Good Friday

Not wanting to go back to work after taking yesterday off for a dentist's appointment, I decided to take today off too and play some poker. While my day wasn't as good as cashing at the WSOP, it was one of my better days in a while.

I warmed up with a $2.25 Turbo. I had the lead headsup but lost in two hands. First, I had to fold to an all in bet on the river with just middle pair and a missed flush draw. I then called an all in push on the next hand with 22 and it couldn't hold up against AK. Not a normal call, but for less than $4 between 1st and 2nd, I didn't care.

I then decided to play a 90 player, double stack SNG. Here's the recap:

Level 1 - 15\30 through Level 3 - 25\50

Played 2 hands in the first three levels. First hand was 53d in the SB, which I took to the turn on an A46 flop. No straight and had to fold to a turn bet. On the last hand of Level 3, I limped with KJ sooted and made top pair on a K66 board. Got one caller with K4, but split the pot when the A hit the turn. T2645

Level 4 - 30\60 through Level 6 50\100

Limped 55 from the SB. Took a pot when I called a bet on a AA2 flop then bet the 3 on the turn. Not the strongest way to play it, but presto is still gold.

Raised UTG with AKo and got four callers. Checked the flop, check-folded to a bet on the turn.

Won a pot on Level 5 that moved me to T3800, but the hand history didn't record it.

Chipped down to 2890 when I made a loose call with 55. I limped for 100 from MP when the CO pushed for 1500 or so. I thought it was about 50\50 that he had a hand or was just trying to steal from limpers, so I called, and he shows AK. I flopped a set on a 235 board, and he never caught a 4. Ended the level at T4715.

Level 7 - 60\120 through Level 9 - 100\200

Picked up a couple pots with A3, 99, 66 and 33, lose a little bit when I have to fold a flush draw with QTs on the turn.

Raise a couple limpers in from the CO with K9s. Get one caller who folds to my bet on a AK7 two spade flop.

UTG limps, and I raise 4.5x BB with AA. UTG calls and the board comes 843. UTG min bets the flop, I raise to 1200. He calls, then calls my 1000 bets on the turn & the river. I felt like he'd fold to bigger bets, so I kept the bets somewhat small. He shows A8 for TPTK. I end level nine at T9700.

Level 10 - 120\240 - Level 12 - 200\400

Here's a steal gone wrong then gone right:

Dealt to mclarich [2h 3h]
AnrA folds
currier4 folds
snowmanlikeme folds
lymee folds
synsk folds
mclarich raises to 720
magikbird calls 720
eliseo folds
COWBOYCURT1S folds
*** FLOP *** [4d Kh As]
mclarich checks
magikbird bets 960
mclarich raises to 4,320
magikbird calls 2,945, and is all in
mclarich shows [2h 3h]
magikbird shows [Kc Qh]
Uncalled bet of 415 returned to mclarich
*** TURN *** [4d Kh As] [6c]
*** RIVER *** [4d Kh As 6c] [5s]
mclarich shows a straight, Six high
magikbird shows a pair of Kings
mclarich wins the pot (9,835) with a straight, Six high
magikbird stands up

On that last hand, I didn't think he had an A, and I really felt he could lay it down to my reraise. I was wrong, but I made the move with outs and hit my 4-outer.

About 9 hands later, raise from UTG+1 to 900 with KK. BB, who is also a massive chipleader calls. Flop comes 932, two hearts. I lead out for 1500 into a 2100 pot, and he calls. Turn is a 2, and after requesting time, BB leads for 3900. I can't see how the 2 helps him, and the only reasonable hand that I'm behind is 99, so I call. River is a 7, and he leads out for 6300. I think about a fold but I can't fold to his range. He shows J5 for a complete and utter bluff. T26000.

Next hand, limp 44 UTG. 4 players check the QT9, 2 diamond board. Turn is a 4c and everyone folds to my bet.

Next hand, in the BB, 3 limpers and I check with A9s. Flop comes 752, two spades. Mr. J5 bets pot and I call. Turn is a 9c. I lead for the pot and he folds, claiming A8.

Couple hands later, call from EP a 1200 bet from Mr. J5. We check the flop & turn, he bets out when the A hits the river. I call, he shows Q9 for Queen high. He declares that I'm tilting him.

