Moving Back Down

My brief stint on the top has brought me back down.  I’m back to grinding away at $5 SNG’s.  It was fun while it lasted.  Part of my problem was going back to limit and getting into level that were over my head.  I lost a lot of money playing $1/$2.  You know how slides go.  You grind you pay to the height if your game and then with a few big losses, you’re back down to the depths.  Grind is all I can do now.  Looks like I won’t be able to participate in the Pechanga Poker Championship next month.  Unless, I get lucky that is.

Cheers, Alan.

Limit Holdem Trip Report - Pechanga Casino 3/22/08

Limit Holdem Trip Report

Due to some personal changes in my life, my ability to play at a live casino is going to be difficult.  This past weekend was my last chance for a long time for me to play live.  I wanted to make my best of it.  Here's my trip report.

Details:

• Pechanga
• 3/22/2008
• Game: $2/$4 limit
• Buyin - $120
• End Result - $120

As you can see I came away even.  In summary, I started great, played bad in the middle and played great at the end.  My goal was to win.  I didn't reach my goal, but I was able to get back to even pretty quickly.

THE GAME.  I've played at Peghanga for several years.  I love this casino, because I've won the most money here.  In fact, it's the only place that I have a winning record.  The main reason is because Pechanga is a tourist casino.  There are a lot of fish there.  I run into more people who like to gamble and plays a lot of hands.  A $2/$4 game at Pechanga is like playing a $.05/$.10 game online.  You can count on a large number of callers in many hands.

I describe players as Loose Passive.  It was not uncommon to have a lot of callers and see hands checked down to the end.  It's not uncommon to raise preflop and see a lot of callers.  The table is very loose pre-flop and passive post flop.

Post flop players like to chase.  They will chase flushes and worse yet, they will chase gut shot straight draws.

That's the players.  Now you have to take into consideration the house.  Pechanga takes a $5 rake from every pot.  That's a lot of money.  There are some mistake people make with this rake. I'll talk about this later.

My strategy was simple.  Play tight aggressive.  I need to have a narrow hand range and absolutely take advantage of position.

Let's talk preflop hand selection.  I can't play every hand.  If I play every hand, I'm going to run out of money quickly.  In all positions, I'm playing premium hands. In middle position, I'm playing hands that will get me a straight or a flush. In late position, I'm playing Ace and King suited.  I'm also folding trap hands when the table is aggressive.  I'm definitely folding A-7 in early position.  I'm also folding K-J in early position. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF POSITION.

I'm also playing aggressive. I want to raise whenever I can.  There are two reasons for this.  The first is you have to beat the rake.  If I have a hand worth playing, then I need a pot worth playing for. If the hand is unraised and there are 5 players in the hand, then there's only $5 in the pot.  In this case, unless I hit the flop, there's no point in going after the pot unless I believe everyone will fold. In a raised pot, there is now $15 in the pot.  Couple your raise with a good starting hand, you're on your way to winning.

The second reason for raising is to take control of the table. You've got to own the table because this allows to you control how much you can win and control how much you lose.  When you're control of the table, you have the opportunity to see free cards if you need to.  This can only be accomplished in late position. When you take control enough, you also have opportunities to steal pots.  I actually won about 4 pots on pure bluffs.  Just because I took the lead and could sell the fact that I had a hand.

I'm always betting.  If I'm in a hand that I have a chance to win, I'm always betting.  I'm checking if I really don't have a chance to win.  Why bet without the best hand?  First the weak table.  Here's a typical play.  There are 5 to 6 limpers.  The board is Q-8-7 with two hearts.  So there a straight draw and/or flush draw.  No one will ever fold the possibility of  getting top pair, the straight or flush.  But at the same time, they will not bet out their hand.  If no one bets the pot does not grow and if you hit your hand your not going to earn money.  I bet out because I have a descent chance to win and if I do hit the flop, I will earn alot of money.  Anywhere from $20 to $50 dollars on a big draw.  You may also be able to take the pot on the semi bluff as well.

On the other hand, you may actually have a great hand.  You will get paid off if you bet. There's no point in slowplaying, you'll get called.  You'll earn more extra big bets than if you were trying to be sneaky.

Let me end here for now.  I'll finish this discussion with some hands and some interesting play.

Movin' On Up

I know I haven’t written in a while.  I’m finally doing it and I feel it’s the right time.  I’m graduating from $5 SNG to $10 SNG.  That’s right, I’ve doubled my buyin.

I started the year off at $500 and I did not do so well in January and February.  I had bits of success and a lot of losses.  I started to journal my losses, so I know what my tendencies are.  I found that I lose most when I over play top pair.  I’m getting killed by the higher kicker and trips.

No I’m a little more disciplined.  I have to keep telling myself to fold a big bet on top pair.  I also have to be in a situation where I can concentrate.  I am now actually watching the action that is going on around me.

I also found that I’m grinding away too much at the $5 level.  I buy in for little only to win little.

This past week is the first week I have dedicated to $10 on Full Tilt.  Here’s a few things, I noticed; as you go up in a level, the player tend to be a little better.  In fact, they tend to play a little tighter.  It’s a little more easy to make moves.

Well, wish me luck.  I hope to do well.