In my last post I stated that I had some thoughts that might have helped contribute to my win. After talking to a few people and thinking about it some more I think there may be some truth to it. I had a winning a session and at the beginning of that session I got a chance to sit next to a Harrah's friend that I hadn't talked to in a while and we were able to just shoot the proverbial shit and kill some time between hands. This was a hugh relief of some sorts and not an opportunity I have had in a long time. It has been a while since I got to play with people I consider a friend and it relaxed me at the table. In the midst of me still struggling with consistency I started to think back to the days when I was running good and playing a lot and the one recurring thought was the steady appearance of a friend at the table or near by. I'm not sure what it is about having a friend at the table or at least in the poker room with you but apparently it can cause some good.
I'm sure we've heard the cliche' that confidence breeds success....I'm fairly certain that the opposite of those words are true too. Well maybe there is a lot of truth in that...a cliche' becomes a cliche' because there is usually some truth involved. I haven't had that friend to travel to the poker room and put in a 10 hour session with or sit down at the same table and battle. I've been putting in time at the table by myself with my own thoughts and nothing to break the monotony. Only giving myself the chance to dwell on being card dead or the shitty beats I've taken. When I'm winning I'm thinking about the current hand being played out and how I would play it against each person at the table. Problem is that winning hasn't been a big part of my card playing life lately and the negativity is always creeping into my mind. I try to stop myself and stay focused and remain positive and then I get dealt AK and raise and totally miss the flop and start thinking like the douche bags at the table about "how I can't ever hit the flop with this hand"....In the past the thought was that it was just another hand the dealer will give me a new one shortly. It's not that I'm a pessimist or optimists...I pride myself on being a realist, it's a trait that I've had since I was a little kid. Always been able to see the next logical outcome oppose to trying to convince myself that the positive would happen or completely assume the worst was gonna happen. Realist is often misconstrued with pessimist but if you have any common sense and don't think with blinders on then you can obviously distinguish the difference (I needa stop using cliches).
I'm not quite sure why I play better with someone at the table or when I travel to play with someone but I do have some ideas. I'm a pretty competitive person...I've used to flip board games, throw cards, break controllers, crack helmets, snap golf clubs (in fact I have no 3 iron in my bag b/c it's in the water on hole 7 at Ellendale), when my friend and I used to coach a 13 yr old travel baseball team it wasn't uncommon for me to get into it with the umpire. With that being said, I'm sure you can tell I don't handle losing very well..I think it's because I never did it very often..haha. Whenever I started playing poker it wasn't any different and I used to tell people how bad they were and it got to the point where my friends didn't enjoy playing with me...I think it was because I won all the time. I have always worn my emotions on my sleeve (damn it, I used another cliche') I've learned to control myself at the table and not blow up on my competition, it took sometime to harness those actions but I basically learned that you shouldn't berate someone for being dumb b/c why would you want them to start thinking and trying to play better??...This really became clear when I used to deal a pretty big game in Houma and I'd see really shitty beats and there was one guy in the game who imo was obviously the best player and he'd just take it in stride and complement the guy on the hand, not drag it on, take out some money to reload and keep playing his game without pressing...just understanding that it's a swing and maintain thinking about the long term. I know I'm not quite there yet, I still pop off on occasion but I've definitely gotten better. But maybe the out bursts at the table allowed me to vent and move on. Maybe I didn't dwell on the beats b/c I spoke my mind and moved on and now I'm holding it in. Regardless, I'm not gonna go back to that b/c we all saw how classless Mr. Hellmuth looked on TV and I personally give anyone the right to kick my ass on the spot if ever do anything like that....and if anyone ever did that shit to me I'm not sure I'd kick their ass but I guarantee I'll get the first punch in.
When I first started playing tournaments in bar rooms or with people I didn't really know I played better b/c I had something to prove. I wanted to win but I didn't make a lot of mistakes b/c I was locked in. We used to do last longer bets and that was always fun because it gives a bragging right and nothing is more fun than taking money from your friend because you out performed them. That worked for tournaments but the cash side of it is totally different. When sitting at the table with a friend I know they had a confidence level for me and they expected me to win as I did for them. With that expectation looming things seem clearer because for me, I didn't want to look like an idiot in front or my friend..weather it be a really close friend or a friend at Harrahs. Everyone has an ego and some people need their ego fed different ways. Some need to feel smart, some need to feel tough, some people need others to like them...I need people to respect the way I do things. When I used to walk into Harrahs poker room and approach the table and see someone say something to another player about me I knew I had their respect and now I didn't wanna do anything to make myself look dumb. Now when I walk into Harrah's not as many people recognize me and the ones that do, just ask where I've been....that's fine and it's not like I NEED acknowledgment, but that was my edge..it kept me focused. When I ran into Ryan a couple weeks ago it gave that me the other kind of confidence b/c we used to play all the time together and experience those shitty beats and big wins and it didn't allow me to press when I lost.
Some people feel the complete opposite and can't stand being at the same table as friends because they don't wanna snap their friend. That's prolly another thing with me...if you're one of my friends and you're at the table, you're prolly not an idiot b/c "almost" all my friends who play poker are better than average players and I have to be fully alert to what their doing in the hand. Not saying that I'm not focused in a hand all the time but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't paying a little more attention if one of my boys is in the hand with me. I'm not sure if anyone cares about any of this or if it pertains to anyone else's thoughts but it is something that has been rattling around in my head and I decided to post those thoughts. I guess in the end it boils down to finding what works in order to be confident at the table. I've made mistakes with friends at the table and I've made great plays without friends there. This post could be total b.s. and have no merit at all or maybe it's Davey and Ruttley's fault that I'm not winning like I used to win. They stopped playing and then I started losing and not being as interested and now I can't get traction again...haha..anyway, I'll keep grinding away and keep looking forward and just try to have fun with it and I'm sure good things will happen.
Aside from this I'm pretty bummed I won't be able to participate in the IP Poker Tourneys due to insufficient poker funds. With all the fall and winter poker tournaments in progress and on the brink it's pretty frustrating not to be able to play. My new goal is make sure I'm ready to go for January for the wpt event at the Beau, the Main Event is right around my birthday. Maybe I need to find one of those backer people or maybe I'll try that lottery thing this Saturday...that would prolly help too. Anyway, good luck to all who are traveling to the coast. Keep It Real Homies.
10.30.2008
10.20.2008
I Beat 1/2........atleast this time
Showed up to grandma Harrahs house fairly confident and taking into account all the advice and perspectives I recieved from the last blog and realized all of you are pretty much idiots!....just joking, I appreciate the opinions and tried to run with some of the ideas. Well I did discover one thing. 1/2 is better when u win your first hand. First things first, a few issues with the way they run things at Harrahs. For the most part I like all the floor people and they do a good job but they do fluster me a little bit with the way they start games over there. I'm on the list and they have 10 people and I hear an announcement of a new table starting on 14 and my name is called. I was the last name on the list and I get to the table and Gretchen comes over and asks me to go the game on table 8 b/c someone was gonna come to this game. Great!...I'm not a fan of new games and I could buy into the other game for $300. Well I go get my chips and sit down and pay my $2 rake and take a hand utg. I limp with KQ and miss the flop. Next hand, well there wasn't a next hand. I get another tap on the shoulder and apparently the guy who moved to the new game wanted back in to his old game b/c the new one didn't have enough players to get started. So now i'm off the table and after one hand and down $4, two for the rake and two for the limp. Gretchen apologizes numerous times and I tell her it's ok and they are gonna get the new game started when a few more people get there. Well it didn't take long and we got started 9 handed and a 10th showed up shortley. I do appreciate the way she handled it and I got a $2 rake for an hour and a half. (that's about the only way to beat the rake). I just don't get how they do things sometimes. They always open games right before the push and it always causes players to get annoyed and games to get short. I've seen games start and the old game broke and now those players were drawing to get into the new game. That just doesn't make sense!...I understand you want games going and the players like that but use a little common sense. Let the push happen, see how many seats open, and if the games are still full then open the new game. They did the same thing later on. This time they messed up by starting a 2/5. They opened a 1/2 table and then 20 minutes later they opened a 2/5 table and of course this killed two of the 1/2 tables, and ultimately lead to me getting up from the table b/c too many people got up from my table. Now the people I left were playing short and the newly opened 1/2 game was short also. I know they filled up but I just don't get the logic in that...open the 2/5 table and then fill your 1/2 games and open another one if needed. Doesn't seem that complicated but what do I know??....now onto some poker.
