🔥 Heat Check or Am I The Real Deal?
01-12-2020
, 05:35 AM
I turned 31 just an hour ago and I’ve been seriously thinking about becoming a full time poker player. I haven’t logged enough volume yet, but I will use this thread to discuss some hands I’ve played and to keep myself accountable. Will also share some stories along the way as traction picks up.
My game of choice: $5/5 NLHE ($300-$600 buy in)
Challenge Start Day: 12/31/2019
Starting Bankroll: $15,000
Current Bankroll: $25,327
My game of choice: $5/5 NLHE ($300-$600 buy in)
Challenge Start Day: 12/31/2019
Starting Bankroll: $15,000
Current Bankroll: $25,327
01-12-2020
, 11:39 AM
1/12/20 (3 hr 56 mins session)
Bankroll: $25,327
Session +/-: +$1,113
New Bankroll: $26,440
It’s my birthday and was thinking of just sleeping in. But I’ve been playing nearly every night this past week and been running good. I feel like the game is much softer at night for some reason, haven’t pin point what it is exactly. There weren’t many notable hands, just pretty standard spots and not getting sucked out on. I play a very TAG style with strict starting hand requirements that I NEVER derail from. Some would call me a nit and it might be true, but it’s been profitable for me thus far and I won’t change anything that isn’t broken.
One hand that stood out to me, really bothers me because I’ve been in similar situations at least 3-4 times this week and each time I feel like I’ve played it wrong and everyday as I am driving to casino, I tell myself that I would like to fix this leak in my game. So here’s the hand:
I am in the SB with pocket 4s ($1100 stack), Villain 1 (TAG $1200 stack) opens $55 (table and himself included were opening $35-$40 the orbits prior, I just sat down 30
minutes ago) in middle position and gets flat called by the Villian 2 (TAG $1200 stack), I have never raised 4s here in the SB and I’m set mining all pocket pairs so I call, BB folds.
Flop comes Q-Q-4 rainbow. I check and Villian 1 C-Bets $75 Villian 2 calls $75, I decide to just call. Turn comes 5, still a rainbow board and I check, Villian 1 bets $105, Villian 2 calls $105 and now I’ve put Villian 1 on K-K / A-A and Villian 2 on Q-X. I was thinking of raising here to get value on trip Qs and hoping both of them had Q-X, but was also thinking a raise could get K-K/A-A out. I decided to just call. River comes a 6, board is Q-Q-4-5-6 rainbow. I check again, thinking that someone with the Q will put in a decent value bet. Pot is about $700 on the river, Villian 1 checks behind and Villian 2 bets $200. I instantly shove all in with about $665 more for Villian 2 to call. He opens a Q face up and folds and says “6-6?”. Villian 1 says he had Aces. I show the 4-4s (this is the first
time I’ve ever showed without a call, I will never again)
I really hated this cause, as I mentioned before, this same situation where I either flopped or turn a full house, I completely butcher the value of these hands here. In retrospect, I think leading the turn into trip Qs and value betting the river is what I should have done, or keeping the scenario the same, I could have forced a crying call with a min raise on the river and collected an extra $200 out of trip Qs. Shoving all in was the dumbest move I could’ve done and anything that calls me has me beat, even a tank shove to look like a bluff would’ve been better.
What would have been the best way to play this hand? Min raise $200 on the river or raise to $400? Lead the river? What would you do to extract the most value.
Bankroll: $25,327
Session +/-: +$1,113
New Bankroll: $26,440
It’s my birthday and was thinking of just sleeping in. But I’ve been playing nearly every night this past week and been running good. I feel like the game is much softer at night for some reason, haven’t pin point what it is exactly. There weren’t many notable hands, just pretty standard spots and not getting sucked out on. I play a very TAG style with strict starting hand requirements that I NEVER derail from. Some would call me a nit and it might be true, but it’s been profitable for me thus far and I won’t change anything that isn’t broken.
One hand that stood out to me, really bothers me because I’ve been in similar situations at least 3-4 times this week and each time I feel like I’ve played it wrong and everyday as I am driving to casino, I tell myself that I would like to fix this leak in my game. So here’s the hand:
I am in the SB with pocket 4s ($1100 stack), Villain 1 (TAG $1200 stack) opens $55 (table and himself included were opening $35-$40 the orbits prior, I just sat down 30
minutes ago) in middle position and gets flat called by the Villian 2 (TAG $1200 stack), I have never raised 4s here in the SB and I’m set mining all pocket pairs so I call, BB folds.
