I made a really nice comeback yesterday and had a really strong day playing Full Tilt 25NL. I ran hot, but took a few beats too. The crazy thing is twice I got it all in with AA against another AA, once preflop and once on the flop, and both times I hit runner runner flushes to take the pot that should likely have split. If that goes the other way and I lose both of those I come on here complaining about having the worst luck in the world, etc etc. It's all variance...you just always have to keep that in mind!
Anyways, I posted yesterday about PAHUD helping my game. I think because I've played in games so far in my "poker career" that are so passive (Bodog 25NL) that playing big pot, reraised pots preflop is really hard for me. STacks are always at stake with any wrong decision. And I think PAHUD can help me with a few big decisions. Take this spot, for instance:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1318725 Imagine that the player doesn't reraise to $9.95. Against that three bet what is my play? Just call and hit a set? What is his range? I hate marginal spots OOP and TT is so hard to play OOP unless you hit that set. Is his range tight enough that I know I'll get paid off if I hit? Is it loose enough that I should stick in a reraise herE? What should my line be? Without PAHUD I don't really know, so I just fold. Now with PAHUD I might still fold, but it's just the idea of having a reason behind some decisions that could lead to big pots. Hope that makes sense.
Pete
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Quick update as we end July...
Didn't get to play this weekend as I was busy with some family stuff. I went fishing on Saturday, and it was nice to get away for a bit somewhere and not think about poker for a bit. I played this morning and didn't do well, I think I am still spewing too much by raising too loosely when I'm going to end up OOP in the hand. I think that I need to get PAHUD ASAP to help me with decisions and I think that it will improve my game by leaps and bounds. Right now I am just trying to get things in place so I can rock and roll come August 20th or so when I will start to be able to play quite a bit. I received most of my money from Bodog that I cashed out there so I am loading it onto Epassporte now and I will soon have a normal bankroll again. I am going to try and plug some leaks and then hopefully play 50NL by mid/late September. I am going to work I really tightening up my spewage, esp from all positions except the button, and work on really making laydowns with overpairs when I face a lot of pressure. The big hands will come and hopefully spewing less with increase my winrate quite a bit.
I won't be online/playing as much in the next few weeks because my wife and I are starting to move into a new place an hour away on Wednesday, so I probably won't update this a whole lot until we get settled, which will take a week or two. I will have internet at work, but not at home until about a week and a half into August. So good luck at the tables, and I'll catch up with you guys in a few weeks...I'm excited to play a lot and hopefully have some great results. And I wish you guys nothing but the best.
Pete
I won't be online/playing as much in the next few weeks because my wife and I are starting to move into a new place an hour away on Wednesday, so I probably won't update this a whole lot until we get settled, which will take a week or two. I will have internet at work, but not at home until about a week and a half into August. So good luck at the tables, and I'll catch up with you guys in a few weeks...I'm excited to play a lot and hopefully have some great results. And I wish you guys nothing but the best.
Pete
Friday, July 27, 2007
Motivated to kick some ass... :)
The past few days have been a lot better. I've caught some cards and my hands have held, on Bodog at least. Yesterday I stacked guys twice when they flopped/turned a set and I turned a straight, so it's easy to win when the cards fall for you like that. But I'm up like 4-5 BI in the last two days so I'm happy to rebound. People have really been playing back at me a lot the last two days, yesterday I had aggressive players to my left on two tables who would float me on any c-bet and then fire near-pot whenever I checked the turn. Sometimes you have to slow down a bit.
TY for all the comments on my last post, some great stuff in there that I will keep in mind. I am motivated to start taking a shot at 50NL and kicking ass. The support and motivation from everyone is awesome and it makes me want to play really, really well. :)
I loved it when Ken said that we win at these levels by extracting value with our made hands, and not by bluffing, playing fancy, doing anything crazy, etc. I am going to try and keep it simple and aggressive and keep the pressure on people over and over and hopefully watch the money pile up. :P
Pete
TY for all the comments on my last post, some great stuff in there that I will keep in mind. I am motivated to start taking a shot at 50NL and kicking ass. The support and motivation from everyone is awesome and it makes me want to play really, really well. :)
I loved it when Ken said that we win at these levels by extracting value with our made hands, and not by bluffing, playing fancy, doing anything crazy, etc. I am going to try and keep it simple and aggressive and keep the pressure on people over and over and hopefully watch the money pile up. :P
Pete
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Mistakes, mindlessness, and "that one bad hand" (LONG!)
I was thinking about some stuff after my latest session this morning, and thought I'd try and put my thoughts into words.
I think I'm on the cusp of being a very good poker player, at least at relatively small stakes cash. My goals right now are not super high. Within a year I'd like to be a solid winner at 100NL 6-max. That would really provide my wife and I with some nice additional income and financial stability. I don't have dreams of turning pro or only doing poker for a living. I just want to make some significant money. Right now at 25NL it's nice to make money and sure better than losing it, but it's still not where I want to be even 6 months from now. I know I am better than this level and I have the tools, skills, and ability to win at higher levels.
One thing that's hurting me right now is that one bad hand a session or one bad hand an hour. You can play so well for an hour long session, let's say, but if you royally mess up that one hand it really drags down what your winrate should be. There is already so much variance and your edge can be so slight sometimes that giving away money in stupid hands just kills you. I'd rather lose money aggressively, like getting it in on the flop with a big draw against an overpair and missing, than losing the way I am now...just with a stupid bluff or a stupid call on the river when I can't beat anything.
I find that when I'm playing my worst I am on "autopilot". Phil Galfond, aka Jman aka OMGClayAiken recently wrote the same thing on his CR blog. So I know it's not just me. But I played a hand earlier today so awfully it was amazing, and I don't know if I was on autopilot or when I'm in the moment of a hand I just get caught up with the money in the pot and wanting to always take it that Ido stupid things, but I played it so badly and never even considered my opponent's range of hands.
It's funny how when you really pay attention it's not that hard to narrow down your opponent's range, and you need to do that EVERY TIME you're in a pot or else you'll get blown away by making dumb, mindless plays. Take my earlier hand, for instance:
I'm in the CO and raise AJo to .90 at my 25NL 6-max table on Bodog. The button flat calls, blinds fold. I had played a hand earlier with the button where I raised CO, he smooth called button, I led out with ATo on a raggy flop, he min raised, I folded. This time the flop comes 863 with two hearts (I don't have any hearts) and I check to him. He makes a very small, third-of-the-pot bet. This could mean a lot of things, a draw trying to get there cheap, a monster hand, or just a tester bet with a hand like AQ. But since he took a pot away from me before, I decided I wanted this pot and check raised him 2.5x. He calls. So here I made my first mistakes. Instead of just folding and moving on, or calling for very cheap and keeping the pot small, I raise it with absolutely nothing out of position, putting me in a really tough spot. My raise isn't big enough to drive many hands out of there, either, as even a hand like AK will probably call because of the inviting pot odds.
