So I went back to the east side club last night and as usual some wild play. being a $1-2 table, there was a raise on almost every hand. To play you had to assume you were going in or $15-20 minimum. Every once in a while there would be a cheap flop but in general, a lot of action. I decided to play tight as this was a table that you could make some good money at and people were making plays all the time, strong hands had good potential. 3 stand out in particular for me.
I called a $10 raise with Ac-7c. 3 others in the pot. Flop comes Kc-9h-7c. First to act this quiet younger guy who has lost a few hundred already making plays and getting caught. He raises $25. Next to act is the short stack, who calls. I call with my draw. Next card out is the 4c making my nut flush. First player checks, short stack goes all in for $37, I call. The quiet kid goes all in for another $57 on top. I am happy with this and call. I then turn over my hand and show the flush, he looks crushed. As the river comes out the quiet kid throws his hand into the muck, the river is another K. The short stack folds but the quiet kid just looks sick. Someone says to him 'did you hit that'? He nods. His cards are still on top of the muck as the dealer asks if she can turn over. I say 'ok but the hand is dead'. She turns over his cards, a K-9 which would have given him the full house. She pushes the pot towards me. I feel bad for the kid so I take out $75 of the pot and throw it too him. As I have written before, I think it pays dividends to present a sportsmanlike, nice image. He is stunned that I would give it to him. I say to him that he had the best hand, he just made a mistake. He gives $25 back to me and says thanks. I get a lot of props from the table for being a gentleman about it. But it goes to prove, always turn up your hand in case you read it wrong! A little while later when the quite kid wins a big hand he throws me another $25 and says that as he wins big pots he will give it back. Dividends!
This next hand was interesting for me as I used some good deduction to make a solid read. I had pocket Js in mid position. There were already 3 callers and I felt that if I raised everyone may call anyway the way it was going, so I limped for $2. Someone on a short stack made it $10, 6 callers. Flop comes J-Q-K with 2 spades. First to act is the same quiet kid who I had the hand with before. He bets $25, next to him is a short stack who goes all-in for about $60. I call, it folds to the kid who calls. I figure I may be behind here with my set, but i start to get a feeling that perhaps I am not. Turn brings the 10c. This is the worst card for me. It makes any A into a straight and there now 2 clubs and 2 spades. The kid throws out $75 and I go into the tank. Almost anyone else at the table I would be in the muck, but I start to think back. This is someone who was frequently raising pre-flop. He only limped in on this one, very out of character if he was holding a hand. He also struck me as the exact kind of player who uses aggression to buy pots regardless of his cards. I look at him and for some reason I feel like he does not want a call. I am sitting on about $225 at this point. I come over the top and go all-in. He thinks for a second and throws his hand away. It didn't hurt that the river came out another Jack giving me quads, but I was proud and got more props from the table for a sick read of the kid. I felt really good about this one.
Final hand to talk about was a total suck-out on my part. As I said, this table was kind of nuts. There was this younger russian guy who was playing a alot of hands and was acting pretty loose. I had Ac-4c and he raised it to $20. 4 callers. Having seen him try and make plays with rags, I call. Flop comes out Jc-Ah-2d. He throws out $60 and it gets folded to me. I look at him and think he is making a move so I ask what he has behind him, he says another $60. I throw out $150, it folds to him and he calls all-in. He asks if I want to do business (run the turn and river 2 or 3 times), I say 'I don't know what you have.' He turns over A-J for top 2 pair, I say I don't think he wants to do business as I show only the A. He looks and says, no business. I am pissed that I made the incorrect read although figuring what he had played before I do not think it was such a bad move. The guy next to me, a loud, somewhat over the top player says "with this table, watch runner runner come out". And sure enough the next card is a three. I need the 5 for the straight and when the river hits with it, I cannot believe it. I collect the chips, the russian goes for a cooler and later comes back to say nice hand.
All in all, finished up about $365 (after tips and time) for the night and it was wild and fun getting there.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Losing Patience
I have started to lose patience with the game and that means it is time to re-focus or take a break. I have mainly been playing on-line these days as I am taking a break from the club due to other obligations. It has mainly been sit-n-go's and here is the basic gist. I continually have been losing the high percentage plays.
