Seneca:Trip Report 2/5NL 1/2NL
Went to Seneca Tuesday arrived 10 AM.
Went to the brush to list for 1/2 and 2/5, there was an open seat in the 2/5NL game. I took it.
Buyin:
I look around and see everyone has bought in for the max $400.
If I think I have a clear advantage postflop and am a better small ball player than the table then I tend to buy in for maximum. If I don't know then I buy in for minimum and then adjust my stack so it's the same size as the biggest fish.
I buy in for the minimum $200. I plan to play a fairly short stack tight aggressive long ball 40 big blind game and then buy in for the same size as the worst player or maximum if I think I have an edge on the whole table.
Sat down in the button, 5 limpers to me I look down and see 88.
I raise it up to $45. (9 big blinds)
I don't think I've seen anyone else in this table before.
MP says, "Are you going to go crazy on the first hand?"
"What is this guy trying to do here... pushing me around?"
"What do you have?"
I just sit there.
MP and the CO call. Pot is now 32 big blinds ($160)
MP has about $600, CO has the same.
Flop comes 953, 2 clubs (I have no clubs)
MP checks , CO checks. I quickly push in the remaining $155 in.
MP says, "Shit" and calls, CO folds.
I fastroll... "I have 8's"
Turn is a blank.
River is a club.
MP has Q4clubs.
Bleah.
I rebuy for $200 and slowly make back $50...
I pick up KQs in UTG+2.
The Tricky Aggressive player UTG+1 on my right limps. I limp.
New player in the button raises to $50.
Tricky Aggressive calls $50.
I strongly think about pushing, raising to $250.
But I don't. Now I think calling is a donkey play.
Flop comes AQ3r.
Tricky Aggessive checks, I check, Button bets $150.
Tricky Aggessive folds.. I fold.
Bleah.
I hear them talk about waiting for the 5/10NL game to open.
I can't spot the sucker at the table.
So.
I go to the brush to get a table change.
I get placed in a 1/2NL $100 max game.
I sit with $100 and see Fat Guy with $500 on the table ... everyone else has <$100.
Fat Guy is playing LAG and winning like a mofo.
I stack a couple of donks and double up.
I get AcKc in the button.
6 players limp and I raise to $17.
Fat Guy and another person in MP call.
Flop is
KJ8 2 spades.
Check, Check
I bet $25.
MP calls,
Fat guy raises to $65, other MP folds.
I tank.
I call.
Turn is an off suit 9.
check.
check.
River is a 8spades.
Fat guy bets $150.
I tank... a long time.
Pot is $190... fat guy has $110 behind.
I cover him.
I can't think of too much I'm ahead of.
I have TPTK but it's a bluff catcher.
But This is a LAG we are talking about.
I call and show ... he mucks
saying he had ten high...
Hummmmmmm.
Things I need to do to improve my game.
1. Get more aggressive.
2. Get more aggressive.
Total for the trip +217,
Lost $200 at 2/5NL.
Won $417 at 1/2NL
Went to the brush to list for 1/2 and 2/5, there was an open seat in the 2/5NL game. I took it.
Buyin:
I look around and see everyone has bought in for the max $400.
If I think I have a clear advantage postflop and am a better small ball player than the table then I tend to buy in for maximum. If I don't know then I buy in for minimum and then adjust my stack so it's the same size as the biggest fish.
I buy in for the minimum $200. I plan to play a fairly short stack tight aggressive long ball 40 big blind game and then buy in for the same size as the worst player or maximum if I think I have an edge on the whole table.
Sat down in the button, 5 limpers to me I look down and see 88.
I raise it up to $45. (9 big blinds)
I don't think I've seen anyone else in this table before.
MP says, "Are you going to go crazy on the first hand?"
"What is this guy trying to do here... pushing me around?"
"What do you have?"
I just sit there.
MP and the CO call. Pot is now 32 big blinds ($160)
MP has about $600, CO has the same.
Flop comes 953, 2 clubs (I have no clubs)
MP checks , CO checks. I quickly push in the remaining $155 in.
MP says, "Shit" and calls, CO folds.
I fastroll... "I have 8's"
Turn is a blank.
River is a club.
MP has Q4clubs.
Bleah.
I rebuy for $200 and slowly make back $50...
I pick up KQs in UTG+2.
The Tricky Aggressive player UTG+1 on my right limps. I limp.
New player in the button raises to $50.
Tricky Aggressive calls $50.
I strongly think about pushing, raising to $250.
But I don't. Now I think calling is a donkey play.
