+207 @ The Commerce Casino

Great night! In less than 30 minutes I was up $100 and in about an hour and a half I was up over $200. At one point I was up over $280. Not only was I playing well, but the cards were hitting. When I went all the way and either bet or called on the river I ended up winning every pot but one. Unfortunately that one that I lost was a monster that I had every right to win with my boat, but my opponent's better boat showed up on the river. I'll describe it in some detail.

I wanted to play tight and agressive and think that I did well. My first hand at the table (seat 7) was a set of 5s. I won but couldn't get much money from it. A couple hands later in late position I limped in with Q10 and the flop came 7,3,10 with two clubs. It was bet, I raised and the original better made it three. I mucked.

I'm in late position with lots of callers and smooth called with A,J unsuited. J,8,5 rainbow on the flop. I raised and half the table dropped out. 10 on the turn, checked to me so I bet. 7 on the river and it also made a flush. Again it was checked to me, and the last two players folded when I bet.

With 10,6 diamonds as SB I called only to get raised by the BB. The book says that I should fold when it gets to me since I was unwilling to raise it, but I called anyway. A,2,_ with two diamonds. I checked and it is two bets by the time it gets back to me. Because there were more than 2 other callers, I was still doing ok with my flush draw so I called. 7 of diamonds on the turn and I bet it. Two callers. 7 of clubs on the river. Crap. I bet it again and get raised. Double crap. I called and the raiser turned over a smaller flush! Woo hoo! That was a $75 dollar pot and I'm now up $90 in just 30 minutes. That's fantastic for a $3/$6 table. Of course I was feeling like I was on a role with my A,J suited on the button, so I raise and get 3,8,K on the flop with none of them my suit. I muck when it is bet. However, the next time around the table I get A,K in early position and A,2,7 on the flop. I bet it all the way even when a three fell on the river to possibly give someone a wheel. The A on the river wouldn't have saved me from the straight but I did like betting it and showing the trips. The very next hand I got A,J unsuited with an A on the flop and a J on the turn. It held up to the A,K who never raised it. I'm now up $130 in 45 minutes.

10,8 suited made trips on the turn and I took that pot, then QQ on the button was the very next hand. I raised pre-flop and got 9,10,2. So far so good. I raised the flop and got 2 callers. 9 on the turn. Not so good. However, it is checked to me, and only one caller when I bet. The river made a possible flush but the only other player checked to me. I bet he called then mucked. I guess he had a 10. A few hands later I had pocket 4 with A,3,4 rainbow. Pretty good flop I was in early position and I bet the flop only to get raised. What should I do? The only thing I'm really scared of at this point is a 2 or a 5 for the straight. I decided to smooth call. 7 on the turn, I checked raised and got two callers. J on the river (no flush) I bet it and get one caller and a very nice pot. I'm up $230 in an hour and a half. It was very slow for the next hour then I had AA, and AQ hold up very nicely to bring me to almost $280 up.

At this point I decided play a little more loosely (some would say that I had been playing lose this entire time) just to have some fun. Of course not much was happening and the stack was diminishing. I was getting ready to call it a night but just before I left I had pocket 9 in mid position and hit A,9,_ on the flop. There was a fair amount of action on the flop so I just called twice. A on the turn. Woo hoo! I bet it and got one caller since I was now in virtual first position. 5 on the turn. I bet and get raised. Waaaa? That's annoying. Did he really have an A,5? Did he have pocket A? If the latter, we are golden since it would be a jackpot hand. Maybe he only had an A. I didn't know what exactly to do but I knew that calling would be a losing play if he did have the A,5. I raised. That gave him pause and he called time. The pot was really good sized so he did the right thing by calling, and yes, he did have the A.5. But he confessed that he thought I had A,9.