Alucard's Cash Journal - 5NL to 10NL

[Alucard]

Spoiler

PokerStars - $0.05 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

BTN: 100 BB (VPIP: 12.96, PFR: 9.26, 3Bet Preflop: 2.38, Hands: 112)
SB: 283.4 BB (VPIP: 42.86, PFR: 28.57, 3Bet Preflop: 33.33, Hands: 14)
Hero (BB): 106 BB
UTG: 213.4 BB (VPIP: 13.33, PFR: 13.33, 3Bet Preflop: 7.69, Hands: 31)
MP: 399.4 BB (VPIP: 21.05, PFR: 16.84, 3Bet Preflop: 3.57, Hands: 101)
CO: 149.4 BB (VPIP: 100.00, PFR: 100.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has Ah Kc
fold, fold, fold, fold, SB raises to 3 BB, Hero raises to 10 BB, SB raises to 283.4 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 96 BB and is all-in

Flop : (212 BB, 2 players) Kh 9s Jd

Turn : (212 BB, 2 players) Ts

River : (212 BB, 2 players) 8c

SB shows 9c 9d (Three of a Kind, Nines)
(Pre 55%, Flop 96%, Turn 91%)

Hero shows Ah Kc (One Pair, Kings)
(Pre 45%, Flop 4%, Turn 9%)

SB wins 203.2 BB

 

[Alucard]

I'm down $40 today. Very short session.
Can't keep this up. After a few tries quitting zoom

Spoiler

PokerStars - $0.05 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

BTN: 299.8 BB (VPIP: 12.50, PFR: 10.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 40)
SB: 101.2 BB (VPIP: 27.78, PFR: 22.22, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 18)
BB: 939.2 BB (VPIP: 15.17, PFR: 10.34, 3Bet Preflop: 2.08, Hands: 147)
Hero (UTG): 100 BB
MP: 56.4 BB
CO: 105.2 BB (VPIP: 5.56, PFR: 5.56, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 36)

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has As Ks
Hero raises to 3 BB, MP raises to 5 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 20 BB, MP calls 15 BB

Flop : (41.4 BB, 2 players) Js 4d 7s
Hero bets 37 BB, MP calls 36.4 BB and is all-in

Turn : (114.2 BB, 2 players) Jh

River : (114.2 BB, 2 players) Ac

Hero shows As Ks (Two Pair, Aces and Jacks)
(Pre 75%, Flop 47%, Turn 18%)

MP shows Jc Kh (Three of a Kind, Jacks)
(Pre 25%, Flop 53%, Turn 82%)

MP wins 109.4 BB

 

[AlexTheOwl]

I've had a good look at the stats. The issues are the same as when we last talked.
So briefly my observations are:
Your recent runbad looks to be promoting fit and fold. ( I know all about this!)
When you are running bad it's even more important to scrimp and fight for every single bb going to offset the big suckouts.
Play more from the button, at least 10% more, steal more by identifying players who fold too much to steals (have fold to steal % on your HUD)
Float more by identifying 1 and done merchants who have a high flop cbet% and low turn cbet%
3bet more especially from the BB and BTN.
Your BB AF is very low. Defend your BB more vigourously against stealers by bluff raising the flop more often.
https://floattheturn.com/wp/blog/assassinato-big-blind-check-raise-strategy/

And call flop with the intention of overbet leading the turn (from Polished poker usual lines against steals)
Thats all I can suggest for now its gotton late.

Alucard, I'm curious about whether this post resulted in any changes in your play?

"None of your damn business, owl" is a perfectly acceptable answer.

Sorry to hear about the RunBad.

 

[Alucard]

Alucard, I'm curious about whether this post resulted in any changes in your play?

"None of your damn business, owl" is a perfectly acceptable answer.

Sorry to hear about the RunBad.

yeah. It did. I tried it a couple of times & it worked.
Haven't made it a regular thing. Perhaps because it's zoom. Everyplayer seems to be slow playing a monster or getting lucky on the flop.
I don't know man. Every goddamn hand is going against me.
I want to stop bitching about this & getting back to grinding but it seems so worthless.

Will try until 10th of december & will quit zoom after that.

