Info About Poker Card Reader

Fuck. I was meaning to update this morning before I went to work. But then I started browsing online shopping and then I had to poop and then I finished breakfast and now it's now and it's five minutes before work. Uhhh.

I've had like, three losing poker sessions in a row and last night was pretty frustrating. I caught some good hands that ended terribly when the river would drop the worst card possible. Complicated to explain but those who play poker know what I mean (like a second King hitting the river when you're holding AK, but then also completed a flush draw on the river). You obviously can't bet in those situations and you can't reraise, so you just call and hope they were bluffing. Situations like that you might as well have been holding 22. Ugh.

Work is going alright. I suppose it could be worse. It goes by somewhat fast, though it's pretty mind numbing.

I have thought of updating with an end of year post but I'm not sure when I'll get around to that. I know it's lame to have anniversaries on the first of the year, but it makes it so much easier to remember. Tomorrow will have marked two full years I have been with 'the Cannon' and I guess I should maybe say something more significant but I'm pretty tired.


OOoops. Gotta go to work.LAGging indicators
I decided to play a Laggy style on Stars this morning. No particular reason. I'd read a rather good post on the matter on 2+2 (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/78/micro-stakes-full-ring/improving-your-redline-pooh-baah-637589/); I'd kind of reached all of my targets for the year; I suspect that all of the sites will eventually move to contributory rake, and I just fancied a bit of interest.

Obviously, I did my bollocks. Well, not really, the actual loss for $100BI 250 hands was not that much ($87), although the volatility was obviously much higher. Given the cards I got, I would probably have lost about $30 playing my "normal" style.

My standard 12.5%/10% style moved to 22.5%/17%. Button raises went up from 20/15 to 43/30. Of 30 hands, 3 went to showdown and I lost the lot. But I still finished up ahead from button play. My losses were in my normally "strong" areas of early position and middle position.

Mentally I'm not suited to this style even though, paradoxically, I find it more exciting. The paradox is resolved in the sense that I am not seeking excitement or "fun" when I play my "professional" poker. The big question is the bottom line.

Now, given that I am rather new to this kind of play, and that it is necessarily more volatile, I would probably have to stick with it for quite a while to establish whether I would be able to generate a higher win rate per hour. I think I could definitely generate a higher win rate per 100 hands, but six-tabling in this style is far harder than six-tabling at 12/10. I spotted at least one situation where I had put in a dodgy raise and then failed to make a continuation bet because I had a difficult river decision on another table. But, well, practise, practise.

Here's some hands, with comments:



PokerStars Game
Table 'Buda' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 2: eYeLovErAgS ($170.65 in chips)
Seat 3: cp112 ($46.20 in chips)
Seat 5: thebigfisch ($32.90 in chips)
Seat 6: Hero ($96.85 in chips)
Seat 7: LeoFara ($20 in chips)
Seat 8: DivisnByZero ($108.75 in chips)
Seat 9: FutureBet88 ($121.55 in chips)
Hero: posts small blind $0.50
LeoFara: posts big blind $1
ijhevlidl: sits out
winnypuuks: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [4♣ 7♣]
DivisnByZero: folds
FutureBet88: calls $1
eYeLovErAgS: folds
cp112: raises $3 to $4
thebigfisch: folds
Hero: calls $3.50

This would be a standard fold by me in normal play. But the essence of the 2+2 post was "fight for every pot", and I think that you have to be willing to make mistakes to find out how far you can push this principle.

LeoFara: folds
FutureBet88: folds
*** FLOP *** [A♣ T♠ 4♠]
Hero: checks
cp112: checks

This is a really weak check by opponent. I would always CB an Axx ds flop

*** TURN *** [A♣ T♠ 4♠] [5♣]
Hero: bets $8

Following the principle of "fight for every pot"

cp112: calls $8

*** RIVER *** [A♣ T♠ 4♠ 5♣] [7♠]
Hero: checks

This check is mainly to do with stack sizes. But I was still very close to betting, and I think that I should have, despite the spade falling on the river. Certainly if I had just had a pair of fours I would have bet.

cp112: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Hero: shows [4♣ 7♣] (two pair, Sevens and Fours)
cp112: mucks hand
Hero collected $24.75 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $26 | Rake $1.25
Board [A♣ T♠ 4♠ 5♣ 7♠]
Seat 2: eYeLovErAgS folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: cp112 mucked [Q♡ Q♠]

Villain did not play this hand well, imo. But I don't think that I played it that well either. I should definitely bet river, because opponent could well call with a worse hand,

