Up, down and sideways

Luck can be fickle in poker. Sometimes you have the best of it and you lose other times you’re way behind and you hit runner runner. That’s the nature of the game. You have to take the good with the bad and learn to deal with it.

Other times you’re just breaking even. Take this hand for example. I got real lucky here:

Full Tilt Poker, $0.50/$1 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

MP1: $58.50
MP2: $18
Hero (CO): $94.70
BTN: $46.55
SB: $99.90
BB: $113.20
UTG: $58
UTG+1: $99

Pre-Flop: Q K dealt to Hero (CO)
2 folds, MP1 raises to $3, MP2 folds, Hero calls $3, 2 folds, BB calls $2

Flop: ($9.50) Q Q 8 (3 Players)
BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($9.50) 4 (3 Players)
BB bets $4, MP1 raises to $17, Hero raises to $91.70 and is All-In, BB folds, MP1 calls $38.50 and is All-In

River: ($124.50) 4 (2 Players – 1 is All-In)

Results: $124.50 Pot ($3 Rake)
MP1 showed A Q (a full house, Queens full of Fours) and WON $60.75 (+$2.25 NET)
Hero showed Q K (a full house, Queens full of Fours) and WON $60.75 (+$2.25 NET)

I’m cruising along and I’m up over $40. These stakes are kinda of high for my bankroll but I’ve been playing these stakes once in awhile especially when I’m feeling my game is on.

I have K/Q suited in the cutoff. Not such a bad hand but one that could get me into trouble. I’m facing an EP standard raise and I call. Most of the time I might be raising in this instance but you have to mix it up so I just flat call this time.

I hit the flop hard but I’m not out of the woods just yet but I’m looking good there are only a few hands that can beat me right now. BB checks, EP checks and I check also.

The turn is a 4 of hears which puts a flush draw out there. I get a raise and a re-raise. I push and the original raiser calls.

Once he calls, I know I’m beat, either he has A/Q or 88 and I’m almost drawing dead. Lucky for me the 4 hits the river and we chop. I leave soon after with my profits and breathe a sigh of relief (funny how luck can help you, ruin you or save you in poker).

I still have a urge to play so I drop down in stakes and continue to play. I get this hand fairly early on…

Full Tilt Poker, $0.25/$0.50 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

MP1: $80.40
MP2: $91.05
CO: $10
BTN: $19.50
SB: $155.25
BB: $58.05
Hero (UTG): $51.80
UTG+1: $49.50

Pre-Flop: T 8 dealt to Hero (UTG)
Hero calls $0.50, 5 folds, SB calls $0.25, BB checks

Flop: ($1.50) T 3 T (3 Players)
SB bets $1.30, BB folds, Hero calls $1.30

Turn: ($4.10) Q (2 Players)
SB bets $2.80, Hero calls $2.80

River: ($9.70) 8 (2 Players)
SB bets $5, Hero raises to $10, SB calls $5

Results: $29.70 Pot ($1.45 Rake)
SB mucked T 2 (three of a kind, Tens) and LOST (-$14.60 NET)
Hero showed T 8 (a full house, Tens full of Eights) and WON $28.25 (+$13.65 NET)

I like playing these one gap suited connectors in short handed games, it seems to me that I can win some big pots by playing these hands cheaply. In this situation I limp in UTG and get the SB and BB to play.

I slowplay this hand all the way and I wind up winning a decent pot.

So I’m playing two tables and I’m doing pretty well on my 50NL tables but my 25NL table I’m struggling.

I wind up playing this hand very poorly:

Full Tilt Poker, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

SB: $8.55
Hero (BB): $19.55
UTG: $36.05
MP: $46.65
CO: $54.25
BTN: $68.90

Pre-Flop: J J dealt to Hero (BB)
2 folds, CO raises to $0.50, BTN calls $0.50, SB folds, Hero calls $0.25

Flop: ($1.60) 7 T J (3 Players)
Hero checks, CO checks, BTN checks

Turn: ($1.60) 8 (3 Players)
Hero bets $1.60, CO calls $1.60, BTN folds

River: ($4.80) K (2 Players)
Hero bets $4.80, CO calls $4.80

Results: $14.40 Pot ($0.70 Rake)
Hero showed J J (three of a kind, Jacks) and LOST (-$6.90 NET)
CO showed A Q (a straight, Ace high) and WON $13.70 (+$6.80 NET)

I opt to flat call my JJ while on the BB. This is a little weak but I’m hoping to disguise my hand.

