Overall, it was a down week. I was doing quite well early in the week, only to try my chances at $30/60 HORSE -- where I lost a bundle. Following up those losses, were two straight losing sessions at $5/10 HORSE. Regardless, by the end of the week, I succeeded in beginning to rebuild my earnings. Along the way, I had some very interesting hands come up -- which should be interesting reading (below). So after a few straight winning sessions, I was back on track -- and with a good outlook.
Sunday: 10/08/06
Tournaments. I played in three tournaments today: $39 qualifyer to the $215, $30+3, and $20+2. I didn't cash in any of these events, and it almost seemed like I didn't have my heart into them. Regardless, I placed reasonably well, just didn't make it into the money.
Cash games. Made a quick $100 this morning, then another $250 in the evening -- playing $3/6 and $5/10 HORSE simultaneously.
Monday: 10/09/06
Tournaments. I played in three tournaments, but my heart wasn't really in them. Once I saw how bad the players were in one of them, and the bad beats I was taking because of it, I lost interest and kind of gave up.
Cash games. Played $5/10 HORSE. I was up +220 in the cash games. Right after I sat down at one table, my trusty squire "KY" made a joke at my table that I tend to raise with garbage. His comment cost me $90 in the next two hands as I was drawn out after the flop by players who didn't give me credit for any hands. It was apparent that I was pretty pissed off about it, because I offered to have KY sit at my table and LOSE the $200 I had loaned him, THEN pay me back. The other players picked up on this, and also chastised him for the comment. In spite of it, I had to dig my way out of a -$150 hole at the table. When I finally left that table (to play a tournament), I was up +50.
Tuesday: 10/10/06
Tournament: The only tournament running was the $2 hi/lo. Players are usually incredibly bad at this level. Instead, I ran into a different type of bad luck. In 9 successive hands with nut low draws, the board never produced a low at all. Thus I started with 1500 chips, and lost 1150 of it on those 9 hands. No point in competing any longer, I just took myself out.
Cash Games. Played $0.50/1.00 HORSE at lunch. Man the players are bad at this level. Up +12. Played $5/10 HORSE and was losing badly. Sat in at $10/20 HORSE and made most of it back up. Isabelle Mercier was playing at this table. In one tough stud hand, I had split aces and raised to get one caller. By 5th street I had aces up. My opponent chased a 4-card running straight to win the hand at the river (with a gut-shot at the end). I lost $100 of my own money on that hand. Even though I rallied at the end of the night, I was still -$60 on the day.
Wednesday: 10/11/06
Cash games. This is where I went off the wagon and realized I'm not yet ready for anything as high as $30/60. The hand that got my attention was during the Stud section of HORSE. I was dealt split kings and I opened for a raise. The guy immediately to my left re-raised and two others called before the action came back to me. With four people in the pot I decided to play it cautiously and I didn't three-bet it. Fourth street didn't help me, and the guy to my left bet, and was immediately raised by a guy showing 8-high. At this point, I have to assume the guy with the 8 was slow playing rolled-up 8's, so I get out. How wrong I was: and this is why I realized I wasn't ready for $30/60. Not only did I have the best hand the whole time, but the guy raising with 8-high was raising with a pair of 8's and nothing better. The guy with the pair of jacks won the hand -- which I had beat as well. So I lost about $1000 at this table, but not because of bad play, simply some bad luck (like the nut flush beat by a full house, a small full house beat by a larger full house, etc.). I actually rallied an $800 comeback at the table before it was too late and I had to go to bed.
Best hand of the week:
My favorite hand of the week came while playing Stud-8 during a $5/10 HORSE cash game. I'm dealt 227 and am second to act behind the bring-in. I'm looking at this hand and thinking "I have a small pair, I could possibly make a low, for $2 bring-in, why not play it." There was only one problem for my hand, an opponent two seats to my left had a 2, which meant I was almost certain not to make a high hand. By the time the action was finished, one player had completed the bet and four of us see the next card.
BINGO! Fourth street bring me the case-2. I now have 2272 -- and nobody knows the strength of my hand (with the 7 showing). I don't bet, instead the guy who completed the bring-in does a continuation bet, and all of us call.
Fifth street is where the action got real interesting. The continuation better now has A-3-5 showing. He bets, I raise...and to make a long story short, he's trying to represent the wheel, but I know for a fact he can't have it because I have three-2's, and the case-2 is showing in another guy's hand. In reality, this guy was betting the strength of his draw with x-4-A-3-5. But with all four 2's accounted for, I knew he would never get there. So all of us cap the pot on 5th AND 6th street.
Seventh street give me a full house: 2's full of 7's. All of my cards were low cards under 8, and 7 at the river helped me even more because not only did I get a full house, but I took away another low card from the only two remaining players in the hand. No longer does the aggressor bet, he now decides to check. I bet, both players call, and I actually scooped the $240 pot with my full house -- when neither player made a low -- but instead made very weak high hands (pair of aces, and two pair).
Worst hand of the week:
My worst hand of the week also came during Stud (not Stud-8) of a $5/10 HORSE game. I'm dealt rolled up kings (KKK). I'm second to act behind the bring-in, and I need to decide real quick whether to slow play or fast play my hand. As I look at the cards showing in the various hands, I see two aces showing so I feel very safe slow playing and only calling the bring-in (not raising). Three others call, and miraculously both players with aces showing fold their hands.
Fourth street doesn't improve my hand (no quads); however one of my opponents now had a pair of 7's showing. The action checks to him, so he double bets (he's allowed to double bet to $10 when 4th street pairs his door card). I immediately raise, and everybody else folds. He and I cap the action on 4th street.
Fifth street doesn't improve my hand, nor his. With his pair of 7's showing, he bets, I raise, he re-raises, and I cap it again.
Sixth street doesn't improve my hand, but I'm smart enough to figure out that it hurts his. I'm dealt on of his 7's, and he's dealt an Ace. Since I know two aces were folded, I know this ace didn't help him; and with a pair of 7's showing, I know the 7 dealt to me takes away one of his outs. By this time, I think he's finally figured out that whatever I have, I'm confident that I have him beat. So on 6th street, he check-calls me.
He also checks Seventh street (the river), and instead check-raises me. I didn't improve into a full house, so I don't re-raise, instead I call. The river was his miracle card. He was dealt 887, and had two pair on 4th street: 8877. The river brought one of only three cards he could get to win the hand, when he drew an 8, to have 8's full of 7's.
Summary:
If I was allowed to discount the $1000 I lost playing $30/60, then overall I had a break-even week. Now I have to go about the task of rebuilding my bank-roll. I tested the waters at $30/60 and realized I'm not even close to being ready to play at those stakes. I did play a bunch at $10/20 on Thursday and Friday, but even there, I didn't feel totally comfortable until I rebuild. So for now, I'll keep playing $5/10 until I rebuild a bit, and in about a month probably move up to $10/20 for good.