I picked up some chips early with Q,10....Someone opened for $10 and we took the flop 5 handed and the flop Q,J,10 (I flopped the coners, god that's gay matt!)...I flopped top/bottom and it checked to me and I bet $22 and got called by the preflop raiser. Wasn't at all concerned by AK, this guy wouldn't have been able to control himself if he flopped the nuts. Turn was a brick and I bet $45 and he thought about it and folded. I'm guessing AJ, some pair and gutshot...not much though. That was a nice a little pot and helped me get into the swing of things. Stayed relatively quiet for a little while but it was ok, I got to catch up with a Harrahs friend that haven't seen in a while. Ryan Ferrell, he's a good player and had some good runs in some $500 and $1000 buy in tourneys. His brother Payne ran well in some tourneys during the Harrahs circuit a while back. Anyway, it got me thinking about my play at the table and how relaxed I was while he was sitting there next to me. I wasn't getting a ton of hands dealt to me but I wasn't focused on being card dead. I was just observing the table and making mental notes and enjoying conversation with someone that actually had something intelligent to say. I eventually moved games to table 8 b/c there was more money on the table and the game was better. I sat down in the 6 seat (which I HATE!...i can't stand sitting in the middle of the table) Everyone was pretty quiet and not a whole lot of chatter going on and made it kinda boring. I start engaging a couple people in conversation and they weren't too into it so i just sat back and played. I think the guy on my left took a bath in Miller Lite and he was prolly the most quiet on the whole table. Guess that's better than an obnoxious drunk.
My first encounter with the drunk guy. I'm in middle postition and dealt 10,8 and I limp along with a bunch of other people and we see the flop 6 ways. Flop is Q,10,3....just an ugly flop with no flush draw and everyone checks. Turn is and 8!..I decide to make somewhat of an over bet when it gets checked to me, with only the drunk guy and one other person behind me. I bet $20 and drunk guy calls and everyone else folded. J,9 is the only real hand and a back door flush draw showed up. River card was 2 and I was confident about my hand, but wasn't sure what to bet and then I decided on $46 and the drunk guy started cutting out chips like he was gonna raise and I told him, "don't do that, lets just call and see who has the best hand"....The dealer laughed and said "now he's gonna raise more"....I wasn't too happy about the comment but the guy was really into counting his chips, I think the $46 confused him and he more than likely never heard the dealer. Well he min-raised me...shit! Had NO clue what to put him on with that raise. I try to talk to him again and he just stares at me which made me kinda awkard b/c he's sitting directly on my left. Well I'm not folding for a min-raise so I call and say two pair and he stairs at the board and says "that's good"....so that was a nice pot and I still have no idea what he had.
The second encounter with the drunk guy was in a heads up pot. I made it $13 with 9,7 and he calls and everyone else folds. Flop was 10,7,3 and I bet $15 and he calls. Turn card was an Ace and I decide I'm not playing a big pot and if he makes a big bet after I check then he will prolly win. Not sure if that's the best thought process but I don't see the point in losing a big pot with third pair. I check and then he checks. Now i'm guessing he has 8,9 and I just gave a free card. He was drunk, but definitely NOT overly agressive. River card was a 3 and I am almost positve I had the best hand, unless he had 99 or something like that. I check the river and he bets $35 and that seem reasonable enough. I called and he just sat there and waited for me. Normally I would wait till the bettor turns their cards over but didn't see the point here b/c I pretty much knew what he had. I turn over my 7 and he mucks and chuggs the other half of his beer. He never said a word, it was kinda creepy. Well I had a seat change and a player gets up from the two and I decide I'm gonna take the seat. I make the move and the first hand I'm dealt is 99 in the big blind and I call $10 more and we take the flop 5 handed. Flop is K,9,6....Well I bet out for $25 and the guy thinks about it and folds (I think it was a bad fold if he really had what he said, he claimed 7,8......if you're gonna call a raise and flop that draw, u better call one bet..esp. since no flush draw...o well, I'm glad he folded). Preflop raiser folded and drunk guy calls, then it gets to a little asian guy in the 10 who is a regular and buys in for like $100 at a time but isn't a terrible player. Well the 10 seat raises all in for $80 total. I'm interested in keeping the drunk guy in the hand and I just call. The drunk guy then ships it!...for like $150 or so back to me and I call. Turn card is 10, river is an 8 and I'm just certain there is no way I'm winning. I turn over my set and drunk guy turns over K,9 for two pair and the 10 seat doesn't show and mucks. NICE!...Nice flop, scarey board and I drag a good pot. That was a nice win and 3 for 3 against the drunk guy.
The fourth encounter with drunk guy wasn't as profitable. I'm in the small blind and utg makes its $6 and pretty much everyone calls. I put my $5 in the pot with my 7,4 and the flop comes: Q,8,5 and all eight people check. Turn is:6!!....I make my straight and bet out $20, get one caller and the drunk guy makes it $60. He has going bust and reloaded for $500 and has about $400 to start the hand. I think about it, decide to call as well as the other guy. River card pairs the board 8 and I check looking to call a reasonable bet. Well drunk guy decides reasonable is ALL-IN and moves in for his $320 or so and I'm in a situation that I don't like and pretty much know that I'm prolly not gonna make this call. I can't really talk to him to much because there is another player in the hand and although a lot of players engage conversation whenever they want, I on the other hand usually don't do to much talking unless I'm heads up. On top of that, the drunk guy isn't very talkative anyway. Well I start contemplating that it's prolly out the question that he's full but 9,7 is a real possibility and three 8's is a strong possible holding also. I don't sac up and make the call and the other guy folds as well and I never found out what he had. I'm not sure if it was the right read, but I think it was the right play. I don't fold to many straights, espcially to a drunk guy. A few things went into my decision, weather they are right or wrong these were the things that lead me to folding. I've been playing with him for a few hours and picked him off a couple times and everytime he never made a big over bet. Small raises and bets were his bluff attempts, this time he raised me on the turn and shoved over $300 on the river. Definitely not his usual play. That didn't make sense to me and that was probably the main reason. Another reason was that I was deep in my session and only playing for another 40 minutes or so...that may not be a good excuse but I wasn't interested in playing that big of a pot b/c if I lost it would have wiped out almost all profit. I just haven't strung together any wins and I think it was more important for my mental state and potential bank roll to book an ok win and be happy. After reflecting on my decision I am 100% ok with the way the hand played out. It wasn't the first and won't be the last time that folded a winner......well a possible winner in this case.
I'm feeling more confident when I sit down at the table and I'm really ready to start playing again on a consistant basis. Problem is, it's hard to find the consistant available time. I used to be able to go play no matter what, weather I was going on 4 hours of sleep or have taken a few days off. Didn't matter, I could get in my car and drive to Harrahs and be ready to go when I sat at the table. I've realized now that I have to my head right and really wanna be there. I might have the time, but if I don't feel like it's the ONLY thing I wanna do then it's probably not the best idea for me to go play. I have some thoughts about some things that contributed to my win and not getting frustrated with long strings of bad cards. Till then.
Keep It Real Homies.
I picked up some chips early with Q,10....Someone opened for $10 and we took the flop 5 handed and the flop Q,J,10 (I flopped the coners, god that's gay matt!)...I flopped top/bottom and it checked to me and I bet $22 and got called by the preflop raiser. Wasn't at all concerned by AK, this guy wouldn't have been able to control himself if he flopped the nuts. Turn was a brick and I bet $45 and he thought about it and folded. I'm guessing AJ, some pair and gutshot...not much though. That was a nice a little pot and helped me get into the swing of things. Stayed relatively quiet for a little while but it was ok, I got to catch up with a Harrahs friend that haven't seen in a while. Ryan Ferrell, he's a good player and had some good runs in some $500 and $1000 buy in tourneys. His brother Payne ran well in some tourneys during the Harrahs circuit a while back. Anyway, it got me thinking about my play at the table and how relaxed I was while he was sitting there next to me. I wasn't getting a ton of hands dealt to me but I wasn't focused on being card dead. I was just observing the table and making mental notes and enjoying conversation with someone that actually had something intelligent to say. I eventually moved games to table 8 b/c there was more money on the table and the game was better. I sat down in the 6 seat (which I HATE!...i can't stand sitting in the middle of the table) Everyone was pretty quiet and not a whole lot of chatter going on and made it kinda boring. I start engaging a couple people in conversation and they weren't too into it so i just sat back and played. I think the guy on my left took a bath in Miller Lite and he was prolly the most quiet on the whole table. Guess that's better than an obnoxious drunk.
