Mixers 5/15/07

feeling pretty blah coming in and really did not feel like playing, particularly with the group I was playing with. One guy was doing the 2 ear I-pod thing and had no clue what was going on...several times people had to clarify raises had been made, what they were...or that someone had only called. Meanwhile there was a LOT of aggression at the table.

At one point I got involved in a hand with i-pod...I had A/J, followed the trend and raised it, hit an Ace on a pretty soft flop, raised, he called. Turn was a blank, we both checked. River must have been a nine, he raised 500, I called. He flipped up something...I glanced at his hand, glanced at the board, he had nothing, I flipped up my A/J...and they pushed the chips to him. "What did he have?" I asked. "Trip 9s." someone replied. I still don't know if he had 8/9 like I read his hand (and read it COMPLETELY missing...) or pocket 9s and a third on the board...bad sign. Took me under 2000 chips and I was reading poorly.

A few hands later everyone limped in, I picked up pocket 10s in the big blind and went all-in. Guy immediately to my right called, he was one who had been doing lots of raising. He had A/8 or so, just one out. My 10s held up and I got back to about 3800 or so.

A bit later he raised again, I looked down at Q/rag. I almost folded but randomly called. Flop was Q/J/Q. He raised again. I called. Turn was a jack, he went all in, I called. I though he might have the queen. He didn't...he had J/k. Uh-oh, he had the boat...Jacks over queens. Now read that paragraph again. I am still reading the board like an idiot...yes, he had Jacks over queens...but I had queens over Jacks. I was ahead! To add insult to injury a Queen fell on the river giving me quads. Another nice double up and now I was sailing.

A couple hands later the EXACT same situation came up...he raised 400, I had the q/9 diamonds. Flop gave me 2 more diamonds. He raised 725. I thought and thought and thought. I almost folded. Then I decided to see one more card. It gave me the flush. He went all in. I called, knowing he might have a higher flush but reading him for a pair. He had a pair, the board had a pair...but the river was a blank and I was up oper 10,000.

Nothing else of note as we soon hit the final table.

Early on I was quiet, then I raised 800 (blinds at 200) with A/j. Guy to my left came over the top all in. I folded. He later said he had A/7. A couple other times one guy would raise, he would go over the top all in. Finally I picked up A/10 diamonds and limped in. Several other limpers. Flop was K/J/7 of diamonds. I flopped the nut flush with the draw to the Royal Flush. I was planning a call or small raise when the first guy, a regular bluffer and maniacal better, went all in. Guy to my right called. I came over the top all in and guy to my right called. First dude had like 3s? Guy to my right had pocket queens. Neither had a diamond. I was WAY up.

Melted off a few chips raising and then folding when they came over the top or else chasing weak draws. Tightened up. Went all-in with A/K, everyone folded, I showed. Down to 4. I raised, Roman went all-in, I called with A/J. He had pocket 6s. I hit an Ace and he was gone. 3 left. Just the guy to my left who kept going all-in whenever I raised and the guy to my right who had called with the queens.

I had K/7 and called a pre-flop raise. Flop came King, 9, rag. I checked, he went all-in. I thought for a while, then looked at him. "I know you have pockets." no reaction. "They are lower than a king. Is it a 9?" He blinked and as soon as he did I knew the only thing he could have that was ahead was a King with a better kicker...maybe big slick? But the more I think about it...not thought, think...he only raised pockets. I thought I might be beat but wasn't sure and was tired of being puched around. I called and he had the fishhooks. He got no help and we were down to heads up. I had a huge chip lead, about 3 -1.

After a couple hands I had J/9 suited, raised it 4000. He went all-in. I had seen him make that move repeatedly and called. He had K/10. Both his paired, I had only a open ended straight. He had a slight lead.

I picked up A/2 diamonds. Flop was A/2/5, all black. I thought about going all in but instead raised 4000. He called. Turn was a 4. I went all in. He looked at his cards, hesitated...and called. He had the 3. I waited one card too long, let him hit the gutshot and just like that I was done. I played stupidly (big pots, weak hands) and got smacked around for it. Total choke job to finish 2nd.