Just A Little Hit

I'm jonesin'! Can't seem to get any in. The league hasn't started up... or their ignoring me... maybe they don't want me to Threepete. I could really use some cheap poker on a regular basis right now.

I did have a home game a few weeks back. The re-buy tourney (9 players- so I guess technically a SnG) followed by a low stakes cash game after. I couldn't get much going in the tournament. I had two rebuys. Two of the worst players did the best, they couldn't miss a flop. I got low and pushed with A5 and a big stack bully woke up with QQ. I couldn't catch an ace and I was busted around the middle of the pack.

The cash game (.25/.50) was a little different. One hand I had QQ UTG+1 and limped after the UTG (Slappy) straddled. I limped figuring him for a raise from his straddle. He did (I believe there was another limper or two). I popped it to 3 I believe, but he threw in a 5 and for whatever reason I was thrown off. I thought he put in 5. I made it 15. He thought, then called. At this point, the pot was over $30 and I had about 18-19 left. The flop came A-T-x. UGGG... He checked and I pushed, despite the ace. He tanked. Someone mentioned that he was practically pot committed and had to call with anything like KJ. Slappy agreed and called with KJ. I faded the 2 remaining Q's and doubled up. That might have been additionally painful for Slappy since it was his money that I had borrowed to stay for the cash game.

Shortly there after Slappy heads out. I got involved in another hand where I had AA UTG and limped because the tourney winner with a big stack now was raising a lot of pots. Two limpers and big stack raises. He does make it $5.00. I make it $15. He doesn't think much and calls. The board was JT9. Big stack puts in a bet, and I come over the top, pushing all-in. He ends up calling with an under pair.

In the end, the cash game got me even from the tournament, enough to pay back Slappy for the small loan and paid some Fantasy Football fees I owed. After a few hours of poker, I netted a whopping profit of $10.00.

I need some more poker.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

Take Away My Poker Card!

First I take a chop in a SnG when I had a slight chiplead. Then I come into some quick cash (thank you, Grand Vegas), and instead of taking it online (where I would slowly or not so slowly throw it away) or heading to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun (where I'm a little more +EV), I take the money and buy a new Kindle. What is wrong with me?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Some Recent Activity

A few months ago, I took a few bucks to play poker at Foxwoods. I hadn't been there in years, not since the Mohegan Sun opened their poker room. The room was just as I remembered (huge) and it didn't take too long to sit down at a 1/2 table.

I was there for about an hour, when they called for a $120 SnG. I decided to buy-in… also something I hadn't done in years. I remember that I bluffed this one chick off the first hand when i totally missed with sooooted connectors. It was a C-bet, followed by bluffs on the Turn and River.

That girl and I got into A LOT of hands. I wasn't gunning for her, it just turned out that way. Another hand with her, I returned all the bluffed money and then some when I flopped a set but paid her off on the river when she spiked a 4 card straight.

I eventually lost most of my chips when we were five handed, but played tight until 2 more people busted. We got to 3 handed (me, some dude and the chick) and I was down to one BB. I even folded that on the button, hoping they'd get into a big pot on that hand. They didn't. I was all-in blind on the next hand, but won and tripled up. I pushed on the next hand and won that. At one point, the chick had a huge stack and I thought the other guy did too. We got into another hand where I was all in and called by both players. I managed the win. And was somewhat surprised to see that I had he dude JUST covered. Heads Up and we were about even in chips. The chick asked if I wanted to split and I said "No thanks." We chatted a lot throighout he game and even joked that it was fitting we ended up Heads Up since we got involved in so many pots together.

I ended up winning the blinds on the 2nd hand of heads up. I had a slight lead but decided to split the prize at this point for 2 reasons:
1) I trust my heads up play, but the blinds were pretty high
2) another SnG was about to start and we both wanted to play in it.
So official I took second but we split the cash.

The 2nd SnG was not as fun. The chick busted on the first hand. She flopped a set of Q's but called off her stack on a rivered flush. I never got any hands and had a very aggressive dude to my left. It almost never got to me with him raising first. When I finally decided to come over th top of him with a soooooted ace, he donkishly called with KK. I was out in 5th.

At that point it was about 1:30 am. I got a coffee and got ready for my hour drive. In the end, I netted about $200.

