I have not had the chance to play too much poker lately as I have been extremely busy and I was sick for a week. Of course that did not stop me from going to Meadows for the weekend.

I decided to skip the 8pm bounty tourney as it was my goal to get a good night sleep as I was recovering from the flu. That didn't happen. I sat down at the 1/2 game. I was playing really well and I was up about 100. Then the wheels fell off. The same guy hit 4 straights against me. Three were runner runner. It was sick. The fourth time he called 16 preflop with 34 off and called 30 on the flop with a gutter ball to the sucker straight. He hit it on the river. He stacked me two times within 2 orbits. I did double up off of him a few orbits later when he called my all in of $145 with k9 on a board of k78. I had k7. I was into the game for $700. I lost a decent pot when I flopped a set of 999 and lost to a straight flush. Glad the board did not pair as I would have gone broke.

I was really upset with my self getting so deep into a 1/2 game. I got up to $650 and was about to leave when I got involved in a hand that took me down to about $510. I decided at that point I lost about 200 not bad. Time to go to bed. It was after 5:00 am. There goes my good night sleep.

The main event started at 1:30. Linda and I got there about 1 and bought in. Julie bought in about 15 minutes later and gets the seat directly to my left. GRRR. I like sitting with Julie but I sure wish I had position. The tourney started off ok. Julie and I both played pretty smart and chipped up a little. Neither of us won or lost any big pots. I did win a decent pot when I called a raise from the guy to my right with my favorite hand and hit a straight. I cracked his QQ. It was a scary board so the pot was pretty small. We had one guy who decided to go all in with 12K in chips when the blinds were like 100/200. He got lucky and built up a huge stack. He eventually busted Julie with K10. What an idiot. He got a bunch of my chips as well. I raised with Ak and flopped an A. He called preflop with A6 off and turned two pair. I did not go broke on the hand but I did lose a bunch of chips. After that hand I could not get anything going. I was very short for the rest of the tourney. I was able to double up right after the dinner break but I could not get any traction. I had to shove from the big blind with A10. The other guy had AJ. That sucked. I think I went out about 39th.

I am a little upset about the last hand and I wanted to say something to the dealer but I kept my mouth shut. The guy raised and I shoved for a very small amount more. The guy was not paying much attention and the dealer said to him.. 17 more to call. He looked like he was about to say fold and the dealer clarified...only 1,700 more. I was really upset about this. The guy has to call as he raised to 10,000. But if he is not paying attention it is not the dealers job to clarify for him. Right? I was not happy about this at all. I did not say anything because the guy is one of the guys who plays that is handicapped and has to have someone help him read his cards and put chips into the pot. I would have felt horrible saying anything that could be construed against him. But the dealer needs to shut the fuck up. He had the best hand and he deserved to win, but it was pretty bad of the dealer to clarify for him.

To the cash game. I wanted to sit with Angela and Tom and play 2/4 limit, but I couldn't drink and that game is not fun sober. I sat at a 1/2 game and had a really good time. A couple of the people were playing the 7-2 game for $20 each. I'm in. I love that game. I won a few hands and was up about 75 dollars when I got coolered. I have 77. Flop 78q. Two spades. I bet $45. Big stack raises to $100. Having played with him before I know that he will do this with a queen, a flush draw or 7-2. I ship in my stack. He calls fairly quickly with 88. Grr. Set over Set. Rebuy.
I played in this game for another hour or so and got up to $500. One of the girls that was with me wanted a ride back to the h0tel so I cashed out. Small profit. I will take it. Played a little bit of 2/4 with the girls and flopped the K high flush. Same guy from last night flopped a straight flush. Wow. Thank god it was limit. I would have lost a bunch in a no limit game.

Wasn't sure what I was going to do on Sunday. I wanted to play some more but the group I was driving with wanted to go home. We decided that they would go shopping and I would play for a couple hours. I got to the casino and I put my name on the 1/2 list. I was about 7th on the list. I am sitting near the desk and I hear that they are going to open a 2/5 game. Ok. Put me on this list. I decided that I would sit down with $300 and I would not rebuy. I am playing really tight and am down about $25. I am talking the guy next to me and he wins a decent pot. He tells me that it is my turn this hand. There is a straddle for $10. I look down at 2-5 diamonds. Ok. Let's see a flop. There has not been a lot of raising so let's see if I can see a cheap flop. Of course the guy two from me raises to $35. There are 4 callers. Ok. I call. Flop is 5k2. Pretty good flop. (K of diamonds) I hate bottom two pair though. Let's play small and see what happens. I check. Preflop raiser bets 55 one caller. I call as well. Turn is a 4 of diamonds. Now I have two pair and a crappy flush draw. I check. Preflop raiser checks other guy bets $150. I only have $174 so I go all in. He calls of course. River is blank and I announce 2 pair. He mucks. $680 pot. Gotta love it.

I don't play anything for a while until another straddle hand. I have 77. I just call the straddle. Guy who was shoving chips around a lot raising and re raising was the one who straddled. He raised to $55. I call as do two others. Flop is 782. The straddler insta ships $397. I insta call. He looked sick that I called. The guy next to me thinks for a minute and folds. He had an eight. Guy says I have an open ended straight draw. I don't say a thing until the turn is a beautiful 8. I flip over my boat and say ship it! Guy next to me would have hit trip 8s with an A kicker. I would have gotten his stack if it was played differently. I decide I will play one more half hour. I lose about $175 with AQ. I should have folded to his river bet. I was trying to make the hero call. Dumb ass. Down to $975. Grrr. Very next hand I have 56 s on the button. Another straddle. I call for $10. No raises this time. I think that there were 7 to the flop. Flop is 34j. Staddler bets out $45. 2 callers before me. I call. Turn is blank. It is checked to me. I thought about firing a bet but decide that is a bad play. I check. River is a Seven. I have the nuts. Straddler bets out $55 it folds to me and I raise $100 more. He tanks and folds. He said he had two pair. I don't really believe him. I finish out the half hour and when the dealer asks for my money for time, I grab three racks and get ready to leave. I played 2.5 hours and I won over $900. Not a bad afternoon. Really glad that I ignored my rule for this year and put my name on the 2-5 list. Degenerate behavior generally wins out in my world. Glad it did not bite me in the ass like it normally does.