Went to River Roy's tournament on Thursday, October 17th. It's a blur really. Loosened up my game a bit from the first outing there, got a big hand with a set of 9's and cracked one player to coast to the final table. Couple of bad beats and all-ins here and there and I was heads up with the big stack. Called his bluff and took a big chunk of his stack, and we decided to chop after that. The night went by too fast to really recall too much. Decent night.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Here We Go - Belterra - $250/$100
I've decided to keep a track on my game. I think it's essential, a learning platform; something to reference and build off of for future bad bea... uh games.
Last night was tough. I knew before even sitting at the table I was not mentally prepared to play. Then I had a very bad run of cards that lasted for a few hours, so I had no game plan, no strategy, and basically no chance winning.
There were two quite loose players at the table, one being an older gentleman (I will name him Hank) who was a big stack and seemed to be in the mind frame that he was just happy to play any hand from there on out because of his fortunate chip accumulation. I was dealt 6x6x, I don't remember what position. I raised pre-flop and was only called by Hank. By this time I hadn't done much of anything and was basically viewed as a rock, and he verbally expressed it. Post-flop I came out shooting with what I believe was middle pair, my pocket 6's. He took a moment and called as expected. Again, on the turn I still maintained middle pair and shot out again, mainly out of frustration of not having anything all night. Hank studied the board, and then asked me if he laid down his hand would I show my cards... By this time I figured I was good, maybe not the best hand, but psychologically I had won. I agreed because I didn't want to entice him into playing into me because with my luck so far I didn't feel like I would have the best hand if we had to showdown. He laid down pocket 9's. I showed my pocket 6's, got a few chuckles from Hank, and maybe a little respect.
For the next hour or two, I had a few decent hands. Each time I would raise, and normally get one or two callers. All night I had a tight image, so I rolled with that and always fired hard post-flop. Unfortunately no matter how hard I stabbed at the pot, even firing strong again on the turn, I would get calling stations who called me all the way down with top pair. Lesson learned... My guess is average players put a lot of weight on almost any pair, especially top or middle pair.
My miscues with the over aggressive play post-flop left me short stacked and in a miserable state. I was nearly on tilt, and I began to limp in on almost any hand that presented itself cheap. A player to my right (Michael) had played loose earlier in the night but changed gears and became extremely tight... Playing the cards or a certain method, I'm not sure. I had 6s7s I believe, and post-flop I was presented with a flush and open-ended straight draw. Michael bet out a normal bet, everyone folds and I call. I complete my straight on the turn, finally fist pumping in the inside and thanking God for finally having something....anything. He bets again, I just call. On the river is I believe a second 8 on the board. He bets out strong, I re-raise all-in by this time, figuring this is the time to do it. He instantly calls and shows a set of 8's, the river couldn't have been better for me. I gleefully slam down my straight and finally breathed a sigh of relief. I was halfway back to even.
The next major hand I was in was with pocket A's! I raised as usual, and got only caller, and older guy who was playing fairly tight so I didn't expect much value from this hand. I flopped a set but I didn't get too excited because I didn't think he would stick around in the hand. I bet a moderate amount to just represent a continuation bet, and he called. On the turn I checked to try to represent weakness as if he called my bluff bet post-flop like I was just trying to buy the pot. He bets at my check and I try to ham it up a little on the acting and then slow call. On the river I bet out figuring checking would be the wrong idea because he's very keen to just checking it down now because I called his bet on the turn. Thankfully he wanted to see what I had and called, my set was good and he mucked. At this time I was nearly back to $250 and feeling pretty good.
But that aaaaaall changes :b.
It's getting towards the end of the night and I'm fairly tired so I'm only either going in with optimal starting hands or limping in late position, not doing anything crazy, I'm happy to squeak out of here even after the night of cards I'd got. I have QcJc and call the sick (Literally and figuratively) player to my right raise, everyone else folds. The flop is XxQxKx. He bets out small, I call. The turn is Jx. At this point I figure I'm good, I put him on a King only so I only call hoping to extract some more chips from him by playing meek. The river is a K, the ugliest freaking card I could see. He checks and I immediately check back knowing he's slow playing his ridiculous good fortune. It's a pot that was around $50 that would torment me, I felt like it should have been mine and would have actually made the night profitable. It really bothered me, especially since this sick player was getting an amazing run of cards and he was just drunk. The only thing I can take away from this hand is knowing that I read my opponent right and didn't pay him off anymore than he deserved.
Sigh... and now the last hand of the night, literally. At this point, I'm still just teaming over the set of K's. I'm praying for a hand to play with, I ready to shoot out at this mother. I get pocket 10's. I raise $25. I get about five callers, which still surprised me even though it was the final hand, I didn't expect so many fanatics. Post-flop there is only one over on the board, a Jx. I fire strong again, around $40 I believe. Everyone folds except two, the first only calling and then the second going all-in. Wow. I was in disbelief. The guy was playing tight all night, I didn't not put him on anything but a lucky phenomenal hand. I laid my head straight on the table and mucked my cards. The other caller did as well and this jerk shows 7x2x!!! WOW. I would have never guessed this guy to make such a move. Every bone in my body wishes I could go back and play that hand smart, make the proper read, and called him down. Sure, it would have been an astronomically hard call to make, but the more that I think about it the more it seemed to make sense. With a move like that, post-flop, last hand of the night, and the guy hadn't been getting much down it should have seemed fishy. The only possibilities I imagine are he hit his top pair, the jack, he's holding two of the possible three over cards and hoping to push people out or get called and hit his over card, or is completely bluffing. In a situation like that, I should have really weighed my options with a made pocket hand. I believe the correct move would have been to go all-in post-flop. I may have been called by the first caller who I believe had the jack, but since he folded to the raiser's all-in I still may have been good and pushed him out, and especially pushed out the original all-in raise. Oh well.
