On-Line Play:
Chiptalk tournament tonight, my QQ gets squashed early by AA on pre-flop action. I had about 1100 chips, so there's no way I can fold QQ here PF during the second level. In the same time +20 minutes, I am up $361 on the PStar NL cash tables. Tournaments suck, cash games rule.
Live Play last Saturday night, Ameristar:
$2/5NL. Average stack is around $500, I have about $1200 and have everyone covered. Guy to my immediate right is the Villain in this hand.
BACKGROUND:
Villain has been sitting at the table since I arrived, an I have won many chips from him. I’ve watched him pound four Coronas in about 90 minutes with his buddy to my immediate left, and he started drinking before I arrived about 7:30pm.
Some crucial prior hands against Villain.
1. Nearly the whole table limped to Villain on the button. Villain raises to $35. I have QQ in the SB and raise to $135 total. Villain is incensed. He stares me down, and tries to get me to talk. He thinks that I think he’s making a move on the button, and that I am simply restealing from him. This one-way chatter goes on for about 4-5 minutes, with me in silence, and then he finally folds in disgust.
2. About one orbit later, I limp with 25-hearts on the button. Flop is QT6 with two hearts. Checked to Villain who bets, and I think he probably has a Q with decent kicker, maybe 2-pair with QT. I call. Turn is another heart, [QT6]-9, completing my flush. He checks, I bet about half pot, he calls. River is a blank, no heart, he checks, I check, and O win with a flush. He is again angry, I think mainly at the quality of my flush.
After these and several others hands, he is whining constantly about the good starting hands that are getting ironed out by “all the bad players that keep calling my raises.” He’s showing me (but no one else) hands like QQ and AK that he has to fold to significant heat with overcards on the flop or other scary boards. Summarized, he is now a boiling mad drunk that plays otherwise solid poker.
THE HAND:
Many limpers to Villain on the button, who raises to $30. I call with QJo in the SB, BB calls, and one other player calls. Four to the flop with $120 in the pot.
Flop is TT9, two diamonds. I check, everyone checks to button, who bets $80. I think his range of hands is pretty narrow here, and be probably has a big PP or two high cards like AK or AQ. I call, thinking that if I hit my straight I might get his stack. Two other players fold. Pot is now $280.
Flop is [TT9]-8s. Beautiful. Now the only question is how to play this. I want him to think that I am on a diamond draw, and that he can push me off with a big raise with his overpair. I also want to set the price too high for him to profitably call if he does have a ten. I bet $150.
Villain is again incensed at my bet. He stares me down and starts chattering again, trying to get me to talk. He seems baffled as to what I might have. After a long time, he calls. Pot is $580.
River is [TT98]-9. At this point, I think that betting is useless, since he will obviously call or raise with a boat, and fold if he just has an overpair. If he bets, well... I will re-evaluate. I check.
He immediately says all-in very loudly, and shoves his stack in bulldozer style while simultaneously saying “put him on the clock.” Then he turns and stares.
I’m kind of baffled. My first thought is that his physical actions all indicate that he is trying to bully me out of the pot: quick act, shove chips in aggressively, call the clock. Everything says pressure. But after thinking for a moment, is he trying to pressure me into a call by overacting as the bully?
So now its my turn to talk. I first ask, “Did you actually just call the clock on me?”
His response: “You’re right, that’s just me being drunk.” He turns to the dealer: “I call the clock off.”
Is he trying to “give” me more time so that I can convince myself to call? Or, does he want me to fold, so now he’s giving me more time to prevent the pressure of forcing a quick call?
I ask for a count, and the pile of chips is re-assembled to $217 – it costs me $217 to win $797. I settle on this range of hands: 60% he has the ten, 40% he has something like KK or AA. I think it might even be 50/50.
