Back on a Winning Track
I haven't played a lot of poker since returning from Indiana, I've had to sit and rebuild my roll a bit. I went to Ken Walker's house last week for his $60 tournament. I was down most of the game (kept losing to river cards), and finally busted when I put a hellacious bluff on Yosh for his whole stack and he couldn't let pocket 9's go on a board of 5-7-3 all clubs. I sat down at the cash game and ran my $150 up to about $225 when I got into a trainwreck with Matt G. and Grayday. I get dealt K7d in the small blind. Matt makes it $4 to go. I call, Grayday calls. Flop is J-4-3 with two diamonds. I check, Grayday checks, Matt bets $10. I call, Grayday calls. Turn 5h. Grayday leads out for $30. Matt G. shoves all-in $108. Grayday only has $49 behind and looks eager to put it in. I tank for a minute and call with my gutshot and flush draw. River 6s giving me straight. Matt turns over a set of 5's and Grayday had jacks with a heart flush draw and missed. Ship it! After that hand I played a lot of big pot poker. When I had a hand I hammered the pots, and people were folding to me all night. I laid an awesome river bluff on Eddie J for a good $100 pot with my pair of 2's (Q kicker, of course). I finally made it to an even $500 up and cashed out. I needed to book a win and this was enough for me to quit on.
I didn't play live again until last night. I hit Dave's for the deepstack tournament. My only two cashes at Dave's tournaments this year are in deepstacks, so I was feeling good about it. I even paid the $2 for the POY. I was doomed from the start. I got put at a table of calling stations who couldn't let hands go. Despite my efforts, people simply check-called all the way down. I made a huge misread on Pyxis for most of my stack (she flopped top set and I put her on missing the flop). I finally busted when I shoved with A9s and got called by AJ. After that debacle I bought into the cash game. I bought $100 and blinded off about half of that. I added on $80 more and plodded along. I finally got on track when I picked off Jewish Andy in a pot. He raised preflop to $4 and I called on the button with A9. The flop came 10-8-10 with 2 hearts. Andy c-bets $6 and I raise to $16. I am certain he doesn't have a 10, but he calls the raise. Turn is the Ah. Andy bets out $15. I now have Aces with a 9h flush draw. I call. River is a 9, Andy bets half my remaining stack ($28). I flat call and he says "I have a pair". I turn over A9 and scoop it. He said he had Q's but he didn't show it. After that I went on my run, scooping a bunch of decent sized pots. Grayday was blowing through chips, and I made sure to get my share of them. He was being so aggressive that El Diabl0 and I called him down on his river bets three separate times with only Ace high and won all three pots. He started steaming bad and lost a ton of chips trying to push us around. I cashed out +$400 at 3AM, he was still playing and the tournament was still going. Looks like my horrific streak may be ending, time to rebuild. Maybe Vegas in June after all?
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Drowning On The River(boat) ((WARNING: LONG POST))
Finally back from the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg IN for the WPT event. The casino is actually the nicest one in the Midwest area I'd say. The poker tables (both cash and tournament) are very nice, the poker room is efficiently run, and they comp you very well. Players get $1 an hour comps, plus if you sign up new for a players card you get a BOGO buffet and they give you a meal comp on your card. I didn't pay for a single meal on this trip.
Monday I got in early with the Meats and Mailman and decided to play some cash before the WPT tournament. I sat down at a newly opened $1-3-5 PLO table with $300. The play was surprisingly nitty for PLO, lot of unraised pots and check downs. I won only two pots. One guy straddled my BB and I called with J-9-8-7 double suited and flopped trip 9's. I checked to the straddle, he pots for $75 and one guy calls in between. I shove and both players fold. The other pot I raised preflop with AAKJ double suited, flopped top set and nut draw and didn't get any action. I floated for a while before getting 3-5-6-7 double suited in the BB. Flop is 5-6-7 with two of my suit. One guy pots, I call and guy behind me calls. Turn K gives me second flush draw. Guy bets again, I flat call as I know he's on a straight and I don't want to push him out of betting if I hit. River 2h, complete brick. I fold when he pots again and the guy behind me calls, they split pot with nut straight. I get stacked when I pot preflop with QQJ10, flop Q-J-9, get the money in and lose when a 10 drops and the guy next to me rolls over Broadway.
