Grinding

It's not often I go to bed at 6am after a long poker session feeling happy at losing $35, but that's how I feel today.

I began by donking it up with Juice,Rosie and Mr Edge at a few $6 turbos and one $16 game ( no itm's in any of 'em for me).Great chat and a good laugh but no profit!

After the troops departed, I hit a Laddies $50 nl table and would have stayed there if I hadn't noticed the crazy table at $100 nl 6 max. I've posted the screenshot of above.$92 average pot and 57% to the flop!

It was time to take my chances.One player was raising every pot preflop by between $8-$25 and another maniac was doing something similar.I played a patient fairly tight game ( 30% vpip) and tried to hit a flop hard.My strategy seemed to be working although I was still trying to decide just how good the maniacs were.One was very strong preflop, but slowed down postflop if played back at, and as I had a fairly tight image ,I used that to my advantage and stole a few pots that way.

The other maniac seemed to call everything down and it was when I tangled with him that I made a huge mistake.I had AA and led out preflop,betting big on the flop.He hit his open ended straight on the turn, but there were two others still along for the ride and there was a flush draw out too, so I ( cringe!) went all in for $150.The two other villains folded ( one claiming he was open ended too) and Mr Hit his straight had the easiest call in the world to pick up the $392 pot.

As ever Mrs A chose this moment to open the living room door to( she has a habit of this kind of timing)tell me she's back downstairs as she couldn't sleep.I think I tried to say hello but couldn't form the words in my mouth.Actually my head was spinning so fast I couldn't think of anything and could only stare at my Laddies account page with my mouth gaping open.( in an appropriate fishlike manner)

I switched off Laddies,opened a Party table at $50nl, turned that off too and sat back to take stock.Yes,I made a daft move, but I had been more then holding my own at that table and I'd decided by then that the villain was going to part with his by now $700 stack to somebody and I'd rather it was me!

No fairytale ending here.I didn't leave hundreds up.I did though grind my stack up from $100 to $220 and greatly reduced my loss for the night.I was also right about the villain as he left just before this screenshot having gone from $100 to $700 to zero.

All good fun! I was out this afternoon looking at cars and I reckon the Focus St170 is going to be my choice.

Righty time for dinner and the Britbloggerment game! See you there...