Thanks for the good words mate. Also, always nice when you tilt jam and it works out haha

Was in Vegas for the NFBC Main Event (high-stakes fantasy baseball) this weekend. Spent most of the time draft prepping and hanging out with industry folks, so didn't have much time for poker.

Managed to get one short session in at Aria, one of my favorite rooms in Vegas. I haven't been to the Wynn since they redesigned their poker room, I really wanted to get out there but alas, another time.

Maybe bc I was in Vegas and had been drinking most of the day (though I'd sobered up by the time I went out to play at 11pm) I played way looser and more splashy than usual. Can't say that I played very well, but I did flop a set in a big multi-way pot which saved my evening.

I'll post one hand which I doubt I played all that well:

*UTG just sat down and this is his first hand. He bought in for only $500 and came in UTG rather than wait for the button to pass. Assumed he's a rec player based on these things.

PREFLOP:
UTG ($500) raises to $15
UTG+1 ($1000) calls $15
HERO ($900) calls $15 UTG+2 with A6
BB calls $15

FLOP ($56): 942
BB checks
UTG bets $30
UTG+1 folds
HERO raises to $95
BB folds
UTG tank-calls

TURN ($246): 4
UTG checks
HERO checks

RIVER ($246): 9
UTG checks
HERO bets $300
UTG calls $300



OTF, I had an over and multiple backdoor draws which I often like to use in my flop raising range. When UTG called, he usually has a pair in his hand, and occassionally has a heart draw.

OTT, this card is very bad for me. I gain no equity and it's not scary to anything that called on the flop. So if I bet here, whatever called me on the flop is surely to call on the turn too. I decide to shut my bluff down.

On the river, the top card pairs and I see an opportunity to go for it. I figure it puts a ton of pressure on any pocket pair, and this guy just sat down - most players don't want to go broke on their very first hand. And in the moment, I thought it was somewhat credible that I had something like A-9s/10-9s/9-8s etc, where I raised the flop and checked back the turn for pot control once I got called.

In retrospect, not sure how good of a play it was. I know I don't like my sizing much, I think I can make it look more like value ($175ish) or just jam it for $390. Not a huge $ difference with the jam but psychologically having to rebuy (instead of just being crippled) might make a difference.

Or maybe it was just hopeless all along


Post of a little chip pron mostly bc it was cool to have a $500 Aria chip



View from Bellagio penthouse party Fri night:



Pic from the NFBC Main Event draft room @ Park MGM Sat morning (it me in the Wil Myers jersey)




Session results:
2 hours, 50 minutes
+$367

Year-to-date results:
153 hours
+$974

Back home and played a session yesterday, and played well. I'll lead this one off with the hand of the session:

SB is a mid-50s semi-reg that I haven't played with much

PREFLOP:
Hero ($900) raises to $20 from MP with JJ
SB ($1200) calls $20

FLOP ($39): 652
SB checks
HERO bets $20
SB raises to $55
HERO calls $55

TURN ($149): J
SB bets $80
HERO raises to $250
SB calls $250

RIVER ($649): K
SB bets $240
HERO raises to $575 and is all-in
SB calls $575


OTF, when he check-raises, alarm bells go off. He's not the type to c/r bluff - esp in a small nothing pot like this - and this kind of flop doesn't hit his SB calling range very hard, except for hands like 66/55/22 that flopped sets. We'd been playing about an hour and I hadn't seen him get out of line at all, he just seemed pretty straightforward. I didn't *think* he was the type to call HU pf OOP with 34s, or try to c/r semi-bluff with 7-8s. Of course I can't fold, but I'm proceeding cautiously from here on out, planning to call another bet on the turn and fold the river if the barrels out.

OTT ... ****ING GIN, son. I've been running pretty bad in big pots lately, and spiking the nut card when piles are likely to go in sends a rush of dopamine through my body. Such an amazing feeling - you know what I'm talking about. Again, I'm not worried about a flopped straight at all; I think his most likely hands are sets, and we're going to win an $1800 pot if I play it right. When he bets out, I raise to $250 which sets up a callable all-in on the river that's less than the size of the pot.

