Poor Play, then Lucky

Sunday night's session was in two parts: losing $655 in $15/30 and winning $940 in $600NL. The $15/30 was poor decision making on my part, discovering a significant leak in my game. First, I lost $200 by catching my flush on the turn only to lose to the flopped boat. But let's get to the real story, the maniac player. I won't name names, but to my right was ManiacPrime with the following stats: played 41% of pots, raised a whopping 29% of pots. Of course, I took this as a major competition on my part. Not only was he a maniac but he was also a calling station. Incredible plays, 4-betting with nothing, calling me down with bottom pair when I had big slick. He won with bottom pair three times, flopped a set twice (cracking aces once with top set), re-re-raised with rags. What that causes me to unfortunately do is try to mix it up. I got down to the felt, clawed back up, then bet my overcards to a small pocket pair, chased my open end and my flush draw on two straight hands, then made a desperate raised play with AJ vs. AQ and a flopped top pair (caught the ace later). The maniac got me off of my game in a big way, but probably even more disappointing is that I should have left when I clawed back, shouldn't I? Although it seemed like a very juicy game.

So of course, I then break my rule again and head to higher limits. No room at $200 NLHE table, so I go to $600 NLHE and buy-in for $226. I move all-in once early with 99 to take calls and a raise, flop a set with 99 and a board of K93 but have no one to come along with me, pick up a pot with middle pair and checking into a straight (vs. small pocket pair that has all overcards on the board), lose $100 with flopped baby ace vs. flopped two-pair babier ace (A3). Guy makes a move on my raise with KhTh on a flopped board of hearts, so I double up. Lose $200 to a better kicker flopping top pair, then the lucky magic/poor play on my part starts. I called pre-flop raise of $50 with QcJc with two other callers. Flop comes A44 with two clubs, original raise and I check, and guy pops it for $125. One other caller calls, and I go over the top with my last $250 (raising it another $125). Raiser folds, other two guys call, and I catch my flush on the turn (QQ and ATo get taken down). I don't think my play was very good as I don't think I had the pot odds for the play, but I got very lucky and it worked out. Gave back $200, one getting pushed off of an underpair by big slick, who beat a heads-up straight draw with ace high. Another bad lucky play: UTG+1 raises to $25, his neighbor makes it $50 to go. I call with AK0, and raiser makes it $175. Re-raiser folds (JJ he says later), and I think for ten seconds. He has another $185, and the pot is now $300, and I have to assume he'll call if I go all-in. I think about calling and seeing if I catch, hoping he doesn't have AA or KK (which would be unlikely). I finally use no math and re-raise all-in, which he calls. His QQ doesn't improve when I flop my king, and I take down the pot.

So, the summary: poor discipline when I get off of my game in $15/30, then poor rule-following when I take my cash and go up to $600NLHE (and buy-in for a third, which is a different post), and end up turning the $200 into $1100 and being up close to $300, ending the online bankroll at $3,677. Feel like I need to re-group and get a game plan for November a bit better than what has occurred lately. But, I'll take it for sure.