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...

Here is the first hand I played against villain, I didn't have any reads or a decent sample size for preflop stats.

SB ($9.50)
BB ($68.45)
UTG ($49.65)
UTG+1 ($46.47)
CO ($127)
Hero ($54.70)

Dealt to Hero 8 K

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

Preflop raiser is pretty bad. He has a fairly tight opening range, but he prices me in and I thought the BB would call too.

FLOP ($4.25) 6 9 2

BB checks, UTG+1 checks, CO checks, Hero bets $3, BB raises to $8.50, UTG+1 folds, CO folds, Hero raises to $19.50, BB raises to $62.75, Hero calls $34.20 (AI)

When he check raises, I tell myself it is fine to stack off here and he could be doing this with worse. Probability said if I think he has air ever, I could flat the raise and get it in on the turn.

TURN ($111) 6 9 2 9

RIVER ($111) 6 9 2 9 J

BB shows 2 T
(Pre 34%, Flop 2.8%, Turn 9.1%)

Hero shows 8 K
(Pre 66%, Flop 97.2%, Turn 90.9%)

Hero wins $108

I was pretty surprised to see what he took this line with, tbh. A few orbits later, I had this hand against him:

Hero ($98.90)
BB ($78.75)
UTG ($43.50)
CO ($47.22)
BTN ($122)

Dealt to Hero K 7

fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to $1.50, BB calls $1

At this time, villain was playing 32/19, and so I think this is an easy fold preflop. I don't think we are deep enough or I have a big enough edge to play this properly most of the time. It also goes against my focus on playing stronger ranges.

FLOP ($3) T 3 6

Hero bets $2, BB calls $2

If I have any fold equity, I think it is on the flop. I would love to take this down with K high.

TURN ($7) T 3 6 7

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

I think I could bet the turn, but once my hand is made, I decide to c/c for value based on villain's previous hand. He played such a marginal hand so aggressively, that I think he bets when checked too with almost all of his air and any draws in his range, and will continue to play aggressively on the river, probably especially if a heart falls. So I decide to c/c twice. Idk, maybe he calls my bet (which would have been bigger) here and I can c/c the river. But because of how marginal his hand was previously, I think he is just thinking about trying to get me to fold with his air as well as weak made hands and draws. He isn't polarizing his range for aggression post flop or anything like that.

RIVER ($13) T 3 6 7 T

Hero checks, BB bets $7.50, Hero calls $7.50

The ten on the river makes it less likely he has a ten and more likely he has a busted flush draw or some other bluff.

BB shows Q K
(Pre 70%, Flop 54.7%, Turn 6.8%)

Hero shows K 7
(Pre 30%, Flop 45.3%, Turn 93.2%)

Hero wins $26.10



Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

It is taking forever to upload photos, so I will bypass the Yosemite TR until I can get that to work out.

My last two sessions playing have been a little on the meh side.

Here is a hand I played HU at the end of my session Tuesday night. I think I should have folded the flop. We had only been playing HU for four hands or so, but had a fairly aggressive dynamic. Preflop is fine since I am IP and we are deep. On the flop, I am pretty much hoping for AK or other unpaired overs. (Villain 3bets 13% when playing 4 handed, so this isn't necessarily overly optimistic, but I don't think he bets that entire range.) 88 is not the greatest hand to call with as I have so little equity vs. his entire range. When reviewing this hand the next day, my HEM had assigned me a whale icon based on my stats when playing HU after 350 hands or so.


SB ($97.91)
Hero ($95.18)

Dealt to Hero 8 8

Hero raises to $1.70, SB raises to $4.90, Hero calls $3.20

FLOP ($10) J 2 T

SB bets $6, Hero calls $6

TURN ($22) J 2 T 8
SB bets $5, Hero raises to $20.50, SB calls $15.50

RIVER ($63) J 2 T 8 4

SB checks, Hero bets $63.68 (AI), SB calls $63.68

SB shows K J
(Pre 46%, Flop 89.6%, Turn 0.0%)

Hero shows 8 8
(Pre 54%, Flop 10.4%, Turn 100.0%)

Hero wins $189

I kind of like when villain tanks, calls, and immediately leaves the table. But I think that is being pretty results oriented.

