The Bad Taste Never Leaves...

I'm sitting here listening to this bullshit that I could not care less about.  All day long, I go through the motions.  My life has become the thing that I hate the most: routine, mundane, boring.  For six months of my 24 years on earth, I played poker every day.  It was a mix of emotions.  I was stressed, upset, nervous, excited, and alive.  I was doing something different.  

Now, I know poker has had its rise in popular culture and has reached a climax.  Even so, I felt like I was doing something that could work for a while - and it did.  For those six months,  I was making 25/hr.  I would leave at 9 am with 400 in my pocket and come home with 800 or 600 or 1000 or 100 or 0 or 500.  It was such a unique type of living and I was pulling it off.  I was really doing it.

Of course, things started to turn downhill.  I started to pay back my debts to Annie and to those who got me through school. The bankroll started to dwindle.  The bills started to pile and I felt the pressure at the tables.  During the height of my six month run, I won 16 sessions in a row. After the pressure started to mount, I had a hard time winning 3 in a row.  I wasn't myself.  I was playing differently, less aggressive.  It didn't help that I started to get incredibly unlucky during this span.  The combination of the dwindling bankroll, the loss of confidence in my game, and outdraw after outdraw, it was tough to keep up. After a while, I could not.

It has been nearly 3 months since my last session at a casino.  3 months can give you some perspective.  I have learned a lot about myself through the time I spent playing poker.  I learned that I can really do it.  FACT: I made a living playing poker.  I learned that the saying is right on. "Poker is a hard way to make an easy living."  FACT:  This shit is hard.  Putting in the hours is just as stressful as an office job.  In some ways, it is more stressful, more difficult, and scarier.  I was my own boss.  I had to show up on time and I was responsible for everything.  Money management is extremely important.  Not just in poker but in life as well.  

If I were to make a come back, and that is a big IF, it would be under different circumstances.  My bankroll would be safe.  I would have no debts to anyone.  In order to do this, I would have to somehow get a hold of around 38k.  That is why the IF is so big.  Lots of things would have to happen.  BUT, if this were to happen, the 38k, I believe I could really make a run at it.  The situation would be set up nicely.  My routine from Chicago to Indiana was smooth.  The only thing that I could see as a problem would be the gas necessary for the vehicle I used.  If I were to make a run at it in some other city, it would most likely be even more smooth.  

Until I either realize that I do not want to play poker anymore OR get the perfect situation to maximize my EV, I will have my boring new life and the memories of what once was.  You know the bad taste never leaves.

I run bad

I run my Streak for the Cash up to 10 and then Buffalo can't finish at home against the lowly Browns. Sad. So I have 99 run into 1010 on a board of 245 and then my streak goes to shit after I make an impressive run.  

How else can I run bad?  I guess the rest of my life is running pretty well.  My computer freaks out from time to time but mostly it has been running smoothly as of late.  I hasn't happened in a bad way lately - the way that requires multiple restarts and battery removal -  just the good way where all it requires is a quick restart.  

The more I think about it, the more I realize that running bad is a state of mind.  It's a function of your ability to think the worst of yourself.  I think that is how poker players are.  They are eternal pessimists.  If they get it in with the best of it, they immediately ponder how they could possibly lose it.  I think that way.  But why?  All you can do as a poker player is get it in while you have the best of it.  While that does not happen every time, it does happen most of the time.  If that was not true, I would not be a winning player.  Once I get it in with the best of it, there is nothing else to do.  

Tonight,  I thought my bet of Buffalo was +EV and I still think it is.  I would make the same bet again if I had to.  That's all I can do.  If this one time it turns out to be -EV, then so be it.  I can do no more.  

This is the attitude I need to really concentrate on.  Results do not matter.  Decisions are the most important part of anything.  I try to make the best decisions, the most +EV spots I can get.  If the results don't follow, I have to remember that they eventually will.  Stick to the grind. Stick to what you do.  If what you do is +EV then you get +V, even if you feel you are running bad.

Things I Do

What do I do well? I thought I would make a list.

I know correct hand ranges for opening the pot in and out of position.

I know how to attack weakness with bluffs/semi-bluffs.

I know how to take someone down to Value Town.

I know how to play in position against weak opponents.

I know how to properly size bets depending on situations.

I know how to determine hand strength.

I know what it takes to stay mentally tough.

I know how to exploit my tight image.

I know how to release a hand.

I know how to switch gears.

I know how to translate board texture and table texture.

I have good money management.

What do I need to work on?

I need to not let my emotions control my actions.

I need to lose all distractions affecting my play.

I need to learn to pick off bluffs.

I need to avoid getting bluffed.