That was at the beginning of August and I haven't played poker since. There's a home game next week and the league may start up again in a few weeks. I'm not sure about the league, but I think I'm going to go for the three-pete in the league.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Are You Ready For Some Football!

That's right. It's the best time of the year.

I did poorly in all but one of my fantasy football leagues... That's not true. I did bad in that one, too. My opponent did worse though.

On the upside, my Dolphins beat the Bills. I'm not too excited, I mean it was the Bills, and it wasn't by much.

I might be going to the Bills @ the Pats game. I'll be rooting for both teams to lose.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Laak's Crack Eyes

I was watching last weeks Poker After Dark The Cash Game. WTF is up with Phil Laak's eyes?! The dude looked fucking scary.

I Have No Idea Why I Tilt

I think my poor play tilts me the most. I've been on a downward spiral since my last post. Loss after loss. Tilting my small balance away. I make a few bad plays, a few set up hands and I can't get out of the funk.

I started the night around $35. I played a SnG and a couple of cash games tables. Started off OK, took a few beats and bad plays. I had my starting buy-in at one cash game, and had doubled my buy-in at another. Next thing I knew, the wheels fell off and I was felted on both, and out of my SnG.

Next thing I knew, I had $20 bucks in my account. I said 'FUCK IT' and jumped into a short handed, $6.50 SnG. I knew I was tilting, but thought I could offset my tilt with a .01/.02 cash game. Just playing how I wanted with $1. The table didn't go well, lost my buy-in. I focused on the SnG. I started off slow, losing a few chips on hands that didn't pan out. I stayed patient, and I got a few hands. One big hand, I raised 3x on the button with A7 when it folded to me. The BB called. The flop comes AA5. I decided to lead out with a pot sized bet. Figuring it would look weak. It worked. BB went all-in. I called and he had just 77. From there, I had 2nd biggest stack. I had 88 on the button. A smaller stack pushed all in (he had just under 10x) ahead of me. The blinds were getting high, so I called. I was surprised to see the BB also call. I had both of them covered. I didn't really mind seeing AK vs AQ. My eights held up and I busted two players. At that point it was smooth sailing. I took the SnG and managed a small profit for the night.

So the moral of the story? Patience pays off? Variance works itself out? No. Even the sun shines on a dog's ass some times.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

Spoke To Soon?

Had a cash game net win of a whopping $1.00. Lost two buy-ins at one table but made up for it at another table.

I played 2 SnGs at the same time. A six-handed turbo and a 18 person turbo. I won the 6 handed turbo. In the 18 player game, I enter the final table the 2nd shortest stack... less than the starting stack. The short stack and another went busto. I had about my starting stack. Then a big hand among the 2 big stacks and a middle stack, with the biggest stack knocking out both players when he made his flush.

I made the top 4, still the lowest. The 2nd smallest chip stack went busto and now I had 3rd place, which is just about the same for winning the 6 handed. I ended up getting even with the big stack, but made a HORRIBLE call on the river. I had bottom pair (3's) and a flush came on the river. The guy went all in (a HUGE over bet) on the river and I insta-called with just my lowly pairs. He shows the flush. I'm crippled and can't make another comeback. Even though I went all in, (with AJ) got both calls. River a straight. They checked down to the river. The big stack tanks when it's his turn to act. He bets out and of course he has the 6. Other guy folds and he has T6.

All in all a successful night (with the exception of that horrible call at the end). My bankroll jumped up, from the measly $.60 I had, to just under $60.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

The Sinkhole that is Microlevel SnGs.

Still "grinding." I'm not jumping up in levels, still playing low, but I'm not playing as often.

While before, I could count on the low stakes SnGs to increase, now it's been the short handed ring game. A few nights where my cash game profits went directly into losing SnGs. I stopped getting hands, and it's hard to do much. I get a little low and the blinds are high, I push with JJ and of course someone wakes up with KK.

Their kings hold up, whereas, the other night, looking at my hands, you'd think I got slapped in the face with the deck. KK 3 times in 10 hands. Results... 1) Chopped pot with a straight on board to the J. 2) Lost to KQ- though I played it poorly. 3) Won the blinds.

