I met a lumberjack

I didn't bring my sunglasses to work today, which was a tactical error; I place them under my monitor so I can see anybody coming up behind me.

Yesterday took a turn for the better. I checked my (real life!) bank balance, something I am horribly averse to doing, and found I had more than I expected. Knowing that my online bankroll will not need to be drawn upon again for a while gave me the determination and freedom to go home thinking 'Right, it's not money, it's just CHIPS, for keeping score. It's a GAME, and you are good at games.' The three quick pints after work with my mates didn't hurt either.

(A joke I made up on the spot: 'I was in the bar the other day and I met a lumberjack. I offered him a cigarette and he said "No thanks, I'm cutting down"' Geddit?)

And I did okay. I got nicely ahead in a PLO game through good, fearless play. Particularly pleasing was when I check-called flop and turn with top set that became nut full house, then bet or raised (I already forget) the river. Got called and won. Next hand, same opponent, I check-called flop and turn again with Ace high on a drawing sort of board, then bet the river quite big and he folded. It was a nice opportunity against an opponent hurting and scared from my previous hand.

That game broke up, unfortunately, so I played another for a while longer where I never really got any big hands but stayed aggressive and booked another (much smaller) win.

There was still time to lose yet again at heads-up limit. When I am beating an opponent because he folds to all my bets and raises, I really must learn to shut down in the odd hand where he calls or raises. Very simple, yet I can't put down top pair, reasonable kicker in those situations even when I know the guy has to have better. In heads-up I am developing a terrible case of 'non-believer', too proud to fold. Ironically, when I began, I used to fold more often than many of my opponents and I won hand over fist.

That's about it. Paul at tao of poker (curse this new blogger where I can't make links unless posting from my laptop) has a nice post about the types of screen names you come across. I am going to add a bloglist on the right any day now, to get round this problem. It won't be very long, as I will only be listing my idea of the creme de la creme of the blogs.

Back to screen names, mine is slightly sexually ambiguous I suppose, which does lead to the occasional person trying to chat me up. I doubt it does me much good though, especially as I like to chat quite a bit (about any old shit!) and that gives away my gender. On top of which, the pool of PLO players at my site and level is not huge so people tend to know most of the names. Which reminds me, I was actually quite chuffed by that comment I got on Wednesday from somebody saying they liked my play. Besides the flattery, it can be useful to know who respects you as a player. There was one chap ages ago who thought I was brilliant for some reason, which meant that I was able to relentlessly knock him off hands and out of pots because he feared me.

Hey, that actually makes me sound like a half-decent poker player!