Session 150 Hawaiian Garden 5/5/10 NL (-$1425)

Session 150, this mark the one year completion of my poker journey, it was a humbling session.  Won my very first hand and was in the profit of $800+ The session was only 2hours long and I lost the maximum (-$1425).  Making mistakes of being greedy, try to proof something and most importantly value owned myself in 3 big pots.  

Bought in for (=$650). My first hand was CO Ac10c in a bomb pot. The flop was Jc7c3h. I have the nut flush draw. BB bet 75, $LJ called, I was deciding to raise or call for a free card, BB is an aggressive player I decided to just call. Turn comes another club, BB checked, LJ bet $200. At this moment I can either flat call to get the BB in or just jam with about $350 behind. I decided to jam, BB folded and LJ tank called. River blink. Took down the first bomb pot and doubled up (=$1480)

Ok great start on Session 150, but here is where I get humble by my lack of self control and the being naive that I can win and stack everyone in every pot.

The downfall of Rome

  • 72o in the third blind (5/5/10) facing a free flop.

I been trying to get better at not playing crappy hands even if it seems to be a great value. I am in third blind looking down 72o. 5 limps/calls to me, well I have to take the free flop right? or should I try to get out of this situation by taking this down pre flop, looking back probably should try that.

I check and the flop is 763r, well what do we have here, top pair and bottom kicker. BB a pro bet $50, well i can’t fold top pair, I have position and BB is capable to make a move, so I decided to call and hope for a 7 or 2 on the turn. Folded around and CO (OMC) called. Turn was a 2. I was like ok is a limp pot I beat every 7X, BB bet 100, there are possible straight out there and the 72 is somewhat hidden, 2pairs not good enough to raise but good enough to call down. I called and CO called. River is a K. Now the board is 763,2,Kr. BB checked, Ok at this point my greediness kicks in, instead of checking i bet out $150 targeting a sight call from the BB and didn’t hear from CO I wasn’t too worry about it. CO counted out his chips and decided to go all in for additional $325. BB folded, and now I am tanking, what can the K do on the river for CO. He called the whole way he might have a 7X or maybe flopped 63.

As you guessed from the title, CO showed 54s for a flopped straight.

Mistakes I made

Focused solely only on BB. Because he deemed to be an more experience player and was the one that betting out flop and turn.

Fall in love with my 2 cards. I was calling for 7 or 2 on the turn, once I got it I committed my stack to it.

Got greedy and didn’t stick to the plan, two pairs is great, however I knew there were many other hidden hands, I counted for straight on flop, however the lack of actions from CO I ruled it out. My plan was check call it down. However the K on the river and the check by the BB threw me off and I was greedy and hoping to get more value out of BB.

Didn’t identify CO as OMC earlier, he is an OMC. When he pushed his chips out on the river I should of fold.

  • 98o in a bomb pot.

Bomb pot is a different game, you never know what people will show up with. I see people winning a huge pot with bottom pair also people losing boat over boat. I play a lot tighter in bomb bots.

HJ looking down 98o in a bomb pot, flop 753r. Villain LJ bets $50. I have two over and gut shot to the nuts decided to call. Early position called. Pot is at ($300). Turn is an 8. Early position lead out $75, LJ called, now with top pair I decided to make a move and bet $175. EP folded, LJ called. ($700) River is a 10. Villain checked, I want to get some value out of him, I bet $210. Villain check raised me all in for $300 extra. Villain has been bluffing a lot so I called, he turned over J9s.

Yes it was a big mistake on my part, writing it out it was obviously a check back. I only have myself to blame.

The Very next hand, I rebuy and doubled up from the same villain KQ>K7 on a K52,T,K run out.

  • Punting it off with top top.

Third Blind looking down at AJo. BTN makes it 50. Consider 3 bet but trying to play more passively, decided to flat call hopefully flop a A or J to trap villain. Flop JT5, check setting up a trap, Villain bet $100, I called. Turn 8. Villain bet out $200, now I am just holding on. I decided to call. The river was a 5. Now I am thinking, what can I lose to, TT/QQ/KK. If I lead out I might even get those over pairs to fold. I bet 305, and villain jammed with another $600 on top. I called and he showed 55.

Huge punt on my part. I let the emotion get to me. I was hoping to see A/J on the flop and I saw it. I committed my stack to my hand even there were signs that I shouldn’t. Hurts me to type this, I lost over $1,000 in this pot with top top.

Hurts me to type this, I lost over $1,000 in this pot with top top.

One of the rule I made for myself was never play short stack, I had about $100 left and doubled up twice with JJx2. End up losing last all in Ad9d vs KK the same 55 villain. I could have minimized my loss. Poker is humbling, when I think I study, getting better, but I still fall on traps that I know better not to when I first started playing.

2 and a half hours session with a loss of $1425. A lot of mistakes I made this session, the most important thing for me is how to use this to improve my poker game.