Ahead Of The Rake

life + illness = practically no poker lately. I am itching to have a seat and get back into a groove.

beginning to feel better. played a bit, mix of stuff. HU, 6max, different stakes. Up a bit.

I thought it might be important to write this down...

I was forced to take some time away from poker to deal with some business recently then immediately fell ill. I was surprised how much I enjoyed not playing. Some things that have been on my mind...

- in over two years only the last 2 or 3 months have been "winning" months although my career earnings are barely in the green.
- I'm witness to the roller coaster careers of close poker friend which has left me feeling vicariously discouraged and perhaps disenchanted.
- 90% of posts/blogs, etc. are about people's frustrations and losses in face of poker. I don't like those odds.
- I'm not dependent on poker to make money. I have several avenues I could explore. I contemplate them often. Defying the odds and making money by this means strikes me as more gratifying for some reason. Problem is I'm under increasing pressure to make money which has been hugely counter-productive.
- I think often about how my time could be better spent in regards to the amount of hours I log playing poker.
- The thing that attracts me the most about poker is the distance from others it offers by design. Its convenience and flexibility also make for a great form of self-employment.
- I think my enjoyment of poker for the sake of poker is capped. I still haven't experienced the fun of making real money.
- I'm worried that if I'm not more passionate about poker that I may not succeed. Poker is not always on my mind but does excite me when it is.

Not sure where this is going but I definitely feel like a reevaluation or search for something has begun brewing inside me. Opportunity for growth imo.

good questions to be asking

I have a good rhythm going. Been playing almost exclusively HU a few hours a day. A significant change has taken place where I feel I've matured as a player. It has so much less to do with how to play than with why I play.

For a long while I felt that I was being seen as a failure in the eyes of my peers when I was really just a failure in my own. As my perspective and acceptance of certain conditions and personal limitations increases my ability to consistently play profitable poker also increases. Most telling of this change is that winning or losing is now besides the point.


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

weak passive (BB) ($45.56)
Hero (SB) ($55.80)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 3, K
Hero bets $1, weak passive calls $0.75

Flop: ($2.50) 9, Q, 6 (2 players)
weak passive checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($2.50) J (2 players)
weak passive bets $1.87, Hero raises $4.99, weak passive calls $3.12

River: ($12.48) 5 (2 players)
weak passive checks, Hero bets $9.36, 1 fold

Total pot: $12.48

I like that line... just make sure you don't polarize your range there to air and stuff that has improved a lot on the turn.
I wouldn't do it with complete air either. Inside straight draw with one over should be fine.

Originally Posted by oskar

I like that line... just make sure you don't polarize your range there to air and stuff that has improved a lot on the turn.
I wouldn't do it with complete air either. Inside straight draw with one over should be fine.

yeah, i'm never doing that with complete air. I'll sometimes also do it with a FD+over as semi-bluff and a bunch of hands for value (str8, 2p, turned set)

on another note...

BINK!

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed)

Hero (BB) ($50.50)
SB ($77.23)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 5, A
SB bets $1, Hero calls $0.75

Flop: ($2.50) Q, 2, 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, SB bets $1.87, Hero calls $1.87

Turn: ($6.24) 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, SB bets $4.68, Hero raises $14.36, SB calls $9.68

River: ($34.96) 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $33.02 (All-In), SB calls $33.02

Total pot: $101

Results:
SB had 10, 8 (flush, ten high).
Hero had 5, A (flush, Ace high).
Outcome: Hero won $100.25

I've had so many shifts in attitude in my poker journey from "I'm going to be rich!" to "omfg please don't let me lose more money again today". However the current "if I play earnestly I'm content" is a far healthier place to be. Not surprisingly shedding all the emotional and psychological baggage makes way for a much clearer view of the matter at hand; playing poker profitably.

It helps when the games are good too...