I need to become more aggressive in position.

I need to not worry about my plus/minus and concentrate on each hand.

I need to get to level 3.5/4 thinking.

I need to get finances in order to play optimally.

I need to be more patient when donkeys go on heaters.

I need to see the big picture while in the trenches.

I need to not involve other people when I'm upset.

I need to realize that Rome was not built in a day.

A revelation? This all happened in like 15 min.

I just pwnd .05/.1 and I'm not sure why.  I had $3.45 left in my FullTilt account and just ran it up to $11.85 in 20 minutes.  I spent some time watching CR/Stox videos and am already feeling the effects. I want to be the best I can possibly be and I may be on my way.  I am very excited for Monday.

Full Tilt Poker $0.05/$0.10 $3 Cap No Limit Hold'em - 6 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

Hero (BB): $11.35
UTG: $4.65
MP: $8.70
CO: $6.70
BTN: $5.85
SB: $3.00

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BB with A 8
1 fold, MP calls $0.10, 2 folds, SB calls $0.05, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.30) K 2 9 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, MP checks

Turn: ($0.30) 8 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.30, MP calls $0.30, SB calls $0.30

River: ($1.20) 7 (3 players)
SB checks, Hero checks, MP bets $0.80, SB folds, Hero calls $0.80

Final Pot: $2.80
Hero shows A 8 (a pair of Eights)
MP shows 3 J (King Jack high)
Hero wins $2.55

I Pwn MSNL

Full Tilt Poker $0.05/$0.10 $3 Cap No Limit Hold'em - 4 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

Hero (BB): $9.15
CO: $6.55
BTN: $7.80
SB: $6.30

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BB with 8 Q
2 folds, SB calls $0.05, Hero raises to $0.30, SB calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.60) 6 8 6 (2 players)
SB bets $0.40, Hero raises to $1, SB raises to $2.70, Hero calls $1.70

Turn: ($6.00) 7 (2 players)

River: ($6.00) 4 (2 players)

Villain mucks Kc10d

PWN

Full Tilt Poker $0.05/$0.10 $3 Cap No Limit Hold'em - 5 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

Hero (BTN): $6.35
SB: $5.15
BB: $5.65
UTG: $5.70
CO: $7.25

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BTN with Q J
2 folds, Hero raises to $0.35, 1 fold, BB calls $0.25

Flop: ($0.75) 2 Q Q (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.50, BB calls $0.50

Turn: ($1.75) 7 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

River: ($1.75) 9 (2 players)
BB bets $0.10, Hero raises to $0.80, BB calls $0.70(AcKc)

How about a blog?

So I have been avoiding blogging because I've been getting run over lately. I mean hard. Get hit by a car type of running over.

I had A8 against AA on a board of A82

I had JJ on a board of QJQ and lost to KQ when a K spiked.

I had second nut flush with J8h on a board with the Ah and Kh.

I had JJ on a board of Jh10c9h8h.

I had 89d on a board of 10d Jh 5d 3h Qc.

And now on the other side of it all, I had two set of Jacks today.  One was a double up and the other was  a big pot.  I also raised with 35s and flopped 246.  Sickening.

So what is poker?  What's it all about?  I've been doing this for 5 months now and wow, what a roller coaster.  I have had some crazy swings.  And the thing is, I didn't have any swings for the first month, my best month.  It was the month of 16 winning sessions in a row.  I would love to make a run like that again.  I could not agree more with the saying that playing poker for a living is a hard way to make an easy living.  I mean that is truth.  This is no walk in the park.  I have been hit in the face with some tough situations.  I have been on the highest of highs and more recently the lowest of lows.  I lost 3 buyins in one session just last week.  It was brutal.  I was in the most unlucky of spots.  

I am not sure if this is true but I think playing 9 handed does something to poker.  I have been a lot less consistent since switching to the Horseshoe, where they play 9 handed only AND, probably more importantly, have better players.  But having better players cannot explain everything because I still consider myself the best player at my table at any given time.  I have just taken some brutal beats.  

Perseverance and mental toughness is something you must have to player poker.  There was this guy at the table today who was livid, and I mean LIVID, every time something bad happened to him.  Imagine being in the BB and having the guy next to you straddle.  This made him livid.  Imagine having to fold after you limp because someone raised.  This made him livid.  I raised once and he folded while showing only his middle finger to the table.  He must have rebought 5 times and everytime he lost he mumbled 'son of a bitch' under his breath, threw his cards into the muck, punched the felt, and had the greatest look on his face.  He was obviously the biggest donk ever 3.0.  I kept laughing.  It was extremely amusing.

