Mainly blogging these because of the $5 HU. The $2 I could have played better, mainly making calls when I should have folded. Cards also didn't fall my way, but I didn't help that any with my overall play.
The $5 I had a pretty aggressive player who liked to show me his not so good pocket cards when I folded to his bets. He did tend to bluff and I did get caught a couple of times. Hand 4 I was knocked down to 820 chips when he paired a 9 on the River to my Ace high with the board paired twice.
Hand 8 I ended up calling his bluff and winning. As the SB I had 1190 chips w/98o, I O-R 2 BB and he RR me to 3 BB, I called. Flop 10h 9h 3d. He bet 200 into the 240 pot and I decided to raise him to 400 to see how serious he was. Though I'd paired my 9, I was hoping he'd fold. He called. Turn 6d. He checked and I checked. River 10c. I wasn't happy with that but I didn't feel he had a 10. He bets All-In w/ 1280 chips. I think about it a bit, and partly based on his earlier play, I decide to call. He only had Ac Js. I win and he's down to 600 chips. Things are looking up for me. He goes into a continual All-In bet or raise mode.
Hand 12. I have KcJc as SB and O-R 2 BB, he RR All-In with 680. I call. He shows Jh 10c. Looks good for me, K vs 10. Flop 7c 5s 4s. So far so good. Turn 10h. Rats! River 8c. He doubles up and is back in this session. :-/
Hand 15. I'm the BB w/AQs and 1870 chips. He O-R 3 BB and I RR to 150. He RR's All-In and I call. He has pocket 2's and they hold up. I'm down to 800 chips. :-/ Next hand I take a chance he is bluffing again, and one more time I end up correct.
Hand 16. I'm SB w/T9o, 785 chips and O-R 2 BB, he calls. Flop Kh Jh Qh. I have a straight but no hearts. BB checks and I bet the pot of 120 hoping he folds, but he calls. Turn 6h. Nuts, now he only needs one heart to have the flush. He checks and I check. Not sure, but I'm pretty sure that means he doesn't have the flush. River 6s. He goes All-In. I think about it and still feel I most likely have the best hand, and if not, well, that's the way it goes. I call. He shows 8s Js. I win and am back in the session w/1600 chips.
Hand 18. I'm SB w/KTo and 1575 chips. I O-R 2 BB and he calls. Flop 9h 4s Kh. My K is paired. He checks and I check. Turn 9d. The board is now paired. He bets 90 into the 120 pot and I decide to raise him to 180; he RR's me to 270 and I call. Not a good sign for me. River 6h. He bets 630 into the 660 pot. I don't like that, but he has bluffed before, so I decide to call him and he shows 8c 9s, having hit trip 9's on the Turn. I'm now down to 580 chips. :-/
I play cautiously and try not fall into his baiting traps. Hand 24 I have AJs. Turn and River are AA and I beat his AJo. I'm up to 920 chips. Hand 39 I'm disappointed he folds as the SB when I have QQ. Hand 40 I have pocket 5's and hit my set on the Flop. I slow play them and bet the 320 pot on the River, win and now have the lead once again with 1530 chips.
Hand 42. Another chancy hand when he goes All-In on the River with the board showing 3s Ad 2d Kd Jd. I have Kh 8d. I have the flush but only 8 high. Again I decide he likely is bluffing and call. Indeed he was with Qc 3c. He's down to 100 chips and things are looking very UP for me!! :-)
Hand 43. I have K9o vs K5o for him. I pair my 9 on the flop and it holds I win.
Being patience and willing to take chances when I could have the winning hand, based on how he often was playing (he showed me a lot of poor pocket cards he'd big bet on) , paid off. Yes he could have had the goods on those calls but I felt I needed to take that gamble to win against him.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
3 HU sessions $2 + .15 lost 1, won 2 , 81, 8, & 13 hands
One was yesterday. I intended to play more poker but didn't get around to it. The other two I did this morning and was an experiment of playing two HU at a time. Not really my cup of tea. My need to act comes all to quick and I barely get to see the cards and pick up very little on how the other player is playing. It was nice to win those two though.
The session yesterday had mixed play.Things were going OK until hand 30. I was BB w/3c 8c and SB limped in. Flop 5c Ac 3d. I pair my 3 and have a flush draw with very weak hole cards. I bet 1/2 the pot to see if there is any action and the SB calls, which at this low level doesn't tell very much, except likely he doesn't have an Ace. Turn Js. I decide to check and SB bets the pot of 120. I decide to call, though I did so reluctantly. River 8h. I now have two pair, so if the SB paired with the J on the Turn, I'll be in good shape. I decide to just check and the SB bets the pot again. Feeling I'm in pretty good shape I call. SB shows Jd 3s having hit a better two pair on the Turn. That hurt.
I bounced up and down hitting a high around 1240 and low around 600. Hand 78 I decided to take a chance on a low card flush calling the BB bets and lost to a K high flush. That knocked me down to 240 chips and I didn't recover from that. Obviously I could have made better choices!
