Interesting hands

I noticed that I have not been using my blog to analyze hands and try and make myself a better player recently so I thought I would correct that and try and review some things in my game.

First of all I dumped all my No Limit hands into Poker Tracker for the last few months and surprisingly I am positive since 9/1/07. I am up a whole $126 over 3,719 hands. I think the really shocking thing is that I have only played 3719 hands. Maybe Poker Tracker didn’t pick up all the hands. My bankroll was $564 on 9/1/07 and now its approximately $1000. That includes a big $600 win in Las Vegas and an extra $200 I added from the sale of some furniture. I’m sure I have lost at least $600 in Casino Arizona and Gila River over the last 4 months so maybe it’s accurate.

Regardless of my bankroll, here were some interesting hands from my recent play:

FullTiltPoker Game #5010396510: Table Phi (6 max) - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:27:03 ET - 2008/01/26
Seat 1: Thor3gs ($45.15)
Seat 2: Poker_Bully1 ($32.35)
Seat 3: saymond ($62.95)
Seat 4: jpritz88 ($91.10)
Seat 6: Latz69 ($74.25)
Thor3gs posts the small blind of $0.25
Poker_Bully1 posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Poker_Bully1 [Jc Qc] on the Big Blind
saymond folds
jpritz88 folds
Latz69 raises to $1.75
Thor3gs calls $1.50
Poker_Bully1 calls $1.25

I think the call is standard after the small blind calls to make this a 3 way pot.

*** FLOP *** [9c Th 8c]

Great Flop for me! I have the nuts and a redraw to a Queen high flush or even a straight flush.
My first instinct was to bet and try and build the pot. However, I thought I could get more money in by checking. The cutoff (Latz69) was the initial raiser. If he fires a continuation bet, then I can get the small blind (Thor3gs) to follow along and trap the both of them. I decide to risk giving a free card and check call.

Thor3gs checks
Poker_Bully1 has 15 seconds left to act
Poker_Bully1 checks
Latz69 bets $0.50
Thor3gs calls $0.50
Poker_Bully1 calls $0.50
*** TURN *** [9c Th 8c] [8h]

The turn no longer gives me the nuts. Not a great card. I don’t like my check here. It’s time to build the pot and the $.50 bet on the flop tells me they are probably weak.

Thor3gs checks
Poker_Bully1 has 15 seconds left to act
Poker_Bully1 checks
Latz69 bets $4.50
Thor3gs calls $4.50

Suddenly Latz69 wakes up and bets and there is a call! I assume that maybe one of them has an 8. The other could have the flush draw or a lower straight. I guess I should raise. Of course if someone has a full house and repops it, I have a decision to make.

Poker_Bully1 has 15 seconds left to act
Poker_Bully1 raises to $15
Latz69 has 15 seconds left to act
Latz69 calls $10.50
Thor3gs folds

I read Latz69’s call as I still have the best hand.

*** RIVER *** [9c Th 8c 8h] [8d]

What a horrible card! I am forced to give up on the hand. In the chat Latz69 says he had a straight. I don’t know if I believe that. If I was in the button, I think I would be dying to get a free showdown if I had a straight.

Poker_Bully1 has 15 seconds left to act
Poker_Bully1 checks
Latz69 has 15 seconds left to act
Latz69 bets $57, and is all in
Poker_Bully1 has 15 seconds left to act
Poker_Bully1 has requested TIME
Poker_Bully1 folds
Uncalled bet of $57 returned to Latz69
Latz69 mucks
Latz69 wins the pot ($39.20)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $41.25 Rake $2.05
Board: [9c Th 8c 8h 8d]
Seat 1: Thor3gs (small blind) folded on the Turn
Seat 2: Poker_Bully1 (big blind) folded on the River
Seat 3: saymond didn't bet (folded)
Seat 4: jpritz88 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: Latz69 (button) collected ($39.20), mucked

So I was playing two tables at once and the Queen Jack hand put me on tilt. Very shortly after, this hand came up on the other table.

FullTiltPoker Game #5010492656: Table Lindell (6 max) - $0.25/$0.50 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:35:35 ET - 2008/01/26
Seat 1: ShimShady411 ($58.90)
Seat 2: Poker_Bully1 ($23.90)
Seat 3: Egotrip55 ($52.25), is sitting out
Seat 4: fold-u-loss ($22.90)
Seat 5: tarzan49 ($50.70)
Seat 6: MickeyBuster ($19.20)
Poker_Bully1 posts the small blind of $0.25
fold-u-loss posts the big blind of $0.50
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Poker_Bully1 [Jd Td]
tarzan49 folds
MickeyBuster folds
ShimShady411 folds
Poker_Bully1 calls $0.25
fold-u-loss checks

I call out the small blind with only the big blind in the hand. I don’t think there is much to be gained by trying to steal the blinds when I have a drawing hand that could turn into something good. I’d rather try and play it cheap and turn it into something good.

*** FLOP *** [Jc 7d 3h]

Top pair so I should bet and see where I am at.

Poker_Bully1 bets $1
fold-u-loss calls $1
*** TURN *** [Jc 7d 3h] [9s]

So I guess he got a piece of the flop. He could have Jacks, 7’s, or 3’s. Not really any draws out there worth calling with. I beat a lot of the hands he could have called with. I guess I should bet? The other school of thought is to check and try to keep the pot small. Maybe I should bet $2 to keep control of the hand, but not letting the pot size get out of hand?
Poker_Bully1 has 15 seconds left to act
Poker_Bully1 bets $3
fold-u-loss raises to $6

I don’t recall fold-u-loss doing anything stupid. He must be raising for a reason. Instead I lose my mind and figure he must have a Jack with a worse kicker and I reraise all in. Wrong move butt-head!
Poker_Bully1 raises to $22.40, and is all in
fold-u-loss calls $15.40, and is all in
Poker_Bully1 shows [Jd Td]
fold-u-loss shows [Jh 7c]
Uncalled bet of $1 returned to Poker_Bully1
*** RIVER *** [Jc 7d 3h 9s] [Ks]
Poker_Bully1 shows a pair of Jacks
fold-u-loss shows two pair, Jacks and Sevens
fold-u-loss wins the pot ($43.55) with two pair, Jacks and Sevens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $45.80 Rake $2.25
Board: [Jc 7d 3h 9s Ks]
Seat 1: ShimShady411 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: Poker_Bully1 (small blind) showed [Jd Td] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 3: Egotrip55 is sitting out
Seat 4: fold-u-loss (big blind) showed [Jh 7c] and won ($43.55) with two pair, Jacks and Sevens
Seat 5: tarzan49 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: MickeyBuster didn't bet (folded)