At least for now, until the right job opportunity comes along. My wife and I just had our first baby 2 weeks ago, so taking advantage of being in a decent financial position and taking the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my daughter with flexible poker hours for the time being.

I can't tell you how long this journey will last - it could be 2 weeks or 4 months. So the goals ITT will be fluid.

My 2019 PG&C thread where I hit my goals of 600 hours and $35K profit: https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/1...l#post55725210


2018 @ 2/3 (started playing in May)







2019 @ 3/5






TOTAL SINCE 2018:



My goals will be month-to-month and volume-only for now; I'll let the profit fall where it may. Those goals will also be really light for January since most of the focus right now is spending time with my daughter and supporting my wife. That said, it's time to start earning some money for the fam, so finding that balance will be key.

So, Jan goal: 40 hours (I haven't played yet this month and we're nearing the halfway point)

Wish me luck

First! Wishing you the best of luck, really enjoyed the last thread and all of your dedication to it. Also, congrats on the baby!

In! good luck and looking forward to updates!

Thanks gents!

After 2 weeks of doing nothing but being at the hospital, changing diapers, keeping the house kept while my wife is laid up, cooking, and not sleeping ... I finally got back out on the felt.

Even though it's only been 2 weeks since I played, it felt like forever. So much has happened, so much has changed. I felt rusty before ever taking my seat.

Fortunately, some things went (mostly) right. There was a lot of action right off the bat. A couple hands:


HAND 1: Smashing the turn against a fish

PREFLOP:
UTG and UTG3 limp for $5
HERO ($750) raises to $30 with KQ in MP
FISH ($400) in SB cold-calls $30
UTG folds
UTG3 ($1000) limp-calls $30

FLOP ($100): J93
SB FISH leads for $30
UTG3 folds
HERO calls $30

Obvs, I'm never folding here with two overs and a gutterball. But with no backdoor flush equity and a fish who's allergic to folding, I think a raise is probably overly optimistic

TURN ($160): 10
SB FISH bets $30
HERO raises to $100
SB fish calls $100

Well, that doesn't suck.

The fish has about $310 left after his bet, so now this hand is a matter of figuring out the best way to get it. I decide to make a small raise to $100 - if he calls that, the pot will be $360 on the river with $240 behind, setting up a callable all-in situation.

RIVER ($360): 7
SB FISH bets $100
HERO raises all-in to $240 effective
SB FISH calls all-in for $240

Him leading is surprising, but not disappointing. I raise all-in, and he thinks it over for a bit before sticking it in. All good things.





-----------------------------

HAND 2: Big ass 3-way all-in

PREFLOP:
BAD REG ($620) limps UTG for $5
AGGROTARD ($750) raises to $25 in MP
TIGHT PLAYER in CU calls $25
HERO ($1150) calls $25 on BUTTON with A8
SB calls $25
UTG limp-calls $25

FLOP ($125): Q88
SB and UTG check
MP bets $75
CU folds
HERO calls $75
SB folds
UTG check-raises to $250
MP raises all-in for $725
HERO call $725
SB calls all-in for $595

Lights, camera, ACTION ... The aggrotard c-bets, and I decide to flat to let him blast off on future streets, as he's prone to do.

Then the SB check-raises, and since he's a weak fish I know he's got the case 8 and I have him dead to rights. The aggrotard then shoves over the top, so he's either got AA/KK or the nut flush draw.

I tank and call, trying to feign having the FD myself so as not to scare the SB out with his worse 8. Finally, he does call.

TURN: Q
RIVER: 3




Verrrrry tilting. The chop costs me nearly $1k #Sadface

---------------------------------

Despite only a modest win in a pot that could have been massive, I was doing well an hour into the session ... and I just decided to bounce. Not normally something I would do, but here it felt right. It was my first session of the year after taking a couple weeks off, I felt rusty, I didn't want to stay away from my daughter for too long, and I liked the idea of booking a W and making sure I started the year off right.


Session results:
1 hour, 15 mins
+$908

Well, the hours are not going great - in addition to needing to be home to take care of my baby and wife, I done broke my foot the other day ...



Legit just tripping on a cord in the dark after I'd taken my contacts out. Smooth criminal over here.

Anyway, managed to get out to the cardhouse today. Again, I didn't stay long but again, things got lit. The hands:


HAND 1: The nut runout

PREFLOP:
EP and MP limp for $5
Old rec ($2200) in MP2 raises to $25
HERO ($825) calls in CUTOFF with 1010
MP and MP limp-call $25

This is def a partial; sometimes a 3-bet and sometimes a flat. Bc I think this old guy is fairly strong when he raises over limpers, I decide to peel in position.

FLOP ($100): 1094
EP and MP check
OLD REC bets $60
HERO raises to $175
EP and MP fold
OLD-REC calls $175

I flop top set, and I think this is an easy raise. The old rec is weighted towards very strong hands and I just don't think he's ever folding an overpair unless the runout is bad. So, best to get money in immediately before any action-killers come, and also don't let either of the first two players draw cheaply.

TURN ($450): 4
OLD REC checks
HERO bets $225
OLD REC check-calls $225

Beautiful card and even though I now have a virtual lock, betting is definitely the play. This is also a very good card for overpairs (counterfeiting 10-9s and it's not a diamond), and I would continue to barrel flush draws so it works well into the range as well. And just as importantly, it sets up good sizing for the river all-in.

When he calls, he's for sure heavy on overpairs and Axdd.

RIVER ($900): 8
OLD REC jams all-in for $400 effective
HERO snaps all-in for $400



Woah. Wasn't really expecting that hand, I obvi got super lucky with this setup - a blind monkey could've doubled up here. But I'll tell you, it's way better being on this side of it than the other.

-------------------------------

HAND 2: Leaking value

PREFLOP:
Fishy reg ($600) opens to $20 in the CUTOFF
HERO calls $20 on the BUTTON with JJ
BB calls $20

Like with the 10s in the first hand, I flat pre with a middle pocket pair instead of 3-betting, this time because the SB is a good pro who has been known to squeeze light. I want to see if I can trap him with a hand he wouldn't expect me to have, but alas, he just folds.

