Wait.. what?

1. You under repped your hand
2. The backdoor flush arrives
3. There are 5s and smaller FHs that could call a raise (Zeebo's Theorem)

I don't think this is an 'oh well' moment, I think it's a value leak.

Just finished writing this post and the site didn’t upload it. Frustrating. Here we go again....

Early cash 1/2 session before tournament went well. Uneventful until I flopped top set in 3! pot against AA and doubled up with 99. One habit I have after I use the bathroom is to smell the soap smell on my fingers. Well, this young spunky female Asian dealer noticed and said “you picking your nose?” I was somewhat embarrassed and said no dealer had ever asked me that. She asked if I thought it was funny. I said I did now.

Busted tournament and my first hand of the evening session I open KQo mp1 and ywg straddler 3! to $50. I tell him I’ll wait for aces and let it go. One orbit later I raise TT in same dude’s straddle and he 3! to $55. I’m fed up and call with $200 behind. Flop T54dd. He bets $100, I sniff my fingers in front of the same young Asian dealer and say all in. V asks if I have aces this time. I say “you don’t have jack sh*t. This is the second time you’ve three bet me in your straddle.” He calls. I hold.

I go to tip the dealer and the tip box is rather full. I tell her “my tip won’t fit in your box.” She replies “oh I can fit all of you in there.” Lol.

Flop set of threes and stack a limped AA. Then lose with QQ in 3! pot against what v said was A3 on 337K runout when he crai for $70 more and I folded. Then won a decent pot getting frisky with T7ss against 76o and a fd in T644A runout.

After winning $170 in early session and $250 in evening, I’m up $650 on the trip so far. Good times. But thanks to that dealer I’m now known to the poker room staff as the finger sniffer....

I should have jammed. Blocking other boats he could have limped with. He could have flush. Many reasons to jam. Just got gun shy because of a previous experience in a somewhat similar situation.

I hope I’m missing something here. You min raised a 3bet? Then check called flop with KK? And then check the turn?

EP open plus old lady 3! to $20 sounds like it could be AA. This was a 4! for information (folding to a jam). V had $125.

She didn’t jam so it’s not AA at that point. Most likely QQ. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with giving QQ a little rope to value own itself by checking flop.

Bubbled in tag team with Jeff this year. Had won two times in a row but couldn’t do it this time. Blows. Played until almost 3am only to be two off the money, going out at the same time as the bubble in a three way all in 88 (btn) KT (Sb) and us (Q6ss). I could have jammed earlier with KThh in HJ with 1bb but waited for a better spot three off money with several other short stacks. Also, only one team out of everyone wouldn’t chop even though they were short stacked. At one point everyone even offered these numnuts the full $950 prize. They refused. Some of these people’s decisions are just mind boggling.

Made $120 in cash games but the tag team buy in cost most of that. Going to sleep disappointed, fed up with selfish and stupid people, and pretty burned out. Not everyone is blessed with intelligence. Unfortunately, sometimes dumb people make bad decisions that impact others.

Should have said "Yes do you want to eat it?" and then move your finger towards her mouth. That's what I would have done anyways.

Another good day. Made $385. Played some 2/2 PLO that went this time too. That was a nice change of pace. Tomorrow morning is semi-final tournament. Gotta make top two at table to make finals. Jeff won a bunch today in cash games too. Feels good coming off of the crushing bubble loss last night. And I am now officially out of my cash game break even stretch/downswing! Goes to show how important it is not to let short term defeat get in the way of your long term goals. $$

Second to last day here went ... meh. Didn’t make it in shootout event this morning, then took a nap, played some cash, made a little bit, played another team tournament (didn’t cash), then headed down to poker room for 5/5 PLO. Knew I didn’t have enough to play anything but a ss strat. Limped AAJTss suited to the ace utg in straddle, got iso’d, straddler 3! $125, I jammed $350, initial raiser jammed, 3! called AI too. I flopped the nut flush draw, a pair or Ts, and turned two pair with a J, but the initial three-bettor had KQT9 and rivered a straight. Incidentally I would have lost to the raiser who had a lower straight with 789T. Why can’t I ever run good in PLO? It’s f*king stupid how badly I run. I guess it’ll never be my game. Definitely not playing it again anytime soon. Down $400 today.

