My Rakeback

I went broke on FTP a few weeks ago and have been busy with school so I haven't reloaded. Well I just got my rakeback deposit... woo hoo $5.58. I contemplated a few things, $1.00 tournaments/SNG, one $5.00 one, or just cash games. Ultimately I chose the cash game option and onto a table DETERMINED to play solid poker (I was working on my paper at the same time, hoping that would keep me tight).

After about an hour, I'm at $1.20. OUCH. I was pretty annoyed with my craptastic play. I was pretty much done. I'm in the BB with K2 suited. No raises, so I just check my option (there are about 4 limpers. The flop comes K-6-9 w/ 2 diamonds (I have none). Early position bets a little less than the pot, everyone folds to me. I'm about to throw it away, but tired of my recent play, I decide that I really shouldn't be playing right now and punish myself with a donkey push. Bettor calls and shows his better kicker- KT.
The old adage applies: "God protects fools and drunks." I was not drunk.

2 on the river, and I double up.

I see this as a reprieve and that I should stop being a dumb-ass. I double up again and eventually manage to push my stack to almost 10 bucks. I drop down to under five again when I make some bad plays (I still consider myself a beginner and a couple of times overvalue the flush draw- calling pot sized raises and folding when I miss the river),but worked it back up. I made some good calls, figuring a guy for weak and calling a continuation bet and a turn bet with ace high. Guy backed down on the river and checked and I had him beat.

The final play of the night, I'm not sure if I made a good play or a bad one. I know I made some mistakes.

I have just over 10 bucks, and am the chip leader.

I'm in middle position and look down at AQ suited.
UG+1 raises to $0.20 (-I hate min raisers).
UG+2 calls
UG+3 calls
I call (-stupid play, I probably should have raised)
BB re-raises to $0.30 (-ok, another min raise).
Everyone calls around to me, (-wow big surprise no one folded for 10 cents there)
(-Now, even though the raises are min raises, a raise and a re-raise could spell trouble. If I raise, someone is likely to raise or push all-in with AK or even a middle or high pocket pair, forcing me to fold. But I'm not folding when it'll cost me .10 to win 1.45- or is it 1.55 including my .10).
So I call.

Flop comes 9-A-5 rainbow.
BB is short stacked and has about 1.50 in his stack. He pushes. (-I knew he would. My thought process is that if anyone raises his bet, I gotta let the hand go)
UG+1 folds
UG+2 just calls. (-he's got about 3 bucks left after the call)
UG+3 folds
(-Well I'm closing the action here and no one raised.)
I call. (-I'm really hoping to be able to check to the river on this (but that's not as likely in a cash game as a tournament.)

Turn: Q. (-yahoo)
UG+2 checks. (-Checking to the river is no longer gonna happen)
(-There's about $6 in the pot and he has $3 left)
I push.
UTG+2 thinks for a second then calls.
(-I'm surprised when the hands are flipped up. Not because of how they were played, but because I was right on my reads after the flop. I figured AK vs 2 pair but at this level it could have been AT vs AJ or almost any two aces. I just didn't trust my reads enough to get away from the hand... and I'm glad I didn't)
BB shows AK
UTG+2 shows A9.
(-now I was UTG+2 played it, he could have had a pocket pair that flopped a set, but I was pretty sure BB didn't have a pocket pair. I don't think he would have re-raised, either just called the .20 or put in a large re-raise to protect his hand.)

The river is no 9 or K and I scoop a big pot.


I finished the night @ about $16.00.

And I finished the paper... unfortunately I stayed up until 3:30 am playing Call of Duty 3. I'm tired.