Even so, having Jacks in position is still a good situation.

FLOP ($60): 1064
BB and CU check
HERO bets $35
BB folds
CU check-calls $35

The cutoff is loose and fishy so he could have a lot of sh*t here, including small/mid pairs like 55 and 77 and unpaired overs that he just doesn't want to fold.

TURN ($130): 8
CU bets $60
HERO calls $60

Perhaps I should have considered a raise here, since he has a lot of pair+draws like 87 and 67 and 45 that I could get value from here on the turn, but are doubtful to give action on the river unless they improve.

But I goofed it and just called.

RIVER ($250): 6
CUTOFF bets $80
HERO calls $80



Not the hand I was expecting; I has assumed he'd be c-betting the flop with the nut flush draw on a board like this. Apparently not, and if I'd have 3-bet and then bet-bet-bet I might have won a nice big pot.

Instead I tried to trap a guy who wasn't even involved in the hand yet, and it cost me money. I also missed a strong raise opportunity on the turn. Even though I won the pot, overall this wasn't a well played hand by me.

-----------------------------

HAND 3: And you'll finally see the truth, that a hero lies in you

PREFLOP:
HERO raises to $20 UTG with 44
MEH PROP PLAYER ($630) 3-bets to $60 from UTG3
Folds back to HERO, who calls $60

I haven't played with this prop all that much, he's fairly new to the cardroom. But I know he's got very good; he min-buys into this game and tries to shortstack it up. He had doubled up not long ago by raising all-in for $270 on the turn over a $100 bet with KJ on an A1062 board -- he was up against 66 and spiked the Q on the river.

I'm fine with that play, but just goes to show he's willing to take an aggressive line. Anyway - I call his 3-bet because it's $40 to call and he's got nearly $600 behind, and I assume his range is quite strong here since he's 3-betting an UTG raiser. So I think if I spike a set, I have a better-than-usual chance of getting paid bigly.

FLOP ($120): J95
HERO checks
PROP checks

TURN ($120): J
HERO bets $70
PROP calls $70

Here's where it gets interesting. I decide to bet because I have all the Jacks, while his 3-betting range vs an UTG player should have almost none.

He shouldn't have sets - it's doubtful that 55 or 99 3-bet an UTG raiser pre, and even if 99 did, it should have bet this wet flop. And, there's only one combo of JJ left so it's v unlikely he's got that.

If he had an overpair, I think he bets that on the flop most often too.

So I expect to almost never get raised here for value, and he's weighted mostly toward AK and AQ which I want to get to fold, since they have significant equity against me, esp with the board already paired once.

RIVER ($260): 10
HERO checks
PROP goes all-in for $500
HERO tanks ...

Woah, ok. So all the thoughts on the turn are going back through my head. And now, his 2x over-shove has really polarized him.

I take out all the flopped sets and Jx - he doesn't have those ...

I take out overpairs (QQ+) - he would never check the flop with those and then jam the river with the top card paired ...

I take out underpairs that beat me like 66 and 77 - he's very unlikely to 3-bet those pre and would probably just check back the river instead of turning them into bluffs ...

So what hand can he have for value? The one hand that tracks is 10-10. This hand makes sense on every street - the 3! pre, the check back on the flop with an overcard, the call on the turn, and the jam on the river trying to get max value from my Jx ...

But, that's only 3 combos. And on the turn, I thought he was weighted towards AK and AQ. There's 16 combos of AK, and say 4 combos of AQs. I don't block any of them, and I don't block any club draws either.

And I just think, there's just so little value he has here, and a lot of bluffs.

And ... I drop the chips in to call the $500.



The table immediately goes ballistic. Everyone's face was like



I just shrug and scoop in the chips like it was no big deal, but inside I'm super proud of myself. I thought through this hand really lucidly and then had the stones to follow through and call a 2x pot shove.

This is probably the best overall hand I've played in months.



---------------------------------

Session results:
2 hours, 10 mins
+$1,778

Nice call. Congrats and the growing family. Solid graphs, GL this year!

Somewhere, that guy you hero-called is still mad. Sick ass play.

Firstly, congratulations on the recent birth of your child! i hope your wife and child are doing fine!

Secondly, i'm in.. go crush!

Ty ty - appreciated!

Thanks man - they're doing really great.

Actually sat with him for a little bit today, he definitely brought it up haha. He was a good sport, he appreciated the hand. I think the reality is that he had a good idea where I was at and had the courage to fire a big bluff, and I had a good idea of where he was at and had the courage to make a big call. Good poker all around.

GLGL this year my friend. Congrats on the baby and here's to a great 2020

You finally made it! Appreciated. Keep on crushing yourself, buddy

Got to the cardroom around 4pm today, but all the regs bounced right after I got there, and I played for less than an hour before the game broke for good.

Afterwards, I talked to another reg who said the game has been dying on weeknights, which is really bad news for me. Hopefully it's just the time of year and it'll pick back up soon. But in the meantime, it's gonna mean one of two things for me:

Either play more during the day - which isn't as good of a game; there are a couple pros and just less loose action in general - or go play more at the Oaks Club. The Oaks actually has real soft games which is great, but it's about 20 mins farther away from my place both ways. Plus, traffic is real bad coming home anytime between 2pm-7:30pm. And the place is a run-down sh*thole. Basically, I'd love not to have to go to the Oaks much if I can help it, but I might have to.

Anyway, this session -

I didn't play a single hand for the first 2 orbits. Then this hand happened:

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
MP limps for $10
HERO ($800) raises to $45 on the BUTTON with 99
An unknown in the STRADDLE ($330) calls $45
MP folds

FLOP ($100): J97
STRADDLE checks
HERO bets $60
STRADDLE check-calls $60

TURN ($220): 6
STRADDLE checks
HERO bets $125
STRADDLE check-calls $125

RIVER ($470): 3
STRADDLE checks
HERO goes all-in for $100 effective
STRADDLE calls all-in for $100



Not much to say about this hand, super standard all around.