OTR, the king shouldn't change anything. When he leads out small, it feels like a bet where he's trying to get value without scaring me off. It's a kind of weird bet; he should probably be jamming for value, but whatever. I jam for a couple hundred more to get value from his lower sets, and he thinks for just a few seconds before calling. I table my hand, and all I'm thinking about is Vegas and the ****ing Mirage.






I'm stunned. Sad. Deflated. Tilted. I literally can't believe it.

I take a break, and come back in with the goal of just playing well the rest of the session. I drop a few hundred more, was down about $1300 at a point. I play well the rest of the session and battle back a bit, playing really aggressively and decisively, esp picking my spots well for 3-betting both light and for value.

Still ended up down $750. I'm proud of the way I responded - not tilting and playing well for the rest of the session. But I'm still disappointed and exasperated. It's not just this pot, but running really bad in big pots for awhile.

Obviously it's something all poker players go through, and all you can do is play through it and try to play as well as possible.

My long month of work/travel/fantasy drafting is almost over and I'll be back on a more regular schedule in the middle of next week. Looking forward to it

Session results:
5 hours, 30 minutes
-$750

Year-to-date results:
158 hours, 30 minutes
+$224

Gl keep up the volume!

GL man. Will be following. Seems like we are playing similar games with similar type of goals. Jealous of your volume so far. Keep at it.

It's always brutal in live poker to take one of those beats or have a really horrible session. The best thing to do is avoid the downward spiral and looks like you did last session - nice job.

Thanks you guys ^^

Had a good session today, got a good 6 hours in, hit some hands and played well. Did take a tough beat in a ~$700 pot when I raised UTG to $20 with JJ, got called in 4 spots, and the flop came 8-4-4. I led out for $55 and the next guy jammed for $300. Everyone folded and I called, the guy had 99 and spiked his 2-outer on the river. So that sucked.

But overall I ran well, hitting 4 sets on the day and getting paid on all but one.

I'll post 3 hands from the session below:


HAND 1:

CUTOFF is a meh reg
BUTTON is a good, active and aggressive reg

PREFLOP:
CUTOFF ($1,000) raises to $25
BUTTON ($1,000) calls $25
HERO ($1,000) calls $25 in BB with 66

FLOP ($72): KQ6
HERO checks
CUTOFF bets $65
BUTTON calls $65
HERO calls $65

TURN ($267): 9
HERO checks
CUTOFF checks
BUTTON checks

RIVER ($267): A
HERO checks
CUTOFF bets $150
BUTTON folds
HERO raises to $350
CUTOFF calls $350



OTF, obviously I hit gin. I check and could obviously check-raise, but I decide to flat for a couple of reasons. One, I expect I'll only get called by three hands: AA, AK, and KQ. Two, I want to check the turn and have the cutoff bet again and catch the button in the middle for another nice bet before I spring the trap.

OTT, the 9 isn't a great card. The button could easily have J-10 but more importantly, it'll kill action from people scared of J-10. I'm not quite sure what to do; if I bet, I think I'll usually get folds from all one-pair hands. And if I lead out and get raised, I'm sick. So I decide to check, although I'm not sure it's the best play. It checks though.

OTR, the ace is a great card. It makes a lot of two pairs from likely hands like AK and AQ. I could lead out for $150-$200, in which case I'll just get called. However, if I check, I think those hands will have to bet for value now that J-10 doesn't seem like it's out there (since the turn checked though) and I can c/r and get more money.

It happens just like that, and I get a couple hundred more than if I'd have bet out. The guy mucked AQ face up and said "damn, I didn't think you'd check the turn and river if you had J-10. And I didn't think you'd check three times with a set". I feel like I thought through this hand well in the moment and it worked out well.

