The last weekend: Original Email Date: 2/17/08

It was definitely an interesting weekend.

After my "big" win of $143 on Thursday evening, I went back the next day and proceeded to drop $400.00 Although, I really didn't get anything remotely playable that session, I am taking responsibility for that loss. It should have never occurred or at least the way it did.

I lost two buy-ins in 2.3 hours and unless I get cold-decked really bad, that is unacceptable. Furthermore that has been happening a lot lately.

I went home after that session realizing that something needed to be tweaked in my game. I got on my computer and watched cash games involving my 4 current poker heroes. Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, Tony G, and Brian Townsend. The most obvious thing about their games is their aggression. Not only that, but they play very aggressively pre-flop, something I would say that I have lacked for a while. My attitude for a long time, is that I can just outplay whoever I face in a pot post-flop. Unfortunately, the more flops I see, the more bad-beats I take. I decided that too minimize my variance that it would be in my best interest too play less flops.

Although, there have been some bad players doing this, I have noticed another thing that is similar to what I have been talking about, and I just started incorporating it into my game. I have always been real passive with AK/AQ type of hands since I don't care for them.

My newest strategy has been to overplay those hands pre-flop when in good position. If there are two limpers and I look down at AK, my new play has been to raise to $35-$45 which is a very uncharacteristic raise for me. No one ever calls and I am now constantly having little come-ups of $17-$22 throughout my sessions as opposed to either just limping and possibly losing $5 or raising to $20-$25 and missing the flop.

When I do get called its usually heads-up and its an easy bluff. Most players will give you credit for a JJ QQ KK type of hand and will fold if you overbet on the flop. For example, yesterday I had two AK hands on the same table and I played them much differently then I normally do and I would like to think I maximized my profit as a result.

Hand 1:

There are several limpers and I look down at AK and pop it to $45. Everyone folds except one player. The flop comes 8 high and the caller checks and I bet $100. Without even thinking he mucks. In the past I'm either raising smaller or just limping as well. Instead I come up $65 or so and it looks good for my image. The other good thing about this type of betting is that you are only going to get raised on the flop if they flopped a monster. Rarely will you get called so up to this point its been a +EV move for me.

Hand 2:

Same session. This girl who I have played with before who is very LAG raises to $20 on the button. I know the types of hands she likes to play and how she likes to get crazy with small pocket pairs when she thinks your weak. I re-raise to $80 with an AK in the BB. She is the only caller. When she calls I give her credit for about 7 7. I know she's not calling with an AJ or AQ type of hand. I know that if the flop looks "safe" to just fire because I will take it down immediately. The board comes out like 6 2 2 or something along those lines. I immediately fire out $150 and once again she mucks immediately.

I would not have played those two hands like that a few days ago and I would have probably lost those pots since I didn't hit the flop. I have also been raising big with air a lot pre-flop when I have had position and after only a single limper or two and have been taking down a lot of small pots like that.

Although, I have gotten lucky over the last several sessions I feel that my revised way of playing has helped me immensely.

I have since played 3 sessions since that $400 loss on Friday afternoon.

Session 1: The key hand.

After the AK hand I where I re-raised preflop to $80 and fired $150 on the flop, I raised to $35 with a 7 8 suited just trying to steal and got one caller. He offered to check it down after a K 7 6 flop. I reluctantly agreed even though I didn't want to have to show the hand down. I hold up and flip over my 7 8 and that was the first time I had shown cards to the table. I had made two huge flop bluffs and was given respect so this hand changed everything. I originally thought checking that flop down was going to cost me money. Luckily, it made me money.

I was playing against that same LAG girl and this pot happened a little after the 7 8 hand.I look down at JJ and raise to $25. She re-raises to $50. I call.

Flop J 7 5 w/2 spades.

BAM! Any worries I had are now gone.

I check and she only bets $50 which screams weakness. I re-raise her to only $100 and she calls.

Turn A

Money card or death card depending on her hand. I think about it and check. She bets another $100 and I call.

River Blank

I check again and she puts in about $130, enough to put me all-in. I call and she tables AK. She tells me that she thought I was coming in with a 7 8 type of hand and could never put me on JJ.

I came up $530 for the session.

Session 2:

This one was late at night. I played AQ real poorly and paid for it because I got all-in on a Q 2 3 flop against a Q 2 but actually spiked an A on the turn. Finally.

I gave all of those winnings back the next hand when I turned trip 9's and this stupid meth-head had limped with 9 3 and hit a fullhouse. Fortunately, I ended up felting him two times later on in the night.

I came up $346 for the session.

Session 3:

This one was nice. Not as much money as the other two, but this was an easy one. It was also a hit-n-run which are two things I have desperately needed for a long time.

I was down to $150 when this hand went down.

I have been trying to be a little more tighter but its just not in my game anymore. Luckily not playing tight was what won for me today.

There is a raise on the button to $20 after several limpers. I call with A 6 clubs in the BB.

Flop

K high all clubs. Really? Seriously? wow thats nice.

Checks all the way to the raiser who sticks in $40. This moron sitting next to me also calls. I call as well.

This other guy goes all in for like $200 more and has me covered. Everyone folds and I call. He shows KQ for just top pair and I easily avoid a bad beat.

This last hand was extremely satisfying because it happened against the worst player on the table.

I decided to limp 5 8 of spades just for the hell of it and the flop comes down 6 6 7.

The fish bets $20 and I am only caller.

Turn 4

Thank you. I check and the fish bets $50. I raise to $150 and he goes all-in and its like $50 more to call. I call and the river bricks and he shows 10 6. He angrily storms away from the table and that one couldn't feel better.

For the session I came up $324.

That is now a $1200 up-spike which is the largest I have had in a while in my $200 game. I couldn't be more excited to keep playing poker but these swings seriously make me hate poker so much.

I have sent an email of an updated graph in the other email account.

Take care.

-Gary