September summary.

I have won $44 this month; approx $108 from showdown winnings subtract $64 from the non showdown losses. I am convinced that it's possible to do much better than that from the non showdown 'red line' - even as much as break - even or better at these stakes so I have more work to do, obv. Today I completed the take two promotion so Full Tilt will pay me $50 in a few days and the bankroll will then hover around $500. I have learned a considerable amount this month, including how aggressive we need to be in 3-bet pots to make money. Also the discovery of programs like pokerazor and the small stakes e-book helped alot. My study on hand ranges has helped me to play better preflop also. My goals for next month are:
1 Improve the red-line by increasing 3-bet range to around 15% and learning to win 50-60% of 3-bet pots post flop if a loose opponent calls in LP
2 Finish reading SSNLHE
3 Learn to FOLD decent hands against passive player aggression on the river. THEY HAVE THE NUTS, AGAIN.
Been an enjoyable month, and now I'm off on hols for a week but will be ready for more game when I'm back. Good luck at the tables!

quietly grinding

Just played a couple thousand since last post. The tables are full of players who either see 50% of flops and then super aggress at you - the bullies - or call you down with bottom pair - the calling stations. Been wondering whether the low pocket pairs are worth playing against these types of players. I've often read - in books and forums - that they do the best against tight ranges since wide ranges rarely hit hands that are willing to stack off. Now against a complete idiot who is regularly bluffing all - in post flop and not balancing that range with good hands it may be worth it. But I'm not sure many of these players are quite that loose so have started letting 22-77 go and playing the "block" hands harder - the broadway cards. Committing with top pair good kicker etc. There's obv even less point playing suited connectors against these players as there are less implied odds again. It's funny as I end up playing about 15% of hands, really really nitty. But I suppose providing I play them hard it's obv going to be super profitable. When I sit at a table with tighter players I can then add the range balancing semibluff hands. I suppose the critical thing here is that these players do not adjust and realise that we are never bluffing. Hence we have less steal equity but more showdown equity. So maybe losing money to the redline against these players is not that bad? A sort of loss leader.
Anyway, the last hand I played this morning I wasn't paying attention and almost suffered from a bad mistake. I'd flopped middle set to a loose player who had min 3-bet preflop. The board had an ace in it so I let the villain c-bet and just flatted. Villain then checked and I bet the turn which had paired the board with a deuce. Villain called so it began to look like he had an ace. The river came another ace, which obv destroyed my hand - but without noticing that the board was double paired I reraised his bet all - in. The bloke timed out and I was saved. I can only assume that he had a big pair and didn't put me on an ace, or a deuce. Wow, if he'd insta called with a fullhouse and I'd realised my mistake I think I'd have puked up.

Update

Hey, it's been a couple of days since I posted. Been playing every day still but didn't feel the need to waffle about it. Nothing much interesting happened and the work I am doing with pokerazor is - at this stage - experimental. Basically I'm creating a prototype strategy for playing the flop so that I am aggressive enough not to be losing money in the fit or fold style. It's a case of finding the correct board textures to play back at aggressive c-bettors and players displaying hit or miss tendencies. Early days but that redline is creeping towards a break even one; I think that would be enough to make alot of money at micro stakes. Break even on non showdown winnings and then earn your keep with the showdown winnings when crap players goof up lol. Got some hands from this evening to show. Two hands played differently in a 3-bet pot against the same good player - both with flush draws, followed by a hand I think I missed out on some value on the river. Before that though, the balance is back up to 440. I'll see how long before I stack off a few buy ins this time!

Full Tilt Poker Game #14846181458: Table Tear (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 15:40:28 ET - 2009/09/21
Seat 1: B4nko ($10)
Seat 2: adopsio ($44)
Seat 3: BamBet ($19.13), is sitting out
Seat 4: rcv1 ($10)
Seat 5: papasin ($11.32)
Seat 6: smokinaces19150 ($9.60)
papasin posts the small blind of $0.05
smokinaces19150 posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [Qh Ah]
B4nko raises to $0.35
adopsio raises to $1
rcv1 folds
papasin folds
smokinaces19150 folds
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $2.90
adopsio calls $1.90
*** FLOP *** [2c 4h 9h]
B4nko bets $7.10, and is all in
smokinaces19150 stands up
adopsio calls $7.10
B4nko shows [Qh Ah]
adopsio shows [Kh As]
*** TURN *** [2c 4h 9h] [7s]
*** RIVER *** [2c 4h 9h 7s] [Qc]
B4nko shows a pair of Queens
adopsio shows Ace King high
B4nko wins the pot ($18.81) with a pair of Queens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $20.15 | Rake $1.34
Board: [2c 4h 9h 7s Qc]
Seat 1: B4nko showed [Qh Ah] and won ($18.81) with a pair of Queens
Seat 2: adopsio showed [Kh As] and lost with Ace King high
Seat 3: BamBet is sitting out
Seat 4: rcv1 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: papasin (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: smokinaces19150 (big blind) folded before the Flop

3-bet pot - the call with ak looks a little loose doesn't it? But providing he factors a few non pair hands and obvious flush draws into my range then the call is fine getting good odds as he was. Against the same player...