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

HAND 2:

HIJACK is an old guy who plays unorthodoxly
BUTTON is a good, aggressive reg

PREFLOP:
HIJACK ($550) limps for $5
BUTTON ($1100) raises to $25
HERO ($1700) raises to $85 from the BB with A4
HIJACK calls $85
BUTTON calls $85

FLOP ($249): 1062
HERO bets $100
HIJACK folds
BUTTON calls $100

TURN ($449): 8
HERO bets $250
BUTTON tank-folds 77 face-up

(the old guy said he had AK)


In spots like this I know he's likely got a mid-pair or 10x. And I'm just going to fire 3 shells and make life hell on my opponent, and hope I don't run into the top of his range.

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

HAND 3:

SB is a pretty good LAG

PREFLOP:
HERO raises to $20 from UTG +1 with 33
UTG +2 calls
BUTTON calls
SB calls

FLOP ($79): J93
SB checks
HERO bets $45
UTG +2 folds
BUTTON folds
SB calls $45

TURN ($169): 5
SB checks
HERO checks

RIVER ($169): 8
SB bets $80
HERO folds



OTF, my plan is to make a standard 1/2 pot bet and then put the screws down on safe turns. I could certainly size up tho, and maybe I should.

OTT, obviously it's a bad card but I still consider betting because he can have a lot of hands besides flushes (Jx with a club, Q-10, etc). I decide to check because I'm a pussy, but I justify it to myself by saying I won't get worse hands to call or better hands to fold.

OTR, I really only beat bluffs. He wouldn't value-bet a pair of jacks here, and the only 2-pr that might be going for thin value is J-9, which I think would have likely check-raised on the flop.

Flushes got there and Q-10 got there. But really the only natural bluff here is 10-8, and even that would be an optional bluff since it has showdown value against missed AK and AQ-type hands.

I'd probably be more inclined to call with AAx than a set here, since it blocks some flush draws. As is, I flopped a set and folded to one bet, which seems so absurd. But I *think* it was *probably* the best play.

It's been a crappy month but nice to end it on a good session.


Session results:
5 hours, 55 minutes
$1,083

Year-to-date results:
164 hours, 25 minutes
+$1,307

Well, my dudes. I just had my best session of the year and I'm on cloud 9.

If you've followed this thread at all, you know I've pretty much just been treading water all year. Had some tough luck in my biggest pots, haven't really strung together big winning sessions or put together any momentum, etc etc

Tonight, everything fell my way. I legit ran like God, and didn't get sucked out on, cold-decked, any of it

I won two big bomb pots flopping top and bottom pair. One of them I had J-7 and got all in on a J-9-7 with a guy who had top pair and a gutter and held.

The other one I had K-4 and flopped K-9-4 and got one street of value from a guy with Kx before he folded on the turn.

Another hand I had AA and got 3 streets from KJ on a Kxx board.

Another hand, I made aces full with A-8s on an A-A-2-8-10 board with 4 clubs and got big value on the river (the guy must have had something like AJ with the J the way it played out? Idk)

Anyway, I'll post a couple of the more interesting hands below.


HAND 1:

PREFLOP:
UTG ($1000) calls $5
Loose reg ($600) in EP calls $5
Fish ($600) in MP calls $5
HERO ($2000) calls $5 in MP with 43
Solid reg ($800) in LP raises to $30
Everyone calls $30 except UTG

FLOP ($129): J52
EP donks for $50
MP calls $50
HERO calls $50
LP folds

TURN ($279): K
EP checks
MP checks
HERO bets $155
EP and MP fold


Not much to say, besides it was clear that these guys had a middling Jx and/or middlish pairs like 6-6. When the turn came an overcard, it was far better to put pressure on them than check behind and hope one of my 8 outs hit.

Making a big bet on the turn was so likely to work; there's only one unlikely draw I could be doing this with (the one I actually had), and the $155 bet leverages the turn by essentially threatening to put their whole stacks at risk on the river, pretty much forcing them to fold now.

