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I'm hoping that the attitude change is responsible for the win, rather than blind luck.  I suppose it doesn't matter, a win's a win.

I've heard the statement, "I'd rather be lucky than good," so many times in the past.  I was about to say it when I'm small blind limping with 93 off-suit cuz everyone else folded.  Donny checked his option & I think I can bluff at the right flop.  I flop two pair, check, and Donny bets a couple hundred.  I feign confusion and smooth call thinking he's gonna go hog wild on the turn.  An Ace turns and we check,   I'm was wrong about him betting- he's trapping.  I know it could give him a chance to catch up but I'm thinking I get up early in the game, I could bully my way to the end.  I'm putting him on an Ace Queen suited. there's no possibility of a flush or straight, he could have a set, but I seriously doubt it.  He could have a bigger two pair, but I don't think his kicker is paired. 

The river is a brick, or seems to be and Donny checks.  I bet 500 thinking he's gonna raise.  He raises another thousand and I'm calling right away.  I got him on a pair of Aces but conclude that he could possibly have the weak Ace rather than the strong Ace, but I really don't think so.  When I call, he's verbally conceding the hand saying, "I gotta see it."  I throw the Two pair over and he's pretty angry,  "I had you preflop," and, "9,3 off?"

I'm thinking that had he simply raised pre-flop with that Ace King, he would've taken the pot right there- and, if he''d have just laid down his pair of Aces, he'd have saved a crap load of change, but Aces just look so pretty!

I think he had decided to slow-play the hand thinking he could make a large pot with the right flop and that's where his plan ended.  He paired and kept the trap going.  He thought that he got lucky when his Ace hit and it never occurred to him that a pair of Aces was never in the lead with that board.  The question here is,  Is a pair of Aces, with no straight or flush possible, good enough to play for half your stack?  I guess that depends on your opponent, how well you are at re-playing the hand in your mind, your position and what your opponent has done. 

I'd like to think that I sold him my weakness when I "struggled" with his bet post flop when he hadn't made a hand yet.  I guess I got lucky he didn't have a weaker Ace, I guess I got lucky he didn't raise pre-flop.......I'd guess I'd rather be lucky AND good!

It was a dark & stormy night...NO, it was a night I used my wits to outplay my opponents, well almost all of them!  Denny & I tangled again, heads-up, for the league lead.  He outplayed me again this week with superior skill.  My thinking this week was to play absolutely great poker.  Play tight, advertise less, send deliberate, funky tells, and only bluff at valuable pots. 

I started out very well, slowly increasing my stack.  Ran into a few problems in the middle of the game but refused to lose confidence.  My goal was to take down the bounty and win the game, keeping track of the Bounty's chip stack.  After half an hour of all-ins Denny took the bounty as my hand was too weak to play. 

Another half hour and it's heads-up.  We fight back and forth for a good bit and I'm up hoping that I am able to get the better of the situation.  My hi-hand has held up so far and I can't let this get away from me.  Denny raises his big blind and I raise half my chips with AK suited- Denny beats me into the pot.  I bet the flop, all-in, having made top pair-  Denny's flush destroys me!  I had him covered.  A few hands later my desperate pocket ducks drown.

I'm pleased only in the sense that I played extremely well, earned points for hi-hand, and second place.  I simply need to concentrate on those things that will make me have the better hand and odds of winning the pot if called. If luck runs bad, it runs bad.  I'll just try to make sound and timely decisions.

I've lately been frustrated at the tables.  As one who respects the guys who take a "bad beat" with dignity, it's difficult to write when I'm unhappy.  For this I apologize.  I will write as often as is possible, or practical, win or lose.  No more 5 weeks off.

The colloquial term "variance" as it's used by poker players, simply put, means "luck," or more precisely, BAD LUCK!  A few years ago, while playing in the Iowa County Poker Club's league game, I had a run of ass-kickings that was incredible.  No matter how I played Pocket Aces- Limp, Preflop Raise, Check Raise, Trap, three or four bet,  I lost thirteen times in a row.  This is verified by witnesses who were there as each hand occurred.  Somehow I lost every hand.  Now that was clearly BAD LUCK and, I suppose, good reason to pout. But I didn't

Lately, I've been acting like I should win when I'm ahead, expressing my anger when I get the second nut hand after hand and tourney after tourney.  It's like I feel that the "percentage fairies" should be on my side, just 'cuz I play "right."  Well, the fact is that the odds are the same every time no matter the players involved.  Expressing anger only does one thing- shows your opponent that you're weak, emotional, and tilting.          

Last week, I was taken out by a guy who usually plays with an awkward style.  He's an Ace every time I've pocket kings and he calls after I raise, and he pairs his Ace.  Wednesday he Kicked my ass with a well-played set of Q's and rather that get angry, I told him that it was a helluva play, because it was.  I played poorly! 

