Fast Start Slow Finish

I decided to play tonight instead of watching a movie. I slept in so was unable to play the tournament, oh well.

When I first sat down I won two sizeable pots and was up $4,000 right away. For the next seven hours I could not pick up a hand or hit a flop, except flopping a small set only to be drawn out against. I feel kind of stupid though because the game was brutal down the stretch and about 30 minutes before I quit I was up $4,500. Instead of leaving I stayed and dumped back over $2,000 including a silly call down for $1,500 on my last hand of the evening. The end result was $2,300 to the positive. At least it was a win, but overall I don't think I maximized as I blew a couple small pots by not making continuation bets on dry boards and of course the last hand where I should have folded on the river instead of flushing $800 down the drain.

Big pot summary:

Hand #1:

The second hand I played I had J6 of hearts in the small blind and limped for an extra $5. The flop was A92 all hearts. I check and a lady bets $100 and everyone folds, I call. The turn is an offsuit 3 I check she bets $280 I check raise to $800 she calls. At this point I figure she has a small flush or a set of 2s because she was not impressed with the check raise. The river is an offsuit 4 I bet $1000 she contemplates and finally calls. She has a set of 9s.

Hand #2:

About 10 minutes later I raise UTG with 99 and get two callers. The flop is 862 two hearts. I bet $200 and the same lady min raises me to $4o0 and the other player folds. I'm not quite sure what the min raise means so for $200 I decide to call and see what happens on the turn. The turn is the 9 of hearts. I check and she now bets $600 leaving herself another $1400 behind. At this point I put her on a set to be able to bet that turn so hard. I don't think she has a flush as my gut tells me she is not the type of player to raise a flush draw on such a dry flop against a UTG raiser. Anway, I pause for about a minute knowing full well I'm pushing. Eventually I declare allin and she squirms. Eventually she calls me with two black aces and the river doesn't improve her hand. Had the turn been anything but a 9 and she bet big I most likely would have folded.

Hand #3:

I am in the big blind with 33. Someone raises from early position to $80 and 4 people call. The flop comes down J83 all clubs. I check and the initial raiser continues for $350 and everyone folds to me. I figure he has an overpair more than likely with a club. I make a goon raise putting him allin for another $1600. I figure he has a big hand and I want to make him pay to play. As well, I have been running bad and don't want to be blow a pot by getting cute to a hand like 1010 or JJ with a club. Anyway, he calls rather quick with AJ A of clubs and rivers a flush.

Hand #4:

I have A10 of diamonds on the button and the pot is raised from early position to $70 with 5 callers. The flop is A85 two spades -one diamond. The preflop aggressor bets out $250 and gets one caller. Both players are rather deep so I decide to take one off. The turn is the 4 of diamonds. He leads out for $500. Another opponent calls after much deliberation. At this point I have several options. I think the preflop raiser has an AK or AQ type hand and is making one more attempt to take the pot with the flush draws out there. I think the other opponent is on spades. I think for a minute and decide to raise to $1800. The 4 is an interesting card and I don't think the preflop raiser can call with anything less than 1010 or AA. My bet really looks like a flopped set or 67. As it turns out both players fold. He tells me he laid down AK and I tell him good fold.

Hand #5:

My last hand of the evening. I have 87 of clubs in the big blind and an active player raises to $80. One player calls so I call. The flop is Q84 rainbow with one club. I check she bets $170, the other player folds. I decide to call as I'm not convinced she has much. Secondly, she has displayed an inability to lay down big hands so if I can turn two pair I feel I can win a big pot if she has a big Q or overpair. The turn is the 5 of clubs. I check and she bets $400. At this point I feel she has something good as she typically gives up after flop continuation bets with air. I decide to call though having the backdoor flush draw. The river is an offsuit 7. I really don't know what to do here. I almost block bet for $600, but instead decide to check hoping that if she did have a set she would check do to the scare of the 1-card straight. Unfortunately, she fires again this time for $800. I tanked for about 2 minutes. I was confused because she did not strike as a player that would value bet that river for so much with a set. At the same time, my gut was telling me she wasn't nervous about the hand. Could she really be holding something with a 6 that she could fire on all streets? My decision was really on the fence and in the end I went against my first instincts and decided to call with two pair, she showed 76 of spades for the straight. This is definately the worst call down I made this trip.

As for the rest of the evening I really was card dead as usual. I had JJ once and KK once, both getting no action. I had one AK, two AQs, and a handfull of small pairs and suited paint, but that was it. And, as per usual, I flopped nothing big with any of them except the 9s and 3s, one of which I lost. Overall I am of course happy to take a win, but I felt I could have made at least 5k if I was playing optimal poker. For some reason, probably due to fatigue, I chickened out on at least 3 continuation bets down the stretch on dry boards where I normally would have taken down pots adding up to lost wages of about $500 to $600 easily. Once I called down and lost the 87 of clubs I knew it was time to quit before I start donking off more chips.

Going to get some sleep now and recharge. I also need to recharge my phone and I-Pod as they're both dead. Sorry babe if your reading this and couldn't get ahold of me :)

Tomorrow is a $2,500 buyin Holdem event. It is a little steep and they don't give you that many chips so I think I may pass it up and play cash.

Cheers,