Tough Spot with TPGK 3 way on the BTN

UTG mini raises and I iso 3 bet on the BTN. SB CC and UTG calls. SB is a solid TAG who doesn't get out of line much preflop and postflop. UTG is a Loose Passive Donk who will call with almost any two preflop. This is at Cake Poker, no stats.

$0.5/$1 No Limit Holdem
5 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($110.75)
CO		($51.65)
Hero		($99.50)
SB		($182.50)
BB		($243.23)

Pre-flop: ($1.50, 5 players) Hero is BTN

UTG raises to $2, 1 fold, Hero raises to $6.50, SB calls $6, 1 fold, UTG calls $4.50

Flop: ($20.50, 3 players)
SB bets $12, UTG calls $12 BTN (Hero ?)


What do I do? Usually a lead is not very strong but I suspect that SB (Solid TAG) lead because he thought that it might get checked around when there is a 2 flush on the flop. UTG (Donkey) calls and it comes to me on the BTN.

Very tough spot. What do I do? Do I just flat this call and see what happens on the turn or do I reraise and just go with it. I'm willing to gamble with UTG (Donkey) but I don't like getting this in vs SB (Solid TAG).

I will post this hand on Leggo and CR.


As for grinding, I'm trying to hit 20k hands this month. I think I will get there because I'm running great right now. I'm really motivated to play and I'm finally out of the breakeven stretch. I'm up about 3 buyins overall now without rakeback/bonuses, which feels great.

I Play Very Very Bad

Wow, I was tilting so bad on this hand. It was also the last hand I played because I was waiting for the BB to hit me and was getting ready to go to work.

Villain was unknown but had seen me make hero calls post flop.

$0.5/$1 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

Hero		($166.60)
UTG+1		($155.20)
CO		($103.55)
BTN		($125.45)
SB		($209.45)
BB		($100.00)

Pre-flop: ($1.50, 6 players) Hero is UTG

Hero raises to $3.50, 3 folds, SB raises to $11.50, 1 fold, Hero calls $8

Preflop: Pure spew.

Flop: ($24, 2 players)
SB bets $24, Hero calls $24

I call hoping that villain is bluffing and will shut down on the turn and river.

Turn: ($72, 2 players)
SB goes all-in $173.95, Hero goes all-in $131.10

I call because there's no way that he shoves a big hand on the turn like that. Wouldn't he want a calling station to stay in the hand with a weak pair?

River: ($377.05, 2 players)

Wow, I got lucky. Villain had pock A

Final Pot: $334.20
Hero shows:

Hero wins $331.20 ( won +$164.60 )
SB lost -$209.45


Note to self: Don't play right before work because you will be playing too loose and make stupid hero calls.

Poker Update

I've been playing alot of poker. I've been breaking even for over 20k hands now at Cake Poker. Luckily for bonuses and rake back (close to $1k). Running terrible but in control with my emotions. I guess the hardest thing to do right now is to quit when I'm down 3 buyins or so. It's usually because I get bad beated or coolered and I want to stay and get it back from the donk. I've just got to discipline myself to quit for the day and do something else because the donk will be playing tighter/better postflop after sucking out.

I'm working very hard putting people on hand ranges preflop and postflop in order to extract max value. Check this hand out. This player probably played about 10 hands or so and he had been squeezing and 3 betting about 4/10 hands. Taking pots without showdown. I looked at his city and it said "Netherlands." I guess he's a aggro Euoropean so I was going to let him hang himself postflop. It's feels great to soul read him and followed through with my plan.

$0.5/$1 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($94.45)
UTG+1		($37.00)
CO		($167.25)
BTN		($100.20)
Hero		($102.90)
BB		($108.50)

Pre-flop: ($1.50, 6 players) Hero is SB

3 folds, BTN raises to $3.50, Hero calls $3, BB raises to $15, BTN folds, Hero calls $11.50

Flop: ($33.50, 2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $18.75, Hero calls $18.75

Turn: ($71, 2 players)
Hero checks, BB checks

River: ($71, 2 players)
Hero checks, BB goes all-in $74.75, Hero goes all-in $69.15

Final Pot: $209.30
Hero shows:
BB shows:

Hero wins $206.30 ( won +$103.40 )
BB lost -$108.50
BTN lost -$3.50

Here's another one. Another soul read. This player had been pushing all in preflop and postflop. I really think he was tilting for some reason so I was going to c/c atw.


