Building a Bankroll at Bally's

I'm still in the process of trying to think of a label to attach to all of my new, post marriage poker posts so that I can link them all to the side and people who just want to read about the local fish at the tables can just go to them immediately.  Until it hits me I'll probably put something generic in there as a "just because."
You won't realize this but I came back to this spot after finishing the rest of the post and just decided that I was going to stick it under "Bankroll Challenge" which is already on the side from a previous time I started to try to build a roll but gave up due to ....uh.... I have no bloody idea why.   So, Let the new Bankroll Challenge begin.  Lets tear this mother up!

Before work yesterday I mentioned to my lovely wife that I'd like to go play poker in the evening since she worked early and I had to work late.  The other factor is that she didn't have to work tomorrow so me coming home late and waking her up wouldn't be as big of a sin, especially if I happened to bring home bad news of blowing $850 in poker and the rest on a hooker who kisses on the lips.  I let her know that I'd give her a call after I got out of work and if she didn't answer I would assume she was sleeping and go play poker for a few hours and underneath her sarcasm she was OK with it.

So after work I hoped into my car and made that phone call and much to my dismay after about 3 or 4 rings she answered the phone.  I asked her if she wanted me to bring anything home and she said that she knew I wanted to play poker so I should just go out and play for a little bit.  I headed home to drop off my lunch bag, get my Players Cards and kiss my wife goodnight.  Before I left the door she told me to win her lots of money, then I drove to my old standby, Bally's.

I love playing at Bally's.  Bally's has by far my favorite set of dealers who remember me even if I haven't been there in over a year.  They recognize me, chat with me and last night one even looked at me and said "oh you finally got married, congratulations" and then we proceeded to talk about it for a bit while she didn't deal me any winners.  Bally's has also been host to some of my bigger wins and even though they don't have games like they used to (I think Planet Hollywood stole those games) I still cannot help but make this the place that I head to 80% of the time when I go out.

Last night there were 4 All In games running when I got there and one limit game.  I only waited around for maybe 3 minutes before being seated and while playing at my first table I got to experience the fun of the river.  There was at least a series of 7 hands in a row that were all won on the river where the money was in the middle before that last dreaded card appeared and I was involved in 3 of them.

The first of three had me making a raise with KJ pre-flop and getting about 3 people to come along to the flop.  The flop was KKx and I lead out getting one hesitant caller.  The turn was a 2.  I bet, got raised and pushed the rest of my money in.  The "gentleman" turns over K2 and I turn up KJ just in time to watch a Jack hit the river so the pot could be pushed to the good guys.

A couple of hands later I had Pocket Tens and called a raise. The flop comes out 8 high and I lead out which gets a caller. The turn is a safe card and I get a short stack all in only to watch the river flush so his 93 of hearts takes all of those precious chips and puts them in front of the wrong guy.

Two hands later I get the dreaded pocket kings (which Rob Assures me I played wrong and should have folded pre-flop) ((I just made that last bit up)).
Anyway, Guy UTG raises to $12 and gets a caller, I re-raise to $40 with two ugly kings, folds to original raiser who pushes and then back to me with the obvious call.
He turns over AQ of spades after I turn up my Kings.  The flop has 2 spades and I tell him that the river has been really kind lately and as he is getting ready to leave (already grabbed all his stuff and pushing his chair in) a 3rd spade hits the river and the dealer had to point out to him that he actually did win the hand.

So, 3 hands played and 3 rivers being the deciding factor.  I got to watch my stack double up and then go back to short again.

A bit later the table broke and I kept playing for a little while.
I'm in late position and raise pocket Jacks to $12 and get 2 callers.  Flop comes out Axx with 2 to a flush on it and the first guy to act bets $10 into me.  I'd seen him do this several times but never saw a hand so I'm not sure at this point if he didn't have much, was trying to get me to raise, was trying to chase his flush cheap or if he just didn't know anything about bet sizing.
I think about it and call so that I can "one time" him due to his poor bet sizing choice.  We are the only two to the turn.
The Turn is a Jack giving me a set and keeping the flush away.  He leads out for 20 and I make 70, he calls.
River is a blank and he bets, I push and he calls with AK.  As he turned his cards over he said "Ok, send me home for the night" and I replied (as I was flipping) "Your wish is my command sir."

The two guys to my left started complaining that I just sent the biggest calling station home for the night, but we had a good time talking despite my rudeness.

Shortly later I packed up for the evening with a profit of $100 bringing my total bankroll to somewhere over $1400 (if I remove my seed money, if not I'm around $1900 instead).

And - Finally a head Scratcher.

At my first table I wasn't paying attention too much during this hand due to trying to get me a Blue Moon.
There was no raise pre-flop and by the time the river showed up the pot was only maybe $30 bucks or so.
The Board was KAKxx with the KAK on the flop (obviously).

First guy to act checked, second guy bets $10, First guy check raises to $20, Second guy CALLS!

Second guy is the first to show and he flips over AK for the flopped boat and inside my head I'm screaming "HOW THE HELL DID YOU NOT RAISE OR PUSH OR SOMETHING - WHERE IS YOUR POT?"

The first guy flips over AA for the flopped TOP BOAT and my head explodes.
My nose starts to run and my ears start bleeding.
Three fingernails fell off and hit the felt.  I picked them up and munched on them like they were potato chips as small particles of my melting brain settled into the bottom of my skull like a bowl of cold soup.
I stared at the bored and their cards trying to find any rational explanation as to how there was no real money in the pot when they both flopped boats, STRONG boats and both were 2+ buy-ins deep and neither felt like actually putting money in the pot.

Guy number one remarks "Man, I thought you had Pocket Kings that whole time and didn't want to invest too much" and that's when my heart exploded and I pissed myself.