-------------------------------

So I was up $300 early, but then I donked most of it away when I raised to $45 with J10 over a fish limper in a straddled pot, he back-jammed for $170, and I called the $125 getting about 1.8 to 1. I need about 36% equity for that, and I knew this guy was wide - he's jammed over a raise with QJos earlier and showed it.

So if I give him a range of any ace, any two cards 10+, and all pairs, I have 41.6% equity. So after Pokerstoving it, I think the call was fine, but he had K10 and it held, so bye bye $170.

Then the game got really short, and although it was a great situation - a bunch of weak players playing shorthanded and me - I never got any good traction before the game broke for good.

Pretty unsatisfying session, but I'll get back out there tomorrow one way or the other.

Session results:
55 mins
+$109

Played a session yesterday and it was a doozy. I can only hope this writeup does it justice. I'll go right into the hands.

Early on, about half an hour into the session, I played these first 4 hands on 4 consecutive shuffles:


HAND 1: Baby hero call

PREFLOP:
Good pro ($1k) opens to $20 on the BUTTON
HERO defends in the BB for $20 with 33

FLOP ($40): 755
HERO checks
BUTTON c-bets $20
HERO check-calls $20

TURN ($80): 2
HERO checks
BUTTON checks

RIVER ($80): 6
HERO checks
BUTTON bets $60
HERO calls $60



---------------------------

HAND 2: Can I get called with the (virtual) nuts?

PREFLOP:
EP and MP limp for $5
Good pro ($900) raises to $30 in the CUTOFF
HERO 3-bets to $110 in the SB with QQ
EP and MP fold
CUTOFF calls $110

FLOP ($230): QJ7
HERO bets $105
CUTOFF calls $105

TURN ($440): 5
HERO bets $225
CUTOFF calls $225

RIVER ($890): 3
HERO jams all-in for $460
CUTOFF tanks ...

My feeling is that he's more likely to have marginal value than a missed draw. I feel like he'd have made a move already with the nut flush draw, esp AKhh and A-10hh which have royal draws. Plus, there's no guarantee

So I think he has a lot of AJs and KJs and 10-10 and 99. And I decide to jam the river and hope he hero calls, hoping I have AK or A5hh.



-----------------------

HAND 3: Standard operating procedure

PREFLOP:
Rec player in the CUTOFF opens to $20
HERO 3-bets to $70
CUTOFF folds

----------------------

HAND 4: The greatest bluff I've ever pulled off

PREFLOP:
A weak player in MP limps for $5
Rec player in the HJ ($1150) limps for $5
HERO ($1350) raises to $30 with 108
MP and HJ both limp-call $30

FLOP ($90): A97
MP and HJ check
HERO bets $50
MP folds
HJ check-calls $50

This is a good flop for my range with the Ace on board, and a good flop for my actual hand with an open-ender and a backdoor flush draw. So, the c-bet is in order.

TURN ($190): Q
HJ checks
HERO bets $120
HJ quickly check-calls $120

I pick up a flush draw in addition to my straight draw, and decide to fire a serious shell on the turn. Obviously I would hate to see a raise here, but I think the best move is to barrel and gets folds from a bunch of hands like 9x and 7x and A3. I figure I'll still get calls from some hands like big flush draws, but even if I get called I have a ton of outs and I can play rivers really well in position.

RIVER ($430): A
HJ checks
HERO bets $150
HJ thinks ... and check-raises to $300
HERO think ... and goes all-in for $950
HJ folds

The river is a huge brick, and when he checks to me I decide to make a small bluff. I think he calls me with the pairs he got here with like QJ and his Aces like A3s or whatever. But, he has enough missed draws (mostly clubs and maybe J-10) that I'm fine giving myself 3:1 on a bluff.

Then ... he min-check raises. And I'm just thinking, wtf does this guy have? He called so quickly on the turn that there was no way he had a big hand; with 2-pair or a set on such a draw-heavy board he'd have considered raising. So there's no way he's full here.

And I just think, I'm the one with all the nuts. I have AA. I have 99. I have 77. I have AQ. And he doesn't have any of that. From his POV, how could he ever call? No one at 2/5 would ever bluff here, this is just always the nuts.

So I muster up all my courage, knowing that this could be an epic crash-and-burn spew, and just rip it the f*ck in. And I get the fold.


----------------------------

A couple hours go by, and I win almost no pots. A good pro on my left has been taking chunks out of me and I can't win a hand. Then this hand goes down:

HAND 5: The fish wriggles off the hook

PREFLOP:
Fish ($290) in MP limps for $5
HERO ($1600) raises to $25 in the CUTOFF with QQ
BUTTON calls $25
MP limp-calls $25

FLOP ($75): 1087
MP donks for $50
HERO calls $50
BUTTON folds

TURN ($175): 8
MP checks
HERO jams all-in for $215 effective
MP calls all-in for $215

RIVER ($605): 9



I sure woulda liked that 600 bucks, but alas, it wasn't meant to be

-----------------------------

HAND 6: The tilt ... it is extremely real

PREFLOP:
LOJACK and HIJACK limp for $5
CUTOFF ($605 - the fish who just doubled up through me) limps for $5
HERO raises to $35 on the BUTTON with AA
Folds back to the fish in the CUTOFF, who thinks, almost re-raises, then just calls

FLOP ($80): A105
CU checks
HERO bets $50
CU check-calls $50

TURN ($180): J
CU checks
HERO bets $105
CU folds



And I am tiiiiiillllting like the artwork at Stevie Wonder's house. If he raises pre, I 3-bet and we get it in, and I win his $600. If he re-raises me pre like he was about to, I stack him for $600. If the flop doesn't have one of the last 2 Aces or the last 2 Kings, I stack him for $600

Instead, I have AA vs KK against the biggest fish at the table ... and I make $85.

Of course, he soon gives the rest of his money away to people who are not me.