After awhile it gets truly annoying and what I notice is that it makes me lose patience which in turn makes me play more hands I shouldn't or play more mediocre strength catches.
For example, night I was playing a $20 SNG as well as the Fifty-Fifty on FullTilt. In the $20, there were 7 of 9 left. Blinds were 50/100 and I had about 1800 (started with 1500). An aggressive player pops to bet to 250, I am in BB with A-7suited. I call the bet. Flop comes Ad-8h-5h. Aggro bets 400, I figure him on a draw or maybe pocket pair so I go all-in. He ends up calling with Kh-Jh. So at this time I am about 65% to win. But of course, the next card to come out is the Qh, giving him the flush and I am busted out of the SNG.
In the 50-50, we stared with about 940 players. We are down to 450 or so and I have AcKc on the BB. I have a mid-stack of about 3800 (about average) and the button minus one pushes all in for about 1900. Figuring he is short stacked I make the call. I am way ahead (about 4 to 1) at this point. The flop comes out rags, the turn is no help and the River hits a Q, giving him the hand. I do my best not to go on tilt, but I can tell it affects virtually every hand I play after as I just get sick of getting sucked out on constantly. I end up going broke at 276th with AJ against AK. The issue I have is that after a beat like that, where I should have been in the top 20% of chipstacks, I then get into the bottom 30% which changes my style of play and frankly, is a place I need to work on. I usually am very patient with this game, but the sheer amount of low percentage plays that are hitting against me is staggering.
I think about it like this. If you knew that all the things that have a low chance of happening, getting in a car accident, losing your job, having a child with defect, getting robbed, whatever they may be, if those started happening more frequently to you specifically, while still working within the odds of them happening in life, it would change how you lived every day. I feel that that is an extreme example, but if I am consistently making high percentage plays, and they end up getting busted, it makes me feel that there is little I can do to beat this game, despite getting my chips in the middle as the favorite. I know in the long run it should work to my advantage but almost 35% of my online bankroll has evaporated because of these beats and admittedly, how they make me play after.
Hopefully, I can re-focus and get back on track as I do not want to give up the game and yet want to enjoy it as well.
After awhile it gets truly annoying and what I notice is that it makes me lose patience which in turn makes me play more hands I shouldn't or play more mediocre strength catches.
For example, night I was playing a $20 SNG as well as the Fifty-Fifty on FullTilt. In the $20, there were 7 of 9 left. Blinds were 50/100 and I had about 1800 (started with 1500). An aggressive player pops to bet to 250, I am in BB with A-7suited. I call the bet. Flop comes Ad-8h-5h. Aggro bets 400, I figure him on a draw or maybe pocket pair so I go all-in. He ends up calling with Kh-Jh. So at this time I am about 65% to win. But of course, the next card to come out is the Qh, giving him the flush and I am busted out of the SNG.
In the 50-50, we stared with about 940 players. We are down to 450 or so and I have AcKc on the BB. I have a mid-stack of about 3800 (about average) and the button minus one pushes all in for about 1900. Figuring he is short stacked I make the call. I am way ahead (about 4 to 1) at this point. The flop comes out rags, the turn is no help and the River hits a Q, giving him the hand. I do my best not to go on tilt, but I can tell it affects virtually every hand I play after as I just get sick of getting sucked out on constantly. I end up going broke at 276th with AJ against AK. The issue I have is that after a beat like that, where I should have been in the top 20% of chipstacks, I then get into the bottom 30% which changes my style of play and frankly, is a place I need to work on. I usually am very patient with this game, but the sheer amount of low percentage plays that are hitting against me is staggering.
I think about it like this. If you knew that all the things that have a low chance of happening, getting in a car accident, losing your job, having a child with defect, getting robbed, whatever they may be, if those started happening more frequently to you specifically, while still working within the odds of them happening in life, it would change how you lived every day. I feel that that is an extreme example, but if I am consistently making high percentage plays, and they end up getting busted, it makes me feel that there is little I can do to beat this game, despite getting my chips in the middle as the favorite. I know in the long run it should work to my advantage but almost 35% of my online bankroll has evaporated because of these beats and admittedly, how they make me play after.
Hopefully, I can re-focus and get back on track as I do not want to give up the game and yet want to enjoy it as well.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Flip Flop On-line/Live
Well last week I wrote about how I had been shut down in live play, but was running well in on-line play. That seems to have switched for me of late.
