up and down.. and then flat

I played 5 hours of live 1-2 NL today.

Early on, i flopped a set and filled up on the river to crack a turned straight, then played this pot:

UTG limps, i'm in LP and make it $10 with 8-9 offsuit after 4 folds. Both blinds and UTG call.

flop: 8-x-x, two hearts.

check-check-check to me. I bet $35. folded to UTG who calls.

turn: offsuit 8. UTG checks. He has $350 in his stack, i have him covered.

UTG checks it again. I bet $100. He makes it $200. Now i know he's not on a flush draw... he probably has an eight... Ace eight? ugggh... i am not mucking here for a min raise. I call.

river: complete brick - offsuit 5 i think. UTG moves all in for $150 more.

I hate my hand. I'm trying to put him on a hand: A-8? he's weak enough to limp-call with that.. 8-7? certainly possible. I think for 2 minutes, and call. He shows 8-7 and i'm good.

I blow off some chips later with an ill-timed bluff against Roy, and take some more beats, down to a stack of around $550 when this hand occurs:

Dean, UTG, makes it $15 to go (he has me well covered). One fold, and i'm next with QQ. I raise to $40, and all fold back to Dean, who raises $75 more. I go into the tank. I have a lot of options here. I can fold - but no - i'm not about to. I can raise - but am i going to get him off AK? there is a good chance i'm losing. Perhaps i can take him off the best hand if a scary flop comes? I think long and hard, until Roy finally calls the clock on me. I call.

flop: J-J-9, two spades. Dean bets $100.

I quickly move in, over the top, for $325 more. I read Dean's bet as a feeler - reeking of AK...

He goes into the tank. deep. "JACKS? YOU CALLED ME WITH JACKS?" he's shocked. yeah Dean.. that's it.. i called you with jacks, i flopped quads, and now i'm pounding them, in position, with the stone cold nuts... he should be worried about a set of nines - not quad jacks. Dean thinks for 3+ minutes. Finally he calls: AA. He spikes and Ace he didn't need on the rio, and i'm liquidated.

I rebuy, not entirely upset with the way i played the hand. Dean actually almost layed it down, which kinda surprised me. Kings i could almost see him mucking, but AA would be a big laydown for him.

60 minutes later I find A-Q of hearts in EP, and make it $10 to go, getting 1 caller - Richie on the button.

flop: 2-4-5, two hearts.

I bet $25. Richie quickly makes it $75. Now, Richie generally plays tight, but is AMPLY willing to try to flex his muscles and blow people out of pots. I'm not sure he remembers (but i think he does) - that the last time he did this to me, i came back over the top of him with a set - it was 6 months ago. Here, i'm not about to bow down, and i'm playing balls to the wall - before he's done stacking his raise, i've reraised to $200 straight.

Not to be outdone, Richie quickly announces "All-in" - he has me covered. jeez. i have run into a buzzsaw... but at the worst, i have 9 outs twice. I'm not about to muck here. i call.

he has a set of fives, but the jack of hearts on the turn puts me in the lead. an offsuit 3 on the river doubles me up, and gets me even.

The remainder of the session was uneventful. A few live ones came to our game, and we switched to 2-5NL, but i un-wisely bowed out and went home - i only wish i had a good excuse as to why...

-KD

flop;