Grinding

I've been playing a lot of the past few days, managing to rack up 100 FT points on each of the last five days.
Four out of the five days were winning days, but progress was, until this morning, frustratingly slow.
Yesterday, for instance, I lost a $50 buy-in to a four-outer on the river (we were all in by the turn) and a 2-outer for anoher $25.
I went to bed last night at around the same time a player called Phatheon logged on, and started four-tabling. The only reason I noticed him was that he was playing so tightly.
Anyway, eight hours later, after a decent night's kip for me, he was still four-tabling - and playing much looser.
He was not on tilt, but just calling and raising more, and putting his chips at risk.
Anyway this happened.

Full Tilt Poker Game #1542964686: Table Wengert - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 5:38:21 ET - 2007/01/06
Seat 1: toedrag27 ($34.80)
Seat 2: Likethebox ($75.55)
Seat 3: Patient Paddy ($35.10)
Seat 4: squeege55 ($80.80)
Seat 5: Pockets Impty ($98.60)
Seat 6: phaethon ($38.40)
Seat 7: KGB_AK ($100.60)
Seat 8: I__WIN 4 LIFE ($7.95)
Seat 9: QuanticFive ($47.75)
QuanticFive posts the small blind of $0.25
toedrag27 posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [Th Ts]
Likethebox folds
Patient Paddy folds
KGB_AK: i'm blowing heads up
squeege55 folds
Pockets Impty folds
phaethon raises to $1.50
KGB_AK folds
I__WIN 4 LIFE calls $1.50
QuanticFive calls $1.25
toedrag27 folds
*** FLOP *** [7s Ad Td]
QuanticFive checks
phaethon bets $3
Likethebox: p.i.m.p
I__WIN 4 LIFE folds
QuanticFive calls $3
*** TURN *** [7s Ad Td] [6c]
QuanticFive checks
phaethon bets $8
QuanticFive raises to $23
phaethon raises to $33.90, and is all in
QuanticFive calls $10.90
phaethon shows [Qh Qd]
QuanticFive shows [Th Ts]
*** RIVER *** [7s Ad Td 6c] [8s]
phaethon shows a pair of Queens
QuanticFive shows three of a kind, Tens
QuanticFive wins the pot ($75.80) with three of a kind, Tens
phaethon is sitting out

And a few hands later...


Full Tilt Poker Game #1543030427: Table Wengert - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 6:06:29 ET - 2007/01/06
Seat 1: toedrag27 ($53.45)
Seat 2: Cuddler11 ($56.05)
Seat 3: Patient Paddy ($34.90)
Seat 4: squeege55 ($74.70)
Seat 5: Pockets Impty ($99.30)
Seat 6: phaethon ($71.25)
Seat 7: KGB_AK ($104.60)
Seat 8: lord80 ($44.75)
Seat 9: QuanticFive ($80.50)
QuanticFive posts the small blind of $0.25
toedrag27 posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to QuanticFive [6c 6h]
Cuddler11 calls $0.50
Patient Paddy folds
squeege55 calls $0.50
Pockets Impty folds
phaethon raises to $1.50
KGB_AK has 15 seconds left to act
KGB_AK calls $1.50
lord80 folds
QuanticFive calls $1.25
toedrag27 folds
Cuddler11 calls $1
squeege55 calls $1
*** FLOP *** [6d Jd 3d]
All check
*** TURN *** [6d Jd 3d] [Jc]
QuanticFive bets $4
Cuddler11 folds
squeege55 folds
phaethon raises to $8
KGB_AK folds
QuanticFive raises to $23.50
phaethon has 15 seconds left to act
phaethon raises to $69.75, and is all in
QuanticFive calls $46.25
phaethon shows [Td 9d]
QuanticFive shows [6c 6h]
*** RIVER *** [6d Jd 3d Jc] [6s]
phaethon shows a flush, Jack high
QuanticFive shows four of a kind, Sixes
QuanticFive wins the pot ($144.50) with four of a kind, Sixes
phaethon is sitting out

Now I know I got lucky by hitting my trips but I was fully expecting him to fold to my re-raise. Especially on the 2nd hand. If anything this shows how playing too long, or too many tables impairs our judgement. Take a break kids! Anyway, here endeth the lesson.

The upshot is I'm back up $1,378.75, the level I was a before my xmas Razz nightmare.

The only thing of note is that i tried my hand at a Horse $5 tournie on FT attracted just shy of 100 players. Ironically, the Razz rounds kept me in this all the way to the final table, 6th place, and a whopping $15 profit. Not really worth the time, it was nearly 2am when i finished and I suffered at work the next day, but it definitely got the blood pumping a few times.

Cheers.