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed)

Hero (SB) ($70.06)
BB ($36.94)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 9, 8
Hero bets $1.25, BB calls $1

Flop: ($3) 5, 6, 9 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $2.50, BB raises $5, Hero calls $2.50

Turn: ($13) 7 (2 players)
BB bets $6.50, Hero raises $63.56 (All-In), BB calls $23.94 (All-In)

River: ($73.88) Q (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $73.88

Results:
Hero had 9, 8 (straight, nine high).
BB had 10, 5 (one pair, fives).
Outcome: Hero won $106.25



No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed)

Hero (SB) ($82.89)
BB ($103.63)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 6, 2
Hero bets $1.25, BB calls $1

Flop: ($3) 6, J, 2 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $2.25, BB raises $9.75, Hero raises $18.75, BB raises $92.38 (All-In), Hero calls $60.39 (All-In)

Turn: ($165.78) 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($165.78) A (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $165.78

Results:
Hero had 6, 2 (two pair, sixes and twos).
BB had K, K (one pair, Kings).
Outcome: Hero won $165.03

It would seem I just wasn't meant to play much poker this month. For instance construction on the foundation of my house started a couple days ago so from 8am to some time in the evening all I hear is electric saws, hydraulics jacks and the dog losing her mind whining and barking at the noises coming from the floor.

Aside from that it's been a really social month, which is good. Last weekend I got hammered with 20 friends and went to see Shutter Island. The girls mostly sat in suspense but most of us guys couldn't stop laughing like we were 16 again sneaking drinks from a flask and shouting blatant sexual innuendos every chance we got.

What little poker I have manged to play has gone well.

March isn't shaping up to be a big poker month either as I've got a couple more weeks before I can have any significant time to sit down and play.

got tired of myself so i stopped blogging for a while...

cut back on poker because
a) was running like shit
b) wasn't enjoying it
c) made time to explore other interests

but, just got back from a week in Vegas which was a nice way to cap this short pseudo-sabbatical. I feel I'm ready to delve back into poker more deeply - i.e. play more. At least that's the plan for the rest of April.

It's hard not to second guess my decision to do so though when this kind of thing continues to keep me from making any headway..

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (5 handed)

BB ($121.95)
Hero (UTG) ($50)
MP ($172)
Button ($50)
SB ($103.40)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A, K
Hero bets $1.75, MP calls $1.75, 1 fold, SB raises $7.25, 1 fold, Hero raises $17.25, 1 fold, SB calls $11.50

Flop: ($40.25) Q, 2, 9 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $31 (All-In), SB calls $31

Turn: ($102.25) 10 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($102.25) 7 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $102.25

Results:
SB had 7, 10 (two pair, tens and sevens).
Hero had A, K (high card, Ace).
Outcome: SB won $99.25

My read on Villain was that he was a monkey btw..

So, fwiw, it's back to the grrrrind.

lol... careful it's a tarp!

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed)

CO ($45.83)
Button ($20.99)
Hero (SB) ($27.26)
BB ($25)
UTG ($19.65)
MP ($25)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, A
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, Button bets $1.25, Hero raises $4.15, 2 folds, Button calls $3

Flop: ($9) 2, 3, 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $6.24, Button calls $6.24

Turn: ($21.48) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks

River: ($21.48) 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.25, 1 fold9 tabled some 25nl as a warm up session this morning for a few reasons,
i) it's a steak i've consistently beat for several months
ii) to pad my BR
iii) to build confidence
iv) to gauge my mental state from the not-so-hot session i had late last night.

all systems go, clear for take-off.

f'n donkaments. 30k freeroll, 1800 entrants
400 left, blinds 100/200, 6k eff stacks
raise in EP w/KdKh, get shoved on by AhJc
i snap, flop comes 3d7d9d
turn = "this is why I never play donkaments"
river = fml

just another productive sunday afternoon.

Your blog reminds me a lot of myself. Waaaay too similar. You mindset, poker influences, mentors, stakes, etc. I'll be reading more for sure just truly make sure to not let the run bad fuck you up so much that you can't take it anymore and quit. You got dis!

Originally Posted by kmind

....make sure to not let the run bad fuck you up so much that you can't take it anymore and quit.

