A Bad Day Turned Good

I played quite a bit of poker this evening and had some mixed results. It started at about 5:00 pm, when I got done doing some work. I had about an hour and a half to burn so I decided to play some cash games. I played a $0.50/$1.00 NL game and lost a little north of $200.

I lost most of it when I got in before the flop with KK against AA. I was SO close to folding, but went against my better judgement and called. A tight player made it $4 UTG, I made it $24 from UTG+1 with KK, UTG moved in for about $120. What else could the guy have? He *might* have the other KK, but that's about it. I'm pretty sure I should have folded this. I then picked up a bunch of OK starting hands like AJ, KQs, AK, 99, etc. and lost small amounts with all of them. Nothing was going right.

Then we started up the home game at a little after 6:30pm. We were playing on an irregular night (the game is usually Thursday) so we only got 4 people. We played a NLH shootout. I witnessed an interesting hand take place when we were still 4-handed. With the blinds at 150/300, UTG limps for 300, button folds, SB makes it 800. I fold some cheese in the BB, UTG makes it 1800, SB makes it 4800, UTG calls. Flop comes AAQ, SB bets out a few thousand, UTG calls. Turn is the K. UTG check-raises all-in with QQ and is called by UTG's AK. Good shit there.

I ended up getting heads up with about a 5:1 chip disadvantage. I slowly chipped up a little bit, then got in with A-rag against KQ and lost. So I ended up with $0 out of the home game. Again.

After the home game ended at about 9:30, I decided to go play online some more. I sat in a $.5/$1 NL game and signed up for a $15+1 double shootout on Stars. I started out strong in the cash game, building to about $145. I then proceeded to lose a bunch of it back, eventually getting down to about $80 when the following hand came up.

PokerStars Game #5489847105: Hold'em No Limit ($0.50/$1.00) - 2006/07/08 - 02:11:04 (ET)
Table 'Bellona IV' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: #1Bronco ($39 in chips)
Seat 2: ricestud ($156.85 in chips)
Seat 3: Gregory06 ($99 in chips)
Seat 4: skalors2 ($53.25 in chips)
Seat 5: CntScoopula ($83.05 in chips)
Seat 6: grayling646 ($36.50 in chips)
Seat 7: marv9999 ($54.55 in chips)
Seat 8: MerlinTheWiz ($118.95 in chips)
Seat 9: shesha25 ($44.70 in chips)
MerlinTheWiz: posts small blind $0.50
shesha25: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CntScoopula [Ad 9d]
#1Bronco: folds
ricestud: folds
Gregory06: folds
skalors2: raises $1 to $2
CntScoopula: calls $2
grayling646: folds
marv9999: folds
MerlinTheWiz: folds
shesha25: calls $1
*** FLOP *** [9h 4s 2d]
shesha25: checks
skalors2: bets $1
CntScoopula: raises $3 to $4
shesha25: folds
skalors2: calls $3
*** TURN *** [9h 4s 2d] [9s]
skalors2: bets $3
CntScoopula: raises $10 to $13
skalors2: calls $10
*** RIVER *** [9h 4s 2d 9s] [4d]
skalors2: checks
CntScoopula: bets $25
skalors2: calls $25
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CntScoopula: shows [Ad 9d] (a full house, Nines full of Fours)
skalors2: mucks hand
CntScoopula collected $87.50 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $90.50 | Rake $3
Board [9h 4s 2d 9s 4d]
Seat 1: #1Bronco folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: ricestud folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: Gregory06 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: skalors2 mucked [Th Ah]
Seat 5: CntScoopula showed [Ad 9d] and won ($87.50) with a full house, Nines full of Fours
Seat 6: grayling646 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: marv9999 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: MerlinTheWiz (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: shesha25 (big blind) folded on the Flop


I don't even know what to say about this. I raise the guy on every street and he still calls the big river bet with A-high. I was just hoping he had QQ or something and couldn't get away from it. I quit the cash game shortly after because we were getting short-handed at the first table of the double-shootout. Nothing terribly interesting happened before I got heads up, and I was badly outchipped when I got there (1445 v. 9055).

