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Reporting results, Tim Beyers, 16. Aug 2003 03:33
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All,

I've been lurking a few weeks and finally decided to post. I live in Colorado and get out to Black Hawk by myself every two weeks. Yesterday was my most recent trip. Since I think (and all the books seem to agree) that being accountable for your play is a huge part of getting better I thought I'd post my results. I hope you'll bear with the length.

Comments are welcome.

THE LODGE, 5-5 STRUCTURED HE, TWO $5 BLINDS.

This was a tight aggressive game with some strong players. I wasn't one of them. I played terribly. My mistakes:

* I'm in late position, there are three or four callers, I have 5-6 suited in the hole, flop comes 7-8-9. It's checked to me and I lead. I'm called (I think by two more players). A 10 falls. The guy next to me bets. I call. Rag falls on the river. Guy next to me bets. I raise. He calls. He shows the Jack. I wasn't paying attention and deserved the beat.

* Habitual bluff-raiser next to me (after the guy with the Jack left) raises EVERY time I'm in the blind. I never had cards and I let him roll over me. It was after that I realized everyone at the table knew I was playing weak. They were right. I was the sucker.

I sat for nearly three hours. Left down $121 and went across the street to an easier game.

THE MOUNTAIN HIGH CASINO, $2-5 SPREAD HE, ONE $2 BLIND

As soon as I walked into the casino I felt better. And when I sat down I knew I could go on a run. I had won here before and I'm hearing from the guys sitting around me that there's s habitual bluffer sitting at the other end of the table who's been cracking big cards for more than an hour. I decide to try and break him.

First hand I got pocket As in the early position. I raise before and on the flop. The board is a straight draw at the river (don't remember the cards). I check, he shows me the straight. I have pocket 8-8 next time and get cracked again. I'm down $38 after the first hour but hardly panicked. This is a game that can be beat.

Soon after I get a chance to switch seats. I'm now right across from the dealer. I start catching cards and win, at one point, five pots in a row. I suck out on the river with a low straight during the rush (2-4 with 3-5-7-7-6 on the board).

I've made back more than $100 in the space of an hour. My play is definitely different. I'm leading the betting every chance I get (usually with good cards but not always. A few times I raise Q-J and A-10 in early position).

I've also broken the bluffer. He's reloaded and back in, pushing around the table with raise after raise. I'm in late position and decide to take advantage.

My early raise with pocket 2-2 drives most other players out. We have A-Q-(J or 10)-x-x on the board at the river and I just know the bluffer is trying to buy the pot. I raise and ask him if he has anything. He answers by re-raising me. "You'll have to pay to find out," he says. My response: "No, how about you pay me," and fire back a re-raise to table applause. He folds. I don't think I have to tell anyone on this board just how sweet that felt.

Three hours of play nets $91. I would have had more but overplayed two pots before leaving. The overplays are what encourage me to leave ahead.

OVERALL:

I'm still a total newbie having only played in a casino card room four times. I don't figure pot odds well and I miss opportunities save money when I should. But I play aggressive when I can and steal my share of pots. I think I've proven I can take over a table in small game with disciplined aggressiveness.

I'm keeping records, reading books, and playing - and of course reading the great commentary on the UPF.

Thanks for listening and for all of the great advice.

Tim
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Re: Reporting results, 4 POKER, 16. Aug 2003 04:11
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on 16. Aug 2003 03:33 Tim Beyers wrote:
> All,
>
> I've been lurking a few weeks and finally decided to post. I live in Colorado
> and get out to Black Hawk by myself every two weeks. Yesterday was my most
> recent trip. Since I think (and all the books seem to agree) that being
> accountable for your play is a huge part of getting better I thought I'd post my
> results. I hope you'll bear with the length.
>
> Comments are welcome.
>
> THE LODGE, 5-5 STRUCTURED HE, TWO $5 BLINDS.
>
> This was a tight aggressive game with some strong players. I wasn't one of
> them. I played terribly. My mistakes:
>
> * I'm in late position, there are three or four callers, I have 5-6 suited in
> the hole, flop comes 7-8-9. It's checked to me and I lead. I'm called (I think
> by two more players). A 10 falls. The guy next to me bets. I call. Rag falls on
> the river. Guy next to me bets. I raise. He calls. He shows the Jack. I wasn't
> paying attention and deserved the beat.
>
> * Habitual bluff-raiser next to me (after the guy with the Jack left) raises
> EVERY time I'm in the blind. I never had cards and I let him roll over me. It
> was after that I realized everyone at the table knew I was playing weak. They
> were right. I was the sucker.
>
> I sat for nearly three hours. Left down $121 and went across the street to an
> easier game.
>
> THE MOUNTAIN HIGH CASINO, $2-5 SPREAD HE, ONE $2 BLIND
>
> As soon as I walked into the casino I felt better. And when I sat down I knew I
> could go on a run. I had won here before and I'm hearing from the guys sitting
> around me that there's s habitual bluffer sitting at the other end of the table
> who's been cracking big cards for more than an hour. I decide to try and break
> him.
>
> First hand I got pocket As in the early position. I raise before and on the
> flop. The board is a straight draw at the river (don't remember the cards). I
> check, he shows me the straight. I have pocket 8-8 next time and get cracked
> again. I'm down $38 after the first hour but hardly panicked. This is a game
> that can be beat.
>
> Soon after I get a chance to switch seats. I'm now right across from the
> dealer. I start catching cards and win, at one point, five pots in a row. I suck
> out on the river with a low straight during the rush (2-4 with 3-5-7-7-6 on the
> board).
>
> I've made back more than $100 in the space of an hour. My play is definitely
> different. I'm leading the betting every chance I get (usually with good cards
> but not always. A few times I raise Q-J and A-10 in early position).
>
> I've also broken the bluffer. He's reloaded and back in, pushing around the
> table with raise after raise. I'm in late position and decide to take advantage.
>
>
> My early raise with pocket 2-2 drives most other players out. We have A-Q-(J or
> 10)-x-x on the board at the river and I just know the bluffer is trying to buy
> the pot. I raise and ask him if he has anything. He answers by re-raising me.
> "You'll have to pay to find out," he says. My response: "No, how about you pay
> me," and fire back a re-raise to table applause. He folds. I don't think I have
> to tell anyone on this board just how sweet that felt.
>
> Three hours of play nets $91. I would have had more but overplayed two pots
> before leaving. The overplays are what encourage me to leave ahead.
>
> OVERALL:
>
> I'm still a total newbie having only played in a casino card room four times. I
> don't figure pot odds well and I miss opportunities save money when I should.
> But I play aggressive when I can and steal my share of pots. I think I've proven
> I can take over a table in small game with disciplined aggressiveness.
>
> I'm keeping records, reading books, and playing - and of course reading the
> great commentary on the UPF.
>
> Thanks for listening and for all of the great advice.
>
> Tim