After that torture session I left $150 down for the night, a roller coaster ride from start to finish. But I gained a lot of insight.
Last night was tough. I knew before even sitting at the table I was not mentally prepared to play. Then I had a very bad run of cards that lasted for a few hours, so I had no game plan, no strategy, and basically no chance winning.
There were two quite loose players at the table, one being an older gentleman (I will name him Hank) who was a big stack and seemed to be in the mind frame that he was just happy to play any hand from there on out because of his fortunate chip accumulation. I was dealt 6x6x, I don't remember what position. I raised pre-flop and was only called by Hank. By this time I hadn't done much of anything and was basically viewed as a rock, and he verbally expressed it. Post-flop I came out shooting with what I believe was middle pair, my pocket 6's. He took a moment and called as expected. Again, on the turn I still maintained middle pair and shot out again, mainly out of frustration of not having anything all night. Hank studied the board, and then asked me if he laid down his hand would I show my cards... By this time I figured I was good, maybe not the best hand, but psychologically I had won. I agreed because I didn't want to entice him into playing into me because with my luck so far I didn't feel like I would have the best hand if we had to showdown. He laid down pocket 9's. I showed my pocket 6's, got a few chuckles from Hank, and maybe a little respect.
For the next hour or two, I had a few decent hands. Each time I would raise, and normally get one or two callers. All night I had a tight image, so I rolled with that and always fired hard post-flop. Unfortunately no matter how hard I stabbed at the pot, even firing strong again on the turn, I would get calling stations who called me all the way down with top pair. Lesson learned... My guess is average players put a lot of weight on almost any pair, especially top or middle pair.
My miscues with the over aggressive play post-flop left me short stacked and in a miserable state. I was nearly on tilt, and I began to limp in on almost any hand that presented itself cheap. A player to my right (Michael) had played loose earlier in the night but changed gears and became extremely tight... Playing the cards or a certain method, I'm not sure. I had 6s7s I believe, and post-flop I was presented with a flush and open-ended straight draw. Michael bet out a normal bet, everyone folds and I call. I complete my straight on the turn, finally fist pumping in the inside and thanking God for finally having something....anything. He bets again, I just call. On the river is I believe a second 8 on the board. He bets out strong, I re-raise all-in by this time, figuring this is the time to do it. He instantly calls and shows a set of 8's, the river couldn't have been better for me. I gleefully slam down my straight and finally breathed a sigh of relief. I was halfway back to even.
The next major hand I was in was with pocket A's! I raised as usual, and got only caller, and older guy who was playing fairly tight so I didn't expect much value from this hand. I flopped a set but I didn't get too excited because I didn't think he would stick around in the hand. I bet a moderate amount to just represent a continuation bet, and he called. On the turn I checked to try to represent weakness as if he called my bluff bet post-flop like I was just trying to buy the pot. He bets at my check and I try to ham it up a little on the acting and then slow call. On the river I bet out figuring checking would be the wrong idea because he's very keen to just checking it down now because I called his bet on the turn. Thankfully he wanted to see what I had and called, my set was good and he mucked. At this time I was nearly back to $250 and feeling pretty good.
But that aaaaaall changes :b.
It's getting towards the end of the night and I'm fairly tired so I'm only either going in with optimal starting hands or limping in late position, not doing anything crazy, I'm happy to squeak out of here even after the night of cards I'd got. I have QcJc and call the sick (Literally and figuratively) player to my right raise, everyone else folds. The flop is XxQxKx. He bets out small, I call. The turn is Jx. At this point I figure I'm good, I put him on a King only so I only call hoping to extract some more chips from him by playing meek. The river is a K, the ugliest freaking card I could see. He checks and I immediately check back knowing he's slow playing his ridiculous good fortune. It's a pot that was around $50 that would torment me, I felt like it should have been mine and would have actually made the night profitable. It really bothered me, especially since this sick player was getting an amazing run of cards and he was just drunk. The only thing I can take away from this hand is knowing that I read my opponent right and didn't pay him off anymore than he deserved.
Sigh... and now the last hand of the night, literally. At this point, I'm still just teaming over the set of K's. I'm praying for a hand to play with, I ready to shoot out at this mother. I get pocket 10's. I raise $25. I get about five callers, which still surprised me even though it was the final hand, I didn't expect so many fanatics. Post-flop there is only one over on the board, a Jx. I fire strong again, around $40 I believe. Everyone folds except two, the first only calling and then the second going all-in. Wow. I was in disbelief. The guy was playing tight all night, I didn't not put him on anything but a lucky phenomenal hand. I laid my head straight on the table and mucked my cards. The other caller did as well and this jerk shows 7x2x!!! WOW. I would have never guessed this guy to make such a move. Every bone in my body wishes I could go back and play that hand smart, make the proper read, and called him down. Sure, it would have been an astronomically hard call to make, but the more that I think about it the more it seemed to make sense. With a move like that, post-flop, last hand of the night, and the guy hadn't been getting much down it should have seemed fishy. The only possibilities I imagine are he hit his top pair, the jack, he's holding two of the possible three over cards and hoping to push people out or get called and hit his over card, or is completely bluffing. In a situation like that, I should have really weighed my options with a made pocket hand. I believe the correct move would have been to go all-in post-flop. I may have been called by the first caller who I believe had the jack, but since he folded to the raiser's all-in I still may have been good and pushed him out, and especially pushed out the original all-in raise. Oh well.
After that torture session I left $150 down for the night, a roller coaster ride from start to finish. But I gained a lot of insight.
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