The turn comes an offsuit 2 and I fire out about 90% of the pot and get called. Okay, so at least I narrowed down his range a bit here. For him to call that bet as well as a flop check raise he has to have a strong made hand or possibly a heart draw, but he wasn't getting good odds on a heart draw so it's probably more likely he has a made hand or maybe even just got there with a hand like 45ss if he plays those types of hands. (I also don't know that, which is another problem)
The river comes an offsuit A giving me top pair solid kicker. Now I'm happy because I have top pair and that I might have just gotten lucky on the river to bail me out after my dumb play. I make another 90% pot bet on the river and he snap calls me with 33 for the flopped set.
The problem here is I didn't even THINK about his possible range of hands on the river. What could possibly pay me off in this spot that calls a flop c/r and a very strong turn bet? The board is 8632A with no suits. If he had a heart draw and missed, he's not paying me off. Checking is the play to induce a bet now that I have a hand with showdown value. He could easily have a hand like A8 and made two pair on the river. He could have 45 or a set. The only reasonable hands that I "get ahead of" on the river are pairs 99-KK, none of which seem all that likely here, and which most likely don't pay off another really strong river bet now with an ace on board. (though on Bodog 25NL I guess it's possible!)
So only the hands I beat fold, and only the hands I lose to call. And this one bad hand turned my session from a small winner to a small loser, and frustrated me because I know for 98% of my sessions I play very well, but I'm letting it slip away in that other 2% of hands.
I mean we're all going to make mistakes, that happens, we can't play perfect all the time, even the best go through that. But if I'm making mistakes I'd rather they be SMALL mistakes like folding a hand that might be the best on the flop or having a guy c-bet me off a pot with nothing when I don't have much either than making BIG mistakes like stacking off weak or making big bets with nothing at a level where I know that' sjust not going to work.
I hope this all makes sense, and maybe you seem something here that applies to your own game. Or maybe it's just me!
GL at the tables,
Pete
I think I'm on the cusp of being a very good poker player, at least at relatively small stakes cash. My goals right now are not super high. Within a year I'd like to be a solid winner at 100NL 6-max. That would really provide my wife and I with some nice additional income and financial stability. I don't have dreams of turning pro or only doing poker for a living. I just want to make some significant money. Right now at 25NL it's nice to make money and sure better than losing it, but it's still not where I want to be even 6 months from now. I know I am better than this level and I have the tools, skills, and ability to win at higher levels.
One thing that's hurting me right now is that one bad hand a session or one bad hand an hour. You can play so well for an hour long session, let's say, but if you royally mess up that one hand it really drags down what your winrate should be. There is already so much variance and your edge can be so slight sometimes that giving away money in stupid hands just kills you. I'd rather lose money aggressively, like getting it in on the flop with a big draw against an overpair and missing, than losing the way I am now...just with a stupid bluff or a stupid call on the river when I can't beat anything.
I find that when I'm playing my worst I am on "autopilot". Phil Galfond, aka Jman aka OMGClayAiken recently wrote the same thing on his CR blog. So I know it's not just me. But I played a hand earlier today so awfully it was amazing, and I don't know if I was on autopilot or when I'm in the moment of a hand I just get caught up with the money in the pot and wanting to always take it that Ido stupid things, but I played it so badly and never even considered my opponent's range of hands.
It's funny how when you really pay attention it's not that hard to narrow down your opponent's range, and you need to do that EVERY TIME you're in a pot or else you'll get blown away by making dumb, mindless plays. Take my earlier hand, for instance:
I'm in the CO and raise AJo to .90 at my 25NL 6-max table on Bodog. The button flat calls, blinds fold. I had played a hand earlier with the button where I raised CO, he smooth called button, I led out with ATo on a raggy flop, he min raised, I folded. This time the flop comes 863 with two hearts (I don't have any hearts) and I check to him. He makes a very small, third-of-the-pot bet. This could mean a lot of things, a draw trying to get there cheap, a monster hand, or just a tester bet with a hand like AQ. But since he took a pot away from me before, I decided I wanted this pot and check raised him 2.5x. He calls. So here I made my first mistakes. Instead of just folding and moving on, or calling for very cheap and keeping the pot small, I raise it with absolutely nothing out of position, putting me in a really tough spot. My raise isn't big enough to drive many hands out of there, either, as even a hand like AK will probably call because of the inviting pot odds.
The turn comes an offsuit 2 and I fire out about 90% of the pot and get called. Okay, so at least I narrowed down his range a bit here. For him to call that bet as well as a flop check raise he has to have a strong made hand or possibly a heart draw, but he wasn't getting good odds on a heart draw so it's probably more likely he has a made hand or maybe even just got there with a hand like 45ss if he plays those types of hands. (I also don't know that, which is another problem)
The river comes an offsuit A giving me top pair solid kicker. Now I'm happy because I have top pair and that I might have just gotten lucky on the river to bail me out after my dumb play. I make another 90% pot bet on the river and he snap calls me with 33 for the flopped set.
The problem here is I didn't even THINK about his possible range of hands on the river. What could possibly pay me off in this spot that calls a flop c/r and a very strong turn bet? The board is 8632A with no suits. If he had a heart draw and missed, he's not paying me off. Checking is the play to induce a bet now that I have a hand with showdown value. He could easily have a hand like A8 and made two pair on the river. He could have 45 or a set. The only reasonable hands that I "get ahead of" on the river are pairs 99-KK, none of which seem all that likely here, and which most likely don't pay off another really strong river bet now with an ace on board. (though on Bodog 25NL I guess it's possible!)
So only the hands I beat fold, and only the hands I lose to call. And this one bad hand turned my session from a small winner to a small loser, and frustrated me because I know for 98% of my sessions I play very well, but I'm letting it slip away in that other 2% of hands.
I mean we're all going to make mistakes, that happens, we can't play perfect all the time, even the best go through that. But if I'm making mistakes I'd rather they be SMALL mistakes like folding a hand that might be the best on the flop or having a guy c-bet me off a pot with nothing when I don't have much either than making BIG mistakes like stacking off weak or making big bets with nothing at a level where I know that' sjust not going to work.
I hope this all makes sense, and maybe you seem something here that applies to your own game. Or maybe it's just me!
GL at the tables,
Pete
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Interesting spot from this morning's session...
The last two days have been good, I've won about 3 buyins total on Bodog. I tried to cash out and I couldn't because I cashed in some of my Bodog points for cash and have to earn a certain amount of points before I can cash out. So that's all good, I've made some more money in the meantime. :)
Interesting hand from earlier today...I'm at work so no PT hand history, sorry...I remember it pretty well though. At Bodog 25NL most pots are small preflop as 3 and 4 betting preflop are fairly rare. So I was wondering how to navigate a hand like this:
I have my opponent covered. He has just sat down with $25 and this is his first hand at the table. No history. I get dealth KcKs in the SB and it's folded to me. I raise to .80 and he repops me to $2.10. I know that he has a big hand because people don't do that at this level without a hand, and want to get it all in so I make a big raise to $9 thinking he'll likely shove. Instead he calls. $18 in the pot going to the flop, he has $16 behind.
Flop: Ac8c2x.
