$1.10 NLHE MTT

Date: Sat, Mar 15, 2008

1st break 508/1044 w/3,310t Avg 3,987
ITM just before the 2nd break
2nd break 281/381 w/5,170t Avg 10,925
Finished 314st for $1.94

Mistake on my last hand, should have pushed A9o with 2 limpers, in the SB so decided to complete and see the flop; hit the 9 and pushed; got called by the big stack who had 86s (GS w/4FD) and he made a str8 on the river -- he may have folded pre-flop if I'd pushed.

May also have waited to long to get aggro pushing PF .. should probably have started when down to 15-16BB at the 150/300/25 level; trouble was, I didn't have pushable hands 1st in: 72 53 AJ2 T6 98s [raised in front] K7 Q4 T8 Q7s K5s 43s 82 32 Q2 K5s 85s

Did push two at the next level just before ITM: 97 and QQ, and pushed A9 on the first hand after ITM.

Had one tough decision. On the Button with JTs and 2 limpers in front. Flop was 4 5 T rainbow. I bet 85% of the pot and got one caller. Turn was an 8, bet 1/2 the pot and he called again. The river was a 7 and he pushed 720t. The pot was around 1670 so 1,670+720= 2390 / 720 = 3.3:1 on the call. The put 4 to a straight on the board and it was possible he had a 6 or had hit a set with the 7 but it felt wrong. This guy liked to sandbag people; I didn't think he would push the flop if he really had those hands; he seemed the type that would make a slightly smaller bet. I called and he turned over pocket 9's; I won the pot. Maybe with those odds it should have been an automatic call and it wasn't such a tough decision, although it felt like it at the time.

Also, may have missed an opportunity to gain some chips. UTG limped; he was loose PF player but played fairly well post flop, aggressive (2.5) but not stupid. The SB (a short stack) completed. The blinds were 100/200 so the pot had 6oot in it. I had AKo and raised it to 1,000t. In retrospect, I think I should have just raised to 600t. UTG would probably have called and I may have made money if the flop hit me; he had 3x my stack.

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$0.25 MTT

Date: Fri, Mar 14, 2008

Started off quite nicely in this one; hit a couple of sets and at the 1st break had 10,363t and was sitting 96/1355. The average stack was 4,505. Went downhill after that.

There was a very loose/passive player in seat 5, 80/0/0.1. He kept limping and hitting the board hard with his rags. I was in MP with AKo and 9,438t. The LPP limped UTG with 12,186 behind. It was folded to me and I made it 1,200t. The Button, with 2,575t called. The blinds folded and the LPP called. Pot: 4,275. The flop came T 3 5. UTG checked, I checked, the B bet 900t, UTG called. Now, I don't have anything but overcards, UTG could have literally anything. I'm guessing the Button is on a pair or over pair. And I'm getting 7:1 to call, so I do.

The turn is the 6. UTG checks, I check and the B puts in his last 475t. UTG calls. Now I'm getting 16.6:1, so again, I call.

The river is the 9. UTG checks, I check. Button turns over A A. UTG ... wait for it ... turns over....TADA... T 5 and rakes in 8,400t with his two pair. lol ... I've now got 6,863t.

A few hands later I'm UTG, get dealt 9 9 and make it 900t to go. UTG+1 folds, MP calls, everyone folds to the Button, who calls; both blinds fold. The flop is J K J. I check, MP checks and the Button bets 600t into a 3,375t pot. I think about it for a minute or two and decide it looks like a weak position move (B had been tight/passive), so I push. Button immediately calls and turns over A K. Turn and river are K 7. Button wins the pot and I have 388t and am automatically all-in in the next hand as BB the blinds jump to 200/400. I get dealt 54 and the board comes 55464. Woot ... I quintupled up to 1,914t.

Next hand, I'm in the SB with A 2. All fold to the LPP, in MP, who limps, as usual. Everyone folds to me and I push. The BB folds, LPP calls and ... turns over a real hand 5 5. The poker gods giveth and the poker gods taketh away. I don't improve and finish 827th, 26 from ITM.

