i was sitting her wondering how to tell you to maybe stop playing for longer than just thursdays.... got me good

Got off to an early start thanks to some . . . relaxation . . . last night. Decided to sneak in a sesh over at good 'ol MGMNH before the home game.

Six limpers to me in BB with TT and I make it $23, only fish calls. Flop J-9-2cc. I check, he checks. I am 100% good here. I bet $30 ott, he calls with $45 behind. River: 9s. I check, he ships, I snap, he insta-mucks.

Limp behind several limpers with 99 in CO, BB raises to ginormous $45. I have position, a strong hand, and I have V's range pinned down to AK or AQ almost exclusively, so I call. We're HU. Flop: Q-8-7ss. He bets $60 with $120 behind, so I'm making a commitment decision. I decide to call. Turn: 8d. He ships, I sigh call getting 3:1 (he needs AK 25% of the time for this to be profitable), he has the combo I didn't want to see - AQ - but I bink a 9 otr so who cares?

Then call a raise with 88, flop 8-6-4r, pfr cbets, other caller flats, I flat - some gutshots, but nothing else to be worried about, so why scare anyone away? Turn: Qs, bring bdfd. Pfr bets $50 with $60 behind, V in between calls with $50 behind, I make it $150, they both call and I hold against middle V's 66 (set over set) and pfr's . . . ? I dunno but he said the A otr hit him.

Ended up $635 in 1.5 hours. Dumbo is flying high!

I was just watching Marle's latest vlog (https://youtu.be/oiOfckHwnMw) and the V in the above hand against me is TAKING THE SOLVE FOR WHY expert/advanced $6,000 class. He's in the gray hoodie with the baby face in the left hand corner of the screen during one of the last hands of the session recap (skip to 14:27). Anyone played with him?

No wonder Vegas games are crap. You have to take $6k classes to stay ahead of the curve. Yikes!

But yeah, I had him beat for sure.

Home game last night deserves a post. It was one of the juiciest I've ever played in.

0.5/0.25, $50 cap. I GII early on in 3! pot with K7ss on Q-x-xss flop and don't improve against top set. This was early home game spew. I reloaded.

Later, l/rr QQ to $10.50 over $1.50 and four callers, original raiser jams for $33 effective (me), I call, hold against his JThh.

Iso JThh over one limper to $2.00, SB calls, limper calls. Flop: 8-5-4xxh. I have decent backdoor equity and two overs, plus range advantage so barreling any K or A as well as hearts, any 7, 9, Q, so I take a stab, $5.00. Only SB calls. Turn: 9c. One of my continuing cards, bet $11, SB calls. At this point I am ranging him on slow played monsters. He is a tight player who wouldn't call light ott. River: 7d! Backdoor nuts? Yes, please! SB checks, I contemplate overbet jamming for $50, but instead opt to bet $25. SB hems and haws, say I can't have a 6, calls it off because I do bluff at a decent frequency. I show him the bad news. He had tried to trap me with QQ and it backfired. A standard 3!, cbet otf would have won him the hand.

Later, call BTN raise in SB with KsKd, loose BB 3! $5.00, BTN flats, I 4! $20, both call. Flop: Q-6-3ss. I bet $30, BB jams, BTN calls, I call, hold against BB's AJo and BTN's KQhh.

Lastly, call raise with AJo, call BTN b/b/jam on A-high flop and win versus his A8o.

Ended up almost $200 in 6 hours! I don't host/attend these games to make money primarily. Its about seeing my poker buddies and having a good time. This time just happened to turn out well.

A couple of my closer friends stayed to help clean up and they both commented on how much I've improved. That was much more rewarding than the money.

Posted first loss in over a month tonight. (If you count promos, that's 21 winning sessions!) Can't be too disappointed. Lost $300/2 BI - my new stop loss - in 6 hours.

Was card dead for the first five hours. Hardly a premium hand, except for AQ twice which I raised/took down pre once and raised/b/jammed Q-5-5 and won. Posted and called an active BTN open with Q9hh getting 5:1, flopped top pair 9 on 9-5-3xxh, called SB down ($15 on each street) on J-J runout and lost to A9o.

