When a loss is still a win

I lost twice today, and still came out ahead both times.

I went back to Gaming Club and churned $500 through their slot machines. The $75 balance I had in there was still usable, and in the end, although I lost $40 of it today, I still ended up ahead $35 overall. That's still a win.

The Gaming Club: +$35
Something-out-of-nothing to date: $4,217

And late tonight, I went to the local Happy Days brick-and-mortar for their midnight NLH $25 tournament. I got there at about 11:40, was placed on their alternates list, (8th place), and take the two $10 match coupons to the blackjack table. I buy in for $30, win with both match coupons, play several more hands, and leave with $65. I'm up $10 for the night. That's a win, in spite of my loss-yet-to-come.

The tournament started at midnight, and as I wait, the blinds go up twice. I finally sat down with my $5000 chip stack at about 12:45. I sat down in the $800 big blind (folded), blinds went up, and I folded my next hand at the $500 small blind.

My $3700 chip stack was already the second-smallest stack at the table, but I played tight, folding until I got A♥ Q♥, and went all in in middle position. The player to my left called me; the rest of the table folded. He showed QTo, an ace hit on the flop, and I doubled up and took the blinds, up to $8900.

The very next hand under the gun, I'm dealt QJo, and raise to $2000. It folds around to an old lady I see every time I'm here. She's agressive, but I've seen her play some marginal hands. On the button, she calls. The small blind folds, the big blind calls, and we see a flop of rags. The big blind checks, I check, and the old lady goes all in. We both get out of her way, and my stack is down to $6900.

Blinds go up again just in time for me to hit them, but we color up, so I've got $7000 for the (late edit $500/$1000 $1000/$2000) blinds. I get crap cards on the big blind and fold to a raise. I get K♥ 9♥ on the small blind, but fold to an all-in and a call of the all-in.

Three hands later, with a $4000 stack, I get Q♠ Q♣ (Kevin's favorite hand). Most players fold, but the old lady goes all in with her big stack. It's folded to me, and I go all in. She turns over K♥ 7♥, and before I can gleefully realize that she's really only got three outs, the flop comes 3♥ 8♥ 6♥; she's hit her flush. As a nail in the coffin, the turn is K♠; I don't remember the irrelevant river.

Still, I'm up $10 for the trip. Better than a sharp stick in the eye.

(Note to those who care: On August 1, Happy Days is adding a 3 a.m. tournament to their daily schedule of noon, 7 p.m., and midnight)