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$1.10 NLHE MTT

Date: Thu, Mar 13, 2008

Busted 81st of 2,471 in this one. Blinds were 800/1600 with 150 ante and I was down to 16k in chips. The table was a tough one, there were two big stacks (64k and 98k) on my immediate left and one or the other kept raising 1st in. On the previous level I only saw three playable hands: 44, 88 and ATo. I was able to limp the 44 but missed the board and the ATo I had to fold because there was a raise and re-raise in front. I couldn't risk pushing rags for a steal as the big stacks were calling everything ... or nearly. I did push the 88 and they all folded.

This time I had 77. The big stack raised 1st in again and he called with JTs. The board came K 2 6 9 Q and I lost to his straight.

I totally misplayed one hand at the 25/50 level. I was UTG+1 with KQ, the table had been loose/passive pre-flop and the UTG was limping every hand. I'd been fairly quiet and decided to raise it to 200t. Then the table came to life, MP called, HJ (a tight aggressive player 21/21/7) made it 5oot. It was folded to the BB who called, UTG folded. So now there was 1,475t in the pot and 300t to me so getting 5:1, I called. MP folded and 3 of us saw the flop: 2 3 Q. BB checked, I checked. The HJ pushed 3,223t, the BB put in his last 301t so now there's 5,299t and I have 1,825t so I'm getting 3:1. I have top pair and K, and against his range (using 7% for a re-raise) I'm about 66% so I called. The BB turned over A 2. He turned over A Q. Oops! Turn was J, River T. HJ was not a happy camper, went on for awhile in the chat about donkeys getting paid. He was right; I did play like a donkey.

I had KK's once but only won 500t with them, I was on the Button, raised and a small stack in the SB pushed. Lucked out when I was short at the 150/300 level. Had AJ UTG+1 and pushed, a big stack in the BB called with KK and I rivered an Ace to double up.

I misplayed another hand at the 500/1000 100t ante. I had 25,721t, was sitting 58/181, the average stack was 20,477t and was in the BB with K T
It was folded to the HJ, who limped. CO and B folded, SB completed and I checked. Flop was T 4 Q. I bet 1,700 into a 3,800 pot. The HJ called and SB folded. Turn was 8 and I bet 3,500 into a 7,200 pot. HJ pushed 5,435. Pot was now 16,135 and it was 1,935 to me. Pretty much had to call getting 8:1. He turned over KQ, river was 2 and he won the hand. I felt I needed to bet the turn when the 8 hit in case he was holding something like AJ, Ax, KJ, or a pair lower than Tens.

Overall, my ITM isn't bad. 26% since the beginning of February, which when I started working on my game. I've played 60 MTT's and made two final tables, best finish was 5th. The other was a an FPP sat where I busted 9th, 8 won seats into a WSOP ME qualifier. That one hurt like hell :( I seem to make at least two or three errors per tourney; at least, that I recognize. Sometimes the errors bite me, sometimes they don't. Today my cards weren't all that great, so making the money was nice. Final Table would be nicer :)

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$3.30 NLHE MTT

Date: Thu, Mar 13, 2008

This is the 4th $3.30 MTT I've played. Started today at 12pm; it was not as aggressive as the other three I've played. There 1,735 runners; 297 got paid.

Messed up an early hand (blinds were 10/20): KJ in MP, I cc a loose raiser (the guy was playing every other hand and raising all of them 1st in). Mistake number one; should have re-raised or folded; I didn't because I hadn't actually seen him go to showdown; he'd bet the flop and turn and people would fold. Three saw the flop (pot was 200t) which came 8 3 5 got checked around. The turn was the 9 and the SB bet 100t, EP called. With 2 overcards and the flush draw figured I had the odds to call. The river was J. SB immediately pushed for 620t. EP folded. QT or T7 would have the straight but neither seemed likely. J9 was a possibility as was AJ, but so was QJ, JT. And given that he started with a random hand, we were in the first level and he was already down 2/3 of his stack I thought he might have air or a low pair and was hoping the Jack had missed everyone; so I called. I was wrong, he turned over 9 5 and won it with two pair. I was down to 1,015t.