Not to say that I have not been running pretty card dead in general but at least I left up. I bought in for $140, brought it up to about 275 on a flush and 2 pair against a particularly aggressive player and then the cards started to abandon me. I was getting some good cards, but nothing was hitting as usual, so I just tried to tighten up. I lost the rest of the stack when I had A-Ksuited and pushed a bluff on a few streets against someone with pocket 6s. I re-bought for 200 and that too went up and down for awhile and I ended up getting chopped away when I look down and and I have about $105 of the $340 left. I also am meeting some folks in about 40 minutes so I decide that if I am going to play, might as well get aggressive.
I straddle for $5 at one point and get 3 callers and look down on A-7off. I raise to $20, all go out except one player. a 7 comes on the flop and I pop it $50 and she goes out. A few hands later I look down on a pair of nines. I raise to $20, the same player calls. She is generally a somewhat tight player and when an A hits the board, I think I am done. I test the waters and throw another $20, she calls. a K comes on the turn, we both check, making me think that either I am good or she is trapping. A nine comes on the river to give me a set. I throw $50, get a call and win the pot. It is about time for me to leave. I am taking the last few hands and I see AA. There are a few players in and I raise to $20 to keep consistent. The same player calls again. Flop comes 7-6-3. I throw another $20 and she calls. Turn comes a Jack, I throw another $20 and she calls. The river comes a 2 and I bet $60, she folds, I show her the hand as I am leaving and as a courtesy, I pay her 'time' (the $5 per half hour that we pay to rent the seat) and leave with $370. So all in all, I only won $30 (not including the $40 in time i have payed over the course of the day) but it felt good to leave up rather than down.
On the on-line front it has been the opposite. After playing well last week, I have lost about 6 sit-n-go's and also gotten hit at the cash games. Now the stakes are not the same but still, I am down about $160 in the last few days. Additionally, my percentages usually run about %40 for cashing in the sit-n-go's so it is just off. In 2 of them I got run over by sets. In another, I took a big blow to my stack when my two-pair got beaten by a flush. I am not playing crazy, in fact, I have been playing tighter, but it just seems like everyone I play is hitting their cards. I guess it happens, but damn if it is not frustrating.
Live - $30
On-line - $160
Not to say that I have not been running pretty card dead in general but at least I left up. I bought in for $140, brought it up to about 275 on a flush and 2 pair against a particularly aggressive player and then the cards started to abandon me. I was getting some good cards, but nothing was hitting as usual, so I just tried to tighten up. I lost the rest of the stack when I had A-Ksuited and pushed a bluff on a few streets against someone with pocket 6s. I re-bought for 200 and that too went up and down for awhile and I ended up getting chopped away when I look down and and I have about $105 of the $340 left. I also am meeting some folks in about 40 minutes so I decide that if I am going to play, might as well get aggressive.
I straddle for $5 at one point and get 3 callers and look down on A-7off. I raise to $20, all go out except one player. a 7 comes on the flop and I pop it $50 and she goes out. A few hands later I look down on a pair of nines. I raise to $20, the same player calls. She is generally a somewhat tight player and when an A hits the board, I think I am done. I test the waters and throw another $20, she calls. a K comes on the turn, we both check, making me think that either I am good or she is trapping. A nine comes on the river to give me a set. I throw $50, get a call and win the pot. It is about time for me to leave. I am taking the last few hands and I see AA. There are a few players in and I raise to $20 to keep consistent. The same player calls again. Flop comes 7-6-3. I throw another $20 and she calls. Turn comes a Jack, I throw another $20 and she calls. The river comes a 2 and I bet $60, she folds, I show her the hand as I am leaving and as a courtesy, I pay her 'time' (the $5 per half hour that we pay to rent the seat) and leave with $370. So all in all, I only won $30 (not including the $40 in time i have payed over the course of the day) but it felt good to leave up rather than down.
On the on-line front it has been the opposite. After playing well last week, I have lost about 6 sit-n-go's and also gotten hit at the cash games. Now the stakes are not the same but still, I am down about $160 in the last few days. Additionally, my percentages usually run about %40 for cashing in the sit-n-go's so it is just off. In 2 of them I got run over by sets. In another, I took a big blow to my stack when my two-pair got beaten by a flush. I am not playing crazy, in fact, I have been playing tighter, but it just seems like everyone I play is hitting their cards. I guess it happens, but damn if it is not frustrating.