Flopped two pair in SB with A5o and got value from Q-high bdfd that made top pair oft. (It was that kind of table.) Ended down $40 at this first table.

New table, finally get a real premium, KcKd, in BB. Raise to $20 over three limpers, only UTG limper calls. I have $130 behind after the raise. Flop T-6-4cc. Cbet $20, UTG calls. Turn: 8c, completing flush and making 2p and straights. Getting dicey. I check, UTG checks cards and checks behind. I feel pretty good about my hand. River: 6d. I go for thin value against Tx, $35, V tries to jam but instead string raises to $100. My instincts said snap fold, river raises are nutted at these stakes, but I had the Kc and getting 2:1 he needed to be bluffing 1/3 for me to call. Could he do this with a T? Missed flush? He would have raised sets otf. And why not bet a flush ott? I was perplexed. I called and he showed 76o for rivered trips, a hand that makes sense. It blows to wait hours for a real hand and lose.

Then waiting for my food, ready to go home, didn't rebuy ($300 stop loss) raised AKo to $12 over UTG reg/limper, he l/rr me AI for $60, I call, his 33 holds. Sigh.

Back at it today.

Pretty meh session. Won a good pot with QQ on JJ9Q4 runout. Lost a big pot with AA: raised to $17 over two limpers, BTN ($100) calls, one limper (covers) calls. Flop: Q-T-6hh. I bet $40, both call. I jam 3d turn for $220, both call. V who covered me rivers flush with 87hh. (Other V had Q4dd.) I lose. At least I didn't misplay this one like the KK hand last night. Too bad I lost anyway.

Next hand limp 55 in EP, I'm HU with BB, flop Q-3-6cc. Check check. Turn: 5d. He bets $6, I raise to $17, he calls. River: 3. I bet $50, he calls. I win. Then something strange happens. This V who I've never seen before and wasn't even in the hand says "river rat" and the BB corrects him and says I hit the set on the turn. (Bear in mind, this is one hand after I was rivered in a huge pot with AA.) What a f*cking a**hole. I told him not to call other players names and he said he'd say whatever he wants since he's a grown man and if I wanted we could take it outside. My god I wish the floor kicked him out. (He got stacked the next hand by AK with QQ...!)

A few hands later the annoying, trash-talking V misclicks and calls when he meant to raise to $25. I check my option with 33. Flop: 3-5-6ss. V bets $20 out of turn, I check along with EP limper. V's bet stands. I c/r to $50, limper calls, V calls. Turn: Qd. I jam $100, both call. River: 4h, I show and am good against annoying V's AA but lose to EP limper's J7ss for the rivered straight. Lose another big one.

Ended down $245 in 7 hours.

MGMNH is my home casino as well. I plan on being there most weekends in 2019. If you ever want to say hi, drop me a message here.

"Six limpers to me in BB with TT and I make it $23, only fish calls. Flop J-9-2cc. I check, he checks. I am 100% good here. I bet $30 ott, he calls with $45 behind. River: 9s. I check, he ships, I snap, he insta-mucks."

Are you protecting your checking range on the flop? What range of hands do you put the villain on? With such a wet flop, I'd usually want to make a small bet to get OP to either push on a draw or at least get some money in before one of the many scare cards hit.

"Then call a raise with 88, flop 8-6-4r, pfr cbets, other caller flats, I flat - some gutshots, but nothing else to be worried about, so why scare anyone away? Turn: Qs, bring bdfd. Pfr bets $50 with $60 behind, V in between calls with $50 behind, I make it $150"

You have the flop crushed, I think you played this fine.

I'm curious, is the stop loss in place as a tilt control measure. If the game is really juicy, will the stop loss still apply?

I'm enjoying following your journey.

So what I'm hearing is this:

- The player can't read a board
- The player doesn't understand poker poker dynamics (even if you did hit on the river (which you didn't), that's part of the game)
- The player lacks emotional control
- The player thinks it's RoadHouse and wants to take it outside

Why engage him? If a 5 year old called you poopy pants, would that require a response? Cards talk, bs walks. If anything, you want people to think you're a bad player.

