Prelude to a trip report: Have been playing poker for a while, been on 2p2 since last November. Up to this point my game has been hu sngs.

Was a slightly winning player until I started travelling central & south america (am writing this from Colombia), poor internet connection and 6 weeks of not being able to play (travel, conneciton, and my general state) saw me lose much of my ability – 6 weeks is a long time when you’ve only been playig for ≈ 6 months – and drop the rest of my roll upon return. I wont lie, tilt just might have played a part…

I have played a few live tourneys in the past, but my few experiences of cash games do not amount too much. I am unsure as to how my HU experience will aid/assist me at the table – obviously hand ranges are gonna need learning, hands won at s/d will be a lot stronger (Ace high is the nuts HU), and MW pots are going to do my head in! I do think the HU play (1600 games ≈ 75K hands @ $20 level) has honed my hand reading and post flop play skills somewhat more then most players with the same table time. Probably a moot point for the game I am venturing to play.

Was mucking about one night last week and found myself in the local casino live cash game. It was a standard 1-2 setup, but a very relaxed game – people mucking out of turn, dealers playing out the hands after its won on the flop, etc etc. The play was as bad as pretty much anywhere in the world – lots of limps, loose passive play all around, action’a’plenty – in other words, juicy! Honestly I was shocked at how little of a clue people had. It was eye opening!!

My plan is thus; gonna take a couple of buy ins and take a shot at this game, play nitty and set mine, iso with big hands if I get the chance, try to keep it low variance and see if I can build up a bit of a roll, whilst getting some experience live.

One thing I love about HU is the ability to review the game hand for hand, notes on villains is key too (playing HU you get to make soul reading notes). I have a blackberry and have set up a template for notes:

4(Stack size): style, betting patterns, tells, etc etc
3():
2():
1():
ME(): image
9():
8():
7():
6():
5():

and hands:

1. F: XxYyZz T: Xx R:Xx
Action Pre:
Action Post:
My Position:
My Hand:
Villains and stack sizes:

Hopefully I wont have any issues using the phone at the table!


Will be using this thread to keep tabs of how I go and how I play, interesting spots and observations, yada yada yada. Could either be a really short thread or happy times!

And yes, I am aware I am not rolled to take this shot, but they don’t call it gambling for nothing.

Comments, questions, and queries welcome. Am playing my first session tonight, wish me luck

Good luck. If you are coming from HUSNG remember your betsizing here should be completely different as out bets are usually for the opposite purpose.

This will win at these games long term. Not that you can't lose, but if you seriously follow this plan you will win long term. Just be prepared for a grind of $12/hr. I say that because of the reduced variance stuff.

Think I played you on Cake a few times and exchanged AIMs? --cdunn22? If not, sorry, very similar situation to the guy I met.

Good luck.

I look forward to see how this goes.

I find these games incredibly easy and I really only lose when I run big bluffs or get coolered. Play solid. Use fundamentals. Define your ranges by a mix of position/opponent and take them to value town. Again, GL.

First night: Sat down at the 1/2 table a little nervy, stacks were mostly around the 100BB mark (was hard to tell as people had a combination of notes and chips – is this normal?), the first few pots I observed were MW as expected. I had a big stack on my direct left, and there were 8 people at the table all up.


First hand I was in, happened in the first orbit I think, on the small blind delt 89 and limped in with about 4 others.

Flop came AQ9, I decided to lead out for pot (am not sure in full ring games, but from HU experience this hand was like the nuts to me so worth trying to build a pot – maybe this is overplaying it, but I don’t think I am ever folding on the flop). Got one caller, UTG - about 60BB behind, limped in pre and flatted flop, everyone else folded (MP exposed a Q as he was folding).

Turn came an 8 which was awesome for me, I bet $25 in the $30 pot, but sadly UTG folded and showed 66 with no heart. Don’t think I could have got more value, but interested to know if I might be overvaluing the hand on the flop?

After this hand I folded for like an hour, discarded some half decent Aces due to bad position or too much action before me, tred to lim a few pp but not much love, till this hand:

I have 33 on the button, limp it in with about 4 others. Flop comes 993 . SB & BB checks MP bets something like 7, 1 fold to me, I flat, SB calls, and BB folds.