It works as I hit my set but I wind up playing this hand very very poorly and I feel that I wasted a good opportunity to win this pot. I also feel that I played this too passively and allowed the villain to catch up big time.

This was a funny session. Proof that luck can save you or screw you on any given hand. In this case, I get lucky on the first hand and break even, I get lucky on the 2nd hand and make a modest profit and I get unlucky (more like I played that hand like crap) and lose.

I wind up being up for the session (about $50) so I’m happy with the result but I wonder if multi-tabling tables with different limits is such a good idea.

Can I catch a break?

I played in two tournaments in my poker league this Saturday. Both times I bubbled.

Tourney # 1 – There are 5 people left and 4 get paid. I’m medium stacked so I don’t have to push with any two cards and I can play selectively if I wanted to. There are two shorties who should have to make moves very soon.

Another medium stack has pushed all-in. He has me covered but barely. He does this every so often to steal blinds in late position but I know he does this in EP only when he has something decent but doesn’t want to be called (usually it’s a pocket pair ranging from 99-JJ). Anything less he’s not going to push.

I get AA in the BB. I instantly call. He shows 10/10 and I show my Aces.

He hits quads. FREAKING QUADS!!!

I’m out in 5th. Again this sucks because I could’ve been the clear big stack but I finish just out of the money.

Tourney # 2

Again down to 6 players and I’m short stacked. Not severely short stacked but I need to make a move very soon as I don’t want to be blinded out (which is weak). Again I’m in the BB.

Cutoff raises the minimum. Right off the bat this raises an alarm. Love those silly min raises to open a pot. This almost always means a big hand and coming from this player it usually means a big pair.

I get one caller and I’m in the BB. I have J/8 diamonds. Not the greatest hand in the world but I’m getting in at half price and I have the correct odds to call.

The flop comes out two diamonds with an 8. I have top pair weak kicker and a flush draw. I go all in. Original raiser calls. He has KK. I get two blanks and I’m out.

He then starts to tell everybody at the table how smart he is for minimum raising and how he got somebody (i.e. me) to stack etc. Going on and on after the hand about how he played the hand great.

How novel. Minimum raising to get people into the pot. Like I’ve never seen that before. He goes on to say that people with crappy hands always call him when he does that and he usually wins a monster pot because of it. He wasn’t fooling anyone.

Onto the cash games.

I lose a big pot playing pot limit Omaha Hi. I have A/K/Q/8 double suited. On the flop I hit top two pair plus the flush draw. I’m in position. EP raises. I re-raise (not the pot though just a decent re-raise). I get a caller.

On the turn I fill up fullhouse (Queens up 8s). I’m in late position and I get a pot sized raise and I call…immediately.

He shows A/Q/K/J. I have the full boat. All I have to do is dodge a King or a Jack. Two other players say that they folded a King. So he’s running to 4 outs. The last King in the deck and 3 Jacks.

BOOM! the river brings the last King. I lose the pot.

The other player says he’s sorry and I laugh to myself thinking that it’s going to be one of those nights.

One of those nights where I can’t catch a break.

Flushing away my profits

The past few days have been brutal.

My experience at the new levels have had some growing pains. The players at 50NL are much more aggressive and more donkish. But that doesn’t excuse my play at these levels.

It took me literally 3 sessions at 50NL to wipe out my last 3 months of profits playing at 25NL. Granted I wasn’t multi-tabling at 25NL like I’m doing now at 50NL. So that has had an effect I think. So when I add it all up, I’m basically starting over again.

Perhaps it’s variance, perhaps it’s me not playing optimally because of BR restrictions, most likely it’s both.

