Day 12C, Getting Into the Rhythym

I've been running fairly well lately, but feel that i'm playing well also.  I'm a little fatigued grinding it out day in day out but it is worth it. 

I feel hopeful.  It is one thing to win one or two days in a row.  It is quite another to have several days worth of wins under your belt.  The wins haven't really been coming from luckboxing straights and flushes and flopping full houses.

The majority are coming from outplaying opponents and capitalizing from their mistakes.


A key hand that comes to mind was a straddle for a live $10. I'm in the CO with KTo. I had just won a decent pot with pocket pair and have been showing down strong hands, so my image is definitely on the nitty side. The straddler is an aggressive maniac type villain who loves to squeeze. Its 6 way action, gets to the maniac and he raises for $100. Everyone folds, I call. We both have about $800

Flop($260): 4h 9c 4d.

Maniac bets $100. I call.

Turn($460): Qs

Maniac bets $100, I raise to $300, Maniac folds.

I knew he was full of shit and I knew he respected my image. I knew he thought of me as a nit and I knew if I raised him he'd fold unless he luckboxed a 4 or had a decent Queen which was unlikely. I also knew he would fire two barrels regardless of what he had and that if I raised him on turn he's folding.

So, my wins have been a combination of playing good cards and using my image vs. the right opponents. I'm not winning because i'm flopping straights and flushes and full houses. The majority of my wins are coming from unglamourous pots--a little bit here, a little bit there. On occassion I cash in on my image (like a did above) by targeting the right villains and the right situations...

I do realize that any fish can have a good run. There is a chance that i'm not that good and i'm merely riding the wave of some great variance. It is my hope that time disproves that hypothesis and that when the dust settles, I will in fact be the winning player that deep down I know I am.