Seat 5: thebigfisch (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: Hero (small blind) showed [4♣ 7♣] and won ($24.75) with two pair, Sevens and Fours
Seat 7: LeoFara (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: DivisnByZero folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: FutureBet88 folded before Flop




PokerStars Game
Table 'Bernardina' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 3: Hero ($119.20 in chips)
Seat 4: maisi1984 ($20.65 in chips)
Seat 6: nico42152 ($166.50 in chips)
Seat 7: Murzik100 ($15.65 in chips)
Seat 8: hatsaflatse ($51.85 in chips)
Seat 9: TwoTone102 ($102.20 in chips)
TwoTone102: posts small blind $0.50
MrKGBoreoman: is sitting out
MrKGBoreoman leaves the table
manwe69: is sitting out
manwe69 leaves the table

Hero: posts big blind $1

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [8◊ J♠]
maisi1984: calls $1
nico42152: calls $1
Murzik100: folds
hatsaflatse: folds
TwoTone102: calls $0.50
Hero: checks


*** FLOP *** [6♣ 8♠ T♠]
TwoTone102: checks
Hero: bets $3
maisi1984: folds
nico42152: calls $3
TwoTone102: calls $3
*** TURN *** [6♣ 8♠ T♠] [T♡]
sandermeijer joins the table at seat #1
TwoTone102: checks
BertonE314 joins the table at seat #2
Hero: bets $7
nico42152: folds
TwoTone102: folds
Uncalled bet ($7) returned to Hero
Hero collected $12.40 from pot
Hero: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $13 | Rake $0.60
Board [6♣ 8♠ T♠ T♡]
Seat 3: Hero (big blind) collected ($12.40)
Seat 4: maisi1984 folded on the Flop
Seat 6: nico42152 folded on the Turn
Seat 7: Murzik100 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: hatsaflatse (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: TwoTone102 (small blind) folded on the Turn


A fairly standard hand. The ten on the turn is very nice for me, since my play is completely consistent with having top pair on the flop.


PokerStars Game
Table 'Sicilia' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: VKLIN ($103.90 in chips)
Seat 2: CallMeLucid ($100 in chips)
Seat 4: mettex-7 ($147.55 in chips)
Seat 5: Hero ($100 in chips)
Seat 6: DooM_DaYs ($100 in chips)
Seat 7: WojtasPolak ($100 in chips)
Seat 8: moe86 ($51 in chips)
mettex-7: posts small blind $0.50
Hero: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [T♡ T◊]
DooM_DaYs: raises $2 to $3
WojtasPolak: folds
moe86: folds
VKLIN: folds
tuchko0381 is disconnected
CallMeLucid: calls $3
mettex-7: calls $2.50
Hero: calls $2
*** FLOP *** [8♡ 2♠ 2◊]
mettex-7: checks
Hero: checks
DooM_DaYs: checks
CallMeLucid: bets $10
mettex-7: folds
VKLIN leaves the table
eYeLovErAgS joins the table at seat #1
Hero: calls $10
DooM_DaYs: calls $10
*** TURN *** [8♡ 2♠ 2◊] [7◊]
Hero: checks
DooM_DaYs: checks
CallMeLucid: checks
*** RIVER *** [8♡ 2♠ 2◊ 7◊] [Q♡]
Hero: checks
DooM_DaYs: checks
CallMeLucid: bets $33
Hero: folds
DooM_DaYs: calls $33
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CallMeLucid: shows [3◊ 3♣] (two pair, Threes and Deuces)
DooM_DaYs: shows [9♡ 9♠] (two pair, Nines and Deuces)
DooM_DaYs collected $105 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $108 | Rake $3
Board [8♡ 2♠ 2◊ 7◊ Q♡]
Seat 1: VKLIN folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: CallMeLucid (button) showed [3◊ 3♣] and lost with two pair, Threes and Deuces
Seat 4: mettex-7 (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 5: Hero (big blind) folded on the River
Seat 6: DooM_DaYs showed [9♡ 9♠] and won ($105) with two pair, Nines and Deuces
Seat 7: WojtasPolak folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: moe86 folded before Flop (didn't bet)


An annoying hand. But it's hard to make an overcall here. Had I been in DoomDays position I would probably have made the call with nines as well. But I failed to fight hard enough for this pot. Multiwayers are hard when you are trying to be laggy. Calling here would have put me in the black for the session!


