Poker Blog – icemonkey9 on PokerStars

Hours after flaming out in disgust over a couple of coolers, I came back strong and put in my best (most profitable) session in my cash game history. YAY! So I was able to pad those June numbers LOL.

Session Stats:
Time: 78 minutes
Tables: 4
Stakes: $25nl
Hands: 388
End Result: +$53.70

To say I’m elated at those results is a huge understatement. I watched ChuckTs latest video, and there were some things about PF 3betting and betting big on the turn that I saw. I adjusted my game and really let loose on the steals from not just the button but the CO and HJ seats, and it worked fantastically. Lets look at some fun hands …

Hand 1: Steal attempt Goes Great

Ok since my steal % was something unruly like 50% I was stealing basically anytime I remotely saw the situation be favorable because it just kept on working. I see a nit (I have 3k hands on Choi) limp UTG and some dude that posted early. I make it $1.25 to go fully expecting everyone to fold, or maybe 1 to remain. When the flop comes I’m just screaming at my monitor “another club baby!!!” and sure enough its checked around and that’s exactly what happens. I find myself with the nuts at the turn, and took my time to make that call against Choi. The 4th club hurt me actually, I knew it either made or (what I had a feeling) put fear into my opponent. I bet for value on the river and he thankfully called. Nice pot.

Hand 2: Got a little lucky, but that’s okay.

Limp in MP with 33 and hit the mid-set at the flop (yay). Not really too coordinated so I’m wa/wb here (54s isn’t terribly out of the question, and neither is 66). Since there is diddly-squat in the pot I 1/2 pot it and was glad to see the call and the A on the turn. He checks so I’m honestly thinking he has something stupid like QJ or JTo. Whoops. His HUGE mistake was not stacking right there and then but he’s thinking he’s trying to get value out of me. The board pairs giving me a boat. I get him to stack and he’s tacos. Great pot.

Hand 3: The biggest pot I’ve ever won

Yup – it’s true, at least for online poker

This is where watching ChuckTs’ video altered my play. I really recognized my opponent was in love with his hand. Fortunately my stealing stats really played to my favor here and I got a weird call from the SB PF. The board isn’t scary really, but I dont want something like A2s or 56s drawing out against me. I didn’t make the right bet but it was only $0.25 off. I also LOVE this $1 cbet on the flop because it looks so weak it always gets raised at $25nl. It’s a great way to induce a raise. Anyways, I 3bet the flop and instead of stacking he flat calls (that’s fine). However his play at the turn was terrible. I overbet the pot with the blank fully knowing that either he was going to lay it down (really to any bet) or would stackoff figuring I had a weaker Q. It worked.

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No disaster hands obviously so I think I am finally done for June I might fire it up at midnight to get a head start on July though! Next post probably June results + July goals.

So WVHillBilly left a comment that I basically felt was true before he wrote it, and that my play wasn’t all that great yesterday, especially the TT hand. Looking back I agreed. I wanted to put in some final end-of-month hands in to pad my results. Boy I wish I hadn’t, it was a hell of a time to go on a cooler. Alright people, get ready to hear some bad beat stories (along with how I suck)! (boooo!)

Hand 1: I suck. Big time on this hand. Totally blew it. Misplay. Ugh.

Pettey has stats of 15/7/2.9 over a large amount, and this Purnell guy is 34/9/7 over a small amount. My PF raise is good. 2 callers … fair enough. Mistake 1 – horrible betsize on the flop. In my mind I’m thinking to make action on an uncoordinated board with top pair good kicker. It actually kind of worked as what turned out to be a worse hand raised and the shortstacked just pushed. I call confident I’m not losing. Again I see an uncoordinated card hit the turn, and again my bet size sucked a big one. Villain smooth calls, and at this point I really failed to look at what he had done in the hand … call – raise/call – call. Looks like a fish or a HUGE hand. I wanted to just check it down but he had other plans so I made the idiotic call and lost most of my stack.

Hand 2: You want coolers, I got coolers.

Not much else to say other than “THAT SUCKED” … I knew I was tilting after this so I pretty much shut it down and turned it off after this hand.

