Profitable Holiday

I put my new attitude to the test and it held up. I was clear headed, patient, and not expecting a fortune.

I went up the the El Dorado in Reno Wednesday night to get sushi and play some low limit holdem. The sushi bar was closed on Wednesday so I went straight to poker. The 3/6 table was full so I sat in a 1/2 NL game. I had watched Ed Millers new video on Stox Poker so I sat with his advice in mind.

I wasn't catching cards and then a very aggressive and good player sat down. He started to run over the table from the start so I called with a good hand but missed the flop and had to fold. My name was called for the 3/6 and since this game was loosing players and lost its passive feel I said to lock it up. I played until my blind and manage to win a hand that put me up $20 before I left.

My sandwich came as I moved to the 3/6 so I was eating instead of paying attention at the beginning. After I was done I did win a few pots but wasn't catching cards and slowly leaking chips. In the mean time they started a new 1/2 NL and it looked to good to pass up so I asked for a seat and was moved right away.

The new table was as passive as I had thought. Everyone would limp and then fold if they missed the flop or pay off the most obvious hands. I was splashing around loosing chips when I was dealt AQs in the small blind. Several limpers and the I raised in the SB. Everyone folded to the button, who called, and we where heads up to the flop.

The button was a Chinese girl that just reloaded after calling progressively larger bets, including the river, with AA on a 3 flush board. She had the nut flush draw but you don't CALL all in on the river when you miss. This gave me a fishy read so I thought I could push her around, hoping she would be gun shy after the last hand.

The flop came 10 high with only one of my suit. I have to admit I was frustrated at not catching cards to this point, along with my read, so I pushed for my remaining $70. She thought for a short time and called showing QQ. I thought I was going home but I got runner runner to a straight and doubled up. This was total luck on my part but it was the confidence boost I needed. After this hand I went on a big run.

Like I said before, this was a passive game so I started to raise and bet. I would raise $10 preflop and 6 people would fold. I know this isn't a big pot but it was free money. If they did call they would fold to a C-bet on the flop. The gravy was when I would hit the flop and they would pay me off. I was up $250 before 2aggressive guys came to the table and I had to back off. I was getting ready to leave when this hand came up.

I don't remember exactly how it went down but I was heads up in a raised pot with top two on a draw heavy board. On the flop I was facing a big bet and a tough decision. There was a flush draw and a possible straight on the board and I had watched this guy play a straight this way earlier in the night. After his bet he only had $120 left and this would have put me back to even. I figured all the money was going in and I still had outs if he had the straight. If he was on a flush draw there was fold equity on top. He is a dealer so I figured the money meant alot to him and he would protect it. I pushed and he called quickly. I asked if he had the straight but he didn't say anything which was the same as saying no. It was two blanks and I was up $500.

I stayed with my new confidence when I got into a pot with the Chinese girl again. I limped in from the button with 34o. The flop was 524. There was a small bet that I called and we were heads up to the turn. The turn was an A to give me the wheel. I put her on A rag so when she bet $20 I raised it to $60. She pushed quickly so I called figuring I was pot committed and would split the pot. She turned up the 63 for the nuts and I was sick.

I took the hint this time and played tightly to my blind and racked up my $300 profit. Not bad but avoidable. I should have just called her down and probably would have saved alot. I never ruled out 63 but I let my rush go to my head.

Turkey day was even more profitable. I met two friends at the Grand Sierra for the Turkey buffet. I had the normal turkey and fixins and enjoyed the company. With no clean up we sat a talked, ate a leisurely desert, and drank coffee. Very enjoyable. We were stuffed so we walked around down stairs by the shops for some exercise. None of us had walked the entire area so I forced us to do it and found some new shops we didn't know where there. After wards they were going to a friends house so I went up to the poker room.

There was only a 4/8 game going but it was full with lots of chips and action. I waited alittle for a seat but not long. My plan was to play ABC poker and get paid off. It was a slow start, folding for like the first 40 mins. I was amazed at what was winning and how the guy next to me was sucking out hard for big pots. The players started complaining that this game was all luck and I just chuckled while licking my lips.

I limped on the button with Q7s, my favorite hand, and flopped a flush draw. I bet the flush draw and 5 called. The board paired aces and it was checked around. The river was the flush and someone bet. I only called fearing a ragged fullhouse but I won. This gave me a tight table image and the vocal Chinese lady I just beat let everyone know it. This helped me out when I flopped top pair with a OESD and raised. She muttered that the last time I raised I had it so she and 3 others folded. Q on the turn but I bet and only got one caller. The river was another Q and since I didn't get raised on the turn I bet again and he folded. With those two hands I was up $100.

Then I got lucky again in a 1/2 Kill pot. I called with 22 from the SB and flopped quads. It was checked around but I bet the turn and everyone folded. I was hoping for one call but O'well. They give bonuses for everything so I flipped it over and asked if there was a bonus. Turns out they are progressive bonuses and since it wasn't hit for awhile I got $198. Up $300 just like that.

I was just thinking that I didn't get many pocket pairs when I was dealt AA. There was an early raise and re-raise so I 3-bet to get out the others. They would call 2 bets but not 3. I was giving up my hand but I said I was going to play ABC poker and you don't slow play. The raisers called me all the way down and I took a nice pot. I won another small pot and racked up $426 profit in a 3 hr session. Even without the bonus it was a good session. $226 in 3 hrs at 4/8 is dam good.

Up $700 in two nights is a great start. I am going to try to add to it this weekend but I don't expect to make as much. You can't hit bonuses every time. For now I am keeping with the same strategy, ABC poker at low stakes with short sessions. If it goes well I will have a nice little bankroll when the Winter tournaments come around Dec. 7. I plan on taking a buy in and jumping up to my old stakes. I will be under bankrolled but not over matched.