18/423

I'm still hunting that elusive payday. I keep playing the big events, investing thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours, knowing that one of these times, I'll take down an event and score a five- or six-digit bankroll-booster. I felt good tonight in this $150 tourney with a first place payout of $45k. It got down to two tables and I was still hanging in there with an M of 7. I got dealt AQ in first position. The next pay jump came at nine. I really had to try to double up because hanging on was going to get me nowhere. I hate getting AQ under the gun. I thought folding it would be way too tight, so I just shoved the whole stack in there to discourage action. I just hoped nobody had AK. If anybody comes, it will likely be an underpair and I'll have a decent shot at doubling. The button was the table big stack and he thought for a minute before calling with pocket tens, which held up. I got paid $700 but I really wanted some of that final table money.

Earlier in the day, I played a few heads up matches. I got my money in good in the first one, but fell to the suckout. Then I played against a guy who was speeding from the opening bell. I called on the button with QQ and he raised me. I cold called since I was sure he would fire at the flop. It came T98 and he immediately went all in. I called and he showed 66. I guess he was pretty sure I had AK, because that was a rookie move. I called, but he caught a 7 on the turn and won my $100. I found him again and signed up for a rematch. This time, I trapped him with KK. I check-raised him on the flop, but he kept coming. He called my bet on the turn, then on the river, a jack fell which made a straight for any ten. I checked to him and he found it irresistable. He moved all in. I called with my overpair and took him out.

I moved to a cash game and made $700 in about an hour. Last night, I kept losing the big pots and wound up down $500, so it was nice to get it back with interest. Today I was winning the big pots with my cards holding up. I'm having a decent month with the ring games. The main difference between my game now and a month ago is that I am folding big hands. I'm still winning big pots with big hands, but I'm losing fewer big pots. I think I may have discovered the difference between winning and losing at poker. Sounds easy. There was one hand today where I actually laid down a king-high flush. I played the hand in such a way that his big raise at the end could only mean the nut flush, so even though I had $100 in there already, I got away without paying another $90 to see the ace of diamonds. It sure is a nice feeling to only show down winners.