Off to the $340 tournament. When we sat down they announced that the blind levels were split, so instead of having 30 minutes of stud and then 30 minutes of Omaha we were having 15 minutes of each at that same blind level. So, level 1 was 15 minutes of $100-200 Omaha and 15 minutes of $25-100-200 Stud. This, in my opinion, was stupid. With only 15 minutes in each game we were getting roughly four hands of each per level. I was also seated at a table with a guy who had never played Stud (or any limit poker) before and had to be told what he could bet every time. Between him and the stud hands taking so long it became excruciating. The guy turned out to be a complete calling station, too. He had no idea what to do, so he simply called every bet all the way down and turned his hand up for the dealer to figure out what he had. By the dinner break he had over T30K and had eliminated a player and crippled me. He couldn't miss, at one point I advised him not to use the bathroom because the horseshoe up his ass might fall out. I posted a more detailed hand report on the tournament on the Meetup Site. I busted in Level 13 after a five way Omaha train wreck where Mr. Calling Station got half with a 3 out gutshot for high and the low got quartered. I was not unhappy with my play. I played patient, jammed pots when I was ahead, and escaped from several spots where I could've gotten stacked earlier. I didn't try to run anyone over and wasn't stealing or tilting, even after being crippled by idiocy. I simply couldn't make a hand hold up.
After that debacle I went back over to play cash. I sat down at $1/3 with $100 and decided to short stack my table. All the people there had at least $600 except for me and the guy to my left. There were a lot of black chips on our table. Hollywood is weird - the dealers have fully stocked trays but are not allowed to sell you chips out the tray, they're only for change and raking chips. You can buy chips off another player but not chips that are on the table. The chip runners take forever and often ignore the dealers calling for chips. Most of the regulars buy two or three buyins in black chips and keep them in their pocket so they can rebuy quickly rather than lope off to the cage for chips. Anyway, I played somewhat aggressive. I double up early when I flopped a pair of Aces and shoved on a guy with a flush draw. He missed and I rode my stack up to about $400 when I got train wrecked. Guy to my right button raises to $10. I call with KTc. BB calls. Flop K-9-5 two clubs. I bet out $15, both call. Turn 8c. I bet out $45. BB raises to $155. I call with the intention of check raising him all in on the river. River 5h. I check, he shoves. I was going to call when he took two black chips off his stack and tossed them in with a flourish. I had only seen him do this one other time, and that time he had the unforgiving nuts. I turned up the Kc and asked if my flush was good. He smiles and shows the Jc. I am then certain he has the Ac. I muck my flush and he shows the Ac. After that the pasting begins, I flop two pair and get mushed by a rivered set. My last hand I raise with 67d. Flop 5-7-8 two clubs. The girl at the end leads into me for $10 and I shove on her. She tanks and finally calls with 9-8. No straight and she stacks me. Frustrated, I leave.
After a comfortable night sleeping on the floor of the hotel room I choke down one of the worst breakfast meals of all time. Powdered eggs and lukewarm rubbery sausages. Ugh. Head back to Hollywood and give the $1/3 another go. I buy in for $200 and get to work. I am floating for a while when I get 77 on the button. Guy in the middle (who works brush for another card room) raises to $15. Three callers, I come in. Flop 8-3-8. Checks around to me, I check. Turn 7. BINGO~! Initial raiser bets $30. Action Jackson at the end of the table calls. I shove $160. Guy behind me can't call fast enough. Everyone else folds. I ask if I just got coolered and he doesn't answer. River is a blank and I roll over my 77. He flips up 88 and I am broke. I rebuy and piddle around until I get KK on the button. Raise preflop and Action Jackson calls. Flop A-6-4. He checks, I fire out a healthy c-bet. He immediately calls. I check the next card and he checks. River checks down and I know he called me with a shitty ace. I muck and am down to $40. A few hands later I get AJ on the button. Action Jackson limps, I open shove for $40. He snap calls. Board runs out Q-8-5-4-2 four clubs. He says no club and I turn up AJ. He rolls over KQ off and scoops. I put my final buyin on the table and am floating down to about $150 when I get K-9 suited on the button. Cutoff makes it $15. I call, flop is K-J-9 offsuit. Guy leads into me for $50. I consider Q-10 but decide he's pretty solid and wouldn't have raised with it. I shove in and he snap calls. Turn A. River K. I flip over the K when he turns up AA and scoops. After losing twice with full houses I decide it's time to quit.
The last week of poker has been the absolute worst in my live game history. I got bludgeoned at every turn, couldn't get a hand to hold up, and finally had to just give up. The only bright spots were a $100+ cashout at $3/6 limit whilst I was on break from the tournament, and a +$125 cashout from the Hold'em table game. I think it's time for me to take a break from cash poker and try to reorganize.
Finally back from the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg IN for the WPT event. The casino is actually the nicest one in the Midwest area I'd say. The poker tables (both cash and tournament) are very nice, the poker room is efficiently run, and they comp you very well. Players get $1 an hour comps, plus if you sign up new for a players card you get a BOGO buffet and they give you a meal comp on your card. I didn't pay for a single meal on this trip.
