What a difference a meal makes

Today I though I was heading for a possible Sunday blow-up. I started playing at around 4:30, and played until dinner. It was a usual losing session for me, I was down from getting outdrawn a few times, and a cooler or too. Didn't have much hitting either and eventually found myself down $320 at one point. Realizing I was foolish to be playing without my new secret weapon, I promptly watered my bamboo and cranked up the tai chi music. I battled back to $200 before getting called for dinner.

The "All-American" meal I had, hamburgers and corn on the cob, apparently agrees with me playing the great American pastime that is poker. I sat down ready to turn things around and I can definitely say things went MUCH better. Sets started hitting, my opponent's draws started missing, and I was having no problem with firing at pots at will, which is usually the best way for me to tell if I am in "the zone." It's not all skill though, I got lucky very early in my post dinner session, and it seemed to get the ball rolling for everything else.

Full Tilt Poker Game #2761223635: Table Grand Hills - $0.50/$1 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:47:40 ET - 2007/06/24
Seat 1: Jaturongkabaht ($167.95)
Seat 2: Blank ($258.10)
Seat 3: Blank ($88.50)
Seat 4: Villain ($93.20)
Seat 5: Blank ($145)
Seat 6: Blank ($98.85), is sitting out
Seat 7: Blank ($33.15)
Seat 8: Blank ($66.15)
Seat 9: Blank ($50.05)
Blank posts the small blind of $0.50
Blank posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Jaturongkabaht [9d Jd]
Villain has 15 seconds left to act
Villain raises to $3.50
Blank folds
Blank folds
Blank folds
Blank folds
Jaturongkabaht calls $3.50
Blank folds
Blank folds
*** FLOP *** [Jc 4h 5c]
Villain bets $8.50
Jaturongkabaht has 15 seconds left to act
Jaturongkabaht raises to $23
Villain calls $14.50
*** TURN *** [Jc 4h 5c] [6h]
Villain checks
Jaturongkabaht bets $35
Villain raises to $66.70, and is all in
Jaturongkabaht has 15 seconds left to act
Jaturongkabaht calls $31.70
Villain shows [As Ad]
Jaturongkabaht shows [9d Jd]
*** RIVER *** [Jc 4h 5c 6h] [9s]
Villain shows a pair of Aces
Jaturongkabaht shows two pair, Jacks and Nines
Jaturongkabaht wins the pot ($184.90) with two pair, Jacks and Nines
Villain is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $187.90 | Rake $3
Board: [Jc 4h 5c 6h 9s]
Seat 1: Jaturongkabaht (button) showed [9d Jd] and won ($184.90) with two pair, Jacks and Nines
Seat 4: Villain showed [As Ad] and lost with a pair of Aces

There was nothing pretty about that hand, and I can honestly say I play it pretty piss poor. I don't really have much on the villain here, which probably means he is somewhat tight. Also at this level, people will generally c-bet on non descript flops such as these, but almost never with a pot bet (actually pot bets are pretty rare at this level, and usually indicate either a not very experienced player, or something funky). I do think my reraise here was a mistake, and honestly I probably let it go if I get reraised, but he just called. On the turn, I probably should have just checked, but what made playing this board somewhat difficult was the presence of the two clubs. The line the villain was taking was certainly one AKs and AQs would take. I probably should have checked the turn, but obviously I went with him having AKs or AQs and fired $35 at the pot. However I don't think my call of his push was as bad as it looks. Now that he has pushed, I think we can pretty safely narrow his range down to five hands, AKs, AQs, AA-QQ. I'm getting 156-31 odds, pretty much exactly 5-1. I am 11% to beat AA-QQ and 65% to beat AKs and AQs. After doing the equity equations, I would have to assign the villain a 90% chance of have AA-QQ before the play has -EV, and that seems unreasonable. So as much as the call might look like a donk move (the villain certainly thought so) it actually had +EV. Of course I can't really do these equations in 30 seconds, so I might still be a donk.

All-in all, my post dinner run was +480, making me +280 on the day. I am really enjoying my recent success and I hope the variance switch doesn't flip any time soon.