Here's how the KQ hand went. I raised from mid position with KK and get 3 callers. Button, SB and BB. The flop came, x-Q-Q. Checked around. The turn is a blank and I bet about 1/2 pot. It checks around again and the Button bets about 1/2 pot. SB calls, and I decide to pop it. I don't think a raise in the mistake, it's just that I hit POT and made the pot too big to fold. A min raise would have worked just as good. I get the button to fold, but the SB pushes all in. I have him covered and his raise is probably about 20% of pot. I pretty much have to call and he shows KQ. The downside to using the POT button and not controlling the size of the pot.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

Losing Skill?

I haven't played online much. I did hit the rare home game, last week, but that ended badly. Between a $20 tournament followed by a small cash game, I blew about $100. I didn't do anything in the tournament, since I didn't get a hand. I bluffed one hand and won, but then didn't get a damn thing the rest of the night. Managed to make it through the re-buy period and had a few more chips than I started with, so I didn't have to rebuy. I continued to get nothing, and the rare times I was in the hand, I didn't hit anything.

My final hand was 22. I raised, got 1 caller. It was about 25% of my stack. Flop came K55. The caller, bet, pretty much putting me all in. I knew I had to be beat, but had to hope for the AQ/AJ making a move on a short stack. He wasn't, he had KQ. I was the first one out (though a few other people did rebuy, so at least I was only down $20).

I hung around the cash. When there were four of us, we started. I chalk most of my losses in the cash game to unlucky. I definitely didn't play great, but one of the weaker players in the game, kept getting hands. The guy is notorious for betting his missed straights on the end. THis time though, he made straight after straight, after flush, after set.

In the end, I just couldn't get any hands. At one point the guy had over $100. He proceeded to give it all away. Just not to me. In the end, I figured over 5 hours of poker, I won maybe 5 hands.

Not to say I played great, I didn't. Far from, actually. But I'm starting to pick up on one of my leaks. The money. It's not a lot, but right now, I don't have much free money to play with, so if I lose what I have, I'm done. Between the limited live cash, and the tiny bankroll online, I fear losing, thus things like continuation bets, and pushing clearly weak hands off are hard to do. I have to find away to just not care about the funds anymore.

The league hasn't started up yet, but should shortly. Email have gone out to get a count. Not sure if I'm going to do it, but I did say I was interested. I think it will be a game time decision. If there are a lot of people (8 or 9) I may play, otherwise, with only 5 or 6, it may not be worth it.

Hopefully, I can get back into the right frame of mind to play, and with that will come more posts. I think I also might have to review some of my poker books, and even check out some new ones. I might need to get back into the fundamentals.

Until then... My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

Still Going

OK, it's been over a month, but I've still been playing. I went to Florida for vacation, but didn't hit the poker room in Ocala. Just wasn't in the right mind.

I continued to play online. That 20 bucks got up to 30, but then down to my last 6+. I tilted and instead of grinding I through the entire thing into a $6 Turbo short handed SnG. I took that down and was back over $20. I proceed to work it up to over 50 bucks. I dropped down to 30, and back up. Currently I'm around $50. I'm still playing the $2 SnGs, with the occasional $6 SnG. I've jumped up to the $.05/$.10 short handed cash game.

I've recently found myself tilting a little more again, so I think I'll be playing a little less over the next few days. Playing micro limits is tough.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

Back In The Saddle Again

Well I recently logged onto my Full Tilt account and realized I had a whopping $0.62 in there. I played and doubled up twice. I switched tables and bought in for the minimum. At the same time, I also jumped into a $1+.20 SnG. The cash games ended badly, losing all my buy-ins. The SnG was my last shot. I managed a win and had $4+ in my once empty coffers.

I hopped on the next night and did the same thing, though this time I lost the SnGs and all but one cash game. Luckily at that .01/.02 table someone had a big pile of cash (over 6 bucks) and was donating. He was calling all the way down with 2nd, 3rd or 4th pair. I pretty much got all his money. I ended the night and my bankroll was at $9 bucks.

The next night I played some more, but it wasn't so up & down as the other nights. I won a $2 SnG which boosted my bankroll. I broke even in the cash games.

Currently, my $0.62 turned into $20. Not a bad return. How long before I meltdown and start calling all my chips with A high? Or get impatient and put my entire bankroll in one SnG or a bigger cash game?

Time will tell.

Casino Night

I took my poker winnings and headed off to Mohegan Sun. Slappy was already there and shortly after getting there a spot at his table opened up. I moved over. I won a few bucks with QQ. But not much after that.

