Sep 12th - £100+£10 NL Hold'Em - Western Club (Acton)

In any game where the outcome isn't decided until the very last second, or in the case of poker where the last card falls, there are a number of things that must go your way in order to both progress and do well.

Last week, at the Western, I got good cards and they held up nicely. Last night I got mediocre hands and with them goes mediocre luck especially as we had a Mr Hoover on the table who's every participation in a pot usually meant he'd be the one winning it!

After the first hand I knew it wasn't to be my night. I get dealt Qs-8s in EP, flat call the blind of 50, and by the end of the circle it was just me versus the big blind. The flop comes 8c-5c-2d.

Of course with top pair (even if it is only 8's) I feel somewhat secure knowing that I'm going to pound the pot and if my opponent has better then I'll soon know about it. The BB immediately bets out to 150.

Not wishing to give freebies I immediately raised to 500. He flat called.

I've mentioned before here that if I see 2 'flush cards' on the flop and I'm getting flat calls from a bet I'm making I'll usually put my opponents on a flush draw and act accordingly but the 2h, on the turn, pairing the board made me slighly uneasy. He checked, I bet another 500, and he duly called again.

The 9c fell on the river. He immediately bet out 500! I suppose the speed in which he bet threw me off and I called. He flipped the 6c-7c for the flush and, to be fair, I don't think I'd have put that hand down at any stage during the hand what with the flush AND straight draw to play with.

So down to 3500 after the first hand!

After the first level of blinds I held 3300. After the 2nd level I held 2800. Before the end of the 3rd I was gone.

I won't bore you all (and remind myself) with details of my last hand as I played it like a muppet and got what I deserved. Mr Hoover scooped mine, and another players chips, and it was au revoir on another night of poker!

Entries ->64 - Place -> 51st - Loss -> £110 ($204) Profit/Loss for 2006 -> +$15644

(As from 7th August rate of exchange is calculated at £1 = $1.85)