PokerStars Game
Table 'Lameia V' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Upay4college ($51.35 in chips)
Seat 2: maisi1984 ($22 in chips)
Seat 3: Hero ($100 in chips)
Seat 4: snowboard85 ($38.65 in chips)
Seat 5: slc2005 ($201.70 in chips)
Seat 6: WojtasPolak ($100 in chips)
Seat 7: Murzik100 ($20.50 in chips)
Seat 9: kgb2109 ($85.70 in chips)
slc2005: posts small blind $0.50
WojtasPolak: posts big blind $1
Qassen: sits out
Hero: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [J♡ T♡]
Murzik100: folds
kgb2109: folds
Upay4college: folds
maisi1984: folds
Hero: raises $2 to $3
snowboard85: folds
slc2005: folds
WojtasPolak: raises $8 to $11
Hero: calls $8
*** FLOP *** [A♠ 2◊ 3◊]
WojtasPolak: bets $16
Hero: calls $16
*** TURN *** [A♠ 2◊ 3◊] [4♡]
WojtasPolak: bets $36
Hero: folds
Uncalled bet ($36) returned to WojtasPolak
WojtasPolak collected $51.85 from pot
WojtasPolak: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $54.50 | Rake $2.65
Board [A♠ 2◊ 3◊ 4♡]
Seat 1: Upay4college folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: maisi1984 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: Hero folded on the Turn
Seat 4: snowboard85 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: slc2005 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: WojtasPolak (big blind) collected ($51.85)
Seat 7: Murzik100 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: kgb2109 folded before Flop (didn't bet)


My main stupidity here was messing around with a 17/13 Supernova Elite player who knows what he is doing. My flop call is just a simple float, implying a hand such as AQ. If opponent checks turn I bet the pot. But opponent is could enough to bet out turn as a bluff, for value or with the nuts. Since I don't have a read here, I should probably give up on the flop, despite my "fight for every pot" rule. So, one pot that I didn't fight for that I should have, and another that I didn't fight for that I should have!


PokerStars
Table 'Sicilia' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: eYeLovErAgS ($102.35 in chips)
Seat 2: CallMeLucid ($113.75 in chips)
Seat 3: TwoTone102 ($50 in chips)
Seat 4: mettex-7 ($105.90 in chips)
Seat 5: Hero ($96.50 in chips)
Seat 6: DooM_DaYs ($157.25 in chips)
Seat 8: moe86 ($50.65 in chips)
Seat 9: ChippyBrady ($81.60 in chips)
DooM_DaYs: posts small blind $0.50
WojtasPolak: is sitting out
WojtasPolak leaves the table
moe86: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [A♠ 6♣]
ChippyBrady: folds
ChippyBrady is sitting out
eYeLovErAgS: raises $2 to $3
CallMeLucid: folds
TwoTone102: folds
mettex-7: calls $3
Hero: calls $3

deliberate looseness on button from me. This is the kind of hand that people hate, because it's so rare that you know where you are. However, as I have written before, I think that "knowing where you are" is overrated. All you have to have is sufficient faith that you will be winning often enough.

DooM_DaYs: folds
moe86: folds
*** FLOP *** [7◊ A♡ J♡]
eYeLovErAgS: checks
mettex-7: bets $3
Hero: raises $5 to $8

I like this raise. Opponent's bet is too small for a vulnerable Ace such as AT or A9. AJ would be scared of a flush draw so would be more. I think that this hand is a draw of some kind.

eYeLovErAgS: folds
mettex-7: calls $5
*** TURN *** [7◊ A♡ J♡] [6♠]
mettex-7: checks
Hero: bets $20
mettex-7: calls $20

A lucky turn for me, but I'm betting the same amount even if I miss.

*** RIVER *** [7◊ A♡ J♡ 6♠] [T♣]
kalmuka joins the table at seat #7
mettex-7: checks
Hero: bets $40

If opponent has AT or KQ, well, so be it.

mettex-7: folds
Uncalled bet ($40) returned to Hero
Hero collected $63.50 from pot
Hero: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $66.50 | Rake $3
Board [7◊ A♡ J♡ 6♠ T♣]
Seat 1: eYeLovErAgS folded on the Flop
Seat 2: CallMeLucid folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: TwoTone102 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: mettex-7 folded on the River
Seat 5: Hero (button) collected ($63.50)
Seat 6: DooM_DaYs (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: moe86 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: ChippyBrady folded before Flop (didn't bet)