The killer hands though are the ones that I have no control over. For example, I lost $70 when my set of Kings loses to a gut shot straight that the donk hit on the river. He was super aggressive and I thought I had him when he attempted to check raise me on the flop all-in. He had A/Q suited but hit runner runner for the straight. That sucked…but that’s not even the worst of it.

I re-load and later on I have K/Q diamonds. Again I’m tangled in a pot with the guy who hit his gut shot against me. He’s aggressive pre-flop of course and I call in position because I have the odds to do so. I flop a flush. I think I’m in business. He goes all-in. I call. He’s got A/Q with the A diamonds. He’s got 7 outs. Which would make me around a 2-1 favorite in this hand, if it holds up. That’s a big if. A diamond falls on the river and I’m down another buy in.

Ok I should stop here and just take my lumps but I go on a little tilt and play some more (this is the worse thing to do, playing poker for the sake of just playing and trying to win back your losses). So I reload. Big Mistake.

I build my last buy-in to about $75 when again I get hit by the Fulltilt variance. Again I have K/Q suited on the button. I raise and get one caller. The flop comes and i have top pair with a flush draw. The BB bets out and I raise. He goes all-in. I call. He has K/8. Laughable. I’m way ahead. I have him outkicked and I have the flush draw with two cards to come. The turn is a brick and all I need to do is dodge an 8.

River is an 8. What the hell did I do to Fulltilt to deserve this kind of treatment?

I had him covered though so I still had money. At this point I’m thinking I should definitely shut down and call it a night. Of course Fulltilt probably senses this and hands me JJ for my last hand. I think to myself I should just probably fold this and be done with poker for the night. But how can I fold JJ? I get a shove from a shortie and I’m the only caller. He has A/10 suited and of course I double him up.

So what’s the moral of this story? Well I did what I promised myself not to do which is play more when I’m behind. Don’t let emotion get the best of me and more importantly, it’s one long game and these things happen to everyone…it’s just too bad it happened to me all in one night.

Oh well time to rebuild again…..

Two big hands is all it takes when you’re playing badly

I started out playing 50NL. I bought in for my usual $25 but this time things didn’t go so well. It wasn’t that I was getting bad beat or anything, it was simply a matter of catching too many middle pairs and betting aggressively with them only to have them lose to better hands. I wasn’t playing well, my bluffs weren’t working and I wasn’t reading my opponents great either. So after I lost my original buy-in I dropped down to 25NL. I just wasn’t feeling it so I thought moving down a level was the right move.

I wasn’t playing that great at 25NL either but then I caught lightning in a bottle:

Full Tilt Poker, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

CO: $32
BTN: $3
Hero (SB): $23.90
BB: $18.85
UTG: $27.95
MP: $28.90

Pre-Flop: 4 6 dealt to Hero (SB)
UTG calls $0.25, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.15, BB checks

Flop: ($0.75) 2 3 9 (3 Players)
Hero bets $0.75, BB folds, UTG raises to $3, Hero calls $2.25

Turn: ($6.75) 8 (2 Players)
Hero bets $6.75, UTG calls $6.75

River: ($20.25) 7 (2 Players)
Hero bets $13.90 and is All-In, UTG calls $13.90

Results: $48.05 Pot ($2.40 Rake)
Hero showed 4 6 (a flush, Nine high) and WON $45.65 (+$21.75 NET)
UTG mucked A 9 (two pair, Nines and Eights) and LOST (-$23.90 NET)

Two hands later….

Full Tilt Poker, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

BB: $32
UTG: $3.35
Hero (MP): $45.65
CO: $18.85
BTN: $3.70
SB: $28.65

Pre-Flop: 7 7 dealt to Hero (MP)
UTG folds, Hero calls $0.25, CO raises to $1.10, 3 folds, Hero calls $0.85

Flop: ($2.55) J A 7 (2 Players)
Hero checks, CO bets $1.50, Hero raises to $7.05, CO raises to $17.75 and is All-In, Hero calls $10.70

Turn: ($38.05) 2 (2 Players – 1 is All-In)

River: ($38.05) 5 (2 Players – 1 is All-In)

