Try J FTL.

Today was insanity. I decided to play NL200 today because I felt like I wasn't pulling the trigger on my reads/instincts so I wanted to move down to work on that. I ran so bad for like 1900 hands. I lost almost all of my races against short stacks (seriously it was sick). I lost reraised pots with sets < flush draws, flush draws < overpairs, overpair to a gutshot, etc. I also lost with KK all-in against JT and AJ on a J high flop. River J.

Finally things turned around and I made a 9 buyin comeback (made over 30PTBB/100 for the last 1200 hands). I was tilting at the bottom of this graph but refocussed and played decent.



Here is a few hands where I acted on reads/instinct.

Stacks:
UTG ($878.35)
CO ($240.40)
BTN ($214.50)
Hero ($200.80)
BB ($195.30)

Pre-flop: ($3, 5 players) Hero is SB [Qd]
3 folds, Hero bets $7, BB calls $6.

Flop: [8d][6d] ($16, 2 players)
Hero bets $10, BB bets $20, Hero calls $10.

Turn: ($56, 2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $50, Hero goes all-in $172.80, BB folds

Final Pot: $278.80
Hero shows: [Qd]

Hero wins $275.8 ( won +$75 )
BB lost -$78.00


Stacks:
UTG ($63.40)
CO ($367.50)
Hero ($216.50)
SB ($107.00)
BB ($251.00)

Pre-flop: ($3, 5 players) Hero is BTN [Qc]
2 folds, Hero bets $7, 1 fold, BB calls $5.

Flop: [5c][Tc] ($15, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $10, BB bets $30, Hero calls $20.

Turn: ($75, 2 players)
BB goes all-in $214, Hero goes all-in $179.50

River: ($468.5, 2 players)

Final Pot: $468.50
Hero shows: [Qc]
BB shows: [As]

Hero wins $431 ( won +$214.5 )
BB wins $34.5 ( lost -$216.5 )


Stacks:
UTG ($834.50)
CO ($203.70)
BTN ($197.00)
Hero ($198.00)
BB ($227.30)

Pre-flop: ($3, 5 players) Hero is SB [As]
UTG calls $2, 1 fold, BTN bets $10, Hero bets $30, 1 fold, UTG folds, BTN calls $21.

Flop: [Kd][9c] ($66, 2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $35, Hero bets $100, BTN folds

Final Pot: $201
Hero shows: [As]

Hero wins $198 ( won +$67 )
UTG lost -$2.00
BTN lost -$66.00

[x] Villain min-bet to induce a shove

$2/$4 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at

Stacks:
Hero ($463.00)
UTG+1 ($586.50)
CO ($501.40)
BTN ($1186.15)
SB ($422.00)
BB ($659.75)

Pre-flop: ($6, 6 players) Hero is UTG [Ks]
Hero bets $15, UTG+1 calls $15, 4 folds

Flop: [2d][8s] ($36, 2 players)
Hero bets $27, UTG+1 calls $27.

Turn: ($90, 2 players)
Hero bets $62, UTG+1 bets $155, Hero calls $93.

River: ($400, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $4, Hero goes all-in $266, UTG+1 calls $262.

Final Pot: $932
Hero shows: [Ks]
UTG+1 shows: [Jd]

Hero wins $929 ( won +$466 )
UTG+1 lost -$463.00

I played my first poker of 2008 today. 2 sessions, 1700 hands, +$775. Of course, I was -$670 at NL600 and +$1450ish at NL400.

I've been working on value betting better, especially on the river. Here are a few that I might sometimes have checked behind on the river in the past.

1. I have KQ as PFR in position against donk in blinds. I get 3 streets of value on a Q5834 board.
2. I have AQ in position against different donk in the blinds. Again, I get 3 streets of value on A38QT board. The Q on the turn completed a flush draw. Villain had A6.
3. I have AJ on a JT395 board. I bet all 3 streets but villain folded river.

Here are a few where I may have missed a bet.
1. I have KK and bet flop and turn on a 347T2 board. 2 on river completes the flush draw. I checked behind and villain showed Q4o. He may not have called but I think betting this river smallish has value.
2. Same villain, I have AT and bet a 79T flop (w/flush draw). Turn is a 4, I check behind. River is another 4, I bet and he calls and mucks. Turn was a definate bet.

Overall I was very happy with the way I played. I had 2 weeks off and didn't feel rusty at all. I actually had aggression factors over 6 on all streets today, which is unheard of for me. My biggest leak has been passive river play, but I'm working on it

Played some NL200 at Cake last night. Up about $450 in a few hours.

Notable hands:
1. 3 handed, SB raises my BB to $10. This is bigger than normal. I repop to $30 with KK. He makes it $74. Ugh, I think to myself that he has AA but whatever, I have KK. I shove. He indeed has AA.

2. Maniac is at the table, he is 3-betting all the time. I busted him once for about 80BBs when I hit a set and he bet flop, shoved turn with missed AK. Maniac rebought and now has $360, UTG has the same. UTG raises KQs, maniac 3-towns him from the blinds. UTG 4-bets. Maniac shoves, UTG snaps. Maniac has AA.

3. 1 limper, SB completes, I check [3h] in the BB. Flop comes [4h][8h]. I bet $6, limper calls, SB raises to $15. Obv he has a big hand but he is short ($45 behind) so I raise to $49 to isolate. Limper folds, SB shoves, I call. He has 44 and holds. After the hand he says "you jerkoff". I say "me?", he says, "trying to win on a complete bluff". I LOL.

So lucky, yet unlucky.

Stacks:
UTG ($280.60)
CO ($425.50)
BTN ($129.10)
SB ($396.00)
Hero ($400.00)

Pre-flop: ($6, 5 players) Hero is BB [7s]
1 fold, CO raises to $16, 2 folds, Hero raises to $56, CO calls $40

Flop: [5h][3s] ($114, 2 players)
Hero checks (planning on CRAI), CO checks

Turn: ($114, 2 players)
Hero bets $84, CO raises to $208, Hero goes all-in $344, CO calls $136

River: ($802, 2 players)

Final Pot: $802
Hero shows: [7s]
CO shows: [6c]

Hero wins $399 ( lost -$1 )
CO wins $399 ( lost -$1 )