Hand by Hand: Conclusion

A button open with Jacks in the next hand wins the blinds.

Another button open with Qc/Ah pulls down the blinds. I am happy with that. Slowly but surely building my stack a little at a time. No big confrontations, no tough decisions…I like it.

Middle position limps with 4.37, the button calls with 1.83, the small blind completes with .69…yes, 14 big blinds…and I check with one of those hands I hate, the 7h/Kd. Outside of K/K/7 or K/7/7 there are not a lot of flops I like with this many people involved.

So when the flop is 7s/9h/3c, I have to decide…check-fold or take a stab with second pair, decent kicker? I decide the latter. The first limper calls my .10 bet, everyone else folds. Since there are no draws except maybe a gut shot of some sort, I have to figure I am likely behind.
But when the Ad falls, I fire another .20 at it and he calls. I am done with this hand. Barring a river 7 I put no more into this pot.

The river Jd does nothing to change my mind, I check, and…he checks behind with 5s/4s. He played for the gut shot, missed, and I win a small pot with a small hand.

For the most part, that is what I should be doing. Sometimes I am a little too ready to get involved in a big pot with a small hand. That is a real weakness I need to understand and correct.

UTG limps with 4.83, the cutoff limps with 3.55, I have pocket sixes and the button (and 7.75) so I come along, the sb completes with 4.42 and the button checks with 6.76.

The flop is the 8d/Kc/2s. No real draws, maybe the King or 8 got hit, maybe someone has sevens or nines…but I feel good about this. UTG bets .15, folded to me, I call, everyone else folds. The turn is the 8h, he checks, I bet .35, he folds. Perfect.

A bet does not always mean they have something…or that they will back up the something they have…the trick is discerning a real, “I played pocket 8s and want to get it all in starting with a half pot bet” and a “I doubt anyone will call if I bet half the pot” bet.

Middle position makes a weird raise to .12 with 2.02. I am in the hi-jack with Ac/Ks and promptly bump it to .50. Everyone folds.

Next hand, the sb limps with 2.10 and I check my option with 8.24 and the 8c/5d power house. The 2c/Qd/7s does not exactly make me do the happy dance, but when he checks I think a pot bet of .10 will take it down. I am wrong, he calls.

The Ad sees a check, I raise to .20, he click-raises. Normally I re-raise a real raise here expecting a fold, but now I am playing with the “I am up over 6 bucks, I should play smart” mindset…never mind that playing smart means busting his poor play. Instead I fold.

Then I turn around and open the As/9d from the button. A hand I routinely fold. They do it for me and I pick up the blinds.

Mp limps with 5.44 and, with As/Jc in the hi-jack, I re-raise to .20, a play I seldom make. I do not want to get involved in a big pot with the Greek Hero (A/J is sometimes called Ajax), though I know the limper often either folds or check-folds the flop. This time I make the “correct” play…at least, correct for most players.

And am rewarded with taking it down uncontested.

Later a button open with 4h/Kh also takes down the blinds. I would not call a raise or even limp with that…but I can open raise with it.

Sadly, the next hand I am on the button again with 3c/7c and open fold it. That is a clear mistake.

I also open fold 7h/6d from the small blind. Not that it is a monster by any stretch of the imagination…but it is a symbol I am losing my aggression for fear of losing my stack. It is not a death knell for the session…but certainly is a warning sign.

I somewhat disprove that with an open from the hijack to .15 with Kd/9d and 7.87. The big blind calls with 4.05.

The flop is the Qh/5d/6c. He checks, I bet .25 instead of .20, and he re-pops to 1.07 almost instantly. I actually dip into my time bank thinking. Certainly Queens, fives, or sixes are all possible pockets, as is something like 5/6 for 2 pair.

With a raise like that, I see no reason to continue the hand. He called out of position, so I should credit him for some sort of hand. He then check-raised with authority, not the little click-raise. I have to think I am beat. I finally make the right move and fold.

However, I am down to 7.47 in just a couple hands. This makes me sad. But I still open on the button with a wider range of hands than normal…like the Kd/9c. Now I have to decide…am I opening with a wider range because I think people will fold…or am I desperately trying to regain what I “lost”?

I open in the cut-off with 10s/Jc and the big blind calls with 5 even. That often represents someone on their first hand which, in turn, often means someone who wants action and is not “on their game” yet.

The flop is 5d/Jd/2c. I like it. I like it less when he leads out for .25, but no way am I laying this down yet. I call to see what happens on the turn.

The turn is a brick, the 4h. I guess A/3 makes sense, but otherwise…nah. He bets .65 and I call with top pair, weak kicker. I probably will not call much more on the river.

But then the river is the 10h and he shoves 3.95 all in. I go into the tank. I cannot put him on a hand, but ultimately think A/J is the most likely. I know I should fold, but I just keep screaming “top two pair” and call…to see him turn up pocket Jacks. Ouch.

I played like a tool and should not have called that river. Even if he did not have jacks. What hands can he play like that which I can beat? A/3 and 3/6, or pocket fives or deuces. I got greedy and got hit. Hard.

Now I am all the way down to 2.47.

Four hands later I open to .15 utg with Jc/Jh. The next seat calls with 2.72, a fold, a call with 9.57 and the big blind calls with 9.62.

The 2d/7c/6h flop sees the big blind lead out for a nickel. I pretend it did not happen and raise to .35, a fold, and a raise to .70. Right there I should be done with the hand but instead I shove and am called by pocket 6s. In 2 hands I go from 7.47 to stacked with 2 poor plays.

I tardily decide to wrap it up.

Going over my session like this is really good for me. I waited a couple of weeks so I could think through the hand and see how close I came to actually figuring out how it would play out. I was surprised a few times, but my style is definitely set.

And the biggest weakness I see is staying with hands long after I am obviously beat...like the last two hands.

So I know what to work on for sure and that is a good thing.