The wait is finally over...I'm FINALLY back to playing poker after my week off for studying. As for that studying thing...I barely studied and probably flunked my test. Eh, shit happens. ANYWAY, onward with poker!

The biggest change in my poker world right now is the change to Hold 'Em Manager. My review? It OWNS PT3. It is 100x easier to use and the layout is nicer. Also, it does not crash three times a session. I will be staying with HEM. I am using the colors to tag fish. Players with a VPIP greater than 28 get the green light and the punishment. Any VPIP under 15 gets red lighted and I proceed with caution. I will be color coordinating other stats as well as I go on keep playing with it. Cbets will definitely be the next stat to be changed. This is a ton of help when multi-tabling and glancing at the table. It helps with table selection...I get out of the table quickly if there are not many green lights around.

Another thing that changed my game is this thread: http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...rs-t56814.html. So simple and easy. I KNEW this...but until I read this thread, I didn't practice this. This thread owns and I suggest you all read it.

As for today's session, I was whipping ass and taking names. I am dedicated to getting myself the hell out of 5NL. I played for 819 hands and won $31.88 (38.93 BB/100). Not a bad session if I don't say so myself. I am playing more aggressive post-flop. I am still quite loose with my preflop hands...which I don't think I'll be changing just yet. I hope this momentum carries into tomorrow. I was DYING to stay on and keep playing...but I will be going to the gym early tomorrow morning and I know it is not the smartest thing.

Also, tomorrow I will be heading over to the Borgata to get back to playing a little bit of live poker. I've been DYING to do this and I finally have the time too with Spring Break starting and all. Hopefully by the end of this Spring Break, I will be out of 5NL and into 10NL. Anyway, I leave you with a few hands since people won't write on my OP otherwise!

In this first hand, I got quite lucky. Villain was aggressive in every hand I've seen him in...and I just assumed this was some of the same. An awful call on the flop by me...I really, really, REALLY have to get away from slowplaying my sets. A flush would have killed me:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (8 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG ($10.75)
UTG+1 ($5.61)
MP1 ($7.98)
MP2 ($8.45)
Hero (CO) ($10.74)
Button ($4.50)
SB ($10.43)
BB ($9.90)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 6, 6
UTG calls $0.05, UTG+1 bets $0.20, MP1 calls $0.20, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.20, 4 folds

Flop: ($0.72) 6, 4, 9 (3 players)
UTG+1 bets $0.50, MP1 calls $0.50, Hero calls $0.50

Turn: ($2.22) 3 (3 players)
UTG+1 bets $0.65, MP1 raises to $1.30, Hero raises to $6, UTG+1 calls $4.26 (All-In), MP1 raises to $7.28 (All-In), Hero calls $1.28

River: ($21.69) 4 (3 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $21.69 | Rake: $1.05
Main pot: $16.95 between UTG+1, MP1 and Hero, won by Hero
Side pot 1: $4.74 between MP1 and Hero, won by Hero

Hand 2 is a bit messier. Villain is 68/16. He knows enough to be cbetting pots. I didn't see him 3-betting small or mid pocket pairs.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (5 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Button ($6.30)
Hero (SB) ($11.16)
BB ($3.70)
UTG ($6.97)
MP ($6.88)

Preflop: Hero is SB with J, J
UTG calls $0.05, MP calls $0.05, Button calls $0.05, Hero bets $0.20, 2 folds, MP raises to $0.35, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.15

Flop: ($0.85) 7, 3, 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $0.50, Hero calls $0.50

Turn: ($1.85) 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $1.45, MP calls $1.45

River: ($4.75) 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $2.50, MP raises to $4.58 (All-In), Hero calls $2.08

Total pot: $13.91 | Rake: $0.65


As for my biggest losing hand? A bit of a cooler...I kind of expected AQ but I had to throw AK in there which is why I went all-in on river.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.05 BB (8 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO ($5.48)
Button ($6.70)
SB ($2.95)
Hero (BB) ($10.23)
UTG ($1.93)
UTG+1 ($1.80)
MP1 ($12.37)
MP2 ($3.06)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, J
5 folds, Button calls $0.05, SB calls $0.03, Hero bets $0.20, Button calls $0.15, SB calls $0.15

Flop: ($0.60) 3, 2, J (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.50, Button calls $0.50, 1 fold

Turn: ($1.60) A (2 players)
Hero bets $1.40, Button calls $1.40

River: ($4.40) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $3, Button calls $3

Total pot: $10.40 | Rake: $0.50
Main pot: $10.40 between Button and Hero, won by Button

That's it for now. I'm glad to be BACK!