No fun

Having a down week at the tables. I am not playing brilliant but nor re the cards falling right for me. There is still time to pull it out of the fire but something needs to change for that to happen.

Beat up

Looks like my negative variance ride is still with me. Got beaten up again by a couple of douchebags. Was very aggressive with two pair on flop and a QQ limper caught his set. Bet BIG PF with AA and was called by 67s and T8o (sheesh) and the flop came 89T...What made matters worse was I hit my set...lost a buy-in right there.

So the bad run continues...I hope to pull it out of the fire by the end of the week.

Recovered

So I lost $1200 towards the end of the work week and then my next morning session I immediately lost another $400 when my boat was beaten by a higher boat. Somehow it came together and I ended up winning over the weekend to end the week $1950 up. Started off Monday with much the same crap and lost $300 - I guess I cant start every week with a win huh.

Lets see if I can turn it into some profit - aim for that $1k.

The big downswing

Well it finally caught up...I got a whole bunch of strong 2nd best hands and just ate a ton of losses.

AA vs TT minus $360 -- played that badly, should've only lost $120 -- I called him down when he called my flop bet, I checked turn he bet pot, and then pot on river, set of Tens...ick
Next hand had $40 left, pushed w/TT ran into KK
called a min. raise w/KJh 4 see flop... 478 2 hearts, I lead out $15 1/2 pot, donkey min. raises. Missed turn, Donk bets $40 I call, missed river we both check, he has A4o...ick
I limp w/QQ UTG said Donk min. raises, BB and I call. 8 high flop Donk bets pot, I call. nothing turn Donk bets half pot $35 I raise to $90, Donk calls. River a Jack, I check as Does Donk - he has J8 for best hand...ick
I call a min. raise w/KJs from BB 4 see flop. 67J flop UTG bets pot, I call. 6 turn I call pot again, 6 river, I lead out 1/2 pot and he pushes I think $100 more I call -- JJ666 vs KK666...ick

I think a couple other medium pots similar situations and results but ended up losing $1000 on that one table. It only took me 1hr and 45 mins. to do it and I never tilted...yowser.

Totally screwed up my awesome week...I was aiming for a BIG one, but not now. Certainly still have time to make it respectable but it still sux. When it rains it pours, BIG TIME!

Finally screwed up

Been a while since I played a hand bad and its a good reminder of how not to play a hand. I also feel I played it bad because I had been getting pushed around. The hand prior I raised to $16 w/AK and was pot raised, which I folded to. Then I got dealt QQ UTG and raised again to $16, this time I got min. raised by a big stack. I called and the flop came 67J, he bet $30, I called. On the turn he bet pot and thats when it became crunch time. What am I ahead of here?....not much but I wasnt concentrating, minorly frustrated and I pushed, he called w/AA and held up. That put me down $480 on that table alone. On my other tables I wasnt fairing much better and somehow I must've accidentally clicked call w/KT in the SB to a raise...pot was like $50. FLop came AKx I check called about $25, turn another Ace, so I lead out $35, called. RIver another Ace! I lead out $45 and he pushed...ick, have to fold. So a nice chunk of change lost on a hand I would've easily folded - fook it. I managed to get some of my losses back when in a family pot I limped in LP w/J9c. Flop came 78T 2 spades. Pot is around $25, EP bets $15, MP raises to $30 I smooth call, EP folds. Turn is a nothing, MP bets $50...stinks of a possible flush draw but I decide to just call as I want him to stay. River is an Ace no flush and he bets $50 into a $200 pot and I raise him to $150, he calls w/78. I ended the night down about $290.

All my fault too and its lucky it wasnt more. When I lose I hope I learn something from it...what did I learn? QQ/JJ is not a good hand to be calling or raising all-in unimproved!!

