Back on Track
Finally the wooden wheels of the martin machine which were brutally broken have been thankfully replaced by some meaty 18" alloys. My game is back thanks to a concoction of fortune and skill…. in that order. Both accounts are over $150, with one substantially so J
I had a huge loos of form recently and lost a whole heap of my online bankroll. This has happened to me before but TODAY and from NOW ON I am only going to play in games I can comfortably beat and afford. I’m feeling really good about my game at the moment. When I was suffering and feeling all sad and depressed about amount of time taken to build such and such $ I forgot the key rule in poker for me. KEEP LEARNING. Iv immersed myself in Harrington recently (very good) and also had a dapple with the WPT books (which are shit). Iv gone back over some of the McEvoy/Cloutier advice, some of which I take, some of which I don’t (exactly what hands DOES Cloutier play?) But there is a whole heap of lovely advice on the net, and I particularly like the info on "changing gears"- (HINT Rob Apple, this is something you need to learn J ).
Should be getting a couple of refer a friend bonuses through soon ,once Seb "the Doctor" Gray gets his game (which wont take long).
Results. Planned to play the £10 re-buy at Luton on Saturday but unfortunately the M1 was rammo and I missed the start. I didn’t mind though,as I played a £30 SnG soon after and got screwed over late on. Down to 4 players and im the 3rd biggest stack. I make a minimum raise with KQ on the button. BB is a noted aggressive, GOOD player capable with moving with any 2. SB fold’s and he calls. He acts 1st and puts me all-in on a flop of KJ9. Hmmmmmm……. Bollocks im not laying this down here, if he has a str8 he checks, if he has 2 pair he probably checks also (been watching his game you know, it ALWAYS pay’s to observe). Anyhow, I call he flips J7 and its all looking good till the turn comes 7 and im out. I could have cruised to third but that’s not how I play (only £60). If I win im a firm favourite over the other 3 as big stack is reckless and the two babies are fighting for blinds.
Play the £20 re-buy and play vv well. I get bluffed on the third hand and I should have called. If I had thought about it more I would have. I cannot allow myself to panic and fold without thinking about the cards. If he is good enough to possibly be value betting the river, then he is good enough to be bluffing. Here’s the hand, comments welcome. I hold 1010 in mp. I open for a pot raise of 125 (25/50 blinds). 2 callers, 1 late pos and the BB. Flop comes Q, 8, 7 rainbow. Not a bad flop. I look at the guys as the cards go over and I reckon they missed but im not sure. I bet ½ the pot (250 odd). LP folds, BB Calls. Im struggling to put this guy on a hand as iv seen him slow play Kings, bet out aces UTG..in short mix his game up nicely. But I THINK im ahead. Turn comes 6. Not the time to get fancy, he checks. He could have 10,8. But then he "could" have pocket queens. I decide to bet so as not to give him odds if he is still drawing. 800 into a pot of 1000. He calls again. River is a ugly card, the 5h. Yuk. He goes AI for 2k. I should THINK!!!! If he has the 9, why doesn’t he just bet a little. He knows ill call. Damn, I just CANNOT see how 10’s are good on this board. If I could read him I could call, but I have real difficulty with indian/pakistani players. And he knows I know he is good. He could be shitting me. Fuck it I fold. He flips J7 for 1 pair and im pissed off. He outplayed me. Well I was out for him from then on. I knew there and the id double up from him later on. As he was the natural aggressor on my table I was watching his every hand and then I picked up a tiny tell. He paused for AGES before betting largeish, from Late position. Im holding AK and double up through him and his A2 steal. Someone else picked this up and took the guys chips a little later. I player well and had some nice hands and some nice steals late on. Then this hand. I get 1010 in the BB. Known LAGGY player raises from MP when shorthanded. He isnt YET pot committed so I put him in after deciding he definitely doesn’t want a call. He folds A5 face up. Why he showed that ill never know. Later on I get Ajs in the BB again. He raises biggish and I give him the staredown. Anyone else and this table is getting thrown into that muck NOW. But im just about getting odds if he has a smaller pair than my overcards, or more likely, I have him dominated. I call and he has 55 which holds up. Drat. Im now very low and instantly get dealt AA. Hmmmm…..
I only have 6k left. Blinds are 1k/2k respectively, so how to max my winnings. I limp of course, form LP. Known good player raises round the back and im trying to look scared so the LAGGY BB goes all-in. I should have stood up from my chair and started looking for my coat ;) BB folds, I call, LP has 44, my hand holds and im through to Final table. BUT I have a tiny stack. I get A6h in mp and there are 2 limpers. I fold. This was a mistake as I found out later. I was going to get 4 way action. In situations where you are severely short stacked its best to get involved in these large pots as if you win you are straight back up there. I pussied out and it cost me. I finally decided that calling a large re-raise with 87o was a Great play and that’s the end of that. Cest la vie.
On a high note played a 360 runner event last night and came third. Impressed myself the whole way through with tactical genius before scuppering it all with a hasty decision when down to the final 3. Never mind.
Tip of the Day. NEVER play a game that is too big for you. You will be scared and not make optimal plays. Gl all, esp Herg.