My session last night lasted 1.29 hours, during which time I fit in 257 hands and won .39 (10.42PTBB/100) which was around short of getting my figures for the month out of the red. On any other night I’d have finished -35 to the good but I just couldn’t seem to get paid off. One hand I flopped trip 8’s and took a tiny pot then I turned a full house, Tens full of Jacks, with a flush on the board and got no action at all, even overbetting the pot didn’t work. Like I said on another night I would probably be stacking someone here but I suppose I’ll accept winning the hand the way things have been going (I’ll post the HH’s for these 2 hands when I get home).

I did however get paid off when I turned a straight and villain thought his TPTK was good. I flopped an OESD and bet out half the pot after it was checked to me and I was called. I turned my straight and bet out again when it was checked to me and once more I was flat called. I was worried about QT here so the King on the river wasn’t my favourite card but I decided to put villain all in for his last .85 because he has KQ, or a small set enough times here for me to get called and paid off.

I then got very lucky when I dodged bullets for the 2nd time in the three times I’ve been up against them! I get dealt K9o and get to see a free flop from the BB. I flop a King but aren’t too happy with my 9 kicker, especially as the board is also connected and 2 to the flush with the 5 and 6 of clubs showing. I bet out and he raises me 3 times my bet. I’d seen villain play his straight draws and flush draws very aggressively so put him on a flush draw or maybe an OESD so I called. Turn brought the queen of spades which I see as a blank as I don’t think he has a spade draw and I think he would have raised preflop with something like KQ from the SB. I still think he’s on a draw and his raise on the flop was trying to bully me off the pot as a lot of people raise of bet out with a King showing on a raggedy flop so I bet out half the pot, giving him 3/1 odds to call, which he does. If he had raised here I would probably have let the hand go but I’m also worried now that he’s raised my flop bet with a King showing and now calls again when I lead out with a Queen showing also and now 2 flush draws. Unless I hit something major on the river I think I am beat here, maybe he has slowplayed KQ here? The river brings me a 9 giving me two pair but I am now worried that my two pair will be beat by a higher two pair and I check, hoping for a free showdown but he bets into a pot giving me 4.5/1 odds on calling. Those odds for me are too good to turn down holding 2 pair and I call. He mucks his rockets and I type in the chat box “I dodge Bullets baby” and realise I got away very lucky on that hand.

I’ll take a winning session any day of the week but like I said previously I’m not happy with how things are going at the minute although my sample size is very small. I’m planning on playing between 500-800 hands tonight and may even throw in a couple of SnG’s or an MTT for good measure. I’ve now cleared 40% of the first of the sign up bonus and by playing another 500-800 hands should mean I can clear this by Sunday which would be good as I can start working on the 0 bonus then.

Thanks, as always, for checking in. I hope you have a great weekend and may all your outs be live! Any hints and tips on middle pairs appreciated.