Arrived Saturday night with my buddy, Marcus. After some dinner, we sat down at the $1/2 NLHE cash table for a few hours, and I went on a nice little tear, turning my $300 buy-in into $1040. A few interesting hands:

1) There was a small raise preflop, a caller, and I called on the button with 6d9d. A loose play, I know, but since we pay a time charge instead of a rake, I wanted to loosen my standards slightly. Marcus called in the SB, and the flop Axx, two diamonds. The player on my right made a smallish bet, maybe $15 into a $30 pot. I called and so did Marcus. The turn was a diamond, they checked to me, and I bet $50. Marcus called, and then called my tiny $25 river bet. This wasn't a soft play, but I know Marcus respects my game and probably had me read for the flush. I was hoping to get a curiosity call if he had top pair or something, and in fact he had AdJo. Sorry, Marcus. Wish it had been someone else.

2) A sullen looking young man limped in, as did one or two others, and I called in the SB with T6s. Marcus checked, and the flop came T62. I bet $10, and only the sullen looking guy called. A 4 hit the turn, and I bet $25. A 7 came on the river, and I bet another $25. To my surprise, this guy raised me an additional $100. I was worried about the different straight possibilities, but after asking him a few questions, I felt like he was very nervous and didn't want a call. So I called and won a nice little pot.

3) A guy on my right claiming to be a professional gambler ("mainly sports betting and craps") was needling me about how tight I was playing. Then, on a flop of Ks8s2o, he bet $12 (about half the pot). I raised to $35 with 22, he reraised to $75 and I went all in. He thought long enough where I felt my hand was good, then he called. Turn and river came spade, spade, putting four to a flush on board. But I tabled my hand and he mucked.

4) Guy comes back from the cage with another $300. UTG limps, he limps on the button, and I call in the SB w QTo. Flop is QT2. I bet $8, this same guy makes it $30, I raise to $100, he goes all in. I call and win against his KK (at least that's what he claimed to have).

The next day I played the $300+40 circuit event and had Young Phan on my left. Kind of cool to meet a pro. Unfortunately the structure blew, and I busted out during the 200/400 level with AK vs 44. Average stack was $4200 at this point.

Sorry for the dry tone of this blog, but I'm actually really tired.

Going to use this entry to give a little background info about myself and my poker game, so that my future blog entries will be in a proper context.

Got into poker early in 2004 after the big TV explosion, like most people, and studied and practiced off and on for two years with some very modest success at private home games. I built up a $1000 online poker bankroll from scratch and unfortunately tilted it off in about two hours one morning. After some time off, I rebuilt in early 2006 then cashed everything out to take a summer vacation with my buddy. I returned from vacation in debt, without a job or a bankroll, but determined to put myself in a position to enjoy regular vacations in the future. So I got a job waiting tables that summer (which I still have), and eventually got my online poker bankroll off the ground in early 2007 with a few final table cashes. I've cashed out enough money to pay for all my failed deposits, poker book purchases, and my CR memembership, with a little extra for spending money. Unfortunately my remaining balance has dwindled down to about $3000 presently, from about $8000, mostly due to some unwise bankroll management ("Sure, I'll buy in directly to both the $530 Sunday tournaments on Stars and FTP!") and a failed attempt at NL cash games. At the moment I've been playing less poker, getting my battery recharged until I have the confidence and passion to run my bankroll back up and "get over the hump." For me, getting over the hump is half technical ability and half mental.

I'm hoping a blog will help me break down some of those mental barriers, so feel free to stay with me and see how I do. Hopefully I can transform from a marginal winner who waits tables into a bonafied professional.