 

[AlexTheOwl]

This is very important point, I know most logically understand it, but somehow brains fail to really comprehend what it means: only EV has meaning

Bad beat for you just means that somewhere along the line someone else is feeling the ‘bad beat’ when you triumph with our 2 outers. A fun way to look it is that against bad beat, the lady luck is on depth to you, and she will give it back one day. Normally this balancing factor would just mean that you win your 70% hand, ‘like you should’, maybe even 3 times in a row

I pretty much agree with this. We are only human, and losing just isn't pleasant. We need to console ourselves with logic/math. Tendler calls this "Injecting Logic" a good short-term containment strategy for tilt.

I'll add that good players suffer bad beats more often than bad ones. By definition you have to be getting the money in when you are ahead in order to take a bad beat. Good players get the money in when they are ahead more often than bad players do.

So if you're good your revenge will have to be winning in the long term, because the number of bad beats will never even out.

 

[AlexTheOwl]

yeah. It did. I tried it a couple of times & it worked.
Haven't made it a regular thing. Perhaps because it's zoom. Everyplayer seems to be slow playing a monster or getting lucky on the flop.
I don't know man. Every goddamn hand is going against me.
I want to stop bitching about this & getting back to grinding but it seems so worthless.

Will try until 10th of december & will quit zoom after that.

I hate zoom (ignition's version is called "zone"). Other people enjoy and profit from it, good for them. No one makes me play it, and there's plenty of other games.

Maybe it's just not for you.

 

[Alucard]

I'm scared of getting coolered cause both deep. Cause that has been the story so far

Spoiler

PokerStars - $0.05 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

BTN: 330 BB (VPIP: 23.85, PFR: 16.21, 3Bet Preflop: 4.07, Hands: 340)
Hero (SB): 214 BB
BB: 100 BB (VPIP: 19.86, PFR: 15.16, 3Bet Preflop: 8.92, Hands: 460)
UTG: 24 BB (VPIP: 26.85, PFR: 14.81, 3Bet Preflop: 9.52, Hands: 112)
MP: 201.2 BB (VPIP: 26.01, PFR: 19.03, 3Bet Preflop: 8.03, Hands: 387)
CO: 224.8 BB (VPIP: 25.14, PFR: 8.57, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 177)

Hero posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has Kc Kh
fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to 3 BB, Hero raises to 10 BB, fold, BTN calls 7 BB

Flop : (21 BB, 2 players) 2c 9d 8s
Hero checks, BTN bets 10.2 BB, Hero calls 10.2 BB

Turn : (41.4 BB, 2 players) 9s
Hero checks, BTN checks

River : (41.4 BB, 2 players) Jc
Hero checks, BTN checks

Hero shows Kc Kh (Two Pair, Kings and Nines)
(Pre 81%, Flop 87%, Turn 95%)

BTN mucks Th Td (Two Pair, Tens and Nines)
(Pre 19%, Flop 13%, Turn 5%)

Hero wins 39.6 BB

 

[Figaroo2]

I would advise you to stop playing or go play something else. -40 is 8bi. Id be getting myself off the tables at this point. I'd read a poker book for a couple of days and then usually be itching to get back. You're not in a good place and gambling flips (at best) with your AK.
The JJ hand is a fold on the river, its a 3bet pot he could easily have QQ KK.
When you flopped a set of 5's you then didn't bet for value when you where the preflop raiser. You need to start building pots on the flop with sets if you want to win stacks and you are giving a free card which can hurt you on that board. You are so under repped its probably still a call.

AK v the 15/10 guy with zero 3bet in 50....his 4 bet is x3, thats a hand, shove is too optimistic always flipping at best.
AsKs is fine.
AK v 99. Stupid villian. You can call but you know its a flip.

 

[braveslice]

I have said this before and I know this opinion is not appreciated (maybe rightly so), but the easiest and fastest method to gain game back is to drop level. My guess is that your game is already so messed up at this point that it takes days to have steady green line upwards even in 2NL. If I’m wrong, even better, maybe only 1 day. Poker players are humans, and low limit player even more so, so psychological aspect is very much most important things right after you learn the basics of game play.

