Blues Chaser

Not feeling great last night at all so decided to be sensible and just watch the internet poker on tv and see if I could learn anything.I logged into Pokerroom and tried to find my Mum at the play money tables without success.

Around midnight I went to Ladbrokes and on failing to find Juice or Mr Edge logged into $.50-$1 nl game.It was a full ring game but 3 soon left and it was down to 7 which I liked.

Bought in for $100 and had been up a few $$ and down a few when sitting at $100.87 I decided to leave and be happy with my 87c profit for my 20 minutes work.Of course the player to my right left just as he was due to pay his blind ( my last hand) so having paid and being a tight git I decided to stay for another orbit.

Very glad I did because when the button was mine I was dealt KJ. Now KJ can be a hand which can get you in a lot of trouble in NL.Looks good but is dominated by a lot of hands.
Hand history is below and heres the fishy thinking that went with it.( just in case its too dry for Juice lol).

Ok 1 caller and I'm on the button.Should I raise and try and take down a couple of $$ without a flop or just limp and see what the flop brings.

** Game ID 338907081 starting - 2005-10-20 00:24:39
** Doncaster [Hold 'em] (0.501.00 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money

- lagersten sitting in seat 2 with $86.25
- skogis_72 sitting in seat 3 with $223.80
- Acornman sitting in seat 5 with $99.37 [Dealer]
- Le-Essex-Kid sitting in seat 6 with $28.56
- gavinalways sitting in seat 7 with $55.50
- Sigmund sitting in seat 9 with $68.75
- otto_k sitting in seat 10 with $75.30

Le-Essex-Kid posted the small blind - $0.50
gavinalways posted the big blind - $1.00

** Dealing card to Acornman: Jack of Hearts, King of Diamonds
Sigmund called - $1.00
otto_k folded
lagersten folded
skogis_72 folded
Acornman called - $1.00
Le-Essex-Kid called - $1.00
gavinalways checked

Ok limp in for $1.


** Dealing the flop: Queen of Spades, 3 of Spades, 10 of Clubs
Le-Essex-Kid bet - $1.00
gavinalways folded
Sigmund raised - $3.00
Acornman called - $3.00
Le-Essex-Kid called - $3.00

Ok Essex kid bets $1 into the $4.50 pot.Why? A cheap steal ? Betting his draw?Otherwise what kind of a weak bet is that?How will that protect a made hand when he's given good drawing odds to any other callers?

Raised to $3 and theres $8.50 in the pot. Someones got the Q and I reckon its Sigmund.His raise makes it easy to read that he' s trying to protect a hand and would probably be happy to take it down there and then.

I call thinking if I hit a 9 or an A then I can win a decent sized pot if Sigmund can't lay down tptk.

** Dealing the turn: Ace of Diamonds
Le-Essex-Kid checked
Sigmund bet - $3.00
Acornman raised - $8.00

I raise because although I know I'm ahead Essex kid could be on a flush draw and I don't want to make it cheap for him.Don't want too raise too much though and scare them both away though.

Le-Essex-Kid folded

Glad he folded.

Sigmund raised - $16.00

I could call but had the feeling he'd hit 2pair ( AQ or A10 ).Us both having KJ also crossed my mind.Time to raise....

Acornman raised - $28.00
Sigmund went all-in - $48.75

Ahhh can't beat someone betting into your nut hand....

Acornman called - $64.75

** Dealing the river: King of Clubs
Sigmund shows: Queen of Hearts, Ace of Hearts
Acornman wins $139.50 from the main pot

Left soon after and went to bed $70 up and a happy acorn.

Couldn't sleep for wondering how I'd have played it in his shoes.He has tptk on the flop and then hits his 2 pair on the turn.Would I have thought myself unlucky or would I have read anything more into the reraise on the turn.

Would I have raised the turn if I was drawing for the flush? Doubt it therefore only trips or the KJ I held could have beaten him.
Maybe he thought I'd raised because I'd hit the Ace on the turn and could even have had A10 and thats why he reraised.


Juice asked about NL starting hands in his blog today.I don't play a fixed set of starting hands.At 6 max or if a full table loses a few players more hands become playable and their value goes up.I like to play the opposite way to the table.I played my KJ in the above hand because I had postion,the table was quite tight and and there were only 7 playing.

At a full table without position I may limp but due to it being an easily dominated hand I'd probably fold it.

In cash games there is always another day and another hand so you can afford to be tight and aggressive.At a $1 NL 6 max game with an average pot of say $20 logic says I should have the best hand at least 1 out of every 6 hands. Even if I go 10 full orbits and pay 10 * $1 for the big blind and 10 * $.50sb that would cost me $15. I just need to win one average pot in that time to stay ahead.Find a crazy game and remain tight.

Its also hard to pinpoint exact starting hands because sometimes what you play depends on the situation or opponent.You have to try and work out what level your opponent is playing at.I've folded AK before to two all ins at .25nl and watched as one turned over A3 and the other K9.
If I'd seen them play like that before then AK would probably be a great starting hand to call an all in of theirs with in future but against more solid opponents its more of a decision.

Hope some of that makes sense.( not sure it even makes sense to me!)


Off to the game tonight.Rangers play the team that humped celt*c 5-0 back in July. If we can beat them home and away in we've got a great chance of making the second stage of the Champions League.It would certainly go some way to making up for the poor start in the Scottish League. 7.45 ko and the place will be jumping.I love Champions League nights at Ibrox.52,000 people going radio rental for 90 minutes getting behind the team.The music they play beforehand sends a shiver up my spine.

Will they win? Will my cold get worse? Will I squeeze in a quick half hour of poker when I get home?

Depends......