Mixers, 4/10/07; return of doker

Having not played for a week I wanted to see a few flops and play a bit. It was almost predetermined I would be limping in a lot. Fortunately, the table I was at was playing that way so I was able to limp in for quite some time. There were no more than maybe 2 or 3 hands I did not play in the first blind level. For the most part it was limp, see the flop, fold to a bet. But I hit a couple nice hands. At one point I limped with J/9 and the flop gave me a gut shot. Tor bet out so I knew he had paired something. I called anyway. Turn gave me the king and therefore I had hit the gutshot. He bet, I came over the top, he folded, I mucked. This led to quite a conversation on their part over whether I bluffed or had it. About two hands later I had Q/7. The flop gave me a 7, I bet, couple callers. Turn gave me trips, I bet...folds around. Then they decided I had had nothing. It was pretty funny. My wild-seeming play let me bluff whenever I wanted to. But it was keeping me from getting paid, too. Still, I was up about 25%.

At the second blind level we got a more aggressive player who was raising a few pots so I had to revert to "real poker". About 8 hands in we were 6 handed and in middle position I picked up pocket 6s. I raised to 3 times the blinds, annoying girl doubled my bet, folded to me and I called. I blind checked, flop came 2/3/5 giving me a gut shot. She checked behind me. Turn was a blank so I bet 1000. She called. At that point I should have put her on a pocket pair as she would not have called with nothing and earlier I had her on either pair or paint.. I did have her ahead so I checked the river as she did and she had 10s. I should have read that but did not. Oh, well.

Reached the final table but I was feeling the time crunch as I had to leave for the airport to pick up Pete & Robin. So I started being hyper aggressive trying to call off my chips. With blinds at 500/1000 I raised with Q/3. Flop gave me bottom pair, I bet.Eric called & so did Dawg. Turn gave me another 3. I went all in for my last 3200. Eric folded...Dawg called. Now I had about 10000. Oops. Later put out Linda and Roman on the same hand. My stack kept growing.

So I took to raising to 3K and showing after they all folded. 7/8 unsuited. A/Q suited. Then since they were folding I limped in...and they decided that meant I was strong and only the blind called. Annoying girl was starting to tilt.

Finally I called a raise from Nipa with 7/8 unsuited again. When Nipa raises she usually has an Ace or King-rag or any pair. Flop gave me a pair of 7s but there was a 7 on the board. She bet another 3K and I had my chops in the pot before she finished counting hers out. Turn was a blank, I called her 3K raise and again all but beat her into the pot. River gave me an 8 for 2 pair and she again led with 3K. I only had 2600 left and had planned to fold but I knew I would not be embarrassed to go out with 2 pair so I called. She claimed trips, I showed my hand, she showed hers...and had Kings and 7s. Not exactly trips...but good enough and I was out in 4th.

Had I not needed to go I would not have played so maniacally at the final table...and ironically would have done worse. Perhaps there is a lesson there. But being me I refuse to learn it :-)