Today I signed up for a $45 crapshoot that I busted out in 5 spots from the money with AJ and 3 times the BB vs the chip leader with A3 - I called it before it happened cause a lot of 3's had been hitting the board that day but this isn't about that hand

one of the things that kept me going at 10 times the BB was a hand I raised to 1800 (3BB) with a pair of 6's - the kid to my left says - "hmm...I'm debating whether to call or just push" - Now when I'm in a hand I stare at the board/bet like it's a Victoria Secret's Model - I don't look at or away - I am especially careful with a certain tell where I look away when a card that makes my hand comes up.

when he makes this statement though, I catch in my peripheral vision that he glances at me - looking for a tell - he plays with his chips - trying to get a read out of me - and finally pushes - I have him covered with about a grand to spare if I call, or 2BB.

And then I have to go in the tank and at one point he says "If you fold, I'll show" - he also asks if I got AK - (which leads me to believe for a sec. I'm looking at QQ but in retrospect he wouldn't have been so active with QQ and in fact, should have clued me in that I could beat him) - but especially the - "If you fold, I'll show" comment - and I said it straight out at the table - everything he's doing is indicating to me he doesn't want me to call.

so I say heck with it and push - he turns over AQ and my 6's hold up - and he goes "sir, that was a bad call with 6's but nice hand" - and of course, if he had shut his mouth and just pushed all in, probably he's right - and I'm not sure I'd call in that spot when I still got 7bb

but I played the player that time, and got in with the best of it - and flopped trips but didn't need another spade - LOL

days like that are all about the experience you've got when you've been playing for 10 years - it felt good - till AJ died to A3 - but a strong case could be made I should have tried to steal a couple pots but I was probably all in with AJ one way or another and the chip leader is probably gonna call with A3 one way or another, and it probably would have ended the same

enough misery - I've finished archiving my CD collection onto the Ipod - time for late night Applebee's

RB