What a sick session

I had a gross session today.  I felt like I was in the zone for the first time, ever.  What I mean when I say that is that I was really in the zone.  I mean for real.  I have felt good in the past but today was different.  It was unlike any day I have ever had.  I was in the 1 seat for a while and the guy in the 9 seat was real active.  He made some sick calls and was a real good player.  He had a poker hoody on, which is lame.  There was also the amateur to my right who was tight but a decent player.  

We were all talking, having a good time winning pots of each other and the other idiots at the table.  I moved to the 4 seat after a few hours.  I had a big hand against Mr. Jones, sitting in the 8 seat.  I had QJc.  The flop came Qh 6c 9c.  I led out and he raised me.  He had 100 left and I shoved it in.  He called with the 9h 9s.  I missed.  That took out one of my towers.  Later on, I started playing well, getting some hands.  I made a good value bet with the 56d.  I rivered a straight and a flush.  I bet it and got called.  I also raised in the CO with 55 and got called by Mr. Jones in the BB.  The flop came KK8.  He checked, I bet. He called.  Turn 3.  He checked and I bet.  River was a K.  He checked and I bet again.  He paid me off with 22.  What else?  I stacked Ron with a set of 5's.  I had some big pairs, and picked up some pots with nothing or middle/bottom pair.

This day was so good, I played for 12 hours.  I just couldn't get up.  I didn't even with THAT much.  It was a good 20/hr day.  Not the best but I felt so good.  If I wouldn't have gotten up, I'm sure I would have been able to take a chunk more off the table.

Lunatics and Bottom Set

Lunatic guy two to my left.  I stacked him twice.  

I'm in the BB with the 10 7

The table limps around 6 handed and I check.  Pot is 12.

Flop comes 5 8 9.  Table checks around. 

Turn comes 6.  I bet out 10.  Lunatic raises to 25.  Table folds around to me and I raise to 80.  He moves in and I call.  I think he had about 100.  River is the 9.  Scoop.

So this lunatic reloads.

About 30 minutes later, a guy from middle position raises to 12.  I find the 10 10 in the CO and call.  The lunatic in the SB moves in for 65.  He says that he wants to see how big that guys hand is.  Well, he mucks and I call.  He forgot about me.  Board runs out 8 high and I scoop again.  

Very next hand, I pick up AK and raise to 12.  He shoves his reload of 120.  What is my decision?  After a minute or two, I muck it.  Right play?  I can't tell.

So my buddy, Vic, sits down next to me after he had waited for a long time to get a seat.  I know him to be a TAG, plays good cards, and bets them.  One of the best laydowns I have ever made.......

The table limps around to the guy to my left who makes a pot-builder raise to 7.  Vic calls I call and a couple others call.  I have 3 3.

The flop comes 3 4 5.  Vic bets out 21 into a pot of 35.  I am to his left, so I'm next.  What are my options.  Fold Call Raise. A fold here would be premature.  I can't just muck.  I am obviously suspicious of his holding but can't just lay it down now.  A call could be good as I am in position on him and could see what he does on the turn.  A raise here would also be OK in certain spots. I decided that this spot was not good for a raise as there were 5 to the flop and someone behind us could make a play with 67 or A2.  I also thought that because my set was bottom set, I might get in trouble against a higher set.

I called the 21 and the table folded.  The turn comes a K.  Vic bets out 50 into 77. I tank. Could he have 67?  Very possible. The preflop action was so weak, he could have 67 or A2.  Could he think I was on a flush draw of some sort, like AQs or AKs?  If I have AKs, I hit top pair and still have the nut flush draw but that doesn't seem to bother him at all.  So what could he have? And what does he think I have?  I thought he must have had 1 of 3 things, all of which beat my set.  I decided he had 67, A2 or either 44 of 55.  SO, I mucked.  He showed 4 4.  It was the happiest I have been to lose in a long time.

Sit on It

I find 8h8c in MP and limp.  There are 4 limpers and the BB, Ron makes it 7.  BB calls, EP calls, I call and BTN calls.  Five take the flop.  The pot is 35.  

Flop comes Qc 3c 8h.  Check Check Check, I bet it.  I bet 20.  The BTN calls and everyone else folds.  The pot is 75.  

The turn is the 4d.  I bet 45 this time.  BTN calls again.  

The river is the 7c.  I bet again.  60 this time.  He calls. He said he had AQ.  A nice sized pot.

Another pot involved Ron on the SB again.  There was a straddle and I raised to 17 with the AdKc.  It folds to Ron in the SB and he raises another 25.  So he makes it 42 total.  It's back to me and I really am thinking about it.  Ron is a tight weak player.  I often bet him off hands and he goes away quietly.  For me to see him raise out of position told me that he had a hand.  