At the 25/50 level I picked up chips with AQs and AA so going into the 50/100 level I had 1,765t.

I then found myself in the BB with QT. Blinds were 50/100. I had 1,665t. There were 3 folds and then MP, the big stack at the table with 6,000t, made it 400t. He had been playing very fast and loose 60/30/2.5. It was folded around to me an I decided to call; I figured I was probably a little behind but that if I did hit I'd get paid. The flop came 4 2 Q. MP bet 1,500t and I called with my remaining 1,365t. He turned over 8 8. The turn and river came J Q and I doubled up to 3,580t.

MP was not happy with me but I don't have much sympathy with a guy who plays 60% of his hands and then gets annoyed when one of his legit hands loses. Looking at it with PS, PF, against his range I was 43:57 (I used 30%, his PFR). If I push: 0.43(3,580) - .57(1,726) = +556. The way I played it, calling 300 and only continuing if I hit the Queen, is actually -EV. .o6(.77(3,580)) - .94(300) = 165 - 282 = -117. So maybe he did have something to complain about :)

Two hands later I was on the Button with 7 8. UTG+1 limped, it was folded to me, I called. SB folded, BB checked. 3 saw the flop, the pot was 350t. Flop: Q 7 3. The BB checked, UTG+1 bet 200t and I called. The turn was the 6. UTG+1 bet 400t and I folded. I should have raised the flop or folded. Looking at the hand with PS, UTG+1 was playing 40% of his hands; there's a good chance (roughly 60%) that he totally missed that board. I had seen him bet MPNK and check/call with 2 pair so his bets didn't particularly mean top pair.

At the 1st break I had 3,530t and sitting 285 of 675. I dropped a chunk of my stack with TT at the 100/200 level when I raised 3xBB from the CO, got called by a tight player (9/9/0) in the Button and the SB The flop came A J 3, I bet 700t into a 2,ooot pot (to small but it was 30% of my stack) and the Button raised it to 1,500t. The pot was giving me 5.25:1 but with two over cards and the draws on the board and the Button's range I decided to live to fight another day.

At the 150/300 25t ante level I was down to 1,780t, the average stack was 6,707. I was UTG and pushed AJo, I got called by a pair 0f 7's. Four spades hit the board and my J won the pot, so up to 3,660t.

In the SB I was dealt KQo. The CO, who was a little shorter than me, limped. I pushed and he called turning over KJs. Neither of us improved and I won the pot; stack is now 6,225t.

Next time in SB I get K7s, the big stack (13k) was in the BB. I limped and he min raised me. I called. The flop came 6 8 7. I checked, the BB min bet and I raised. He called. A T hit the turn and we both checked. A rag hit the river and we both checked. He turned over AKo and I took the pot; stack up to 8,300. Average is 8,082.

The blinds went to 200/400/25 and we were right on the ITM bubble. People were stalling and the B and BB had just been discussing a previous hand between themselves in which the B had folded pocket 8's on a low board saying it wasn't worth a race with an Ace. In the SB with K6o. The Button limped, I completed and the BB called. The flop came K 7 K. I bet 900 and they both folded. Think they would have folded to almost anything there; we were hand to hand.

I went into the 2nd break with 8,950t sitting 115/243. The average stack was 10,709. Blinds were 300/600/50. I raised first in from the HJ with A8o and the CO pushed 14k. He was 20/10/0 so I believed him and folded. I've now got 7k, 11.5BB, and am in push mode. Next orbit, I'm in the CO with QTo which is about 40% against two random hands. The Button is tight and has not been active so I pushed. The BB called and turned over AJo. I didn't improve and went out 204th winning $5.72.

