Some really F'd up live $1/$2 NL hands

[DaHorror]

Finally balls'd up and made it to the local casino to give the lowest NL games a shot. They seem to pretty much play like $25 NL from what I've seen so far, so I feel pretty comfortable in them. I don't bluff overmuch...not really a pure nutcamper but I'm not going very deep without a strong hand.
I've made pretty good money so far in 2 4.5 hour sessions - up about $350...but there are a few hands that are bugging the crap outta me cuzza how I fouled 'em up...so I'm posting all 4 of them for "edification through self-denigration" purposes.
I certainly won't object to additional berating.
Oh, and stacks - even some suits, are not precise - I'm not taking notes as I play so these are all just from memory.

I'll start hand 1 in this post, but I will post the others in follow-ons, as the post was horribly long - that way if anyone wants to pick just a single hand apart, they don't have to read through all 4.
Hand 1 is a poorly played hand, Hand 2 is poorly played and a bad laydown, and hands 3-4 are all about lost value.


Hand 1 - (Day 1, hour 2)

I had not had to make a difficult decision thus far today - I hadn't hit much of squat either - at least not that got paid. I had bought in for the day at $200, so I was down from blinds and missed hands. I should have rebought prior to this hand, but I'm still not so familiar with the mechanics of all that live.
My primary opponent in this hand raises fairly tightly preflop, calls a bit too loosely preflop, and plays a little loosely postflop. 2 hands I remember that he showed down were limp-calling a pfr (with odds to call the raise due to # of callers) with J8o and check-calling down with a pair of 8s chasing a weak flush on a A38 all board and rivering a J vs. AK (with K of clubs and betting well enough that this guy should have been gone on the flop); second hand was one in which he limp-called a raise with TT in LP, and reraised the blind-raiser allin with a set on a fairly coordinated flop.

NL $1/$2 blinds, 9 players.

SB (xxx)
Hero ($150 and change)
...
UTG+1 ($200+)
MP1 ($100+)
...

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7, 7 .
UTG+1 calls $2, MP1 raises to $10, Button calls $10, SB calls $10, Hero calls $8, UTG+1 calls $8.


Flop: ($50 ish) 5 6 7 (5 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $25, UTG+1 calls $25, MP1 folds, Button folds, SB folds.

Foul-up #1 - I actually bet $50, but I didn't announce the bet amount first, only that I bet, and then I moved the chips in two stacks - this is a string bet and is not allowed - the first stack of $25 stuck as my bet - at this point UTG+1 indicates that he is a little confused - he can't call $50, but he can call $25, and does so. At this point, I'm putting him more on a pair and a straight draw type of hand rather than a flush draw, but both are possibilities. He is putting me on an overpair.

Turn: ($100) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $70, Hero calls $70.

Foulup #2 - I am fairly certain that UTG+1 is attempting to bluff me out of the pot, and not that he thinks he has the best hand...but I'm not folding any river other than a 4th diamond so there's no reason for me to just call here - I could open push the turn card, or check-raise All-in - but check-calling with $30ish behind is silly.

River: ($240) 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 puts Hero All-in for $30ish, Hero calls.

This isn't so horrible as I'm pretty sure that Villain does not have 9x so he does not have a straight - I don't think he has a flush either so I think my hand is best and that he will put the rest in, but might fold if I bet - doubtful so I should probably just push the river but meh.

Final Pot: $300ish

Results in white below:
Hero has 7s 7h: (three of a kind, sevens).
UTG+1 has 8s 5d (two-pair, eights and fives).
Outcome: Hero wins $300ish.

Outcome is not the key here - I played this hand horribly, and a lot of that is due to the fact that I screwed up with the string bet on the flop...ugh...have not repeated that mistake so it's just a learning-curve to playing live kinda thing.

Of note also is the fact that I basically tilted UTG+1 because I called him down and didn't buy that he had a flush. This comes into play in the next screwed up hand.

[DaHorror]

Hand 2 - (Day 1, hour 3 - about 30 mins after the first hand)

I have maintained my stack since my double-up, and villain (same as in hand 1) has rebuilt a little to $100ish...he definitely wants to try to get his money back from me.

...
Hero ($300ish)
CO
Button ($100ish)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A , Q .

