Turning Stone



For those not familiar, TS is an 18+ casino near Syracuse, NY that has occasional poker tournament series. I'm 22 now so I don't really have any good reason to go, especially since the main event in this series is a $1500, but I get to hang out with some friends I don't normally see much and actually enjoy the hotel itself so why not. A typical day here is just waking up whenever I want, ordering room service brunch, playing poker live or online, maybe going to the spa or bowling or basketball, going to dinner, then drinking and seeing what happens. It's good times. I'll be playing a $750 tourney tomorrow and a $1500 on Saturday.

Last night I went to dinner at Wildflowers, the more upscale/pretentious (and also best) restaurant here, with 6 people including charder30 and PSUtennis. While at dinner they decided on a modified $500 last longer in the $350 tourney being run today. The conditions are that they can never fold preflop for less than 10bb at any point, and if they ever pick up a pocket pair they just have to open jam preflop. I was supposed to get in this bet too but backed out because of inconvenience. Just got a text...charder is still in and psu lost. Apparently Argentinaboy (online tourney player) found out the rules of the bet, iso'd psu to 10x, and psu tilt shoved over it and lost ahahaha


Online

I've played a couple sessions since I've been here. I don't use a tracker on my laptop since I'm an idiot, but I'm up 4k playing almost all 10/20 over probably a couple thousand hands.

Someone IM'd me a fairly interesting hand yesterday. I'm rooming with kingsofcards here and we ended up having a nice chat about the turn play. Here's the ghetto HH:

5/10 NLHE, 6-handed, UTG and Hero both have $2k effective

Hero is CO with KQ

Laggy but supposedly good reg running 36/25 raises UTG to $30, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls in CO, Btn folds, SB calls, BB calls

Flop (pot $120) - KJ6 rainbow

UTG bets $75, Hero calls, SB folds, BB folds

Turn (pot $270) - Q

UTG checks, Hero bets $180, UTG raises to $460...

me: seems like a good spot to c/r with the nuts since our turn bet range is like 2pair+

koc: yeah but then people fold to the c/r a lot because it's crazy to be bluffing there and 2barreling is just better since pair+straight draw and stuff that checks behind won't fold to a bet.

me: i guess it depends on how good everyone is, the guy who sent me the hand called turn without thinking much about it, not realizing KQ is middle/bottom of his range after he bets the turn. i guess good players fold turn with KQ and QJ but you don't see it that much. so i guess vs. someone whos play i respect i could 3barrel, and vs. weaker players i could c/r turn with sets or straights.

koc: true, i also think preflop is a 3bet or fold and calling is pretty bad there with KQo unless a fish is behind.

me: agree

Then we got into discussion about if we aren't flatting stupid hands like KQo and QJo preflop how many KQs and QJs are in our range compared to like 66 and ATs w/ flopped backdoor flush draw. Our turn betting range is so small and strong...it's probably even better to check behind QJ and KQ for deception against a good opponent, because it's not like they'll really c/c with worse after leading into 3 people on the flop and checking a turn that hits our range hard.

In the end, I think it's gonna be right to have a more polarized range and bet the turn with 66, ATs, JT, QT, KT, and check behind QJ and KQ because while UTG almost definitely has something leading that flop into 3 people, after he checks he's most likely getting scared with a weaker hand, or he just has AT or a set. So turning hands like JT and QT into bluffs where he'd expect you to check them behind seems good here. In the actual HH my buddy called the turn, then folded a brick river when UTG put him allin for $1500 into $1175 or something.


For the rest of the day my only plans are a massage and dinner. Hopefully something like 10/25 runs in the poker room but it's not thaaat likely on a Wednesday. I'll post in another day or 2 with $750 tourney and online/live cash updates.