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

HAND 2:

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
4 players limp
HERO ($3000) checks in the straddle with 87

FLOP ($46): 554
SB checks
BB checks
HERO bets $25
Only the SB calls $25

TURN ($96): 10
SB checks
HERO bets $65
SB calls $65

RIVER ($226): 6
SB checks
HERO bets $175
SB calls $175



I was just barreling bc I caught a pretty good flop (2 overs, a gutter, and a backdoor flush draw) and bc I checked in the straddle, I could have any two so this flop could have easily hit me hard.

Once he called the turn, it was pretty clear he either had 5x or a straight draw. I was trying to figure out if a river barrel would work, but I was leaning toward shutting it down since 2-3 got there and 6-7 made a pair that he might not fold. I wasn't quite sure what was best, but fortunately I hit the miracle on the river and went for big value from 5x, which is what it turned out he had.


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

HAND 3:

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
Bad reg limps in EP for $10
HERO ($3300) raises to $40 in MP with AJ
SB ($1000) calls $40
EP ($700) calls $40

FLOP ($134): 567
SB checks
EP checks
HERO checks

TURN: J
SB bets $60
EP calls $60
HERO raises to $180
SB calls $180
EP calls $180

RIVER ($674): A
SB checks
EP checks
HERO checks



I liked my decision to raise the turn; even though either player (more likely the SB) could have 2 pair, a set, or a straight, a lot of the time they have draws/pair+draws that I can get value from. And it's an easy raise/fold if I get re-raised there.

On the river, I considered betting but in the end I didn't think I could get value from worse hands, esp since it brought the flush in.

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

HAND 4:

I'm racking up and am just playing my final couple hands

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
HERO ($3800) raises to $30 with 77
VILLAIN (a stuck tilted lady with about $600) 3bets to $95
Hero asks, "how much do you have behind?" (her stacks were messy)
Villain says, "I don't know exactly but you'll find out when I go all-in on the flop"
HERO calls $95

FLOP ($204): A73
HERO checks
VILLAIN jams all in for ~$500
HERO calls $500

TURN: K

RIVER: J



Not much to say besides the Poker Gods were smiling down on me.

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

Y'all know how it is. You grind and you grind and you grind and it doesn't feel like you're getting anywhere. And then once in a while you have a session where it all comes together that reminds you why you're doing it all in the first place.

For me that came tonight, and I needed it.

Session results:
6 hours, 40 minutes
+$3,543

Year-to-date results:
171 hours, 5 minutes
+$4,850

H1: wp
H2: Why do we start bluffing flop+turn? Just seems like forced aggression and trying to win pot because we straddled. I like an overbet on the river 300-350 he should be inelastic with pocket pairs and has almost all the offsuit 5x. I'd always give up if we don't get there though.
H3: Way too small a checkraise really don't want to default to just 3x someone already called and the board is super wet I'd 4x at least.
H4: I wanna valuebet 200-225 maybe it is too thin though. I think fd's get barreled on the flop. We should have the best hand given turn action no way anyone has straight or set here.
H5: lol

Some earlier posts as well...your raise sizes are too small on super interactive boards where people will have lots of 2pair like the 666 hand you 2.5x'd on river I'd make it 500 there. I think we can checkraise the flop as well there are tons of pair+bdsd hands plus all the KQ combos. Any non-board pairing turn card 9 or higher completes a straight (~1/3rd of deck).

Posting to sub. I like the way you write up hands, good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Already went over my thought process for several of these hands so I won't repeat it here, but I do agree that my raise sizing is too small at times.

I think live players tend to think about absolute $ amount as opposed to a relation to the pot size, and at times I take that into consideration to not scare a player out (like the set of 6s hand) and at times I fall into it myself (like the raise from $60 to $180 on the turn in Hand 3 above). I def agree on that hand my raise sizing on the turn should be bigger; I gave the first guy better than 3.5/1 and the second guy better than 4.5/1 on their calls, which is good for them and obviously not for me.

