Why not.
Here ya go.

Get ya popcorn ready! Another lame video coming your way.

Start the needles...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxrhn6gkqak

Guess you missed tonight, I looked for you over at the 5/10 game, but it was breaking up around 10:30. Talked to Rocketman and he was playing someone heads up until....


The freaking power went out! I was sitting at my table when all of a sudden everything goes black. It was crazy. Apparently it was the second time in the day. Had to wait about 10-15 minutes until the security system reset. All hands were frozen on all tables and no one could cash out. I left shortly after and drove through a crazy storm!! I'm probably heading back tomorrow so I'll look out for you.

Sucks I missed ya, I left right at 6p to meet the fam for dinner.

Played 1/2/5 w some deep stacks. Floor wouldn't start the 2/5/10 game because they didn't have enough players to fill the 1/2/5 game and it wd end up breaking.
Although I'd must say, the 1/2/5 pretty much played like a 2/5/10 w lots of deep stacks ($1k avg), many of 2/5/10 regs, and straddling for $10 most of the time anyhow.

Won +$238. Slowly climbing this month.

Hope u killed it @TSWpoker1!

An weird spot came up otr where I felt like I had to vbet, but ended up folding to a river check/raise.
@tswpoker and others Thoughts?

$15 straddle from seat 9, and button in the 4 seat.
Im the first to limp in seat 2 ($2k stack) w 77, seat 5 calls ($700 stack. Decent/tight player), seat 6 calls ($1k stack bit of a calling station), seat 9 ($2k stack) checks the straddle.

4 players to flop/$60: 710J
Button in 4, so action starts w seat 5 who seems to be more on the cautious side and Vpip lowest of all table mates. He makes a half pot size bet of $30, seat 6 calls, seat 9 folds, and i call w bottom set.

3 players to turn/pot $150: K
The turn didn't seem to bother the tight seat 5 and leads out $50, seat 6 calls, I call.

3 players to river/pot $300: 6
This time seat 5 quickly checks, seat 6 quickly checks, and now I'm thinking I may have the best hand, so I decide to go for a value bet. *I do have one calling station in seat 6.
Before I decide on a bet, I'm wondering what hands wd pay me off that my opponents are likely to have. Perhaps: QK (open ended otf), and all 2 pairs.
I bet $100 hoping someone has one of these type of hands. Well, seat 5 check/raises to $300, seat 6 folds, and I fold.

It feels a bit too nitty to check a set after 2 players check to me otr, but there are a couple straight possibilities, backdoor flush possibilities, and even higher sets possibilities.
After seat 5 ch/raises, I wd say with a doubt he had AJ.

Shd I hv checked this river?

What u think?

Pretty standard bet/fold spot. I think you played the hand good. You lose value by checking behind. You're never good if you get raised by the player type that you described.

I agree AJd makes the most sense with how the hand played. He probably should have bet/bet/bet, if that is what he had. He's losing more value by checking the river than you are if you had checked behind.

On the river its a pretty standard b/f, but vs a calling station I think your losing value not raising flop or turn. Vs said calling station I would probably raise flop, bet turn big, and bet most rivers.

Nice work on the Video Ray.

I think he could have had 8d9d, QdJd, AdQd, or AdJd.

I would probably check the river, but don't really know the dynamic of those players. Do you think he would lead out with AdJd, on that board?

I was so close to checking river, but thought it was pretty nitty to check. Hindsight, wish I wd hv. I know I'm only getting value from the calling station, and the other player wd only call me w better hands. So it's close whether to check or bet.
Mayb in this particular case, a small thin value bet wd hv been better ($60ish instead of $100), and fold to raise. That way, I cut some of my losses (save $40 if raised), but I do open the door for someone to make a move w small bets in these bigger games. Hmmm????. In this case, I DON'T think my 2 opponents had the "move" play in them, but in a different situation w different players mayb.
Man the more I think about it, the more it gets closer to checking behind. I give, it's a flip.

Do I think he wd lead river w AJdd?....he should, but this player prob thinks ch/raise is a better play. It worked out for him, but like @rawdawg_7 mentioned he loses value by checking river most times.
89dd doubt it, he is pretty tight, doubt if he wd even raise river w that hand or lead otf.
AQdd doubt it, played w him a lot, and never seen him lead out draws.
Prob QJdd, or AJdd.

Thanks for responding 2+2ers!