Live - $30
On-line - $160
Friday, September 14, 2007
Absolute Insanity and Recent Online MT
The last few times i have gone to the club (the other club, not the one shut down by the POlice) have been wild. Not sure why, but the tables I have been at have been totally wild. People playing really random hands and calling and catching miracle cards over and over. I am probably down about $500 from the trips as I have not been able to make the adjustment to this wild style of play. I will admit, it is a weakness in my game that I can get thrown off by what seem to be very low percentage calls that end up catching. But - I have a new theory after doing some thinking and reading on the 2+2. I am going to go with more money, be patient, tighten up a bit, but hit hard when my opponents either are on a draw or when I hit mine. Mainly make them pay for making low percentage plays and exploit when I hit mine.
The online has been treating me pretty well. New style, do 2-3 simultaneous Sit-N-Go's ($20 or $30) and play high percentage until I get in the money and then get more aggressive. Seems to be working in my favor. That and a good run at .50-1NL on FTP has my bankroll up about $400.
The online has been treating me pretty well. New style, do 2-3 simultaneous Sit-N-Go's ($20 or $30) and play high percentage until I get in the money and then get more aggressive. Seems to be working in my favor. That and a good run at .50-1NL on FTP has my bankroll up about $400.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
I Won the World Series of Poker, Lost Money and Almost Got Arrested
Well it has been a very interesting week. After last week's successful tournament run, I was excited about playing this week. On Labor Day, J and I decided to go to the club. It turned out to be closed even though they had said they would be open. Went to the cross town club and proceeded to have one of those tables that just seems off. Weird players. People playing strange, not strategic moves and more importantly, virtually every low odds play was paying off. It just did not feel right and after losing $350 in about an hour and a half, we decided to leave. When we were there, I heard them talking about how the club got raided the week before. I wondered how long before my regular club got taken.
Well it would not be long before I found out. Last night I went to play the $50+10 at the regular club. Got there about an hour early figuring that I could make a few $ before the tourney. Bought in small, $140 and about a half hour later I had doubled up and was sitting on about $275. The head of security walks into the club and and announces that we have 'visitors.' Some people bolt for the back exit, most of us just sit and wait. A minute or 2 later the police come in. Tell everyone to keep their hands on the tables and all chips out. They move the cameras to point away from the floor and go table by table telling people to get their stuff and leave. They padlock the door. We are all waiting outside and I ask a few people what the protocol is. They say that if the club opens again (they doubt it may), that they will look at the videotapes to judge approximate stacks and pay us back. If it does not open, oh well.
Oy, Atlantic City and Foxwoods are such a hike, where can one go for a decent game on the regular. These busts are getting annoying.
On another note, on MagMix Hold'Em King on my blackberry, I bested the field of 5000 to win 5 million dollars. So what if it is just a game, it is good just to be victorious!!!
Online has been going ok with being up a few hundred mainly from sit-n-go's in the last week as well. I hope that online is not the only way I will be able to play these days.
Well it would not be long before I found out. Last night I went to play the $50+10 at the regular club. Got there about an hour early figuring that I could make a few $ before the tourney. Bought in small, $140 and about a half hour later I had doubled up and was sitting on about $275. The head of security walks into the club and and announces that we have 'visitors.' Some people bolt for the back exit, most of us just sit and wait. A minute or 2 later the police come in. Tell everyone to keep their hands on the tables and all chips out. They move the cameras to point away from the floor and go table by table telling people to get their stuff and leave. They padlock the door. We are all waiting outside and I ask a few people what the protocol is. They say that if the club opens again (they doubt it may), that they will look at the videotapes to judge approximate stacks and pay us back. If it does not open, oh well.
Oy, Atlantic City and Foxwoods are such a hike, where can one go for a decent game on the regular. These busts are getting annoying.
On another note, on MagMix Hold'Em King on my blackberry, I bested the field of 5000 to win 5 million dollars. So what if it is just a game, it is good just to be victorious!!!
Online has been going ok with being up a few hundred mainly from sit-n-go's in the last week as well. I hope that online is not the only way I will be able to play these days.
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