And away they go!

Good start to the new year. I played the 40/80 on Friday night and picked up 4.5k in a about 7 hours of play. Then played the 20/40 on Saturday night and won 500 in about 7 hours of play. On Saturday, I got buried early and ended up losing 3+ racks before I bought another 2 racks, putting myself 5 racks into the game, before I made a raging comeback, and then in the last 30 minutes or so pulling ahead before calling it quits early in the am hours.

I played a couple of interesting hands, this one being the most interesting. Helen, the semi-regular Chinese player, who got killed in the 40 on Friday night, was playing again on Saturday night. She was losing again, and on massive tilt. Helen is a massive LAG, but when not on tilt, plays a decent game. Lisa a very nice caucasian woman, is like the polar opposite of Helen. Very tight pre-flop, and very cautious post-flop, and will only raise the nuts post-flop, and does other things to lose value post-flop.

In any case, early Sunday morning, we are playing 4-handed, when this hand came up. Helen opened, I 3-bet 9s9h on the button, Lisa capped the small blind, Freddy folded his big-blind, Helen and I both called. Flop comes 2s 4s 6h. Lisa bet, Helen called, and I called. Turn was the 7d. Lisa bet, Helen raised, and I folded. River was the 9d, and the river checked through. Lisa rolls As6s and Helen had pocket eights to win the pot.

Later that night, I either played this hand like an expert or a massive fish, not sure which yet. Down to 3-handed, and Helen and I both have overs, so we're playing 40/80 when it gets heads-up between us. Freddy folded his button, Helen raised the small blind, and I called with 65o in the big blind. Flop comes Js 5s 2d. Helen bet, I called. Turn comes Jh. Helen bet, and I called. River comes 7c. Helen now checks, I bet, Helen check-raises, and I tank for a good minute or so, before finally calling. Helen rolls As4s for the massive draw that blanked off, and tried an elaborate check-raise river bluff, that I snapped off. Had Helen, just bet the river, I think there's a very good chance I fold on the river. I originally value-bet the river, expected to get called by good ace-highs, some king-highs, and possibly pocket 3's or 4's. Also, I was trying to fold out better 5s if possible. When she check-raised me, her line at that point made no sense to me, and I was trying to figure out what she thought my hand was, and if she actually thought she had a value check-raise, or was trying a river check-raise bluff. Her being on tilt and losing, also certainly played a factor in my deciding to call. She even insulted me after the hand, telling me that I am such a calling station. :-)