The Big One

I am happy to report that last night I had my biggest single winning session ever. What makes it even better is that I almost had to quit because I was dangerously close to my loss limit.

Our story starts with a logon to Party Poker and no tables to play. Everything was full so I had to go the “beggars can’t be choosers” route and put my name on the waiting list. A few minutes later I was able to join a table that featured a lot of tight players. I settled into my chair expecting a long slow grind and that’s what I got. Things started out badly when my first hand, in the big blind, was A5d. Not a bad hand to have in the blind but the fifth card for the flush never came and I lost $5 right off the bat.

Crap cards were the norm for the next two rounds but then I found myself with J3o in the Big Blind on the third rotation. Truly a hand to be mucked but when I checked preflop to see two Jacks hit I was on cloud nine. I slowplayed the flop and started pounding the turn and river only to be raised and reraised. I expected a monster pot to come my way but another player also had a J. His kicker was a K and I dropped another $13.

For about an hour after that I floated up and down as AK lost but JJ held up and As would never give the flush. (gave to a lot to others, just not to me) I found myself down as much as 15 BB but then the patience began to pay off. My solid hands began to hold up and my chip count began to steadily increase.

About half way through the session I was dealt AJo in middle position and it held up when an A flopped. The small blind kept pumping the pot with his pocket Jacks and the pot paid me off $32. This put me up $34 from my buyin and there I stayed for an extended period of time. A few small wins and losses had me treading water until the breakout began.

Enough players had come and gone that I now had a nice mixture at the table. This combination of players, and cards holding up, led me to have my most profitable stretch of 4 hands ever. It started and ended with pocket 8’s. I had three pots within the stretch that brought in $84.75. My first hand brought me trips on the flop and they held up for $30.50. The next hand I was UTG with Q8d. I decided to fold preflop and then in the BB I receive QQ. This holds up unaided and another $17.25 comes my way. The final hand was not as pretty as the others. I actually sucked out on someone to take the pot but it was the biggest pot at the table for the entire time I was there. I feel the player that I sucked out on miss played his hand. His flop action was correct but his turn play was a huge mistake. I had the pot odds to call the bets but he should have been pounding the pot. I’ll post the hand below.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: lifesagrind is SB with 8s, 8c.

UTG folds, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 folds, CO calls, Button raises, lifesagrind calls, BB calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, CO calls.

Flop: (12 SB) 4d, 4h, 6d (6 players)

lifesagrind checks, BB checks, MP1 checks, MP2 checks, CO bets, Button raises, lifesagrind calls, BB 3-bets, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO calls, Button calls, lifesagrind calls.

Turn: (12 BB) 5c (4 players)

lifesagrind checks, BB checks, CO bets, Button calls, lifesagrind calls, BB calls.

River: (16 BB) 7c (4 players)

lifesagrind bets, BB calls, CO calls, Button folds.

Final Pot: 19 BB

lifesagrind shows 8s 8c (straight, eight high).

BB shows Tc 4c (three of a kind, fours).

CO shows 5s 7d (two pair, sevens and fives).

Outcome: lifesagrind wins 19 BB.

After this I sat through one final orbit and lost a little when my AQs didn’t improve and I had to fold the turn. My profit for the session was $97. This destroyed my previous best of $78.

Stats – 127 min., 48.5BB, 22.91BB/Hr, 143 hands

This helped boost my BB/100 at the 1/2 level to 2.97. If I have another night like this tonight I might just start playing the SNG tourneys earlier than planned.