Recently returned from a trip to AC.
Got a few short sessions in at the Borgata, all started at 10pm or later.

I made a concerted effort to play more position and more aggressively.
I took notes on some hands, I know they aren’t perfect.
Interested in some feedback, so results will be posted later.

Session 1

8 handed – 1/3 – Have been at the table for 90 minutes. Summer weeknight.
Hero HJ – 250
Villain (BB) – 700 – Appears ABC shaded towards loose and weak.
UTG – 500 – Has straddled often, does not always raise.
CO – 200 – Young kid, 1st time in a casino. Dusted his 1st short buy-in calling down with 99 on T8x flop. Weak, sticky?

Straddle is on and called in a couple spots before reaching me.
Hero looks at K5ss and limps, expects and gets to see the flop with 5 others for $6.
*** Despite my plan to be more aggressive, I decided that this was just a hair below A5s and had the potential to play well multiway.

Flop Kc 9d 5d

Checks to me, I bet 20 and get 3 callers (BB, UTG, CO)
*** I’m in desperate need to pause and adjust bets from my default ‘just over ½ pot’ sizing.

Turn 2c

Check to me, I bet 100. CO folds, BB Shoves, UTG folds and it’s on me.

I have about $130 behind.

??? What do we expect to see from BB here?

??? With the straddle, our $250 which was over 100BB the last time I played here, is 42BB now in a straddled pot. Easier to stick in our short stack?



Session 2

8 handed – 1/3 – Have been at the table for 30 minutes. Summer weeknight.

Get gifted $100 early. (raised with Aces, get re-raised by a guy who just rebought 100, and calls my shove).

Hero (BTN) – 400
UTG raises to 10, 2 callers
Hero raises to 40 ?!?
UTG calls, plus one more caller.

Flop Kxxr, cbet120 takes it down (PHEW)

*** I have to work on 3! Sizing with callers.


Hero (MP) limps 99 and we see a flop 3 ways
Flop T88
Checks to me, I bet 10 and get called by the BB
Turn 6 puts a 2nd flush draw on board. Check check
River 7 completes my straight, but puts a flush out on a paired flop board.
BB checks and I bet 20.
For some inexpiable reason, the BB just calls with TT.
I’m calling 20 more for sure, but find an easy fold to virtually anything more.



Overall, was an easy night after getting a few big pots and building a stack the table started losing players and I decided to call it a night with a good win.



Session 3

Hero buys in for 245 using leftover chips, leaving black (100) chips in pocket.

Post in the CO A9
Limped pot 3 ways (BB, MP, CO)

Flop A62
MP bets 7 and I call

Turn pairs the 6
Checks to me, I bet 15, BB fold and MP calls.

River J
I check behind and chop with MP and his A4



Lots of chips for a 1-3 table (3400 in play?)

AK in the BB
MP raises to 12, 2 callers and I just call (so weak).

Flop 998
MP bets 50 and all fold.



55 in the CO
I raise to 15 over limpers and get a caller in MP (loose MAWG – 350)

Dry flop and my 20 cbet takes it down.


Next hand, KK in LP
I raise to 15 and the same dude calls.

Flop 964
Checks to me and I bet 20 and get called.

Turn 5
Checks to me and I bet 35.

MP raises to 120.
I’ve got about 175 behind
??????????


Next hand, KQs in MP
I raise to 15 and it folds around.


Next hand, AsQd UTG
I raise 15 and get called by the SB (Same dude) and BB (31yo with 500) BB is tight and very talkative and comfortable.

Flop QsTc4c
Checks to me and I bet 30, both call.

Turn a 5d
Checks to me and another bad bet size of 50, both call.

Qc on the river.
Yay trips, boo flush that I’ve priced in.
I plan to check behind (probably bad if I get checked to again)
SB checks
BB shoves (covers me)
?????????


KJ on the BTN and I raise to 15
Same dude calls.

Flop T53 check check

Turn 8
checks to me I bet 30 and get called.

River 4
checks to me I bet 60 and get raised all in for 61 more.

??????????? - I know I've got air and have to fold. But what do we put the dude on and what would we need to call a min-shove?




