Thursday, 30 April 2009

A New Level

Well I broke $300 for the first time since I cashed out, playing some 3c/6c but only with very good hands, as these guys will call you down chasing a lot of hands.

If I flop the nut flush I can still get action as they never believe you have it, they bet 2nd and 3rd pairs, ignore your raises, I really think they see Poker as a games of bluffing 90% of the time.

Raising to isolate works well as they are confident with their top pair and having a good drawing hand that hits works well as they don't like to give up their top pairs without a fight.

Bank Roll $302.28

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Easy Money

I had just under an hour to play last night, got on two table 5c/10c $10

Did well, most player were happy to bet their second pair as good, and a few would see you to showdown, with top pair and a good kicker.

If I got a sniff someone was holding top pair with a good kicker and I had better or potential to get better, I played aggressively and this worked out fine.

One player in particular was calling all pre-flop bets up to about 8 x BB, so at any point me versus him and I was good, 80c it was to go, his problem was insta fold if he missed the river, if he did come back you knew he had hit something juciy.

Against weak players I represented flushes and straight with much success, no real big pots the best being about $4.50, but constant wins of 80c to $2.

Good Night, I felt confident I could out play 10 of out of 11 opponents, the other guy was very tight, and when his money went in it wasnt without less than AJ.

Bank Roll $262.96

Tuesday, 28 April 2009

Idiots one day Lucky idiots the next

Lost 2 hands all-in in today bumped my bank roll down a touch

Main one pissed me off as they went runner runner to win

Me AA v J9 diamonds they had raised OOP I had re-raised and they called

Flop 3 8 J rainbow they bet the pot I re-raised they pushed - at this point I worried about trips but reckoned on nowt or AJ. They had J9 hmmm way ahead turn 10 river Q straight bitch, busted me, apologies for the luck call and even luckier turn and river.

Now if they had top pair and a drawing to a flush or straight fair do, but what do they think they are beating with a pair of Jacks and a 9 kicker, after a re-raise pre-flop and a 3x pot size re-raise on the flop, hmm bluff AK, AQ. Man come back soon

Lucky idiot one day, just idiot the next, call on trooper, call on, your J9 aint always lucky

Bank Roll $337.89

Monday, 27 April 2009

Two great pots

I'm still up and down, most of the time I've lost when I've been ahead when the money went in so I can't complain, well may be a little.

Won to great hands playing 3c/6c $10 buy-in - usually stay away from these as they are super loose and you can get burned by flush chasing junkies, but very profitable if you hit a monster as they all bet regardless of the flop. I've flopped an A high flush here before and been called all the way to show down by a player with top pair.

Me QJ hearts every limps flop Q 3 J with 2 clubs checks round to the short stack who bets the pot and has $2 left so thinking he has a queen to protect and might just call with his remaining cash as they often do I re-raise enough to put him all in, expecting to isolate him.

Player behind me calls as does one of the checkers and my original target, bum, is there trips out there or just some flush chasing junkies. Turn is the perfect card J giving me a full house, I push, one player folds the other goes all-in and we all show down on the river a 7 of clubs.

Wow no body has the flush draw, I was facing Q4 off from the big stack and Q10 off from the small stack, even without the two pair I was ahead on the flop.

Next hand I fold after a re-raise on the flop, one of the players has a dig about my moment of glory passing and I just type better spots to be had.

Next hand I have 88 it everyone limps and I just call and hit trips on a flop of A Q 8, I just check, one player raises it up the pot and the large stack I beat who just re-loaded re-raises, I'm sure he has an A at best, so re-raise him his stack and he calls with A10 so he's wasn't beating a whole lot to commit his stack to he spikes 2 pair on the turn but my trips hold up. He aint happy, and calls me a bitch in the chat box, I type better spots like that one.

Bank Roll: $256.94

Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Perfect Flops v Perfect Opponents

Everyone limps I have 87 spades, flop comes J 10 9 of spades - wow I've flopped a straight flush, not the nuts but unlikely to be beat.

How am I going to get paid I wonder, now thats a scary flop 60c in the pot and one player bets 90c called by another player yummy, I flat called turn K, Player 1 bets the pot player 2 folds I flat call thinking he has Ace high flush, river nothing he bets pot again I go all in he calls, with da da daaaaa

Q8 off he had a straight, man I couldn't be that confident versus that kind of draw with a caller to the river and then all-in with just a straight beaten by any single spade.

Bank Roll 237-90

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www.holdemindicator.com

Try it I did and it's cool, the people also sent me a free upgrade when I changed computer, they didn't have too, but they did and thats service.

