Idog's Journal

[idog519]

Hey guys,

Quick note on myself, I've posted this before, but here it goes: I play part time after work in new york city, I work for an investment bank. I play an average of about 20hrs per week live. I started playing 1/2 NL SERIOUSLY over the summer and built up a roll and now have made over $6000 in over 500 hrs of playing averaging about $15 per hour. I took the jump into the 5/5 game and in about 70hrs the last 3 weeks I have managed to be up about $3000 so I'm doing pretty well for myself as of yet--although I know its not enough time. I will continue to play this game until my bankroll takes a hit, but I think I should be able to sustain this level. I have posted my last two results (-$1200, +500) and will continue to update after every session and will post any interesting hands. This is was part of my new year resolution as I feel that it will incredibly help my game in terms of finding leaks and thinking through the different hands. Hopefully you guys can help as you have been. Unfortunately, I hardly play online and when I do play sit n gos for fun. From my post you can tell that I I still have a lot to learn. I consider myself a tight player, but more leaning towards the weak than aggressive--although I switch depending on the situation, but I'm working on getting more solid and aggressive.

Any comments or suggestions are always welcomed.

[idog519]

Played lastnite. 5.5hrs. +1806. Quad 2s with two people in the hand...YES.

[idog519]

So l played I played 5/5 last night at local club. Nothing really interesting. Couldn't get a hand. The table was horribly tight passive not a good mixture for extracting money if you're not really hitting flops as the players will call you with almost anything. I lost my first buy-in on semi-bluffs and betting unimproved AKs on the flop with position and getting called and checking the rest of the way. I lost my 2nd buy in a very funny way. I get AQo on the small blind and UTG straddles for $10 two callers and teh button calls. I know I have the best hand and just want to pick up the dead money so I raise to $50 really hoping not to get any callers. Button thinks for a few and then flat calls me. Flop comes 10 high with two diamonds. I bet $85. Button calls, he is a calling station so he probably hit a pair on the flop or already has a pair in his hand and thinks its good, I have about $265 left (originally bought in for $400). The turn is the Ad giving me top pair and a flush draw on the turn so I decide to go all in. He calls with 8d5d and the river is no help to me. Goodnite Idog.


-3.5 -1150

[idog519]

[kennyg]

[idog519]

So I've been out of the loop for a while. Girlfriend came to visit from college this weekend from Thursday to Sunday. And of course, this means no poker until Sunday afternoon. Well, I got to playing on Sunday. I had built up my chip stack to about $1200 from my original $600 when this hand came up. I have KJ suited on the button. UTG raises to $20 a pretty soft bet to make so I knew he didn't have much and I guess with position I decided to call and see a flop. It came down KQ9 two clubs, giving me top pair with gutshot. UTG checks, I bet pot $50. He calls. Turn is a red ten giving me a straight. UTG checks I bet $100. River blank. UTG suddenly goes all in for another $400. I decided to call thinking I had the best hand. He turns over AJ for the nuts. he called a pot bet on the flop with his 6 outer and catches the worst card for me on the turn and I'm out $550. I was grinding the whole afternoon. Was there from 3-9pm until this hand and all of the days profits gone. Some times I just hate NL. A few hands later I raise to $35 with Jacks, get reraised to $90 from CO. I call looking for the set, flop comes 8 high I check, he bets, I fold. He shows KKs--duh...Anyways, I tilted away $400 on some stupid calls and decide to call it a night.

I get off work early yesterday hit the cardroom again...I'm at the most loosest aggressive table I've sat at in the 5/5 game. I double my chip stack up early because pots where $300 preflop with about 3-4 people calling $60 raises with garbage. I was up $600 so I had $1200 and it dwindled down to about $800 when I get KKs on the BB, EP limps, MP raises to $35, LP calls $35, I raise to $135, EP calls, MP calls, LP calls...haha what did I tell you guys. Flop comes 8 high all diamonds I have the King of diamonds, I'm all in. EP calls he was short stacked so it was another $150 for him to go all in. MP folds, LP calls. Turns over AdQh. IDIOT EP turns over 10 3 OF DIAMONDS for the flopped flush...haha you gotta love this fish. Turn and river are blanks he takes down main pot I take down side pot. Ended up about $250 or so in that hand.
Next big hand of the night I have about $1200 in front of me AGAIN. I get Kings on the big bling AGAIN. There is a $10 straddle 3 limpers and I raise to $85. EP calls, MP all of a sudden goess all in for $400, I think about the odds of him having ACES...pretty much zero. I call, EP calls for last $200 HUH? EP has nothing, MP has AJ. Flop comes rags, turn an Ace and he takes down a $600 pot. Lets look at the odds here: preflop I'm 3-1 on the flop im about 9-1 favorite. He hits his 3 outer on the turn...WOW another suckout welcome to my life. Still up $200 over 5 hours of play. Catch a set later on for a few more bucks and end up with a nice profit.

