I'm currently on a 10 session winning streak. My record is 14. If you're following along you know I played a short stretch of 1/2. During that 11 day period I played 61 hrs of 1/2 at $34.37/hr

Since returning to 2/5, Ive played 95.5 hrs of 2/5 at $69.50/hr.

Ive kept track of what I considered fairly obvious avoidable mistakes that have cost me $660 including the $260 mistake when I called all in with AA on a monotone board that started a debate with Shai.

Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. I think it would do everyone some good to keep track of the obvious mistakes. Of course the $660 isnt a totally accurate number. When I called the $260 with AA and was wrong and lost, I counted the entire $260 as a mistake. Im going to be right there some percentage of the time and the $260 "mistake" wouldve been $460 in the win column. Im not getting that nit picky though. Im just counting the money lost with mistakes to help motivate me to not make as many even though the mistake total is not really that high.

Couple hands from yesterday

1) 1 limp. I raise $25 AdJd. BB and limper call
Flop ($95) As9s4c. They check. I bet $55. BB calls HU with $120 behind.
Turn ($205) Qc. he checks. I shove. He calls with Ac3c and rivers with backdoor flush

2) EP limps. Strong player raises $25 from MP. Im on his left and 3 bet to $80 with AdKs. Fish cold calls in BB. Strong player folds and we are HU. He has $210 behind.
Flop ($190) ThTc4h. He checks. Meh...I hate this spot. I honestly have no idea what his range is. I dont think shoving is terrible. I dont like betting less than all in here. I check back.
Turn ($190) 8s. He shoves. I fold.

In the next hour there were 3-4 more times where I raised and got a caller or 2 and I missed everything and didnt CBet. During this same hour, villain from HH#2 is calling every raise and playing lots of pots. Hes led into the raiser a couple times. One time he showed 73s after leading a K82 flop and the other guy folded 55.

3) New player on my direct right opens to $15. I 3 bet to $55 with AK. Villain from HH#2 calls of course. Hes in the BB again. Original raiser folds so we are HU again.
Flop ($125) A98. He checks. I check back.
Turn ($125) 8. He bets $65. I call.
River ($255) 7. He bets $130. I call. He had 66. Original raise told me he had AJ

4) Limped pot 4 ways. I have 44 in the BB
Flop ($20) KhJh4d. I check. MP bets $15. LP calls. They are both fish. I call
Turn ($65) 8c. I check. MP bets $50. LP folds. Normally I raise here but call this time.
River ($165) Qd. I instabet $110. (He only had about $190. Some people do this with a missed FD. More people do it with a hand like KQ/QJ. I played it like this because this MP fish plays hands like K6 all the time. Even if its not suited. I didnt think he would call a turn check raise with a hand like that. If he has KJ we are getting all in on the river now OR if I check raised the turn. If he has KQ maybe same thing. I think he will call with a garbage K a lot more often now that the FD missed. He tanked so I know he didnt have 2 pair. He finally called and mucked.

Seems like hand 4 flop and turn should have had more$$$ in there if they are fish


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Just read this thread to page 8 of 40ish
..subbed, GL man..nice read so far 👍

H1 - good
H2 - I like the check vs an unknown. because in this spot you would be checking your big pairs also. AK is also a great bluff catching hand. His turn play should give you more information on what he has. If he bluffed it would be less in general
H3 - Same V from H2, I like the check. It simulates what you did in H2. Allows him to act like an idiot. But I only like the check because of the previous play.
H4 - I like a XR on the flop with bottom set better in general vs the fish. Way more likely both call. Neither are folding with two draws there. You can even XR small to build the pot. I think you could have made more. But at the very least XR turn. When he bets $50 he has something decent. I do think he has 2 pair actually and was worried about the straight.

You think that he thinks I called $50 on the turn with a gutshot?

Leading flop and check raising flop are options
Calling flop and leading turn so they dont check behind is an option. I like this line better if the LP had bet the flop instead of MP.. Since MP is the bettor, its more likely it wont check thru. If LP had called the $50, I'm check raising the turn for sure. I probably just shove.