A most excellent session

Had a very fine day at the tables yesterday. Still lost a few big hands but also capitalized on a few other big hands. When I lose I tend to lose minimally, my worst loss was a $400 pot my KK vs AA. But that was followed up shortly after with this hand

UTG limped, EP bet $18 I called w/AA, UTG called. Flop AT2, UTG checked, EP bet $26, I called, UTG called. Turn 8, UTG bet $60 EP folded, I raised $60, EP called. River T, UTG checked I put him in about $180 he called. AAATT vs 222TT.

Lost in a simialr vain w/QQ vs a $12 PF bet I only called. Flop was K high and he had KTo, but I only lost another $20 and we showed down...cheap loss there!

One trick I have up my sleeve is to try and get some extra money out of an opponent I suspect is on a draw who misses on the river from last position. I check quickly on the river willing to call any bet and plenty of times they try to buy the pot. Example, I have KQ in BB, few limpers, flop comes xQT (2 diamonds) I bet $12, Turn a 6 I bet $24, river an 8 (no third diamond), I checked immediately and het bet $50ish which I called instantly, he had KJo. At first he said nice call, then he said actually it was a dumb call but whatever, then he said I could easily have had J9 ya know...LOL. Sometimes when someone bets big on the river they actually have a better hand than me but overall it has been a profitable move.

Another hand I had J2o in the BB and the flop came JJQ and I led out $12 into about a $20 pot, MP called me. Turn was a T, I checked he bet $40ish, I paused a long time but called. River was a T, so I figured/hoped a split pot but perhaps I am ahead...he had $140 left so I bet $70 and he called w/AQ.

Another hand I had KQ and 5 of us saw a limped pot. Flop was 48Q, checked to me in last position and I bet $15, SB called as did EP. Turn was another 8, they both checked and I decided it was prudent to check too. River was a Q, SB bet $57, EP called leaving himself $1 and I raised $57, SB folded (HA!), EP called his $1 - he had K8! I liked how I played that and am unsure what I would've done to an EP push on the river with no further help...

Oh one other major hand that was a tickler...UTG raised to $14 and I called w/JJ. Flop came x8Q (2 spades) and he bet $15 and I raised $15 (testing), he called, DOH! Turn a J (sweet!), he checked and I bet $65 (pot about $90) and he raised to $150...I didnt like that but called - it stunk of a set of Q's. River was an A (no 3rd spade) which I really disliked and he pushed in and I had almost $200 left...I took a long time to decide as I am only really ahead of KK but I feel you have to pay off with set vs set so called. UTG was making a play on the turn and actually hit on the river - he had A8o for 2 pair but no good vs. JJJ :-)

I saw a final table on TV last night and a guy called a raise w/TT, 3 saw flop. Flop 7AJ (2 diamonds). Guy who raised (QQ) checked, TT checked, guy w/67d's also checked. Turn was a T!!!, QQ guy checked, set Ten guy checked!!, 67d guy bet, QQ guy called, TTT guy folded!!! River missed the other two, 67 guy put QQ guy all-in who called. Jesus christ, what a terrible weak fucking read by TTT guy. I was amazed at his pussyness and fookin terrible fold. I am as tight as a nun but even I would call. He had to literally have put someone on AAA because if say he put someone on KQ you would call on the turn hoping to boat on the river. What a fookin pussy!! Couldnt get over that.

Anyway at great start to the week, would love to see it continue.

Happy Monday

And Happy Valentines day to you all. Monday was made up of a HOT table and a COLD table but the HOT table won out overall and I actually had a good day. I love starting each new week off with a winning session, it always puts me in a positive frame of mind.

If there is one obvious flaw in my poker psyche it is the fact that I dont handle losing ANY amount of money very well. I dont tilt, I dont swear, nothing like that. I just get midly depressed and feel like I have no skill. It is something I must get over because if I ever have a long dry spell it could really add to the negative curve with that attitude. The silver lining to that is the way I play my style my game is VERY consistent and I dont often have to worry because I am not often down and if down, down only a little. I have had a couple of shocking sessions in my career though. One day I lost $2500 in a day!! Nope you didnt read about that one. Another one I lost $3400 straight over a 2-1/2 week period. Both losses I bounced back from, but I wonder how I would handle it if I didnt bounce immediately back...

