It's been no secret that my poker finishes during 2005 have been more than dissappointing. Honestly, I can blame the cards. I had the worst string of cards ever - I'm just glad I quit playing online poker cause I could be in a huge financial hole cause of it.

In any case, I could feel the past few games slowly improving my cards; I went into tonight's game feeling that my cards would finally fall ... and then I would be unstoppable.

Well, tonight was really a crazy game of poker. Aaron showed up [whom I have great respect for - he knows what he's doing], so I was pretty excited to play at a very solid and aggressive table of players. Yush and Moonie are very dangerous and aggressive who are quite unpredictable ... Terrence is his solid old self playing great poker ... and then we have players like Alex, Bobby, Pete and Han who can be unstoppable if their cards fall right.

In any case, I drew the perfect position; I was to Pete's right and Terrence's left. I've been telling Terrence that I'm going to get him - and to sit by his left? Wonderful.

Bobby was the first one out in what could be the suckout of the century. Moonie opens the pot for 3xBB and Bobby calls. The flop comes 532 (two diamonds). Both get all their chips in the middle ... Moonie has 77 (with a diamond) and Bobby has A4 for the wheel. Bobby is something like a 90% favorite to win this hand ... except the turn comes a 6 of diamonds. Moonie picks up a flush draw and a 4 will give him a higher straight ... and the river ... a 4. Ouch.

Now, Moonie is on a card TEAR. He literally picked up close to four or five trips and two or three sets. He went in with 80/20 situations and came out winning with the 20% countless times. It was simply ... amazing to watch.

I should note that I'm doing alright ... I'm opening and playing a TON of pots ... at my low point I have roughly $7K in chips ($10K was the starting amount).

In any case, a critical hand came up between Moonie and me. I open for 3xBB with Terrence's favorite hand, TT. Moonie calls the raise and we see a flop. Flop comes 998. A beautiful flop for me.

I check to Moonie, who bets a sizable amount. At this time, I'm almost 100% sure that I have the best hand, so I reraise him a fair amount. He then immediately pushes the rest of the stack in. After debating for a while, I figure he decided to get cute with J9 or something along those lines ... so I fold my tens down. He flips up 88 ... and for some reason this puts me on tilt.

I should also note that Han and Yush have been using me as their personal boytoy. Anytime I get involved with them in a pot, I get check-raised. Most of the time I don't have much, but it's still really frustrating to get check-raised. I decide that with Han I'm going to be patient; I am picking up enough blinds to make sizable dents if I'm just patient for the right hand.

The next hand, I'm steaming for some reason. I guess Im just getting tired of Moonie catching monster hands. I look down to see a 84cc peeking at me. In MP, I would normally raise with this hand (I've been raising with almost all hands regardless of position because everyone seems to be playing tight, and Terrence is sitting to my right!), but I decide that since I'm steaming, I should just call it and fold it once I miss the flop. Moonie calls, and Han completes the BB.

Flop comes T73 (I think) of clubs. I've just caught the nastiest flush draw in the history of the world.

In the past, I've gotten burned really bad when I catch a low flush off the flop; usually the Naked Ace chases and catches a higher flush ... or I get shafted with some two pair becoming a boat. In any case, I check it to Moonie, who makes quite a sizable bet into the pot. Han then re-raises close to twice the pot all-in. Now, I know for a fact Han has nothing. I decide that at BEST he might have a pair of tens, but I'm giving him no credit for a set or two pair. My only worry is if Moonie will fish out for a higher flush (or if he has one made already!). I know the pot odds give him the ability to call, and since he's chip leader he may gamble. I push the rest of the stack in (which is only like 1/2 more than what Han had). Moonie debates forever and calls with 65cc. Han flips up A7 for a pair and no flush draw. I have them both drawing nearly dead to the river ... and I triple up. Now, this created a HUGE chip monster in me. I have roughly $40K in chips (with only $90K in play), and I don't think people were happy.

But of course, what happens next is the biggest implosion; if you want to every put money on someone blowing an extensive chip lead, you can bet it's going to be me.

Oh yeah, I need to detail a hand where I just was acting totally retarded. I picked up pocket 4s and raised the blinds. Moonie called (this is a recurring theme) and the flop comes AJT. I bet, and Moonie calls. At this point, I decide to give Moonie credit for a pair, so I check the turn (a J). The river comes a T, and my pair is useless. I'm now playing the board.