My line was read based after seeing MP limp hands like K6, J8, and Q5 all unsuited and bet TP. Hes a fish but Im not sure hes bad enough to call a check raise with those hands. IMO, you have to let these guys think they are ahead with their garbage TP. Clearly if he will stack off with any TP, then I played it less than optimally.

That's a good point on MP betting and not the LP player. That is a point that I knew but have never had it in my consciousness.

Perhaps some information we are missing in all these hands is the aggression factor of these players and their tendencies to fold.

As for the $50 with a gutshot? Yes with a FD. They way you played the hand it looks like a FD. But most fish don't think about your play, just their hand and how the board looks. What K is he calling on the river for $110? KT maybe but he bet too large on the turn for that to be KT. I think he would bet more cautiously. K8s or K4s are also possible hands for the turn.

How is $50 into a $65 pot too big with KT if he thinks I have a FD and will pay to chase it? KT and KQ are basically the same hand here on the turn.

You know these guys are terrified they are outkicked. It's not for certain but I would weigh the combos more heavily toward a stronger Kx hand than a weaker one when he bets that large as an average for a fish there.

KQ/KT is a big difference. No one raised so the only thing he can possibly believe is no one has AK. And even then at that casino I fear someone limps with AK. He also tripled his turn bet. Normally you would see fish double it.

I am just making assumptions about generic fish here. If this is a specific player then that is something different. To my knowledge generic fish aren't "close to potting" it flop and turn with a weak King.

Another consideration on the turn was what if he had Ah4h or some combo draw betting it. Was he playing 80% of his hands? On the turn there is about 19 combos of crappy Kxs hands, 12 KT hands. 21 two pair hands, 5 mega combo hands, zero sets. We can toss in one goofy combo of J4s.

More big value in his range even if he bets every ****ty Kxs on the turn. If he doesn't then it's mostly big value hands that will call a raise assuming his single pair King hand that he bets is KQ and KT.

Interesting I learned something for myself doing the combo work here.

So I did my walk exercise and phoned a friend who plays like you. He has been doing really well recently because I grew a pair of balls for him in a lab and had him put them on. So now he is bluffing.

I think there are 2 reasons why your unorthodox play works.

A) Pretty much the 1st statement on the Theory of Poker

"Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you could see all your opponent's cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose. Conversely, every time opponents play their hands differently from the way they would have if they could see all your cards, you gain; and every time they play their hands the same way they would have played if they could see all your cards, you lose."

B) If you can see your opponent's hole cards and he doesn't know it you can play every hand optimally but technically incorrectly. So for example everyone knows you raise QQ in EP 1st in. That is pretty standard. But lets say you saw everyone's cards and one person had AA. You would play differently. So with that said I think your understanding of the players in the South East Florida area is so extensive you basically flip their hands face up. This allows you to play a different way.

Because I sat here and thought when can you take a XC, XC, BC play angle with bottom set of 44s on that board. When their hands are face up.

Our discussions of hands you have pegged their ranges, no matter how bizzaro their play, better than I have so far in Florida.

Well one of my strengths is definitely reading people but I dont think S. Florida has anything to do with it. I won the first 14 times I walked into a casino in S. Florida and I had zero reads coming in. I read those people as I played with them and watched them.

Ive also won at more or less the same frequency and even higher win rate in non S. Florida casinos as Ive traveled around. Ill be playing a fair amount in the NorthEast including 4 straight days at MGM National Harbor in August. We will see how that goes.

One of my friends plays a similar style to you. My better friend in the WSOP plays similar to how I play. He makes a lot of money though. Could be another reason I can think of.

Played at the same table as Mike for the first time last night, only found out it was him when he commented on my PGC thread from today. Awesome.

His table image is literally perfect for the style he espouses. *Appears* tight and keeps to himself. WP Mike.

Im constantly baffled by different peoples perception of my image. I was pretty card dead last night so Im sure I looked tight so Im not talking about JacetheMace. Just in general.

There are some people who think Im a nit, some who refuse to sit on my right, and others who will not fold any hand to me.

