Hey Another Update

I have really neglected my blog lately. I have been having some personal issues. I have not played much poker in the last month and a half. I checked my blog and saw Ricky’s comment and went over to X’s blog. I started to wonder if that was why I had been losing and playing even poker at the micros. Had I actually outgrown it? Had I learned advanced moves that most at those stakes just weren’t getting? You can’t trick someone if they don’t at least have the skills to be caught. I only have maybe $500 in my roll at the morning. Yes, pretty much right where I started the friggin’ year at. So I decided to take a hundred and give it a shot at the stakes where I was frequenting before my cashouts. I know variance has had a chance to slap me around yet but I made $130 last night. I have 2 hands here, one that made me money and one that lost me cash. Neither were real smart I think. If the first guy had a higher flush I’d be saying how bad I played it. The second one there is absolutely no mistaking my horrendous play. I kind of sucked myself into it. You’ll see.

I’m in small blind and decide to call with 64 of spades.

I don’t usually play that shit, as Greb could attest, if he is still around, but I’ve started playing those types of hands at local live games. They are pretty concealed when they hit, but also can get you into trouble. I usually only play hands that I usually know right where I’m at in the hand on the flop and can start the ram and jam technique or get out. I have to grow sometimes right?

Flop comes T86 with 2 spades; obviously you know the ones.

I min-raise and the guy to my left goes over the top. All fold back to me. I call, fishing for a black shovel. Oh yea, a 6 would be cool also.

Turn – 2 of spades.

I check to the aggressor. He bets slightly less than pot. I ram hard. He pushes the remainder of his $75 that he started the hand with. Huge pot now. I don’t totally remember what I needed to call this pot with. Likely around $40. I have no read on this guy. I have only been at the table for twenty and I had been playing the fold junk and back to web surfing thing that I do. I’m really hoping for trips on his part, or even better, what he actually had because he was drawing dead. I really doubt that he would have raised my bet with the flush draw. I know I would usually call and get a cheap look. But if he was that crafty, he most likely had the higher flush. Enough drama – at showdown he turned over a Big Blind Special or more like a BB Fuckin’ of 97o for the flopped straight. I take $75 in that hand. If I would have lost that hand I know I would have taken it as a bad omen and said the hell with poker for awhile longer. Thanks Lady Variance or sucking me back in. LOL.

Next I played like a total amateur. I am truly ashamed of losing $40 with the obvious losing hand.

It comes around to me and I raise it up 4 or 5xBB with my Hooks. I get min-reraised by a guy a few seats to my left. Everyone folds back to me and I decide to call.

I normally fold in this spot, knowing that I am near always dominated here, and at best a coin-flip with AK. But I decide to pay the little and hope to spike a J and likely stack him if I do.

Flop comes 9-high.

I know I’m beat here and had already decided to just see the flop. Yet wee, I have an over-pair and get enthralled by its allure. I check and he bets. I push because he only had $40 to start the hand. He calls and at showdown he shows his Cowboys. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb. This is a hole that I pledge to fill right now. I fold that now PF and even QQ in this situation. Another option would be to see that flop but have the will-power to fold if you miss no matter the flop.

All in all, I played well. I ended up playing 2 big hands and won them both. The rest of the time I really just stayed slightly ahead of the blinds.

Let’s see how tonight fairs the weary traveler.

Later, Ash out.