If the Gods aint smilin'...

Am still undecided about whether to be disappointed tonight.

I managed to make a loose call first hand, from the small blind, on the flop and had to get rid on the turn. This served my reputation well though, 2nd hand in, when I was given kings and somehow managed to check-call the flop and turn and re-raise all in (with a call) on the river to double up very early doors, with the guy showing A-high on a paired board with a bunch of other blank looking under cards.

I got a tad playful with my riches and lost 1500 or so over the next hour, before I was moved away from my favourite LPC dealer Sean to table 2 from table 1. Always think it's bad karma being moved from what will be the final table and having to find your way back there again. I kinda had to call a quarter of my stack soon after arriving on table 2 when I was dealt 10s and up against an all-in from early position with a short stack. I was up against AJ. The dealer obeyed my demands of small cards all the way to the river and then plopped a jack out there. Not amused.

I wimped out of shoving with Q-10 suited later with a half decent raise and call already behind me. I chastised myself afterwards (having seen a queen high board appear), but was vindicated when I finally did borrow a pair if b******s later and had 2 of the big stacks fold to my all in (with K-J suited, from memory) pre flop, even them having raised and called before. I really thought about this move, rather than just cowering under the table, trying to protect my stack, like I normally do, convincing myself before a flop has been flipped that I am behind and/or will lose. I worked out what they had put in, what they would have to call, what kind of odds they would have, what they might have in the hole. I figured I might get rid of one of them but was rather chuffed when they both mucked and the nice writer chap to my left said 'Brave move', with more than a hint of taken-a-back-ness.

Then the same guy who had rivered his jack previously (with a few more chips now) shoved on a board of 6-K-J. I had been allowed to check my J-6 in the big blind, so, briefly double checking my cards, I snap called. I was up against AK. K tripped on the river. Behave, dealer! Really! He did apologise sheepishly while I was cursing my luck and anyone/anything that got in my eyeline. I suggested he should only say it if he really meant it.

So that decimated me. About 10-15mins later, I ended up seeing 3s with 2.5 bbs left. I all in called a raise from early position. The guy flipped aces (for the second time in 5 hands, I might add). Oh crap. Ace on flop. Bugger. Dealer then dug the knife in with a 3 on the river. Oh, do bore off...

I am seemingly getting less (but still some) polite support at the tables. Maybe it's cos these guys know my face and have seen me play some half decent stuff and realise I am bit more than a 'token bird'. I definitely prefer being treated like an equal - albeit one with decent eyelashes and rack...

I am concluding tonight is just one of those. Played good, did the right things (all but one time, maybe aruagably twice), but just no luck when I needed it. Still learning, still need to gamble and aggress more (it really works!), but the core is definitely, happily, here to stay.