Monday Night

10-20

Notables at the table include 1Mastermind two to my left and chicagocards1 three to my right.

Limp A4o on button blinds check. Flop K96 two clubs checked around. Turn 9 SB bets we fold.

Watching the end of the SCOOP 10k event. PearlJammer gets in with 22 against JJ three-handed and the flop comes J22. But he is out a few hands later after losing AQ to JT and KQ to AT.

Limp A6o button SB folds Mastermind checks. Flop A84 two diamonds he checks I bet he calls. Turn 5h check-check. River T he checks I bet biggish he calls with an unexpected 99.

Dipthrong takes a seat across the table.

Chicagocards raises to 70 and I fold QJo from the cutoff, which has been an auto-call for me the last couple weeks. But he is a solid player and I want to watch for a bit more.

15-30

Music: Asking For Flowers by Kathleen Edwards.

Mastermind makes it 90 UTG. Cutoff calls, button calls, I make it 478 in the SB with AQ of diamonds. Mastermind folds, cutoff folds, button calls. Flop 632 two diamonds so the play is to bet small enough that I can 3-bet allin if he raises so I bet half the pot and he folds.

UTG limps I limp A8o button blinds call. Flop Q72 Mastermind bets out big we fold.

Raise KK EP BB calls. Flop AJ2 two spades check-check. Turn Q check-check. River Ts he checks I bet ¾ pot the cocktail waitress knows I have KK but the BB still finds a call with AQ.

20-40

EP limps SB calls I check Q4dd in BB. Flop A54 one diamond checked around. Turn Td checked around. River A checked around I win.

Other than the two big hands seeing a lot of total rags. One of the biggest adjustments I have made is playing all the 97 through KT type hands in early and late position but I have not had many of these so far.

The SCOOP 10k event ends with a spectacular all-in river checkraise bluff by Ragen70, called by j.thaddeus who rivered a flush. Both those guys played fantastic poker throughout the tournament. I watched quite a bit of it and think it was probably the toughest $10k event in poker history. There are so many Ragen70s and j.thaddeuses out there right now playing at a really high level.

Mastermind raises early I call with QTss in BB. Flop a glorious AKJ rainbow. I check he bets 155 I decide to just call. Turn 5s (second spade, this just keeps getting better and better) I check he checks. River 7 I check he bets 475 I make it 1560 he calls with AQ.

Guy named Trashman raises 3x I call two behind him with A6s. Flop 632 two diamonds he bets 200. I decide to give him the chance to outplay me by making it 451 he complies by making it 1480 and I fold.

Raise A7s cutoff next hand win uncontested.

25-50

Dipthrong raises 3x UTG, Trashman calls, I call with 54 clubs, guy behind me Nemesis calls. Flop 432 two spades checked to me and I check which is questionable. Nemesis bets a little more than half pot, other two fold and I call. Turn Tc I check, Nemesis (who has played tight and not played a big pot thus far bets a big with 3200 behind. I end up folding, just doesn’t seem like this guy is messing around here.

Raise next hand KTo MP all fold.

Raise two later with KQs Mastermind calls BB Trashman calls. Flop 886 checked around. Turn 5 Trash bets we fold.

Trash raises button 3x I call in BB with K9o. Flop QJ6 two spades I check and call an average bet. Turn 4 I check-fold to a solid bet.

Hijack raises I call from cutoff with J9o. Flop 965r he bets 2/3 pot I call. Turn 6 he checks I bet a little less than half pot he folds.

Raise next hand K2s (the wildebeest) Mastermind calls from button on a shrinking stack. Flop KhTh7d my initial thought was to check-call here but I bet 181 and he quickly makes it 588 with 2200 behind. You guys might jump all over me here but I laid the hand down. Based on how he was playing I felt like it was pretty unlikely he was bluffing. He could have several big draw hands that he would get it in with, a slowplayed AA, KT, a set, or AK (setting up a preflop squeeze from the blinds so he could jam). Could he have something like AJ or J9 no hearts? Maybe.

Raise the next hand KQo Mastermind calls again flop 652 two hearts I bet thinking he won’t mess around without the goods he folds.

30-60

Raise J9s second position all fold.

Raise ATs UTG next hand I have played 6 of the last 9 hands all fold.

Trashman raises cutoff I fold A8o in SB.