I’m open to constructive criticism, comments on anything I’ve done well/luckboxing.
I can fill in details about other players that I may have left out.
Some additional comments were deleted, as they may have been spoilers to other hands.
Interested in your thoughts in particular the ?????????? spots.
Betsizing was OK in some spots I imagine, and awful in some others.

Thanks.

H1: K5s

I'm not even convinced this hand is worth it for cheap on the Button (the RIO it has against Axs which everyone plays really starts killing its profitability). But in the HJ and with a Button straddle on (i.e. guaranteed OOP to at least one person, so we have to tighten up our normal overlimping range), I would lean to dumping it.

Next time post pot size on each street. I'd probably bet larger on this somewhat drawy board when checked to me.

Looks like we're betting almost a PSB on the turn, which I think I'm ok with. Even though we should often lean to not going broke in a limped pot with mediocre hands, I don't see how we're behind all that often here. A loose BB could be completing wide, the 2 doesn't move any hands ahead of us (except 22 which is unlikely), and most better hands would have check/raised the flop after a bet and a call on a drawy board. So I think we're forced to go with it here and I would just get the rest in.

GcluelessNLnoobG

H2: ??

In the hand you are 3betting you don't say what you have. But assuming AA, after a raise to $10 and two callers with a $400 stack, I'd be attempting to offer poor 8:1 IO to setminers. Which means I'm raising to about $60. The raise to $40 is offering too good of IO while creating an SPR where it will be difficult not to play for stacks.

On a rainbow dry board like this, there probably ain't much reason to PSB this flop.

GcluelessNLnoobG

(you'll probably have better feedback by only posting one hand per thread, noting I'm only here cuz I'm bored at work...)

H3: 99

I'm ok with the open limp in MP but that's my passive preflop style.

Next time state positions of other players. I'm ok with a bet here but there is no reason for a PSB. Just throw in a 1/2 PSB of $5, imo.

I'm also checking back the turn.

I might bet slightly smaller on the river in an attempt to get paid off by worse. Pot is $30, so I probably wouldn't go more than $15. If raised, it is a trivial fold against most players, imo.

GcluelessNLnoobG

H4: A9o

Since we're posting in the CO (i.e. I would dump it otherwise) and there is only one limper to us, I think we could consider raising here (attempting to take it down preflop, get it HU in position where hopefully we take it down with a flop cbet, buy the Button, etc.).

I don't hate a call on the flop. I think folding is also fine (small pot, who cares).

You action suggests it is 3ways on the turn. Even HU, I would actually just check back. Board is drawless and we're not looking to build a big pot. If everyone checks to us on the river then we can think of maybe ekeing out one more value bet then.

Might be some argument for betting large on the river in an attempt to fold out a chop, but otherwise I'm cool with checking back.

GcluelessNLnoobG

H5: AK

Really depends on our chip stack / effective stack (which you need to post). With a smaller stacks, I will often attempt to 3bet to a size which leaves us with just a PSB left which we can jam on any flop (perhaps slowplaying flops where we actually flop TP).

GcluelessNLnoobG

H6: 55

I'd just overlimp over limpers and setmine in position. But the aggressive line that you took is another method.

GcluelessNLnoobG

H7:

Really need to post pot size on each street so that we know what sizing you are betting.

Anyhoo, against loose straightforward players, when I'm not committed (which we shouldn't feel we are due to only getting in 4% of our stack preflop), I'm folding overpairs to check/raises. If we're not comfortable folding against the particular opponent, then I would just lean to checking back the turn to make sure I get to showdown for one more reasonable bet.

GcluelessNLnoobG

H8: KQs

I just limp in KQs from MP, but raising it is likely the much more popular method.

GcluelessNLnoobG

sess 1 :

fold pre, flop and turn look good, call the shove.

sess 3 : fold your kings to the turn c/r

H9: AQo

I just limp in AQo in EP, but again that is just my style. The much more popular style is to raise it, and you got a decent result (narrowed the field to 3way in position on both opponents, which is rare doing this UTG).

Really gotta post pot sizes before I'm commenting on sizing. I think I'm ok with betting both the flop and turn (although still going 3ways to the turn is a little concerning).

