Swimming against the tide

In the words of the great Billy Baxter, "When you shoot pool, somedays you make every shot and other days you hit the rail every time."

Yesterday, I was home early from work because we were getting our carpets cleaned. I decided to enter a few satellites to the World Series. Lady Luck was a screaming bitch yesterday.

Full Tilt sat to 100 seat giveaway in July

Very early and I am in the small blind with Kh Qs. I have 1,470 in chips to start. It's folded to the cutoff with 1470 in chips. He raises from 30 to 105. Button folds, I call, and big blind folds.

Flop is Ks 7h 8c. For some reason, I decide to let my opponent try to bluff off his chips. I check and he bets 180 into a 225 pot. I just call.

Turn is 7s. I check again and now he bets 330 into a 810 pot. I just call again.

River is Ad. I decide to move all in for my remaining 855. Cutoff calls with Ac Td and wins the pot.

So good read, but I should have just raised the turn all in, if I was sure. Why risk the river and having to bet or call my remaining chips?

Poker Stars $80 satellite into Sunday WSOP satellite

I was playing well and keeping above average in chips. Pretty much in the top ten for most of the tournament. We had just made it down to 2 tables. I think there were 7 spots available to win, so I definitely needed to acquire some more chips to make the final table.

When we were at 3 tables, my table was playing really tight 6 handed. It was rare that we saw a flop and I managed to steal a few blinds myself to maintain.

So I start with 4160 in chips. I am dealt Kh Tc at UTG +2. I think I can steal with blinds at 100-200 so I raise to 600. The big blind calls.

The flop is 2s 8h Td. It's a good flop in that it's unlikely that it hit anybody, but it's bad that if someone wants to play back at me, I will be uncomfortable. The BB checks and I bet 800. This guy raises all in for his last 2650. So it's 1850 to call. This player had made some bad plays in the past, so I figure I am ahead and this is a good chance to win a lot of chips. I call.

Opponent turn over Jc Ts. I have him dominated. He has 3 Jacks for outs and running straight cards. The turn is a harmless 5, but the river is the Jack. Fuck!!!!!

Two hands later I bust out when I raise all in with AJ and get called by AQ.

Poker Stars $16 Double Shoot out to Sunday WSOP qualifier.

My table is made up of a bunch of crazies and before I know it, 5 of them have busted out and we are still at the 6th level. I had a good stack but lost half of it when stealing and getting played back at when I had to lay them down.

Now I am at 2745 in chips which is tied for 2nd. The blinds are 100-200 with 25 ante. With the Ah 5h utg I decide to raise all in. Of course I run into Pocket Kings. The board gives me a glimmer of hope when I flop two more hearts. But I haven't hit a necessary flush draw in two weeks and I do not improve.

Party Poker, I played two $55 sits and busted out of those with no money. I also played the 3:00 PM $55 satellite to the 6:00 PM tournament.

I had been hovering around my starting stack of 3000. My table looked good as there were lots of reckless players willing to broke with top pair, medium kicker.

Finally I am dealt pocket Aces in the small blind. Blinds are 100-200 and I have 2570 before posting. There is a middle position raise to 600. Everyone folds to me. The raiser has 4,766 before the hand starts so he has me covered easily.

My dilemna is how much to raise? I could just shove it in now, but I don't want to scare them off. KK or QQ or AK will probably call me. But lower pocket pairs or AQ, AJ may fold. I don't want to min raise to 1200 because that seems to obvious and I want to hold some chips back to have them fold a flush or straight draw if they happen to flop one..

I decide on betting I decide to bet 1500 total, raising it 900. That leaves me 1070 left. There is 3200 now in the pot. So my idea of having some chips left over, doesn't really matter since now he will be getting the right odds to chase the flush if it hit.

So the flop is not great as it's 9d, Th, 8h. Lots of draws. I shove my last 1070 in and he calls immediately with Qs Ts. So my smaller raise worked to get the bad hand to chase. Of course it bites me in the ass when the Queen comes on the turn. So I need two Aces, 3 nines, or 3 eights to stay alive. Nope those odds are not good enough for me this day and I drown again.

Somedays you're the windshield, somedays you're the bug.