The poker journey has been very interested thus far. I've had some ups and some downs. If you looked at my bankroll, however, you wouldn't guess there were any ups. After taking an extended trip down to the $200 buy-in game ($2-$5 NL Hold'Em) at Commerce because I wanted to use my edge against seemingly weaker players, I returned to the $400 buy-in game ($5-$10 NL Hold'Em). I had realized that players were equally weak in both games. There was, for a little while, a higher number of wildly aggressive players in the higher games. Alot of those freaks are still there but it turns out there are just as many in the lower games.
I had also reached the conclusion that a modest winning session at the lower level was not enough for me to walk away and book it for the night. I never overextended myself in any sessions. It just meant that I couldn't walk early after doubling or tripling my starting buy-in. After much thought about session length (playing time), I am pretty sure it is perfectly OK to leave a game after only a short time if you have accumulated a stack that you feel makes for a successful outing. I try not to factor "luck" into decisions so that's not what this is about. Its about streaks. I've played 19 hours straight without any significantly positive results for the first 15 then catching a good run of cards in the last few hours. Sessions like that would end after 19 hours, regardless, but riding out cold cards and benefiting from a hot run are key.
So what if you have a good run within the first hour or two of play? Once the hot streak has cooled, would it wise to expect it to return? True...given enough time, another streak will occur. But you could sit over a dwindling stack or cash out and pad the stats. I mean, what I've found is I don't go on runs very often. Its never a bad idea to quit while you're ahead.
So I got back into the $400 games again with a few of goals: 1) Avoid big pots with wild players except with monster hands; 2) Play position/pick spots wisely; 3) Don't play scared.
I actually came up with the third goal while I was playing scared. The table had been very aggressive all night and I had been playing extremely tight. Then I realized I had not yet tried to exploit the tight image that I had been establishing. I picked a few spots and played aggressively and it worked. I was able to salvage a night that had been going nowhere. But it is important to note that I didn't start leading out with a blind aggression. I really played smart and was rewarded for it.
I have been analyzing my play at every step of the way. There was a short time, a couple weeks, in which I wasn't very attentive while playing. I wasn't distracted by anything. I was just bored and zoning out. Fortunately, I snapped out of that. I have since been very aware of everything going on in my games. The results have been good reads, acknowledged non-reads, and timely bets and checks. I don't play perfectly, mind you, but I am very happy with what I have done.
Sadly, there are some situations that simply cannot be avoided. For instance:
In one session, the table was very loose and passive so I was able to limp from early position with J-10 (this was very early in my play that day). With 5 of us limping, I saw the J-J-10 flop with two players in front of and behind me. First positon, a middle-aged Asian man who likes to think he is very tricky, checked from the small blind to a kid in his late twenties (whom I had come to know as a somewhat solid player but doesn't really pay attention to his competitors) in the big blind. The kid led out for $30. I decided to just call and hope the others would call behind me. Both the late players folded and Mr. Tricky flat called. I was sitting on the absolute nuts. Then the worst card in the deck fell...the case 10. I say it was the case because I already thought the kid was betting his own 10. I had been hoping Mr. Tricky had the other 10 but it was now obvious that he did not.
Tricky, once again, checked and the kid bet $40. Again, I flat called expecting to chop the pot with Mr. Tricky and wanted to get as much of the kid's money into the pot to make it profitable. Then Mr. Tricky decided to get, well, cute. He stared down the kid then raised to $100. I tried not to react but I think I rolled my eyes instinctively. The kid reluctantly folded and inappropriately revealed his 10. That eliminated my only chance of winning the pot outright by representing quad 10's...not that Mr. Tricky would have actually laid down Jacks full. Anyway, I moved in for another $200+. Then Mr. Tricky went into his act. He stood up, showed his cards to the guy seated on his right, and grimaced. All things that someone with a bad hand would do. I wasn't falling for it. Then he pretended he was throwing his cards away, stopped, and pushed in a rack of chips to make the call. I gently revealed my cards as he slammed his J to the felt.
Let me just state that these are not intended as bad beat stories. They are only examples of how things have been going lately. Here's one more...
On a different night, I had limped in middle position with Q-J. The flop came 8-9-10 rainbow. Absolutely perfect. An early position player bet $25 and I called. One other person called in late position. The turn card was just terrible for me. I knew that right away. It was a Q. The original bettor now checked. I decided to find out where I was with a bet of $70. The guy behind me folded and the early position player just called. Now I put him on a J at least and, while I didn't really think he had it, possibely K-J. This river changed nothing. When he checked, my best play was clear. I also checked and showed down my Q-high straight against his bare J for his Q-high straight. Chop it up!
I've got more of this but I'll save it for another post. Don't worry. Its not all bad. I will write about some of the plays that I am proud of throughout this cold streak. I'll also tell you why I feel like its going to turn around.
SEEYa
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