My first encounter with the drunk guy. I'm in middle postition and dealt 10,8 and I limp along with a bunch of other people and we see the flop 6 ways. Flop is Q,10,3....just an ugly flop with no flush draw and everyone checks. Turn is and 8!..I decide to make somewhat of an over bet when it gets checked to me, with only the drunk guy and one other person behind me. I bet $20 and drunk guy calls and everyone else folded. J,9 is the only real hand and a back door flush draw showed up. River card was 2 and I was confident about my hand, but wasn't sure what to bet and then I decided on $46 and the drunk guy started cutting out chips like he was gonna raise and I told him, "don't do that, lets just call and see who has the best hand"....The dealer laughed and said "now he's gonna raise more"....I wasn't too happy about the comment but the guy was really into counting his chips, I think the $46 confused him and he more than likely never heard the dealer. Well he min-raised me...shit! Had NO clue what to put him on with that raise. I try to talk to him again and he just stares at me which made me kinda awkard b/c he's sitting directly on my left. Well I'm not folding for a min-raise so I call and say two pair and he stairs at the board and says "that's good"....so that was a nice pot and I still have no idea what he had.
The second encounter with the drunk guy was in a heads up pot. I made it $13 with 9,7 and he calls and everyone else folds. Flop was 10,7,3 and I bet $15 and he calls. Turn card was an Ace and I decide I'm not playing a big pot and if he makes a big bet after I check then he will prolly win. Not sure if that's the best thought process but I don't see the point in losing a big pot with third pair. I check and then he checks. Now i'm guessing he has 8,9 and I just gave a free card. He was drunk, but definitely NOT overly agressive. River card was a 3 and I am almost positve I had the best hand, unless he had 99 or something like that. I check the river and he bets $35 and that seem reasonable enough. I called and he just sat there and waited for me. Normally I would wait till the bettor turns their cards over but didn't see the point here b/c I pretty much knew what he had. I turn over my 7 and he mucks and chuggs the other half of his beer. He never said a word, it was kinda creepy. Well I had a seat change and a player gets up from the two and I decide I'm gonna take the seat. I make the move and the first hand I'm dealt is 99 in the big blind and I call $10 more and we take the flop 5 handed. Flop is K,9,6....Well I bet out for $25 and the guy thinks about it and folds (I think it was a bad fold if he really had what he said, he claimed 7,8......if you're gonna call a raise and flop that draw, u better call one bet..esp. since no flush draw...o well, I'm glad he folded). Preflop raiser folded and drunk guy calls, then it gets to a little asian guy in the 10 who is a regular and buys in for like $100 at a time but isn't a terrible player. Well the 10 seat raises all in for $80 total. I'm interested in keeping the drunk guy in the hand and I just call. The drunk guy then ships it!...for like $150 or so back to me and I call. Turn card is 10, river is an 8 and I'm just certain there is no way I'm winning. I turn over my set and drunk guy turns over K,9 for two pair and the 10 seat doesn't show and mucks. NICE!...Nice flop, scarey board and I drag a good pot. That was a nice win and 3 for 3 against the drunk guy.
The fourth encounter with drunk guy wasn't as profitable. I'm in the small blind and utg makes its $6 and pretty much everyone calls. I put my $5 in the pot with my 7,4 and the flop comes: Q,8,5 and all eight people check. Turn is:6!!....I make my straight and bet out $20, get one caller and the drunk guy makes it $60. He has going bust and reloaded for $500 and has about $400 to start the hand. I think about it, decide to call as well as the other guy. River card pairs the board 8 and I check looking to call a reasonable bet. Well drunk guy decides reasonable is ALL-IN and moves in for his $320 or so and I'm in a situation that I don't like and pretty much know that I'm prolly not gonna make this call. I can't really talk to him to much because there is another player in the hand and although a lot of players engage conversation whenever they want, I on the other hand usually don't do to much talking unless I'm heads up. On top of that, the drunk guy isn't very talkative anyway. Well I start contemplating that it's prolly out the question that he's full but 9,7 is a real possibility and three 8's is a strong possible holding also. I don't sac up and make the call and the other guy folds as well and I never found out what he had. I'm not sure if it was the right read, but I think it was the right play. I don't fold to many straights, espcially to a drunk guy. A few things went into my decision, weather they are right or wrong these were the things that lead me to folding. I've been playing with him for a few hours and picked him off a couple times and everytime he never made a big over bet. Small raises and bets were his bluff attempts, this time he raised me on the turn and shoved over $300 on the river. Definitely not his usual play. That didn't make sense to me and that was probably the main reason. Another reason was that I was deep in my session and only playing for another 40 minutes or so...that may not be a good excuse but I wasn't interested in playing that big of a pot b/c if I lost it would have wiped out almost all profit. I just haven't strung together any wins and I think it was more important for my mental state and potential bank roll to book an ok win and be happy. After reflecting on my decision I am 100% ok with the way the hand played out. It wasn't the first and won't be the last time that folded a winner......well a possible winner in this case.
I'm feeling more confident when I sit down at the table and I'm really ready to start playing again on a consistant basis. Problem is, it's hard to find the consistant available time. I used to be able to go play no matter what, weather I was going on 4 hours of sleep or have taken a few days off. Didn't matter, I could get in my car and drive to Harrahs and be ready to go when I sat at the table. I've realized now that I have to my head right and really wanna be there. I might have the time, but if I don't feel like it's the ONLY thing I wanna do then it's probably not the best idea for me to go play. I have some thoughts about some things that contributed to my win and not getting frustrated with long strings of bad cards. Till then.
Keep It Real Homies.
9.26.2008
Tired of the Minor Leagues
If you've been reading my blog....i think that narrows it down to Davey.....then you know that i've been playing 1/2 in my cash games sessions and well, it hasn't been too much fun for me. When I was rolling and winning I was a fixture in the mid level games. Strictly playing 2/5 and occasionally bouncing in and out of the 5/10 when the action was good. Well I've tried to adjust my game to play 1/2 and it has NOT been an easy transition. I'm fairly certain that i'm a break even player on the 1/2 level. I've been giving it a lot of thought, and trying to determine why I can't consistantly beat the 1/2 game. The game should be easier , I think. Over the last couple months I have been struggling to turn more than a $200 profit in any 1/2 session and it's not b/c there isn't money on the table. I started to make a list of reasons that I feel are keeping me from turning a consistant profit (if you think i'm wrong, or agree, or want to elaborate, or give advice..PLEASE do so). Now I'm playing 1/2 becuase at the moment I am no where near the proper bankroll requirements to play 2/5 on a regular basis (which is 20 buy-ins, atleast the rule i've heard and try to honor, a buy-in for me in 2/5 is $500...therefore 10k bankroll). Now when I used to play 2/5 as my regular game I was very cautious of my bankroll and wouldn't play tournaments greater than a 2/5 cash game buy-in if I fell below my minimum bankroll requirement.
I used to have HUGH mental block with the 1/2 games and couldn't take them serious...at all! The only time I would sit in a 1/2 game was if the 2/5 game was locked up and they had atleast 4 people w/ over $500 infront of them. When the card club was open in Houma they would occasionally have a 1/2 game and I would sit down and just play wide open, didn't have a value for money in that game simply b/c...how do u fold two and three gappers when people make it $10 and how much do u raise with a good hand, I couldn't find that comfort zone and didn't really wanna find it b/c never thought I'd have to play 1/2. If we were following the circuit somewhere, 1/2 was the game we played if were gonna get drunk at the table and cut up. I very rarely drink at the table, pretty much never. Not because I think it affects me, just that when I start drinking I like to go do things and not sit a table with a bunch of guys who take themselves way to serious. With all that being said, I think I have over come the mental part of playing 1/2 and now I am just concentrating what I think I need to do in order to be a winning player. I am still struggling with making the proper bet and I think that is my biggest obstacle. The 2/5 just played so much different b/c people were a lot deeper, I was much more comfortable playing cash games deepstacked rather than short. I know that may seem like a no brainer, but some people don't know how they are supposed to play with $2500 infront of them. And play totally different with $300 infront of them. Not necessarily better or worse, but different. I've seen loose players go into a shell when they get up 1k or more, simply b/c they don't wanna lose it and get way to protective. I felt and still do feel as though I'm a better player when the stacks are deep b/c in my opinion people are easier to read. Now the complete opposite is true in the 1/2 game. I am no where near as confident and not as many players are as protective of $200 or less infront of them. They will move all-in or call $150 preflop with AK as where they would never call $150 preflop with AK in 2/5 if they had $400 infront of them. Just a different mentality which makes the 1/2 game play much more like a quasi limit game rather than a no limit game.