------------------------------

HAND 7: Winning pots the only way I know how

PREFLOP:
MP, LOJACK, HIJACK, and CUTOFF limp for $5
HERO raises to $35 on the BUTTON with AQ
Avg reg ($675) calls in the BB for $35
MP, LJ, and HJ call $35
CU folds

FLOP ($180): 522
BB donks for $50
MP, LJ, and HJ all fold
HERO calls $50

I'm obviously never folding here, this a**hole for sure has some pair like 88 and is just asking to get this pot ripped away from him. And I'm going oblige.

The question is, what's the best way to do it? I think both raising here and waiting until the turn are legitimate plays; here I decide to flat and wait until the turn, because an overcard to his hand can come which could help to scare him, or I could pick up additional equity with a diamond.

TURN ($280): 6
BB bets $115
HERO raises all-in for $590
BB folds

---------------------------

This was a really fun session. It coulda been great except if not for a couple tough runouts and not getting stacks with AA vs KK, but overall it was still really good. I pulled two huge all-in bluffs in good spots and aside from the early set of Queens, I never really made any hands; I earned all of my money today.

Hopefully will be back on the felt today.

Session results:
5 hours, 35 mins
+$558

Got a little Friday night session in last night, and things did not start off well.

I dropped hundys off the bat with a bunch of playable hands that ended up not panning out, plus I lit a couple hundred on fire in this hand:


HAND 1: Hero is bad and feels bad

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
MP1, MP2, and CUTOFF limp for $10
BAD REG on BUTTON raises to $30
HERO calls $30 in the SB with 66
MP1, MP2, and CUTOFF limp-call $30

FLOP ($150): 752
HERO checks
Action checks around

TURN ($150): 4
HERO bets $80
Only the CUTOFF (a bad reg) calls $80

I bet the turn since the flop checked around and I have what could be the best hand, and I didn't want the turn to check around and another over to fall on the river. But after thinking about it, I actually don't like the bet that much. Because the button was the preflop raiser, players could have checked top pair and flush draws to him, and he checked behind. So I don't think it's as simple as, "if someone had a better hand than me, they would have bet the flop". So basically I leave my nose open here. I think playing it through a check-call is weaker but still probably better.

RIVER ($310): K
HERO checks
CUTOFF bets $110
HERO calls $110

Obviously this is a check, and the cutoff tanks a bit before betting $110. And this is just a bad call imo, I know I'm getting like 4:1 but this just isn't a bluff. Clearly he wants a call, and the K is a bad card overall since he easily could have made top pair on the river drawing with the K on the turn.

Or more likely, he could have binked the flush on the turn. Either way, this sizing is fishing for a call, and this fish (me) obliged.



--------------------------------

So I'm down $500ish after a couple hours and getting zero traction, when the next 3 hands happen in 3 consecutive shuffles (not unlike yesterday):

HAND 2: Making a stand

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
HERO ($635) raises to $35 on the BUTTON with K7
Good sharp player in the STRADDLE ($1000) 3-bets to $120
HERO 4-bets to $400
STRADDLE tank-folds

This player is good and tough and aggressive, and I expect him to be 3-betting me with a wider range here. And I just decide, f*ck him, he's got a lot of hands in his range he won't go to the felt with here, so I'm just going to go a level up and put him to the test. It was a bigger 4-bet than usual but I just wanted to leave no mistake that I was committed (I left $200ish behind). Fortunately he folds, and I don't show.

---------------------------

HAND 3: Nothing hand

PREFLOP:
Fish limps UTG for $5
HERO raises to $25 in the CUTOFF with QQ
Fish limp-calls $25

FLOP ($50): Q97
UTG checks
HERO bets $35
UTG check-folds

I only include this hand because it was one of the 3 consecutive shuffles that finishes with the next hand

------------------------

HAND 4: Quadrangular!

PREFLOP:
Good pro ($900) opens for $20 in EP
Bad reg ($1200) 3-bets to $60 in the LOJACK
HERO ($775) cold 4-bets to $200 in the HIJACK with AA
EP folds
LOJACK calls $200

FLOP ($420): A106
LJ checks
HERO checks

I have the board locked up here, and his most likely hands are pairs under mine like JJ and QQ. He could have AK but there's only one Ace left in the deck so it's pretty unlikely, and with an SPR of only 1.5, we can still check a street and still get stacks in anyway if he does.

TURN ($420): 2
LJ bets $200
HERO calls $200

This would be a really weird spot for him to bet KK-JJ, so maybe he does have AK or 10-10 after all? I don't know, but in position I like just flatting and seeing what happens on the river with about a half-pot sized bet left.

RIVER ($820): A
LJ goes all-in for $375 effective
HERO snap-call all-in for $375

Well, there ain't many better feelings in poker than when you river quads and your opponent just f*cking jams all in.



Villain said after the hand that he put me on QQ and was trying to get paid off. Hopeless ... but I will gladly take it.

---------------------------------

HAND 5: Folding an overpair

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
HERO ($1600) opens in MP to $35 with 1010
Good sharp player ($1000) calls $35 in the SB
Good pro ($900) calls $35 in the STRADDLE

FLOP ($105): 953
SB checks
STRADDLE checks
HERO c-bets $45
SB check-calls $45
STRADDLE folds

TURN ($195): 6
SB checks
HERO checks

I decide to check back bc I think he's a good player and unlikely to pay off 3 streets with a 9x hand like 98. Also, I block two tens so the only combos of 9-10s he can have are clubs and spades.

So what hand does he flat call a raise with in the SB? A lot of pairs, for sure.

And what hand does he check-call the flop with, with another good player still to act? 9x sure, but he doesn't have too many of those. And he's not floating with air here like KQ. The only real draw is 67s, which flopped a double-gutter and turned a pair. And really the rest of what he's got are sets.

So anyway, I decide that my hand isn't a 3-streeter against him and his range and I check it back to evaluate the river.

RIVER ($195): 4
SB leads for $160
HERO tank-folds

I tank to think about it, and I just can't figure out any bluffs he has here. Bombing the river with one pair is essentially turning it into a bluff; he's not betting 9x or 88 for huge value on the river - I wouldn't call with worse and because I checked back the turn, my hand likely looks like missed overs to him so he wouldn't need to turn a pair into a bluff.