@gatorXP thanks. I enjoy doing them. It's kind of a hobby for me right now, so b prepared.

@daynnight I thought about it, but fig tight player may hv flopped a higher set, or straight. Him calling $15 straddle pre, and leading into 3 aggressive players on the flop caused me to call and reassess on turn. Tightie leading on turn...same thought process for me.
I never felt I was gd until the river when it was checked to me, and I wasn't even gd then. (I guess I was gd otf & ott, and he caught up on river, not sure.). The whole hand was a little swirly.

Blow your racquet off, it's on fire Good stuff!

Only calling the flop and turn with a set, and then betting the river....not sure you could have played the hand any worse.

Yeah, I don't like the call, esp with deep stacks. Bomb the flop with a huge raise, you want to be playing for stacks with a set.

Alot of straight draws out there if opponent has QK, 9/Q.

Even on the turn, I bet big. With sets you need to fill up to certain you have a lock, i've seen so many cracked by runner runner flush/straight...

Hey Ray, what do you think is a good strategy for splashing. Since it is Tuesday, I want to be ready since I'm heading up a little tonight.

Assuming I'm the button/utg I am straddling 100% of the time (actually would straddle any spot but figured with a splash the button or UTG would def straddle).

Should I straddle $50ish and hope for some folds? Smaller? Larger? Thoughts? My all-in range would be based off of pot odds assuming there will be shoves (which there will) and I'm willing to gamble, just want to increase my fold equity. Maybe straddle smaller, and plan to shove over the top??

Haven't even gotten up to date on this thread, but it is a huge inspiration. Read through all of year one, and grunched to the end of year two.

It's cool to see a family man living the dream (even if it isn't plated in gold and millions of dollars). I often think about trying something similar myself. I have a pretty comfortable life situation, and even if I started playing poker as my main source of income my gf (8 yrs, need to put a ring on that) makes great money.

Our son is just starting kindergarten and I'm thinking poker along with some freelance sports journalism could really do wonders for our home life (not that it is bad), but it would be nice having someone (me) around to take care of things around the house.

Anyway, great thread. You're the man.

On splash pots I always straddle if I have the option. Something like $8.
Take note of stack sizes before making any plays. If limped around to me, I may make a play or may not. Everything to me depends on players involved, and stack sizes.
I'm not getting too crazy, but if I think I can make a play at the $100 I will.
All about reads

@nicname thanks man. My man concern is trying to live life happily, and be in control of my own fate. I take my poker very seriously as it is the means to providing for my family.
I love the freedom it provides, but it can also be stressful. Stay within the roll, play every hand the best u can play it, and don't ever tilt. Gd luck to you!

Today:

Played against Wild Bill (whale).

Here's a big hand for me vs. Bill and another loose V.

1/2/winner straddle $5+.

$5 Straddle otb in seat 6, loose V ($700 stack) in seat 7 calls, I limp AQoff in seat 8 ($350 stack), a couple more limps until it gets to Wild Bill ($800 stack) and he makes it $90. Loose V calls $90, and I tank jam $350 w my AQ.
I have seen Wild Bill raise w crazy hands all day, and hoping my Ace hi is gd against these 2 maniacs.
I'm just pushing a small edge here, and crossing my fingers.
Both Wild Bill calls and Loose V calls my all-in.

Flop comes A K 9. It goes check, check on the side pot.

Turn brings the 3rd diamond... 7. Wild Bill bets $150, and Loose V ch/calls. I hoping no 4 board as I have none!

River is a brick 4.

Hands are tabled. AQ>loose V 33> Wild Bill's 10J.
Nice hefty pot!



A couple orbits after my winning AQ hand, Wild Bill straddles $500 w $200 behind, and I shove w AQ from middle position w $1k stack.

This time I flop an Ace, and he goes runner runner straight w his 82. I just got Wild Billed!!! Lol
I go from +$700 up to back to even in one hand.



I leave +$35 only because I had to (volunteer sub at food pantry), but now thinking about heading back hoping Wild Bill is still there. #decisions

Also Day 1 of pool dig...so far so good.

Glad I went back for round 2 tonight...
Wild Bill goes bust as I'm walking in, and I played for a hour and lose $300.


I 4 bet $300 all in w AK suited against a gd thinking player, and get snapped off by Aces.
That was fun.

Tsw....make your straddle on splash hands close to a min straddle...especially the closer you are to being utg.

All your worried about is preflop position. No reason to put in a few extra $.