If I can do anything to improve my game, it's gonna be to better control my behavior, and the manner I express my anger.  How unnerving would it be to other players to show zero emotion after getting rivered on a one-outer for half your chips.  That rock is unreadable!  New goal.

The chances of being dealt 83offsuit three hands in a row?  I don't know, don't care, but that's what happened.  At least I didn't get into trouble with them.  (Got 93 six times in an hour, should play baseball later in the cash game.) 

I DID get into trouble with AA, AK, JJ, & KT- losing with each after raising pre-flop.  That's the danger of playing poker.  My opponent calls the huge preflop raise with Ace Rag, mixing up his play, and woke up with the nut straight AND nut four-flush.  At least I got away from it.  Why keep playing?  Because next hand is just a deal away and that same guy's gonna try to run a bluff with Ace high drawing dead. 

I played well last night, but lost.  Simple as that.  I made a few minor mistakes and wasn't punished too hard for them.  I folded so many losing monsters that I actually felt good about it, if that makes any sense.  Why does the victory laydown have to be one of my better plays? Why does it seem that statistical anomalies are always against me  LOL at myself, again.    

Still sitting at the top of the standings, I lead Tuffy by four points. He lost, too, after raising with pocket tens, checking the turn, knowing that Terry calls ANY bet with that Ace...  ad nauseum.

Second game finds me heads-up with Terry, The blinds increase every fifteen minutes and I've a 5 to 1 chip lead.  I'm thinking: solid poker, don't get cute.  That works great! (sarcasm alert.)  We trade chips for ten minutes, then I've AK suited.  He's dealing, first to act, and all-in.  I snap-call and his J6 off-suit boat the flop. He's doubled but I'm confident that won't happen again. Jack Six?

The next fifteen minutes see the blinds increase to 500/1000 and his chipstack dwindles, again.  Fine by me, he'll get desperate and try that J6 crap again.  He does!  I catch him, and he's flop-runner-runner to a spade flush to my pocket Queens and I'm Superfly T.N.T. on brain detail.

Okay, patience.  He's only doubled again, but still on a morphine drip.  Long story short---  this goes on for another half an hour, his stack shrinks, he goes all-in and rivers again.  That, I'm thinking, is the end of his luck.  Two hands later, I've got him TT against 99 pre-flop all-in.  The Tens hold up and it's over. Garçon!

Tuffy wins another and takes out the bounty to boot.  No, I wasn't looking at his footwear, I was looking at his ACES bust my KINGS.  No crazy suck-outs or fishy mistakes to report this week. The better hand wins and that's poker and other poker clichés force me to blog between games.  Ha! At least my hi-hand, aces full,  holds up for an extra point.

Solid play from everyone and hard-fought heads-up play find Tuffy and Denny both earning League Points.  I'm still in the lead, but barely.  Just four points separate Tuffy and me, with Denny a couple wins behind that.  I think that Tuffy is at the top of his game, focused in on nothing short of his ultimate goal: A satchel holding the 2010 Champ's Trophy .  Come and get it, friend-o!

Wednesday afternoon the club was informed that “Silent” Bob Kleinschmidt, our 2007 ICPC Champion, had passed away earlier in the week.  I was fortunate to have played against him- he was a heck of a player and a no-nonsense straight shooter.  He was also the least excitable person I can recall ever knowing.  

Having played him heads-up so many times, I am qualified to say that he was gracious whether  his hand won or lost.  I can also say that I’ve been victim of one of his bad beats- being a man of few words, he’d never apologize but you could see it in his eyes that he was not happy about winning in a way he considered less than square.  

Bob was a man who had a certain kind of quiet grace.  We collectively would like to say to him and all who new knew him, “Well played, Sir.”

When playing against the same ten or twelve players week-in, week-out, you’d think it’d be easy to determine an opponents tendencies and steer well clear of them.  Very easy, right?  Not last night!

I know Terry’s a trapper, and dang if I didn’t watch him set one on me time after time last night.  The first one comes half an hour into the game, the blinds are not yet increased.  Terry, Donny, and I take a flop- Terry’s not played a hand yet, Donny’s been raising every other hand, and I’ve played and won about four hands.  I’m holding a suited Q in the big blind.  Ace rainbow flop- checkfest.  The turn’s garbage- another round of checks.  The river is a Q.  I know that Terry always checks his Ace to the river but I can’t help myself.  I bet a couple hundred into him… he raises another couple. Donny folds and I’m sitting there angry at myself for betting the river, knowing damn well he’s got the Ace.  I call to see it, and he takes it down.