I'd probably fold the river. Bluffs (such as a busted OESD) are less likely multiway. A worse Qx is rarely going to go nutso when the obvious draw comes in 3ways. Not sure if I would plan on checking behind if checked to as I think there is value to be had, although cooler with a check back if against people we think are capable of moves.

GcluelessNLnoobG

H10: KJo

Assuming not a lotta limpers, I'm fine with the preflop raise.

I'd do a small cbet here. Yeah, this board isn't supposed to hit us. But Ax is mostly going to fold (a huge coup), and against sticky small pairs we can make decisions on the turn (sometimes barrelling good cards, sometimes just taking a free card to suckout).

As played, not sure what story we're telling with our flop check / turn bet. I'd continue checking on this card if I checked the flop.

Ditto for river. Really clicked buttons in this hand, imo.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Overall, if you want better responses:

- limit one HH pre thread
- make sure effective stacks are stated
- organize all relevant action better (wasn't always clear how many limpers/callers, from where, etc.)
- put pot size on each street so we don't have to add it up ourselves in order to comment on sizing

Ggoodluck!G

Thank you. I thought that a lot of these spots weren't single thread worthy, and that an overall impression and/or commentary would be worthwhile. Then it got into TL;DR I'll try to do better next time.

Formatting noted.

I appreciate your posts. I haven't read all the feedback yet. I'll try to group, edit and reply. Thanks again for taking the time. I'm generally impressed with your comments and playing style. Recently I went back to read some old wells and came across yours too. I recognize the game changes, but I think the basics remain the same across the changing dynamics.





Hand 1: K5s

Player - (Position) - Effective/Actual Stack - Reads/notes

Hero - (HJ) – 250
Villain1 - (BB) – 700 – Appears ABC shaded towards loose and weak.
Villain2 -(UTG) – 500 – Has straddled often, does not always raise.
Villain3 -(CO) – 200 – Young kid, 1st time in a casino. Dusted his 1st short buy-in calling down with 99 on T8x flop. Weak, sticky?


Straddle (UTG) is on and called in a couple spots before reaching me.

Hero looks at K5ss and limps, expects and gets to see the flop with 5 others for $6. We do end up with 6 players to the flop when the UTG straddler checks.


*** Despite my plan to be more aggressive, I decided that this was just a hair below A5s and had the potential to play well multiway.




($32) Flop Kc 9d 5d

Villain1 - (BB) – 694
Villain2 -(UTG) – 494
Hero - (HJ) – 244
Villain3 -(CO) – 194
Plus 2 more callers who fold to the flop bet

Checks to me, I bet 20 and get 3 callers (BB, UTG, CO)
*** I’m in desperate need to pause and adjust bets from my default ‘just over ½ pot’ sizing.

After the calls, I range them on all sorts of draws. I don't know how many would not raise with a set, but recognized there were a lot of cards that could make a random hand a winner.



($110) Turn (Kc 9d 5d) - 2c

Villain1 - (BB) – 674
Villain2 -(UTG) – 474
Hero - (HJ) – 224
Villain3 -(CO) – 174


Checks to me, I bet 100. A blank. I'm still ahead of all but sets/K9. A backdoor club draw has arrived.

CO folds
BB Shoves,
UTG folds and it’s on me.
I have about $130 behind.

??? What do we expect to see from BB here?

??? With the straddle, our $250 which was over 100BB the last time I played here, is 42BB now in a straddled pot.

Easier to stick in our short stack?

$130 to me and with the effective shove it's $440 in the pot.
I pause, stack my chips and make the call.


Results later













Hand 2: AK

Player - (Position) - Effective/Actual Stack - Reads/notes

Hero (BTN) – 400
Villain1 (UTG) - 900 - Young white kid who has been weak tight since I've been there.
Villain2 (MP) - 130 - Middle aged white guy. Also weak tight.
Villain3 (HJ) - 280 - If it was 10am, he'd be OMC.

UTG raises to 10
MP calls 10
HJ calls 10

??? I should be raising to ?????

Hero raises to 40 ?!?
UTG calls
MP calls.

($160) Flop K72r


Villain1 (UTG) - 860
Villain2 (MP) - 90
Villain3 (HJ) - 240
Hero (BTN) – 360


Checks to me.

I bet 120
All fold.
The half empty self thought at least 1 player would have a set.
The half full self thought KQ was going to pay me off.

