Just sparring right now - have mixed it up a few times with the guy to my left, and he seems to be getting frustrated with me.

The one hand he won, I was in the big blind and he was first to act.  He limped and I checked my blind.  The flop was A blank blank.  When he bet, I said, “I know what you have.”  He said, “You don’t know what I have,” not pleasantly.

I’m not sure I’ve had a showdown hand yet - no one has called any of my river bets.  That’s a very good sign that I am playing well.

————————————

Now we are moving into the grind. The excitement of the first two hours has faded and we’re trying to not make any catastrophic decisions. So far, my play has been better than solid, and I am getting a lot of respect at the table.

Best example of that: When I am in the big blind, people are pausing just a second to decide whether they want to be in a hand with me, and mostly folding.

Another example: just won a good-sized pot by bluffing a flush into a guy with what I assume was a decent ace. He thought long and hard about it, then said, “Can’t beat your flush.”

It’s a good feeling to be perceived as trustworthy at the poker table, especially when you’re not.

—————————

First break - my stack is now 30400.  Off to the bathroom!