Hand 3: This sucked too. Lets analyze…

Preflop I should have raised but the limp isn’t horrible at 25nl. I have no idea why I called at the flop, that’s a mandatory raise. He stacks at the turn and I still have my overs. I read the situation correctly and he had top pair shit kicker. He’s down to 5 outs … and he hits it. Sucks.

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Anyways, I have lots going on today, so maybe tonight there’ll be one last June session. This month has been so swingy it’s not even funny. If you couple good play with bad play with coolers you don’t end up well. Here’s a little graph of my last ~1500 hands … you can see the swings!

This weekend was my birthday and it was a great one. I spent it with family, and my close friends surprised me by showing up later in the night. Fantastic!

Anyways, this is a POKER blog not a personal one. Down to business, shall we?

While doing some online email reading, I put on Stars and sat with some CCers. I played $.02/.05 NL and it was fun, I think I bought in for $5 and left with $6.50. I was even referred to as “famous” which of course made my day

The Stats:

Hands: 313
Tables: 4 $25nl + 1 $5nl
Duration: 60 minutes
Net Result: +$10.72

I can sum up the night in two hands really, although I felt I played really well tonight for some reason.

Hand 1: Got my gonads … and not much else.

Villain stats are off the charts at 44/23/4 over 87 hands. An absolute maniac. I 3bet with the Hilton Sisters and of course that f’ing King had to hit. Seriously though, I can’t always be scared to death when an single overcard hits. His range is HUUUUGE. Looking into PokerStove at this point when he check-raises for his stack (which was less than 50% of mine), I have 69-31% equity in my favor. You bet your candy ass I call here. Oddly enough he turns over K7s for the win. Bizarre player … bizarre 3bet call … easy to put him in my friend list for later.

Hand 2: My cahones are officially grapefruits

Villain stats are basically unknown at this point. Tonight I almost exclusively raised 4x BB PF. Fun times. Two jabronis call and the flop is all unders with a couple of connectors. I’m not fooling around and basically bet it to take it down to discourage bastards with overcards (I know ONE of them is in this situation) to just fold now. I’m also giving TERRIBLE drawing odds to flushes and straights. Kouks2001 raises nicely … and I took my time with this one. He could have a set … or was on a draw … and best case had something like A9o. Chances are he just had overs. Screw him … so I stack with the hopes (really) of him ending the hand there but he makes the call and turns over QJs … for overs + flush draw! This is one the rare times in poker where you are winning the hand but an underdog to win (he had 15 outs and was about a 59-41 favorite at the flop). Missing the turn was HUGE for me, as the percentages wildly swing back in my favor, and the river blanks both and I take home a huge pot.

So, I had those weird huge hands work in my favor for a nice profit for the night.

So one of my goals was to win a $6 Token Frenzy token and play in a $26 tournament. They finally brought them back since all the WSOP satellites are done and I just finished playing in one. My unspectacular 78/165 finish comes away with a bad taste in my mouth over the structure. 5 minute blinds … really? Really?! Not even worth playing and I wont try it again. Shortstacked, I go AIPF with AQo and get called by 55. I don’t hit. The end.

While I was picking my nose at that “tournament” I played at 3 cash game tables. It went well actually … almost paid for that dumbass $6 token frenzy.

Hands: 154
Eventual Result: +$4.90

Obligatory Hand 1:

I was not thrilled to get 3 way action on this flop. The flop was pretty dangerous although QK to a big 3bet for one of these two guys was loose (but their lines made it well within their range). Shortstacker (I hate shortstackers) calls my pop at the flop, with the big stack leaving. Thanks for the money.

Thursday’s 2nd session went “well” but I was not happy at all when I left playing. Thanks to one lucky hand I ended up in the positive (that hand is below), otherwise the way you can look at it is that I was up $32 in 16 minutes … and managed to donk half of that off by the end of the session.

Session 2 from Thursday:
Hands: 168
Tables: 4
Time: 43 minutes
End Result: +$14.90

So on the day as a whole I ended up about +$40 which is real nice. Lets take a look at those weird hands.

Hand 1: Why was he in this hand in the first place?!