A spot opened next to Slappy and I moved. I wasn't a big fan of the table. There were 3 friends who completely soft played each other. They'd bet other people out of the pot, than stopped playing showed what they had and checked down. No one said anything (including me- this was the first time I witnessed anything like this- next time I will say something) including the dealer.

I continued to do very little and lose chips. At one point I had top pair with a flush draw. I got there and doubled up to back even. Unfortunately, I donked off most of my chips wih KJ on a board of K74. I called a tight player down every street when he flopped a set of 4's. I sheepishly folded and said I flopped 2 pair.

In the end I lost my first buy-in on a "bad beat.". Though I was short so I didn't have enough to make the guy fold. My second buy-in, I bought in short. Never got a had and took another beat because I got short and my opponent figured he wouldn't lose much if he called me.

I took the beats well but was tired and didn't want to waste my final buy-in, so I walked around for an hour, than left. I love that the poker rooms are smoke free, but forget the rest of the casinos are not. By the time I got home I reeked of smoke. Yuck.

That's been all my recent poker. I may head out again soon, but try Foxwoods. I haven't been there in about 2 years.

First, we're heading to visit my family in Florida, so I'll probably play at Ocala Pokerroom again.

I'll post if I do.


-- Post From My iPod Touch

In Between

In Between week 15 & the final week, I played in Slappy's home game. The structure bothered me more than normally, but I think that has more to do with the fact that I haven't won there in a while. And ultimately the games are about hanging out with friends for a few hours. If you bust out early a new game is only an biur away. They introduced a new twist... Bounties. Each person pays an additional $5 that you give to the person who busts you.

As I stated, I didn't do much and only got 3 bounties all night.


-- Post From My iPod Touch

The End is Nigh

I know it's been a while, but better late than never, right? Week 15 ended good for me. Host was out first, followed by Tilty. I'm out next and Drunky and New Kid battle heads up and Drunky taked it down. The good news about the night is that I gain even more points vs the host.

Technically, I also lock up second place. Host is 9 points behind me, but so is New Kid. Basically, if they can convince Muscles to bring his pussy-whipped ass back for a game (in his defense I think he's dating a former playmate), I go out first, then Host or New Kid have to win. Winner gets enough points to beat me and the other doesn't thus getting me 2nd.

Muscles doesn't show, so I clinch first without even having to show. Second time in a row. I would prefer if, each time, the people who agreed to play the season, played the entire season, but I definitely benefited from having people quit the game.

In the end, as usual, Host, New Kid and I are the last 3. I finished 3rd and I think New Kid wins, taking 2nd overall.

While I want to play again, 16+ weels is a long time. I'm taking a "season" off.

-- Post From My iPod Touch

2 Weeks To Go

We finished up another game. Again, 2 people don't show. The league has become a bit of a joke. 4 people? Seriously?

This time it was me, host, new kid and drunky.

The game actually started early. I really wanted to put some points between me and the host, but with Drunky, it was unlikely. He plays fast and loose and likes to bluff. Host is patient and can wait for the big hands. Also, with 2 people out, the first person eliminated still gets 3 points to the winner's 6.

I only pick up a few medium hands, and quickly find my way down to about 2/3 my stack. Host is fairing worse, and has about 1/2 his original stack. Host ends up getting super short (limping in with weak hands and folding to a raise) and finally pushes in with a marginal hand. He gets called by Drunky. And is busted. I'm happy because it means I'm gaining at least a point on him tonight, but my stack hasn't been growing. 3 handed, I turn up the aggression a bit, and get some decent size pots. Next thing I know, New Kids is short, and I'm about even in chips.

He's in the BB and a few blinds left. I'm thinking he's practically pot committed in the BB, so I'm very excited with TT on the button. He push and he thinks about folding, but finally decides to call. She flips A9. Perfect. No race. My odds improve with a flopped set when a T hits. Unfortunately he goes runner-runner for a straight (with the 9) and doubles up. I still have a healthy stack though.

Drunky goes out a few hands later.

