The thing about these professional short stackers is that they suck at playing post-flop. That’s why they buy-in short in the first place, after all. So my strategy is to make small pre-flop raises against their blinds. They win less … Read more…
This is a blatant example of a guy who is thinking about my hand and what he wants me to do but not about what I will be thinking or what his hand will look like to me: Full Tilt … Read more…
The player that I ended up sucking out on yesterday was the reason I was sitting in this 40/80 game. I didn’t recognize his name, so I sat in and started playing a bit. It quickly became apparent that he … Read more…
At a cash table, anyway. I’m sure I’ve sucked out a few times at the WSOP in pots that were worth a lot more than this in equity. Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $80.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool … Read more…
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (8 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com Hero (BB) ($1274.50) UTG ($955) UTG+1 ($824) MP1 ($1508) MP2 ($1042) CO ($1015) Button ($1230) SB ($490) Preflop: Hero is BB with J, K 2 folds, MP1 bets … Read more…
I posted the other day about a sexy river check-raise that resulted in my opponent abruptly quitting on me, up about a buyin and a half. He found me Sunday and we played two tables of heads up for 4-5 … Read more…
Sadly this guy quit me immediately after this hand, it was worth it though: Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (2 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com Hero (BB) ($3284.50) SB ($6929.50) Preflop: Hero is BB with A, 10 SB … Read more…
I believe I’m generally pretty good about not tilting, but for whatever reason some stuff was getting under my skin the other night. I felt like I’d been losing a lot of pots to bad luck, and though it’s hard … Read more…
Truthfully, I don’t think I played this very well, but the results are pretty cool! Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com UTG ($1209) MP ($1027) Hero (CO) ($1302) Button ($1490.75) SB ($2925) … Read more…
Note Villain’s stack size. The river bet isn’t actually pot, it’s putting him all in for about $90. Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (5 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com UTG ($350.45) MP ($1448.75) Button ($1268) SB ($845.25) … Read more…
No-Limit Hold’em, $50.00 BB (9 handed) – Hold’em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com UTG+1 ($3450) MP1 ($5000) MP2 ($5422) MP3 ($4925) CO ($3521) Button ($9048) SB ($4750) BB ($8768) Hero (UTG) ($5763) Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8, 8 Hero calls … Read more…
Here’s a few miscellaneous hands I made notes to post about. These first two were from my first night here, at $5/$10 NLHE, and the last one was from today in a pretty nitty $10/$25 game with a couple tough … Read more…
Playing in a pretty nitty 10/25 NL. UTG straddles for $50, gets two calls, I make it $275 to go with 7s 5s on my BB. Straddle folds, other two call. I’m playing about 7K, they both cover. Flop Qs … Read more…
After two hours of 5/10 NL this evening, I was up about $800. By my rough count, I’d voluntarily put money into the pot 16 times, won 13 of those pots, and saw exactly 1 showdown. I was going to … Read more…
Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (3 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com BB ($500) Button ($2080) Hero (SB) ($2060) Preflop: Hero is SB with 3, 5 1 fold, Hero bets $40, BB raises to $100, Hero calls $60 Flop: … Read more…
This was a pivotal hand from my third session against the same player I’ve mentioned in a few recent heads up hands I’ve posted. He’d been 3-betting a fair bit this session, but not as much as he sometimes has. … Read more…
Sounds crazy, right? What better hand would fold? Ah, but what about the same hand? Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) – Full-Tilt Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com CO ($3360.50) Button ($1316) SB ($1012.50) BB ($2066.50) Hero (UTG) ($2759.50) … Read more…
Guy was a decent player, if a bit of a LAGtard. This is a pretty bracingly bad call though. Honestly, I think every move he made after the open raise was a mistake: Full Tilt No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (2 … Read more…
Some of you might remember a player named Jason Strasser, who in his day was one of the very best NLHE players online, at both cash and MTT’s. He dominated the 25/50 games and won a WCOOP event before largely … Read more…
One of my students asked me about this hand today, and I thought it was pretty interesting. My first instinct was that the check-raise was thin but good. Q8 is pretty much the top of Hero’s range here, and this … Read more…
It’s very unlikely he has a straight- I think he bets virtually every 8 on the turn, and doesn’t 3-bet that many hands with 8’s in them in the first place- but realistically I don’t know how often I check … Read more…
I took a sort of goofy line here turning my hand into a bluff, or so I thought. He “caught” my bluff but…. PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (9 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com Hero (Button) ($2000)SB ($1669)BB … Read more…
