this game tests you

I felt pretty good about a 500 hand, $15 winning session this afternoon, then I fired up this evening and lost all of that in the first 9 hands to a LAGgo-tard from Belguim playing nearly 100% of the hands.

Belguim guy stacked me on a 2 outer on the river - QQ vs. 33. Knowing the poker gods were trying to test me, I kept playing.

3 hands later, I got a free play with 26 in the big blind and flopped a straight, 345. I was scared as hell putting it "all" (30 BB in the capped game) in there, knowing I could easily be counterfeited having the sucker end card, but I got it in, I got paid off by 88.

I then watched the 100% hand guy get his money in bad 5 more times, and suck out of 3 more of them. At this point, his stats were 86/32. He was willing to get all in on any pair, or any two face cards. He also had over $250 at the table.

2 hands later, AA. He limped, I raised. He called. The flop, an ominous 666. We both checked. Turn a Jack. I prayed he hit it and bet, he raised all in. If he had the fourth 6, I might have passed out, but he didn't. Jack-Five suited. I held up.

Belgium guy was showing his bluffs, showing off. 82o, K2o, didn't matter.

Saw him shove all in preflop, then show pocket twos after all folded. Did the same with pocket threes, but got a caller from AQ and lost a race.

I was fascinated, and down $2.35.

I started up another table. First hand, reraised a button stealer with AK, he folded. Second hand, reraised the same guy with KK, he shoved - with TT, and hit his ten on the turn. That's twice their 2 outers got me.

Seconds after losing the KK vs. TT hand, I stacked the Belgian guy at the other table with AK vs. A-rag.

Up, down, up down. KK loses to 7Ts. (that's three, right?) My baby flush stacks two pair two hands later.

Finally tally - 881 hands, up $14 on the evening session, and $44.50 for the day. 5.65 BB/100 hands - pretty decent. Plus the last of my December $100 bonus earned.