A little shot...

Had a little crack at $0.50/$1 yesterday on Party. Sat down with $70 and very first hand lost $18 of it:

***** Hand History for Game 6750218131 *****
$100 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Sunday, February 03, 14:01:20 ET 2008
Table Table 127359 (No DP) (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: ArtiArena ( $100.86 USD )
Seat 2: drunkmonk999 ( $25.93 USD )
Seat 3: yeyeyee ( $71 USD )
Seat 5: joy0505 ( $101.50 USD )
Seat 6: Cidertoppler ( $17.88 USD )
Seat 4: ben_w_2004 ( $70 USD )
drunkmonk999 posts small blind [$0.50 USD].
yeyeyee is sitting out
yeyeyee has left the table.
ben_w_2004 posts big blind [$1 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ben_w_2004 [ As Qc ]
joy0505 folds.
Cidertoppler calls [$1 USD]
ArtiArena calls [$1 USD]
drunkmonk999 calls [$0.50 USD]
ben_w_2004 raises [$4.50 USD]
Cidertoppler calls [$4.50 USD]
ArtiArena folds.
drunkmonk999 folds.
** Dealing Flop ** [ 5s, 7c, 5d ]
ben_w_2004 bets [$12.38 USD]
Cidertoppler is all-In.
** Dealing Turn ** [ 6s ]
** Dealing River ** [ Ks ]
ben_w_2004 shows [ As, Qc ]a pair of Fives.
Cidertoppler shows [ 3h, 7h ]two pairs, Sevens and Fives.
Cidertoppler wins $35.88 USD from the main pot with two pairs, Sevens and Fives.

Oops...

A few hands later won most of it back with a nicely timed semi-bluff on the turn:

***** Hand History for Game 6750233373 *****
$100 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Sunday, February 03, 14:05:52 ET 2008
Table Table 127359 (No DP) (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: ArtiArena ( $117.72 USD )
Seat 2: drunkmonk999 ( $0 USD )
Seat 5: joy0505 ( $100 USD )
Seat 6: Cidertoppler ( $42.18 USD )
Seat 4: ben_w_2004 ( $53.12 USD )
Seat 3: tieftaucher3 ( $97 USD )
tieftaucher3 posts small blind [$0.50 USD].
ben_w_2004 posts big blind [$1 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ben_w_2004 [ Ts Qs ]
drunkmonk999: nh
joy0505 folds.
Cidertoppler folds.
drunkmonk999 has left the table.
ArtiArena: thanks
ArtiArena calls [$1 USD]
tieftaucher3 calls [$0.50 USD]
ExtremeFuse has joined the table.
ben_w_2004 checks.
** Dealing Flop ** [ 2c, 4d, Js ]
tieftaucher3 checks.
ben_w_2004 bets [$2 USD]
ArtiArena calls [$2 USD]
tieftaucher3 calls [$2 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ Kc ]
tieftaucher3 checks.
ben_w_2004 checks.
ArtiArena bets [$5 USD]
tieftaucher3 calls [$5 USD]
ben_w_2004 raises [$21 USD]
ArtiArena folds.
tieftaucher3 folds.
ben_w_2004 does not show cards.
ben_w_2004 wins $38.80 USD

Like I say, nicely timed... Then made a fairly simple laydown on a pretty scary board for top pair top kicker:

***** Hand History for Game 6750265240 *****
$100 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Sunday, February 03, 14:15:13 ET 2008
Table Table 127359 (No DP) (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: ArtiArena ( $48.05 USD )
Seat 5: joy0505 ( $99 USD )
Seat 6: Cidertoppler ( $73.21 USD )
Seat 4: ben_w_2004 ( $61.42 USD )
Seat 3: tieftaucher3 ( $125.12 USD )
Seat 2: ExtremeFuse ( $97.50 USD )
ExtremeFuse posts small blind [$0.50 USD].
tieftaucher3 posts big blind [$1 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ben_w_2004 [ Ah Kd ]
ben_w_2004 raises [$3.50 USD]
Cidertoppler folds.
ArtiArena calls [$3.50 USD]
ExtremeFuse folds.
tieftaucher3 folds.
** Dealing Flop ** [ 9h, 6h, Qs ]
ben_w_2004 checks.
ArtiArena checks.
** Dealing Turn ** [ Kh ]
ben_w_2004 bets [$6.50 USD]
ArtiArena calls [$6.50 USD]
** Dealing River ** [ Jc ]
ben_w_2004 checks.
ArtiArena is all-In.
ben_w_2004 folds.
ArtiArena does not show cards.
ArtiArena wins $58.48 USD

I just didn't know what I beat to justify a call even though from what I'd seen in 25 or so hands this guy didn't seem to play that great. I then ground away for a bit, doubled up with 8's vs K's allin after I pushed an Ace high flop, I don't know where he got the call from.

Then this beauty happened:

***** Hand History for Game 6750505116 *****
$100 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Sunday, February 03, 15:23:43 ET 2008
Table Table 127359 (No DP) (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 6: Cidertoppler ( $84.59 USD )
Seat 4: ben_w_2004 ( $93.49 USD )
Seat 1: x25rus ( $105.36 USD )
Seat 2: Timdan333 ( $157.79 USD )
Seat 3: Mojo652 ( $130.55 USD )
Seat 5: kryptonian_ ( $104.08 USD )
ben_w_2004 posts small blind [$0.50 USD].
kryptonian_ posts big blind [$1 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to ben_w_2004 [ Td Kc ]
Cidertoppler folds.
x25rus folds.
Timdan333 folds.
Mojo652 folds.
ben_w_2004 calls [$0.50 USD]
kryptonian_ raises [$3 USD]
ben_w_2004 raises [$14 USD]
kryptonian_ raises [$22 USD]
ben_w_2004 calls [$11 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 5d, 5c, 6d ]
ben_w_2004 checks.
kryptonian_ bets [$28 USD]
ben_w_2004 is all-In.
kryptonian_ folds.
ben_w_2004 shows [ Td, Kc ]a pair of Fives.
ben_w_2004 wins $144.49 USD from the main pot with a pair of Fives.

This guy had been raising one in three hands and I knew what line I was going to take as soon as it got folded to me. I flat called, he duly popped it up so I repopped hoping to take it down there. He then min-reraises me and I do the classic "what would I do if I had aces here" and make the flat call (even though with aces I probably shove). I then check a low flop and he bets about half the pot. I insta-shove for about $40 more and he lays down his hand, I then show the king ten offsuit and he proceeds to tilt off the rest of his stack within 10 hands, unfortunately not to me. I call it a day a little bit later and end up with $55 profit for my 90 minutes play. Although I got pretty lucky with the 8's vs Kings, I feel I've got what it takes at this level and I hardly had any cards when I played and my main money came from well timed bluffs. But on another day I'm sure the guy calls the $40 with his Jacks or AK or whatever he had and I leave with nothing...

But for now...BOOOOOOM!!!