Friday Heater

Only got away for one night of live poker, hitting a local 1-2NL game Friday night. I pretty much exploded out of the gates, hitting a set of 7s against a PFR and check-raising a 6-7-K flop, but didn't get any further action. My next pocket pair was 6's, and in a 5-way unraised pot, saw a flop of 3-3-6. I checked from MP and it checked through. A 9 fell on the turn, and I fired out $15 to try to build a pot. The button, with only some $45 behind, was the sole caller. The river put out a super-bummer 2nd 9, and I fired $25 to pre-empt a move, but he pushed his last $18, and I made a crying-turned-smiling call when he showed 3-7.

About 30 minutes later, I was in the small blind, 3 players limped, and I called with Qh-2h. 5-handed, the flop came Q-6-2. I checked with the intent of check-raising, but it went all the way around. The turn was near-gin - another Q. I led out for $10 and got called in one spot, an LP girl who had just joined the game. The river brought a 4, and I bet $15 for value. LP girl raises it up to $45 and I start to feel stuck. The call is easy, but I start to think about all of the hands that might call be down on the end. A slow-played set of 6's, a set of 2's, a naked Q all would be raising here, and might call a raise. Only Q-4 or Q-6 have me beat. What move do you make here?

I was very close to just calling. But after tanking for about 2 minutes, I decided to move all-in, putting LP girl to a test for her final $140 or so. I was quietly excited when she didn't insta-call, which I'm sure she would have done with either Q-4 or Q-6. Eventually, she called, I showed my boat, and she mucked, saying that she had A-Q. Limp with A-Q and check on a Q-high flop. Strange line, but it worked out nice for me, because I'm never part of that hand if she raises PF.

So I bounced up big and never dropped back down. In less than 3 hours, I ended up $500.

Man, you just grind and grind and grind online, and sometimes your bankroll barely has a pulse, barely moves at all. Then you spend a few hours playing 1-2NL live, and you swing all over. Of course, it's higher stakes, and I reduce my variance online by playing multiple tables. But still, it's starting to seem like the smarter way to use the time I get to play poker.

Just to highlight the point, I got online yesterday to play poker, and my overall summary:
432 hands, 2 hours, +$13.90

I'm not going to complain about a winning session, especially one that would have been quite a bit winninger had the below hand gone differently, but I think the point is clear. Even in a slow live game, there's that much more opportunity for big upswings (and down too, I know).

Sour Hand:

Full Tilt Poker, $0.25/$0.50 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
BTN: $20.10
SB: $69.65
Hero (BB): $84.85
UTG: $16.65
MP: $38.80
CO: $52.50

Pre-Flop: A J dealt to Hero (BB)
UTG folds, MP raises to $1.75, CO folds, BTN calls $1.75, SB folds, Hero calls $1.25

Flop: ($5.50) J 7 5 (3 Players)
Hero checks, MP checks,
BTN bets $3.50,
Hero raises to $9,
MP folds,
BTN raises to $18.35 and is All-In,
Hero calls $9.35 <-- Feeling sick about my chances here

Turn: ($42.20) T (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: ($42.20) 8 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: $42.20 Pot ($2.10 Rake)
BTN showed 9 9 (a straight, Jack high) and WON $40.10 (+$20 NET)
Hero showed A J (a pair of Jacks) and LOST (-$20.10 NET)

I saw his 99 before the turn and river rolled out. Why would anyone play 99 like this? I don't know, but this is the one time I wish he'd played it sensibly so I wouldn't have to whine about the massive suckout he delivered on me.

Two sweet hands that looked exactly the same, and serve as a corollary to this recent post about big pots played between the blinds. Just as you need to squash the reluctance to give an opponent credit for a big hand in a heads up blind battle, you should push strongly when you make a big hand, because it's hard for an opponent, especially one with a moderately strong holding themself, to let it go.

Sweet Hand #1:

Full Tilt Poker, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
BTN: $9.75
SB: $26.15
BB: $22.40
Hero (UTG): $31.75
MP: $50.10
CO: $24.55

Pre-Flop: 9 8 dealt to Hero (UTG)
Hero raises to $0.85,
MP raises to $2.90, 4 folds,

Hero calls $2.05 <-- Marginal call from OOP, but big payoff potential
Flop: ($6.15) A 3 6 (2 Players) <-- Nice flop
Hero checks, MP bets $5, Hero calls $5

Turn: ($16.15) 7 (2 Players) <-- Very nice turn too Hero checks, MP checks

River: ($16.15) 2 (2 Players)
Hero bets $12, <-- Now just hope his A is strong enough to call on the end here
MP calls $12

Results: $40.15 Pot ($2 Rake)
Hero showed 9 8 (a flush, Ace high) and WON $38.15 (+$18.25 NET)
MP mucked A K (a pair of Aces) and LOST (-$19.90 NET)

Sweet Hand #2:

Full Tilt Poker, $0.25/$0.50 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
CO: $55.70
BTN: $68.90
Hero (SB): $50
BB: $19
UTG: $59.35
MP: $53.10

Pre-Flop: T Q dealt to Hero (SB)
4 folds, Hero raises to $1.50,
BB raises to $2.50,
Hero calls $1

Opponent tiny raise is a big mistake here. It allows me to narrow his range considerably, while giving me great odds to call and see a flop.

Flop: ($5) 6 J 4 (2 Players)
Hero checks,
BB bets $2,
Hero calls $2

His mistakes continue, as he makes a tiny flop C-bet. Automatic call with the 2nd nut FD.

Turn: ($9) A (2 Players) <-- Now it's just a matter of figuring out how to get it all in Hero checks,
BB bets $2, Hero raises to $8, BB raises to $14.50 and is All-In, Hero calls $6.50

River: ($38) 2 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: $38 Pot ($1.90 Rake)
Hero showed T Q (a flush, Ace high) and WON $36.10 (+$17.10 NET)
BB showed A A (three of a kind, Aces) and LOST (-$19 NET)

Some people are terrified of scaring everyone off with a big raise with AA. But by keeping everyone in the pot and making it affordable, you expose yourself to getting stacked.