OK I have adjusted my game that if i have suited 1-gappers in an unraised pot I’ll either limp or raise into it about 25% of the time, with the rest of the time just mucking. This villain’s stats are 85/0/1.6 over 60 hands. Juicy right? OOP with AKs I throttle a three bet which is called by one. I put in a healthy bet at the flop with TPTK and I get a flat call. Again I take a shot at it at the turn and he stacks. With his line he could have anything and I’m thinking that TPTK against this guy is probably good. I go for it and call and he turns over …. 68o?!?! Seriously?!?! He calls a PF 3bet for about 8% of his stack with 68o – and got rewarded for it by hitting 2 pair. I’m down to 8 outs and I hit the Ace on the River. Justice is served.

Hand 2: New Strategy Pays Off

In Harrington’s cash game book, and from ChuckTs’ advise, I’ve been playing these suited 1 gappers when I can. I limp and love that flop – I have a lot of cards that can help me and don’t put either guy on an A. Predictably its checked all around and I fill my flush at the turn. I’m not crazy about a T high flush and I’m taking the risk that another heart won’t fall at the river and flat call to build what is otherwise a -EV pot. The 8 comes on the river and he stacks … and clearly I do not think he has the better flush and since I can beat a good range of hands (55, 77, AA, 44, 88, A2-AK) it’s an easy call. He flips over his unlucky 4-8 straight.

Hand 3: Donking 88

I am glad preflop I made the raise because that’s the right play 6 handed. I’m trying not to c-bet as much (there was a thread on CC and I was hearing optimal was something like 60 to 65) since my c-bet stat this month was something like 78%. This was probably a case to c-bet so I blew it there. He flat calls the bet at the turn and i see a second over card at the river and for whatever reason double barrel right there. Apparently this guy wasn’t thrilled about the flush filling at the turn and made a good flat call at the river with TPTK.

Hand 5: OMG what was I thinking?

Here’s a hand I beat myself up on. Sometimes you make the right read but make the wrong decision. Kane has stats of 19/11/2.4 and the SS is a complete unknown (0 stats). I am now in the habit of strongly 3betting AKs PF, and when I saw a 4 bet and a 4bet called I took my time and though “I know one of them has QQ-AA for sure. I think the other has AK or AQ. In that scenario I’m a huge dog, so I better let this one go.” Well, I was right … about one of them, it was 66 (dumb) vs QQ (predictable). In this scenario I’m a definite underdog but a flat call here isn’t unreasonable. Of course fate gives me a slap in the face with the A falling at the flop.

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Anyways … at least I’m in the positive. Looking back at the hands I actually played well and not as bad as I thought leaving the tables.

Hey welcome back to the blog. I’m really glad people enjoy reading this, I’m certainly getting a lot out of it myself.

Session 1 for Thursday:

Hands: 320
Tables: 4
Time: ~70 mins
End Results: +$25.30

It’s been a long ass time since I’ve come away in a session up a buy-in and it feels *great*. I felt like I was playing better, and even though I managed to dodge some land-mines, still didn’t do quite as well as I was hoping. All things considering though I am not down on my effort nor my result. Lets look at some hands …

Hand 1 : Did I Mess Up?

I was thinking this might be a tough hand so I wanted to bring this up. I flopped an overpair with a lot of pedestrians hoping for a set. Villain is 15/6/8.5 over a lot of hands. I bet it decently at that flop, and either FedK had a better overpair (TT, JJ) or hit a set, or made his hand (56s). It’s doubtful he would pull this with AK but it’s also within the realm of reason. I hadn’t seen him bluff and his stats suggest he’s pretty solid. I chose not to call.

Hand 2: Well, I Just Can’t Beat THAT Now Can I!

Villain here is 39/18/3.8 over 50 hands. Today I have been alternating between 3x and 4x raises to randomlize my play. I know people have been suggesting just making it always 4x. I guess for some reason I’m reluctant. Anyways, the flop looks great to me … and I get called. The turn I am not happy about filling the flush, so I check it. The turn is another weird card filling a straight (A5 or 56), and he value bets it and I call it because I’m either ahead against something like 54 or AT, or in a tremendous world of hurt. He flips over flopped quads – wow.