8 hands later, get KK UTG and raise 3xBB to 1200. Mr. J5 calls and BB is shortstack who goes all in for 540. Flop comes J52, two hears, and Mr. J5 leads pot for 2400. I reraise to 8800. He claims QJ and folds. River is a J and I thank God he didn't call. He officially goes on mega-tilt. Finish the level at T36k and the new chipleader.

Level 13 - 250\500 through Level 15 - 400\800

Stole a couple pots, one with KK again. Took down a decent pot with A2 vs AK. AK limped in before me, and I called his min bet on a J82 flop. Turn was a J, river a 2 and I just called his river bet.

Gained some more chips a couple hands later when I tried to steal with A5o and called a shortstack push. He shows JJ, but I turn an A and take down a 12k pot. Up to about 46k.

Lose a big pot when it folds to the SB. He min raises my BB to 1600, I reraise with A5d and he goes all in for 11k. He shows QQ and I don't improve. I end the level at 37k.

Level 16 - 500\1000 through Level 18 - 800\1600

Stole with K9, AK, then take down a 7k pot with K5. Tried to steal but BB calls 2k more. Flop is T95 and I call his 2k bet with 3rd pair. Turn is an A, he bets out 2k, and I reraise, he folds.

We get to the final table during level 16, and I'm second in chips at 50k. Huge stack of 93k immediately to my left, but anyone else is about 1\2 my stack.

Win a 15k pot when I reraise with 88 on a 479 board. Couple hands later, take down a 21k pot with AQ. T67k. Hit a high mark of about 83k but chip down to 64k by the end of level 18. Down to 5 players, still 2nd in chips.

Level 19 - 1000\2000 through Level 21 - 1500\3000

Drop down to 46k when I have to fold my bluff. SB min raises me and I call with J7c. Flop is K88 and SB leads out for just under 1\2 pot. I reraise like I hit the board, and SB pushes all in. He shows AA.

Work back up to 57k when I get TT in the CO, raise to 6k. Button, the chipleader at 82k, raises to 10k and I smooth call. Flop is 664. I check and he bets the pot. He could easily have AK here or an under pair, so I push. He shows KK and I'm all but gone. The T on the river saves me and chipleader at 118k.

I take out the same guy a couple hands later when I raise his BB with A2. He pushes for 25k and I call. He shows 45d and my hand holds up. T141k.

Four hands later, it's the hand of the tournament. Down to 4, I get QQ in the BB. Two limpers, and I raise 4xBB to 8k. Both call, and flop comes Q35, two spades. I check and UTG shoves for 83k. I call, he shows 55 for middle set. I'm at 235k after the hand, the next biggest stack is 24k.

One shortstack takes down the other, and we get heads up. Stacks are 230k vs 39k. Victory is pretty much mine, but it takes a little bit of effort. 2nd hand heads up, I push on the shortstack with 66 and he calls with AK & pairs the board.

It takes a couple of hands to get a feel of how he plays. I double him up when I push with KT on a QJJ board. He shows AQ and I'm down to 128k.

Just before the level ends, I get decent pot, again with 23 sooted. I min raised from the button - this was enough to take the pot many times before. He calls, and the flop is a sweet 654. I check the flop, check-call the turn, and the value bet the river, and he calls with K6. Back up to 166k.

Last hand of the level, I get AA and decide to limp with them. Flop is T23 and I check call his min bet. Turn is a 9 and he bets about 2\3 pot, I call. River is a 3 and he calls my pot bet, shows T5 for top pair. Up to T199k.

Level 22 - 2000\4000

Only one hand at this level. I check my blind with 46 and the flop comes 375. I bet 1\2 the pot and he min raises me. I repop to 24k and he calls. I went for the raise here hoping it would look like a steal. Turn is a 5. He's got 50k, and I put him all in. He calls with K7 and can't catch a 5 outer. I take the game and $112.

This was probably the best I played in a long, long time, although the cards certainly helped. I was focused, paid attention to how my opponents played, and tried to maximize my pots. At one point my stats were pretty amazing - 13\15 in showdowns. Admittedly, my opponents were pretty weak, and I was able to steal quite a bit. I also did a fair share of floating, and I think that, by showing down some huge hands, my opponents showed me respect. The TT suckout hand was huge, but other than that one hand, I never put in too many chips if I was behind.

A couple hours later, I decided to play a 1 table SNG and took that down as well. So for the day, I put in $13.25 in buyins and came away with $139.90. At the stakes I'm playing now, this was definitely my best day in a while.