Reads on SB who was big stak with probably 200BB behind was that he was quite loose pre, and a bit of a station post. MP had about 60BB behind and was loose pre and somewhat aggressive post. Not a lag but definitely aggressive with draws and would overplay top pair type hands often.

Turn is a Q, SB checks and MP makes it 25 to go. Thinking it is time to get the flushdraws to pay – I bump it up to 75. SB flats and MP without much pause goes all in for roughly 50 more. I get a little anxious and figure someone has a 9. Q9 is well within both of there ranges (93 not so much), but I figure if that is what I am losing my stack too (99 the same) then so be it. I shove and SB folds, showing Q5.

MP tabled 89 for weak trips, and a 5 on the river saw me double my stack. Happy with how it panned out obviously, but in hindisght I should have flatted the turn all-in from the MP to try and get the SB to come along for a little more value. If SB had a 9 we would have got it in onn the river in any case… I guess I was either way ahead or way behind (is this the right situation?) and didn’t need to protect.

Other then that, I had QQ twice, once in BB and once on the button. Bumped it up pre both times to 15, got two callers, and got cracked twice to the same guy. The first had him all in on a 1093r board, he was short and called my ¾ pot bet for his stack with QJo, rivered straight. The second time AKx flop, it got checked around to me and I put in a smaller then half pot bet (thinking my tight image might buy me a fold…), one caller so I shut down the action and lost to AJ…


Called it a day 3 hours in, $140 to the good. Was a little annoyed at leaving with the fish who cracked my ladys twice a hundred up on me, but was starting to not focus properly.

All in all a profitable first foray into full ring. Folded a few hands I could definitely have played, decided against making too many moves. Don’t think I played any of the big hands terribly. For sure there is more money to be won there when I am a little more comfortable and familiar with this type of game. I did find the couple of occaisions I got heads up on the flop quite easy to read – which was encouraging. I think if I can avoid a bad dose of variance up front I should be able to make a bit of money from this game!

Thanks Quesuerte, I believe I have read some of your posts in the HUNL forum, you always seem to post in a well thought out manner! I wanted to cry at times having to fold so many hands that are strong HU, and if you take a look at the first hand I describe in the first session I may still be a little off in my evaluation of hand strength, but it does look like a very easy game at this level!

AcePlayerDeluxe, I am more then happy to nit it up like you wouldn't believe (although tbh I think I got carried away the other night, after doubling my tack in the pocket 3s hand, I was dealt A9dd the very next hand and folded to two early limpers. Only to watch in disgust as the board came A24, with running diamonds on the turn and river making me what would have been the nut flush, and probably missing 60-75BB in value against a fish who bet 3 streets with Arags...). Even at $12/hr I would still be earning more then most jobs I can feasibly get here.

HCJ57, thanks for the tips. I think discipline and a solid game should see me make a reasonable profit over time. I was looking for good spots to iso and potentially cbet bluff but to be honest it didn't look easy. The fish in these games have no idea and I think you would have to be pretty on top of things to be able to run such plays. Me thinks value town is the way to go! Also, I am not the guy you think you played, I've only ever played on stars and full tilt

Bump so I remember to reply tomorrow. Hand 1 is interesting IMO, especially coming form a HU background. You pretty much have it sussed out already but will comment on all hands anyway.

Second session. Put in a solid 4hr grind. Didn't play very well in the beginning, but got some cards and some luck and finished well.

Table was a mix when I arrived, 3~4 short stacks which was annoying. A few friends at the table as there was lots of talk and laughter - people were there to gamble too, with lots of stradles (quick question - is it normally legal to stradle from the button - in this game the button could straddle to $4 and small blind big blind would have to act first pre with the button completing???). I did see one person at the table who played with me the first session - he was reasonable last time but appeared in more of a mood to gamble this time round.

Hand 1:
First playable spot came in the second orbit - dealt 88 in the cutoff.
MP raised to 10 and from what I had seen been aggressive. I flat along with MP+2 and UTG who had been lose pre.

Flop came 795

UTG checked to the raiser, who cbet to $10, MP+2 cold called as did I, followed by UTG shipping for another 60odd.

Clearly I cost myself a bet on the flop, I think I got caught up wth the gutshot, even though with that many players showing interest a 6 could still see me lose to 810 or a diamond draw... I got a little upset with myself here...

Hand 2:
Hero has AKo in the BB, 6 players limped to me. I check and complete.

