Return To Poker and Obligatory Chess

Well, I have been on such a chess kick lately that I haven't had the urge to go play any cards. But, I know that I really should, because it is a gainful hobby. So, today was my return to the game. I went to play a session with Captain Kings, and it was fairly uneventful. I lost 30 bets in roughly 6 hours of 'boring' play.

I was card dead for most of the night. Except for some reason I got dealt AK five times (lost 4 times, and took down a small pot with a flop bet). I lost with AQ vs KK on a Q high board, and I also got jizzacked when 3 of us flopped flushes (one guy holding the nuts). What can I say? I never really got out of line, and I simply pissed my chips away slowly. But, I did go out with a bang... 3 losing hands in a row. I called it a night right after these took place, as it capped off a 2 1/2 hour stretch with zero pots won.

Hand #1

A8s, I limp after several limpers. Flop comes 876, rainbow with 1 spade. Checks to a guy that basically bets anything. I raise, then a decent player 3-bets it from the SB. I definitely have not not so good feeling about my hand at this point. Original bettor now caps it. Okay, he bets anything, but he doesn't re-raise without the goods. I lay down my ultra-vulnerable (if not already dead) TPTK. There is a lot of action, and the hands are finally revealed. Both of them flopped straights. The decent player had T9s, and the initial bettor had 54o.

Hand #2

I get dealt QQ on the very next hand. I raise a few limpers, and it's 6 of us to the flop for 2 bets apiece. The flop is AT3, and tight old guy bets right out into me. I contemplate a call, but see there are two others that are basically going to call him. I just go ahead and muck it. The turn is a 9, and the river is a blank. Some guy won with T9, and the tight guy flashed an Ace and mucks in disgust.

Hand #3

Then, I get another playable hand right away.. AJh. I raise a limper, and there's a cold caller. The blinds also call. 5 of us see a flop of A64. I bet and get a couple callers. The turn is a 5, and I get only one caller. The river is a 2, and I pay off the guy with 43o in the blind.

That's poker. Sometimes you play well, and you lose money. I think I played my B+/A- game, but the card gods frowned upon me.

Okay, well that's the poker update... I'll probably play again on Thursday. If I get brutalized again I might take a break from the game (again).

Now, for more chess. So, I played a game with Jim recently. I found a winning move when presented with the following position. It was a nice combination that results in the loss of his Queen. After my move, he saw what was going on, and immediately resigned. Crafty actually preferred a different move, but I'm not good enough to pass up a Queen trap.

Anyway, here's the position. It's my move as White after Jim pushed his pawn to g5.