Operation Poker Reset

Over the past year, I have had a chance to play (at least for me) a lot of poker; roughly 42000 hands. Most of that has been at .10/.25 and .05/.10. During that time, I have lost $212. It's time to admit that I'm not just on a run of bad luck (although in my defense I'm getting screwed percentage-wise on my flopped sets). Nope, I am losing money because I am bad at poker.

What's my biggest leak? Not adjusting to my opponents. I lost more money playing against calling stations than any other. I can't adjust to them for some reason and I don't know why. It's like I know that they suck, and that they'll call, but I can't stop bluffing them because I want to play "good poker".

But that's all about to change. I am roughly 95 fpps away from getting my last Pokerstars bonus of the year, the $50 one. I will achieve that sometime in the next few days. Once I get that bonus, I am changing my game. I'm going to exclusively play .05/.10 until I have made at least $500. But because I'm fed up with the grind, I'm also going to start playing more SNGs and MTTs. I am actually profitable at these. In the 6-max $3.25 STT, I am making a profit of about $.80 per game. That's the reason why my bankroll has stayed roughly even for the year.

So here's the OP. Starting in December, I will concentrate solely on .05/.10 cash and SNGs at levels up to $6.50, but mostly around $3.25. I will correct my mistakes, and I will get better, and more importantly, I will make money in 2011.

you do know "good poker" is not bluffing calling stations right? Good poker would be not bluffing someone who will always call.

I know your thinking "yea I know" but you need to think about this. Making a play is not good poker. Exploiting players tendencies is good poker.

Originally Posted by jyms

you do know "good poker" is not bluffing calling stations right? Good poker would be not bluffing someone who will always call.

I know your thinking "yea I know" but you need to think about this. Making a play is not good poker. Exploiting players tendencies is good poker.

I absolutely know. That's why I put the "good poker" in quotes. I know I shouldn't bluff them, but it's like I can't stop myself. That's what this reset is all about. Time to start playing my opponents instead of playing my cards. I can exploit them if I just stop and THINK instead of making idiotic moves that have no hope of working.

Thanks for the feedback though. Definitely appreciated.

And so far the op is a miserable failure. Since the 28th, I've lost another $32. A few of it on bad plays, a few of it on the fact I can't win a show down to save my life. Here are two hands I had questions about however. I am trying to play aggressively, but maybe that's the wrong way to go.

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (MP) ($14.02)
CO ($40.90)
Button ($10.15)
SB ($9.89)
BB ($11.51)
UTG ($5)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 10, A
1 fold, Hero bets $1, 1 fold, Button calls $1, 2 folds

Flop: ($2.35) 7, 4, 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $2, Button calls $2

Turn: ($6.35) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $5.25, Button calls $5.25

River: ($16.85) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $1.90 (All-In), Hero calls $1.90

Total pot: $20.65

Maybe I should have just checked the turn? Obviously the river call on my part was pure tilt. Need to work on that.

And hand 2:

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($18.47)
UTG ($6.65)
Hero (MP) ($11.80)
CO ($36.61)
Button ($10.22)
SB ($5.85)

Preflop: Hero is MP with J, J
1 fold, Hero bets $0.75, 3 folds, BB raises $2, Hero calls $1.50

Flop: ($4.60) 6, 10, 10 (2 players)
BB bets $3.25, Hero raises $9.55 (All-In), BB calls $6.30

Turn: ($23.70) A (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($23.70) 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $23.70

Am I always beat here? Seems like everytime I run into this situation when I have an overpair, I'm alway beat by a higher overpair.


Well my bankroll is down to it's lowest point in over a year. I think I'm going to take a break from cash for a few days and concentrate on SNGs. I've got to clear my head.

Originally Posted by tuuk2

And so far the op is a miserable failure. Since the 28th, I've lost another $32. A few of it on bad plays, a few of it on the fact I can't win a show down to save my life. Here are two hands I had questions about however. I am trying to play aggressively, but maybe that's the wrong way to go.

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (MP) ($14.02)
CO ($40.90)
Button ($10.15)
SB ($9.89)
BB ($11.51)
UTG ($5)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 10, A
1 fold, Hero bets $1, 1 fold, Button calls $1, 2 folds

Flop: ($2.35) 7, 4, 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $2, Button calls $2

Turn: ($6.35) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $5.25, Button calls $5.25

River: ($16.85) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $1.90 (All-In), Hero calls $1.90

Total pot: $20.65

Maybe I should have just checked the turn? Obviously the river call on my part was pure tilt. Need to work on that.

