Quick overview of the month of poker. Usually only play the Sunday Night $35 buy-in at Vision Lanes. I've been playing there for about 9 weeks. The other place I've played burnt down a month or two before that. That was The Electric Stick. They had great action and huge tourneys going on there. All the people haven't made their way over to Trip Kings at Vision lanes, but the games are growing. Generally there are between 40 and 60 people at the 7pm Sunday game. Since I've been going there, I've cashed 4 times for around $1000, and I've final tabled all by 3 times. On the 4th I split first place for $360. This was my second $300+ cash of the summer so I'm up. The cards were nice to me that night, and I played well to go with the cards. That's the opposite of the 12th. I had nice cards, but played terrible. Two hands defined my (short) evening.

1. I started the hand in MP with KcQc.  I opened for 3 times the Button (villian) and was raised another three by the button.  SB and BB fold.  I call
1. I know the Villain.  He's pretty tight and if he re-raises me, he's strong.  I can't put him on a big pair because he would have raised more.  A small pair and he's set mining, so I figure he's got a big ace.  Maybe AK or AQ.
2. The flop comes KQ 3.  Yatzee!  Two pair and he's either TPTK or darn close with the hands I put him on.  I bet about half the pot.  He raises gain.
1. Guarantee he's got AK now.  Big pairs just hit sets and he's check-calling to trap.  But since he re-raises he's thinking TPTK is good.
3. I call (maybe should re-pop here). Turn is a total blank.  I make the same bet and he calls.  He's getting a bit worried that he's behind two pair or a set.
4. Bink: Ace hit the river.  If my read is right, I'm beat.  If my read is wrong, I could have been beat all the time!  I check.  He bets 3k.  Just enough to sucker me in.  I know he's got AK but I call anyway only to see the AK and muck my worst two pair.

A few hands later I got knocked out by this hand

1. I started on in the BB, with lots of chips left, and look down at 33.
2. It folds to the button who limps in.  I've got plenty of history with this guy.  Early in tournament he's prone to crazy bets on air.  I should find it a little weird he didn't raise.
3. SB completes and I check my 3's.  Maybe should raise, but I don't think this changes the texture of the hand.
4. The flop comes 534 rainbow...flopped a set. Nice.
1. SB checks.  I raise.  Villain calls. SB calls.
5. Turn comes an 8
1. SB Checks I raise. Villain calls. SB raises. I call. Button pushes.  SB folds I call.
2. He turns 67 for the turned straight.  I miss the board pairing and I'm out.

I totally didn't see the high end of the straight and I couldn't put him on flopping the straight at the low end.  It never occurred to me that he turned the straight.  I figured him for two pair and was trying to get flush draws out of there.  It worked on the SB, but not on me.

This past Sunday was a fold fest.  I think I voluntarily put money in the pot (VPMP) 1 out of 15 hands.  And those were often stretches to my usual range!
I went busto in 7th on AJ suited against QQ.  The AJ was my second AJ of the night, and tied for the 5th best hand of the evening:  KK, AQ, 44, AJ, AJ.  I figure I played in the neighborhood of 130 hands and that was my top 5.  Tough to be TAG in those spots.

Overall, I'm happy with my thinking process, reads against other players and play.  For the most part.  Still have a long way to go before I'm where I want to be, but I'll get there.