Despite the theatrics on the river, the most important factor for me is the $80 bet on the flop. I can’t see him betting $80 with a ten in his hand with that flop -- I think he would lean more heavily toward (a) bet bigger (pot) to price out the flush draws, or (b) check and induce a bet if no diamond hits on the turn. An $80 bet on the flop is most consistent with AA, KK, QQ or JJ that is scared of a check-raise from someone trapping with the ten, which would mean that his actions on the river are trying to bully me into a fold.
I call. He shows AT-spades and I lose.
The night was still a success overall, based on my play and the $$$ results. But, as usual, I can’t help from analyzing this big losing hand over and over. Two questions remain:
1. Should I have pushed the turn? Probably not, but maybe so.
On the turn, I want to size my bet so that he will unprofitably call. Which I did, and he complied. The problem with this analysis, and any bet less than a push, is that I must fold to his river bet if he catches the winner. If I am going to pay him off on the river, than I should always push the turn when I am ahead and either take this pot or live with his massively unprofitable call and a bad beat on the river. Which then leads to the next question...
2. Should I have folded the river? Probably not.
I’ve run the math, but don’t want to post it all -- I would need to be at least 79% certain that he had a ten to justify a fold on the river, based on the price that I was getting.
So, the dilemma: I should have pushed the turn because I am unable to fold the river if I bet smaller on the turn (but still enough to make his call unprofitable), yet when I bet less than a push on the turn I am forced to call on the river because I think there is a much better than 20% chance that he is bluff-shoving with an overpair.
I’m happy with my read overall, because I think I assigned about the correct probabilities to his hand ranges. I wish I could say, “Yeah, I saw right through it, it was clear he had the boat on the river,” but my read was that he didn’t. I think I made the correct move on each street based on the math and my reads, but I’m still kind of stumped overall with this hand. The result sucked, but I had a specific reason for each action.
Hell, I shoulda pushed the turn.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Breakthrough
I am playing cash games almost exclusively after my February Vegas trip. I won a bunch in the cash games in Vegas and have decided to settle more into cash games.
This has been a good decision. My on-line bankroll is at an all time high. After Party closed its doors to Americans and then the UIGEA, I thought that good cash games were never to be found again. For a long while, I was either winning in the SNGs and losing in cash games, or vice versa. I found the games tough and I struggled grow the bankroll. My results were stagnant -- several months of play and no up-tick in the bankroll.
During my Vegas trip and after, my cash game play has just clicked. $2/4NL on FullTilt has been great.
The most important thing that has happened is that my reads are getting better. I am trusting my instincts more, and making decisions based more on my feel and read of a hand rather than analysis during the hand. I no longer do much calculation during hands -- its all second nature now. So, I focus on relaxing during play and reading opponents. Most of the time, I can get a decent to strong feel for where I am at in a hand. If I can’t, it usually means I’m too tired or have been playing in a session for too long.
With on-line play, its mostly just absorbing the betting patterns and reaction times. With live play, its much easier. Just watching people tells me almost all that I need to know about where I am at in a hand. People give off so many signs about hand strength.
If I had to summarize my recent upswing, it would be due to:
1. Relaxing and reading my opponents.
2. Open-raising or calling more raises in late position. Playing a wide range of hands on the button. The importance of late position has finally sunk in. I find myself folding amazingly strong hands in early position to a raise.
3. Taking the lead in betting and continuing with the lead.
4. Identifying the LAGs and waiting for an opportunity to pick them off with a strong hand. I used to develop a strong retaliation mentality toward LAGs -- try to play back at them with their type of game. A better approach in NL is to wait for one key hand to take their stack.
5. Not categorizing my play. I don’t go into a game thinking about a style of play. Sometimes I find myself playing really LAG, and other times I find myself playing like a giant rock. It depends on my mood, the table, and most importantly my read of the players.
6. On-line, I’ve finally found a useful function for player notes -- I’ve started copying and pasting whole hands into my notes. I focus on hands where (a) a player paid off really big, (b) got caught in a bluff, or (c) won a big pot. Rather than some cryptic note that I peck out during play, reading an entire hand can actually provide critical insight into playing styles. And, I’m seeing a lot of the same players at the $2/4NL games, so my notes are actually being put to use.
