7 2 BLUFF...Diary of a poker player

Confusing bad play with bad luck.

OK so I lost some hands

I did 200BB $50 with AK v Aces all in pre-flop which isn’t good play.

I then did $25 all in pre-flop with Aces v Kings only for the Kings to hit a set on the turn.

I then limp called with Aces got raised to $1.50 from Button a call from BB and the original limper. I made it $5.50 to go the BB calls, the initial limper goes all in for $9, I call as does BB. BB bets $0.25 into $25 pot I raise to $14 and he shoves $22 into 8QJ with a flush draw with is K4 and hits his flush to win a $71 pot.

Played too many hands but I do feel I got a little unlucky too.

In the $11 satellite tournament I played I shoved Kings near the bubble to be called by AJ and first card out was the ace with 20 left and paying 15. If I won that hand I’d have picked up a $55 ticket for the next level.

This could possibly make it $4M welch in the last few months and a possible world record? Interesting article here

Welch: 1857, racing slang, “to refuse or avoid payment of money laid as a bet,” probably a disparaging use of the national name Welsh.

They have a free roll on a Sunday at Aspers you get 4,000 chips plus 500 extra for each tournament played.

I busted and rebought you get 6,000 per rebuy and 12,000 as an add on, both for £40 so I was in for £80. With 80 runners it paid 16 x £440 1 x £220 and £29 cash.

In the BB 18 left with blind at 1,500/3,000 and a stack of 15,000 behind I call the raise from the big stack with 10, 10 and he shows KQo and hits his Queen on the flop.  I was the short stack and not sure I could gave folded to a £440 ticket, but perhaps to the £220. Down £51 and despondent with poker.

Could/should I have folded under ICM?

I’m going to become a cash player. I’ve always focused on tournaments but cash seems to be where the action is, the variance in tournaments is too great. Playing hours of poker to book min wins is disheartening and you never feel great unless you come first so mentallly and emotionally it is taxing.

Up until now cash has always killed me but I know poker and I shouldn’t be scared. I’m better than most players andI can read people and hands well.

Start point is I need to do the following to get to my A game:

1. Watch the Deuces Cracked cash game series again and take notes
2. Reread my 3 Harrington cash game books
3. Read my Jonathan Little cash books
4. Watch the 166 poker hands videos from Jonathan Little here
5. Listen to Jonathan Little Small Stakes Cash Games
6. I need to track poker loses and wins on an Poker Income Ultimate

Watching Bill Perkins he has been check raised twice on Poker After Dark and instead of slowing down just plowed on putting chips in the pot when not knowing where he was.

Needless to say one cost him I thing £250K and the other nearly £500K. I haven’t seen him play so much before and thought he was better, but some of his bets are only called by a hand that would beat him. He bets into Durrr when he has 3rd pair and Durrr has nothing, he really needs to review his game it has some terrible flaws.

If you face resistance with Aces slow down, they are only one pair he got 1,250BB with one pair not good poker.

I can’t bear to watch Lauren Roberts play poker, she can’t even chip shuffle, there she is playing the big game badly and then she plays with her chips so badly it could be my grandmother at the kitchen table.

Meanwhile I get coolered for £450 in a cash had to a guy who once called me “an annoying cunt” at the table…go figure.

I need to learn the butterfly, play with style at least riffle…

So I pop into Aspers and play the £40 afternoon tournament. I open KQ and get two caller c-bet and get called, check turn and MP bets and I fold. The guy on my left has poor hygiene and I am facing away as he says “I’m betting in the dark” MP shoves over his 900 raise for 3,000 and with 20BB 6,300 I shove with 88 to get called by QQ from UTG and MP has A5o. Was this a Tony G angle shoot?

Queens hold and I head to cash tables buying in for £100 I run it down to £25 and then add another £100 and hit some hands and get up to £240 in front of me and feeling good and playing well.

A guy who once called me “an annoying cunt” in a tournament where I called the floor and we shared some words before I bust him shortly after opened for £8 from the CO. I re-raised to 1,000 with 9c10c and he called. The flop came 4cAc8c and the CO checked I bet £20 and he called, the turn was a 5d and he checked again. I bet £40 making the pot £102 and he shoved all-in I snapped called and he showed Ah5h and the river came a 5c to give him the full house and £450 pot.

Poker is a brutal game, I played well and lost £240. I shook his hand and said “nice hand” then he dragged the pot as I headed home.