Flop comes AA4 Hero is ******ed and checks
Not sure what I was thinking here, I limped pre because I am not happy playing AK in a multiway pot with **** position. Flopped gin and decide to let people catch up. Clearly leading out for about pot would have been the right play, hopefully stacking someone who can't let go of a weaker Ax, and charging anyone with a flush draw.

In any case, the flop gets checked around and we see a turn card: 5

Now that there are two flush draws out there and no-one showing any real interest on the flop, I decide it might be time to bet. For some reason this bet is for $5, under half pot. Be that as it may, half the field gives up and I only get two callers. No reads on either one regarding post flop tendencies.

The river is a 3 The 3rd heart scares me a little and I decide check-calling is a better line to bet then b/f but to be honest there wasn't a whole bunch of reasoning behind it. Typing it up, I probably think bet fold is better - as someone slow playng trips probably won't be betting on the river.
Last to act bets out $20 and I call - villain shows 52 for a rivered straight. Really from start to finish this hand was butchered. I woke up only a couple of hours before playing so maybe I was still half asleep at the time.

Hand 3:
Hero has JJ on the btn. Action pre: UTG who had played reasonably tight pre (for the table) opened to 12. I caller before it gets to me and I decide to set mine with JJ and opt to call too (UTG had me covered stack wise with over 100BBs). In review I feel that a 3bet to around 40 would be better. Makes for an easy fold to any 4bet, thins out the field, and gives me initiative with position. In any case, BB comes along and we see a flop 4 ways.

Flop is A63r, UTG cbets for ~ 3/4pot, and everyone folds. I couldn't quite make out what was said but from what I understood UTG didn't have an ace.

Hand 4:
Hero has 44 in the CO. 5 limpers to me and I limp along.

Flop comes 459 UTG who was pretty laggy leads out for $7. 1 call to me and I raise it up to $25 (probably could have gone a little bigger...). Initial raiser folds and shorty in the HJ calls with about $40 behind.

Turn is a 2 Shorty checks and I put another $20 in the pot. Again my sizing stinks here, as if the shorty is playing on the draw I should really get all the money in now before giving him a chance to get out with some money. Probably laziness and wanting to reel him in were the reasons for my decision at the time. But in hindsight it looks silly.

River is a 9 I move in for another $15 effective, and get called by 36 Lucky to boat up in the end. Am back up to $220 after having dropped ~$70 from the previous hands.

Hand 5:
Winning the previous hand gave me some momentum, and if anything I started to play a little better, less stationy etc etc.

Hero has A9 UTG. I raise to 11 (called 7 but put 11 in, with the dealer either not hearing or not understanding my spanish), and it gets folded round to the BB who defends. Reads on the BB(stack had me covered, 120BB+) were that he was pretty lose pre and wasn't positionally aware (this describes close to the whole table to be fair), and that he tended to slowplay most of his hands post and couldn't value bet to save himself (got like min-value after flopping set of 5's against another players set of 4's earlier).

Flop comes J102 Checked to me and I lead out for $15 into the pot of $23. BB calls - to be honest, I found it hard to put him on a range given he would check/call with strong hands and weak hands alike, btm pairs, draws, etc etc.

Turn was a 9 BB checks to me and I pump in another $40. Deciding even if I am behind I have great equity and should get the pot bigger in case I make gin on the river. I probably fold to a big c/r here, but it would have to be $100+ I would think. In any case, our man tanked and folded.

Hand 6:
Hero has AJ UTG. Decide to limp this time as the above hand happened last orbit and I didn't want to be 3bet (probably a silly thought in this game as 3bets were pretty rare, but I digress). 5 others limped in behind me.

Flop comes 458 And I lead out for $11, it folds around to the btn who calls. The button had come into the game not that long ago as a shortstack, was pretty agressive and had doubled up to about 70BB effective. Not the worst player at the table.

Turn was a 3 and I lead out for $35. Btn folded reasonably quickly but didn't look all to pleased about it. I think my tight image won me the pot more then anything.

This pretty much sums up the night. Only other memorable hand in the next hour and a half or so was me being dealt AK UTG+2 and limping, then having to fold when the action got back to me after a couple of shortys moved in. I showed my fold and people were shocked that I could lay down such a 'monster'.

