9 we chop, K4 I have mushed, and AK-KQ-KJ I have demolished. I decide he's on AK and I shove over top of him. He snap calls and Colin says "set", at which point Mailman shows 4-4 for bottom set. Turn? 9. River a brick and he's shellshocked as I hit my four out miracle. Meats BTW had AA. Everyone wants to be a dirty trapper, sometimes it bites you in the ass.

The second big hand was a cluster as well. Meats makes it $3 preflop (his usual raise), I call and Colin calls. Linda makes it $20. Meats tanks, fiddles with his chips, and finally calls. I have A5d, I decide to call as I am certain Colin won't re-raise Linda. Colin calls and we see the flop, A-5-7 one diamond. We check around to Linda, whom I am expecting to bet her Ace. She checks. Turn Kd. Meats checks, I bet $40. Colin folds, Linda immediately makes it $140. Meats folds back to me (Meats shows me QQ after the hand, no diamond). Linda has only another $100 behind. I table my hand and look for a reaction. I count down my stack and decide that if I shove and I'm wrong I am still up for the night anyway, so I push her all-in. She snap calls and shows KK for a set. River? 4d. Ship it again! After that I blinded off a little before we called it quits for the night. I was in $450 deep and cashed out $1150. Not bad for playing like an idiot!

Today I decided to head over to Nautica and donk off a buyin at the $1/2. I sit down and on hand #4 immediately get into a train wreck. Guy on my right (who knows me somehow, but I don't remember him) makes it $12 to go. I call with 2-2. Two other callers, BB shoves for $59 total. Guy who raised initally has only $80 behind and flat calls the $59. I am 50/50 on a call when I notice the two guys to my left already have the $59 counted out. I decide to call, and they both call. Flop A-K-3. It checks around! No one bet! Turn? 2 of course. I open/shove for $128. Everyone else folds, guy who shoved initially says he has an A. I table my hand and the case 2 comes out on the river. QUADS BITCHES! A few hands later, I call a preflop raise on the button with 88. Flop 10-6-4. Arab guy to my left (who has been very aggressive) makes it $20. I think he's trying to buy it so I call. Turn is another 6. He checks to me, I make it $85 and he snap calls. River 9, he checks again and I shove in for $210 more. He gets pissed off, shows me Q-10 and folds. I show him the 8's and he's steaming. A few hands later, I get 5-6 in the BB and check in. Flop Q-6-6. It checks around to Uncle Bob, who fires out $12. I call, arab guy calls. Turn A. It checks around. River 3. I lead out for $35 and arab guy snap calls and shows an A. "I just have a 6" I say, scooping it. He's even more mad now. My last big hand was a doozy too. I get 10-9 clubs, guy to my right makes it $17 preflop. I call, and he says "I should've made it $40 so you'd fold". I tell him "I don't think I fold this one, not even for your stack". Guy in the middle calls and we take a flop of 9-8-4 with 2 hearts. Initial raiser bets $40 (leaving himself $30 behind). I think of raising but instead call. Guy in the middle shoves for $100 even. The guy on my right folds and I pony up the $60 extra. Board goes 4-K and he says "I missed my flush but I have a pair." I table the 9's and he shows an 8 and mucks. I scoop that pot and decide that I am getting out while I'm up. I cash out +$575, making it a $1200+ upswing this weekend.

Better lucky than good, I guess!