Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Change in Focus???

Getting beaten up in the Omaha games has forced me to take a long hard look at my game fundamentals.  After reading a chapter in one of my poker books I was struck with the revelation that I have been playing way too loose.  Also, since the cash game has been brutal, I wanted to change my focus back to tournaments to control my bankroll and take a break from cash.  My decision was very short lived.  There is a casino about 10 minutes from my apartment so I wandered in yesterday to check out their tournament schedule.  They feature a daily 11 a.m. with varied buying.  Too late for that, I sat down in the $4/8 limit kill game buying in for $100.  Determined to be a smart, tight player I folded, folded, folded.  Finally picking up Q/J suited, I reraised a frequent straddler.  The flop was awesome, 9/10/x with my suit.  Ramming and jamming my straight flush draw, the turn completed the flush with the ace, giving me second nuts.  More jamming and i took down a nice pot.  Later doing the same thing with a short stack with K/Q suited, took down another big one.  Most of the players were loose, overly aggressive and hero callers.  I left after an hour up $140.

Getting back to my "plan" today, drove to Tulalip for the morning $25 turbo tournament.  Arriving a few minutes late, my first hand pick up A/A in cutoff.  I raise to 200 and get a couple of callers (starting stack is $2000), blinds at 25/50.  Flop is K/Q/J, two hearts (My aces are black).  I c-bet 200 and get one caller.  Turn is a 9 and I check/fold to his 600 bet, folding face up.  He shows 10/10 for the straight.  Never won a single hand and was out within an hour, just in time to start a new 1/3 no limit Hold em  game.  See how long my resolutions last? Buying in for $220, I quickly lost $100 with J/J to a super aggressive player (straddled every hand he could and frequently raised preflop) who re-raised me preflop then bet the ace high flop.  He later stacked a couple of players with very unconventional holdings.  Playing his game, I tripled up with 7/8 suited hitting a flush on an all in with him.  Later, hit a set of 3's against him on a low flop and got $350 all in, winning a monster pot.  Sitting comfortably with $800, cashed out after exactly 2 hours, which qualified for a free tournament entry card.  Great day of poker.





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