-180 @ The Commerce Casino

Since the previous night was so fun, I'll just continue the good times I reasoned. Not so. Here's an example of a couple hands I had to deal with

• 4,5 suited in middle position. 4,5,6 on the flop. The right play is go hard and fast so I raised the bb and there were no other raisers. I checked the 3 on the turn and it got bet then raised. Crap. I fold. So what do I get for my trouble? A 5 on the river. At least I read the other hands correctly; the pot was split by a couple straights.
• Pocket K as small blind. I raise, get re-raised and we cap it pre-flop. A,Q,10 on the flop. I check and it is bet. I'm confused so I call. Q on the turn, and the play is repeated. What the hell am I doing in this hand? I should have folded on the flop. The river gives us a third Q. I check and am still confused so I call. Bad bad play. Any A (or the case Q) beats me and the other fellow has two of them. I cashed out soon thereafter.

+84 @ The Commerce Casino

Fun fun night. The table was very stable and filled with some solid players. The woman across from me was playing local comedy clubs and was putting together a tape for the Ice House, there were a couple middle-aged female friends having a good time, and one fellow was really sucking down the beers. While we were there a fight broke out at a near-by table, and the box with the jackpot rake got stuck and they couldn't get the key in. What do you do in a case like that? You send over a guy with a long extension cord, big goggles and a huge drill to drill out the lock. The play didn't stop of course!

-16 @ Chez Johnson

Instead of playing on Saturday night, Guy called a dim-sum/poker Sunday matinee event but I had to bail on the food at the last minute because Jennifer and I made an offer on a house. We didn't get it. I don't remember anything about the hands, but I do remember that during the last hour I dropped $100 to wind up a loser.

-95 @ The Commerce Casino

New table surrounded by grizzled old-timers. Again I had a hard time making my hands; flopped set of threes ran into a flush on the river (I called because the pot was so big) and pocket 6s and 7s kinda missed the flop but gave me four to a straight. However, the set would have made four to a straight on the board, and if I made my straight it would be the sucker end. My A,3 as big blind lost on the river when my Aces ran into a pair of kings on the board.

But I did have one powerhouse hand. Pocket A in late position. I raised of course. The flop came A,9,9. It was checked to me and I decided to check. The turn was a J and someone bet. I raised. 2 callers. The river was a blank and when I bet I got one caler. Nice pot. Two hands later I had pocket aces again but the turn gave three to a flush, and the A on the river made it four to a flush. I bailed.

-50 @ The Commerce Casino

I've lost my notes for this date, but the day couldn't have been too exciting or I would have remembered it.