Monday I got in early with the Meats and Mailman and decided to play some cash before the WPT tournament. I sat down at a newly opened $1-3-5 PLO table with $300. The play was surprisingly nitty for PLO, lot of unraised pots and check downs. I won only two pots. One guy straddled my BB and I called with J-9-8-7 double suited and flopped trip 9's. I checked to the straddle, he pots for $75 and one guy calls in between. I shove and both players fold. The other pot I raised preflop with AAKJ double suited, flopped top set and nut draw and didn't get any action. I floated for a while before getting 3-5-6-7 double suited in the BB. Flop is 5-6-7 with two of my suit. One guy pots, I call and guy behind me calls. Turn K gives me second flush draw. Guy bets again, I flat call as I know he's on a straight and I don't want to push him out of betting if I hit. River 2h, complete brick. I fold when he pots again and the guy behind me calls, they split pot with nut straight. I get stacked when I pot preflop with QQJ10, flop Q-J-9, get the money in and lose when a 10 drops and the guy next to me rolls over Broadway.
Off to the $340 tournament. When we sat down they announced that the blind levels were split, so instead of having 30 minutes of stud and then 30 minutes of Omaha we were having 15 minutes of each at that same blind level. So, level 1 was 15 minutes of $100-200 Omaha and 15 minutes of $25-100-200 Stud. This, in my opinion, was stupid. With only 15 minutes in each game we were getting roughly four hands of each per level. I was also seated at a table with a guy who had never played Stud (or any limit poker) before and had to be told what he could bet every time. Between him and the stud hands taking so long it became excruciating. The guy turned out to be a complete calling station, too. He had no idea what to do, so he simply called every bet all the way down and turned his hand up for the dealer to figure out what he had. By the dinner break he had over T30K and had eliminated a player and crippled me. He couldn't miss, at one point I advised him not to use the bathroom because the horseshoe up his ass might fall out. I posted a more detailed hand report on the tournament on the Meetup Site. I busted in Level 13 after a five way Omaha train wreck where Mr. Calling Station got half with a 3 out gutshot for high and the low got quartered. I was not unhappy with my play. I played patient, jammed pots when I was ahead, and escaped from several spots where I could've gotten stacked earlier. I didn't try to run anyone over and wasn't stealing or tilting, even after being crippled by idiocy. I simply couldn't make a hand hold up.
After that debacle I went back over to play cash. I sat down at $1/3 with $100 and decided to short stack my table. All the people there had at least $600 except for me and the guy to my left. There were a lot of black chips on our table. Hollywood is weird - the dealers have fully stocked trays but are not allowed to sell you chips out the tray, they're only for change and raking chips. You can buy chips off another player but not chips that are on the table. The chip runners take forever and often ignore the dealers calling for chips. Most of the regulars buy two or three buyins in black chips and keep them in their pocket so they can rebuy quickly rather than lope off to the cage for chips. Anyway, I played somewhat aggressive. I double up early when I flopped a pair of Aces and shoved on a guy with a flush draw. He missed and I rode my stack up to about $400 when I got train wrecked. Guy to my right button raises to $10. I call with KTc. BB calls. Flop K-9-5 two clubs. I bet out $15, both call. Turn 8c. I bet out $45. BB raises to $155. I call with the intention of check raising him all in on the river. River 5h. I check, he shoves. I was going to call when he took two black chips off his stack and tossed them in with a flourish. I had only seen him do this one other time, and that time he had the unforgiving nuts. I turned up the Kc and asked if my flush was good. He smiles and shows the Jc. I am then certain he has the Ac. I muck my flush and he shows the Ac. After that the pasting begins, I flop two pair and get mushed by a rivered set. My last hand I raise with 67d. Flop 5-7-8 two clubs. The girl at the end leads into me for $10 and I shove on her. She tanks and finally calls with 9-8. No straight and she stacks me. Frustrated, I leave.
After a comfortable night sleeping on the floor of the hotel room I choke down one of the worst breakfast meals of all time. Powdered eggs and lukewarm rubbery sausages. Ugh. Head back to Hollywood and give the $1/3 another go. I buy in for $200 and get to work. I am floating for a while when I get 77 on the button. Guy in the middle (who works brush for another card room) raises to $15. Three callers, I come in. Flop 8-3-8. Checks around to me, I check. Turn 7. BINGO~! Initial raiser bets $30. Action Jackson at the end of the table calls. I shove $160. Guy behind me can't call fast enough. Everyone else folds. I ask if I just got coolered and he doesn't answer. River is a blank and I roll over my 77. He flips up 88 and I am broke. I rebuy and piddle around until I get KK on the button. Raise preflop and Action Jackson calls. Flop A-6-4. He checks, I fire out a healthy c-bet. He immediately calls. I check the next card and he checks. River checks down and I know he called me with a shitty ace. I muck and am down to $40. A few hands later I get AJ on the button. Action Jackson limps, I open shove for $40. He snap calls. Board runs out Q-8-5-4-2 four clubs. He says no club and I turn up AJ. He rolls over KQ off and scoops. I put my final buyin on the table and am floating down to about $150 when I get K-9 suited on the button. Cutoff makes it $15. I call, flop is K-J-9 offsuit. Guy leads into me for $50. I consider Q-10 but decide he's pretty solid and wouldn't have raised with it. I shove in and he snap calls. Turn A. River K. I flip over the K when he turns up AA and scoops. After losing twice with full houses I decide it's time to quit.
