I haven't been running particulary well for about a month now, but I decided to take a drive to the Tropicana for some $1/$2 NL or $7.50/$15 FL, otherwise known as the "pink chip" game. I'd have been better off staying at home.

There were no open seats at the pink game, so I put my name on the list and took an open seat at a $1/$2 NL game, buying in for the $300 max. Here's some of the lowlights...

A few hands in, I get AJo in the BB. It folds around to the button who raises to $7. The SB calls and I call. Flop comes KT9 rainbow. SB checks, I check, button bets $15. SB calls, I call with my gutshot and one over. Turn is a 7. We check around. River is a 6. SB checks, I bet $25, button instacalls, SB folds. Button shows QQ.

Ok...no bluffing.

I pick up AQo on the button. UTG+2 raises to $7, folds to me, I pop it to $20. BB calls, original raiser folds. Flop is Qxx, two diamonds. BB open-pushes for $80, I call. He shows ATd, and rivers his diamond for the flush.

KK in the BB....

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Let's start with an inherently anti-social activity, one whose sole objective is to separate your opponents from their (sometimes) hard-earned cash. Now, let's move said activity to the nameless, faceless internet, thereby removing any remaining shred of decency previously dictated by common courtesy.

Welcome to online poker.

Poker players are generally an unsavory lot, myself included. I avoid playing against the small number that I consider friends, except for FREEROLL MANIA!!! and other forum events. My friends with whom I play in home games aren't really poker players so much as guys that play poker. That's not to say they're awful, but it's more of a social activity, a drinking excuse and we don't play for much money. This leaves me with two types of opponents in "real" games: the complete stranger across a casino table, or the complete stranger halfway around the world.

The first type, the live game opponent, is generally a sociable sort. I'm usually one of the more...

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