Here is the worst hand I played yesterday. Villain is 53/6

SB ($18.75)
BB ($77.67)
Hero ($52)
UTG+1 ($20.50)
CO ($44.65)
BTN ($25)

Dealt to Hero 6 6

Hero raises to $1.75, fold, fold, fold, SB calls $1.50, fold

FLOP ($4) J K 6

SB bets $1, Hero raises to $4, SB calls $3

TURN ($12) J K 6 J

SB bets $1, Hero calls $1

I really felt like he had a single spade and was trying to buy a cheap river, and after filling up, I decided I would just call and shove any river. I was rooting for another spade to fall. However, it would be waaaayyy smarter to get my money in now as villain will call with a draw.

RIVER ($14) J K 6 J K

SB checks, Hero bets $45.25 (AI), SB calls $12 (AI)

Here I follow through with my plan to shove any river on the worst river card possible. Obviously villain only calls with a K or a J now. I think he is bad enough to call with Ace high once in a while, but the money should have gone in on the turn for sure.

Hero shows 6 6
(Pre 53%, Flop 68.1%, Turn 90.9%)

SB shows Q K
(Pre 47%, Flop 31.9%, Turn 9.1%)

SB wins $35.60


Today I really feelt like playing poker, but I didn't feel like playing because I feelt calm and sharp and was going to crush. I feltl like playing because I have been winning and I want to continue winning. I am learning that there is a distinct difference and how to tell one from the other. I think I will play one table and concentrate on playing a stronger range, and just quit if I am not playing well.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

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

Poker wise, I haven't had a lot going on. I had a small vacation and was away from my computer for a good week. I have just started answering hands in the forums, and things seem a lot clearer to me, so I am happy I had a break. The small stakes forum doesn't seem so hard as it seemed two months ago. I am actually surprised at how few hands get posted, and can't wait to get to 100nl so I can just light it on fire. I think a lot of how I am feeling analytically comes from an absence of the stress of playing. I am not saying anything genius in the forums, don't get me wrong, but answering hands is more like an exercise in analytics rather than a referendum on how good I am as a poker player (which is kind of what I turned it into for myself in the past, I just realized). I don't plan on playing much in July because:

a) I went on a fairly rapid 6 BI downswing while playing fairly well and I am starting to feel underrolled for 50nl, and
b) we have a French teenager staying with us for the next 3 weeks and we have to show him around and help him learn to speak English a little more proficiently.

As far as the downswing is concerned, I think i can chalk up a half a buy in to tilt. At first I thought that wasn't bad, but after thinking about it, if I am going to dump 1 BI for every 11 I lose while playing correctly, then poker just doesn't seem like a viable option for me financially. At work, when my manager and I do inventory and look at waste and how it affects our cost of sales percentage, we are dealing with fractions of percentage points, sometimes whole percentage points. I think most businesses are probably on the same level. Anywhere where you have ten percent waste you are just bleeding profits. So I just decided to cool off a little and gain some perspective, think more about the game and decision making process and not money. When I start playing again, I will let you know if it worked.

As far as the 14 year old is concerned, I met him when he was 6 in Paris, and I taught him English in exchange for a place to stay. He is very polite and understanding with my kids (who will not let him alone). He is a little bit shy, but less and less so. It is his first time leaving France or going anyplace without his family, so this is a big deal for him. Also, I have a free place to stay in Paris (I am dying to go back) and I plan on shipping my kids off to his family for a few weeks every year when they are old enough.

So I went camping with the family while everyone else was in Vegas. Camping was nice, but everything is so much more difficult with two little kids, it is really tempting just to stay at home where we are all set up to deal with their needs. My kids had a great time, though, and I guess that is why we went and will continue to go camping. I got a pretty nasty case of food poisoning.

My wife: "I don't think we should eat this salami, it doesn't look right."