Really not sure why you're upset at this?

People are free to say whatever they want regarding the play of a hand when it's over, so unless you're taking the term "river rat" as an incredibly insulting insult (???) then just lol it off / spew BS about your hand / whatever.

Gthecorrectresponsehereis"sir,Iconsidermyselfarive rmouse,thankyou"withasmile,anythingelseisjuststupi d,imoG

Thanks! It's a bankroll protection measure more than anything. Also, usually by the time I've lost $300 I've been playing for at least 6-7 hours, so it's probably time to go before I get too tired anyway.

Good points. With just one overcard to my pair, I felt like I could have bet here as well. Checking gives me some more info based on what he does. If I bet flop and he calls, I'm left wondering whether he has a J. If it goes check/check, I can be pretty confident he doesn't have top pair. (Of course, I'm still calling if he does bet.)

It's really hard to range your average rec in 1/3 when they limp/call. Many do this with small PPs, suited A-rags, but many also do this with any suited garbage, offsuit broadways, so it's tough to assign him a range.

Exactly. The lack of emotional control at the tables can be a great source of entertainment. I usually completely ignore comments directed at me. If I'm bored, I might say something like:

- I love any hand with a 5 in it (especially if there was no 5)
- At this hour I only play red cards

Not in a whinny b*tch tone, but sheer conviction/confusion with a smile. In fact, I'm smiling right now just typing it. Keeping the table mood light for bad gamblers is part of the winrate.

Lol, this is one of my faves too.

Me (as I'm raking the chips and being interrogated): "I flopped a set of sixes, whattami supposed to do?".

Interrogator: "The flop was T83?"

Me: "Oh right, I meant a set of eights." (or sometimes "No, I'm pretty sure it was T63?", depends on how frisky I feel).

Gifyou'renothavingfunatpokeryou'redoingitwrongG

It just felt like he was kicking me when I was down right after losing a big pot with AA. I didn't appreciate it. Also, I generally have little tolerance for recs who bring negativity to the game. I try to have a good time and name calling right after losing a big pot (to an actual river rat!) just seems like wanton infliction of emotional distress with ill will towards a complete stranger who did nothing to deserve it. It takes a certain type of person to do that.

I am sure if I hadn't just lost that AA hand I wouldn't have thought twice about it, but then again, I doubt he would have made the comment otherwise.

What can I say, I just have a particular dislike for people who lack manners.

No offense but your mental game seems really weak. You get annoyed at the tiniest of things.

Been watching this thread since it started and yeah 100% his mental game needs work

Ok back into the swing of things. Up $259 in under five hours. Pretty tame session. Started at a meh table and couldn’t get anything going. Too many regs so decided to table change. First hand at new table raise KQo in UTG +2, only straddler
calls. Miss and lose to 85dd.

Next hand get KK! Opened to same size ($20) even though no straddle. Everyone saw the KQ hand so I should seem fos. I get four callers. I jam 9-high diamond draw flop for $100 and previous straddle V calls and I hold on A-T runout (no diamonds). I soon found out this guy was opening 90%. 3! him with ATo, QQ, KQ and took all three down pre or post. Raised KTcc UTG, got value from same V on T-high board. Raised 77 UTG, held on 3-6-8-8-A runout. Called a bunch of raises and missed of course. That’s pretty much it.

Oh and random people seem to think I look like Christian Bale?

Ha, isn't Christian Bale a bit of a chameleon looks-wise?

I enter a lot of my opponents into a players database in my iPhone PokerJournal, but a lot of opponents I don't know their name, so I often have to come up with a name that suits them or who they remind me of. I have a lotta actor names in my database, but I've never entered in a Christian Bale.

Gcluelesswho-does-he-look-likenoobG

or . . .



?

I guess I need some clarification next time someone offers this comparison.

It's funny people think I look like him . . . doesn't he have some temperament issues as well?

