A breakthrough?

I played just under an hour yesterday on two tables. I believe I netted a whole $27. Yet I believe it was one of the more successful sessions I had.

What, 27 bucks isn't a lot for a 2/4 game?

Yep, it isn't. I may have played 4 hands out of 67 at one table. That is why I think I was successful.

I was disciplined. I was smart enough to continue to hit that fold button, no matter how bored and frustrated I was getting, over and over again.

I thought I wanted to play poker, not watch. The cards I was getting sucked. When you feel tempted to play that J 7 suited in late position, even to a raise, hoping to catch a flop, you know the discipline is gone out the door. But I didn't play it.

I did play a J 3 soooted from the big blind though. It was raised from early position and 3 others called. For 2 bucks I was 9 to 1 on my money. Then I sucked out on the river to scoop a pot.

The only other hand that I played well was 3 3 on the button. It folded around so I raised. I can't recall where I read this play. Basically if you are going to be the first to enter the pot from the button, you always enter with a raise. Always. So I did. The BB called. Flop came A 4 6. He bet and I raised, following through on my pre-flop bet. He folded quickly. I should have shown the treys but didn't. Maybe I would have gotten action on my A K suited the next hand.

But I sat there for just under an hour folding crap hand after crap hand. Didn't play the connectors or two faces out of position. Stayed with the game plan the entire way. The result was a winning session. Not of high dollar proportions but of patience. I don't think you can win at poker without patience. Last night I may have proved it. Just another lesson learned, but one important one.

Hopefully that means my next session will be all action because folding again and again really sucked. But it had to be done.