Well, theme of the day is that once I get my chip stack above the starting stack of 20,000, it won’t last longer than one round of play before I get some chips in, lose a pot as a big favorite, then have to build my stack back up.  This has happened about 15 times today!  I might be exaggerating a little bit, but it has definitely happened a ton. 

Last update, I had about 26,000 chips after making a good call with Kings against the guy who bluffed into me with eights.  Shortly thereafter I ended up in a monster pot.  I was down to about 24,000 from the blinds and antes, and limped second position with nines.  The small blind, who was a new player at the table, shoved all-in for 4,000.  I was in for 300 only (150/300 blinds) and I called.  I had a read that this particular player would do it with any Ace and the way he did it, I didn’t think he had a pair bigger than mine.  I figured worst-case scenario, I’m in a coin-flip and I may actually be dominating him if he had a smaller pair or a weak Ace.  Turns out he had Ace-deuce, so I’m in a 10,000 pot with a 75% chance to win.  He flopped an Ace, so I lost that pot.  I was down to 19,000 after that hand. 

Then I flopped a set with pocket sevens in a four-way pot.  The flop came A 7 4 with three hearts.   The original raiser made a small continuation bet on the flop which I just called because of the three hearts.  The big blind called too, so three of us saw the turn, which was a black Jack.  The big blind checked, the original raiser bet slightly more than he bet on the flop.  I figured I was beat at this point, but I had outs, so I called the 3,600 bet.  The big blind called and then on the river, the big blind checked, the raiser shoved all-in, and I folded.  The big blind called with just Ace-King.   The raiser had King-Queen of hearts for the nut flush .  That one sucked.  I was down to about 13,000 after that hand.  

I picked up a big pot with a nut flush draw.  On a flop of 9c3h2h, I had Ah5h.  There was a bet and a raise in front of me and I three-bet to 10,000.  They both folded and I took down the 5,000 pot at that point.  After that, I took advantage of some steal  situations and built my stack back up to about 20,000. 

A short-stack got moved to our table.  I flopped a set against him and slow-played it, made a couple thousand, up to about 24,000.  Then an interesting hand happened.  Middle position limped, I limped on the button with Queen-Ten off, both blinds came in and the flop was QhTh8c.  The small blind, who I had only seen play two hands in two levels, but who had about 60,000 chips in front of him, led for almost a pot-sized bet of 1,500.  Fold, fold, comes to me.  I know he doesn’t have a set at this point.  I’m nervous he might have Jack-nine for the made straight, but I know it’s also possible he has Queens and eights.  Eights and Tens is also possible, or a flush draw, or a flush and straight combo draw.  I made a mistake here and I should have just flat-called clear to the turn and then bet bigger, but I min-raised to 3,000.  Without hesitating, he shoved all-in, having me covered.  I had 20,000 behind and decided to fold.  I showed him my Queen-Ten and he showed me 9h7h for the open-ended straight-draw and flush-draw.  I ran the Card Player odds on it and we were 50/50 on the flop.  Considering my table, I’m glad I didn’t stick my 20,000 stack, which is definitely still really playable, all-in in a 50/50 spot.  I think I can probably get it in a little better than that.  It was a tough laydown, but that’s the way it goes.  I made a mistake — I should’ve just called the flop.

I’m at about 21,000 at this point, going into level seven.  I think we’re playing eight tonight.  Hopefully I’ll make day two with a good stack.

Vanessa  J