13.



Time Played: 3:59
Result: +$201


The poker session

Another short session played and I must say that I growing somewhat fond of them. In order to reach the hours goal that I have set however, I am going to have to incorporate a couple of sessions into each night that I play. My focus just seems to be so much sharper when I know that I am going in to play a short session. However, I may be erroneously correlating my recent results and that success, to the short sessions that I have been playing recently. I will probably attempt a few more 7-9 hour sessions in order to obtain a larger sample and gauge from there my comfortability and profitability.

The games have been profitably, largely due to just a couple of players that have been mixed into the games that win in the short term, but hardly ever leave the table with money. Seeing players of this low caliber, really helps me to see where the profit comes from in poker. I am constantly seeing players make moves that they are long term negative ev. The biggest mistake that I typically observe, is a complete lack of awareness for position. Some of these players just have no recognition of the types of hands that are going to get them into trouble. Working in conjunction with that, is the fact that playing subpar hands, in poor position, these players can never get away from hands they should, and will never maximise the profit in the hands that they should.

Speaking to the above statements, that is exactly how the games were last night.


Hand history’s


Hero, $215, tight image, but I am a younger person in appearance, and I have found that I get a lot of weak calls due to that fact. Early position, A7

V1, $400, middle age female, super splashy, but seems somewhat competent, so I would say a LAG. Cutoff

V2, $200, OMC, with the expectation that he will call some big bets preflop. BB

Early position player limps, hero limps, V1 raises to $12. V2 calls, Epp calls, hero calls.
Pot: $48
Flop: AQ8

Checks to V1 who bets $25. V2 calls and hero calls.
Pot: $120
Turn: T

Checks to V1 who bets $45. V2 calls. Hero thinks for 45 seconds to a minute, and slides out $100. I want to try and facilitate for a shove on my part and I think that this is a small enough raise to have one of the V’s either shove, or call, and setup a shove otr. However, I don’t want a call and paired board as I am pretty sure two pair is a alot of V’s range.

V1 folds quickly. V2 thinks for 30 seconds and folds. V1 claimed that she had flopped two pair, so I imagine it was AQ, which I didn’t think would be folding.



In other news

Just a few thoughts on the Thomas Jefferson biography that I read. I feel as though Thomas Jefferson may be one of the most prescient thinkers that has ever lived, or at the least, in recorded history. To the extent that Thomas Jefferson was able to govern, double the land mass of the United States, and progress Democracy, without spilling any blood is astounding. Keeping in mind that the extremely bloody French Revolution was underway. While I have tremendous reverence for Thomas Jefferson, slavery and the lack of advancement for people of color under his rule is a certain pock mark. I think that Jefferson, much like other great thinkers and governors, suffered from the era in which he lived. If Jefferson were to have lived in a time more reticent to shirk slavery and progress toward equality, I believe that he would have been on the forefront of the effort. But alas, he was not and his legacy will have to suffer at odds with the assertion that “All men are created equal” appears more as a cheap political slogan, than a profession of inalienable rights, considering the framework of American life at the time that Jefferson lived and governed.




I had some mental notes conjured on this beer, but they escape me at the moment. I also have no need for hair of the dog, so I don’t want to crack one this early in order to recapture my thoughts. I do recall that I didn’t dislike this beer and that I would drink it again.






I had no prior knowledge of this beer and wanted my tasting to be completely unadulterated so that I could illustrate my tastes of the beer. I also sought to compare my experience of this beer, with the actual style and notes on the beer. To me, I put this beer's style right at an American Wheat Ale, in the class of a Boulevard Wheat. Typically I am not a wheat beer drinker, but this beer could change that notion. This beer has a medium body, and clear finish. There is an accomplishment of malt, uncharacteristic to most wheat beers. There is an allure to the flavor of this beer that seeks to draw its consumer back for multiple rounds.

Actual description from the Coop Ale Works website:

Good luck man, loving the thread! I also like all the drinks you're sharing, gives me some new things to try haha

Hey, I am glad to hear that you are enjoying the thread!

I will say, I am probably more generous than a beer critic would be, as there are very few beers that I have tasted in my lifetime that I didn't enjoy. But I do try to point out aspects of each beer that I put itt, in case a particular feature catches someones fancy. If you happen to try one of the beers I have posted, or if there is something that you try that is tasty, feel free to chime in itt.

