Another Rollercoaster Week

Decided to head to Nautica on Thursday to get some cash game in since I couldn't play much this weekend. Sat down at a brand new table and proceeded to win exactly one hand. I cannot get anything going down there, and every hand turned into $35 preflop by the 2nd orbit. I got all my money in with AQh, board ends up Q-Q-10-2-4 and I chop with AQ off. Nice. Last hand I get my final $90 in with AK on the turn with a board of A-A-8-9 two diamonds. Get called by K5d and of course - river diamond that doesn't pair the board. Nice hand, sir.

Well, I couldn't play any of the regular games this weekend due to "family commitments" (read: can't leave kids in car whilst playing). After dropping them off at home I had about an hour and a half before I had to get Kirsten's car back so she could go to work. I decided to go fast-play some $5/10 limit at Nautica. Oh sweet mama, I think I've found my game. They were literally throwing money at me (they use cash, not chips in the limit games). I sit down with $180 after seat fee and parking, and get to work. Some notable hands: I get 2/5 in the blind (only one $5 blind) and it limps to the girl on the button. She pops it and I call (as does the entire table). Flop A-2-4. Checks around to her, she slaps down another $5 and everyone but me folds. Turn 6. Check-check. I know she doesn't have an Ace now, or she would've bet for sure. River 2 and I lead out for $10. She snap calls and flips over QQ, I show the 2 and drag a nice pot.

Later on I get 5-7 in middle position and this aggressive guy on the end pops it to $10 without looking at his cards. I call along with 4 others. Flop K-9-7. Checks to Mr. Aggro and he forcefully bets $5. I call and chinese lady in position calls. Turn 5. Bingo! I bet $10 and chinese lady calls. He goes "5-7 huh? Fine." and calls. River 4, I bet out again. Chinese lady calls (uh-oh) and he says "I know you have 5-7. I'm sure of it". He calls. I sheepishly turn over 5-7 and they both muck their dry kings. He starts talking shit, saying "I knew it, I was right" and I finally said "Way to make the correct read and still pay off". He got steamed and told me I wasn't playing tricky. I told him "Duh, I led out when the 5 hit, I wasn't trying to be tricky". He blew through another $200 before I got up.

My last big hand was against one of the mouthy Arab guys that plays. He pops it from middle position and I call with AJ. Flop is K-10-3. Checks around to him, he bets the $5 and everyone including me calls (I gotta call $5 into a pot of $60 something on a gutshot and two overs). Turn was a J. He bets out $10 again and I start thinking he's on QJ. I call and we take a river, A of spades. He checks disgustedly, and I would've bet $10 but I was almost sure he was on QJ. I check and show Aces up and he gets pissed, slamming his K-10 on the table and cursing my runner-runner. I scoop a nice $100+ pot. The only big hit I took was with QQ. I almost didn't even play it, but I decided to raise with it. Two callers, flop J-10-9 two hearts. Check-check, I bet, call-call. Turn is the 5d. Check, bet. What? Hmmm. I slow down and call, first guy folds. River is a 2 no heart. Check, check. I show QQ and he shows 10-9 for two pair. Nice hand, sir. I hate big pockets in limit, no way to shake the bums out. So, after parking and seat fee I cash up $187. I cut my loss for the week back to $39, which is certainly better than being stuck $226.

Another Late Weekend Comeback

After a long day helping Kirsten cater her brother's wedding reception, we decided to head over to Dave's a bit late and play cash. The game was wild from the start, $1/1 blinds but it played like a $2/5 easily. Some highlights: Early on we are playing 7 handed. New guy limps, Jamie makes it $7. TK raises to $15. I look down at JJ and make it $100 even. New guy shoves for $128 (uh oh). Jamie goes in the tank and finally shoves for $150. TK folds and I am obligated to call. I am up against new guy's AA and Jamie's KQc. I win the side pot but lose the main. A few hands later I get Q10c and call a raise by Frank to $6. Flop is K-J-2 2 hearts. Frank checks, I shove for $72. He calls and shows K9s. River Ace gives me broadway. From there I ran it up and sat on them for a while.

We split tables for a bit and I got into a few hands. Father Time got me for $80 when he shoved preflop with AA and I called with AKh. No good. I laid down the bluff of the evening on Grayday and tilted him good. He was in a straddle and had been raising quite a bit. I raised to $12 from middle position with KJ. Grayday bumped it to $45. I didn't believe him at all, and I popped it $247 more all-in. He goes in the tank and asks if he can expose his cards. We tell him yes and he tables QQ. He's talking himself into believing I have KK or AA. I shuffle my two cards and roll over the K, making it look like I had KK and was going to show either one. He instantly folds, convinced I have it. I then roll over the J and he explodes. He goes on a tear, losing a ton before he finally got it under control.

It was also a good night for K. They were just throwing chips at her. One of my favorite hands ever happened to her. Someone made it $6 to go (Rich maybe?) and Grayday did his ole "$15 all day". Rich, Hiphop, and K call. Flop is 10-9-2 offsuit. HH and K check, Grayday goes $25. Rich raises him to $60. Hiphop goes in the tank for a minute and then puts out $200. He had this huge shit eating grin on his face, as if he knew he had picked them both off. He was definitely pleased himself until Kirsten says "I'm all in" for $600. HH looked like someone had sucker punched him. Grayday and Rich fold, and HH is pot committed for his last $160 with his QJ. Turn is a Q and river a 9 and Kirsten fills up, 10's full. Ship it.

The look on HH's face was worth the price of admission. Priceless.