Lydia's

I wanted to play fast and loose after the previous evening's festivities so I found and afternoon game and went between services.

This was a smaller crowd...I think 15 or 16 people maybe? Fairly friendly group. Early I folded a lot as I got, I kid you not, J/6 off, J/6 off, 10/3, j/5 suited (bb, folded to raise), some junk hand, j/6 off. 2 hands later i got...wait for it...J/6 off.

This was good, though. Those hands they all limped in on. But somewhere in there a couple people had raised with either A/rag or A/k. So I felt all right about raising.

And raise I did. It got to be a running joke. If my hand was good it was 3 times the big blind. And whatever the flop was, 3 times the big blind. Soon I had doubled up. A couple times people called to the river, not believing me. Until I showed top 2 pairs, a straight, trips, etc.

Finally I checked on the big blind with a 3/6. The board gave me a gut shot. Just for kicks, I called a small raise. And the board gave me a 7 giving me a straight nobody would read. So I re-raised him on 4th. He called. He checked on the river. I raised. He did not believe me so he called. When they saw the straight I OWNED that table.

I was able to steal a few blinds with my standard raise...including a couple that were sheer "I need to mix up my hands" type raises. I made the final table easily.

There I was close to the chip lead. One guy tripled up when he FLOPPED a straight flush. It was beautiful the way he played it, letting a guy with a 10-high flush bet it, calling, letting another guy stay in.

The guy on my left gained the chip lead with a few hands, a couple people were just hanging on, and I was slowly building through occasional blind stealing and a few nice hands. But I was getting irritated from the smoke and it was getting close to time to go so I was looking for an out. I started playing a bit maniacally...stuff like q/9 off under the gun. Blank board, a couple hearts. 4th gave a heart. check check check check. River, another heart giving me the queen high. Made my standard 3 times the big blind raise. Guy to my left, chip lead, came over the top all in. I said, "Have the Ace, huh? Okay, I call." And he said, "No, but I have the King", showed it, i signed out and left.

I do not know why I do that. I know I am beat, I would have been in 2nd or 3rd chip position without doing that...and I intentionally throw them away. I need to be smarter and stop doing the time crunch thing. I need to show I can win, not accumulate chips and flame out.