Results: $38.05 Pot ($1.90 Rake)
Hero showed 7 7 (three of a kind, Sevens) and WON $36.15 (+$17.30 NET)
CO showed J A (two pair, Aces and Jacks) and LOST (-$18.85 NET)

I started off fast. I was aggressive throughout the session. Overly aggressive probably. Usually I play pretty aggressive but within reason. I wasn’t really thinking things through and I was getting caught bluffing….a lot. I was also playing way too many hands. But I think the reason I got paid off on the hands I posted is because I was so aggressive (especially post flop and beyond) and I think that helped my cause. I’ve been really trying to be aggressive especially post flop as I feel this is where most of the money is won in cash games. The pots are larger on later streets so I’ve been working on being aggressive after the flop as opposed to pre-flop.

The first hand I get a one gap suited connector in the SB. My kind of hand especially if I can see a flop cheaply and I get my wish. I get my flush draw and I raise again. This time I get a re-raise and I just flat call. Even if he/she has a set I’m in decent shape. I hit my flush and I bet yet again. I make it a big bet like I’m buying the pot. Most players at this level are going to check hoping to check raise which is the standard line. Too standard in my opinion. So I put out a pot sized bet. I’m hoping to disguise my big hand by betting big. Sounds counter intuitive doesn’t it?

It works as the villain takes his/her time before finally calling and pays me off on the river. Looking back I think I may have lost a lot of value by going all in on the river but since I was playing aggressive throughout the hand I might as well overbet the river also.

I was really surprised that he called me down with TPTK but I’m not complaining. I would like to think that I confused him with my overbets.

The hand after that was also a pretty good one. I get 77 in EP. I elect to call and see if I can set mine for cheap. I get a raise and I call. My luck is turning around because I get exactly what I hoped for….a set. I check hoping that the bandit bets out. He bets out and I check raise big. Again the standard line that most players take is check calling with this kind of board so I elect to check raise big like I’m bluffing. Again this is counter intuitive as most players at these levels are used to the check call play trying to milk that pot for as much value as they can squeeze out of it. It’s too standard IMO, so standard that I feel that I’m giving away my hand if I play this way. So I take a different line.

Sure I lose value at times when I do this but the times that I do get that guy on the hook, I’m usually taking down a huge pot. This time it works out.

I’m running good but alas the good times don’t last and eventually the well dries up and it’s back to the same old same old at Fulltilt.

I give a lot of it back but manage to leave with a profit of $15 which isn’t so bad considering. Basically these were the only huge pots that I won all session. However, this was enough to give me the cushion that I needed because I was playing skittish (ok I was a bit of a maniac and a donkey) the whole night and donked off a lot of my profit I had made from the above hands.

Oh well….that’s poker. Good thing I left otherwise I’m sure I’d probably lose it all.

Twilight Zone Poker

2 tabling the 50NL games. I bought in for $25 each time. This session turned out to be a strange one. Suckouts galore and many sets over sets. The landmines were planted all around and all I had to do was dodge them.  To save space I’m just going to re-cap some of the stranger hands I saw.

I almost lost my buy-in early by getting involved in a weird hand. I get AA in late position (again with those damn Aces!). I bet he raises. Naturally, I push and he calls with 55. I’m the favorite until the flop. He hits his 5, but the turn and river fills a straight on the board. We chop.

Wow. This must be my lucky day because we literally both dodged bullets that hand. This is online poker folks…I’ve learned to love the insanity.

It gets even weirder.

Another hand that I witnessed at FullTilt. I was almost a particpant in this madness.

I get A/10 diamonds in EP. I raise standard 3x BB. I get a re-raise and someone in late position goes over the top of that raise. I quickly fold. Normally, I might call with this type of hand given the odds but as I said before the night was going weird, I decided to be cautious and sit this hand out.

The flop is all diamonds. I’m cursing myself for not gambling (you know how poker players are…they’re always saying they should’ve played this hand or that hand…lol). Long story short the guy nails a straight flush to beat out a set. Funny, I went from hating myself for not gambling enough to feeling relieved that I saved myself a bad beat story.

Last but not least:

I’m about even for the night when I get this hand. QQ in the BB. I get a raise from EP shortie (he had about $10), the CO re-raises. I raise the pot to $8. EP pushes, CO off calls. I call.