UTG calls $2, UTG+1 calls $2, UTG+2 folds, MP1 calls $2, Hero raises $15, CO folds, Button calls $15, 5 folds.

Flop: ($35ish) 5 J 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

Foulup #1 - I basically repped a big pair preflop - there's not a great reason for me not to c-bet this flop against this player, who probably called with an Ax hand or some pair. I would probably have check-folded the flop to the guy, but he checks behind - that gives me the impression that he has an A-hi hand - I don't figure he has AK (would have reraised preflop almost always with this player) or AJ (would have bet the flop) - so I'm thinking he has ATs or a pocket pair.

Turn: ($35ish) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $20, Button calls $20.

Since I'm putting him on something that I think he will fold if I bet, but bet if I check, I elect to bet. I could easily have 88-TT here. He thinks a really long time and makes a painful call - I don't think he's giving off a false tell - he's really weak and unsure of where he stands.

River: ($75ish) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $25, Button raises to $66 (All-in), Hero folds.

Foulup #2 - I basically value bet the river - pretty weakly hoping that he still puts me on AK and calls with his pair to look me up - instead he pushes - now I'm not sure that my read on his holdings was correct - maybe he was giving a false tell, maybe he had 88, AA, 55, etc. and was feigning weakness to draw me in. I also think that it's not very likely that he would bluff-raise just a pair here given that I have already demonstrated a propensity to call his bluff. I should have value bet more on the river so that I would have been forced to call his reraise. I probably should also have called the reraise due to pot odds and the fact that I did river most pocket pairs and that he probably still thinks I missed and am buying. I thought for a sec and asked him if he had anything - he was very chatty and responsive - basically indicating that he did and that he wanted to get a little money back out of me. This can often be a tell - most players are not chatty at all when they have a good hand and want you to call - they just stonewall - players that are bluffing tend to get more chatty - but that can be a player-specific tell one way or the other. I told him I believed him and folded.

Results in white below:
Button shows 2c 2h (a pair of deuces)

Pretty poorly played by me, and then I didn't go with my initial read - figuring that he couldn't possibly be stupid enough to bluff me twice - as it turns out he really thought that he had the best hand and was trying to milk it - should have probably just called and paid off if I was behind due to the pot odds. I came back a little after this and wound up $106 for the day, but it should have been much more. Frustrating.

[DaHorror]

Hand 3 (Day 2, few hours in)

Villain in this hand is a female nutcamper. However, she will bet into draws, steps up the betting when they hit, slowplays very strong hands, etc. Her preflop raise-calling range probably involves any pair, any decent ace, and reasonable connecting cards 78o+ (though less likely from EP unless a lot of other players are in the pot). She doesn't necessarily bet her strong hands all that hard - and frankly I'm a little freaked out by her in this hand.

SB ($200ish)
Hero ($225ish)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with A Q.
UTG folds, Hero raises to $10, 5 folds, SB calls $10, BB folds.

Flop: ($20ish) A T 3 (2 players)
SB bets $15, Hero calls $15.

For the most part I should have reraised this flop for information or pot-building if my hand is best. AT is definitely in her preflop calling range, as are TT and 33...not sure about AK but I would not be at all surprised if she just called with this hand preflop rather than reraising it. I elect just to pot size-control call and try to determine her hand strength on later streets.

Turn: ($50ish) A (2 players)
SB bets $15, Hero calls $15.

I just can't be sure that this lady doesn't have AK, AT, TT or 33. However, the fact that she merely bets the same amount on the turn should have tipped me off to the fact that she probably has a weaker ace than mine. I just couldn't see her calling preflop with a weaker ace that didn't already have me smoked (AT mainly). I should have taken control of this hand on the flop though, in which case I could just value bet here. Now I'm not sure how big of a pot I want to play yet, and it's a pretty nice pot anyway, so I just call again...pretty ridiculous. This player's prior showdowns basically tilted me into playing poorly against her and possibly not getting maximum value from my hand.

River: ($80ish) K (2 players)
SB bets $15, Hero calls $15.

Results in white below($110ish):
SB has Ah Js (three of a kind aces, K-J kicker)
Hero has Ad Qd (three of a kind aces, KQ kicker)
Hero wins $100ish.

Now there's no way she's betting that little with the nuts or even AT on the turn, or even KK on the river (which she would have reraised preflop). Since I haven't reraised before this point I certainly should have at least bagged another $30 out of her on the river. Mistake...got a read from it for future hands, but really lost a lot of value here along the way and looked like a donk.