All in all I was up $30 for the session. I think it could have been closer to $100 had I not misplayed the trip Aces hand so poorly, and saved a bet on the first hand of the night too. I put in 4 hours, which was longer then planned, but a lady came in for a lot of money and I wanted to take a shot (she was beyond useless. played like an open book). Unfortunately she was seated 2 to my left and no situations arose where I was confident/comfortable getting into a pot with her. Something to work on I guess.

Aside from comments on the hands, one thing I saw that was curious about was raise sizing - at this casino I saw someone raise to $30 after the initial bet was $22. This player was not all in and the raise of $8 was accepted by the dealer. I have/had/and still am under the impression that any raise must at minimum be double that of the initial raise?? Is this open to the casinos to dictate or do they really not know poker here?

I wouldn't get annoyed with Hand 1. Pot is $60 already and you have the best hand a decent amount here. V1 almost never has you beaten and V2s range is wide. We have way more value than drawing to the gutshot. Of course there are lots of bad turn cards and sometimes we are behind already but I think folding here is a sizeable mistake actually. Donks are bad pre, on the flop, on the turn and on the river so you should be able to make good decisions later in the hand. Do you have 8d?

Hand 2 is head assplode bad. I know you already know this so I won't go through the actual hand but you should be FURIOUS with yourself. You probably just lost about 8 hours of EV in this hand. All efforts to plug small leaks/make marginal plays etc are pretty irrelevant compared to not ****ing up the basic basic spots. We've all done it at some point though :-(

Hand 3. Like hand 1 I like your play better than your after hand analysis. Three bet folding is gross. Calling is super standard against described villain. We are not playing for purely set value, we can win the hand plenty of times without a J. Easy fold on the flop.

Hand 4. That $20 you are trying so hard not to win is like another 1.5 hours profit down the drain. so, so horrid on the turn. Hand 2 and 4 are actually classic total fish live plays, strong hand = small bets/pots then you get lots in behind.

Hand 5. Your thinking on the turn is a bit weird. If you are going to fold to a c/r betting is so unspeakably bad I can't describe it. Literally burning $ of equity you can't realize. I am always checking turn because that turn normally helps his range somewhat so i don't think we get many folds and a c/r stinks.

Hand 6. Pre is w/e. Flop is fine. I don't like turn much, again it is a bad card to barrel v typical low limit players.

Don't limp fold AK to short stacks.

Grading C-

Still to comment on session 1.

Overall, I will give you slightly better marks than queserte (C), but only because I grade on a curve.
I think you are leveling yourself in some basic spots, and looking to take some odd lines in others (I would never 3bet/fold against a tight player opening for $12 from UTG-JJ is too strong there to turn into a bluff).
If I were you, I would review my play in the limped pots carefully. Firing 2nd barrels in those spots can get you into some ugly situations, and one or two pots like that can destroy a session's profit - ask me how I know!

Thanks for the responses quesuerte and BigSkip! Clearly it was not a great session and I have a lot to learn about live full ring play...

Few comments - In Hand 1 I did have the 8 which was probably a factor in making me call. I figured I was probably slightly ahead, but even if both initial raiser and caller in MP have overcards then I am not in a great spot equity wise. Soo many turn cards make subsequent streets a fold that I am really hoping to improve or play a small pot if the board runs 22 no diamonds.

Hand 2 I want to try and forget about as quickly as possible, I was steaming at myself straight after the hand though, as you could imagine.

Hand 3 JJ I find very difficult to play pre (not a knew problem either as I've seen a few posts about this hand). I know it stands to be the best hand at the time, but with multiple limpers any QKorAce makes it tricky to play post. I get torn between trying to raise pre to get HU or playing it passively and set mining or going for showdown with some helpful flops. 3bet folding does seem gross, and I get that I am turning it into a bluff by taking such a line, but the guy wasn't nitty tight and would have some smaller pp and Ax's in his opening range - maybe even some broadway combos too.

Hand 5 looks an interesting spot to me. I have a super tight image at this point, I heard the one guy who I recognised comment to his friends (one of whom was the villain in this particular hand) that I was either a tight or good player (bless my spanglish). I do think that double barreling folds out a chunk of villains range, am thinking most 10x and some trash Jx that villain is capable of defending in the BB . The reason I say I would fold to a c/r is because I think it would narrow villains range down to made hands like a made straight or set of something. Even whilst typing this I still think villain takes a check call line with those hands. Really the only hands I expect to call me are made hands, two pair hands like 109-10J, one pair hands with a Q, and probably AJ-KJ hands.

