Played some $10 NL yesterday on UB. I like to play this limit when I am multi-tasking and not really paying attention. You know, watching tv, writing e-mails, and listening to music all while surfing the web is not the best way to play winning poker. But that is why I play this limit. So I played about an hour and lost a little. Most of it came on this hand: I get dealt 66 in middle position. The table was playing pretty passively, so I knew that I could get in cheap and possibly hit a set and take it down. Well I limp into the pot along with 4 others including the button. I get the perfect flop, all low cards and one 6, although there was a straight possibility. It gets checked to me and I bet out the pot. The big blind raises me big. I didn't have top set, but there was no way I was going anywhere and I was definitely not going to slow play, so I reraised. The big blind goes all in for about 1/2 my stack and I call, turn is a K, river pairs the board, and I lose to pocket Kings. Well i'm pretty sure I've made a ton of $$ off of people slowplaying big pocket pairs, so $6 was not a big deal, but suckouts...well...they SUCK! I went on to basically lose about $6 more bucks, I think because I got real passive in my play. I don't really know why, but I think I waited a while to re-buy back to my original buy in, so that may have had something to do with it.

Later on last night I decided to play a $10+1 SnG. I love the $5 and $10 SnG's! I really want to move up to the $20's but I think I need to track my performance in the lower buy-ins before I do that. I feel like I cash in about 40%, but I could be off. I think I'll try to track that this month, and look to move up to the 20's by October. So I pretty much crushed this SnG! There were a few hands that were pretty interesting. I had gotten my stack up to about 2400 (start w/ 1500), and this hand came up; I am dealt Ac4c in MP, usually I would throw this away in this position, but i felt that since I had accumulated enough chips, that I could afford a limp or two out of position with marginal cards, try to get in cheap, hit a good flop or get out. So, Ac4c in MP, I limp in for 40 along with one other player behind me and both the Small Blind and Big Blind. The flop comes 6 7 8 with two clubs, giving me a gut shot straight draw, and the nut flush draw, plus I also have an over card, though not really an "out". The SB, BB and I both check and I am sure the guy with position is going to put out some kind of bet, which depending on the amount, I was preprared to check raise. Well, the original raiser bets 40, the minimum. I'm putting this guy on two high cards, but both the SB and BB both called so I figured the pot odds were so great that I had to just call. The turn came an off-suit 10, and it gets checked to me so i put out a feeler bet of 140, a little less than half the pot. The guy behind me raises the minimum of 280. The SB and BB both fold and I am faced with a decision, which was pretty easy. I figured at this point I was beat to the straight or even A10, but I had to call 140 into a 740 pot. I now had only 9 outs to the nut flush which I needed 4 to 1 odds. Well I was getting about 5 to 1 on my money so like I said, it was an easy call. The river brought the dream Kc. I hesitated and put out about 1/3 of the pot in 300. Thankfully, the other guy raised me to 800, and again I hesitated and re-raised all-in. He calls and I win for a final pot of 2785. This gave me about a huge chip lead that I never really gave back.
Another fun hand was when I had pocket 9's in MP, the under-the-gun player minimum raises and I of course call. This is such a classic move that screams AA or KK. I really am always weary of that move and it is a sure fire way to have a big hand cracked. Anyway, the flop brought my set, and UTG thought he was slowplaying after the flop, he ended up going all-in on the turn drawing to two outs, and I filled up for the boat and sent the AA to the rail. I was pretty pumped about that hand because I read it perfectly. So i went on to win this SnG for a payout of $39 (minus the $10+1 entry fee). Ending my day in the black for a total of $29.

So today I was planning on playing the Cardplayer Freeroll, but I just checked to make sure I was registered, and sure enough, it's next weekend! DUH! Oh well, I'll probably try out a $5 or $10 Multi Table Tourney. Later tonight the boys are hopefully getting together for a cash game so that should be fun as always!

9/2/05
UB starting balance: $444
Cash Games: -$12
Tournaments: +$39
UB ending balance: $469.81