Unstuck!!!!

The day started out very slowly. I guess father's day killed the action. Eventually I sat at the $300-$500 game, which we all agreed to make a $500 game. This brought the blinds up to 5 and 10 from 5 and 5. It also made it a unrestricted game. I bought up to $1000. There were 2 or 3 donators, a few solid players, and one or two unknowns. I was not thrilled with the game, but it was there was the only thing that interested me at The Bike. I lost few hundered while waiting for a hand to get involved with,

When I finally found the hand I was looking for, it was a fun one. I picked up JJ in LP. There were two limpers to me. I made it $55 to go. It folded around to the button who made it $110 to go. The limpers went away and we took the flop heads-up. It camed JK4, all clubs. I was happy about making middle set, but a bit worried about him having a big club, or the made flush, or top set. I think I only had one move there. I pushed it all in. He insta-calls me and shows me AQc. I am spinning around like I am about to hit the canvas, when in a lasp gasp attempt, I say to the dealer "pair the board!" Smack! a Kh comes on the turn. So I have made my boat and the only thing that is going to save his ass is if he gets his one outer for the royal on the river. I know it is hard to believe, but my hand held.

The weaker players got replaced by tougher players. Guys that I don't want to play with. Guys that were licking their chops at my chips. So I got up and cashed out. As I counted my roll, It seemed to me to be about what I started with. Unstuck. OMFG I AM UNSTUCK. Praise FSM.

The bad news is that the Bike is now really dead, except the shark tank i just got out of. I decided to wonder over to Commerce and check out the action there. They had 3 $400 main tables running and they had just formed a must move game. I played very defensively, knowing that this is not a good investment. I am not going to give my chips to someone that will end up a different table than I will. And it was only marginally usefull sizing up the players and putting them on styles and experience levels, and so on. I got move fairly quickly.

My protected table was very good. No sharks, a few semi-solds, some ABCs, one donkish player, and (yes, it is the Holy Grail, not a grail shapped beacon!) the Ultra-Mega-Super-Donkey-With Roll. This is going to be good. He was throwing a party, if you know what I mean. He was betting with anything, calling, with anything, and raising with anything. He actually got some big pots because everyone was trying to bust him and he actually made a few hands. But he, of course, got felted several times. Each time he would reload. I lost count. One thing I didn't lose count of was how many times I got HU with him. That count stayed at zero for several hours.

I was getting ready to give up when I caught a hand. I picked up AJs in CO. UMSDWR is in MP. He he limps. it folds around to me. I make it 65. The button, BB, and SB, and UMSDWR all call. I am not so happy about this. A raggedy, rainbow J high flop comes. I am wondering whol might have flopped a set. I am also wondering if I can get HU with UMSDWR. There is only one way to find out. I bet out $175. The button (a solid player) thinks for a while and gives me respect. The small blind (also a solid player) does the same. The big blind (an okay player) folds quickly. That leaves me HU with UMSDWR. He re-raises me another175. I have 385 left at that moment. I am reasonable sure he has garbage. Really. I push in-for the rest of it, 210 more. He thinks for a long time before reluctantly calling. The turn is another J. The river is a blank. I show my trip jacks, ace kicker and he starts to muck. Another player at the table (not me, I would leave the donkey alone) asks to see his cards. The dealer shows his 63 s000ted. In my head, I am working it out.....okay I was unstuck.....now....this....magnificent beast....just paid for....my....entire...trip.

I decided that while it is wrong to leave money on the table, I am very, very tired, and I am afraid of getting felted by a good player that is also trying to get the rest of UMSDWR's money. I cash out and leave. I am a happy man.

I am going to try to do Live at The Bike again tonight (Monday night); It is my last night of poker; I fly home Tuesday morning.