I understand there is nothing I can do about the buy-in so just assume I sit down with $200 everytime I play 1/2. One thing that has been KILLING me is that I can't seem to stay up when I actually get up. The last session I played I got up $60 in the first 20 or so minutes and before I knew it I was back to my buy-in. Davey and I were once told by a friend of ours dad who plays in some really big games and a hell of a tournament player (would prolly be on tv if he was 30 years younger, no bullshit!)...anyway, he said that rule he uses in cash games is to try to stay even during the session and if you do that you will make good decisions and be consistant. Well when I first heard that a few years ago I wasn't really sure what he meant, and then I went on the most sick run of winning sessions I've ever had. They guy knows what he's talking about. Staying even doesn't mean "try to keep you buyin infront of you" but rather when you do win a descent pot adjust to that level, and stay even with that. If you're playing 1/2 and pick up $15, well $200 is still your even and use the easy money to see cheap flops and then tighten back up if u fall close to your buy in. If you scoop a nice pot (around 20% of your initial buy-in) then adjust and try to maintain even on that. I think I explained that ok enough. Well for some reason, I have no idea why I can't seem to keep my profit infront of me. Aside from the shitty beats, it seems like I'm always hemorrhaging and I'm not sure why. The last session that I played and broke even, I swear I won about $600 b/c the times I'd be up $150 and then back down and then up. Maybe I haven't been playing with the "stay even" mentality.
A really really big thing that I feel I have gotten better at is giving my opponents the proper about of respect for their hands. Because 1/2 plays different, it's often difficult to always know where you're at preflop (atleast for me). Guys make $5 to go w/ aces and the same guy makes it $15 with 88. Just not always easy for me to narrow down the starting hands preflop. One good thing is that I'm so comfortable playing after the flop that i'm usually able to know where i'm at post flop. The problem is that I usually know i'm behind b/c we saw the flop 14 ways. One big problem with the 1/2 game and the no ipod rule is that you have to hear 9 people give your their best mike sexton explanation of why people do what they do and how I shoulda played my hand different b/c they knew exactly what the other guy had. Helmets should be standard issue at the 1/2 table. There is no clear way to know what people have, but I almost feel as though I'm helpless against some of these guys preflop. It almost feels as though reraising may be a better play preflop b/c most of these people would let you know what they have. Hand from the other day: guy makes its $10 and it's the first hand he raises in over 2 hours and sirens are going off in my head. Well I look down at JJ and just not sure where i'm at so I decide to play them like pocket 4's and jsut call. Flop is 9 high, now what the hell do I do. He bets $20 and I call and two other people call. Turn is a 3 and he bets $40 and I actually fold. I can't believe I folded there but I did!...one guy calls and on the river the guy bets $50 and the other guy folds and he shows AA. I'm lucky it only costed $30 but I think when he made it $10 if I minraise he will be so overcome w/ stupidity that he will prolly push back to like $60 or $100 and I fold and he's proud of himself as he shows AA..but then again, I don't get the chance to get lucky on the flop. I save money, but could cost myself money. If you play this game, you know people are scared to play postflop. So should I start to reraise more preflop or just continue to trust myself after the flop?
Another problem I'm having is right speed of the game. I'm having a difficult time "switching gears" as they say....whoever they might be. They're times that I know I should open up my game when the game is playing tight and start raising a little more and stimulating some action. This is something that I used to be able to do and stay under the radar. To be able to make some raises and make a few a moves but stay tight enough to appear to just be running good and once the game opens up again, just settle back down and pick my spots. Something Davey and I have always been good at is building a stack and never really appearing to play a lot of hands simply by picking up pots no one wants. It's not always easy, but it was definitely a strong point of my game. I have never, and I mean never been a fan of putting all my money in the pot. Just something I don't like doing. I'm starting to think that this is a main reason I'm not doing well in the 1/2 game. Since it is short stacked poker I think you have to a little more open to put all your money in the pot. I'm not saying look to get it all in there, but maybe not afraid to make that move more often. I have noticed that picking up limped pots don't add quickly in 1/2, it doesn't even beat the rake. In 2/5 on the other hand, picking five and six way limped pots really start to add up. I think the problem with opening up and raising is that with $200 infront of you, if you make $12 and get two callers and miss the flop and have to continuation bet....I think the proper bet should be atleast $20 and if you don't lose everyone, it's really hard to fire another shot on the turn so you concede or make a $45 bet and get raised and now your stack is almost cut in half and now what. I've been playing really tight and pretty much just hoping to hit a flop and pick up a pot and then open my game up with that newly aquired money. But then this goes against my "stay even philosphy" which has paid nice dividends in the past. I wonder if half the idiots I play against ever give a quarter of this much thought?
This post is already getting long and I'm not sure if I've covered everything I wanted to cover. I have stated some of the problems and issues I'm battling on the 1/2 game and it would be great if I can overcome these struggles and get a bankroll to just leave the 1/2 game alone and play in a game I prefer to play. But till then, I have to figure out a method of play that allows me to make some money in the 1/2 game. If I figure out a way to beat this game it would make me a much better player and allow me to bounce around the different buy-in levels and still be profitable b/c after all that's what it's all about. Any criticisms, advice, or opinions would be helpful. And if I agree then that's cool, and I think you're dumb I'lll send you a helmet.
Keep It Real Homies.
I used to have HUGH mental block with the 1/2 games and couldn't take them serious...at all! The only time I would sit in a 1/2 game was if the 2/5 game was locked up and they had atleast 4 people w/ over $500 infront of them. When the card club was open in Houma they would occasionally have a 1/2 game and I would sit down and just play wide open, didn't have a value for money in that game simply b/c...how do u fold two and three gappers when people make it $10 and how much do u raise with a good hand, I couldn't find that comfort zone and didn't really wanna find it b/c never thought I'd have to play 1/2. If we were following the circuit somewhere, 1/2 was the game we played if were gonna get drunk at the table and cut up. I very rarely drink at the table, pretty much never. Not because I think it affects me, just that when I start drinking I like to go do things and not sit a table with a bunch of guys who take themselves way to serious. With all that being said, I think I have over come the mental part of playing 1/2 and now I am just concentrating what I think I need to do in order to be a winning player. I am still struggling with making the proper bet and I think that is my biggest obstacle. The 2/5 just played so much different b/c people were a lot deeper, I was much more comfortable playing cash games deepstacked rather than short. I know that may seem like a no brainer, but some people don't know how they are supposed to play with $2500 infront of them. And play totally different with $300 infront of them. Not necessarily better or worse, but different. I've seen loose players go into a shell when they get up 1k or more, simply b/c they don't wanna lose it and get way to protective. I felt and still do feel as though I'm a better player when the stacks are deep b/c in my opinion people are easier to read. Now the complete opposite is true in the 1/2 game. I am no where near as confident and not as many players are as protective of $200 or less infront of them. They will move all-in or call $150 preflop with AK as where they would never call $150 preflop with AK in 2/5 if they had $400 infront of them. Just a different mentality which makes the 1/2 game play much more like a quasi limit game rather than a no limit game.
