Flush you!

I played several cash games this past couple of days with varying results. Ill be enumerating some of the hands in this blog since I cant seem to place any of them to a particular date. The thing I do remember however is playing against 3 celebrities: John Estrada, Mike Cortez and Antonio Aquitania. They played very differently and I think the best player of the lost is a tie between John and Antonio. I also played big pots heads up against all three of them. More on that later.

I remember getting a K7 suited and limping in with the big blind. Flop came out all hearts, which was the suit I was holding. I bet 300 at the pot and the other guy called. I was scared that he had an Ace high flush or something, but then again, I guess he would have reraised. Turn was a 9c, so I bet 300 again. This time he folded. That was a nice pot and established my image on the table as aggressive.

I also got an AK suited and bet 240. Only one guy stayed. Flop paired my Kings and I bet aggressively again, 300 I think. Other guy folded. A couple of hands later, I got another AK, this time not suited. I bet 240 again and everyone folded. I was so disheartened. A guy beside me noticed my dissappointment and asked, "you got Aces?". "No, AK. Did I bet too high?" "That was probably for the best, drawing hands like that usually dont hit at the flop and can cost you more than can profit". Maybe so I thought, but Id rather the flop show me I bet wrong than statistical anomalies like that.

I also remember getting pocket tens and just betting 140 because I was really not confident with them. About 6 players stayed and flop came out with a King and Queen. I folded to the first bet at it. I played that wrong because chances were, I had the best hand preflop and should have bet big at it, like 500 to scare everyone off. Ill try to remember that next time.

I got a K9 offsuit in the big blinds and flop gave me a two-pair. I bet 200 and everyone folded except for Mike Cortez. Turn was a number so I bet 300. He stayed again. There were no flush or straight draws so I was farely confident. River was another number so I bet 400. He stayed and I said two-pair and he just mucked his one-pair apparently. That win was dedicated to JC who requested it. Hehe.

Later I got an AQ suited. I bet 300 at the pot and only 2 guys stayed. Flop came out 5-J-10. I was devastated at how I could not hit anything with that good of a hand. I was first to act and needed to stay aggressive. I bet 400, and both guys stayed again, not a good sign. Turn was a King, and now I was on a flush draw, both the 5 and K being hearts. But then I realized, I had already hit the straight. So I bet 1000. Other guy bets 2000. So does the other guy. So I call as well. River comes out a club and I dont hit. I go all-in with my remaining 900. Other guy thinks we're all alone and calls and throws his cards face up on the table. Guy beside him shouts no, and covers the cards, motioning that there is still another player. I grimace seeing it as an AQ as well. "Sonofabitch! Split-friggin plot!". Other guy sees the AQ as well and just folds. I shake the calling guys hands and say you wont believe what I got. Everybody is happy with a split, except for the guy we took the money from, who apparenly hit the trips with his pocket tens on the flop. Too bad for him, too good for me.

One hand I got was a K7 suited and I just limped in. The flop gace me a flush draw and I bet 200. One guy goes all in with a 700 and I call along with another guy. I was rather hesitant since I won the last pot and felt that my winnings wree enough for me to call it a night, sufficed to say, I was afraid to lose it all again. Turn was no help and I looked at the other guy left and said "check to you sir". He looked at me slyly, smiled and tapped this fingers on the table. River was a heart! Woohoo! I hit the flush! I bet 1500 and the other guy folded. Guy who went all in showed his pair of Jacks and told me nice hand while shouting at the dealer saying, "sabi ko sayo ayoko ng hearts!" That was a nice pot.

I remember being severly short stacked in one game when John Estrada bet 300. I got a KJ offsuit and went all in with my remaining 420. He called and showed his AK suited. Flop was not kind to me at all as he hit the flush immediately. I stayed for the turn and river to maybe get a full house but was short one card. I waived goodbye to everyone and wished them all good luck, something I did not have on that particular session.

With Antonio, I was again shortstacked with at K2 offsuit and limped in with the big blind. Flop paired my kings and I just bet 100 with my weak kicker. Antonio looked at my stack and said, Ill bet your entire stack. I thought long and hard and agreed reluctantly. I showed my hand, and he showed his suited J9, which was not on the flop, or the river. He did hit a Jack on the turn, but that was not enough. He told me that he wanted me to think that He had a King. I said, "Well, you were successfull. " That doubled my stack, which I gave up to a very bad play to a very good player who got very lucky, hitting trips on the flop. Once again, KJ being the culprit.

The past games showed me to be patient with my hands and to try and go for the flush, which I hit more times than I didnt. I broke even with all these games and plan to play some more and fine tune my betting and observing skills. Wish me luck and will post back when I play again.

Peace!