Thanks shrewsbury!

I def thought about playing on LATB, would be pretty cool.

Have fun benzy, cant wait to see you on TV!

Flight delayed going to start drinking early to compensate. And going to take anti nausea medication cause I get motion sickness on the plan

Edit: brought the book the fault in our stars with me, I hope it's a good read

Finally in LA

beat: took 5 hours longer than usual

beat: got a Buick LaCrosse instead of a nessian maxima (lol they told me it was an upgrade)

Just sat down at 3/5 (500max) at the bike also put my name on the 5/5 list with 1k max. Pretty cool seeing the table where they film latb

It's been a memorable few days in LA. I am glad to have had the opportunity to visit so many different places. So far, I have been to Glendale, Van Nuys, Hollywood, Little Tokyo, and K-Town. I have to say my favorite place by far is Little Tokyo. I had one of the best sushi experiences of my life there. This place had two different types of toro!

Poker wise, I have finally taken the plunge into 5/T. I did not intend on playing 5/T but the rake and buy-in structure is such that it is only game that made sense for me. IIRC they told me the buy in at 2/5 was 200 max at commerce. The buy-in at 5/T is 1500 max, which is a little more reasonable, but the rake is def a killer. I remember chopping preflop when I was the SB and I owed the house 2 dollars. You heard right the house gets 2 dollars even if you chop between the SB and BB! The rake at 5/5 (at the bike) is equally as ridiculous. The house will get 1 dollar each hand if you do not see the flop (that includes chops between SB and BB). IIRC the rake was at least 6 dollars if you see the flop (1 hand, I remember a 3-way limped pot at 5 dollars (the house took out 6 dollars after we saw the flop ). I did not find the competition particularly tough. The action was pretty really nitty at times and it is impossible to play profitability at a nitty table with such a high rake structure.

On the bright side, the food was free, and they just brought it to the table for you. I have to say the thai salad w/ rice was actually pretty decent considering that it was casino food.

I lost about ~-1400 , between 5/T (3 hours) and 5/5 (8 hours). Lost a few in standard cooler spots, lost a few more in some suck outs but nothing too sick. Overall, I think I played ok given the fact that I was nervous from playing higher than normal and I was also pretty tired sometimes. I played with a semi-famous female player at the bike (figure it out ). That was pretty cool and scary at the same time. She pointed how nervous I was during a hand we played togeter. I guess I have to work on that !

If I had to post one hand that represented my trip it would be this one:

1 limp to me, I raise 25 with AA, BB calls, limper calls

Flop (70): J97
checks to me, I bet 50, BB folds, limper raise 265 (eff stacks 1K), I fold

limper says he had "top-two".

Back in CT now; Im glad I got to do everything I wanted and it was an awesome trip overall!

up 800 in 3 hours between 1/2 and 2/5 thanks to set vs. TPTK and stacking someone with AA. Easy game

Hero Is Weak-Tight

Hand 26:

Pre: 3 limps to me, I call w/ 86o OTB, SB folds, BB chks (5 way to the flop)

Flop (25): 975
BB bets 20, MP raises to 60, I raise to 155, BB folds, MP calls

Turn (355): 5
MP bets 300 (with 350 behind), Hero folds, MP shows J9

My read at the time was that MP was an NIT/OMC and that the only value hands he would play this way were 75, 99, and 77. I didn't think about the spazz factor (but how often are NIT/OMC types really going to call a 3-bet OTF and bomb the turn with a bluff). The sizing is worth noticing (why so much? but I could not pull the trigger based on that factor alone)


Hand 27:

Pre: UTG goes all in blind for 37, MP calls, CO calls, I raise 130 with 88 in the SB, MP calls, CO calls (1k eff, and it is a new table so I don't really have any reads)

Flop (427): 932
I bet 200, MP raises all-in (840 total), CO folds, I fold

MP has 88

In my last 3 sessions, I have been playing between nitty and ABC with very little post-flop aggression. This strategy has worked out fine because people have been spewing into me in big pots while I have been only losing smallish pots (although much more numerous).

To add the the weak tight game I have folded 88, TT (to a 2.5x 3-bet, but <10:1 IO), KQ, and AQ to 3-bets.

My last two sessions:

Friday:
+478 3.5 hours at 2/5

Saturday:
+126 0.5 hours at 1/2
+1344 8 hours at 2/5

I have finally reached 20K in winnings!

Played 1/2 for 4 hours and booked a decent win.

Played the $120 buy-in 10K MTT at mohegan and busted on a flip before cashing . I guess I just got a little bit of tourny fever after watching the WSOP main event broadcast. The overall play was terrible but the patience required is also very demanding.

Decided against playing 2/5 b/c the most-move table was full of nits and one LAG crusher.