Good seeing you last night Ray! Keep crushing, you the man!

So last night, I was up there and sure enough our table got splashed. Took a bad beat on the high card ($50) before, had the 2d and the guy next to me who just sat got the As.

Anyway there is a $100 splash, and I am in the cut-off. I straddled to $7, which was crazy that no one (UTG/Button) straddled, so I obviously elected to. Well button calls, small blind calls, bb calls, utg folds, utg+1 calls, mp calls, and mp+1 shoves for $44 total, $37 raise. So the action is on me, and I look down at QJo.

I had to decide, do I flat, raise, or fold. Well flatting would have had me battling out against several players, so no thanks, and folding was out of the question because I was getting about 5-1 ($37 to win close to $200), so I knew I needed to raise. But how much?

I was sitting on $750ish, and had everyone covered (next couple closest had $500 and $450 or so) and the rest of the table was anywhere between $120 - $300.

I figured if someone had 99+ they would have re-raised my straddle and since everyone just flat called I figured suited connectors, suited aces and small pairs were likely around. I took a deep breath and shoved all-in. A couple players tank folded (one with $500), which I was relieved to see and the short stack flipped AdKd. Flop was K72 and I was pretty much dead, but I think I made the correct play.

Not sure if I made the correct raise, but I trusted my read (no one better than 99+) and figured they wouldn't call off their whole stack with something marginal, and if so I was still live. Also I only need to win (assuming everyone folds) about 17% or so to break even, so I was perfectly happy risking $40 to win $200. Obviously would have been a different story if someone flatted a monster.

Thoughts?

complete spew on your part. very common for ppl to limp in big hands expecting shorty to shove his 44$ and then reshove. you just got lucky noone called.

@tswpoker1 my thoughts are either fold or raise smaller ($160ish) to iso. You are in great position (cutoff) if u get called.
My argument to @eatmyditka is...can't b too spewy since no one called your shove. Looks like u made a gd read on your opponents. But do agree shoving $750 is a bit risky.
Nonethless, it worked, so can't argue on that. Well played.
Gd seeing u too.

+$273 today playing 1/2nl. Not playing 2/5/10 as much these days since I spent $25k on pool, and prob $5k more by the time it's finished. Trying to practice a gd br management, and stay within the roll. Right now I'm around 35buy-ins for 2/5/10 (at $1500 buy in). My rule of thumb is 40 buy ins, so I may just play 2/5/10 on Fridays until I'm at 40+ buy ins.
Pretty much middling over the last week. +$5,516 in July w a week to go.

Day 2 of pool.

so are you going to move the trampoline closer to the pool? would be pretty sweet to just do a couple flips right in to the deep

@plochrisc ^ the tramp staying put right there, but I like how u think. A little double bounce right in the pool.

Thread Facilitator:
Why was @HSIGRINDER and @Eatmyditka post removed?
This is a #fulltransparency thread, no need to remove when negative posts comes in. I can take it, and expect some. No big deal.
Keep me coming, it motivates me to play better. #bullentinboardmaterial

Best of luck @HSIGrinder in your poker grind and in life.

Today: Gonna grind like I do every day.
Keep showing up, keep getting better, and keep adding to that roll. LG.

My post wasn't negative just put up a meme that said shots fired

^ @eatmyditka I didn't think so either. I actually liked it.
I'm wondering why they removed it.

Within 15 minutes today I am up +$300. Won the splash .
I'm bb w $300 stack. straddle $5utg. Limps around to me, and I bet $115 w QJ. Utg ($300 stack) calls, loose player ($180) calls.

3 to flop/pot $345+$100splash=$445.

Flop is AK5 rainbow.
Utg checks, loose player bets his remaining $65, I call, utg folds.
Pot $575 Heads up no more action.

Turn K
River J

my QJ > ? Didn't show

Still grinding away. Let's see if we can run it up. Another splash coming our way shortly (only 1/2 table going, so we will get it). Hopefully I don't donk off.

I follow this thread like crazy, and I take a couple days off at the wrong time.

Keep crushing Butterfly! More videos please!

Cliffs:

Someone named HSIgrinder posted about hearing about this thread and then "asking around the room about other people's opinions of Rayz". Basically didn't have anything good to say except that he was a great player. Probably someone butt hurt about getting stacked and trying to start something online. Eatmyditka responded with "shot's fired". That's about it.

BTW, how'd the sesh end up after the hot start Ray?