Thanks for the feedback!

Ty ty

Yeah was just giving what my thought process would be in the hands. I think you played all the hands fine fwiw. The big gap between 1/2 and 2/5 is players start thinking in terms of BB rather than dollars; though they do still think in dollars a bit. At 5T it's all in BB not dollars.

I'm not sure where you're playing these days but if you're still playing at Aria 2/5 they aren't thinking in absolute amount.

Almost all of a 2/5 winrate comes from maximizing value off when we know we have the best hand so it's important to not miss any spots.

Today work took me to the North Bay Area, so I decided I'd put in a little session at Graton Casino when I was done.

It was Monday afternoon, so it was slow and pretty reg-filled. Fortunately, the regs weren't that impressive, just decent solid players.

I chipped up early by playing aggressively preflop (4-betting AKo to $225 after the BB 3bet to $70 over my $20 open, also 3-betting A-4s to $140 over a $40 open in a straddled hand) and was up $200-$400 pretty much the whole session.

A couple of the interesting hands from the session:

HAND 1:

PREFLOP:
Folds to HERO ($900) on the button who raises to $20 with KK
SB folds
BB (loose/passive w $500) calls $20

FLOP ($36): J52
BB checks
HERO bets $20
BB calls $20

TURN ($76): Q
BB checks
HERO bets $45
BB calls $45

RIVER ($166): 9
BB checks
HERO bets $90
BB calls $90



Always nice to get a big hand on the button.


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


HAND 2:

PREFLOP:
HERO ($1100) raises to $20 from UTG+1 with AA
UTG+2 (a new player with $400) calls $20
BB calls $20

FLOP ($56): 875
BB checks
HERO bets $30
UTG+2 snap-raises to $75
BB folds
HERO calls $75

TURN ($206): 4
HERO checks
UTG+2 checks

RIVER ($206): 9
HERO checks
UTG+2 bets $100
HERO tank-folds


I don't know if this was a good fold or not. I was getting a pretty good price (3:1), I just didn't know what he would be bluffing with (mayyybe a missed FD? I had the A tho) and it seems like a real weird spot to be value-betting with one pair. Plus it felt like a pretty credible line with 2pr or a set. So I folded.

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

HAND 3:

PREFLOP: $10 straddle is on
Weak player ($1200) in EP limps for $10
HERO ($1000) raises to $50 on the button with 65
BB goes ALL-IN for $161
All players fold
HERO calls $161

FLOP: 952
TURN: 10
RIVER: 4



I was getting a bit better than 2:1 on a call and I figured I had somewhere around 33% equity against his shoving range, so why not?


Session results:
3 hours, 35 minutes
+$371

Year-to-date results:
174 hours, 40 minutes
+$5221

What a day. 2 different cardrooms. 3 different stakes. 7.5 total hours. Here we go.

In the afternoon, I had to get my windshield repaired in Oakland, just a few miles from the Oaks Card Club in Emeryville - a room I've heard a lot about but have never played at before. So while my car was getting fixed, I Uber'd over there to check it out. There was a wait for the 2/3/5, so I sat at the 1/1/2 while I waited.

Luck was not on my side at the 1/1/2. I got it AIPF vs a short stack in a $90 pot with JJ, the board ran out K-J-7-Q-9 and he showed A-10os for the straight. A few orbits later, I got it AIPF with KK vs JJ and KQos (lulz) and of course the JJ turned a set in the $350 pot.

After an hour I moved to the 2/3/5 and played pretty solid, chipping up but never really getting involved in big pots. One of the biggest moves that happened was when I was in the BB with K7, and EP opened for $20 and 3 others called. I think a lot of players would have called the $20 in my spot closing the action, but I folded. The flop came QJ5, the turn the 8 and the river 3. A lot of money ended up getting in and EP showed down A10 vs QJ. I probably would have stacked off my $900+ stack if I'd seen that flop, so really happy with myself for staying disciplined pf.