And there's quite a bit of value that he can have - all flopped sets, 77, 67s, 56s, 97s, etc. So a crapload of value and no real bluffs I can figure out. So, I fold even with an overpair.

----------------------------------

Session results:
3 hours, 10 mins
+$458

Little Saturday session today, played a few hours in the day so I could spend time with the fam at night.

Got into a couple fun hands:


HAND 1: Gettin' them stacks in

PREFLOP:
Unknown young villain ($1200) opens from UTG2 to $25
CU calls $25
HERO ($660) calls $25 on the BUTTON with 77
SB calls $25

FLOP ($100): 7810
SB, UTG2, and CU check
HERO bets $50
SB and UTG2 check-call $50
CU folds

TURN ($250): Q
SB and UTG2 check
HERO bets $150
SB folds
UTG2 check-calls $150

RIVER ($550): Q
UTG2 checks
HERO shoves all-in for $435
UTG2 tanks ... tanks ... and calls $435



--------------------------------

HAND 2: It coulda been better, it coulda been worse

PREFLOP:
MP limps for $5
HERO ($1300) raises to $25 in the CUTOFF with 98
LAG ($1200) on the BUTTON calls $25
MP limp-calls $25

FLOP ($75): QJ2
MP checks
HERO bets $50
BUTTON calls $50
MP folds

With a flush draw, a gutter, and no showdown value, I think this is a good situation for a c-bet. The button calls and he's loose so I'm not sure what to think of his range at this point.

TURN ($175): 10
HERO bets $120
BUTTON calls $120

Bingo on the turn. I'm not too worried about not having the best hand here; he likes to make min 3-bets with big pf hands like AK and QQ. So the only hand I'm remotely worried about here is K9, which I do block with a 9 in my own hand.

So he could have a lot of pair+draw hands like KQ and KJ and K-10, and he could also have some 2-pairs with QJ/Q-10/J-10 etc.

RIVER ($415): 10
HERO checks
BUTTON bets $170
HERO calls $170

Not the best card in the world since all his Q-10 and J-10s boated up, and maybe he had K-9 the whole time and the turn was just a cooler card.

There doesn't seem like much worse that he could be betting for value. Maybe he's overvaluing QJ? He could also easily have a bricked flush draw, even though that's less likely since I hold the 8 and 9

But of course I'm calling, bc this guy is a LAG and I have a straight and it's a pretty cheap price.



Welp, turns out he had a hand I didn't think he'd have.

It coulda been better: That 10 on the turn was a killer cooler card, and I still had a re-draw to a flush that would have been dope to hit, but it didn't.

It coulda been worse: I could have lost a lot more if he'd raised the turn instead of trapping, or if the river hadn't paired the board.

So all in all tough hand, but those happen.

----------------------------------

HAND 3: Weird river spot

PREFLOP:
HERO opens to $20 from UTG2 with KQ
CUTOFF calls $20
Old dude on the BUTTON calls $20
Young unknown (guy I stacked in Hand 1, he seems p solid) calls $20 in BB

FLOP ($80): KJ10
BB checks
HERO checks
CU and BUTTON check

Even though I flop quite well, I decide to check. If either of the guys behind me raises it's going to be tough, and there's actually not that much worse I get value from except for hands like QJ and Q-10 that have worse pairs and draws to chops, as well as flush draws - most of which have very good equity against me anyway. So, I decide to play this through a check-call, and the action checks around.

TURN ($80): K
BB bets $40
HERO calls $40
CU folds
BUTTON calls $40

Obviously a great card for me on the turn, and the BB decides to bet out. He could certainly be behind here with hands like QJ that he thinks is good, but there are actually several hands that beat me - KJ, K-10 (unlikely, but still) and flopped straights with Q9 and AQ (which I help block as well).

Anyway I think a call here is fine since a raise probably just folds out all hands worst than mine and builds a big pot vs better, and my hand is super under-repped going into the river.

The button calls behind but I'm more concerned about the BB than him; the BUTTON would have bet this super wet flop if he'd connected hard with it.

RIVER ($200): 6
BB bets $120
HERO calls $120
BUTTON tank-calls $120

The BB bets out again on the river, and now I really feel like I'm not good. I know my hand (top trips) is super strong, but I can't really think of hands that he'd be betting out into multiple opponents for value that are worse than mine.

So I actually want to just fold here, but I call bc lol duh I have trips with a good kicker.



Yep, shoulda just listened to myself and folded. Buuuut I'm a doofus.

-----------------------------

HAND 4: I hate value

PREFLOP: $10 straddle
HERO ($1200) opens to $35 UTG with 88
Bad reg UTG2 ($800) calls $35
STRADDLE calls $35

FLOP ($105): 1083
STRADDLE checks
HERO checks
UTG2 bets $90
STRADDLE folds
HERO check-calls $90

TURN ($285): 6
HERO checks
UTG2 checks

RIVER ($285): A
HERO bets $180
UTG2 calls $180



So I just ****ed this hand all up. If I just go bet-bet-bet like I usually do, I get like $60-$120-$300 (like $500ish) instead of $270, and if I'm really sharp, I check-raise the river knowing that he won't call a big river bet with 10x anyway, unless it's A-10 which he'll bet himself.

So why did I check? **** man, I dunno. If there's a set to check here, it's top set, not middle set. I was just thinking, 10x will bet for me and it'll look like I have missed overs.

Which is not even the worst mistake; the worst one is checking the turn - I need to guarantee I get three streets with this hand, and I thought with his super strong bet on the flop he'd bet the turn for sure. I was wrong.

Played this hand really poorly all around and it cost me hundreds.

---------------------------------

HAND 5: Bonus hand!

I wasn't involved in this hand, but this one was pretty crazy.




It was a 3-way all-in, the pot was over $4k. They got it all in on the turn of a 9827 board

It was the nut straight (J10)
vs
Top set (99)
vs
Top 2-pair with a flush draw (98)

The river was the 8 and the 99 took it down with 98 winning some money back in the sidepot, while the J-10 had the stone cold nuts on the turn and was in line to scoop a $4k pot ... and got rivered out of all of it. Pretty wild.