Flop comes AQ3r.
Tricky Aggessive checks, I check, Button bets $150.
Tricky Aggessive folds.. I fold.
Bleah.
I hear them talk about waiting for the 5/10NL game to open.
I can't spot the sucker at the table.
So.
I go to the brush to get a table change.
I get placed in a 1/2NL $100 max game.
I sit with $100 and see Fat Guy with $500 on the table ... everyone else has <$100.
Fat Guy is playing LAG and winning like a mofo.
I stack a couple of donks and double up.
I get AcKc in the button.
6 players limp and I raise to $17.
Fat Guy and another person in MP call.
Flop is
KJ8 2 spades.
Check, Check
I bet $25.
MP calls,
Fat guy raises to $65, other MP folds.
I tank.
I call.
Turn is an off suit 9.
check.
check.
River is a 8spades.
Fat guy bets $150.
I tank... a long time.
Pot is $190... fat guy has $110 behind.
I cover him.
I can't think of too much I'm ahead of.
I have TPTK but it's a bluff catcher.
But This is a LAG we are talking about.
I call and show ... he mucks
saying he had ten high...
Hummmmmmm.
Things I need to do to improve my game.
1. Get more aggressive.
2. Get more aggressive.
Total for the trip +217,
Lost $200 at 2/5NL.
Won $417 at 1/2NL
Comments
Probably not, since it would have been a bet of $355 into a pot of $160.
Although he did call 9x PF with Q4s against an unknown so who knows
I might start a separate thread on this topic. Is raising this much (9xBB) a good move pre-flop with a pocket pair in the BB? I never know how to play a pocket pair pre-flop in a cash game (usually below 10s). I usually call or see a fair raise but usually don't come out for a raise. Is this a bad play? I guess I am worried about over cards calling me and getting out flopped.
I'm not really betting my cards...
I'm betting my position.
I'm betting the passiveness of my opponents.
If any of the later position players had AA or KK or a monster they sure wouldn't limp. The last thing you want with AA or KK is a big multiway pot.
What hands are good to limp and then just call 9BB?
Betting 3 - 5 Big blinds would be just a pot sweetener???
The other alternative is to just limp and let the blinds in. making it a 8 player hand ... and then I need a set to play postflop. I'm getting 8 to 1 on my 8 to 1 LOL.
Apparently :qc :4c
This is true.
But I'm still learning NL, So to be honest I'm not sure I have better postflop skills than the other players at the table. This was the biggest game in the room at the time. I know I'm not an expert at NL but I know how to play longball shortstack.
Once the player make the awful call with Qc 4c he isn't getting good implied odds to make up for his mistake preflop. He can't play small ball vs me since my stack is too short. He does have correct odds to call the $155 into the $160 pot.... hummm 9 clubs and 3 other queens = 12 outs twice..
Note here I'm not saying that a better player shouldn't buy in full if they have better postflop skill than the table. Of course they should. I'm just not sure if I am that better player since I am learning NL. My plan was to check out the 2/5NL and if there are donks at the table, buy in to cover the donks. If there aren't donks I was planning to switch tables to 1/2NL where I have an edge.
I agree.
I think it was my limit raise monkey brain taking over. LOL
I figured they would give me some respect since they all just limped in.
They all looked so weak. I figured that none of the late or middle position limpers would limp with AA or KK. The blinds or early position might have AA or KK but I figured I was good to go and would not be called. My plan was to be seen as aggressive by the table this first hand and give them a loose first impression of me. Most people overvalue the first impression I was betting my opportunity to have a loose table image.
In Limit you would *never ever* limp here.
Ever.
Only problem here is this game isn't limit LOL.
One big problem with the 9 bb raise is that someone can blow me off the hand by representing (or having ) a bigger pair. Then I have to fold.
I don't usually bet my small pairs.
But sometimes I even 3 bet small pairs!
Not often, but enough to keep my observant opponents on their heels.
Since if I only 3 bet AA, KK, AKs and maybe QQ I'll be too predictable.
Especially if start to notice people taking shots at me if the flop comes all rags, say 973r and they bet out of position after I've made a preflop raise.
Any other thoughts on this?
1/2NL 100max
Arrived at 10AM.
Played at an all rock table of regulars.
Splashed around too much and was down 3 buyins.
Another 1/2NL 100 max table opened up and I put in for a table change.
This other table was much better.
The games were good after people who just busted out of the tourney would sit down and tilt off their money.
Made 5 buyins at this table.
+$260
14 hours.