Tight Poker

[snickers99]

Here's Day Two of my Niagara Falls March 2007 Weekend of Poker. For Day One, click here. I'm really looking for some advice/tips since this was the first weekend where I played NL live and I don't have much experience on-line (something around 6k hands, all but a couple at .02/.05...the rest at .05/.10). I know this will be hard because often I didn't write down position, stack sizes, etc., the problem being I don't write the hands down right away and often can't remember the exact details when I do go to write them down.

Once again, I didn't sleep well. The problem is, at home, we sleep with a fan on. The constant hum drowns out the noises and helps me sleep. In the motel room, no fan. So it was too quiet. I could put the heater or AC on, but everytime the room would get to the correct temperature, the system would shut off and that would wake me up. Plus, I'm guessing Microtel is not known for their thick walls. Someone was doing something in the middle of the night because I heard their motel door slam three times. Well, not slam. But they close automatically. So, someone was opening the door and letting it slam shut three times. Maybe checking in, maybe getting ice, I don't know. What do you want for $42 a night?

I set the alarm for 8am. 8am comes and goes. Oops! I set the alarm, but never turned it on. I wake up at 8:35. Not too bad since during my last few trips I usually hit the snooze and get up at 8:30 anyway. I shower, hit the free breakfast at the motel, and visit the forum to post Day One that I wrote the night before. I call the poker room and put my name on the 1/2NL, and 2/4 & 3/6 Limit list. I used to give my first name...Mike. But that's too common. So I went to Mike P. Turns out there's another Mike P, but he plays NL. So it wasn't a problem because when they called Mike P for a Limit game, I knew it was me. But since I was playing NL on this trip, I needed something else. I went with Snick. I thought Snickers was a little too weird. So, Snick it is. I'm out the door at 9:50.

I get to the poker room and I go to check in. I don't see Snick on the waiting list. OK, they have a Nick S. I bet that's me. I explain to the lady and she was the one that took my call and yes, Nick S is me. I confused her when I spelled Snick for her when I called. It actually was a little funny because later I was at a table close to the desk and she yelled out to me, calling me Snick and asking if I still wanted 2/4, like I was a regular or something. Looks like I got a little wait, so I start looking for Puckhead. I read on the forum that he was on his way like an hour ago. Surely he's here somewhere. I can't find him. Then I hear him. He's pretty loud. Turns out, I was practically standing right next to him as he was playing 1/2. We chat for a couple minutes and then they open a new 1/2 NL table. 10:30 and I'm taking seat 8.

Last night's NL table was tight. Which, as I mentioned in Day One, was good for me because it gave me a chance to try NL without having to worry about wild maniacs and having to make tough decisions. It was a good 'starter' table. The table this morning was the complete opposite. In the first three hands, two people had to rebuy. I'm not kidding when I say someone was going all in about every other hand...sometimes 3 people were all in. Crazy shit like going all in with TP or calling with TP or a gutshot draw. I kept track...first orbit, four hands had at least one person going all-in. I tried to keep track of a few hands. Guy to my right preflop raises to $65!! Nothing like a 32x BB raise early in the morning. Donk at the other end calls. Flop is AAQ and they both go all in. After the turn and river, the donk on the end flips up JQ!! Preflop raiser mucks!! Claimed he had a small pocket pair.

As I was writing that hand down, there's another hand with three people all in on the flop. I'm sure someone has to have a set, if not two people. Nope. Two people have two pair, the other guy has top pair. OK, if I can catch a hand, I might be able to make some money today. Later, I found out that they were probably tournament players killing time before the big $225 tournament at noon. I take back what I said in the other report about 1/2 not being as bad as .05/.10.

Free donuts in the poker room!! This weekend was actually a poker player appreciation weekend or something. Donuts yesterday morning and today (and apparently tomorrow as well). Later in the weekend, I sat at a table with a lady that won a TV earlier in the week and another guy who won an iPod. They weren't giving away anything like that when I was there. I think it was a Wednesday/Thursday type thing to kinda make sure the regulars have a good chance of winning instead of us stinkin' tourist.