I understand there is nothing I can do about the buy-in so just assume I sit down with $200 everytime I play 1/2. One thing that has been KILLING me is that I can't seem to stay up when I actually get up. The last session I played I got up $60 in the first 20 or so minutes and before I knew it I was back to my buy-in. Davey and I were once told by a friend of ours dad who plays in some really big games and a hell of a tournament player (would prolly be on tv if he was 30 years younger, no bullshit!)...anyway, he said that rule he uses in cash games is to try to stay even during the session and if you do that you will make good decisions and be consistant. Well when I first heard that a few years ago I wasn't really sure what he meant, and then I went on the most sick run of winning sessions I've ever had. They guy knows what he's talking about. Staying even doesn't mean "try to keep you buyin infront of you" but rather when you do win a descent pot adjust to that level, and stay even with that. If you're playing 1/2 and pick up $15, well $200 is still your even and use the easy money to see cheap flops and then tighten back up if u fall close to your buy in. If you scoop a nice pot (around 20% of your initial buy-in) then adjust and try to maintain even on that. I think I explained that ok enough. Well for some reason, I have no idea why I can't seem to keep my profit infront of me. Aside from the shitty beats, it seems like I'm always hemorrhaging and I'm not sure why. The last session that I played and broke even, I swear I won about $600 b/c the times I'd be up $150 and then back down and then up. Maybe I haven't been playing with the "stay even" mentality.
A really really big thing that I feel I have gotten better at is giving my opponents the proper about of respect for their hands. Because 1/2 plays different, it's often difficult to always know where you're at preflop (atleast for me). Guys make $5 to go w/ aces and the same guy makes it $15 with 88. Just not always easy for me to narrow down the starting hands preflop. One good thing is that I'm so comfortable playing after the flop that i'm usually able to know where i'm at post flop. The problem is that I usually know i'm behind b/c we saw the flop 14 ways. One big problem with the 1/2 game and the no ipod rule is that you have to hear 9 people give your their best mike sexton explanation of why people do what they do and how I shoulda played my hand different b/c they knew exactly what the other guy had. Helmets should be standard issue at the 1/2 table. There is no clear way to know what people have, but I almost feel as though I'm helpless against some of these guys preflop. It almost feels as though reraising may be a better play preflop b/c most of these people would let you know what they have. Hand from the other day: guy makes its $10 and it's the first hand he raises in over 2 hours and sirens are going off in my head. Well I look down at JJ and just not sure where i'm at so I decide to play them like pocket 4's and jsut call. Flop is 9 high, now what the hell do I do. He bets $20 and I call and two other people call. Turn is a 3 and he bets $40 and I actually fold. I can't believe I folded there but I did!...one guy calls and on the river the guy bets $50 and the other guy folds and he shows AA. I'm lucky it only costed $30 but I think when he made it $10 if I minraise he will be so overcome w/ stupidity that he will prolly push back to like $60 or $100 and I fold and he's proud of himself as he shows AA..but then again, I don't get the chance to get lucky on the flop. I save money, but could cost myself money. If you play this game, you know people are scared to play postflop. So should I start to reraise more preflop or just continue to trust myself after the flop?
Another problem I'm having is right speed of the game. I'm having a difficult time "switching gears" as they say....whoever they might be. They're times that I know I should open up my game when the game is playing tight and start raising a little more and stimulating some action. This is something that I used to be able to do and stay under the radar. To be able to make some raises and make a few a moves but stay tight enough to appear to just be running good and once the game opens up again, just settle back down and pick my spots. Something Davey and I have always been good at is building a stack and never really appearing to play a lot of hands simply by picking up pots no one wants. It's not always easy, but it was definitely a strong point of my game. I have never, and I mean never been a fan of putting all my money in the pot. Just something I don't like doing. I'm starting to think that this is a main reason I'm not doing well in the 1/2 game. Since it is short stacked poker I think you have to a little more open to put all your money in the pot. I'm not saying look to get it all in there, but maybe not afraid to make that move more often. I have noticed that picking up limped pots don't add quickly in 1/2, it doesn't even beat the rake. In 2/5 on the other hand, picking five and six way limped pots really start to add up. I think the problem with opening up and raising is that with $200 infront of you, if you make $12 and get two callers and miss the flop and have to continuation bet....I think the proper bet should be atleast $20 and if you don't lose everyone, it's really hard to fire another shot on the turn so you concede or make a $45 bet and get raised and now your stack is almost cut in half and now what. I've been playing really tight and pretty much just hoping to hit a flop and pick up a pot and then open my game up with that newly aquired money. But then this goes against my "stay even philosphy" which has paid nice dividends in the past. I wonder if half the idiots I play against ever give a quarter of this much thought?
This post is already getting long and I'm not sure if I've covered everything I wanted to cover. I have stated some of the problems and issues I'm battling on the 1/2 game and it would be great if I can overcome these struggles and get a bankroll to just leave the 1/2 game alone and play in a game I prefer to play. But till then, I have to figure out a method of play that allows me to make some money in the 1/2 game. If I figure out a way to beat this game it would make me a much better player and allow me to bounce around the different buy-in levels and still be profitable b/c after all that's what it's all about. Any criticisms, advice, or opinions would be helpful. And if I agree then that's cool, and I think you're dumb I'lll send you a helmet.
Keep It Real Homies.
9.18.2008
A Brutal Win
Good News is that I booked a WIN!....crappy part is that i had to survive some brutal hands. I got there early monday and got into a 1/2 game for $200 and the game was good. It wasn't crazy and wasn't tame, it was actually just a good game w/ solid action and average players (well sorta). Just to give an overview of the table, i'm in the one seat. An absolute moran in the two seat, a regular in the 3 (good player). Four seat was a nice guy that didn't mind to get in there and go broke w/ one pair. There to gamble but had a clue about the game. 6 seat was an asian dude who was in every pot but not really aggressive. That's about the only important stuff to know about the make up of the table. It started rather routinely, i was card dead and action was all around me. I stayed patient and never really got involved and had about $120 infront of me when the first hand came up. I have 77 in a $12 to go pot three handed. The flop is 7,5,2!!....i finally hit a set in a raised pot! The three seat was the preflop raiser and I bet $20 into him and he raised to $55 and the six seat called. This is where I sometimes struggle, I know the 3 has an overpair and there is no reasonable guess as to what the six seat has. If I go all in I know i'm getting called by the three seat but do i want to call and let the six seat put more money in the pot? I elect to Raise $65 more and the 3 seat moves in and the six seat folds and I tell the 3 i have top set and then a queen on the turn and i'm praying that's not him, and then an Ace on the river and he says "of course" which means he had KK. The six seat said he wasn't calling any more bets unless he hit his hand. He said he AK and called $55 w/ zip!
That was really nice to hit that hand. Felt like it had been forever since I hit a hand like that. Two hands later I pick QQ and make it $13 and get 4 callers and take it down on the flop with a $45 bet. I'm pretty much minding my own business and not really playing to many hands b/c after all, I'm still running really cold. The next time I get involved I have AdKd and mp makes it $15 and I call right behind him and the button and the small blind call. Flop is Ax,10x,8d and it checks to me and I bet $40 and get THREE callers....now i'm praying for something on the turn to make me more confident, maybe a diamond or something. Well the Turn is a Jack and this time the small blind bets $30. The preflop raiser calls and I'm not sure where the hell I'm at in the hand. I'm so confused and not sure what to do. Everything in the world is telling me to fold but how do u fold with that much money in the pot? I call and we continue our family journey to the river w/ all 4 of us still in there. River is, a King....sweet, I make two pair on a four card straight board. Small blind checks, preflop raiser bets $100, I fold, button calls and the small blind is disgusted and folds. Chop Chop, preflop raiser had QQ and button had Q,9 and hit his gutshot on the turn and had to chop on the river. That hand sucked but i guess it could always be worse.
Now the crappy part of the session really starts. Just to give you an idea of what I was up against. The two seat was wearing a sleeveless saints t-shirt w/ a longsleeve shirt under it and he was proud of his shirt and bragged about it a few times, had somewhat of a pencil line beard and constantly talked at the table and no one ever talked back to him. He tried to be friends w/ the asian guy in the six seat and he barely understood english and just kept looking at him like he was weird. He constantly said "baby" to everyone and was convinced he was a good player. Told us he won 1k the day before and he tried to hit on every cocktail waitress and chip runner. Pretty much just a douche bag. Infact one funny line was when he was in a hand w/ the asian guy who went by "John" (i always find that interesting, b/c i'm pretty sure his name isn't translated into john)...anyway, he's in a hand w/ Asian John and he says to john "you scare me baby, should i fold baby...u scare me baby"....well Asian John says in reply "you scare me...you've been calling me baby for two hours now"....it was really funny timing and w/ the broken english made it even funnier. Now comes what costed me over and $800 swing to the upside!