I found that blogging is a great way to blow off steam. Type it and forget it! Thanks for the words of encouragement though man. I was surprised just now what a positive impact it had to read them.

late night fooling around at 10nl ...

value shove obv

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed)

BB ($16.67)
UTG ($9.79)
Hero (MP) ($10)
CO ($10.44)
Button ($10.50)
SB ($10.94)

Preflop: Hero is MP with K, A
1 fold, Hero bets $0.35, CO calls $0.35, 3 folds

Flop: ($0.85) J, 3, 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $0.70, Hero calls $0.70

Turn: ($2.25) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $1.70, Hero raises $4.15, CO calls $2.45

River: ($10.55) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $4.80 (All-In), CO calls $4.80

Total pot: $20.15

Results:
Hero had K, A (high card, Ace).
CO didn't show (AT of clubs)
Outcome: Hero won $18.81


crazy suckout re-suckout / 3 way cooler

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed)

SB ($9.80)
BB ($8.60)
UTG ($10.16)
Hero (MP) ($20.75)
CO ($4.72)
Button ($7.78)

Preflop: Hero is MP with Q, Q
1 fold, Hero bets $0.35, 1 fold, Button calls $0.35, SB calls $0.30, BB calls $0.25

Flop: ($1.40) Q, 2, 3 (4 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $0.70, Button raises $1.65, SB calls $1.65, BB raises $8.25 (All-In), Hero raises $19.70 (All-In), 1 fold, SB calls $7.80 (All-In)

Turn: ($30.20) A (3 players, 3 all-in)

River: ($30.20) Q (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $30.20

Results:
SB had A, A (full house, Aces over Queens).
BB had 2, 2 (full house, twos over Queens).
Hero had Q, Q (four of a kind, Queens).
Outcome: Hero won $39.15


anyhow, what I really wanted to say was "How many hands of 10nl 6max does it take me to make $0.18?"

Answer:


lolz. I was doing some database spring cleaning when I noticed I'd played over 80k hands of 10nl back in Sept'09 and was down like 10bi's. So in the last couple days I issued myself a challenge to remove the deficit in my winnings column. It took a couple thousand hands. [edit/afterthought] I don't put that much weight in this accomplishment. I do believe I've improved significantly since logging the hands in Sept but I'm aware that making 10bi's in 2k hands means very little. Despite this and the fact I moved up from 10nl before I was beating it, I'm confident that if had to go back to that level the next 80k hands would yield more positive results.

I've been playing a lot of RUSH poker these past few days. Games are pretty fishy, the hands per hour is unreal, rakeback/FTP's is incomparable to other formats. All in all I likes it. What's worked for me so far:

• using a HUD to distinguish those that are camping out for JJ+ from those that are aren't.
• playing real tight, positional, ABC poker.
• stealing blind against only the tightest of players
• occasionally 3betting players with high steal % but stick to 3betting for value for the most part
• flatting KK+ from the blinds and c/r safe flops
• not stacking off with AK pf
• set mining. it has worked countless times for and against me
• raising donk bets.
• "banking" my profits by closing, then re-joining a table
• using the Last Hand replayer to take notes on players
• quickly hitting the "sit out next hand" button when i want to see a hand unfold

As for standard 6max I think it's safe to say I've run bad and from what I know these figures show promise:

took my first shot at 100nl in several months.. adjusted EV ftw.




the following happy accident occurred when, due to a pot-betting script mix up, I accidentally shoved on the wrong table. I even had a note on this player to "never bluff him, total station, never folding a pair" from a hand I double up on vs said opponent not 10 minutes prior.

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

UTG ($142.50)
MP ($101.50)
CO ($140.25)
Hero (Button) ($190)
SB ($106.90)
BB ($100)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9, K
UTG calls $1, 1 fold, CO calls $1, Hero bets $5.50, 2 folds, UTG calls $4.50, CO calls $4.50

Flop: ($18) J, 2, 6 (3 players)
UTG checks, CO checks, Hero bets $12.05, 1 fold, CO calls $12.05

Turn: ($42.10) 5 (2 players)
CO bets $10, Hero raises $172.45 (All-In), CO uses entire time bank, calls $112.70 (All-In)

River: ($287.50) 7 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $287.50

Results:
Hero had 9, K (high card, King).
CO had 8, Q (high card, Queen).
Outcome: Hero won $334.25



As expected the games are more aggro than at 50nl but I don't feel as overwhelmed by it as I did before. That being said I am certain that 100nl is definitely where my psychological threshold is - as in 50nl I feel the pressure a bit and at 200nl I'm out of my comfort zone. This is a balance of recognition of my own skill, the 'real life' value of the money in play proportionate to the size of my BR, and the self-imposed and external pressures to succeed.

