This week in poker…

Balance : $1804

 Monday nite was the home game.  I hadn’t been in 6 weeks.  I knew it was time to get back with the boys and chew the fat.

I changed my seating position to after Alan (the tightest player at the table) and Shugster (probably the most well seasoned player at the table).  This let me know when I could raise, if either of these two raised, it was a monster  (Alan) or a tough player (Shugster). 

I raised 50% of hands PF mostly for the first hour when I had something of worth.  People started to question wether I was bluffing or not when I showed 2pair against shugsters 1 pair.  This kept them off balance for the rest of the game so my bluffs had some weight yet my real hand bets had some chance of being paid off.

I called a lot of hands out loud – I put Arthur on Ace of spades..he had it.  I put james on KQ or KJ and he showed KJ.  I’m definitely getting that deep poker thing going on.

I grinded further and finished 4th.  Wilson was running too hot, he won every showdown and I got it in with KQ..Wilson had A5 and hit his Ace.  Wilson eventually won the pot of $340, James 2nd.

Online I grinded a bit more, watched some more instructional video and was re-assured I was doing some stuff right.  As a result, and with some good fortune, I made $250 at NL100 but haven’t been playing much as I’m focusing on work and studying poker.  I now allocate a time slot for poker, 8-table it then finish wether I’m up or down.  I feel the pressure of some important work I have to do should take over – the work in itself is a gamble as if it doesn’t pay off, it’ll be a waste of time/money. 

I really feel intune with my game but want to grind it further.  My balance is only down because a 1/3 staked Shugster in the FTOPS, $179 some I am level for the last week.

Next up was yesterday, our local wild west poker club again but with a $6K gted tournament, 1 rebuy or top up, 80 runners.  Stake was a reasonable $80.  Anyway, I wasn’t feeling lucky and actually a bit lucklustred about playing. 

By the 7th hand, I had AJs.  1 UTG raiser, 3 callers including myself.  I had a difficult decision to call or raise or just fold but because I had position I decided (a) to call (b) not to raise and risk anymore chips as I knew these were gamblers. 

The flop comes J-5-3 (2 spades)

UTG moves all in for 6000.  There’s only 2500 in the pot.  It’s a massive overbet.  But I’ve hit top pair with Ace kicker.

So here’s the logic

 - the bet is huge.  Is this an all out bluff?  Well, I didn’t think so.  He had some sort of hand to raise 1st position then shove on the flop.  OK, so what’s the next best explanation.  He has AK suited?  Well, he should at least check/call with this sort of hand if he’s on the nut flush draw.  He can hope somebody has a smaller flush.  So I’m basically putting him on Aces, Kings, Queens or a set of 5s.  The bet is so big, I can only think he wants to protect his hand and has a hand made.

Anyway I decide to fold and show my cards.  Everyone at the table is shocked I made such a laydown, but I wanted to send a clear message that I was capable of folding massive hands…the astute players at the table would hopefully respect my tough/tight image and lay it down to me if I bet.  I also wanted to see the other players reaction – if he was bluffing, he might show it to try and tilt me or just show off he’s the best at poker.  But he didn’t show or look relieved/happy so I presume he had an overpair or set.

Stayed level for most of the session,  get a lot of trash, then A7 clubs on the button.  I limper, the Sammy Farha lookalike.  He’s loose but knows position and poker.  Sammy limps, I raise it the standard 4xBB, he calls. 

I have position.

Flop : Kc, 5c 7h

I got the nut flush draw…Sammy bets, have to shove. 

Sammy shows Kh9h.  What a donk call.  It’s a raise hand for me in the cutoff where Sammy was or a fold PF.  No way would I limp/call raise without position.

Turn : Ah

Great!  Top pair and the nut flush draw!

River : 10h

 AAAARGH!!!!  He hits the heart flush.  I’m gone.

Straight to the cash tables.  Sit in with $340.  Soon I’m up to $500.  I cracked Aces with suited connectors, I had position and 4 of us in the pot gave me value to call.  Also took down a few pots with smart play.

4 limpers, decided to limp with 84o

Flop : 8 4 2

I check of course, everyone else checks.