I've played very little as I'm not getting good cards. AJ UTG+1, I try to limp in, button goes all in for $59, everyone folds. After watching this table and playing Saturday and Sunday, now I feel that maybe I should have gambled and called. Thoughts?

A8s suited and I limp in. Nothing on flop, it's checked around. Nothing on turn, I fold to a bet. 66 in BB and UTG does a live straddle. UTG+1 goes all in for $43. Everyone folds.

Pocket fours in LP (possibly the button), I limp. Flop is 4-2-x with two clubs. First guy bets $7, one guy calls. I don't want anybody hitting the flush for cheap, so I raise to $25 total. Looking back, I think that was too much. Hmmm. Maybe not. Guess there was about $20 in the pot (including the $7 bet and call) when it got to me. Thoughts? The one guy complains that everybody is chasing on him. He hems and haws and folds. Other guy folds. The guy once again says something about me chasing (even thou I've played like 2 hands in one hour) and it almost makes me flip up my cards. Whoa....slow down there Sparky. Better for you if he thinks you're chasing. Instead, I tell him that he should have called me then. He said he was tired of people hitting draws on him.

One hour in and I'm up $2!! My buddy T-Bone joins the table. I've written about him before in other trip reports. He's mostly a Limit player, but I knew he plays NL occasionally. He came over from another NL table that broke up because the tournament was starting. I know to watch him as he's pretty good.

88 on the button, two limpers, I limp, SB calls, BB raises to $10. Everybody folds. I think this was a mistake? Do I call looking for a set? The table has calmed down greatly as all the tournament players either busted out or are off to the tournament. I have no reads on the BB raiser as he's new to the table.

It's 12:15 and the table is now tight. I'm basically even. I'm not getting very good cards. I think my highest pocket pair were eights. No AK or AQ.

Finally, AA in MP. Folded to me, I make it $7 (standard raise for this table), one caller, plus the BB. Flop is A-10-2. I bet something...I can't read my notes. $10 maybe? One call, BB folds. Turn is a 2 and I check, hoping for a bet. Nope, he checks. Blank on the river. What to bet? I try $10 again, he folds.

I'm one off the button, Q-10s, some limp, I limp, blinds call. Flop is 9-10-J. Someone bets $10, someone calls, I call. Button raises all in for $53 total and there's one caller to me. I fold. Button flips over QK for the (current) nuts. Caller flips over....wait for it...wait for it....AJ. He gets no help and button doubles up.

I get involved in a hand with the one and only T-Bone. 4-6 of spades in SB. I complete (I didn't write down how many of us saw the flop). Flop comes 4-3-K w/two spades. I check and T-Bone bets $5, I'm the only caller. Turn is a five, I check, and T-Bone bets $12. Now I have the straight draw to go with the flush draw. T-Bone's a tricky player...not sure what he's got. I've seen him bet his draws before, so my flush draw might not be good. I call. River is the 7 of spades. Got both my straight and flush! Afraid he's got a higher flush, I check (I figured he was drawing or had a king). He checks and flips over pocket eights.

Wired pair of cowboys UTG and I raise to $7. Two (I think) callers. Flop is 10-x-x w/two clubs. I bet 15, one caller. No club on the turn, I bet 25, he calls. I'm thinking he's on the flush draw and I'm none too happy when the river comes the third club. We both check, I table my hand, he shows a ten and mucks. Things are going ok and I'm up $50ish.

It's now 2:30 and the poker room staff starts bringing in tons of Subway hoagie trays...for free!!! I decide since I'm going to the buffet later, I want to make sure I have the most room possible, so I pass on the hoagies.