*** I have to work on 3! Sizing with callers.

Hand 3: 99

Hero - (MP) - 550
Villain - (BB) - 300 - MAWG with mask. Tight-weak.

I limp in MP
SB completes.
BB checks

($9) Flop Td 8d 8h

2 Checks to me.
I bet 10
SB folds
BB calls.

($26) Turn (Td 8h 8h) 6h

Hero - (MP) - 537
Villain - (BB) - 287

V checks.
I check behind.

($26) River (Td 8d 8h 6h) 7d.
Hero - (MP) - 537
Villain - (BB) - 287

V checks.

I made my straight.
Board paired on the flop
Flush came in on the turn.
No aggressive action from V at all.

I lean into a thin value bet?
I think better hands are betting at some point, and I'm not into leveling wars and while I don't often b/f, this would be a spot. (and happened another hand when I was bluffing, not going for value).
I do think there are a lot of worse hands that make a crying call.
I think maybe a weak flush will even fold.

I bet 20 and get instantly called.
BB shows TT for a flopped boat.

From BB perspective, I can get behind a flop check/call to disguise strength and/or let me catch up (I finally did).
I can also get behind a turn check, as he'll need me to either catch and bet or miss and bluff at weakness. But I checked.
I still don't get just calling the river bet. As played I'm not calling much of a raise, but if I have a full house it's lower and I get stacked. There is a chance that I made a good flush and would pay him.
Only concern would be that he thought I might have hit the straight flush? * Fixed flop to not have duplicate cards.
I suppose that's possible with the limp.



Hand 4: A9

Hero (CO) - 245 - Just sat down and posted
Villain1 (BB) - 150 - Younger black guy
Villain2 (MP) - 350 - "Same dude" Middle age white guy


MP limps
Hero checks his option
SB folds
BB checks his option



($9) - Flop A62r

BB (147) checks
MP (347) bets 7
Hero (CO) (242) calls 7
BB calls 7



($26) Turn (A 6 2 r) 6

BB (140) checks
MP (340) checks
Hero (235) bet 15

BB folds
MP calls


($55) River (A 6 2 6) J

MP (325) checks
Hero (220) checks

Hero announces Ace and shows cards.
MP checks board, then shows A4 and chops


** I think even with my new plan to be a bit more aggressive in position, I'm tossing A9 from the CO as well. Since I posted in my first hand, i thought I'd take it easy and see where all the chips on the table came from and how they got disbursed.

Flop - Agree. In this case, who cares BB x/c here.
Turn - I thought I would play position and see who would fight over the small pot.
River - I'm never betting large here with this hand. But maybe $30 gets me the whole pot. Maybe it's a $30 donation to a weak 6 who didn't raise the turn?



Thanks again for the feedback.

Hand 5: AK

Hero (BB) - 250
Villain1 (MP) - 550 - NIT (for the short time I've been here)
Villain2 (HJ) - 1000 - Older guy with Vet hat. Said he won HH promo earlier.
Villain3 (BTN) - 350 - SAME DUDE. Loose. Weak.

MP raises to 12
HJ calls
BTN calls
I call (and feel so weak)


($43) Flop 9h 9d 8d

I check.
MP bets 50.
Everyone folds

** No excuse for not raising AK here.
For my stack of $250 a raise to $75 and one caller gets me $150+ in the post with $175 behind. I'm the effective stack.

There is $36 from the raise and 2 callers, $75 is not out of line.

In another weakly played hand by me with AK on the BTN I would have raised the equivalent of $48, and gotten 3 callers.
Pot of $192 with $200 behind

Obviously I'd rather shove a PSB that missed over 1 caller, not 3.







Hand 6: 55

Hero - CO (250) -
Villian1 - UTG (1000) - limps
Villian 2 - MP (400) - limps - SAME DUDE. Loose. Weak.

Hero raises to 15
Folds to MP who calls

($35) - Flop Q 6 2 r

MP checks
Hero bets $20
MP folds

** I thought it could be a limp or raise. I didn't see much aggressive action, and decided to go this way.

It was the start of a string of hands I raised to 15 with, as obviously my position got worse and worse...

I'd just over limp.

