First things first... in my last blog entry I recapped the beginning of several hands without discussing my actions. In summary (not sure if order matches the original post):

1) I had 9ts and the flop came J8x with two of my suit. EP raised, I RR and two guys went all-in. I assumed that my flush outs were likely dead, but called given that I was getting over 4.5 on my call so I felt that my straight outs and maybe even my 9 and T made it a close call. I missed my flush and straight outs but the turn was a T. Turns out both of my opponents were drawing to a flush and I won the $1800 pot!

2) I raised from the blind PF with QQ and an early position limper RR. I put him all-in and lost to his KK.

3) I called a river check-raise with JJ which was an overpair to the board and he had been playing 69 and hit his straight. I just couldn't put him on that hand given that he called my RR PF and called a substantial flop raise with a gut-shot. This was a bad call by mean in hindsight.

4) I called a huge flop push RR with bottom two on a two to a flush board with an A. I felt my read that he was on a draw was spot on and I was right. He hit his flush on the river and I lost a $1600 pot. My call was not the best because I didn't factor in that he probably had top pair with the flush draw which actually made him a slight favorite. I didn't have much in the pot at this point so there really wasn't any reason to flip for some many chips at that point.

I went back to the Hustler on Monday night to play the weekly tournament. It's a $190 buy-in with 100 runners. Nothing much to report. I was fairly card dead for the first 3 levels but managed to chip up from the $6k starting stack to $7k without ever playing a pot past the flop.

On the fourth level I raised from early position with KQ and had one caller from MP. The flop came Qxx all clubs. I had no club. I raised, my opponent pushed which was a big overbet. I decided that he had to have the Ac. He would have RR with AQ PF and usually doesn't pushes with the flush unless it's a low one. Perhaps he pushes with trips here. If I fold I'm down to 20BB and will be at 10-15 soon when the blinds go back up. In a deeper/slower tournament I probably fold but I felt that I needed to gamble and this opponent was very capable of pushing with one club. Turns out that I was right about his gamble, but wrong about this situation. Turns out that he called my 700 PF raise (blinds were 100/200/50) with K2s and had made his flush!

I next played a $5/5 cash game. On the second hand I hit a set on the turn and just called a EP raise with two players behind me. The board was extremely non-coordinated so I was too worried about anyone drawing out on me. One opponent hit a gut shot on the river and I lost $200. He was on my case for letting him get there. Very annoying. Should I have RR on the turn? I guess it's one option, but I liked the call given that someone behind me could RR, I wanted more in the pot and I just didn't feel anyone was very strong at that point.

I then decided not to reload and play short-stacked with about $200. Nothing much happened for the next hour until...

I'm in LP and there's a $10 straddle, an EP raiser to $20 and 3 callers and I look down at JJ. I push. The straddle guy thinks for a while and calls as does one other player. The 2nd player shows A9 and he just hits his 9. The straddle guy proclaims that he hit a runner-runner straight and turns over 56o. So he calls my $200 EP raise with 56o. I was proud of myself for remaining calm when he tells the table that he just makes calls like that against certain types of players. I ask him what kind of players are that, but he really doesn't answer so I just walk away and try to forgot about it.

Fun night. Got to love poker!

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