And hand 2:

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($18.47)
UTG ($6.65)
Hero (MP) ($11.80)
CO ($36.61)
Button ($10.22)
SB ($5.85)

Preflop: Hero is MP with J, J
1 fold, Hero bets $0.75, 3 folds, BB raises $2, Hero calls $1.50

Flop: ($4.60) 6, 10, 10 (2 players)
BB bets $3.25, Hero raises $9.55 (All-In), BB calls $6.30

Turn: ($23.70) A (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($23.70) 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $23.70

*Am I always beat here? Seems like everytime I run into this situation when I have an overpair, I'm alway beat by a higher overpair.


Well my bankroll is down to it's lowest point in over a year. I think I'm going to take a break from cash for a few days and concentrate on SNGs. I've got to clear my head.

*Really hard to answer that without knowing anything about the villains. Reads are important both at the table and when seeking advice. Also what range did you put them on and how did those change for each street?

Don't get all depressed and I wouldn't recommend switching over to SnG's if cash is where you want to be. Move down to 5nl and focus. You'll crush them in no time and it will do your confidence good. Just curious what is your bankroll? Are you using good bankroll practices?

My bankroll is at right around $300. I'm not in any danger of going broke. I'd give you reads if I could, but because I only had about 10 hands on them, I've really got nothing to go on. I have gone back to .5/.10 since .10/.25 is just not working out right now. If I somehow fall under $250, I'll fall back to .2/.5.

I actually enjoy playing the SNGs. It's where I got my start and I like to turbo format. To me, SNGs are more of a game, because there's a beginning and an end.

Last night, there was no power in my house for about 7 hours. I sat here in the dark wishing I could actually do something. But the good news is the power is back on. After a crappy day of work today, I came home to a crappy night at home. But I got a few hands in, and even though I am still losing, it's at a much lower rate. And this time, it's not due to bad play, but just not getting the cards at this point.

If I can keep up what I'm doing, I think I can turn the corner.

Had a winning session for once, which is a great plus. Also got my $50 bonus from Pokerstars that added about 17% to my bankroll. For this month, I'm going to play two tables of .5/.10 for awhile to get my game back. It's working out pretty well. I'm not making a lot of big mistakes. I'm also playing mostly 50bb tables so I can only lose $5 at a time. I'm not winning yet, but that's just because the cards aren't going my way. If I can maintain the discipline, then I should be fine. So here are my points to remember...

Play "crappy" poker - That just means playing exploitable poker. Not 4-betting when 3-bet unless I have it. Playing my good hands, folding to aggression. Not trying to get people to fold when I know they can't. Calling some decent hands instead of raising to keep the pot small out of position. It's frustrating poker, but I have to remember it's profitable poker at this level.

Pay attention and take notes - Should be obvious, but note taking is much harder when you are playing 4 or more tables

When they bet big, they can usually beat TPTK - This one is a great money saver.

Patience, patience, patience - Wait for the right moment and don't force it when it's not there.

If I can remember these four things, I will make a good profit this month.

I'm also going to run an experiement where I play blocks of 10 tournaments. Say 10 - $3.25 6-max followed by 10 - $3.40 10-man. I'll also do the 180-man $2.20 and maybe a few of the MTTs, time permitting. Speaking of time, because I'm on-call for the next two weeks and I'll be getting calls at any time, it will be harder to play the SNGs. I've already been interrupted on a few occasions, affecting my play. So I'll need to try to play the SNGs when I think I'm most likely not to be interrupted by calls.

Originally Posted by tuuk2

My bankroll is at right around $300. I'm not in any danger of going broke. I'd give you reads if I could, but because I only had about 10 hands on them, I've really got nothing to go on. I have gone back to .5/.10 since .10/.25 is just not working out right now. If I somehow fall under $250, I'll fall back to .2/.5.

I actually enjoy playing the SNGs. It's where I got my start and I like to turbo format. To me, SNGs are more of a game, because there's a beginning and an end.

