-153 @ The Commerce Casino

Tough night. My good starting hands were very often beat by rags, I wasn't following the very sage advise in Sklansky's books: "never call, always raise or fold" often enough, and when I did win a hand it was a tough win that could have gone very badly wrong.

It has been several weeks since I played, but we're in the house and everything appears to be under control, so I went and played poker. For the first time ever I asked for a table change. Three hours into my session a fellow I had played with before sat down at Seat 1. He is the kind of guy who wrecks any table; a total jerk and is always in the middle of some controversy. The floorman completely understood my change request, and as soon as I got up a lady from the table pulled me aside to say that she was following my lead 'cause she hated playing with him too. Maybe he likes that reputation. Now to the cards

• A,Q in middle position. Flop gives A,10,9 and I raise it. It is checked to me on the turn and river and I bet the 5 and the 8. I split the pot with another A,Q.
• Pocket 10s as big blind. I'm getting ready to raise but everyone, including the small blind, folded! D'oh!
• Soon thereafter I had pocket 7s in late position. The flop gave Q.9.4 and I stayed in for the turn even when it was raised. Bad bad play on my part and I don't know what I was thinking. Of course I didn't make my set.
• The very next hand I had Q,J suited and the flop came J,9,9. I was in early position and I bet and got a couple callers but no raisers. I did the same with the 10 on the turn, but checked the A on the river and it was checked around. Who won? The guy who posted and got a 9,2.
• A,J suited and a board of Q,J,4,6,10. It held up.
• Flopped a set of 5s in late position so I raised. It helped that there was an A on the flop, but when the third club fell on the turn I felt a little pit in my stomach. Crap. I still bet it and the river and I came out on top. My final opponent only had a pair of aces.
• A,Q suited as BB. I raised and got Q,_,_. Three callers on the flop, but everyone folded with I bet the Q on the turn.
• A,A on the button. Doesn't get much better than that right? Well, the flop was awful: K,K,9. It was checked to me and I bet. Same with the blank turn.I was just thinking that it was going to turn out ok, but then a 9 fell on
  the river and I got checked raised. Should I have tossed it? I didn't but of course he had a J,9. He had two outs but stuck with me. What the heck can I do? Then again, I probably shouldn't have been betting the flop.
• To make matters worse, I got black A,A just a few hands later and the turn gave three to a heart flush and the river gave the fourth. I mucked.
• And the very next hand I had Q,J of clubs, with a flop of A clubs, Q, 6 clubs. I decided not to be a calling station but bet. I had middle pair with a decent kicker and a great flush draw. But the turn and river didn't come through for me and I checked then folded the river.
• So how did my pocket 7s turn out on the next hand? (Yes, I had a string of
  great starting cards but I had a lot of trouble taking the pot) Not so hot. It started off well with A,Q,7, but the river made three clubs and the fellow who had been calling turned into a better. I reluctantly called and of course he had the flush. All this action left me down a fair bit of money.
• Two hands later in early position I limped in with K,Q. The board was Q,9,7,_,K. I raised the flop, bet the turn, but the K made three to a flush. I bet it and won.
• Pocket Q as big blind. I raised and got an A on the flop for my troubles. I checked, a few others bet and I mucked.
• AA again and the flop of K,10,5 looked pretty good. I kept betting. Q on the turn so I bet again, but one fellow raised the 9 on the river. I knew he had the jack, but again the pot was too big to give it up without making sure. That was probably a questionable call.
• QQ as big blind (again) and once again I got an A on the flop. In contrast to last time I decided to bet and just got callers. They held up through the rag on the turn and the K on the river. I had no right to win that hand.
• I don't have any details but I won a couple pots with making a K high flush on the river, and a pair of aces with a jack kicker.

Looking back on it I didn't have a single straight, full house and only one flush in 7 hours. I had pocket A and pocket Q each three times in only about 2 hours, but didn't have pocket K or J the entire night. I had big slick only once (it lost but I don't know to what). Kinda an odd run of cards, but I guess that's the way it goes sometimes.

I'm looking forward to playing again soon.