Crusing Right Along

Last night (Tuesday), I went to "the sauce" (Awkwesasne Mohawk Bingo Palace) last night since I have no where else to play live and I absolutely love live poker and I crush this game. Not necessarily crush, but I am steadily building up a bankroll at the $1/$2 - $100 max tables; which of course is amazing.

I am starting to get to know the regulars now and they are all really nice and respect who I am and what I do. They all understand I am a winning player and it's kind of cool to realize people respecting that. I know I don't make a distinguishing amount of money playing poker, but it just makes me feel good and it gives me confidence, not that I already have it playing against these guys.

Last night was probably one of the coolest sessions I've played in a while. I didn't make alot of cash, but it was the juiciest game I've seen in a while. For about 2 hours there were consistent raises to $12 preflop with 5 or 6 callers everytime. Everyone is fairly tight also so everybody was getting some cards preflop last night, but obviously there are some loose cannons who are major donks. I think after last night, I have the most hands to talk about than any other session and this wasn't my longest session by far.

I always apologize in my blogs because they are long, and again I am sorry because this will be extremely long, but I really hope you guys understand and any advice is accepted. I have been playing cash games for a couple of years now and it is my best game, I am not a tournament player.

I will talk about all the hands and what I was thinking for the most part, I think I made a couple of mistakes but I think I have the write thinking for each one.

I always play tight early on, get a feel for how everyone is playing and then go from there and try and establish my image.



Hand 1:

A tight player (player A) opened for $8, he had KK twice in a row and made a hero call with A high, but a small pot. When he raises between $6 and $10 it isn't a powerful hand, a pot building one, so KsQs, AhJh, etc. A weak tight player (B) calls, a loose player (C) makes it $25, it folds to be in the SB, and I have 1010. Now, I have a strong feeling the re raise to 25 is QQ KK AA and possibly AK. And it sucks because you can only buy in for $100 or I would insta call the re-raise. I have around $90 and decide to flat call. I flat called for 2 reasons. One - I'm obviously set mining with a feeling I'm behind. Two - if I shove hoping we're racing, player A or B won't be calling and therefore I want there $25 in the pot also if I hit my set. I thought this was a mistake just cold calling just because the stacks aren't deep enough, but going through the hand I think it was the right play. Players A and B called and there is over $100 in the pot. I have $65 now. The flop is A J 8 rainbow. Player A checks, B moves in, C folds KK face up, and I fold my 10s, A folds as well. I'm glad I didn't shove pre.

Hand 2:

EP limper, fairly solid, but very weak tight. Another weak tight limper, I make it $12 on the button with 22. Leaving myself $53 or so behind. Both call. Flop is A 3 5r. Checks to me, I obviously C-bet, $15, first limper says "I put you all in", other folds, and I said "Well - I want to reload so sure." Clearly this is a mistake on my part, I only had $50 left, I 99% of 6 outs which I could hit, if not, I seriously just wanted to reload again. He has AK. And I do in fact have 6 outs. Turn was a K and the river was a 4 and I spiked my gutterball, whoops! He was furious and wouldn't stop talking shit to me. I said "You aren't made at me are you?" And he just gave me the most dejected look I've ever seen and kept mumbling under his breath. I said again, "Hey man - you want me to make that call, don't be mad at me. Right play, wrong result." Now my image is sort of setting in.

I was up to about $120 now. And I limped LP with Ac5c after two limpers and the BB checked. The BB is the guy I just donked with 22. The flop was 5 5 8. BB bet out $12 into $16 or so. I made it $30. We had a pretty interesting talk, and he was saying he didn't think I would raise that much if I had the 5 and I told him I have the 5 and to go go all in, it was much more than $40 total anyways. I finally called the clock to make it seem like I don't want him to call, or maybe I have A 8 or something and he finally shoved and I showed my A 5 and he mucked 1010 after the board ran out J 3. He left, extremely angry. I was up to just over $200 now.

Hand 3:

You will probably think this is a dumb hand, but after I explain it, I hope you will understand. Couple of limpers, and CO makes it $27 preflop. Which is a massive raise, but I've never seen him show down a hand and he has been raising frequently and he always raises to at least $20. I cold call $27 in the BB with 6s7s. Now I know I will take some heat for making this call, he has me covered and if I hit the right flop I can double up. It's heads up and I clearly hit the most amazing flop I could ask for. It was A A 5. I checked. He bet out $30, which to me was weak, and for sure doesn't have an A - he would have checked. I thought for a minute and called. The turn was a 4, and I checked again, and he checked. Perfect, he was C-betting and can't call me on the river unless he's slowplaying. He has to have trouble calling with KK QQ JJ if I bet the river. The river was a 6, I paired up, and fired out $45, not a huge bet, the pot was $120 before the river. I think it's the perfect bet, and I played this hand the same way I would if I had an A. He folded instantly. I showed my hand to let people know I am not afraid to play large pots with hands like that and to set up my image which I think should be setting in by now.

