Gimme The Loooooottt

I was able to grind out almost 30 hours at the tables this week during my most recent trip to Casino Windsor. I left Ann Arbor Monday morning and played from 2pm-8am on Monday night/Tuesday morning. After sleeping for a few hours, I then played from 5pm-4am on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning before passing out until 4pm. After hitting up the Artist Cafe for some dinner, I returned to the tables on Wednesday night and played until 11pm, at which point I returned to Ann Arbor. I stayed three nights in the Travelodge Hotel, a reasonably hotel/motel (ran me around $110 p/night), which was within walking distance of the casino. I won all three nights during my trip, collecting $1200 in total profit. With hotel and various other expenses (drinks, food, etc) , I left Windsor up about +$900. Not too bad for three days of work. Anyways....

During Monday's session, I managed to get stuck pretty quickly, losing my first buy-in on just my second hand at the table. I picked up AJ in the BB and foolishly just flat called a $15 pre-flop raise, from a MP raiser. Thinking back, I would not have lost the hand, if I had 3-bet preflop. A bet of like $100 more, would have narrowed the field, and given my image, I probably could have just taken down the pot preflop. Even as played PF, I definitely over-valued my hand and played it rather poorly postflop. In a multi-way pot, I need to learn to slow down on my 1pr hands and fold to aggression against opponents that I perceive as competent/thinking and/or tricky. Anyways, the flop during this hand came A56. After being checked around to me, I foolishly bet $40. In retrospect, the size of this bet was way too small, basically just asking my opponents to call with various weaker aces/draws. My bet of $40 was called by two players. The turn brought a 4 of hearts, a scare card for my hand, given the possibility that someone was drawing with a hand like 78 (certainly plausible). We check it around. River brings another Ace, possibly the worst card that I can see, as it strengthens my hand considerably, while giving completed straights the chance to check-raise and stack off hands like A10-AK. Both players check around to me and without thinking too much, I bet out for $75. Once again, this bet was a mistake. Betting in this spot is -EV as I am only going to get called by better hands and will not get stronger hands to fold. At this point, I had only like 60 behind, so when my opponent check raised, I basically was pot committed, even though I knew I was behind. Sure enough, he flipped 78 for the made straight. Ughh terrible all around on my part. Time to relllllllloooooaaaaaaddddd

After losing the hand, I pull out another $200 and look down at 88 at my first hand back at the table. I raise in EP to 25 and get two callers. Flop brings 662, two diamonds. Pretty decent flop for 88, although the 6 is kind of a scare card, so I elect to check-call my opponents bet of $30. Turn brings an 8 diamonds (the perfect card for me as it completes my boat and any potential flush draws that my opponents could have been drawing to). I check, as do my two opponents. River brings an Ace, a card that is sure to have helped someone and I check again (obviously with the intention of C/R). A weak-tightish player bets out $60 and I move all in for like $120 more. He calls and flips a 6. Hollerrrrr. Back to $400 and even for the day.

For the next few hours, I didnt really play any big hands and my stack hovered between $400 and $500. By 3am, most of the players from our table had left already and we were down to 3 handed play. My edge three handed is far greater than it is 9 handed, since I typically play 6max games online, where position and aggression in position becomes much more important than your typical live full ring game. 3 handed, I like to raise the button every hand (regardless of the strength of my hand), forcing pressure on my opponents to play raised pots out of position. My first big hand 3 handed was against this donkey who showed up at like 4am. He didnt really seem to know what he was doing, as he continually asked the dealer when he was supposed to post, etc. Seemed like a pretty big noob. Ehh so anyways, I pick up A4 soooooted on the button and raise to 20. Donkey calls and were headed to the flop. Flop brings 4210 and I elect to bet half the pot. Donkey calls and turn brings 9 clubs, improving my hand to a pair, to go along with the nut flush draw. I elect to check, the donkey bets out 30, and I call. Given his image and double barrel frequency, the donkeys range most likely constituted 10x. If I didnt improve on the river, my plan was to fold to a big river bet, as I dont think I would be able to push him off of a 10. Ehh so river comes 3 clubs, giving me the nuttttsssss. I elect to check again (since I was about 95 percent sure that the donkey was going to bet again, against a more competent player I would typically lead out in this spot) and donk says another 35. I casually flip a $100 bill into the middle and say "make it 135". Donkeys face is priceless, he looks really confused. Donkey then says something like "you trying to make a move on me kid" and calls. I flip the nuts and with like $25 in chips in front of him, donkey announces that its time to leave. Donkey leaves and were down to heads up. My opponent is definitely competent, although I think that he has some tendencies that are exploitable. I ended up busting him when I hit a set of 8s on the turn, to beat his flopped two pair. At this point, I was +400 on the day, and decided to call it a night.

