MIXING IT UP

I had such a crummy weekend playing $5/10 NL that I determined to get back to even before paying myself this coming Friday. I got back to even playing $3-6 NL. Today, I played $2-4 NL and was up $200 before a river Q made me two pair while giving my bluffing opponent his miracle gutshot straight. I finished the session even.

I went over to the tournament section of PokerStars and tossed $160 at a double shootout, which I haven't played in awhile. I was out very early after slow-playing trips and ending up with the butt end of a full house. I called off all my chips like a fool, thinking he was overplaying an overpair.

Then, I played some pot limit Omaha, just for giggles, since Ben Grundy has such success there. I am not Grundy, and I have never read a book on the game, so it cost me $320 before I got out of there.

Lastly, I joined a sit and go $100 Hold em NL tourney. I got some chips early, then I raised from early position with AQ and found one hesitant caller. The flop came ten high, and I figured him for two face cards with me in the lead. I checked and when he bet half the pot, I was pretty sure I was in the lead, so I called. The turn brought an ace, and I lead out with $300. He raised, and I took him all in, fairly sure he likes his AJ. We turn over our cards and sure enough he shows the AJ. He spikes a jack on the river and spends the next ten minutes lecturing me on how I played the hand wrong, since he was representing AT. I told him I knew what he had, and I got all my chips in the middle with the best of it, so there is no reason for his trash talk after he got a miracle win. He didn't buy it, since I should have been sure he had ace-ten. He thought my calling on the flop was the misplay, but I told him it was an elicited bluff and worked as such, getting him committed enough to overplay his hand. The table agreed with me, but still, wiseguy had the chip lead.

I was left with $660 and the short stack. Needless to say, I tightened up considerably, then won two all in battles, then ultimately won the tourney and $450. Paid for my Omaha lesson.