I thought of all the options.  I thought it would be OK to fold.  I was in position and I had a pretty big hand so I decided that it wasn't worth a fold here.  While I was thinking about it, Ron showed me his stack size, seemed kinda loose and feeling alright. He put his chips in front of his cards and counted them down, telling me he was willing to go all the way with it.  After he counted it down, he got a little uncomfortable.  I'm not sure what it was...not so willing to put his chips in.  So I thought a raise might be the right choice.  If he has AA or KK, I'm dead but anything else, I'm OK.  I ended up calling.  I was in position and I thought he had a pair but I would have two overs.  Plus, he is weak tight and I might be able to get him to fold something.  

The flop comes 8c 10c 5d.  Ron checks.  ??  I thought he had a pair but why would he check?  Could he have 99?  Seemed unlikely.  Maybe he had JJ or QQ.  I couldn't really figure it out.  I knew I had two overs.  So, I bet the rest of his money, 84.  He insta-calls.  He shows down 10h 10d.  EEk.  A huge hand.  Turn is the 7c and river is the 9c.  My flush kills a set.  A 5.15% comes back from the dead to take down the pot.

Here is the question.  Does anyone actually think in the course of the decision on the flop that you have the back door flush draw?  I did and I'm not sure if it's a waste of time or not.  

1 in 649,740

I hit a royal flush today.  Nothing happened before or after that hand.  I won the 90 dollar pot, got a 500 dollar bonus and everyone in the hand got 100.  Thank you and you are welcome.

Bad Calls and Good Calls

Sometimes I make a good call and sometimes I make a horrific call.  Today, I did both and the bottom line was in the red.  Lame.  I need to start playing better poker if I want to continue to play poker. 

Here is the horrific call.  The table was 6 handed and I found A6s in EP and limped (mistake #1).  A raise would have been better here.  The flop is seen 4 handed.  It is 6c 6d 9h.  It gets checked around (mistake #2).  I should have bet out.  The turn is the 8s.  This time I bet and get called by one person. The river is a 5s.  Villain checks to me and I bet 11.  He raises to 25!?  I call??!!! (mistake #3).  I am bad.  I called just in case he had something like 67 or 64.  He had 7c10s.  That's just bad poker.  

I made a good call with 88 on a board of 92275.  Flop was checked.  Turn was bet, I called and another called.  River was same bet, I called, other called again.  They both had a seven.  I even said that he had a seven on the turn when he bet $7.  I beat both of them.  This was not enough to cover what I lost on the hand I played extremely poorly.

Perfect, Perfect

Biggest donk of all time.  Seriously. Not a joke.  He had his stack up to 800+ and after about 4 hours, he had to rebuy for 200.  An hour or so after that he was about to around 300.  I was near 300, too.  I was waiting to snap him off when I got the perfect chance.

I find 9h9d in the small blind and decide to just call.  The flop is Qh 2c 9s.  Lock.  I check and donk bets and there is one caller.  I raise.  Donk calls.  Other folds.  Turn is a 5h.  I check again.  No draw at all on board.  He bets 20 and I raise to 80.  He calls rather quickly.  I have him on some Q like Q10 or something of the like.  The river is the Qd.  I move in my 180 left.  He insta-calls  and shows Q5.  On the flop, he was 1.3% and on the turn he was 4%.  He stacked me and now I'm considering quitting poker.

Sometimes, luck

Another usual day of hands and no hands and no action and nothingness.  I was down a bit when the most interesting hand of the day occurred.  I was down 75 but had reloaded to about 225.  I was in my usual 4 seat.  

There was a loose-aggressive player in the 7 seat.  I thought he was a good player.  Him and I had been battling a bit.  We were involved in a few hands, one in which I showed down a 78c to take down a pot with a board of AK3A.  He got his revenge later, putting me all-in when I was unprepared to make the move.  He had won a few big pots, showing down quads and 2 sets.  He had some hands, but played them well.  I'm going to call him Clive.  So Clive had been aggressive on all parts of the game.  He took down pots a lot.  Raised a lot.  Ok, so the hand.

The table had gotten tight for about 5 minutes.  There were a couple people missing and there were 2 chops on 2 of the last 3 hands.  I was in the cutoff and it was folded to me.  I was fearing another chop, so I decided to play the 3d 4h.  I limp and the button folds and the blinds call/check.  Pot is 6.

The flop is 3s Kc 3c.  

SB check

BB check (Clive)

I bet 7.

SB fold

BB raises to 22.