Me: "The salami is fine."

The salami was not fine. I spent the rest of the afternoon and most of the night making sure I was not far from the bathrooms at the campsite. I spent a small amount of time reflecting on the act of puking. I have not done it a lot in my life. In fact, I have had a long dry spell since the fifth grade when I got a hold of some bad fried chicken and potato salad. Last weekend, mid-puke, it struck me that "blowing chunks" was fairly precise in terms of describing the act itself. Also, once I had made my mind up that puking was definitely in my future, once I had kind of accepted it, I pretty much just had to assume the position in front of the porcelain goddess and my body took care of the rest. It is one of those odd physiological functions that just seizes control of your body. Very visceral, almost primal. I think there are people out there who spend a lot of time trying to bring this condition onto themselves because they want to lose control or feel an emotional release. I wonder if anorexia has this type of dynamic, or if it is something else altogether. Anyway, those were my thoughts on puking.

I felt much better the next day, and resumed my normal eating habits, but the day after that, it was very clear that I had to take it easy for a while because I have been semi-nauseous to some degree ever since. I think I will be losing a ton of weight for the next few weeks as I can only really stomach plain bread and rice and salad. The idea of eating something richer makes me queasy. If you want to win some money on a weight loss challenge, food poisoning is the way to go, imo.

That's all for now.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

I stayed at home to watch the World Cup today. I just couldn't drag my kids out to watch it in a pub again, and it would have been harder to get a seat, I think, since the start time was later. It would have been nice to not have given up a goal in the first 5 minutes, and we were playing catch up the whole game. I was ecstatic when Donovan scored on the penalty kick, and the U.S. was looking strong for most of the second half, but Ghana came back and won it in extended time (again scoring in the first five minutes...). I was happy we just got out of the Group play, tbh, but really wanted to make it to the next round (and a show down with South Korea--also a loser in this round-- would have been perfect because our countries are such sporting rivals what with the Olympic speed skating and all).

Pretty swingy all in all. Yesterday I lost 3.5 BI in an hour running 3 BI under EV and was in a pretty foul mood. I won't be playing very much the next week, or even the next month due to some vacation plans with the family and a guest from overseas. I will be spending my poker time grinding out some analysis like the following hands (I tried to make it an easier format to read than my last post):


Hand 1

SB ($106)
Hero ($51.50)
[/color]CO ($55.95)
BTN ($40.50)

Dealt to Hero K 7

CO raises to $1.50, BTN calls $1.50, SB calls $1.25, Hero raises to $8, fold, fold, SB calls $6.50

Preflop, I like this squeeze coz the opener opens like 23% from the CO and folds often enough and the BtN is like 24/4 and folding pretty often too. SB is relatively new, but seems kind of bad. It is not a tragedy if he calls and I am IP.

FLOP ($19) 4 6 J

SB checks, Hero bets $15, SB raises to $30, Hero raises to $43.50 (AI), SB calls $13.50

I bet big for max fold equity, planning on bet/calling. I think I can count 3 outs for my K, and 9 for the flush draw. I have a backdoor straight draw, too, so probably like 50% equity. The minraise is puzzling, but I am pretty committed by my cbet sizing so I just get it in.

TURN ($106) 4 6 J 8

RIVER ($106) 4 6 J 8 4

SB shows J A
(Pre 63%, Flop 53.4%, Turn 65.9%)

Hero shows K 7
(Pre 37%, Flop 46.6%, Turn 34.1%)

SB wins $103

Hand 2

Same donk. I now know he is playing 56/25/1.9
Very tilting hand.


SB ($57)
BB ($10)
UTG ($32)
UTG+1 ($114)
Hero ($50)
BTN ($97.95)

Dealt to Hero A A

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

FLOP ($5.75) T K 3

UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $4, UTG+1 raises to $8, Hero raises to $18.50, UTG+1 calls $10.50

I think I can 3bet a lot bigger here. Probably closer to $22. He is never folding a K (see the hand above) and I should make the draws pay.