A few hands later, I push him off a raise, when he tells me he has only 28 behind after he raises to about 15. After I counted it out and pushed all in, figuring I still had him outchipped if he doubled up, he corrects his count and tells me he had 48. Now, if I paid attention to his actual stack I would have clearly seen that he had 2 stacks of 20, not 1. But I didn't look over, I just relied on his info. My mistake. But I was still steaming, but couldn't say anything or he might call and he was definitely contemplating a fold. In the end, he folds and I increase the chip lead. The final hand, I manage to come from behind. I had T8 sooooooted. We see a cheap flop of 6-5-3, 2 of my soot. He's short, so I push and he calls with 54. I get there on the turn, but it's a 6s so he has outs. He doesn't boat up and I manage my 2nd win in a row.

Good news is that I gained 3 points on the Host. Putting me 7 points in the lead. Which means, no matter what happens in Week 15, I will go into the final week with AT LEAST a one point lead, even if I don't show up and get 0 points.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

3 Weeks Remaining

I know I still haven't been posting much, but I have been playing the league game every week. We took a 2 week break for the weekend before Xmas and the week after. This worked out very nicely for me, as I was probably going to miss each of those.

My last post on the 11/29 looked to be a day before our week 8- Double Week. Honestly, I don't remember too many hands at this point.

I know I got to heads up against the New Kid. We were about even in chips and I need a cash inflow, so I agreed to a chop (as 2nd place BARELY gets their money back) and play out for 1st vs 2nd. It's only 2 point difference but 2 points is 2 points.

A big hand developed, which crippled me. On a Q high flop, I get it all in with KQ. Unfortunately, New Kid had flopped 2 pair. That left me with 50 chips out of 720 total chip. He played tighter than he should with that big of a chip lead and miraculously, I came back to win and get the 2 extra points. In the end, he seemed to think it was ridiculous to play so long for 2 points, but I knew I needed them. At that point, I had a bunch of 3rds and 4ths while New Kid and Host were gettings 1st and 2nds (Both also had a couple of early bust outs). I was in 3rd place overall, and this week gave me a big catapult closer to Host, as he finished 4th (gained 6 points on him).

A week later I went to the monthly home game (showed up late) on Saturday and didn't do anything in any of the 3 games we played. The next day I went to play week 9 of the League. Just like usual, I finished 3rd to New Kid's 2nd and Host's 1st.

The following week (Week 10) I managed a 2nd place to Drunky with Host and New Kids being the 1st two out. Unfortunately, 2nd place only paid $10, so I still lost for the night. Though, this somehow put me in 1st place by 1 point.

We had the 2 week break and then Week 11 . The first game of the new year. I had high hopes. No New Kid... nice time to get some points. Host finishes in 3rd, I managed 2nd to Tiltbox, gaining an extra point on the Host. Unfortunately, 2 people no showed, which means 2nd place gets NADA!

Week 12, again, 2 people don't show. New Kid busts 1st, Host busts 2nd. I'm heads up with Drunky, putting yet another point between Host and I. This heads up match went back and forth. I slowed played 2 pair on the flop and got it all in when Drunky turned the Wheel. Again, no money, but a valuable point.

I go into Week 13, with only 1 win under my belt, but a small lead in points. We have, what has now become a full game. 5 players, as Muscles has quit. Drunky and Tiltbox are the first 2 out, leaving the usual 3 people (Me, New Kid and Host). New Kid has a MOUNTAIN of chips. Host has me covered, and I have less than my starting stack. I haven't had a hand all night. I wina big pot 3 handed, when I call a big bet on the flop with the a jack-high flush draw. I get there on the turn and check hoping New Kid bets. He checks. The river is a blank and New Kid goes all in. I think about folding (the kid is tight). But figured I called the flop hoping to hit my flush. I did and the river was a brick, why would I fold? I call and get a nice double up when the New Kid shows the straight. In the meantime, Host is tilting a bit. He's flopped a couple of big hands, but loves to slowplay and has lost two big hands because of it. One to New Kid and one to me. In my hand, I had QJ and limp in on the button. I probably should have raised, but I was playing tight. Flop comes 578. It checks around. Turn is a 9. Again, it checks around. The river brings a beautiful T. Host checks, I bet the pot and he calls. Another hand he loses 2 pair to a rivered something. A few hands later, I fold the SB, (with K5 sooooted) when Host (button) raises (blinds are 5/10) host makes it 20. New Kid calls. Flop comes KQJ. I forget the action, but all the chips get in. Host shows KQ for 2 pair, and New Kid has AT for the straight. Host can't believe is bad luck. Sure the host had 3 outs (since I folded a K- and let him know). He turns the case K and busts New Kid.