I've got around $200 or so infront of me after a few missed flops and draws but I'm feeling ok about it for the most part. I get dealt j,9 and call $10 from the cutoff and take the flop seven handed. Flop: 10,8,7!...flopped the nuts and not in the mood to slow play a hand that can only be caught up to. Guy leads out for $10 for some dumb reason and it folds to me and I make it $50 and the guy on my left calls and everyone else folds. With 100 draws out there i'm hoping he just has a 10 b/c he will definitely call w/ top pair. I've already seen him pay off A,Q w/ his A,5 on more than one occasion. With that being said I just really want two blanks more than ever. Well not exactly gonna happen. Turn is another 10, now this isn't a very good card but it pretty much ensures me to double up unless of course he gets bailed out b/c I know he didn't flop two pair. I bet $85 knowing that he's not going anywhere if he does have a ten and of course he calls. So I'm fading the board double pairing or him hitting his shitty kicker. Well I forgot to cheer against the third option and that's the Third TEN coming out!...and like clock work the F#*$)@! ten hits the river and I am about to throw up. I just take a deep breath and check and he doesn't do anything for a good 5 seconds and now i'm thinking he missed his flush draw or something. Well I turn my hand up and show my straight after he knocks the table and then he throws his cards towards the muck and I'm momentarily happy and Melvin (the dealer) doesn't grab right away and all of sudden he grabs his cards back and flips them over to show 10,5 for his quads!....WTF!!....Now there is no reason for Melvin to have grabbed his cards before he took them back b/c only a second had passed. But what the hell was this guy thinking, he didn't even bet and then folded his hand and then realized he had four of a kind?...I'm still clueless as to what that was about. Well now I'm flustered and can't believe I flopped the nuts and was a 92% favorite on the flop against his 10,5 and it comes running tens. Honestly don't know if i've ever been drawn out on in a worst way. Well I don't even have time to reload and the next hand is dealt out and it's straddled and I have like $60-$70 infront of me and of course I look down at AA...that's just when u know you're running good. You get out drawn from what would have been sure double up and instead of having $400 infront of me I have around $60. I just call the $4 knowing that I'm not going anywhere anyway. and someone pops it to $12 and I make it $35 total and get 3 callers. The Flop is A,Q,10 and a guy bets out $30 and I move all in and then it gets raised behind me to $100 total and the other guy folds and before I can even think I know what it is, and he shows K,J!...Turn comes off and it's a Queen and I win the hand. Can u believe that shit? What an insane swing that costed me. The K,J guy had over $400 infront of him and I woulda doubled through on back to back hands. He told me wouldn't have folded his straight and I believe him. If my straight holds up and then the AA hand I woulda had over $800 infront of me but instead i'm no where near that. I know you're not supposed to think like that but when it happens on back to back hands its hard to not think about it. Even better, about 10 minutes later the 3 seat makes it $25 and one person calls and I fold, just not even wanting to throw away $25 of my $150 stack w/ 22 and of course K,2,Q on the flop and he had Aces. If i've got $800 infront of me I play that hand quite possibly take his $400 infront of him.
Anyway, I usually don't dwell like that...but when you're not running good it's hard to not think about what might have been. The upside is that I didn't go broke w/ j,9 and then the AA hand put me near even and now I just needed to gather myself and play like i just sat down. I pick up a few pots and Flop a set of nines and win a nice pot and get up a few bucks. Yea, that's right...I flopped 3 SETS!...That was nice to do that, made a few straights and felt like I wasn't totally helpless out there. All in all it was really nice to book a win. I'm ready to play some more and might head out there Thursday.
Keep It Real Homies.
That was really nice to hit that hand. Felt like it had been forever since I hit a hand like that. Two hands later I pick QQ and make it $13 and get 4 callers and take it down on the flop with a $45 bet. I'm pretty much minding my own business and not really playing to many hands b/c after all, I'm still running really cold. The next time I get involved I have AdKd and mp makes it $15 and I call right behind him and the button and the small blind call. Flop is Ax,10x,8d and it checks to me and I bet $40 and get THREE callers....now i'm praying for something on the turn to make me more confident, maybe a diamond or something. Well the Turn is a Jack and this time the small blind bets $30. The preflop raiser calls and I'm not sure where the hell I'm at in the hand. I'm so confused and not sure what to do. Everything in the world is telling me to fold but how do u fold with that much money in the pot? I call and we continue our family journey to the river w/ all 4 of us still in there. River is, a King....sweet, I make two pair on a four card straight board. Small blind checks, preflop raiser bets $100, I fold, button calls and the small blind is disgusted and folds. Chop Chop, preflop raiser had QQ and button had Q,9 and hit his gutshot on the turn and had to chop on the river. That hand sucked but i guess it could always be worse.
Now the crappy part of the session really starts. Just to give you an idea of what I was up against. The two seat was wearing a sleeveless saints t-shirt w/ a longsleeve shirt under it and he was proud of his shirt and bragged about it a few times, had somewhat of a pencil line beard and constantly talked at the table and no one ever talked back to him. He tried to be friends w/ the asian guy in the six seat and he barely understood english and just kept looking at him like he was weird. He constantly said "baby" to everyone and was convinced he was a good player. Told us he won 1k the day before and he tried to hit on every cocktail waitress and chip runner. Pretty much just a douche bag. Infact one funny line was when he was in a hand w/ the asian guy who went by "John" (i always find that interesting, b/c i'm pretty sure his name isn't translated into john)...anyway, he's in a hand w/ Asian John and he says to john "you scare me baby, should i fold baby...u scare me baby"....well Asian John says in reply "you scare me...you've been calling me baby for two hours now"....it was really funny timing and w/ the broken english made it even funnier. Now comes what costed me over and $800 swing to the upside!
I've got around $200 or so infront of me after a few missed flops and draws but I'm feeling ok about it for the most part. I get dealt j,9 and call $10 from the cutoff and take the flop seven handed. Flop: 10,8,7!...flopped the nuts and not in the mood to slow play a hand that can only be caught up to. Guy leads out for $10 for some dumb reason and it folds to me and I make it $50 and the guy on my left calls and everyone else folds. With 100 draws out there i'm hoping he just has a 10 b/c he will definitely call w/ top pair. I've already seen him pay off A,Q w/ his A,5 on more than one occasion. With that being said I just really want two blanks more than ever. Well not exactly gonna happen. Turn is another 10, now this isn't a very good card but it pretty much ensures me to double up unless of course he gets bailed out b/c I know he didn't flop two pair. I bet $85 knowing that he's not going anywhere if he does have a ten and of course he calls. So I'm fading the board double pairing or him hitting his shitty kicker. Well I forgot to cheer against the third option and that's the Third TEN coming out!...and like clock work the F#*$)@! ten hits the river and I am about to throw up. I just take a deep breath and check and he doesn't do anything for a good 5 seconds and now i'm thinking he missed his flush draw or something. Well I turn my hand up and show my straight after he knocks the table and then he throws his cards towards the muck and I'm momentarily happy and Melvin (the dealer) doesn't grab right away and all of sudden he grabs his cards back and flips them over to show 10,5 for his quads!....WTF!!....Now there is no reason for Melvin to have grabbed his cards before he took them back b/c only a second had passed. But what the hell was this guy thinking, he didn't even bet and then folded his hand and then realized he had four of a kind?...I'm still clueless as to what that was about. Well now I'm flustered and can't believe I flopped the nuts and was a 92% favorite on the flop against his 10,5 and it comes running tens. Honestly don't know if i've ever been drawn out on in a worst way. Well I don't even have time to reload and the next hand is dealt out and it's straddled and I have like $60-$70 infront of me and of course I look down at AA...that's just when u know you're running good. You get out drawn from what would have been sure double up and instead of having $400 infront of me I have around $60. I just call the $4 knowing that I'm not going anywhere anyway. and someone pops it to $12 and I make it $35 total and get 3 callers. The Flop is A,Q,10 and a guy bets out $30 and I move all in and then it gets raised behind me to $100 total and the other guy folds and before I can even think I know what it is, and he shows K,J!...Turn comes off and it's a Queen and I win the hand. Can u believe that shit? What an insane swing that costed me. The K,J guy had over $400 infront of him and I woulda doubled through on back to back hands. He told me wouldn't have folded his straight and I believe him. If my straight holds up and then the AA hand I woulda had over $800 infront of me but instead i'm no where near that. I know you're not supposed to think like that but when it happens on back to back hands its hard to not think about it. Even better, about 10 minutes later the 3 seat makes it $25 and one person calls and I fold, just not even wanting to throw away $25 of my $150 stack w/ 22 and of course K,2,Q on the flop and he had Aces. If i've got $800 infront of me I play that hand quite possibly take his $400 infront of him.