After about 2.5 hours my car was ready, so I went and got it and then drove back to the East Bay to play at the California Grand. Surprisingly, the 2/3/5 had broken about an hour earlier and only the 2/2/3 was running.

The session started out bad. My JJ lost to 8-9s on an 8-5-2-2-8 board, where the guy only had 2 outs on the river.

Later I hit 2pr on the river, only the river also made a guy's gutterball and I paid him off.

I was down about $400 at 11pm, which is when I decided I was leaving. I was in the SB when the clock struck 11, so I decided I would just play through my button and get a couple LP hands in. That's when these hands happened back-to-back:

HAND 1:

PREFLOP:
Active player ($2,000) in the CU raises to $10
Button calls $10
HERO ($425) raises to $50 in the SB with K10
CU calls $50
Button folds

FLOP ($109): K94
HERO checks
CUTOFF bets $50
HERO calls $50

TURN ($209): J
HERO checks
CUTOFF checks

RIVER ($209): 8
HERO bets $60
CUTOFF calls $60



When he checked back the turn, I felt pretty strongly that my kings were good. Also it seemed pretty likely that he'd made a pair of jacks betting the turn with a gutter or maybe an AJ trying to move 10-10 or AQ off the flop. I could have led the turn, but my nose would be pretty open at that point and I was hesitant to bloat the pot OOP with some bad river cards possible.

On the river, I probably could have sized up a bit, but I wanted to make a bet that Jx could call.


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


HAND 2: The next hand

PREFLOP:
4 limpers, including the Active player
HERO raises to $25 on the button with QQ
EP, MP, and the active player in the Hijack all call $25

FLOP ($107): Q42
EP ($225) checks
MP ($300) checks
HIJACK ($1850) checks
HERO ($600) checks

TURN ($107): 8
EP bets $100
MP folds
HIJACK calls $100
HERO calls $100

RIVER ($407): 5
EP checks
HIJACK checks
HERO bets $100
EP folds
HIJACK calls $100



I usually won't slowplay with 3 opponents, but I had the board so crushed on the flop that I decided to check back. Really the only hands I could get value from were sets (that I'd likely get paid off by eventually anyway) and flush draws (unlikely, esp since I held the Q)

On the turn, I got a bit greedy. The standard play is to raise after a $100 bet and call, but I decided to flat, my thinking being as long as the river didn't hit the 3rd spade (which happens less than 1/5th of the time), EP would bet again and middle the Hijack, and I could get them all stuck for stacks.

My plan was ruined when the spade did in fact hit the river. I was pretty afraid of the flush until both of the other players checked, and I went for thin value.

EP ended up folding a flopped set, and I don't know what on early the Hijack called with but I'm guessing it was some sort of weak pair that wouldn't have withstood a raise on the turn, so overall it broke even.

I certainly didn't play this hand conventionally - or even optimally - but it worked out alright in the end and got me unstuck right at the end of the session.

I'll post one more hand from earlier in the session that I'm mad at myself for misplaying:


HAND 3: Sammy blows it

PREFLOP:
UTG ($300) limps for $3
EP ($600), a tight, solid player raises to $25
HERO ($325) calls $25 with AK
BUTTON calls $25
BB calls $25
UTG calls $25

FLOP ($124): AK3
Checks around to HERO, who bets $75
All fold except the original EP raiser, who calls $75

TURN ($274): 7
EP checks
HERO goes all-in for $225
EP tank-folds AQ


Preflop, I 3bet AKs as a default, but I'm fine flatting with it occasionally. Vs this player who has a very tight range (AQ is at the bottom of it) from this position, I think it's fine. I know the hand will go multiway but I have the mother of all drawing hands, so I don't mind this scenario too much.

Where I blew it is jamming the turn. When he check/called the flop, I put him on pretty much exactly what he had (AQ or AJs). I wasn't at all worried about a flush draw with the A and K on the board; he's not the type to raise big from EP with 78 or the like.