I know that the 9 helps villains range and typically these players (live low limits) tend not to fold often, maybe I am still thinking too much in HU mode were nobody has anything.

That being said, I just stoved it and even assuming he c/r all sets and made straights on turn, I am like 30% against a range of: KJs,Q8s+,J8s+,T9s,AJo,Q8o so I guess I am folding out very few hands that are ahead.

Hand 6 is probably somewhat similar to the previous one. Again, I was aware that the turn wasn't exactly a scare card, and I think this villain was the type who could raise a turn bet. It just feels strange to play nut flush draw+overs in such a passive manner. Much to learn...

As for not folding a limped AK to multiple shorty shoves. I am not convinced on this, the first shorty who shoved was overvaluing broadways per, and likely had one of my AK outs, the second to shove I didn't know much about, and on top of that a couple of other players (one before me and I believe UTG+2) flat called pre. I didn't want to invest around 10% effective pre on a hand that needed to improve, were I would be up against stubborn pp's with a couple of my outs likely removed. Maybe I should be calling and taking a flop, but I dunno - I never liked bingo anyways.

Hand 6: I don't mind the second barrel with nut draw + two overs, and I likely take a shot there myself more often than not. I do get a little concerned when I get called on the flop on that board, as I feel like I have to take the 2nd shot, and might have to consider a 3rd if the river bricks.
I will admit that I tend to play draws in limped pots OOP much more passively than I do in position.

Hand 6 is certainly close. Can you post the actual AK hnad?

AK hand (to the best of my recollection).

Hero UTG+1 AK (130BB) - tight image not that anybody noticed.
UTG+2 (60BB) - reasonably loose pre, raised often enough pre to make me think he had some idea of hand strength. Somewhat tightish post flop.
MP1 (7BB) - lady who had been playing short stack, busting, and reloading as a short stack again, did this 2 times+, was getting it in with broadways pre, calling all in with AQo on a KJ6 board, biggest fish at the table by my reckoning.
MP2 (14BB) - new to the table, came in with about 50BB, got involved in a lot of pots pre.
HJ (75BB) - pretty much first hand he had sat down too.

Action pre:
Was a fish night from me, and I hadn't played a hand in a while. woke up with AK early and limped before UTG had acted (tell much?). UTG+2 limped and first shorty in MP went in for 7BB. Second shorty in MP2 went all in over the top for about 14BB. HJ flat called the shove, folded round to me, I folded. UTG+2 called.

Flop came 1062 (no idea what the colours were, but it is irrelevant). UTG2 checked, HJ raised, they got all in some way on either the flop or the turn. HJ had a set of 2s, first all-in raiser had K10, UTG2 had 87o and ended up taking the pot with a rivered straight.

So, is it still a fold pre? Or should I be raising to try to get the 2 mid stacks out of the hand?

Also note, obviously my read on UTG+2 was off, I adjusted that following this hand...

Depending on where one is playing, it is not at all uncommon to see C-notes in play. Other places will be chips only with cash not permitted on the table except when buying chips.

Good thread, really well written.

Looking forward to a report of your next live session.

Thank you michelle227 for the clarification. My home casino - Crown casino in Melbourne, home of the aussie millions - only allows cash when buying chips. It seams at the casino rio in Colombia anything goes. Annoying as hell when you are trying to work out stack sizes let me tell you...

Thank you Claut, your wish is my command

Decided to try my hand during the day this time around. Surprisingly enough there is some sort of a regular grinder culture about. At 4pm on a Tuesday the poker room was pretty packed. A few familiar faces too! The one guy who has been at both my previous sessions was there, as was the villain in hand 5 of the previous night. I had kinda half expected the room to be empty, as no-one seams to play like they have half a clue about the game (online players hubris anyone?).

The reason I had been going down late at night was because at around 10pm there are only a couple of tables still going of the nightly tournement, and a lot of the players who are out early tend to gamble it up on the cash games. Given they are out early from what I imagine to be a soft tournament, they tend to be rather spewy!

I am not sure how much of a difference this makes, there was still a lot of madness that I witnessed at the table, but things seamed to be a little calmer and tighter postflop. Also, I ran pretty card dead for the night, but have some interesting observations and thoughts to make up for the lack of interesting spots.

