Finally!

Been having a rough start to the year. Hopefully things are finally starting to turn around.

Historically, my average winning session has been $1023, while an average losing session has been -$1065. Don't worry, I have more winning sessions than losing sessions.

Since the beginning of the year, prior to last night, my losing sessions have averaged -$964 (less than my historical average), but my average winning session has only been $268 (way under my historical average). Thus when I have been losing, I have been losing about what I normally do, but lately when I win I've been booking very modest sessions wins, like $200 here, $300 here, not bad, but not great, and certainly not enough to make up for the nights where I drop 2 racks in the 40/80 game.

Last night however, I think(hope?) the magic may have returned. I booked a $1400 win in the 20/40 game in 4.5 hours of play with probably about 1.5 hours of that short-handed. I pounded on Chuck and an unknown to me most of the night.

I should get to play a lot of poker in the month of March. My wife is taking the kids and going out of town to visit her sister for most of the month, leaving me to my own devious devices. We'll see what kind of trouble I can get myself into.

Straight Flush!

Made a straight flush last night. In a short-handed 20/40 game. Wayne limps, I raise on the button with 89c, Tong calls in the BB and so does Wayne. Flop comes 6c As Tc. Check-check-bet-call-call. I don't really mind getting called in two spots here. If one of them folds I will likely have to fire the turn again in order to take down the pot. With both calling, I am assured that I will need to hit either the turn or river, in order to take it down. With position and the flop bet however, I'm likely to be able to check the turn and see the river for free. So with my gut-shot straight flush draw, I'm likely the equity favorite with 2 players in and 2 cards to come. In any case turn comes the 7c, giving me the stone cold nuts. Tong bets. Wayne folds, and I raise, Tong calls. River is the 4c. Tong bets again! I raise, praying that he has the ace of clubs and will reraise me. Tong just calls, and I table my straight flush.

In all of my poker playing I have made 5 straight flushes in my life.
89c -> last night @ 20/40
Q8d -> last March @ 40/80
67d -> couple of years ago at a 5/5 NL
KQs -> on-line at UB many years ago on a .10/.25 NL (actually this was my only royal)
JTh -> at a home-game playing Omaha-8