FEBRUARY BEGINS AS JANUARY WAS SUPPOSED TO

It really helped to track my play for a month and see where my money is going. I have been playing really well so far in February. I've only played a couple of cash sessions, but I won both. One of them was a late-night $53 haul in a $1/2 7-Stud game. I have cashed in three of nine MTTs so far, with one win. And I even won a couple hundred bucks at a neighbor's house this past Friday.

I got together with a group of PokerRoom players who were in town for the LA Poker Classic, along with some locals who also play at the site. The game was right around the corner from my house at Pirate Booty's place. There were eight of us, and we decided to play a $50 one-rebuy, one-add-on tournament. The group was mostly twenty-somethings, so except for an older lady, I was the elder statesman. Players were chomping at the bit to get into pots with me, because everyone wanted to be the guy who ran a huge bluff past dudeseeg. I stayed patient and let the bluffs run me off. I didn't have to rebuy, but I added-on at the break, so I was $100 invested. I really should have finished fourth, but I got really lucky on a squeeze play when I reraised a short stack all in from the small blind with A9. I was correct that I had him beat, as he held KJ, but BerkeleyBoss joined the fun from the big blind with 99, putting me dead to an ace. I hit the ace, which put me in the hunt.

Boss was now the short-stack three-way and requesting a chop. ColdKegs and I said forget it, and in a few rounds Boss was gone. I pushed all in on his blind, and he went into the tank for awhile, sought advice from loved ones and finally called with what he hoped were two live suited cards. I flipped pocket tens, making his 86c shrivel up. Kegs and I were just about even in chips, so we chopped the $600 pot evenly. We played another 7-way $20 unlimited rebuy, but after some early success, I wound up exiting in 4th place, costing me $40.

I had two near misses this past week, just missing the final table, and both times getting my money in good. Then last night, I bought into the $100 rebuy at PokerStars. There were only 90 entrants, and with all that rebuy money, I thought maybe I could play tight and luck into the money on my initial investment. Well, I had more luck than tight going for me, but everything worked out. On the very first hand I played, I limped in with 87, which got called in two places, then got bumped to $100. We all called and saw an eight-high flop. I check-raised a good amount, but was called. I started to think he might have a big pair, since his initial raise was priced to induce action. The turn was a nine, which couldn't have helped him, but I still bet big, holding out hope he was unpaired. He called, and I knew I was cooked. The river was an eight, and I knew I just got really lucky. I made a bet I knew would get called, which did (by AA) and also advertised that I was willing to die with a pair of eights at this table. I got a lot of undeserved action later based on this showdown.

My $1500 reached $6000 before settling back down around $4500. After a big loss, I found myself once again at exactly $1500, and I decided to rebuy my way back up to $3000. I played a bit loose, but smart loose, and got some breaks, and built my stack up past $12,000. The tourney paid nine places, and I was determined to get to that final table. I added on at the break, so I was $309 invested, but with a shot at the payout. After the rebuy/add-on period was over, I took two massive hits, both times holding AK and losing to small pairs. My stack was below average, and I was discouraged, but decided I wanted to be like Doyle and hold on, waiting for opportunities.

Nearing the money, the runaway chip leader was at my table, three to my right. He kept trash talking about how everyone should keep away from his blinds. He was ultra-aggressive, and if you attacked his blinds, he used his chips stack to gobble up whatever money you had invested in the pot. One time, I raised with KJd and he reraised from the small blind. I called and the flop came AK3 rainbow. He was first to act, and immediately pushed all in. I just knew this was a stone cold bluff. I so almost called, but in the end, I had to consider that he had A-rag, so I folded. He showed 87 and told me to lay off his blinds.

I put in a request to the poker gods that I can at some point get into a position to teach this guy a lesson. For the next 45 minutes, I folded AT, A9, QJ, and everything else when he was in the blinds, then finally I got AA in my big blind, which is a dream situation. This same guy was laying on my blinds constantly, and I knew I was going to get action. It folded around to him, and he put in the obligatory raise. I reraised, but enough so that I knew he would call with any two cards, without it being suspiciously small. Whatever came, I was going to make a suspicious continuation bet and hope he pushed. The flop came KJ4 with two diamonds. I was golden unless he had KJ or got lucky later in the hand. I made a weakish continuation bet, and he pushed all in. I called and he flipped 42. Now I just had to keep from getting unlucky. The turn was a king, leaving him dead to a four. I doubled up through him, leaving him to eat humble pie in the chat box. I also got into fourth place.