The right play was to just bet $75 again on the turn to get him pot-stuck and then $150 AI on the river. I just didn't want a spade to fall on the river to kill my action (though that happens less than 1/5th of the time so I shouldn't have been that worried), and I thought he might call my turn jam thinking I was semi-bluffing with a spade draw.

But in reality, I scared him off when I could have just chunked by bets on the turn and the river and scored an extra $200. Bad job me.

BUT. Overall it was a really fun day and even though I didn't play perfectly (I never do!) I'll take the end result.

Total daily results:
7 hours, 30 minutes
+$99

Year-to-date results:
182 hours, 10 minutes
+$5,320

Good rally last few sessions, keep it up mate!

Thanks my man. Hopefully it can provide some momentum for the kind of upswing I've been looking for.

Tentative upcoming plans are to play tonight, tomorrow, and then on Saturday travel down to San Jose to play at Bay 101 and M8trix for the first time. Also I'm set to play on the Stones Live stream again on Mon the 22nd.

Tonight's session was awesome - mostly bc I got AA four times and KK once. Won all of the hands too, except for one of the AA's I got it AI pre for $300 vs KK and he spiked a K on the river to take the $600 pot.

But overall the session went really good. In addition to the bounty of big pairs, I pulled off one of the best heists of my career. Here it is:

*Villain in cutoff is a good LAG. Very loose pre but plays well post.

PREFLOP:
HERO ($1400) raises to $20 UTG with A7
MP calls $20
VILLAIN in CUTOFF calls $20
BUTTON calls $20
BB calls $20

FLOP ($99): KJ8
BB checks
HERO checks
MP checks
CUTOFF checks
BUTTON checks

TURN ($99): 2
BB checks
HERO bets $75
MP folds
CUTOFF raises to $175
Folds back to HERO, who calls $175

RIVER ($449): 10
HERO checks
CUTOFF bets $250
HERO raises to $650
CUTOFF tank-folds J2




OTF, I don't think betting out does much for me. With 4 other players seeing the flop, it's super unlikely a bet gets through, and it just bloats the pot OOP. So I decide to check/call, but it checks through.

OTT, I lead big since anybody with top pair, two pair, or a set almost certainly would have bet the flop after I checked, instead of giving free cards on such a wet board. I'm really surprised when the cutoff raises; the only value hand that makes any sense at all is 2-2 (obv I didn't know he was sooo loose pre he'd call with J2s). And bc he's LAGGY, I certainly wasn't giving him credit for that. I call the $100 bc I have outs to the nuts and I'm curious to see what happens on the river.

OTR, I check and he makes a strong bet of $250. And I just think, there's no way he can have a nut hand here. Maybe he picked up clubs on the turn, and has something like 87 or 98. Maybe he's turning a missed baby pair into a bluff, etc. But I block AQ and I feel like he would have 3bet AQ preflop. So I sack up and put in the big bluff check-raise.

He immediately starts shaking his head and says "AQ of clubs? Ayahhhhh". Postures for a while, shuffles his cards, shakes his head, and finally folds his hand face-up. I showed the 7, and I think that got me some loose action on my big hands later.

The c/r river bluff is something you rarely see at 2/5, so I was pumped I pulled it off and it was one of those spots a good player gave me credit. All in all, proud of this one.


Session results:
4 hours, 55 minutes
+$1,545

Year-to-date results:
187 hours, 5 minutes
+$6,865

Just got home. Need to write this down right now.

Crazy Fri night session. Huge pots, loose action, etc. I was down $1k at a point fairly early, and battled back to even. Then lost a few hundred in a pot where I had middle pair and the nut flush draw with AQ and the other dude had a set of deuces. So I'm in for $1600 and sitting on about $1150 when this hand happens.

*The Villain is a dealer who also plays quite a bit. Pretty good player who gives and gets action. Very nice guy. Tonight he's stuck piles, like a few K. He's in good spirits but I can also tell he's frustrated too.

There are two limpers for $5 and I'm on the button with AQ, and I raise it to $30.

