The Nug

I played the last couple nights at the Golden Nugget.  Short sessions.  I had some other stuff to do (just hanging out with my wife) but I wanted to get some poker in.

I had my warmup and cooldown routines in place and I executed on those.  I also set goals for the sessions.  My goals were as follows:

• Count the pot before acting after the flop.
• Make consistent physical movements.
• Take breaks.
• Play solid preflop.
• Pay attention to one player during each hand when out of the hand. 
• Don't factor in physical tells information to decisions.

Some of those might seem weird, like the last one.  However I've noted that one of my weaknesses is looking too much into physical tells, so I figure for now I should actively try to NOT factor that in.  Of course, I was trying to pay attention and see if I could pick up anything.  That didn't really come up in any hands I was involved in.

Golden Nugget

I scheduled breaks each time and followed through, although they were short sessions anyway.  Once I sat down, I set a timer on my phone for 2 hours.  That's what was recommended when I went through the WPT Boot Camp as well.  

I had some trouble executing on my goals, as simple as they seemed.  In the second session especially I had a really hard time focusing when I was out of the pot.  It may have been because I didn't eat dinner and just went straight there after work.  

I did better with the physical movements stuff, but definitely not perfect.  I decided that I would try to always have my arms folded, check my moving my right arm, and when I bet I would fully extend my right arm and put the chips in a single stack.  I don't really have multiple arm bets worked out yet.  And when the pot was exciting or big, it was hard for me to think about this.  But that's why I have to practice - so eventually it becomes second nature and I do it every time.

Preflop I played pretty solid, but there were some hiccups.  The first day I was playing fine and was down 50 or 80 bucks.  I definitely got a little looser.  Honestly it was 1 or 2 calls, but I need to strive to play perfectly.  For example, really early in the session I folded 44 under the gun.  It's debatable but I personally think it's a good move overall.  Later in the session when I was losing a bit, I limped with 33 under the gun.  Then it got raised huge out of the big blind (to $27) and I called.  Another guy called before me, and the guy had a little less than $300, so I thought it was somewhat OK, but not ideal.  Overall I think it would have been better to stay out of that situation.  I also called a raise with a suited connector in a situation where if it was earlier in the day, I would have folded.

Counting the pot was sketchy, I would forget to do it. Especially in the session where I was less focused.  I paid way more attention to players than I have in the past, but it wasn't 100%.  I'm improving though.

I felt like mentally I was holding it together pretty well.  I could tell I was getting hot and a little frustrated on the first day for a while, but at least I noticed it.  

I played one interesting hand over the 2 days and I think I played it pretty well.  Bunch of people limp and I'm on the button with KQo.  I raise to 15.  I get 4 callers.  So the pot is HUGE for a 1/2 game at this point, $75.

Flop comes pretty good - Kh6c3c.  Top pair but some draws out there.  Checks to me and I bet $60.  I get 2 calls.  One guy is pretty short (maybe $80-$100) but the other guy has a decent amount of money - maybe $350 more.  I have everyone covered.  

Turn is an offsuit 2.  They both check to me.  I thought about it for a while and checked.  The straight got there, but my main concern is that I was against two people.  If I was against one I think I would have bet.  I also didn't have a hand where I was going to get two big bets in, probably just one.  So I could wait till the river and see what happens.  Dangerous to do that because of the flush draw, but that's what I did.

River is another offsuit 2, and both people check to me again.  I think my hand is best at this point.  Pot is $75 + $180 = $255.  Well, $250 after rake.  I thought about it for a while and bet $150.  Old guy with a ton of money calls pretty quickly.  I flip up the KQ.  He turns over KcTc for top pair with the flush draw and I win a pretty big pot.  

Yesterday I had a hand that I messed up a bit.  Guy who is playing relatively tight raises in early position to $7.  I'm on the button with AK.  I just call.  Thought about reraising, but then again, why?  This guy is playing tight.  AK is pretty good against his range regardless, but reraising also makes my range way narrower.  So I'm going to get a lot of his worse hands to fold.  Probably better to play a pot in position with a great hand.  So I actually like the call.  If I had been super active recently then I think a reraise would be better.  