Best,

14.


Time Played: 5:35
Result: +$750



The poker session

Well, this poker session was Saturday morning, and consisted of a freeroll tournament that was qualified for, by hours played in January. All said and told, from promotional money in January, I earned ~$1,100. This was helpful, considering the fact that I ended up the month down a good chunk from my time played.

In the freeroll tournament, I was fortunate to slide into the cash. I really played very few hands, throughout the tournament. I would say that my vpip was ~15%, and that was buoyed mostly by my late stage open shoves to pick up blinds and antes. I was fortunate not to run into any big hands. I say this because, when this tourney gets late, opponents tighten up significantly as play stop at the final 20 players, and money is awarded based on chip stack size. The is certainly a nuanced strategy that can get you to the money if you are able to leverage your chip stack and your opponent's weak/passive strategies.



Hand history’s

I don’t really have any hand histories to report. I had AQ in the bb around my 4th or 5th hand, raised 4 limpers, and got called by all spots. I flopped broadway, lead out, and all opponents fold. I would go on to not play another significant hand for a couple of hours.


In other news



If you enjoy the taste of oak and barrel aged alcohols, this is a beer for you. These tastes are here in droves. This is a good one off beer that you wouldn’t want to hit twice in the same night. There are some Porters, Stouts, etc.. that I can drink multiple glasses of in one evening, just to reiterate this is not that beer. The body on this beer isn’t too heavy, in fact, I would say that it is a mdeium bodied beer.




Belhaven Scottish Ale (Nitro), 5.2%ABV
As indicated in the Innis and Gunn write-up above, this one of those supposedly heavy body beers that one could revisit multiple times throughout an evening. I suppose that this beer is lightened up by the nitro aspect. I love the color of this beer. With the low lighting the appearance isn’t as accurately captured. There is more transparency to this muted auburn color in reality. With this beer, you get the taste of a sweeter scottish ale, with a lighter body, and a tender finish. This beer paired great with the Cottage Pie that I had, pictured below.



There won’t be many food pics itt, I feel like a goof ass taking pictures of food in the real world. Hell, it is goofy. In actuality I just wanted to display the food pairing for my beer.

14.5


In other news

I had a good run at video poker last night playing triple double bonus, and I thought that I would share with the thread.

First, I hit this hand about 15 minutes into playing:




Then after about another 15 minutes, I hit this hand:




It was interesting to me that both of the two cards that I held were in the same spot. Also, this is the second, and third biggest hands that I have made at VP, and they occurred within 15 minutes of each other, after only about 30 minutes of total play. For those that have read through the thread, you may recall that I hit a Royal in Shreveport back in August. That Royal was the only true Royal that I have ever hit in close to 100 lifetime hours of VP.

In total, I profited about +$760 from the two scores. I did put about $80 back into the machine off of these two scores. I am going to put at least $500 of the profits into my poker bankroll. I am not a VP degan like I was formerly, in fact, I haven’t really played since the trip to Shreveport last August. I just had a hankering to hit the machines for a stint.

This is a beer cocktail that my buddy from Shreveport introduced me to while visiting him:



As you can see in the background, two Abita beers are used, Andygator (High Gravity, Helles Doppelbock) and Purple Haze (Lager), to create a Barney (like the purple dinosaur). This is a pretty fabulous concoction.

Degen it up! Nice score on vp. I have read that on some games with the right payoff and holding strategy you can actually make a profit. They even have an app you can download and put in the payouts and it will give you the payback precentage.

Sometimes I like to get in there and mix it up at slightly -ev games, haha! I was barely paying attention to the mention on both hits because I am so used to running poorly at VP. I actually have an app on my phone that can help with pay tables payback percentages and proper holding strat, only it is for Jacks or Better. I am a little out of my element with proper on anything other than JoB.

15.


Time Played: 4:22
Result: +$55



The poker session

Another shorter session in the books. I am building my endurance and energies back up to play some longer sessions soon. The most I was up in my session was around $125, then I fell back to being stuck a little bit, all to end up where I did. I think that I played my B game most of this session, but in all I really didn’t have very many hands to play. The table fluctuated from being very boring most of the night, to about a 45 minute stint with a lot of action. The action was due in large part to a player that sat the game for a short amount of time, and he just so happened to be directly to my left.