The last week of poker has been the absolute worst in my live game history. I got bludgeoned at every turn, couldn't get a hand to hold up, and finally had to just give up. The only bright spots were a $100+ cashout at $3/6 limit whilst I was on break from the tournament, and a +$125 cashout from the Hold'em table game. I think it's time for me to take a break from cash poker and try to reorganize.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Still Sliding The Wrong Way.
Short poker weekend this week, have to keep my bankroll intact for the WPT on Monday. I played Dave's last night and got horribly crushed. I bought into the tournament and ran my 8k up to 20k. I could actually feel the cards turn the other way. I lost 2k to Mailman in a three way pot, then lost about 8k to TK when he hit his 1 out set on me (which, of course, gave me two pair). I slid down some more before being moved twice in less than a round. I end up at Table 3 and it's playing really snug. I get pocket 7's UTG +1 and just open shove with them. Folds around to button who tanks and then calls with 10's. They are good. Down to 3200 and posted for 600 when I get J-10d. Pyxis raises and I can't just call, so I shove. She, of course, has Aces. I'm out, head to cash game.
I buy in for $100 in the $1/1 and run it up to $150 when I get into a hand with Dave's neighbor. He's been bragging all night about how he just won 20k on an instant lottery ticket, so you know he doesn't give a shit about the $100 in front of him. I raise preflop with AQ, flop is Q-2-7. He bets into me and I raise him all-in. He snap calls. His Q-2 holds up and I am now stuck. I lost the rest of my first buyin when Hacker raises preflop and I call with 9-7s. Flop 10s-8s-3. He c-bets and I shove. Snap call. Brick-brick and his pocket Jacks are good. I rebuy and run it back up to $200 when Dave sits down. He raises preflop and I call with 4-3c. Flop 7-4-7. He leads out for more than the pot. I have seen him do this before and it usually means he's on AK and missed. I take the turn which is a 5 giving me a gutshot also. He hesistates and shoves, and I call. River is a blank and he tables 8-8. I get AQ again, raise it up. Rich and Dave's neighbor call. Flop A-K-8 two diamonds. I c-bet, two callers. Turn is a 3. I bet out about $45 two callers. River is a 10. I check and Rich shoves. I fold and he shows A-10, hit his three outer. I lose the rest of that stack when I get AKd, Dave raises and I flat call. Rich re-raises and I shove. He says "Are my Kings good?" and you know what? They are. I rebuy for the last time and bleed off to about $50 when I get K9c. Rich makes it $7 and I call along with Dave's neighbor. Flop A-J-2 with 2 clubs. Rich bets $15, guy calls, and I shove. Two callers later and you just know what happened. Brick-brick, Dave's neighbor shows Q-10c and Rich's AJ is good. I decided to just get up and leave. I got crushed every time I started to get anything going, and it just wasn't my night. I decided to just conserve my roll in anticipation of the WPT event tomorrow.
I will be tweeting live updates from Indiana as I play the $300+$40 Stud 8/Omaha 8 event at WPT Hollywood. I will probably also play some of the cash games. We're going out Monday, staying overnight, and returning Tuesday. Stay tuned for a trip report and results in a special Wednesday edition of my blog.
Short poker weekend this week, have to keep my bankroll intact for the WPT on Monday. I played Dave's last night and got horribly crushed. I bought into the tournament and ran my 8k up to 20k. I could actually feel the cards turn the other way. I lost 2k to Mailman in a three way pot, then lost about 8k to TK when he hit his 1 out set on me (which, of course, gave me two pair). I slid down some more before being moved twice in less than a round. I end up at Table 3 and it's playing really snug. I get pocket 7's UTG +1 and just open shove with them. Folds around to button who tanks and then calls with 10's. They are good. Down to 3200 and posted for 600 when I get J-10d. Pyxis raises and I can't just call, so I shove. She, of course, has Aces. I'm out, head to cash game.