TURN ($42.75) T K 3 9

UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $29 (AI), UTG+1 calls $29

Maybe I would worry if he open shipped the turn, but once he checks this is an easy shove.


RIVER ($100) T K 3 9 K

UTG+1 shows K 2
(Pre 15%, Flop 21.2%, Turn 9.1%)

Hero shows A A
(Pre 85%, Flop 78.8%, Turn 90.9%)

UTG+1 wins $97.25

Hand 3

BtN is 64/12

Hero ($61.71)
[/color]BB ($11.94)
UTG ($34.40)
UTG+1 ($86.50)
CO ($55.22)
BTN ($23.21)

Dealt to Hero A K

UTG calls $0.50, fold, fold, BTN calls $0.50, Hero raises to $3.50, fold, fold, BTN calls $3

Standard preflop.

FLOP ($8) Q 4 4

Hero bets $4.50, BTN calls $4.50

I am meh on the cbet sizing. I think I can bet a lot bigger here since I have good equity against most of his calling range. It would make for an easier ship on any diamond, A, or K, J, or T turn.

TURN ($17) Q 4 4 5

Hero bets $53.71 (AI), BTN calls $15.21 (AI)

I am giving myself 15 outs here, and villain has only $15 left, so I think it is an easy shove because it is about break even by the numbers and at the time I thought that I could have some fold equity to boot. Later, though, considering villain's stats, I thought I could just check because I don't know what he folds here. If I check, he most likely checks behind without a made flush and it will be hard to get paid if I hit on the river.

RIVER ($47.42) Q 4 4 5 7

Hero shows A K
(Pre 60%, Flop 28.8%, Turn 31.8%)

BTN shows Q J
(Pre 40%, Flop 71.2%, Turn 68.2%)

BTN wins $44.57

Hand 4

Here is my one tilt hand of the day which I played shortly after getting rivered in Hand 2.
Villain has opened 3 of the 4 hands I have on him since sitting at the table.

SB ($54.40)
BB ($23.37)
UTG ($118)
CO ($93.80)
Hero ($54.25)

Dealt to Hero K Q

fold, fold, Hero raises to $1.50, fold, BB raises to $4.75, Hero calls $3.25

The problem is that he is so short. I should just be 4betting to get it in if I think he 3bets super light or folding. Even if he is 3betting and shoving with 99+, AQ+, and KQ+, I am only at like 32% equity. I call telling myself that if I hit a Q or a K, my play is easy. But really I was just in no mood to fold KQ.

FLOP ($9.75) Q 8 A

BB bets $9.75, Hero raises to $49.50 (AI), BB calls $8.87 (AI)

Well I hit my Q. I think I can just fold when he pots it, because I think he has an Ace or AQ or QQ almost always there, and not 99-JJ.

TURN ($46.99) Q 8 A 6

RIVER ($46.99) Q 8 A 6 K

BB shows Q A
(Pre 74%, Flop 98.1%, Turn 100.0%)

Hero shows K Q
(Pre 26%, Flop 1.9%, Turn 0.0%)

BB wins $44.19

I stopped playing after this hand, wisely I think.

Hand 5

This is a hand from the previous day.
Villain is 13/9, not a lot of hands on him.Two donks behind me.

SB ($100)
BB ($55.45)
UTG ($53.05)
Hero ($59.90)
CO ($25.17)
BTN ($82.37)

Dealt to Hero Q A

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

Preflop, calling seemed to be the only decent play. Folding is too tight, 3betting probably not great as there are no better hands I fold out except smaller to medium pps. But those comprise maybe 35% of his possible opening combos.

...

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...

I could not believe how the World Cup game between Slovenia and the U.S. turned out. So unfair, but I guess that is soccer. I got up early with my kids and went to a pub to watch, and they were really into it until the U.S. scored in the second half and the place went berserk. We ended up leaving before the end of the game.