Overall I wasn't too unhappy with my performance. I misplayed the KJs hand and probably the first QTo hand; was a little to weak with the K7s hand against the big stack as I should probably have bet the turn after check raising him or at least have made a thin bet on the river.

My cards weren't the greatest. Had AA once along with AK, AQ, AJ, and AT once each. TT twice, 66 and 22 over 138 hands.

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Introspective day

Date: Thu, Mar 13, 2008

One very bad leak I have is repeating the same mistakes; for example, pushing a hand when there are three to a flush on the board and I've bet and been raised and it's pretty obvious, given my opponents previous play, that I'm behind.

I know it's a tendency because I absolutely hate it when I see someone else do it; witness my response to an ITH post where someone had done the same: "I hate the turn push". And it's been my experience that the things I hate the most are the things I am most prone to myself.

The tendency has bothered me and I've had a tough time figuring out why I do it. For the most part, I've thought it was a desire to prove myself right "Yes, I knew he had it!". I think it was, in the beginning, but I take no such pleasure from it now; for the most part, I'm indifferent to the outcome. Which worries me, as it implies the tendency has become an ingrained habit.

This morning I was reading Eric Hoffer's "The Passionate State of Mind" and this jumped out at me "...the repetition of a crime is sometimes part of a device of justification: we do it again and again to convince ourselves and others that it is a common thing and not an enormity."

Is my habitual repetition of the same mistakes a means of justifying them? Why do I want to justify them? Because if the mistake is justified I am not responsible for it! Yuck, not sure I like where this thought is taking me :(

Do I really want to be a good poker player, or do I just like the idea of thinking I want to be a good player? To be good, I need to take responsibility for my actions at the table, not find a means of justifying them. Why am I afraid of that? If I'm responsible then, if I lose, it's my own fault. Why do I prefer to think that, if I win, it's because I'm lucky and if I lose it's my own fault? While all the while my actions are setting me up to lose? There is something perverse in all this.

I'm willing to take responsibility for actions that cause me to lose while at the same time employing a device that justifies the actions. Justifies them to who? myself? No one else watches my play. It's as if I do things that make me lose because I'm expected to lose while at the same time something inside me can't accept that I'm really a loser and so I set up my actions to meet the expectation but at the same time give myself an out. Why? Why do I think I'm expected to lose? Because I can't possibly be good at something? And if it looks like I just might be, I quit or sabotage myself. Where has this come from? Why can't I be good at something?

If you are good at something, you invite recognition and recognition invites animosity. And I fear that's a whole other ball of wax.

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Hand Equities

Date: Sun, Mar 9, 2008

I've been playing around with Pokerstove , and decided to look at Hand Equities if pushing into Premium Hands (JJ+, AKs). After seeing how they fell out I was laughing at myself for all the times I've been short-stacked and UTG at a very tight table and not pushed an Ax or Kx hand thinking I needed better as I was fairly sure I'd only get called by a premium hand. As the numbers show, it really doesn't matter if you have an AJ or an A7 or A3. In fact, if the table is that tight, there is quite a number of hands you can push that have almost the same equities.

One surprise was the Axs hands A5, A4 and A3. They are on par with AJs and ATs hands, probably because of their straight possibilities. The same off-suit hands are not far off either.

The other thing I played with was looking at what Stack sizes you needed if you pushed and expected to get called by a Premium Hand. I used the following formula to calculate the break even stack size:

(Fold% x Blinds) + (Called% x Win% x Blinds) / Called% x (Win% - Loss%)

where,
Fold% = how often you expect everyone to fold to your push
Called% = how often you expect to get called
Win% = probability you'll win if you are called
Loss% = probability you'll lose if you are called

I ran the numbers assuming you're UTG at a 9 player table and there's an 18.3% chance you'll run into a premium hand (chance of being dealt a premium hand, 2.3%, times 8 players still to act).

For the most part, if your stack is less than 18BB's you're at least break even.
If you think you'll get called less often, you can make the move with much larger stacks; the numbers were all over 40BB. But then there's not much point risking your stack. If you think you'll get called more often, say 25% of the time, you need a smaller stack.

