Playing 7-2 offsuit

I just found the best time to play 7-2 offsuit.

I was in a Sit-N-Go and it was down heads up.  I had the dominant chip lead with 10,000 to his 1,500.  Preflop, my opponent was first to act and goes all-in.  I'm only afraid of an over pair.  I figure as long as I have two live cards I'm in good position.

We show our cards and my opponent has A-J suited.

The flop comes 10-9-2. The turn and river come junk and I win the tournament with 7-2 offsuit.  Nice.

The Weirdest Hand Ever

I've decided that I'm going to play more Sit-N-Go's and tournaments and pull back from ring games.  I'm really trying to work on my no-limit skills.

Yesterday, I was playing a SNG and I came across the wildest hands.  Fortunately, I was not a part of this hand.

It's only three hands into the match and the blinds are at 15/30.  I have 86o under the gun and I obviously fold.

Seat 3 bets small to 60. Seat 4 calls 60 for pot odds. Seat 6 raises to 255 to isolate the raisers. Seat 3 then goes all in. Seat 4 calls the all-in and then seat 6 calls the all-in.

Here's why I don't like.  Unless I have Aces or Kings. I'm not calling all-in.  It's too early in the tournament to be knockout with a low pair.

Seat 3 shows pocket Tens. Seat 4 shows pocket Jacks.  Seat 6 shows pocket Kings.  Seat 6 is the favorite.

The flop comes 8-A-T.  Now Seat 3 is the favorite.
The turn comes J. Now Seat 4 is the favorite.
The river comes K. Seat 6 triples up.

This is by far one of the freakiest hands I've ever seen.  Then again, why do people play this reckless.

Rough times ahead

Things have not been going well.  I've been careful not to get involved big losing hands, but I'm just not pulling it out.  Every session it's $5 here, $5 there.

 

What am I learning.  Cards run cold.  In low limit games, you have to hit your flushes, hit your straights.  If you can't do that, you're not going to win pots.  I'm not hitting anything.  I've been using a Poker Tracker program to chart my opponents.  I'm definitely playing against a lot of loose players.  On average they lose money, but the lucky ones tend to win a lot of money by hitting the lucky straights and flushes and also by hitting their two pair playing the K-2 down to the river.

 

I could begin playing that way, but why?  It's a losing proposition in the long run.

 

I started playing no limit poker.  I'm starting at the $.05/$.10 and after a rough start I'm actually ahead $10.00.  Talking about grinding.

Playing the Aggressive Player

Every night, I'll play a few rings games and if I do well, I'll play a SNG with my winnings.  Last night was no different.  I won about $20 on a $.50/$1 table. I got lucky, I made two double-belly gut shot straights and won a good sized pot.

I decide to play the next $5 No-Limit SNG at Full Tilt.  I'm starting to play a new strategy of playing a little passive.  I mentioned this before, but I hate being out of position and the only way to get position is to use the check raise.  The danger in this method is that you give your opponents first rights to a pot.  At the other hand, you can make it work for you, as I'll describe here.

Early in the tournament, I'm testing my opponents.  I'm on the button and its checked to me.  I decide to take a shot at stealing the blinds, my player to my left (Seat 6) immediately comes over-the-top to challenge me and I let it go.  The next time, I limp in and Seat 6 overbets to steal the pot again.  Note to self - Seat 6 attacks at weakness.

Seat 3 to my right decide that when they are in late position, they will steal blinds and for three rounds, I'm folding on the blinds.

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I hate being pushed around, but I can't beat a bluff with bad cards.  Needless to say I'm playing passive, yet solid poker. Things weren't going well until this hand.

I'm dealt Pocket Aces on the big blind.  Everyone limps into the pots and it's called to me.  Pros will tell you not to play Aces passively, but I decide at the last minute to check in early position. 

The flop comes Ace-x-x.  I have trip aces. Everyone checks to Seat 2, who bets the pot.  It comes to me, I call and everyone else folds.  The turn pulls another rag.  I check and Seat 2 bets the pot again.  He's committed about half his remaining stack.  I double his raise.  He then comes all-in and I call.  He has Ace-8 making two pair on the turn.  I have trips and Seat 2 is out.

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What did I accomplish?  This fantastic play sent a message to the entire table.  Beware of the limper…that's me.  Now when I'm playing Seat 6, and I limp in with bad cards, Seat 6 won't raise me to steal.  When I attempt to steal the blinds from Seat 6, she won't defend as often.

When Seat 3 tries to steal my blinds, I would come over the top with raise and now Seat 3 has gives up.

I was in a better position to bluff and steal.

Grinding Away

I haven't written in a while, but I'm just grinding away at the tables.  The moment I get amass chips at one table I lose it on the other.  I've been at break even for over a month and desperate to move forward.

I must remain patient and better yet, I can't force action.  Here's something that I notice, the only times I move significantly ahead is when I make big hands.  You know…flushes that come on the river, straights and full houses.  Top pair is fine, but I can lose to lucky two pair or hidden trips.

That's why this is a grind.

I'll be at Pechanga again this week and since I'm in the late show in San Diego, I have a little longer to play.

Cheers.