A little more exciting and a little less sustainable

It's Wednesday, April 16th, 2008.

I'm six tabling .10/.25 6 max. My strategy is to play tight - very tight - and aggressive. I'm looking for a big pair, or AK or to get in cheap with a small pair. I get kings with two callers so I pot the J84 flop. I pot the Q turn and make a thin river push for value on the 9 river. Since there was $22 in the pot and $13 in his stack I figured he would push any better hand on the river, but this is probably giving my opponent too much credit. He folded. The next hand at the same table I get AKs and raise but check through a 10102 flop 3 way and fold to the turn bet.

Two sick beats! I get JJ and raise $2 in the SB (8x) after 3 limpers. I get one caller and flop top set - I pot it and get the money in on the turn when he hits his flush. Then I get J7 in the BB, flop bottom two and bet the whole way, but get runner runner flushed by someone who called the flop with under cards and a backdoor flush draw - no gutshot. Then I get rivered by a straight after turning two pair - pot betting the whole way. Down to around $120 or so but i win a bunch of hands - AK where I two barrel after picking up the flush draw, KQs where I flop QJ9 in a three way reraised pot vs AJ and A8 where I squeeze my $4 stack against a min raiser and a caller - taking it down vs KJ unimproved, back to $150. A crazy session so far. I take out some shorty with KK and hit a few monsters that get no action - 99 that flops top set and another KK. Up to $157. I get AK in the BB and raise preflop but check fold the J65 flop. I flop a set in a 4 way pot 33 on a 396 board. It's checked to me so I pot it - $5 - and take it down. Next hand same table I get 1010 and raise a limper and take it down when I c-bet an A65 flop. Up to $160. Then I get KK and get limp reraised - I push and his 88 flops a set. Down to $136. Then I make some fishy reraises and stack off with 99 vs JJ and I'm down to $100 and playing 2/4 limit. 170 points left for my bonus.

First hand of 2/4 limit I play is AA in the BB. There's a late position raise and I three bet. The flop is J103 and we go three bets there and two on the turn when he raises me and I decide to just call and c/r a river low board pair. It doesn't come and his J10 is good - it was exactly what I put him on as well. Then I get QQ and cap preflop in a three way pot - I take it down despite the river ace - board was 10336A and I bet the whole way - one person folded the turn, he probably had the ace. The next hand I get Q9 in the BB and see a flop of QJ9 for free. I lead the flop and the turn and check call the 10 river - my opponent has J10 but this time MHIG. Then I get AJ and raise preflop - I hit the ace but am outflopped by el crappo bottom two 106, so I'm back to $96. Hopefully I've made some progress on the bonus. My opponents are aggressive and moderately loose and I am playing expertly, imho. I get 1010 and raise a limper. The flop comes great, 245 - I bet he calls and then check folds the 8 turn.

I moved up to 5/10 with around $100 - heads up. We both folded a hand, then I raised A8 and bet folded a KQx flop. He folds the next hand, I get 38s and raise, he three bets. I flop a flush draw and c/r it - he three bets and I call. I turn the flush and c/r again and bet the river. AA no good sir. Then I get AA and steal the blinds, lose with a crappy full house AQ on QQKK board - smallish pot, and win a monster with AA.

Up to $180 and around 150 points to go to clear this bonus, but playing 5/10 is a disturbing trend. 10 minutes until my ride arrives for soccer.