Not sure how realistic this is since there is not a 25% chance someone behind you at a full table will be dealt a premium hand. And in a real game, you are going to get called with alot worse than premium hands. Next step is to widen the calling range and see how the numbers change.

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In Learning Mode

Date: Fri, Mar 7, 2008

I'm still working my way through HoH Vol 1 and trying to get in at least one MTT per day. I'm getting ITM more often (22%) and occasionally get within striking distance of FT but so far my best finish is still 5th in a $2.20. I was within striking distance of FT in one, with a decent stack, and totally blew it; got involved with another big stack when I had no need to. I was sitting 12/33 and pushed 77's against an UTG raise from a tight player who had twice my stack. I knew he was tight and there was a very good chance he had a real hand; the 77's were only 33% against his range. I should have let them go. Sure enough, he turned over 99's, neither of us improved and I was gone.

Made a similar mistake in another one with TT, again, pushed a tight UTG raiser; this one wasn't quite so bad as I was 1:1 against his range. My M was only 8 so at the time thought it was a good push but really, think I had time to wait for a better than even money opportunity.

I think the worst hand I played was one where I just ignored all signs villain had a big hand. Blinds were 100/200, I had T4805, UTG, a semi-loose player, had T2,405 and UTG+1, who was new to the table, had T7,188. UTG limped and UTG+1 made it 666 to go. I was sitting in the HJ with AQo. I was pretty sure I was ahead of UTG but wasn't sure what to make of UTG+1's raise so I called, hoping to see a cheap flop. UTG pushed (which didn't mean much the way he'd been playing) but when UTG+1 just called again I should have had bells ringing in my ears; I mean, what would he be calling here with that he didn't want to push? And why wasn't he pushing? I ended up calling and true to form, UTG turned over KTo; UTG+1 however turned over AA. The hand was pretty obvious given the betting; he had a premium hand, UTG only had 1/2 his stack so he wanted more action. I totally ignored all the warning signs and gave it to him.

To put my play into perspective I decided to poke around on OPR and the PokerDB to check the stats on a number of the better players I've heard about: JohnnyBax, brsavage, PearlJammer, etc. For the most part, ITM appears to hover between 14-17%, FT's 4-7% and Top 3 1.5-3%. Definitely high variance :)

I've cancelled my subscription with PokerXFactor and re-joined StoxPoker; mostly because I don't think I was getting enough out of PXF. They have a ton of videos and any number of great players but found I was picking up 1 or 2 tips and 4 or 5 testosterone noys per video. The noys were starting to out weigh the tips so I packed it in. I had subscribed to Stox, when I was playing 6-max and decided to re-join (a) because Ed Miller has videos there now and I enjoy Ed's teaching style, and (b) they've also added some MTT videos. There aren't alot of them and most seem to be by Matt Matros; I've watched two to date and so far, so good.

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MTT's

Date: Mon, Feb 18, 2008

Wow! Haven't posted anything here in a long time. My ring game was not going well at all, combination of variance and my own lousy play I'm sure. I gave it a rest, thought about trying NL cash games and then decided I really don't feel like grinding at the moment so figured I'd try MTT's. I've played them the odd time but never given them much focus. Started by attempting a 2x180 quest on FTP and did lousy. I joined Pokerxfactor (think Toom mentioned it was a good site) and so far the videos have been eye openers. Stars has regular $0.10, $0.25 and $0.50 MTT's so I've been playing those along with the odd $2 and $3 buy-in.

In January I won the ITH League game and a ticket into the Sunday Million. I don't want to be totally dead money so it's given me some incentive to focus more on my game. I always seem to do better in the league games; I think it's because I know I'm up against good players and so I pay close attention to what's going on. That's not to say I don't make idiotic errors but I tend to make less of them when I'm up against fellow ITH'ers :)

I'm trying to bring that same mindset to my other games and it's working, a little, since January 28th I've played 30 (I know, not many, but the best I could manage) and my ITM is 23.33%. My best finish was 5th in a $2.20 game for $171. I started the FT as the low stack, cranked up my play and built a reasonable stack but then we got stuck at 5 for almost two hours. I went out on a bad call. I was UTG with KQs and raised, the BB had me outstacked and he pushed. I knew I should have folded; he was a fairly solid player and I didn't think he was bluffing but it was 5am and I could barely keep my eyes open, I called and he turned over AQs, neither of us improved and he won the pot.

