Run continues... but only just

I played yesterday for a few hours on the £5/£10 NL Holdem and $10/$20 PL Omaha tables.....

I was hitting cards big style in the NL Holdem... well compared to whenever i play tournaments these days i was. Playing six handed i hit a queen flush, king flush v lower flushes both times. Had set over set... higher straight over smaller straight! I was down to £450 from my starting £1000 so was happy to finish up with £1800.

The PL Omaha it was an extremely strange session. Four handed. There was an absolute lunatic playing that i have never played with before and he did get me on tilt i have to admit... i did make one call i was very pleased which i will come to. I don't often brand players lunatics, but i defy anyone who has the pleasure of facing this player to think otherwise.

- I lost $2000 almost immedietly. Called a raise with 79TJ double suited. Flop 89J with two of my suit. Second nut straight, flush draw and top two pair all in v bottom set. Turn K. River K.

- Reloaded again for $2000. Held A678 with A flush draw in hearts. Flop 59Q with two hearts. All got in again and lost to a full house. Fair enough.

- Reload number three. Built up to $3000 when this happened. I held 5QKA preflop. Call a raise before the flop on the button. Flop 55A. Original raiser bets $200. I make it $600. He calls. Turn T. He bets $600. Hmmm i call. River 9. he bets $800. I call. He shows ATT9. I may have typed lucky fish into the chatbox. Oops.

- Managed to get back up to $3600 again. Maniac got me again. I held TTA9. Bare Ace hearts. I raise. He reraises. I call. Flop T45 with two hearts. He checks. i bet $400. He calls. Turn 9 hearts. He checks. I bet $1000. He check raises me another $2000. Very irritated by that hand. I pass.

- I was now sitting on about $2000 and the maniac had $8000. Most of which was my money. I made $1000 of him when he couldn't lay down Aces on a 567 flop. I then called him down with the King flush when he bet flop, turn and river. He had the 7 flush. I was up to $4000.

- Probably the key hand of the session. I held 9dTdQhKh. He made it $90 on the cut off. I made it $200 on big blind. He called. Flop 2hJhKc. A decent flop for my hand. I bet $300. He calls. I put him on some kind of draw. Straight draw or flush draw. He wasn't the slowplaying type so i could rule out a set immedietly. Turn 2c. Not a great card. I still think my King may be winning and he may pass to the scare card. So i bet $500. He calls. River a Qc to bring the backdoor flush. Horrible card for me. I check. He bets $1300 into a pot of $2010. I am losing to any flush, ATxx, any house and even a rag 2. I quickly process the information in my head and am convinced he had a busted Ace flush draw in hearts. It was a question of whether he had a Ten with it. I call. He shows 3c6s5hAh and i win a pot of $4610 with the small straight. There are very few times i would make that call, but after playing with that opponent for two hours i just had to call.

- The hand that wiped him out came not so long after. I held JJQK and reraised him preflop from the button. Flop T55. He checked. I bet $400. He calls. Turn J. He checks. I bet $400 again. He calls. River 8. He bets $2000. I go all in. He calls and mucks.

Considering i was in for $6000 i was very pleased to finish with $9000.

Today i think i am going to play a few tournaments just for a change.....

Next week is the Vic festival. Normally i aim to play in as many tournaments as possible. Not this time though. The £1000 NL Holdem just doesn't have a structure that appeals to me and the £1000 PL Omaha has been made a one day event apparantly due to the start of the EPT on Friday. A £1000 tournament a one day affair? You can make your own minds up about that.

I will play in the £250 Hi/Lo again. I obviously want to build up a huge stack and go out to a miracle on the bubble like has happened the last two times i have played it. Playing the £3000 EPT main event as well. After the Vic festival i fly directly to Austria to play in the 4000 Euro EPT main event in Baden as well. I may play the Gutshot main event as well if the Vic EPT doesn't go to plan. I came 3rd in the last festival main event and i could do with some of that form returning.