C'mon, guys, let's not take this so literally that you're missing the point. I didn't say I wouldn't play more TAG than rock. Let's face it, anyone who's playing like that probably isn't enjoying it.

First, this is more of a philosophy. Today I played 4 hours, was totally card dead, and had one real shot at making something. Earlier, I raised KQo in EP and got enough credit for being tight that I won enough chips on the flop to get back close to even. The one hand I had I played the same way and flopped a straight. I chopped it with the BB.

At around 5 hours in, I had KK in MP, raised, got a couple of callers and one guy all in on the turn. My KK held up and I took down a $260 pot. I had a good read on the guy, got it heads up, in position, and had him covered. That's all I can ask for. The rest of the sit was back to no cards and a great table finally started to get short-stacked and bad, so I cashed it in.

It's not quite as you guys seem to want to think, but it's really okay if you do. If you guys think I'm too tight, and MVP sitting next to me thinks I'm too tight, and I know I'm not as tight as my image, that's EXACTLY what I want. You have much more control if people don't think their Q3o is good against my JJ. It was, but it didn't cost me much at all. I had that situation today, and it worked out fine. Image doesn't count for much in these games, but it's an edge a player with a tight image can exploit. I can often isolate the fish when no one else can, because when I raise a hand, those with a clue sit up a little straighter.

If you're too loose at these tables, you'll get no respect. If you're too tight, you won't get much credit, but enough to work with.

That's the point. I'll play little pots with little hands, while looking for big pots in big hands. When you see people who should know better get all the money in the middle with a pair, you'll see people who get a lot of bad beats. I get very few. I'd rather keep it that way.

My reads are getting better every day. I'm not saying I can't, but I've been saying that MVP is better. Again, I'm not asking for cheers or attaboys or even respect from the better players. I'm just here for the money.

WTG, surely you don't think I have "average" skills? I might be a bit above average. Maybe a little bit, but still most likely the best player at the tables I'm playing. Thanks for the compliments on the journal.

I am not going to go into a long post about this, we are both going to have to agree to disagree. This hand was against Xaston last month sometime. You please tell me another line I could have taken other than a check raise all in on the river that would have gotten his whole stack.

Just b/c someone writes something in a book, doesn't make it correct.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $4 BB (6 handed) from (Format: Bet The Pot)

CO ($678.10)
Button ($471.80)
SB ($159.90)
BB ($478.40)
UTG ($233.10)
Hero ($429.70)

Preflop: Hero is MP with , .
1 fold, Hero raises to $16, CO raises to $52, 3 folds, Hero calls $36.

Flop: ($110) , , (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks.

Turn: ($110) (2 players)
Hero bets $40, CO calls $40.

River: ($190) (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $99, Hero raises to $337.7, CO calls $238.70.

Final Pot: $865.40

Results in white below:
Hero has Ac Qc (full house, queens full of fours).
CO has Th 8h (two pair, queens and eights).
Outcome: Hero wins $865.40.

I am not saying that check raising is something you should do a lot, but you shouldn't totally disregard it. you should not completely take out any "move"

Without cooperation for an idiot, he doesn't. Xaston should have gotten not much at all. Gawd! How many mistakes did the donkey (not Xaston) make in this hand??? He bluff'-reraises PF (which rarely works,) he checks the flop (???), and then raies (bluffs?) into an obviously better hand all along? Uh, what makes you think a bet out wouldn't have accomplished the same thing? Doh!

Look, Xaston shouldn't have made any more. Any even slightly-out-of-a-coma player would have checked behind, or folded to the c/r. If you think the play was good, you are missing an enormous amount of information.

I am shocked you would post this as proof I'm wrong! Wow! What a stupid effing hand to prove anything other than idiots play poker. Unfortunately, I don't think the "righters" of NLTAP got it the same way you do.

edit: Upon further review, I believe this hand illustrates perfectly what I've been saying about check/raising in NL. See below

I totally agree with everything CJ says. Also, im gettin a little bit tired of changing journal titles. It is disrespectful, inconsiderate, and overall just not very nice. Cmon, whose with me??!

UM...CJ perhaps you should reread my post. Xaston is the villan and I am the Hero. My point is when you play against thinking players you sometimes have to have non conventional moves. Playing straight forward ABC poker isn't going to cut it against someone who actually thinks past the 1st couple levels.

You have my image, you know, ROCK, and you have JJ in EP. Maniac raiser has been raising $10 every single hand. You make it $40 to go and maniac's wife on your immediate left--who is your dream opponent btw--and her maniac husband on your immediate right calls.

Flop is Q Q 4.

Maniac checks and you bet $40. Ring, ring, calling station puts in $40. Husband gets a Corona dumped on him by the prego waitress and folds, saying it's an omen. (Not kidding, it really happened just like this.)

Turn is a 6, rainbow.

What do you do?