My opponent was overly aggressive but not very good. But he had me on the ropes (down to 905 chips at one point), so I basically just check-raised all in when I had anything. I ended up doubling with 96s vs. A8o and with ATo vs. A5o, which got me to abouut even. I then chipped him down using the strategy outlined above until he had about 3000 left. I then got him to bluff off all his chips on the final hand:

PokerStars Game #5489492138: Tournament #27424913, $15+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level V (75/150) - 2006/07/08 - 01:28:41 (ET)
Table '27424913 4' 10-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: CntScoopula (8085 in chips)
Seat 2: DeuceBuster (2415 in chips)
DeuceBuster: posts small blind 75
CntScoopula: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CntScoopula [Kc Qh]
DeuceBuster: calls 75
CntScoopula: raises 300 to 450
DeuceBuster: calls 300
*** FLOP *** [Qc 3c 2h]
CntScoopula: checks
DeuceBuster: checks
*** TURN *** [Qc 3c 2h] [7c]
CntScoopula: checks
DeuceBuster: checks
*** RIVER *** [Qc 3c 2h 7c] [6d]
CntScoopula: bets 450
DeuceBuster: raises 1515 to 1965 and is all-in
CntScoopula: calls 1515
*** SHOW DOWN ***
DeuceBuster: shows [Th 9s] (high card Queen)
CntScoopula: shows [Kc Qh] (a pair of Queens)
CntScoopula collected 4830 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4830 | Rake 0
Board [Qc 3c 2h 7c 6d]
Seat 1: CntScoopula (big blind) showed [Kc Qh] and won (4830) with a pair of Queens
Seat 2: DeuceBuster (button) (small blind) showed [Th 9s] and lost with high card Queen


Once at the final table, I immediately (5th hand actually) received a gift of 63BBs when I got in before the flop with AA vs. a very poorly played A3s.

PokerStars Game #5489880758: Tournament #27424913, $15+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round II, Level I (10/20) - 2006/07/08 - 02:15:33 (ET)
Table '27424913 1' 10-max Seat #10 is the button
Seat 1: mcola66 (1480 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 2: PHXDOG (1260 in chips)
Seat 3: m3forme (1480 in chips)
Seat 4: CntScoopula (1500 in chips)
Seat 5: 410410 (1920 in chips)
Seat 6: Dizzy800 (1500 in chips)
Seat 7: flushemout (1400 in chips)
Seat 8: Geltman (1470 in chips)
Seat 9: Jag Lady (1520 in chips)
Seat 10: mgv2004 (1470 in chips)
mcola66: posts small blind 10
PHXDOG: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CntScoopula [As Ad]
m3forme said, "MD area code"
m3forme said, "i think"
m3forme said, "or his moms pant size?"
PHXDOG said, "yep"
m3forme: folds
CntScoopula: raises 60 to 80
410410: folds
Dizzy800: folds
flushemout: folds
410410 said, "im from kentucky you fcking idiot"
Geltman: folds
Jag Lady: folds
mgv2004: folds
mcola66: folds
m3forme said, "u smell like it too....gl"
PHXDOG: raises 120 to 200
410410 said, "now stop acting like a 12 year old and be quiet"
CntScoopula: raises 1300 to 1500 and is all-in
PHXDOG: calls 1060 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [Ks 5d Qd]
410410 said, "HAHAHAHAHAHA"
410410 said, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
*** TURN *** [Ks 5d Qd] [3c]
*** RIVER *** [Ks 5d Qd 3c] [7h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PHXDOG: shows [3h Ah] (a pair of Threes)
CntScoopula: shows [As Ad] (a pair of Aces)
PHXDOG is sitting out
CntScoopula collected 2530 from pot
m3forme said, "ty"
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2530 | Rake 0
Board [Ks 5d Qd 3c 7h]
Seat 1: mcola66 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: PHXDOG (big blind) showed [3h Ah] and lost with a pair of Threes
Seat 3: m3forme folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: CntScoopula showed [As Ad] and won (2530) with a pair of Aces
Seat 5: 410410 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Dizzy800 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: flushemout folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Geltman folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: Jag Lady folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 10: mgv2004 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)


From there, things went pretty smoothly until we were 3-handed. Once there, I had about 6500 of the 15000 chips in play. I offered to do a chop, but my opponents wouldn't do it unless we chopped it evenly, giving about $265 to each person. Since I didn't feel like giving up $60 in equity, we kept playing. We got heads up on the following hand. Again, I think I was gifted a ton of chips for no apparent reason.