---------------------------------

Anyway, didn't play my sharpest today but managed to get out of there with a profit. Will take the day off tomorrow to watch football and get back to the grind on Monday.

Session results:
4 hours, 30 mins
+$565

Fun little Monday night session tonight, it was busier than usual because of the holiday. Not a lot of action on my end, was ridiculously card dead and didn't get into that many interesting spots.

2 hands for this session:

HAND 1: IRL range merge

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
Weak reg limps UTG for $10
HERO limps UTG2 for $10 with AA
MP and BUTTON and SB limp for $10
STRADDLE checks

Pretty much every hand was getting raised, so I did something I haven't done in months and limped my Aces (behind a limper, no less). Of course, nobody raised and I got what I deserved: A multi-way limped pot.

FLOP ($70): Q73
STRADDLE checks
UTG bets $30
HERO calls $30
Folds to SB, who check-raises to $95
All fold back to HERO, who calls $95

Oh boy, a check-raise in a 7-way limped pot. Just what I wanted to see! Fortunately, villain is a severe LAG capable of bluffing. Which means that he isn't necessarily nutted here, although he plays a wide range pre so he can have sets of 7s and 3s in addition to all the two-pairs, at least suited.

But he can also have gutters, flush draws, one-pair hands, and straight air trying to pounce on perceived weakness. So I call, expecting to have to call down.

TURN ($260): 4
VILLAIN bets $175
HERO calls $175

Really would like to see the board pair on the river ...

RIVER ($610): 2
VILLAIN checks
HERO jams all-in for $515
VILLAIN folds

Ok so the thing is, I'm not sure if this is a good play or not. It really might not be. But to be clear, this jam was turning my Aces into a bluff, because I thought he for sure didn't have a flush (it would be some kind of bizarre to check-raise flop and fire turn with a flush draw and then check when you actually made the flush).

And it very much looks like I did make a flush, calling all the way and then jamming the river once the 2rd diamond came. So I was trying to get him to fold hand like 2 pairs and even sets.

But this was also kind of range-mergy, because I actually beat some hands he might hero call me with, like KQ or AQ.

Anyway, villain tanked for a bit and finally folded. And I still don't know if my river play was a good one or not. Very unorthodox for sure, but next time I'll pass on that limping Aces BS.

----------------------------

HAND 2: Getting a 3-barrel bluff through

PREFLOP:
HERO ($1100) opens to $20 in MP with KQ
Below avg reg ($1200) calls $20 in the CUTOFF

FLOP ($40): J103
HERO bets $25
CU calls $25

TURN ($90): 6
HERO bets $55
CU calls $55

RIVER ($200): 8
HERO bets $160
CU folds

This is the kind of play I've become a lot better at making over the past year or so.

Obvs I'm betting the flop, and I think betting the turn is mandatory too. If I check, I've basically capped my range; anyone worth a sh*t is going to know overpairs, sets, and top 2-pairs are going to keep barreling. And when he just calls the turn, he's capping himself - 2pair+ would almost always be raising my now, so he's usually got one pair at best here.

And he doesn't have to have one pair - he could have AQ, 78, flush draws, or my hand, KQ.

So when the river bricks out, I have to bluff. I have the range advantage - I'm not capped, and he is. And I would be a donkey to check it and let him check back with AQ or 78 or A6cc and win a 40 BB pot.

Does he snap-call with AJ or even A-10 occasionally? Sure, but not enough for this bluff to be unprofitable, not even close. So really it's a matter of knowing the math and having the juevos to pull the trigger. Here, it worked and earned me a pot in a session where I didn't make many hands.

-----------------------------

Session results:
3 hours, 50 mins
-$10

Fun session today, there's actually been 2 games running both yesterday and today so the game hasn't been on the morphine drip like it was couple weeks ago. Hopefully that stays the case!

A couple hands, starting with me getting stacked in my first orbit:

HAND 1: To the felt

PREFLOP:
2 limps for $5
LAGGY Azn Lady ($1200) raises to $30
HERO ($800) 3-bets to $105 in the SB with KK
Folds back to Azn Lady who calls $105

FLOP ($220): Q83
HERO checks
AZN LADY bets $300
HERO check-raises all-in for $695
AZN LADY snap-calls $695

When she calls my 3-bet fairly quickly, I'm a little afraid she has AA or QQ. So I check to her, thinking this is a good board to check against her range; if she has JJ or 10-10, I may get paid on future streets since she might put me on AK. But, those hands will likely just fold to a c-bet.

Then she makes a huge bet, over-betting the pot. And while she might do this with AA, certainly it takes QQ out of the running, which is nice. And AA is way less likely pre since she 4-bets it at some frequency. So really I'm only afraid of 88, 33, and the occasional AA.

But the good news is that there are worse hands she can have here that will definitely stack off, namely AQ and KQ. And she is the type to go to the felt with those hands here, and the type to overbet them for "protection". So, I jam, knowing I'm dust sometimes but wanting to get the money in now before any scare cards come.

TURN: Q
RIVER: 3

Welp, nothing I can beat now ...



Tough scene, but I don't regret it. Sometimes you're gonna get stacked.

----------------------------

HAND 2: Nice catch

PREFLOP:
HERO raises to $20 from UTG2 with A5
Good player calls $20 in the SB
Bad reg calls $20 in the BB

FLOP ($60): 886
Check, check
HERO checks

TURN ($60): 5
SB checks
BB bets $35
HERO calls $35
SB folds

RIVER ($130): K
BB bets $60
HERO calls $60

He's kind of polarized himself here; he doesn't have one pair unless it's like K7s. But he wouldn't be betting 6s here, so it's really either K7s or 8x for value. But it could also be missed 7x or missed 9-10, something like that. So I call getting 3:1



-----------------------------

HAND 3: Taking a high-variance line

PREFLOP:
Tight/solid reg ($1800) opens UTG to $15
Fish ($400) calls $15 from UTG2
HERO ($800) calls $15 in CUTOFF with 44
BUTTON calls $15
BB calls $15

FLOP ($75): K43
BB checks
UTG bets $45
UTG2 calls $45
HERO calls $45
BUTTON and BB fold

I could absolutely raise here and it would be a good play. But I decide to call in position, and play it a little riskier, hoping that UTG (who almost always has a good hand here) bets again on the turn, UTG2 calls and gets caught in the middle with the bets getting big, and then I can raise and really get them both stuck for piles.