The session yesterday had mixed play.Things were going OK until hand 30. I was BB w/3c 8c and SB limped in. Flop 5c Ac 3d. I pair my 3 and have a flush draw with very weak hole cards. I bet 1/2 the pot to see if there is any action and the SB calls, which at this low level doesn't tell very much, except likely he doesn't have an Ace. Turn Js. I decide to check and SB bets the pot of 120. I decide to call, though I did so reluctantly. River 8h. I now have two pair, so if the SB paired with the J on the Turn, I'll be in good shape. I decide to just check and the SB bets the pot again. Feeling I'm in pretty good shape I call. SB shows Jd 3s having hit a better two pair on the Turn. That hurt.
I bounced up and down hitting a high around 1240 and low around 600. Hand 78 I decided to take a chance on a low card flush calling the BB bets and lost to a K high flush. That knocked me down to 240 chips and I didn't recover from that. Obviously I could have made better choices!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
2 HU $5 + .50 End 1st 47 Hands
Been awhile since I've posted but a few thoughts passed through my mind while playing this session. As a brief catch-up I've been on a mostly downward spiral since about mid December when my bankroll hit a high of around $417 and I was feeling pretty good about seeing it get even bigger. Now I'm just over $300.
A good chunk of it is do RUSH that I still fall into the pattern of win little, lose big. Though mostly due to poor choices on my part there were a few bad beats as well. Some days it seems the cards just don't go my way and I let that put me into a down, funky mindset. Not good!! Sometimes that seems to bother me more than some of the costly, stupid plays I make, that I know better than to make! Noticing that down feeling in the Rush session, during one my semi-breaks (catching up marking were players are from) and keeping track on Poker Tracker if I'm up or down (yes I know it's suppose to be how I play the cards, but I feel better knowing where my $$$ are going, in part to know if it's probably best I stop playing at that point), I remembered from some of our guru sessions he had us start talking about how our week went, to begin with a positive affirmation. I have one in the front of my poker record book but for some time now haven't been checking it out before I start play, including this morning. Anyway the other night, when I was feeling on tilt before the next 25-50 hands I decided to read it: "I am a lucky person and a skillful, winning poker player. A powerful, winning force surrounds me." It does help quiet those doldrums and lets me concentrate on my play and not my negative feelings.
Anyway back to why I decided to make a post after that HU game this morning. Two items I believe.
1) I pay attention to the other players moves, particularly how often they fold, and when I get a chance to see them, what kind of cards they are playing when they make moves. I often find players fold pre-flop or fold if I make a bet (small or large), then boom they'll make a bet, maybe a big one. That suggest to me they have something and if the board shows a likely straight or flush possibility, I'd better be able to beat it if I'm going to call their bet. What I find myself doing, all to often, is loving my good pocket cards (JJ-AA, AK, AQ), or maybe I've hit two pair on the Turn or the River and I can't let go of them and call, and of course, take a big hit, or I'm gone. This happened today and I had been remarking to myself about how I need to remember that this player is folding a lot and if he bets I need to remember that it means likely he has something, BUT when the time came where I should fold on the Turn and then on the River, I let those thoughts disappear from my mind.
Hand 16, blinds 10/20, I have 1770 chips, they have 1210. I'm on the BTN/SB with Q7o and make my often 2 BB O-R in this situation with almost any two cards in HU. BB calls. Flop 2s Qd 6s, I pair my Q but don't have a very good kicker. We both check; I didn't want to push anything yet. Turn 5s. I now also have a flush draw with a low high card. BB checks and I bet 1/2 the pot (40) and he raises me to 200. That's a flag indicating he has something and I wonder if he might have the flush and if he does and I hit the flush on the River could he beat my 7 high (very likely) and Call. River Kd. I don't hit the flush and now a paired K would beat me. BB bets the pot of 480. Another BIG flag to me. I don't think he has a K but there's an awfully good chance he has the flush that I can't beat. Do I listen to myself???? NO. I call and he shows As Qs, the nut flush that he hit on the Turn. I'm knocked down to 1050 chips. Not critical, but that was an unnecessary loss of chips for me.
2) This one was just a reminder to myself on the importance of having a good kicker!! Last hand.
Hand 47. Blinds 20/40, I have 1745 chips, SB 1195. I have Kh 3h. SB limps in for 40 and I check. Flop: 9s 3c 3d. How nice, I have trip 3's!! I decide to check to see what the SB will do, hoping he bets so I can call him without showing the strength of my hand, and he obliges by betting the pot of 80 and I call. Now what I didn't do at this point (as noted in point 1) is consider what he may be betting on. I make a general assumption that he has some kind of decent pair, I don't think at all of his maybe having hit a set with the 9; I only thought about MY hand MY cards!! Turn 10d. I check and he bets the pot again (240). Per my plan I only call. I worry a bit that he might have a diamond flush draw but I'm still married to my trip 3's. River 2s. I feel good about that card and I'm expecting to win this one!! I decide to bet almost 1/2 the 720 pot (320) as now is the time I want to act and get as many of his chips as I can. He raises me all-in with his last 855 chips and I instant call. Now why would he do that if he doesn't feel he has the winning hand? Why didn't I consider what he might have? He doesn't make bets when he doesn't have the goods.