Full Tilt Poker Game #14846427281: Table Tear (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 15:51:40 ET - 2009/09/21
Seat 1: B4nko ($18.12)
Seat 2: adopsio ($23.87)
Seat 3: TORR678 ($10)
Seat 4: rcv1 ($10)
Seat 5: papasin ($11.80)
Seat 6: canihtk ($18.76)
B4nko posts the small blind of $0.05
adopsio posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [9h 8h]
rcv1 raises to $0.40
papasin folds
canihtk folds
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $1.40
adopsio calls $1.30
rcv1 calls $1
*** FLOP *** [4h 5c Ah]
B4nko checks
adopsio bets $2.10
rcv1 folds
rcv1 adds $1.40
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $16.72, and is all in
adopsio has 15 seconds left to act
adopsio folds
Uncalled bet of $14.62 returned to B4nko
B4nko mucks
B4nko wins the pot ($7.84)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $8.40 | Rake $0.56
Board: [4h 5c Ah]
Seat 1: B4nko (small blind) collected ($7.84), mucked
Seat 2: adopsio (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: TORR678 is sitting out
Seat 4: rcv1 folded on the Flop
Seat 5: papasin didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: canihtk (button) didn't bet (folded)

This time I decided to let one of the opposition bet out and shove over the top. I really felt that the aggressive adopsio (who was playing well) would bet most of the time here. In they went and I felt I had terrific fold equity in this pot. An initial raiser check raising all-in looks super strong. Now a mistake in this hand.

Full Tilt Poker Game #14847265073: Table Clone (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:31:15 ET - 2009/09/21
Seat 1: Biothon ($15.93)
Seat 2: B4nko ($12.14)
Seat 3: sakanton ($12.55)
Seat 4: NL_Hype ($13.43)
Seat 5: Ta3bI ($10.15)
NL_Hype posts the small blind of $0.05
Ta3bI posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [Td Th]
Biothon calls $0.10
B4nko raises to $0.45
sakanton calls $0.45
NL_Hype folds
Ta3bI folds
Biothon folds
*** FLOP *** [8c 7h Ks]
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko bets $0.65
sakanton calls $0.65
*** TURN *** [8c 7h Ks] [Ts]
B4nko checks
sakanton bets $1
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko calls $1
*** RIVER *** [8c 7h Ks Ts] [Kh]
B4nko checks
sakanton bets $2
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $6.10
sakanton calls $4.10
*** SHOW DOWN ***
B4nko shows [Td Th] a full house, Tens full of Kings
sakanton mucks
B4nko wins the pot ($15.54) with a full house, Tens full of Kings
sakanton adds $5.65
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $16.65 | Rake $1.11
Board: [8c 7h Ks Ts Kh]
Seat 1: Biothon folded before the Flop
Seat 2: B4nko showed [Td Th] and won ($15.54) with a full house, Tens full of Kings
Seat 3: sakanton (button) mucked [Jh Kc] - three of a kind, Kings
Seat 4: NL_Hype (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: Ta3bI (big blind) folded before the Flop

Right. Sakanton calls the flop c-bet. Usually one of two hands, the classic float with air, or top pair. So we turn a great hand and there prob really is no other play than checking here. We need to allow the top pair hands to bet for (perceived) value and the floated air hands a chance to fire a bluff; and we were correct in our assumption that our opponent would bet. Raise or call? I decided to call since a raise is likely to fold out the bluffs and possibly some top pair hands as well - we want to get an extra bet on the river. The river turns an exceptional card for us. Villain has already bluffed a king, so he'd likely feel really good about firing a second barrel on this river. Not only that, but any top pair hand is now going to bet for value. This is where I made my mistake. I didn't reraise all-in. Any bluff is going to fold to any raise, but trip kings are likely never folding for the extra buck or two. I was gutted after I made the smaller reraise and realised my folly. Ah well :(

Tightened up and concentrating harder

So, played another 1000 hands or so tonight after doing all that analysis earlier. Have really concentrated and asked myself preflop whether that particular play is likely to be profitable in the current situation. It's led me to tighten up in general and to really try and think of opponents hand ranges. So for the first time in a while I won a couple of buy-ins. Got good value from a couple of river spots and pretty thin value bets. As far as my game goes, I truly believe that with a couple more years study I'll be a quality player. At the moment though I still make alot of mistakes and am likely not aggressive enough on flops. Despite the recent downswing my love for the game is undiminished and the maths and game facets fascinate me still. The fact that I'm learning so much from pokerazor and tools like it means I still have some distance before being the complete player. Here's to learning more and hopefully becoming that which I desire... a winning player. Cheers.

More Pokerazor Analysis.

Been playing around with this software some more. Most players seem to be 3-betting about 10% of the time on average these days. So I have been trying to figure out how to adapt to this and turn it to our advantage. Some interesting things have surfaced.

Coping with a 10% 3-bettor
One method is to tighten our range so that we have good equity against his, and four bet shove after his typical 3-bet. However this means becoming a nit since we'd be raising less than ten percent of our hands. Once a few hundred hands have passed villain is bound to stop 3-betting as often and we will lose out again. Another is to four-bet (small). This is where things get interesting. If our opponent is likely to fold out most hands to a four-bet then we can profitably do this with our ENTIRE RANGE, even if we fold all but KK+ to the occasional shove. However, if we do fold all but KK+ then a good player is liable to shove HIS ENTIRE RANGE profitably back into us - and we'll lose money. I suspect that currently most players will fold out more of their range than is good for them allowing us to four bet often profitably.
The evolution of cash games
This brings me onto another subject. If two players who know the 3-bet/4-bet/5-bet maths are playing one another, it makes little sense for them to indulge in this game. In the long run neither is going to make money. Surely then, it is better for good players to see more flops and seize post flop edges off weaker players? Maybe we'll see 3-betting die out and tons of limpers in the games again. Who knows... For now, I'll be trying my best to 3-bet less, keep out the way of liberal 3-bettors unless I know for sure they are folding weakly to four bets.