Now this guy is tricky.  I knew I had the best hand, as he made lots of raises and bets.  I had a decision.  Should I raise or call?  I didn't want to shut him out of the pot, and I didn't want him to do something crazy on the turn to shut me out of the pot.  I was in position, which is always good.  I finally decided to just call.  A raise here, I thought, would have ended the pot.

The turn is the 9c.  Not a good card.  It brought a flush but beyond that, it couldn't have changed the hand very much.  This time Clive bets right out.  He bets 45.  Before this bet, the pot was 6 +22 +22 = 50.  Now, it is 95.  The action is to me.  A 45 dollar bet.  ???  I just could not put this guy on a hand that I was afraid of.  Maybe he had a better 3.  I thought it was more likely he had a K of some sort.  Maybe he had K9 and he thought his K now beat my K.  I still thought my hand was good.  My stack had about 200 left in it.  I raised to 110.  He insta-shoved.  WOW.  Not what I was expecting.  He had a lot of chips.  About 400. After my 110 dollar bet, I only had 101 left in my stack so I just bet over 50% of my chips.  Now, am I supposed to be able to fold?  I thought my raise had me committed.  I said that I could not fold so I rolled the rest of my chips into the pot and Clive showed the Ac2c.  

I thought he played the hand extremely well.  He had me.  Check raised the flop and led right out when he hit the flush.  It was well done.  I obviously had a flush in mind but from the history of this player and the way the hand was played, I just didn't think that's what he had.  I was wrong.

Of course, poker hands don't end on the turn.  There is such thing as 5th street - the river.

After all this, the chips were in, I got outplayed and then there was the river.

The Kd.  ;)

:( or :)

I'm not sure what to think of today.  I was even on the day but I had like 5 sets.  I look back on the day and can't find out how I only broke even.  There was one hand I lost a good chunk of money on and if not for that hand, I would have been up about 120.  Here is that hand.  

I was in the CO with the 67h.  There was one small raise to 6 and 3 callers.  I make the call and the flop comes...

4h 8d 9c.  There is a 10 dollar bet from the initial raiser and I make the call.  We go heads up to the turn...

9h falls on the turn.  Now, the original raiser checks and I, with my straight and flush draw, bet 15.  He now min raises me to 30.  Hmm?  I call.  

River comes 5c.  I hit my hand.  The good, hidden way - not the flush and it's the nut straight.

So now he leads out for 75.  WOW.  What in the?  Wow does he have a bare 9?  An overpair?  I was not sure but I knew he had to have something.  Next question.  Is there a spot for a raise?  I decided no, a raise would not be good.  I don't beat tons of things and I knew this guy to be a bit tricky.  He also threw in that min raise at me on the turn.  I decide to call the 75.  He shows me? 

8s8h

It's a tough spot and it makes sense.  Can I fold there?  Daniel?  Can I?

Value City Poker

I just value bet my face off.  I have really improved this part of my game.  I had some spots today where I certainly did not have the nuts and was not sure my hand was good but I was able to make good value bets, and got paid on almost all of them.

I had Ad10h in EP and limped in.  The flop was 10d 6h 3d.  I bet right out and got a caller, a guy with a stack around 1200.  The turn was the 8d.  I liked the card and bet it again.  Once again, I got called.  The river was the 9c.  This guy won't go away and in the past I would concede the pot or check/call.  I bet right out again and got a call from Qc10s.  

I had Jc10s in MP in a 4 way pot.  Flop comes As Qc Qs.  It gets checked around.  The turn is Kh.  I bet out and get a caller.  The river is the 8h.  This time I get led into for 20.  In the past, I would simply had called here and hoped I was not up against a boat.  Nowadays, I can get value here so I raised it up to 60 and got insta-called by a naked Q.  

Sets

Sets are my favorite.  They are why I get up in the morning.  Sets are my goal for any given day.  A lot of the time, sets are the difference between a good and bad day.  I hit a set today and played it well.  Here is a rundown.

I am in EP and find the 6s 6h.  I limp in hoping to get a cheap flop.  It doesn't last as the guy to my immediate left raises to 12. A young guy who had lots of money called and so did 3 others.  There is now 56 in the pot and I need 10 more to call.  The pot is laying me 5.6 to 1.  This is not the same as the odds against flopping a set but the implied odds were easily covering that.  So, I call.  

The flop is the 

Kd 3s 6c.

With so many people in the hand I had to decide what to do.  I was in early position and had a tight image so I decided to go with that image and check.  The initial raiser to my left (who knew I had been tight but caught me on a bluff) bets 40.  The young rich purple chip guy called the 40.  I have another decision.  I wanted to raise here.  I was sure of it.  After much deliberation, I came to the conclusion that my hand is strong enough that I don't have to raise. There are no real draws on board, too.  So, I call the 40.  The turn is the Qh.  The board is still extremely good for my hand.  I continue the slow play and check it again to my two opponents.  The man to my left moves in for 87.  The other guy thinks for a while and I am definitely wanting him to call or even raise.  Unfortunately, he folded.  I called the 87 and he showed 99. 