Last day was fine. Ended up $275 today. Cash results paid for the trip and then some. Tournament results disappointed this year, but that's not unusual (except for tag team). Flopped a couple sets today, both times as pfr, once against ss's JJ (just called) with 66, second time against A9 on 985TA runout with 55.

Raised A9hh EP, three callers including two OMCs and the straddler. Flop A-T-8cc. I bet, OMCs both call. I am done with this hand unimproved. Turn is a brick, I check to BTN OMC who bets $35, OMC 2 calls SB, I fold. OMC stacks OMC 2 with AK v. I assume AQ or AJ.

This sweet old lady who came for the tournaments played cash at our table. She uses a walker, has shaky hands, and has trouble seeing. She sat down and started raising almost every hand! She raised to $16 UTG at one point and someone commented on her raise. She noted shrewdly, "that's an overbet," telegraphing her hand strength. That hand she got her OP cracked by a turned set of JJs and reloaded. She later raised A8hh and jammed 8x (middle pair) and lost. As she got up to leave she said, "I didn't have enough time to play. I played too fast." Smart lady. Lesson for us all.

As I drove away from Wilkes-Barre, PA with Jeff, I immediately started to miss the place. I don't recall feeling this way last year. I just made a personal connection this time. The staff and dealers were super friendly. The primary floorperson in the poker room always had a smile on her face. One dealer said dealing PLO excited her. Another gave me a nickname. A third said he would have warned me about the 5/5 PLO players if he could have. The locals were welcoming. There's a sense of community there that you just won't find in a larger metropolitan casino.

Can't beat a week playing poker with friends. If I ever get rich I'm going to build the best f*cking poker room imaginable and have my friends over all the time.

Now back home with one of my dogs by my side. Fond memories...and good to be back home in my own bed.

First day home was fine. Woke up at decent daytime hour, got beard trim, headed to MGM for some 1/3. Wanna ease back up into 2/5 after playing 1/2 for the better part of a week. Also wanted to work on my 1/3 winrate. I think I can get it a *bit* better than 2.75bb/hr. Session was fine, ended up $330 in a few hours. Biggest hand was AA, raised straddled pot over one limper to $31, only straddler called, flop 345ss. I bet $55 into $70, he crai $175, I snap, I hold against A4. Won a bunch of small to medium sized pots too.

.25/.5 home game was fine also. Made $170 there in 8 hours. Nice to be with friends. Ran really well in some big multiway pots and let hands go when I was beat. E.g., iso'd KQo in SB to $4 over a few limps, only one limper called. Flop 6-8-Qr. I bet $5, he calls. Turn: 9. I check, he bets $10, I fold. He has 66. Happy with my play today.

Butt hurt after a short home game session with friends. Lost $50 in an hour and called it a night there. It's pretty brutal to have a losing image at a single-table home game since you can't table change. First hand iso AJo, two limpers call. Flop: J-7-3ss (I have As). Bet $2.50, two callers. Turn: brick. Bet $5.50, one caller. River: 7s. Check behind, lose to K9ss.

3! AKo over MP raise, flop K-7-8r. Bet $5, call. Ready to stack this V on a clean runout. Turn: J. KJ pulls ahead but still beating other Kx and perhaps QQ. I bet $6, V crai $14, I tank call, V has KJ. I lose. I decide not to rebuy and 3! jam 88, we are six ways, flop a set but lose to K6o on J-8-7-5-4. That's pretty much it.

Now on 2p2 taking a break from playing and clearing my head before heading out for 1/3 at MGM.

1/3 was meh. Played only a couple hours and basically raised and missed a couple times. Once iso'd KThh in LP over a couple limps to $20, everyone called, flop AKQcc, checks through flop and when checked to again on 3d turn I bet small IP, get one caller. River is 8h, goes x/x and I lose to KJss. Then iso AQdd in SB to $36 in straddled pot over a few limpers (could have gone $45 in retrospect OOP and number of limpettes), flop 356ccc and I x/f to field caller's large bet (QJcc). Got AA once, flopped top set on A-5-3dd and bet; everyone folded. JJ in SB lost to BB's AQ but it was multiway so I lost nothing postflop on Q-x-x flop when BB bet and limper called. Won a small pot with TT on A-7-3-3-Q runout against 7x. That's pretty much it. Don't think I made any major mistakes, just one of those uneventful sessions. -$100.