For the most part I've been ahead when I've pushed or called a push but I played two yesterday and am sad to say I slipped into my old mindset; got knocked out of both with two horrible calls. In the $0.25 a LAG limped UTG and I re-raised AQs in UTG+1, it was folded around and the LAG called. The flop was A93 with two diamonds. The LAG made a min bet and I raised it to 4xBB. That was a mistake, I should have pushed right there as they had been calling all-ins with any piece of the board. I still would have lost the hand since a 3rd diamond came on the turn, the LAG pushed and idiot me called. The LAG turned over 4,3 of diamonds.

In the $2.20 I had been card dead for most of the 1st hour. Finally managed a double and a small pot. I was in the BB with A8o when the HJ made a 3xBB raise. I hadn't been paying attention and decided to push with an M of 8. The HJ called and turned over TT, another ten hit the flop and I was gone. As soon as I pushed I looked at HJ's stats and realized he'd been playing super tight, VP$IP of 6.5%. If I'd been paying attention I would have known that and not pushed. I have met the enemy and he is me, sigh. Sometimes I think lack of focus is my biggest problem.

Anyway, working on my game. Re-reading...no, studying...HOH. I think this is only my 3rd time through the Volume 1 and the thing is already falling apart. Anyone else have that problem with 2+2 books; no matter how careful I am with them, the bindings break. Very annoying.

For now, dreaming of making the FT in the Stars million :)

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Test post using ScribeFire

Date: Mon, Aug 27, 2007

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Estimating Equity against Hand Ranges

Date: Thu, Jul 19, 2007

Spent some time today trying to get a better handle on various hand ranges vs my hand ranges. There's so much to think about at the table I was looking for a shortcut that might help so fired up PokerStove and ran some numbers; the results were pretty interesting, and, I think, will come in handy.



The numbers are approximations; and only HU, didn't try to make it perfect as more interested in ball park figures, in the vast majority of situations I really don't need to know the equity difference a 1-2% variation in VP$IP will make. I just want to know that, generally, I'm 5 or 10% better than 50% against an opponents range.

The easiest thing to remember is that if you are 50/50 against someone with the same hand range. Which, of course means, you are probably behind to someone with a tighter range. Versus someone with a looser range, you can add roughly 2% for each 10% increase in their VP$IP; if you're in the 15-22% range you can add an additional 2%.

Again, that's rough, but it's easier to remember than a table of numbers; especially when you have only 6 or 10 seconds to act.

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Bad to Worse

Date: Fri, Jun 1, 2007

Well, I have somehow managed to go from bad to worse :( I'm now down 106BB at $1/$2 and have managed to put myself in the hole at $0.50/$1 as well although not as badly (-23BB). The only good thing is that I have managed to shave 3% off my UTG VP$IP, dropping it to 13.4% (Button VP$IP is 30%) so I have at least met my goal of tightening up in EP.

Well my cash game is in the tank there were some bright spots, I won 2 league tourneys this month and so now have a $100 share in Matthew's WSOP play, which is great. I also played my first re-buy sat (only a $2 buy-in). I made 1 re-buy when I sat down and then did the add-on and managed to win a seat into a $33 sat thanks to advice from DrNo, PokerElmo and others on IRC. Was kind of funny, I basically stalled my way into it, but it was fun. Those things are crazy!