Also this:



GifIsawyouontheright,Iwouldenteryouas"fat/oldChevyChase"G

Good session. Arrived around 8:20 p.m., left by 1:20 a.m. This way my sleep schedule isn't too out of whack. Ended up $545. Made some good money at first table bluff catching a huge stack and ran it up to $500, but then I got uncomfortable playing with him to my left relatively deep since he was clearly capable of putting me into tough spots post-flop. (He also cracked my QQ with KTcc for around $100.) So I changed tables.

Next table was utter trash. Very tight. I changed within an hour or two, but not before leaving to eat dinner and losing about $100, some to a short stack who called my raise with KJo and GII with top pair for his last $40 against my 77. Dear god people can't play poker at 1/3.

Third table was a gem. Kept one-upping this reg, woke up with AK twice against his EP raises, won both times. 3! him with KK out of SB, checked until river on A-x-x-x-x and he folded, claiming to have JJ.

Then folded a chop against an OMC who check-min-raised me OTT on J-T-3-6 runout with AJo?! I was wondering what in the world did he think he beat when he c/r me after I double-barreled $35/$80 into three opponents.

Then called previous reg's $31 UTG raise in straddle with JJ on BTN, straddler called. We all GII on 9-8-4r flop and I hold against pfr's TT and straddler's 9x. Didn't get any playable hands for the next 45 minutes and racked up.

Nice table change when you recognized you were getting into uncomfortable spots out of your wheelhouse against the deep difficult guy to your left. A huge part of poker is parking your ego at the door and being aware of stuff like this, nice.

Ggogogo!G

So-so session. Was at pretty bad table for a while before I spotted a VIP sit down at the table next to mine. I got on the transfer list and changed within 20 minutes. The table was even more glorious than I imagined. I felt like I was playing a high-stakes game at King's Casino with a bunch of clueless businessmen. Showdowns included pretty much any suited crap, people cold calling 3! with 54hh, 98cc, etc. I quickly picked up on what kind of table it was so I played up my gambol, straddling my first orbit, talking up the table, trying to fit in and not give off the silent "I only play AA/KK" vibe that so many grinders do.

Only decent win: overlimp straddle on BTN with J8cc, flop 4c-6c-8h, one whale bets $20, four callers. Turn: 2c. Now betting lead shifts to an absolute beluga who fires $35, four callers still. River: Qd. All check to me and I jam for my last $80, all fold. (Ranges were so wide here I wouldn't be surprised if people got to the river on this runout with just bottom pair.) This pot put me up $90.

Unfortunately for me, I later got AK twice, raised big and whiffed in multiway pots both times (cbetting against his field was a questionable proposition). Then cold called a 3! with JJ on BTN and flopped terribly, lost that too. So overall couldn't make anything happen on this absolutely amazing table. The Japanese would have had a field day murdering all the whales here.

Next table was not as good, but decent. Still, got nothing going. 3! a thinking player's CO iso-raise with AJo on BTN, took it down pre. Iso-raised AJhh, limper and BTN called, flop KKJdd. We check. Limper bets small on blank turn bringing bdfd, we both call. River brings bdf but we all check, I quickly show figuring I am good given the action, limper mucks, BTN tables 92ss for the back door flush...?

Lost $145 on the session in 6 hours. But a good lesson in table changing and image. I am becoming a more well-rounded player.

Put $1,500 into my retirement account yesterday, leaving roll at around $5,000.

Decent session. Ended up $330 in 5 hours ($430 with lucky table bonus).

Found a good table after first one wasn’t working out. Flopped nuts in multiway pot with JTo, got some value from tp+fd until turn when he folded. Hard to get max value from decent players like this particular V.

Earlier, called an EP open with KJhh, V cbet, one caller on J-9-4ss flop and I called. Brick turn checked to me and I jammed $95. Pfr called and I held versus his AQss.

Rec player iso’d to $11 over two limpers and I 3! IP with A9cc to $26. Only rec called. Flop K-9-4hh. He check called $25. Turn: Qd. We both check. River: 4s. He donks $35 and I tank call. He has 22 and I’m good.

That’s pretty much all. Snow coming this weekend so will try to get one more session in Friday since the car doesn’t do well in bad weather. Probably taking weekend off.