Last night, there was no power in my house for about 7 hours. I sat here in the dark wishing I could actually do something. But the good news is the power is back on. After a crappy day of work today, I came home to a crappy night at home. But I got a few hands in, and even though I am still losing, it's at a much lower rate. And this time, it's not due to bad play, but just not getting the cards at this point.

If I can keep up what I'm doing, I think I can turn the corner.

Buddy you are rolled nicely for 10nl and NO WHERE NEAR rolled for 25nl. I would suggest you stay at 10nl until you roll up to at least $625 although I personally won't take my next shot until I hit $700. I also wouldn't drop back to 5nl unless you get a lot closer to $200.
I think you will find being a bankroll nit just makes the game more enjoyable!

Originally Posted by tuuk2

I'm also playing mostly 50bb tables so I can only lose $5 at a time. *I'm not winning yet, but that's just because the cards aren't going my way. If I can maintain the discipline, then I should be fine. So here are my points to remember...

**When they bet big, they can usually beat TPTK - This one is a great money saver.

**Patience, patience, patience - Wait for the right moment and don't force it when it's not there.

If I can remember these four things, I will make a good profit this month.

***Speaking of time, because I'm on-call for the next two weeks and I'll be getting calls at any time, it will be harder to play the SNGs. I've already been interrupted on a few occasions, affecting my play. So I'll need to try to play the SNGs when I think I'm most likely not to be interrupted by calls.

* This is dangerous thinking tbh!

** These are very good points!

*** Just curious as to what you do? FF?



Good luck!

Playing much better. Results are coming around as well. This hand is a good representation of my new strategy.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO ($2.20)
Hero (Button) ($4.85)
SB ($5.17)
BB ($5.47)
UTG ($6.25)
MP ($3.02)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9, 9
1 fold, MP bets $0.24, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.24, 2 folds

Flop: ($0.63) 3, 10, 9 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $0.30, MP calls $0.30

Turn: ($1.23) A (2 players)
MP checks, Hero checks

River: ($1.23) 6 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $4.31 (All-In), MP calls $2.48 (All-In)

Total pot: $6.19 | Rake: $0.30

Results:
Hero had 9, 9 (three of a kind, nines).
MP had J, A (one pair, Aces).
Outcome: $6.19 returned to Hero

Instead of betting half the pot like I normally would to get him to call, I took the chance that he'd call the all-in there if he had first or second pair. Just trying to maximize profits and short stackers tend to want to get it all-in whenever they can. I would normally bet the turn, but another thing I've noticed is if you check the turn and bet the river, you're MUCH more likely to be called, even by K-high. It's ridiculous.

My first 10 $3.25 6-max are done. Results were 2 firsts, 3 seconds, and 5 others. I can live with 50% ITM.

Originally Posted by tuuk2

Playing much better. Results are coming around as well. This hand is a good representation of my new strategy.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

CO ($2.20)
Hero (Button) ($4.85)
SB ($5.17)
BB ($5.47)
UTG ($6.25)
MP ($3.02)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9, 9
1 fold, MP bets $0.24, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.24, 2 folds

Flop: ($0.63) 3, 10, 9 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $0.30, MP calls $0.30

Turn: ($1.23) A (2 players)
MP checks, Hero checks

River: ($1.23) 6 (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $4.31 (All-In), MP calls $2.48 (All-In)

Total pot: $6.19 | Rake: $0.30

Results:
Hero had 9, 9 (three of a kind, nines).
MP had J, A (one pair, Aces).
Outcome: $6.19 returned to Hero

Instead of betting half the pot like I normally would to get him to call, I took the chance that he'd call the all-in there if he had first or second pair. Just trying to maximize profits and short stackers tend to want to get it all-in whenever they can. I would normally bet the turn, but another thing I've noticed is if you check the turn and bet the river, you're MUCH more likely to be called, even by K-high. It's ridiculous.

My first 10 $3.25 6-max are done. Results were 2 firsts, 3 seconds, and 5 others. I can live with 50% ITM.

still bet turn plz.

Originally Posted by thelorax

still bet turn plz.

+1

more on flop too

Harley, missed your post. You must have posted right before I did. I work in IT, in the medical field so I'm supporting doctors and hospitals. Not much fun I'll tell you, but it pays the bills and keeps a roof over my head. I'm hoping to one day be able to use my poker earnings for trips and a new car.