Two rounds later, the same situation arose. He raised my big blind while I sat there with aces. I would have loved to recreate the previous encounter, but his raise was bigger this time, plus I didn't want to push my luck, so I put in a very large reraise. I also figured it might pay off to play it differently this time, rather than gettting cute just to show off. He took a long pause, then folded. I wouldn't have minded a push, but the fold was fine. In my head, I was thinking 'lay off my blinds', but I didn't do any trash talking in the chat box.

I made the final table in good position, and demanded of myself that I stay patient and await opportunities. The cards kept coming, and I woke up in first position with KK. I made a 4x raise to appear a bit desperate. The big blind cold called me and we took a flop, which came K98 two spades. Obviously a good flop for me. He made a huge bet, and I went into the fake tank like Macy in Fargo, chewing up the clock while recapping the action so far to Marci. I flat called and we went to the turn, which was a nine, giving me a full house and taking away any threat of a flush or straight beating me. He again bet big, and I went back into the tank. This time I was trying to decide whether or not to raise. I was hoping me had AA. He obviously had AK at the very least. I figured, heck, he is leading into me and there is a better chance that the flush misses than hits, so if I just call, then get huge when the flush misses, it'll look just like a busted flush, and he is sure to call off all his chips. The spade came on the river, which was unlucky for me. Now I just had to hope that he had AQs and was willing to die with it. He made a very small $6k bet, I countered to $16k, and he mucked, leaving $25k in his stack that I wish I could have gotten to. He must have had AK, and knew he was beat at the end. I wish the spade hand't come on the end, but even with it sitting there, I was now the chip leader.

I settled into big-stack tight-aggressive mode, which is the funnest place to be at the final table. I kept gobbling up chips as we got down to eight, then seven, then six players. My favorite hand of the tourney was when I defended my big blind with T8, figuring I had live cards. The flop came J96 all spades. I checked and he tried to take it down with a big bet. I had no spades, and I was mildly outstacked at that point, but I've got nothing if not gamble, so I came back all-in. It was a real good situation to check-raise all-in, because unless he's got a set or a made flush, there is no real good reason for him to call. Sure he might have an overpair with a spade, but so long as they are not queens, I've still got six outs with two cards coming. He went into the tank for a long, long time. As the clock ticked away, I practiced the demeanor I would wish to be exhibiting in a live game in this situation. I looked at his avatar as if it was him and sent him some mixed tells which both suggested bluff and strength. Finally, as he continued to dwell on it, I just started watching TV as I awaited his decision. It was fold, which pleased me immeasurably.

I tried to knock out the player to my left when I held KQ, but he had AQ and doubled up. He then went on a rampage until he was right in the thick of things. Again, I raised from the small blind, this time with 44. He put in a huge reraise, which suggested AK. Remembering the two hands from earlier, in which I called all-in bets with AK and both times lost the coin flip, I responded this time all-in. He called with AKd. He missed the flop but caught two diamonds. Brick, brick, the fours held up, and he was eliminated. One of the remaining players was aghast that I would push there with a low pair, but I reminded him that I had the best hand. The other guy could have folded rather that take the coin toss. He wouldn't hear of it. The aghast guy had requested a chop when we were down to four. I said sure, but the guy to my left nixed the idea. Now that he was eliminated, the chop was again requested, but this time it was nixed by the guy to my right.

Three-way, any pair is a big hand, and when I got 55, I put in a nice raise. The chop-requesting guy pushed all-in in response. That push is not coming from a hand that has me beat. If I read the situation right, he is offering me the opportunity to avoid a coin flip. I decide I don't mind a coin flip here, and I call and go up against his AJ. The fives hold up. He was not happy, but again, he entered the hand trailing. This one game totally changed my previously held concepts of how to play pairs and AK. I can see now that AK is not an automatic call against an all-in push. I can also see that if you can get somebody to call your all-in push with AK, it is he that is making the mistake, and winning poker is all about making the other guy make the mistakes.

So, just to drive the point home, when we are heads up, I complete the bet with 33, and he comes back with a big raise. I push all-in. He could fold here, but ops not to, putting his tournament life in the balance with AQ. I had a 2:1 chip advantage at this point, so I figure, I can take a coin flip and worst case be at a 2:1 disadvantage. Best case, my pair holds up and it's over. Just as did the fives and fours before them, the threes hold up and victory is mine. There was a cast of observers in the chat box who had been rooting for my opponent, so there was some unflattering commentary about how I only won by winning coin flips, but while they were railbirding, I was pouring myself a victory Scotch, $9000 richer.