So, we begin the session seated directly left of the friendly reg, there is a full table, about half are short stacked (25-60BB). I get into my useual fold fold fold routine, although with slightly worse hands then normal. I think it was about 3 orbits before I saw my first Ace, which of course I mucked!

I can honestly say that in the first hour I got to see a flop once, calling in LP with A3 Flop missed and I folded. Otherwise just garbage hands.

Eventually, I was dealt KK in the BB, 5 limpers too me and normal table raise was between $11-$15. I made it $22 (might have been a little high but I figured with the limpers someone would call), and much to my chagrin everyone folded.

The reg on my right then said something to pretty much the whole table, which I am quite sure was a reference to my exceedingly tight play (this time around I didn't understand a word he said, but it was impossible to ignore the context...). You know you are nitting it up well and good when even the dumbest fish are starting to clue on!

Sometime during the second hour I get my second pp, and whilst I've had good luck with pocket 4s (see yesterdays session) this time the action before me was too hot to call.

In between folding hands I have tried my hardest to observe people, make notes and try to put people on hands/ranges during play. One thing I have been paying close attention to is who limps blindly pre from any position just to see a flop (pretty much the whole table), and who limps in but normally folds pre to a raiser. Turns out most of the people who occaisionally raise pre are also the ones capable of folding to a raise pre after limping in.

This speculative information allowed me to raise a pot from the CO with a couple of limpers before me. I had A6 and popped it to $15, btn and the blinds folded, as did the limpers. Easy game

Very next hand I was dealt AJ but with a couple of more tencious limpers decided to just limp along and miss a flop...

Fast forward about 45 minutes (saw a few people come in and out, a few sick hands and big money swings - relative to the table), I got my second pocket Kings on the BTN (3rd and final pp for the 3 hour session). This time it was folded to the HJ who limped, as did the regular in the CO - my spokesperson for all players tight - I put in a raise to $11 but they got out of the way again, the reg in CO even exposing an Ace (obviously nothing in and of itself, but for these type of players it is clearly a nut hand ).

The one hand I did manage to play came just before leaving. I was dealt AJo on the BTN. For the third time in four orbits it was folded round to the HJ who limped in, as did the CO. I bumped it to $15 only to get called by the SB who I had read was a loose player pre, and had about $100 infront. BB, HJ, and CO fold, and we get to see a flop HU!

Flop comes K44 SB checks to me and I cbet $20 into the pot of $36. SB tanks for like 30sec and finally folds, making me finish the session above break even by a cool $18

Anyway, a rather uneventful session, if made somewhat interesting by the fact that word is starting to get out that I am a tight tight player. I don't really mind being categorized as such (it is true after all), I tend to get a lot of respect for my raises pre and post when I am the aggressor, and I doubt it will kill my action when I get a hand like pocket 4s - people will still stack off there big top pair hands to me (this is an assumption, one I can hopefully test out sooner rather then later).

I am going to start looking for more spots to raise the limpers pre and cbet take it down. Clearly this is a very good way of exploiting villains who are too loose pre and largely fit/fold post. It is something I will need to work up the stones to do based on position and reads, regardless of what my hole cards may be, but for the moment I am still waiting for situations were I have stronger hands then the average raiser at the table. If I was more properly rolled I would be taking this approach in a heartbeat, but in the short term it will only add to the variance...


All up after three sessions my stats read: 9hrs at the table, $189 in profit. I hope to get on again in the next day or so and see if I can't get above the 1buyin mark!!

It is great that you are trying to notice these things, but when you raise AJs pre it is not to make the limpers fold. Make the pot big v a range you crush.

I get that, but it scares me to play in multiway pots without made hands. Not scared money type scared, just hard to know how to play it.

If I knew for sure that a certain size bet pre would narrow the field to one or two villains then for sure i would be making those plays. But when you see 4-6 limpers before you it is tough to predict. Generally you only need one early person to call for the rest of them to follow suite.

I am also having difficulties knowing what to do pre vs a range of limpers and short stacks yet to act behind me. Feels like such a gamble every time I raise pre without some sort of strong made hand.

Session 4

Get down there early this time (much kinder life if I can grind during the day and still make a profit, then enjoy the colombian nightlife!). Turns out that in this casino when the game starts you may only buy in for 50BB. Not sure at what time this rule is lifted but meh...