As long as I continue to feel that I am playing well (and if the swings don't get to be too low) I'll continue to grind it out at 100nl in the absence of really, really juicy 50nl tables (including HU).

arp garph

ugh

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed)

saw flop | saw showdown

Button ($165.85)
SB ($112.80)
BB ($102.25)
UTG ($100)
Hero (MP) ($100)

Preflop: Hero is MP with A, 5
1 fold, Hero bets $3.50, Button calls $3.50, 2 folds

Flop: ($8.50) 10, J, Q (2 players)
Hero bets $6.50, Button raises $17, Hero raises $37.50, Button raises $145.35 (All-In), Hero calls $52.50 (All-In)

Turn: ($201.50) 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($201.50) J (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $201.50

Results:
Button had 9, 7 (straight flush, Jack high).
Hero had A, 5 (flush, Ace high).
Outcome: Button won $264.35

Booked my longest session to date today. 4 tabled 100nl Rush for 9 hours - 12.5k hands. Down a couple buy-ins.

--

I nearly pissed myself watching this > Hitler Reacts to Cole South Leaving CardRunners on Vimeo

Read through a nice portion of your, I am going to be bold and ask you some questions.

1) Which limits have you posted a profit over at least 20k hands?
2) You seem so desperate to make money, while it appears though you don't rely on poker for income, why is that?
3) Where do you see your poker playing in 5 years.
4) Would you rather be down 100 by the end of the year or up .18 cents?

Just curious, as I share a few of your traits.

-!luck

Originally Posted by !Luck

1) Which limits have you posted a profit over at least 20k hands?
2) You seem so desperate to make money, while it appears though you don't rely on poker for income, why is that?
3) Where do you see your poker playing in 5 years.
4) Would you rather be down 100 by the end of the year or up .18 cents?

-!luck

1)


I'm a b/e lifetime player, give or take (I don't have stats for the first year or so). But if you could see a graph it would go straight down and about half way through slowwwly makes its way back up to reach $0 after rakeback/bonuses. I don't discount my "learning tax" despite having lost it at a stage where I wasn't really studying the game. I was a definitive fish. Now at least I'm aware I'm a fish.

2) I have generous support. The sense of desperation you picked up on probably stems from the self-imposed sense of urgency to alleviate those of the, what I perceive to be, burden of their generosity - i.e. I feel guilty and somewhat embarrassed or ashamed when I fail to do anything but climb up through the stakes.

This has been less and less of an issue though. It's almost purely psychological. I realize no one would go out of their way to help me if they didn't recognize a potential to succeed and a sincere dedication on my part. This blog may not be the best representation of my efforts but I am increasingly committed and focused.

Also I realize there are easier ways to make money. My attitude has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other in regards to poker. It was all about money, now it's all about learning the game and being open to what it can teach me on every level.

3) Playing 400nl to 2000nl a few hours a week. Coaching/mentoring a handful of students. I'd also very much enjoy being involved in some kind of publication, whether it's writing articles or making instructional videos. Maybe jump on portions of live tournament circuits but mostly for the juicy cash games that seem to follow them around (from what I hear).

4) I know you're referring to the 10nl results I posted but I don't think I quite understand the question. If it's simply a question of would I rather make money than not make money I think the answer is obv. But that's probably not what you're driving at.

If it's in regards to the common obsession of having to have all stats in the green, I'm not immune. But I'm also not result oriented simply by virtue of the fact that I am aware of the implicit effects of variance and that short term results are never a precise representation of skill or success.

thx for the inquiry !luck. It certainly got the gears turning. Hope it satisfied your curiosity. Don't hesitate to ask some follow up questions and/or tell me about yourself, how you think we're similar/different, etc.

Thanks for the detailed response. I had a rabid dedication to making money, once I reached and had success at 25NL and it was precisely at that point that it went to ##$@, it wasn't variance it was poor playing. So, I can only give you an example of how trying to make money leads to poor playing, at least that is how it was for me, I find that I enjoy poker more when I try to figure out someone's game and try to make the correct play every time. Concicdentally that is where the money comes from.


Also, not to be a downer, let say you can't make it to 400NL, but you do well at 100NL - 200 NL making a decent living would that be enough for you? Or would you start regretting putting that much dedication to poker?

For me, I came to the conclusion that poker will always be a part of my life, but if I don't crush 100NL that is okay, but then I am not relying on it to provide for me.

P.S. If there ever comes a point in time where I can't beat 2NL then I will know I have to give it up, luckily I am not a retarded spider monkey.