TURN ($210): 5
UTG and UTG2 check
HERO bets $110
UTG calls $110
UTG2 calls $110

Unfortunately, UTG doesn't oblige my plan by betting again. So I bet, and they both call, and now it's clear what they both have.

UTG has AA or AK, and UTG2 has a flush draw. So we go to the river, and I'm just trying to fade a heart.

RIVER ($540): Q
UTG and UTG2 check
HERO bets $300
UTG calls $300
UTG2 folds

I choose a sizing that is big enough to be worth this pot, but is still callable by AK. I think I sized this one well, getting the call after a little thought.



-------------------------------------

Really happy with this session, got felted right off the bat but didn't tilt and just kept grinding and playing, and actually walked out with a small win. Even though it wasn't a big profit overall, these are some of the most satisfying sessions.

Session results:
5 hours, 20 mins
+$91

Roller-coaster session yesterday. Started off great and ended up terribly. The hands:

HAND 1: Losing the minimum

PREFLOP:
HERO ($800) opens from UTG with AQ
MP calls $20
Decent (covers) aggressive player on the BUTTON calls $20

FLOP ($60): Q87
HERO checks
MP checks
BUTTON bets $35
HERO calls $35
MP calls $35

I decide to take a player-dependent line here and check my top-top. The Button is aggressive and will often bet this flop texture for me, since he'll have a lot of draws and middle pairs that he'll try to protect.

What I don't want is to inflate the pot too hard out of position since he can put me in really tough spots on a lot of run-outs, particularly when more middle cards fall.

So I like playing this softer and more trappy; when I check-call it looks more like I have something like 10s here and he should never expect me to have AQ.

TURN ($165): 5
HERO checks
MP checks
BUTTON bets $105
HERO calls $105
MP folds

He blasts the turn pretty hard and now I'm starting to grow a little concerned. Betting the flop after two players check to you is one thing, firing a big shell into two players who have already called the flop is another.

He could have better hands than me like 88, 77, and 78. He could also have Qxss or other combo draws that I'm ahead of, and I hold the A which is a nice card to have but it does also limit his flush draw bluffs.

RIVER ($370): 10
HERO checks
BUTTON checks

The button checks back, which is interesting since I would have strongly considered a check-jam if he'd bet.

I would have thought he's betting sets/2pair for thin value, and only I can have the nuts, and the 10 even more severely limits the flushes he could have.

Alas,,



Oh man, a river bet by him would have been really interesting indeed. Instead he checks back and I end up losing a much smaller pot than you usually see with top-top vs set.

-------------------------------

After that, some good things happen. In one hand, there was a raise and two calls before a dude rips it in for $300 behind. I wake up with Kings in the BB, re-jam and they hold.

Soon after, this hand goes down:

HAND 2: Dream setup

PREFLOP:
Bad reg ($1000) opens UTG to $20
HERO ($1000) calls $20 UTG2 with 44
Solid reg ($640) 3-bets to $60 in MP
UTG calls $60
HERO calls $60

FLOP ($180): K64
UTG and HERO check
MP bets $100
UTG folds
HERO calls $100

Just a dream flop. And when this guy leads $100 into both of us after 3-betting small pre, he almost always has AA here. So I go for the check-call and hope we can get him stuck on the turn.

TURN ($380): 10
HERO checks
UTG bets $180
HERO check-raises all-in to $480 effective
UTG calls all-in for $480

So now the only question is to raise now or wait until the river. This illustrates the problem with playing small pairs and suited connectors out of position; even when you hit you're not nearly in as much control over the pot as you are in position. (In this hand obviously I was never folding).

Even tho a CRAI looks very strong, I decide to raise here before a scary card like another heart or a face card comes on the river, and I think he'll have a ton of trouble folding AA or AK for $300 more.

RIVER ($1340): 8



Boom, snapped. After winning a couple more small pots I'm rolling, up $900 and looking for more since my table is good.

And then ... these next two hands happen very close together,,,

----------------------------------

HAND 3: Punting off some stacks

PREFLOP:
Tight pro ($900) opens UTG for $20
MP calls $20
HERO calls $20 in the CUTOFF with 42
BB calls $20

I like taking flops in position against really strong ranges with hands like this. When 4s or 2s trip up they're very hard to put people on, and suited wheel cards interact well with his range, namely they can cold deck on some Ace-high boards.

FLOP ($80): 932
BB checks, UTG c-bets $45
MP folds
HERO calls $45
BB folds

This is a very loose call, and I think it's a bad one. I'd be much more on board if there was a diamond on board to give me a backdoor flush draw, but there isn't. So really I'm just calling to make a hidden 2pair/trips, which could possibly win a big pot since his most likely hand is an overpair. So I get greedy, which I'm not is good at all.

TURN ($170): 5
UTG bets $75
HERO raises to $250
UTG calls $250

UTG leads for less than half pot, and I decide to put in a healthy raise with my combo draw.

This, of course, is not good. This specific player would only be betting again here with an overpair or like AK/AQ/AJcc. So my fold equity is pretty much non-existent, which is of course #NotItChief when you're semi-bluffing.

I justified it to myself thinking A) I need to have some bluffs here and B) when he calls, if I hit the river, I've set up stacks.

Well, this line of thinking is sh*t bc A) I can choose better bluff candidates and B) That's great and all but that doesn't mean you put in big chunks while behind - with no fold equity - to do it.

He calls, so it's probably a give-up on the river unless I smash.