Things have gone much better. I'm now in the black on the cash front, a little down in the tourney front. By playing patient, I've managed to eek out a small profit. It's actually been getting better. At this level, you have to wait for your chances. Bluffing just doesn't work. So when I say that I wasn't winning, it was mainly because I wasn't flopping hands. I was playing well. I'd have A-K, raise, get called and miss the flop, that sort of thing.

Next week is going to be fun. I'm taking a day off and heading to Mohegan Sun to play in a tournament or two. Maybe a SNG. The money I use won't be part of bankroll, it will just be entertainment money.

Well, so far the month has been extremely frustrating. I'm still losing even though I feel I'm playing very well. I can't win any SNGs and cash has been just as bad. I'm not spewing chips, I'm not making poor decisions, I'm just not winning any big pots. In fact, basically two hands have made the difference between being in the positive or negative this month. Here are they are:

Hand 1


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($14.38)
BB ($14.83)
UTG ($10)
MP ($10)
Hero (CO) ($9.94)
Button ($13.26)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 6, 6
2 folds, Hero bets $0.30, 1 fold, SB raises to $1.20, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.90

Flop: ($2.50) 2, 6, Q (2 players)
SB bets $1.50, Hero raises to $4, SB raises to $13.18 (All-In), Hero calls $4.74 (All-In)

Turn: ($19.98) 10 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($19.98) 9 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $19.98 | Rake: $0.99

Results:
SB had 10, 10 (three of a kind, tens).
Hero had 6, 6 (three of a kind, sixes).
Outcome: $19.98 returned to SB

Hand 2

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (MP) ($10)
CO ($11.67)
Button ($5.35)
SB ($5.41)
BB ($4.15)
UTG ($10.23)

Preflop: Hero is MP with Q, A
1 fold, Hero bets $0.30, 1 fold, Button calls $0.30, 1 fold, BB calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.95) 2, 9, A (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.91, Button raises to $1.82, 1 fold, Hero raises to $6.37, Button calls $3.23 (All-In)

Turn: ($11.05) 2 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($11.05) J (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $11.05 | Rake: $0.55

Results:
Button had J, A (two pair, Aces and Jacks).
Hero had Q, A (two pair, Aces and twos).
Outcome: $11.05 returned to Button

Those two hands really hurt too because I feel I played them about perfectly. Especially the second one where I put him on an Ax and not two pair. That was especially cruel. So while I feel my game has been very good, it sucks not having any positive results. Other stats for the month: wtsd - 24.9% w$sd% 55.4%. I'll take that every month. I've only played 2300 hands though, so hopefully something good is right around the corner.

On the plus side, I just purchased a new Laptop. It's a nice Dell, 17.3" high resolution screen. I love playing on it. It's so much better than the 14" screen I had. Tomorrow's the big day as I head to Mohegan Sun with the wife for a night away from the kids. I'll get to play in at least one SNG or perhaps a tourney. I can't wait. It will only be the third time I've ever played live.

Not to sound like a jerk but if 2 hands (not even 100bb deep) have been the deciding factor on whether or not your positive this month, than you should be looking at some other spots/leaks. Also in hand 1, unless villain is a complete nit that will stack off on basically any flop if you hit a set, than you should fold to his 3bet. Judging by him 3betting TT I doubt this is the case.

Hand 2 looks really good. Please don't take my advice the wrong way. I know your feeling and it sucks!

Hand #2 is poorly played without reads.

He said he had a read in hand 2. Plus he's 50bb. Plus it's 10NL. It's fine unless we have a read he's a nit.

I don't think you're being a jerk. I think that I'm not getting involved in a lot of big hands which is why those two hands are indicative of my problem. I need to win hands like that because it seems at least at the tables I'm involved in, I either win with a bet on the flop, or I get pushed off a hand when they 3-bet me.

For instance, if you look at my hands AA-JJ, I've won 81% of the time, but in 37 hands, I've only gone to showdown 36.8% of the time for a total of $15.73 won. I'm just not getting paid with my big hands. I'm not playing the differently, I'm not shoving pre-flop, I'm raising the same, 3-betting when it's available, I'm just not encountering resistance.

Now I'm not saying I've played perfectly, I can see a few hands that I'd like to do over, but overall, I think I'm playing pretty well. That doesn't mean I'm not analyzing my play however. I'm looking for every little edge I can squeeze out.