 

[Alucard]

lets try trapping someone

Spoiler

PokerStars - $0.05 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

BTN: 155.2 BB (VPIP: 20.00, PFR: 20.00, 3Bet Preflop: 100.00, Hands: 6)
SB: 31.8 BB (VPIP: 30.00, PFR: 30.00, 3Bet Preflop: 28.57, Hands: 10)
BB: 241.6 BB (VPIP: 25.71, PFR: 22.86, 3Bet Preflop: 15.38, Hands: 36)
UTG: 40.2 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 50.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 2)
Hero (MP): 216 BB
CO: 97.4 BB (VPIP: 25.45, PFR: 12.73, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 59)

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has Ad As
UTG calls 1 BB, Hero calls 1 BB, fold, fold, fold, BB raises to 5.6 BB, UTG calls 4.6 BB, Hero raises to 30 BB, BB raises to 96 BB, fold, Hero raises to 216 BB and is all-in, BB calls 120 BB

Flop : (438 BB, 2 players) Qd 9h 4c

Turn : (438 BB, 2 players) 5s

River : (438 BB, 2 players) 5c

BB shows Qs Qc (Full House, Queens full of Fives)
(Pre 18%, Flop 91%, Turn 95%)

Hero shows Ad As (Two Pair, Aces and Fives)
(Pre 82%, Flop 9%, Turn 5%)

BB wins 419.8 BB

done for today. Will read the mental game & put some time into other stuff

 

[Alucard]

So I'm playing 2NL at party as per Brave's recommendation but this is so damn boring & less challenging. I'm getting folds super duper easy.
The difference between this & stars 5NL zoom is so damn high.
So I actually think it's a stars zoom thing
Will try some 5NL regular tables at party as well.

an example

Spoiler

partypoker - $0.02 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

SB: 118.5 BB (VPIP: 28.73, PFR: 15.96, 3Bet Preflop: 5.24, Hands: 20,706)
Hero (BB): 128 BB
UTG: 100 BB (VPIP: 29.37, PFR: 16.35, 3Bet Preflop: 5.82, Hands: 20,807)
CO: 95.5 BB (VPIP: 29.85, PFR: 17.17, 3Bet Preflop: 5.74, Hands: 18,288)
BTN: 86.5 BB (VPIP: 28.94, PFR: 16.24, 3Bet Preflop: 5.68, Hands: 21,490)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has Kc Kh
fold, CO calls 1 BB, BTN calls 1 BB, SB calls 0.5 BB, Hero raises to 10 BB, CO calls 9 BB, BTN calls 9 BB, fold

Flop : (31 BB, 3 players) 9d 8d Ah
Hero checks, CO checks, BTN checks

Turn : (31 BB, 3 players) 6h
Hero checks, CO checks, BTN checks

River : (31 BB, 3 players) 4h
Hero checks, CO checks, BTN checks

Hero shows Kc Kh (One Pair, Kings)
(Pre 67%, Flop 73%, Turn 71%)

CO mucks 7c 8h (One Pair, Eights)
(Pre 15%, Flop 21%, Turn 21%)

BTN mucks 5s Js (High Card, Ace)
(Pre 17%, Flop 6%, Turn 7%)

Hero wins 29.5 BB

 

[braveslice]

If your confidence is already that high, my advice was probably wrong lol. Good job there, people are individuals I guess. Well at least I don't have reason to moan anymore =) Poker is supposed to feel a bit boring when you are in 100% control, just occasional burst there and there. Twice in 100 hands or something like that, dunno, for me its closer like once in 100.

 

[Figaroo2]

KK once they have both checked twice try a small value bet on the river and you might get a call from 2nd or 3rd pair.

 

[Alucard]

If your confidence is already that high, my advice was probably wrong lol. Good job there, people are individuals I guess. Well at least I don't have reason to moan anymore =) Poker is supposed to feel a bit boring when you are in 100% control, just occasional burst there and there. Twice in 100 hands or something like that, dunno, for me its closer like once in 100.

The thing is 2NL doesn't attract me anymore & I can't seem to get excited to play 1/2cents. If the payouts were higher I'd be more than willing to spend much time there.
Still I feel quite comfortable playing 5NL regular at someplaces like 888. Even at stars I'm winning.
Zoom has this thing that gets you excited & since I had a very decent win rate when I began I just wanted to find it back again. Might play a couple of days more & see how it goes.
Sometimes the variance at zoom is just too damn high to handle. People educating themselves doesn't help either.
I have this hunch that people might be sniping these kind of threads & evolving. Maybe I'm delusional lol!