RIVER ($670): 3
BB checks
HERO checks

This specifically is a really bad card to bluff regardless. From his POV, it dramatically decreases the sets I can have and completes no draws, so I'd expect him to call down with his overpairs.

So I give up, and it's a good thing I did.



Well, I lost over $300 in this hand when I should have just folded the flop for a $20 loss. Complete punt by me. FWIW Villain played his hand extremely well.

--------------------------------

HAND 4: Running into it

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
HERO opens on the BUTTON to $35 with JJ
Tight player in SB calls $35
Rec player ($430) who overvalues hands 3-bets to $120
HERO calls $120
SB calls $120

FLOP ($360): 1022
SB checks
BB goes all-in for $310
HERO calls $310
SB folds

TURN: Q
RIVER: 8



Yeah. Well, whatever. I'm just always gonna stack off 43 bigs JJ vs KK button vs big blind. Such is poker.

----------------------------

The other day I started off way stuck and battled myself back to even, and felt really great afterwards. Today I started off way up and lost my way back to even, and felt terrible afterwards. Same results, vastly different emotional response - one of those things about poker, you know?

But it's all good, and we'll be back out there again soon.

Session results:
5 hours
+$52

Loving your reviews WD, I feel like I am learning a fair bit just following your thread so TY!

I had a similar hand to the 4D and lost 90 with a hand I should have just folded pre, it's great how mistakes compound in this game isn't it!

Anyways keep up the good work and GL.

Yeah, it's those small mistakes that can turn big in a hurry. Thanks for the good words!

Some good Friday night action last night, my table was full of loose, horrible players but tiltingly, this still wasn't great for me for 2 reasons:

1. I was pretty card dead all night
2. There were multiple olds fools at my table and the play was glacially slow

So unfortunately, not many interesting hands to post. Here's a couple:

HAND 1: My one good hand of the night

PREFLOP:
HERO ($915) opens to $20 with AJ from UTG
MP1, MP2, MP3 call $20
BUTTON (an unknown rec with $1k) 3-bets to $60
HERO, MP1, MP2, and MP3 call $60

FLOP ($300): 345
Everyone checks to the button
BUTTON bets $230
HERO check-raises all-in for $855
folds back to button
Button tank-folds

Very standard play, but nice to profit $500 with ace-high. Easily the biggest pot I won all night, which is p sad

---------------------------

HAND 2: Little bluffy

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
HERO limps the BUTTON with Q10
Bad rec in the SB raises to $30
Good player in the STRADDLE calls $30
HERO calls $30

FLOP ($90): K74
SB checks
STRADDLE checks
HERO checks

TURN ($90): 4
SB bets $30
STRADDLE folds
HERO calls $30

When the SB raises pre, checks this flop and then bets the turn when the board pairs and no one showed strength on the flop, he just always has Ace-high here (or pocket Kings lol).

So I'm just gonna do the only reasonable thing, and float and take the pot away on the river.

RIVER ($150): 2
SB checks
HERO bets $80
SB folds

EZ game

----------------------------

Wish there were more interesting hands to post, but alas.

Session results:
6 hours, 35 mins
+$303

Love following your thread, WD. The last one (read every page) motivated me to start my own, sorta stealing your format (take that as a compliment!)

Thanks man, if I've given you any inspiration to start on your own journey, that's really cool. I'll stop by and check it out!

I almost never play on Sundays, but now that I'm a "pro" (ie I don't have a job) aaaaand there's no football on, decided to get out and get a couple hours in. And man, it was a good game. Straddles, bomb pots, the whole bit.

I played pretty tight and didn't get involved in too many big hands, but still had a good time and played a couple of fun hands.

HAND 1: Bomb pot

PREFLOP: 9 players are in for $25

FLOP ($225): A42
Checks around to HERO ($600) in the HIJACK, who checks with A5
Action checks through behind

Even though all top pairs in bomb pots can benefit from protection, I decide to check since A) my hand is very vulnerable, B) I'm in late position so I get A LOT of information in my position by the turn, C) My hand has outs to a straight, and D) Checking under-reps my hand since most people are betting in my position with a pair of Aces

TURN ($225): 10
Action checks to the LOJACK ($700), who bets $125
HERO calls $125
Everyone else folds

So a little background, the LJ is a good aggressive player who usually sits out bomb pots. But before this one he throws in the $25, and someone says, "you're playing!"

And someone else says, "It's because he's in late position"

And the LJ says, "Haha no it's bc I'm stuck" (he'd just gotten stacked recently)

SO, when he bets out here after not betting the flop, I figure he's trying to take down an uncontested bomb pot with a worse hand than I have, like 10x or a turned flush draw.

RIVER ($475): 8
LOJACK bets $360
HERO calls $360

Everything bricked out, and while he puts out a big bet, I can't fold. I know he's stuck and trying to win this bomb pot, and my hand is under-repped. Like he could have made 2pair somehow but usually he's just trying to bluff me out.

So I put together the chips and say, "I might think about folding if you weren't stuck", and I toss 'em in



-------------------------

HAND 2: I bruff

PREFLOP:
A weak player limps in MP for $5
Aggressive player on the BUTTON raises to $25
SB calls $25, HERO calls $25 in the BB with J10, and MP limp-calls $25

FLOP ($100): Q43
Action checks around

TURN ($100): 5
SB checks
HERO bets $50
MP calls $50, BUTTON folds, SB check-calls $50

When MP calls the turn after checking the flop and the SB limp-calls, they are just super capped with weak hands. I'm going to be up against a lot of 5-6 and A-6 and 8-8 and sh*t like that. Mayyyybe MP has Qx, but the SB is really unlikely to check a Queen for a 2nd time here on the turn.

RIVER ($250): K
SB checks
HERO bets $125
Both players fold

Great river card, which bricks basically their whole ranges unless MP has KQ. But I'm not going to worry about that, and I'm getting a great price on my bluff that only needs to work 33% of the time while it probably works 80%+ in practice. EZ game.

-----------------------------

Pretty short session but overall pretty good, nice to book another solid W.

Session results:
3 hours
+$550