So I let myself be tilted by this player's prior holdings/showdowns, rather than going based on standard betting pattern reads and playing from those...lost value stinks.

[DaHorror]

Hand 4 - (Day 2, not that long after hand 3)

UTG had previously sat to my right, but moved to the middle of the table due to a glare on the board cards that was troubling him. He was pretty weak-tight - had seen him limp-call a raise with AQo in LP before and just call down with paired aces vs. AT and won. His raising range was probably nitty AA-JJ, AK, AQs or thereabouts. He mostly limped.

UTG ($140ish)
UTG+2 ($150ish)
Hero ($325ish)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 7 7.
UTG calls $2, UTG+1 folds, UTG+2 calls $2, 2 folds, Hero calls $2, SB calls $1, BB checks.

Flop: ($9) T 7 4 (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG bets $8, UTG+2 calls $8, Hero raises to $30, SB folds, BB folds, UTG calls $22, UTG+2 folds.

My play is fine so far. At this point I'm thinking UTG has a draw or Tx...probably AT if it's Tx since he called the big reraise.

Turn: ($75) A (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $50, UTG calls $50.

Here UTG thinks a long while before calling, talking aloud, he puts me on possibly having a set. I am unresponsive, and he calls anyway. Still - he either has a flush draw or AT (or both). Play is still fine.

River: ($175ish) 2 (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks.

Results in white below:
UTG has Ad Ts (two-pair, aces and tens)
Hero has 7h 7d (three of a kind, sevens)

Foulup of the hand. I'm not sure how much he has behind - 50-60ish - I'll admit it threw me a little that he put me on a set and then called my large turn bet anyway - people do play AA like donks from time to time - but he would have check-raised me allin on the turn with that no question. He does limp TT I found out in a later hand, but again, more betting would have taken place from him before now with that holding. So he either missed his flush draw or has AT. He actually fiddled with his chips for a little bit before checking - He was about to push and then decided against it. Now - I checked-behind only out of 'friendliness' as the guy was pretty nice, a decent player, a young feller, and not someone I necessarily wanted to bust...but that's just retarded thinking. Online I'm pushing the river (or turn) here every time - so why the hell didn't I do it here? Could he have found a fold? Who cares!! Gotta milk them big hands!!!! They truly do not come around all that often - I had 2 sets all of day 2, Aces 2x, Jacks once, and a selection of smaller pairs...Day 1 I had KK 3x, QQ 1x, JJ 1x, and a few smaller pairs - I setted with one KK and the QQ and one of the smaller pairs but only one of those paid much...so these monsters must be played for all they are worth. I simply lost value due to a retarded 'kindness' -- at worst I should have bet $30 (half his remaining stack) on the river for value. Between the blinds, high rake, tipping the dealer, and missed hands, it is very important to max out value whenever you have it. Poor judgement on my part.

Overall the 2-day experience I had was profitable and pleasurable. I netted around $350 in 9 hours of play (so what about 350+ hands) for an extremely high BB/100 - despite the rake, tips, etc. Now when I return, I'll be playing with pure profit. But I really really want to avoid the mistakes that I made in these hands. And that's not to say that I played horribly the whole time...there were plenty of spots where I bet and won hands as normal, made a few good laydowns, doubled up (vs. only a $100 stack) my AA vs. JJ all-in preflop, bluff-reraised a pot-stealer, etc. So I'm not totally dogging my play overall - but these 4 spots cost me HUGE!! I would be up around another $250 if I had played them all correctly. So it's no small matter - I'm costing myself a lot of cash with these 'lost value' hands (hand 1 aside which was just poorly played and I actually would have made less money on that one if it had been played 'properly').
Anyhow - ridiculously long post - but I felt the need to overanalyze these hands in the interest of not repeating my errors.
Thanks to anyone who read this far and for any comments!

Horror

[Margin Of Error]

Asking people to post comments on hands with results is stupid imo. Get rid of the results and I'l read/comment on the hands.

[DaHorror]

Asking people to post comments on hands with results is stupid imo. Get rid of the results and I'l read/comment on the hands.

My apologies - had to hand-roll these HHs since they are all from memory - forgot to 'white out' the results. Done.