This has been a good decision. My on-line bankroll is at an all time high. After Party closed its doors to Americans and then the UIGEA, I thought that good cash games were never to be found again. For a long while, I was either winning in the SNGs and losing in cash games, or vice versa. I found the games tough and I struggled grow the bankroll. My results were stagnant -- several months of play and no up-tick in the bankroll.
During my Vegas trip and after, my cash game play has just clicked. $2/4NL on FullTilt has been great.
The most important thing that has happened is that my reads are getting better. I am trusting my instincts more, and making decisions based more on my feel and read of a hand rather than analysis during the hand. I no longer do much calculation during hands -- its all second nature now. So, I focus on relaxing during play and reading opponents. Most of the time, I can get a decent to strong feel for where I am at in a hand. If I can’t, it usually means I’m too tired or have been playing in a session for too long.
With on-line play, its mostly just absorbing the betting patterns and reaction times. With live play, its much easier. Just watching people tells me almost all that I need to know about where I am at in a hand. People give off so many signs about hand strength.
If I had to summarize my recent upswing, it would be due to:
1. Relaxing and reading my opponents.
2. Open-raising or calling more raises in late position. Playing a wide range of hands on the button. The importance of late position has finally sunk in. I find myself folding amazingly strong hands in early position to a raise.
3. Taking the lead in betting and continuing with the lead.
4. Identifying the LAGs and waiting for an opportunity to pick them off with a strong hand. I used to develop a strong retaliation mentality toward LAGs -- try to play back at them with their type of game. A better approach in NL is to wait for one key hand to take their stack.
5. Not categorizing my play. I don’t go into a game thinking about a style of play. Sometimes I find myself playing really LAG, and other times I find myself playing like a giant rock. It depends on my mood, the table, and most importantly my read of the players.
6. On-line, I’ve finally found a useful function for player notes -- I’ve started copying and pasting whole hands into my notes. I focus on hands where (a) a player paid off really big, (b) got caught in a bluff, or (c) won a big pot. Rather than some cryptic note that I peck out during play, reading an entire hand can actually provide critical insight into playing styles. And, I’m seeing a lot of the same players at the $2/4NL games, so my notes are actually being put to use.
Monday, April 02, 2007
I still play a lot
Despite the infrequent blog posts, I still play online on a regularly basis and live occasionally. I’m still working on the Vegas report, so those that are on the edge of their seats will have to wait. Haha.
When I have a normal workload at work and at home, I post occasionally. When I have a heavy workload, I post infrequently. I’ve been really busy.
Three on-line hands for your learning, with my thinking as the hands played out.
1. First, the worst hand that I’ve played in at least the last 18 months, either on-line or live. The strange thing is, I had a reason for every action in the hand…
Well, I can’t find the hand history, but I can re-create it, close enough:
$2/4NL, I have just over $400, just started at this table.
MP raises to $12. I re-raise to $35 with AK. MP calls.
Flop is TKK. I check. MP bets $40, I call. I am simply slow-playing, acting like I have a middle-pair. That’s what I put him on. I am hoping he will bet again on the turn.
Turn is [TKK]8. I check. Please bet! He checks.
River is [TKK8]7. I decide its time to finally bet -- $120. He pushes.
My first thought is that he has a middle to high pair like TT or JJ, and I managed to dupe him into trying to push me off what amounts to a bluff. I call, he shows 77 for the rivered boat.
Just absolutely awful.
