Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.

TommyD · August 2014

Well played Matt, I really need to pull my finger out....

TommyD · August 2014

ok, let's bring you up to date shall we.

UKPC Mini - Two Bullets, No Waiting

I played Day 1c of the mini. I didn't play well. Bullet number one was done and dusted in four levels. Never really had a hand, tried too many bluffs which really didn't make too much sense and in the end I jammed 22bb with AQo over an open from a lovely young tattooed lady. Quite a number of ladies with body art here, which means I have the Song as sung by Kermitt the Frog, Lydia the Tattooed Lady pretty much on repeat in my head. Google it, it's lovely. She asked me if I wanted a call and like the live fish I am I answered with the truth, I wanted to double or to re enter. So she called with 76s. They then proceeded to pretty much flop me dead.

CHIPS PLEASE!

So let's try it again I thought. Interesting new seat. I get a table with Sin Melin, very aggressive and good player currently sponsored by Tilt, and HoneyBadger from Blonde whose Strat posts on there are some of the very best. Luckily for me he is much more of a cash and mixed games player but still exceptionally handy at Holdem. He's also a lovely fellow to chat with and it's so nice to have other people at the table trying to get everyone chatting and generally have a good time. I didn't play a hand for a level, just card dead and it wasn't the sort of table to get involved light unless you were prepared to risk the lot. Sin took a hit and was battling a gentleman to my right. After going short she decided to go all in blind if the fellow on my right would call blind. I'm next to act with all this dead money in there and see A3s. Raised it is then. I haven't played a hand so I look massive which means marginals which beat us will fold, as AJ apparently did from round the back. We hold and knock out Sin. Then a little mini heater, flop top two versus top pair and FD, get it in on flop and hold. Then flat AA UTG+1 after a UTG open, get it in on flop and fade another flush draw. Starting to get a stack now. UTG playing 20bb limps (that'll be something big then) so we limp along 77 hoping no one squeezes. They don't, flop a set, UTG has QQ. Lovely stuff.

Then the meltdown. Many sighs here on in. I had another very nice body inked woman on my table now. I had already gotten away with one versus her by playing a flush draw which didn't get there was a set or trips (top card on the flop paired on the turn, was good for my range) and flat flop, c/r turn and bomb-a-long river got through.

Lolfold time. I always have one these days in live poker. I open UTG with AK and get three callers. Flop A96cc, we do not have a club. SB donk leads and I figure it might sometimes be a set but mostly we're looking at betting to see where we are with a marginal up to a combo draw. So i flat to keep her betting. Then the fellow who won the PLO (unconfirmed but is he Russia on Sky, think I saw that somewhere) in Feb raises. Interesting, I am at this point still pretty sure I have the best hand most often. Then the young lady ums and errs really visibly. Suddenly my mind is drawn to that awful Hollywooding at an EPT and I am suddenly convinced I am dead. It's a set, it has to be, the attacking was so bad. So I nitfold which soon turns into a lolfold when I see she had AJo and he had ATo. Sometimes them doing that is what it is I guess. I'm a fish.

Then I run another play on the lady, get to the river and I really can't rep anything. I'm about to give up when the trays for a table break come over. This totally changes my mind because now I have no way of getting these chips back in a later hand. So we have a pop and get policed by an overpair. Was a good call, I can't remember much about the hand other than I repped nothing in the slightest.

So table move and a gentleman in his early 120s was having fun. He had roughly a bazillions chips, one arm in a sling and a song in his heart. He was doing his standard 15x opens, 10x 3bets and singing while he got the lot. Card dead again I waited. And I look down at AKo again. I am not folding it now, I 3bet an open. A fellow who had not played a hand since I sat down cold 4bets. I know /i should fold but then after another player tried to clarify something the gent stated shouting really nastily at the player and the dealer. I decided i just wanted to get there to see the look on his face. Might be a leak. He had Kings and we bricked to bust. Oh well, to the bar then.....

TommyD · August 2014

I only lose to quads; I have quads Sir

So after a lovely drink and giggles with wonderful people like Nutter, Dan, Ivan and the Brommers Duo I somehow end up on a 1/1 table. This generally does not end well. However this was my night. Apparently. Not completely sure, shots were involved and I only recall two hands.