PokerStars Game #5490406563: Tournament #27424913, $15+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round II, Level VI (100/200) - 2006/07/08 - 03:39:04 (ET)
Table '27424913 1' 10-max Seat #10 is the button
Seat 4: CntScoopula (5775 in chips)
Seat 8: Geltman (5390 in chips)
Seat 10: mgv2004 (3835 in chips)
CntScoopula: posts small blind 100
Geltman: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CntScoopula [Qh Ah]
mgv2004: raises 3635 to 3835 and is all-in
CntScoopula: raises 1940 to 5775 and is all-in
Geltman: folds
*** FLOP *** [Kh 6h Jh]
mgv2004 said, "gg"
*** TURN *** [Kh 6h Jh] [Qs]
CntScoopula said, "gg sir"
*** RIVER *** [Kh 6h Jh Qs] [Qd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CntScoopula: shows [Qh Ah] (a flush, Ace high)
mgv2004: shows [As 7s] (a pair of Queens)
CntScoopula collected 7870 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 7870 | Rake 0
Board [Kh 6h Jh Qs Qd]
Seat 4: CntScoopula (small blind) showed [Qh Ah] and won (7870) with a flush, Ace high
Seat 8: Geltman (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 10: mgv2004 (button) showed [As 7s] and lost with a pair of Queens


This gave me about a 2:1 chip lead on my opponent when we got heads up. He was fairly tight, so I planned on wearing him down slowly by picking up unwanted pots. That plan went to shit during the following hand, where I flopped the nut flush to beat his turned 2 pair.

PokerStars Game #5490433682: Tournament #27424913, $15+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round II, Level VI (100/200) - 2006/07/08 - 03:44:18 (ET)
Table '27424913 1' 10-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 4: CntScoopula (8910 in chips)
Seat 8: Geltman (6090 in chips)
Geltman: posts small blind 100
CntScoopula: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CntScoopula [3d Ad]
Geltman: calls 100
CntScoopula: checks
*** FLOP *** [4d Qd 8d]
CntScoopula: bets 200
Geltman: calls 200
*** TURN *** [4d Qd 8d] [9c]
CntScoopula: bets 400
Geltman: raises 800 to 1200
CntScoopula: raises 7310 to 8510 and is all-in
Geltman: calls 4490 and is all-in
*** RIVER *** [4d Qd 8d 9c] [Js]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CntScoopula: shows [3d Ad] (a flush, Ace high)
Geltman: shows [9s 4c] (two pair, Nines and Fours)
CntScoopula collected 12180 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 12180 | Rake 0
Board [4d Qd 8d 9c Js]
Seat 4: CntScoopula (big blind) showed [3d Ad] and won (12180) with a flush, Ace high
Seat 8: Geltman (button) (small blind) showed [9s 4c] and lost with two pair, Nines and Fours




So I ended up winning the W$650 seat to a WSOP main event satellite, which I obviously won't be playing. I currently have about W$840 in my account and I'm undecided on what I'm going to do with it. My options are these:

1) Sell the W$840 for something like $750. This would be a welcome addition to my bankroll, since I haven't been running too well recently.

2) Save the W$ for something else. It's too late for me to register for any of this year's WSOP event through pokerstars, so I could save it for next year or try to figure out something else to do with it. For instance, they once let people register for the weekly $1M tourney with W$. Maybe I could use it for something like that.


Ok, it's getting late and my rush is wearing off. My friend Clark is playing a $100,000 Gtd. tourney at one of the local casinos tomorrow morning/afternoon. I'm going to watch the Germany/Portugal game starting at about noon, but if Clark is still going strong after that I'm going to head out to the casino to cheer him on. Good luck Clark!