Poker Stars, $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em Cash, 6 Players

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BTN: $226.72 (113.4 bb)

Hero (SB): $472.25 (236.1 bb)

BB: $565.19 (282.6 bb)

UTG: $309.15 (154.6 bb)

MP: $273.72 (136.9 bb)

CO: $205.42 (102.7 bb)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q T

UTG raises to $6, MP calls $6, CO calls $6, BTN calls $6, Hero calls $5, BB folds

Flop: ($32) 2 6 4 (5 players)

Hero checks, UTG checks, MP bets $20, CO calls $20, BTN folds, Hero calls $20, UTG folds

Turn: ($92) 3 (3 players)

Hero checks, MP checks, CO checks

River: ($92) 5 (3 players)

Hero bets $64, MP folds, CO raises to $179.42 and is all-in, Hero makes a dumb call

Poker Stars, $1/$2 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 8 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

SB: $297.45
BB: $110.50
UTG: $233.90
UTG+1: $203
MP1: $200
MP2: $228.90
Hero (CO): $304.95
BTN: $30

Pre-Flop: A A dealt to Hero (CO)
2 folds, MP1 calls $2, MP2 folds, Hero raises to $10, 3 folds, MP1 calls $8

He limp/calls pre-flop, which given his stats he does with a wide range. At this point I’m putting him on small/medium pocket pairs and suited connectors.

Flop: ($23) 9 2 6 (2 Players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets $16, MP1 calls $16

Excellent flop for aces really, dry board with 78 being the only real draw out there. I bet and he smooth calls, he is doing that with a fairly wide range here I think. Given my read on him pre-flop I’d say over 50% of his range.

Turn: ($55) 5 (2 Players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets $34, MP1 raises to $68, Hero calls $34

The 78 straight draw just hit, which was the only draw he could have been calling with. The min check/raise on the turn is a huge giveaway of strength, if I had any other hand I would have insta-folded. 90%+ of the time this is either a straight or a set. This is a classic case of getting donkishly blinded by your hand and playing like a beginner when everything is obviously telling you what to do. His aggression factor alone is enough to tell you he isn’t c/r the turn on a bluff (which is about all you beat at this point). THEN to only call is just horrible, folding > shoving > calling, simple as that. If you call the turn, you just about have to call the river, so might as well stick it in now if you think you have the best hand. If you can stop yourself having lapses of concentration and moments of stupidity like this you really will improve your winrate!

Villain in this hand is 27/11/1.05 over 400 hands, he is tricky and hard to put on a hand.

Poker Stars, $1/$2 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com – Hand History Converter

UTG+1: $196
UTG+2: $62.50
MP1: $97.35
MP2: $264
CO: $191.65
BTN: $200.80
Hero (SB): $277.95
BB: $200
UTG: $195.80

Pre-Flop: A Q dealt to Hero (SB)
3 folds, MP1 calls $2, 3 folds, Hero raises to $10, BB calls $8, MP1 folds

Pretty standard, isolating a limper with a strong hand that is likely best. Big blind cold calls, I’m apt to put him on a pocket pair, a big ace or big Broadway cards.

Flop: ($22) 2 7 5 (2 Players)
Hero bets $15, BB calls $15

I flop the nut flush draw on a baby board, betting gives me two ways to win the hand and obviously is the play here with the highest expectation. He calls… seems strange he would call and not raise a set here, I think he folds out everything, but pocket pairs/draws here.

Turn: ($52) Q (2 Players)
Hero checks, BB bets $30, Hero calls $30

I pair my queen, now I have a hand that I can win at showdown with, but I’m still a little worried about what he could be holding. I check/call, I think my reasoning at the time was for pot control and on reflection I’m pretty happy with that reasoning. There aren’t too many cards that can come on the river that will scare me.