Hand One

We bought in for a ton and are now playing £300. We don't know how we got here. Defend T8o against a player who covers. Flop 886. Had worse, let's check/call. Turn is a 2, he bets big and we flat again. River is the case 8. Oh hello there. Of course we really risk losing value by checking, but it is unlikely they raise a donk lead. Let's try to go for the lot, YOLO etc. I check, in my head I am screaming 'Don't check back!' He doesn't. I jam over his bet something like two times the pot. He smiles, is very confident and says 'I only lose to quads' and proudly calls with QQ. I say 'I have quads Sir'. He growled at me all the way to hand two.

TommyD · August 2014

Hand Two

QQ fellow open jams UTG with AQ. It looks like £40 but there is a cheeky pink £100 pink chip hidden away. Didn't make much of a difference, I had AA. Good times. I cash in over £600 in profit, get back to the hotel and begin to sleep it off.

Ok back to real time, off to play the PLO now, really

F_Ivanovic · August 2014

Great read Tommy, was good to meet with you! Kind of wish I was there playing the PLO. I decided against it but now wish I hadn't!! What day are you playing the main? I really don't know whether to play it or not. £1k on just 1 tournament just seems ridiculous with my BR. But then I'm in for just £40 and I don't really fancy going to DTD multiple times for other smaller BI tournaments to use up the £1k where I'm not likely to have as much fun as I would at the £1k with plenty of sky regs there! So yeah... I think I pretty much have to play. Just need to book a hotel again, preferably one closer again! What were you staying at again?

GELDY · August 2014

tommyd forever the gentleman

hits quads and gets paid for it playing cash and how does he react?

(_) jumps out of his chair fist pumping and screaming "you fish"

(X)calmly states "I have quads, Sir"

legend

GELDY · August 2014

meanwhile don't worry about your temporary cooler against Mr Bates. I know he is winning all his races but I've found out why.

i have it on good authority that he was quite sprightly as a nipper and didn't lose any races at school either

but he wanted more than anything to be a basketball player

unfortunately when he was selling his soul to the devil to do something about his height disadvantage

he was misheard as saying he wanted to be like marco johnson, when what he meant to say was magic johnson

from such small acorns eh

TommyD · August 2014

Donked myself out of the PLO in about 20th. Absolutely livid with myself, the spot was too thin. Never really had a great stack but more than playable. Feels like a give up play right now and I'm pretty low. Waste of half decent play to give it away in the last level of the day. Never mind, pretty much all on the main now.

We were 5 handed and I open KQJ5d/s. Chip leader flats his button like he always did. I c/c a k73r looking for some equity on the turn. We get 4h, I have qjhh so c/j, he has khxh3j. Don't improve on my now limited extensions. Was too thin to get away with.

Never mind....

MattBates · August 2014

Bingo update!

Me
4 mains
2 mini
6 9pm
3 MBI

Mr D
1 main
2 mini
3 9pm
5 MBI

MattBates · September 2014

Bingo update!

Me
4 mains
3 mini
6 9pm
3 MBI

Mr D
1 main
3 mini
4 9pm
5 MBI

MattBates · October 2014

Bingo update!

Me
5 mains
3 mini
6 9pm
3 MBI

Mr D
1 main
4 mini
4 9pm
6 MBI

I assume the diary will be resurrected in time for UKOP binkage?

Slipwater · October 2014

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.:

Bingo update! Me 5 mains 3 mini 6 9pm 3 MBI Mr D 1 main 3 mini 4 9pm 6 MBI I assume the diary will be resurrected in time for UKOP binkage?
Posted by MattBates

Tommy has won two Mains and five Minis...

MattBates · October 2014

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.:

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary. : Tommy has won two Mains and five Minis...
Posted by Slipwater

My mini count was incorrect but has been adjusted. Its wins on diff nights. Mr D has 2 wed night main wins which counts as 1 for our purposes. He also has 2 sat night mini wins so only gets one of them.

Slipwater · October 2014

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.:

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary. : My mini count was incorrect but has been adjusted. Its wins on diff nights. Mr D has 2 wed night main wins which counts as 1 for our purposes. He also has 2 sat night mini wins so only gets one of them.
Posted by MattBates

That's me told...

Come on Tommy - open the doors again!

tomgoodun · October 2014

How I wish I had read your World Cup reports at the time when it was being played,I have never laughed so much reading posts( the sky rigged ones don't even come close) today I am going to work with a smile on my face and a spring in my step thank you so much,you sir are a wordsmith of the highest level,Arden rob ben pressing r2 lool loll.