As is the case when you are winning almost every session, I feel I am playing my "A" game and poker is a nice little money tree.

What do you think of my play here?

On a 1/2 NL table

UTG limps I raise to $9 in MP, SB calls as does UTG. Flop 4TQ rainbow, checked to me and I bet $15, SB takes a long pause and raises to $45 and only I call. SB has a huge stack and I have $148 left at this point. Turn is a nothing card and SB leads out $70, I decide the best course of action is to fold....My feelings are if I call $70 I may as well push....people do hit trips against big pp's and he is representing it....I decided to give it up. This hand shows you why you can get paid off big with a made set against overpairs because I am a champion at folding and even I find it hard to fold an overpair.

I would love to have another $2k week, but lets not get too greedy huh.

Solid Week

Day 1 of the week was a loss for $100 but I never looked back after that. Ended up with a week profit of $2300 and only played a couple of hands poorly all week. My cards generally held up and I milked people just right. If I had one losing session the next one was a winner. On Sunday I even tried some headsup matches at $0.25/$0.50 and probably won about $100. I will slowly try to improve my short handed poker for a couple of reasons. One, you can make money quickly at it and two, when you get to the high stake games they are all short handed, ie 6 or less. Not saying I will ever get to the high stake level, but if I do I need to start putting in the leg work now.

I must say the headsup matches were a lot of fun and I always chose a table where I had a chip advantage. That is, the max buy-in is $50 and I would square off against people who bought in for $25 or less. Made it a lot easier to pressure them.

Quick update

The week is going strong and since being an ass early I have stuck to my solid game and been coming through nicely. When I play and win like this the game seems easy.

Not an Ass

Pulled my act together today and knew I wasnt going to do anything stupid, whther the cards would be good to me is out of my control. Well I didnt do anything stupid, the cards were good and I played them well. Managed to take a couple of nice pots and get the week going well.

On a 2/4 Nl table - I had 66 in the BB in a family limped pot, the flop came 6AK and I led out 1/2 pot of $12 with 2 callers. Turn was a 5 and I led out $20, UTG raised to $60, other folded and I reraised to $140, UTG pushed in his remaining $40 and I held up vs his AK.

On a 1/2 MP raised to $7, LP called, I in SB called w/TT and BB raised to $20...we all called. Flop camed 89T, I checked BB bet $30 the other two folded and I raised to $90, he called. The turn was another T - quads baby! - I have $180 left and he has me covered, I bet $90 he calls, river is a 7 and there is no way he will fold at this point and I push in and his KK is no good! His mistake was his pathetic raise PF. By raising to only $20 versus that many people who were willing to play for $7 wasnt going to get anyone to fold. And considering his unwillingness to fold to action he needed to raise to at least $35 for us to have to at least pay a chunk to get lucky. Hey I appreciated it!

Would like the week to continue like yesterday!

Ass

I played like an ASS last night...end of post.

Week 5

Made $1400 for the week and I am back on track again. Could've been even better but both weekend days never got anything going, in fact I think I lost $200 over the 2 days...

I always wonder if poker is going to dry up for me when I have a few day stretch and cant get anything going...I think its because I believe this is too good to be true and one day its just going to disappear.

Well lets see how this week goes.

Hold up or dont hold up

An up and down day where 1/2 the time a hand held up and 1/2 the time it didnt. The key hands of the day:

(1.) On a 1/2 table, a ss raised two limpers to $8 in MP, I reraised from the SB to $30 w/QQ, SS had called and had $28 left, so I put him on something like AK. Flop came TK9, so I figured he hit but I actually have the odds to put him in from behind. Assuming he calls I will be investing $30 into a $120 pot, 3 to 1 odds, I need a Q or a Jack to hit, chances by river are about 3 to 1. It turned out he had KTs and he held up. Loss of $60

(2.) 1/2 table. EP raises to $6 and I am sole caller in SB w/AA. Flop is xxQ and I check he bets $8, I raise $8, he reraises $8, I call. Turn is a nothing, I check he bets $45 and I go into the tank...in the end I decide its a big bet and looks more defensive than very strong and I push, he calls w/AQo and I hold up. About $170 profit.

