During the Thanksgiving holidays, I played poker with friends and family a couple of times a day. It really wore me out from playing. So I decided to take some time off. Up until this past week, I had only played online once in the last month. It was a much needed break.

When I was home for the holidays, I started to play online a little bit and have once again found my game. I came out ahead during every session that I played. I’m still playing the .25/.50 cent tables and hopefully will move up to .50/$1 in the next month. I was coming out ahead by over 10 big bets per hour. I was getting good cards, but for the first time since I’ve been playing, I really felt in the zone. I was reading people’s hole cards really well and making good poker decisions. The increase in my bankroll reinforces this fact.

I’m beginning to really hate flush draws. I never seem to get them, but when I’m up against someone else, they play it to the river and hit quite a bit. Or maybe I just remember the times that I do get beat with a flush that hits on the river. It not only happens to me online, but in home games too. I got beat by Dad 3 times on a flush that he hit on the river while at home. We had a few tournaments at family gatherings and he even beat me twice in one tournament with a river flush. We were all-in both times! I guess maybe I’m not a No-Limit player. I do prefer playing limit poker, which is exclusively what I play online.

For New Year’s, my Mom and Dad were heading up to St. Ignace to the casino and I was invited to go. I decided to turn them down and go out with a few friends instead. We had a good time, but after hearing how my dad won $160 playing Texas Hold’em, I wish I had gone. He knows poker, but hasn’t been a student of the game like I have. I know that I could have won a few hundred that night with all the fish throwing money around in celebration of the new year. There’s always next time!

In the game of life…play the cards you’re dealt.

-Rounders