A good session of 4/4

$4/4

Fortunate situations

9handed..
Wait, no point in showing this one, my AA vs KK.

9handed
Hijack, CO, button, SB call
I check in BB w/ AdQd

5d 6d Td !

CHECK..checks to button who bets $9
I call, CO calls

5d 6d Td Kh

CHECK.. checks to button again who bets $47
I call, CO calls

5d 6d Td Kh 2h

CHECK.. checks to button again who bets $80
I raise all-in to $335
CO folds
Button has me covered and calls, Jd7d

Blind battle

8handed
SB (me) 8h7c I call
BB checks

Jc 4h Th

Check, check

Jc 4h Th 9d

I bet $6
He raises to $18
I reraise to $36
He calls

Jc 4h Th 9d 2d

I bet $80
He calls and shows 94o

I'm slightly concerned with Q8 but there's a much higher chance he has two pair, a set, or my hand.

I'm proud of this hand because I knew what my opponent had by the turn.

9handed
UTG+1 calls
UTG+3 raises to $17
Hijack, SB (me) w/ 56h, BB calls

3h Td Jh

Checks around.. at this point I'm pretty sure the raiser has AKo or JJJ.

3h Td Jh Qh

I bet $40
UTG+3 calls

3h Td Jh Qh 2d

I bet $160
UTG+3 thinks and calls, shows AK


7handed
UTG calls
UTG+1 (me) w/ TT raises to $18
Only UTG calls

5c Qs Qd

Check, check

5c Qs Qd Ts

He slightly delay checks. At this point I figure him to have a hand like QJ or a slowplayed KK/AA.
I bet $40
He calls

5c Qs Qd Ts 9h

He checks
I bet $150
He calls and shows AA


This next hand is an example of moves I've been making more and more. So far they've been going well, I don't take down every pot but many of them I do.

9handed
UTG calls
CO (me) 33, SB calls

5h Js 9c

Checks around

5h Js 9c 8c

SB bets $4
UTG calls $4
I raise to $24
They fold

This type of play used to get me into more trouble especially if they call on the turn. I would then almost always bluff the river but I've gotten much better at knowing when my opponents are stubborn and can't get away from the hand.

Donk plays

These are a few donk plays. The first hand speaks for itself. However, hand two upsets me because not only can I not fold, but I move all-in. At $4/4 and up, hands like this that aren't laid down are the difference between breaking even (maybe even being a losing player) and showing profit.

9handed
UTG calls
UTG+2 raises to $18
CO (me) w/ AA, UTG calls

4c Th Qc

Checks to me
I bet $35
UTG raises to $200
UTG+2 folds
I go all-in for $516 and have him covered
He calls $122 and shows K7o

4c Th Qc Kd Ts


9handed
UTG, UTG+2 (me) 44, button, SB call
BB checks

5h 4h Qd

Checks to me
I bet $15
Button and SB call

5h 4h Qd 3d

Check
I bet $50
Button calls
SB raises to $165
I run out of time after thinking and praying for 54 and move all-in for $331 total
Button folds
SB calls w/ 6d7d

5h 4h Qd 3d 2d

$867, bad.

The NL attack begins

Poker hasn't put me in the best mood so I'm going to try and post some more and hopefully that will motivate me to stay focused. Hand histories will make up the majority of my future posts for awhile. Some of the hands will be examples of what I need to be doing more of whether I made a bold play, a tough laydown, or got max value out of a hand etc. Hopefully there will be some humorous hands as well.

Tonight's session didn't go that well overall but I played some of the best NL I've ever played. All in all I have to be happy with it as I learn what I think is one of the toughest poker settings of all, NL Hold Em.

$4/4 hands
Laydowns

9handed
UTG limps
UTG+1 raises to $8
UTG+2, Hijack, CO (me QKc), Button, SB, BB call
UTG calls

7c 3c 6s

SB bets $16
BB calls
UTG+1 calls
Hijack raises to $104

Everyone folded. Sometimes I want to move in here, the hijack had another $400 left but if he has better than one pair he's calling which I think he did. Fold equity 4 lyfe, but not here. These draws are deceiving.



7handed
I raise hijack to $12 w/ QsQd
button reraises to $36
I caww w/ QQ but i stiww scahhrre

5c 2c 8c

I check
He bets $68
I fold

I think this is still ok to fold even if I have Qc. +|8-D-X*-X what the.. Here are a couple of bold plays I'm happy about.