PokerStars
Table 'Sicilia' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: eYeLovErAgS ($100 in chips)
Seat 2: CallMeLucid ($111.55 in chips)
Seat 3: TwoTone102 ($48.50 in chips)
Seat 4: mettex-7 ($116.30 in chips)
Seat 5: Hero ($114.35 in chips)
Seat 6: DooM_DaYs ($175.75 in chips)
Seat 7: WojtasPolak ($116.05 in chips)
Seat 8: moe86 ($49.50 in chips)
Seat 9: ChippyBrady ($88.10 in chips)
DooM_DaYs: posts small blind $0.50
WojtasPolak: posts big blind $1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [A♠ T◊]
moe86: folds
ChippyBrady: folds
eYeLovErAgS: folds
CallMeLucid: folds
TwoTone102: folds
mettex-7: calls $1
Hero: raises $3 to $4
DooM_DaYs: calls $3.50
WojtasPolak: raises $10 to $14

Here's the SNE guy again. This bet is very wide-ranging. I think I should simply reshove here, but that's the nuclear option and if you get called you have basically ruined it as a future option unless you have AK, AA or KK. The reshove here really wannts a fold, and I have a horrible feeling that this guy has seen the dodgy reshove often enough not to immediately fold anything bar AA and KK. He's probably calling with AQs, AK, QQ KK and AA. What percentage is that of his range? I'm not sure, yet. In hindsight, my instincts remain that a reshove is minus EV, but it might be more marginal than I thought.

mettex-7: folds
Hero: calls $10

"fighting for every pot". See earlier. Folding to reraises is for wusses. I'm calling flop and turn if I hit either top pair or some kind of decent draw.

DooM_DaYs: calls $10
*** FLOP *** [8♠ Q♡ 7♠]
DooM_DaYs: checks
WojtasPolak: bets $28
Hero: folds

Floating ceases to be an option. Either I fold or raise all-in. Once again, I don't think I have enough fold equity against this guy. I really shouldn't be at a table with him one, two or three seats to my left.

DooM_DaYs: folds
Uncalled bet ($28) returned to WojtasPolak
WojtasPolak collected $40.85 from pot
WojtasPolak: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $43 | Rake $2.15
Board [8♠ Q♡ 7♠]
Seat 1: eYeLovErAgS folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: CallMeLucid folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: TwoTone102 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: mettex-7 folded before Flop
Seat 5: Hero (button) folded on the Flop
Seat 6: DooM_DaYs (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 7: WojtasPolak (big blind) collected ($40.85)
Seat 8: moe86 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: ChippyBrady folded before Flop (didn't bet)


(Poker Stars) $100.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em
Table Buda (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Seat 1: Daergy ( $17.00 USD )
Seat 2: eYeLovErAgS ( $114.00 USD )
Seat 3: Burritosss ( $21.70 USD )
Seat 5: dymarko ( $19.90 USD )
Seat 6: Hero ( $100.00 USD )
Seat 7: ftw72 ( $38.55 USD )
Seat 8: DivisnByZero ( $101.50 USD )
Seat 9: FutureBet88 ( $119.80 USD )
eYeLovErAgS posts small blind [$0.50 USD].
Burritosss posts big blind [$1.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ T♠ T♣ ]
dymarko folds
Hero raises [$3.00 USD]
ftw72 raises [$6.00 USD]
DivisnByZero folds
FutureBet88 folds
Daergy folds
eYeLovErAgS folds
Burritosss folds
Hero calls [$3.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 8◊, 3♡, Q◊ ]
Hero checks
ftw72 bets [$10.00 USD]
Hero raises [$35.00 USD]

I like this line. Opponent actually called time on this one and I think that he was v v close to folding, which would have been a superb result, given the size of his stack. If only he had had about $10-$15 more in his stack, I think that he would have given up.

ftw72 calls [$22.55 USD]
Hero wins $2.45 USD
** Dealing Turn ** [ 2◊ ]
** Dealing River ** [ 4◊ ]
Hero shows [T♠, T♣ ]
ftw72 shows [J◊, J♡ ]
ftw72 wins $75.60 USD from main pot

++++++++

Net result over all was at least a positive red line (profit on hands which did not go to showdown). Given the number of hands where I eventually gave up for a fair amount of money, this was a good achievement. However, you need to keep the "showdown" winnings in the black as well!

Other downsides to this style It's more tiring. That means that, even if you are earning twice as much per 100 hands, you can't play as many tables and you can't play for as long a time. Annd, as mentioned, volatility is much higher, so your cost of capital is greater. These three factors mitigate against this style if you are looking to play 300,000 or more hands a year while holding down a job. However, for single- or double-tabling at higher stakes, it has much to recommend it -- with the exception of the volatility.

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