Simulation - previous hand histories analysed (see prev. post)

The brilliant free application pokerazor can be used to run simulations and find whether certain betting lines are profitable or not. I analysed the two hands from the last post. I put the relevant hand ranges from the data I had into the program along with the way the hands played out. As long as my opponent c-bets alot and we are aggressive in these 3-bet pots it is profitable to play my hands this way. We have to be certain though that these players are going to c-bet most flops in a 3-bet pot. We also need to be certain that there are a bunch of non-pair hands in the range. There should be in most cases. It is still hard to say for certain if this is a good way to play the hands since both players did not c-bet every single flop. If they are being selective then the problem becomes trickier and my play potentially unprofitable. I think as a measure of safety I should narrow my range of hands for making this move. Say {QQ+, AK} or against a liberal reraiser {JJ+, AQs+, AKo}. I may be losing a little equity but at least I won't suffer as much variance. The moves I made, to be fair, are a high variance line with much that needs to be considered.

spew/spew/spew

Having a torrid time. several buy-ins down and really f*cked off with my game; Don't think I'm playing that badly - but maybe I am not paying enough attention to hand ranges. I'm not going to post bankroll on here any more, it's on a downward spiral and it looks like I'm a losing player. Ah well, I'll keep going. It's a bit of fun and the cash is only small stakes anyway. I need to look at my game. Let's show a couple of examples.

Full Tilt Poker Game #14756529485: Table Griffey (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 12:10:02 ET - 2009/09/17
Seat 1: nasi78 ($9.16)
Seat 2: JohnnyHardcore0 ($10.41)
Seat 3: proxr ($8.73)
Seat 4: B4nko ($11.95)
Seat 5: Intoksynator ($10.10)
Seat 6: 420421 ($20.45)
420421 posts the small blind of $0.05
nasi78 posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [Tc Td]
JohnnyHardcore0 folds
proxr folds
proxr stands up
B4nko raises to $0.35
Fast_pokerwoman adds $10
Intoksynator raises to $1.20
420421 folds
nasi78 folds
B4nko calls $0.85
*** FLOP *** [5c 4d 9h]
B4nko checks
Intoksynator bets $1.50
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $10.75, and is all in
Intoksynator calls $7.40, and is all in
B4nko shows [Tc Td]
Intoksynator shows [Kc Kd]
Uncalled bet of $1.85 returned to B4nko
*** TURN *** [5c 4d 9h] [6c]
*** RIVER *** [5c 4d 9h 6c] [7s]
B4nko shows a pair of Tens
Intoksynator shows a pair of Kings
Intoksynator wins the pot ($19) with a pair of Kings
B4nko adds $8.15
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $20.35 | Rake $1.35
Board: [5c 4d 9h 6c 7s]
Seat 1: nasi78 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 2: JohnnyHardcore0 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: proxr didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: B4nko showed [Tc Td] and lost with a pair of Tens
Seat 5: Intoksynator (button) showed [Kc Kd] and won ($19) with a pair of Kings
Seat 6: 420421 (small blind) folded before the Flop

Good player, he 3-bets about 13% (over a small sample) which is approx {77+, A8s+, KTs+, QTs+, ATo+, KTo+}. My hand has about 55% equity against that range. He also c-bets liberally as is correct at these stakes. So I flat the 3-bet intending to check shove an overpair to the flop or favourable board such as one which is paired. I am unsure whether this is correct. Assuming though that his range is what I aired above, I should earn equity when making this play but was unfortunate to run into the top of his range. However, am I not risking a little too much? Well, possibly. His stats indicate he continuation bets about two thirds of flops. Selective bluffing and value betting, then. Pocket tens? A little loose? Maybe...

Full Tilt Poker Game #14756529815: Table Blitz (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 12:10:03 ET - 2009/09/17
Seat 1: oilgas ($4.88), is sitting out
Seat 2: XUMU59 ($8.49)
Seat 3: RikTheHard ($7.96)
Seat 4: fuego23_17 ($16.29)
Seat 5: flesh1k ($4)
Seat 6: B4nko ($10.15)
fuego23_17 posts the small blind of $0.05
flesh1k posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [Jd Jc]
B4nko raises to $0.35
XUMU59 folds
RikTheHard folds
fuego23_17 raises to $0.75
flesh1k folds
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko calls $0.40
*** FLOP *** [5d 9d 7c]
fuego23_17 bets $1
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $9.40, and is all in
fuego23_17 calls $8.40
B4nko shows [Jd Jc]
fuego23_17 shows [Qs Qh]
*** TURN *** [5d 9d 7c] [Ts]
*** RIVER *** [5d 9d 7c Ts] [As]
B4nko shows a pair of Jacks
fuego23_17 shows a pair of Queens
fuego23_17 wins the pot ($19.04) with a pair of Queens
B4nko adds $10
B4nko is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $20.40 | Rake $1.36
Board: [5d 9d 7c Ts As]
Seat 1: oilgas is sitting out
Seat 2: XUMU59 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: RikTheHard (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: fuego23_17 (small blind) showed [Qs Qh] and won ($19.04) with a pair of Queens
Seat 5: flesh1k (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: B4nko showed [Jd Jc] and lost with a pair of Jacks

This pot was maybe a little more clear cut. I played it in a very similar fashion to the last. This player was very loose but had only 3-bet about 7% of the time: {88+, ATs+, KTs+, AQo+}. My equity here is again about 55%. After I call the 3-bet I intend to reraise shove a favourable board. Again he c-bets and I shove and run into a better hand. Now, this player had aggressive stats so I felt that letting him see a turn and river card would lead to a stack decision later in the hand, and that any overcards would devalue my hand strength. So do I weakly fold my good hand? If I reraise small I'm pot committed to a shove anyway. Am I being harsh? Or is my biggest leak calling 3-bets too loosely? In this case remember, I had raised UTG and thus it's reasonable to assume that the 3-bet range is tighter. But include non-pair hands and I still have really good equity. Sigh, that's the game I suppose. Think I'll have a mini break now - just log on enough to earn the final slice of the full tilt money - got 8 more days to qualify. I'll play enough to get it and no more until I've worked more on my game.

