"Poker is like the tide: When it comes in you can see all the little fishes swimming about; but when it recedes, only the rocks remain."
-Tom H. (TAG-NIT)

While reviewing yesterday's session I came up with the about musing - not too bad an effort if I may say so.

The problem with the 6.5 hour session was that there was never any continuity to the table. Arrived in the morning to get in on the last vestiges of the over night game, so the table was deep. Problem was that I was directly to the right of TTJ and Crazy Jeremy. Problem half solved when I was able to move between them, but Jeremy was in the midst of a rough session and he was tilting. A hand would start with a limp, a raise to $20, I would call in the HJ with 86ss and Jeremy would make it $130. So after being slapped around like that a few times I went into a tight shell. He finally leaves and I open up and do OK. However, I did limit my winnings by enjoying the opportunity to not just straddle, but occasionally make it a dead $20, and one time a dead $40 - gotta keep reworking the new image. I would do that when the table got tight again. Players kept coming and going and the other 2/5 table - which was good - never opened up. Until the upcoming hand I never came across good raising situations, but I did miss several dry draws.
The best hand happened late in the day when I was getting tired, so I made a possible value mistake:
New young guy comes to the table. He straddles even before his chips arrive. I call with A8 along with a couple of others and it gets back to new kid. Even before he un-racks his chips($500) he splashes in an extra $55. Here I will admit to a prejudice to these types of players. The one's who are so cool and cavalier and fearless acting. I pegged him as one and I instantly called saying, "Yea, Yea, here we go". So now it is HU.
Flop($130): 457::
He bets $100, and in my hubris I go with the "FU" beat-him-into-the-pot play instead of the correct "FU" raise play.
Turn($330): 6
He grabs two stacks, but then only slides one in. I pause for 10 seconds and go all-in. He thinks for a minute but folds. I was hoping my attitude, and the fact that an 8 in my hand might seem rare would get him to call.
So all-in-all an odd day with the dynamics. I have noticed now after several longer sessions that my concentration and resolve wans after 5 hours, so I'll work on pushing edges early.

Open to $20 in MP with 10-9 and get calls from the button and BB.
Flop($60): Q-10-9
Nice, but worrisome flop. BB checks, I bet $35(meant to do $40). Button only caller. He is a younger guy. We are both about $750 eff.
Turn($130): 9
I bet $80 because I do not believe he would ever think I have what I have. He calls.
River($290): 9
Only two questions here: Does he have a queen, and does he put me on kings or queens?
I decide the answer is "yes" to the former, and "no" to the latter. I'm going to throw him a big curveball and absolutely bomb the pot.
I slide out 13 green $25 chips.
With a touch of exasperation in his tine he asks how much. Shortly thereafter he asks me, "Are you trying to push me off a chop?"
I just keep staring at the pot.
To my delight at making the correct read and play he calls and sees the bad news.

I love that story! Bombs away with the nutted hands. It's obviously villain-dependent, but most villains are bad. They call enough of the time to make it a good play.

Couple of "Bad player" notes.

Limped multi-way OTB with K8s.
Flop($20): K57
I call $15 and we are 3-handed. My plan is to float a 3rd club and rep flush on river.
Turn($65): 6
$30 bet and I insta-call to try and look excited. Other player calls, and I know he'd raise a flush.
River($155): 9
Player 1 checks. I bet $85. villain 2 is only caller.
I was so focused on repping clubs that I never noticed that I turned OESD and made it on the river. When villain called I said "just a king". As he turns over a "winning" 2-pair I suddenly notice the straight and show the bad news. He and I have played together and he knew it wasn't an intentional slow-roll - just idiocy. He was bummed and I felt stupid so I gave him $20 back.

A house keeping note: As part of my the "re-invention" of my game I have not only been straddling, but I have done several dead $20's and even a couple of dead $40's to help loosen up my image. I've won a couple of pots with the $20, but obviously still down with the play. Three sessions is enough with anything over the basic $10 straddle.

Disheartening day on Friday.
I had it all set up.
Image perceived as loose.
Loose-passive table.
I played fairly well in spots for most of the day, but in the end the stars in their courses conspired against me.
I've made a good attempt at keeping this blog focused on my poor plays and my hopes of progress instead of regaling with 'bad beat' stories. The tale of the tape for Friday came down to four hands where I was a prohibitive favorite at various times ATF and proceeded to get run down. -$700 was the final tally. Goofing around in some spots was responsible for $100 or so for my stack, and near the end I did steam off the same amount or more, but in the thick of it I only made one bad river call and that was the in the final out-draw.

Just getting 'back into poker' (and 2+2 in general). Im liking your blog, thank you for your input....oh, and subbed


---Eddie

You should definitely include some good nights/plays too.

Keep it balanced.