Heads up I'm at a chip disadvantage. But manage to slowly chip up. One of the final big hands (still @ 5/10), I have J8 sooted and hit middle pair with the 8. We both check. A Q comes up and he bets 20. I call. A K on the river and he bets 40 (this leaves him with just under 40 chips). I think, but really think I have him. I call and show the 8. He mucks. 2 hands later, he goes all-in blind. I look and see K9 and call. He shows K4 and I bust him.

Only my 2nd win of the season, but I'm in 1st. I have 64 points, to hosts 60. New Kid... I think he has about 55. 3 weeks left. We'll take the final week off, as it falls on Super Bowl Sunday.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

I Told You...

I made a small deposit on FTP tonight, and I started playing again. I'd been jonesin' to start playing again, more than just the league.

I'm not a fan of online poker but it's where you can play anytime for small stakes.

I started playing some $6.50 turbo 6 handed SnGs and booted up a .25/.50 short handed NLHE table.

The turbo's showed me no love. I played two and didn't cash. Minus $13.

At the cash game, I had better luck. I started with $20, which was about average stack, though one person have over $100. Over 45 minutes, I played about 50+ hands.

Five hands in, I'm dealt KhKc in the SB. UTG limps, button limps, and I make it $2.50. Both Limpers call. The flop is 8d-3s-Qh. I decide to check, hoping for a check raise. The pot is $8, and UTG bets $5. Button calls. I make is $16.50 , which puts SB all-in, but the BUtton has $45 behind him. UTG calls, button folds, and UTG Shows Qc,Js. I take down a $40 pot.

The next hand I have KJo and raise it on the Button to 1.75. SB Ships for $11 more so I fold.

Ten hands later I'm given another big pair. The ladies. QcQd. I'm UTG and make it the standard pot bet (1.75). The BB calls (BB was the Button on the KK hand). Flop comes 664 rainbow. BB Checks, and bet 3.00 (Just under a pot bet). BB calls. The turn is not the prettiest of cards, 5c, putting a flush draw out there. BB Checks and I fire a more than 1/2 pot bet (6.50 into 9.75). BB Calls. The river is a 3s, no flush, but putting a 4 card straight out there. Is he calling with a 7? Unlikely, but could have trips already. The BB Checks, and I decide to check and let my QQ do the talking. They talk loud enough and I scoop a $20 pot. The BB had Js4s.

At about the 20 hand mark, I win 4 small pots in a row. Including, completing the trifecta of top pair hands when I get AA and take down the blinds.

So, in case I thought I was playing awesome, in 25 hands, I had QQ, KK, AA.

At hand 35, I'm dealt 2 Black Aces on the button. Sweet!

UTG+1 raises to $2.00. I make it 6.75 from the button. The BB pushes all-in ($17) and the initial raiser tanks for a few seconds before he pushes in. I insta-call. I'm up against the BB's KK and UTG+1's AJ. I sweat the river, as there's a chance at a split pot with AJ, but it bricks and I take another $40+ pot.

The last big hand of the night comes against the other big stack. I have $80 and he had $140. UTG I'm dealt 4c,4h. I limp. Big Stack makes it $2.50. The BB calls (He's been in a few of my big hands). The Big Stack has been playing really tight, letting people hang themselves. I've been avoiding him, but with the BB calling, I'm not ready to throw the pair away yet.

I hit near perfect. 3h-4d-3s. Now I have to decide how to string him along. I could lead out. That would be tricky. But if he has nothing, he will probably fold. I'm hoping he'll C-Bet with anything. He's played pretty tight, which is why I've avoided him so far.

Big Stack bets 5.50 into a 7.75 bet. He really hasn't played many hands yet, and I'm not sure if this is standard for him. BB gets out of the way. I just call.

Wait, did I say near perfect? I'm mistaken. The 4s on the turn gives me Quads. DEMS QUADS BITCHES! I decide to check again. See if he'll bet. He does. $12.50 into a $18.75 pot. Now, I'm REALLY at a quandry about what to do. Do I check raise here and hope he has something. I doubt he'll call or push with anything but a huge pair. I opt to let him catch up and just call. I'll bet out on the river. I don't think I can check it and let him check behind. The last card is about as good as I can hope for. 3c. A Boat on the board. I think for a few seconds, before I bet about 1/2 pot. He insta-mucks. I shoulda bet bigger, make it look like I was trying to push him off playing the board. Another $40+ pot my way.

