Taking the Plunge

So I'm finally doing it. This will be a big step forward in my Poker career. No, I'm not going pro. Geezus, I ain't that stupid. I will, however, be playing my first ever real cash game online (well, at least higher than $.02/$.04)! Kind of backwards from everyone else's progression, but hey, I've been known to be a rebel!

The praises have been sung for Party Poker (bonus code Iggy) and various other skins etc., but I'm taking my first step with the Great Dane Gus Hansen at PokerChamps. The 100% bonus up to $100 is a nice lure, but the real kicker for me is the LA Classic Satellites.

I've played on P/C now and then, doing their FreeRolls, and even won a buck once (where I piddled it away at the penny table). But the last time I checked in, I saw they were running daily $5, $10, and $20 satellites that gets you into the $200 Super Satellite - which pays out $10,000 seats into the LA Poker Classic at the Commerce. The crazy thing is that the satellites don't have more than 20 or 30 registrants! Hell, I even saw one $20 satellite that had 3 registrants, and they still gave 1st place an entry into the Super!

So I figure I can grind out $10 or $20 at a low-limit table, and use that to buy into one of the smaller sats and have a decent shot at getting into the Super. The next one is Sunday the 9th, then the 23rd, and Feb 6th is the last chance before the Classic in late February. Three shots at the big time, and the first Super only had 75 or so entrants. Not to sound too cocky, but I think my chances are pretty good.

For the few of you who read here (and I know you're out there!), you may decide not to pass this info along quite yet, at the risk of ballooning the satellite registrations. So feel free to sneak in with me, and be kind enough to use my first pimpage affiliate link for PokerChamps and let me know if you do. Thanks!

Enough with the daydreaming and snapping back to reality.... I took my Friday lunch at the Silver Dollar Casino down the way. Got a seat right away and after the button passes me, I get KK! It's pretty much a family pot so I don't want to raise right off the bat (and give away my playing style!). I do bet out every street, even though the board came JT7JT. Kinda scary but I'm up $25 right away. Later, Pocket 5s catch a set on the Turn, but it puts a flush out there as well. I raise anyways, and the board pairs on the River allowing me to beat the King high flush. "Value-betting my Full House draw" I tell the dealer. That pot helped me make up for a flopped straight that got flushed out on the river a few hands earlier.

I'm down to 20 minutes left in my lunch hour, and the table wants to go to 4/8. I don't object - I'm up $50 and ready to rack up anyways. As the blinds get close, I get A7o and limp in. It gets raised and I go ahead and donate and prepare myself to leave after seeing the missed Flop. But it comes all Hearts, and I double check to make sure I'm holding the Ace of Hearts. Yup! I'm first to bet out and some kid looks at me and says he's got the made hand. Turn is another heart, and he yells out "There it is!" but still only calls me. A 5-heart board and me with the Ace takes down the pot... the kid had 4 to the straight flush. I always forget to watch out for those... oops! :)

I rack up and tell the table, "Man, this game is too rich for my blood!" as I toke the dealer my surplus and get back to work with an extra $100 in my pocket.

I hope I get things cleared with Neteller ASAP so I can get cranking on my trip to LA. I can taste it already... I've got the hunger, and I can feel it in the pit of my stomach.

Or it just may be the fact that I forgot to go and actually get some lunch today. :)