Thursday, June 09, 2011

A quick winning session

I played a short session, almost 2 hours in the end, at Northville Downs before Christina's rehearsal dinner. The hope was to make a small recovery from my brutal previous session. As I sat down, the guy directly to my right was shipping a big pot to the guy to my left, saying he didn't notice the flush draw getting there, or something to that effect. So my first hand I am in MP, and after one limper for 2, the guy to my right shoves for 42. I have AA and smooth call, and folds to the limper who calls (young early to mid 20's guy who I think I have seen before). Flop comes 544, and the limper checks blind to me. I bet 55 and he folds JJ face up. The board runs out with another 4 and I take the pot of about 125 for an early $80 profit.

A bit later, the tables have combined and there is a total maniac to my left. He has just lost a huge pot with AA v JJ where a J hit on the river, and he is fairly steamed. I limp in EP with QJo, and the maniac raises to 15, there are 3 callers and I call closing the action. Flop is QhQx8h, and I check, the maniac disappointingly checks, and the button (young fat guy who is friends with the young guy in the first hand) bets 20. Folds to me and I make a very small raise to 50, in an attempt to look as bluffy as possible, also because I think calling there screams strength. The maniac folds and the button calls. At this point I am slightly afraid that I am trailing, but I plan on making a large bet on any non heart turn. The turn is a black 6, and I put out a stack of 100 (he has 114 left). He tanks for 30 seconds or so and then shoves. I call, and the river is another 6. I table QJ and he shows JJ, to be drawing stone cold dead.

After losing a few hands with preflop raises and failed continuation bets, I play a hand where I end up in an interesting spot due to playing a hand in a manner unorthodox for me. After a few limpers I limp along with 99 (I had raised in a spot similar to this a few hands ago with TT, and folded on a AJ7 flop to the maniacs A2 and the young kids AJ). Surprisingly the maniac limps along instead of raising, and we see a flop 6-7 ways. Flop is 6d5x2d. After a few checks I elect to check, and the maniac bets 25 (has about 175 behind). Folds to Willard (old tight man who will call a lot of smaller bets with draws, and never bluffs) and he calls. I decide to call and see how the turn plays out. The turn is beautiful for me, as it's the 9h. Willard and I both check, and the maniac bets 60. Willard folds what I later find out is diamonds, which makes my decision a lot easier, and I shove for 150-160 now. The maniac asks me if I show if he folds and I shake my head no, and then he surprisingly mucks. He says "Two pair no good?" to which I reply "You didn't have 2 pair." He insists that he did, but I know better, as I have seen him call large bets with merely top pair already, and he definitely calls with 2 pair having invested half of his stack thus far.

A few hands later he busts out, and the table immediately becomes worse. At that point I get the text that everyone is on their way to dinner, so I cash out up slightly more than a buy-in. I wasn't totally satisfied with my play, but having a maniac directly to my left didn't allow me to play my normal game. But a win is a win and I will take it.

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