What should my line be here? My preflop range for him would be TT-KK, AKs, AKo. If he's crazy he could have AQs or something I suppose. If he has a pair I can get him off the hand (but I'd be ahead so do I want to?), if he has AK he's not going anywhere. But he has less than in the pot in his hand, so an $8 bet and then fold to a shove seems really weak. I hate just shoving blindly. Is checking the best play here? What's the best line?
I check, he checks. Turn comes 9c giving me the nut flush draw. I don't think he'd check behind AK on this flop, he'd probably check AAA behind but that's about it that beats me. Is it time for a value bet of $8ish here? More?
Any thoughts are welcome, thanks.
Interesting hand from earlier today...I'm at work so no PT hand history, sorry...I remember it pretty well though. At Bodog 25NL most pots are small preflop as 3 and 4 betting preflop are fairly rare. So I was wondering how to navigate a hand like this:
I have my opponent covered. He has just sat down with $25 and this is his first hand at the table. No history. I get dealth KcKs in the SB and it's folded to me. I raise to .80 and he repops me to $2.10. I know that he has a big hand because people don't do that at this level without a hand, and want to get it all in so I make a big raise to $9 thinking he'll likely shove. Instead he calls. $18 in the pot going to the flop, he has $16 behind.
Flop: Ac8c2x.
What should my line be here? My preflop range for him would be TT-KK, AKs, AKo. If he's crazy he could have AQs or something I suppose. If he has a pair I can get him off the hand (but I'd be ahead so do I want to?), if he has AK he's not going anywhere. But he has less than in the pot in his hand, so an $8 bet and then fold to a shove seems really weak. I hate just shoving blindly. Is checking the best play here? What's the best line?
I check, he checks. Turn comes 9c giving me the nut flush draw. I don't think he'd check behind AK on this flop, he'd probably check AAA behind but that's about it that beats me. Is it time for a value bet of $8ish here? More?
Any thoughts are welcome, thanks.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Theory discussion: Opening ranges
Today I'd like to get your guys' thoughts on opening ranges in 6-max games.
I was thinking about Noel's post on another blog where he talked about playing super tight in positions 1 and 2, and very loose in the CO and button. I started thinking and came up with a "hand chart" of what to open in each position that I thought is very tight early and very loose late:
UTG: All pairs, AKs-AJs, AKo, AQo
2: all above plus AJo, KQs, ATs
CO: all above plus KQ-KJo, all suited connectors, all suited aces
Button: All above plus any two cards two apart or connecting (i.e 24o, 35o, 56o, etc), and all suited cards. Also any ace.
What do you think of these opening ranges? Is the button range too loose? Is the UTG range too tight/loose? Should all pairs always be raised because of how much you get paid off with sets at this level?
What do you guys think about mixing up an occasional suited connector raise UTG (very rarely) in order to "vary your range"? Is that even worth doing or do opponents at this level not even think about our possible holdings, making it not worth it?
Finally, how would you adjust your CO/Button opening range depending on limpers in front of you in the pot? My range above is assuming it's folded to me in each position.
What would you put your current range at? (Mine is slightly tighter than this as I don't open quite that loosely on the button but close)
Any discussion on the subject would be welcome!
Pete
I was thinking about Noel's post on another blog where he talked about playing super tight in positions 1 and 2, and very loose in the CO and button. I started thinking and came up with a "hand chart" of what to open in each position that I thought is very tight early and very loose late:
UTG: All pairs, AKs-AJs, AKo, AQo
2: all above plus AJo, KQs, ATs
CO: all above plus KQ-KJo, all suited connectors, all suited aces
Button: All above plus any two cards two apart or connecting (i.e 24o, 35o, 56o, etc), and all suited cards. Also any ace.
What do you think of these opening ranges? Is the button range too loose? Is the UTG range too tight/loose? Should all pairs always be raised because of how much you get paid off with sets at this level?
What do you guys think about mixing up an occasional suited connector raise UTG (very rarely) in order to "vary your range"? Is that even worth doing or do opponents at this level not even think about our possible holdings, making it not worth it?
Finally, how would you adjust your CO/Button opening range depending on limpers in front of you in the pot? My range above is assuming it's folded to me in each position.
What would you put your current range at? (Mine is slightly tighter than this as I don't open quite that loosely on the button but close)
Any discussion on the subject would be welcome!
Pete
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Plugging a leak and recent videos...
Hey guys-
I hope everyone is doing well. Hopefully you guys are running well and winning money. :)
I won on Full Tilt today and lost on Bodog...blah blah, same thing as always, I play hands badly and have a lot of leaks to plug.
I've decided that I need to plug a big leak and prepare myself to be able to make the most money possible come August/September when I am able to play a LOT more. Therefore I have decided to take my money completely off of Bodog. I am going to purchase PAHUD which I have not ever used before (not compatible on Bodog which was my main site since I started playing in December). I am going to concentrate on two PAHUD compatable sites over the course of the next few months...Full Tilt and Absolute. (Yes Noel you convinced me)
It's been too long for me to play without using all the necessary tools and without having them at my disposal. I don't want to completely rely on PAHUD, but hopefully it can help guide me in some big spots and get me to lay down some more hands that I should.
I got my latest check from Bodog on Friday and I will be depositing that to my bank account tomorrow. From there I'll zip it onto Epassporte and then load up my Absolute and Full Tilt accounts once that is ready. The rest of my Bodog money should show up in a month or so and I'll use that to pad my accounts a bit more. I plan on starting off 5-tabling 25NL at both, 3 Tilt and 2 Absolute. We'll see how it goes.
Finally, another weakness in my game has probably come from not having time to watch Cardrunners videos as much. I've been studying and reading a lot of forum and 2+2 stuff but I've really gotten behind on videos as I barely have any time to be online at home so I use that to play instead of watch videos. I'll have a lot more time to watch come mid August, but in the meantime I was hopinh you guys could point me to some really good videos for guys at our stakes from the past month or two. The last video I remember watching all the way through (and loving) was Gaucho's so that gives you a time frame.
Thank you so much for reading and helping me out. Good luck at the tables,
Pete
I hope everyone is doing well. Hopefully you guys are running well and winning money. :)
I won on Full Tilt today and lost on Bodog...blah blah, same thing as always, I play hands badly and have a lot of leaks to plug.
I've decided that I need to plug a big leak and prepare myself to be able to make the most money possible come August/September when I am able to play a LOT more. Therefore I have decided to take my money completely off of Bodog. I am going to purchase PAHUD which I have not ever used before (not compatible on Bodog which was my main site since I started playing in December). I am going to concentrate on two PAHUD compatable sites over the course of the next few months...Full Tilt and Absolute. (Yes Noel you convinced me)
It's been too long for me to play without using all the necessary tools and without having them at my disposal. I don't want to completely rely on PAHUD, but hopefully it can help guide me in some big spots and get me to lay down some more hands that I should.
I got my latest check from Bodog on Friday and I will be depositing that to my bank account tomorrow. From there I'll zip it onto Epassporte and then load up my Absolute and Full Tilt accounts once that is ready. The rest of my Bodog money should show up in a month or so and I'll use that to pad my accounts a bit more. I plan on starting off 5-tabling 25NL at both, 3 Tilt and 2 Absolute. We'll see how it goes.