Hand 3: Always Fun

Flopping the nuts is a great feeling. I have no clue why I limped in this pot. With the position that was a huge mistake and should have made it $1.25 to go. Anyways I’m rewarded for my bad play by flopping the nuts. The flat call on the flop was a good idea. I was really hoping the “stewartmann” guy would just stack and get juicar to stack too. Instead we see a 9 hit the turn and for whatever reason he stacked there (not sure why) and its an insta-call for a decent pot.

Hand 4: Man Did He Overplay His Hand

This is why you don’t play garbage post-flop. I didn’t raise big at all on his flop bet quite honestly hoping he’d call and I’d take it on the turn (that was the plan). A great/scary card hits the turn with the K giving me 2 pair but filling a straight (AT, J9) and he leads with a less than 50% pot bet, so i punish that crap again just under 3x his bet. He calls with a lot of outs (hoping for either the T or a heart) and when nothing hits I make the HUGE mistake of not value-betting (not that it even would have been called).

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Okay, so that wraps Session 1 for tonight. I am pretty sure there will be another!

This week has been ridiculously busy with personal life and work. For example, Tuesday night was my anniversary, and this coming Saturday is my birthday. Funny thing was that the wife wanted to play some poker on our anniversary night , and i was okay with that , so I played in a $3sng and finished 2nd for a decent $8 payday. Here’s a fun hand.

Anyways – she is apparently going out with the girls tonight, and if I can get my work done before 5:30 or so today then I’ll fire up the tables, try to put in at least one 45 minute 4-table session, and probably play a SNG. I’ll check in (hopefully) later!

I had seen some posts on CardsChat about getting cash game sessions together on stars at the $.01/.02 tables and tried to get something going last night since I was up. To my surprise we ended up getting a table entirely full of players from CC! It was a lot of fun, and since the stakes were so small I think a lot of us were playing a little more reckless than usual. In fact we even played the 72 game where if someone wins a hands (and shows) with 72 we all had to send them $0.25.

First, the table screenshot:
So now lets break down some hands. Obviously we can’t break it down too much because everyone had ridiculous lines of something like 40/28/inf. You wouldn’t ever see that at a regular cash game so I knew not to take things too seriously.

Hand 1: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

Curtis was raising with any two cards to 8 cents so that didn’t bother me at all. Zach cold calls on the button which means only 1 of 2 things imo – low suited connectors or a low pocket pair. I cold call with my Jacks since a 3bet would just be called again by both (so what’s the point). The K hits but again, I am fairly certain both players are playing crap. I bet the pot and Curtis goes away and zach calls. A nice turn card hits, and at this point I just want to keep things going so I check-call. The A hits and I bet it hard and Zach lets it go.

Hand 2: Take That Suckah’

I limp with the low pair and call Sindri’s standard raise. Flop looks good to me so I check call to get action, and do. Turn card is a blank and the plan is to stay patient, so I check call again (I’m trying to represent the flush draw as best I can). The 9 hits (no flush) and so I become super patient and let Sindri triple barrel at this thing with the hopes he calls my raise. He (smartly) doesn’t and I take it home.

Hand 3: I Am Aloe’s Hero

So the idea here is that you win a hand with 72 and everyone at the tables sends you $0.25. I don’t think in the history of poker anyone has 4bet pre-flop 72o, so at this point I’m just looking to be a cult hero and brag about this to all the CCers. Curtis calls the 4bet and Aloe frickin’ goes mad and 5bets AIPF the hand. At this point I know she’s on QQ-AA or AK. I am thinking one thing – how awesome would it be if I actually called this. Then I thought – give me a break it’s like $1.50 – and made the call hoping to be the guy with brass balls that wins with 72o against KK or AA. Everyone at the table gave mad props for doing this, and Aloevera said I was her new hero. Hey it’s just like I said before – if you’re not willing to die in poker, you’ll never live.

Hand 4: Well THAT Didn’t Work Against Munchers

Munchers is a real solid player that never updates his damn blog. In this hand he raised me big PF OOP … so I put him on a good hand but I wanted to represent AK here even PF. Clearly, that plan blew up in my face when he actually HAD AKs. I double barrel and realize my goose was cooked, and I knew his check at the river was complete BS, so I checked it too (especially since my hand had no showdown value since it was counterfitted). Kudos to Munchers for the nice hand.

