-50 @ The Commerce Casino

What with the new job as the supervisor of the Biotechnology and Planetary Protection group at JPL and getting ready for the wedding to the Terrestrial Planet Finder technologist, I haven't had much time to play poker. I was able to sneak away for a bit tonight and played some of the worst poker of my life! The funny part is that I knew at the time I was playing poorly, but I didn't want to leave because I wasn't sure when I would get back. Thank goodness that I had enough good cards to help keep me from getting totally worked over. To make matters a little worse I was playing with people I've played with before. In fact, one of them remembered me too. Probably because he was at the table when I had four of a kind kings.

Second hand at a new table I get AA. I'm in late position and raise. Flop is 4,5,7. Checked to me and I raise. 8 on the turn and a checker becomes a better, with one other caller by the time it gets to me. I'm drawing dead so what do I do? I call! I folded the 5 on the river and shook my head as the two fellows with sixes split the pot. The pot that had an extra 6 dollars in it because I wasn't thinking clearly.

A10 suited with A,9,4,9,Q. My notes are fuzzy on this hand, but I stayed in the entire way, even when the board paired and showed three to a flush. My lousy Aces would up in third place, behind a boat (the BB had 9,4) and a flush.

So after a couple bad plays I got bailed out with 88 and a pot that was raised pre-flop. I smooth called the rainbow 8,2,4 on the flop, then raised the K on the turn. Two callers, one all in. The J of spades made it three spades on the river, but I bet and was called. I took the pot and was now down only $15 for the session.

I got outkicked when my top pair of 10s with a queen lost to a king, couldn't translate my pocket 7s into anything good, then raised AQ in late position only to get rewarded with 5,K,5 which got bet like crazy. Things got a little more interesting when my 7,10 suited got the 8,9 of the suit on the flop! I've got a ton of outs. I smooth call the flop. The K of my suit falls on the turn and I misplay by not raising! The river is checked to me and everyone folds when I bet. A short time later I went to the bathroom but as is my custom I asked the dealer to deal me in. I come back to discover that I was the BB and she had posted for me. I get 9,2 of diamonds and two more diamonds on the flop. I made my flush on the river but the pot wasn't great.

Another misplay of the night came when I had A9 and the flop came 9,9,9! The odds of me getting beaten on this one is basically zero. One guy bet into it and there were two other callers. K on the turn. Bet, call and I didn't raise when it got to me. What was I thinking? River is blank. Check, check and I bet. One caller. He had a K. A couple hands later after I made an insight straight draw on the turn and I decided that I should call it a night.