Finally, another weakness in my game has probably come from not having time to watch Cardrunners videos as much. I've been studying and reading a lot of forum and 2+2 stuff but I've really gotten behind on videos as I barely have any time to be online at home so I use that to play instead of watch videos. I'll have a lot more time to watch come mid August, but in the meantime I was hopinh you guys could point me to some really good videos for guys at our stakes from the past month or two. The last video I remember watching all the way through (and loving) was Gaucho's so that gives you a time frame.
Thank you so much for reading and helping me out. Good luck at the tables,
Pete
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Feeling good
Played just on Full Tilt this morning (trying to release my bonus there before I play elsewhere) and played well, I thought. Despite several coolers/bad beats I ended up a winner. I was really happy with how I played and when I start to run better I will do really well. Making the right decisions is what matters and I'm trying to stay focused for the long term.
Don't feel like you need to comment on these hands, I'm just posting them for myself so I have them somewhere. I'd rather you comment on the hands from last post if anything.
I like how I played this hand: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1285792 Checking the river lets diamonds bluff...I didn't check raise all in here because KQ beats me on the river and is a possibility. Also Q9, though less likely.
Good flop for me ehre, but I like how I played this too. If the flop comes rags how should I bet this against a short stack? http://www.pokerhand.org/?1285800
Blind on blind, I guess I could fold this preflop but I like having position. Should I raise flop or play it like I did? http://www.pokerhand.org/?1285807
Sickest hand of the session...in a good way. This guy said I owed him money like it was a bad beat: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1285813
Don't feel like you need to comment on these hands, I'm just posting them for myself so I have them somewhere. I'd rather you comment on the hands from last post if anything.
I like how I played this hand: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1285792 Checking the river lets diamonds bluff...I didn't check raise all in here because KQ beats me on the river and is a possibility. Also Q9, though less likely.
Good flop for me ehre, but I like how I played this too. If the flop comes rags how should I bet this against a short stack? http://www.pokerhand.org/?1285800
Blind on blind, I guess I could fold this preflop but I like having position. Should I raise flop or play it like I did? http://www.pokerhand.org/?1285807
Sickest hand of the session...in a good way. This guy said I owed him money like it was a bad beat: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1285813
Friday, July 20, 2007
Some hands from my sick session...
So I got myself in a hole early when AA no good against AKs so I was doing my best not to tilt. I was proud of myself for just continuing to play and try to make the best decisions I could.
IMPORTANT: Feel free to look at only one or two hands if you only have time for that...four is a lot, I know!
Hand 1: Flopped set: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284594 Is the turn check terrible here or not that bad?
Hand 2: Top two on scary board facing donk bets: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284596 Do I pay off less than a full stack here? I thought the donk bet could possibly be a big hand or just a big club trying to get there cheaply. The turn shove is scary...is my call hideous when I don't really have a read?
Hand 3: Two pair trying to get paid: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284603 I usually check/raise the flop or bet out on the flop here but I'm trying some different things out. What do you think of my line here? The river is a pot sized bet, is that too much?
Hand 4: Overpair facing an overshove on the flop: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284607 I couldn't put him on a hand that beat me that he would play like this...thoughts? (Villain had been playing back at me some, but wasn't crazy aggro)
NOTE: THAT ENDS MY HANDS FOR YOU TO REVIEW! I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU TOO MUCH! THE REST ARE JUST ME POSTING HANDS FROM MY SESSION FOR FUN. :)
Big flop that I shove knowing he has an ace and we're getting it all in anyways: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284613
I've had problems with AA lately and I like how I played this: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284616
IMPORTANT: Feel free to look at only one or two hands if you only have time for that...four is a lot, I know!
Hand 1: Flopped set: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284594 Is the turn check terrible here or not that bad?
Hand 2: Top two on scary board facing donk bets: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284596 Do I pay off less than a full stack here? I thought the donk bet could possibly be a big hand or just a big club trying to get there cheaply. The turn shove is scary...is my call hideous when I don't really have a read?
Hand 3: Two pair trying to get paid: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284603 I usually check/raise the flop or bet out on the flop here but I'm trying some different things out. What do you think of my line here? The river is a pot sized bet, is that too much?
Hand 4: Overpair facing an overshove on the flop: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284607 I couldn't put him on a hand that beat me that he would play like this...thoughts? (Villain had been playing back at me some, but wasn't crazy aggro)
NOTE: THAT ENDS MY HANDS FOR YOU TO REVIEW! I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU TOO MUCH! THE REST ARE JUST ME POSTING HANDS FROM MY SESSION FOR FUN. :)
Big flop that I shove knowing he has an ace and we're getting it all in anyways: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284613
I've had problems with AA lately and I like how I played this: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1284616
Sick sessions...roller coaster! And a thank you!
I got to play twice today. This morning I five tabled Full Tilt 10NL and played really well. I wanted to get confidence back and have a solid session, and I did just that, winning two buyins.
Then tonight I played for about 2 hours, 3 tables Bodog 25NL and 2 tables Full Tilt 10NL. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many sick, sick hands. I will post them here later. Too many to do right now, and I want to look over your blogs as I've been falling behind on that.
Finally, I want to send out an honest thanks to everyone looking over my blog and going along with my little low limit grinder idea. I hope you all make a lot of money in this silly little game, and maybe make some poker friends as well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys are awesome.
Pete
P.S - my wife is also awesome because she stayed up with me until 6:00 AM watching the main event final table. How cool is that?
Then tonight I played for about 2 hours, 3 tables Bodog 25NL and 2 tables Full Tilt 10NL. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many sick, sick hands. I will post them here later. Too many to do right now, and I want to look over your blogs as I've been falling behind on that.
Finally, I want to send out an honest thanks to everyone looking over my blog and going along with my little low limit grinder idea. I hope you all make a lot of money in this silly little game, and maybe make some poker friends as well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys are awesome.
Pete
P.S - my wife is also awesome because she stayed up with me until 6:00 AM watching the main event final table. How cool is that?
Three tough hands from yesterday...
Finally got around to posting some of my tough hands...or maybe some of my terrible hands.
Hand 1: This was like my first hand at the table, no read on villain. SB raise here is generally quite strong, is a call with 99 okay or should I reraise to isolate and get heads up with position? Obv I'd like to take it down on the flop but his call sends off warning signs, especially after a limp/call preflop, seems like a set. I almost folded the turn, again, seems like he's pricing me in. Thoughts?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1282396
Hand 2: Again, very early in the session, no reads. He has to have a straight already, a set, a ten, or hearts here, right? Easy fold for someone who's good? :P
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1282405
Hand 3: Villain had been VERY aggressive against me since I sat down. I checked behind on flop because I hit and didn't want to get c/r off my hand with him having an ace, as I'm 99% sure he'd check/raise with an ace here. Is checking behind bad here, and once I make two pair do I need to felt it against an aggressive player?