Tough times....

Down to 425 again. Games felt really tough tonight. I'm convinced the games over at poker stars are easier to beat in terms of stealing equity. What I mean is that you can pound on those players and win alot of small pots. On FTilt it becomes a game of chicken where the most aggressive - smart - players win the money. I've been studying my winnings graph for the last 20k hands(generated by poker tracker database software). There was growth over at stars during the first 10k hands. When I moved over to FTilt to get the promotion money my graph flattened suggesting I'd either become a poorer player or that I was not strong enough to beat the new games. Recently as my non showdown winnings have increased I've noticed a slight upward movement again. Tonight I actually won about $10 without showdown which is great. Unfortunately I ran kings into aces and got it in with a draw without hitting outs so my showdown winnings cancelled this out. So I guess, when sitting at a table I must figure out immediately if I'm likely to have good steal or showdown equity or even both. One of the tables I played there was a good tag to my left who outplayed me two or three times. Clearly I had little steal equity against this player since he owned the better position against me at the table. So strategy dictates I tighten up and play purely for value - or leave and find better hunting ground, which I did.

Bit of a rush currently

Full Tilt Bankroll (BR) up to 446 today despite yet again running into an overset to mine lol. I've now realised how much money I was losing in 3-bet pots by playing fit or fold on the flop. Huge leak in my game... The last three sessions has seen me make a profit from the redline - the non showdown winnings. This is a huge step in the right direction for my game. I must be careful though and ensure I don't become exploitable. Another goal - mentioned before - is to learn hand ranges. PTracker shows how many hands opponents play/raise/3bet etc so it would be nice to be able to picture in my head the kinds of hands that are likely to fall into those boundaries. This can then lead to better flop decision making. Anyhow, all done now for the day and things going nicely. Nice to have some things going my way despite the sets losing me money! Good luck

Edit: last post, really

Felt like playing some more and confidence was sky high, hand reading seemed to be in the zone... so BR now $420. That's it for today. No, really...

sick game, sick game

Two hand histories at the bottom of the post. Twice this evening and four times recently run into an overset :@ however the session was actually a very good one. I have improved my post - flop strategy... in particular for 3-bet pots. I was helped by the exceptional section in the e-book "small stakes no limit hold em" on the 3/4/5 bet game. I shan't give anything away since that book is basically money in the pocket in terms of advice for beating the games. I stress again it's very very good... and you'll need it soon because even current winning strategies are going to become losers quite quickly versus opponents clued in to this advice. The review for that book will be posted. Probably next month though since I'd like to memorise every paragraph, lol.
Right, down to the details I finished with bankroll at a nice proud 400 bucks. I should clear $10 bonus by the end of the weekend when the bonus deal expires. As for my play, I made $5 from money won without showdown - my increased aggression paying dividends. Now for the hands. First underset of the day. Pretty standard. Second is another underset but I don't lose the pot... Gotta love it when you hit your only card to the better hand!


Full Tilt Poker Game #14627694696: Table Naples (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 13:45:52 ET - 2009/09/11
Seat 1: Gili Gol ($7.53)
Seat 2: merickso5168 ($14.76)
Seat 3: Prodigium ($12.09)
Seat 4: tikititoo ($10.79)
Seat 5: B4nko ($10)
Seat 6: CDerfel ($8.95)
CDerfel posts the small blind of $0.05
Gili Gol posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [4d 4s]
merickso5168 raises to $0.35
Prodigium folds
tikititoo folds
B4nko calls $0.35
CDerfel raises to $0.80
Gili Gol folds
merickso5168 calls $0.45
B4nko calls $0.45
*** FLOP *** [Qc 6s 4c]
CDerfel bets $0.90
merickso5168 calls $0.90
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $2
CDerfel has 15 seconds left to act
CDerfel folds
merickso5168 has 15 seconds left to act
merickso5168 raises to $5
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $8
merickso5168 raises to $13.96, and is all in
B4nko calls $1.20, and is all in
merickso5168 shows [6h 6d]
B4nko shows [4d 4s]
Uncalled bet of $4.76 returned to merickso5168
*** TURN *** [Qc 6s 4c] [Td]
*** RIVER *** [Qc 6s 4c Td] [Jh]
merickso5168 shows three of a kind, Sixes
B4nko shows three of a kind, Fours
merickso5168 wins the pot ($20.35) with three of a kind, Sixes
Prodigium: wow
B4nko adds $10
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $21.80 | Rake $1.45
Board: [Qc 6s 4c Td Jh]
Seat 1: Gili Gol (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 2: merickso5168 showed [6h 6d] and won ($20.35) with three of a kind, Sixes
Seat 3: Prodigium didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: tikititoo didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: B4nko (button) showed [4d 4s] and lost with three of a kind, Fours
Seat 6: CDerfel (small blind) folded on the Flop

