Hand from Hustler

This is a pretty sick spot I think.

5/10 at Hustler Casino

A guy limps UTG, I limp in the HJ with JTo. The BTN limps, the SB calls, the BB checks, and we see a 9c7h5d flop.

The BB is an azn lady who has been playing very tight up to this point. She leads out for 45. UTG folds, and I decide to call, hoping to spike an 8 because we're pretty deep stacked. A Queen or King on the turn would give me an additional straight draw, and it's possible a pair of Jacks or Tens could be good. The SB calls behind me.

The turn is the 8c, giving me the nut straight and putting two clubs on the board. SB checks, and she bets 130. I raise to 400, and the SB folds. She calls.

The river is an 8. She tanks for a bit and then decides to bet 700.

What would you do here and why?



I'll see you across the felt.
Bryce

Looking back

I felt like writing a little more.

Today I went to Commerce Casino and played 40/80 mix with Mimi Tran and several online poker players who do coaching with major training sites. I beat the game for a smallish win of 1400 and felt good about it. It was fun playing all the different games. We played Omaha 8, Stud 8, 2-7 Tripledraw, Baduci, Badaci, and Hold'em. They are all limit games.

Just now I read one of my old blog posts from Feb 2008.

Wow

I've come a long way. Back then I thought I was good at poker.
I think I'm good at poker now. But I know I'm substantially better now than I was then. I think the people who I played poker with then can attest to that. It's amazing how differently I view the game now. I feel like I've grown so much, and yet there is still so much I need to learn.

Last year I turned a loss attempting to gamble for a living. It was the first full year, I did that. The year before I would've turned a loss if not for that one big win at the WSOP. Maybe I'm not cut out for professionally gambling? Maybe I'll find out this year. In 2009, I might've been barely good enough to win a living earn from poker. In 2010, I definitely was, but I made too many other mistakes, like managing my money, or allowing myself to get cheated.
I want this year to be different.
I want to prove I can win big at poker and I want to prove I've learned from my mistakes, and make better life decisions.

I feel like there should also be more balance in my life. I'm gonna try to do some other stuff, but I don't know exactly what yet. A friend of mine asked if I'd like to start a study group in investing into options. It sounds interesting, and I'd like to check it out. I was a finance major after all, and I've heard a lot about the similarities in investing and poker.

Hopefully, you'll hear some big news coming. Of the good kind.

I'll see you across the felt.

Bryce

January Updates + December results & 2010 results

I'll start with January.

These numbers are pretty bad, but I have a lot of excuses. First, my biggest win of the month, I had to scratch off, because I never got paid. I won $17k that night, and when I get the money, I can backtrack and change it, but until I do, it counts like I never got it. Secondly, the PCA main and hotel at Atlantis are counted in these numbers, but I won those in a $700 satellite in December. I counted it as profit then, so I'm counting it as a loss now. Lastly, I did some drunken gambling in the pit at Atlantis, which was a pretty dumb idea. Altogether, it adds up into this disaster.

January

Cash Games

Live ($8,178.25)
Online ($5,727.26)

Tournaments

Live $507.40
Online ($1,265.50)

Poker ($14,663.61)
Staking ($812.50)
Other Gambling ($5,711.50)
Month's Expenses ($6,248.15)
Net on month ($27,435.76)

Unfortunately, my results for last year are equally dismal. After talking to my CPA, I had to backtrack and remove wins I haven't been paid for until I receive money for them. Since I'm currently owed a LOT of money, I basically had to deduce so much income, that I turned a loss on the year. I actually won $80k at the poker table, but wasn't paid that much. Add in losses staking, and other gambling, I'm down on the year. I'm also now pretty certain I was cheated out of nearly $80k at a home game I was playing at. If I had never played there, I would've had a good year. I think I learned my lesson about that game, and maybe home games in general. I'm pretty jaded about home games now.
My thoughts on staking on the past year, were that I took a few very high variance gambles on players who I think are very good. It didn't work out. I think a few other people were simply bad horses. I should be more selective about my staking.

On the gambling, some of that is props where I got destroyed by the cheats at that game. The rest is counting blackjack, which went really poorly for me this year. Combined my loss at attempted counting drunk at Atlantis in January, I think I'm gonna give it up. While it's fun, I simply don't think I can do it well enough, and don't really want to put the effort into doing more. It was fun getting barred from South Point though, it gives me a good story and makes me sound like a sick counter.