Soul Read 2


I plan to just keep grinding and hopefully start running better. All I can really do is keep studying and improving my own play. I'll let the luck even out and my bankroll will increase so I can start taking shots at $200 nlhesh.

Oh yeah, the coaching with Matt didn't go through. He posted on 2plus2 saying that he's booked and won't be hosting a group session until he has more free time. I'll just keep looking for a coach for a reasonable price.

Possibly Hiring a Poker Coach and a interesting hand

I saw a post by Matt "Probability" Young and he was offering a 6 hour ($150 total) group lesson for 4 poker players. I pm Matt and he's currently trying to set up a group within 2 weeks.

I feel my game is very solid right now but I feel I can open it up a little and be more creative in extracting value postflop. So in order to do that, I need to develop hand reading and put villain on hand ranges.

Take this hand for example at Cake Poker.

$0.25/$0.5 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($22.35)
UTG+1		($92.80)
CO		($49.25)
Hero		($129.40)
SB		($26.10)
BB		($37.15)

Pre-flop: ($0.75, 6 players) Hero is BTN

3 folds, Hero raises to $1.75, 1 fold, BB calls $1.25

I open the BTN looking to steal from the tight blinds. Once he calls, I'm going to be firing almost any flop because villain will be c/f alot.

Flop: ($3.75, 2 players)
BB bets $3, Hero raises to $9, BB calls $6

Villain leads into me and I have gut shot str8 and a flush draw with one over. I have no idea what villain leads with but I was willing to raise/shove on this flop for stacks. Against a tight villain range, I'm probably going to be 50/50 and he might fold some of his hands that he leads with. So I guess that's +EV for me and I'll show a profit by raising his lead on this low flop.

Once Villain lead/calls, Villain def has a flush draw/made hand. Possibly slow playing a flop set but unlikely because he should want to get it in on this flop. Maybe even a overpair pock 7-9 and he's looking for a safe turn card to get it in on. I don't expect him to show up with pock 10+ because most sstacks would 3 bet preflop.

Turn: ($21.75, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

Once villain checks and I hit a pair, I check it down for pot control. I don't think villain would c/c anything I beat right now.

River: ($21.75, 2 players)
BB bets $8

I tried putting villain on a hand range when he lead into me. Villain could have 45,56,57,68, pock 2-9 and a higher flush. Rarely showing up with pock 10-A because most sstackers would 3 bet preflop.

What do you guys think? Shove for value on river or just call? Play any streets different?

Playing Much Better

I've been trying to follow my plan. I've been trying to get atleast 1 sweat a week and reviewing my sessions ASAP. I'm playing solid abc poker and my postflop decisions are way easier. I might be leaning on the weak tight side but it's okay for now because it's mainly against villains who are unknown. Once I have a read on them, I will go atw with tptk.

I have played over 10k hands since I made my last post. I'm probably down about 6 buyins (close to breakeven with bonus/rakeback) but I feel fine. I haven't felt this great about my game in a long time. My tptk, set, twopair are bound to hold up in the long run vs 2-9 outers.

Goal List

1) Play Solid abc poker
A)c bet Axx and Kxx flops vs loose passive, tight passive, tags.
a)c bet/fold if shown resistance

B)Do not slowplay flop monsters unless I have a sick read where I can induce a light call or bluff from Villain on the turn.

C)Play Tight OOP and play Looser IP.
a)Fold dominated hands OOP, make my post flop decisions easier.

D)Be the aggressor IP and stop being a calling station.

E)No Hero Calls without a very sick read. Let them have the pot and just fold.

2) Double Barrel only when a scare card hits the turn
A)double barrel/fold to villain check raises (90% this is a monster hand)

B)Do not triple barrel, villain will not fold 2nd or top pair.

C)Check behind marginal draws and marginal hands (tpwk, 2nd pair, A high etc.) onturn

3) 3 buyin stop loss for one day
A)No if or buts. Even if there is a megafish at the table. I need to leave because I will no longer be playing my A game and villain will be.