Hey Tim,

Well being a newbie and all, you want to try and sit in games where you can at least feel comfortable playing at. You had mentioned that you held 6-5 on the button and the flop came 7-8-9 correct? Well when the turn brings the 10, you have to fold your low straight here. But my advice to you would have been to have never sat in that game in the first place. Table selection is very important and you always want to be playing against weaker opponents.......not stronger ones.

When you went to casino #2, it sounds to me (I could be wrong) like you were just trying to beat one particular player (the "bluff raiser"), and therefor you may not have been playing your best game of poker by entering pots with inferior holdings from poor position just to try and beat this guy. You *always* want to play your best, while entering pots with strong holdings....especially in early position. You said that you held pocket Aces and got them cracked.......could that hand possibly of caused you to play inferior holdings, like raising with 2-2 UTG?......and playing hands like 2-4?.....all because you were looking to "break" the bluffer? When you have a player like that in your game, you want to be punishing him with good starting hands.....not weak ones that will only be beaten by somebody else. You have a whole line-up of players to consider when you enter a pot......just remember that for your own good, really.

You made a profit for the evening and that's great, it reallly is, but.......you'll make a higher earn for your "long term results" if you chose to play strong holdings and play your position more correctly....and that means folding tiny pairs in an early position (instead of raising with them).......so you can save all those extra bets for when you really do hold a strong hand, so you'll be able to maximize on them. Remember, all those saved bets add up to money that is earned for you, too.

Post flop play, you really are looking to flop something that is strong enough for your own holding..."one that fits" to your cards so you won't be betting as a bluff, or with a weak holding when others are involved with you. Trying to steal the pot on the flop is okay, *occasionally*, but in very low limits.....it's almost never worth the risk. The reward will not be there enough times that will compensate for all the times that you *do* chose to make these bets.

Raising hands like Q-J, and A-10 UTG in a full game is playing with fire IMHO. Too many times you will find yourself paying more than you should with these types of holdings, thus leaving you to make even more mistakes when the flop comes up.

As far as having discipline, you must have it in every game you play.....and if you're playing in small limits, then your aggresiveness will probably not be as effective, because most of the players there will not even recognize your "moves".......so play tighter and stronger with your pre-flop play and that with your combination of good discipline skills will pay off even better.

That's my advice, Tim.

Good luck to you out there!

4 POKER
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Re: Reporting results, Tim Beyers, 16. Aug 2003 07:07
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Thanks 4 POKER. You're absolutely right of course, I could have played tighter and walked away with more money. The last two pots I lost are prime examples of poor starting choices.

But when I went on a rush it all started with not just average cards but *great* cards. Pocket Ks, Js, etc. I chose after showing down those hands to play even more aggressively because the guys to my left -- the best at the table -- slowed down and threw away their cards at almost any serious raise. That usually left me in the pot with a couple of meek callers and the bluffer.

Still, I know I have a lot to learn. When I look at the numbers I notice that I always lose either a modest or large amount the first hour and then come back big in the second hour. There are a lot of swings in my bankroll at the table. Adding more discipline should help reduce the volatility and save me some ill-advised bets.

Thanks again,

Tim
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Re: Reporting results, Kid, 17. Aug 2003 00:36
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Hey Tim,

I live in Colorado as well, and used to play up the hill quite a bit. Here is just a little advice for the 2-5 game. Since it is a spread limit game you really need to adjust your play from limit holdem. Here are a few tips:

#1
In a game with only one $2 blind, I'll limp with any pair from any position as long as the game isn't overly aggressive. If you can get in for $2, the odds of winning a big pot when you flop a set are more than enough to justify it.

#2
Make sure you are getting correct odds when drawing. Say 4 people limp for a pot of $8, and someone leads with a $5 bet on the flop. Unless other callers are coming in as well, it would be correct to fold a flush or straight draw if those are your only outs.

#3
Don't overcall raises preflop. Since there is only $2 in the pot before a raise, it makes folding a lot more hands correct. Unless you're up against a loose player, it's often correct to muck AQ, 99, TT and other solid but not great holdings. This is because when you fold, you don't give up much, but to enter it would cost $7, which is a large preflop raise with those blinds.

#4
Be selective with your preflop raising. Since there is only $2 in preflop, blind stealing becomes a non-factor, so when you raise preflop, it should be for value.

There are usually plenty of fishy players in these games, just play good solid poker, especially postflop, and you'll be crushing the games on a regular basis. Good Luck

KID
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