…because I am a little girl: PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $50.00 BB (8 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com MP2 ($7241) CO ($5985) Button ($925) Hero (SB) ($15829) BB ($12367) UTG ($6770) UTG+1 ($5322) MP1 ($8295.50) Preflop: Hero is SB … Read more…
I was sitting at two decent HSNL tables yesterday with the same very good player, and happened to stack him at both tables. At 25/50, he cold 4-bet TT and called my 5-bet shove. I had AA. At 10/20, he … Read more…
Also, don’t raise 52s in middle position. PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (6 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com BB ($1033)UTG ($1233.55)MP ($3131.75)CO ($1000)Hero (Button) ($1150)SB ($2026) Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, A1 fold, MP bets $30, 1 … Read more…
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $10.00 BB (9 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com MP2 ($723.55) MP3 ($1002) CO ($928) Button ($995) SB ($1000) BB ($1717.50) UTG ($585) Hero (UTG+1) ($1015) MP1 ($1239) Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with A, A 1 … Read more…
At least I wish I did… PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $20.00 BB (6 handed) – Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com MP ($2292)CO ($2000)Button ($2000)SB ($828.85)BB ($2773)Hero (UTG) ($1904) Preflop: Hero is UTG with A, AHero raises to $60, MP raises to … Read more…
Absolutely murdered this guy at 10/20 heads up this afternoon. He was decent but overly loose and aggressive and did not adapt well to playing super-deep. As you’ll see, we had a very aggressive pre-flop dynamic going on, but it … Read more…
I play FTP’s 200 BB deep stack games almost exclusively. That’s in part because I prefer deeper stacked play but also because the higher stakes regular games are infested with people who buy in for the minimum of 20 BB … Read more…
Gah how does this not value bet the river?!?! Full Tilt Poker, $10/$20 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter BB: $3,800 Hero (UTG): $4,340 MP: $4,151 CO: $2,000 BTN: $4,026 SB: $3,853 Pre-Flop: A 8 … Read more…
This was an interesting one: Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 4 Players LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter Hero (BB): $1,050 UTG: $2,182 BTN: $1,186 SB: $1,018.90 Pre-Flop: T A dealt to Hero (BB) UTG folds, BTN raises … Read more…
The frustrating thing about monster hands like Quads is that they rarely get paid off, since it’s so hard for your opponents to make second best hands. But I managed to win two stacks with quads tonight: Full Tilt Poker, … Read more…
I guess this is fairly standard and notable mostly for the sum of money involved: Full Tilt Poker, $25/$50 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter CO: $12,483 BTN: $16,645 Hero (SB): $10,000 BB: $17,688 UTG: … Read more…
Villain was some random I’d never seen before and knew nothing about: Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter UTG: $534.20MP: $2,144.40CO: $2,000Hero (BTN): $2,000SB: $2,215BB: $1,015 Pre-Flop: J J dealt to Hero … Read more…
Last night was my biggest to date playing exclusively cash games, topped only by the WSOP (obviously- not sure that even counts since it took two weeks) and my win in the UB 200K last November. Funny thing is while … Read more…
Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 4 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter BB: $1,154Hero (UTG): $2,707BTN: $1,072SB: $5,637.50 Pre-Flop: 2 2 dealt to Hero (UTG)Hero raises to $35, BTN folds, SB calls $30, BB folds Flop: ($80) 5 … Read more…
I was feeling so on top of my game the other day. I was just really alert and creative, picking up on a ton of spots where I could steal pots if I applied enough pressure in the right way. … Read more…
I spent the better part of last week in Sedona, Arizona, which is a beautiful part of the American Southwest featuring tremendous red rock structures. Unfortunately, someone decided that these red rock formations have somehow created spiritual vortexes (and yes … Read more…
Sorry at the airport on laptop so no easy access to HH but playing 10/20 HU guy opens for 60 on the button, I make it 211 with AKo, he makes it 533, I shove for a little over 2K, … Read more…
OK I paired the river but 8-high would have been good anyway: Full Tilt Poker, $3/$6 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter MP: $600 CO: $1,712.40 Hero (BTN): $1,495 SB: $1,992.90 BB: $318 UTG: $1,206 … Read more…
Villain was decent but way too aggressive. His strategy would have been decent for a 100BB game but we were playing 200+BB stacks and he was stacking off too light and risking too much on his bluffs. Full Tilt Poker, … Read more…
It’s been a while since we’ve played together, but Matusow was at two tables of 25/50 full ring today, so I took a seat as well. The game was pretty good, but once again Matusow “got the best of me” … Read more…
This guy was min-raising every time he opened the pot, so I started min-check-raising him on the flop. Naturally that frustrated him, so more min-raising ensued. Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 2 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter … Read more…
This one was against a not-very-good player: Full Tilt Poker, $3/$6 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter Hero (UTG): $1,454.70MP: $1,323.15CO: $546.65BTN: $318SB: $621.75BB: $590.95 Pre-Flop: A T dealt to Hero (UTG)Hero raises to $21, 4 … Read more…
