Game: 0.10/0.25 NLH Buy-in $25
Session: 6 hours
So day one has avoided catastrophe. I was really nervous for some reason. I feel like this blog adds pressure, because I really didn't want my first post to be about me being down $50. But I knew my BR strategy would help with any variance, so I mustered up some confidence, and away I went.
I really am not that big into multi-tabling, but sometimes I can handle 2 tables, so that's what I did. I sat down at two .10/.25 tables. It started off fairly slow. I played slightly conservative while I got a feel for the table, but quickly realized that one of my tables was really conservative. I thought about leaving because I had in mind that I wouldn't win much if no one will call much, but I decided to just hold out, and see if I could abuse some players.
There is a mistake that I always make: over playing AK. Calling the flop, and then chasing down with two overs. If the bet is small enough, one card probably wouldn't be that big of a deal for me... but sometimes I just play it so dumb.
This time I didn't! Which was good news :). I got AK a couple times during the session, and my mistake was always in the back of my mind. It was fresh too because the other day I was doing really well in a tournament, made a small ball raise with AK, and called someone's shove of 65BB and put in my 35 BB. To be honest I thought they were bluffing, and that's why the over bet. However, I thought exactly what they wanted me to think, and they turned over AA.
Yeah, the chances of it being AA are slim... but I don't need to play for all my chips when I have 35 Big Blinds left and there isn't even a flop yet. Even if he didn't have AA, it probably still wouldn\t have been worth it.
This time I managed to avoid this mistake, and it really paid off. I held it together and didn't spew any chips away.
The next vital hand was shortly after against a player named Amicv20. I was sitting in the small blind, and he was one off the button. I had 63s, Amicv20 limps in, I call the $0.15 SB, and the BB checks.
Flop hits 3 6 3 and I laugh out loud (good thing it wasn't a live game. The flop is checked all the way, and the turn gives us a 5. I check, BB checks, and Amicv20 makes a small bet. The bet looked weak, and so I just smooth call trying to look weak with slight hope that BB might try a squeeze play. BB ends up folding, but that's ok because my contingency plan was setting up a big check-raise on the river, which smooth calling does quite well.
The river was a Q, and I check. Amicv20 tanks for a few seconds, and then comes in with a fairly big raise. I liked the Queen because had he made his turn bet with two overs like KQ of AQ, he now thinks he is in really good shape. This was actually pretty naive of me, because as I will explain, I didn't need to worry about that at all. I "tank," really just thinking... "How do I get it all in the middle?" and in the end decide that a 3 bet would best case scenario make him think I'm trying to steal it, or worst case scenario he puts me on a weak Q or a 5 and smooth calls.
I think it was the best case scenario because he shoved all in over the top. I insta-call. The only had I feared was QQ, but I just couldn't see him not betting pre-flop with QQ, so I call and turn over my 63s.
He turns over A3, a devastating lose for him, and I quickly realized all of my "tanking" and playing was uneccesary; we could of had it all in on the flop. The play destroyed him I think and he later fell apart, spewing chips and eventually went in 2 off under-the-gun with KJo.
Then, I don't know if I was just getting tired or what, but I fell apart a little. I think the winning got me over excited and I loosened up too much. I lost $7 chasing a flush too long. Flop a flush draw, turn
gives me a gut shot, so I call for the river, but I miss. After this my play just seems to go down hill.
All the sudden I'm down over all. I was a little bit stressed, but really focused on not letting it get me down. I figured I would just refocus, tighten up, and play my game. Then another big turn around came. This one would make Negreanu happy, with 10 - 7 of diamonds.
I'm two off the button, and call a standard raise hoping to bring the BB in with me to make a three-way pot with my suited semi-connector. The small blind actually raises it another dollar, and the BB folds, and the original raiser calls. I figure I now have more than 4-1 odds, so I don't like it, but I smooth call to see if I can hit something decent, and if not, I'll throw it away.
The flop is 3d 6d Jc. I actually really like this flop. If they were raising/calling with AK or AQ, I'm in good shape for a bluff, because I only smooth called, so I could easily represent AJ. In the end, I decide I will check and hope for a free card though. In my mind I knew, if there was another bet, I was weary from my last chasing a flush, so I was going to throw it away, but checks all around.
