Poker hates me

We had a tourney and a cash game tonight. I played well in both, at least when I was playing. The tourney was very solid on my part. I took down some really nice pots, bet aggressively with all sorts of hands and played very well, in general. W was pretty short stacked when it got to the bubble, so when she got all her money in with 9T and LJ called her with J9, I was pretty excited about the prospect of cashing. But, as my luck would have it, a 9 flopped, the board paired on the turn, and the river was a King, giving a chopped pot. W went on to place 3rd and I was the bubble when I pushed to steal the BB with 89o and Alceste called with A6o! My all in was about 2/3 of his stack but he didn't even hesitate for a moment. I got no love from any street and I was down with no money to show for it.

The cash game went a little better. We had about 10 people at the table when LJ got a call from her friend Abby. She wanted to come over, with a friend, and we made room for her by my vacating the table. I had just lost a big pot to W when I flopped top two with my JT and she led out with her KT. I smooth called and the turn was a K! Grrr... She led out 10, I popped to 30 and she called. The river completed a diamond flush draw, which neither of us had, so we were both forced to check and she took the pot down. Being forced to give up my seat so I can accommodate new players is not a problem for me, as I've written in the past, but doing it when I'm steaming (while probably a blessing) stings a bit.

I sat around, noodling on my guitar for a bit. Dennis, a new player who I met months ago at the Good Look club (R.I.P.), asked if he could strum it for a bit. Sure, I said. He proceeded to give a clinic on how to play the guitar. He's classically trained, as well as versed in Jazz and Blues, and it was mesmerizing. It definitely got me out of my crappy mood. It also helped when a player got up later on and I was able to sit back down. I did fine, but only got paid off on one hand, when I flopped an OESD, called a 10 bet from Lisa, and was able to get free cards to the river where I completed my straight. Lisa bet out 20 on the river. I min-raised to 40 and she called me down. The pot put me up a few dollars on the cash session. Jared, the new player Abby bought, was running over the table. At 11:00, the rumblings started to come down that people wanted to leave. And sure enough, at 11:30 (on a Friday!) the game, which was completely full, broke up! I was heart broken. This is two nights in a row now that a juicy cash game has only run a few hours. Am I doing something wrong people? Please let me know what I can do to get you to stay!!!

After cashing everyone out, I was still jonesing for some action, so I went with W to the Virginia room, where Darko and Viv were already playing. I was able to sit down after waiting a bit for an open seat, and started playing very solid 1/2 NL poker. Soon, my 200 buyin was up to 300 and things were progressing nicely. Then I lost a few pots where my good draws never hit. I was at about 230 when a devestating hand happened. I had 8h9h in late position. There was a raise to 15 a few seats to my left and three people called behind me. I completed my bet and the flop came 458, rainbow. I liked my top pair here, but it's not a monster. When the initial raiser bet out 40, which seemed like a pretty big bet, Terry, to my right, whispered to himself, "That's a bullshit bet if I ever saw one". I was thinking the same thing, my man. It folded to me and I popped it 75 on top. The raiser thought for a good full minute and, when he caught me trying to look into his eyes, he said, "All in". Now I wasn't feeling great about the hand, but I was pretty sure my top pair was good. I called, and before I flipped the cards over, I asked if he wanted to run the board 3 times. He agreed, and flipped over 66! Wow. I was way ahead. He must have put me on overs. The first run came with a few blanks and I was now guaranteed a third of the pot. The second run came with a 7, completing his gutshot straight, and giving him a third of the pot. All right, I thought, he only has 5 outs left. I should take the next run. Or I would have if a god damned 7 didn't hit again! Two brutal suckouts later, and I actually LOST money on that hand.

I was down to 130 in chips now and I started to tilt a bit. But at least I had the good sense not to play idiot hands. Finally, after some patience, I get KK. I raise pre-flop and get a scary board of Q89 with two spades. Nothing to do here but bet it out and hope no one flopped two pair. I bet out 25 and everyone folded to me. Not a huge pot, but it's something.

As the night was drawing to a close for Viv, I decided I was getting tired too. I only had 110 in front of me, but it's a loss I can live with. Then came the worst hand possible. AA UTG+1. I always have an issue betting AA in EP. If I bet big, I'm depending on someone having a big hand to call. And then he has to hit on the flop. If I bet too small, many many people are going to come in and outflop me, with small pot too! So I had too ways to go and I decided, since $6 was kind of the deFacto raise around these parts, that $11 was the right number. I bet...and EVERYONE called! I had about 8 damned callers to the flop, which was KcKh9s. Oh crap. I checked when it got to me and it checked all the way around to W, who bet out 20. I knew she only had a 9 and I called, hoping it would be heads up. But then a quiet guy, who hadn't played much, check-raised us both to 60 straight! I knew he had a K, but I was kind of hoping he might have a flush draw or straight draw. This, plus since W and I were both representing a 9 (remember that I only called W's bet), he might be trying to bluff a King. Also, he might have Tens or Jacks which he now thinks is good. On top of that, I had an old episode at the Salami club where I was bluffed on the river with AA and folded to a guy that only had 99. So I did the donkey think and pushed all in for $24 more. He called instantly with Ks8s. I didn't spike an Ace and my night was officially over. What a crappy session!