Hot Streak: August 3, 2005
First off, thank you for all of your feedback. I think it has helped me fine tune my game a bit. I have already learned too important lessons from this blog. One: I am limping from Early Position with suited connectors or mediocre hands way too much. Two: Calling from the BB when the SB raises 2x can be a very profitable play with whatever two cards you are holding as long as you are not short stacked.
I have not posted for a while. I have realized that I can't keep up with my initial hope that I would post once or twice a day. Juggling a job, marriage and other interests makes that difficult. However, I am going to try to post at least once a week and maybe twice from here on out. Even if it is just checking in with a quick update on how I am doing, I will post at least once a week. Haven't figured out what day it should be yet.
So as you see from the topic of this post, I have been playing pretty well lately. It is amazing how when you are in your groove you can look back and see how bad you actually were. I felt like I was playing legitimate poker during the first half of the year, but looking back I wasn't thinking at all. I was going through the motions, playing my hands as I should, making a guess every once in a while on whether the guy was bluffing or not, but not really making logical great decisions. I feel like I'm playing well right now. It isn't just that I'm winning (6 straight positive sessions), but even when I'm losing I made a bet for a reason and usually ended up getting a bad beat. For example...
Last night, I played in a $20 SNG and I was raised by a LAP from the SB when I was the BB. Blinds were 25/50. I had about 800 chips and he min raised to 100. I called with 6c 7d knowing that I could outplay this guy after the flop and I had pot odds to call. I didn't feel I was short stacked enough where I was pot committed to going all in or fold. Flop comes 4d 6d Td. Small blind raises 125 and I move in for my remaining stack. Why did I move in? I wanted to win the hand right now. If I have a better hand, it isn't by much. He could have a Ten or a pocket pair greater than six. If he had a hand, I think he would have bet the pot a bit more or check raised like most bad players do. So I thought that I had the best hand, but even if I didn't there was a chance that I had a flush draw with my 7 of diamonds. So I move all in and he calls. What does he have? As Ks. What? Turn is a King, river is a rag and no diamonds come to save me. Was I upset? Not really, because I got my money in as a huge favorite (about 84%) against a bad player. I'll take that bet every time and make money in the long run.
So what got me thinking about the hands a bit more and making good decisions? I give credit to someone who a lot of people don't like or are annoyed by. He is a 19 year old 2+2 forum poster and he plays under the avator zeejustin. Go to his website www.zeejustin.com and check him out. Plenty of bragging, but his recent article about one of his multi tournament game was fantastic. I thought it was good stuff.
Another great hand from the last week? I played in a live tournament at my friend Todd's house. Todd had just finished a softball tournament and was about 20-30 beers down. His roommate Joe was a little drunk as well. We all started with 50 chips and blinds were 1/2 to start. There were seven players and everyone calls the blind before it gets to Joe on the button. Joe raises to 8 and I fold my 83o. Everyone folds except my friend Beyer. Flop comes Q98 rainbow. Beyer checks and Joe bets 10. Beyer Calls. Turn is a J. There are no flushes possible as every suit is represented on the board. What does Beyer do? He bets 10. Now, Joe thinks for about 2.5 seconds and announces all in. Beyer ponders for a while and considers his options. Fold or Call. He says "What the heck" and calls. What does he have? AJ. He called with a pair of jacks when any queen, ten, two pair or a set would beat him. So what does Joe have? AK. No joke. Very first hand and he is knocked out with A high. Everyone was laughing except for Joe who was upset that Beyer called with a pair of jacks. I couldn't believe either of their plays, but that is what is so much fun about low stakes live tournaments with friends. You never know what to expect. Todd - Thanks for hosting. It was a fun time and we will have to do it again sometime.
I have not posted for a while. I have realized that I can't keep up with my initial hope that I would post once or twice a day. Juggling a job, marriage and other interests makes that difficult. However, I am going to try to post at least once a week and maybe twice from here on out. Even if it is just checking in with a quick update on how I am doing, I will post at least once a week. Haven't figured out what day it should be yet.
So as you see from the topic of this post, I have been playing pretty well lately. It is amazing how when you are in your groove you can look back and see how bad you actually were. I felt like I was playing legitimate poker during the first half of the year, but looking back I wasn't thinking at all. I was going through the motions, playing my hands as I should, making a guess every once in a while on whether the guy was bluffing or not, but not really making logical great decisions. I feel like I'm playing well right now. It isn't just that I'm winning (6 straight positive sessions), but even when I'm losing I made a bet for a reason and usually ended up getting a bad beat. For example...
Last night, I played in a $20 SNG and I was raised by a LAP from the SB when I was the BB. Blinds were 25/50. I had about 800 chips and he min raised to 100. I called with 6c 7d knowing that I could outplay this guy after the flop and I had pot odds to call. I didn't feel I was short stacked enough where I was pot committed to going all in or fold. Flop comes 4d 6d Td. Small blind raises 125 and I move in for my remaining stack. Why did I move in? I wanted to win the hand right now. If I have a better hand, it isn't by much. He could have a Ten or a pocket pair greater than six. If he had a hand, I think he would have bet the pot a bit more or check raised like most bad players do. So I thought that I had the best hand, but even if I didn't there was a chance that I had a flush draw with my 7 of diamonds. So I move all in and he calls. What does he have? As Ks. What? Turn is a King, river is a rag and no diamonds come to save me. Was I upset? Not really, because I got my money in as a huge favorite (about 84%) against a bad player. I'll take that bet every time and make money in the long run.
So what got me thinking about the hands a bit more and making good decisions? I give credit to someone who a lot of people don't like or are annoyed by. He is a 19 year old 2+2 forum poster and he plays under the avator zeejustin. Go to his website www.zeejustin.com and check him out. Plenty of bragging, but his recent article about one of his multi tournament game was fantastic. I thought it was good stuff.
Another great hand from the last week? I played in a live tournament at my friend Todd's house. Todd had just finished a softball tournament and was about 20-30 beers down. His roommate Joe was a little drunk as well. We all started with 50 chips and blinds were 1/2 to start. There were seven players and everyone calls the blind before it gets to Joe on the button. Joe raises to 8 and I fold my 83o. Everyone folds except my friend Beyer. Flop comes Q98 rainbow. Beyer checks and Joe bets 10. Beyer Calls. Turn is a J. There are no flushes possible as every suit is represented on the board. What does Beyer do? He bets 10. Now, Joe thinks for about 2.5 seconds and announces all in. Beyer ponders for a while and considers his options. Fold or Call. He says "What the heck" and calls. What does he have? AJ. He called with a pair of jacks when any queen, ten, two pair or a set would beat him. So what does Joe have? AK. No joke. Very first hand and he is knocked out with A high. Everyone was laughing except for Joe who was upset that Beyer called with a pair of jacks. I couldn't believe either of their plays, but that is what is so much fun about low stakes live tournaments with friends. You never know what to expect. Todd - Thanks for hosting. It was a fun time and we will have to do it again sometime.
posted by Steve K at 3:38 PM
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