CASH GAME

I just concluded a three-hour session playing $5/10 NL short-handed at PokerStars. I had two tables going for about two hours. I played decently, though I imagine I called too many raises. It's not so wise to play the speculative cards at a short table because you are generally taking a flop heads-up. You get paid big time when they hit but today I didn't really hit anything of the come-from-behind variety.

I did win my biggest pot ever. You'd expect it to be aces over kings or something, but check this wackiness out:

I hold JTs and open raise to $30 on the button. The BB plays back at me, bumping the bet to $110. I make the call. The flop comes 5h3s4s. He bets out $80 and I make the call. The turn is the 4c and he bets out $420. I just don't think he has anything and even if he does, I've got the spade draw and just maybe overcards as well if he has a middle pair. I push all in, knowing that he is pot committed but hoping that he will fear a full house and fold. He makes the call which concerns me that he has filled up and I am drawing dead. The river is a jack which at least improves me although I wish it was a spade. At showdown, he shows 86s for the uberdraw. I didn't even need the jack - I was ahead the whole way. I could have bricked and taken it, whew. I don't know whether to give myself props for a great read or to be relieved that I can play like a madman and not go broke. The pot was $2035.

There was another player at the same table bumping to $40 way too often preflop and raising every time he had the button. I got AK and limped in on his button and he raised to $50. I bumped it to $340 as a gag and he chose to fold. Four hands later, I got AK again and he raised to $40 UTG. I bumped to $100 and he called. The flop fell perfectly A54 and he check/called $100. I clearly had him dominated and I was looking forward to getting his entire stack in on the turn which I did but it was an 8 which paired his rag kicker and he took a $1582 pot. Easy come, easy go. All told, it looks like I profited around $600 on the session.