The board is Q,5,A. CO bets, I call. Turn is another A. He pushes all in and I call. The river is another Ace.

The shortie had A/7 suited and collects the main pot. The CO had 55 and I collect the side pot.

That’s it I’ve seen enough online craziness for one session. I call it a night and leave with a modest profit.

 

Hot Times in Brooklyn

Boy is it hot outside. A heater wave has settled over Brooklyn the last few days, so what’s a guy to do?

Turn on the air conditioner and play some online poker.

So I settle in, pop on my laptop and cruise FullTilt looking for a game.

I warm up with a low limit 9 man SNG. That was a mistake. I bust out in 7th. Oh well the cash games are where it’s at anyway.

So I find a seat at a full ring 50NL table and buy in for $25 to start (1/2 a full buy-in). Almost everybody at the table has me covered so I figured if I get sucked out on, I can re-buy again for $25 instead of losing a whole buy-in on one badbeat.  Also I feel that since I’m used to buying for $25 it’ll someway feel normal for me and I can play my game.

I’m mixing up my play, being aggressive at times and limping in with good cards in EP at other times (hoping for a raise so I can re-pop). I do get a few A/K suited but I’m not getting any help from the board so I’ve just been on cruise control. I do lose much but I don’t win much also.

After 100 hands or so, I start to settle in and figure out my table. I begin to notice some tendencies of some of the players such as who likes to steal the blinds, who likes to take a shot at the flop but chickens out on the turn and slows it down after a call things like that, who likes to bet out on a draw and who I can steal pots from.

That’s the thing about playing online. There are no physical tells, the only tells I can use to my advantage is their betting patterns and how they play certain hands. Their tendencies are what I’m trying to exploit.

My image is set. I’ve been playing fairly ABC poker the first 100 hands or so and I’ve been a bit passive. The players are starting to feel like they can bulldoze me but now I’m ready to start playing my game.

Another reason I’m doing this is that I know there are players who are using programs like Poker Tracker, Poker Office or some other statistical poker program to help their game. The have a head’s up display that shows a player’s tendencies such as how many times they put money into pots, how many times they’ve raised in which position, how many times another player has bet the flop (continuation bets) and how aggressive a certain player is on what street based on his/her aggression factor.  They even keep records of the hands you’ve held during showdowns.

I figure after 100 hands or so they have a solid profile of the type of player I am. And it’s probably tight agressive or even tight passive. I have only played about 20-25% of the hands I’ve been dealt if you take away the times I’ve played the SB and BB, I’m probably under 20%.

I’m down to about $20.  I start to ramp up my aggression. I start to raise PF more often. I’m raising pots with more frequency. My bets and re-raises are getting larger.  I’m defending my blinds more.  My hand range starts to open up.  After 250 hands I’m up to $50, positive territory.

200 hands usually is a decent session for me when I get a chance to play. I can leave now and I’d be fine but tonight I’m feeling good, my reads are good, I’m timing my bluffs well and I’m just starting to get my mojo, most importantly I feel that I’m due for some monster hands sooner or later. I’ve basically grinded my way to a profit but I haven’t really been involved in a monster pot. I’ve folded some hands I felt I was ahead but I haven’t hit many sets or hit a big draw for a monster pot yet. 

My patience finally gets rewarded with this hand:

Full Tilt Poker Game #6759027782: Table Owl Clan – $0.25/$0.50 – No Limit Hold’em – 16:35:20 ET – 2008/06/09

Seat 1: Clonehead ($61.70)

Seat 2: antonio-mendosa ($61.20)

Seat 3: YelloMenace ($44.90)

Seat 4: woidmoaster ($10)

Seat 5: DadeoInOmaha ($24.35)

Seat 6: APK123 ($52.50)

Seat 7: -rpg-dealer- ($10)

Seat 8: mgibbymsu ($23.45), is sitting out

Seat 9: boegs79 ($52.15)

antonio-mendosa posts the small blind of $0.25

YelloMenace posts the big blind of $0.50

The button is in seat #1

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to YelloMenace [Ac Ah] <———-woohoo!, big blind special. I hope somebody raises.

