Wednesday means volleyball and unfortunately I missed out on an online tournament I was invited to play in so that I could knock the ball around. At least the exercise was good for me. Unfortunately, my team once again managed to drop a game we should have won to finish 1-1 on the night. That puts us at 2-2 for the season and although we’re playing a division higher than we registered for, we probably should be undefeated right now, or at worst 3-1.
We finally took advantage of the $50 gift certificate we got for winning our division last week, so we at least got to enjoy some mostly free beer and pub grub.
But what I really had a taste for was some poker. After reading all the WSOP coverage today, I really had the urge to hit the tables. And I’d read about a Party Poker reload bonus, so I was anxious to get back to familiar ground to start working off some more bonus. Alas, this was not to be, as my deposit was not greeted with a new bonus to unlock and I read that the bonus offer was account specific. And the money was locked in for at least eight hours, so I couldn’t pull it back out and move over to try out Multi Poker.
So I actually returned to one of the outstanding bonuses I’ve yet to work off and logged into Pacific Poker. I’d lost a few extra dollars at the .5/1.00 tables there after the blogger tournament, but with the bonus conditions being that I needed to wager 20 times the bonus amount, it was going to play a lot of .5/1.00 hands to secure it. So, I decided I would test the waters of 2/4. My bankroll is at a safe 300BB, and Maudie told me that the 2/4 tables were reasonably soft, so I figured it was time to take the plunge.
Probably not the best idea as it was nearly 11pm and I was hoping to get to bed by 12. But, I was anxious to see what it was like. The first thing I noticed was that it was slow. After playing 3-4 Party family tables, 1 Pacific table is a painful ordeal. But I figured I was playing a new limit, so it was good that I had to pay attention.
I didn’t hit any hands for the first three or four orbits and quickly realized that a higher limit meant it was possible to lose chips more quickly. On the fourth orbit I try a middle position raise with K5 to see how much respect I’d get. None it seems, as I get called in four places. Flop comes 323 and I bet at it and I’m raised by the player on my immediate left. I re-raise thinking there’s no way that flop hit him and he calls. By this point we’ve lost all the others in the hand and the turn comes a 4. I bet and get raised again. Now I think maybe medium pocket pair, but I’ve got the odds to call with my overpair. The river is a blank and I figure I had to give him credit for at least ace high, so I fold to his bet. The guy stunk of fish, but I didn’t I don’t like calling a bet with king high.
A few hands later I get AQ in late position, catch a Q on the flop and pump the pot each chance I get, even after the K hits on the turn. I’m heads-up on the river and my pair of queens takes a nice 6BB pot (wow, that has a bit more meaning when not playing .5/1.00)
I get another small win the following orbit on the button and decide that I was going to pocket my $2 win to call my first 2/4 a winning won and get some sleep. But of course I need to play out my orbit first.
Two hands later I have AJ and raise from late position with two limper ahead of me. The above mentioned fish calls, as does the small blind and the limpers. Flop comes 9J9 and with three checks in front of me, I decide it’s time to bet. I get a call from the fish, small blind folds and both limpers call. Another 9 on the turn and I’m thinking that the hand is mine. Unfortunately I end up chopping the pot with the second limper who had JT.
Now my profit of $8.50 can be measured in BBs and I’m feeling even better about my night. And I’ve bet enough to work off at least a tenth of my bonus. But two hands later I look up to see KK and I raise again as third in the pot. I only end up with one caller, which is fine by me. The flop comes 79T, two hearts, and I confidently bet out at it. I’m called. Turn is a scary A, but I figure he’s got to put me on a good hand, so I bet again. Another call and I’m less happy. Another T hits on the river and I bet again. I don’t know if he figured me for the paired ten on the flop, or just didn’t hit his flush draw, but he folded and I managed to increase my winnings to half a dollar under 6BB. Next hand I see QJ and after the initial urge, I fold them like a good little early position player. The flop comes Q3J to taunt me, but my orbits out and I cash out with a tidy little run of $23.50 in 40 minutes. I benefitted from good cards, but it was nice to know that I wasn’t in over my head at the 2/4 tables.
Of course, my plan to be in bed by 12 didn’t work so well when I decided to write up this post, but that’s something else entirely.
Congratulations on a good run at the Pacific $2/4! I, unfortunately, hit a bad run with some incredibly stinky fish who managed to draw out and hit some awful hands to beat me. So, beware of the fish – just when you think they couldn’t have you beat with a trash flop showing – they do because they stayed in for 3 bets pre-flop with a T7-offsuit or some other trash – lol! So be careful!