Been going over some hands from my last session. I feel a lot better about dropping three buy ins having reviewed my play and finding it not as bad as I thought. I think I spewed into some 20bb pots, and I will go ahead and review those hands much more closely in the coming week. Finished the microgroup coaching generously offered by Steel108. I learned a lot and look forward to paying it forward when I am a baller 200nl player.

Last week I woke up at the crack of dawn and hustled my kids out to a pub in Oakland that was open for breakfast and the U.S. World Cup game. The place was packed, and even though it was before 7am, people were already drinking. I am not sure my kids (ages 3 and 6) knew what to make of it other than it wasn't a place where their mother would take them. I plan on doing the same thing tomorrow, and I think my Mom wants to come, too. Hopefully she can help a little with the kids and buy me a little more time watching the game instead of wiping noses and passing out snacks.

Here are the hands. I am going to watch the second half of the Argentina/Greece game.


Hand 1

Small blind is 39/12

SB ($50.40)
Hero ($113)
CO ($99.60)
BTN ($100)

Dealt to Hero 5 3

fold, fold, SB raises to $1, Hero calls $0.50

I am not quite sure what to make of the min open. Villain is short stacked and pricing me in to hit on the flop, so I just call. I think calling with medium to low SC is fine, but with a one gapper I can start thinking about 3betting and realizing my FE if I think he ever folds to a 3bet. still, the price is so good, calling is fine, imo.



FLOP ($2) 7 4 7

SB bets $2, Hero raises to $6.50, SB calls $4.50

Here I don't think I have enough equity to flat his cbet, so I opt to raise and barrel any diamond, 2, Ace, or 6 (obv). I think I fold out a lot of weak Aces, random overcards, and I can fold out some small pocket pairs and a weak 4 with a second barrel. That range has like 65% equity against me, so a fold would be a victory


TURN ($15) 7 4 7 7

SB checks, Hero checks

Possibly the worst card in the deck is what I thought at the time. If I put villain on a lot of random overcards, though, I think I should continue to barrel and he gives me credit for a full house. I don't think he ever folds a pair, now, though, so I put on the brakes.



RIVER ($15) 7 4 7 7 J

SB checks, Hero checks



SB shows Q 4
(Pre 57%, Flop 69.3%, Turn 90.9%)

Hero shows 5 3
(Pre 43%, Flop 30.7%, Turn 9.1%)

SB wins $13.75

Hand 2


Villain is 42/22, playing very aggressively.


SB ($40.85)
BB ($57.25)
UTG ($60.30)
Hero ($53.75)
CO ($72.78)
BTN ($40)

Dealt to Hero T J

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



I would like the open better if it was JTs, but the SB is also a big donk and a passive one at that, so I decided to open the hand.

FLOP ($4.25) 4 T 5

Hero bets $3, BTN raises to $6, Hero calls $3



Villain reps a very narrow range for value here, six combos of 44 and 55, and one combo of TT and 45. Interesting to note that I am more correct making this call with a T than an overpair, which would add two more possible combos of TT to his range. There are a lot of draws on the flop, spades,67, 78, A2, 23 (not out of the realm of possibility, imo). I don't think I can rule out a stronger Ten at this point, either. I call, giving him more of a liklihood of having a draw than a strong made hand.

TURN ($16.25) 4 T 5 9

Hero checks, BTN bets $8.12, Hero calls $8.12



Turn is pretty much a blank, and his half pot bet makes me think he is pretty weak and I have the best hand.


RIVER ($32.49) 4 T 5 9 A

Hero checks, BTN bets $24.13 (AI), Hero calls $24.13

In my group coaching session last night, Marvin said this was a call. I was worried about Axss hands getting there on the river, but since many of the draws missed, maybe a call is best. It is certainly not beyond villain to fire three barrels with complete air.

Hand 3


Villain is 21/10. I include this hand mostly because it is a bad beat.