I won a few small pots. The only one worth mentioning was a SB vs BB hand. I had 6c8c in the SB and it folds to me. I just limp. The BB makes it $2.00 and I call. The flop is 8d-Kd-7c. I check, planning to check-raise a C-bet. He bets 1/2 the pot. I raise him enough to pretty much put him all in. He folds and I win $8.

So I ran well, to say the least, in the cash game, turning $20 into $100.

Now, despite getting beaten over the head with the deck, I have to remember, the key to these low stakes games is patience. Wait for the big hands. People will play poorly and give you their money. Trust me, I know... I'm usually giving away my money when I re-raise with my KJ.

I haven't had the patience in my league, maybe I can turn over a new leaf. Patience pays off. So does getting KK, QQ, AK, and AA in 25 hands.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.

Layout

Yuck. I don't know what happened to my blog, but that format exploded in a barrage of bad links, so I'm in the process of editing and deciding on new format.

For now, I'm off to read some poker blogs. I have a bunch in my old bloglines account. But I haven't read a poker blog in a long time. I'm off to find some good ones.

Anyone know any good ones on strategy?

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.
http://www.twitter.com/unimpressed

Back... for a little while anyway.

I rejoined the league again. We're almost half way through and I have yet to win. I managed a second once. Unfortunately, there are only 6 people in the league this run; me, host, drunky, muscles, tiltbox, and a New Kid.

We just finished Week 7. Host has finished 2nd almost every week. New Kid has managed a couple of wins. Drunky has busted 1st every time but once. I'm in third (out of 6, it isn't great). Host isn't likely to make too many mistakes so I need to play better the second half and manage a few wins if I want to compete.

The problem is that I have been playing bad. In the first 2 weeks I think I played ok. Managing to lose only a little in cold deck situations but wasn't getting hands when I needed it.

After those weeks, I just started playing bad. Too many bluffs, loose calls, too few continuation bets. Bad timing on hands doesn't help either.

Two weeks ago I busted to the big stack when I raised 2x in position w JJ. Muscles called. The flop came Q 8 4. My stack had about 2-3 times the pot. I figured I couldn't bet then fold to a re-raise, so I pushed and ran into AQ.

Not. Much could have been done about that had. Last week, 3 handed on the button and pretty short (about 8x in my stack), I have K9. I figure I can pick up the blinds, so I shove. Drunky (SB) thinks a moment then calls (I have him covered). Tiltbox tanks. He doesn't want to call 2 all-ins but has a mountain of chips. He finally calls, and I'm somewhat relieved to see 77. Unfortunately, Drunky has A9. I sheepishly flip over my cards and tell them, "I was just funnin'". The flop has a K but also an Ace. Drunky triples up and I'm crippled (2x BB) and bust out the next hand when I'm BB.

So another 9 weeks of the league and I'll probably take a break after that. Maybe stick to the occasional monthly home game and hit the casino when I can save some scratch.

A Run for the Sun

I'm annoyed. I had typed notes into my iPod all night, and deleted it when reviewing. So my notes won't be as complete.

Friday night I decided to hit Mohegan Sun again.

I really prefer Mohegan Sun. The poker room is smaller, but it is also less crowded. I got there at 6:30 and was seated right away. The entire night they filled empty seats quick, and there was not much of a wait and the list was never long.

The night felt weird. It felt like I as up and down, but in reality I was never down.

I bought in for 200 instead of the usual 100. I liked this much better. I felt like I could do things and not just wait. I was able to limp into a few pots early on. One paid off. Only a few hands in, and it limps around to me. I have AJ and decide to call. I don't want to go nuts with a mediocre holding and I'm really only 4 or 5 hands in. It limps all the way around. It ended up being 9 people into the pot. This became a regular thing. Not THAT many, but there were a lot of limpers. The flop comes A99. It limps all the way around. I really wanted to see what kind of action it generated. I doubted anyone had a better ace (even that early I figured AQ, AK would raise). THe turn was a blank, but put a flush draw on the board. It checks to me and I put out $15. It folds all the way around to the "guy" on my immediate right and "he" goes all-in.