Hand history’s

I had had AA cracked once and then showed AA in a pot that I won, within the last 20 minutes leading up to this hand

Hero, $168, tight, 99, MP
V1, $300, older man, somewhat tight, utg
V2, $300, Hyper LAG, HJ
V3, $300, competent LAG, had started playing every pot that V2 was in recently, Sb
V4, $200, New to the table, older man

V1 opens to $13. All villains and hero call.
Pot: $65
Flop: 9T6x
V4 leads for $15. V1 raises to $45. Hero takes a second to think through decision, and then shoves (about $155). Folds to V1, who tank folds.

My thinking was that there are going to be a lot of cards that I do not want to see and have to make a decision ott. Also, I felt that V1 had committed himself to the pot, and was not folding. I also thought that it would be putting some drawing hands, that were yet to act behind me, in a poor spot and that I would be pulling down a lot of equity out of there calls.

Based on V1’s talk during and after the hand, I think that he had KK or QQ.


In other news


Since I have already shared my news on VP with my previous interlude post, I have but one beer for review.



Marshall Brewing Co.
McNellie’s Pub Ale
I usually don’t give a bad review on a beer. Mainly because I don’t have anything to give a poor review about. However, this beer I have tried in the past and was pretty underwhelmed at that time. I had decided to give this beer another go. For starters, I am not sure that all of the hops in this beer got boiled in fully. The flavor was certainly absent of the hoppy taste, but that is not all too unusual for a Pub Ale. The true indicator were floating pieces of what appeared to be hops in the brew. The color was murky, the head was immense, almost to the point that I think that the bottles were over conditioned (or what would be the case in a home brew), or perhaps the brew was just over carbonated. The taste was lackluster as I could pick out no discernible flavors. In sum, this was 1 or 6 bottles. I will give this beer 5 more shots to turn things around and hopefully I will be able to write this bottle off to a lack of continuity in the brewing process.

Nothing wrong with playing VP from time to time. Or even black jack. Some poker players would "never" play such games, but sometimes waiting 45 mins for a table can get boring. And sometimes it is just fun to click buttons and drink a beer.

I think you played the 9s geat. After its made 45 and you have 155 behind you have no choice but to shove or fold. Folding a set here would be impossible for me.

Yep, mindless button clicking and beer drinking are two things that I enjoy!

I don't think that I am ever folding in this spot. Some villains may be tight enough to make me consider it, but I don't think that I can click that fold button when it comes down to it. It's probably a mistake folding middle set with these stack sizes anyway.

I think that's the key word, stack size. If you were 400 deep clearly it would be a different play on the flop. But as the stack sizes sit your play is good.

16.


Time Played: 4:21
Result: -$200


The poker session

Last night was the worst effort that I have put forward this new year. I was impatient, on tilt, and generally disgruntled throughout the session. Every time that I had KK-JJ, which amounted to about 5 occasions, the action went 3-5 ways to the flop, and saw a board runout of something to the effect of AKQ or AKK or the like. I didn’t lose much money in any of the pots with my premium pairs, I just suffered from a generally frustration of the hand dynamics.

I spent most of the session up $100 after I flopped a set against a crazy LAG, who by the way was in the game for 600 bb at one point, and he called my flop check raise, but folded to my turn shove, which was a less than a pot size bet. I had two huge donators, one of which I mentioned in the sentence before, and I was not able to take any pots other than the one mentioned off of them. Some of my frustration stemmed from this as well. So, I spent most of the session up $100, then about 3 hours into the session, I lost a couple of pots to fall back to even. Then, at about the 4 hour mark, I was down to $100 in my stack and prepared to leave. That’s when I took the bb on what would be my last orbit. The part that I am having trouble getting over, is that after I lost the pot to put me down to a $100 stack, I basically had my stack in my hand, and then proceeded to punt it off in one last fateful orbit.

I have obviously had much worse sessions than last night, in terms of money lost. However, it is sessions like the one last night that stick in my craw the most. Succumbing to tilt is not acceptable and something that I have repeatedly told myself that I would not fall victim to, again. After last night’s session, I was questioning my motivation to even follow through with my challenge for 2017, and I still think that it is going to be very hard for me to proceed. I am going to be doing a lot of personal reflection and meditation, to see where my mind and motivation reside.