P.S - the minraise was a misclick, as I was going to raise to 5 dollars even but if you just type in 5 on Bodog sometimes it leaves it as the min bet for you if you don't have a decimal after it. What would a good sized raise here be, anyways?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1282408
Hand 1: This was like my first hand at the table, no read on villain. SB raise here is generally quite strong, is a call with 99 okay or should I reraise to isolate and get heads up with position? Obv I'd like to take it down on the flop but his call sends off warning signs, especially after a limp/call preflop, seems like a set. I almost folded the turn, again, seems like he's pricing me in. Thoughts?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1282396
Hand 2: Again, very early in the session, no reads. He has to have a straight already, a set, a ten, or hearts here, right? Easy fold for someone who's good? :P
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1282405
Hand 3: Villain had been VERY aggressive against me since I sat down. I checked behind on flop because I hit and didn't want to get c/r off my hand with him having an ace, as I'm 99% sure he'd check/raise with an ace here. Is checking behind bad here, and once I make two pair do I need to felt it against an aggressive player?
P.S - the minraise was a misclick, as I was going to raise to 5 dollars even but if you just type in 5 on Bodog sometimes it leaves it as the min bet for you if you don't have a decimal after it. What would a good sized raise here be, anyways?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1282408
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tilt sucks
Tilt sucks.
Not Full Tilt poker, but tilt itself.
I had a bad session at Bodog 25NL this morning. I lost 3 1/2 buyins in an hour. That's a lot for me, as I play a low variance style most of the time. I went in motivated by Noel's blog post to play aggressively and crush, but I was stupid about it and it ended up costing me.
I got stacked three times. The first was a stupid call with an overpair on a tough board. So I was pissed at myself for that and starting my session off badly. I had already had a tough hand with 99 where I laid it down on the river on an 8-high board. Then I got stacked with two pair vs a set. Then I was really pissed and I tilted off another full buyin with absolutely nothing.
I hate tilting and feel stupid for doing it afterwards. It also sucks to piss away money you work hard to earn.
I'm going to try and get over it and just relax about poker for a bit until I can get fully ready to go starting in late August when I will have much more time to play. As somebody said on this blog before, short sessions can be really rough and high variance, and maybe I should wait to play more until I have time to put in longer sessions.
How not to tilt? That's something I'm sure all of us can work on.
I'll post hands later.
Pete
P.S - at least I won a buyin on Full Tilt 10NL with QJ vs KK on QJxx board. :P
Not Full Tilt poker, but tilt itself.
I had a bad session at Bodog 25NL this morning. I lost 3 1/2 buyins in an hour. That's a lot for me, as I play a low variance style most of the time. I went in motivated by Noel's blog post to play aggressively and crush, but I was stupid about it and it ended up costing me.
I got stacked three times. The first was a stupid call with an overpair on a tough board. So I was pissed at myself for that and starting my session off badly. I had already had a tough hand with 99 where I laid it down on the river on an 8-high board. Then I got stacked with two pair vs a set. Then I was really pissed and I tilted off another full buyin with absolutely nothing.
I hate tilting and feel stupid for doing it afterwards. It also sucks to piss away money you work hard to earn.
I'm going to try and get over it and just relax about poker for a bit until I can get fully ready to go starting in late August when I will have much more time to play. As somebody said on this blog before, short sessions can be really rough and high variance, and maybe I should wait to play more until I have time to put in longer sessions.
How not to tilt? That's something I'm sure all of us can work on.
I'll post hands later.
Pete
P.S - at least I won a buyin on Full Tilt 10NL with QJ vs KK on QJxx board. :P
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Theory discussion: Small Pairs in the Blinds (and a quick update)
I played just under an hour this morning and aside from ONE HAND the entire session I was really pleased with my play. But it's getting bad when I make one big decision that's a poor one in one hand and it changes your entire session. In this hand I played AA too fast and ran into a set and got stacked on Bodog 25NL. I came back and ended up even for the session. On Full Tilt I played on a CR 10NL table for the first time and did very well, ending up a buyin on that table...unfortunately on the other table I played my AA lost to JJ AIPF so I ended up even on Full Tilt as well. So it's frustrating the results aren't quite there, but I'm happy with my play other than the AA hand, which I'm sure I will post here sooner or later. It's just a really bad spot I put myself in in a multiway pot with a guy left to act behind me.
Anyways, I wanted to add some "theory" posts to this blog as well to get people talking. My theory subject today is playing small pairs out of the blinds. I remember in Daut's CR video he talked about how he mostly folds small pairs out of the blinds because it's so hard to get paid of OOP to justify the all the times you miss your set and check/fold. So how do you guys usually play these situations with a pair like 22-55: (assume opponent is weak/average)
1) Opponent raises UTG in EP and you know he is likely quite strong. Do you call here to set mine OOP? If you hit your set how do you play it?
2) Opponent who raises button 90% of the time when it's folded to him raises on the button and you have a small pair in the SB. Just fold? Smooth call? Repop and play aggressively post flop by firing on any board?
3) Multiway limped pot, you have a small pair in SB. Complete and go for the set, I assume?
Anyways, I wanted to add some "theory" posts to this blog as well to get people talking. My theory subject today is playing small pairs out of the blinds. I remember in Daut's CR video he talked about how he mostly folds small pairs out of the blinds because it's so hard to get paid of OOP to justify the all the times you miss your set and check/fold. So how do you guys usually play these situations with a pair like 22-55: (assume opponent is weak/average)
1) Opponent raises UTG in EP and you know he is likely quite strong. Do you call here to set mine OOP? If you hit your set how do you play it?
2) Opponent who raises button 90% of the time when it's folded to him raises on the button and you have a small pair in the SB. Just fold? Smooth call? Repop and play aggressively post flop by firing on any board?
3) Multiway limped pot, you have a small pair in SB. Complete and go for the set, I assume?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Trying to show it down cheap but they shove...two hands for you to analyze
Hand 1: Villain had just moved to the table as a short stack and more than doubled by over shoving all in with AQ and got called by KQ. No other reads. The flop min raise worried me so I just called to see the pot to the river hopefully relatively cheaply, but then he shoves the river. Thoughts?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1270661
Hand 2: Villain has been playing very aggressively and overbetting a lot of hands. Sadly, he has not shown much down so I don't know a whole lot except that he can't have a hand every time...right? Again, I wanted to keep the pot small here and see the river, and on the river he shoves. Thoughts?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1270668
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1270661
Hand 2: Villain has been playing very aggressively and overbetting a lot of hands. Sadly, he has not shown much down so I don't know a whole lot except that he can't have a hand every time...right? Again, I wanted to keep the pot small here and see the river, and on the river he shoves. Thoughts?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1270668
I played!
I actually got to play a bit the last two days. I get in a really nice session yesterday for probably two hours. I won over a buyin on Bodog and thought I played very solidly for the most part. I was down money on Full Tilt after losing with A9 to AQ on an AQ9 flop, so I played a sit n go and won it (a $5 6-man, holla!) and then went back to the cash tables and ended up a few bucks.