December

Cash Games

Live ($4,061.00)
Online $1,571.45

Tournaments

Online $5,656.75

Poker $3,167.20
Staking $140.00
Other Gambling $2,862.50
Month's Expenses $0.00
Net on month $6,169.70

Net on Year ($4,378.75)

Net on Year for Staking ($20,887.24)

Other Gambling ($32,025)

Net on Year for Poker $51,630

Poker Related Expenses $4,799

I'll see you across the felt.
Bryce

Day 1 PCA Hands

Busted day 1, thought I played pretty good, but I made a few tight folds. I don't really regret any of my decisions.

I'm in seat 1, 10 handed to start, 9 handed later.

50/100 30k

First hand I sit down, I get AA. UTG raises to 250, I 3bet to 800 in CO, he calls. Flop AQJr, he c/fs to 1200.

30.3k

Open TT UTG to 300, MP2 calls, BTN calls, SB calls. A73r flop. SB checks, I check, MP1 bets 500, BTN raises to 1350, SB folds. I tank for a bit, cause I'm pretty sure BTN has air here, maybe a legit draw like 45. But I didn't think he was balanced here, and he was pretty bluffy. I debated cold 3betting the flop, and cold calling. I decided to fold cause my read wasn't solid enough to risk that. MP calls, and then won the pot on the river with a bet of 500, so the BTN was bluffing.

UTG limps, UTG+1 limps, HJ puts in a 500 chip (but he meant to raise), I limp button with 86o. SB calls, BB checks. Flop is 8d5s3s. Checks to me and I bet 450. The SB c/cs, and UTG+1 c/rs to 2050. I fold, SB folds.

75/150 29.5k

29k

MP (very aggro bluffy kid) raises to 400, Chris Bjorn reraise in HJ to 1100. I cold call TT on the button. MP 4bets to 4100, Chris folds, I tank for a while and fold. At the time I thought, he would have to be value oriented, cause I thought Chris was some random old guy, and I didn't think that MP would 4bet light over his 3bet. I could've been wrong though

27.9k

This hand I think I played kinda badly. I raise 65d to 450 in MP1. MP2 calls, and BTN calls.
Flop is Qh 9d 8d. I decide not to cbet because I felt I would get floated a lot and get in some bad spots on the turn. I also felt MP2 would bet a very wide range here, and I could c/r him and get a lot of folds. MP2 bets 1050. The BTN raises to 2600. I tank for a bit and decide on cold calling. I think here, I should've folded instead. If I had like 76d or T7d, I think cold calling is ok, but given a bet and a raise, I think I'm going to be up against a higher flush draw too often to call with my hand. If I'm up against JT, I can't even hit a 7 anyways, and I can't really play my flush very aggressively. After I call, MP2 decides to 3bet the flop to 6150. BTN folds. At this point, I didn't really think I could fold anymore. I don't think he 3bets a hand like QXd, so having to call 3500 more into a pot that has now gotten to be over 13k, I don't think I can fold my flush draw. Turn is the 9h. I check and MP2 checks back pretty quickly. When he checks behind fast, I felt like he never has JT, and probably never has a full house. I put him on something like AJd, ATd, maybe like QJd, QTd. I felt that on a brick river, I could set him in and get him to fold nearly every time.

The river is the 7d, giving me a straight flush. I think for a bit and I just jam for 17k effective. I thought he had a flush here everytime, and I didn't think he was capable of folding it. Well I was wrong, he folded ATd. Obviously, if he is valuebetting the river, c/shoving is better, but at the time I thought he would be more likely to call a shove then bet/call the river.
This hand was played badly several different ways. Nice to get lucky though

37.5k

Aggro kid raises 400 in CO. I've seen him make some a few spewy bluffs, and he likes to attack a lot of pots. Chris Bjorn calls in the SB, and I call with 86c in the BB. The flop is Q43r. SB checks, I lead 600, planning to 3bet a flop raise. CO flats, and SB folds. The turn is the Jc giving me a flush draw. I lead for 1250, he raises to 3400, and I 3bet to 8250 and he folds.

100/200 41.8k

I raise T7s to 600 on CO. BTN flats. Qd Qs 6d flop. I bet 750. He calls. I think he floats here a reasonable amount. I think I could double him on some cards, but actually don't like my cbet much. I think he just floats too wide. Turn and river are a 3 and 5, so I just c/f opposed to spewing off a lot of chips 3 barreling.