2. A hand that I really like. Not because I flopped a set and stacked a player, but because I made use of an on-line “tell” to maximize value …
Full Tilt Poker Game #2112988821: Table Padre Field - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em
Seat 1: Hippy Hair ($540.80)
Seat 2: sunfish2 ($394)
Seat 3: treenom ($422.80)
Seat 4: Wordo ($386)
Seat 5: SpeakEasy ($400)
Seat 6: PoorNapoleon ($380)
Seat 7: UK_Pompey ($343.60)
Seat 8: LuckySOB ($383.40)
Seat 9: seebee25 ($57.20)
Wordo posts the small blind of $2
SpeakEasy posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SpeakEasy [7s 7h]
PoorNapoleon folds
UK_Pompey folds
LuckySOB raises to $14
seebee25 folds
Hippy Hair folds
sunfish2 folds
treenom folds
Wordo folds
SpeakEasy calls $10
*** FLOP *** [7c Ac Td]
SpeakEasy checks
LuckySOB bets $30
SpeakEasy raises to $80 [A fairly standard play here. If he calls, he either has an ace or has a big pair like KK or QQ and just thinks I’m making a move. Here’s the important part – he thought for a reaaaaaly long time, then called. This confirms exactly what I hope, he has a big Ace, or a big pair like KK.]
LuckySOB has 15 seconds left to act
LuckySOB calls $50
*** TURN *** [7c Ac Td] [2h]
SpeakEasy bets $138 [I made the size of this bet only because he took a long time to call my C/R on the flop, and a big bet here looks like I’m trying to push him off his big ace or big pair. If he had called quickly on the flop C/R, I would have bet a smaller amount here, and therefore his whole stack might not have gone in the pot. My read in this hand was critical to the size of this bet.]
LuckySOB calls $138
*** RIVER *** [7c Ac Td 2h] [4h]
SpeakEasy bets $168, and is all in [Since he called on the turn, I have to assume he will call this bet with an Ace or big pair.]
LuckySOB calls $151.40, and is all in
Uncalled bet of $16.60 returned to SpeakEasy
*** SHOW DOWN ***
SpeakEasy shows [7s 7h] (three of a kind, Sevens)
LuckySOB mucks
SpeakEasy wins the pot ($765.80) with three of a kind, Sevens
LuckySOB is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $768.80 Rake $3
Board: [7c Ac Td 2h 4h]
Seat 1: Hippy Hair didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: sunfish2 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: treenom (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: Wordo (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: SpeakEasy (big blind) showed [7s 7h] and won ($765.80) with three of a kind, Sevens
Seat 6: PoorNapoleon didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: UK_Pompey didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: LuckySOB mucked [Ks Ad] - a pair of Aces [Broke the NL golden rule -- don't go broke with one pair.]
Seat 9: seebee25 didn't bet (folded)
3. Finally, a hand that relies on my read of the betting patterns…
Full Tilt Poker Game #2119694369: Table Padre Field - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em
Seat 1: samonilla ($142)
Seat 2: VERYLUCKYDOG ($154)
Seat 3: 52Addictions ($390)
Seat 4: deucheman2 ($233.90)
Seat 5: mattbet ($400)
Seat 6: DonTreEdthis ($225.90)
Seat 7: SpeakEasy ($390)
Seat 8: silverbird ($109.25)
Seat 9: boykee ($400)
deucheman2 posts the small blind of $2
mattbet posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SpeakEasy [Qs Ks]
DonTreEdthis folds
SpeakEasy raises to $12
silverbird folds
boykee folds
samonilla folds
VERYLUCKYDOG folds
deucheman2 has 15 seconds left to act
deucheman2 is sitting out
deucheman2 has timed out
deucheman2 folds
mattbet calls $8
*** FLOP *** [8s 3d 5h]
mattbet checks
SpeakEasy bets $18
deucheman2 has returned
mattbet calls $18 [I’m thinking that he paired on the flop, or has a modest overpair.]
*** TURN *** [8s 3d 5h] [Qc]
mattbet checks
SpeakEasy bets $38
mattbet calls $38 [Now I’m thinking its more likely that he had an overpair to the flop. I don’t think he has a Q.]
