Dude's Wacky Day

I have not made any money playing poker since finishing 2nd on the 19th. I have won three trips to the Daily, which is $150 worth of goods, but it has not helped my bankroll.

My roll dipped to around $300 this morning, so I quit the tourney circuit and went over to the $5-10 table. I played okay, but first my KK, then my AA were cracked, and I was hemorrhaging. I got desperate with my remaining pittance and headed for the NL table. One bad beat and it was all over. I was forced to buy back in from my Neteller account.

I infused a fresh $300 into my poker account and stayed at the same table. The cards started coming, and I was able to play my power in a way that made me appear to be steaming from my bad beat. I got nothing but cards for half an hour straight. By the time the table realized I was actually playing power and not just steaming, I was up several hundred dollars.

I had power pairs, trips, nut flushes, you name it. Here was my favorite hand in the sequence:

I held T9 in the small blind and flopped 678. I bet a paltry sum to get the action started, and I'm raised by the 55. I reraised and he rereraised. The turn helped nobody so I bet into him a modest chunk and he called. I didn't know what he had, but I knew I had the nuts. The river was a 4, and there's no possible way I could be beat. I didn't know what he had, but he was vested, so I went all in, which was a $250 bet for him. He called and I got to see his hand. How beautiful was that four?

So, despite the early ugliness, by noon my bankroll was $1300, which will finance plenty more tournament play in the coming weeks.