Lots to write about

So, I haven't posted in a week, and there's been 3 sessions to talk about. First off, Hall's game on Tuesday.

Tuesday being a very special night and all, my birthday, since Karen isn't around, what better way than to play cards all night? So, I go to the first tournament of the night, and this is the last one to accumulate points for the freeroll which will take place in a couple weeks. I get cold decked the whole time, and miss all of my flops with good starting hands. I finally get all my chips in with AK and get called by AK and 88. An 8 on the turn sends the birthday boy home to watch "The Passion of the Jew" and other religion based South Park episodes. I get a call during the last episode from Phil to let me know there's a 10/20 game in Lindenhurst. I say it's too much for me, and I'll see him tomorrow at Eddie's. Back to Hall's I go for a 2nd shot at the tournament.

I run pretty smoothly and finish up chopping heads up against Big Daddy again. Someone gets the idea that it's time for a cash game, and it being 2AM, I'm not going home, so I oblige. 5 handed, everyone buys in for like 10 bux (I buy in for $16 to get rid of my singles) and we play .25/.50 NL. I call a preflop raise in the small blind with AA and the flop comes K high. I check call, then check raise the turn, which sets him all in. Raiser has AK, and I take the pot. Eventually players were buying chips from me, and I soon had $60 underneath my $35 or so in chips.

UTG I raise with 88. (Typical pre-flop raises were to around 1.25, 1.50) 3 callers and the flop comes 8s6s3d. I bet 3.00 and get raised to 6 by Maltese. Honestly, this is the situation I have been waiting for all night. Getting raised with top set and nut hand right now is a dream come true. Now, in his defense I did get caught playing with garbage a few times that night, but that's why this play worked so well. So, it's $3 back to me, and I reraise, and take a $10 bill out from under my stack and make it $13. Perhaps this was a poor raise as he doesn't usually push a draw so hard. I found out later that 2 people in the hand had made 2 pair on that flop. Wow, if the board had paired, it would only have been a better birthday.

One other hand. I got 3d6d the BB and the flop came Kd4s5h. I was into betting my draws in the cash game as it was very profitable. Pushing my pot equity edge right ditty? Turn brought the 10d giving me 9 extra outs and Maltese bet strongly, but way not enough for me to fold. 2h on the river for another nice pot. My $16 buy in found it's way up to a $115 cash out. Combined with the 2nd tournmaent chop it put me ahead $115 for the night. Only at Hall's.