Full Tilt Poker Game #14627246816: Table Baffy (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 13:19:37 ET - 2009/09/11
Seat 1: MyxaMop ($2.98)
Seat 2: B4nko ($10.38)
Seat 3: Lets_rock_ru ($10.37)
Seat 4: JonkoNW ($9.20)
Seat 5: NapoleoniC ($20.26)
Seat 6: Bluecreep31 ($10.74)
MyxaMop posts the small blind of $0.05
B4nko posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [5s 5c]
Lets_rock_ru has 15 seconds left to act
Lets_rock_ru raises to $0.30
JonkoNW folds
NapoleoniC folds
Bluecreep31 folds
MyxaMop folds
B4nko calls $0.20
*** FLOP *** [As 5d 8d]
B4nko checks
Lets_rock_ru has 15 seconds left to act
Lets_rock_ru bets $0.50
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko calls $0.50
*** TURN *** [As 5d 8d] [Js]
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko checks
Lets_rock_ru has 15 seconds left to act
Lets_rock_ru bets $1.20
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $3.05
Lets_rock_ru has 15 seconds left to act
Lets_rock_ru has requested TIME
Lets_rock_ru raises to $9
B4nko raises to $9.58, and is all in
Lets_rock_ru calls $0.57, and is all in
B4nko shows [5s 5c]
Lets_rock_ru shows [8h 8c]
Uncalled bet of $0.01 returned to B4nko
*** RIVER *** [As 5d 8d Js] [5h]
B4nko shows four of a kind, Fives
Lets_rock_ru shows a full house, Eights full of Fives
B4nko wins the pot ($19.41) with four of a kind, Fives
Lets_rock_ru adds $10
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $20.79 | Rake $1.38
Board: [As 5d 8d Js 5h]
Seat 1: MyxaMop (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 2: B4nko (big blind) showed [5s 5c] and won ($19.41) with four of a kind, Fives
Seat 3: Lets_rock_ru showed [8h 8c] and lost with a full house, Eights full of Fives
Seat 4: JonkoNW didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: NapoleoniC didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: Bluecreep31 (button) didn't bet (folded)

wow!!!!! I win 2 percent of the time from that turn. So, So sick.

Hmmmmmmmph.

Right, br down to 380 after recent 1000 hands. Not sure about my play at the moment. Basically, like I said previously, I really need to judiciously bluff a little more. Now, I usually continuation bet, but my overall aggression frequency hovers around half the time. We hit the flop about a third of the time so your fit or folders would play approximately a third of flops. So half doesn't sound unreasonable to me if you include a little bluffing. But I seem to be losing too much to the 'red - line' - in otherwords my winnings without showdown is negative. This means that I must win more money at showdown to compensate. My stats seem a little passive but I'm being very harsh I think. Tonight the hands I lost money on were... I called after an opponent played a weird line for stacks and he had AK against my AQ. Another hand I 3-bet a button raiser, again with AQ and got flatted. C-bet a blank flop and then got the money in on the turn when villain hit straight when a queen came. So here his call with suited connectors is ok if he thinks he can bluff me alot of the time - prob true as I play too much of a 'fof' mentality in 3-bet pots. So ok, the last big pot I lost was when I ran into top set with my middle set on the flop. Sigh. Still, can't moan too much as only $10 down on bankroll. Not sure where to take my game... Still, in experience terms I've only got a few tens of thousand hands in experience so maybe I just need to playplayplay and those ideal spots will become easier to find... Must also remember that we can't win every session. It may be that I'm not getting great cards at the moment so I think I need to carry on playing solidly in my current mould and should I be breaking even after another 20k hands or so then try and alter my strategy then. Plus I really think the PStars games are softer... Once this bonus and pay to play deal is up I should probably think about moving back over.

Good day at the micros...