Thinking about hiring a poker coach - someone who has grinded through the stakes and plays 5/10+ now. Anyone done this already? Worthwhile? Referrals? Thanks.

Today went fine at 1/3. Got AA twice early on, won a small pot the first time and got a double up second time when MP opened $15, one call, I 3! $65 BB, both call. Flop QJ3r. I bet $80, only pfr calls. Turn: J. I jam $100, he snaps, A river.

Bled down, raised/missed AQ a couple times multiway. Raised JJ in BB straddled pot to $45 over a few limpettes, two callers. I bet $60 on TT7r and straddler jams $450 effective. I fold. He shows KTo....

Nothing for a while until I pick up KK and iso to $15, two callers, BTN 3! $100, fish cold calls, I jam $260, BTN re-jams, fish calls. I hold against QQ and QJs for $850 pot. Dealer awarded the main pot to the guy with QQ and I had to point this out during an awkward exchange. Thankfully we rectified the situation. Ended up $530 in 7 hours.

Howcome you stopped playing 2/5?

My last couple weeks at 2/5 have been breakeven and I need to regain my confidence. Also, I was playing 1/2 in PA and didn't want to jump right back into 2/5 when I got back. Plus I wanna boost my 1/3 winrate.

Lost $200 tonight at 1/3. Started off rocky when I opened AKdd UTG, UTG+1 called, SB 3! $60, I call $300 eff., UTG AI for $65. Flop K-8-4cc and SB jams $240, I call, lose to AA. SB is a yappy ill-mannered a$$hole who says things like "good call" when he has it and once berated me and my friend for leaving the table to order food. I hated losing a pot to him. UTG+1 had 88 and won the smaller main pot. SB goes "my aces got cracked" over and over after the hand. There are some people who I really wouldn't mind never seeing again in my lifetime. I changed tables.

Ran it up to even with KK: iso to $17, shorty AI for $18, two callers. Flop 89Tr. SB donks $50, EP limper calls, I call intending on folding to further aggression. Turn: 9. Checked to me and I am happy to check it back. River: 5. Checked to me again and now I am pretty sure I can go for value against Tx or JJ and bet $50, SB calls pretty quickly and EP limper folds. MHIG. (Shorty had KTdd.)

Encountered some headwinds towards the end of the session. Got red AA cracked by 77 on K-8-7cc by a short stack, then lost with A7hh in limped pot on Th-9h-5c-As-6c runout to 87o (same short stack who won with 77 earlier). Losing with top pair and the nut flush draw to an open-ender was pretty tilting and after this hand I called it a night.

Was pretty pissed off on the drive home tonight. Now back home, ate some overdue dinner, gonna watch some pokergo and get some sleep. Tomorrow's a new day. Think long term. Take a deep breath.

Walked into the poker room tonight and breezed past the 2/5 tables on my way to the front podium. Spotted a good-looking 2/5 with an open seat and immediately asked to be seated there, brush obliged.

As expected, LAG to my right was opening a lot, and thankfully I got the goods against him - AKs twice within two orbits, both times with a caller in between. Took it down pre both times since I sized up against this V in particular. I could tell this guy was getting fed up with me; he likes to see flops on his terms. A couple orbits later he opens again, same caller in between and I pick up KK. So sweet. I make it $120, he looks exasperated and picks up a huge stack of black chips and lowers them onto the felt in front of him. Caller folds, I snap and show. He looks visibly annoyed and says something about how I'd been 3! him since I sat down. I hold.

Iso LP limper on BTN to $25 with QTss, limper calls and we are HU. Flop 9c-7c-2s. He check/calls $30. Turn: 4s. He check/calls $60. River: Td. He checks, I check back (could go for value?) and MHIG.

That's pretty much it. Lost a couple pots raising and getting 3! or calling a raise and getting squeezed. Didn't do anything stupid. Ended up $445 in 3 hours. Could have stayed longer but I wanted to book a win and I've been playing a helluvalot lately since my trip to PA. I've already surpassed my April hours and it's not even the end of the month. Anyway, nice return to 2/5 here after a brief hiatus.