I was quite surprised to see that he didn't have AK or even KQ.  And if he didn't have it, I thought the other guy must have.  But, it didn't matter as I won the pot.  Good hand, good day.  All in a sets work.

Slow Down

Two slow days of annoyingness

I had a guy raise me on the flop with KK.  I had AA and it got all in and he rivered a K.  No hands today.  NONE. Bluffed my way to a very small win.

The Blur

The Blur.  Today was a good day.  Today was a very very good day for this little project we have here.  After a day like today, you feel like maybe you know something about how to play this game.  I bet out with sets and got someone to believe I had a set when he had AA (I had KK).  It was just a day of days.  The cards fell in the proper place and the chips came my way.

So I find the two black Kings OTB.  I raise it up to 11 and the SB reraises to 25.  I didn't think he was that strong but I was wrong.  The BB also called the raise and the reraise.  The flop comes Qh 9h 4c.  The SB bets out 40.  I didn't think he had AA and he couldn't have gotten that lucky to have QQ.  I don't believe he would have bet out if he had that anyway.  So the BB calls the 40 and I wasn't too scared of him.  I thought he had AQ or KQ but more likely AQ because I had two Kings.  So he called the 40 and then I had a decision.  I was very close to folding the hand when I decided I had the best hand.  I made it 100.  The SB thought for a long while and he said that he thought someone must had a set by now.  When he said that I knew he had AA and I was dying for him to fold.  So he eventually folds.  The BB calls the 60 and the turn is a blank.  A black 3.  He checks and I bet the rest of his chips, about 120.  He called and the river was another blank.  I showed the KK and the BB mucked and the man in the SB slammed his hand on the table, saying he had AA.  WOW.

I had a set of Jacks two times and turned a set of 9's.  I had KK against an all-in bet from the guy who said that no matter what, I was going to be behind.  He said no matter what, he would get his money in good.  He had 10's.  He left.

Today was a very good day and it was kind of a blur in that I don't recall too many of the hands that put me on top.  Sets and big pairs.  I also had a flush with the 68d.  Ok, off to softball.

The TAO

So my big pair lost to a set again.  This is happening all the damn time nowadays.  I had KK 4 times today and I won 2 of the 4. One time, it was the set.  Another time, Ed, the old guy who runs me over, bet me out of it.  The third time, I won a small pot.

The fourth time, I was UTG and raised to 12.  I got 3 callers.  The guy I talked about a while back who said that he was going to just give me the 100 he bet, because he had nothing, was at the table.  He is super aggressive and tries to take pots away.  So he is one of the callers in this pot with the KK.  The flop is KQQ.  I finally seriously have a lock.  I check the flop and everyone checks to aggressive guy who bets 25.  I give him a pretty serious amount of acting before I call his bet.  The turn is a 4, giving the board 3 clubs.  I check it again and so does he.  The river is another 4. I bet right out 75 and he calls fairly quickly.  So this one makes up for the 3 I lost with.  Thank you aggressive guy.

So, before this big hand, I had been dumped on just like the norm for the past week or so.  The set over the KK and a few others.  So I get in this pot to the guy to my left.  He had been getting unlucky and had seen how I played and knew that I wasn't getting the best of breaks either.  He knew I was playing good cards.  So I limp with the 79d.  He raises right behind me to 15. I decide to call after 3 others do, too.  The flop comes down 10c 8c 3s.  I check and he bets out.  Everyone folds to me and I call the bet.  The turn is the 7c.  I like the card because he must think I am drawing and that cards does both draws.  I bet out this time, thinking he must have some pair or A10.  The bet is 15 and he raises me to 50.  He only has about 115 total.  So after that bet of 50, he has around 65 or 70 left.  

I really tank, trying to decide what to do.  The tank isn't too long because after a point, he knows I have nothing.  So I tank for a good amount of time and say, "Let's do the rest of it."  He doesn't insta-call so I know it was at least a decent play.  After a minute he calls.  I obviously don't like it, but if I am even close to where he is with his hand, I should have 13 outs.  Maybe a few less if he has the Ac or a bigger pair with the club of that pair.  So, while I only have one shot at those 13 or so outs, I still thought he would fold a decent amount of time.  So he called and the turn was the 9h.  I say, "You caught me but I hit two pair." He was pissed and while he was getting up from the table he said back to me, "You're not going to last long making calls like that."  I quickly replied, "I didn't call anything."