Didn't do so well in the $33 sat, still annoyed with myself. I had just been moved to a new table, blinds were 100/200 with 25t ante and my stack was 7,895t so I was in decent shape. Found myself UTG with AQo and raised to 600t first in. Everyone folded to the SB who had 15,065t. He pushed and the BB folded. For some reason I thought his push was weak and I called, he turned over rockets and I was out. Dumb, dumb, dumb. There was absolutely no reason for me to risk my stack there; went out 80/220.

Played a FPP tourneys, for the most part I was happy with my play, at least I went in with the best of it. Best finish was 23/379, had to finish in the top 14 to win a seat. Haven't done much better with the $4/180's. Only played three this month, best finish was 20th. Played 7 $1/18 SnG's and have only managed a 4th in one, overall I'm still ok with them though, ROI is 28%.

Ah well, just have to keep plugging away and trying to figure it out.

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And the grind continues

Date: Fri, May 4, 2007

Showed a little improvement in April, but not much. Focus for May is to tighten up in the early positions. Need to forget about a few things, like isolation plays; they rarely work at this limit, if an early player limps and gets raised the blinds will come in without fail.

Still working on my Tournament play; haven't done too badly in the ITH tourney league but my play at the 4/180 tables on Stars has been awful and only slightly better at the 1/18 tables. Think it's mainly because I focus more in the league games; have to try to take that same focus into the other games.

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Trying to improve

Date: Thu, Apr 5, 2007

Had a blinding flash of the obvious today that was triggered by two things: ebo mentioning that he noted how opponents play their draws both in and out of position. And a line in one of Pilchard's early posts: Always remember that the strength of your own hand is dictated by the texture of the board and your opponent's betting.

Realized I'm trying to figure out the wrong things about opponents; or rather, I'm trying to figure out too much. I try to watch every hand and get down notes on how it was played. For example, I'll make a note like this:

1-2 6M cdwOC(AK)pdRui--ch/rTwTRIPS--bBPNK chTui pdR--rFwTPMK chTR
pfr AKo 88 AJs(cc)
p A4o A6s KQs* KT

When really all I need is something like this:

Range: +88* AJs^ +A4 +KQs^ KT
C: cdOC tBPNK trTPMK
B: fBPNK
R: trips*t fTPMK
Pays: OC BP

Where an * under Range = raise, ^= cold call and * under R=ch/r. f,t,r = flop, turn, river. Think this will be more useful when looking at the board and how he's played the hand on each street. For example, if he bets the flop and I have TP or better, I can raise and if he raises the flop and I have TPGK I can 3-bet with a little more confidence. I'll also know that he will sometimes payoff on the river with overcards and bottom pair so I can bet the river for value more often.

Believe I've been spending too much time trying to figure out what cards opponents hold when I should really be focusing on what his action means.

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Still a rough go but looking to improve

Date: Thu, Mar 29, 2007

Yesterday was rough, down another 22BB at $1/$2 6-max, kept running into better hands; lost 37.5BB on the following:

Me    Board        Villan    BB's
--    -----       -------    ----
33    3QQ 77        KQ        5.5  
JT    4TT 79        KT        6.5
KT    T49 35        KK        5.5
QJ    J67 37        KJ        5.5 
J8    6JT JQ        K9        5.5
K8    TT8 98        QT        4
AJ    AQ2 8Q        QJ        2.5
K9    942 T2        A9        2.5                    

Was rivered on three of them, should have laid down the K8 hand. The JT hand was an SB/BB HU, what were the odds he held a better 10? In the KT hand I was in the BB, KK was the button, his raise looked like a steal so couldn't lay down top pair. Add to the that a few idiotic plays and I guess I should count myself lucky I'm not deeper in the hole than I am.

But help is on the way, ebo8b has volunteered to rail some of my games so hopefully he'll be able to pick up and advise on my more glaring weaknesses. It's great to have someone to talk to, we had our first session on Tuesday, I watched him play as I'd pulled my money because of the Neteller move. We used Skype, great piece of software. Next week he'll watch me play for a bit, I'll watch him for a bit and we'll discuss the plays as they are happening. Really grateful to him for volunteering and for Taz115 setting it up.

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