Sputter... Sputter....

Played about 2 and a half hours of 1/2 on two tables... And the results were mixed, to say the least. I killed on one table, and got killed on the other... Isn't that always the way it works?

Ended up +$16.75 for the day.

Some interesting stats:

The big loser hand of the day: KK

I got pocket Kings twice, and both times they fell... hard.

The first time, I get the Cowboys in middle position. It's folded to me and I raise it. Everyone folds to the SB, who calls. We're heads up when the flop comes KcJc7c. I've got the set, but wait... All clubs. I'm weary, but we're heads up, so the probability of him having just flopped the flush is tiny.. Isn't it?

He checks to me and I bet with confidence. He raises! Uh oh. No way! My mind starts going through what this could mean. Pair of kings? Representing the flush? He's sort of a loose/aggressive player, so it's possible he's making a play at me. I don't like the vibe I'm getting, so I call it down (can you really ever toss a set of kings on this).

Turn comes a 5d. He insta-bets. I stare at my Kings just KNOWING I'm behind at this point, but I HAVE to call this down. I toy with the idea of raising back at him, but I have Han Solo's voice in the back of my head saying "I've got a bad feeling about this". I call, praying the board pairs.

River is the 2h. No help for the Klingon. He insta-bets again and I make the crying call. He turns over 9c3c. I puke.

The other table gave me a KK shortly thereafter in the SB. An MP and LP caller and I raise the SB. BB and the two callers call the raise and we're 4 to the flop which comes 4c4hJh.

Now, I have a question here. Has anyone else noticed that when you hold pocket pairs in Party the board invariably pairs up? I gotta check the actual stats on this, but it seems like any time I'm holding a pocket pair, the board pairs on the flop! Coincidence? You make the call...

Anyway, back to the action. Fearing the set, I bet out to see where I am. BB calls and the others bow out of the action. Since I didn't get re-raised, I put BB on a flush draw.

Turn comes a 2h. My eyes roll to the back of my skull. Well, here's hoping he was sitting on a Jack! I bet, he calls. Hmmmm... Neither of my Kings are hearts, so I figure he's still fishing for something... But if not the heart draw, what's he still here for? Am I being set up?

River comes the 3d. Possible straight now. I bet, he raises. Crap. I got roped. I make the crying call to see him turn Ah9h for the turned nut flush. I puke.

The big winner of the day? The lovely Ladies!

Twice they showed up in my hand. The first time, I pick them up in the big blind. Two bettors and the SB completes. I make the mistake of not raising it here, and check trying to set up some rope-a-dope action... With queens. Don't say it.

Turn comes 9sAc4h. Oooof. Okay, well, I'd better at least represent here. Checked to me and I bet. Everyone folds and I rake the monster. Poorly played on all streets.

The second time I pick them up in middle position. Folds to the guy to my right and he raises. I re-raise and late middle position and a late position player cold call the two. Blinds fold it up and Guy To My Right calls the raise. 4 to the flop and 13.5 SB in the pot. We see a flop of 2hJsTh. Undercard city, but damned if there isn't 2 hearts out there... This is becoming a recurring theme! Guy-To-My-Right checks and I bet and it's called all the way around. We go to the turn with 8.5 BB in the pot.

Turn comes a 4d blank. I'm feeling pretty good about my Queens at this point. GTMR checks and I bet. LMP and LP finally call it quits and fold out and GTMR calls it down. I'm thinking another flush draw again, but he raised pre-flop, so he might have ace-face suited or something big.

River comes the 8d. No flush board, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Check-bet-call and he turns over Big Slick offsuit. I rake with the ladies and post a nice $16.50 earning.

The table I was getting smacked around on was alot of things that got out-drawn. Those Kings falling to the flush really set me back on that table, and I never fully recovered. I did rake a decent pot right on my last hand that helped a bunch, bringing me to only a $18 loss on that table.. I was down almost $30 before that last hand.

I poked my head into a $25 NL table for an orbit, but there was a ton of pre-flop raising there, so I decided I'd best wait for more passive folk before diving in there and bowed out $1.50 lighter.

I think part of my problem lately is I'm having a hard time trying to figure out when I have the proper odds to play things like middle suited connectors. Today's tables seemed a little tight to me, and so I avoided them and only played premium starting hands. I think that saved me from having a losing day today. These tables encouraged "pump or dump" sort of playing, and, though I was getting out drawn and smacked around, it was through no fault of my playing so far as I can tell. The time where my set of kings were doomed at the flop I knew pretty much by the turn I was in trouble, but I just couldn't throw away the Three Amigos. I take it I had the odds to check/call to the river hoping for a paired board, but that's sort of like hoping the train will stop before it hits you.