That was the start of the slow climb back to the top.

Gutters

Back to the gutter after getting run over and over and over.  I'm not sure what to do.  I think I have decided that I'm not bluffing anymore.  I can't afford it.  I gotta play a solid as possible until this streak of ridiculously bad cards ends.  I have just one hand to examine today...

I find KQs from middle position and decide to limp.  The table had been limping a lot so I decided to comply.  There are 6 people to the flop.  The flop comes 8s 8c 3s.  It checks around to the man two seats to my right.  He bets 11.  I make the call. So does the SB, an older gentleman who comes with his buddies on Tuesday and Thursday.  The turn is the Kd.  The SB checks and so does the guy who bet 11.  I decide it's a safe flop to bet.  I bet 30.  The SB now raises me to 80!?  I have to pause for concern here.  This guy had been running well.  Making plays and catching lots of cards.  I didn't have many chips left so there was no chance he would fold an all-in bet.  What could he have?  He called 11 out of position and then check raises the turn?  I don't know.  I didn't know if I was even drawing at all.  I folded it.  Not sure if I made the right play there.

So I get beat up and beat up and get my 400 whittled down to a mere $39.  WOW how bad am I at this game?  So I double up with QQ against the nut flush draw.  I sit there and sit there with nada.  Finally, I'm on the button with 63 bucks left.  People limp around and I find the 8c 8d.  I limp on the button and the SB raises to 11.  Four callers to me and I shove.  The BB calls and that induces one other caller.  The SB shows 44 and the other shows the AQd.  I avoid it all and take down the pot.  I get half my 400 back and that's how the day ends.

Stay

I hope I am here to stay.  Today was a good day.  I flopped a set of K's and then the next hand turned a set of 7's.  I never had any real confrontations.  I did have one though...

I was trying to fold my BB thinking that it was the SB.  I had Q5 and the dealer, Mike, let me keep my hand when I was trying to muck.  The flop comes Q5K.  Check and Texas Julian bets 10.  I call it and everyone talks about how now I must have something.  Ewww.  So yea, I do have a hand.  The turn card is a blank.  Julian bets 15 this time and I call again.  The turn brings another Q, filling me up.  This time I lead out 3o and get paid off.  Not much more happened today.  No big hands.  No AA or KK.

The Potential of You and Me

Friday was a day.  It wasn't really bad and it wasn't really good.  The potential was HUGE.  I finally broke through.  I got some cards, I had a good table, willing to put money in the middle.  The problem about potential is that it isn't anything until it is realized.  I had a down day of only 4 dollars while the potential was around 1200 dollars.  That is a huge amount of unrealized potential.  Here are the hands to break down the day...

The table limps to me in the BB and I find the Ac Kd.  No checking anymore.  I raise it up to $15.  I get two callers.  The flop comes Kd Ks 4d.  I check.  One caller bets out $15.  A fold in late position.  I reraise to $45.  He reraises me.  I insta-movein. He calls, only having to put a few more into the pot.  He asks if I have AK and I say yes.  He shows the K7.  The turn card is the Jd and the river is a 7.  That would be a 4/1 dog beating me in that pot.  For him to win the pot, it was more like 95/5, which is worse.  But if you count his chop outs, then it's more like 4/1.  I had to rebuy.  I'm now in for $400.  If I had won that pot, I would have had $380 in front of me.  Next.

Uri is a drunk who kept taking forever to play his hands.  He would raise with J6 and 92 and everything else you can imagine. He raised to $15 a lot.  On one such occasion, I found AA and min raised him to $30.  He shoved and I insta-called.  He showed down the A4.  A four hit the board, but I won the pot.  Ok, I doubled up and now I'm at $400.

Uri, again does the same thing.  I have KK this time and the same result.  He moved in on the flop and I called.  He did have the nut flush draw but missed.  I added some more to my stack.  I now have $580 in front of me.

A new player came into Uri's spot and acted like he was the king of the table, telling people he would call their all in no matter what.  He wanted to be tough and act like he didn't care.  So, I decided to teach him a lesson. I found QQ and after he raised, I reraised.  He called and the flop came down A64.  That easily, my QQ is cracked.  So I check and he bets out 15.  I call it.  The turn  is a blank.  I check and he bets out 15 again.  While I ponder the call, he says, "Sir, your queens are no good."  I already had a plan in mind but this entrenched it even further.  I call his 15.  The river is another blank.  I stick out 100.  He has only about 85 left.  Now, he says that he thinks I have a set.  So, he looks back at his hand and mucks.  I show him the QQ and say that I guess it is good.  Nice play, he says.

