I came into Thursday's game with a renewed sense of purpose, as Roy informed me shortly before the game that his friend Bert was coming for the first time. Roy characterized Bert as a solid player, who plays in Vegas frequently, as well as doing quite well online. Thursday's games are always a challenge, but I was determined to tackle this new challenge head on.

Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of those games where I got frustrated to no end. Every time I entered a pot, I got checkraised on the flop. It seemed like my opponents were hitting every flop, while I was missing everything. A couple of these run-ins came with Bert. I remember one hand where I came in raising with 7 9 of spades on the button. Bert defended his big blind, and we saw a flop of ace queen 9. He checked it to me, so I threw a bet out, hoping to take it down right there. He came over the top for about twice my original bet, so I mucked it, saying "Take it with your lousy ace." By this time, I had already been check-raised enough times to fill my monthly quota, so I was a bit irritable. He turned over ace king of hearts, though, so that had to make me laugh at my own stupidity.

One would think that I would take my foot off the gas pedal after being check-raised repeatedly. One would be wrong. "Why don't you try to limp into more pots, or play less hands. Tighten up, Terrence!" you might say. My response to that would be, "Easy for you to say. You're not retarded." I didn't learn my lesson, and I continued to make bad plays. I saw pocket 9s after Roy came in with a raise. The right play would have been to push all-in, seeing as I was a shortstack, or fold, giving Roy credit for a real hand. I flat-called, then when the flop came with three overcards, I tossed it. Very weak.

My demise came on a hand that I shouldn't have been in in the first place. Two people limped in early position, and I saw 10 6 off on the button. I limped as well, figuring I could get out cheap if I missed the flop. My plan was to move all-in if I paired up, unless of course there were multiple overcards. The blinds checked, and the flop was 2 3 6. That's about all I could ask for. Both blinds checked, and Yush bet out. I figured he had low suited connectors, something like 5 6 or 6 7. I was a little worried he had mid-pockets, like 7s or 8s, but I figured I had to move with this flop. I went all-in. To my horror, Bert then reraised all in. "Jesus, he's sitting on 4 5 or a set of deuces or 3s." I figured I was drawing dead. Yush then called the all-in, which really didn't make me happy. Luckily, Yush only had 6 7, though. Bert turned over... pocket queens. I thought this was a really strange play, considering there were 3 other people in the pot. Why would you give a free flop to 3 other players with pocket queens? They're so vulnerable. I didn't like that play, but he definitely caught a good flop for it. Now I had 4 outs, which is better than drawing dead. The turn and the river both bricked off, though, and me and Yush were the first ones out. I was technically in last because I had less money. This was the first time in forever that I was the first one out. My boy Moonie got revenge on Bert though when he flopped a boat against Bert's pocket aces, then proceeded to hit quads on the river. Moonie went on to win, beating Pete heads up in one hand (Pete had no money at all). I offered Yush 20-1 on Pete heads up, but he wouldn't have any of it.

My self-esteem got a reprieve when we decided to play another game. I was hoping to get trash cards for the first half hour, so I could stop steaming. This was not the case, though. The very first hand, I saw jack ten off on the button in an unraised pot. I limped, and we saw a 4-handed flop. It came down queen 9 4. Donald made a small bet, and I called. The turn was a ten. Not what I wanted to see, but I figured I could beat him with another ten or jack, in addition to an 8 or a king. He bet bigger, and I called again. The river was a king. He bet big again, and I doubled it. He called, and I showed my straight. I think he said he had two pair. This pot gave me a big chip lead early on, and I caught a few more hands to build my stack over 20 grand.

Once I hit 20 grand, my cards went ice cold. Luckily, it wasn't like the first game where I would get good cards then miss the flop. This time, my cards were just garbage, so I didn't pay anything but my blinds. After sitting out a bunch of hands in a row, I saw ace 4 off on the button. I came in raising, and Moonie called from the big blind. The flop was ace 2 3, and Moonie came out betting. This is why I hate playing low aces. What should I do here? The best play probably would have been to put in an information raise, but then if he called I still wouldn't really know where I was, so I decided to just call. The turn was an 8. Moonie bet out again, bigger this time. I still didn't know where I was at, but I thought he may be betting with mid-pockets, as he's known to get very aggressive with them post-flop. I called him again. The river was a 10, so I still just had a pair of aces with no kicker. Moonie bet out even bigger this time. To be honest, I had almost no idea what he had at this point. I decided that I had come this far, and I was going to have to call him down. When I did, he mucked his cards, saying he had missed a flush draw and a straight draw. He must have had 5 6 suited or something. This took a big chunk out of Moonie, which is good because he's a freaking animal.

Yush had been saying all game that he would take Moonie out, so we had a running subplot the whole time whenever Moonie got shortstacked. Moonie came in raising on the button one hand, and Yush called from the big blind. The flop was ace ten 6, all diamonds. Yush checked, and Moonie went all-in. Yush called and flipped over king jack of diamonds for the nut flush. Ouuuuuuch. We figured Moonie was completely dead, but he said, "I have outs," and flipped over ace ten, for top two pair. What a sick hand. No help came for Moonie, though, and he went out in 5th. Yush is a man who sticks to his word. One of the few honorable Chinese in the world today.

With four left, it was me, Donald, Pete, and Yush. I came in raising with king queen under the gun, and Yush called from the big blind. The flop was 5 6 9, all diamonds. I had the queen of diamonds. Yush checked, and I decided to take a card off rather than get check-raised again. The turn was a king, and Yush bet out 1200. I raised him 1200, and he went all-in for another 3500 or so. I said out loud, "I think I know what you have, Yush." "King jack, maybe king ten." I figured if I was wrong, I still had outs with the queen of diamonds, but I was almost positive he had king jack. "I gotta go with my gut," I said, and I called. Yush flipped over king jack. Bang. He did have the king of diamonds, though, so he had 10 outs going into the river. I dodged them, though, and Yush was out in fourth.

Once we got three-handed, Donald started going all-in like crazy. I just sat aside and let him take my blinds. I knew eventually I would trap him for all his money, so losing blinds was not a big concern for me. Donald limped on the small blind one hand, and Pete checked. The flop was ace 2 3, and Donald bet out. Pete went all-in, and Donald called immediately and flipped over 2 4. What?! I think Donald was looking to get lucky or go home, because I have no other explanation for calling with that. Pete had ace ten, but he knew he was going to lose, because that's the way life works for Pete. He told us to get the window ready so he could jump out, so, good friends that we are, we opened it. I told Yush to get the camera to catch Pete's imminent death on film. The turn was an 8, but the river was a 5, giving Donald a straight, so Pete began his run to the window. He actually got a leg out, which wasn't very smart, because if the window gave way he was dead. We pulled him back, though, and Yush got a picture, which is now my desktop picture.

Heads up, I decided just to wait for Donald to hang himself, and he won the first 5 hands by raising and taking my blinds. Then I picked up pocket kings. He raised, I reraised a pretty small amount, and he went all-in. I couldn't call fast enough, and he had king 10. I don't know why people keep putting all their money in against me with such bad hands heads up, but I'll take it. This doubled me up, and left Donald with almost no money, and I took him out a couple minutes later when I had king 3, saw a flop of king 8 4, got a king on the turn, and got Donald to put all his money in. He only had jack 8, so he was drawing dead. I got a 3 on the river for good measure, so I won $20 for first.

Quote of the day: "Get the window ready!"- Pete "Accidental Suicide" Robson

Terrence's bankroll: $979+$10=$989