Flop comes Q-Q-4 rainbow. I check and Villian 1 C-Bets $75 Villian 2 calls $75, I decide to just call. Turn comes 5, still a rainbow board and I check, Villian 1 bets $105, Villian 2 calls $105 and now I’ve put Villian 1 on K-K / A-A and Villian 2 on Q-X. I was thinking of raising here to get value on trip Qs and hoping both of them had Q-X, but was also thinking a raise could get K-K/A-A out. I decided to just call. River comes a 6, board is Q-Q-4-5-6 rainbow. I check again, thinking that someone with the Q will put in a decent value bet. Pot is about $700 on the river, Villian 1 checks behind and Villian 2 bets $200. I instantly shove all in with about $665 more for Villian 2 to call. He opens a Q face up and folds and says “6-6?”. Villian 1 says he had Aces. I show the 4-4s (this is the first
time I’ve ever showed without a call, I will never again)
I really hated this cause, as I mentioned before, this same situation where I either flopped or turn a full house, I completely butcher the value of these hands here. In retrospect, I think leading the turn into trip Qs and value betting the river is what I should have done, or keeping the scenario the same, I could have forced a crying call with a min raise on the river and collected an extra $200 out of trip Qs. Shoving all in was the dumbest move I could’ve done and anything that calls me has me beat, even a tank shove to look like a bluff would’ve been better.
What would have been the best way to play this hand? Min raise $200 on the river or raise to $400? Lead the river? What would you do to extract the most value.
Last edited by TheDeadOne; 01-12-2020 at 11:45 AM.
01-13-2020
, 02:17 AM
1/12/20 (4 hr 18 mins session)
Bankroll: $26,440
Session +/-: +$562
New Bankroll: $27,002
Sunday’s I usually take a break and since I already played a morning session, maybe just enjoy my birthday... NO! Living 20 mins away from the closest casino is a blessing/curse. Everyday on my drive there I’m thinking to myself, “Is today the day I’m going to run Kings into Aces?”. It didn’t happen and the streak is still alive. Today was one of the tougher sessions I’ve had since I started tracking back in 12/31/19, one of the biggest reason I believe is cause I decided to sit with a friend. As hard as I try not to have that affect my play, it still somehow makes a difference and here is the example of a call I made, where I would normally fold, but with a friend at the table, I just wanted to win the pot so badly.
Sorry that I haven’t had any real analytical hands yet, none haven’t popped up. I will be more focused on the mistakes I’ve made and hopefully remove them from my game.
I am in the cut off with A-3 spades. I open $35, folds to the BB (TAG Asian grandpa), who calls. Flop comes J-9-4 (9-4 spades), BB checks and I c-bet $50, BB check raises to $110. I call. Turn comes an Ace, BB checks, I contemplate a bet here, but elect to check behind. River comes the Jack of Spades and BB bets $200 very quickly. I tank and go through the hand, I have him on J-9 or 9-9, not A-J cause he would’ve bet the turn. And here’s my mistake, I flash my cards to my friend who is sitting to my left. I think there’s no way BB with his table image is bluffing here, but would he do this with K-Q of spades? I kept telling myself no no no, he has it. But the thought of my friend saying, “how do you fold that?”, I made the call and BB shows J-9. My friend says “you have to call with the nut flush, it’s just a cooler”. Throughout the whole remainder of the session, I thought to myself that that was such a bad call and I would normally find the fold there.
Sorry for the long text in my posts
Bankroll: $26,440
Session +/-: +$562
New Bankroll: $27,002
Sunday’s I usually take a break and since I already played a morning session, maybe just enjoy my birthday... NO! Living 20 mins away from the closest casino is a blessing/curse. Everyday on my drive there I’m thinking to myself, “Is today the day I’m going to run Kings into Aces?”. It didn’t happen and the streak is still alive. Today was one of the tougher sessions I’ve had since I started tracking back in 12/31/19, one of the biggest reason I believe is cause I decided to sit with a friend. As hard as I try not to have that affect my play, it still somehow makes a difference and here is the example of a call I made, where I would normally fold, but with a friend at the table, I just wanted to win the pot so badly.
Sorry that I haven’t had any real analytical hands yet, none haven’t popped up. I will be more focused on the mistakes I’ve made and hopefully remove them from my game.
I am in the cut off with A-3 spades. I open $35, folds to the BB (TAG Asian grandpa), who calls. Flop comes J-9-4 (9-4 spades), BB checks and I c-bet $50, BB check raises to $110. I call. Turn comes an Ace, BB checks, I contemplate a bet here, but elect to check behind. River comes the Jack of Spades and BB bets $200 very quickly. I tank and go through the hand, I have him on J-9 or 9-9, not A-J cause he would’ve bet the turn. And here’s my mistake, I flash my cards to my friend who is sitting to my left. I think there’s no way BB with his table image is bluffing here, but would he do this with K-Q of spades? I kept telling myself no no no, he has it. But the thought of my friend saying, “how do you fold that?”, I made the call and BB shows J-9. My friend says “you have to call with the nut flush, it’s just a cooler”. Throughout the whole remainder of the session, I thought to myself that that was such a bad call and I would normally find the fold there.
Sorry for the long text in my posts