Hand history’s

Hero, $230, tight, AA, button
V1, $75, omc, utg
V2, $300, LAG, Seems semi tilty, hj
V3, $100, Older man, overplays and overvalues his hands, co
V4, $275, Older Asian man, Loose and gambly, BB

Villains 1, 2, & 3, limp to hero. Heor raises to $15. All villains call.
Pot: $75
Flop: 456

Action checks to V2 who bets $100 very quickly. I think for about 1 minute and fold. All other players fold. V2’s action really took me by surprise, and probably contributed to my fold. I think that there are all of kinds of hands in V2’s range that put me in bad shape. I think that I need to raise more pre as well. $20 is probably much better sizing preflop, as I am just asking to go multiway w/ a $15 raise.

Based on the way that V2 was talking after the hand, he had a pair and a straight draw. Which would put me a little better than even money. When I factor in probable sets, although this would probably be an unusual line for V2 to take with a set, and two pair and made straight hands, I am probably behind.




In other news


I had a great time spending Saturday with a buddy. We got to eat a great lunch, get on the golf course, visit a brewery, and watch Oklahoma State beat the gooners.

This is the brewery that was visited in Stillwater Oklahoma. The taproom is where we spent our time and watched the basketball game:


These are the flights of beer that we hit. The most unusual one of the bunch being the Chocolate Habanero Stout. This beer had unreal taste that is hard to describe. Mainly because it is hard to image a liquid version of Habanero anything being refreshing, but that is precisely the result. The Rattler was great as well. I can;t wait for some sizzling hot summer days to be here again, if for no other reason to indulge
in a few of these.








The last beer pictured is almost IPA perfection, at least in my tasting recollection. The Payne County IPA seamlessly blends in flavors of tropical fruit with a near perfect balance of malt and hops. I would say that this beer would be a toned down version of Hawaiian punch and Sam Adams Boston Lager combined. Odd, I know, but the taste and balance come out great, and the finish is superb.

I did a hand analysis of the AA hand while at work. Against a range of two pair, sets, 77, 88, pair + straight draw, and idiot straight, AA is a 38/62 dog (I thought we were about 40/60).

So given that plus other players left to act, a fold seems perfectly fine.

17.


Time Played: 5:03
Result: +$327


The poker session

Making sets, that’s where it’s at. I have heard it before, that sets are our greatest ally at llsnl, but I think that it is truly starting to settle in for me. Not all sets are created equal, some you are out of position, sometimes you make an underset and will be getting stacked, sometimes they are wasted when our opponent has nothing. But making profitably sets is the greatest propellant to win rates at llsnl, in my opinion.

Having said that, I made a couple of sets against decent opponent hands last night to produce a win. I left some money on the table in one of those hands, but as mentioned above, I was oop and was unable to drive the pot in the necessary fashion.

At one point I was up over $400 on the session, and it felt great. I dropped down to what I realized as my actual cashout amount, due to some speculative play against some fishy opponents. I was just unable to get there, no big deal.

I bought in for $300 last night, which I haven’t done in awhile. I would have to look back closely, but I may not have done that since starting this new challenge. I think that it is essential to by in for the max at all times if one is hoping to maximise their win rate. Part of my failure to get in for the max stemmed from fear of striking a huge losing night. Although, a huge losing night is possible even with $200 buy-in’s, I would know. You have to be willing to accept big losing nights, to court some big winning nights.


Hand history’s

Hand 1
Hero, $350, TAG, mp, 99
V1, $200, Loose, HJ
V2, $275, Fishy, BB

Hero raises to $10 and both villains call.
Pot: $30
Flop: 69A

V2 leads out for $15 quickly. Hero raises to $35. V1 thinks and folds. V2 calls.
Pot: $105
Turn: 8

V2 checks and hero bets $45. V2 calls.
Pot: $195
River: A

V2 checks and hero bets $125. V2 goes all-in for $65 more ($185 total). I make the call and V2 shows KT and mhig. I am lucky that V2 decided to spew. Considering the hand that V had, I am lucky that he didn’t flat call.