I buy in for $100 in the $1/1 and run it up to $150 when I get into a hand with Dave's neighbor. He's been bragging all night about how he just won 20k on an instant lottery ticket, so you know he doesn't give a shit about the $100 in front of him. I raise preflop with AQ, flop is Q-2-7. He bets into me and I raise him all-in. He snap calls. His Q-2 holds up and I am now stuck. I lost the rest of my first buyin when Hacker raises preflop and I call with 9-7s. Flop 10s-8s-3. He c-bets and I shove. Snap call. Brick-brick and his pocket Jacks are good. I rebuy and run it back up to $200 when Dave sits down. He raises preflop and I call with 4-3c. Flop 7-4-7. He leads out for more than the pot. I have seen him do this before and it usually means he's on AK and missed. I take the turn which is a 5 giving me a gutshot also. He hesistates and shoves, and I call. River is a blank and he tables 8-8. I get AQ again, raise it up. Rich and Dave's neighbor call. Flop A-K-8 two diamonds. I c-bet, two callers. Turn is a 3. I bet out about $45 two callers. River is a 10. I check and Rich shoves. I fold and he shows A-10, hit his three outer. I lose the rest of that stack when I get AKd, Dave raises and I flat call. Rich re-raises and I shove. He says "Are my Kings good?" and you know what? They are. I rebuy for the last time and bleed off to about $50 when I get K9c. Rich makes it $7 and I call along with Dave's neighbor. Flop A-J-2 with 2 clubs. Rich bets $15, guy calls, and I shove. Two callers later and you just know what happened. Brick-brick, Dave's neighbor shows Q-10c and Rich's AJ is good. I decided to just get up and leave. I got crushed every time I started to get anything going, and it just wasn't my night. I decided to just conserve my roll in anticipation of the WPT event tomorrow.
I will be tweeting live updates from Indiana as I play the $300+$40 Stud 8/Omaha 8 event at WPT Hollywood. I will probably also play some of the cash games. We're going out Monday, staying overnight, and returning Tuesday. Stay tuned for a trip report and results in a special Wednesday edition of my blog.
Friday, March 05, 2010
My Poker Weekend
My poker weekend started off just dandy. I decided to go to Pete's $1/1 game and play. When I got there it was $1/1 round by round hold'em and omaha. I lost my first buy-in to Meats when I raised with AQ, he re-raised with KK and I shoved. I flopped the nut flush draw and of course caught two bricks. Rebuy. Get my money in with a pair preflop in Omaha, flop a straight flush draw, and lose to Hiphop's dry pair of jacks on the river. Rebuy. Lost my third buyin when I misread Jesse in a hand, he was shoving and I thought he missed and called with a pair of 10's. No good. I decided to leave and head over to Gemini with a buyin. I run it up to $380 and then get snapped off for $130 in two hands. First I get 99, raise to $7. One caller. Flop 8-3-4. I bet $15, short stack makes it $25 more. I call. He says "Two pair" and then turns over 8-3 SUITED. Turn an 8. Then I get into an absolutely monstrous hand. I am in the BB with J-9. UTG makes it $10. Five callers. I call and take a flop. Flop 10-8-7 two spades. I check, initial raiser bets $15. Guy in the middle makes it $50. I shove $258. First guy calls off his last $40. Middle guy tanks...takes forever. He says "I know you have a straight...fuck it, I call". He rolls over a set of 7's and I am fucked. Turn 8 no waiting. I decide to leave after dropping $520 tonight. Everything I touched turned to shit, I couldn't hit a draw if I had to.
I decided to hit Dave's Saturday night and see if I could turn things around. I bought in the tournament short and tried to get going but couldn't really get a stack built. I finally took the add-on and ended up busting 30th. I couldn't hit a draw or get a hand to stand up, and I was constantly getting run over by sets. After I tapped out I decided to play NL instead of 8 game. Bought in $100, ran it up to about $400 when I got stabbed pretty hard by Matt G. I limped with 2's, flop was 2-3-5 two spades. Matt led out and I raised him. He called. Turn was a blank and he checked so I put him on a draw and shoved on him. He snap called and 4-6 was good. Lost about $150 there. Then I started playing frustrated when I got into a three way hand with Andrew and TK. TK raised preflop and I called with 6-5h, and Andrew called also. Flop was J-10-5 one heart. Andrew checks, TK bets. I call, Andrew calls. Turn is the Ah. Andrew bets out into TK. TK calls. I raise enough to put them both all-in. They both call. River 3h. I table my flush and Andrew shows JJ. TK mucks and I take a huge pot out of sheer frustration and luck. I had no logic for still being in the hand other than I was steaming and got lucky. After the usual beration for my poor play I tightened it back up. I was up and down a little more (ended up making trip 2's three times and losing all three, twice to 3 out boats). I finally cashed out +$426, taking my two day total to -$74 instead of -$500. I really need to work some more on controlling myself after I take a beat, I should probably be walking those off or something instead of continuing to play.