On the plus side, normally the table is short so you play a lot more pots with the same people and are able to make more solid reads in a shorter amount of time. Exhibit A)

Hand 1: Hero is dealt 77 in the BB.

Action Pre - 3 limpers to the SB who makes it $6. Reads on SB (villain) with effective stack of $60 is that he is aggressive pre, had opened about 3 times in 1.5 orbits and stacked off a couple of times with marginal holdings. Also, the raise size was a little smaller then normal for this villain. I flat, as do two of the three limpers.

Flop: K62r villain leads out for $12, the other limpers all fold out of turn leaving me with an easy call seeing as I would have position for the rest of the hand! Plus, this villain had made a cbet 3/3 times previously and the board is dry.

Turn: Q villain checks and I fire out $27 (probably 2/3 of villains remaining stack) and villain folds quickly.

Am not sure in analysis if this bet is for bluff or whatever. Clearly I'm representing strength and the Q I don't think is a great card for me (kind of in villains range unless he has Ax or some crappy 810o middling holding). But I was pretty confident I had the best hand at the time and don't think it was worth giving a free card. FWIW I doubt villain ever folds Qx here, and probably calls with all flush draws and even gutshot straight draws. So I guess I am charging possible draws the privlidge...

Does anyone here recommend going for an extra street of value by checking behind and trying to catch a bluff on the river or thin value bet for say 6x to call?

Hand 2: Am dealt QQ in BB, bust a short stack on the btn who gets it in for $30 with QKo pre. I hold.

The game meandered along for a while but soon enough the table filled up and then a few lives ones sat down. Immediately the game turned crazy. One guy in particular (seated two to my right) was a maniac. Calling all ins pre for 3/4 of his stack - say $50 pre - with like K6o. Straddled every btn and pretty much opened every pot. The table definitely losened up upon his arrival.

Hand 3: Hero has AQo UTG+2.
Crazy villain in UTG limped, I bump to $15, MP calls (MP was a lose calling station fish, especially pre), HJ calls (just sat), SB calls (solid player for the table, common live fish leaks though), and UTG unsurprisingly limp/raised to $50!!!

An aside: as the hand was being played and the action got to my reg friend mentioned previously, he asked who raised, saw it was me, laughed, and said something to the table (not even gonna try and translate, but I'm sure you get the idea). The maniac UTG listened to this, and then still made it $50 to play.

Back to the action - I asked the maniac how much he had left, was about a further $60. I figured chances were he could have nearly anything in his range and I was probably ahead, but then people tend to have far tighter ranges for 3betting, especially after hearing how tight a player I was (to be honest, I didn't consider the fact that he was limp/raising for UP at the time, had I have done so, I would have put Aces far more heavily in his range).

I thought for about 30-45 seconds about going all in over the top (had the table covered), but figured anyone behind me with AK is never folding, and we might get a bunch of all ins regardless. So thankfully made the right decision and saved myself some coin.

Folded round to SB who pretty much called all in, and his JJ ended up beating villains AA.

The following hour I spent watching the madness and pretty much folding everything and praying for a small pp or suited Ax to try and stack someone on a cheap flop. Got AJo in MP and raised to $20, everyone folded, end of session.


A few thoughts: I am getting more used to live play - particularly I feel less rushed in my decisions. I am not using the phone to take that many notes as my memory tends to be sufficient for tracking one table. I am starting to get bored and it is getting harder and harder to fight the itch and not play a few more speculative hands, raising sc's and all that sexy stuff.

Mostly because my spanish is not great and I am concentrating hard on following the action when not in play, I tend to sit there in silence for a couple of hours. Am starting to get the feeling that with the game I am playing (style-wise) I really don't need to think as much as I do. Once I have some basic reads on the table, the hands tend to play themselves, and my range for continuing pre is so small that it is pretty much always fold fold fold anyway.

I'm not whining about this, as it is the way I have chosen to make me some low vairance money, but I am wondering if I can try to befriend some of the locals and work on my spanish. This seams like a no brainer (to the positive) but will it adversly affect my game??? Do others doing the low level gring have something to do between folding?


For the curious; I made $42 this session. Total tally is now above 1buyin In around 12hours play my hourly is a skoach under $20. I feel as though I have been running a little card dead of late, but this is over only like ~350 hands so nothing to write about just yet.

