Anyone got a match?

My heater seems to have ended, and any sort of ignition would be most helpful. After getting out of the blocks with 5 rather solid outings, I have laid a pair of eggs (about the only pair I have seen in league play recently).

December league game was a quickie for me. I was 2nd player out of the tourney, field size 31. Thanks for coming, get out of the chair.

Nothing sick, just feeling the bruises after being outkicked on 3 separate hands.

A-Q beats my A-J
K-10 beats my K-9
K-Q beats my K-J

I actually got out of a monster pot with the best hand pre-flop. In SB I have 99, and the pot gets raised to where it is 125 more to me (I think)...I smooth call, knowing if I connect on the flop, I'll take down a monster. What comes on the flop? How about 3 overcards, 2 suited, 1 Ace.

My hand is dead. I check, the chips start making their way to the center, and when it comes to me, I muck. I was up against:
AQ, AK, and 2 big hearts (I honestly forget because my head was spinning on not being able to connect). The heart draw rivered the winner and raked a boatload of chips.

Congrats to Jaybird on winning his 2nd event this season. His win opens up another points seat in the TOC, and the way I am running, I'll take any help I can get.

Poker is a fickle game. I have found that out in live play, and also online. Enjoy your heaters when you get them, because when things cool, you start to doubt your ability and play. I am battling through the lull, because I know my ability. I am no pro, but I know how to pull myself outta this. Having gone through a 12 month season with some ridiculous beats, being outkicked on one league night, and playing like I had a train to catch in the other is the least of my worries.

I got a nice shot of confidence at the cash game later, making some hands, hitting on some questionable plays (like calling a preflop raise with J-3 off suit and spiking the 3 on the flop), but more than getting lucky, I won more pots by my play than by card draw. I am not saying EVERY hand was well played, and NO luck was involved--beleive me, I know I got lucky plenty. I am saying that a majority of my pots won were "won" with either the nuts, or by setting up a play during the hand.

Here's a lucky hand from cash game. Small stakes .25/.50:

4 handed, 1 fold, I'm on the button, I have 8-4 hearts. I limp, SB raises it $2. BB folds, I call.

My call was to represent a hand bigger than I had--I was going to try and bluff the whole way.

Flop:
6-7-5 with 2 clubs.

SB bets $2, I call.

Turn:
5

Scary card for me, since I could have had him on 77 preflop, but when he bet $2, I put him on big pocket pair (JJ, QQ, KK) or even AK. I knew my hand was good (and I had gotten very lucky). I raise $2 more. He calls.

River: low rag (I think it was a 3 or something).

SB checks, I bet $2, he calls. I flip the straight, hoping my read was right--he showed QQ. I didn't figure to flop a monster hand on 8-4, maybe a heart draw, but certainly not a straight. I was glad I trusted my post-flop read on the SB, but I will admit, folding that flopped straight wasn't really an option.

Ho-Ho-Ho Hold 'Em scheduled for Saturday. Looking forward to building some more confidence as we get ready to flip the calendar to 2007!

Good luck and good cards,
~M