Operation "Operation"

One of the most recurrent phrases regarding myself is "Bigred plays poker?". Truth of the matter is, not really...anymore at least. I want to create an operation thread not to be popular or since it's the cool thing to do (as suggested by TJ) but as motivation to keep me playing. My blog has failed, playing with a friend has failed, and there just doesn't seem to be a way to keep me going after the initial surge of motivation is over. That's where you guys come in. I enjoy reading these operation threads especially the help and more importantly, the whip in the ass (don't get too excited Warpe) to keep things moving. I'll start off with my poker history and then state my current situation and some goals.

I started playing poker online 2 years ago from last September. I had no idea what I was doing and I still don't know how i didn't lose my initial $50 deposit. Luckily, two major things happened to me. I found FTR and then I found soupie. FTR taught me some basic pf strategy, pot odds, and continuation bets. I was able to start making money and was doing ABC poker correctly minus Bankroll Management which I still didn't really know about. A lucky final table on a $3 FO gave me a $600 BR and I was in buisness. The FTR IRC channel was formed right around then and a well respected player named soupie was randomly asking people if they wanted to make 100k in a year. I said why the hell not and as easy as that he took me under his wing when he started the 100k club with me and a few other players. I started out as a SNG players but quickly moved to cash games and Bonus whoring. I was making good money, I was getting great advice from smart players, and things were good. I grinded my roll up to 8K as a summer job that following summer and used half of that to pay for my books, housing, and a lot on my gf at the time.

The problem with this summer was I switched from 6 tabling ring to 1-3 tabling and playing laggy. I made a ton of money playing lag at the end of the summer but as with the agreement with my parents, I now had to pay for all my stuff with poker money since I didn't get a real job. The pressure of having to make money when I returned to classes, combined with exams, etc was too much and playing a good lag turned into a semitilting spewoff. The harder I tried to force myself to make money the more I lost. I refused to take a break; I needed the money. I never officially went busto but I had to step away. I quit 100k and tried to focus on school, which was also demanding and trying at the time (I quit my major the next semester because it was miserable).

Since then I've dipped in and out of poker but never played with the same determination, focus, or skill. I don't ever want to have to rely on poker again but I doo want it to be some side income now that I'm graduating and going to be living in the real world. Ok, let's get started.

Current situation:

I'm steal dealing with some neteller issues with half my roll but my roll should come out to about $1100. I'm playing 50n full ringl on stars.

Playing goals:
-5K hands a week. (Not sure how easy this is. I'll reevaluate this in a week or two.)
-Eliminate distractions (solid block of play time, phone off, ims off, only allowed to be on vent)
-Review PT bad hands (I've never done this before)
-Post some hands on FTR (I hate doing this but it's needed)

Money goals:
$2000 for 100NL if I feel comfortable with only 20buyins, we'll see.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

UTG ($59.05)
UTG+1 ($92.60)
Hero ($48.95)
MP2 ($20.40)
MP3 ($49)
CO ($27.15)
Button ($45.20)
SB ($62.20)
BB ($60.45)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Q

, Q

.
UTG raises to $2, 1 fold, Hero raises to $7, 6 folds, UTG calls $5.

Flop: ($14.75) J

, 5

, 7

(2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $14, UTG raises to $52.05, Hero ???

Wow, I've been one of the ones ripping you for your non poker playing posts. I never knew 90% of that. GL. It's too bad about the $100K club, god damn if someone could do this now, there is a few of us that would jump all over it. You will not believe the support you, of all people, will get. You need poker, we need Bigred. Kick ass, get that roll back. And keep your sense of humour.

I thought you were in the $100NL, $200NL range. If you were, $50NL will be a walk. Start nitty and find your way. I'll be reading.

I don't bet so much on a dry flop. $11 will get a fold as easily as $14. Without a read, this is a fold... I put him on AA/JJ... I can't imagine AJ would play it this way.

GL to you bigred.

wow bigred seriously i didn't know you were that sucessful at poker. I hope you can get the roll back up.

What do you guys think of how I played this? (Mainly concerned about flop)

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

MP1 ($55.55)
MP2 ($47)
CO ($77.05)
Button ($41.90)
Hero ($55.55)
BB ($50)
UTG ($56.15)
UTG+1 ($9.50)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q

, A

.
3 folds, MP2 raises to $2, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.75, 1 fold.

Flop: ($4.50) Q

, 6

, J

(2 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets $3.5, Hero raises to $10.5, MP2 calls $7.

Turn: ($25.50) A

(2 players)
Hero bets $15, MP2 raises to $34.5, Hero calls $19.50.

River: ($94.50) 6

(2 players)

Final Pot: $94.50

Generally WA/WB here as something odd like KhTh won't be raised in MP2. With no reads I'd flat call the flop to control the pot and to keep a worse hand (KQ) around instead of blowing them out on the flop. Turn card changed nothing but bc of your flop raise the pot was bloated and it played itself out. If he had QJ it was a nice spike for you.

GL BigRed - Stay away from FTP 50nl 6max and you'll be fine. (Basically, avoid me)

Just keep posting hands and you'll do fine.

takesix was pretty spot-on for the AQ hand IMO.

Wow my night is going bad so far. Incredibly over aggressive with a few bad beats is what's on the menu for tonight. I've slowed my game down a little and found a great podcast for putting me in the zone.

Check it out at http://www.techtronicsound.com/

Should I have played this hand differently? I didn't think utg would call. Mp1 is an idiot 80/20. UTG is 16/5.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

SB ($44.50)
BB ($53.55)
UTG ($49.25)
UTG+1 ($47.90)
MP1 ($14.30)
MP2 ($49.75)
Hero ($48.50)
Button ($108.20)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 7

, 6

.
UTG raises to $1.5, 1 fold, MP1 calls $1.50, 1 fold, Hero calls $1.50, 3 folds.

Flop: ($5.25) 6

, J

, 7

(3 players)
UTG bets $5, MP1 raises to $12.8, Hero raises to $47, UTG calls $42.

Turn: ($112.05) 5

(3 players)

River: ($112.05) J

(3 players)

Final Pot: $112.05

Results in white below:
UTG has Kh Ks (flush, king high).
MP1 has Js Qc (three of a kind, jacks).
Hero has 7s 6s (two pair, jacks and sevens).
Outcome: UTG wins $112.05.

That's fine, you played it to get 2pair or a combo draw, you got it and got action before, only thing you can do is shove. Unlucky result.

Small, depressing update: After last night's downswing and the fact that most of my BR is tied up in neteller, I'm going to move down to 25NL. As much as I don't want to do this it's the right thing to do. I can't sustain a downswing and can't consider my netller money as part of my roll due to recent developments. It's time for a true grind.

On the upside, I can hopefully figure out how to be a nit again, I'm still too laggy.

Man your post count is gonna go thruogh the roof now. Be careful!

Wow, enlightning thread! I knew there was more to you than meets the eye...

GL

Bigred, if you're being forced to move down, perhaps a switch to 6max is in order - it's naturally a laggier game, less strong hands win pots, but at $25 and $50 it's predominantly made up of nits with the occasional maniac, all of whom you should be able to eat for breakfast. I suspect you'd want to move to 6max at some point - if only for the fact that you make money 50% quicker - so now might be the perfect time.

6-max will really suit your game Red!!

Poker Forum

Join Our Poker Community!

Poker Forum Index

FTR Blogs and Operations

Operation "Operation"