*** RIVER *** [8s 3d 5h Qc] [As]
mattbet bets $60 [Really only two possibilities here with this bet (1) he has the mid-pair, and thinks that I whiffed, or (2) he has Ax. What Ax that fits this betting pattern? AQ – no, he would probably re-raise this from the BB, or at least lead on the turn. A8? Unlikely he would call the turn with this. Same conclusion with A5 or A3. I feel strongly that he has a mid-pair and just doesn’t believe my betting pattern, especially my turn bet. Turn bets that look like continuation of a continuation can be valuable.]
SpeakEasy has 15 seconds left to act
SpeakEasy calls $60
*** SHOW DOWN ***
mattbet shows [Tc Ts] (a pair of Tens)
SpeakEasy shows [Qs Ks] (a pair of Queens)
SpeakEasy wins the pot ($255) with a pair of Queens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $258 Rake $3
Board: [8s 3d 5h Qc As]
Seat 1: samonilla didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: VERYLUCKYDOG (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: 52Addictions is sitting out
Seat 4: deucheman2 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: mattbet (big blind) showed [Tc Ts] and lost with a pair of Tens
Seat 6: DonTreEdthis didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: SpeakEasy showed [Qs Ks] and won ($255) with a pair of Queens
Seat 8: silverbird didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: boykee didn't bet (folded)
When I have a normal workload at work and at home, I post occasionally. When I have a heavy workload, I post infrequently. I’ve been really busy.
Three on-line hands for your learning, with my thinking as the hands played out.
1. First, the worst hand that I’ve played in at least the last 18 months, either on-line or live. The strange thing is, I had a reason for every action in the hand…
Well, I can’t find the hand history, but I can re-create it, close enough:
$2/4NL, I have just over $400, just started at this table.
MP raises to $12. I re-raise to $35 with AK. MP calls.
Flop is TKK. I check. MP bets $40, I call. I am simply slow-playing, acting like I have a middle-pair. That’s what I put him on. I am hoping he will bet again on the turn.
Turn is [TKK]8. I check. Please bet! He checks.
River is [TKK8]7. I decide its time to finally bet -- $120. He pushes.
My first thought is that he has a middle to high pair like TT or JJ, and I managed to dupe him into trying to push me off what amounts to a bluff. I call, he shows 77 for the rivered boat.
Just absolutely awful.
2. A hand that I really like. Not because I flopped a set and stacked a player, but because I made use of an on-line “tell” to maximize value …
Full Tilt Poker Game #2112988821: Table Padre Field - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em
Seat 1: Hippy Hair ($540.80)
Seat 2: sunfish2 ($394)
Seat 3: treenom ($422.80)
Seat 4: Wordo ($386)
Seat 5: SpeakEasy ($400)
Seat 6: PoorNapoleon ($380)
Seat 7: UK_Pompey ($343.60)
Seat 8: LuckySOB ($383.40)
Seat 9: seebee25 ($57.20)
Wordo posts the small blind of $2
SpeakEasy posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SpeakEasy [7s 7h]
PoorNapoleon folds
UK_Pompey folds
LuckySOB raises to $14
seebee25 folds
Hippy Hair folds
sunfish2 folds
treenom folds
Wordo folds
SpeakEasy calls $10
*** FLOP *** [7c Ac Td]
SpeakEasy checks
LuckySOB bets $30
SpeakEasy raises to $80 [A fairly standard play here. If he calls, he either has an ace or has a big pair like KK or QQ and just thinks I’m making a move. Here’s the important part – he thought for a reaaaaaly long time, then called. This confirms exactly what I hope, he has a big Ace, or a big pair like KK.]
LuckySOB has 15 seconds left to act
LuckySOB calls $50
*** TURN *** [7c Ac Td] [2h]
SpeakEasy bets $138 [I made the size of this bet only because he took a long time to call my C/R on the flop, and a big bet here looks like I’m trying to push him off his big ace or big pair. If he had called quickly on the flop C/R, I would have bet a smaller amount here, and therefore his whole stack might not have gone in the pot. My read in this hand was critical to the size of this bet.]
