I've been having some problems with my computer lately and it's been extremely tilting. The numbers on my keyboard stopped working and I also couldn't get my HUD running. I tried to play through to get my hands in for the month, but my head was about to explode. I kept finding myself in spots where I wanted to make a play but could only use the half pot, pot, etc. buttons. It's really limiting. So I just quit and decided to play some live poker until my new computer arrives on Wednesday.
It's been awhile since I've played live, but the games still seem really profitable, even though this was probably one of the nittier tables I've played at. It also helped that I was able to run really good. I basically won two big pots and that was all it took to book a huge win. Let me know what you guys think about how I played these hands. It's been a long time since I've played live and the dynamics are a lot different.
Hand one.
Simple preflop spot. Playing one/three NL. UTG straddles for six. Two limpers and CO makes it twenty seven. He's a younger guy, seems somewhat aggro over a small sample and also has already been stacked, so he could possibly be tilted. I pick up QQ in the SB. Three bet to eighty. Thoughts about sizing here? Two folds and villain shoves for effectively just under three hundred. I feel like I almost always see AA or KK when someone shoves preflop in live poker, but I can't fold in a straddled pot when we are essentially playing with fifty bbs, especially when I put in a quarter of my stack and he could be tilted. So I call, he tables AKo, and QQ holds for a nice six hundred dollar pot.
Hand two.
Not a straddled pot, but UTG min-raises to six. Three calls. I call from the SB with Ace-four of spades. BB calls. Flop is eight, five, four with two spades. I decide to go for a check-raise here, not convinced on what's best though. The initial raiser isn't great, but capable of laying down some hands. He has a stack of about four hundred. There is also a stationy fish in the pot with a stack of over five hundred. So it checks to the PFR and he bets twenty. Fish calls and one other villain calls. I decide to raise to ninety. The reason I like ch/raising here is two fold. I think I can take down a good size pot a decent amount of the time, but when called I have good equity and can make good decisions against weaker players later in the hand while being deep. The PFR folds and I only get called by the fish after he tanks for awhile. When he calls, I basically put him on a range of pair+SD, worse FD's, possibly bottom two, etc. My plan is to obviously barrel when I improve, but I can also barrel good board run outs. Turn brings the Ace of clubs. I bet one hundred and fifty and surprisingly he calls pretty quickly. Wasn't sure what to make of this at the time. River is the Ace of diamonds, giving me a nice BD FH. I shove for the last two hundred plus and he thinks for awhile and says there's no way he can fold. Calls and shows three, two of spades for a straight and I scoop up a nice eleven hundred plus dollar pot.
Let me know if you guys have any thoughts on how I could play either of those hands differently with bet sizing or just taking a different line. I'm always open to suggestions.
Anyways, I played awhile longer, but nothing really exciting happened. I was considering leaving for awhile and then my decision was basically made for me. I had to go to the bathroom and so as I'm walking in I see a guy finishing up at the urinal only to walk out without washing his hands. Of course as I walk back out I see this guy has now sat down at the seat directly next to me. Yep, time to go. Maybe I'm a germaphobe, but it grosses me out enough when I see people not wash their hands, let alone when they are now touching the same cards and chips as me. That's just disgusting imo.
As I was leaving I also almost got an additional four hundred dollars from an old cashier who couldn't count. She eventually asked to get help and they got it right, but I was really contemplating whether I should say something or not. Usually, I'm a very honest person, but I mean it's the casino. They steal from people everyday and four hundred dollars will go unnoticed for sure. What do you guys think, would you say something if the casino accidentally gave you extra money? I'm thinking you shouldn't....