4)Review PT hands ASAP.
A)Review all big pots to see if I played it correctly

B)Tricky/tough hands needs to sent to peers or posted on forums for discussion

5)Watch atlast 2-3 videos/week and take note of concepts I can add to my game.

6)Discuss hand history/poker theory with peers.
A)Winthrop, Purple, Ian, Brian, Jason, Kevin, Alex, and anyone else that is free to talk.

B)Participate in at least 1 poker sweat/week.

I plan to read this list everyday for motivation. I feel that if I can follow everything I just wrote down, I should be winning again. This list is def a work in progress. I plan to add things and maybe even take things out.

Emo Self Talk and Reality Check

I've been thinking alot about my game. I've had the pleasure to talk to Purple (former CR member who posted alot), Screenw (Winthrop), Alex (DWarrior), Brian (Btimm), Kevin (Moniker), Jason (LuckySOB) and Ian (Ladymuck) about poker. Purple and Brian help me review my big PT hand losers. I just never reviewed it on my own because it made me want to vomit when I lost a big pot playing very very bad.

After the PT review, I found a lot of bad leaks. I think I tilt too much without realizing it. When I tilt, I play very loose aggressive and call down a lot with dominated hands. Which is a bad combination because I lose the max on 2nd best hands and win the min with my big hands.

Sadly, I will admit that I did chase losses and played higher than I should back in early June. I played a session of $200 nlhe hu and $400 nlhe hu and lost 100bb stacks in one long session. So there goes $600 bucks right there. I got bad beated and cooler but it doesn't matter. I shouldn't have been moving up to chase my losses. It's so embarrassing writing this but I will make it publicly because I bet a lot of players do this. I rationalize it by saying, "I'm only doing this for fun. If I lose it's no big deal." In reality, I play to win money and it's a big deal. I've been playing poker since summer of 2005 and I've been eye balling $200 since Dec 2006. That was when I realistically had a shot at winning there with a 6.5k bankroll. I had the bankroll but my skills weren't good enough to win there. Over the next 100k hands over a 1 year and a half. I slowly bled money away and here I am today. Still playing $50 and $100 nlhe sh. I'm probably 2ptbb/100 over 200k hands because I ran very hot my first 100k hands (probably 6ptbb/100).

I just have to admit to myself that I just don't work hard enough. I'm fortunate to know alot of good players like Purple, Brian, Ian and Jason. I've been trying to talk to another player I met on CR when I first joined back in 2006. His name at CR is screenw (Winthrop) and he's struggling just like me at low stakes. We've been setting up weekly poker sweat sessions and emailing each other hand histories. It's benefited me alot and I think I know what my biggest leak is. I go on autopilot too much. I don't put villains on hand ranges on every street. I go on tilt and play too aggressive and never fold draws/marginal hands.

I need to learn the art of the bed/fold and learn to let go of marginal hands like tpgk vs villains who never bluff. Especially when they c/c the flop and c/r the turn. That line right there is usually always two pairs or better. I've got the hand histories to prove it too because I never believed it til now.

The fact is, you get what you put into poker. Overall, I'm still a winning player over 200k hands. That gives me a little satisfaction but I haven't reached my goal that I set out for myself back when I took my shot at $200. It's been a year and a half now and I still haven't gotten back there.

I like to talk big but will I do it? In my mind, the answer is yes. However, I have to ask myself. Am I willing to do the hard work? As of right now, I say yes. I've been playing so bad now for over a year and a half, I'm kind of numb to the swings now. I've got to stick to fundamental poker. Play tight OOP and looser IP. Play aggressive and learn to fold marginal hands when shown resistance.

The difference between my blogs and others is that they actually do what they say. It makes sense why I'm still stuck at $50 and $100 nlhe sh and they are not.

I've gotta look in the mirror and tell myself that I have to give it 100% or else I'll be doom to lose forever in poker. As of right now, I don't even care when I get there. As long as I get there and beat it for a nice clip.

If you read it all, thanks for reading. Now I got to prove to myself that I seriously want to get better and start winning. I need to start making small goals for myself that I can actually reach and build momentum toward my biggest goal of winning at $200 nlhe sh.

1st goal, is to make a list of things I can realistically do to beat $50 nlhe sh. I'll think long and hard about that. Once the list is complete, I'll make a post on my blog and look at it everyday to remind myself what I need to do to get better.