Now I think I’m gonna get cute, use this against him later!  Long story short, he used the play against me twice more and closes the game out the same way.  Two hours later, we’ve been heads-up for a good 15 minutes and he’s got me covered two-to-one.  I’ve a QJ, off-suite, dealing. A healthy raise might make him give up his big blind.  But he sits there for a few moments thinking and then raises all-in.

I don’t think he’s an Ace because he hasn’t raised pre-flop with it yet.  I’ve seen him make this play with 89 suited or worse more times than I can remember.  I think he’s getting impatient.  I know that it’s all of my chips, but I am convinced that I’ve got him.  I call.  He throws over a weak Ace.  I’ve live cards and he’s only one over card, not bad, but I can’t improve.  I just donked off  everything on a hunch.

I’m convinced that I can, and will, use this information in the future.  My play here was  certainly substandard, but if I don’t learn by my mistakes, I may as well just show up, surrender my entry fee, and go sit at the bar.  Next week, I’ll spring the trap.
 

After winning the first hand on a busted straight and flush draw bluff against Terry, I decide that tight play isn't gonna win me any games today.  Funny, I start by folding junk, as required, but when I've anything, suited, connected, any pair or any ace, I play hyper-aggressive.  Everyone has me as a maniac bastard, anyway, I might as well change gears and really go there.

Tuffy's sitting to my right, playing tight, and he's getting impatient.  I can hear him expressing disgust with his cards as he continues to fold, fold & fold.  He's under the gun and raises 400 with what I hope is a AK or AQ.  I've JTsuited and I smooth call.  Kirk calls, too   The flop is absolute garbage with an 8 high rainbow.  Tuffy bets another 400 more, quickly, like he's got a hand. I decide to just sit there for a good 30 seconds playing with my chips, counting them up, setting them aside to see what I have left.  My intent is to Raise all-in, he's not yet pot committed, and I don't think he's hit the flop, plus he can't call with a crappy little pair or even a good Ace.  I look at Kirk and he's holding his cards palm up, like he's waiting for me to act, telling me he's gonna fold. I'm thinking I can't let Tuffy draw a free card on the turn to match his Ace or hit a set, it's now or it's not gonna happen.  Last week, Tuffy was out first having the nut full house destroyed by a royal flush, early, and I know he wants to play longer this week.  Okay, I put him on a decision-  I raise, all-in. After a few minutes, he folds.

That pot puts me in the chip lead, which I keep for the rest of the game.  In the end, I take out Kirk with a big Ace against his 27 suited, I suppose he thought they'd at least be live & suited, what the heck.  My Ace pairs and it's over.  Still leading the points.

This week was exciting and fun as players are ejected early!

Two hands into the game we have a head-to-head battle with monster hands. Tuffy flops top two, Q's & T's, and Terry Flops broadway, a flush draw, and a royal draw.  Bets, raises, and re-raises fly.  The Ten of spades river makes Tuffy's nut full house, Queens full of Tens and Terry's Royal With Cheese.  Terry bets, Tuffy raises, Terry Re-raises all-in and Tuffy calls-  It's over.  Second hand in and we're down a player and another's doubled-up.  The only consolation is, I suppose, if you're gonna lose, at least it's to the best hand in poker & everyone at the table would've played it the same way- NO exceptions.  That hand was destined for danger.

Last year we had Three Royal Flushes all go to Denny early in the year, I sure hope they don't all go to Terry this year! An interesting aside:  I was watching episode six, season six of GSN's High Stakes Poker in a hand where Daniel Negreanu turns a straight flush, he remarks that he's never made a royal.  I find that interesting with all the Royal Flushes we see year-in, year-out in our little bitty game!


Back to the game.  The Dealer's gifting me great fold cards & I'm happy with that, if I can't get great cards, garbage is good.  Folding three circuits around the table is NOT my idea of fun, but it'll get you into no trouble.  The saving grace part-  I would've won no hands I folded.  I finally check to see how warm the water is with a limpy KT suited only to get raised by the big blind. I called only so as not to appear too weak hoping to hit a nice flop I could play.  I flop air & check-fold.  I crawl back into my shell and wait.

The blinds continue to increase and I've gotta get aggressive.  I make a suited Ace and raise big out of position and take it.  First win, finally.  The next hand is the same, Hey, Mikey's on a rush.
From here on in, I'm playing everything aggressive.  I've convinced everyone that I am not messing around and stuck to the premiums.  with my hands starting to fire on all cylinders, these guys are right, I'm hitting and they're folding.  There was no single hand this week that made an impression on the game, it was just solid poker, nothing flashy like everyone else!