The Villain in the BB (who has about $900) 3-bets to $110.

I consider 4-betting but I have a great hand to play in position that I'd have to fold to a 5-bet shove. So I call $110.

The flop comes AK8

He continues, down-betting $90 into $227.
I'm doing nothing besides calling here, so I call $90.

The turn is the 10

He thinks and bets $225 into the $407 pot.

I go into the tank. He could have KK or AK and have me smoked. But the more I think about it, the more I think he doesn't have that. I think he's bluffing. He stuck, he's frustrated, and he's 3bet a couple times and shown big hands. I really think he was showing those earlier so he could 3bet later and make a move. In fact, I think he might have complete air here, something like 7-6 suited.

I decide I'm calling this $225 and the rest on the river, no matter what comes. Because I think he's jamming the river, no matter what comes.

I call the $225, and the pot is now $857 going to the river.

The river is the Q

Not a great card, since making 2-pair doesn't help me much. Either he's got me crushed or he has air.

He jams for $477.

Even though I don't love the card, I've already made up my mind I'm calling no matter what. I really feel like everything in my intuition says this whole hand is a bluff by him, and I'm just not going to over-think myself into a fold.

I snap-call $477.



So there's a lot going on here, and I'm still trying to unpack it as I write this half an hour later. I know I should have taken more time on the river with new information, but at the same time I had a read and went with it.

We talked after the hand, no hard feelings. Like I said, he's a good dude. He confirmed that he was jamming the river no matter what, so in reality I just got 3-outed for $1800+, and that hurts.

Anyway, I have no more to say, it is what it is. I'll try to collect my thoughts over time and analyze this hand more. But it was the story of the session.


Session results:
5 hours, 40 minutes
-$1,366

Year-to-date results:
192 hours, 45 minutes
+$5,499

JJ hand is really gross; just unlucky. Hands like that is why I play online over live...

Hands like that is why I play live. Yum Yum

Great blog, following.

Games are just as fishy online and it's less annoying when these hands happen because you can make up the volume.

There's no way to not be tilted when you lose a pot like this. If you claim you don't tilt from losing a 200bb stack you're lying to yourself.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

My opinion on this is that online games are quite a bit tougher than live games, but I agree that it is less tilting online bc you play so many more hands, and generally you're playing smaller stakes but across multiple tables. So getting sucked out on on one table isn't going to hurt as much.

Live, you have a ton of money riding on every hand, and you're only seeing like 30 hands per hour. So each one has a ton more importance than single hands online. And when your yearly profit is only a couple grand, losing an $1800 pot when you have 90% equity on the flop and 94% on the turn is a giant kick to the underside of your ballbag.

I have to actually read the last few updates, haven't had a chance. Just wanted to drop in and say glgl and loving your thread as always

Thanks my dude - lol live poker

Had a fun little session yesterday.

Showed up with only about 2-3 hours to play; I'm lazy and didn't get out to the cardroom til about 2pm, and I had a party to get to in the early evening.

So I show up, and in my first orbit I pick up KK

There's an EP raise to $15, and then two calls, and it gets back to me in the SB.

I 3-bet to $75, the original EP raiser folds, and to my surprise the first caller 4-bets to $215.

It gets back to me and I think, if this guy trapped me up with AA, so be it. But he's a known fish who makes moves, so I'm not giving him credit for the nuts.

I jam for about $750 effective and he snaps.

It runs out QQ528 and I show my king-high flush, and he angrily spikes his cards into the muck and bounces. His neighbor said he saw the J in his hand, so it obv wasn't aces.

So now I've been there for 10 minutes and I'm up $750, and I think, why don't I just bounce? I can't play long anyway. I decide I'll at least play a couple orbits and get some food, a decision that costs me about $100 but w/e.

I leave within an hour and book a nice win that helps take the sting off the day before.


Session results:
55 minutes
+$650

Year-to-date results:
193 hours, 40 minutes
+$6,149