River: ($112) T (2 Players)
Hero checks, BB bets $110, Hero calls $110

Okay here is where I feel I misplayed this hand. Number one, my line choice was wrong, I should have opted to bet/fold about half the pot. It gets me value from worse hands, it might lead him to just call with better hands that he would have bet more with if checked to and if he shoves I can still safely get away from the hand. Secondly, I don’t think he is bluffing when he bets pot, its more like a bet where he thinks I have something strong enough to call and he is betting big to make it look bluffy when in reality it is pure valuetown. My hand has to be good 1/3 and I don’t think it is in this spot, I really have to work on being less of a river calling station

Results: $332 Pot ($3 Rake)

Poker Stars, $1/$2 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 9 Players
LeggoPoker Hand History Converter

MP1: $210.90
Hero (MP2): $214
CO: $208.15
BTN: $328.55
SB: $134.85
BB: $230.30
UTG: $79.75
UTG+1: $214.35
UTG+2: $209

Pre-Flop: K K dealt to Hero (MP2)
4 folds, Hero raises to $8, CO folds, BTN calls $8, 2 folds

Flop: ($19) J 5 9 (2 Players)
Hero bets $13, BTN calls $13

Error #1: I should have bet more here, $16 or so.

Turn: ($45) 4 (2 Players)
Hero bets $32, BTN calls $32

At this point in the hand I really have no reason to think that I don’t have the best hand do I? He seems like the sort of player that would raise with a set on such a flop. If he has just peeled one with the ace of spades, the four of diamonds is a nice card. What is your line here? I decided to bet, once again I should have bet more here…

River: ($109) 7 (2 Players)
Hero ???

I’m getting a bad feeling about this hand now, the only hand I really feel I’m good against is AJ with the A of spades, maybe QT with a spade. I’m pretty sure he has a flush though, probably the nut flush because it seems like a slowplay. I’m lost here, I feel like check/folding, but that seems so wrong. 

Results: $289 Pot ($3 Rake)

Hero mucked K K and LOST (-$143 NET)
BTN showed A T (a flush, Ace high) and WON $286 (+$143 NET)

Poker Stars, $1/$2 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 9 Players
LeggoPoker Hand History Converter

BTN: $219.05
SB: $185.55
BB: $194
UTG: $144.65
UTG+1: $143.80
UTG+2: $67.90
MP1: $214
Hero (MP2): $384.10
CO: $117

Pre-Flop: Q Q dealt to Hero (MP2)
UTG calls $2, UTG+1 raises to $6, 2 folds, Hero raises to $26, CO folds, BTN raises to $46, 4 folds, Hero calls $20

I three-bet the EP raiser with QQ, all I am really worried about is AA/KK and this players raising range is wider than this. So I’m happy to three-bet here. When the button mini-raises me I don’t quite know what to think. This player is meant to be a decent regular, it is such a bad play to minimum raise, my first instinct is that he is weak, but I should have looked deeper. The 4th bet is usually AA/KK, he has no reason to be 4 betting me here with anything less.  I’m getting over 3 to 1 on a call, I’ll be out of position, but I can pretty much assume if I hit that we are stacking off if his range is AA/KK here.

Flop: ($103) 9 4 J (2 Players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $66, Hero raises to $298, BTN calls $107.05 and is All-In

Sometimes pre-flop with QQ when I get three-bet by a loose player I would flat call and then felt QQ on a non-A/K board in this manner, but this wasn’t a three-bet pot, it was a four bet pot. I called pre-flop for set value, but abandoned that plan post-flop and donkishly stacked off.

Poker Stars, $1/$2 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 9 Players
LeggoPoker Hand History Converter

MP2: $435.75
CO: $46
BTN: $210.55
SB: $206
BB: $200
UTG: $203
UTG+1: $179
UTG+2: $225
Hero (MP1): $278

Pre-Flop: Q A dealt to Hero (MP1)

3 folds, Hero raises to $8, MP2 calls $8, 4 folds

Flop: ($19) 2 A J (2 Players)
Hero bets $14, MP2 raises to $28, Hero calls $14

I’m still a little taken hazy on these situations sometimes, his raise feels weak, three-betting seems like overkill. At this point though I’m putting him on a weak ace, jack or flush draw. I decided to call and re-evaluate on the turn.

Turn: ($75) J (2 Players)
Hero checks, MP2 checks

River: ($75) K (2 Players)
Hero bets $44, MP2 raises to $88, Hero calls $44

Turn went check/check. The river car means I am splitting with any ace (besides AJ and AK), so what am I getting value out of by betting? He only really calls if he ties or has me beat. Whereas if I take the check/call line I can get him to bluff some worse hands. At the time I didn’t really think about this, just fired out a value bet. My PLAN was to bet/fold, and this is probably the more annoying part about this hand to me, I didn’t stick to my plan. His mini-raise on the river is ultra-strong, nearly always a full house or trip jacks. Yet I abandon my plan and call.