I was the  winner last week and I wanted desperately to have a nice back-to-backer.  The Trifecta was out of the question as Terry locked up high-hand with his royal, but I could still fight for the bounty and win.  After the others drop It's heads-up, Denny and me.  The cards were running cold and I was folding more than I like to heads-up, but it couldn't be avoided.  I thought I'd lay back and wait for a decent hand so I take a few more stabs at limping only to get smacked down.  I win a few here and there, and even trap him a few times, but Denny's on top of his game & calling the shots.  Last hand I try to get cute, He's checking top pair, using my aggression against me, and I'm all-in straight into his Kings with my silly little pair of sixes.  Insta-call, no sweat cards and it's over.  I couldn't have played that hand worse.

I climb back atop the League Standings, I guess a second is better than Bubble! 

 

This is as patient as I've EVER been.  It's an hour into play and I've only had two small pair and I'm  calm & attentive.  It's St. Patrick's Day and I'm not wearing a stitch of green-  good thing I'm not in the least bit superstitious, even about apricots!  (Marines & Apricots don't mix, no kidding, ask later.) 
 
T-Bone is stepping out of his comfort zone a bit tonight, looking more aggressive than usual.  He's "raise 'n take it" every third hand and seems to be enjoying it.  Tuffy's folding more than usual; Bob's not played a hand in four circuits around the table; and Denny's getting his usual ass-kicking with what seems like second best every other hand.  Donny's playing more aggressive pre-flop and then folding when re-raised. Wonder if he was sitting at the bar before the game!!?

My first interesting hand: Sitting on Big Blind with pocket Kings, and rather than lose with 'em, like last week, I raise a healthy three x the pot and get a smooth-call from Donny, sitting on my left.  I'm guessing he's a Suited Ace, like A9 or AT, otherwise, I think he raises me.  If he hits the Ace on the flop I can just check fold.  The flop's A, K, Brick, and I'm thinking hold on here-  if I check, so will he, thinking he's got me in a trap- but I'll miss a bet, and we can't have that!  I decide to act strong instead of weak, and bet into him.  He's usually hyper-aggressive with top pair, and I'm hoping he raises me big. I bet the pot and he raises, like I thought he would and I act surprized like I wasn't expecting a raise.  I ask him if he hit his Ace and when he doesn't say anything, I just call.

The turn is a trey, I check and he's now certain he's got me. He bet half his chips and I figure he's got to have Aces Up.  He's pot committed- I raise him the rest of his chips expecting a certain insta-call.  After ten seconds, he slides his cards under the muck.  Nice Pot.

I pick up a few hands here and there and an hour later, and a couple players fewer, I pick up an A7 suited.  I make it 800 and T-Bone calls in the Big Blind. This guy has been killing everyone at the table with A4 for weeks, somehow drawing the river every time.  His two pair have been putting guys out left & right and I think if I play it right I can eat his lunch tonight. The flop is A82 and I bet a tiny 500 hoping he comes along. Out of nowhere comes the All-in bet.  Wow, I was NOT expecting that.  I have him covered- but it'll leave me with less than a thousand chips & crippled.  He knows that I have him on an Ace.  I've folded in disgust a hundred times to this guy knowing he has the Ace.  My immediate instinct- he's got me outkicked with AK, or even worse, He's playing his usual Ace rag and hit Aces & Deuces. 

Thinking back to earlier in the game, I know he was bluffing a lot of those pots.  This guy is unable to lay down an Ace and he knows we know this.  He's either on another bluff, or he's a weak Ace-  I call.  He hates to show his cards first when he is unsure of his hand and this, in and of itself, tells me I've got him.  He lays down K8... middle pair.  My A7 holds up without a sweat card.  I'm nearly doubled up & chip leader.

After a longer than usual game, Tuffy and I are heads up.  He won last week, so he's the bounty. Earlier, Tuffy hit Quad Kings for what's certainly gonna hold up as high hand. If he wins, he claims the the Win, The Bounty, & High-hand, for the Tri-fecta!

First hand heads up I wake up with AQ to Tuffy raising 2000 out of the small blind.  He wants to set the tone.  I decide to get aggressive and put him on a big decision, I announce a 5000 re-raise before he's placed his bet.  After a counting his chips, (I think he's stalling but who knows!?) and a few seconds to think, he folds.  We trade back and forth a few hands, and I'm getting the upper hand most of it.  After a good fifteen minutes, I catch an Ace Ten suited and Tuffy rasies me all-in with a few thousand chips. I call and he's the weaker Ace.  Neither of us pair the board and it's over.  He had to make a move and I called, simple as that.

It's been a long game, and thinking back over the hands, it was a well-played game.  Lots & lots of very close hands.  Tuffy's hand against Donny with the Quad K's was the best played hand of the night, with Tuffy taking Donny out for a Monster pot relatively early.  I RETAKE the League lead by a few points and deny Tuffy the coveted Tri-fecta, Back-to-Back wins, and the Top Spot.  Cannot wait for next week!