So, my brother is in town from Utah with a friend, staying at our cousin's in Northern NJ, and says "We're going to AC on Saturday, wanna come?" No-brainer. So me and the GF get picked up in Central NJ on his way to a US Poker Championship event at the Taj. Me, I don't have $500+50 to drop on a premium event buy-in, so I'm spending the day walking the Boardwalk with my GF. She has a nice time.
I bet you thought this was a poker story.
Of course it's a poker story.
Finally, I get into a $1-2 NL cash game at the Showboat
I sit with $100 (buy-ins were $60-300) and bide my time, folding a bunch of useless cards.
The first play hand is AK-clubs. I actually don't remember the pre-flop action, although I think it was like $5-ish per, for the three or four players in (including me and one to my direct right); and I "inherit" the button position.
Flop is three low cards, two of which are hearts, one of which is a 9. check-check and righty puts in $21.
$21. I was thinking as I looked at the flop that I'd be in for about a pot-bet, anyway, and I look back down at my cards. Still the same, funny about that. But then I think, loudly enough so I can hear it, like the cards are telling me to "call this." This has become a "hunch" hand. So my $21 goes in, and the checkers drop out.
The turn looks like another blank. And bettor checks. Now I'm thinking, "If he has something, maybe he's trapping me..." And I haven't really hit yet, so I let it go to the river. Damn! Another blank. But now, bettor checks again! Hmmm...
This is a thinker. He's either got a medium pair and is worried about my initial call (not likely) or he was on some draw, and hasn't hit either. I'm new to the table, and don't have enough info to make a judgment, so I check it out.
And my AK holds up against his J10-hearts (with straight and flush draws missed).
Now, technically, I don't think it was the correct play to call post-flop. But sometimes you play your hunches and get lucky, and this was one of them.
At low stakes like this, I've just profited 35% of my buy-in.
More to come....
Recent quick-trip to AC 
