Trying to think positive:

I started August down like 2 grand. Then went on a nice run.. up $1500. After not playing much and just fooling around on sitngos.. I went to my brother's house and single tabled a $2k table and won a buyin. I played well, but in the end, it was a suckout that won me the money.

Had TT 5 handed. raised it up BB calls. FLOP J43 rainbow.. he bets $100 (half pot into me) i make it $300. he calls. Turn is a 1 outer ten.. giving me a set against his top two tih JT. Boom up the buyin.2k.

So I'm thinking hooray! I'm up. Feeling good. I decide to play tonight. I didn't really want to.. I enjoyed being up for once but more hands played more money right?

So I sit down. First two hands I flop sets. The first hand I get no action. Second hand goes like this:

raise up [8h] in LP. Blind calls. He has a full stack but I've never seen him before.

FLOP$85
[9c][8c]

He checks.. i bet 70.. he check raises to $155. I make it 500. He pushes.. i call the last 500.

He has [9d] for set over set.

NEXT:

[Ad] UTG. I raise it to $40. Two MP players call.

FLOP$135
[6h][2s]

I bet $80 first to act. Looking over the hand, even with no draws.. i should have made it $100. I'm working on that.. anyway...

first guy folds, second guy calls.

TURN $395
[6h][2s]

I check/call $150.

RIVER$ $695
[6h][2s]

I check/call $200 getting better then 4/1. He has Q9o top two.

Looking back on the hand.. I realize that I played it very well. I like the chjeck on the turn for pot control.. either he has a set or he's drawing very slim. Even though I see that, my coinfidence is so shaken by these huge hits I've been taking, I feel like I must have made some mistake. It's odd.
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NEXT

[Qh] in MP. Folded to me I raise to $40. New player with full stack calls on the button.

FLOP$95
[4c][4d]

I bet $70. He calls pretty quickly (usually means it's a draw.)

TURN $235
[4c][4d]

ugh. I bet $150. He calls quickly. ( While not horrible, once again the 150 does not seem big enough.. I'm working on this.)

RIVER $535
[4c][4d]

I check. Half his time runs he bets $400. I think about it for a long time and finally fold realizing i'm just trying to convince myself to call... but really don't know where i'm at.
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NEXT

Dealt [9d] in LP. One limper who is up a buyin. I raise to $45. BB calls as does limper.

FLOP$125
[Tc][2s]

Checked to me I bet $100. BB folds. Limper calls, not too quickly.

TURN$ 325
[Tc][2s]

He checks. I decide I'm sick of giving up these hands.. and that he either has a flush draw or mediocre ace. I bet $300. He instantly mini raises...... After review of it.. only hands that make sense for him are AK, AT or dueces.. most likely the deuces or the AT.
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NEXT

Dealt AA in the blind. one EP limper who is a rock.. sb calls. he's half stock.. probably a donk.

I deicde not to raise.. I haven't done this play in maybe 5 months (not raising out of the blind with AA.)

FLOP$30
[9s][3d]

SB bets $20. I raise to $70. Rock folds. SB makes it $150. I fold.
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NEXT

Dealt [Ks] in the CO. EP raises. Folded to me. Normally I reraise here, but I've been trying to knock my game down a notch for bodog.... (I don't feel ultra aggression is the best idea for a site with calling stations galore) so anyway i call. I'ts HU

FLOP $105
[Qd][Th]

He pots. I call w/ intention of making his life miserable on the turn.

TURN $315
[Qd][Th]

He checks. I bet $200. He calls.

RIVER $715
[Qd][Th]

He checks. I have about $600 left. I consider pushing strongly. but.... this is bodog.... I just don't think he goes away with an overpair... he might fold JJ.. maybe. I'm also hoping maybe he has 99 and got counterfieted.

I check, he has AA. On review I'm happy with the check because I just doubt he gives me credit.. they just don't on bdoog.

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NEXT

[Jc]

I raise it in LP to $40. Guy that beat me earlier when I folded QQ to $400 river bet calls on the button. He had worked his stack up to $1800 but only had 1100 at this point.