I'm pretty sure there was no way I was going to win tonight at 1/3 no matter how I played. It was only a matter of how much I was going to lose. Missed every flush draw, got rivered multiple times by the same whale when I bet top pair and he went runner runner straight or hit his gutshot or called a 3! to $50 with K3o and hit his K against my JJ. That kind of thing. Didn't get paid on my big hands like top set either.

Last costly hand I played I overlimped 8h8s and a capable reg iso'd $15, one other caller and I call. Flop 2-3-3hh. He bets $25, only I call. Turn: 5. I check/call $45. River: 2. I check, he bets $110 into $185, I tank for a long time and make a very bad call against AhAs. Talked myself into this one. Oh well. What could have been a $100 loss turned into -$300 tonight because of this stupid hand. If I had raised and he 3! it could have been an easier laydown I think, then again maybe not since the fd bricked. Call me a P.O.W. (pay off wizard) this hand. I actually folded in a similar spot early in the session when UTG opened, I called TdTc BTN, flop 996ssd. He bets $25, I call. Turn: 7d. He checks, I bet $25 - kinda a showdown bet, kinda a protection bet, but all in all probably too small. He calls. River: 8c. He leads $145 - about pot. I tank fold. WWYD?

Taking tomorrow off. It's a Thursday (my worst day), but more importantly I have other stuff to do like perform a stand up comedy set - which I haven't done in years - for a political fundraiser. Should be interesting.

Ha, that was unexpected and out-of-the-blue. Back story?

GgetspopcornG

I started watching and then performing at a bunch of open mics and local comedy clubs a few years ago when I was going through some pretty deep depression stemming from an unexpected and severe mental health crisis. At first I went just to watch, try to laugh and get my mind off of my miserable life. Eventually, I noticed that there were a bunch of people who weren't exactly "professional" stand-ups and that I ought to give it try. My first set went as expected. I opened with: "I'm a comedy virgin. If this set is anything like my first time having sex, it won't last long and you'll all be disappointed when it's over." Not exactly Dave Chappelle-quality material.

But it was a period of personal (re)growth. The comedy routines allowed me to unleash my creativity and turn some dark episodes of my past into humor. I was already a trained writer and public speaker from my formal education, so those parts came fairly easily. It was figuring out timing and humor that was the hard part. I learned quite a bit about myself in the process. I also made some good friends (including my roommate). In many ways, the local open mic scene is a lot like 1/2 or 1/3: most people are terrible, a few are decent, and it is rare to find someone truly amazing. Competition and self-consciousness are rampant. At the end of the day, however, we were just a bunch of misfits trying to find meaning in our lives.

One night I saw a game of free poker going on on the main floor of this bar I performed at once a week. After my set, I sat down to play and was hooked. Although I eventually fell in love with poker and that took over as my primary hobby, I have no regrets that I ventured into the comedy scene for the better part of a year. It certainly got me through the most difficult episode of my life. Plus, I got people to laugh!

Neat story, awesome, gogogo imo!

Last year I started writing down some jokes / etc. in a document that I could use if I ever got the nerve to venture into stand-up. It's actually incredibly lol since I'll never do it (extreme stage fright, no thanks), but for some reason the process of writing down the jokes and having them sit in a document (with a 0.01% chance of them ever being used) is enjoyable enough. Very similar to all the lol home recorded songs I make (that'll never see any real light of day).

I've been thinking about all the art (in whatever form) that is made by humans thru out the ages, and my guess being that the overwhelming amount of art was only viewed by its creator or at most a handful of people. I'm thinking the process of creating has to be the meaningful part.

Ggogogo,imoG

Yeah just putting it down on paper is an experience in and of itself. You should hit an open mic in your area at least once for the experience. Have no regrets!

Set went great tonight. Not too shabby after a two-year break.

How much material do you prepare for one set? Is there a framework or something people use? Like if you're planning to be up there for half an hour, is that one main story that has some branches, or you're just spitting 15 2-minute jokes, or how do you even plan for something like this?