Now I think that even if I had gone through this thought process I'd still have called. At this point I'm pretty much pot committed but if can get away from it I would still have a decent chip stack, where if I lose I'll be crippled with only 570 chips and blinds soon going up to the next level.
Maybe you're wondering what all this had to do with having a decent kicker, aren't you? Well, he had what I hadn't even considered. He had trip 3's too and also a decent kicker, but only a Q. So I won. In part I was lucky he didn't have an Ace. When I hit trips it's always hard for me to remember that someone else may have hit them too and I'd better have a good kicker when I find them challenging me.
A good chunk of it is do RUSH that I still fall into the pattern of win little, lose big. Though mostly due to poor choices on my part there were a few bad beats as well. Some days it seems the cards just don't go my way and I let that put me into a down, funky mindset. Not good!! Sometimes that seems to bother me more than some of the costly, stupid plays I make, that I know better than to make! Noticing that down feeling in the Rush session, during one my semi-breaks (catching up marking were players are from) and keeping track on Poker Tracker if I'm up or down (yes I know it's suppose to be how I play the cards, but I feel better knowing where my $$$ are going, in part to know if it's probably best I stop playing at that point), I remembered from some of our guru sessions he had us start talking about how our week went, to begin with a positive affirmation. I have one in the front of my poker record book but for some time now haven't been checking it out before I start play, including this morning. Anyway the other night, when I was feeling on tilt before the next 25-50 hands I decided to read it: "I am a lucky person and a skillful, winning poker player. A powerful, winning force surrounds me." It does help quiet those doldrums and lets me concentrate on my play and not my negative feelings.
Anyway back to why I decided to make a post after that HU game this morning. Two items I believe.
1) I pay attention to the other players moves, particularly how often they fold, and when I get a chance to see them, what kind of cards they are playing when they make moves. I often find players fold pre-flop or fold if I make a bet (small or large), then boom they'll make a bet, maybe a big one. That suggest to me they have something and if the board shows a likely straight or flush possibility, I'd better be able to beat it if I'm going to call their bet. What I find myself doing, all to often, is loving my good pocket cards (JJ-AA, AK, AQ), or maybe I've hit two pair on the Turn or the River and I can't let go of them and call, and of course, take a big hit, or I'm gone. This happened today and I had been remarking to myself about how I need to remember that this player is folding a lot and if he bets I need to remember that it means likely he has something, BUT when the time came where I should fold on the Turn and then on the River, I let those thoughts disappear from my mind.
Hand 16, blinds 10/20, I have 1770 chips, they have 1210. I'm on the BTN/SB with Q7o and make my often 2 BB O-R in this situation with almost any two cards in HU. BB calls. Flop 2s Qd 6s, I pair my Q but don't have a very good kicker. We both check; I didn't want to push anything yet. Turn 5s. I now also have a flush draw with a low high card. BB checks and I bet 1/2 the pot (40) and he raises me to 200. That's a flag indicating he has something and I wonder if he might have the flush and if he does and I hit the flush on the River could he beat my 7 high (very likely) and Call. River Kd. I don't hit the flush and now a paired K would beat me. BB bets the pot of 480. Another BIG flag to me. I don't think he has a K but there's an awfully good chance he has the flush that I can't beat. Do I listen to myself???? NO. I call and he shows As Qs, the nut flush that he hit on the Turn. I'm knocked down to 1050 chips. Not critical, but that was an unnecessary loss of chips for me.
2) This one was just a reminder to myself on the importance of having a good kicker!! Last hand.
Hand 47. Blinds 20/40, I have 1745 chips, SB 1195. I have Kh 3h. SB limps in for 40 and I check. Flop: 9s 3c 3d. How nice, I have trip 3's!! I decide to check to see what the SB will do, hoping he bets so I can call him without showing the strength of my hand, and he obliges by betting the pot of 80 and I call. Now what I didn't do at this point (as noted in point 1) is consider what he may be betting on. I make a general assumption that he has some kind of decent pair, I don't think at all of his maybe having hit a set with the 9; I only thought about MY hand MY cards!! Turn 10d. I check and he bets the pot again (240). Per my plan I only call. I worry a bit that he might have a diamond flush draw but I'm still married to my trip 3's. River 2s. I feel good about that card and I'm expecting to win this one!! I decide to bet almost 1/2 the 720 pot (320) as now is the time I want to act and get as many of his chips as I can. He raises me all-in with his last 855 chips and I instant call. Now why would he do that if he doesn't feel he has the winning hand? Why didn't I consider what he might have? He doesn't make bets when he doesn't have the goods.
Now I think that even if I had gone through this thought process I'd still have called. At this point I'm pretty much pot committed but if can get away from it I would still have a decent chip stack, where if I lose I'll be crippled with only 570 chips and blinds soon going up to the next level.
Maybe you're wondering what all this had to do with having a decent kicker, aren't you? Well, he had what I hadn't even considered. He had trip 3's too and also a decent kicker, but only a Q. So I won. In part I was lucky he didn't have an Ace. When I hit trips it's always hard for me to remember that someone else may have hit them too and I'd better have a good kicker when I find them challenging me.
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