The other day a guy walked up to the table with his friend. The seat on my right was open. He said to his friend..."**** that! Im not gonna sit there and have him raise me all day". He said it loud enough for me to hear. He eventually sat 3 seats to my right and the first time he limped, I raised his ass. LOL

A different day a few days ago I arrived and there were open seats at 2 tables. I put my chip rack on the table in front of an open seat and walked away to check out the other table. it looked better so I came back and picked my chips and left. A good friend of mine texted me a few mins later and told me that the dealer said "That MikeStarr is one of the tightest players in here. He plays 1 hand every 3 hours"

Now anyone following this thread or any of my other posts knows I raise all kinds of junk and speculative hands. How in the world does this dealer think Im a nit? I dont get it.

Some hands from today

1) 2 EP limps. I raise to $30 with Jc9c in MP (yeah, Im a nit). I get 4 calls
Flop ($150) J73 rainbow. The SB leads for $45. It folds to me.
Last week this guy mentioned at the table that he had a "summertime hand". I had never heard that expression before, but I looked it up later and apparently its a hand that is most likely the best hand right now but not a nutted type hand.

So as Im thinking he says "Summertime!". I folded and yelled "SHOW!!!"

He showed QQ

2) 2 EP limps. I raise to $25 QhQd. Both limpers call
Flop ($80) KdQc5s. They check. I bet $45. Then a guy in LP calls. I didnt even see him in the hand so the pot was actually $105 preflop. This guy is the king of nits. He has AK/55..maybe KQs. The UTG calls also
Turn ($240) 7d. UTG checks. I bet $145. The nit calls all in for $135. UTG calls also
River ($665) 2h. He checks and I shove all in for $225. He folds and says he needed a diamond and had an ace also....so he had AdXd. Nice flop call Sir.
The nit had AK

3) UTG opens to $25. SB calls. I call in the BB with QcQs
Flop ($75) Kc8c4s. We check. UTG bets $45. SB folds. I call.
Turn ($165) 3c. X/X
River ($165) 9h. X/X. MHIG

4) EP limps. I raise to $25 8c7c. TAG calls OTB and we are HU
Flop ($60) Qc8d3s. I bet $30. He calls
Turn ($120) 5c. I pick up a FD so I double barrel for $80. He calls
River ($280) Ad. I guess maybe I can triple barrel here but like I said people dont fold to me and he could easily have AQ so I checked. He checked back with TT.

Winky51 has asked why people pay me off. I dont know but this is a perfect example of him "paying me off" but I didnt have a real hand this time. Im sure most good players would agree this is a prefect spot to double barrel, but I rarely do it for this exact reason. They just never fold to me.

5) UTG limps. I limp KQ UTG+1. Button limps. SB raises to $15. BB calls. UTG calls.

MikeStarr the Nit 3 bets to $100. Everyone folds.

6) I open to $25 QQ. Only the SB calls. This is the same guy from HH#2 that had AdXd. He says "I have to defend my blind"

Flop ($55) AQT. He leads $25 with $400 ish behind. I raised to $80 and he folded and said he had a pocket pair.

The 2/5 morning games pretty much suck on Tues/Thur during the summer time in my main room, so Im heading up to Palm Beach Kennel Club today to play the 5/10. This is the strangest 5/10 you'll ever find. It has a $100-$300 buy in. Its all 1/2 and 2/5 players gambling it up. You'll just about never find an actual good 5/10 player in this game because they feel like there's not enough money on the table which is great for me.

When the game opens of course there not much money on the table. It plays kind of like a very soft SNG. There still plenty of limping because that's what 1/2 and lots of 2/5 players do, but there also plenty of all ins also because thats what happens with short stacks. There's very little post flop play which would seem to take away some of a good players advantage, but not really if you know how to play a short stack.

Then a little later as the stacks start getting deeper, you're playing 5/10 with a bunch of 1/2 players and mediocre 2/5 players which is a gold mine. Its high profit but very high variance. Ill probably never know my true win rate but so far its $72/hr. I havent played this game since November though so....

when are you coming to tampa, mike?