Hand 2
Hero, $500, Tight, 44
V1, $150, Loose and splashy, Sb
V2, $300, Loose cowboy, button straddle

V1 limps, hero limps, 3 players in between limp. V2 raises to $20. V1 and hero call. All others fold.
Pot: $165
Flop: A64

Action checks to V2 who bets $445. V1 folds and hero calls.
Pot: $165
Turn: Td

Hero checks. V2 bets $100. Hero thinks and calls.
Pot: $365
River: 8x

Action goes check check. V2 shows AK. This is the tricky spot where I don’t get max value oop that I mentioned above. I guess that I could have put in a check raise ott, and this is probably the right line in retrospect. I put V2 on either AA or AK. In the moment, I am not sure why, I didn’t include any other A’s in V2’s range. I think that I played a little scared on the turn and left some value out there. I am not sure if I get payed off either way. V2 said that he had some concerns after I called the $100 ott.



In other news

I have been limiting my whisk(e)y intake lately, which has been a major contributor too my ability to focus. Life isn’t as fun without the sauce, but sacrifices must be made. Good health news has been coming in for a family member that I have been caring for, whcih should free up additional time for me to put in at the tables. Fingers crossed that continued positive health news is on the way. Here are my latest beer encounters:



Excuse the glass. It was the closest to a Pilsner glass that I could locate, and I think that I whiffed completely as this is just an extra long shot glass. Or maybe it is a small vase for flowers, whatever. This beer is a very nice refreshing beer. Honestly there isn’t a lot of nuance to it. I would almost put it into the category of a session beer. Light, airy, and crisp.



Thanks for taking the time to run those numbers. It didn't feel like the most ideal spot, or like a pot that I wanted to put a whole lot of money into. And, if V decides to show a bluff, or some swirly play, I will tuck the information away and get him next time.

I'm guessing you meant v2 bet $45 on the flop in hand 2. Considering that and the previous action after his turn bet of $100, he only has $145 left. I'd raise his $100 bet to put him all in. One of those spots which how you were saying we gotta maximize our wins with big hands. But otherwise good session!

Oh and whiskey ftw !

18.


Time Played: 5:07
Result: -$354



The poker session

Most of my loss last night resulted from two hands within the first hour of the session. On the first I raises a few limpers to $15 with T9cc and get a couple of calls. I flop a flush draw, and turn a straight draw and get all-in vs. villains One pair AK and V holds. The next losing hand occurs a few orbits later when I raise a few limpers once again, this time with AT, and I flop the nut flush draw on a 345ss board. I get check raised small on otf and the money goes in ott. V flopped a wheel and holds.

Overall, I was pretty happy with my play. I had to pick off a couple and find some spots to make thin value in order to lose what I did. It was just one of those sessions where I never got a pocket pair above TT, and otherwise my best preflop hand was AQss. I never saw any real good spots to attach wihat suited connectors to try an make a hand in position, outside of the one mentioned above. Just one of the more boring sessions that I have played lately. Even though there were a couple of donators, I never got an opportunity to get any of the money. One of the donators, mentioned in the wheel hand above, made hands against me and that was just my evening.



Hand history’s

Hero, $230, nitty, sb, A5
V1, $200, loose, utg
V2, $60, passive and loose, utg2
V3, $170, Loose aggressive old man, co
V4, $50, button
V5, $125, bb

The action limps around.
Pot: $12
Flop: K34

Action checks around.
Pot: $12
Turn: 2

Hero leads for $10, folds to v2 who calls. V3 arranges his chips neatly and raises to $55. Hero takes some time to think about a plan. I think that villain could be sensing weakness from myself and V2, and could be putting in the raise with worse. There is also the possibility that he senses weakness, but does not want to be drawn out on at all, certainly for cheap, so he is putting in the raise. In some small instances, V3 has the same wheel as myself. Hero calls and V2 folds.
Pot: $122
River: K

Hero checks. V3 nearly insta shoves in his last $100. Hero tank folds. I don’t think that the K is a great card as the boats are now there. However, V3 would probably take a more value approach looking for a call with a boat. After some table talk between V3 and myself, V3 pretty convincingly states that he only had “Itty bitty spades.”



In other news

I am working getting myself back into meditation.

Haha, yes! Would have been hilarious is villain decided to fire $445 though.

...and about the whiskey, you said it! What's your poison of choice?

Great read so far.

1. Not compromising on the amount of hours that I have set as my target goal. 1,100 hours

In order to hit my goal of 1,100 hours this year, I am going to have to play ~92 hours/month. In February, I played 29 hours and 16 min. I was way short on the hours that I needed to both, get back on pace for 1,100, but also for the number of hours/month that is required to reach my goal. I am going to have to really get going in March to get things going. I played a session last night, and playing on the first day of the month was a must for me to get some momentum in the proper direction.