LuckySOB calls $138
*** RIVER *** [7c Ac Td 2h] [4h]
SpeakEasy bets $168, and is all in [Since he called on the turn, I have to assume he will call this bet with an Ace or big pair.]
LuckySOB calls $151.40, and is all in
Uncalled bet of $16.60 returned to SpeakEasy
*** SHOW DOWN ***
SpeakEasy shows [7s 7h] (three of a kind, Sevens)
LuckySOB mucks
SpeakEasy wins the pot ($765.80) with three of a kind, Sevens
LuckySOB is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $768.80 Rake $3
Board: [7c Ac Td 2h 4h]
Seat 1: Hippy Hair didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: sunfish2 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: treenom (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: Wordo (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: SpeakEasy (big blind) showed [7s 7h] and won ($765.80) with three of a kind, Sevens
Seat 6: PoorNapoleon didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: UK_Pompey didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: LuckySOB mucked [Ks Ad] - a pair of Aces [Broke the NL golden rule -- don't go broke with one pair.]
Seat 9: seebee25 didn't bet (folded)
3. Finally, a hand that relies on my read of the betting patterns…
Full Tilt Poker Game #2119694369: Table Padre Field - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em
Seat 1: samonilla ($142)
Seat 2: VERYLUCKYDOG ($154)
Seat 3: 52Addictions ($390)
Seat 4: deucheman2 ($233.90)
Seat 5: mattbet ($400)
Seat 6: DonTreEdthis ($225.90)
Seat 7: SpeakEasy ($390)
Seat 8: silverbird ($109.25)
Seat 9: boykee ($400)
deucheman2 posts the small blind of $2
mattbet posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to SpeakEasy [Qs Ks]
DonTreEdthis folds
SpeakEasy raises to $12
silverbird folds
boykee folds
samonilla folds
VERYLUCKYDOG folds
deucheman2 has 15 seconds left to act
deucheman2 is sitting out
deucheman2 has timed out
deucheman2 folds
mattbet calls $8
*** FLOP *** [8s 3d 5h]
mattbet checks
SpeakEasy bets $18
deucheman2 has returned
mattbet calls $18 [I’m thinking that he paired on the flop, or has a modest overpair.]
*** TURN *** [8s 3d 5h] [Qc]
mattbet checks
SpeakEasy bets $38
mattbet calls $38 [Now I’m thinking its more likely that he had an overpair to the flop. I don’t think he has a Q.]
*** RIVER *** [8s 3d 5h Qc] [As]
mattbet bets $60 [Really only two possibilities here with this bet (1) he has the mid-pair, and thinks that I whiffed, or (2) he has Ax. What Ax that fits this betting pattern? AQ – no, he would probably re-raise this from the BB, or at least lead on the turn. A8? Unlikely he would call the turn with this. Same conclusion with A5 or A3. I feel strongly that he has a mid-pair and just doesn’t believe my betting pattern, especially my turn bet. Turn bets that look like continuation of a continuation can be valuable.]
SpeakEasy has 15 seconds left to act
SpeakEasy calls $60
*** SHOW DOWN ***
mattbet shows [Tc Ts] (a pair of Tens)
SpeakEasy shows [Qs Ks] (a pair of Queens)
SpeakEasy wins the pot ($255) with a pair of Queens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $258 Rake $3
Board: [8s 3d 5h Qc As]
Seat 1: samonilla didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: VERYLUCKYDOG (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: 52Addictions is sitting out
Seat 4: deucheman2 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: mattbet (big blind) showed [Tc Ts] and lost with a pair of Tens
Seat 6: DonTreEdthis didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: SpeakEasy showed [Qs Ks] and won ($255) with a pair of Queens
Seat 8: silverbird didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: boykee didn't bet (folded)
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