He wasn't a nit. If he was, he would have probably 3-bet me with A-K or any big pair. No, I'm convinced my read was correct in this case. I am able to lay down top pair here if I feel the action indicates it. Most people with trips there would just call and let me hang myself on the turn. Especially at this level. I think a min-reraise there means Ax nearly every time, at least against this type of opponent.

Reading comprehension fail. Didn't see 50bb stack size.

Originally Posted by tuuk2

He wasn't a nit. If he was, he would have probably 3-bet me with A-K or any big pair. No, I'm convinced my read was correct in this case. I am able to lay down top pair here if I feel the action indicates it. Most people with trips there would just call and let me hang myself on the turn. Especially at this level. I think a min-reraise there means Ax nearly every time, at least against this type of opponent.

tuuk - keep up the good work. I bet your playing pretty well and with time it'll reward you

As for the 66 hand, it's actually -EV to set mine in a 3bet pot 100bb deep vs. non-nits. Just something to keep in mind. Obviously a cooler/bad beat postflop .

Originally Posted by kmind

tuuk - keep up the good work. I bet your playing pretty well and with time it'll reward you

As for the 66 hand, it's actually -EV to set mine in a 3bet pot 100bb deep vs. non-nits. Just something to keep in mind. Obviously a cooler/bad beat postflop .

Really? I thought that it would be the right play in that situation. If I hit a set, I'd most likely get it all in the middle, if not, it's an easy fold. Are you saying that I should only be trying this with a higher pair? I'm really curious. Perhaps I've been doing it wrong all this time...

Well the thing is is that non-nit players are either going to have bluffs in their range or know how to somewhat hand read and not put too much money into the pot. Because of this, hitting your set won't get you paid off as much as you think plus we are folding a lot when we miss. You can fold like 3/4 to 3bets without being exploited. A 3bet calling range would take a long time to discuss but basically it varies vs. different opponents based on reads/stack sizes/etc. In general, don't set mine 100bb deep unless we have a read we get their chips easily (nit/spewy aggro).

I thought I'd post some of my stats to see if anyone can pick up on any obvious leaks. I feel statistically, I'm playing well. I'm raising when it's called for, folding against aggression, not playing too many hands out of position, everything I should be doing. What I'm not doing is winning. Perhaps I'm just in a bad streak. I'm certainly not getting paid with my big hands. For instance, I've had AA 8 times this month (out of 2526 hands) and I've won all 8 times. I've only seen a flop 4 times and only going to showdown twice. I've won a total of $4.99.

So here are my stats for the month:

20/16/3
3bet% 4.4
WTSD% 24.4
W$SD% 54.8
Agg% 30.2
Flop Cbet 55.8%
Flop Cbet Success: 54.9%
W$WSF 41.1%
Total Lost: $23.23

Anything out of place here? Any other stats that I should be looking at? I guess the other important factor is I'm playing almost exclusively 6-max at .5/.10.

Those aren't terrible stats at all. I'd up the cbet% to around 65-70%. The key is trying to do that AND keep the cbet sucess% around 50% as well. I think I 3bet more than you do but you're obviously adding some bluffs which is ok. I probably wouldn't advise upping that unless you have a good idea how to play them postflop. But if you see some nits who raise the button a lot and fold to 3bets (over ~75%) then def. resteal in the blinds and you can c/f most flops and still be +EV.

Originally Posted by kmind

Those aren't terrible stats at all. I'd up the cbet% to around 65-70%. The key is trying to do that AND keep the cbet sucess% around 50% as well. I think I 3bet more than you do but you're obviously adding some bluffs which is ok. I probably wouldn't advise upping that unless you have a good idea how to play them postflop. But if you see some nits who raise the button a lot and fold to 3bets (over ~75%) then def. resteal in the blinds and you can c/f most flops and still be +EV.

Thanks for the advice. I'll see what happens when I up the C-Bet percentage. I'm definitely trying to feel my way back. I'm working on getting better ranges on my opponents, but at this level it's sometimes pretty hard. It's all a matter of watching and paying attention to what they show down.

Over the last couple of days, things have gotten better. I'm finally starting to win some decent sized pots. Couple more days like the last two and I'll actually be in the positive for the month.