Headed over to Gemini to play some $1/2 for a bit. Bought in $245 (with tokes) and cashed out exactly $0. I had run it up to $711 at one point, and then the wheels came off of me. I picked off a $300 bluff and lost anyway when he hit his 2 outer on the turn. Got all the chips in three ways with top two and lost to the donkey straight. Etc, etc. Hands wouldn't hold up, my reads were way off, and I just generally played bad. One hand I have pocket 5's. Super nit guy makes it $10 preflop. Flop comes K-4-2 and guy slams $45 out, which is more than half what he has left. He's also moving tables next hand and I am sure he missed the flop. I raise him all-in, and the short stack behind me calls for less. Nit guy snap calls. Turn K. River 5. Ship it! He had aces, I horribly misread the hand and got lucky anyway. I never got AA or KK, had QQ twice and lost once with it, JJ once and lost, 10-10 once and lost, and none of my lower pairs tripped up. I did not make any straight draws, and only one flush (runner runner to boot).
I need to slow the fuck down, I am playing too fast. I think returning to internet poker and especially Rush Poker on Full Tilt are fucking up my live game. Ever since I returned to online I've done horribly IRL. I am going to quit internet poker again and see if I can turn my live game around. I want to be in good form for the WPT in two weeks, want to go and play the Stud 8/Omaha 8 mix event.
My poker weekend started off just dandy. I decided to go to Pete's $1/1 game and play. When I got there it was $1/1 round by round hold'em and omaha. I lost my first buy-in to Meats when I raised with AQ, he re-raised with KK and I shoved. I flopped the nut flush draw and of course caught two bricks. Rebuy. Get my money in with a pair preflop in Omaha, flop a straight flush draw, and lose to Hiphop's dry pair of jacks on the river. Rebuy. Lost my third buyin when I misread Jesse in a hand, he was shoving and I thought he missed and called with a pair of 10's. No good. I decided to leave and head over to Gemini with a buyin. I run it up to $380 and then get snapped off for $130 in two hands. First I get 99, raise to $7. One caller. Flop 8-3-4. I bet $15, short stack makes it $25 more. I call. He says "Two pair" and then turns over 8-3 SUITED. Turn an 8. Then I get into an absolutely monstrous hand. I am in the BB with J-9. UTG makes it $10. Five callers. I call and take a flop. Flop 10-8-7 two spades. I check, initial raiser bets $15. Guy in the middle makes it $50. I shove $258. First guy calls off his last $40. Middle guy tanks...takes forever. He says "I know you have a straight...fuck it, I call". He rolls over a set of 7's and I am fucked. Turn 8 no waiting. I decide to leave after dropping $520 tonight. Everything I touched turned to shit, I couldn't hit a draw if I had to.
I decided to hit Dave's Saturday night and see if I could turn things around. I bought in the tournament short and tried to get going but couldn't really get a stack built. I finally took the add-on and ended up busting 30th. I couldn't hit a draw or get a hand to stand up, and I was constantly getting run over by sets. After I tapped out I decided to play NL instead of 8 game. Bought in $100, ran it up to about $400 when I got stabbed pretty hard by Matt G. I limped with 2's, flop was 2-3-5 two spades. Matt led out and I raised him. He called. Turn was a blank and he checked so I put him on a draw and shoved on him. He snap called and 4-6 was good. Lost about $150 there. Then I started playing frustrated when I got into a three way hand with Andrew and TK. TK raised preflop and I called with 6-5h, and Andrew called also. Flop was J-10-5 one heart. Andrew checks, TK bets. I call, Andrew calls. Turn is the Ah. Andrew bets out into TK. TK calls. I raise enough to put them both all-in. They both call. River 3h. I table my flush and Andrew shows JJ. TK mucks and I take a huge pot out of sheer frustration and luck. I had no logic for still being in the hand other than I was steaming and got lucky. After the usual beration for my poor play I tightened it back up. I was up and down a little more (ended up making trip 2's three times and losing all three, twice to 3 out boats). I finally cashed out +$426, taking my two day total to -$74 instead of -$500. I really need to work some more on controlling myself after I take a beat, I should probably be walking those off or something instead of continuing to play.
Headed over to Gemini to play some $1/2 for a bit. Bought in $245 (with tokes) and cashed out exactly $0. I had run it up to $711 at one point, and then the wheels came off of me. I picked off a $300 bluff and lost anyway when he hit his 2 outer on the turn. Got all the chips in three ways with top two and lost to the donkey straight. Etc, etc. Hands wouldn't hold up, my reads were way off, and I just generally played bad. One hand I have pocket 5's. Super nit guy makes it $10 preflop. Flop comes K-4-2 and guy slams $45 out, which is more than half what he has left. He's also moving tables next hand and I am sure he missed the flop. I raise him all-in, and the short stack behind me calls for less. Nit guy snap calls. Turn K. River 5. Ship it! He had aces, I horribly misread the hand and got lucky anyway. I never got AA or KK, had QQ twice and lost once with it, JJ once and lost, 10-10 once and lost, and none of my lower pairs tripped up. I did not make any straight draws, and only one flush (runner runner to boot).