2. Maximizing the amount of study that I put into the game. I should be studying hand histories on 2+2 llsnl forums. I should be watching strategy videos. Additionally, I should be recording all of my interesting hh’s for 2+2 and similar analysis. 5 hours/week, 20 hours/month

I involved myself with one hand history in llsnl, that I recall. It was a pretty in depth discussion of an interesting spot though. I didn’t really put many hours into study for February.

3. I must limit my consumption of alcohol considerably.

I did pretty well in this area. I only feel hard off the wagon on the weekends throughout the month, and not every weekend. I ended the month pretty strong as well. I like the clairty that my mind is afforded when it is not whiskey soaked.

4. Find poker players to discuss hands, play, and strategy with.

Nah.

5. Make steps towards playing 2-5. Have a bankroll sufficient to 2-5 by the end of 2017. I will be starting with a $3k poker bankroll. Basically I will need a $10k poker bankroll to satisfy this goal. If I fall back down to $3k, I will rebuild back to $1ok and try it again.

I dug myself out of the deep red, but I am still in the red nonetheless. I am only about a buyin away at this point from getting back into the black. I must say, it has been discouraging spending two months in the red, but I only really have my volume to blame. This, however, is a bit of a vicious cycle, as the more sessions I drop buyins, the less that I want to play. I did put $500 of my video poker score into my bankroll, and all of my promo money into my bankroll.

6. Be a fun/enjoyable player at the poker table. I am not sure if there is a metric to assess satisfaction of this goal, I am just going to have to try and be really self aware.

I am not being a dick at the table. If the table is quiet, I will try to chime in and liven things up. If the table is doing a good job of sustaining some chatter, I will recede more into solitude, with a smile. I am naturally more reserved.






[X] Monthly hours goal (was the goal met or not)
[93.26] Total hours towards yearly goal
[5] Total study hours for the month
[-$412] Profit/Loss


P.S.

I picked up $750 from the January hours played freeroll
I put $500 from my video poker score into my bankroll


Thank you! I am glad to have you following.

19.


Time Played: 4:51
Result: +$102


The poker session


This was perhaps the wildest 1/2 game that I have ever played in. There was ~$3,500 on the table at one point, and the max buy-in is $300. One player had $2.3K in front of them. One maniac’s stack went from $1,500 to broke in a matter of an hour and a half. I was only able to tangle with the big stack positively once however. For the most part I was card dead. I basically spent 3 hours folding through the middle of the session. I paid off, what I didn’t realize, was an OMC when I flopped top pair with KQ and villain held KK. It wasn’t for stack, but OMC got 3 streets of value out of me. After my folding exhibition, I hit a flurry of hands where; I made quads and got paid off by the K pairing for a boat, my KK holding for multiple streets of value, and a hand that will be in the hand history below.


Hand history


Hand 1
Hero, $300, tight, MP, KJ
V1, $200, OMC that likes to spew, UTG
V2, $800, Maniac, UTG+1
V3, $2,300, Solid, Plays lots of pots, BB

V1 and V2 limp. Hero raises to $13. V3 raises to $35. V1 folds. V2 and hero call.
Pot: $96
Flop: J37

Flop checks around.
Turn: J

V3 bets $50. V2 folds. Hero calls. I am trying to trap in this spot with my check. I have V3 on a range of AA-QQ, and AK. AA and KK are probably less likely due to the check on the flop.
Pot:$196
River: A

V3 bets $50. I bitch up and just call. Once again, my old problem of leaving value on the table comes out to rear its ugly head. I keep ranging villains closer to the nuts than to hands that I can extract value. I know it is a bad play on my part when villain confidently turns over his AK. Not much to say, just another example where I fail to maximise my value.

Hand 2
Hero, $250, Nit, BB, AK
V1, Covers everyone, V3 from hand 1, HJ
V2, $225, V1 from from hand 1, CO

Mp player limps, V1 limps, V3 raises to $16. Hero and V1 call.
Pot: $48
Flop: A6T

Hero checks, V1 bets $10, V3 raises to $60. Hero calls and V1 folds. I am putting V3 on AK at this point and hope that he isn’t on the freerolling me with 's. I call to try and control the pot and hopefully fade 's.
Pot: $178
Turn: 6

I think that this may be the best card for me. I think that I can possibly rep the 6 ott and otr, and fold out AK. Action checks around ott.
River: 8x

I lead out for $110 and V tank calls. While I am sitting there hoping that V folds his AK, V shows AJ. I am pretty astonished that V called me in this spot with AJ, but it just goes to show me that V’s will come to some weird conclusions and I am missing out on some major value spots.


