I left work last night with a very strong urge to get in my car and drive straight to a casino. I'm a compulsive gambler. I've admitted it many times. I also have a certain amount of discipline, and that discipline led me home instead.
I got up this morning, and that urge to drive to the casino was mostly gone. Frankly, my big expenditure for this month happened last weekend for Bradoween, and I didn't want to dip into my bank account again. The urge to gamble wasn't gone, however, and that led me to Planet Poker.
I sat down at about 5:30pm with $80 at the $2/$4 Limit Hold 'Em table. I'm not a huge fan of limit, but I need more practice before I head to the casino. There aren't any NL tables at the little cajun casinos that I plan to visit.
Early on, I wasn't seeing great cards, but I was winning enough hands to keep me about even. In fact, I was actually up a few bucks despite seeing no premium hands.
Then it happened, about an hour into the session. The cards were falling, and they were falling my way.
My first big hand really should have sent the rest of the table a message. I'm dealt 9-10 of diamonds UTG, and I call. There are four callers behind me, the SB completes and the BB checks. Seven of us see a Ts-Jd-7d flop.
Hmmm... middle pair, flush draw, gutshot straight draw, and ecstasy if an 8 of diamonds comes. It's checked to me and I bet out. Five players call, none raise. The turn is the 4h.
That doesn't do a damn thing for me. I bet anyway and get 4 callers. Wonder why no one is raising? The river is magic, the 8 of diamonds.
The SB bets!!! Must have the flush. I raise, the three behind me fold and the SB calls. Damn, must not have the Ace. I show my straight flush and he mucks K-3 of diamonds. After the rake, the final pot is $59. I make a whopping $43 on that hand alone.
A few minutes later, I'm dealt American Airlines in the SB. Obviously, it's my favorite NL hand, but in limit poker, I have a tendency to over play it. I'm just hoping for an ugly flop. There's one caller, I raise, the BB calls, and the original caller calls. Three of us see a flop.
Unfortunately, it's not a bunch of rags. Fortunately, it's J-A-A. I wonder had I been at a real table if I would have let out some kind of sound. I check, the BB bets, and I'm the only caller. The turn is another J.
At this point, I'm praying he's got a pair of J's, or at least one of them. I check again, and he bets. I call. I don't want to scare him away if he's trying to buy the pot. I want him to catch a hand! The river is a harmless 2.
By now, it's time to bet. Pot odds dictate a call from him no matter what he's got. Amazingly, he raises me! Maybe he does have a J. I re-raise, and he just calls. I almost feel sorry for him when he flips 7-2 suited. Had it been the HAMMER, I'd have given him a little credit. This pot is $46 and I make another $24 profit.
From there, I got more normal hands. In this case, I'm under the button when I get wired 8's. It's raised in front of me, but I call anyway. The SB also calls. Three of us see a 8-9-9 flop.
Bingo! Sometimes poker is easy. There's a bet in front of me, and I just call. The SB had checked and I want him around for the turn. He calls, too. The turn is a 10.
Beautiful! I hope someone is playing the straight. This time SB bets, it's called, and I raise. Both players call my raise. The river is the 6 of diamonds, the third diamond.
Marvelous! Maybe someone is playing the flush! Sure, there are hands out there that beat me. The straight flush, a better boat or quad nines, but I'm not worried. It's checked to me, I bet and just the SB calls. He flips over Q-J for the straight. Tough luck for him. He's the same guy I killed with my quad A's, maybe he was looking for revenge. It's a $50 pot and a $32 profit.
Next up, pocket T's in the BB. There are two callers and the SB completes. I simply check. The flop is 4-T-7 rainbow.
I love this game. The SB bets, I raise and he calls. The turn is a Q. I'm not worried, there's no straight on the table and no flush. He checks, I bet, he calls. The river is a K that not only puts a straight on the table, but a flush. I figure if he's playing either of those hands, he's an idiot.
He checks, I bet and he calls. Apparently he thought his T-6 might be best. This is just a $31 pot with a $17 profit.
The very next hand, I'm dealt A4 suited in the SB and I'm feeling frisky. It's raised in front of me, the button calls, and I call as well. Three of us see an A-A-2 flop.
With only 6 players at the table right now, I gotta figure I'm in good shape, despite the little kicker. Only the original raiser scares me. He checks, the BB bets, I raise, the other guy folds and the button calls. The turn is a 10.
The button doesn't scare me in the least. And when I bet, he quickly folds. I never got to see what he had. It was a tidy $21 pot with a $13 profit.
The next time I'm the SB, I get pocket 7's. There are two callers, I complete and the BB checks. The flop is J-7-5. I'm not sure when I've flopped so many sets.
I'm in a slow playing mood, not sure why. I check and the last guy in the round finally bets (phew!). I call and one other player calls. The turn is an Ace. That's good news for me.
I check again, the original bettor bets, I raise and he calls. The other guy wisely gets out of the hand. The river is a deuce. Only a few hands beat me at this point: 3-4, J-J or A-A. I bet out and he calls, showing me a measly J-6. This $37 pot means a $21 profit.
This next hand didn't bring me much of a profit, but it was indicative of the night. I'm dealt AJo in early position and I raise. Only the BB calls. The flop is K-Q-T. I've got the nuts. He checks, I check. The turn is a 5. He checks, I bet, he calls. The river is another T. I guess if he's got the boat, I deserve what I get. He checks, I bet, he folds. I'll never know what he had.
The last big hand of the night was my second most profitable of the session, behind just the straight flush. I'm dealt A-7 of diamonds in middle position (diamonds again!). I call, it's raised, the BB raises again, and four of us see the flop of Qd-8d-Ks.
With that much money in the pot, I'm in this to the river. It's bet in front of me, I call, it's raised and we all call. Four are still in when the deuce of diamonds comes on the turn.
Glad I didn't have to wait for the river! It's checked to me, I check and the big raiser at the table bets. I raise him and he calls me. The turn is another Q. Again, if he's got a boat, oh well. I bet and he calls with just Big Slick. This $62 pot brought me a $40 profit.
At 7:30pm, I left the table with $244. That's a $164 profit in just 2 hours. That's 20 big bets an hour! And if you add up the profit I made on just these big hands, that means the rest of the hands played cost me just $9. Does it get any better than that!?!