Anyway, I usually don't dwell like that...but when you're not running good it's hard to not think about what might have been. The upside is that I didn't go broke w/ j,9 and then the AA hand put me near even and now I just needed to gather myself and play like i just sat down. I pick up a few pots and Flop a set of nines and win a nice pot and get up a few bucks. Yea, that's right...I flopped 3 SETS!...That was nice to do that, made a few straights and felt like I wasn't totally helpless out there. All in all it was really nice to book a win. I'm ready to play some more and might head out there Thursday.
Keep It Real Homies.
9.13.2008
Still Card Dead and Hurricane Fatigue
Since the last time I haven't had any luck with process of the helmet law. I played one cash session last Monday (I think?)....anyway, it didn't go very well. Sat down at a newly opened 1/2 table and was ready to go. Table was average and they had one guy who had to reload in the first 20 minutes which is a really good thing. That's the worst part of the time rake, no matter how the game is going the casino is gonna get their $120 per hour off the table. I used to struggle with the concept of the time rake for quite a while. The time rake is the biggest joke and the people of Harrah's actually told players it was better for them once they made the switch to it. Like that casino would ever do anything in the best of interests of it's players! Harrah's has been my home court for the last 3 and half years and not once have I ever gotten a free thing from there, not saying that I need free stuff but it would be cool if you could get a free meal once and a while. I'm lucky if I make it to the Beau once every three months but in all the trips I've made there I think I paid for food once! It's nice to play at a place that recognizes poker players (or atleast morons who sit at poker tables).
Back to the session. Sat down with the max buy in at the time $200 and proceeded to win ONE hand. Now I have been cold decked for a while and can't ever seem to get things going lately but it's almost getting comical. In over three hours the biggest starting hands I had was AQ(2), AJ(1), 88,22...that was it, so needless to say it was hard to get into a rythm due to not having any sort of consistency of "ok" hands. I'm not super tight and I don't have a problem getting in there with marginal hands but when you know you haven't been running well it's doesn't make it any easier to call raises so I think it's in my best interest to somewhat tighten up and play big hands when I get them (duhh) and restrict my play of marginal or one and two gappers...only playing those from position. Not sure if this is the best approach but you only have $200 infront of you it's kinda hard to just go wild and play every connecting hand and every suited ace from any position. In the past I have used this approach while playing through a cold deck and been able to ride out the slump with minimal bankroll damage.
I start out and don't have anything and I mean ANYTHING to play in the first 3o minutes and it was so awesome b/c I didn't even get to play my blinds b/c the straddle was on by the guys on my left and it got raised almost everytime for an hour straight. I love when I can't play my blinds or defend them are anything, I just like sitting there and contributing my blinds for everyone else to win...it makes me feel like I'm bringing happiness to someone's chip stack without them even knowing it. Well the first hand of false hope (meaning i thought i had a chance but we all know that ain't happening) I'm in the cut off w/ 6h,3h and the big blind makes its $10 straight. I love this move, it's not quite as good as the $5 straight from the big blind, but it is close! What makes morons think this is a good idea? Six other people limp in and you make $10 to go just praying that someone makes its $35 so you can tell the guy next to you "my hand ain't that good" as you fold k,7 suited. Anyway, no one repops it and we take a flop 5 handed b/c one idiot thought $8 more was a little too steep?!?! (two people at this table need a helmet) Flop comes 4x,5h,10x and of course the preflop idiot..I mean raiser checks and the 8 seat bets $15, the 10 seat calls and I shoulda raised but unfortunately I have the "you have't been running well" thought going through my head....so I call and we take the turn 3 handed. The turn is the Qh and this is a great card...well it is a great card to force me to put money in the pot. Checks to me and I bet $55 and the flop bettor folds and the 10 seat goes all in for $12 more and I call. River is of course a blank and he turns over his A,10 and drags the pot. Now that I've lost $90 or so on that hand I'm feeling disgusted and of course thinking to myself "what the hell did I do to deserve to run this bad?"...I honestly don't know if I have ever missed this many draws are waited this long for someone to run a set into my bigger set, or just making hands in general. I firmly believe that the biggest pots you win are from the hands you come from behind on b/c for one thing: you know you're beat and the other is that you know exactly how big your implied odds are.
So after I stop feeling sorry myself for a few minutes I get dealt my winner!...Oh yea, it's a monster. I get dealt A,Q and call a $12 raise and take the flop heads up. A,9,7 and I bet into the raiser $20 and he raises me (you guessed it) $20 more. I put the rest of my money in the pot knowing he's about to turn over AK and says, "well I have to call". Of course you have to call it's like $40 more and there is already almost $100 in the pot you moron! He sheepishly turns over A,6 and I know i'm drawing dead. Turn is..............................6!!!..followed by "I had a feeling I was gonna make two pair"....well the problem came on the river when he made three pair, a 7 on the river and finally some justice w/ the resuck out. Once again I was almost done in by a guy who "had a feeling"...I just don't get it and I don't think I ever will.
So after the double up I'm feeling a little better and hoping this is the time I turn it around and put in a descent session and pick up a few hundred bucks and regain some confidence. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.......wrong answer. I proceed to pick up my only pocket pairs in the best/worst situations. Both times I called a small $10 raise and both times someone reraised to $20 more and everyone called and of course I missed the flop...so right there goes $60 on two hands and I'm starting to notice how short my stack is and that I need some hands and I lost some of my limp money b/c the two pocket pair hands. Well nothing went my way after that. I have 10,8 for a limp and the flop comes 10 high and I bet $12 into a $12 pot and get two callers. I'm not shocked by it and I don't mind it either. The turn is a K and apparently my two opponents were on King draws. It goes, $20 bet, raise to $50 and of course I have to fold. The turn bettor calls and the river is x and it goes check bet $100, call...the winner is K,J and loser is K,6.......I just don't get it, I know i'm running bad but how the hell am I supposed to put a win streak together when I get called by K,J and K,6 on a ten high board and they BOTH hit the card to put me in third place.
It didn't take too long for me lose the rest of my money. I have As,10s and the guy on my left who is the button makes it $12 and we take the flop 3 handed. Qs,Js,8x!!!.....sweet, Don't know when was the last time I smoked a flop like that...problem is, smoking the flop doesn't pay out for shit!. First guy bets $25 and I know I should raise but then again I know I'm not going anywhere and I know I'm a favorite at this point. My reasoning behind just calling was that if the preflop raiser makes the raise and the flop bettor calls then I move in....I will get called by both and get a true triple up oppose to me making the flop raise and the preflop raiser rerasing and the flop bettor folding and I lose the money that he woulda put in otherwise. I think all that makes sense, if you don't agree let me know. Well SUCCESS!....the preflop raiser raises and the flop bettor calls and I put all my money in and both call. Turn is a total brick and the preflop raiser bets the other guy out the hand and the river is a Q and he asked me if I hit the queen and I tell him no and he shows KK. Why couldn't I have the queen and play bad and get bailed out on the river. Instead I get all my money in as a 57% favorite agaist the KK and bust off the table.
It's easy to sense myself sounding as though I'm whinning about the way I'm running but if I don't feel sorry myself, NO ONE will!...hahaha
It's not fun writing about how I can't seem to get an "ok" run of cards and string together some winning sessions but until some breaks go my way that's all I have to write about. I'm confident things will level themselves out and all will be ok but I'm getting a little tired of waiting.
