Rollercoaster Ride

I recently signed up to PKR in the hope that the nice graphics and adverts will attract some casual players.

Add to that 30% rakeback and $600 of first deposit match bonus and I was hoping to build from there.

The software is quite good to look at but the action can be a bit slower than othersites and I've found that playing more than one table is very difficult as the cards are hidden until you look at them so I'm only playing 1 table at a time.

Anyway, last night I had a couple of hours playing $1/$2 no limit full table starting with a full buy in.

To say I had some wild swings is an understatment of massive proportions.

The first noteable hand I had was holding KK v AA, he raised in late position to $12, I reraised to $40, he made it $120 and I went all in for $160 which he called.

Then he called me a donkey when the flop came KTK.

I've read a few articles by people who think that in this sort of situation folding to the reraise is -ev.

Next came a hand where I raised to $8 in late position with Kh9s. With 2 callers the flop came down QhJhTh flopping me a straight and up and down straight flush draw.

I lead out for $16 and was called and reraised to $50 I raised all in and was called by both players, the check raiser with AQ for the flopped higher straight and the button with AhKs for top pair and nut flush draw.

So now I've gone from thinking I've probably got the best hand or best draw to needng the 9h for the straight flush as my only out!

Should I have been thinking about folding in that spot?

I know I'm not drawing dead whatever scenario and I presume it's just one of those hands I can't get away from.

I would be interested to hear whether others think I played it wrongly.

Next came another pair of kings in the small blind after a button raise.

I flat called the $12 as did one other.

The flop came down AQ9 rainbow and I'm cursing the A knowing I'm now behind so I checked and the button bet $12 but I decided to call in the hope that a K would allow me to stack a big Ace.

- this is where, in hindsight, I know I should have folded.

Anyway the king came on the turn and now I bet $50 which was called by the limper and raised by the button.

I called thinking, you can't have TJ and so did the limper who had TJ, and the button had AA, so I'm drawing dead to the case K!

I also got a pair of tens in the session with a T4T flop, but, of the 2 other players that also checked the flop, the small stack of $31 bet £20 on the third heart turn card which I called hoping the button had a flush.

He folded and then, to cap it all, a 4th heart came on the river and small stack check folded for his last $11 obviosuly not having a heart!

Another hand involved a flop of 568 when I held 56, the turn 5 giving me a full house that lost to the pocket eights of my opponent and my session went from $200 to $0, reload, down to $130 up to $530, and back down to $100 finishing at $150.

Then tonight, withing 10 minutes I've got 66 in the big blind and call the $4 raise from the UTG which was called by the sb.

The flop came K65, I checked, utg bets $12 I raised to $48 and utg is all in for $130 and its 666 v KKK. I've never known so many big hands to come up against each other in such a short space of time.

Damn variance!!!

I hope it's not the way i'm playing it!!!