This morning I ended up even on Full Tilt and lost about $20 on Bodog, one hand with top two vs a set, and another hand tilting and doing a stupid bluff. I will try to post hands by tomorrow morning at the latest for you guys to analyze. Just don't have a lot of computer time aside from when I'm at work, and don't have PT at work.
I've been following the main event coverage a lot the past two days and MY GOD is the play like what I see at 25NL or something. There was a hand where two guys were in a pot with like 300,000 in the middle, flop is Axx, goes check check, turn is a jack and the small blind shoves 2.8 million into a pot of 300,000. Button makes a great call with A9, and the dude had shoved it all in with J9 after turning middle pair. For what reason? What are you hoping to accomplish? That and guys just making horrible call offs of their stacks with like 99, people not understanding "deep" stacked poker at all...no wonder they call them donkaments, it's insane. Anyways, I'm sure there are some good players left too, and I will be watching the main event PPV so it should be fun to try and read players as the play unfolds without hole card cams already telling you what they have.
Let's see, what else...I'm going to put money on Cake Poker very soon and start playing 3-tables Bodog 25NL and 2-tables Cake 20NL. I want to get up to $1500 on Cake (I'm going to start with $1000-1200 once my Bodog check gets here and depending on how much I take out of Full Tilt), so I can have 30BI at 50NL 6-max. I've decided that in the fall I'm going to play Bodog 25NL 6-max and Cake 50NL 6-max (assuming I like playing there of course), because I'm just not doing well at Full Tilt and I think the play is better than at Bodog...it's definitely harder to get paid off. Of course this is 10NL and I see guys post donk hands from 50NL or 100NL Full Tilt all the time, but who knows. Anyways, I want to play where the ABSOLUTE WEAKEST competition is, and Bodog and Cake should fit that bill. Noel has talked to me about playing at Absolute Poker as well, and I might consider that, too, depending on how play at Cake goes. But I like the fact that Cake has 50NL 6-max, and I wish Bodog would add that too.
That's it for me, good luck at the tables guys.
Pete
This morning I ended up even on Full Tilt and lost about $20 on Bodog, one hand with top two vs a set, and another hand tilting and doing a stupid bluff. I will try to post hands by tomorrow morning at the latest for you guys to analyze. Just don't have a lot of computer time aside from when I'm at work, and don't have PT at work.
I've been following the main event coverage a lot the past two days and MY GOD is the play like what I see at 25NL or something. There was a hand where two guys were in a pot with like 300,000 in the middle, flop is Axx, goes check check, turn is a jack and the small blind shoves 2.8 million into a pot of 300,000. Button makes a great call with A9, and the dude had shoved it all in with J9 after turning middle pair. For what reason? What are you hoping to accomplish? That and guys just making horrible call offs of their stacks with like 99, people not understanding "deep" stacked poker at all...no wonder they call them donkaments, it's insane. Anyways, I'm sure there are some good players left too, and I will be watching the main event PPV so it should be fun to try and read players as the play unfolds without hole card cams already telling you what they have.
Let's see, what else...I'm going to put money on Cake Poker very soon and start playing 3-tables Bodog 25NL and 2-tables Cake 20NL. I want to get up to $1500 on Cake (I'm going to start with $1000-1200 once my Bodog check gets here and depending on how much I take out of Full Tilt), so I can have 30BI at 50NL 6-max. I've decided that in the fall I'm going to play Bodog 25NL 6-max and Cake 50NL 6-max (assuming I like playing there of course), because I'm just not doing well at Full Tilt and I think the play is better than at Bodog...it's definitely harder to get paid off. Of course this is 10NL and I see guys post donk hands from 50NL or 100NL Full Tilt all the time, but who knows. Anyways, I want to play where the ABSOLUTE WEAKEST competition is, and Bodog and Cake should fit that bill. Noel has talked to me about playing at Absolute Poker as well, and I might consider that, too, depending on how play at Cake goes. But I like the fact that Cake has 50NL 6-max, and I wish Bodog would add that too.
That's it for me, good luck at the tables guys.
Pete
Friday, July 13, 2007
Restless...
It's tough not being able to play, and the crappy thing is that even when this week is over my time I'm able to play is still going to be very low until my wife and I complete our move to a new city new duplex by mid August. When mid August comes I'm going to be able to play a LOT and it'll be fun, but right now it's tough sitting on the sidelines waiting to make money and play well.
I've been following the WSOP Main Event a lot, and I REALLY want to play in the Main Event some day, I'm setting a goal of 2009 and hopefully I can make it. I think I'll get the final table on PPV, it's fun to watch with no hole cards.
Hopefully come this weekend or early next week I can get back in the groove of at least playing a BIT and contributing more to your guys' blogs again. Low internet access has been blah.
Keep running hot, I'll join you guys soon. :)
Pete
I've been following the WSOP Main Event a lot, and I REALLY want to play in the Main Event some day, I'm setting a goal of 2009 and hopefully I can make it. I think I'll get the final table on PPV, it's fun to watch with no hole cards.
Hopefully come this weekend or early next week I can get back in the groove of at least playing a BIT and contributing more to your guys' blogs again. Low internet access has been blah.
Keep running hot, I'll join you guys soon. :)
Pete
Friday, July 6, 2007
Possible week off...?
My wife and I are house sitting for the next week and I don't really want to set poker software up on someone else's computer so I might not be playing much in the next week. I will still be looking at your blogs starting up again on Monday, but this weekend is super busy for us with some friends in town.
I played 45-50 minutes this morning and thought I played well. Of course I still lost on Full Tilt when I got stacked with AA (Ad) vs. QdJd on an all diamond flop. I thought I played well other than that and one frustrated bad bluff at the end of that session. I think I played very well on Bodog and ended up half a buyin. One thing I tried to do more of this morning was play aggressively from the blinds when everyone shows weakness (button limp, for instance) and I have something reasonable. I don't want to overdo it, but making a big raise can make it less obvious when I raise AA or KK from the blinds if I do it with a wider range...also they hit the flop so little that c-bets take down some easy pots and I think doing this will increase my profits. Something to think about, as before I played so ultra ultra tight from the blinds (hate being OOP obv) but I think some well-timed aggression can help a lot.
Anyways, I'll try to keep posting on your blogs, so post some good stuff. Good luck and hopefully I'll be back posting my own stuff soon.
Pete
I played 45-50 minutes this morning and thought I played well. Of course I still lost on Full Tilt when I got stacked with AA (Ad) vs. QdJd on an all diamond flop. I thought I played well other than that and one frustrated bad bluff at the end of that session. I think I played very well on Bodog and ended up half a buyin. One thing I tried to do more of this morning was play aggressively from the blinds when everyone shows weakness (button limp, for instance) and I have something reasonable. I don't want to overdo it, but making a big raise can make it less obvious when I raise AA or KK from the blinds if I do it with a wider range...also they hit the flop so little that c-bets take down some easy pots and I think doing this will increase my profits. Something to think about, as before I played so ultra ultra tight from the blinds (hate being OOP obv) but I think some well-timed aggression can help a lot.