 

[braveslice]

The thing is 2NL doesn't attract me anymore & I can't seem to get excited to play 1/2cents.

Back in a day, year ago?, regular was much easier than zoom, time flies. They develop too fast imo.

I totally understand 2NL doesn’t attract you, I kind of hate it, but not going to deposit. The thing is though that one point of your career you need to go back to boring previous level, or maybe levelsssss, this happens minimum when you try to break 25NL I have heard. If you are good boy at that point of your career there shouldn’t be any problems to go down, even though it feels just the same than going back to 2NL now.

Edit: Why I'm so vocal about this is that, imo its my biggest mistake ever in poker. Took 2 years to learn, or something like that.

 

[duggs]

I'm scared of getting coolered cause both deep. Cause that has been the story so far

Spoiler

PokerStars - $0.05 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

BTN: 330 BB (VPIP: 23.85, PFR: 16.21, 3Bet Preflop: 4.07, Hands: 340)
Hero (SB): 214 BB
BB: 100 BB (VPIP: 19.86, PFR: 15.16, 3Bet Preflop: 8.92, Hands: 460)
UTG: 24 BB (VPIP: 26.85, PFR: 14.81, 3Bet Preflop: 9.52, Hands: 112)
MP: 201.2 BB (VPIP: 26.01, PFR: 19.03, 3Bet Preflop: 8.03, Hands: 387)
CO: 224.8 BB (VPIP: 25.14, PFR: 8.57, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 177)

Hero posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has Kc Kh
fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to 3 BB, Hero raises to 10 BB, fold, BTN calls 7 BB

Flop : (21 BB, 2 players) 2c 9d 8s
Hero checks, BTN bets 10.2 BB, Hero calls 10.2 BB

Turn : (41.4 BB, 2 players) 9s
Hero checks, BTN checks

River : (41.4 BB, 2 players) Jc
Hero checks, BTN checks

Hero shows Kc Kh (Two Pair, Kings and Nines)
(Pre 81%, Flop 87%, Turn 95%)

BTN mucks Th Td (Two Pair, Tens and Nines)
(Pre 19%, Flop 13%, Turn 5%)

Hero wins 39.6 BB

this is a mandatory flop bet, and definitely bombing river if they check back turn

 

[duggs]

KK once they have both checked twice try a small value bet on the river and you might get a call from 2nd or 3rd pair.

this

 

[Beanfacekilla]

The thing is 2NL doesn't attract me anymore & I can't seem to get excited to play 1/2cents. If the payouts were higher I'd be more than willing to spend much time there.
Still I feel quite comfortable playing 5NL regular at someplaces like 888. Even at stars I'm winning.
Zoom has this thing that gets you excited & since I had a very decent win rate when I began I just wanted to find it back again. Might play a couple of days more & see how it goes.
Sometimes the variance at zoom is just too damn high to handle. People educating themselves doesn't help either.
I have this hunch that people might be sniping these kind of threads & evolving. Maybe I'm delusional lol!

I had to move back down to 1/2 live. I wasn't happy about it either.


However, I told myself I am going to destroy 1/2 while I'm there. I am totally stoked to play every day, and I rarely think about 2/5.


If you and I can't produce results at whatever level, we have to step down. It doesn't matter if we think it's boring. Do we want to make money, or break even/lose money? Simple decision IMO. We have to make the decision that gets us $$$.

 

[Alucard]

Good fold? Or should I lead river??

Spoiler

partypoker - $0.05 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

CO: 271.4 BB (VPIP: 28.68, PFR: 15.96, 3Bet Preflop: 5.25, Hands: 20,931)
BTN: 96 BB (VPIP: 27.85, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: 5.97, Hands: 20,224)
SB: 93.4 BB (VPIP: 29.38, PFR: 16.34, 3Bet Preflop: 5.81, Hands: 21,074)
BB: 81.6 BB (VPIP: 29.41, PFR: 15.88, 3Bet Preflop: 5.68, Hands: 20,577)
Hero (UTG): 216.8 BB

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has Qc As
Hero raises to 3 BB, CO calls 3 BB, fold, SB calls 2.6 BB, BB calls 2 BB

Flop : (12 BB, 4 players) 4c Ac Js
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets 6.4 BB, CO calls 6.4 BB, fold, fold

Turn : (24.8 BB, 2 players) 3c
Hero checks, CO bets 15.6 BB, Hero calls 15.6 BB

River : (56 BB, 2 players) Ad
Hero checks, CO bets 53.2 BB, fold

CO wins 106.4 BB

 

[Alucard]

Couple of hands at party poker 5NL

Spoiler

That's what I've been telling. The difference between this & 5NL zoom is so big. TBH the tough hours spent at the zoom pool has some advantages as well when you move into these kind of tables.
But I still want to beat the zoom pool though. Will throw up some sessions later.

