Yesterday I played at pokerstars again. After cashing out there and loosing the reminder my account was empty, so I reloaded it with $2,000. That was the maximum my card and account allowed for this weekend so I had no chance to drop deposit any more money there. I had plans to play the evenings $160 WSOP double-shoutout but had over 2 hours left. So I joined a full running $30/60 games with the intention of winning something between $160 and $300 to have a 'freeroll' there later. The first 45 minutes went uneventfull, I struggled between $1600 and $1800. The I lost 4 ridicoulous pots in 5 minutes, played very bad in one more and was down to about $600. Hmmm. The table got emptier with only 4 players remaining and I thought what to do. Play shorthanded here, risking all my money on some marginal hands or leave, take the loss and forgot about it? Katja stepped by and recommended me to leave the table. Like the good husband I am I did the only thinkable - stay there. While the still watched I got busted out of AKs against 74s with a K on the flop, being down to about $300 in chips. Katja gave me "the look". I returned to her "the other look". In case you never heart about "the other look" that means you show your "bambi" face, wide open eyes, almost filled with tears, saying "I did nothing bad, I am innocent, if you would only believe me...". Well, cards were still coming so before my look good do his job in full I had to re-adjust my sight to the screen. Great, JTo with only two others players at the table, both well over 3k and the pot was raised an re-raised (I had the BB). I thought what-the-hell-I-am-bambi and repopped it. The flop came J high and I managed to get all my money in on the turn, which gave me a nice T for winning two pair. I almost tripled up on that hand and never looked back from there. I left the table 30 minutes later with $3,600, winning a gigant pot with my last hand where I had the nuts on the turn (straight) but the river paired the board and brought the third heart with 4 opponents betting like crazy the whole way - I just called for pot odds with $1800 in that one and was honestly surprised when it got shipped to me.

Nice so far, I had the money to play the $160 which I did. Nothing good over there, I exited quickly. Then I found two tourneys, a $50 NLHE MTT and a WSOP qualifier for $33+R. I entered both, they were starting both at the same time. I took two rebuys early on and after one hour the addon, which made me investing $123. First two hours the usual tight play then I got warm and in play-mode (if you ever play with me and see me getting into this mode, run). After a about three hours it looked like this:

I was leading in both and managed to came in this position to the final table in both events. That was a true great feeling. In the $50 event I finally 3rd for a $1,950 payout (got a bit unlucky there). Interesting sidenote: the other two final table players were both (unknown to me) german players also! Wow. In the WSOP qualifier which I *really* liked to win (11k for the winner, $650 for 2-10th) I was even leading with 6 players remaining when I lost AKs in the big blind against AA and shortly thereafter my all-in hand with KTs against ATo against the eventual winner, "The WINNER". I was a little unhappy about this ending but anyway, I made over $2500 on $170 buyins which is not bad if you figure I was all-in for all my money with JTo and $300 left only 4 hours ago...

After sleeping for a few hours I joined the $100-200 game for the very first time. The game was almost full with 8 players and looked pretty soft, so I took a seat, putting $6k in front of me. I had no "game plan" other then winning a little the then run. In the third hand I lost a decent pot with JJ against T7 in the BB on a T high board, leaving me with about $4500. Upps. I stayed, played my best tight/agressive game and got lucky again soon - A9 against AK on a A-x-x-9-x board. All togehter I was there only 15 minutes, playing 28 hands and winning $2,088. I guess taking a nice win in the very first session can not hurt my confidence and motivation for the sessions to come...

Today I will have a full schedule of poker. Cash games over the day, some sport/sleeping/work in the afternoon and later I will play in the $350k guaranteed (stars), a double-shoutout again, the sunday $600 WSOP qualifier and the Quarter Million at Party. Also I still have some freerolls for the 'Step Higher' tourneys which I plan to use.

Uhoh, Step Higher: yesterday I played a step 3 event ($500) and lost AK on a board of xxA-A-? when I got my money in on the flop - other guy had 44. No draw but the tiny 4 on the river ended my tournament, back to step 2 ($100). There I exited in 10th place (out of ten) when I raised the BB of 15 and 4 limpers with QQ to 150 and got one caller. Flop came 7-x-4 and the money went in, you guessed it, the other had 74s and called a 150 raise with only 15 already in with 74. Oh wow. Something is different on partypoker (or with its players). As I play more and more on stars this gets better visible every day (or could it be that is because I am running so good on stars...?? lol)