It's Wednesday, April 16th, 2008.
I'm six tabling .10/.25 6 max. My strategy is to play tight - very tight - and aggressive. I'm looking for a big pair, or AK or to get in cheap with a small pair. I get kings with two callers so I pot the J84 flop. I pot the Q turn and make a thin river push for value on the 9 river. Since there was $22 in the pot and $13 in his stack I figured he would push any better hand on the river, but this is probably giving my opponent too much credit. He folded. The next hand at the same table I get AKs and raise but check through a 10102 flop 3 way and fold to the turn bet.
Two sick beats! I get JJ and raise $2 in the SB (8x) after 3 limpers. I get one caller and flop top set - I pot it and get the money in on the turn when he hits his flush. Then I get J7 in the BB, flop bottom two and bet the whole way, but get runner runner flushed by someone who called the flop with under cards and a backdoor flush draw - no gutshot. Then I get rivered by a straight after turning two pair - pot betting the whole way. Down to around $120 or so but i win a bunch of hands - AK where I two barrel after picking up the flush draw, KQs where I flop QJ9 in a three way reraised pot vs AJ and A8 where I squeeze my $4 stack against a min raiser and a caller - taking it down vs KJ unimproved, back to $150. A crazy session so far. I take out some shorty with KK and hit a few monsters that get no action - 99 that flops top set and another KK. Up to $157. I get AK in the BB and raise preflop but check fold the J65 flop. I flop a set in a 4 way pot 33 on a 396 board. It's checked to me so I pot it - $5 - and take it down. Next hand same table I get 1010 and raise a limper and take it down when I c-bet an A65 flop. Up to $160. Then I get KK and get limp reraised - I push and his 88 flops a set. Down to $136. Then I make some fishy reraises and stack off with 99 vs JJ and I'm down to $100 and playing 2/4 limit. 170 points left for my bonus.
First hand of 2/4 limit I play is AA in the BB. There's a late position raise and I three bet. The flop is J103 and we go three bets there and two on the turn when he raises me and I decide to just call and c/r a river low board pair. It doesn't come and his J10 is good - it was exactly what I put him on as well. Then I get QQ and cap preflop in a three way pot - I take it down despite the river ace - board was 10336A and I bet the whole way - one person folded the turn, he probably had the ace. The next hand I get Q9 in the BB and see a flop of QJ9 for free. I lead the flop and the turn and check call the 10 river - my opponent has J10 but this time MHIG. Then I get AJ and raise preflop - I hit the ace but am outflopped by el crappo bottom two 106, so I'm back to $96. Hopefully I've made some progress on the bonus. My opponents are aggressive and moderately loose and I am playing expertly, imho. I get 1010 and raise a limper. The flop comes great, 245 - I bet he calls and then check folds the 8 turn.
I moved up to 5/10 with around $100 - heads up. We both folded a hand, then I raised A8 and bet folded a KQx flop. He folds the next hand, I get 38s and raise, he three bets. I flop a flush draw and c/r it - he three bets and I call. I turn the flush and c/r again and bet the river. AA no good sir. Then I get AA and steal the blinds, lose with a crappy full house AQ on QQKK board - smallish pot, and win a monster with AA.
Up to $180 and around 150 points to go to clear this bonus, but playing 5/10 is a disturbing trend. 10 minutes until my ride arrives for soccer.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
A short session
It's Wednesday, April 16th, 2008.
I've got six tables of .10/.25 going. So far my play today has been so-so. I open up AJ - get called by A6 and called again when I pot a 874 flop. I check it down unimproved and he wins with the six he turned. I call a dollar with A7s 5 way - not sure how I feel about that. I am playing kind of loose right now- called a small raise with KQ out of position earlier. I get AJ and complete in the SB. Flop is A43 I bet and call a small raise. I lose to AQ. Really should have folded the flop. I limp UTG with AK at a full ring table - after a few more limpers BB shoves - he's a small stack. I reshove and lose to A8 who over called. I'm down around $20. I raise A8o and take it down with a flop bet.
MONSTER BLUFF! Made a bad call down with 88 on a 109x board vs JJ. I played a bit more on and off and started playing better. Up to $166 - it was a bit of a rocky session, but I cut it short early which is crucial.
180 party points to go until the bonus is cleared.
I've got six tables of .10/.25 going. So far my play today has been so-so. I open up AJ - get called by A6 and called again when I pot a 874 flop. I check it down unimproved and he wins with the six he turned. I call a dollar with A7s 5 way - not sure how I feel about that. I am playing kind of loose right now- called a small raise with KQ out of position earlier. I get AJ and complete in the SB. Flop is A43 I bet and call a small raise. I lose to AQ. Really should have folded the flop. I limp UTG with AK at a full ring table - after a few more limpers BB shoves - he's a small stack. I reshove and lose to A8 who over called. I'm down around $20. I raise A8o and take it down with a flop bet.
MONSTER BLUFF! Made a bad call down with 88 on a 109x board vs JJ. I played a bit more on and off and started playing better. Up to $166 - it was a bit of a rocky session, but I cut it short early which is crucial.
180 party points to go until the bonus is cleared.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Rebuilding my bankroll
It's Wednesday, April 16th, 2008. I've got $2400 coming to me soon but aside from the $50 in my party account that's all the money to my name - and $1150 or so has to go to paying off a credit card, so I'm on the ropes - but I feel incredibly strong. My play lately has been great. I am a nit and it is paying off.
My current goal is to clear the $100 bonus that is waiting for me in my party account. I've got two days and two hundred party points to go. My plan from there? Bank roll building - grinding low stakes, staying off tilt and light experimenting with my game. What is my game? Mostly I set mine. I've recently started reraising with AQs in late position and it's working out decently so far. I just wait for pocket pairs and AK really.
