Starving Crazed Weasels League April Edition

I came in with a plan. With some of the players there is really no meaning for them if I check-raise, bluff, etc. So I was going to play straight ABC poker. Only start with good hands, raise them 3 - 4 times the blinds, raise again if I had what figured to be the best hand, and otherwise check and call or fold, depending on if I could make a hand.

I started joining the limp-fest. It did not go well. Then against Kenneth I bluffed off 2K chips. This made me low on chips, though nowhere near the danger zone. I started following my plan after that.

Meanwhile, certain others were still trying to make moves. Pete tried to bluff Stanica off a huge pot by putting her all in when all he had was King high. Against some of us it would have been a good bluff. Against Stanica it is just silly. To nobody but Pete's surprise she called...with Jack high. And to nobodies surprise she spiked a jack to double up.

I was down pretty low when Pete raised it 4 times the blinds, Tracy called, and I looked down at the pocket rockets. I went all in. Pete folded but talked Tracy into calling with K/2 suited. The rockets held up and I doubled through. Then a lot of folding followed.

I finally picked up Kings. I bumped them up, only Stanica called. I instantly shut down and checked it down, taking only about 1400. But it is dangerous against her because she will stay around and hit. And that is not a criticism. When you catch cards it is a phenomenal strategy, although over the long run it will cost you. But some days it works very, very well. The Kings held up and I was looking good. The next hand I picked up pocket 8s and bumped it. Kenneth and Pete stayed in. I flopped a set and raised it again. They talked to each other about whether I could catch back-to-back good hands and stayed with me. I ended up taking down a nice pot and now I was rolling.

I picked up a few pots and then came a huge confrontation in the top about 3 or 4 with Kenneth. I picked up 10/j in the big blind and flopped top 2 pair. I bumed it up and he came with me. Turn brought a possible straight draw, I think it was an 8 and I raised again. River was a dangerous queen. I counted down his last 4500 and put him all-in. I think he put me on a bluff because he called and my 2 pair held up. He had had my number all night so it was quite a relief. He played really, really well.

Heads up with Pete I was nervous. I know he is more experienced than I am and his bluff tendencies make him hard for me to read. So I went into all out aggression, raising every time I was small blind and raising every pair or better I hit. Finally I had about a 4-1 chip advantage and raised it, he instantly went over the top all in. I only had K/6 suited but I read him for medium pocket pair. I figured the King was my out and called him. He had pocket 9s. My first actual read of the entire night and I was right...I was way behind. The flop gave me a 6, giving me more outs. The turn was a King and he was down to 2 outs. The river...a 6 giving me the boat and the win!

For the night I played very poorly early. I should not have limped at all. I got taken out of some largish pots I should not have been in, bluffed away a good portion of my chips and had to get some help in the way of hitting trips and having my Kings and Aces hold up. But once I got my head on straight I played very well and got some help on the last hand. And this time...not every time, but this time...I outplayed Pete heads up. And that ain't easy.