In other news

I have come to realize that many poker players that I have shared the table with will complain about what terrible cards they are getting, and have been getting for hours. However, they never quit the game as a result, they just start to play loose and splashy. Great consequence for patient players though. As an example, the player in hand 2 above. Villain from hand 2 just got tired of folding and was ready for some action.




Lagunitas Stoopid Wit
Fruity, melon, berry grainy aroma. The taste consists of grapefruit and melon, with some wheat mixed in for good measure. The finish left my mouth with a minty feel. There is a good amount of hop to the taste and finish as well. This iteration may have been slightly more carbonated than I would normally seek out.



New Belgium, Tangerine IPA
Tight, sharp, and fruity aroma. This beer’s taste is pretty much in the description with the tangerine. There is a very hoppy start to this beer, but it has a true, fruit juice finish. I picked up some orange rind in the finish as well. I probably wouldn’t go to the well with this beer very often, but it is not bad for a one off.



Sierra Nevada, Otravez
This Gose-Style Ale has a slightly sweet, but largely muted nose. The taste is tart, with the consistency of club soda. The fruit in the taste for this beer is a bitter fruit like a lemon. A taste and finish very similar to champagne in my estimation. One and done, and I probably wouldn’t find many occasions to revisit this beer. It’s not a bad beer, just not a style of brew that I frequent.


"If we can really understand the problem, the answer will come out of it, because the answer is not separate from the problem." ---Jiddu Krishnamurti

Instead of putting the session 20 update here, I get to put that I reverse ATM’d $800 into slots, VP and otherwise last night. It all started when I got to the casino later than expected and I quickly lost my desire to play a short session of poker, and instead I put way more money into escrow with the casino than desirable. It started when $100 evaporated in about 10 minutes at $1 Triple Double Bonus VP. Then, I put another $100 in. Halfway through my 3rd $100 bill at $$0.25 JoB, I actually lost the desire to be playing VP, but I was on full blown tilt at this point based on how bad I was running.

For a topper, I went to grab a very reputable beer, from a trusted source within the casino, and the doom switch was fully engaged, flat ass beer. So, I basically put everything I won on VP a week ago and then some back into the machine last night. What does that mean? Hopefully I let the entirety of the pain of losing be fully realized and I won’t go down that path again. I made the usual promise to myself, that I will never play a slot again, etc. etc. Will I adhere to my vow, who knows? I am going to try like hell to not hit the slots again but I realize my shortcomings.

One thing I do know, is that I currently have no immediate desire to sit down at a slot or VP machine. Those two avenues are about as undesirable of options as imaginable for me. So, it would seem, at least in the short term, my hemorrhaging last night will deter me from slots and VP. Last night I felt as though my big loss might be good for me, as it re-framed my focus back on the poker room.

Why am I writing this here? I guess for full disclosure and to 1) Show the depths of my fallibilities (which at this point through my thread are starting to mount and be apparent) and 2) Show a point of reference where I hopefully got back on track and what gave me the assist in this regard. Hopefully by realizing my faults, and documenting my problems, I will be able to fully combat them.

I poured a little of the elixir below into my wounds to try and soothe my wounds, and redirect my efforts.

My poison of choice is jack daniels lol I actually don't drink it that often as I like trying different whiskeys but I always seem to go back to good ol' jack! Probably stems from my college days, I always end up going back haha

It's tough dealing with the mistakes we have made. Documenting them I believe is the best way to improve. I find myself just writing about hands I either A) played poorly or B) was unsure of what to do and needed to reflect at a later time to better understand. I'm not writing about hands I played well because that only boosts my ego and doesn't accomplish any learning value from writing. Perhaps entertainment but I am less concerned with that.

The hard part is most people(myself included) don't like to admit when we make mistakes because we don't want to appear weak or to be wrong.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is I think your on the right track in your approach to the game, don't let variance get you down. Keep at it. It's a marathon not a sprint in the long run your superior play will net a profit over local 1/2 play.