(3.) 1/2 table. I min. raise (no limpers) in CO w/88, button and BB call. Flop is 78T (2 of a suit), BB bets $10 and I raise to $30, BB calls. Turn is a nothing, BB checks I bet $60 into $70 pot, BB calls. River is a 6, BB checks as do I, BB has T9 for the straight...ick! I hated BB's play here and was glad I checked behind on river. Loss of $98

(4.) 2/4 table. I had KK in BB, EP was only limper I raised to $12 (wanted a call). Flop was all low, I wanted to play a small pot and have him call me all the way. He did and the top pair on flop came again on river, a 9, and when I bet $25 he raised to $75...feck it, I folded. Loss of $70.

(5.) 2/4 table. I call a min. raised flop w/33, family size. Flop is 345 (2 clubs), and min. raiser is a ss and bets $32 of his remain $50ish, button raises to $70ish ($200 left), I go into tank and decide I need to push and do, SS calls as does button. SS has a set of 4's, button has two clubs T2, but doesnt hit. SS takes main pot I take side pot. Profit $170.

(6.) 2/4 table. I am BB, Sb completes is headsup, I have K6d. Flop is K74 (2 diamonds), SB bets pot (I am happy to call here), turn another 7, SB bets $20, I call. River is a diamond, SB pushes for $180. Probably my only mistake of the night here, but dont fault myself too bad...I called. Sb had A9d's. Loss about $215.

(7.) 2/4 table. Cant recall how many people in hand but it was raised somewhat and I called w/77. Flop came something like 357 all clubs. Cant recall who raiser was but someone bet $45 and I went into tank again and decided I was good and pushed abd the bettor called w/AcKs, turn was a 5 so he was drawing dead to my boat which is good because the river was the Tc. Profit about $245.

Those were the major hands of the day and I ended being up about $85 total, LOL! Saw a lot of heavy betting but only came slightly ahead. When all is said and done I think I played well and will happily take it. On bad days I could lose all of these hands and be down a TON!

Rollercoaster ride!!

Wow, what an up and down day I had. I should've lost a TON! but I managed to minimize it and then comeback later.

First big loss was versus a maniac. He had already lost a buyin and was playing terribly and I was salivating to get into a hand with him. He overplayed and overbet all sorts of crap, would call river bets with no pair, all sorts of maniac stuff. Anyway I raised w/QQ to $14 and he called me in SB. Flop came 799 (2 hearts), he checked I bet $22 he raised pot to $90. If he has hit the flop hard I literally have to pay him off because he could have absolute air. Assuming I am best at this point I call. Turn is a nothing and he bets $270, I push a little more he calls and shows 92o!! No queen on river. What can ya do? Loss of $400.

Then I continue getting outdrawn for quite a while. I lose AA vs 44, KK vs JJ and QJ (flop QJx), lose JJ couple of times, hit a set of twos and lose to a set of tens, have J9spades flop 7s8sTd and split an all-in pot with J9 (no third spade came), 86d flop the straight lose to 4 card flush.

Can you believe all of those losses only put me down $470!!

Then my comeback happened and I had 99 in the BB, 4-way limped pot, flop 9QQ, I lead out pot, LP raised to $50 and I pushed. He had KQ and I held up to win $690 pot. Other hand I had 22 in a 4-way raised pot $14ea. Flop 29K, I was 2nd to act and led out for $25, button raised $25 and SB called as did I. Ten turn, Sb led out $50, I called as did button. Eight river, Sb led out $50 (now I felt my set was good) I raised $50, button called as did SB. Button had K9, Sb had KJ. Pot $650, profit about $436. I really liked how I played this hand.

I ended up the day with a $300 profit and was very, very happy about that finish.

Lets hope this week continues in this trend.