!luck

cool. thx for sharing. As for this question:

Originally Posted by !Luck

Also, not to be a downer, let say you can't make it to 400NL, but you do well at 100NL - 200 NL making a decent living would that be enough for you? Or would you start regretting putting that much dedication to poker?

Best answer I can give at the moment is no, the thought of grinding it out at 200nl without the possibility of advancement doesn't appeal to me. But I would grind it out for a long while as my primary "job" despite being stuck there if I was making a decent living at it.

I chose to immerse myself in this profession to explore its full potential. I'm the type to give myself entirely to what I'm doing. For now that is poker. Before that it was music. The very loose plans I have for the future involve real-estate. I have a wide spectrum of interests so I don't see myself playing poker - with the aim of making money - forever. In either case I would not have any regrets whatsoever.

I'm always up for poker discussion man. Keep in touch.
(btw, you have a blog somewhere?)

I'm tilting pretty hard at the fact that my HEM decided to crap out on my yesterday. I've played a bit of forum tag with tech support in an attempt to find the solution; nothing yet.

On a more positive note my 100nl adventures are unfolding remarkably well. Had my biggest cash day ever yesterday; booked a solid 6bi win after only 1.7k hands. I ran well but I feel I also played really well too.

My game is really opening up. I've widened my opening range from every position as well as tweaked my default opening bet sizing. I've worked on having a more balanced 4betting range. What's really improved though is my "poker vision" - for lack of a better description. With time it's my ability to recognize dynamics etc. that becomes sharper and that, for me, has developed veeeery slowly. Let alone the ability to make a good decision based on what I see...

Once I've learned something it becomes deeply rooted. Consequentially it's the same reason which makes it extraordinarily difficult for me to break a habit. Fortunately I can call upon my disciplinary powers to see me through tough transitions in that regard.

You should post rake paid vs profits.

Originally Posted by !Luck

You should post rake paid vs profits.

Do you mean for the session? And why is it important?

... still trying to figure out the HEM problem. so lame.

Running total. Since your OP is titled ahead of the rake, to see if you are truly ahead of the rake.

lol, i'm most definitely not... yet.

f_ck postgreSQL/HEM imo. I've tried everything and until I build up the inspiration/stamina to attack the problem again I'm just going to have to live without it.

well, i managed to get the software to work again but my old 250k+ hand database appears to be inaccessible. Opportunity for a fresh start.

raiiise those gutters imo


No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

BB ($180.45)
UTG ($104.15)
MP ($137.50)
Hero (CO) ($108.15)
Button ($100)
SB ($217.70)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 9, 9
1 fold, MP bets $3, Hero calls $3, 3 folds

Flop: ($7.50) 6, 7, 3 (2 players)
MP bets $5, Hero calls $5

Turn: ($17.50) 10 (2 players)
MP bets $12, Hero raises $33, 1 fold

Total pot: $41.50

Results:
Hero had 9, 9.
Outcome: Hero won $60.45



No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

Hero (Button) ($107.50)
SB ($121.95)
BB ($65.50)
UTG ($162.10)
MP ($128.25)
CO ($156.10)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 10, 9
UTG bets $4, 2 folds, Hero calls $4, 2 folds

Flop: ($9.50) J, 2, K (2 players)
UTG bets $7, Hero calls $7

Turn: ($23.50) 9 (2 players)
UTG bets $15, Hero raises $44, 1 fold

Total pot: $53.50

Results:
Hero had 10, 9.
Outcome: Hero won $79.85

Games are good but i'm just too hungover to keep playing right now. Attended a house party unlike one I've been to in a long time. Good times, but now I think I'll curl up and pass out watching a movie or something..

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

Button ($103.30)
SB ($107.75)
Hero (BB) ($213.40)
UTG ($153.30)
MP ($356.05)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 10, 9
2 folds, Button bets $2, 1 fold, Hero raises $7, Button calls $6

Flop: ($16.50) 9, 4, 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $10, Button calls $10

Turn: ($36.50) 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $20.50, Hero raises $195.40 (All-In), Button calls $64.80 (All-In)

River: ($207.10) 10 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $207.10

Results:
Button had 2, 4 (two pair, nines and fours).
Hero had 10, 9 (full house, nines over tens).
Outcome: Hero won $314.20

note to self - this is never a bluff. And if I hadn't been so astonished by the lightning (turn card) I might have seen what it was illuminating (villain's value range)

villain is 16/14, 6%3Bet over 225 hands and simply hadn't been making much noise at the table


No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (3 handed)

Hero (Button) ($106.40)
SB ($194)
BB ($101.50)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, K
Hero bets $2.50, 1 fold, BB raises $7, Hero calls $5.50

Flop: ($16.50) 6, 8, Q (2 players)
BB bets $12, Hero calls $12

Turn: ($40.50) K (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $27.10, BB raises $81.50 (All-In)

Al Yell, could he do this with AAd? I see KK and AA and possible AK with d playing this? Does he have 66 and 88 in his range?

