Is It Really This Easy?

Poker Plex: Continuing with NL25, playing mostly three tables simultaneously, I managed to finish the 250 raked hands requirement for my $50 bonus. It took a little more than 40 table hours, meaning around 13.5 hours total. Not bad, especially considering the low NL stakes I was playing for. However, I made an extra $137 on top of the bonus. This is a very good outcome.

I finished just before lunch, and decided to start a new bonus chase after. Littlewoods with it's £25 bonus [around $43], for 200 raked hands sounded as good as any other. I decided on one table, and I would play some NL25 on two other sites while I did this.

Littlewoods: Playing the NL$25 table, I managed to clear the equivalent of £9.64 in US$. I also managed 24.5 raked hands.

Paradise Poker: I started off woeful. But managed to get to almost even, when I hit a huge hand with a gutshot straight that I lucked into, while chasing a K high flush.. Another hand, where I nutted a fullhouse, and suddenly I was way up. I finished up $33.97, which was a veru good session. To add spice to the session, I managed to chase off around 60 raked hands towards my next $10 bonus release. Sweet session.

Holdem Poker: Up and down session. Got off to a wrong start when I chased top pair, no kicker too far and started down. Added $10 to offset the loss, but only managed to get back to within $4.85 down before I finished for the day. I did work off more points towards the $100 bonus, however. I haven't decided whether I want to finish the bonus here at NL25, or run back to $1/$2 fixed limit.

Do you notice a theme here? 90-95% of my poker play involves playing where I have bonuses awaiting me. I have a few sites where I play without a bonus, but by and large, if I am not chasing a bonus, I am playing in a tournament. I will delve into Bodog, Gaming Club or Royal Vegas, sans bonus, but usually only to just play for play's sake, and to keep that software fresh in me.

Bad Quote of the Day: "I knew I was behind going in."

I was dealt my first AA in two days and nearly 1,000 hands. I raised 6xBB, and the quoter called me. Flop came 542. He bet 1xBB, I raised to 20xBB. He called. Turn card was a 6. He bet 1/4 the pot. I called, fearing he had the 3. River was a J. He checked, I checked, he showed 65o. Another player at the table remarked, "Seems the fish calls with anything". To which he made that reply. Unremarkably, he lasted another 10 minutes before going bust. I ended up having to liberate my chips from a stronger player. It happens. It never ceases to amaze me how people approach this game. Oh, yeah, he later mentioned that he could get away from the hand, if he didn't hit the flop. He went out on a K-high.

This brings me to today's title: Is it really this easy? It seems straightforward poker in NL, with few diversions and aggressive play will bring home a lot of money. I finished up $150 today at this low level. It seemed almost effortless. Perhaps I am on a good run? Whatever it is, I will play good solid tight aggressive poker. If I hit a bad run, I think it is easier to rectify in NL. Or maybe switch up and play some fixed limit or possibly Omaha Hi/Lo. But in the interrim, I'm going to take all this easy money out there, and continue to chase bonuses.