Also I think I might actually go get some of the beer you discribed as you made it sound pretty good. The Sierra Nevada beers sounds like I would like it. I'm a light beer fan and when I drink scotch I like it with club soda, the way you describe that beer makes me want one.

Nothing wrong with Jack. Great standby to have. Do you ever drink Evan Williams? In my experience you get a pretty similar taste at about half the price.

I may try my hand at writing out a story itt sometime, as I have a pretty funny experience with Jack while on a baseball road trip in college.

That sounds like a very solid approach. I probably mix in a few too many hands that I played well. Unwittingly it is probably to soothe my ego. I feel like I have plugged several leaks in my game since starting this thread. Many of the adjustments that I have, and continue to make, are facets of llsnl that I have simply lost focus on, and re-implementing them have helped me to make these integral plays more a staple of my game.

Awesome! That Sierra Nevada is definitely a light/tart beer that carries flavor with it. The OK Pills is not at all bad for a beer on the lighter scale. For being a lighter beer, that OK Pills still carries a lot of the complexity that you would find in darker brew, and either beer would be a nice compliment to a few fingers of scotch.

20.


Time Played: 6:00
Result: +$245



The poker session

At one point in the session I was stuck $300. At that time, I felt like I was playing some of the best poker that I have been playing in a long time. I flopped the nut flush in a raise 5 way pot, got a value check raise in on the turn, and saved a bet on the river when the board paired and was certain that I was up against a boat. I raise KK preflop, and check folded on the flop when an A came and I was sure that I was facing a bet from an Ace. I bet multiple people off of hands when I deduced their holdings. Nothing really impressive, but solid winning plays that I am not sure that I would/have been making in the past couple of months.


Hand history’s

Hand 1
Hero, TAG, MP, 65
V1, Covers all, Tight/Fishy, Button
V2, $250, OMC, BB

One limper to hero. Hero raises to $10. V1 calls. V2 raises to $30. Hero and V1 call.
Pot: $90
Flop: K64

Flop checks around.
Turn: 7

V2 bets $10. Hero raises to $50. V1 calls and V2 folds.
Pot: $210
River: J

Hero leads for $75. V1 thinks and folds. I V2 on AA-JJ, then feel he turned his hand face up and says that he can’t beat a K. By the river, I think that I can fold out small pairs and obviously the missed draws.

Hand 2
Hero, $250, Tight, UTG, KJ
V1, $400, LAG, CO
V2, $110, TAG, Button
V3, $300, Straight forward, BB

Hero raises to $10. All v’s call.
Pot: $40
Flop: KJ8

Action checks to hero. Hero bets $40. V1 and V2 call
Pot: $160
Turn: 9x

Hero checks. I don’t like this card. I feel like the A and 9 are the two worst cards for me. V1 bets $155. V2 goes all-in for $80. I can’t decide if V1 is loose enough for me to get my stack in the middle. There are flush draws, straight draws, big A’s, smaller two pair hands, sets, all kinds of things that could be repped and held. I make the call. V1 has

Hand 3
Hero, $425, Tightish, Button, KK
V1, $400, Loose, SB
V2, $115, Maniac, BB
V3, $315, V1 from hand above, Button Straddle

V1 and V2 call $5 straddle. Hero raises to $30. All villians call. V2 says that I got too many callers. I say that I got just the amount that I was hoping for.
Pot: $120
Flop: J75r

V1 checks. V2 goes all-in for $85. Hero raises to $165. V3 goes all-in for $285. V1 tanks, shows V2 his hand, and folds. Hero thinks for a moment, and calls the all-in.

The board runs out A, A, no flush. V2 hates the river and shows J7. V3 doesn’t show and says that he doesn’t have anything. In my mind, this seems like it must have been a suicide bluff that had very little chance of getting through after I have raised to $165. I guess there could be some room for me to lay my hand down. V1 says, and V2 confirms, that he had J7 also.


In other news

Not too much to mention.

This is what I have tried recently:



Pretty good bourbon. My breif description is carmally, yet prickly. Spicy finish

Hand 2

What was up with Villain 2s all in call. Super weak right? Probably had some kinda pair and flush draw. Should have jammed flop getting heads up with Hero and letting V1 fold his draw. Then at least Hero would have won and not baldy. I mean V1.