Played 2/5 for 8 hours on Thursday and 8 hours on Friday. I played pretty well, except for a few spots where I got overly aggro. Also got owned in a couple spots vs. a NIT/OMC. I've been experimenting with making small pot builder raises (3x/4x) with small-med PP and med-high SC in LP against loose/passive tables.

This strategy makes me lose a lot of small spots, but also makes everyone even more loose (making the table better). Most of my advantage comes from being in position and having a better post-flop plan than my opponents (not to mention getting called by trashy hands like A7o and J6).

Here's the spot where I get completely owned by NIT

Pre: nit limps EP, I raise 25 with AKo in MP, folds to NIT, NIT calls (500 eff)

Flop (50): J54
nit chks, I bet 35, nit raises 70, I call

Turn (190): 8
nit bets 50, I raise 175, nit calls

River (540): 9
nit chks, I check, nit has KK

What Comes Next?

I played some 1/2 (got owned lol) and 2/5 on Tuesday. Right now I feel more dialed in at 2/5 because I play it more. The differences in the way 1/2 plays has messed me up to a certain degree. At 1/2, some players limp with strong hands like AJ and 99 or raise small amounts with KK/QQ. I end up overvaluing my hands in these situations. I also see more non-nonsensical plays which has caused me to fold or call incorrectly.

I feel pretty comfortable at 2/5 and it has been my main game for the past 8 months. I've been thinking about taking a shot at the 5/T game but have been reluctant so far. The 5/T game plays much bigger (2K max) with tougher players and I'd also have to adjust to the game dynamics. I think I am up to the challenge and I plan on taking 1 buy-in (1.2 K) shots in the near future.

One of those days

Played for 5.5 hours of 2/5 on Saturday at Mohegan. I was 0/3 in big hero calls and I couldn't really get anything going. I did not get action when I had strong hands and I faced a lot of pressure when I was holding marginal hands. I played one hand terrible against a lag-reg and it was pretty much downhill after that. I was also not very sharp either (couldn't really focus).

On the bright side there were 5 tables of 2/5 which is the most I've ever seen at this particular casino. One guy I played with was stuck two main event buy-ins (1100 each) . I wonder how some people can still play after running so bad in a tournament.

Welcome to the big leagues

played my second 5/T session ever and it lasted 20 minutes (bought in for 1,200). I felt like I got owned by these guys. Although I only played like 3 hands, I was def out of my comfort zone and I did not play optimally.

There was this one hand where aggro asian raises 35 OTB and I flat with KQo in the SB, BB calls too

flop is K92, I check/call 70

turn is a 4, I check/call 200

river is a A (no flush), I check with the intention of calling

aggro asian bets 600

Here is the thing about this hand; a normal player would be repping a very narrow value range of (AK, 99s, 22s, etc) in this spot. A normal player would probably not bet 3 times as a bluff either.

What makes this hand tricky for for me is that a knowing that this kid is completely capable of triple barreling this board as a bluff if he senses weakness but is also capable of value betting a hand as weak as Ax or any random two pair. In the end I fold

I decided to pick up after losing a couple more pots b/c I didn't want to play short stacked and I didn't want to reload. I feel like I need to relearn a whole new stake in order to beat the 5/T. These guys were way more aggro than what I am use to and also more tricky.

I sit down at a 2/5 (800 max) game a hour later. And build a nice stack after getting AA twice. I play a interesting hand with an unknown player (but thought he was capable of making plays). I learned later that he was a good tricky lag.

Pre: lag raises 25 OTB, I call 99 in SB (~1100 eff i cover), BB calls

Flop (75): J92
I bet 60, BB folds, lag calls

Turn (195): T
I bet 125, lag raises to 330 (with 700 behind)

my first instinct was KQ or maybe KQ. He could also have JT. But then I started giving him semi-bluffs in his range AK, QJ/QJ all picked up equity on this turn. I decided that I needed to jam


lag tanks and says he has a set of 22s and folds

Watched rounders again because it's a classic

I had lost my Mental Game of Poker when I was in Colorado (but I got it back now! time to get reading)

Thinking about going to San Diego for my next trip because of the beautiful weather, SD Zoo and Sea World, and poker.

Sounds like you got that traveling bug!

Is there anything you feel you could have done to get a call?
Do you think you gave off some tells with your thinking/ tanking and you looked too strong?
I feel like spots like this we need to pay attention to ourselves so we can get called lighter.

I just stared at the board after I raised. I probably gave off a surprised reaction when I saw him raise but I tried not to look happy or made. It's completely possible I gave off some live tells (but I did my best not to )

He kept asking me if I thought JT was good, I didn't know how to answer so I didn't react or respond.

Played for 10.5 hours yesterday and witnessed a couple interesting things

1. I raise with A6 OTB, get called by BB. Flop 822, I c-bet, BB calls.
Turn is 2 (checks around), river 2. BB donk leads 40, I raise to 125 and BB just calls with AK

2. Limped pot 5-ways that gets checked all the way to the river on a 33KK3 board. I bet 25 from the SB and everyone folds.