DadeoInOmaha folds

APK123 raises to $3 <————— I get my wish.

boegs79 raises to $9.75 <———– Even better a re-raise of an earlier raise.

Clonehead folds

antonio-mendosa folds

YelloMenace raises to $44.90, and is all in <- Nobody is getting in this hand cheaply. Any takers?

APK123 has 15 seconds left to act

APK123 folds

boegs79 calls $35.15 <—————— Bingo. I’m in business.

YelloMenace shows [Ac Ah]

boegs79 shows [Jc Js] <—————- Dominated. I just need to dodge 2 outs.

*** FLOP *** [Td 7s 5c]

*** TURN *** [Td 7s 5c] [3d]

*** RIVER *** [Td 7s 5c 3d] [6d]

YelloMenace shows a pair of Aces

boegs79 shows a pair of Jacks

YelloMenace wins the pot ($90.05) with a pair of Aces

*** SUMMARY ***

Total pot $93.05 | Rake $3

Board: [Td 7s 5c 3d 6d]

Seat 1: Clonehead (button) didn’t bet (folded)

Seat 2: antonio-mendosa (small blind) folded before the Flop

Seat 3: YelloMenace (big blind) showed [Ac Ah] and won ($90.05) with a pair of Aces

Seat 4: woidmoaster is sitting out

Seat 5: DadeoInOmaha didn’t bet (folded)

Seat 6: APK123 folded before the Flop

Seat 7: -rpg-dealer- is sitting out

Seat 8: mgibbymsu is sitting out

Seat 9: boegs79 showed [Jc Js] and lost with a pair of Jacks

My luck with Aces hasn’t been that good lately. The last few times I’ve gotten Aces, I’ve run up against a player who also had Aces not one but TWICE!!! (that’s just plain horrible), and lost to a donkey who called with A/8 and hit a runner runner for a straight (we were both all-in but he was short stacked so it didn’t hurt that much). This time they held up for a nice pot.

I leave after playing my 350th hand (it was getting late) with a little over $96 for a $71 profit.

Not too bad, I hope my hot streak lasts as long as this heat wave in Brooklyn.

 

 

Time to step up?

Ok, as most of my readers know, I’ve been trying to scratch and claw my way to $1k from $0.

 It’s been a challenge and I’ve learned a lot from doing it but frankly it’s been a long grind and I feel that I’m ready to move up a level. I’m ready to face another challenge of playing against better players and see if I can hang with them. That being said, I took a chance….

So tonight, I tried a little $100NL cash games. The blinds are .50/1.00 and this is a step up from .10/.25 that I’ve been grinding the past year plus. I’m not sure what will happen but I’m confident that I can win at this level. I’m going to take it slowly and see where it goes.

I played about 100 hands just to test the waters. I played two tables. One a short game (6 max) and the other a full ring to see which fits better for my style of play. I bought in for 1/2 the big buy-in which is $50 on both tables. After and hour or so, I was up $66. Not a bad start.

I don’t really have the bankroll to make such a move but I’m going to go for it anyway. But the other day, I broke $400 on Fulltilt so that’s what I’m going to use for the time being.

This was the hand that put me over $400 on Fulltilt:

Full Tilt Poker, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

Hero (SB): $27
BB: $26.35
UTG: $59.55
MP: $25.25
CO: $5.90
BTN: $30.60

Pre-Flop: Q K dealt to Hero (SB)
UTG folds, MP calls $0.25, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.15, BB checks

Flop: ($0.75) 7 J T (3 Players)
Hero checks, BB checks, MP checks

Turn: ($0.75) 9 (3 Players)
Hero checks, BB bets $0.50, MP folds, Hero raises to $1.75, BB raises to $5, Hero raises to $15.75, BB raises to $26.10 and is All-In, Hero calls $10.35

River: ($52.95) 9 (2 Players – 1 is All-In)

Results: $52.95 Pot ($2.60 Rake)
Hero showed Q K (a straight, King high) and WON $50.35 (+$24 NET)
BB showed and LOST (-$26.35 NET)

I’m in the SB and I get a decent hand short handed. I just call, hoping to hit the flop right. The other two players have limped in also so I don’t think they have a great hand. I usually will raise with K/Q suited in a short game but I want to win more than .50 cents so that’s the reason for the limp. (it may be a weak play but then again I feel that you have to mix up your play).