Glenelg · November 2014

Hi Tommy,

Dual purpose for posting:

1. To drag diary to front page. ;-) &

2. We crossed paths in the main last night and I was after advice (general & specific) if you are willing on hand below? I was gonna post in clinic but wasn't sure if you'd see it. I'm always trying to improve and analyse a few key hands the next day and this one has jumped out at me. There were circa 40 left and we were all in the money. Blinds were just about to go up which would mean we would have less than 20BB's.

I wasn't sure if...

..my original raise was too small? Would it have mattered?

..I made a mistake by going all-in? I did think about just calling but felt with our stacks it was probably all going in anyway on the flop?

Thoughts would be welcome............Pad

Player	Action	Cards	Amount	Pot	Balance
TommyD	Small blind		400.00	400.00	21233.36
KINGBING24	Big blind		800.00	1200.00	14843.75
	Your hole cards	A J
Glenelg	Raise		1600.00	2800.00	19959.20
OwnYrSoul	Fold
flyrod	Fold
edsupagain	Fold
TommyD	Raise		3600.00	6400.00	17633.36
KINGBING24	Fold
Glenelg	All-in		19959.20	26359.20	0.00
TommyD	All-in		17633.36	43992.56	0.00
TommyD	Unmatched bet		74.16	43918.40	74.16
TommyD	Show	J J
Glenelg	Show	A J
Flop
		K 8 5
Turn
		4
River
		9
TommyD	Win	Pair of Jacks	43918.40		43992.56

Chris_Mc · November 2014

not sure if you'll get a reply back too that glen....

try posting through I.E

bbMike · November 2014

You can read it if you try, he's min-opened the button to 1600 with AJ suited playing just under 25BB. Tommy's made it 3,600. Glenelg then 4-bet shoves the rest of his 20k and Tommy calls it off and holds with JJ.

It's a big 4-bet imo and you're lucky if he calls turning up with TT-. Doubt you get a call from AT. So I'd prefer a call on the button here. Even if Tommy's been playing back loads from the BB the size of the 4-bet pretty much turns it into a bluff.

Glenelg · November 2014

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.:

You can read it if you try, he's min-opened the button to 1600 with AJ suited playing just under 25BB. Tommy's made it 3,600. Glenelg then 4-bet shoves the rest of his 20k and Tommy calls it off and holds with JJ. It's a big 4-bet imo and you're lucky if he calls turning up with TT-. Doubt you get a call from AT. So I'd prefer a call on the button here. Even if Tommy's been playing back loads from the BB the size of the 4-bet pretty much turns it into a bluff.
Posted by bbMike

THanks guys - Post fixed. Was in a rush out and hadn't noticed. @BB- kinda what I thought when reviewing hand.

jordz16 · November 2014

If you are looking for advice on the hand id say the min open is fine for your stack size, but as soon as you get 3 bet when you are playing 25bbs you know that you are probably playing for stacks, and aj isnt the hand you want to go to war with, when you have 25bbs still, even though you are getting a great price to call there arent many flops you can hang around on except flush draws. and the shove is just never getting called by a worse hand imo. so id just dump it after the 3 bet and look for a hand you can go with... if you had 40bbs then it would be a snap call in position though.

Phantom66 · November 2014

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.:

If you are looking for advice on the hand id say the min open is fine for your stack size, but as soon as you get 3 bet when you are playing 25bbs you know that you are probably playing for stacks, and aj isnt the hand you want to go to war with, when you have 25bbs still, even though you are getting a great price to call there arent many flops you can hang around on except flush draws. and the shove is just never getting called by a worse hand imo. so id just dump it after the 3 bet and look for a hand you can go with... if you had 40bbs then it would be a snap call in position though.
Posted by jordz16

What, fold a "nutmaker" in position v TommyD?

I take your point on stack sizes but I'd take a gamble knowing if it goes wrong and give up post you weren't many orbits off shove/fold stack anyway.

Having been utg raiser and calling 3bet can look very strong at that stack size so there are flops that opponent wont like that you can force a fold from too?

hhyftrftdr · November 2014

Close, but with you being 3bet after opening from UTG I think it makes it more a sigh fold.

Were it button vs the blinds....

hhyftrftdr · November 2014

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.:

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary. : What, fold a "nutmaker" in position v TommyD? I take your point on stack sizes but I'd take a gamble knowing if it goes wrong and give up post you weren't many orbits off shove/fold stack anyway. Having been utg raiser and calling 3bet can look very strong at that stack size so there are flops that opponent wont like that you can force a fold from too?
Posted by Phantom66

On the contrary, unless the villain is particularly tricky and might flat KK/AA.

