Pub Poker and 2/4 downswing

I don't have exact figures right now but last night I lost another $90 or so 3 tabling 2/4 bad beat on Party. Lots of bad beats and only one bad play by me that I noticed that cost me $12 or something. I played fine but when your 2 pair keeps getting beat by sets and your set of aces get beat by flopped straights there's not a whole lot you can do besides rely on your bankroll to get you through. Lost $40 3 tabling .10/.25 NL. I stink at NL cash games and I won't be doing that again for awhile lol.

Got a surprise chance to play in the 2nd session last night at Grahams. I couldn't wait to get back to it after my success in the 2nd session Wednesday night. Here's my notes:


12/8/2005
110 entrants
Grahams

Wow. Got there 15 minutes late and bluffed off 350 of my 1100 to a loose player on my left. Tripled up from 600 (50/100 blinds all in on flop of KQ7 - other 2 callers had Q7) with K9s when 9 hit on river for 2 pair. Another huge hand to take me to big stack at 5400 was 33 when I pushed after a short stack pushed and a medium stack called (I had both covered and figured it was debatable but with the blind structure I thought I'd take a chance). A8s for medium stack blanked but I rivered the flush to beat J9 that hit 9 on flop.

Cruised for awhile but then got to 15k when 7's hit a set and then to 24k when they hit a set again. Folded my way to the final table as a very aggressive big stack (maniac at times) sat at our table and I didn't get anything to trap him with. Funny hand A34 of hearts after he had raised preflop and then bet big into a smaller stack. Smaller stack thought about before finally folding A8 of spades face up. Maniac shows he was bluffing with J7 of clubs. They run it for fun. Turn would've been the J and the river a 7.

Down to 15k as I sit at my 2nd straight final table. 1st hand of final table (probably about 5th in chips out of 8) I look down to see AA. Blinds were 2/4 so I pushed 2 off of the button. SB had about 25k in chips and he calls and BB was the huge maniac chip stack but he folded. I was a little surprised. He was playing a ton of pots and was very loose and not afraid of going home. SB flips over QJ and my aces hold up. 34k in chips.

Pushed again with JJ for the blinds later and lost some to the blinds after 3 orbits or so. Down to about 25k and 5 handed when maniac raises and I look down at AKo. I push. He calls with AJs and I win a massive pot to take the chip lead by a little bit over him.

Got down to 3 handed - maniac limps on the button (4/8 now) and I look down at A3 and push trying to get heads up with BB who only has 9k left. He throws in his last chip for the call and maniac surprises me and calls his last 26k and flips over QQ. Whoops. No ace came and I was down to 12k and on the 4,000 chip SB heads up with the 100k Maniac. Not good. I push in my last 8k in the dark and look down to see Q10. Maniac calls in the dark for 4k more and flips over A10. Whoops. Game over.