I flop a open ended straight draw. I check since I’m out of position and I want to see if the other two guys will bet out (in which case I was planning on check raising) but they check down as well. That’s fine by me, I get to see a free card.

I’m in business as the turn fills my straight. I check again to see if anybody will bet out (begging and hoping is more like it) . I get my wish as the bandit bets out a mere .50 cents. This is the kind of bet that I’m actually looking for.

A small bet like this usually means he’s got something decent. Sometimes it’s a weak bluff depending on the player but this guy isn’t the type to do that. I’ve seen him do the exact same thing when he has hit a set and a flush earlier. I decide not to flat call because that would seem suspicious so I check raise him to see where this goes. If he’s got something he’s raising. If he’s bluffing then he’s folding. He raises me to $5. Now I know I’ve got him. I’m definitely putting him on a straight or a set now as I don’t see him raising with anything but those hands. I re-pop him for $15. He takes him time and goes all in. I call, he’s got a straight to the Q a pretty strong hand but I’ve got the nuts and he’s shipping chips my way.

This hand might seem pretty standard and he probably hit a cooler but I liked the way I was thinking this hand. I really felt I had a good handle on what he had. Some might think it’s natural to shove with a Q high straight and he was destined to lose this hand to me but I think I disguised my hand well by just completing the blinds when I was the SB. The bottom line is that I doubled up against him and that’s all that counts.

I wish I could show some key hands while I was playing 100NL game, but unfortunately I didn’t have many saved to share. I was playing super tight in the beginning trying to get a feel for the higher limit players but after an 1/2 hour or so I started to get comfortable and started to play my game.

Here is the only hand I managed to save and it’s a pretty interesting one:

Full Tilt Poker Game #6727025972: Table Cobble Cove – $0.50/$1 – No Limit Hold’em – 3:45:17 ET – 2008/06/07
Seat 1: nesser45 ($49)
Seat 2: stavings84 ($30.25)
Seat 3: UrMoneyIs4me ($88.90)
Seat 4: jsto9440 ($108)
Seat 5: MoTownAA ($85.15)
Seat 7: PkrOzzy ($21.50)
Seat 8: themoj777 ($35)
Seat 9: YelloMenace ($44.60)
YelloMenace posts the small blind of $0.50
nesser45 posts the big blind of $1
The button is in seat #8
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to YelloMenace [Kh Qs]
Iceman7 sits down
stavings84 calls $1
UrMoneyIs4me folds
Iceman7 adds $40
jsto9440 folds
MoTownAA folds
PkrOzzy folds
themoj777 folds
YelloMenace raises to $3
nesser45 calls $2
stavings84 raises to $5
YelloMenace calls $2
nesser45 calls $2
*** FLOP *** [Th 4d Qc]
YelloMenace bets $15
nesser45 folds
stavings84 calls $15
*** TURN *** [Th 4d Qc] [2h]
YelloMenace bets $24.60, and is all in
stavings84 calls $10.25, and is all in
YelloMenace shows [Kh Qs]
stavings84 shows [Ad Kd]
Uncalled bet of $14.35 returned to YelloMenace
*** RIVER *** [Th 4d Qc 2h] [Qd]
YelloMenace shows three of a kind, Queens
stavings84 shows a pair of Queens
YelloMenace wins the pot ($62.50) with three of a kind, Queens
stavings84 is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $65.50 | Rake $3
Board: [Th 4d Qc 2h Qd]
Seat 1: nesser45 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: stavings84 showed [Ad Kd] and lost with a pair of Queens
Seat 3: UrMoneyIs4me didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 4: jsto9440 didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 5: MoTownAA didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 7: PkrOzzy didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 8: themoj777 (button) didn’t bet (folded)
Seat 9: YelloMenace (small blind) showed [Kh Qs] and won ($62.50) with three of a kind, Queens

The bandit limped with his A/K suited (a real powerful hand) UTG probably hoping that somebody would raise him so he could re-pop (I don’t blame him for this move, it’s a decent move actually). Everybody folds and I get K/Q off in the SB so I oblige the UTG limper with a raise.

