I was able to get away from the home life for my 4th short session since Marissa's birth. It was a busy Veteran's Day Monday at Northville Downs, and to show I don't discriminate, I thought a good way to spend it would be to try to extract money from both Vets and non-Vets alike.
My table was fairly active, a lot of straddling, a lot of pre-flop raising, and even some 3 betting. So not ideal, but a lot of the 3 betting was spewy, and there was way too much calling of 3 bets. Therefore, still beatable, and potentially very profitable, but higher variance at the same time. I started out winning a few smaller pots, and opened up a bit, but I folded to 3 bets on back to back hands, in both cases I had KJ, and I was back around even, and my image had started to erode. I began playing a little too passive for a few orbits, and potentially even a bit timid, and bled through about $75-80.
Hand #1: I topped off my stack, and UTG picked up AKo. I raised to 10, and got called by a good sometimes overly aggressive player two to my left, who had been making my life a little difficult (Over aggro for short), and eventually was called by 5 other players as well, including both blinds, making the pot $70. Flop was AQ7r. Checks to me, and I bet 35, pretty sure I was going to commit unless there was a raise and a call after me. The CO (older guy who covered) called, the button and SB also called (both with only about 50 more behind. The turn was a 9, and now the SB shoved for 50, I reshoved for about 150, CO folded, and button called. Somehow both players had KT, and I dodged the jack to pick up a nice pot, and I was suddenly ahead about $100.
Hand #2: A few hands later, 8 handed, I raised a weak limper on my right with 6c5c to $12. I was called in 3 spots, including the limper and one of the blinds. Flop came Kx9c7c, giving me a gutshot, flush draw, and even a gutshot straight flush draw. Checked to me, and with still a player to act behind me, I felt I had to c-bet, so I bet $30, and got called by the short stack SB, and then the weak limper raised to $130, leaving himself about $80-90 behind. I was clearly left with no fold equity, so despite hating it, I felt I had to fold as I think a hand like the nut flush draw is in his range of hands to make this move. The SB went all-in, and I got to see the hands. The SB had KQ, and the weak limper had 97 for bottom two pair. To add a bit of insult to injury the river was the 8c for a straight flush for me. Still the right play regardless of the result.
Hand #3: I open 7d6d 7 handed, and am again called by over aggro guy (I realized I should be tightening my raising range early on since I was getting called often and found myself OOP to him, and believe me, I did, it just seems like I was raising all of my suited connectors), as well as called by one of the blinds. Flop was Th6s2c, checks to me, and I decided to check to let aggro guy bet, figuring he would fire with almost 100% of his range here. Betting is probably better here, but I figured I would let him take the initiative, as my plan was call down mode. Turn was a 3s, I checked, he bet 40, and I elected to call, figuring him still for absolutely nothing. River was another 6 giving me trips, I checked, and he bet 80 - leaving himself about 80 more behind. I hemmed and hawed about raising him, but in the end just decided to call, as my read was that he was bluffing, and I didn't feel there was any value in a raise, as it would just be called by a hand that had me beat. I was shocked when he rolled over As6s and I lost the pot. His turn bet was what solidified the fact to me that he had nothing, as despite being over-aggro, he tended to check the turn when he had marginal showdown value. I guess picking up the flush draw emboldened him to bet (as it would have for me as well).
I should explain my thought process further, as I think it's where I went wrong in the hand, though in this case it wouldn't have mattered had I bet flop and bet turn. This guy also seemed to float an awful lot in position, and I felt that I could be put into a really tough spot every street by betting out and double barreling....though in the end that's exactly where I ended up. If I bet the flop and he calls, his hand still isn't very well defined given his wide range. By check calling, I was keeping his range at its widest.
Oh well, obviously I am a little confused at the spot I put myself into....folding pre-flop may be best when dealing with an opponent like this, or changing seats at the table.
Hand #4: Over aggro guy has started bleeding chips to other players, and is definitely not playing sharp, borderline tilty, and he straddled on the button to 7. Two very loose semi-aggro players call in the blinds, and it's folded to me in the CO with KQo. I feel like this one is very close, and could make a case for all of my 3 options. In the end I think Raising > Fold > Call, and I elected the high variance route and raised to 35. The button called, along with only one of the blinds (all stacks are roughly equal around $200ish). With over $100 in the pot, and only about $170 in my stack, I decided I had no choice but to commit if I hit top pair, unless something extraordinary happened like a player raising and showing me his cards after doing so in order to get me to fold. As far as C-betting, I wasn't sure what my plan would be, though I was thinking about cutting out a half pot bet at most boards if checked to me. The flop was QJx, the blind checked, I bet 50, over aggro guy shoved, blind folded and I called. It turned out I had him covered by $1. He had KT for an open ended draw. We ran it once (I never offered twice and it wasn't discussed), and my hand held up for a big pot.
Hand #5: Button straddles for 5, and the table dynamic has slightly changed, a little less aggressive. The straddler has not raised his straddle yet. A few players limp, I elect to limp the CO with Js9s. Button checks. Flop is KT8sxx. Checks to button, he bets 10, one player calls, and I call, but I hesitated, and intentionally looked kind of weak, trying to act like I had minor showdown value. Turn 3s, checks to button again, and he bets 22 with about 180 behind, other player folds and I was really close to raising, but felt that the weakness I showed earlier in the hand would be seen through and I would get looked up light, so elected to call. River was 6s giving me the flush. Since players instinctively check when a flush hits, even a backdoor one, I decided to try to bet large and look bluffy, and bet 65. He thought for about 30 seconds and called with what he said was a rivered two pair. In any case I think leading large got me the most money on the river, as he wasn't likely to call a check-raise in my opinion.
In the end I won a bit less than a buy-in, for a very swingy but profitable 4 hour session. A few parts of my game seem a bit rusty, but I also felt like I was seeing things for the most part very clearly. I may not have been mixing it up as much as I could have and fighting for every pot, but at 1/2 that just isn't necessary for the most part.