Turn : 2

UTG bets, I raise $80

Then he shoves, I miscalculated his chips.  I then realise I’m pot committed and have to stick in another $70.  If he has a 2, I still have outs.

He shows Q2.  I felt like such a donk.  My correct play would have been to bet the flop or check/call to the river.

River a blank and I’ve lost $200.  Puke!

 Another hand later, I have 56s.  Everyone limps, I’m in position so I call.

Flop comes 567 rainbow.

Old guy bets.  I’ve seen this guy play before and he’s not that good.

I decide to call and see what happens.

Turn : 2

He fires again, but the same $22 bet.  Hmmm…I call.  If I catch a 5 or 6 I’ve got him crushed.  And if he’s bluffing, he’s probably not going to fire a 3rd rocket.  So I call. 

River : K

He fires again, 1/2 the pot.  Now I’m thinking he’s got 34.  He would want to fire to protect has hand against a bigger straight.  If he had the top straight, he’d probably check 1 street.  So I’m sure he’s got 34 or a set even.  In any case I fold – 1/2 the pot is payoff size with the nuts.  He huffs a bit as I lay it down.

Bled off the rest of my profit…one flop I had the straight flush draw so had to call to the end.  Had a split pot A5 vs A5 and by and large was not getting value.  So I left -$10. 

Although I did lose a chunk with my 2p, I still got away and laid down another 2p.  I just need to work harder on my game and stay focused.

Two live MTTs and a lot of online playing

Balance : $1996

Live MTT.  $200 buyin, $6000 prize pool.  30 runners. 

Our local poker club was fairly tight in play on the Saturday it ran the $200 buy in.

I got shortstacked.  On the BB.  SB limps, everyone else folds.

I have K8o.  I decide to check and then shove on a good or dry flop.

Flop : 4/4/5

SB trys to bet 500.  The dealer corrects him and says it’s 800. 

I shove for 8000 chips.  He counts up and eventually calls with KK.

I am thinking he made some amazing  call or just couldn’t get away from his hand.

I went out 14/30.  Straight to the cash tables with the crazy fish.  Flopped 2p and flopped str. first few hands, got my entry back of $200 instantly.  Grinded it a bit but didn’t get any more luck and left at 1.30 AM, broke even for the night which was good. 

I was really comfortable at the cash table, it was a good feeling and ate the fish up fairly quickly.

Next MTT the following weekend.  $100 + $50 rebuy or top up at the crazy wild west poker club.  First hand I have J8. 

Flop : Q/10/9. 

I check…only the button to act.

She bets.  I call.

Turn : A

Not a good card, I’ve got the bottom end of the straight, so I check.  She bets, I call.

River : 10.

She bets.  I figure her for pair of Qs.  Hopefully AQ.  I shove.

She shows Q10 for a full boat.  I over-slowplayed.  But saying that if I shoved on 4th she would have called anyway.

Shortly afterwards hit trips.  But finally became shortstacked.

One caller, I shove with A3 (the Jerry Yang lol).  He has 88.  I hit trip 3s on the river…whew!

Next..one shortstacker shoves, I call with 88.  He has KJ, hits straight on river.

I have A4 and 4000 chips, blinds 2000.  Only 1 caller, instashove.  She has K10 and hits a 10 on the river.

Went straight to the cash tables and won back $100.  But I just couldn’t bluff the donks – even when they had 2p and their was a flush on the board.  They were mostly $60 reloaders and some really awful poker.  They called a ‘gutshot’ a ’straight draw’.  If they had a gutshot at 11 to 1, they were calling all the way.  Then when they get a big hand, as the super-donk did, they slowplay.  He called with KK and let 3 other people in the pot.  It was straight versus flush.  Call-fest.

Online I’ve been playing nitty and only losing marginal hands but still down for this week (up $450 last week)…but overall down $700 since playing NL100.

I still feel I’m playing the best poker possible.  The live cash games showed that.  I’m seriously more skilled than the fish.  My MTT needs more work though.

 The routine is now 1 hour per day, 8 tabling if possible.  That means it doesn’t interfere with my life or work.  As I start winning I will increase it up to 4 hours max. per day but right now I’m doing about 5-7 hours of online play per week, happy with 3000-3500 hands.