Generally peeling in this spot is a hand that you can't bring to let go but equally can't 4bet and play for stacks.....so hands exactly like AJs, 77 through 1010 etc etc. If we were deeper I think we can deffo peel and play the pot in position down the streets. Stacks are just too shallow to make calling this profitable I think though. I also think shoving is slightly too light; not sure if Tommy is 3bet folding many/any hands in this spot, and when he calls our jam we are never gonna be in great shape.

Perhaps Tommy might want to chirp up.....

Don't be shy Thomas.

The_Don90 · November 2014

All this cant do this, cant do that - imo without dynamics its hard to say. If Tommy is 3b alot - not saying tommy is but if he is then shoving can be fine. Peeling might also be fine.

Without dynamics i think its hard to judge. However i do think it probably is a fold once 3b.

Chris_Mc · November 2014

So far in the few games ive played at tommys table it very simple and easy too play against him.

If tommy calls i fold.

If tommy is still too act after me i fold.

If tommy raises i fold quicker.

If tommy bets and i have aa. I fold.

I also play these rules against certain other players.

mattbates

Divsdreams

Geldy

Hyyhtyyfyftfffftyrrrrrrrttyhhyryrydddtttrr.

bbMike · November 2014

Sigh, turns out it wasn't that easy to read first time. UTG raise then, less likely to be a bluffy 3-bet, less reason to believe the 4-bet jam would be profitable.

Glenelg · November 2014

HI guys, thanx for input ,appreciated. I hadn't long moved to this table so wasn't sure what mood Tommy was in. ;-)

F_Ivanovic · November 2014

In Response to Re: Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.:

If you are looking for advice on the hand id say the min open is fine for your stack size, but as soon as you get 3 bet when you are playing 25bbs you know that you are probably playing for stacks, and aj isnt the hand you want to go to war with, when you have 25bbs still, even though you are getting a great price to call there arent many flops you can hang around on except flush draws. and the shove is just never getting called by a worse hand imo. so id just dump it after the 3 bet and look for a hand you can go with... if you had 40bbs then it would be a snap call in position though.
Posted by jordz16

Can't say more than this.... Tommy's positionally aware and isn't going to be 3-betting an UTG raise with less than JJ/AK for value unless he has a read that he's up against someone loose and un-positionally aware that openes too often UTG.

TommyD · November 2014

Interesting hand, sorry to not get back to you sooner Pad. Some great advice above as well, great work people.

Ok from my side of it: Playing with just over 25bb versus an UTG opener I am only ever doing this light against someone opening far too much and folding to lots of 3bets in position. This sort of person is rare. As to my value range I am 3betting stuff I am the vast majority of the time quite happy to go with if 4bet. Now how I would construct this range would depend entirely on the opener. There are some people I flat QQ against to go with on favourable boards. There are some people I 3bet/call off 88 and 99 against when they open UTG. Some free info for you Pad as a way to apologise for being so late with this post, my 3bet value range was TT+ AK. AQs I would probably go with, AQo peel, those two are pretty close. I would have probably peeled 77-99 to play a pot OOP (not just set mine) and folded worse pairs.

For your side of it, stacks are really awkward for you to peel my 3bet even IP, even if you didn't know I am not gonna have too many bluffs in my range or have a fairly tight value range. I mean, to play this hand you can't just be looking to hit, you'll be looking to represent as well and in order to do this it's more than likely you'd have to get the chance to and follow through with the jam move, and make it believable. That can be tough, both to pull the trigger when we miss and to get a good board to rep when you miss. With your stack I think I like a conservative fold pre to the 3bet and just look for a spot later which won't include too much guesswork.

TommyD · November 2014

On a side note lately I have been talking to the Hound about spots as I play them. I very much doubt this is collusion, she just stares at me and wonders why I am not giving her a biscuit. I did tell her 'We're going with this Shirl, I'm pretty sure he'll jam and we're doing ok versus that range.' It happened. She didn't even bark. Just licked my hand for a treat.

This technique is becoming more fruitful lately, as well as a possible marker to an issue with my grip on reality. We had another spot yesterday late morning. At the NL200 table I open AA UTG, see that depressing sign of fold after fold. Then I turn to her 'Sigh, well at least if XXXX raises it means he has Kings (the BB player, for reasons of niceness I have left his name out). The BB did 3bet. He did have Kings. I held, the BB player moaned and The Hound pulled at the bottom of my trousers with her teeth, reminding me it was indeed lunchtime.

Many Rivers To Cross. A Diary.

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