SB ($45.75)
Hero ($98.25)
UTG ($52.95)
UTG+1 ($108)
CO ($103)
BTN ($24.15)

Dealt to Hero A J

UTG calls $0.50, fold, fold, fold, SB calls $0.25, Hero raises to $3, UTG calls $2.50, fold

FLOP ($6.50) 5 5 A

Hero bets $5, UTG calls $5

TURN ($16.50) 5 5 A 3

Hero bets $13, UTG calls $13

RIVER ($42.50) 5 5 A 3 6

Hero bets $77.25 (AI), UTG calls $31.95 (AI)

Hero shows A J
(Pre 27%, Flop 24.2%, Turn 14.8%)

UTG shows Q A
(Pre 73%, Flop 75.8%, Turn 85.2%)

UTG wins $102

Completely standard, imo. I think he calls the river with worse Aces, even if he folds 22,44,77-TT.


Hand 4

UTG is a 50/10 donk
MP is relatively unknown, but playing around 22/17 and fairly aggro, with fairly tight opening ranges UTG and MP so far.

SB ($38.95)
Hero ($50)
UTG ($105)
CO ($62.65)
BTN ($57.35)

Dealt to Hero Q Q

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

Preflop, I think MP isolates pretty wide, and if I 3bet I get a lot of folds. I would like a 3bet better if villains' positions were reversed and the taggish player folds a lot with the donk left to act behind him. I think my hand has more set value oop, and I am not liking a fourbet vs. pretty much an unknown.



FLOP ($7.75) T Q 6

Hero bets $5.25, UTG folds, CO raises to $15.50, Hero raises to $33.25, CO raises to $60.15 (AI), Hero calls $14.25 (AI)

TURN ($102) T Q 6 8

RIVER ($102) T Q 6 8 5

Hero shows Q Q
(Pre 18%, Flop 64.1%, Turn 77.3%)

CO shows K K
(Pre 82%, Flop 35.9%, Turn 22.7%)

Hero wins $99.25


I opt to lead the flop. I think the donk to my left calls as light as Qx or Tx no diamonds and I intend to valuetown him. When he folds and I get raised, I think he has an overpair with or maybe without a diamond, Axdd, Kxdd Ad with a straight draw or a smaller set.

{AcAd,AdAh,AdAs,KcKd,KdKh,KdKs,TT,66,AdKd,AdJd,AdTd,KdJd,AcKd,AdKc,AdKh,AdKs,AhK d,AsKd,AdQc,AdQh,AdQs,AsQh,AcJd,AdJc,AdJh,AdJs,AhJd,AsJd,AsJh,KdQc,KdQh,KdQs,KcJ d,KdJc,KdJh,KdJs,KhJd,KsJd}

I am doing fairly well against this range, around 67%. I choose to get it in and I hold. I think I can just shove over his flop raise as I am never bluffing the turn with so little behind, and he is probably not folding the turn if with the pot so big.

Hand 5


Villain is 43/8, and I come along this line a lot by donks of his type where they call the flop with a draw and then lead or shove a blank turn.


SB ($17.25)
[/color]BB ($6.88)
UTG ($88.05)
UTG+1 ($58.45)
CO ($153)
Hero ($53.35)

Dealt to Hero K T

fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to $1.50, SB calls $1.25, fold

FLOP ($3.50) 7 T 2

SB checks, Hero bets $2.50, SB calls $2.50

TURN ($8.50) 7 T 2 8

SB bets $8.50, Hero raises to $49, SB calls $4.75 (AI)

I snap shoved because if he had a flush he would have c/r ai on the turn or c/r the flop, so I figured he had a flush draw. I guess I pay off 78 and J9 here, but his range is so wide preflop, those two hands make up a very small percentage of possible combinations compared to how many naked Kings or Aces of clubs.



RIVER ($35) 7 T 2 8 6

Hero shows K T
(Pre 26%, Flop 55.3%, Turn 75.0%)

SB shows Q K
(Pre 74%, Flop 44.7%, Turn 25.0%)

Hero wins $32.75