Brantford Session, the really good kind. Infact, call Guinness.

Well, today was the day where this really resonated with me, that I can do this as more than a recreational basis. Today was simultaneously 2 personal bests of mine. It was my highest cash game session win, and it was one of the most grotesque win rates I've ever seen much less personally posted.

So, without further adieu, my trip to Brantford Casino.

Basically the story goes, Griffin backed out of a trip to Fallsview, so I was left with nothing to do today. After sitting around and playing break even poker online, I decided I was kind of bored, and decided to head down to Brantford Casino where they offer some quality limit poker games, since that's what I've made this run at right now.

So, I got there around 8:00, waited for over an hour to get onto a table and got on at around 9:00. I sat at a 10/20 limit table, with 500 dollars.

For the first little while it was fairly boring, the table was inredibly easy, and I was real comfortable sitting there. One thing you should know before we go any further, is I'm bit of a maniac at limit poker, so when you hear stories of some of these hands, keep in mind, it's actually a very specific stratagy I have for the game.

In any event, I finally got a playable hand and decided to come into a pot. Qc/Jc, and saw a flop of K/Q/6 rainbow, 1 club. I bet out from EP, and got a raise and a couple of callers, so I called behind. Turn was the Ac, so I slowed down for a check call here now. It went bet 20, raise to 40, call infront of me, so I naturally called, and initial better called. River was a 10. I bet out, and only got one caller(not sure if I liked my bet here, more I thought about it after I could probably milk another bet out of some people if I check). Anyway, nice pot.

After that hand, I promptly bled chips back..

First, with A/10 in the cut-off raising and getting only BB to call. Flop was 10/4/6, he bet out I raised, he re-raised and I 4 bet him still figuring I had the best, he called. Turn was a 5. He checked, I bet, he raised, I called. River was a 7. He bet out. I flat folded to save the extra bet and he turned over 6/3. Nice hand?

Next, with A/J also in the cut-off the next rotation, I raised, got 3 callers from button, SB and BB. The flop was Ac/9h/4h(I had no hearts). I bet out, got everyone to call. Turn was a Jh. Not the best card but still not that bad. Checked to me so I bet again, and got everyone calling. River was a 7h, and it promptly went bet, raise infront of me. Obviously I folded. After that hand I was down to my original 500(actually a little more, I think it was 570 or so), when Griff called me to see what I was doing. I told him I was at the casino, and told him how I was doing. Now, this is important for the really insane part of this story. This call was right around 10:30pm.

The hand immediately following that phone call, I was in the BB. The cut-off raised, button called, SB called, and I called with Qc/9c. Pot sat at 80. Flop was gin, Jc/8c/6c. SB led out at the pot and bet 10, and I was going to raise, I wanted value right off the hop, but I saw the cut-off already reaching for his chips, and he tossed the 20 in before I could stop him. So, I decided to just call the 10 that I was initially faced with, to commit him to that raise to 20, so I could 3 bet it. The button called the 20, and the SB went to 30. I slammed over to 40, capping it. cut-off called, and button called. Pot was now $240. As if the flop wasn't gin, the turn was the absolute end all, be all, of gin cards. 10c. Perfect. Now there's 4 clubs on board, and I'm absolutely positive that the ace and king are out there. SB leads again for 20, and I smoothe call that 20, hoping cut-off will do me a favour again. And again he complies by raising to 40. Button calls the 40. SB goes to 60, and I cap it at 80(exact same betting pattern as the flop), everyone calls behind. Pot is now $560. River is a blank, a 3h I beleive, which really kind of upset me actually, I was hoping the board would pair because I had to beleive the other kid still in this hand(button), had a set and was chasing a boat. SB led out again for 20. I didn't screw around this time and I raised to 40. Cut-0ff called the 40, and the button finally folded. SB came back at it again to 60, and I re-raised again to 80. Cut-off still called, and SB called. Pot of $800. Cut-off showed KK with the Kc, SB showed AK, with the Ac, and I showed my straight flush. Ship it.

That put me close to 1200 for the session now. And that pretty much was the opening of the flood gates.

After a few more smaller pots, I had built it up to 1400 infront of me, and then my next big hand happened(remember what I said about hands that may not make sense, this is one of them...).