... is a profit of $20. Bankroll now up to $388. Have really been trying to get out of the "fit or fold" mentality. This means more aggression in places and more 3 - betting. A fof mentality is where you see flops and play when you hit and fold if you don't. A classic example is the set - miner. Now in some games this style can make money, but table selection is critical. You need at least one very loose aggressive player - an elephant/bully/drunk - call him/her what you will. Talking of table selection I've been trying to find fishy players to sit with. Often they won't stay for long but while they're there things can happen, like this: A complete fish is hurling the stack around the table every hand but people are generally staying out of his way. About eight hands in I'm lucky enough to be dealt AK. {AJ+, KQ, 99+} is probably the range I'd think of getting the stack in preflop against someone so crazy. As it turns out that looks very tight... I four - bet to 2.95 after he repopped me planning to instacall a shove. He shoves, I call, he had J9o! Crazy, it turns out I could have got the money in considerably looser! Finally, a couple of hands against a more straightforward player. The action in the second hand is likely related to the first.
Hand 1.
Full Tilt Poker Game #14561253230: Table Energy (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 11:58:01 ET - 2009/09/08
Seat 1: qute1 ($7.05)
Seat 2: nubbles7 ($7.63)
Seat 3: JippsyBO ($4.36)
Seat 4: B4nko ($11.43)
Seat 5: kraken12 ($10)
Seat 6: Morckus ($10.30)
B4nko posts the small blind of $0.05
kraken12 posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [6s 7s]
Morckus folds
qute1 raises to $0.35
nubbles7 folds
JippsyBO folds
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $1.15
kraken12 folds
kraken12 adds $0.10
qute1 calls $0.80
*** FLOP *** [4c 4h 5h]
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko checks
qute1 has 15 seconds left to act
qute1 bets $1.40
B4nko raises to $6.80
qute1 has 15 seconds left to act
qute1 folds
qute1 adds $3
Uncalled bet of $5.40 returned to B4nko
B4nko mucks
B4nko wins the pot ($4.86)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $5.20 | Rake $0.34
Board: [4c 4h 5h]
Seat 1: qute1 folded on the Flop
Seat 2: nubbles7 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: JippsyBO (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: B4nko (small blind) collected ($4.86), mucked
Seat 5: kraken12 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 6: Morckus didn't bet (folded)
I like to occasionally semi - bluff reraise suited connectors preflop - so that my handstrength is not telegraphed when I do reraise. Sometimes I bluff... Tbh I was expecting a fold from this player, who looked solid. The flop gives me a big draw, but a c - bet is likely to get either a fold or a shove. Neither is good since I'd prob have to fold to the shove. So I elect to check, allowing myself a free card OR a chance to shove myself where my pot equity added to my fold equity gives me plenty of value. Sure enough, villain leads and I get to shove and I get the fold I'm after. Now, a little while later.
Hand 2.
Full Tilt Poker Game #14561422254: Table Energy (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 12:10:18 ET - 2009/09/08
Seat 1: qute1 ($8.90)
Seat 2: josean325 ($2)
Seat 3: JippsyBO ($6.04)
Seat 4: B4nko ($14.59)
Seat 5: kraken12 ($10.86)
Seat 6: Morckus ($10)
JippsyBO posts the small blind of $0.05
B4nko posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [Tc Ts]
kraken12 folds
Morckus folds
qute1 raises to $0.35
josean325 folds
JippsyBO folds
B4nko raises to $1.10
qute1 calls $0.75
*** FLOP *** [Th Jc 8h]
B4nko bets $1.35
qute1 calls $1.35
*** TURN *** [Th Jc 8h] [Qd]
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko bets $1.95
qute1 has 15 seconds left to act
qute1 raises to $6.45, and is all in
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko calls $4.50
qute1 shows [7d Kd]
B4nko shows [Tc Ts]
*** RIVER *** [Th Jc 8h Qd] [2c]
qute1 shows King Queen high
B4nko shows three of a kind, Tens
B4nko wins the pot ($16.66) with three of a kind, Tens
qute1 adds $4
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $17.85 | Rake $1.19
Board: [Th Jc 8h Qd 2c]
Seat 1: qute1 showed [7d Kd] and lost with King Queen high
Seat 2: josean325 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: JippsyBO (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: B4nko (big blind) showed [Tc Ts] and won ($16.66) with three of a kind, Tens
Seat 5: kraken12 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: Morckus didn't bet (folded)
It now looks like our villain is not folding many hands preflop to a three bet. This makes his range quite wide. I flop a big hand a c - bet - as I normally would. Unfortunately the turn brings in a danger card. I think, given this player and the loose calling range; added to the history from the previous hand we should just commit our stack here. Check/Call, Bet/Call whatever. As it was I thought I'd throw out a blocking bet. When villain shoved I almost cried. After a good deal of thought and knowing that I still had some equity even against a straight I called as the odds were quite good by now. Against a dangerous player who rarely called a 3 - bet I think check folding the turn is best. Even now I wonder if that line would have been better here... this board is pretty dangerous to bluff - even though it turns out that that was the case.

Monday, and the games smell a little fishy...

Right, unfortunately I only won $4 tonight, but the games were so full of bad players I'm devestated I didn't make more to be honest. I cleared another 10 dollars bonus though so profit $14 dollars. Bankroll is stuck at 369; I have a bad session, and then a good one at the moment. However as long as I break even and continue to play every day FT will pay 50 bucks at the end of the month... Awesome.
1500 hands played. I don't often play this many but I really felt I was playing well, and so I just wanted to keep going, even though at one point I was over 20 dollars down. I had some bad luck I think. Here's a couple of hands.

Hand 1.

Full Tilt Poker Game #14542247587: Table Crater (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 15:20:03 ET - 2009/09/07
Seat 1: B4nko ($10)
Seat 2: Define Me1 ($8.47)
Seat 3: chevychief ($10.97)
Seat 4: jing1988 ($10.07)
Seat 5: Popsicle22 ($5)
Seat 6: funkyfinancial ($12.77)
funkyfinancial posts the small blind of $0.05
B4nko posts the big blind of $0.10
jing1988 posts a dead small blind of $0.05
jing1988 posts $0.10
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [9c Ad]
Define Me1 calls $0.10
chevychief folds
jing1988 checks
Popsicle22 folds
funkyfinancial folds
B4nko raises to $0.50
Define Me1 calls $0.40
jing1988 folds
*** FLOP *** [9s As Ts]
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko bets $0.65
Define Me1 raises to $7.97, and is all in
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko calls $7.32
Define Me1 shows [Tc Ks]
B4nko shows [9c Ad]
*** TURN *** [9s As Ts] [8d]
*** RIVER *** [9s As Ts 8d] [Jd]
Define Me1 shows a pair of Tens
B4nko shows two pair, Aces and Nines
B4nko wins the pot ($16) with two pair, Aces and Nines
Define Me1 is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $17.14 | Rake $1.14
Board: [9s As Ts 8d Jd]
Seat 1: B4nko (big blind) showed [9c Ad] and won ($16) with two pair, Aces and Nines
Seat 2: Define Me1 showed [Tc Ks] and lost with a pair of Tens
Seat 3: chevychief didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: jing1988 folded before the Flop
Seat 5: Popsicle22 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: funkyfinancial (small blind) folded before the Flop

This player had only just sat down but had played every hand but one, and also very aggressively. The shove just looked drawish. Most players at these stakes will not balance their overbet shove ranges and will only do it with draws. If this was a good player it's a tough decision but with not enough information I have to assume that the line is a drawing hand. Somehow my hand held up...