I slept most of the day Tuesday, making my return to the tables, at 5pm Tuesday night. My first big hand at the table, I pick up 88 in the bb and raised to $35, after several players had limped around to me PF. I get one caller and we head to the flop. Flop brings J66 and I elect to check. My opponent checks behind. Turn brings another J and I decide its time to bet. I make it $35 and my opponent insta raises to $70. I elect to call and re-evaluate the river. River brings another J, a great card for me, as it narrows my opponents range considerably. I elect to check, in order to induce a bluff from my opponent as I am fairly confident that I have the best hand at this point. My opponent tanks for a second and bets out $75. I snap call and say "just 88". Obviously, im good. This one asian dude says, 88 is this guy a professional or something? Pssshhhhh

About an hour later, I won an absolutely massive pot with 44. I raised in EP to 25 getting four callers. Flop brings KK4. SHIPTHEMONIES. I obviously check and it goes around to this asian dude who goes all in for like 120. I tank for a while and decide to just flat call, hoping that someone raises behind me. Then BOOOOOOOMMMMMM. Crazy Marco, a donkish laggggy regular, moves all in for 450 more. I have him covered with about 470 in front of me. I snap call and thow down my hand. Im up against K9 and KJ and end up holding. Ship the $1200 pot.

For about an hour, I fluctuated between 1200-1300 when this hand came up. Crazy Marco raises in EP to 25. I lookdown at A10 offsuit and elect to call on the button. Flop brings AA2. Marco checks and I bet out $75. Marco calls. Turn brings K hearts. Marco bets out $125. At the time, I really felt that I was way ahead of Marco's opening range. This was such a weird spot. Anyone who has played with Marco before, knows that hes an absolute maniac, capable of showing up with ANYTHING in any given hand. Folding here was completely out of the question and calling seemed weak at the time, so I elected to shove for like $440 more. As soon as I announce that im allin, i get instacalled and Marco flips AK. Coooollllerrrr city.

After getting fucked by Marco the donk, I managed to get off tilt and win 4 big hands in a row. I doubled through with quad aces on a board of AA248 against an opponent who stacked off with 99 after I check raised his river bet of $80 to $280. I then won a nice pot with QJ on a board of QJ5A2 against an opponent that overplayed AK. All in all, I ended up 600 on the night. I finally left the Casino at like 4am and decided to just go pass out back at the hotel.

Wednesday was pretty uneventful for the most part. I had a terrible run of cards at the table. I doubled up pretty quickly against this random donk, who 4bet into my 2pr with his flush draw. I somehow held up and managed to double up to $400. Besides that, I was seeing a lot of unplayable hands. Pretty lame overall. +200 for the day

I decided by Wednesday night that I was tired of playing live and that I was tired of spending money on hotels and that I wanted to come back to Ann Arbor. I plan on playing in the big game on Saturday, if I can find a way to get up there. If I go, Ill probably roll with Michael Phelps, since I know he usually plays in that game. I met Mike on Wednesday and rolled back to Ann Arbor with him after a session at 200max. He seemed like a pretty chill kid and we talked a lot about online poker. I guess he plays 10-25NL on UB and is a regular in the $100 rebuy tournaments on stars and full tilt.

One more thing, I finally hired a poker coach. I am really trying to improve and need someone to sweat my sessions on the regular. I chose DJSENSEI2002 from the 2+2 forums who is a part of 3bet. net (the same coaching site that KRANTZ, WHITELIME, FOXWOODFIEND and other highstakes ballers are a part of). Even though coaching is expensive, I definitely think that as an investment, it is defintely +ev.


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