39k

Chris limps in UTG+1 and I iso with K9c to 700 in MP1. The BTN flats, he is a decent online sng/tournament player, but not that strong in my opinion. Chris calls and we see a Qc 2c 3h flop.

Chris checks, I bet 1250, and they both call. Turn Qd. Chris, I check, and the BTN bets 1700. Chris check/calls, I call. I think I should've check raised. His sizing was pretty small, and I thought he would bet larger with trips. River 5. Chris checks, I check, and BTN bets 6200. Chris folds, and I tank fold. I wanted to check/raise the river too. I didn't think I could rep anything though. I thought he was bluffing, but I didn't think I could call, because I thought even all his bluffs could beat king high. His sizing seemed very inconsistent to me, he bet 1/3 pot on the turn in a spot, where you are almost always up against a flush draw or medium strength pocket pair. I think he would've bet larger with Qx, probably something like 2600 or more. On the river, his river bet seemed kind of like a desperation bet, and I think I should've just gone through with my raise, even if I didn't rep anything, because I was so sure he was bluffing. In the end, I folded and he proudly showed off his AJ bluff.

150-300 33k

BTN opens to 850. I flat T8c in the BB. Td8s7s flop. I c/r his 1100 bet to 3000. He folds

I raise TT to 800 in HJ, SB calls. Flop KJ7r. He leads for 300. I know he isn't a donk, so I assume he's trying to induce me to raise. I decide to make a fairly light peel. Turn is a Tc putting out a backdoor flush draw. He bets 300 again. Given that I think he's trying to induce me, I now raise to 1600. He calls. River is a 4. He bets 300 again, so I raise to 5500 and he calls with K7d.

46.6k

I raise 44 to 800. Two callers in position, and I c/f the 953hh Th turn.

150/300/25 ante 45k

44k
I raise A8o to 800 in HJ. BB calls. She is a weak player. AJ8r flop. She check/calls 1200. Turn 2. she c/f to me 2150 bet.

46k

UTG+1 raises to 800, Chris Bjorn 3bets on the button to 2600. I 4bet KK to 6950, UTG+1 jams for 21k. Chris folds, and I grudgingly call. He has Aces, I lose.

24k

UTG opens to 800, I 3bet A7o to 2150. He calls. Flop T23dd. I have Ad. He checks, I bet 1825 and he folds.

200/400/50 27k

26.4k

Lady opens UTG+1 raises to 1200, I flat AQc on the button. The BB calls. 9c 5d 2c flop. BB leads for 2300, and she instaraises to 7300 with 15k behind. I tank for a while, and I decide to fold. I think that I have no folding equity vs overpairs, and I think that my best chance is hoping she has JJ and I have two overs. If she has AA then I have none. Additionally the BB isn't a drooler, so his lead out range there will include some bluffs, but will also include flush draws and possible sets. When he has a flush draw, he has some of my outs, and when he has a set, my pair outs are no good. Overall, I think it's a really borderline fold. I could've jammed this, but I don't think the pot was large enough to justify getting it in vs an overpair there.

25.5k

I open A5o in HJ to 1025, BTN 3bets to 2600, I 4bet to 6475 and he folds.

27.5k
MP2 opens to 900, Chris Bjorn 3bets to 2600 in CO, and I 4bet QQ to 6250 on BTN and everyone folds.

31k
I raise A3h in HJ to 1025. BTN flats. 8c 2h 3c. I check/call 1200. Turn Th. I c/c 2800. River Tc. I check and tank call 5300. He has 99.
This hand was a little tricky for me. Not sure if this was a good call on the river or not. I'm basically relying on the fact that he was barreling and is bluffing now. I definitely thought he would be capable of barreling off in this spot because my hand looks so weak, but that doesn't mean he can't just have it. I think there are a lot of hands he might potentially bet flop and turn with, but I feel like I'm making a lot of assumptions. Maybe I should c/r the turn? I don't really feel like I rep any value hands, so that seems bad. Not sure the best way to play this hand.

20k
I open QJo in HJ to 1050. BTN 3bets to 2100. He has been 3betting me very wide, but here he accidently made it 2050 instead of 2500. I call. Qd 8h 3h flop. I check and he checks back. Turn is 5s. I check, he bets 3100 and I jam for 17k, and he insta mucks.

I think for a bit and I feel like he would go for both thin value, and bluff with his air. I also think that he might level himself into a call if I go for a check/jam so shove for value against weak Queens, JJ, TT, 99, and some 8x hands.