Guy to my right is also taking notes, but it turns out he was just writing down when he started and how much he spent. He wasn't writing down hands like I was. He was pretty good and he had some good reads on the other players. He straddled almost every time, which didn't bother me like it usually does because I got crap everytime he straddled. He usually ended up with a good hand. There was a donk who was the button when this guy would straddle. At least twice, maybe three times, he got the donk to call the straddle, he would raise to like 15 or 20, the donk would push, and the guy would call and stack him. This guy (never got his name) said the donk was the main reason he was straddling because he was so easy to pick off. I told him I was waiting for aces, I was going to limp, and when he raised his straddle, I was going all in. He joked that I probably shouldn't have told him that first.

Guy to my left takes a huge pot. Flop is 8-9-10. One guy goes all in for maybe $50 or $60 (not sure), one guy calls, guy to my left calls. Raiser has 6-7 for the flopped straight, first caller has KK, guy to my left flips over AQ for the gutshot and the nut flush draw. He gets his jack on the turn. He said he called only because the other guy did (the other guy was all-in as well).

I'm starting to get a little heartburn from the donut I had earlier. I take out a roll of Rolaids. The guy on my left (same guy from hand above) says he'll trade me a Halls for one. I don't need a Halls, so I tell him I'll give him one "on the house". I give him one, he pops it into his mouth, and then it occurs to me that he might not know it's a Rolaids. I tell him and yep, he thought it was a Certs.

Pocket fives and I get a set on the flop, but again there's two spades. I bet $10, one caller. Third spade on the turn...he checks, I check. Nothing on the river. He checks again, I bet $10, he folds.

KK in the BB, 2 limp, SB completes, I raise to $10. One limper calls, SB calls. I get another set, and again there's a flush draw on the flop with 2 hearts. SB bets out 10, because of the flush draw I raise to $25, limper folds, SB thinks about it, folds, and tells me that he put me on AK.

Somewhere in here, it's 4:00 and Puckhead leaves for his date night with the wife. He was up $50 (I think) and he said he had to grind to get that. I'll let him fill you in on the rest.

JJ on the button, several limpers, I limp (I know...I should have raised). I get another set, and there's another flush draw with two diamonds. Someone bets out $10, someone calls and it's to me. I'm clueless. I like getting all these sets, but I'm always afraid of the flush draw. I pick up a stack of reds and count them...$35. Sounds good. I throw them out. Original bettor folds, other guy thinks for a while and folds. The table thinks I had a jack and a diamond draw. Sorry John...I don't remember.

I noticed several times people tried to put me on hands and they were way off. Is this because they suck or is it because I have no idea what I'm doing and they can't read me as easily (or a combo). I half kid that I don't know what I'm doing, but is my lack of aggression throwing everybody off? Thought it was odd because I think if you're halfway decent, you should be able to read me. If we do a forum Vegas trip, I will refuse to sit at a table with any forum members.

BB special goes horribly wrong and I lose over $50. That's all I wrote because I was pissed (at myself). I should have saved myself $10 or $15 (I forget the final bet) at the end. Let's see if I can remember the hand. I know I had something like 9-4o and the flop came 9-4-Q. I bet something (probably $10) and got 2 callers. River is a K. I think I bet $15, one caller, and the other guy raises to 30. I think he has a king and I think he thinks I have a queen. I think a bit and call. Other guy folds. River is a queen. God, now that I think about it, I really screwed this hand up. I check, he bets either 10 or 15. I think for a while and call. He flips over KQ for the FH. Oops! What did I think I can beat there? I hope I got this all wrong because it seems so weak on my part and I could have saved a lot of money here.

Another KK, this one in the BB, two limp, SB completes, I raise to $15, all fold. Everybody put me on AK. Wrong again. I mentioned this hand in the pre-trip report (which kinda turned into a running commentary for the weekend). This is the hand where I discussed it with the note-taking guy next to me. After the hand was over, he said I raised too much. I told him what I had and if he was serious. He said yes, because of the people in the hand. They were more of a solid player (he was the SB). I would want to raise like that when the other end of the table were in the hand (basically, we were the tight/good players at our end, the other end were the loose/donk players). I told him I wouldn't have minded one caller, but didn't want all three. And I wanted to knock out any ace/rag hands. He told me he had an ace, so at least that part worked. Obviously, this is something I need to work on to be a better NL player. Play the player, not the cards.

