Just finished a 25 hour session. Game was initially 4-5 handed Holdem/Omaha Hi/Crazy Pineapple hilo 75/150. It fell apart after about 10 hours and I then played someone HU for about 15 hours HU Crazy Pineapple hilo. It might have been literally the most profitable situation I've ever experienced. I was like 13k winner on him about 20 minutes before we agreed to quit and he was about 1k from bustoing his last rebuy before he managed to win every single hand with a scooper of some sort. My opponent is a really nice guy but hilo split poker will be his doom if he continues to play it with us. If only there was a way to play PLO8 with him.

My favorite although he did not scoop is the one where I raise button with 234, he 3bets, I call. Flop A25 he bets, I raise, he calls. Long story short turn 7 river 9 and he has 86o to win half.

In the full game I started out like 9k loser in the first few hours by winning 0 pots. I then ran well and got up to 2k winner. Then I ran worse than I did at the beginning and got to about 9k loser again. It was at this point I began to play HU. I believe for the session I ended down about 3500. While it's always nice to lose way less than you were losing at one point it is also absolutely sick that he managed to run so well right at the end when I was close to securing a miraculous and dearly needed winning session. Crazy Pineapple hilo is actually a pretty fun game, certainly much better than the deathtrap of boredom known as Omaha Hi.

The worst thing about this "breakeven" stretch is that it's not even really breakeven any more. The problem now is that I'm losing the bigger games (which with very few exceptions have been much better games) while winning in smaller games. In terms of bets I am still doing quite well. In my "regular" games I am still doing quite well. What has honestly crippled me lately is these Crazy Mike games where I believe I am the largest loser at this point. In every one of these Sycuan/Palomar games I feel that I was clearly the best all around player between the 2-3 games we have played and HU-6 handed play. I think Roc is really good some of the time but his style matches up pretty poorly against most the people in the game which often results in him selfdestructing for multiple big bets. The only two "bad" games I can think of playing in are the 4 handed Roc/Crazy Mike/DD/me game posted about below and a 4 handed game with Roc/Mike L/player I played HU Crazy Pineapple tonight/me. That said I would be pretty surprised if I was not a decent favorite in both these games.

After getting a taste of live poker I wound up playing the 75/150 at Ocean's both Friday and Saturday night.  Friday night the game was great and I won a bit and it was full ring most of the night.  Saturday on the other hand was pretty much the most fun and entertaining poker game I've ever been a part of – it quickly devolved to 4 handed with the lineup being (in order) Roc, Crazy Mike, Sean (blogs here), and me.  With 2 chip / 3 chip blinds the structure promoted action and everyone's urge to gamble also helped keep the preflop fun alive.  I was 3 betting Sean from the button almost every hand he opened to play in position vs. him (folding too much I thought) and Crazy Mike (bad at the postflop pokers).  Roc was the tightest player in the game which is pretty sick if you know Roc

Here are a few memorable hands.  Early in the night I raise button with 24s, Roc and Crazy Mike call in the blinds. Flop is like AK9 and I check it through. Turn is a 5 and they check to me so I bet (probably a mistake), Roc checkraises, Mike folds, and I tank. I am pretty sure my pair outs are good because he knows I have nothing and he would 3 bet me preflop with any ace and probably bet the turn with any pair so I feel pretty confident he has like Jack high and is taking it to showdown. So I call with 10 outs intending to fold unimproved. River is a brick like an 8 and he open mucks! I wait until I get pushed the pot and show of course and he freaks out a little and says he had the same hand. Guess he won't be open mucking to me anymore.  What happened on the river is he put me on the Jack high that I was putting him on and knew I'd call him with it after tanking on the turn. Oops.

I had aces twice, first time Crazy Mike raises, Sean 3 bets, I cap on the button. Flop is JJ7 and it goes bet, raise to me. I should have mucked right there but coldcalled instead and they both raise again and I fold. Mike calls down with TT and whines at showdown and Sean had J9s I think.  The second time I have aces Roc 3 bets me, I 4 bet and he calls. I wind up checking to him on the river and calling when the board comes like Q974T and he has the J8o so I felt like I was playing great.

My second favorite hand of the night I raised UTG (my hand comes later), Mike calls in SB, Sean 3 bets in BB we call. Flop is 333, Sean bets, we both call. Turn is a 9 Sean bets, I raise, Mike folds, Sean calls. River is a Ten and he check folds ace high and says "you can't be bluffing on that board" and I show 64o.

My favorite hand of the night came right at the end, someone new raises, Roc 3 bets, Sean calls in SB, I call in BB with 52 of hearts, raiser calls. Flop is 334 with two hearts OESFD I checkraise Roc, he 3 bets I 4 bet he calls. Turn is offsuit Ace. I checkraise he calls. River is 6h so I make a straight flush I bet, he raises, I 3 bet, he 4 bets, I 5 bet, he 6 bets, I 7 bet and he finally looks at the board and calls me with sixes full.

Lots of fun playing the way I was and I didn't feel it was very incorrect given the blind structure and the desire to play many pots in position against Crazy Mike who was having a rough night. Plus my image is safe for the conceivable future against all 3 of those guys