This is great stuff. A have a similar story where a guy was down 2.5k in a 2/5 deep game. I had horrible hands and the guy was betting each round or flop so I couldn't limp or call with bad hands. He kept bluffing and donating to callers.
I keep folding and losing spot and good flops, etc.
I get QQ I limped hoping for mandatory raise. He raises like 4x I reraise 2x his bet and he folds lol.
I get AKss later that round and I raise 5x he reraise me to $75.
I called. Flop 66J rainbow I check like a puss and he checks...
Next card is 8s putting 2 spades on the board. I raise $150 he called.
River is A so I missed my flush but hit my A and I got k kicker. So I bet $200 value town. He snapped raise to $500 I snapped all in for $700 or so.
He shows A8 and tells me omg you waited so long to lose your stack with Ak?
Then proceeded to say that's why he loves players who raise AK like they have something even when they missed, etc. Lol
I bought in for another $400 and tilted it back to him and the rest trying to get in on hands with the guy and getting got by others players in the hand.

I have made a reasonable attempt to keep posts about my attempts to play hands correctly, along with mixing in the dumb things I occasionally do. Copping to bad plays helps me in the attempt to improve. Anyway, bad beat stories are a dime a dozen.

This is the end result of my attempt to flip around my playing style - mostly.
I exceeded my goal and played over 70 hours since Jan 29. However, I coughed up $3800 in that time. Granted, some was by choice doing some crazy things - double and triple straddling, loose pre flop calls, big calls in thin spots. This last week, however, was an ass-whipping unlike any I have suffered. Not just dry flops and the missed draws, but the endless 2nd besting and out draws. -$2700 total.
Just one example:
I call $25 in CO with J8 (Remember, February is LAG month)
Flop($125): J84
There are a couple of deep players in this hand who are also loose, so I know I can and need to bomb this pot. After a check I bet $115 and both of these guys call.
As a card is burned I am imploring the Lords of variance to please let me see a small black card.
Turn($355): 2
I know every player goes through this - the long stretch of facing the worst card possible time and again, and I guess this mentally separates the men from the boys . I decided at that moment to quit. It just never seemed like it was going to stop for me. Either I play like a NIT, play the right hands from the right spots and just be content to make or lose just a little bit either way, or I loosen up and get myself in these high variance situations. I have become weary of seeing the same players win. I try and study their styles but it remains a mystery to me, which leads me to believe that in the end it involves intestinal fortitude.
As you can guess with the hand I get out of the way as the other two get it all in with AK vs Q2, so I couldn't even dodge two flush draws.
So a few days long now and I still feel the frustration, but I am not ready to quit yet. However, the LAGGY experiment needs to be adjusted.

Hey, hope all is well (besides the bad month at the tables).

Variance in live poker sucks, but if u can hold a high bb/100 then the variance should even out fairly quick. If u only have a small edge in the games that you're playing then variance could be brutal and potentially could last for a long time.

Mind set is also crucial, if u are tilted at a live cash game and and aren't playing your positive A-game then there's just no point in being there. It's an obvious thing to say, but u want to be fresh and happy to be there whenever u go to play live. Imo it's not like a typical job where u might drag yourself out of bed in the morning even though u hate it, but u have to as the bills need paying. If u feel like u are dragging yourself to the casino and aren't enjoying it, but u stay there just because u need to get in volume and hope to get out of your slump, it's usually best to take a break and have a re think so as to approach it in a better frame of mind in the future. Gl.

Thanks Eddie(and LOBO). I'm glad my story lends some perspective.

I've decided to post another "cold deck" story from last week as it fits both confession and variance:

Remember, attitude here is still loose play, and this was that last tilt day.
I call a $25 raise in the BB from TTJ with QJo. We are both $800 eff.
Flop($75): 8 410
I C/C $45. My goal is to hit that ISD, but also bluff a spade, and maybe my overcards are good.
Turn($165): J
I C/C $105. TP might be good, but certainly open up more possibilities.
River($375): 9
I jam and TTJ insta-calls with KQ
So yea, a rough river, but in the end I never should be calling 5x in the blinds with QJo.
Lastly, reviewing my play over the last month I was really only doing the "L" in LAG. I am still just calling way too much.

All on the mark. Still feeling the sting, so not rushing back to the table. Last session was the 25th. I think the 6th will be a targeted return date.

Yeah pre is close but probably best to fold, def seeing 3 w/QJs and would defend against a 3x with QJo but 5x there's no shame in chucking it, esp against one of the better players.

As played, flop and turn is standard but I doubt you're getting called by worse with the river lead so x/c seems better. When u lead big otr on this board I expect a semi competent player to fold any 2 pair hand, sets, or even the low end of the straight.

Where you been Tom?

One of the best posts I have ever read on twoplustwo.com and these are my favorite parts of it.

That sucks that TAG-NIT stopped posting. I just read the entire blog and for the most part I rather enjoyed it. I hope all is well with him.