Results: $251 Pot ($3 Rake)
MP2 showed K K (a full house, Kings full of Jacks) and WON $248 (+$124 NET)
Hero mucked Q A and LOST (-$124 NET)

Lesson to be learned from this hand is decide on a line and then stick to it, if you can’t execute your plans then what is the point. Also, assess the board and what you will actually be looked up by that you beat in some situations.

Poker Stars, $1/$2 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 9 Players
LeggoPoker Hand History Converter

BTN: $81.30
SB: $184.90
BB: $332.65
UTG: $236.20
Hero (UTG+1): $280.10
UTG+2: $305.25
MP1: $63
MP2: $104.60
CO: $188.85

Pre-Flop: A K dealt to Hero (UTG+1)
UTG raises to $8, Hero calls $8, UTG+2 calls $8, MP1 calls $8, 5 folds

Flat calling here is horrible, I’ve got to pump it or dump it. I’ve got no stats on the UTG raiser, and a lot of people behind me, having said that there are only two hands I am worried about AA/KK. By just calling it encourages more action behind me too, and I don’t really want to play a multi-way pot with AKo.

Flop: ($35) 6 K 3 (4 Players)
UTG checks, Hero checks, UTG+2 bets $24, 2 folds, Hero calls $24

UTG checks, indicating he most likely missed the flop. I could bet this hand right out, I likely have the best hand and am only worried about a set at this point. With an aggressive player behind me I might be better to go for a check/raise though. I checked in this spot becuase I was lost in the hand, I wasn’t thinking clearly during this hand (clearly). UTG+2 is a very aggressive player, with a decent pot in the middle and two weak checks in front of him he fires. It is folded back to me, if I wanted to check/raise I should do it now, I’m most likely going to take down the pot with it. For some inexplicable reason, I meekly call. I am playing this hand so badly, I deserve to get beaten.

Turn: ($83) 2 (2 Players)
Hero checks, UTG+2 checks

Check/check… Okay, we are probably ahead to this point.

River: ($83) 5 (2 Players)
Hero checks, UTG+2 bets $60, Hero calls $60

That card is a little scary, puts a four card straight out there and makes for lots of small pair set possibilities with all the baby cards out there. I actually like the way I played this street, he is an aggressive player, if I check he is probably going to bet worse hands, bluff and it also keeps the pot small when I am beat.

Results: $203 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero mucked A K and LOST (-$92 NET)
UTG+2 showed 4 4 (a straight, Deuce to Six) and WON $200 (+$108 NET)

While I got sucked out on in this hand, I played it so horribly pre-flop and on the flop that I deserved it. I have these momentary passive lapses with hands like AK, AQ, QQ, JJ and they end up costing me. keeping the lead in the hand and pushing your hand hard when you don’t have any reason to believe that it isn’t the best at this point is essential. I’ll learn from this hand and work on maintaining my discipline and aggression.

Poker Stars, $0.50/$1 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 9 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter

MP2: $96
CO: $126.55
BTN: $155.90
SB: $111.85
BB: $16.50
UTG: $289.95
UTG+1: $118.15
UTG+2: $195.75
Hero (MP1): $185.75

Pre-Flop: K K dealt to Hero (MP1)
2 folds, UTG+2 raises to $4, Hero raises to $14, 5 folds, UTG+2 calls $10

This street is pretty standard, UTG+2 is raising about 10% of hands overall, so he is probably raising about 8% from this position, which is pretty much all pocket pairs, as well and AK-AJs. Obviously, three-betting the kings here is optimal. When he calls the three-bet I think all he is really folding out of that range is maybe AQ and AJ, we are so deep so playing pocket pairs for set value is right for him and I don’t he is letting go of AK. There is also an outside chance he is raising with a suited connector type hand that he is willing to call a three-bet with so deep.

