James It's All Your Fault

Gary's Poker Journey Before my 7th Session

Post-Session 6 Video

Let'em Hang

I played well tonight and want to go through 3 hands with you and give you some insight on thinking like a poker player. Whenever I play I am always thinking (1) I know what I have (2) What range of hands could they have? (3) What do they think I have? (4) Based on what they think I have how should I play this hand to get maximum value. Well folks tonight I ran through this progression of thoughts perfectly as I played and the results showed. The first hand I will talk about is the one where I got AT UTG +1. I decided to raise with this hand to $20 and got 1 caller who was UTG. The flop came 

AA9 

After seeing this flop I knew what I had…A MONSTER(1). I had a good idea what he had too, suited connectors like 67s, T9s, etc. or a small to medium pocket pair like 66, 77, etc(2). So I decided to bet the flop and I bet $35. So I knew what I had, I had his range of hands, and I thought if he calls this $35 he thinks I am bluffing(3). Well he called. The turn came:

6 

I decided to check the turn because if he thought I was bluffing that is what he would expect me to do is check behind him. So I did to setup a river bet to get max value(4). The river came: 

7 

This completed a potential flush, but I didn't put a flush draw in his range of hands because of the way he called and seeing how he played previously. After he checked to me on the river I was 100% he was just trying to catch me bluff so I bet $45 ad he called. I showed my hand and he mucked his. I winJ



The second hand I got KQ in late position. There were 6 people in front of me that limped in for $5. I could have raised but I decided to just call. I had a hand that played well in a multi-way pot. 1 other player called and there 8 people to the flop. The flop came: 

KQ2 

This was a perfect flop for me in a multi-way pot. Everyone checked to me and I bet $25 the guy who was on the button raised my bet to $75. Everyone folded and the action was back to me. So now I had to think a bit. I knew I had top two pair(1). The hands that would raise me here based on the way I have seen him play are AK, 22, KK, QQ, KQ and MAYBE KJ. I didn't put him on KK or QQ because he didn't raise pre-flop with all the callers and I had top two pair which greatly reduces the odds of him having those two hands. The only hand that could beat me that I put in his range of hands was 22(2). After a second to think I decided to just call the $50 to complete his $75 raise. I thought he thought I might have JT, and wanted to get me off of the draw so I just called because if he had AK or KJ, the two hands that I beat he probably would bet again on the turn and river so I wanted him to do that (3). If I raised instead of called he could fold AK and KJ easily knowing he was beat, and just call with all the hands that beat me(4). The turn came:

J

I was HAPPY now…if he had KJ I am going t get his whole stack! So I checked to him and he decided to push all in for $250. I said to myself if he has 22, KK, or QQ good for him…but I plan on calling NO MATTER WHAT so I called. The river came:

6 

He turned over AK and I quickly turned over my top two pair. I win again!!!

The last and final hand is a quickie. I got AT in middle position there was one limper and I decided to raise to $25. The BTN called and the limper called my raise as well. The flop came:

Q33 

I decided to check because I had nothing (1) and I wanted to start to narrow their range down too based on their actions(2). The button checked behind me and then came the turn card:

K 

The limper decided to check the turn and I thought for a second about what they had…the BTN and limper probably had a small pocket pair like 22-JJ and wanted to see a flop to see if they could hit trips(2). They could have QQ or AK too, but unlikely because they didn't re-raise me pre-flop. So when the action got to me I decided to bet $50, by doing this I wanted them to think I had AK(3) and fold the better hands that they had. Needless to say they both folded after my bet and they probably thought I had AK and hit my King on the turn…but in reality I had nothing. This week's lesson…poker is a lot more than just sitting and waiting to get good hands. You have to do that but also think about maximizing your value in every hand to make your time at the table worth it. You also want to manipulate your opponent to give you their money…hopefully these hands help you to see into what goes on in Gary's head. Until next week! Good Luck at the Tables…and BTW DON'T forget to LET'EM HANG when you are there. If you are a lady…I don't know what to say here that applies to you, but if you think of something just do that and you will be good! Later…

Pre-Session Stack:

Post- Session Stack

Gary's Poker Journey Before my 6th Session

Post-Session 5 Video

Played like a Sissy...

