My poker results have been extremely good. I have been working on trying to improve how I handle adversity, be it a bad beat or my own bad play. Last night was typical of so many of my sessions except in how I handled it. I started off jumping up 2 BI playing with some big donks. I consider just calling it a night and booking a win. (I try not to get too caught up in that as I know being a winning poker player is measured over a long period of time. All the same, it seems like booking a winning session, no matter how short, has done a lot to improve my overall outlook on poker recently, so maybe it is positive EV for the moment.) I did not quit. I continue to play and to lose almost all of it back. Normally that is when I quit. It was getting late, but I decided I had to pull myself together, take a few deep breaths, and play my A game since there were some big donks at the tables. And I did. I think the skill of noticing when I am playing marginally and turning it around is going to be a key component of my success as a poker player, so when I have been playing less than my best, I have forced myself to continue playing and try and turn it around.

Seems like I have been calling a lot of bluffs lately, so I wanted to post some of those hands.

-------------------
Hand 1
-------------------

Only four hands at the table with villain where he limped twice. He does not have a full stack, seems to be a donk.

SB ($60.70)
BB ($50.95)
UTG ($38.62)
UTG+1 ($128)
Hero ($50)
BTN ($50.20)

Dealt to Hero A Q

UTG calls $0.50, fold, Hero raises to $2.50, fold, fold, fold, UTG calls $2

FLOP ($5.75) 3 4 5

UTG bets $0.50, Hero calls $0.50

I decide to just call his weak donk out because I feel like my hand is pretty vulnerable on this board and I wouldn't be able to call a 3bet. He is giving me a great price.

TURN ($6.75) 3 4 5 Q

UTG bets $1.50, Hero raises to $5.50, UTG calls $4

With a made hand, it is an easy raise. I feel like he is trying to price himself in to hit a draw of some sort but will not fold too my raise.

RIVER ($17.75) 3 4 5 Q K

UTG bets $17.75, Hero calls $17.75

Instant psb by him on the river. I just don't think he has a lot of Kings in his range, and it is effectively a blank.

UTG shows 7 J
(Pre 36%, Flop 31.7%, Turn 9.1%)

Hero shows A Q
(Pre 64%, Flop 68.3%, Turn 90.9%)

Hero wins $50.10


------------------
Hand 2
------------------

This is only my 3rd hand with villain.

Hero ($129)
BB ($51.40)
UTG ($52.05)
UTG+1 ($116)
CO ($53.60)
BTN ($50.20)

Dealt to Hero K J

UTG calls $0.50, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to $3, fold, UTG calls $2.50

FLOP ($6.50) T J 3

Hero bets $4, UTG raises to $8, Hero calls $4

I think he has a draw here most of the time, and he is representing 33, JJ, or TT, maybe JT. I think he doesn't limp anything but 33 preflop.

TURN ($22.50) T J 3 6

Hero checks, UTG bets $11, Hero calls $11

With a half pot bet, I don't think he has a big value hand. I debate raising, but I don't absolutely know he calls with an oesd or flush draw, so i just call and give him room to bluff.

RIVER ($44.50) T J 3 6 4

Hero checks, UTG bets $30.05 (AI), Hero calls $30.05

Pretty much a blank, and I snap called this even as I was involved with a hand at another table.

Hero shows K J
(Pre 44%, Flop 82.4%, Turn 72.7%)

UTG shows 8 A
(Pre 56%, Flop 17.6%, Turn 27.3%)

Hero wins $101


------------------
Hand 3
------------------

Just 53 hands on villain here, but he is playing 35/8 and seems to be playing fairly aggressively post flop for having such a wide preflop range.

SB ($50.80)
Hero ($51.50)
UTG ($48.95)
UTG+1 ($112)
CO ($105)
BTN ($85.31)

Dealt to Hero Q Q

fold, fold, fold, BTN calls $0.50, fold, Hero raises to $3, BTN calls $2.50

FLOP ($6.25) 8 8 J

Hero bets $4.50, BTN raises to $9, Hero calls $4.50

Makes no sense, tbh. There is no flush draw, and I think he tries to get more value than a minraise out of an 8. I think he probably has a J or some kind of underpair he is turning into a bluff. Maybe 9Ts with a backdoor flush draw, but that is only 4 combos of hands.

TURN ($24.25) 8 8 J A

Hero checks, BTN bets $24.25, Hero raises to $39.50 (AI), BTN calls $15.25

I figure he either luckboxed an A or is full of it. Once I decide I am calling, I can't leave myself $15 on the river with a $75 pot. I don't think he is folding a J here anyway.

RIVER ($103) 8 8 J A J

BTN shows 7 7
(Pre 19%, Flop 8.0%, Turn 4.5%)

Hero shows Q Q
(Pre 81%, Flop 92.0%, Turn 95.5%)

Hero wins $99.75


----------------------
Hand 4
----------------------

Again, not a lot of reads on villain since it is a relatively small sample size, but he has been involved in 8 or so of the dozen hands I have seen since joining the table.

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.50(BB) Replayer
SB ($41.83)
BB ($87)
Hero ($52.60)
BTN ($74.20)

Dealt to Hero Q Q

Hero raises to $1.75, fold, fold, BB calls $1.25

FLOP ($3.75) T T J

BB checks, Hero bets $3, BB calls $3

TURN ($9.75) T T J 7

BB bets $3.50, Hero raises to $11, BB calls $7.50

Looks like he is trying to buy a cheap river and hit his draw. He doesn't seem like the type of player to fold a draw, any draw, at this point. I think I could have made it a little more than $11, tbh.

RIVER ($31.75) T T J 7 6

BB bets $21.50, Hero calls $21.50

This was a super quick river donk out. He didn't even have a chance to process the river card, imo. I think he donks bigger on the turn and 3bets my raise with a made flush or 89, so I am treating this as a blank

BB shows 8 K
(Pre 28%, Flop 15.8%, Turn 31.8%)

Hero shows Q Q
(Pre 72%, Flop 84.2%, Turn 68.2%)

Hero wins $72.25


---------------------
Hand 5
---------------------

Villain is 69/20/3.1

SB ($123)
BB ($25)
UTG ($53.60)
UTG+1 ($50.71)
CO ($73.33)
Hero ($71.35)

Dealt to Hero Q 8

fold, fold, CO calls $0.50, Hero raises to $2.50, fold, fold, CO calls $2

I ended up playing really loose at this table, but it is because villain is limp/calling such a wide range that I chose to isolate, and the blinds have been giving me zero problems preflop.

FLOP ($5.75) A Q K

CO checks, Hero bets $3, CO calls $3

I actually don't like this bet as it is for super duper thin value and I only have 3rd pair and a backdoor flush draw. I think the sizing leaves a little to be desired as well.

TURN ($11.75) A Q K 8

CO checks, Hero bets $8.50, CO calls $8.50

Happily, I hit two pair and I don't think villain is folding an A or K or Q, so I bet for value.

RIVER ($28.75) A Q K 8 4

CO checks, Hero bets $11, CO raises to $22, Hero calls $11

I think I should be betting bigger for value and folding to a raise. I wanted to price in a call from a weak ace or a K, but in reality, villain isn't looking at the size of my bet and making a decision. Now when minraised, I can't tell if it is because I induced it with a small bet or villain has me beat. I figure I am priced in to call and villain is bad enough to do this with hands that I beat once in a while.

CO shows A 4
(Pre 56%, Flop 76.3%, Turn 18.2%)

Hero shows Q 8
(Pre 44%, Flop 23.7%, Turn 81.8%)

CO wins $69.25


Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