300/600/50 24k

I raise A2s in MP2 to 1600. BB calls Flop Ac Kc 7d. He check/calls 2350. Turn 5. We both check. River 6. He bets 4200. I made the call on the river and he had A6. This was a really borderline spot, and part of why I called is because he has been caught bluffing a lot. However, I didn't actually think his bluffing range in this spot would be that large. I think it was a bad call in retrospect.

400/800/100

16k

I raise A6d 1600 and a short stack jams from the BTN for 5175. I call, she has AK and I lose.

8k
CO opens to 1900, SB flats, and I jam A9o. CO calls with AQ and I bink a 9.

20k
I open A8s to 1600. Short stack lady calls, flop is 9s 6d 3s. I bet 2150, she jams for 8k more, I snap and she has KJs. I hold with ace high.

35k

HJ opens to 2100. I 3bet 28c to 5425. He calls. J92r flop, and he c/cs 7500. Turn Qh, river 5h, and we check down. He wins with T9s.

This hand is particularly notable because after this hand is when I learned my villian was Chris Bjorn. I would've checked back flop if I knew who he was. I think the hand plays out like this otherwise. Turn Qh brings a backdoor flush draw. He would probably lead, and I would either fold or float depending on his sizing. If he checks, I would check back. River 5h. I think he would be forced to c/f the river here, seeing how I could easily have a flush or a queen. In the actual hand, I bet the flop mostly because I thought he would be super fit or fold, but knowing who it is now, I would think he can peel and c/r a little lighter, leading me to take a free shot at improving my pair.

500/1000/100 24k

23k
I open A5s UTG to 2000. Chris Bjorn calls in BB. 763r flop, he check/calls my 2300. Turn 6, c/c river 9. He bets 7000, I fold.

14k

Chris opens to 2100 in CO, I get AA and jam. He folds.

20k

I raise 65h to 2k UTG. Chris calls in the BB. Ac 9h 2d, he c/cs 2300. Turn Qh, he c/fs to 3600.

Pretty loose open, but my UTG raises were getting a lot of respect.

20.3k Bustout hand

Chris Bjorn raises in CO to 2300. I jam KJh, and he semi tanks with Ak. I brick he wins.

I think I ran bad overall, but misplaying that 28c cost me a lot of chips. I also had one guy on my left who was 3betting me a lot, and he just caught me holding a hand like KJo, QJo, KQo almost everytime. I picked up some really premium hands, but almost never got action.

Oh well, run hotter next time.

I'll see you across the felt.
Bryce

Holiday shopping

I went to the mall today, and it was a test of patience. Some of these employees are incompetent, it's ridiculous how they can't accomplish some of the simplest tasks. One person had to ring up one item 3 times, and then realizing they made another mistake had to delete the entire order, and do it again. Then for no reason whatsoever, they proceeded to split up the items into two groups and have each one charged separately.

Poker has increased the patience for stuff like this though. Before I would get exasperated, and make some snide remark about someone's intelligence. But now, I know there is simply no benefit from something like that. It's like just empty anger that makes one person feel bad and you feel like you're getting revenge. But for what? It costs you a few minutes at most. I sit at a poker table and sometimes see a hand play out that takes 15-20 minutes. I never comment about the absurd amount of time involved. I see people tanking for several minutes about easy decisions. I don't say anything. Sometimes people have trouble. It happens. No need to make such a big deal out of it.

On the bright side, I'm doing well enough I can actually afford to go holiday shopping! Finally started to turn stuff around. I'm having a good December so far, here's to hoping it'll go well.

I'll see you across the felt.
Bryce

November Update

November
Cash Games

Live

($16,773.75)

Online

$1,260.50

Tournaments
Live

($769.50)

Online

$1.77

Poker

($16,280.98)

Staking

$1,764.64

Other Gambling

($21,777.50)

Month's Expenses

$0.00

Net on month

($36,293.84)

Ran really bad in poker games, but I ran even worse in prop bets. Made money staking people though which is nice. Staking is kinda complicated cause when I swap with someone it goes down as my poker results, but when I just buy their action it goes down on staking. I'll need to figure out some way to make it more clear later.

I'm glad November is over with. I'm barely up anything on the year now. I need a really good December to make this year even half decent.

lol poker

I was just rereading some of the hands I've played previously (and wrote on the blog), and hahaha, I suck at poker. I see some mistakes that I wouldn't make today. I guess I've made some progress, but I really need to get better.