UTG I am dealt 10h/8h. This is the type of hand in limit I like to see flops with. Unfortunately I don't like my position, so I merely put on a semi-bluff and try and represent something more. I raise from UTG to 20. It's called twice before it's re-raised to 30, and 2 more calls behind that. Being that the pot is so big now, I decide to cap it and hope to flop large, knowing bad flops are easy to leave here, so I cap, and everyone in the pot calls. 6 players capped. Pot is 240. Flop is weak for me, even though I do make top pair. 10/6/4. I lead out 10, and it goes fold, fold, to the re-raiser, who raises to 20. Call, fold to me, so I call the extra 10. Pot is now 300. Turn isn't terrible. 5. Still a rainbow board, but now I do happen to find myself a straight draw. I check. Raiser bets 20, and it's called, so I call behind. River is gin, the 7. I lead out the 20, it gets called, and called. The raiser shows his overpair, QQ, the other player randomly shows 3/3, also for a straight now, and I show the high straight for the 360 dollar pot.

Now I'm sitting at nearly 1600, feeling good, playing pretty well, extracting chips efficiently, and I'm running really well right now too, so I'm in game mode.

I win another pot off the player who called that hand with 3/3 on every street. The first one I have 10/10, raise, get called by a few players. Flop is 8/6/4. I bet out, he calls along. Turn is a 6. I bet, he raises now, and I call. River is a 10. He bets out out of turn, so I check, and then raise his bet, he folds 3/3 face up this time after misplaying it brutally again.

A few hands later he calls a fairly well done bluff by me, I thought...on a K/K/6/A/2 board, with 4/2. A little startling, and a small dent, but that's alright.

The next hand I'm UTG with KK. Being the goofy player I am, I decide to just call here, because they're almost worthless until I've seen the flop. 4 players behind me all come along with raises until it's capped back to me with 5 players in the hand. I call. Pot is at 200. Flop is K/6/2. BB leads out, I raise, everyone folds to the BB who re-raises, I 4 bet, and he calls. Pot is now 280. Turn is a 9. He bets out, I raise, he 3 bets, I 4 bet(we're now uncapped), he raises again, and I 6 bet him, he calls. Pot is now $520. River is a Q. He bets out, I raise again, and smartly he finally realizes he's beat, but still calls, and shows 99. I show my KK for the 600 dollar pot, pushing me past $2000 infront of me now.

The table starts to fold away which is crushing to me since I was really loving the table, but I get one last pot in.

I call into a 6 way pot with 6h/8h. Pot is 60. Flop is literally startling to me. 5h/7h/9h. 2nd straight flush in a few hours, and it's right off the flop this time. The pot is capped before it even gets to me, so I call along. 5 players to the turn, pot is now $260. Turn is a Qc. Bet, raise, call, fold infront of me, I 3 bet, call, call, fold. 3 of us to the river. Pot is now $480. River is a 3s. Really upset there wasn't another heart since someone had to hold the Ah in this pot, and my straight flush is fairly well masked. It goes bet, call to me, I raise, and get called by both. One who flopped a baby flush(2/4 of hearts), the other one with 99 for top set. $600 dollar pot.

The last players from the table leave, and I look at the clock. 1:00am.

I look back at the castle of chips infront of me, and grab racks and start racking it up. 5 racks later, I'm just shy of the full 2500, $2480 was the final tally.

Just to really put this into perspective now, that's 1910 dollars, in 2 and a half hours of 10/20 limit. 95 big bets. 38 big bets / hour(these numbers are all during the streak I went on, the final tally is less gaudy but still fairly rediculous, 4 hours, 24 big bets / hour.

After my table had basically disintegrated, some new players came to sit down. I spent about a half hour or so at the table, but didn't like it, they all were younger, tighter, fairly solid players, so I just got up and walked out.

After that, I called Griff and told him how I had done, and I think he thought I was kidding at first since we had just talked about 3 hours before hand and I was even, but twas no joke good sir. Was just a real good run. Felt wonderful.

And to end the story on a creepy, weird note, another of my human interest stories. This one comes from me going to buy gas for the car-ride home. I stopped in at the gas station, and went to go pay for my gas, and noticed the new Maxim Magazine was out, so I picked it up. Erica Durance is on the cover, and she's a wonderful specimen of the human species. Anyway, I take the magazine up to the counter to pay for it and the gas, and this weird guy behind the counter, whose really overly polite, looks down at the magazine and goes, "Nice...". Nothing out of the ordinary, I concur with his sentiment that she is an attractive person. He then gets really, really creepy. In the picture she's wearing just underwear. He goes, "I wish I could get her out of that bra"...which is a little over the line, but okay. He then, and I couldn't make this up if I tried, proceeds to rub the picture of her, right where her breasts are. I pay for the magazine, and promptly tell him I'll just switch it out for a different one since that one is "damaged". He doesn't understand but allows it, and I leave the story much more creeped out than I once was.

Anywhoo, since I've typed for way too long anyway, let me pass along one final note to people. If you enjoy music, and the various melodies and harmonies that can be created my musicians, please, I'm begging you, go buy Hurt "Vol.2". Hurt is one of the best bands in music right now, and this CD is absolutely terrific.