Fold T5s cutoff first time in one of these I mention that I folded a piece of crap like T5s.

Raise JJ UTG dipthrong reraises 3x from the cutoff. I have been waiting for this. Many of the strong tournament regulars absolutely love making this play, particularly against a big stack who is raising a lot (me). Flop K92 two diamonds I check he bets a little more than half the pot and I call. Turn 6 I check he bets exactly half the pot I think and fold. Later, puzzling over it, I decide I should fold the flop or call the turn. Not happy with myself after that one. Against a guy like dipthrong I am better off 4-betting preflop or calling at least two barrels and maybe three. That was a spew.

Next hand Chicago raises from the cutoff and I call in the BB with TT. Flop K54 all clubs (I have a club) I check he bets 240 I call. Turn Kd I bet 492 he calls. River Ah I check he bets 800 (a little less than half pot) I fold. Don’t think I am good there often enough to call.

Button raises I fold A3o in SB.

First break which I needed. I have a little less than starting stack which is discouraging after a good start, discouraging cause I lost the money with strong hands, discouraging cause I misplayed that JJ hand against dipthrong, and discouraging because I may have been outplayed by online tournament specialists.

I flicked on the tube briefly where Grindhouse, the best movie released in 2007, was just getting started. The opening credit sequence got me fired up to get back up there and kick some ass:


40-80

Raise 76 hearts UTG Mastermind calls and BB calls. Flop 9c5c2h BB checks I bet a little less than 2/3 pot they both fold.

Raise A5s hijack Nemesis reraises big cutoff I fold.

50-100

Raise ATo to 245 on button Nemesis makes it 845 from the SB. I call. This is another adjustment I have made lately, is calling the reraise quite a bit in position. I am constantly searching for ways to say “screw you” to the army of 3-bettors and this is probably the best. In the past I had been folding way too much to the reraise. Flop comes T96 two diamonds he checks I bet half pot (which I would do with every hand except the monster draw in this situation) he folds.

Diphtrong raises early Trashman calls and I fold A8s in position.

Mastermind makes a very small raise from early position to 222. I have AK in the BB. He has 2200 behind. I just call. Flop A52 check-check. Turn T I bet 3/5 pot he folds instantly.

Ibleedbenjamins raises from the hijack and I call from the cutoff with AJss. BB on a very short stack thinks a long time and then just calls. Flop T63 two clubs BB checks benjamins bets 60% pot I fold.

Benjamins limps UTG I limp right behind him with 99. Button limps as well. Flop AsQs9d checked to me I bet 367 into 540. Button calls and then so does Trash from the BB. Turn Qd BB checks I think for a bit and then bet very small, 568. They both own me and fold. Thought for sure at least one would call and one might raise. Should have checked.

60-120

Benjamins limps from SB I raise a little less than 3x from the BB with T9o. He calls. Flop 8h5c2c he checks I bet 2/3 pot he calls. Turn Jh he checks I bet 916 which is a little less than 2/3 pot he uses the time bank and then raises to 2620 which is a little more than half his stack. Okay I don’t think I can do anything but fold but what does he have…in a rough order of most likely to least likely:

1. 65 hearts, 75 hearts, A5 hearts, A2 hearts, etc.
2. J8
3. 76 hearts, A4 hearts, A3 hearts,
3. Jx clubs
4. 22
5. Total move
6. 55
7. AJ, KJ

If we were deep enough I would call here as his hand is likely not that huge or even if it is I have outs but we are not so I fold.

80-160

Raise 44 cutoff to 399 Nemesis calls on the button then Mastermind ships it for 2613 from the SB. I fold, Nemesis calls with KQ and beats Mastermind’s A9.

Raise A8o cutoff win.

Fold KTo UTG.

Fold 53s hijack.

100-200

Fold JTo MP.

Raise QJo next hand Chicago jams from BB I fold.

Raise ATo 2nd pos next hand Nemesis reraises right behind me again fold.

Guy jams for 3k EP I call in BB with QQ he has 88 river 8.

Next hand I have 503 chips, 100 which go into the small blind. Dipthrong min-raises MP. I have K4o. Thoughts on how to play the 3-5x BB stack? I can put it in here or wait a round for a spot. I end up folding.

Next hand Chicago raises LP I call all-in with A9o and lose to his QQ.