I won another $7 and I'm going to move up to .25/.50 6-max limit hold'em starting tomorrow. And it wasn't easy to win the remaining amount that I determined I wanted to win in order to move up.

Since the last time that I posted, I lost $7, then won the money back, then lost $7 and then won the money back. Then for the third time I lost $7 and won the money back. I don't know what it was about losing the seven dollar amount but every time that I was down the seven dollars my luck would change and I would start to win again.

Anyway tonight I was still down a couple of dollars when I had the following hands:

1. I won with both pocket aces and pocket queens unimproved.

2. Then I started playing at a table with a maniac, who raised practically every hand preflop and would continue raising after the flop even if he had no hand.

3. In the first hand with the maniac I had A Q against his A T and of course he rivers a ten for the win.

4. Then I get pocket kings and the flop comes with an ace and a jack. Another jack comes on the turn for good measure, and I lose to trip jacks against another opponent. The maniac was in the hand, of course, but another player won.

5. Then I have 77 against the maniac's A T. The flop comes 7 3 3. I flop a full house and the only way I can lose is with runner-runner aces, runner-runner tens, or runner-runner threes. I am a tremendous favorite to win the hand. Of course the runner-runner aces come and I lose a huge pot. The pot was hugh because the pot was 3 way and it was capped preflop, on the flop, and on the turn.

6. Then after several hands go by, I have A T against the maniac's 8h 6h, with a board of Q Q A A 5. Of course the maniac, being who he is, keeps raising me with his eight high hand. Both the turn and river get capped, and I win a big pot and make up for my losses on the prior mentioned hand.

7. Then several hands later, I had pocket 88 with both the maniac and another person in the hand. Both a king and a queen flop and I fold to heavy raising on the flop thinking that probably one of my two opponents has me beat. The maniac who had 5h 3h makes a flush on the turn, and had I stayed in I would have won with a higher flush on the river, because another heart came on the river and I had the eight of hearts. But I didn't lose too much money because I folded early.

8. Several hands later I get pocket QQ against the maniac who had A J and two other opponents who later folded in the hand. The board contains a K, and I check-call the hand down against the maniac who, of course is betting all the way, and I win.

9. The maniac eventually busts out. I then win a hand with A 8 when I flop two pair and turn a full house against my opponent who has A 5.

10. Then I win a hugh pot with QQ against KK and two other opponents who later folded, when I flop top set and the best possible hand. My hand stays the best possible hand all the way to showdown, and I win.

11. The table breaks up and I move to another table. I get KK and get a set on the turn to win.

12. Later I get AA against AA and win with a flush on the river. The pot was fairly big because, as one would expect in this situation, it was capped preflop. I can't remember ever winning with aces against aces before.

13. Lastly, I have Ac 5c and make a straight on the river, using just the five from my hand to win

At the .10/.20 level I played approximately 13,000 hands and averaged a little over 6 big bets per hundred hands.

Now on to the next level to see how I do there.

2007 Totals: Playing +396 and Bonus +150.

Another up and down day. I started up about $15 because I hit a couple to sets on the turn and/or river to win. Then I lost it all and about $12 more. At the end, I made a comeback when my high pocket pairs started holding up to win. I won with QQ AA QQ (set on river) and KK. Then I won a big hand with A Q against A K and A 3 on a board of A 6 9 Q Q. There is nothing like hitting a three outer in a big pot to lift your spirits and get above break even for the day.

At the end I finished up $4.

I decided that as long as my opponents are going to pay off my good hands and play back at me (which they did when I had the high pocket pairs mentioned above) , I might as well play tighter. Holding mediocre holdings out of position against aggressive opponents does not seem to be a good idea.

I am also trying to bluff less since my opponents seem inclined to call me down with very little.

Well, it least I am up for this limit, when just a little while ago I was down. Luck can sure turn around fast.

2007 Totals: Playing +407 and Bonus +150.

Played another short session tonight and won $11. My good hands are finally holding up to win at a normal rate, and I am not being beat on the river as much as before.

My big bets per 100 hands has gone up to between 2 and 3.

2007 Totals: Playing +430 and Bonus +150.

After I posted the previous report, I decided to play another session and went into an immediate downturn. The table I was on was very aggressive with lots of preflop raises. I was getting good hands, but I couldn't hit any flops or make any draws. Before I knew it I was down $18.

But like before I gradually made a comeback and was only down $12 when I started today's session.

In today's session, I did well and hit another new high up $4 over the previous balance.

I had two interesting hands today.

In the first hand I had KK against A 2. The flop came Q 9 2. I was ahead of my opponent's pair of deuces. The turn was another 2. Now I was behind to my opponent's trip deuces. On the turn, I bet, but my opponent didn't reraise me. The river was a glorious king, giving me a full house and the winning hand. Now on the river my opponent foolishly decided to reraise me and the betting was capped. I ended up willing a good sized pot.

In the other interesing hand, I had against .The final board was [Js][Ks] . I flopped an ace high flush and made a royal flush on the river. There was a straight flush to the king on the board. I thought that this was a most unusual happening.

2007 Totals: Playing +436 and Bonus +150.