The turn is 4d! I immediately start thinking, I'm in late position, what can I bet that will get the most money, but not allow someone to draw to a higher flush, etc. Both my opponents had less than $10, and I wanted it all.
My strategizing was pointless... SB shoves for around $6, and my oppenant reshoves for another $9. I take a second to think, "does someone have a higher flush?" but decided if that was the case, someone would probably toss out a bet on the flop with a nut flush draw, if anything to steal the pot, but also to disguise if they make their flush. I call.
SB turns over snowmen, and I win the side pot with my 10 high flush, and my opponent turns over a couple cowboys without a higher flush draw. The river comes a 10c, and I rake in $26.66.
Pretty good, and I'm about ready to go. A little later though, on my super conservative table, I am up against 2 opponents with KQo. I missed the flop but I decide to take a stab at it for $1.60. there is a flush draw on the board, and each player smooth calls, looking pretty weak.
The turn pairs the board with another 3. I decide if they had nothing before, they probably don't have anything now, and if they were chasing a flush, they just missed. These players are all so conservative, so if I bet big as if I had top pair (or even took a stab with bottom pair and turned trips), they can't call. So I nervously (luckily its not live) toss out $4. One player folds, while the other tanks. I click "fold to any bet" assuming he is about to come over the top. Much to my relief, he folds, and I take in another $8 with a big bluff.
In the end, I left up $65.93! Not a bad start for day one, and sitting at a micro-stakes table. Hopefully I have other good days. I know they won't all be like this one, but I'm off to a good start leaving my current BR = $1048.50.
Below is a link to PTR, where it has one of my sessions. I don't know if it works, and I don't know why it doesn't have the other session, but things are going smoothly, and let's hope they stay that way.
All the sudden I'm down over all. I was a little bit stressed, but really focused on not letting it get me down. I figured I would just refocus, tighten up, and play my game. Then another big turn around came. This one would make Negreanu happy, with 10 - 7 of diamonds.
I'm two off the button, and call a standard raise hoping to bring the BB in with me to make a three-way pot with my suited semi-connector. The small blind actually raises it another dollar, and the BB folds, and the original raiser calls. I figure I now have more than 4-1 odds, so I don't like it, but I smooth call to see if I can hit something decent, and if not, I'll throw it away.
The flop is 3d 6d Jc. I actually really like this flop. If they were raising/calling with AK or AQ, I'm in good shape for a bluff, because I only smooth called, so I could easily represent AJ. In the end, I decide I will check and hope for a free card though. In my mind I knew, if there was another bet, I was weary from my last chasing a flush, so I was going to throw it away, but checks all around.
The turn is 4d! I immediately start thinking, I'm in late position, what can I bet that will get the most money, but not allow someone to draw to a higher flush, etc. Both my opponents had less than $10, and I wanted it all.
My strategizing was pointless... SB shoves for around $6, and my oppenant reshoves for another $9. I take a second to think, "does someone have a higher flush?" but decided if that was the case, someone would probably toss out a bet on the flop with a nut flush draw, if anything to steal the pot, but also to disguise if they make their flush. I call.
SB turns over snowmen, and I win the side pot with my 10 high flush, and my opponent turns over a couple cowboys without a higher flush draw. The river comes a 10c, and I rake in $26.66.
Pretty good, and I'm about ready to go. A little later though, on my super conservative table, I am up against 2 opponents with KQo. I missed the flop but I decide to take a stab at it for $1.60. there is a flush draw on the board, and each player smooth calls, looking pretty weak.
The turn pairs the board with another 3. I decide if they had nothing before, they probably don't have anything now, and if they were chasing a flush, they just missed. These players are all so conservative, so if I bet big as if I had top pair (or even took a stab with bottom pair and turned trips), they can't call. So I nervously (luckily its not live) toss out $4. One player folds, while the other tanks. I click "fold to any bet" assuming he is about to come over the top. Much to my relief, he folds, and I take in another $8 with a big bluff.
In the end, I left up $65.93! Not a bad start for day one, and sitting at a micro-stakes table. Hopefully I have other good days. I know they won't all be like this one, but I'm off to a good start leaving my current BR = $1048.50.
Below is a link to PTR, where it has one of my sessions. I don't know if it works, and I don't know why it doesn't have the other session, but things are going smoothly, and let's hope they stay that way.
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