A multi here, a SnG there

After doing some shoveling and having dinner, I figured I'd play a little poker and relax. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to play but made a decision once I went online. A $10 multi was starting in 10 minutes. Sure, let's give it a shot. There was barely 100 people signed up so I didn't mind the numbers. It would pay only the final table, but that didn't bother me. I was up for the challenge. But by the time it started, the final tally was 212 people. Payout was larger but still, only the final table. Ok, only a hundred more people to plow through.

I started ok. A couple hands in I limped in from the big blind with J 8. On the turn I filled my straight and took down a little pot. I took my time again as the horrific trend I mentioned a couple of posts ago started to play itself out again. I laughed when a guy limped with K K and the guy filled his straight from the big blind with 7 4. I waited for the guy to complain but it didn't happen. I then saw some have 10 8 suited but his A K. The 8 10 limped from UTG and made his flush on the turn. He even scored when the A hit the river and A K bet out!

Then again, I didn't last long either. A whopping 15 minutes. I was in the big blind with K K. 6 limpers tried to get in. So I raised it 500. Only one guy calls. Flop comes 9 9 8. I bet half the pot and he calls. Turn is a Q. I bet half my stack, which is just under half of his. He pushes all in. I give the crying call right away thinking if he filled a straight on that, then I will take my ball and go home. He has the straight and I am done. It could be said his call was really bad on the pre flop raise. But he got lucky and hit his cards trying to suck out. I also could have laid it down but was being a stubborn buffoon. Being a stubborn buffoon can kill your game quickly. I made a really stupid play by calling and deserved to be out.

So of course this buffoon went to a $10 SnG figuring a win there and I would be net up for the night. It never amazed me how some people will play every hand, especially at the starting limits. The "it's-only-a-small-blind" concept is funny because they have no clue how much they are bleeding out to start the game. In this case, it was some clown name splitz. He played the first 7 out of 10 hands. And then he became a calling station. As Monty Burns woud say-Excellent!

I took some chips off of him when I limped with K 10 diamonds. Flop came K J 2 with 2 hearts. He checked so I bet top pair with a good kicker for 100 and he calls. The turn brings 4 of clubs. He bets 50. Huh? Weak bet. I raise to 200 and he calls. I figure he is on a draw or he maybe has a K as well. River is not a heart. He checks. I check just in case he is playing K Q. He has K 5 off. Nice play dope!

I tried to play some connectors and suited connectors but wasn't hitting anything. Amazing how 5 hands in a row I caught connectors. Played 3 and then stopped. Nothing hit and I wasn't going to bleed this early. A pair of 3s didn't hit. But American Airlines does. I can't understand what this guy was thinking. I am in the big blind (they are only 15/30). UTG raises to 60. 3 others call. So I jack it up to 500, hoping one fishy goes for the hook. Sure enough, one guy re-raises me all in. The other fold. I can't call quick enough. He shows 8 9 offsuit. WTF? I raise it 500, he pushes for an additional 520 thinking I am going to fold??? Silly and I skyrocket over 2900.

I caught some nice pairs through out the game. K K came twice. I got a great payoff on one, and avoided devestation on the other. UTG raised to 90 and two others called. I re-raised to 300 to thin the crowd and get a read on the original raiser. They fold to him and he re-raises for 120 more. Hmmm... One other caller before me and we see a flop of 9 4 10 all spades. Neither of my kings are spades. UTG bets out 800. I am now convinced he has A A. I fold the cowboys. The other clown called and in the end he shows A A to win. I was extremely happy with my laydown there. About 5 hands later, the Kings show up again. Same scenario unfolds. Guy ahead of me raises to 250 (blinds 50/100) . I re-raise to 500. It folds to the raiser and he calls. Flop comes K Q Q. I briefly wonder if he has Q Q. He bets 100. A weak bet, but the stubborn buffoon in me comes out. I don't think he has Q Q now. Maybe A K, or J J. The weak bet tells me that he wants me to raise again. Of course, I do. I bump it to 500. I believe I have the nuts and know he will re-raise. He does. All in. Sweet. He shows A Q and is drawing to the last Q, which thankfully, doesn't show. Amazingly, I would get K K twice more, but not score as big.

I am 2000 ahead of anyone else at the table and start to bully a bit. It works for a while until I get sloppy and give some chips away. I get them back with K J. One other guy keeps betting on each card. I am just calling as I am not quite sure what he might have. I feel my J is the better kicker and get paid at the end when he shows K 4. I may have played it the same way with a big stack, but not with that weak kicker and a small stack.

I get cold-decked when we are down to 5. I lose some hands defending the blinds but don't lose more than 450 per hand. But I need to knock someone out. I settle for stealing some blinds when we get to 4. Still haven't seen a good hand for a while. Blinds are going back and forth as no one is really playing past the flop now. I see K K and raise the blind. He raises back. I think about it and say "Damnit, show me aces!" and push all in. He takes some time and calls. Shows K K as well!

Finally, the other two go at it preflop. One has 6 6, the other A K. Ace hits the flop and we are down to 2. We volley back and forth until I drop a bunch being aggressive with a bluff. I push all in with A 8 diamonds and am called by his K 10. A win here pulls me back to striking range. Flop misses both of us. Turn is no good. River is a 10. Done.

I did end up net on the night by a whopping 8 bucks. Whoo hoo!!! I consider playing one more but think of the snow I will be battling tomorrow. Time to get a drink instead.