There was this young guy to my left the whole day.  He had long hair and a hoody.  When I sat down, he had $700 in front of him.  After a few hours, he had $39 left.  He lost it when he moved in.  So he was on tilt, hard.  He rebought and we were involved in a pot.  So the guy who called my QQ hand raises.  I find AA again.  I raise it up to $40.  Tiltboy calls rather quickly and so does the other guy.  The flop comes 4J8.  I bet out 75 and tiltboy calls fast.  Fold from the other.  Turn is an 8 and I move in on tiltboy.  He calls instantly with JJ.  Flopped a set.  He was on tilt so hard, I really thought his range was quite large, including KK QQ AJ 10's 9's.  I guess when he called the flop so quickly, I should have had him on a hand.  He knew I had AA.  I think everyone did.  So there was 200 lost.

Let's add it all up.  My initial 200 plus the 180 from AK plus the AA and KK from Uri is another 400 plus the 200 from tiltboy. This equals 980 plus the pots I won not discussed here.  Instead, I play very well and got unlucky.  I didn't find myself on tilt at all.  It was a good feeling.  So the potential was huge and the results were not.  Probably good that it was on a Friday, so I can get over it for Monday.  

Baby You're So Cruel

I forgot to blog yesterday so this is about the last two days.  Yesterday was kinda lame just like the other days have been lately. I didn't get many hands.  Really just one to talk about.  

The Texas guy was to my left and after I limped, he raised to $15.  There were two callers after that and then the action was back to me.  I had limped with the 67c.  It is a modest holding and since there were 3 already in the pot, I decided to join in. The flop was innocuous when it fell 5h 8d 3s.  I was third to act and after the blinds checked, I did too.  Texas guy did not.  He bet $15.  The two blinds called the $15.  So there is a bet and two calls in front of me.  I have $79 left and decided that I played it in such a fashion that they could reasonably put me on a set of 5's.  So, I moved in.  Texas guy was next and thought about it for a while, especially a hard  call with two left to act behind.  He called.  Blinds folded.  My plan had not worked.  There was the back up plan.  The turn was a blank and the river fell the 4c.  As soon as he called, he asked if I had a set and I said no and then I asked him if he had an overpair.  He didn't reply so I can't tell for sure what he had.  I am guessing 10's. He was not happy and when I got to work today, there he was, still in that same orange jacket, grinding away.

So today was going well.  I made a good value bet on the river with AA and got paid.  I think the guy next to me had AJ or KJ.  I bet the flop, he called.  The turn was a J and I bet again and he insta-called.  I said that it was a fast call.  He said he liked his hand.  Playing it a bit to bold for me to believe.  So, on the river I bet 75 and he called.

I ran into some trouble when I raised from UTG with 10's.  I got a few callers and the flop came down 9 high unsuited, unconnected.  I bet it again.  This time, the young Asian guy raised it up.  I know he's a good player, capable of making plays if he thinks I have something like AK.  So I moved in.  He had to deliberate for a minute or two but then called, showing KK.  That was a downer.  I was close to leaving, too.  I added on 100 before I left, just in case I had a hand to play.  

A few hands later, I find 69d on the button and limp.  The tall black guy to my left on the SB raises it up, like he was doing, all the time.  The BB called and so did the man to my right.  The flop was 4710 of diamonds.  The SB bet 15, the man to my right called it and so did I.  Turn was the 9h.  SB bets out 30 this time.  Man to my right moves in for his last 20 and I call the 30. River is a 9s.  The SB bets out 30 again and I raise it up to 80.  He called saying that a flush was good.  And it was.  So the hand I lost was wiped clean after this nice little guy.  Back at it tomorrow.

Mysterious Ways

Today was just like the other days but this time I won a decent amount.  How is this happening?  I flopped one set and rivered a full house, very similar to yesterday.  I flopped a set of 2's and rivered the 8.  Check this out.  The flop was 10c 8c 2h.  I have 2s 2d.  I bet right out.  I can't have donks doing crazy things.  I get a caller, Tommy Lee Jones.  The turn?  What could it be?  A great card, the 7c.  I mean that is brutal.  It goes check check and the river is the 8.  I bet out and got paid.

The other hand was against these two donks.  I have the red 7s.  The flop came out 653.  I bet out 11 and got raised by one of them to 21.  The other cold calls the 21.  I am laughing at there donkness.  They both have about 50 and I just shove out 100. They both call and I river the 4.  HE HAW.

Still a slow day.  I had no hands really.  I didn't have AA KK 10 10 or 99.  I had QQ once and JJ twice.  No AK and AQ once.  I can't wait to break on through to the other side and just bulldoze.