I Need a Vacation...

It's finally Friday and I'm exhausted. Between work, contractors, and H1N1 vaccination clinics, I'm beat and ready for a couple days off. My plans for the weekend involve relaxing, having a few drinks, a bit of exercise, and trying to plan a healthy diet for me to take up as soon as possible. My body's getting too old for the food I eat and I need to change things around.

But this change won't happen over the next two days so let's talk poker!

I'm going to try and squeeze in a few sessions over the weekend. I don't think I can clear SilverStar at PokerStars playing the $0.50/$1.00 limit hold'em games. My focus right now is on playing solid poker and trying to come out ahead this month.

I last played poker on Wednesday night. I sat down for a good session at Stars and came out ahead in the end. I got hit with the deck and I'm cool with that: what goes around comes around. Of course, many of my opponents really helped boost my numbers but overplaying their hands.

Here are a couple of the hands I played the other night. Enjoy!

PokerStars $0.50/$1.00 Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 354547
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Pre Flop: (1.5 SB) Hero is SB with 8 8
1 fold, MP raises, CO calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, 1 fold

(MP is unknown. I might have raised had the CO folded but decided to call and give the BB a a chance to tag along.)

Flop: (7 SB) 7 8 6 (3 players)
Hero checks, MP bets, CO calls, Hero raises, MP 3-bets, CO folds, Hero caps!, MP calls

(Dream scenario for me. CO spots a bad situation and gives it up.)

Turn: (8 BB) A (2 players)
Hero bets, MP calls

River: (10 BB) A (2 players)
Hero bets, MP calls

(Great card for me. I was hoping Villain had an ace and might check-raise. I would have raised had he led into me.)

Final Pot: 12 BB

Hero shows 8 8 (a full house, Eights full of Aces)
MP mucks 5 7

(I think Villain made a rather poor river call. He was getting 11-1 but I don't see how he thinks he's ahead here ever - especially when the heart draw comes in.)

PokerStars $0.50/$1.00 Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 354548
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Pre Flop: (1.5 SB) Hero is BTN with 6 6
UTG calls, CO calls, Hero calls, SB calls, BB checks

Flop: (5 SB) T Q 5 (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, CO checks, Hero checks

Turn: (2.5 BB) J (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, CO checks, Hero checks

(I considered betting here but decided to give up for two reasons: my table image was not that great and the SB was a 56/31/0.7 player who seemed to enjoy 3-betting my every raise pre-flop. Villain seemed pretty passive post-flop in most hands but he seemed a little crazy at times. I'd seen him go nuts a few times over the past 100 hands.)

River: (2.5 BB) 6 (5 players)
SB bets, BB folds, UTG folds, CO folds, Hero raises, SB 3-bets, Hero caps!, SB calls

(SB crazy streak had me convinced that I was well ahead in the hand. The river card didn't change the board so I couldn't see the Villain being ahead of my set. I figured him for a hand like 56 or A6. I assumed he'd have bet the turn with any pair.)

Final Pot: 10.5 BB

Hero shows 6 6 (three of a kind, Sixes)
SB mucks J 6

(Close. I guess Villain was going for the check-raise on the turn.)

Despite the fun I've had with poker this week, I'd also like to finish up Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on my PS3 this weekend. Great game! Poker's much more rewarding in the long run but Uncharted 2 is pretty damned exciting and overflowing with hours and hours of great entertainment!

Have a great weekend everyone!