I head for my dinner break down $1. WTF? I'm getting good cards, but am down a $1. I remember being up around $80 at one point.

If you play live, I'm sure you've seen people with card protectors. Most are chips from other casinos or a coin of some type. Then you get the oddball ones. I saw one guy who had a wooden duck...like a mini-decoy. Actually, it was pretty cool. This one guy at our table had a Spongebob Squarepants figure. Maybe two inches in total length. He played for a few hours before one of the dealers asked if he cleared it with the front desk that it was ok to have that on the table. The guy asked if he was serious. The dealer said yes because if we hit the BBJ, they could say it was a foreign object on the table and nullify the jackpot (you can't even have a chip rack on the table if the BBJ is hit). The dealer calls the floor over and asks if it's ok. The floor said to be on the safe side, he should remove it from the table. Coins, chips, and the such are ok. Anything after that, and you never know.

I'm getting crap cards. Down $10 now. Should I switch to Limit? There's three 2/4 tables going. I could probably get a seat rather quickly. No, stick it out. You said you'd play $100 worth of NL, play $100 worth.

Even before me and the note-taker talked about my $15 PFR with kings and targeting certain people with PFR, I know enough to know who I want to be in a pot with after the flop. Just need to work on paying attention before the flop. OK, maybe that didn't make sense. I wasn't paying enough attention preflop. For example, if I was going to raise in LP, I was just trying to figure out how much to raise based on how many people called without considering who had called already. Does that make sense? Anyway, I had a plan for one guy in particular. It's the 88 hand I talked about in the pre-trip report. I'm going to be lazy and mostly copy and paste, with a few more additions. It's kinda like a special edition DVD...just like the regular DVD, but there's some extra crap in there.

This guy was a total fish. Calling all-ins with second pair, or draws, etc. He hit a couple times, but basically rebought a lot (maybe four times?). It seemed if you overbet, he would call. A 'normal' bet, and he could let it go easier. My plan was to trap him...wait until I thought he had a big pair and I had a monster, go all-in, win.

Pocket eights in MP...I limp. He's the button and he raises to $12. Folded to me. This could be my chance. I'm the only caller. Bingo Bango Bongo, Vince...flop comes 9-8-2 rainbow. I check, he bets $15 (I think). I immediately go all in for about $65 more. And the waiting game begins. He laughs. He shuffles his cards. He asks me if I have two pair. Maybe a set. A set of twos? Set of nines? More shuffling. He counts out $65. Shuffles his cards...shuffles his chips. Asks me again...two pair? A set? I say nothing, staring at the flop. He took so long I actually calmed down. Finally, he calls. SUCKA!!! We DON'T flip our cards over (seems like sometimes people did, sometimes people didn't). Turn is nothing, river is a king. I flip over my eights, he flips over his pocket kings. WTF? The two guys to either side of me can't believe it. They were pretty good players and knew exactly what was going on (when the donk called, note taking guy even asked me if I had a set of 8's or 9's). They tell me I played it great against the perfect guy and what an awful call he made. The guy KNEW he was behind, called anyway, two outer, wins. I'm busto.

Oddly enough, I was pretty calm. Just reached into my pocket and pulled out another hundred. What could I do? I had a plan, pulled it off perfectly, got my money in with the best. But when I left a couple hours later, I was pissed. Maybe a half hour later, he leaves with my chips. Asshole. Someone asked him if he was up...he thinks he broke even and it looked like he had about $400 in chips in front of him.

I get aces shortly after this, and they hold up. I didn't write down the details as I was pretty much done taking notes. It's 10:55 and the aces hand is (as far as I remember) the ONLY hand I win after my dinner break. I leave down $147. I'm frustrated about the call that guy made. Yes, I did everything right...move on. But it sucked so. I'm frustrated I was up $80 at one point and am leaving down 147. Then again, that stupid fucking asshole had like $300 sitting in front of him. He probably would have had me covered no matter how well I did. Anyway, I'm noticing a trend. I'm pumped driving to the casino in the morning, and pissed off driving away from the casino at night. This is happening too may times. Seneca used to be my little ATM. Not so the last three trips. I know this was the first time I played NL and you don't win every session, but it's getting frustrating.