Is anyone else tired of these damn hurricanes!?!....well I'm sitting a hotel room in Arkansas and it SUCKS. My girlfriend is serving in a wedding and she has been gone all day and I had a big day of chilling in hotel room and sweating college football and seeing how much damage Ike did. Well that isn't going like I planned. Apprently the news stations in Arkansas are obsessed with weather that "might" produce a tornado. I dont' get it at all. I know tornados are really serious and that we need to be informed is something is gonna form but give me a freaking break!...I had it on the Notre Dame game and they were rolling and then Michigan gets the ball and throws deep to the endzone and the guy lays out and then............a freaking guy in a suit comes on the tv an tells me that there is weather that could produce a tornado and the game has not been back on since. Just reporting on weather and not even cool pictures or video, just satellite images and dumb people talking. The only station that is being considerate is the CBS affiliate...they only report the weather during commercials and keep a satellite in the corner of the screen but the game is the main thing....the other yankee ass stations have the games in the small box and you can't hear the commentators. I guess enough SEC fans have been calling in and bitching. The guy on the NBC station is getting mad because people are calling b/c the ND/MICH game isn't on tv. Well on top of not being able to watch all the games I want to see I can't watch the USC/Ohio State game tonight b/c the wedding is at 7pm....honestly, don't people pick up a freaking football schedule before they plan shit like a wedding???....I question a groom's ability to have a "man card" when they allow stuff like this to happen. With all that being said, I'm gonna freak out if I look out my window and see a big ass tornado coming at me...that's the kinda shit that would ruin someone's day.
Keep it real homies.
Back to the session. Sat down with the max buy in at the time $200 and proceeded to win ONE hand. Now I have been cold decked for a while and can't ever seem to get things going lately but it's almost getting comical. In over three hours the biggest starting hands I had was AQ(2), AJ(1), 88,22...that was it, so needless to say it was hard to get into a rythm due to not having any sort of consistency of "ok" hands. I'm not super tight and I don't have a problem getting in there with marginal hands but when you know you haven't been running well it's doesn't make it any easier to call raises so I think it's in my best interest to somewhat tighten up and play big hands when I get them (duhh) and restrict my play of marginal or one and two gappers...only playing those from position. Not sure if this is the best approach but you only have $200 infront of you it's kinda hard to just go wild and play every connecting hand and every suited ace from any position. In the past I have used this approach while playing through a cold deck and been able to ride out the slump with minimal bankroll damage.
I start out and don't have anything and I mean ANYTHING to play in the first 3o minutes and it was so awesome b/c I didn't even get to play my blinds b/c the straddle was on by the guys on my left and it got raised almost everytime for an hour straight. I love when I can't play my blinds or defend them are anything, I just like sitting there and contributing my blinds for everyone else to win...it makes me feel like I'm bringing happiness to someone's chip stack without them even knowing it. Well the first hand of false hope (meaning i thought i had a chance but we all know that ain't happening) I'm in the cut off w/ 6h,3h and the big blind makes its $10 straight. I love this move, it's not quite as good as the $5 straight from the big blind, but it is close! What makes morons think this is a good idea? Six other people limp in and you make $10 to go just praying that someone makes its $35 so you can tell the guy next to you "my hand ain't that good" as you fold k,7 suited. Anyway, no one repops it and we take a flop 5 handed b/c one idiot thought $8 more was a little too steep?!?! (two people at this table need a helmet) Flop comes 4x,5h,10x and of course the preflop idiot..I mean raiser checks and the 8 seat bets $15, the 10 seat calls and I shoulda raised but unfortunately I have the "you have't been running well" thought going through my head....so I call and we take the turn 3 handed. The turn is the Qh and this is a great card...well it is a great card to force me to put money in the pot. Checks to me and I bet $55 and the flop bettor folds and the 10 seat goes all in for $12 more and I call. River is of course a blank and he turns over his A,10 and drags the pot. Now that I've lost $90 or so on that hand I'm feeling disgusted and of course thinking to myself "what the hell did I do to deserve to run this bad?"...I honestly don't know if I have ever missed this many draws are waited this long for someone to run a set into my bigger set, or just making hands in general. I firmly believe that the biggest pots you win are from the hands you come from behind on b/c for one thing: you know you're beat and the other is that you know exactly how big your implied odds are.
So after I stop feeling sorry myself for a few minutes I get dealt my winner!...Oh yea, it's a monster. I get dealt A,Q and call a $12 raise and take the flop heads up. A,9,7 and I bet into the raiser $20 and he raises me (you guessed it) $20 more. I put the rest of my money in the pot knowing he's about to turn over AK and says, "well I have to call". Of course you have to call it's like $40 more and there is already almost $100 in the pot you moron! He sheepishly turns over A,6 and I know i'm drawing dead. Turn is..............................6!!!..followed by "I had a feeling I was gonna make two pair"....well the problem came on the river when he made three pair, a 7 on the river and finally some justice w/ the resuck out. Once again I was almost done in by a guy who "had a feeling"...I just don't get it and I don't think I ever will.
So after the double up I'm feeling a little better and hoping this is the time I turn it around and put in a descent session and pick up a few hundred bucks and regain some confidence. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.......wrong answer. I proceed to pick up my only pocket pairs in the best/worst situations. Both times I called a small $10 raise and both times someone reraised to $20 more and everyone called and of course I missed the flop...so right there goes $60 on two hands and I'm starting to notice how short my stack is and that I need some hands and I lost some of my limp money b/c the two pocket pair hands. Well nothing went my way after that. I have 10,8 for a limp and the flop comes 10 high and I bet $12 into a $12 pot and get two callers. I'm not shocked by it and I don't mind it either. The turn is a K and apparently my two opponents were on King draws. It goes, $20 bet, raise to $50 and of course I have to fold. The turn bettor calls and the river is x and it goes check bet $100, call...the winner is K,J and loser is K,6.......I just don't get it, I know i'm running bad but how the hell am I supposed to put a win streak together when I get called by K,J and K,6 on a ten high board and they BOTH hit the card to put me in third place.
It didn't take too long for me lose the rest of my money. I have As,10s and the guy on my left who is the button makes it $12 and we take the flop 3 handed. Qs,Js,8x!!!.....sweet, Don't know when was the last time I smoked a flop like that...problem is, smoking the flop doesn't pay out for shit!. First guy bets $25 and I know I should raise but then again I know I'm not going anywhere and I know I'm a favorite at this point. My reasoning behind just calling was that if the preflop raiser makes the raise and the flop bettor calls then I move in....I will get called by both and get a true triple up oppose to me making the flop raise and the preflop raiser rerasing and the flop bettor folding and I lose the money that he woulda put in otherwise. I think all that makes sense, if you don't agree let me know. Well SUCCESS!....the preflop raiser raises and the flop bettor calls and I put all my money in and both call. Turn is a total brick and the preflop raiser bets the other guy out the hand and the river is a Q and he asked me if I hit the queen and I tell him no and he shows KK. Why couldn't I have the queen and play bad and get bailed out on the river. Instead I get all my money in as a 57% favorite agaist the KK and bust off the table.
It's easy to sense myself sounding as though I'm whinning about the way I'm running but if I don't feel sorry myself, NO ONE will!...hahaha
It's not fun writing about how I can't seem to get an "ok" run of cards and string together some winning sessions but until some breaks go my way that's all I have to write about. I'm confident things will level themselves out and all will be ok but I'm getting a little tired of waiting.
Is anyone else tired of these damn hurricanes!?!....well I'm sitting a hotel room in Arkansas and it SUCKS. My girlfriend is serving in a wedding and she has been gone all day and I had a big day of chilling in hotel room and sweating college football and seeing how much damage Ike did. Well that isn't going like I planned. Apprently the news stations in Arkansas are obsessed with weather that "might" produce a tornado. I dont' get it at all. I know tornados are really serious and that we need to be informed is something is gonna form but give me a freaking break!...I had it on the Notre Dame game and they were rolling and then Michigan gets the ball and throws deep to the endzone and the guy lays out and then............a freaking guy in a suit comes on the tv an tells me that there is weather that could produce a tornado and the game has not been back on since. Just reporting on weather and not even cool pictures or video, just satellite images and dumb people talking. The only station that is being considerate is the CBS affiliate...they only report the weather during commercials and keep a satellite in the corner of the screen but the game is the main thing....the other yankee ass stations have the games in the small box and you can't hear the commentators. I guess enough SEC fans have been calling in and bitching. The guy on the NBC station is getting mad because people are calling b/c the ND/MICH game isn't on tv. Well on top of not being able to watch all the games I want to see I can't watch the USC/Ohio State game tonight b/c the wedding is at 7pm....honestly, don't people pick up a freaking football schedule before they plan shit like a wedding???....I question a groom's ability to have a "man card" when they allow stuff like this to happen. With all that being said, I'm gonna freak out if I look out my window and see a big ass tornado coming at me...that's the kinda shit that would ruin someone's day.
Keep it real homies.
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