Hand 4:

There were 2 limpers, and I made it $12 in the CO with AK. The SB (loose player) calls, and so did the limpers. The flop was 4 6 K rainbow. SB led out for $15, the limpers folded and I put him on a weak 6 or 4 and he's trying to find out if I actually have a hand or not and I make it $50 to make it seem like I'm still C-betting. He says "whoa - do you have pocket kings?" Right away I know he's trying to scare me like he hit a set, but I know he didn't because he wouldn't have flat called my $50 on the flop to try and slowplay since he is putting me on a big hand or nothing. Anyways, he checks the 8 on the turn and I checked as well, to disguise my hand and now he's gotta think I was totally C-betting the flop. The river was an A - decent card, improves my hand in case he did hit 2 pair, but definately a bad card if he has a set cause I will pay him off. He bets $75 into $150. I thought about it for a minute or two and I just couldn't put him on a hand, and I called. He had 5 7 for the nuts. I mucked. I was pretty upset about this hand, and told him he made a great call preflop and on the flop. He then went on to say I'm a donk for doing the same thing with pocket 2's. I didn't say anything after he said that, and I tried so hard not to shove blind for the next like 7 hands on crazy tilt, but I'm surprised I kept my composure, which I definately need to play live poker especially when I'm only an hour into the session. I'm interested on what you guys think about this hand, obviously I should have folded, but I just couldn't put him on the straight or a set, and if I put him on 2 pair I clearly win. I was back down to $115.

I dwindled down to about $85 or so and the table was getting smaller. It was down to 6 handed which I absolutely love. The donks were also gone, so now I could take advantage of the tight guys and win some pots.

I was being very aggressive and raising alot preflop no matter what cards I had in position and taking some pots down.

Hand 5:

UTG limper, doens't scare me. I make it $12 with 63 off in the CO, SB and UTG call. The flop was Kd Qd 8x. They checked to me, I bet $15, they both called. Turn was a 5x, and they both checked again. They either think I'm betting again and want me to, or they have the flush draw and I will found out when the river comes. I checked and the river was a 2x. They both checked again and I bet $35, they both mucked and one guy said to the other, well I missed my flush, did you miss yours and he just mucked his cards.

Hand 6:

I call $7 with Ah3h in the SB, BB calls as well. Flop is Jh 8h 3x. I check, BB checks, original raiser bets $10, I call, BB calls. Turn Qh, I led out for $15 and said this is for my flush, it worked last night, can it work again? They both called. The rivbomb was a blank and I bet $25, BB called leaving himself $3, and the raiser folded, I showed and the BB has 9 10 for the straight. I went on to raise the next hand with Ks8s on the button and the guy went all in for $3 and I got 2 more callers, the flop was K K 7, they checked and I bet $5 into the side pot, they folded and I won the pot.

Hand 7:

Five handed now, I'm at around $120 after losing some chips. Two limpers, I make it $12 with AA in the SB, they both call, I bet $30 on the 10 4 2 flop, which I could have bet less, but they still probably fold.

Hand 8:

Called a standard raise preflop with KJ, 3 handed, $24 in the pot, flop was J J 6, it checked around, the turn was a Q, it checked around, I bet $30 on the river which was a 9, one folded, other said I have to pay you, and I took it down.

Hand 9:

I forgot to explain this one, the table was still full and there were like 6 limpers and I checked the BB with Q 2. Flop was Qx 2d 2x. Checked around, turn was a Kd, it checked around to the CO who bet out $12, I called. River was a Jd. I bet out $35, and he said, you hit those diamonds eh, I said "No, I have a Q". He said "Yeah - the Q of diamonds?" . I showed my Qh, and he called me with A 2, he looked at me like he won the pot, he didn't notice my boat. Haha, it was funny, and if I didn't show him that card, he doesn't call me.

Hand 10:

Back to 5 handed, another standard raise to $7, this guy opened alot of pots. I made it $18 with AA in the BB, and I got 2 callers. Flop was J J 7, I bet out $15, got one caller. 4 on the turn, and I bet out $20, he called again, I bet $15 on the river, major value town, and if he raises I can get away from it if he does have a J, he said he couldn't fold for $15 and I took it down.

Hand 11:

Opened for $10 on the button with AQ, the BB shoved for his last $32 total, I called, he had AK. He took it down.

Hand 12:

Same thing, I made it $10 on the button with Qh10h, the BB shoved again, for like $35, he lost some chips, and he had KK. Why does he always have a monster when I raise the button with mediocre hands. Flop was 10 3 7, turn 3, river 10. Bad suckout, I felt bad, cause I liked the guys I was playing with. But I can't feel bad for taking someones money playing poker.

That was the session, It was 4:30am and decided to leave, it would have been 3 handed because the 2 guys busted so. I profited $160 last night, felt really good, had some good reads and was able to pick the guys apart short handed. Thanks for any advice. GL to me in tournies tonight (wednesday).