Hand 7:KK

Hero (HJ) - 250 - No, I probably don't always have 250
Villian (MP) - 350 - SAME DUDE (not exactly 350 either)

MP (350) limps
Hero (250) looks at KK and raises to 15 again.
MP calls
Rest of table folds


($31) Flop 9 6 4 r

MP (335) checks
Hero (235) bets 20
MP calls


($70) Turn (9 6 4 r) 5

MP (315) checks
Hero (215) bets 35

MP raises to 120
Hero ships all-in180

MP calls


($500) River (9 6 4 5) 6

Hero shows KK

MP looks at cards, board, my hand and mucks.

*** I am aware of the dangers of the 1 pair hand. I don't always act accordingly. I think if I hadn't tangled with this player repeatedly, I might have respected him more.

I think there is at least a chance I got lucky. Maybe some random 2 pair that got counterfeited on the river?

I also thought there was a chance of spew.


The top pair or overpair on a wet board is a particular problem for me.







Hand 8:KQs

I think I folded a hand in LP while stacking chips. I felt like someone had just turned on my good luck switch.

Hero (MP) - 500 looks at KQs and raises to 15 again.
All fold

** I thought about limping, but seem to have been stuck in "why limp when you can raise" mode.

*** I asked my poker guru if there was reason to slow down if you've raised x hands in a row. I thought about the dynamic, and how people might either play better or just spew. He said he's never slowing down or letting up on a bet just because of how many he's played/won in a row.

Hand 9: AsQd

Hero (UTG) - 500 - On an aggressive streak
Villain1 (SB) - 300 - SAME DUDE
Villain2 (BB) - 500 - Young kid. Has been tight.


Hero raises to 15 (again)
SB calls (again) Not shocked
BB calls - Surprised.

($39) Flop Qs Tc 4c

SB (285) checks
BB (485) checks
Hero (485) bets 30
both call.

*I am aware of the super wet board and the fact that the Q is not Qc, meaning AcQc could be a real problem for me.

Not surprised that SB came along.
Not pleased that BB came along.


($129) Turn (Qs Tc 4c) 5d

SB (255) checks
BB (455) checks
Hero (455) bets 50
both call

** So it's a blank and I am not mentally in a good poker thinking place...
I'm not ready to give a free card
I'm also not ready to go crazy with TPTK (no redraws)
In hindsight, I think $100 is better here. Is it a b/f? Probably.


($279) River (Qs Tc 4c 5d) Qc

SB (205) checks
BB (405) Ships all-in

Results later




Hand 10: KJ


Hero (BTN) 340
Villain (HJ) 166 - SAME DUDE

Villain limps
Hero raises to 15

Villain calls


($30) Flop T 5 3 r

Villain (151) checks
Hero (325) checks


($30) Turn (T 5 3 r) 8

Villain (151) checks
Hero (325) bets 30

Villain calls


($90) River (T 5 3 8 ) 4

Villain (121) checks
Hero (295) bets 60

Villain raises all-in for $121 total
Hero folds his air

Villain shows A3, unsure if Villain knows he had the better hand, or if V thought he bluffed a better hand out. I didn't inquire or say anything.

*** Stack/pot sizes added.
I thought that SAME DUDE had proved how sticky he was going to be.
The old delayed turn cbet seemed like the right gadget to use here.

Of course as you mentioned, there is no way the turn helps us.
Would you believe AK or AQ?

Yes, for some reason I just thought this guy who called more of my bets in a very long time was going to fold for a bet.





I tried formatting the hands a bit better.

I see I have at least a few more replies to read and react to, plus results reveal...

Thanks. Clearly I think more of K5s than others. I'll adjust



Thanks. I'll also have to adjust to my play of an overpair.





Thanks. I think I'm more likely to overlimp small-medium pps in ep, but more likely to raise over limpers later.

I feel like if I raise I can either rep a better hand, or hit the set. Not quite as bad as raising ATC, but something at least with showdown value if we get there.

Results

River is a blank.

He doesn't immediately do anything.

I blurt out 2 pair.

He says 2 pair.

I show.

He looks, mentions a King and mucks.

Talking later, he claims a flopped flush draw and 2 pair on the turn Kd 2d? Certainly possible that I mixed up suits and he had a worse 2 pair.