"The Grind"

------------------------- 10 Dollar Buy-In: Holdem -------------------------

Here's how the table looked ...

I hadn't done much in the game until this hand came up...

Blinds were at 50 and a $1. I was in early position and looked down at and decided to just "Limp In". The Elephant to my left raised $3 with and everyone else folded back to me. I had about $21.50 left and decided to raise $10 more. The Elephant called. The flop was . I moved in for my last $7.50 and he called quickly. The 80% favored kings actually held up and I had a $46.00 chip stack. The very next hand I look down at again! It was better than Christmas day! This time I raised $4 in early postion to mix up my game a little bit. Mr. Porky Pine decided enough was enough and moved in for $15 more with . I call this player the porky pine because he always seems to be in every pot that I raise. He is a "Quill" in my side and what makes it worse is that I have trouble reading him for some reason. Of course, that didn't stop me from breaking my arm to call him on this hand. I'm an 80% favorite here and guess what... the Kings held up again! I am the chip leader and lookin good for heads up play.

I got heads up with the lion to my right. (I wish it was an elephant) We went back and forth for a good 30 minutes. Everytime I limped he raised and everytime he limped I raised. It was a good battle. My strategy heads up is this... I raise when it's his big blind most of the time to steal it and I try to pick favored hands and play big pots for all the chips when I'm the big blind. I did not want to get caught raising his big blind with junk though and he pick up a monster. That's the danger with this strategy and that is exactly what happended in this next hand.

Blinds were at $6 and $12 and I had a slight chip lead. I was the smal blind which is the first to act heads up. I raised $20 with and the Lion moved all-in for $48 more. I guess I was set up for this because he had done this a few times already. I new better but called anyway, trying to end it. He rolled over his monster so I'm 32% vs. 68% and I only made sixes after all the cards were delt so I was down to around $45 in chips. Well gotta pushm' now. The next hand I get and had to move in. The Lion called with so I'm a 3 to 2 underdog. The flop came !!! Like I said, I was a 19 to 1 favorite when the chips went in. So I'm back to around $90 in chips and I worked it up a little bit and regain the chip lead. A few hands later the Lion moves in for his whole stack which I think was around $100 in chips. I call with . He turns over . Pretty much, I see an Ace heads up, I'll put them all in no matter what. So now I'm the favorite 62% vs. 38%. A six came out on the flop and I was back down to $25 in chips. The next hand was a mirror image of the last as I lost again with a slightly favored Ace high to the Lion's King high when he once again pair his kicker card. Winning heads up matches has become my white whale. Second again, SIGH.

+15 Dollars

------------------------ 20 Dollar Buy-In: Holdem --------------------------

The Elephant to my right is gone and a mouse has taken his place.

This tournament was just a disaster for me. The First hand the Elephant to my left raised $4 with blinds at just 25 and 50 cents. Odd... I look down at so i called. I figured he had a big pair 1010, JJ, or QQ but I also figured that he was steaming a little because he had just lost $50 in a side game. I thought if an Ace or King comes I'll bust him because he won't be able to lay it down. The flop came out low and he bet 4 more. I couldn't call then so there goes $4.50 on the first hand. He showed Jacks after everyone folded. I continued to loosely call bets preflop and fold after the flop. A pretty weak stragey to say the least.

So I get short stacked because I was playing like a donkey. With a chipstack of $13 and blinds @ $1 and $2 I move in with . My Porky Pine friend calls me, of course with . Interesting.? This is a common occurrence with several players at this game. They call off $10 to $20 with King 8, King 9, King 10, or King Jack. All of these hands are 3 to 2 dogs to hands as weak as Ace Duece Offsuit. I just don't understand why? But hey, my cards held up, so I wasn't griping to bad after the hand was over.

I continued to catch very few cards and was back down to $13 in no time. With blinds @ $2 and $4 I noticed that the Porky Pine and Elephant were both acting like they were weak before I even looked at my cards. The only one to get by was the Lion across the table from me who never looks at his cards until it's his turn to act. With that information and my chip count, I was forced to move in with and got called by the Lion in the big blind who had . I was happy to play the weak hand against one player instead of 2 or 3. But, lady luck passed me by and I was out in 5th place.

-20 Dollars

------------------------ Cash Game: Dealer's Choice -----------------------

We played a 4 handed cash game after the second tournament. One of the Lions and myself find the cash game to be just as profitable (if not more) as the tournaments, especially with the Elephant and Mouse. If the Lion wasn't leading (Betting First) in a hand then I usually was.

There are couple of hands I want to mention. I was dealing Omaha Hi/Lo which is one of my favorite games. I was delt and limped on the button. The flop came Js - Jh - 8s. I bet out $2 and got called by everyone. The turn bought 6c. I once again bet out, $2.50 this time. The Elephant called and the Mouse called. The river came 10s. I was really hoping somone had the nut flush here. I bet out $3. The elphant folded and the Mouse thought about it for a long time. Keep in mind here that the board is paired and there is a flush possibility. He's ultra tight anyway and I fifured he'd fold, but I think maybe my table talk made him call. I said "Put it in there." and "I want you to call." ha ha and he called me with a sucker straight. (He had the 10 8) I'm not at all griping about him being there, I like the guy, he's always welcome!

Last hand of the night and I have in NL Omaha Hi/Lo. The flop come 7s - 7c - 4d. Check around. Turn came Ah. Check around. River came 8d. The elphant bets out $1, I guess with an Ace? The Lion folded and the mouse didn't even play the hand because he had exactly $10 in chips and didn't want to lose the rest of it. Anyway, I decided that this would be a good time to try an overbet. I raised $7. To my suprise the Elphant called me quickly and said "Well, that will make it easier to count my chips. Call." OK, good logic there!? HA!

+20 Dollars

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+15 Dollars for the night