 

[Lorpugo]

this mental game book is crap in my opinion ... and another thing you are overplaying AK in my opinion dont 4 bet shove with it 3 bet or if someone else 3 bets call and see flop. This is drawing hand after all. AA and KK 4 bet and shove. Check your history with AK to see when you get it in preflop stata if it is +ev

 

[Figaroo2]

You hit trip aces and then fold? Am I reading that right?
On the river if he's aggro and going to bet then check call or bet small to induce. If he's passive then lead out. Im not folding trip aces there.

Re the mental game book. Not all of it will apply to you. You read it and take what you need from it. You have admitted a tilt problem, the book will help you identify your tilt and its triggers and make suggested counter measures. At the end its still down to you. Mental toughness separates the winners and losers in this game.

 

[Alucard]

You hit trip aces and then fold? Am I reading that right?
On the river if he's aggro and going to bet then check call or bet small to induce. If he's passive then lead out. Im not folding trip aces there.

He has been really aggro on me. In fact the only decent player on that table. I've been hitting him hard as well. There I just felt he had it.
He's either betting an ace or a set or a FD if an ace I felt it was two pair. So made the nittiest folds ever.
I'm into Mental Game

 

[Alucard]

Analysis

I need to get this clarified to know whether this line is profitable or not.

I usually take this line on a bit dangerous board cause I will usually be call a decent sizing if I checked & the V bets on the river.
But I do fold V's bluff by this so not getting value there. But then again if the V raised, I know I'm beat so easy fold. But if the V bluffs a very big size, he might make me fold better hands cause I wouldn't be calling most of the time.
So what is the profitable option???

Spoiler

partypoker - $0.05 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

BTN: 137.8 BB (VPIP: 18.95, PFR: 14.74, 3Bet Preflop: 7.14, Hands: 99)
Hero (SB): 312.6 BB
BB: 105.8 BB (VPIP: 17.77, PFR: 13.32, 3Bet Preflop: 3.99, Hands: 752)
UTG: 121.6 BB (VPIP: 29.76, PFR: 25.30, 3Bet Preflop: 15.15, Hands: 88)
MP: 26.8 BB (VPIP: 14.29, PFR: 4.76, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 21)
CO: 64.4 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 50.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 2)

Hero posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has Th Ah
fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, BB calls 2 BB

Flop : (6 BB, 2 players) 2s As 4c
Hero bets 4 BB, BB calls 4 BB

Turn : (14 BB, 2 players) 7s
Hero checks, BB bets 10 BB, Hero calls 10 BB

River : (34 BB, 2 players) 9h
Hero bets 22 BB, fold

Hero wins 54.4 BB

 

[Alucard]

Don't like the hand. Felt like a bluff

Spoiler

partypoker - $0.05 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com

BTN: 148 BB (VPIP: 22.47, PFR: 19.10, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 90)
SB: 87.4 BB (VPIP: 38.46, PFR: 38.46, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 13)
Hero (BB): 345.2 BB
UTG: 132.8 BB (VPIP: 20.24, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 9.38, Hands: 88)
MP: 129.2 BB (VPIP: 14.53, PFR: 7.56, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 175)
CO: 140.6 BB (VPIP: 29.28, PFR: 22.52, 3Bet Preflop: 14.91, Hands: 315)

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has 9s 9h
fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to 2 BB, fold, Hero calls 1 BB

Flop : (4.4 BB, 2 players) Qs 9c 6d
Hero checks, BTN bets 3 BB, Hero calls 3 BB

Turn : (10.4 BB, 2 players) Th
Hero bets 8 BB, BTN calls 8 BB

River : (26.4 BB, 2 players) 7d
Hero bets 14 BB, BTN raises to 38.4 BB, fold

BTN wins 76.2 BB