Flop: ($29.50) 8 9 2 (2 Players)
UTG+2 checks, Hero bets $22, UTG+2 raises to $44, Hero calls $22

First thing I notice about this board is that it is fairly dry. I put in a standard sized continuation bet after he checks to me and he minimum raises me. On a dry board, the minimum raise tends to either indicate a set or a pair trying to find out where it is at. The only real draw hand he could be doing with is JT, but that is such a small percentage of his range here. My three-bet pre-flop gives every indication I have an overpair at this point, yet he (a seemingly alright player) is willing to stick in a raise at this point, I think I can comfortably fold this hand here, maybe he will bluff me out with QQ once in a while, but most of the time I am beat. Yet, I call, I think my reasoning being I’ll re-evaluate on the turn after I see what he does.

Turn: ($117.50) 6 (2 Players)
UTG+2 bets $65, Hero raises to $127.75 and is All-In, UTG+2 calls $62.75

He bets about half the size of the pot, it is fairly obvious he is just trying to extract money from me here. For some unknown reason I slide the betting meter to all-in and click bet… Committing 127 BB when deep down I know I’m beat the good majority of the time in this spot.

River: ($373) 8 (2 Players – 1 is All-In)
Results: $373 Pot ($3 Rake)

UTG+2 showed 9 9 (a full house, Nines full of Eights) and WON $370 (+$184.25 NET)
Hero mucked K K and LOST (-$185.75 NET)

So this was a very stupid hand on my part, I certainly learned my lesson though. If I was in my opponents seat I would have played the hand the exact same way.

Villain in this hand is 20/8/1.91 over 400 hands

Poker Stars, $0.50/$1 NL Hold’em Cash Game, 9 Players
LegoPoker Hand History Converter

UTG+1: $23.75
UTG+2: $101.50
MP1: $38.35
MP2: $124.70
CO: $102.60
Hero (BTN): $100.90
SB: $124.10
BB: $119.05
UTG: $97.75

Pre-Flop: Q Q dealt to Hero (BTN)
UTG raises to $4, 5 folds, Hero calls $4, 2 folds

UTG raise usually means a fair bit of stength, this villain raises 8% overall, so if we assume he is a little tighter in EP, he is raising about 6% in the UTG at most. Therefore, I can probably narrow is range to at most AA-88, AK-AJs. Only two hands have me beat at this point, the button is in front of me I have excellent position for the rest of the hand. For some inexplicable reason I decided not to raise here. Usually the only reason I would flat call QQ pre-flop is against an absolute nit who raises 1-2% of hands pre-flop or facing a three-bet or maybe to trap and overly aggressive opponent. Here, raising has two advantages, I make the villain pay to outflop and pay to play out of position against me and I continue the hand with the aggression behind me. It also gives the villain and chance to play back at me with AA and KK (he may just smooth call these hands though), but he could let me fold QQ soundly when he demonstrates he has AA or KK by 4 betting me.

Flop: ($9.50) 7 J 2 (2 Players)
UTG bets $7, Hero raises to $21, UTG calls $14

Okay, a pretty good flop, no overcards out there, so we are still ahead of AK-AJs, JJ has flopped a set so we are beating 88-TT only now. Flat calling pre-flop, I pretty much have to raise this flop, there is little sense in slow-playing one pair. So tick for how I played this street i think… BUT…

Once he calls: SHUT DOWN! I have given him no reason for him to believe I’d stick in a raise like that on the flop on a bluff, yet he calls. There are no real draws on the board, I’m nearly positive he’d muck AK-AQ, 88-TT here. So, his range is now narrowed to AA-JJ and a small % assignment to AJ(The only hand I am ahead of in his range really, though tying with QQ).

Turn: ($51.50) T (2 Players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $40, UTG raises to $72.75 and is All-In, Hero calls $32.75

Okay, even if he’s peeled with TT, that has me beat now too. Don’t put another chip in the pot, you will only be called by a better hand and you know he has one too. What are you doing!?!? NO…

Some say the most important decisions are made on the turn because the money gets big, and I think this is very true of this hand, I made a horrible blunder. I was so locked in on winning the pot, I threw all the theory out the window and just played like a monkey.

River: ($197) 3 (2 Players – 1 is All-In)

Results: $197 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero mucked Q Q and LOST (-$97.75 NET)
UTG showed K K (a pair of Kings) and WON $194 (+$96.25 NET)

I just seem to keep misplaying the odd hand like this, my win rate would be so much better if I could be focussed and controlled in these situations, instead of just blasting away. Look forward to hearing everyone’s analysis.