Slow Night

The ebb and flow of my game seems to have changed. I noticed that I had been playing a really loose game. Not paying attention to position as much as I should. Playing marginal hands like K9 and getting angry when trumped by KQ. I had let myself play down to the level of my competition at Party. Since I started reading SSHE I decided I would re-commit myself to good pre-flop play, which sets up good post-flop play.

When I was playing marginal hands the average night would look like a stock report. I would lose a little, win some, hit some monster hands, go down some more, and either end up or down for the night depending on my opponents and how many of my cards hit. I was a rattlesnake striking blindly and often at my opponents. I was a serious Action Jackson probably seeing 60% of the flops. Basically any two cards over 18, any high flush draw cards any position.

Since I have tightened up the game is a little slower. The other night I probably folded the majority of my hands for the first fifteen minutes. Television helps a lot during these periods, as does two tabling. I do not think I got a hand worth playing in that time. The J-10o in early position tempted me, and also the KJo! I held my ground and waited for the right position to play these hands. I was the lion stalking its prey slowly, patiently, waiting until the time to strike was right. Finally after about a half an hour I started getting a bunch of playable hands. Since the hands were of better quality than I usually played I won more often. After this I had shorter periods of waiting. While there was still some fluctuation my stack seemed to mostly grow, level off, and grow some more. I am a lot happier with my play lately. I am glad I got back to fundamentals and think it will pay off.

I was down for last nights session. Only by 3-4BB though so it was not a bad night. I had some of my biggest payoff hands to double up on one table. I busted out of the other one. ouch. The final insult on that table was when I raised A-10, had one caller, flopped the straight to the 10, and was beaten by some J-7o bastard! Oh well. The best two hands of the night were monsters. I made $42 when I flopped a set of tens. The book says raise up those tens son, so I raised pre-flop, I was called, and three of us saw the flop. I flopped the set of 10's, with the only scare card being a king. Even on Party I could not see someone slow playing there KK that bad. If I was wrong so be it, but I am assuming I was the NUT set. I bet out, it is raised, and capped. I beleive it was capped all the way to the river. When everyone showed I had beaten top two pair and a pair of 2's. All I can think with the 2's was that he was trying to flop the set and beat what he saw as two people with two pair. I dunno. Sometimes party is wacky. The second win was $32 or so. I was dealt AKs and I was able to cap it pre-flop. Nice! The flop was a beautiful pair of hearts. Sweet. Betting was intense here and the turn was no help to me. At this point I have overcards that could *maybe* win this for me and the NUT flush draw with no pair on the board. I call the bet and pray for my heart on the river. BAM! Baby! Oh Yeah! The betting slows down now but the damage has been done. Nice hand! phhhhweeeeehhhhhwwwww.