AA in the BB against three or four limpers. I raise it up 7x (10 cent big blind) get a caller and take it down with a bet on the flop. I misplayed JJ earlier and it's bothering me somewhat. Against a tiny bet and a small raise I put in a reasonable raise on the flop (984) but checked it down after two callers. I had given them to much credit - my opponents had middle pair and AQ. I've got four tables right now - I can open up 2 more if I want, more if I short stack. I can play 12 fairly comfortably, but I'll stick to four so I can write as well.
Writing is very therapeutic for my game and my emotional state in general. Getting control of my emotions is crucial if I am ever to become a professional poker player again. I get 67s in position against a small raise - we both have 130x stacks - but I fold. Like I said I'm a nit. I'm gonna add two more tables - soon. I get AJ in middle position, against an UTG limper but I just muck. Did I mention I'm a nit? I'm only mentioning the decisions I think are close - I get several hands a minute, the vast majority of which are folds. I fold for a living. I got AJ 2nd in, UTG folds and I fold. Oh look, QQ and AQs. I raise them both against an early position limper. With AQ I get reraised by a short stack and I call it. My ace high holds up unimproved. On the QQ hand I get one caller. He donks out on the flop for pot and I put him in - he had nearly a full stack. The flop was very good for this sort of play I thought, 667 with a spades flush draw (I had the Q of spades). I'm up to $68. I want a wife.
What does that have to do with poker? Who knows. I hate AJ. I get AJ on the button when it's folded to me and raise it up. Flop is 763 and I pot it. I check both late streets and 56o beats me - he two paired on the turn. I don't begrudge him the win - I'm just happy I get action from six high - although I am curious as to his strategy. I suppose lack there of is more accurate.
I'm probably the sickest .05/.10 player of all time. I was playing 10/20 limit not very long ago. Recently I donked off a couple grand which was pretty unfortunate. It is time to cautiously rebuild. How many times have I tried to do this and failed? But the time I succeeded was glorious indeed. A10s UTG is an easy fold at a full ring table - I barely give it a thought.
One of my table is down to five handed. I complete JQs in the SB after a CO limper and check fold the A98 flop to a minbet. AQs UTG at another table and I limp - not sure what to do against a raise. I flop decent, QJ8, but get a sick feeling about the hand and then my opponent open folds. Did I mention I'm an anarchist?
I get 1010 and call a minraise. The flop is 1077 but my opponent checks to me. I minbet, which is dubious strategy. He calls. The turn puts up a flush draw and I pot bet. He calls again and I curse myself for not betting more on the flop. The river gives us a jack, no flush, and I bet pot again - this time he folds and I start to suspect I extracted max value.
My current goal is to clear the $100 bonus that is waiting for me in my party account. I've got two days and two hundred party points to go. My plan from there? Bank roll building - grinding low stakes, staying off tilt and light experimenting with my game. What is my game? Mostly I set mine. I've recently started reraising with AQs in late position and it's working out decently so far. I just wait for pocket pairs and AK really.
AA in the BB against three or four limpers. I raise it up 7x (10 cent big blind) get a caller and take it down with a bet on the flop. I misplayed JJ earlier and it's bothering me somewhat. Against a tiny bet and a small raise I put in a reasonable raise on the flop (984) but checked it down after two callers. I had given them to much credit - my opponents had middle pair and AQ. I've got four tables right now - I can open up 2 more if I want, more if I short stack. I can play 12 fairly comfortably, but I'll stick to four so I can write as well.
Writing is very therapeutic for my game and my emotional state in general. Getting control of my emotions is crucial if I am ever to become a professional poker player again. I get 67s in position against a small raise - we both have 130x stacks - but I fold. Like I said I'm a nit. I'm gonna add two more tables - soon. I get AJ in middle position, against an UTG limper but I just muck. Did I mention I'm a nit? I'm only mentioning the decisions I think are close - I get several hands a minute, the vast majority of which are folds. I fold for a living. I got AJ 2nd in, UTG folds and I fold. Oh look, QQ and AQs. I raise them both against an early position limper. With AQ I get reraised by a short stack and I call it. My ace high holds up unimproved. On the QQ hand I get one caller. He donks out on the flop for pot and I put him in - he had nearly a full stack. The flop was very good for this sort of play I thought, 667 with a spades flush draw (I had the Q of spades). I'm up to $68. I want a wife.
What does that have to do with poker? Who knows. I hate AJ. I get AJ on the button when it's folded to me and raise it up. Flop is 763 and I pot it. I check both late streets and 56o beats me - he two paired on the turn. I don't begrudge him the win - I'm just happy I get action from six high - although I am curious as to his strategy. I suppose lack there of is more accurate.
I'm probably the sickest .05/.10 player of all time. I was playing 10/20 limit not very long ago. Recently I donked off a couple grand which was pretty unfortunate. It is time to cautiously rebuild. How many times have I tried to do this and failed? But the time I succeeded was glorious indeed. A10s UTG is an easy fold at a full ring table - I barely give it a thought.
One of my table is down to five handed. I complete JQs in the SB after a CO limper and check fold the A98 flop to a minbet. AQs UTG at another table and I limp - not sure what to do against a raise. I flop decent, QJ8, but get a sick feeling about the hand and then my opponent open folds. Did I mention I'm an anarchist?
I get 1010 and call a minraise. The flop is 1077 but my opponent checks to me. I minbet, which is dubious strategy. He calls. The turn puts up a flush draw and I pot bet. He calls again and I curse myself for not betting more on the flop. The river gives us a jack, no flush, and I bet pot again - this time he folds and I start to suspect I extracted max value.
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