Sweet Fancy Moses That Was Fun

For once had a great night at a cash game and I feel like my game was as focused as it's ever been.

The game in question is NLHE and PLO, 50BB buyin (can double each time you bust). The key to a good play session if Omaha is being chosen a lot is either doubling up or busting so you can buy in double, because not enough behind to play with those blinds.

As per usual, ran through my first hundred quickly, missed a bunch of flops. Got my second buy-in up, but lost one big pot and had to drop a big Omaha draw on the turn. Seeing few good hands, and my cheap in position hands are missing.

Then at around midnight or so begins the kind of rush you dream about.

Hand that starts the late night rally -- AK10x double suited with diamonds, I call in LP a small raise from MP. Flop K83 two diamonds, we get it all in and he shows me bottom set. River diamond gets me back up to about 2 buy-ins.

Then I win a big pot against the drunk guy to my right who was spewing chips. I can't remember the hand too well but I think I had him the whole way and he kept calling.

Next hand AA109 single suited spades, smooth call preflop raise in SB to disguise my hand and because I don't like to overplay aces. Straddle is the ultra loose game runner and he calls as well. Flop 934, two spades, bet out, call fold. Turn 10, bet, call. River 7 of spades, smooth call (he says "I'll pay you off"), he turned the same two pair and hit the 10 high flush. That put me at about eight buy-ins.

Last notable hand -- QQ in SB, raise 6x (standard), BB smooth calls, limpers fold. Flop KQ4 rainbow. I check, BB bets half pot, I think he has a good King so I checkraise 3x, he smooth calls again. Turn offsuit 6, I bet half pot, he smooth calls again, I see no indication that I could possibly be behind. River 4, I bet the rest of my "working stack" as I was racking up to leave, he smooth calls again, he has AK and probably loses the minimum considering the way the hand played out. I finish at a bit over 11 buy-ins for the night, after being stuck two buy-ins.

Most importantly than the big score, however, I played tightly enough that I actually had a great table image, but my raises got respect (but not too much from the drunkies and because I did show down some "weak" hands when I could get to the river cheap), I tended to know exactly where I was, and I got out of the way unless I had a good hand in position, a great hand out of position, or could play cheap.

This is what all the work has been about, and I am pleased with my performance. I passed the test.