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So all in all it was a fun time and cool to hang out with the CC crew at a table for what was probably an hour of continuous CC-only players at the table.

I worked my ass off today, straight from 7:30am right up to 4pm. Got a lot done, and its Friday so apparently nobody works at all so I am stuck where I am until Monday am. And you know what that means – poker time. Also I played a SNG last night with KingCurtis and showed him “the long con” where you basically set up a player through an entire blind level (or two) and then use that against him the next level. Helped me take him down completely and I’ll demonstrate that later probably in a video. Curtis was duly impressed I must add.

Here’s the numbers for the cash game session:

Duration : ~90 minutes
Hands: 588
Tables: 5
Final Result: +$7.35

Not a great result but today was super swingy. I was down $12 to start so I came back and made some nice plays. Lets get to some hands …

Crap Hand – But No Regrets.

Villain is a loose player with VPIP of 45+ and is shortstacked. I just figure “screw you” when he 3bets me and he calls … with 33. Unreal. Anyways it’s a coinflip (fair enough) and he takes it down by hitting a set at the flop.

Big Hand of the Day: KK Killer

Shazam is a moronic maniac who stacked with $10 with 33 on a 4bet preflop against me (I had AKs) and I lost (last hand above). His VPIP stat was still at like 45 so I knew he could be on any two cards. The flop was georgous – the “at the time” nuts. I lead out really light to look like I am trying to take it down purely with position. Turn looks like a blank and I 1/2 pot bet it, and its called again (thinking he’s drawing to the flush). The board pairs, giving me a boat and he strangely pushes. Unless he has 55 I’m totally good so it’s an insta-push and I take it down against his trip 5s.

2nd Best Hand : Top Set Baby

Big PF raise at the SB against a LAG villain. Hitting top set I realize I am waaaay ahead here at the turn so I check it. He puts in 2 so I flat call hoping he spikes something on the turn. The K comes and I think “perfect” because I put him on AK at this point. I check again and as expected he leads out again for 1/2 the pot and with only $4 more i just get him to stack and take it down – with QUADS.

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So that’s it for the hand analysis and chances are I am done for the weekend with poker. I have massive work next week (a real good thing because that means massive pay) so again it might not be lots of updates. Also I got in touch with the Holdem Manager people and I’m going to be writing a full review on that software, and that should be worth a read. Thanks again for stopping by.

So a few things …

1. Real Life stuff way more important than poker going on (family / work) so haven’t played poker in like 4 or 5 days (gasp!).

2. Based on some people from CardsChat.com I am checking out “Hold’em Manager” instead of using Pokertracker3. I’ll be honest – I’m ready to switch over after 1 session. There is no lag and no mysterious errors or bugs. SOLD.

3. I’d like to send a HUGE thank you to the following CCers: KingCurtis, Jokish123, Sindri_93, bob_tiger, and Inscore. There was a thread on the forum to mention something like a “top 10″ cash game players and these people mentioned me in that list. I’m so honored. Truly. I think my game 6 months ago before CC was laughable since I knew tournament play and nothing about cash games. Now, I’m considered to be good! Yay for that! Absolutely I am honestly honored, because I have indeed worked my butt off to become a better and more profitable poker player.

Finally … put in a session!

Duration: 42 minutes
Hands: 201
Tables: 4
Final Result: +$20.25

So that’s a fantastic result. First we’ll get the crappy hand out of the way …

Standard Cooler:

What the hell was I supposed to do PF? Fold!? Heck no.

Hand 2: His name is a bounty of irony.

Did you catch this villain’s name?!! Hilarious!!! See kids, this is why if you are UTG at a LOOSE table you do not limp with KK. I mean, what poker book or internet artice suggests that as a wise play?! I am glad I took this sucka’s money.

Hand 3 : Standard Heater

Had a feeling this was exactly what this guy was holding, thus the betting formula here.

So all in all I have to love the results and again I am very happy with Holdem Manager. Also a thanks to WVHillBilly (see his blog here: http://dtidt.blogspot.com/) and SavagePenguin for their advise, it’s come into good use. This weekend there will most definitely be no poker … working all day Saturday and Sunday I am book with really fun wife stuff (no, really!). Later guys.