Hand 2.

Full Tilt Poker Game #14539992461: Table Victor (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 13:36:51 ET - 2009/09/07
Seat 1: dealing1 ($5.02)
Seat 2: 007 Timmy 007 ($23.91)
Seat 3: notyuh ($9.60)
Seat 4: j peltier ($3.41)
Seat 5: DT Rules ($12.74)
Seat 6: B4nko ($10)
B4nko posts the small blind of $0.05
dealing1 posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [5h 5s]
007 Timmy 007 folds
notyuh folds
notyuh adds $0.40
j peltier calls $0.10
DT Rules calls $0.10
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko calls $0.05
dealing1 checks
*** FLOP *** [Jd 5c Th]
B4nko checks
dealing1 has 15 seconds left to act
dealing1 checks
j peltier bets $0.40
DT Rules calls $0.40
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $1.50
dealing1 folds
j peltier has 15 seconds left to act
j peltier raises to $3.31, and is all in
DT Rules has 15 seconds left to act
DT Rules calls $2.91
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $9.90, and is all in
DT Rules calls $6.59
B4nko shows [5h 5s]
j peltier shows [Td As]
DT Rules shows [9d 8s]
*** TURN *** [Jd 5c Th] [6s]
*** RIVER *** [Jd 5c Th 6s] [9s]
B4nko shows three of a kind, Fives
DT Rules shows a pair of Nines
B4nko wins the side pot ($12.30) with three of a kind, Fives
j peltier shows a pair of Tens
B4nko wins the main pot ($9.65) with three of a kind, Fives
j peltier is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $23.51 Main pot $10.33. Side pot $13.18. | Rake $1.56
Board: [Jd 5c Th 6s 9s]
Seat 1: dealing1 (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: 007 Timmy 007 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 3: notyuh didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: j peltier showed [Td As] and lost with a pair of Tens
Seat 5: DT Rules (button) showed [9d 8s] and lost with a pair of Nines
Seat 6: B4nko (small blind) showed [5h 5s] and won ($21.95) with three of a kind, Fives

DT rules was playing very fishily. Two thirds of hands, and very aggressive. I didn't raise, I felt that my hand needed no steal equity with DT in the pot, I thought that there was plenty of set value. So we hit, DT goes crazy; j peltier joins in, ship the change.

Hand 3.

Full Tilt Poker Game #14542139350: Table Good (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 15:15:37 ET - 2009/09/07
Seat 1: Getin111 ($9.15)
Seat 2: sassykat75 ($4)
Seat 3: B4nko ($22.78)
Seat 4: AAeXinAA ($10.14)
Seat 5: LostOutsider ($10), is sitting out
Seat 6: WouDer86 ($2.14)
AAeXinAA posts the small blind of $0.05
WouDer86 posts the big blind of $0.10
sassykat75 posts $0.10
The button is in seat #3
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [Jd As]
Getin111 raises to $0.45
sassykat75 calls $0.35
LostOutsider has returned
B4nko calls $0.45
AAeXinAA folds
AAeXinAA stands up
WouDer86 folds
*** FLOP *** [Td Qs 5s]
Getin111 bets $1.10
sassykat75 folds
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko calls $1.10
*** TURN *** [Td Qs 5s] [Kc]
domino54 sits down
Getin111 checks
B4nko bets $2.95
Getin111 raises to $7.60, and is all in
B4nko calls $4.65
Getin111 shows [Ac Ad]
B4nko shows [Jd As]
*** RIVER *** [Td Qs 5s Kc] [3c]
domino54 adds $4
Getin111 shows a pair of Aces
B4nko shows a straight, Ace high
B4nko wins the pot ($17.64) with a straight, Ace high
Getin111 is sitting out
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $18.90 | Rake $1.26
Board: [Td Qs 5s Kc 3c]
Seat 1: Getin111 showed [Ac Ad] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 2: sassykat75 folded on the Flop
Seat 3: B4nko (button) showed [Jd As] and won ($17.64) with a straight, Ace high
Seat 4: AAeXinAA (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 5: LostOutsider is sitting out
Seat 6: WouDer86 (big blind) folded before the Flop

Right, the intitial raiser was a nit. To be honest I think my call preflop may be a mistake. The overcall tempted me to play, and I felt that I would have some steal equity against such a tight player so maybe it isn't... Anyway the flop gives me a gutshot. My intention by flatting the c-bet was to bluff my stack on a scare card such as any spade, a card that pairs the board etc etc. Happily though, I turn the nuts and despite the pretty scary board Mr Nit can't fold his aces. This is critical for the initial call - I felt that there was good implied odds and steal equity against this player. There often is against nitty types if you have position. I got lucky to turn the nuts though. Finally a hand I fucked up on...

Hand 4.