FLOP$95
[8c][Qh]

I bet $70. He calls.

TURN$235
[8c][Qh]

I check. He bets $150. I don't beleive he has the flush for some reason. I check raise to $500.. he insta calls.

RIVER$1235
[8c][Qh]

He called so quicly I thought maybe he was praying for another club.. i pushed in ($400) hoping that was the case.. or that maybe he counterfied. He called with A7 full house.

I realize that whole thing was very marginal. But was the play THAT bad? He didn't even consider folding the A7 on the turn. A good thing I can take away from this is that I was probably beat in the QQ hand.
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NEXT

Starting to feel a little tilty.. but I get [Kc] UTG on the other table. I riase to $40. One EP caller.

FLOP$95
[6h][7d]

I bet $70. He calls.

TURN$235
[6h][7d]

I don't like that card plus I think I might be up against a set already. I check for pot control. He bets $150 and I call.

RIVER$535
[6h][7d]

I bet $200 value/blocking bet. He pushes for his last $600.. about another 400 to me. I just fold and call it a night.

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I lost $3500 today on 5/10. On full ring! My confidence is not taking this shit lightly. I'm seeing monsters in every closet now. I'm gonna look over this a couple of times and reevaulate my play.

Those are some tough hands and they could have easily gone to you at showdown.
There's only some minor issues in there, which you already pointed out.

Sounds like a pretty cruddy run.
But I'm sure you'll pull through it.

The only thing I'd add is that you shouldn't be playing the 10/20 right now.

Hang in there Kenny...we've all been there....you will turn it around

August 12th 4:25am

I don't think I suck at poker
mood: heh

Lately I've been hanging on each session's win or loss with way too much emotion. After having my first losing month of my pro career last month, well, I guess it's just hard to get over. My mission to be Spock-like has failed. It is illogical to think a human can completely shed emotion. (wow that was so gay.)
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I had a winning session tonight. It started out ok, then went bad fast with this hand:

Dealt [Ac] in MP. I raise it up to $45 after a limper. 3 go to the flop.

FLOP$150
[4d][6c]

sb checks. I bet 120. button and sb BOTH CALL. (i was getting a headache already.)

TURN$510
[4d][6c]

SB checks... I check and decide to see what happens. Button bets $350. SB folds fairly quickly. I think about it for a bit, and I just don't beleive he has the set, so I push in for $505 more to him.

He thinks a long time... finally calls with [Tc] and 13 outs. Jack on the river and I'm toast. He was very close to a correct call but not quite. his call was a small loser, so I was happy. he had to call 505 and total pot was 1810 when all the money got in.

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LOL this was so lucky

Dealt [7c] on the button. (3 handed)

I raise to $35. sb calls. weak/tight player w/ full stack in the blind calls.

FLOP$105
[Jh][Qh]

He checks. I bet $80. BB calls.

TURN$265
[Jh][Qh]
He checks. I bet $250. He calls quickly. hmmm.

RIVER $765
[Jh][Qh]

haha interesting river card. He checks. I hesistate myself.. I decide he's not slowplaying and in my small tiltyness, push all in. His time ran and he finally folded.

The beautiful thing about this hand is he tilted off 2 buyins after this! I didn't show either. But it just set him off and I got another $1000 off him later. Lucky me is all I have to say.

--------------------------------------------
Just because this was fun:

[Qh] fairly EP. I make it $45. BB calls.

FLOP$85
[Td][4h]

I bet $70.

He check raises to $210.

I let my time run a bit (don't wanna look like a draw with a quick bet) and push about $1000 more back to him. He says "damn AQ I shouldn't call raises" with and folds. Simple yet beautiful poker in my opinion!
----------------------------------------------------------------

My confidence feels a lot better then it has in a couple of days. This wasn't a huge session, but other then the marginal 3 street bluff, I thought I played very well. I realize I'm still on a bit of a cold deck but this was a good win tonight. Even if it only was a buyin.