I need to slow the fuck down, I am playing too fast. I think returning to internet poker and especially Rush Poker on Full Tilt are fucking up my live game. Ever since I returned to online I've done horribly IRL. I am going to quit internet poker again and see if I can turn my live game around. I want to be in good form for the WPT in two weeks, want to go and play the Stud 8/Omaha 8 mix event.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Riding the rush, until the wheels fall off
So, I've been playing almost exclusively cash games lately. Last week at Gemini I went on the heater of a lifetime, cashing out for a new record (for me). I bought in for $255 ($200 + $25 fee + $30 in tokes over the course of the night). I sat down to play $1/2 and was hitting cards early. I raised from the cutoff with Q-10h and got two callers. Flop 10-10-8. I continuation bet, one call. Turn a Q. I check, kid behind me fires out $50. I raise him all-in and he dumps. I show the Q10 and am off and rolling. Over the course of the night I got dealt a ton of small pocket pairs and kept flopping sets. Some of the bigger hands: I get 6-6 in the SB. Button makes it $16 to go. He's been fairly conservative, but I am running hot so I call. Flop K-6-3. I check, he bets $35. I raise him to $100 even. He shoves in on me and I snap call. Turn? 6. Ship it! That pot was a hair over $700 total. A little later on, a really tight player makes it $21 to go preflop. I call with A3c and the guy behind me calls. Flop 2-4-5 offsuit. She puts $100 in. I raise all-in. Guy behind me calls off his last $30. She shoves her stack in. I table my straight, she shows AA, guy behind me has K3. Turn A. River a blank and I drag another huge pot despite splitting the main with the guy behind me. I dragged a bunch more smaller pots before getting moved to the main table. I finally felt the rush dropping off and lost about $160 back before getting up and leaving with $1600.
I went back a few days later and took a stab at the $2/5 table. I bought in for $450 and had it up to about $700 before getting mushed by Kai and his Q2. I finally busted out with AQ when I shoved into a guy with KK. Oops. I took a few days off and went back to play this last Friday. When I got there, there was a $1/3 PLO going but no seats, so I took a $1/2 NL seat. I ran my $200 up to about $300 before getting moved. I played for about 2 hours and dragged only two pots. The first was when I got a short stack all-in with my nut flush/gutshot draw and hit the straight. The second hand was completely idiotic on my part. I had 8-5-5-4 with the 5-4d. Bunch of limpers, BB makes it $15. A few callers, I call as well. Flop J-6-5 offsuit. I check with the intention of check-raising the loose player who raised, but he checks also. The tightest guy at the table pots it for $75. I immediately think JJ but I want to see if the turn helps me or not. Turn Kd for diamond draw also. I check, he shoves all-in. I am frustrated and a little stuck, and I don't even stop to consider pot odds or anything. I snap call. River 5. Quads, sirs. I roll it over and the guy explodes, showing his JJ and berating my awful play. That particular guy ended up making three nut boats that night and losing all three hands to quads. Sick.
I bleed down a bit and decide to go play $1/2NL since I can't get a hand to stick. The floor moves me to a brand new table and I run up my $200 to about $300 when our table breaks. They ask if I want to go back to the $1/3 and I do. With some different players I start on my rush. I pick off a few bluffs and cash out about $600 ahead. I couldn't play Saturday so I decided to head back yesterday (Sunday) and take another run at the PLO. There wasn't a table going so I ended up at $1/2 with Hiphop. On my third hand I flopped the nut straight and checked. Guy behind me bets $35 and gets two callers. I slam it all-in and take it down. Finally I get my PLO seat and get rolling. I am down early, including losing my first buyin to Sammy when I flopped a set of Q's and lost to his 2 out broadway straight on the turn. I rebuy for $200 and am down to about $150 when I turn a J high straight and fade three guys with draws to drag in about $300. I plod along for a bit, hitting Q's full and getting two guys with two pair to pay off my $45 bet. I then get into my PLO hand of the year so far. I get 9-7-7-4 with the 74s from the button. Family pot, flop is AJ7 with two spades. The hillbilly on the end (complete with coveralls) bets the pot. Sammy just calls. I call. Turn is the 9d. (two spades two diamonds now). Hillbilly pots again, Sammy just calls. I call. River 6c. Hillbilly shoves his last $95 in. Sammy flat calls. I tank. I am relatively sure the hillbilly was on spades and missed. Sammy's flat call confuses me. All night when he had the nuts he would re-pot instantly. The only hands I am afraid of are JJ and 10-8. I doubt Sammy has JJ because he would've re-potted the flop. I rule out 10-8 because he didn't re-pot the river. I finally call and table my set. Sammy shows AJ and the hillbilly mucks and I drag a HUGE pot. I play two more rounds and cash out up $500 (plus a massage) for the evening.
