I played poker for an hour last night from 4:45 AM until 5:45 AM. I was three tabling, for a total profit of $17. I suppose $17 an hour is good, and it was time well spent.

Hopefully I get to play some poker at the end of this week. I will have finished a few of my obligations for the time being and will have more time to relax. Until next time.

My sixth semester of college has started. I am getting close to graduating. This is scary. I will be out in the REAL world in just over a year. Scary when I really start to think about it. This summer I am going to be doing an internship, although I do not know for which company just yet. I hope I have time to play poker this semester, or atleast more than I did last semester (which should not be so hard considering I played about three nights worth of poker the entire last semester.)

Here are the totals for my winter break run at the $50 buyins at PartyPoker.com.

Total hours played: 50.583
Total profit: $1292.29
Hourly profit: $25.55

$25 bucks an hour, not a bad part time job for winter break, eh? Considering I played from about 8am till about 1pm for about a week and a half, I'd say that's a pretty good run. Yay for me. Hopefully I can keep this up going into this school semester. Wish me luck.

Man, I'm acting like a fool this morning.

Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: jiggers2 ( $131.10)
Seat 2: Pokr_Rush ( $51.55)
Seat 3: mfmpty41 ( $65.80)
Seat 4: Bugs_B66 ( $62.10)
Seat 5: CabanaBoy111 ( $53.10)
Seat 6: stebaird ( $50)
Seat 7: buZZub38 ( $51.05)
Seat 8: McKim ( $71.20)
Seat 9: hannikjon ( $61.45)
Seat 10: Cards_1fan ( $51)
McKim posts small blind (0.25)
hannikjon posts big blind (0.50)
stebaird posts big blind (0.50)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to McKim [ Qh, Ad ]
Cards_1fan folds.
jiggers2 folds.
Pokr_Rush folds.
mfmpty41 folds.
CabanaBoy111 calls (0.50)
stebaird checks.
buZZub38 folds.
McKim raises (1.75) to 2
hannikjon folds.
CabanaBoy111 calls (1.50)
stebaird folds.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Qs, 7c, Jc ]
McKim bets (3)
CabanaBoy111 raises (7) to 7

Ok, at this point I think I need to find out where I am. He could be semi bluffing with a flush draw. If that's the case, it's a little tough for him to call my reraise. If he does, well, I'll evaluate it at that time.

McKim raises (12) to 15
CabanaBoy111 calls (8)

Ok, this is where I should slow down now. I should check the turn to see what he does. If he bets heavy, I fold. The argument against this is that if he does have a flush draw, I should make him pay to see that club.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ Ts ]
McKim bets (20)

Obviously I do not do the right thing and check on the turn like I think I should have.

CabanaBoy111 raises (36.10) to 36.10
CabanaBoy111 is all-In.
McKim calls (16.10)

Think maybe I should have saved my $16 here? At this time the pot was about $70. If I have a little doubt as to the strength of his hand, I think I am right to call. If he does have me dominated with a set, I do have four outs to the straight (if a King comes.)

** Dealing River ** : [ As ]
Creating Main Pot with $104.20 with CabanaBoy111
** Summary **
Main Pot: $104.20 | | Rake: $3
Board: [ Qs 7c Jc Ts As ]
CabanaBoy111 balance $104.20, bet $53.10, collected $104.20, net +$51.10 [ Kc 9c ] [ a straight, ten to ace -- As,Kc,Qs,Jc,Ts ]
McKim balance $18.10, lost $53.10 [ Qh Ad ] [ two pairs, aces and queens -- Ad,As,Qh,Qs,Jc ]

Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: cluwsyde ( $40.15)
Seat 2: gcal8 ( $50)
Seat 3: stakehar ( $16.45)
Seat 4: McKim ( $71.05)
Seat 5: sirwalot ( $41.25)
Seat 6: DeniseinFL ( $34.72)
Seat 7: tribefan72 ( $55.02)
Seat 8: Ang_Tom ( $48)
Seat 9: KellyQ10 ( $44.55)
Seat 10: jsbxacme1999 ( $23.15)
stakehar posts small blind (0.25)
McKim posts big blind (0.50)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to McKim [ Qc, Qh ]
sirwalot folds.
DeniseinFL folds.
tribefan72 folds.
Ang_Tom calls (0.50)
KellyQ10 folds.
jsbxacme1999 folds.
cluwsyde raises (2) to 2
stakehar folds.
McKim raises (4.50) to 5
Ang_Tom folds.
cluwsyde calls (3)

After this preflop action, I pretty much put him on AK, possibly TT or JJ.