Full Tilt Poker Game #14540590872: Table Crater (6 max) - $0.05/$0.10 - No Limit Hold'em - 14:06:38 ET - 2009/09/07
Seat 1: B4nko ($10)
Seat 2: moka76 ($11.61)
Seat 3: Pr3te ($9.89)
Seat 4: jing1988 ($4.86)
Seat 5: nilven ($10.33)
Seat 6: pinstripesuit ($1.70)
moka76 posts the small blind of $0.05
Pr3te posts the big blind of $0.10
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to B4nko [5c Ad]
jing1988 folds
nilven folds
pinstripesuit folds
B4nko raises to $0.35
moka76 calls $0.30
Pr3te folds
*** FLOP *** [Td As 5s]
moka76 checks
B4nko bets $0.50
moka76 calls $0.50
*** TURN *** [Td As 5s] [7h]
moka76 checks
B4nko bets $1.35
moka76 raises to $5.85
B4nko has 15 seconds left to act
B4nko raises to $9.15, and is all in
moka76 calls $3.30
B4nko shows [5c Ad]
moka76 shows [7s Ah]
*** RIVER *** [Td As 5s 7h] [3d]
B4nko shows two pair, Aces and Fives
moka76 shows two pair, Aces and Sevens
moka76 wins the pot ($18.76) with two pair, Aces and Sevens
B4nko adds $10
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $20.10 | Rake $1.34
Board: [Td As 5s 7h 3d]
Seat 1: B4nko (button) showed [5c Ad] and lost with two pair, Aces and Fives
Seat 2: moka76 (small blind) showed [7s Ah] and won ($18.76) with two pair, Aces and Sevens
Seat 3: Pr3te (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: jing1988 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: nilven didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: pinstripesuit didn't bet (folded)

Again the villain was very fishy. Playing half the hands and very aggressively. I just couldn't figure the turn overbet out to be honest and decided my two pair could be good. It's hard to say tbh... Against such a loose aggressive player it could be that I just ran into the top of his range. It happens I guess.

Big leak in game...

this is what happens... a loose - ish player reraises (3 - bets) my button raise as he has done a couple of times already. I have a hand in the top of my range, in this case AQo. So I four - bet back, where he then shoves over the top. Now... He would prob fold most of his bluffs here so the shove at the end is indicative of a range such as... {AK+, QQ+} or maybe even tighter. My hand has 24.4% equity against this range. I called getting slightly worse than 2/1 so I am spewing 9% every time I make this call which is horrible. I really need to tighten up in this situation; that has angered me. I talked myself into calling which is just bad play. Only a single buy - in but mistakes like this can make a huge difference to win rate. Out of interest what sort of range would make this call ok? {AQ+, TT+} gives me ok odds getting 2/1 to call. Loose fishy players, then, would be good candidates to call here. But my opponent looked solid - meaning his range for the shove is never this wide. Played another two hands for stacks today. One, against a player who was playing half his hands and also very aggressively I got it in with KK overpair against his KJ top pair. Against a tight player I'd have had a tough decision but here the money must go in. Decisions for stacks are SO player dependent and I really feel I'm leaking money by overcommitting against good players. The second hand is another example of this. I had three bet TT which is standard and got a call from the original raiser. This is usually a range like {AQ+, 22 - JJ}. The flop c-bet was called and we both checked the turn. Now I make my set on the river but it also made a four straight for the villain should he have a queen - def in his range. It's also a good board to bluff for my opponent if he rates to have little showdown equity. In other words his low pair will rarely ever be best so these hands might try and bet should I check. Also, it's such a dangerous board that I don't think I'm getting called should I bet since many of the two pair hands that would make this acceptable should have folded to my three bet. But I bet anyway when a check call line makes much more sense. When he then shoved I was getting tons of odds to call - I did, and low and behold saw the queen. So lessons for the day are:
1 Deciphering hand ranges is CRITICAL for profitability.
2 Hand ranges are entirely player dependent.

Some play this evening

Well bankroll on FT up to 369 after a good session. Won some big pots off a total fish and also got lucky when I got it in with a pair and nut flush draw. I called getting 1.5/1 which means that against a tight range it was a small mistake and if he was doing it with draws as well it's an ok call. Players at these stakes tend to occasionally goof up with over pairs and things so I think while this call was marginal I suspect it wasn't terrible. Just not that profitable either. I now have played 4 days of the Full Tilt promotion so if I play tomorrow I recieve a nice 5 buck bonus just for playing. This deal is so damn good it's crazy! Going to set a little challenge... I quite fancy a new laptop so going to try and reach $800 asap. Will prob take nearly 100,000 hands though so will likely take some time. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

Downswing begins...

Right, it seems the inevitable downswing has begun. I feel I've been playing ok, my winnings without showdown are improving with every session as my play gets better but unfortunately my luck has run out. Ran QQ into KK yesterday against a very loose player - I thought his range was huge (99+, AQ+) so got the stack in. Today I ran into a set of jacks with my set of twos and AA were sucked out on. I've expected to have a little downturn at some point. I do think I'm still playing reasonably well though - time will tell I guess. Also, have just purchased an e-book by some authors I respect hugely... Ed Miller, Sunny Mehta and Matt Flynn's Small Stakes No Limit Hold em. It's quite pricey but since I've got books by these author's before and they write so well I felt it was worth it. Has certainly got me thinking. Will need to read a few times as some concepts are quite advanced but I truly believe that a thorough analysis of this book will lead to strong play. I may do a full review once I've finished reading... so far it's been outstanding though and the posters over at the 2+2 forums are hugely excited by it. If anyone ever reads this blog you can get the book at http://smallstakesnolimitholdem.com/.
I'm still playing over at Full Tilt on the 0.05/0.10c tables. Nearly cleared some more bonus - I've got about a week to go with that and might clear another $20 by then which would help soften the recent blow to bankroll. There's also an amazing promotion where if you play at least two tables at once throughout September they pay double the fpp points; not only that but every five days you play they pay you money! If you play five days you get $5, 10 days you get $15, 15 days you get $25 and 25 days a whopping $50!! There is no minimum play time so if I don't bank the full 50 bucks I'm a fucking idiot. That's going to help the bankroll alot...