So frustrated ...

I played some 1/2 and 2/4 today. I lost two races at 2/4, got frustrated, and went down to 1/2. I was playing well and then this hand happened:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1385218

Yes, it's just a suckout, but I can only take so much losing in a session. So I quit for the day. Because I've been losing at 2/4 (yes, variance, blah blah blah), I don't think I'll play there for a while. I'll play 1/2 for a bit longer - it's a lot less stressful and since I'm teaching full time, it's good enough to keep me sharp.

My plan is to play 1/2 until my BR is at $30,000. My FTP BR is currently at $25,817.

Why Taylor is Taylor and I'm not

Taylor played a pretty short session with us and afterwards we looked at his PT stats:


His aggression factor is INSANE! I mean ... talk about TAG. He played very tight (18/16), but his overall AF was 10.5! His flop, turn, and river aggression was just nuts. I tried to be more aggressive today in a 100NL session (dropped down to work on it):


As you can see, my flop aggression is good, but turn and river suck. Overall is ok. I just tend to get more passive the further we get. I think an exercise for me to do is to play REALLY, REALLY TAG and see just how high I can get my aggression factor up. I would like it between 6 and 8. This might mean that my VPIP will go down, but that's fine for now - I need to get better and double and triple barrelling.

Coaching for CR

Up to 200NL:

http://www.cardrunners.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=145&threadid=27628&enterthread=y

I've had a really positive experience with PIF and would like to work with one additional person 1 on 1. I feel that both people can get a lot out of the whole process.

Finished up for the day ...

Haha ... I got stacked twice in the first 10 minutes or so:

AK > my KK:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1344612

QQ > TT on a QT3 board:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1344616

AA no good in rr pot!
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1344620

... and finally one where I made a hero call and lost with trips:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1344624

Last one is questionable. The rest are good. I grinded my way back to even after all that. It helped that I hit quads twice:

QQQQ ... I get CRAI on the turn:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1344637

TTTT ... value town!
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1344642

... not sure if I should shove there at the end.

The small edges ...

Josh and I have been talking about how the small edges can have a big difference in your overall bb/100 statistic. Whenever we feel we're even money or possibly ahead and there is already money in the pot, we should be trying to win it. Let me illustrate my thinking with the two following hands:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1336087

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1336093

In both situations I felt that I was flipping and thus with the dead $$ in the pot I'm correct to call.
Yes, it's high variance but with a read (They aren't shoving aces in either spot) it's still correct.

On the other hand, I have been folding a lot more to TAG 3-bets in position with good hands:

I have no read and no hisotry with the player:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1336129

He made it too much:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1336133

Hookem taught me to lie ...

I'm experimenting some in playing in 3-bet pots so I've dropped down to 100NL to do it. I might drop down even lower to increase the variance in the cards and minimize it as far as my bankroll.

Anyhow ... Brian usually lies when someone asks him about a hand so I've taken a similiar line and tell people retarded hands:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1335567

FIR3ST4RT3R: wat do u have?
TheXC: KK

Winning session ...

I booked a good session. I posted some of my beats below (3 times losing with a set, once with AA vs. AK.


It seems like c-betting with AK and AQ in a re-raised pot is leaking me a lot of money. I'm not sure what I need to do about that. Def my biggest leak right now.

I also flopped the nut straight and was only a 54% to win. How sick is that?

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330856

I feel like when I stack people they often put it in with very marginal hands:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330860

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330865

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330868

... but when I get stacked I have a flush to a higher flush, a set to a higher set, etc. I guess that means I'm playing well.

My last two sessions ... I can't win with sets.

Ugh. So demoralizing.

TT flops the nuts. He turns a higher set:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330314

Villain was super nitty and the math was JUST about right. Felt like calling pre-flop:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330316

Gutter-ball good vs. my top set:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330321

5% FTW!
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330324

Player is 31/21:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330760

... and my Aces are no good vs. AK AI-PF. Notice that he has a 1-outer to win - Ks is no good as I hold the As:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1330336

This stuff is brutal for the winrate. I feel like I'm playing well though - aggressive in position, tight out of position, and doing a lot more delay c-betting in position than standard c-betting.

A few more hands ...

Man ... I coolered the crap out of this guy. It's SB/BB too:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1325253

Hand 2: How thin of a river call is this?
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1325247

I posted a 2+2 thread about this.

Hand 3: Gutter and 2 overs:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1325258

Standard overbet. I should probably make it $30:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1325261

Of course he doesn't have a Queen there:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1325264

Some of these hands are funny ... I do admit that I didn't play some of these correctly. For example ... the min-raise with 22 on that draw heavy of a flop. BUT ... the guy was such a donk ... I wanted to at least keep him in.

Thinking through a hand ...

FullTiltPoker Game #3126231899: Table Saguaro (6 max) - $1/$2 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:12:33 ET - 2007/08/01
Seat 1: crazyforliberty ($339.85)
Seat 2: mandali ($60.30)
Seat 3: DontWasteMyTime ($366.30)
Seat 4: TheXC ($206)
Seat 5: slickx14 ($296.80)
Seat 6: johnny1146 ($49.95)
johnny1146 posts the small blind of $1
crazyforliberty posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to TheXC [9h 6h]
mandali calls $2
DontWasteMyTime has 15 seconds left to act
DontWasteMyTime folds

TheXC raises to $9 - I raise to isolate a limper. Standard.

slickx14 has 15 seconds left to act
slickx14 calls $9
johnny1146 calls $8
crazyforliberty folds
mandali folds

I get 2 callers. Ugh.

*** FLOP *** [5c Jd Kh]
johnny1146 checks

TheXC checks. I would normally bet this flop but with $30 and johnny1146 having $40 I can't stand a shove with my nothing hand.

slickx14 bets $10. He bets very weak.

johnny1146 folds. He's gone ... sweet - I don't have to worry about him anymore.

TheXC raises to $35. Raise the weak bet!

slickx14 has 15 seconds left to act
slickx14 folds
Uncalled bet of $25 returned to TheXC
TheXC mucks

TheXC wins the pot ($48.45). Ship it :)

Luck o' Meter

This program is pretty sweet:

http://www.pokerluckometer.com/

The NUTS!!!

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1322496

Not really sure what to do here ...

A post about a hand to 2+2. JJ turns top set in RR pot OOP.

Poker is all luck

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1321689

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1321698

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1321706

... and the 1 outer:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1322416

My AK > your AK:

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1322661