Hand 28:

Pre: EP limps, I raise 25 with JJ from EP, MP calls, CO calls, BTN calls ( 5-ways to the flop)

Flop (125):743
chks to me, I bet 75, MP calls, CO folds, BTN calls, EP calls

Turn (425): 5
EP checks, I chk, MP chks, BTN goes all-in 280, EP goes all-in (350), action to me

BTN is a loose rec player and EP is a loose passive older gentleman (but is a station)

There's no way my hand is ahead with so much action in front of me. But I am however getting ridiculous pot odds.



Hand 29:

V: is a tournament player. Makes overly big bets with value hands and bluffs. Pretty loose (plays junk like 75 and 63 to standard raises 25-30). (eff stacks 800). Got rivered for a 2k pot by a 1 outer 1 hour ago (maybe tilted)

Pre: EP raises to 15, I 3-bet to 50 with KJ, V calls in OTB, folds to EP, and EP calls (BB accidently mucks KJ )

Flop (150):
632
chks around

Turn (150): 3
chks to V, V bets 150, EP folds, I call

River (450): K
I chk, V goes all-in 600, me?

V has played nutted hands like this in the past. But V also lost a huge pot and seems to be pretty tilted. I don't know often V is over betting the river on a bluff. I should have considered the fact that V would've lead a flush draw on the flop (but I didn't). Because I thought there was the possibility of a flush at the time, I FOLD

Funny board run out for 1

Played for another 4 hours yesterday and made a pretty cool bluff

Pre: MP limps, BTN limps, SB limbs, I raise to 30 with JJ from the BB, only BTN calls (eff stacks 800)

Flop (70): AKQ rainbow
I bet 35, BTN calls

(he is a pretty tag)

Turn (140): 8
since I viewed him as a standard tag, I know he can't have AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ in his range. All these hands would've been raised preflop.

At best he probably has AT, and probably something like A-rag, Kx, or QT/QJ.

None of these hands should be calling a big barrel on the turn since my range could easily be QQ-AA and AQ/AK.

I bet 125, and BTN folds

Played for 6 hours at 2/5. Made a lot more moves than I usually do. This was a by-product of me running terrible, not making hands in key spots, and passing on similar spots earlier in my session.

Hand 30:

V1 (425): ABC player

V2 (covers everyone): thinking player, showing 3-bet bluffs, talking smack/strategy

I have around 1100 to start the hand

Pre: V1 limps, V2 raises 25, I call with 98 from CO, BB calls, V1 calls

Flop (100): K96 rainbow
chks around

Turn (100): 3 (completing rainbow)
V1 bets 45, V2 calls 45, I raise to 215, BB folds, V1 folds, V2 calls

River (575): 9
V2 chks, I bet 325, V2 calls, MHIG

Listened to ChicagoJoey's Podcast with Jungleman. He sounds like someone who has the game of poker totally figured out and is maximizing both his life EV and poker EV. Would recommend to other poker players.

Asked a few of my real life friends if they would stake me if I decided to go to the WSOP for two weeks. So far the responses have been pretty positive lol.

Played 4.5 hours of 2/5 at FW

My table was pretty passive and straightforward. I made several standard (or so I thought) folds to aggression. I def made hands in key spots and I think I was able to capitalized on them.

Hand 31:

Villain: loose but passive Asian player

Pre: EP limps, I raise to 25 with AJ in MP, V calls in the BB, EP calls

Flop (75): J85
chks to me, I bet 55, V calls, EP folds

Turn (185): 2
chks to me, I bet 135

Villain plays with his chips, keeps looking at me and back at his cards. He seems unsure about making this call. Finally he calls after what seems to be 2 minutes or so

River (455): 6

Again Villain tanks, plays with his chips looks at me and checks. I take this for a sign that he has a marginal hand

I bet 315

He seems absolutely tortured by his decision. He goes back and forth between counting his bills for a call and folding. He asks me if I want a call but I remain fixated on the board.

Finally clock is called on him and he eventually makes the crying call. MHIG and the table is shocked to see that AJ was the winner.

LOL Live poker

crazy hand from last night:

Talkative Reg raises 20 EP, Rec player 1 raises 80, Rec player 2 pretends to very stressed agonizes over the call, he finally calls after 1 minute of deliberation

Talkative reg folds

Flop: A92

Rec player 1 asks Rec player 2 if he wants to be friendly but Rec player 2 declines. Rec player 1 bets 100, Rec player 2 flips up KK like he is gonna fold but doesn't . Talkative reg goes crazy about how he would've stacked both players.

Rec player 2 goes all in (300 total)!!

Rec player 1 folds!

Did the table mention what they were expecting to see ?