This weekend is going to be a big poker weekend for me, stay tuned for updates.
So, I've been playing almost exclusively cash games lately. Last week at Gemini I went on the heater of a lifetime, cashing out for a new record (for me). I bought in for $255 ($200 + $25 fee + $30 in tokes over the course of the night). I sat down to play $1/2 and was hitting cards early. I raised from the cutoff with Q-10h and got two callers. Flop 10-10-8. I continuation bet, one call. Turn a Q. I check, kid behind me fires out $50. I raise him all-in and he dumps. I show the Q10 and am off and rolling. Over the course of the night I got dealt a ton of small pocket pairs and kept flopping sets. Some of the bigger hands: I get 6-6 in the SB. Button makes it $16 to go. He's been fairly conservative, but I am running hot so I call. Flop K-6-3. I check, he bets $35. I raise him to $100 even. He shoves in on me and I snap call. Turn? 6. Ship it! That pot was a hair over $700 total. A little later on, a really tight player makes it $21 to go preflop. I call with A3c and the guy behind me calls. Flop 2-4-5 offsuit. She puts $100 in. I raise all-in. Guy behind me calls off his last $30. She shoves her stack in. I table my straight, she shows AA, guy behind me has K3. Turn A. River a blank and I drag another huge pot despite splitting the main with the guy behind me. I dragged a bunch more smaller pots before getting moved to the main table. I finally felt the rush dropping off and lost about $160 back before getting up and leaving with $1600.
I went back a few days later and took a stab at the $2/5 table. I bought in for $450 and had it up to about $700 before getting mushed by Kai and his Q2. I finally busted out with AQ when I shoved into a guy with KK. Oops. I took a few days off and went back to play this last Friday. When I got there, there was a $1/3 PLO going but no seats, so I took a $1/2 NL seat. I ran my $200 up to about $300 before getting moved. I played for about 2 hours and dragged only two pots. The first was when I got a short stack all-in with my nut flush/gutshot draw and hit the straight. The second hand was completely idiotic on my part. I had 8-5-5-4 with the 5-4d. Bunch of limpers, BB makes it $15. A few callers, I call as well. Flop J-6-5 offsuit. I check with the intention of check-raising the loose player who raised, but he checks also. The tightest guy at the table pots it for $75. I immediately think JJ but I want to see if the turn helps me or not. Turn Kd for diamond draw also. I check, he shoves all-in. I am frustrated and a little stuck, and I don't even stop to consider pot odds or anything. I snap call. River 5. Quads, sirs. I roll it over and the guy explodes, showing his JJ and berating my awful play. That particular guy ended up making three nut boats that night and losing all three hands to quads. Sick.
I bleed down a bit and decide to go play $1/2NL since I can't get a hand to stick. The floor moves me to a brand new table and I run up my $200 to about $300 when our table breaks. They ask if I want to go back to the $1/3 and I do. With some different players I start on my rush. I pick off a few bluffs and cash out about $600 ahead. I couldn't play Saturday so I decided to head back yesterday (Sunday) and take another run at the PLO. There wasn't a table going so I ended up at $1/2 with Hiphop. On my third hand I flopped the nut straight and checked. Guy behind me bets $35 and gets two callers. I slam it all-in and take it down. Finally I get my PLO seat and get rolling. I am down early, including losing my first buyin to Sammy when I flopped a set of Q's and lost to his 2 out broadway straight on the turn. I rebuy for $200 and am down to about $150 when I turn a J high straight and fade three guys with draws to drag in about $300. I plod along for a bit, hitting Q's full and getting two guys with two pair to pay off my $45 bet. I then get into my PLO hand of the year so far. I get 9-7-7-4 with the 74s from the button. Family pot, flop is AJ7 with two spades. The hillbilly on the end (complete with coveralls) bets the pot. Sammy just calls. I call. Turn is the 9d. (two spades two diamonds now). Hillbilly pots again, Sammy just calls. I call. River 6c. Hillbilly shoves his last $95 in. Sammy flat calls. I tank. I am relatively sure the hillbilly was on spades and missed. Sammy's flat call confuses me. All night when he had the nuts he would re-pot instantly. The only hands I am afraid of are JJ and 10-8. I doubt Sammy has JJ because he would've re-potted the flop. I rule out 10-8 because he didn't re-pot the river. I finally call and table my set. Sammy shows AJ and the hillbilly mucks and I drag a HUGE pot. I play two more rounds and cash out up $500 (plus a massage) for the evening.
This weekend is going to be a big poker weekend for me, stay tuned for updates.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)