Last night was another winning session...but I must say I played like a sissy.  The first 30 minutes my nerves were super bad...I could not stop shaking even when I wasn't in a hand.  That first 30 minutes was  like doing my first 3 day sales event...needless to say it reminds me of a Dave Chappelle show.  In this show he had a choir  sing a song to the writers at People magazine who wrote bad comments about his show.  If you can find that clip...you will probably laugh.  I actually hope Google doesn't give good search results.  But any way...back to last night.  After the first 30 minutes I felt better...I played extremely tight, didn't make any major moves, and overall didn't catch a lot of good cards.  I think I could have played a couple hands differently and won a little more money, but it was my first time.  Next time I play I will have a better feel for the game and how people play.  Here are a couple hands I played and then I will let you see the starting stack and ending stack pics at the end.  I picked up AK under the gun (UTG) so I was first to act.  My plan was to limp raise all in with my short $200 stack.  Well that plan backfired quickly after 6 people called and no one raised.  So I was like CRAP...AK out of position with 5 aggressive players behind me.  The flop came:

 K69 

So bet $25 and got one caller everyone else folded.  The turn came:

A

so I was like AWESOME I am definitely good here with top two only thing I am worried about is a flush draw.  So I bet again $60 he calls.  The river came:

K

When this card came I had the second nuts (The only hand that could beat me is AA).  I bet all-in with my full house and he folded.  After reviewing this hand I should have checked to him and hoped he bluffed at the pot.  The reason I bet is because I did not think thru the hand while I played it...which usually I do, but I was nervous.  After he folded I kicked myself because I could have made another $100 for sure because he would have bet.

Hand #2 was a very similar hand.  I got KK UTG and decided to limp raise.  The guy to my left hand raised 6 out of the last 10 hands so I expected him to do it again.  He did not disappoint...but everyone else folded.  I raised to $60 and he called. The flop came

KT9

I was happy about this flop although he could have a flush but unlikely.  I bet $80 and he called...I was starting to get scared, but when I saw turn:

T

I knew I had him beat...so what did I do?  I shove all-in with my full house and he folded.  I got mad at myself again because I made the same mistake twice in a session.  I should have checked and hoped he bluffed and I would win more money.  Normally I would make these plays correctly but last night the bg's and nerves were not helping me think clear.  I will make some adjustments for next week and play better.  I have to.  I want to win a LOT of money over the next few months.  I have also decided what I will do with a small part of the winnings.  I am going to buy into a $1500 World Series of Poker Tournament in 2011.  This year is going to be fun...and challenging.  Well that is it for today have a great rest of the weekend!

Pre Session Stack:

Post Session Stack:

Pre-Session 5 Video

MANIACS...Oh How I Love You

I have decided for this post instead of going through all the hands and discussing my thought process I would talk about playing versus a maniac.  There are all types of players at the poker table:

1. Tight - these guys don't play a lot of hands
2. Loose - these guys play a ton of hands
3. Aggressive - when they play they usually bet or raise, putting their opponents to the test
4. Passive - when they play they usually just call or fold, hoping to trap opponents 

I play a very Tight/Aggressive Style when I play poker.  So I don't play a lot of hands, but when I do play them I play them aggressive betting and raising a large percentage of the time.  A Maniac plays a Loose and OVERLY Aggressive style.  Well in this session I had a Maniac at one of my tables.  When I got to the poker I sat down with a bunch of tight/passive and tight/aggressive players.  The pots were typically $15 a hand and not much more than that.  After about a half an hour I realized I cannot make a lot of money at this table in a short period of time.   I would have to win a whole bunch of small pots to build my stack.  Not the goal of this challenge.  So what Gary decided to do was switch tables.  I looked around and saw a good table where every pot was $50 or more.  I thought to myself, self...huh? we need to go to that table.  Got the table change and off I went.  I sat down to the right of the Maniac.  He had good position on me which was bad, but I thought I would be able to still capitalize with my short stack.  The idea was let him raise and then shove all my chips into the middle after everyone calls his raise.  I did this twice and put my money in with WAY the best hand.  He called and just so happens so does 2-3 other people.  Well that is not good, because I want to be heads up with him not 3 other people too.  Over about a three hour period of time I tried that strategy twice and it went bad every time.  I got AJ and shoved all my chips in only to get beat by an IDIOT who called with 69o.  Then I got heads up with the maniac the second time...I bought in for $100 the second time so I would be able to get everyone else to fold.  He raised with QJo got 3 callers I shoved my money into the middle with AKo he called everyone folds.  The board ran 852JJ he wins with the worst pre-flop hand again.  After trying and failing twice to make this strategy work, I decided to switch seats and move to the left of the maniac.  This is what I wanted to do the entire time I was sitting for the first few hours, but no seat opened.  So now I was down to my last $50 that I was playing for the night and went through a series of double ups.  I shoved on him with $50 he called I won.  My stack was at $100.  I shoved on him again he called and I won my stack went to $200...I was now even.  I played my 3rd hand against him where I got AQ everyone limped in and I raised form Late Position to $15.  3 people called including the maniac.  The flop came:

 JT3 

everyone checked to me and I decided to check with my gut shot straight draw.  I needed a King to make a straight there were 4 left in the deck which gave me about an 8% chance to hit it on the turn.  That was a small percentage and I didn't want to bet and have the maniac raise me and I have to fold.  The turn came:

K 

This was a blessing and a curse.  It completed my straight, but  also gave anyone with two s a flush.  Everyone checked to me again and I bet $50.  The two people folded and the maniac raised me he shoved all his chip in.  He had me covered so if I call and lose I lose all my chips.  I thought for a little while, and remembered seeing him do this SEVERAL times throughout the session with air, and when he did catch a good hand he would bet small to hope to get action.  So his range in this spot was wide, meaning the number of hand combinations he could have had was a lot.  He could have KJ, KT, JT, K3, T3, J3, Q8, two s, or nothing.  I called him and he had...NOTHING.  I took down the pot and won a pretty large pot.  At this point he only had $20 so I decided to rack my chips up and leave soon after.  The moral of the story is position is KEY.  It is almost more important than the two cards you hold in your hand.  You always want to sit to the left of loose players, and to the right of tight players.  Anywho below you will see a picture of my starting stack and ending stack.  Needless to say I will be moving to the bigger table next week playing $200 on a $500 max table.  I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did...until next time good luck at the tables.

My Starting Stack Before the Session Started ($50):

Chip Count After My Session:

Each of the rows of red represent $100 (20 Red Chips), and the green chips are $25, and the white are $1.  I had to re-buy 2 times for a total investment of $200, You see $458 in the rack which is a $258 profit...did I mention I LOVE maniacs when they are at my table?

Post-Session 4 Video

Pre-Session 4 Video

The Good Hand, The Bad Ass Bluff, and the Ugly Call

So I ended up on my third sessions $337 and am excited about next week’s session!  I wanted to talk about a few of the hands that I encountered in the session…one of which I just won, the second the call that should have turned into a bluff, and the bluff that turned out to be a great play.  So let’s get into the action:

Hand #1:  The hand I just won…I get dealt 22 in Early Position.  I limped in for $2 and there was a raise from Middle Position for $12 there were 5 callers and me which makes 6.  The pot was $72 and the flop came:

268 

I flopped a SET!!!  Short for 3 of a Kind!  WITH A RAINBOW FLOP!!!  So I knew I had an almost 100% lock on the pot.  But as we know from last week…NOTHING is guaranteed in poker until the river.  Everyone checks to the raiser, which often happens.  He bets $22 and gets two callers so I proceed to push all of my chips in which was $32.  Needless to say everybody called the $10 extra.  The turn and river came 9 and 5.  Nobody caught a flush or straight so I won the entire pot of $200.  That was a great start to the session.

Hand #2:  The call that I should have turned into a bluff…I got dealt AK.  I raise in Early Position to $12 and get two callers in Late Position.  The flop comes:

JJ9

I have NOTHING so I decide to bet $21 anyway because it is very likely they don’t have anything either and I will get them to fold.  Well my plan worked half way…one guy folded and the other called. 

The turn came:

5

I decided to check and so did he. The river came:

2

I check again and he bets $35.  He just called my flop bet, and checked the turn.  Because he played the hand that way I did not think he was strong at all.  He probably had a small pocket pair or a missed diamond flush draw, or a pair on the board.  So I decided to call with my Ace high…turns out he had T9.  With a pair of nines that beat my Ace high.  In hindsight I should have raised instead of called based on the hand range I put him on.  This would allow me to win the pot and bet him off the hand.  If he does call me he has a Jack…which again is very unlikely.

Hand #3:  The bluff that turned out to be a great play…I was dealt 86 so I decided to call  a raise from the player to my left after 2 other people called.  I called a $17 bet which was pretty steap but I figured if I hit my hand I could win the pot and I also have the option to bluff too.  The flop came:

772

I checked and so did everyone else.  At this point I figured no one had anything.  So I was going to make a move depending on what the turn was.  The turn came:

5

This was a great card because it gave me 6 to 8 cards to get a straight that would win the pot.  I decided to check with the intention to raise all in for just over $100.  The original raiser decided to bet $35 the other two players folded.  The action got to me and I stuck with my plan I shoved all of my chips into the middle.  The guy who bet $35 thought for a long time and folded.  I put him on a hand like AK or AQ something that was good pre-flop but had nothing on the board that came out.  I gladly turned over my cards to show everyone the bluff that won me a $103 pot.  I ended the session up over $300 dollars with a smile on my face!  And that is the story of the good hand, the bad ass bluff, and the ugly call.