Not much happening. After a couple of good days, I'm back to my losing ways. I'm still playing well, but I'm losing hands like the following.


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (5 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) ($6.48)
BB ($4.98)
UTG ($5.54)
MP ($5.45)
Button ($5.10)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q, Q
UTG bets $0.30, 1 fold, Button calls $0.30, Hero raises to $1.23, 2 folds, Button calls $0.93

Flop: ($2.86) Q, 3, 10 (2 players)
Hero bets $1.36, Button calls $1.36

Turn: ($5.58) 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $2.51 (All-In), Hero calls $2.51

River: ($10.60) K (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $10.60 | Rake: $0.51

Results:
Button had J, A (flush, King high).
Hero had Q, Q (three of a kind, Queens).
Outcome: $10.60 returned to Button

Normally, I'd give this hand up, but I didn't think he had it. I checked the turn because of the flush draw, but when he went all-in there I was thinking draw. My call was obviously correct, but the River is not my friend. For the rest of the year, I'll only be playing sparingly and mostly SNGs. Hopefully I'll have something more positive to report!

Well, for me, the month and year of poker is over. Tomorrow I'm off to New York and Times Square for New Year's Eve so no more poker for me until at least Saturday night. Finished up at about $33 or $83 if you included the PS bonus. Still lost in cash ($7) but made it up in SNGs. I'm actually looking forward to next year now. I think I'm playing much better and 2011 will be a good year for me.

Later on I'll be posting a hand from a donkament I played in. Just not sure if I didn't get too tentative on near the money bubble.

Times Square was a bust as there were so many people there that we couldn't find anywhere to go. My friends ended up going to Central Park and looking at it from the rocks, while my wife and I went to bed early. That's what happens when you get old, I guess.

Anyway, back home and played three SNGs to start the year. The first was my normal $3.25 6-max which I won. The second was a $2.20 -180-man where I got a fool to call my all-in (A-10o) with his K-8o for all but $100 of his chips. Of course he flopped a K and that was that. The sad part was he limped in UTG and then decided he couldn't get away from it.

Lastly, I decided to go outside my comfort zone (and bank roll) and play one of the $10 fifty-fifty tournaments. Every now and then, I like to take a shot outside my roll, especially in something as soft as this. I ended up 5th for $15 something, so it worked out. I probably won't play it again any time soon, it was more difficult that I expected it to be, but I survived.

Before anyone says anything about proper BR management, I am fully aware of what I was doing. I'll stay at the $3.25 level for the most part, but I see no problem taking a few shots at higher levels, as long as they are few and far between.

So starting off the New Year right so far!

So far, so lame the last few days. I've been up and down on the SNG front. Doing OK on the 6-max, but haven't cashed in the 180-man (7 games, 1 ITM). I swear one of these days I'm going to take one of these damn 180-man tourneys down. But until then I'll throw the occasional 180 in amongst my main stay of the 6-max which I do pretty well in.

I haven't been playing a lot of cash this year, but it's still not going well. I think I may need to get more aggressive with my betting as my 3/4 pot bets are being called way too much. Here's one amusing hand from this morning I got to play while being snowed in. We got about 2 feet so far. It took me 4 hours just to dig out enough to get my 4-wheel drive Suburban out of the driveway! But I can't complain so I got a paid day off of work!


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - PokerStars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com



CO ($4.87)
Button ($2.48)
SB ($2.20)
BB ($3.25)
UTG ($5)
Hero (MP) ($7.10)

Preflop: Hero is MP with A, K
1 fold, Hero bets $0.40, 2 folds, SB calls $0.35, BB raises to $3.25 (All-In), Hero raises to $7.10 (All-In), SB calls $1.80 (All-In)

Flop: ($8.70) A, 9, 5 (3 players, 3 all-in)

Turn: ($8.70) 4 (3 players, 3 all-in)

River: ($8.70) A (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $8.70 | Rake: $0.43

Results:
SB mucked A, 2 (three of a kind, Aces).
BB had K, K (two pair, Aces and Kings).
Hero had A, K (three of a kind, Aces).
Outcome: Hero won $8.27

I guess it was a bad call, considering what they showed, but it's nice to win one from behind every once in awhile.

I wouldn't say calling AK is a mistake there dependant on reads of course. And if it is a mistake it's not because of "what they showed" but what their true ranges are.