Hanging In

"where are we going?"
"where they went."
"well, what if they went nowhere?"
"then this'll be your chance to get away from it all!" -- Dr. McCoy and Capt. Kirk - Star Trek II

After a few adjustments to the game, it would appear I might be meeting initially with some measure of success again. Taking a look at the information provided to me by PokerTracker, it seems I was making some rather loose decisions with starting hands, which were putting me in bad positions on later streets.

What with me now working the ultra-low limits I can't depend on the players I'm playing with to understand or care about how I play the hand, so the concentration must be on the statistical and not the implied. What sucks is, if I ever DO get out of the low limit arena, I will need to re-tool back to better play.

But I think I'm getting ahead of myself. First I need to get in a position to be able to play at a higher limit. Even though I had a very good night last night, I'm still far and away from even getting back to .50/1 tables. After an hour and 15 minutes of work at a 10 seat .25/.50 limit game, I walked off with +$15, a rate of +24BB/hr. The lion's share of that profit came from two hands right near the end of the session.. Prior to that, I'd been floating around plus or minus 5BB or so, taking stabs, missing, occasionally raking the meager pot. Then this happens...

I'm in middle position, and get dealt AsAh. Now already, my heart is sinking.

Lately, AA is been like that beautiful girl in high school. Even though you have no business being with the likes of her, you take the chance and to your surprise, she sort of takes a liking to you. You chat after school sometimes, trade smiles in the hallway. You think she really likes you and you're getting somewhere. Then one day you find her and the varsity quarterback feeling each other up near the lunch room and you come to the realization that she was only taking pity on you.

Okay, okay.. so anyway, 3 folds and I'm first to bet. Clinching my teeth, I shove out the obligatory raise and wait to see the rest of the table call me down. Remarkably, only the guy to my left and the BB stick it out, and we're three handed to the flop, which comes down 9s8hAc. Normally I'd be dancing a jig, but remember, AA has traditionally been the kiss of death for me. BB is first to act and he checks. No ace there, I'm figuring, so I bet out. Guy to my left folds and I'm heads up with BB who calls. Turn comes a 3d, and now I'm starting to feel pretty good about being me. Only a miracle will save him now, but to my astonishment, he bets. Somewhat perplexed but having an almost 98% chance of holding the winner, I confidently raise. He re-raises and I start grinning, thinking either he holds the case ace, or he has two pair. I cap and he calls. A 5s falls on the river and BB comes out firing again. We cap off the river and I show my trip Aces. He turns over 9d9c for the trip 9's also made on the flop and I drag a very nice pot.

Next hand. I'm dealt AdJs, 5 from the button in early-middle position. Folded around to me and I put out a feeler bet. 5 guys go with me to the flop, including the table gamboooler, who is 2 from the button. Flop is Jh9h5c, giving me top pair. Not too bad, but we are 5 handed, so anything is out there. SB checks, BB bets with what could be anything. I have top pair at the moment, so I raise to see if I can't scare off chasers (yeah, right). Guy to my left cold calls the raise and the BB calls. 3 handed to the turn which is a beautiful Jc. Boom. Now BB checks. I put out the bet, thinking BB is chasing the flush. Guy to my left folds out, BB calls. River is an even more beautiful 9s and a sailing boat. BB checks again and I put out the bet expecting to end it here. Remarkably, he raises. I can't imagine what he has, but unless he has a pair of nines I have the stony cold nuts, so I re-raise. He caps and we go to the showdown, where I turn over my Jacks full boat. He turns over 9c8h and the 9's full and I dance a jig. He wasn't chasing at all, he for some odd reason thought his second pair was good. In the words of John Spicolli, "gnarly"!

A couple more hands saw me grab a few more BB and I went off the bed instantly feeling better about being me. Again, not out of the woods yet, so to speak, with the bank a little under $30, but from a low of less then $5 a few days ago, I'm cautiously optimistic that maybe I've turned the corner.