8hrs -400
7hrs +350

What do you guys think of the KJ hand? I know it was a definite bad call preflop and I've started to not even play KJ in a raised pot...STUPID STUPID STUPID. But what about on the flop and afterwards?

Any comments on the 2nd day of action, positive or neg?

To answer Kenny's question about the reraise with the 10s from the earlier post. There are three main raises why I reraised and APerfect10 posted a reply to a similar question so I'm just going to echo his thoughts:

1. I can buy the pot right there.
2. I can gauge his hand strength.
3. It gives me the momentum.

For me it was basically the first two on the list. Its hard to know where you are at when someone raises in LP because a good amount of times it is a positional raise with a less than premium hand. Unfortunately, I ran into KKs and I found out preflop rather than on a rag flop when I get reraised or check raised. Does that make sense Kenny or do you still preflop the flat call?

I'm going at it again tonite so hopefully I'll post a modest win to report back to you guys

[idog519]

5hrs-$1040 5/5 NL
5hrs-$550 5/5 NL
4hrs-$200 1/2 NL

Total for last week -$1790
That's 3 buy ins at the game that I play at. Not that bad, but I need a break. The grind is killing me.

Will probably be back on it on Friday. But, have a few things to do this weekend so we'll see.

[briachek]

Hope you get through your current streak. Taking a break definitely helped me mentally, but my cards and results haven't improved much.

[bobby]

hey idog---Its hard to believe the place you work blocks poker!!!!! Thats downright un-american....All that Wall Street bullshit...........Here we are out in the country...kickin' ass and taking names...Commodities are the ticket !! LOL

B

[idog519]

10.5hrs +1120
2hrs -1720
2hrs +980
5.5hrs -500
8hrs -220
7.5hrs -1000
6hrs -28
6hrs +600
5hrs 50
10hrs +2750
8hrs +1950

5/5 No Limit
80hrs +3982
$49 per hours.
Sorry guys, I haven't posted in a while and have been real busy. The swings in this game are pretty high. Most of the small losses are mental lapse --I didn't play well at all and a few were dead card sessions. Couldn't hit a flop if I tried. Anways, I'll post more later.

[Yogadude]

Hey bud, absolutely love the journal. Not enough live game reporting going on around here..my younger brother plays the games in the city and tells me they are great.

It sounds like you are on your way to making some money. Your posts caught my eye because you play alot like my younger brother. Without going into specifics you are making many common mistakes, especially calling with marginal hands and raising/re-raising with your semi-strong hands. It is tempting to re-raise a straddler with AQ or re-raising a raiser with 1010, or call an aggressive player with KJ suited because you have position but I can tell you that more often than not you should just smooth call and hope to hit a monster flop. Plus you said at least once "I didnt think he had much" - this is something I hear alot from newer players, kind of like a paranoia about folding hands that may or not be good. Since the games are so loose in the city just play tight and try to trap players for all of their chips when you hit a monster. I'll be visiting the city soon so look for a bald mean looking jew, if I raise, get out!

Keep reading this forum, learn from your experience, and you'll get rich!

[briachek]

[kingsalami]

Idog,

where do you play in the city? i live in jersey about 15 min from the city. Always looking for another club to play in.

[idog519]

[idog519]

New numbers for my last couple of sessions. I'm getting into a good rythm. Played Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun, so I took Mon off and I'm probably heading over to the tables after work today (Tues). Hopefully things will go well...anyways, without further delays:

5hrs +815 3/27
3hrs +500 3/29
2hrs -310 4/31
8hrs -830 4/01
5.5hrs +622 4/02
5.5hrs +847 4/03

Total of 29hrs $1644.
That's pretty good for a weeks worth of work. I'm really getting into the swing of things. Folding two pair when the flush hits and I know the guy was on the draw. Folding trips when I know my kicker was in trouble. Just a lot of discipline and patience. I played the 1/2 NL last Thursday when I shouldn't have. That's where I lost the $310. I had been drinking with some friends and we all decide to stop by and play some poker. A few hrs later I'm down $300 and kick myself. Then I went on Friday and the deck was terrible to me. I was cold decked all night. I manage to only be down $600 in about 6 hrs, but stayed two hours too long and lost another $200. I kicked myself for not leaving earlier. All and all a great 30 hrs. Add this to my $3982 and I'm doing pretty well for myself lately. In the last 109hrs I'm up $5626 with a winrate of $51 p/h. At this level this is definitely sustainable. I'm going to try my best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!