I’ve only played this high once before, but it went very well that time. The game tonight wasn’t nearly as soft, but for a 50/100 game it wasn’t too tough. As usual, it was built around an FTP pro, in … Read more…
Here’s a pretty interesting spot where I made what might be called a pre-emptive blocking bet: Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter SB: $2,184BB: $2,000UTG: $1,000MP: $1,000CO: $2,413Hero (BTN): $4,150 Pre-Flop: K … Read more…
Such a classic clip. The look on Ivy’s face is priceless. “I thought you had pocket Kings.” This should give you a sense of how I was running today (not the result but the fact that I was so gun … Read more…
Here are two fun hands played in pretty close succession. Although I finished down over all, I feel like I owned Villain pretty hard in both: Full Tilt Poker, $10/$20 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players LeggoPoker.com – Hand History … Read more…
Here’s a fun hand against a smart and very aggressive player who was playing pretty strangely tonight: Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter SB: $1,643BB: $1,399UTG: $2,084.75Hero (MP): $2,363CO: $2,040BTN: $1,000 Pre-Flop: … Read more…
I played a one hour heads up session at 5/10 NL today and had occasion to execute two triple barrel bluffs (against different opponents). I’m not on my main computer, so I don’t have the hand histories, but I’ll recreate … Read more…
This was a fun hand. It was against this guy who kinda irks me. He’s a full ring grinder, meaning that he plays 9-handed NLHE games exclusively for his income. Needless to say, he’s a pretty uncreative nit with a … Read more…
…but this one is kind of special. I shove flop cuz with these stacks on this board a short-stacker is check-raising any decent hand. Air is definitely the majority of his betting range here, and even when he does randomly … Read more…
Can’t complain about this. All three of these hands were from a single session at the same table over the course of about four hours: Poker Stars, $25/$50 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 8 Players LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter SB: … Read more…
I just happened to notice this post on fellow Poker Savvy Plus pro Dani “Ansky” Stern’s blog. He posted the details on PokerHand, but I find it annoying to click a link just to see the action, so here’s my … Read more…
Full Tilt Poker, $5/$10 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 5 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter Hero (BTN): $2,517SB: $1,000BB: $1,888.75UTG: $5,702.90CO: $1,017 Pre-Flop: A T dealt to Hero (BTN)3 folds, Hero raises to $30, SB raises to $90, Hero calls $60 … Read more…
I played my first online session in weeks tonight, and it went great. Mostly just running well, though I do think I chose my spots well. I also may not have gotten paid off on the river here if I … Read more…
Full Tilt Poker, $3/$6 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 4 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter BTN: $1,249.10SB: $600BB: $1,385.25Hero (UTG): $1,542.65 Pre-Flop: Q J dealt to Hero (UTG)Hero raises to $21, BTN calls $21, SB folds, BB calls $15 Flop: ($66) … Read more…
With deeper stacks (these hands are all from deep tables), you need to be, not necessarily more aggressive, but aggressive in more situations. With 100 BBs’s, a 4-bet squeeze will almost always commit your stack, which means there’s only a … Read more…
is that the bad beats are more expensive than ever! Here are some monsters I lost today: Full Tilt Poker, $2/$4 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 6 Players LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter UTG: $1,006.70 MP: $448.30 CO: $870.20 Hero (BTN): … Read more…
Doyle Brunson’s Super/System was the first poker book I ever read, and one part that has always stuck out in my mind is a play that he suggests to bluff an opponent off of a chop when you both a … Read more…
When you play a lot of tables at once, one thing you need to factor into the decision is that you will occasionally make mistakes. And I don’t just mean poker mistakes like missing a value bet, I mean actually … Read more…
I like trying to bluff into multiple players. Not only do I sometimes surprise myself with the fold equity I have, but it’s also nice for balancing my ranges and helping me to get paid off the many times that … Read more…
A lot of weakish players will broadcast their hand strength with their bet sizing especially when in position on the river. Thus, I sometimes like to check to them without a specific plan. Instead, I want to see what they … Read more…
Full Tilt Poker, $25/$50 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 2 PlayersLeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter Hero (BB): $5,498SB: $5,674 Pre-Flop: 9 9 dealt to Hero (BB)SB raises to $150, Hero raises to $498, SB calls $348 Flop: ($996) T 7 Q … Read more…
Back in December, I made a post about sitting briefly with Mike Matusow in a 25/50 6-Max NLHE game. It was one of the first times I played that high, and it ended with Mike stacking me when he flopped … Read more…
Until this year, I’d taken two shots at 25/50 NL games when I saw a fish sitting. It didn’t go well, as this post from last month documents. Anyway, Matusow was at three full ring tables tonight, so I had … Read more…