I won another $19 today. I got lucky in a couple to big hands to win some big pots.

It seems to be my time to hit two outers to win. It happened twice today. In the first hands, I had QQ against AA and the flop came Q 9 9. No ace came on the turn or river and I won a big pot against my opponent who overplayed his unimproved AA.

I also won with 88 against TT, when an 8 came on the river to win a big multi-way pot.

But I also had some bad luck also. In one hand I flopped a set of sevens and lost to a straight that was made on the turn with my opponents 5 4. I overplayed my set and lost a bunch of money when both the turn and river were capped.

I also lost a couple to pots on the river, and I lost to bigger kickers in another couple of hands.

Overall though, I won money today without going through a big downturn and for that I am grateful.

Also congratulations to the Boston Red Sox for winning the World Series.

2007 Totals: Playing +538 and Bonus +150.

I won another $1. Contrary to normal procedure, I started on an upturn first before hitting a downturn and then ending up a little.

There were some aggrievating hands involved today. I had KK against A6 with a board of A A 6 K 2. My king high full house was beat by a higher full house and I lost a bunch of money.

Later, I had 5s 4s against pocket aces with the ace of spades. I made a spade flush on the turn and bet it up. But another spade came on the river and I say to myself oh, oh, because I suspected a higher flush had just come in and I was right and lost the hand. It was a big pot, too.

I also had pocket aces beat by K 6 in the big blind for another distasteful loss.

But I made enough good hands to make it into the positive, including a straight flush beating an ace high flush at the end of the session.

I'm still playing really tight, which seems to be working, so I'll keep doing it.

2007 Totals: Playing +539 and Bonus +150.

I won another $13. My high pocket pairs like AA and KK were going down in flames except for the one time that I just won the blinds with AA. But I won enough times with some of my other hands and bluffs to finish up for the session.

My second best winning hand was 9 5 offsuit in the big blind when got a free play and flopped a nine and turned another nine for trips and won a nice pot against two players with a pair of aces. Neither of the aces raised preflop, so shame on them.

My best win was when I had Ac Kc and flopped the nut flush against my opponent who had 5c 4c and also flopped a flush. He overplayed his hand and the river was capped.

So far tightening up my preflop game has really helped me to win and stay out of trouble, so I'm going to continue to play tight.

I'm averaging just under 3 big bets per hundred hands at this level.

I'm been playing at this level for about a month and so far I'm a little over half way to the next level. At my present rate I estimate that I should reach the next level around December 1. We will see how it goes.

With one day to go I am up $170 for this month.

2007 Totals: Playing +552 and Bonus +150.

It's been a while since I posted in this journal. I'm still playing and won another $13 dollars since I last posted. At one point I went on a $84 downturn (168 big bets) and another $40 downturn, but I managed to win enough in my upturns to make up the deficits and hit a new high in this level.

I am averaging a little over 2 big bets per 100 hands at this level. And I am a little over half way to getting to the next level.

I am experimenting with my playing and am playing very tight preflop, but now I am try to be a little more aggressive after the flop. I am not sure if my new strategy is working but I am going to try it for a while and see what happens.

2007 Totals: Playing +569 and Bonus +150.

I played a short session and won another $3.

I had one unusual hand when I made a runner-runner straight flush which put me up for the session. I had [2s] in the big blind and completed after 4 limpers. Unfortunately the big blind raised behind me and every one called including me. I was against two main opponents, one who had [Kh] and the other who had [Td].

The final board was [3h][5s][3s][As]. I made a straight flush and won a nice sized pot against the two opponents who called my bet on the river.

2007 Totals: Playing +572 and Bonus +150.

I won another $15 today.

I started off good when I flopped a set of tens and rivered quads to win a nice sized pot. But I lost most of it back when my pockets queens got beat on the river by a flush.

I was about even when I went on a rush and in the space of ten hands, won six of them and finished up the $15.

The ten hands were as follows:

1. . I flopped a four and rivered an ace to beat pocket sevens. I won the hand on the river.

2. against . The final board was . On the turn my opponent got the nut flush against my two pair, but I made a full house on the river which was capped. I won the hand on the river.

3. I had pocket 77 which won on a six high board when my opponent folded on the turn.

4. I had 5d 3d and flopped a pair of fives. I check folded which turned out to be a good thing because one opponent flopped two pair and another opponent made a flush draw on the river to win.

5. I had pocket sevens against pocket sixes. My opponent flopped a set of sixes, but I got a set of sevens on the turn and won. The turn was capped.

6. I had Ks 9d and folded preflop.

7. I got a free play in the blg blind with 6c 3c. I floppped a gutshot and bet it and one opponent called. The turn was a three. I bet and my opponent folded.

8. I had Ac Qh in the small blind and raised. The flop missed me but I bet the flop and got two callers. The turn got checked around. I check called a bet on the river and got beat by pocket jacks.

9. I had 9d 4c and folded preflop.

10. I had Ad Kc and raised preflop and got two callers. The flop contained an ace. One player called me down to the river with A 6, and my king kicker beat his six kicker.

2007 Totals: Playing +597 and Bonus +150.

Played another session today and won another $17. No interesting hands to report about.


2007 Totals: Playing +614 and Bonus +150.