Last two online sessions...

Last night and the night before, were pretty good to me. And no I'm not talking huge amounts of money...when am I ever? I've been playing at the .25-.50 No Limit tables on UltimateBet.com. I was looking for something different than the 1-2 Limit table, which on UB is culturally different than that of many other Poker Rooms that I play. I don't know exactly how to put it into words...it's a feeling which gives me pause. In poker, at least in my poker, anything which gives you pause, should be acknowledged...paid attention to...and then find a way to distance yourself from it. Not fear...I could easily sit at the table and "bump onions" with these guys...but it isn't a quesiton of skill or patience. It's a question of luck...and willingness to take greater chances for high profit. But the converse to that is of course the potential for high losses. Now, at first the profit didn't seem to come from the .25-.50 level either. I was playing premiums and positional cards, well within acceptable %'s, and based on my win % I was doing well. But those wins were small. But two nights ago...a maniac came to the table...or was there when I arrived. He is 2 positions to my left. When I'm Big Blind...he's in early position in my book. But he begins a posture of betting out 4X the BB every time I'm the BB. Now, I he's doing it a lot of other times too, but particularly on me. Maybe he's got notes on me...for being ultra-tight...or weak...or whatever. If that was an impression he got over the course of a week or two prior...that was perfect. Because I had hit a very frigid streak...and was feeling a little weak myself. I was folding to raises and bets routinely, because, I had nothing, nada, zip... This guy continues on though...all through the night...I sat with $50, and had been up and down. I actually am at about $39 left after a few hundred hands...and I've got pocket 6's, in mid-to-late position, with 2 other limpers, I limp in. Prolly not the right move...but eh...why not. Mr. Maniac makes it $1.75 to go...again. 1 or 2 limpers fold out...again. Back to me. Now, he can't have a good hand all the time, right. But I haven't got to see a lot of his crap hands, because he's bullying the table. So, the time feels right to see a flop on this one. The flop comes out rainbow, with a King high...but OH LOOKEE...there's a little insignificant little 6 laying out there. Mr Maniac dives in with a $5+ bet, after I check to him...knowing he's going to bet out. I pause...long...utter a hmmmm to the chat window...pause...then go over top of him for double his bet. All of about 2 seconds pass from him, and all of his chips make a bee-line for the middle. I call immediately, of course, and my set holds fast...and I take down a pot that puts my chip stack at $81.75. Mr. Maniac, doesn't rebuy...but sits there, dumbfounded for quite some time. I say his hand...in fact a few hands later I went back to double check the hand history to make sure I hadn't imagined it. Yes...it was a 7-2! But, in his defense, they were suited. But not matching ANYTHING on the board. Moral to Mr. Maniac...just because you're bullying and it's working....doesn't mean that the trend will continue. I just had to wait for a hand to enable me to take your friggin' chips. But by all means PULEEZE keep up that strategy. I'll gladly bust you up again. And I wasn't even catching that great a level of cards that night.
Last night, I was catching cards. At least when it was important. BUT!!!! I was also running bluffs, and playing my position to the HILT! AND there was a proper mixture at the table to make it work for me. The thing that worked best for me was hitting a GOOD hand early on...on a RIVER SUCKOUT. HOWEVER!!! had my worthy opponent taken the bull by the horns he would have removed me from the hand prior to the RIVER, where I caught the card to torpedo his hand. I'm the SB, and this guy is the BB. The table folds to us...I'm sitting on a dismal J-6os. But I make the .25 call. He checks. The flop comes out 8-8-J. I bet weak... .75. He pauses, and calls. I'm feeling out my position, wanting to see where I stand. Next card is a blank...I bet out maybe $1.50 this time, still fearful of an 8. He pauses and just calls again. River comes...and it's a Jack. Now there's a card to make you smile. Now...the typical UB'er that I've seen would have got all moist on himself...and gone all in as fast as possible. I paused...long and hard here. I finally opted for a $4.50 bet. Larger than any of my other bets...but not all the way. I want my bet to be perceived as a half hearted attempt to buy the pot. I want him thinking I'm pretending to have a Jack, and not that I have one. He pauses briefly...and again only calls again, which surprised me a bit. BUT, I turn over my Jacks full of 8's, and by looking at the hand history I get to see that he had indeed been sitting on an 8 the whole time. Now, at any point during that hand, had he gone over the top of me...I would have dropped it, up to the River. He was trying to lay the mother of all traps on me, instead of taking down a smaller/yet respectable pot earlier. He wanted a kill shot. I wasn't interested in that so much, which is characteristic of my style. I'm ready and willing to take small pots as they present themselves, but I do not try to rush the action, and steal from unlikely/unhealthy postions. Whatever it is...it has worked for the last couple of days. Only the test of time will proivde the proof.

But with that I bid you a fond farewell.

Oh and if I don't post again, before then...MERRY CHRISTMAS too all!

Regards,

cheer_dad