Two of the players at my initial table were eliminated in the third hand by the guy on my left, then a couple hands later I falled him down to the river with a pair of jacks and took over 600 chips from him when his busted straight was exposed. He got moved to a new table right after that and I was left as chip leader for a bit with 2,700 chips.

Got J♦ A♣ on SB at 30/60 fifteen minutes into the game and three-bet to 400 after a raise and a call to 150. There were three of us who saw the flop of J♣ T♠ K♣. I bet all-in for 2,550, getting a call from a small stack of 1,015 who then showed the straight with 9♥ Q♥. Fortunately for me, Q♦ came on the turn and the 8♥ river card went nowhere. That put me up to 4,800. Got moved to a new table for the next hand.

There were seven players at the new table; I was in third place behind stacks of 7,500 and 5,250, with another stack about my size and the other three running from 1,000 to 2,600. Got 7♣ 7♠ in BB and when action folded to the SB who went all-in for 1,797 I called. He showed T♦ J♠ and I was in trouble on the flop when it came out T♥ 6♠ 4♠. Then the turn 5♣ game me hope and 3♠ rier sealed the deal for my straight. Not exactly how I would have expected to win that hand, but I’d take it. Up over 6,600.

Back in the BB at 50/100 ten minutes later and I had A♣ 9♣. UTG called. The big stack at the table with 13K was UTG1, who raised to 450. I called and UTG called. The flop was T♣ K♠ 8♦, I bet 450, UTG went all-in for nearly 4K, UTG1 called and I gladly folded. UTG held top pair with K♦ Q♦ and UTG1 had crap with 7♠ J♥. Who knows what he was doing.

Another ten minutes, another BB. 80/160 with K♠ 4♣. I’ve got about 5K, with the two larger stacks at the table of 9,700 and 8,100 on my right in SB and BTN. HJ, CO, BTN, and SB all limped and I checked to see what would come of this not-promising hand. 8♦ 7♠ K♥ hit the flop and after SB checked I made a pot-sized bet (800) on my kings. Everyone folded to the SB, who called. 9♠ on the turn, check from SB, pot-sized bet (2,400, now) from me, call from SB. 9♥ on the river, check from SB, check from me, he shows 7♦ J♥ and I take in 3,840. He’s the same player I took my first pot from. Life’s different in non-cash games.

I was over 8K at the 100/200 level when I had a serious turn-around with K♣ Q♣ as HJ. UTG limped, I raised to 500. BTN, BB, and UTG called. The flop wasn’t auspicious: 9♦ 2♣ 5♥. Action checked to me, I bet 300, BTN folded, and the other two players called. A♣ on the turn gave me the nut flush draw. BB checked, UTG went all-in for about 3,200, and I called. UTG had two pair with 2♥ A♥. My club didn’t show and I was down to 4K.

I was down to less than 3K ten minutes later at 150/300/25, in SB with T♦ A♠. UTG1 raised to 1,500, I went all-in, and he called, showing J♥ J♦. It was a nail-biter after the Q♣ J♣ 7♥ flop, with his trips and my straight draw. The turn 9♣ gave us a chance of a chop. But pairing my ace with A♦ for the river didn’t do me any good.

58 minutes, 67 hands.

One hour later. Got chopped down to 950 chips in the first fifteen hands, then managed to parlay T♠ A♦ into a win of 1,175 when a pair of fours didn’t believe I had an ace.

Lost 1,300 playing 6♦ 7♦ and a straight draw from BB against a set of tens, then won 2,300 two hands later with K♦ J♦ going all-in and flopping two pair against callers with A♣ Q♥ and A♦ 4♦.

Proceeded to lose nearly 3,000 over the course of two nearly consecutive hands shortly thereafter when a Mutant Jack beat my A♦ 7♦, then a pair of fives became a set on the turn after I’d flopped a pair for my jack. That put me on life support, down under 1,000.

Everything went into the pot with 5♣ 7♣ in UTG. BB with 9♥ 9♠ called, there were no clubs on the board, my only concession was a 7♦ for the river.

38 minutes, 47 hands. Finished 30th of 76.