He re-raises the minimum. Pretty sneaky. I’m not sure what he has. He could be slowplaying a monster like AA or KK and limped in hoping for a sucker like me to raise the pot for him or he could be playing a small to mid sized pair. The flop hits my Q but I’m still not sure what to make of the UTG limp then minimum re-raise play. This usually screams big hand.

I have top pair but I could be outkicked, or worse he’s slowplaying AA or KK or he’s hit a set and I’m way way behind. I’m first to act also so I’m in a pickle with what could be a half sour hand.

I throw caution to the wind and bet out the pot. I have to know where I stand. (I can’t check in this spot can I?) He just flat calls. This is weird also. Why didn’t he go all in? Now I’m confused. Is he setting me up for his last $10? A flat call could mean a lot of things. He’s holding a monster hand or he’s drawing. There are no danger suits out there so a flush is out of the question.

The turn is harmless. There’s no point in checking b/c I’m going to call him anyway so I put him all-in and he calls.

Whew dodged a major bullet there. This was a very tricky play by the bandit and one that I should be aware of at these levels.

The one thing I do know is that at these levels, I’m going to get hurt playing this had this hand way I did. I was lucky that the bandit didn’t have a monster hand and I should’ve put him on one based on his play. I’m not sure if this was a very passive play on his part but I do know that a tricky, good player would’ve stacked me.

So I have to be a little more careful from here on out. I need to recognize tricky plays like the monster PP EP limp in and minimum re-raise play if I am to be successful at these levels.

Based on this hand, maybe I’m not ready to move up to these levels. Who knows, only time will tell.

Where’s help when you need it?

As a poker player we always need a little help.  Most people call it luck but since I’m trying not to be superstitious, so I’ve decided to use another term for that random kick in the ass called luck. I’m not asking for luck anymore (since that’s a lost cause), all I’m asking for now is a little help. As in I need a little help on my flush draw, I need a little help to fill my straight or at the very least little help on the flop, river or turn is a welcome change for once.

Most of all I need a little help from the players I’m playing with.

For example, they could help my cause by folding their marginal hands especially when I’m bluffing….well maybe that’s asking for too much.

Case in point, I’m playing in a league tournament on Sunday. The usual suspects are staring at me across the felt. I know most of these players. So that helps.

They know me also. That doesn’t help.

Blinds are 300-600 I’m on the button and two players limp in. There’s 2,100 out there including the SB and BB. I decide to steal the blinds. I have about 10k (we started out with 7,500 in chips). I have 8/6 spades. Not the greatest hand in the world but since the limpers have shown relative weakness and unless the SB and BB wake up with a really good hand, I feel I can help my cause and take this pot down if I push. So I push. Even if I get called I’ll have two live cards to help me out.

SB folds. BB folds. 1st limper folds. 2nd limper was short stacked and calls his last 5k off. He’s got 55. Oops. I got caught red handed but I still have 2 live cards. The board doesn’t help my cause and I double him up.

A few hands later I get KK and double up against QQ. Now that was helpful.

I go on a hot streak and start to tear it up. I’m the chip leader and there’s 4 players left. I get A/K diamonds in the cutoff. I raise. The button calls. BB shoves. I call and the button calls. The flop is A/10/7. two spades. I raise, button goes all in. I have him covered but not by much. I call. He has K/10 spades. I’m begging the deck to help me out but turn is another 10. 

Ugh. as in Ugly. 

The guy who doubled up against me finishes me off a few hands later and I finish in 3rd place.

All in all, finishing 3rd isn’t the worst thing in the world, cashing is cashing even if it’s for 3rd place money.

I’m getting a little frustrated though. I’ve cashed 5 times this quarter and they’ve all been 3rd place finishes, which sucks. What do I have to do to win one of these things???

The answer is simple. All I need is a little help.