Positive Variance
Playing some Pacific Poker $1/2 full ring limit holdem last night. I also had a .5/$1 table open, but I was not paying it much mind. The .5/1 table was very loose, so I was just waiting to get paid for making a hand. The $1/2 table was my focus.
My darn Hand Grabber wasn't working, so I was not able to capture the hand histories from that session. It was a fairly good one. there was a hand or two that I will post from memory in the forum. I'd like to get some feedback on them.
Bottom line: I made 25 BB at the $1/2 table, and broke even at the other. I hit a QQ999 boat on the turn on the first hand, having checked in from the bb with Q9o. Another player rivered his flush and refused to believe it wasn't good. I went up about 10 BB on the first hand, and that little voice told me I should pocket the win and run, but I just turned it off this time. I took a few deep breaths and looked at the situation: this table was ripe, I could beat it, I had time to play, I had wanted to play a few hundred hands, there was no rational reason to quit it for $20. I stayed for about an hour total, until the table broke up on its own. It worked out well. I quit the .5/1 table at the same time. It was still running, but had tightened up quite a lot, and I saw no reason to play at a tight .5/1 table.
I went to Absolute to check on something regarding my balance. While there I got a wild hair to check the 7-stud tables. There was a $1/2 limit 7-stud table tunning where the average pot size was $12. There were two players that seemed intent on playing every hand to seventh street. It looked like a good way to get some cheap ARPs, and see if I could make a hand, so I took the open seat. 10-cent antes, 50-cents if yo have to bring it in. I folded about 12 in a row, but was getting an ARP on just about every hand. Then I hit the 3s for my door card, and had to bring it in. I was looking at all spades, though, and no other spades were showing, so I was not unhappy. By fifthe street I had a K-high spade flush, and raised when it got to me. I got two callers. On sixth street I had 4-spades showing, but I still got called down. It was a nice pot. I played a few more hands until I cleared the ARPs required for a $10 bonus payout, and then I quit. One of the bad players busted, and two idiots were making fun of the other one in chat, so I figured it wasn't going to be good for that much longer anyways.
I will have to consider Absolute 7-stud more often. Absolute is a site I'd LOVE to play more often. Never-ending bonuses, rakeback, a very good VIP program...but the limit holdem tables are just not fun to play (especially when slumping as I've been). Too damn tight. 7-stud could be the answer there. I shall have to keep it in mind for the future.
However, I think I am going to stick to my primary game - limit holdem - as I look for my fu. It just seems logical to me that I should be playing the game I am best at while trying to get my mind right about poker. I can branch out once my quest for fu is finished.