Having a guest staying with us is really cutting into my poker time. I am ok with that for another week, but I know that the end of July and the beginnning of August will be a definite boot camp if I hope to be playing well enough to make it at 100nl. I played a short session a few days ago and really liked how I played with the exception of one hand which I will go into detail on after this short update.

I am feeling much better and seem to be 100% over my food poisoning. I am keeping my healthier eating habits for the most part and it feels good to be out riding my bike again 4 mornings per week. Everything is so much better when I get that exercise in. I have been keeping to the same two of routes along a paved trail that runs behind my house and timing myself to see how I am doing. It is really a good indicator of where my head and body are at for the day. Some days I really push myself the whole 40 minutes, some days I phone it in on the way back. Some days it seems hard just to get going. I think there is something to learn there about playing poker and my performance. Maybe I will write more on this as I get more into it.

I will be in Yosemite with the family and our guest Sunday/Monday. We will stay in a hotel outside the park and just drive in. I used to go every year when I was little, but it has been a good 15 years since I have been there. Obviously looking forward to introducing my kids to such a beautiful place. Maybe I will try and post some pics for a TR.

Here is the hand and my analysis of where I went wrong and why:


SB ($22.57)
BB ($52)
Hero ($91.64)
CO ($20.82)
BTN ($64.47)

Dealt to Hero 9 K

Both the blinds are pretty much donks, the short stack in the SB in particular. The player in CO is pretty bluffy and I think hitting a K is the nuts against him because he will be playing worse hands very aggro. Otherwise, normally I just fold this in MP.

Hero raises to $1.75, fold, BTN calls $1.75, fold, fold

FLOP ($4.25) 9 8 J

BTN is 21/12, here is what I put his preflop calling range as:

{TT-22,AQs-A8s,KTs+,QTs+,JTs,T9s,98s,87s,76s,AQo-ATo,KJo+,QJo} and I have 51% equity against him.

Hero bets $3, BTN calls $3

When he calls, I am putting him on pair+draw type hands and Tx. I think he raises sets and straights. I am debating right now if he raises bottom two pair, maybe, but I am showing a lot of strength betting into him oop on such a connected board. The equity difference is minimal at any rate, so I will leave it in:

{TT,77,AQs-A9s,KTs+,QJs,JTs,T9s,98s,87s,76s,AJo,KJo+,QJo} and my equity drops to 39%

TURN ($10.25) 9 8 J 2

Hero bets $6, BTN calls $6

When I bet the turn, I pretty much fold out things that I am ahead of and leave combo draws from suited diamond hands with a gutshot and top pair hands.

{TT,AdQd,AdJd,AdTd,Ad9d,KdQd,KJs,KdTd,QdJd,JdTd,Td9d,98s,87s,7d6d,AJo,KJo} and my equity is 22%. On the flop, I knew this would happen, and I would have to fire 3 barrels on this board to push him off hands that beat me.

RIVER ($22.25) 9 8 J 2 J

Probably the nut worst card looking back on it. Top pair is no longer folding, and all the suited diamonds are calling a reasonable bet. My range is uncapped, and I can have a full house here, but let's face it, villain is looking at the strength of his hand right now and not at my range. He folds or checks through everything I beat.

Hero bets $17.50, BTN calls $17.50

I wondered why I bet afterwards and this is what I think. Postflop, I develop a plan on the flop and stick with it without evaluating villain's range specifically or how the run out of the board affects it. In a similar hand in the forums, I advocated c/f the flop, but dougiedan and maximus said we were giving up too much equity and a bet was warranted. In the end I agree with them, and I think my work above supports that decision on the flop. I think betting 1 or 3 streets is appropriate, too as betting the turn with so little equity against what calls me without firing a 3rd barrel to fold out better is burning money. But if I evaluated more specifically the reasoning behind this in regards to his range, then I would not be firing this third barrel because it strengthens his range on the turn so much. This is definitely a check/fold as he is not bluffing on this board with worse than second pair.

BTN shows J A
(Pre 66%, Flop 78.3%, Turn 88.6%)

Hero shows 9 K
(Pre 34%, Flop 21.7%, Turn 11.4%)

BTN wins $53.90

In the end it was a winning session which helps me feel a little better, but again, the fact that I am consoling myself with that means I am not focusing on the most important thing, which is my level of play.

Here is a hand where I think I played well vs. someone with not terrible preflop stats (20/15) but obviously has some postflop leaks.


SB ($18.07)
BB ($50)
UTG ($90.12)
UTG+1 ($22.32)
CO ($51.25)
Hero ($66.19)

Dealt to Hero A A

fold, UTG+1 calls $0.50, fold, Hero raises to $2.50, fold, BB calls $2, UTG+1 calls $2

FLOP ($7.75) 8 4 4

BB bets $4.50, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls $4.50

TURN ($16.75) 8 4 4 7

BB bets $10.50, Hero calls $10.50

RIVER ($37.75) 8 4 4 7 2

BB checks, Hero bets $48.69 (AI), BB calls $32.50 (AI)

Hero shows A A
(Pre 80%, Flop 90.0%, Turn 86.4%)

BB shows 6 6
(Pre 20%, Flop 10.0%, Turn 13.6%)

Hero wins $99.25

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