Looking at first post, I really hate how you play. Donking out with bottom pair, raising the nuts vs 3 players who are about to become committed, etc etc. You're aggressive at all the wrong times.

Just from reading you're reports I'm almost sure your not card dead. It's not like you've played 350 hands with 1 big pair and no sets. I reckon that you are just finding out why most recreational players are loose. You don't get big hands that often and folding is boring :-(

I appreciate criticism as much as the next man Javi (probably more so then most) but if you could elaborate a touch about any particular hand you have issue with, I would be most grateful. Am here to learn 'n all that...

- quesuerte, I might have the wrong stats, but I was under the impression that in roughly 100 hands I can expect a pocket pair about 8-10 times (I asked a more experienced online friend who gave me the figure off the top of his head, so could be way off). In any case, IFF this is correct shouldn't I expect one set per session?

*Never mind, did a quick search and looks like pp pre flop is ~ 16:1, in which case... yeah, I am running about average.

LOL, I'm from Melbourne too

Session 5: Chan in Wonderland.

The Cast (in order of importance):

Hero: Wasn't going to play this afternoon, but had a few hours to kill before a friends B'day, and had the urge... Fwiw, tight image but not many at the table have awareness, and those that do aren't always perturbed.

Villains
- Maniac Yank, might be a texan, loud, lewd, the table clown. Has a penchant for seeing a few too many flops, likes to bet out with mpnk or less, chases all day. Been running hot and has ≈ $250 in front. Seated two to my right.

- The Sniveler, seen him about but nothing about his game got me to take notice. Standard lose live fish. Got a head that you kind of want to hit, would be mid 30s. Quite possibly scared money too. Seated 3 to my left, on about $100.

- The Old Guy, a bit of wiley veteran about him, does try and put people on a hand. showdown monkey who won't vbet the non-nuts on any river. Reasonable stack of $150-$200, two to my left.

- Ivey's cooler but slightly less talented brother, best fish at the table, can get stacks in with made hands. Likes to cbet/stab at pots when no-one shows interest. A little too lose pre, no concept of bet sizing, misunderstands position. Opposite end of the table, probably $200 in front.

- Lady, overvalues high cards pre, will repeatedly buy in short. Can fold a hand that misses completely, but will call with two broadways post on a missed, but two broadway flop (e.g. calls AQ all in post on KJx flop). Direct right, not sitting on much.

- The Youngster, can't sit still for five seconds. Has the gamble in him. 3 to the right (if anyone is still tracking).

- Stationy guy with a cap, always a short stack, doesn't like to fold pre. 4th right.

- The Table Coach, a bit harsh but only one to fit the bill. Probably can play relative to the table... On my left.

- Opposite end of the table, two players neither of who stuck around long or bought in for much.


Act 1 - A necessary evil
Act 2 - Full of what?
Act 3 - The third man


Act 1: A necessary evil.

Hero is UTG+2 with KQ. Cap guy goes mississippi from the btn, youngster, yank and the lady come in for $4. Pot = $16.

Because of the buy-in rule, which is apparently capped at $100 when you first sit??? you only have 50BB in front. To raise and narrow the field to HU or 3way, you are normally looking at a bet in the range of $16-$22 pre - this buys you the chance to narrow the field, doesn't always work though...

Chances are no-one will raise behind you, but if you limp you could have 3 more limping with you. If someone does pop your limp it will normally be well shy of pot, $12-$20.

People will call with dominated holdings, weak aces (sooted or off), and all ranges of ****, and only 3bet with JJ+ (some shorties might get it in with small pp or any Ax).

Hero makes it $22 as early limpers will raise there preflop raising range from any position... (note, not all of them have a pre flop raising range).

One caller - the sniveler - didn't take too long to make the decision.

Pot = $56. Effective stacks = $78.

Flop comes: J96r

Hero to act...

Flopped 2 overs, gutshot, and a backdoor flush draw - OOP in a HU pot. Villains range is likely Ax, broadways, pocket pairs, and maybe some sooted connector hands.


Lines?





*Thought of the Week:
"Flipping for image". Helps to get paid off later in the game. Circumvents rule that you can only buy in for $50-$100 the first time??? Counter variance by making a deal with either a friend or a long term flipping agreement (i.e. every time we first sit at the table).