Anyways, I'll try to keep posting on your blogs, so post some good stuff. Good luck and hopefully I'll be back posting my own stuff soon.
Pete
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Up and down...
Got a chance to play a nice hour and a half or two hour session tonight, 5-tabling with 3 25NL Bodog tables and 2 10NL Full Tilt tables. I ended up down a buyin on Bodog and down a buyin on Full Tilt. On Full Tilt I just never got hands and lost a buyin with AA vs KQ on a K high flop when he turned another K, so whatever. But on Bodog I got into some tough spots. I don't think I played terribly for the most part, but I'm frustrated with myself because I think I'm playing scared poker and not getting correct value when I'm ahead and paying people off too much when I'm behind. In a lot of the hands I've posted on this blog recently if I've erred it's by playing too weak and too cautiously, scared that somebody's going to hit a card on me or make a move on me. Like the hand in the post below where I check the turn with AK. WHY? If he check/raises me give up the hand, he's telling me he has me beat and I have no reason not to believe him. What am I scared of? I need to conquer this and I think it will bring more steady play.
I also need to work REALLY hard on making good decisions and not constantly thinking about whether I'm up or down for the session.
Hands from tonight:
1) http://www.pokerhand.org/?1238261 Opponent has been very passive, no reason to think she doesn't have a big hand here. Is this an easy fold to a represented set? Am I getting any value out of pushing here? Looking back I can't think that she plays JJ-KK like this at all, and AT seems really odd too. SEems like an easy fold but it's easy to say now of course!
2) http://www.pokerhand.org/?1238267 One of those hands where the board goes ugly on you, is betting the turn and folding to a raise okay here? Is my turn bet too weak?
Thanks again for all the comments, I will try to post on all of your blogs as well tomorrow (at work, lol). :)
Pete
I also need to work REALLY hard on making good decisions and not constantly thinking about whether I'm up or down for the session.
Hands from tonight:
1) http://www.pokerhand.org/?1238261 Opponent has been very passive, no reason to think she doesn't have a big hand here. Is this an easy fold to a represented set? Am I getting any value out of pushing here? Looking back I can't think that she plays JJ-KK like this at all, and AT seems really odd too. SEems like an easy fold but it's easy to say now of course!
2) http://www.pokerhand.org/?1238267 One of those hands where the board goes ugly on you, is betting the turn and folding to a raise okay here? Is my turn bet too weak?
Thanks again for all the comments, I will try to post on all of your blogs as well tomorrow (at work, lol). :)
Pete
Good short session
Ended up a winner on both Tilt (a few bucks) 10NL and Bodog 25NL (a buyin). I think I played really well except one hand on BOdog that was AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL and I won't let you guys see it it's so bad! :)
A few quickies for today:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1236879 Just check/fold on this flop?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1236887 Value bet this river? Any chance of getting called by a worse hand? Obvious he's scared of the board.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1236894 Opponent is aggressive and capable of check raising...is not betting the turn terrible here? Is paying off the river with the flush card hits terrible?
Thanks!
Pete
A few quickies for today:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1236879 Just check/fold on this flop?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1236887 Value bet this river? Any chance of getting called by a worse hand? Obvious he's scared of the board.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1236894 Opponent is aggressive and capable of check raising...is not betting the turn terrible here? Is paying off the river with the flush card hits terrible?
Thanks!
Pete
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Not much interesting today...
Happy 4th all. I played two short sessions today, won on Full Tilt this morning, then this afternoon lost a few bucks on FT but won on Bodog. Not much interesting in the way of hands, pretty standard. But here are a few just to see what you guys think:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1235075
By the river it's hard to imagine what I can beat unless he bets a bad ace the whole way or he was bluffing the whole time. Still someone else in the hand as well but I feel I'm getting priced in. I know I played this passively and I hate that but is there any way around that here or is my line okay?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1235082
My line okay here or any chance you try a sick value bet?
Pete
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1235075
By the river it's hard to imagine what I can beat unless he bets a bad ace the whole way or he was bluffing the whole time. Still someone else in the hand as well but I feel I'm getting priced in. I know I played this passively and I hate that but is there any way around that here or is my line okay?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1235082
My line okay here or any chance you try a sick value bet?
Pete
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
JJ from the blinds...
At home so I thought I'd dig up two trouble hands from yesterday and post them here...they involve a similar spot, playing JJ from the blinds. I know I need to three bet from the blinds more often with this hand, but I fall into the trap of just smooth calling and making sure the flop brings low cards and that's pretty weak. Anyways, here are the hands:
Hand 1: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1230490
Oh man this is bad. Since I don't repop preflop I have no idea where I am postflop, so I'm playing tentatively OOP. Obv c/c the flop is pretty bad, do you guys like a lead here or a check/raise? I put his range at something like AQs, AK, 99-KK, very slightly AA possibility. He hadn't been getting out of line in his hands so I have to put him on one of those types of hands, very likely TT or QQ, even JJ. What do you think of his small river bet? Do I have to pay this off? What can I beat that bets that small? I butchered this, please help. I freeze up with a hand like JJ to an uncharacteristic large preflop raise.
Hand 2: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1230500
NOTE: My flop call of the check/raise was a misclick! Uggh. I hadn't decided what to do yet and accidentally clicked call, so that pretty much commited me I thought.
After I did that I just thought I'd get it all in and convinced myself maybe he had something I could beat...but I beat basically nothing, even the flush got there. My question is how do you respond to his turn check/raise that is so big? 3bet again preflop? How do you play a hand like this OOP against pressure on a raggy flop?
These hands make me look so awful...I am not always this bad I swear. :)
Thanks,
Pete
Hand 1: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1230490
Oh man this is bad. Since I don't repop preflop I have no idea where I am postflop, so I'm playing tentatively OOP. Obv c/c the flop is pretty bad, do you guys like a lead here or a check/raise? I put his range at something like AQs, AK, 99-KK, very slightly AA possibility. He hadn't been getting out of line in his hands so I have to put him on one of those types of hands, very likely TT or QQ, even JJ. What do you think of his small river bet? Do I have to pay this off? What can I beat that bets that small? I butchered this, please help. I freeze up with a hand like JJ to an uncharacteristic large preflop raise.
Hand 2: http://www.pokerhand.org/?1230500
NOTE: My flop call of the check/raise was a misclick! Uggh. I hadn't decided what to do yet and accidentally clicked call, so that pretty much commited me I thought.
After I did that I just thought I'd get it all in and convinced myself maybe he had something I could beat...but I beat basically nothing, even the flush got there. My question is how do you respond to his turn check/raise that is so big? 3bet again preflop? How do you play a hand like this OOP against pressure on a raggy flop?
These hands make me look so awful...I am not always this bad I swear. :)
Thanks,
Pete
July goals...
July will be a crazy month for me as I'm really busy with work and just enjoying the summer. As I have posted before, I will get to play a lot more come late August/September. I have a big move coming up in early August and I'm house sitting for a week this month so poker may be limited until then. Also with my Bodog cashout situations, my bankroll online has been depleted. I feel like I've been treading water lately but I know soon things will be back to normal and I will do well. That said, my goals for July are:
1) Try to play for at least 30 minutes every weekday morning before work. Play at night after work when time allows.