** Dealing Flop ** : [ Kc, Th, Jd ]
McKim bets (5)
cluwsyde raises (15) to 15
McKim calls (10)

Mistake #1: Calling $10 is not very bright here. If I hit my straight, it's easy for someone to lay down any pair, even two pair with one card to a straight. I should have folded right here, but, obviously that would have been the right choice, something that I still have trouble making.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ 5s ]
McKim bets (51.05)

WHOOPS. I was hoping that I could get the guy off of AK if he did indeed have that. If he had a set he was going to call no matter what, but, if he had a set then I had one more out for the straight. This was a bad bet on my part. Obviously I was trying to get him to lay down his AK, but with the amount he had in the pot, as well as what he had in his stack, this was a bad bet. If our stacks were a little deeper he MIGHT have been able to get away from AK, but not in this circumstance.

McKim is all-In.
cluwsyde calls (20.15)
cluwsyde is all-In.
** Dealing River ** : [ 2c ]
Creating Main Pot with $78.05 with cluwsyde
Creating Side Pot 1 with $30.90 with McKim
** Summary **
Main Pot: $78.05 | Side Pot 1: $30.90 | Rake: $3
Board: [ Kc Th Jd 5s 2c ]
cluwsyde balance $78.05, bet $40.15, collected $78.05, net +$37.90 [ Ks Ah ] [ a pair of kings -- Ah,Ks,Kc,Jd,Th ]
McKim balance $30.90, bet $71.05, collected $30.90, lost -$40.15 [ Qc Qh ] [ a pair of queens -- Kc,Qc,Qh,Jd,Th ]

Total number of players : 9
Seat 1: McKim ( $68.60)
Seat 2: LMR337 ( $44.70)
Seat 3: shulz ( $37.97)
Seat 4: SanRam123 ( $49.50)
Seat 5: keoshi ( $49.35)
Seat 6: renoplayer ( $48)
Seat 7: PokerSith73 ( $47.61)
Seat 8: sznail ( $40)
Seat 9: fortuneGirl ( $83.80)
SanRam123 posts small blind (0.25)
keoshi posts big blind (0.50)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to McKim [ Ac, As ]
renoplayer calls (0.50)
PokerSith73 folds.
fortuneGirl folds.
McKim raises (2) to 2
LMR337 folds.
shulz folds.
SanRam123 folds.
keoshi calls (1.50)
renoplayer calls (1.50)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Js, 8s, Kc ]
keoshi bets (2)
renoplayer folds.
McKim calls (2)

I think my call here is the sneaky part of this hand. I honestly was not quite sure what the guy had, I thought maybe a potential nut flush draw, maybe AQs or something like that. Either that or possible a K with a weak kicker.

** Dealing Turn ** : [ 8d ]
keoshi bets (3)
McKim raises (6) to 6

Now, I do not normally advocate a min raise, but I thought this was a unique position. I was convinced by this guys bet on the turn that he did not have an 8. I thus put him on a king, with weak kicker, maybe even KJ for two pair. If he did have KJ, goodie for me.

keoshi raises (6) to 9

Hmmmm, not quite sure what this is. Maybe he does have an 8?

McKim calls (3)
** Dealing River ** : [ 3c ]
keoshi bets (10)

Ok, so he did not have a flush draw. Very bold bet if he did have the draw. Maybe he feels I was on the draw, and this bet would get me to go away?

McKim raises (20) to 20

There was not really much logic in this bet. In retrospect, I should have just called. All though the only real hand I can put him on that has me beat is an eight. KJ, KQ, KT, AK, I have all these hands beat. I believe my two pair, AA and 88, was the best hand, so I raised here.

keoshi calls (10)

Whenever he just called I knew I had him beat. Before I looked at his hand I knew he had a King. I figured AK, but I was incorrect, but not by much.

** Summary **
Main Pot: $65.25 | Rake: $3 | Jackpot Contribution: $0
Board: [ Js 8s Kc 8d 3c ]
McKim balance $100.85, bet $33, collected $65.25, net +$32.25 [ Ac As ] [ two pairs, aces and eights -- Ac,As,Kc,8s,8d ]
keoshi balance $16.35, lost $33 [ Kh Qh ] [ two pairs, kings and eights -- Kh,Kc,Qh,8s,8d ]

Granted this hand could have turned out much much worse if he indeed did have the 8. On the river, if I was reraised all in it would have only been for $7 more, not a very tough call considering the size of the pot.

Moral of the story, very sneaky ways of playing aces can come back to haunt you. Be very careful when doing such things. The way this hand played out was very fortunate for me, next time, it might not be so.

I just had a rather interesting hand where I laid down an overpair, QQ.

Two people fold and I raise to $2 preflop with QQ. Guy to my left reraises to $5 and everyone folds to me. I call.