I haven't played a lot of poker, but today dropped 3 BI. I think I made some mistakes in medium sized pots, but I got rivered after correctly calling two streets of bluffs like three times, and just wasn't hitting enough cards in general. I finally have enough hands with questionable plays to make a real study of my game, though, so I will be doing that for most of the next week, right here in my blog. I am sure I will find a lot of opportunities to fold.

Looking forward to Father's Day tomorrow.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

Probability told me I need to step up my posting game, and he is right. I am on my 13th straight day of work and I should probably not be playing very much. The point was proven to me early last week. The plan now is to answer all the forum posts in the Small Stakes session, and bring this blog back to a discussion of poker hands, theory, etc. I will only play when I feel absolutely sure I am at the top of my game, and even then, prolly only two tables at a time. At the end of the summer I will start playing 100nl. I have dabbled a bit in that stake, and truth be told, it doesn't seem all that much harder than what I am playing now (50nl). I will have to get into some hands homework style like I did at the beginning of the year as it really helped how I think about the game.

Contrary to that commitment I made to myself, I did spend a couple of hours watching the USA play England in the World Cup today. The wife and kids were at a birthday party that coincided with the kickoff time, so I wished them all well as they piled into the car and then headed to a bar to drink a pint of Guinness and watch the game. Honestly, the bar was not too crowded, but when the U.S. luckboxed a goal near the end of the first half, the whole place erupted in shouts. We seemed pretty clumsy and a bit lazy on defense in the first half and it was embarrassing to give up a goal inside of the first 4 minutes. But we came out in the second half firing and managed to withstand several blistering attacks late in the game by England. We should be pretty happy with a draw, tbh. Hopefully we will get out of group play and into the next round by mopping up Algeria and Slovenia. England looked fairly sharp, but I wouldn't expect Green to be starting the next game. The English coach is a snappy dresser, and he got a lot of TV time replaying his reactions. The U.S. coach could have been the equipment manager the way he was dressed.

Now for some poker hands.


Hand 1


SB ($51.25)
BB ($99.03)
UTG ($58.98)
Hero ($57.95)
BTN ($52)

Dealt to Hero Q Q

fold, Hero raises to $1.75, BTN raises to $4, fold, fold, [color=red]Hero raises to $9.75, BTN raises to $16, Hero...

First of all, I think the preflop min 3bet is pretty polarizing. In my experience this is often A9o or something like that, but frequently AA or KK played for the least amount of value possible. I could easily call the 3bet oop and be priced in to hit a set or call down three streets without stacking off. When he min5bets, I think this is usually KK+ with some random bluffs mixed in. I think I can fold and feel good about myself most of the time except that he had 3bet twice in his first three hands and was probably some kind of maniac with odd ideas about poker who will get it in with much much worse. I shoved, he had AA, I did not suck out. I think I like a flat instead. I also like shorter sessions because at the beginning of my session, I think I would have played it a little better.

Hand 2
Villain is 43/16 and very aggro/bluffy.


SB ($50.10)
BB ($115)
UTG ($35.60)
UTG+1 ($40.03)
Hero ($73.20)
BTN ($35.30)

Dealt to Hero K Q

fold, UTG+1 calls $0.50, Hero raises to $2.50, fold, SB calls $2.25, fold, UTG+1 calls $2

FLOP ($8) 6 Q 9

SB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets $4.50, SB folds, UTG+1 raises to $15, Hero calls $10.50

TURN ($38) 6 Q 9 J

UTG+1 bets $22.53 (AI), Hero calls $22.53

RIVER ($83.06) 6 Q 9 J 6

UTG+1 shows 8 3
(Pre 34%, Flop 38.6%, Turn 20.5%)

Hero shows K Q
(Pre 66%, Flop 61.4%, Turn 79.5%)

UTG+1 wins $80.06

I snap called his turn shove as I had seen him bluff shove on the river with A high into my nut straight. I flat the flop raise knowing he has a decent bluffing range. Maybe he stacks off with a draw here and I should get it in? I would have folded a heart turn but the jack is probably not the best card in the deck either. Later on I wondered if he just calls the flop with a better flush draw but felt like he needed the extra fold equity with an 8 high flush draw.