I say "guy" because I thought it was a guy, until that moment, I thought it was a guy. Tall, quiet. Turns out... no. Oops. So much for observations! She has a small stack (lots of people buying in short). Only about 35 more. I look at my stack and think about folding. Smells a little like a 9. But because of the flush draw, I felt there was also a big chance that she had the flush draw. I make the call and she flips over AT. I think the flop check worked in my favor there, but probaly not a good idea.

I continue to build a stack. My favorite hand of the night was my call with Q high. Unfortuantely, this is where my lack of notes hurts a bit. Raised pot (raised to 6), I call with QJ. The board on the flop reads AT8. I check and the raiser checks, the turn is another A. I check and the raisor bets about 10. I just think he's trying to take the pot and think I might be good. I call. The turn is an 8. I definitely feel I'm good here. I check hoping for a small bet that I can call. He knuckles and I show my Q high. He says I'm good and I drag a small pot. It was nice to trust my read and willing to go with it. Though a big bet on the river and I would have folded, not trusting myself that much.

At one point, I get my stack to a postive $175. I'm feeling good, having fun and I start to throw the tips around generously. Redbirds, even if I'm just picking up the blinds and a couple of limpers. Redbird for the waitress. It was fun and I was trying to buy Karma. Unfortunately, with my profit, comes looseness. And next thing I know, I'm down to just above my original $200. It's 9pm and I figure it's time for dinner.

I take a 30 minute break, get a mediocre buffalo chicken wrap, some nasty pasta side dish. The break pumped my mood up a bit, I changed the music in my iPod to something more upbeat and sat backdown to play.

Four hands in, still at $200, I look down at AA. I raise it to 12, and 2 limpers. A guy pops it to $50 and I do a little flip. Folds to me and I raise it to $125. The limpers fold (one guy, an asian dude, really struggles with his fold, but he's been like that all night). The last guy tanks. You can tell he wants to fold. He doesn't have the discipline (I don't know if I would have), and pushes his stack in. He has me slightly covered. I'm glad he pushed and not just called. Even though it would have been more than 1/2 his stack. He might have gotetn away from the hand on the flop. He flips the obvious KK. The door card is paint, but turns out to be a Jack. Which is promptly followed by an A. I have a sick feeling he's going to go runner runner for a straight, but I dodge that get my stack to over double the buy-in.

The rest of the hands are escaping me. I know I lost about $100 on speculative hands, but built it back up on a lucky hand.

The asian dude who reluctantly folds, raises it up. I call with AsJh. The flop comes KsJs3s. 2nd pair and the nut flush draw. I look at the ADWRF's stack. It's small (around 80), another short buyer, who's taken a few beats. I bet out 20. He thinks for a few seconds and pushes all-in. I've seen him bluff before, and feel he can definitely be bluffing here. I don't think he has the flush because he pushed. I thought he would just call if he had the flush, and push on the turn if no spade came. He could definitely have a K or even a J here. If it wasn't for my Ace of spades, I definitely fold there. Most of this thought process happened before I bet out. I decided if he re-raised me I was going to push on him or even call. So the as soon as I said "All-In,"I insta-called. As I put all the thought into it already, I liked my insta-call even more, after the hand, for the simple fact it tilted the guy big time. Neither of us showed our hands. Which was a common at this table. No spade came, but an Ace on the river gave me 2 pair. He confidentally flip my 2 pair. He just stared as his cards and shook his head over and over. Mumbled to himself. After about a minute, he finally mucks.

For the next few hands, I hear him muttering about the insta-call. What made me even happier about his tilt, is that he is one of those guys that, after the hand, just stares at his cards. As if something is going to change. He did it to me, and he did it a plenty of times before and after that. Someone can show the nuts, and he'll just stare at his hand like he can somehow make it better. We have someone like that in one of our home games. It is annoying. Felting the guy, made it less so. He reached in for another $60 and would later lose that too.

In the end, I called it a night shortly after midnight and with a nice little profit. I was thinking about making another run Friday, but turns out a home game is coming around on Saturday, and I haven't been to one in a while. So I think I'll do that one instead.

Until next time.

-My name is Unimpressed, and I'm an donkaholic.