In a moment of sheer stupidity, I mucked my hand in a huge pot ... and as it turns out, it would of been split (Moonie was drawing for a gutshot with 97). I'm not sure what happened here - a total lapse of judgement.

I busted Pete a few hands later when he raised UTG with AJo and I saw pocket turds in the hole. I decided he had big cards and I could pull a stop-and-go if no face cards hit the flop. The flop comes J2x, so my turds have powered up for a turdbomb. I push Pete all-in off the turn (another J) and I eliminate Pete when the river blanks out. I still own his soul.

Moonie triples up when Alex calls his all-in and I get 3:1 on my money with 93hh. Given that Alex is also a weak-tight player, I know I can see the board down to the river. Moonie ends up having AA, and both Alex and I have a lower pair. Ouch.

I late blow my huge chip lead when I stupidly call with low two pair, knowing Moonie had top two pair. Sometimes huge chip leads blind you... AGH.

Meanwhile, Aaron had gotten eliminated earlier when he had KK against Alex's AA. Truly sick hands tonight.

After a few hours, Alex goes out (he just gets grinded down), and it's down to me, Moonie, Terrence, and Yush. Moonie goes out (I forget the hand, Terrence can probably recall it), and it's just me, Yush and Terrence.

Now, I've been waiting to get Terrence SOOOO bad for the longest time. I've been messing with him all night ... pushing him around with draws and pairs. I did double him up when I missed a flush draw ... so I'm still looking to get him good.

Three handed, I wake up to see KK. This is the first big pockets I've had all night (I've gotten AK about three times though, so I can't complain.) I've been doing a lot of limping, and Terrence is playing the all-in strategy, so I'm hoping he wakes up to something worth pushing. Yush folds when I limp ... and then Terrence begins to play with his chips. I'm starting to get excited.

Terrence starts counting his chips, and I can just feel the push. What makes this more glorious is that Terrence starts talking (very rare for him!). He says, "Roy ... have you been waiting all night to get me? Is this a trap? Well, if it's a trap ..." then he pushes his chips in. I immediately flip up my kings ... I GOT TERRENCE FINALLY!!!! It's very very very rare for anybody to outplay Terrence (unless you're name is Stephen and you manage to trick Terrence into thinking that QQ is "weak hand" ... JUST KIDDING TERRENCE!!) ... so this was great. The kings hold up, and Terrence is gone.

A few hands later, Yush and I get all our money in the pot when I had top pair, and he has second pair. He hits two pair on the turn and I'm done. (I should note that Yush is killing me - he called an earlier hand with A4 on a board of J4x when I had QJ and caught an Ace on the turn ... but luckily I sensed he was strong so I checked it down to the river).

Tonight was a good night ... I had a few questionable calls (I should not of mucked the 44, should not of called with 67o against Moonie's J7 suited), but I played very aggressive and strong so I'm quite happy with my finishes. I got my groove and rhytm back, which I hope can translate to some high finishes on the Tuesday night games.

Oh yeah, this post would not be complete with me disparaging someone's play:

Pete opens up UTG for about 2.5xBB. Yush and Han both call. The flop comes KJx, and Pete checks. Yush and Han both check. The turn comes a A. Pete bets, and Yush and Han both call. The river places a Q on the board which also completes a diamond flush. Now, here is the questionable play of the night:

Han bets 1/4 of his stack ($2K) into the pot ... Yush calls. Pete thinks forever and calls ... with a set of kings. Han has the straight and Yush has the flush. The river bet was substantial ... I can't believe that was overcalled by Pete. There is absolutely no reasonable hand that he could beat at this point ... this is the hand where Pete got really shortstacked and eventually led to him getting knocked out with AJ.

Honestly tonight ... was crazy. Everyone was playing very well and crazy ... and the nastiest hands were coming out. People were only getting eliminated on nasty hands (good stuff!) ... I'm quite happy to see everyone elevating their game. It makes playing much more enjoyable ... to see each hand becoming harder to play. Hopefully when I hit up Vegas for some fun ... the pressure of the 305 games will help me succeed in some of the tourneys there :).

But I'm feeling a lot like Terrence lately when it comes to my game. I've been in almost every situation so I feel like I know what I need to do, and I don't have to focus so intently on every pot. It's not autopilot, but it's close to it.

But damn, you know you've played with a person too long when you see a flop and you have a bad beat story to go with it.

And before PM5K says anything, yes we gamble TOO MUCH!