The Poker Bonus Chaser's Journal

My sessions are all having a similar characteristic lately:  I start off down about 8 - 12 BB, and then I'll churn down there for an hour or more, and then I'll finally hit a monster hand or maybe a streak of decent hands and finish up a few BB.  I call these "U-shaped" sessions, and I have been having "U" after bloody "U" lately.

Last night was no exception.  First orbit I am UTG with ThTc.  I raise and get cold called by MP and the BB chips in to see the flop:  Ts 6d 4h.  I bet and get called by MP. BB folds.  Turn 2d.  I bet and get called.  River Jd.  I bet and get raised.  I 3-bet and get capped.  I call.  Villain shows Qd9d.  What he was betting on until the river is one of those eternal mysteries of poker.  I decide I like this table even more, as I had previously tagged two fish, and now I have a third.

I chip around down about 10 BB for the next hour.  Strangely, I see flops of 888 twice:  once holding 77, once holding 99.  I get called down by overcards on both, getting rivered both times.  Online poker is rigged!

Then as I am getting tired and one of my fish has busted and fled, I get KK in MP3.  I raise and get 3 callers.  Flop comes KQ7.  I bet and get 2 callers.  Turn is Q.  I bet and get raised by the SB - new to the table, but looking fishy thus far.  I call.  River is a blank and SB lets me cap it.  He mucks at showdown, but I suspect he was very happy with trip queens.

That hand put me up 1.25 BB for the session, and I quit the table before my next blind.  It was bedtime.  Another day, another U.