HOLLYWOOD PARK

$35 buy in for $300 in chips. The players, bolstered by the comfort of knowing that they could rebuy endlessly, were playing crazy. Every other hand had someone going all in preflop. I sat on the sidelines and fed the blinds. I finally got a hand worth playing - AK. One opponent comes back over the top and I choose to call the all in bet. He has QQ. It's the classic matchup. I didn't pair up, so I was busted.

I threw $40 into the rebuy kitty and was given $1000 in chips. Again, I sat on the bench while the battle of the all-ins continued. The player to my right was winning every race and had amassed a tremendous stack. He had taken to making blind raises which nobody else could afford without a decent hand to back it up. I got TT and was able to double up. Thereafter, I bled a bit and never did reach the $2000 mark.

On the big blind, I called a $200 bet with 33. The dream flop came 3KA. There were four players. I checked, the raiser bet $200 and both players called. I thought of smooth calling, but I feared that with so many callers, any of T, J, or Q would give someone a straight. I raised to $500, figuring if they want to put some more money in, then do it now while there's three of ya. To my surprise, all three folded to my raise. There must not have been an ace amongst them. I would have loved to have extracted more chips for my stack, but I had no inkling that my raise would clear the field. This would be my second and final win of the evening.

At the break, 140 of 170 players decided to add on. $40 bought another $1000 in chips. I was looking forward to using my maniac to double me up next time I got a good hand. Once we started back up, the threat of expulsion was real, as there were no more add ons. My maniac was still playing very loose, but he wasn't as insane as he had been. He was using his stack to intimidate others, but he was clearly a different player coming out of the break. I never got a hand worth playing. I folded dozens of times until our table was broken up and I parted ways with the inviting empire to my right.

As soon as I got to my new table, the blinds went up to $100-$200. I needed something to happen in a hurry. It was getting close to becoming the time to gamble, so I could double up or go home. I got AcQc on the small blind. There was one player, who had raised from early position. I raised $500 and he happily called. The flop came 277 rainbow with one club. I'm thinking he's got AJ, AT or thereabouts. He could have a pair, but I highly doubt it, and even if he does, I've got a shot at drawing out. I go all in. He was pleased to show his A7. Oh well, I'm not unhappy about how I played. Sure, I could have gone all in preflop, which might have driven him out, but then I would have squandered AQ suited on a measly $400 pickup when I needed chips in a bad way. I think it was worth the gamble in playing it how I did, even though it proved my demise. The entire affair lasted two hours and cost me $115.