Mistake #1: I think I could have reraised him here to like $12, then fold to an all-in.

Flop comes out 378 rainbow. The pot is $10 now and I bet out $4.

Mistake #2: I should have made a much more substantial bet. $4 into $10 is nothing. I think a bet of $6 or $7 would have been much better.

The guy reraises me on the flop to $10. Guess what? I folded my QQ. I was pretty confident he had me beat, either with a set (most unlikely) or with KK or AA (more likely).

After reviewing the hand, however, I think I would have done the exact same thing if I were him, if he had TT or JJ. Then again, I would have done the same with KK or AA. This is one of those hands where its 50/50. You have to go with your gut and do what you think is best. I wanted to wait until I had the best opportunity, until I was positive I had the winning hand.

I played an interesting hand last night.

I am late position with 56 of diamonds. One guy limps in. Guy in early position min raises to $1, and there are two callers in front of me. I call, as does the BB (big blind). Six players to the flop.

Flop comes 6c 2d 3d. I have top pair, gut shot straight, gut shot straight flush draw, and flush draw. The pot is about $6. Two people check and the initial raiser bets $1 into a $6 pot. Two people fold and I reraise to $5, a little less than a pot siz raise. People behind me fold, then one of the original guys who checked the flop flat calls, and then the initial better calls as well. Three people to the turn.

The turn comes the 3c. For a board of 6c 2d 3d 3c. The two guys in front of me go check check. I'm thinking one of them probably has a mediocre over pair, maybe 88 or 99, and the other is on a flush draw. So I bet the pot at the time, about $20. My logic was that if someone had a mediocre over pair, they would probably lay it down for a pot size bet at that time. If someone had the flush draw, they would probably lay it down as well, especially when that second 3 came on the turn which could have boated someone up and there flush would be no good against a full house. In any case, the initial raiser preflop and the initial better on the flop calls my $20.

The river is the Ac for a final board of 6c 2d 3d 3c Ac. I missed all my draws and am now left with two pair, sixes and threes. Luckily the guy checks as does I. Turns out I was wrong, he had QQ in the whole and takes down the monster $60 pot. In retrospect, I think I played it the best I could. The only regret I have is calling the raise preflop with 56 of diamonds. My reasoning, I love small suited connectors. :)

I find the hardest thing to do in NL Texas Hold 'em is to fold those damn over pairs. An over pair is a pair that is higher than any other cards on the board. For instance, you hold JJ and the flop comes 432. You have an "over pair" of Jacks.

I've lost a lot of money due to over valuing my over pairs. JJ and QQ are the worst. It's a lot tougher to lay down KK. Putting someone on AA is definitely not easy. This is also assuming your opponent does NOT have a set.

I have found there is only one easy solution: find out where you stand PRE FLOP. For example: You are late position with JJ. Blinds are .25 and .50 and everyone at the table has $50 in front of them. Some guy early position raises to $2. Another calls, and you decide to pop it up to $8. The initial raiser reraises you to $20. What do you do with JJ? with QQ? with KK? with AA (just kidding).

I find it very hard to fold QQ and KK preflop, especially on Party Poker.com. There are just too many people that over value their mid pocket pairs, and even AK.

Although, there is an argument which says why risk your stack of $50 on a potential 50/50... or worse. If you have AK and your opponent has AA, you are only 8% to win the hand. If you have AK and your opponent has KK, you are only 30% to win the hand. Not very good percentages to win are they?

In conclusion, next time you are in a situation where you have an over pair to the cards on the board, and you are faced with a large bet, you are most likely beat. Be VERY careful. Granted each situation is different, but from my experience, go with your gut instinct. Think about your decision before you click that button. I tend to do "instant calls" way too often online compared to live play. Slow down and make sure you have thoroughly thought through each decision.

So the last two nights have been treating me pretty well. I am up $315 in a little over ten hours of play. I have moved my limits though, I am now playing the $50 buy ins instead of my normal $25 buyin. The last two nights have been very juicy for some reason. I'm looking forward to tonight with all the drunks online after their New Year's Parties. Wish me luck.

Just a quick story before I go. I was watching my brother play poker online earlier tonight. He has AQ in the BB, some guy raises before him to $3 (he is playing .25 .50 blinds, same as I am playing now). There are FIVE people seeing the flop and my brother follows suit and calls. Flop comes AQ3 rainbow. One guy checks, then my brother bets 7.50 which is half the pot. My brother gets min raised. At this time, I'm telling my brother that the guy has either 33 or AQ, best case is he has AK. My brother goes all in for another $40 and the guy called him. Turn is a blank. River is a blank. My brother wins the pot with top two pair, aces and queens. Guess what the guy had? Highlight this text to see what he had: Q4o Unbelievable!!!