Why I hate Poker

Well I was on my game back to winning and bang Poker Gods laugh in my face and spit on my Bankroll

Down almost $50 over half a dozen hands in a hour session, playing 2 tables 5c/10c

Busted: me AA raise big get called, flop A93 dry I check opponent checks, turn J, I bet the pot opponent goes all-in and turns JJ for trip Jacks versus my trip Aces - river Jack for quads, money gone, he apologised as he thought he was a goner, he was, runner runner with 1 out to beat me on the river.

Happened again me KK v 77 flop K73 opponent pushed I called, turn 7 for quads

Busted: me 22 flop a set of twos (KQ2) chased again by a player who has 2 pair to the river when the hit a fullhouse to beat me.

Busted: Flopped straight 8910JQ bet it hard was chased by guy who hit 78 runner runner to a fullhouse 8s over 7s

Lost a few more hand when I was miles ahead (QQ v 75 etc.), so at $50 down I called it quits and prayed to the Poker gods end my bad beat there, please!

Every hand I lost big on I was ahead sometimes by a mile, come on to be beat twice by quads just aint cricket is it. When I had AAA and my opponent pushed on the turn I knew at best they had trips and not as goods as mine 20-1 ahead at that point .

So not happy to loose but happy I was ahead when my money went in.

Bank Roll $223.65

Tuesday, 21 April 2009

Patience

I played for 30minutes last night ended $20 up for the session after going $8 down, one table 5c/10c played few ordbits identified 3 players who happily called 4 x BB raises with A rag off and called to showdown if the hit the ace. They bet even with strong draws out, 3 suited cards facing aggression, tried to bluff each other.

Got hit twice being called by A3 off v my AK suited he hit 2 pair on the turn card (3), was chased by a guy flush hunting to the river he went all-in on the end I had trip Jacks, I felt he had it as his play from the outset suggested he was drawing to the flush, so I let it go. Few times I lost smaller pots to hands like 37off that connected on the board after players called 4 x BB raises with them.

I played tight, aggressive and patiently, the hands I watched saw people calling down possible flush draws with top pairs etc. and I knew if I hit a monster they would call.

3 way hand I called a 40c raise with AJ diamonds flop comes 3 diamonds Q98, the guy who had raised had called virtually every bet made at him if he connected in anyway and stuck with the hand to showdown even with 2nd or 3rd pair, or drawing hands.

Because these guys seemed to think every bet was a bluff I gambled and entered the pot first with a pot size bet, get called by player 1 and re-raised by player 2, I called, player 1 calls. turn is nothing, I checked now as I'm sure they will see this as weakness and further enhance the belief I'm bluffing, player 1 checks, player 2 bets the pot, I push, player 1 calls, player 2 calls. River is nothing, player K diamonds and a 9 spades, player 2 Q9 clubs, wow $30 pot.

Player 1 could only beat pair 8s or a bluff from 2 opponents and was chasing 4 card flush to K
Player 2 two pair but come on he had to think one of us had a flush and only had 4 outs on the river to win, cheers guys, you are noted for the future.


Bank Roll $270.60

Monday, 20 April 2009

Measuring Up

Well, I think focused I play pretty well against anyone on Pacific at 5c/10c.

I don't win a fortune, but then I cashed out a lot more than I ever put in.

When I have been right down I played really well and build back up.

I could stick to the Sit n Go double ups, where my win rate is still over 80% at $10 and $20, but this is too boring.

A month ago I had $40 left, since then I've put on over $200 that's $50 a week and for my level of playing (5c/10c) and the time I actually play per week I reckon I get a return of around $8 per hour which I'm more than happy with.

Best thing is I haven't had to re-deposit in forever.

If I took the level I play when I'm low and did it all the time I think I would do much better, it's just that at times I just feel like calling without the odds or playing a crappy starting hand just to see what happens. It's more fun at times.

Tight Aggressive Play

Have been playing quite aggressive and so far it's working out. I decided winning is winning and I take less risks calling down people I think are bluffing. Even if slow at 5c/10c stakes I'm happy with $30 profit for a few hours over the weekend.

If face a raise of 40c (4 x BB) and I have good starting hand I re-raised to $1.20 and bet out on the flop.

I've been trying to get my opponents to call with weak ace, small pairs or KQ etc. giving me a good advantage over them, if I stick to AK, AA, KK, QQ etc. against good player and extend my range against poor and loose players.

Surprised how many people just fold to the raise, especially those that always raise from the button, once I bet out on the flop most times this has induced a fold as well.

Means I'm not winning huge pots most of the time but steadily winning, plus after I've showdown a few hands, the better players fold to my raises, so I exploit that for a while raising with suited connectors and mid pairs from positon, until they catch on and then I move tables.

Best hand stacked a player me AK suited they called my re-raise with 89 suited, flop KQ10, they checked and I bet out, thinking back it look like I was betting to protect a pair of kings from a straight draw, when the J hit the turn to give me top straight I was thinking chop pot and when they go all-in I expect as much - but no all-in with bottom 2 cards to a straight - poor play by my opponent and nice win for me.