Tomorrow's plan is pretty much the same. Try NL again. Things get hairy, I'll play some Limit until 4ish or so, then back to Pittsburgh. They're supposed to have donuts again tomorrow, so I'm skipping the free breakfast at the motel.

[sfustsh]

I always hope for the perfect card.

Example:

77 on 7cTh3c, when that Tc hits you stack him.

[labatsman]

Another good report Snickers.

This is priceless

Snickers Wrote

I noticed several times people tried to put me on hands and they were way off. Is this because they suck or is it because I have no idea what I'm doing and they can't read me as easily (or a combo). I half kid that I don't know what I'm doing, but is my lack of aggression throwing everybody off? Thought it was odd because I think if you're halfway decent, you should be able to read me. If we do a forum Vegas trip, I will refuse to sit at a table with any forum members.

[sfustsh]

That set of eights you had:

You should be elated that you got in with the best hand. You should start training your mind to appreciate different things when you play NL. One of those things should be making the right play consistently. Folding a hand that got drawn out on on the river should be pleasurable, not disappointing.

I think the tilt effect is because of improper bankroll management. If you can absorb the loss (and KNOW you can absorb it) it should not affect your mental state.

Easier said that done, I guess.

Also, the quote that labatsman pulled is a good one. These people really think they are that good that they know exactly what you have and do not consider that you could have a range of hands. Sure, when you raised with your aces, you MIGHT have had AK, you MIGHT have had KK/AA, but you might also have had 57s. As far as they are concerned, you have AK.

[randy72560]

Great report Snickers! You're a NL soldier now!!!

My only advice is to bet your big hands better. Especially your sets and AA/KK's... If I have a set and I think someone is trying to draw out, I want to put the pressure on them.. Also, I always think I'm going to fill up on the turn or river anyway.. Like someone said above, big over bets looks very strange to many WPT/WSOP players and they think you're running a bluff on them... And if there is one thing many egos cannot stand, it's to be bluffed out... You can take advantage of that and put it to them...

Anyway, great trip report.. My trip reports suck! Honestly, I didn't have much to write about... I started with $200, worked it to $500, down to $200, and broke. I had big fun though...

[puckhead23]

Looks like I got a little wait, so I start looking for Puckhead. I read on the forum that he was on his way like an hour ago. Surely he's here somewhere. I can't find him. Then I hear him. He's pretty loud.

WHO SAID I'M LOUD??? I'M PRETTY SOFT SPOKEN!!!!!!

Sounds like we've got a NL convert...welcome to the club Snickers!! As always, it was nice seeing you.

[mattaca]

Well done Snick. on the set of 8's hand, you want him to call in that spot with KK, simple. I'd be a bit frustrated but like the others said, feel good about playing the hand correctly.

Other hands:

JJ in LP, this one needs to be raised preflop IMO as its just too vulnerable a hand to play vs. multiple opponents.

the 4s6s made flush on the river, I would bet the river, maybe 1/4pot. You stayed in the hand to hit it so now that you have you should try to get some money for it.

I wouldn't be too afraid of him having a higher flush, and if in the odss chance he does, he'll only reraise you if he has the A or maybe the Q of spades.

Just my thoughts but overall, you played well. And can you teach me to hit sets everytime I have a pocket pair?

[snickers99]

Thanks, guys. Like I said in the other thread, I hope to digest what everyone said and post some more comments/questions. But probably not until Thursday at the earliest...maybe not until the weekend. Busy at work + Pens games at night + catching up on sleep. Day Three should be posted this afternoon or tomorrow sometime.

Good to see you again too, Puck. Been meaning to email you my results from the weekend...just no time yet this week.