Hand 3

I see this play a lot at 50nl, usually by the 50/17 2.4 AF type that was in this hand. I am not altogether sure that they know they are turning their hand into a bluff.

SB ($13.15)
BB ($70.04)
Hero ($56.15)
BTN ($39.40)

Dealt to Hero J Q

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

FLOP ($4.25) 4 J 7

Hero bets $3.50, BTN calls $3.50

TURN ($11.25) 4 J 7 2

Hero bets $6.50, BTN raises to $13, Hero calls $6.50

RIVER ($37.25) 4 J 7 2 6

Hero checks, BTN checks

Hero shows J Q
(Pre 49%, Flop 83.6%, Turn 75.0%)

BTN shows 8 8
(Pre 51%, Flop 16.4%, Turn 25.0%)

Hero wins $34.90


Hand 4

Another example of this type of play. He prices me in to hit with every bet. I was unsure of what to bet on the river. I wanted to get called by a J (which I was sure he had because 33 and 55 bet bigger on the turn) but wasn't sure he would read my shove as a possible missed flush. I settled on half his remaining stack as a bet size but would have had a difficult time if he shoved.

SB ($47.75)
Hero ($54.50)
UTG ($46.55)
UTG+1 ($45.80)
CO ($64.70)
BTN ($34.10)

Dealt to Hero 8 8

fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to $1, fold, Hero raises to $4.50, BTN raises to $34.10 (AI), Hero calls $29.60

FLOP ($68.45) 6 A A

TURN ($68.45) 6 A A 9

RIVER ($68.45) 6 A A 9 3

Hero shows 8 8
(Pre 82%, Flop 91.9%, Turn 95.5%)

BTN shows 7 7
(Pre 18%, Flop 8.1%, Turn 4.5%)

Hero wins $65.45

Hand 5

Here villain is 22/16. I just need to bet much bigger when I flop so big and we are deep.


SB ($54.75)
BB ($102)
UTG ($50)
UTG+1 ($38)
Hero ($91.30)
BTN ($50)

Dealt to Hero A Q

fold, fold, Hero raises to $1.75, fold, fold, BB raises to $5.50, Hero calls $3.75

FLOP ($11.25) K K T

BB checks, Hero bets $6.50, BB calls $6.50

TURN ($24.25) K K T 2

BB checks, Hero bets $16, BB folds

Hero shows A Q

Hero wins $23.05



Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ

It has been somewhat of a stressful week. I have been working a lot since we are super short staffing wise at the restaurant. I will be working all 7 days this week, and I missed my daughter's "Spring Sing" at school because there was just no one else available to work. We have more bartenders in the pipes, but all the same I am feeling a bit tired. At least I have a fat paycheck to console me. I have been checking my email like 5 times per day hoping to hear back about my audition last week, but alas no news. They probably would have called, I think, anyway.

Last Saturday, I did get to taste two incredibly old wines. One was a 1970 Chateau Trotanoy, the other was a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc, which is the only first growth white wine there is. Dunno if anyone geeks out about wine like I do, but these are two very rare exceptional Bordeaux wines. It was surprising the Trotanoy was 40 years old because based on the colorings, it looked maybe 10 or 15 years old. They had both been opened for a few hours, and were probably not at their best, but it was super interesting. One of the regs who is into old French wines brought them in, and left about a quarter bottle of each for the general manager and a bar reg to taste. Naturally I tasted them, too. I also got to taste a 1995 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cabernet a few days ago along with an 04 Pride reserve Cab, so all in all a good week for wine tasting.

Poker has been great. I have been putting in not very many hands with all the working and stuff, but I am playing very solidly and winning. I have a sweat with Marvin in a half an hour which I think will go well. Props to Probability for helping me out on Tuesday as well. Just played a short, swingy session where I made one very bad call but otherwise played well. Up 12 dollars, hollah. I am super happy about poker going so well and am feeling confident. It will allow me to spend more time with my Bacchanal pursuits of wine and theater.

Play well. Do good work. Keep in touch.

PFJ