Happy Tagging

After winning that $16 sng with my Mum I didn't feel like playing much poker when I arrived home.I did log on for some pokery fun later on and left about even after two tabling Laddies 6 max for a while.I did lose a few $$ on my 365 account before playing a quick session at Inter and winning $15.

The Inter session was interesting because I've been reading a lot of stuff around the web about how a loose aggressive style is the style to aspire to and how "tight aggressive" is too predictable and wont work higher than $25nl.

I certainly don't aspire to be a loose aggressive player, although I'm not adverse to adapting to table conditions and raising more often at tight passive tables.Table selection though is key for me and I only usually play at high pot average/high flop seen games where a TAG style seems to work best.

TAG play means more than just waiting for premium hands and betting the hell out of 'em when they arrive.It means also being able to spot opportunities to use that tight image to win $$.

For example I played a short session of full ring £1-£2 on a £100 buy-in last night and folded every hand for three orbits.I then faced a button raise on my big blind and called with 76s.I floated the raiser and called his flop bet with my 7 high on a 9 9 10 flop.He checked the turn after a blank, and I led out for £18 into a £27 pot on after a blank river card.He folded.

I had many factors in my favour.First of all he may have raised lightly from the button, because I was so tight he thought he could steal from me.For the same reason when I did call and also called his 2/3 bet post flop bet, he had to be worried.

I considered a pot size bet for my river bluff but decided on a 2/3 pot bet as it looked more like I wanted a call and I was fairly sure his check on the turn meant weakness.

As I've mentioned before in my near three years of real money play, I've come across very very few excellent Loose aggressive players, and a ton of very bad ones who have helped pad my bankroll.

Stick to the basics,mix it up occasionally, and don't try and be Gus Hansen is my advice to anyone playing at my levels.

Ok,don't forget to register for the bloggerment 21 game on Sun and if your a member of raisetheriver then I'll see you tonight at the latest league game...

Here's a wee stat from the paper today...


WE are sent statistics detailing the chances of an American soldier being fatally shot in Iraq. Apparently the rate is 60 per 100,000 soldiers.

Yet the firearm death rate in Washington DC is 80 per 100,000 citizens.

The conclusion, therefore, is that the US should pull out of Washington.