Just finished reading your thread..love it,inspired me also..thanks for sharing..

July 20-23. It looks like the only time Ill have to play poker is the evening of the 20th.

21st is our wedding anniversary so obviously my wife will be with me and this day is no bueno for poker

Im from Dallas and the Rangers are in town playing the Rays, so I will be going to the baseball games on Sat and Sun. I also have to fit in some sight seeing time with the wife.

The short stack 5/10 game is so soft and so profitable it boggle my mind. However, the variance is massive also.

1) I open $35 KK in EP and get 2 calls. LP 3 bets to $115. I shove my $300 in. Folds back to him and he calls and has AA. UGH! I lose

2) New player sits down with $300) and open limps the cutoff. I raise to $40 KK OTB. He calls.
Flop ($85) QJ9. He checks. I check back
Turn ($85) Q. He bets $35. I call
River ($155) 4. He bets $70. I call. He has J8 offsuit. LOL. I got 13% of his stack in preflop with J8. He flops a straight and still doesnt stack my overpair.

3) EP limps. I limp AhTd in MP. We go 6 to the flop
Flop ($60) Ts5c3c. BB bets $40. EP folds. BB and I have about $265 each. I raise to $100. He calls HU.
Turn ($260) Kh. He shoves for $165. I call. He says "I have a T"
River ($590) 9s. I table and he mucks.

4) EP ($300) limps. I have about $550 and raise to $35 AA. BB ($900) calls. EP calls
Flop ($105) J84 rainbow. They check. I bet $60. They both fold.

5) I limp AA UTG. I have $400. MP ($1000) limps. SB ($350) raises to $50. BB ($500) calls. I reraise to $15. Both blinds call.

Flop ($455) 997. They check. I shove $240. SB folds. BB calls with TT and rivers a T. This is the same guy from Hand #2. What do you want to bet he thinks hes really good?

I had some other small hands but I only played 1 1/2 hours. As you see I got AA and KK each twice. In these short stack games where TP is the nuts until you get deep, you have to win these hands. I lost 3 out of 4 and I had $865 in lost all in equity in 3 all in hands. I lost $700 total actual money so if I played these all in hands a million times and got my equity I would've won $165 in those 1 1/2 hours.

I think I will start playing this game on Tue and/or Thur when my room is slow anyway and hopefully the variance gods will take it easy on me. I think I can beat this game for $75ish/hr . So far Ive run over $40/hr under all in EV in this game. That's pretty sick. Im sure it will even out sooner or later.


I left and went to the Isle which is on my way home anyway. I played 1 1/2 hrs and won $250. Only 1 hand worth mentioning.

1) UTG ($225) opens to $20. Hes been raising too much for me to give him any respect so I 3 bet to $60 AQ. He calls
Flop ($125) AJ8. He open shoves for $165. I call and beat his JT.

You lost $300 with KK vs AA, then lost $145 with KK. Then you flopped top pair top kicker vs top pair and stacked him for $265. You flop good with AA vs another overpair and you end up losing $400 when he fills up. These are like the smallest swings I've ever seen in a 5/T game.

Before I got to know MikeStarr I thought of him as Tricky Nit. He'd hold his hands in the air spread with peace signs stating "I am not a bluffer" as he bet the river.

But I had not pegged his play down specifically.

I have a method to spotting good players. If I have a mountain of notes and I don't see a pattern that's a good player.

Well, you aren't going to have massive "swings" in individual hands when the game is a short stack game. At least not until people are deep.

The point isnt that I wouldve lost more in a normal 5/10 game. Its that this game is insanely profitable because there are virtually no good players playing in it. Good 5/10 players avoid it because they think they cant win any money since there's not $2000 in everybody's stack but the players are so bad that its a more profitable game than a normal 5/10. You just have to run decent.

Thank you, Sir.

I would describe my style as LAG preflop and aggro weak tight post flop. LOL. Raise me post flop and Ill fold up like a suitcase. But try it more than once and you might get my stack in your face.

Thx!

Youre welcome