9handed
UTG+1 calls
UTG+2 raises to $12
I call in hijack with AQ, UTG+1 calls

5d 9s 8s

Checked to me, I bet $30
UTG+1 folds
UTG+2 calls

5d 9s 8s Kh

Check, check

5d 9s 8s Kh Td

He bets $33
Get that shit OUTTA here makes it (ME) $120
Property of Ruddell folds.




9handed
UTG+2 limps
Hijack (me) JJ raises to $20
BB and UTG+2 call

Ad 4c Qc

Checks around

Ad 4c Qc 3s

BB checks
UTG+2 bets $22
I raise to $90
BB folds, UTG+2 calls

Ad 4c Qc 3s 4d

BB checks
I bet $160
BB folds



7handed
Hijack I raise to $12 w/ QJs
Button, SB, BB call.

4c 9d 8s

Check to button who bets $16
SB calls
I raise to $80
Fold city~


I've been trying to play some of my hands in ways that should lead to more value as well as keep myself out of trouble. Here's an example..

9handed
UTG+1 (me) raise to $12 with black kings
UTG+2 and hijack call.

Jh Jd 7s

Instead of leading out here I'm encouraging them to bluff and I give them a card to catch up. If this was 4 handed I would definitely bet because I can't afford to give all of those players another card and there's a higher probability of dragging along along a pocket pair. Whether 3 or 4 handed I really don't like seeing a call because there's a good chance I have to put them on trips. But if I check to two other players and one bets then any thought of them having trips gets cleared right up.

I check
UTG+2 bets $28
hijack folds
I call

Jh Jd 7s 4s

Check, check

Jh Jd 7s 4s 8h

I bet $40
He folds



Lastly, a donk play

9handed
UTG+2 calls
I call in hijack w/ 22
SB calls
BB checks

7d 2c Ad

BB bets $10
UTG+2 calls
I raise to $46
UTG+2 calls

7d 2c Ad Jh

UTG+2 checks
I bet $90
He calls

7d 2c Ad Jc 8c

UTG+2 checks
I bet $260
He calls and shows A3o

Uneventful saturday

Today was a rather uneventful poker day. The draw tables were completely dead so I ran some $100 and $200 HE HU SNGs. I took a lot of beats in the sit n gos but managed to come out ahead at 7-4. I'll continue to play them and maybe make the $200 and $300s a fairly regular thing when I can't get a head up draw match.

Have you always thought watching people deal with beats was hilarious rather than offering sympathy ? Then you MUST check this guy out..

Today's record : 4-1-0
Total : 143-39-6 76%

Best day of draw ever / Dad wants to learn

Tonight went even better than last night. I'm absolutely thrilled with my recent results and don't see why it can't continue. The normal friday virtual poker room tourists certainly help.

My dad watched me play for awhile but I'm still not sure he fully understands how it all works. Although, he seems eager to learn and said he would like to pick it up when he retires in a few years. I could see him being a pretty good player with a lot of practice. There are a few areas him and I are different that may hurt him. He is a perfectionist and would probably get down on himself about any mistakes early on. He also said that he would not be able to sit at a table with Phil Hellmuth without wanting to cause him physical harm.

Today's Record : 10-3-0
Total : 139-38-6 76%

10/20 HU draw going well

Today I played about nine hours of heads up 10/20 draw with huge results. If this continues I'll be sticking with draw for longer than I had planned. I know Pokerstars is planning on adding draw in the next few months too. If Stars has a limit higher than 10/20 I will definitely move to that for heads up. Although eventually I'd like to focus on NL HE shorthanded. Pot limit draw at 24hpoker and limit triple draw at Ultimate Bet are also possibilities.

Heads up hand from today :

- I raise OOP w/ QJT9x into an opponent that has been playing tight, he 3 bets, I call. I draw 1, he draws 4, I check, he bets, I raise with my missed draw, he 3 bets, I fold. If he's changing gears, just upset or whatever it is, why does he draw 4 ? He could represent a big hand being in position and after all the hands I have raised.

I've been spending a lot of time looking at places to live in Vegas. Many of the great places are ASAP move in so I may just head out in mid september rather than the original plan to move mid october.

Today's record : 17-4-1
Total : 129-35-6 76%