Do you have enough stats to know that he 3 bet bluffs you with Axs?

posted the hand here

May was educational. My shot at 100nl was the longest I've had to date. I managed to keep afloat for the entire month. I had a 15bi upswing followed by a soul-crushing 20bi downswing for a b/e month after rakeback.

The first half of the month I played 6 to 9 6max tables with a nitty, straight-forward 16/12 style with 4% 3bet. Redline goes straight down, showdown goes straight up, lots of hands = lots of rakeback. Boring but profitable so long as opponents continued to level themselves and make mistakes. The second half of the month I started to run real bad (which didn't bother me) but it just so happened that around this time I'd decided that I ought to concentrate on improving to remain consistent with my goal of developing my skill and ascending stakes. So I played 2 to 4 tables and "invested" my 15bi's to play a 29/26 game with 10% 3bet which was a real eye opener.

Thanks to some in-depth analysis/session reviews with my poker entourage I've been made aware of some glaring leaks/mistakes in my postflop game which cost me several 10 to 40bb pots (which add up fast). In fact I always kinda knew this but am really beginning to understand why they're mistakes. One thing I have going for me is that my instincts appear to be good, but I second guess myself a lot. Generally the problem is that I'm simply not thinking things through enough.

As is usually the case when I find out that I suck at an aspect of the game, instead of getting down about it, I get excited in anticipation of the opportunity for growth. Moving forward the plan to stick to two tables and pick apart each and every hand which for me is infinitely harder, more challenging and more exhausting than 12 tabling for several hours. Time to put the nose to the grindstone.

as silly as it may seem, this is the most important hand of poker i've played in a long while..

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed)

BB ($25.30)
UTG ($113.75)
Hero (MP) ($91)
Button ($169.67)
SB ($58.53)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 9, J
1 fold, Hero bets $3, 1 fold, SB calls $2.50, 1 fold

Flop: ($7) 8, 10, 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $5.25, SB calls $5.25

Turn: ($17.50) 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $13.12, SB calls $13.12

River: ($43.74) 6 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $43.74

- called his bluff -

stacked a nit HU @ 50nl when he snapped my 3bet/shove on a paired board with a 7 high flush vs my nut flush. I sat out and told him "too tight" as he'd folded the following 14 consecutive hands.

<villain> run
<hero> 100nl?
<villain> 600nl
<hero> k
<villain> go there

.. so i did. Found him at another 50nl table to let him know I was waiting. He told me to die.

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed)

Hero (BB) ($141.10)
SB ($86.70)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7, 10
SB bets $1.25, Hero raises $4.50, SB calls $3.50

Flop: ($10) 7, 9, 10 (2 players)
Hero bets $6.50, SB raises $17, Hero raises $29.75, SB calls $19.25

Turn: ($82.50) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $55.25, SB calls $45.45 (All-In)

River: ($173.40) A (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $173.40

Results:
SB had 5, 9 (one pair, nines).
Hero had 7, 10 (two pair, tens and sevens).
Outcome: Hero won $182.70


... also, forgot to mention this but a few nights ago I needed to blow off some steam and played a couple 5nl Rush poker tbls for like an hour. Played with reckless abandon - to entertain myself - and made 9 bi's. Ship teh cheddar. Would have been more but I decided to play a little game of "how many times can I shove pf in a row before I get called?" Answer: 10.

I'm retiring this blog for reasons stated in the new one:

*** When Push Comes To Shove ***

In short, as the title suggests, I feel I've evolved and face a new category of challenges. This space is filled with things I barely identify with anymore so I felt the need to create a new space; a self-declared graduation.

To those who which to make the transition with me I will tell you that your support is no small factor in my continuing improvement. Drop me a line in the new thread.


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