Bank Roll $249.13

Wednesday, 15 April 2009

Up and Down

Didn't get much time over Easter to play, had a few days away.

Played last night was up and down, think my play was ok, just got caught by people staying with their drawing hands and hitting on the river a few times, but I'm fine with that, can't just give up in case you get beat on later streets.

Bank Roll $216.68

Wednesday, 8 April 2009

My favourite spot

Chasing a flush draw with top pair out of position

Say you limp with AJ clubs and the flop is 3 5 J with 2 clubs and your opponent hits the J and wants to protect his hand. In this situtation hitting the flush draw is nice but If I make the flush my opponent isnt putting in anymore money in if I bet.

I love it if they protect they hands with me check calling all the way down to the river, depending on my opponent I may check call/raise, or bluff raise big like I've missed my flush and let them call me.

They always have something like J10, JQ or JK and felt confident because of the lack of pre-flop action and I am so obviously chasing the flush .

10-8 Suited Why me?

As happens I didn't get away from two really donkey hands played against me, both funnily enough involving 8s.

5c/10c $10 6 handed

I raise 40c with AJ clubs flop is AJ3 I have two callers and I have postion, betting goes 40c, call and I raised it to $1.20, call call. turn 8 check, check I bet $2 fold, call, river is another 8 but at this point I cant see why my one remaining opponent has an 8 in his hand except 88 but even then I raised pre-flop, re-raised the flop and bet strongly three times, so I bet the river 1/2 the pot and opponent pushes and I really have to call as for the amount I have left in my stack I feel committed do they have the 88 or AA or JJ or 33 for a fullhouse, slow playing trips all along, NO THEY HAVE 10-8 of SPADES!!!

Why call pre-flop raise with two opponents, why call a 3x re-raise on the flop with nothing, not even a draw, why call a bet on the turn with 3rd pair after previous action arrrh just why! I was mad but console myself with the thought that this player will be profitable even he always plays that way as he'll miss so more often than he hits.

It was the 8s of hate again I had AA betting went something like raise 40c re-raise to 70c I re-raise it $2 fold call, so I think big pair or AK suited.

Flop 8Q3 I check opponent bets about $3 and I go over the top all in and get called by 89 off super turn 8 and I'm busted.

Got done again I re-raised the limped to £2 with KK guy with about $4 left re-raises all-in and I'm thinking possible AA hoping for a raise but with KK for $4 I give it a punt he has 66 needles to say he hits the flop for trips and wins, man I never feel that good about 66 versus a 20xBB raise. At best I might have called a seen a flop if I hit sure bet out but you can't be too confident ever with a 66 versus a huge pre-flop raise, especially when you only have $4 to call with.

Did get some pay back versus an opponent who always wanted to go to the river and had almost double up hitting 2 pairs by keeping in hands he was being lucky but as often happen people call down the loose player and he was winning some nice pots. By the time my turn came he was on the way down (win big loose big as happens to these guys) and had $6.50 left everyone limps I'm in the BB 45 suited flop rainbow but a very nice A32. I checked as does everyone except our villain who bet 10c which he had been doing if he hit a part of the flop, I called as did everyone else, Turn was a K putting 2 diamonds on the board I checked our vilain bets 10c, I bet 50c and everyone folded and he called, river a 8 - blank cards, I bet 50c and he goes all-in I call he has 2 pair A8's.

I knew it was a matter of time, as he'd ignored flush and straight draws in previous hands, but luck don't hold out in poker for ever, just wish I'd caught him when he had $17.

Bank Roll $214.34

Monday, 6 April 2009

Weekend Wins

Although the SNG Doubles are profitable, I find them boring. Good for building the bankroll up when I was low, but other than that not challenging enough.

Weekends are usually good for me and I put $50 in the bank over the weekend with just a few hours play over saturday evening and Sunday morning.

Had one guy bet off his entire stack of $8 to me with K3 suited, I raised with AQ hit the queen and this guy kept betting to the river on which I just called thinking he had to have something and turns out just an over card, wow, that was bad. Mind you I do find lot of new players will stick with an overcard or two even when the odds are against them and of course any ace is worth chasing.

I won a good hand versus a player I'd marked as good, I think he saw me as loose aggressive, I limped with AK off round to him on the button he raise to 40c and I called head ups. Flop K37 dry I checked he bet out 40c I flat called, turn A I checked again he bet 3/4 of the pot and I check raised him and he pushed river was a blank - he had AJ and I won a nice pot. I think he thought I'd called him pre-flop with perhaps a rag Ace or low pair and saw my limp as weakness.

Some good solid play got caught out once by a fullhouse to my straight when the player hit a 4 on the river to make his pocket 4's into a fullhouse.


Bank Roll $242.23