2) Get used to playing 5 tables at once without feeling overwhelmed.
3) Post regularly on other's blogs from the CR community.
4) Reflect more on my own hands through my blog, and don't be afraid to take criticism from others...it will help me improve. There are obvious leaks in my game I need to improve upon!
5) Trust my gut more and lay down hands when I think I'm beat instead of making stubborn calls that almost never are right!
6) Try not to focus on money won/lost each session, but instead how I'm playing. Keep track of money week to week, but not session by session. Focus more on decisions, not results.
7) Post 2 hands after each session on this blog for others to analyze and critique. This will help me plug some leaks and solve some trouble spots/hands/situations.
8) Get money on to Cake and start playing there ASAP! Weak competition is good!
9) Win money!
10) Don't stress out about poker, have fun in life and don't dwell on day to day results. Stay positive!
If I can do all this I will be set...it's a tall task and probably impossible, but something to work towards at least.
Pete
1) Try to play for at least 30 minutes every weekday morning before work. Play at night after work when time allows.
2) Get used to playing 5 tables at once without feeling overwhelmed.
3) Post regularly on other's blogs from the CR community.
4) Reflect more on my own hands through my blog, and don't be afraid to take criticism from others...it will help me improve. There are obvious leaks in my game I need to improve upon!
5) Trust my gut more and lay down hands when I think I'm beat instead of making stubborn calls that almost never are right!
6) Try not to focus on money won/lost each session, but instead how I'm playing. Keep track of money week to week, but not session by session. Focus more on decisions, not results.
7) Post 2 hands after each session on this blog for others to analyze and critique. This will help me plug some leaks and solve some trouble spots/hands/situations.
8) Get money on to Cake and start playing there ASAP! Weak competition is good!
9) Win money!
10) Don't stress out about poker, have fun in life and don't dwell on day to day results. Stay positive!
If I can do all this I will be set...it's a tall task and probably impossible, but something to work towards at least.
Pete
Back...
I got back yesterday, the trip was fun and now I'm ready to get back and start playing again. I got in short sessions last night and this morning. Yesterday I won a buyin on Bodog that would have been 2 BI had I not misclicked/misplayed a hand, and lost a few bucks on Tilt. This morning I lost a quarter buy in on Bodog and lost about another buyin on Full Tilt. This is 10NL I can't beat on Tilt, but 25NL on Bodog is fine (and the play much less aggressive, lol).
I know I need to just focus and play better on Tilt and maybe it's just too many tables right now and I should cut back to 4 until I get used to it. The hand I lost a buyin on this morning was pretty stupid because I never should have been in the hand in the first place. It was the final orbit before I quit and I had played almost zero hands and was down probably a dollar just from blinds and stuff. Folded to me on the cut off I raise Q6hh to .35 and get one call from the button, a guy that had repopped me from the small blind and played pretty aggressively. The flop came 975 with two hearts. This was clearly a good flop for me with the gutshot and flush draw. I bet out .65 into the pot of .85. He immediately raises to 2.4. If he has just top pair I count 15 outs twice which makes me a favorite as long as he doesn't have Q9 (3 queens, 3 non-heart 8s, 9 hearts), so I shove in and he INSTA and I mean INSTA calls with 89ss. I brick out and I'm down another buyin.
I also played a hand really poorly on Bodog this morning. After the hand I was trying to tell myself "oh you just got cold decked" but I played it awfully, knew I was beat, and didn't lay it down. I had A4o in the BB and it was limped around and I obv checked. Flop comes A84 with two diamonds. SB checks, I lead out pot thinking that anyone at this level with an ace isn't going anywhere, and a bet out actually looks weaker than a check/raise so it's not a bad way to get value and not give any free cards. Folded back to the SB who min check raises. RUH-ROH. I call.
WHY? What hands min check raise at this level? Guys with strong aces at this level, besides likely raising preflop, do not do min check raises. He does not have AK here. So on an A84 flop, my A4 hand to his check raise, unless I have a read on him, is basically the same as AK. The only hands he's doing this with that I can think of are A8, 88, and 44. AA likely raises preflop. In a VERY rare case he has a pair and a diamond draw but that's so unlikely so even though I have a niec two pair hand, against his range of hands, what can I beat? Instead, I called his c/r, called his 2/3 pot turn bet, and the same on the river. A8 beats me, nh sir. UGH I am bad.
I am busy catching up with work stuff now that I'm back but I hope to post a lot on other people's blogs and get this Cardrunners Community thing going that I started for the low limit grinders. I will try to include more details next time but I'm not at my computer so I don't have poker tracker for the hand histories. I thank all who will comment on my hands ahead of time, and look forward to trying to help you out as well.
Pete
I know I need to just focus and play better on Tilt and maybe it's just too many tables right now and I should cut back to 4 until I get used to it. The hand I lost a buyin on this morning was pretty stupid because I never should have been in the hand in the first place. It was the final orbit before I quit and I had played almost zero hands and was down probably a dollar just from blinds and stuff. Folded to me on the cut off I raise Q6hh to .35 and get one call from the button, a guy that had repopped me from the small blind and played pretty aggressively. The flop came 975 with two hearts. This was clearly a good flop for me with the gutshot and flush draw. I bet out .65 into the pot of .85. He immediately raises to 2.4. If he has just top pair I count 15 outs twice which makes me a favorite as long as he doesn't have Q9 (3 queens, 3 non-heart 8s, 9 hearts), so I shove in and he INSTA and I mean INSTA calls with 89ss. I brick out and I'm down another buyin.
I also played a hand really poorly on Bodog this morning. After the hand I was trying to tell myself "oh you just got cold decked" but I played it awfully, knew I was beat, and didn't lay it down. I had A4o in the BB and it was limped around and I obv checked. Flop comes A84 with two diamonds. SB checks, I lead out pot thinking that anyone at this level with an ace isn't going anywhere, and a bet out actually looks weaker than a check/raise so it's not a bad way to get value and not give any free cards. Folded back to the SB who min check raises. RUH-ROH. I call.
WHY? What hands min check raise at this level? Guys with strong aces at this level, besides likely raising preflop, do not do min check raises. He does not have AK here. So on an A84 flop, my A4 hand to his check raise, unless I have a read on him, is basically the same as AK. The only hands he's doing this with that I can think of are A8, 88, and 44. AA likely raises preflop. In a VERY rare case he has a pair and a diamond draw but that's so unlikely so even though I have a niec two pair hand, against his range of hands, what can I beat? Instead, I called his c/r, called his 2/3 pot turn bet, and the same on the river. A8 beats me, nh sir. UGH I am bad.
I am busy catching up with work stuff now that I'm back but I hope to post a lot on other people's blogs and get this Cardrunners Community thing going that I started for the low limit grinders. I will try to include more details next time but I'm not at my computer so I don't have poker tracker for the hand histories. I thank all who will comment on my hands ahead of time, and look forward to trying to help you out as well.
Pete
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