Flop is Axx with a flush draw.  I don't remember the other two cards but they were low and not connected.  He bets out $15.  I just call.  Again, could raise here, debatable.  I don't hate the call.

Turn is another ace.  He bets out $20.  He has around $100 or so left, maybe $120.  I raise to $60. 

He folded.  However, I think my mistake here was that I didn't just go all in.  A raise is going to get him to fold pretty much anything.  Actually if he has a flush draw, he might fold but he's getting about the right odds to call, and with the implied odds its a insta call.  And with an ace, there is no way he is ever folding.  So I think the right play there would have been to go all in.  With an ace he's calling either way, and with a flush draw he has to fold.  So that was the mistake in that hand IMO.  Preflop and on the flop are debatable but I like my reasoning for playing them that way.  

I won about $250 the first day, $50 the next day.  Not a bad start when getting back into some serious poker play.  I was pretty happy with how I played overall too.  Not great, and I need to improve my concentration when I'm not in the hand especially.  But I did play pretty solid and didn't do anything too stupid.  I'm looking forward to the next session!

Aria tournament recap

Played the 7 PM tournament last night.  First time I got to use some of the mental game strategies I've read about.  We got there kinda late because our cab never showed up and I had to run down to Fremont to get a cab.  Grabbed a slice from Five50 and we were ready to play.  Before I sat down at my table I went over my pre-game warmup routine.  It's pretty useful to read over your weaknesses before you sit down.

One thing about last night is that I was super drunk.  It's Friday, just got off work and I wanted to have some fun.  I added a "How Drunk" column on my spreadsheet and started out putting it at 4 out of 10, and at the end of the night I ranked myself at 9 out of 10.  Crown + diets and Fireball shots all night.  It's a long night too so you can really put back some drinks.  Obviously not ideal and I'll work to get that out of my game and play sober more often.

There were 78 entries when all was said and done.  A little smaller than the tournaments we have beeen playing lately.  There were a couple interesting hands, I don't remember the details of all of them.  I'll write down what I remember here.

I played pretty cautious early and I really was trying to pay close attention.  I also was trying to limit my variance somewhat.  Couple examples : a guy that was playing a lot of hands (but mostly limping) made it 500 at 50/100.  I just called on the button with AK.  Could reraise for sure but it was a huge raise and also he was mostly limping so I knew he had something.  Flop came all rags and he went all in for like 2200 - I didn't know he was that short, but I was happy to fold.  Another hand at that level, a bunch of people limp and I call in the small blind with 99.  I definitely considered raising but I'm out of position with a hand that plays great multiway so I just call.  Big blind raises it huge, to 800.  Everyone folds to me and I just fold.  Too much to set mine and I'm not going to go crazy with 99.  Plus the guy is the typical guy playing tight and wearing headphones, he's not going to dump his stack to me if I hit necessarily.

I like min raising and use that pretty much all the time.  People still fold once the blinds get big enough.  That's something I picked up from my wife - she used to do it all the time and I told her it was dumb because that was the common poker knowledge of the time, but she was right and years later everyone else started raising really small or min raising all the time.

At the 300/600/50 level I'm getting short - 7675 stack.  Folds to me on the button and I min-raise with J6s.  Blinds fold and they say "show us the bluff!".  Haha.  Later that level I min-raise with AT and the button calls.  Flop KTx and we both check.  Turn is a blank, I check again, he bets 1600 and I call.  River blank, we both check, the ten wins.  Old lady with headphones and sunglasses next to me says "gutsy call".  Haha.  I don't know about all that but I was happy to win the pot.

I was trying to avoid spots where I knew I'd have to win the pot and I felt like there was no fold equity.  I have 11225 at the 300/600/50 level and a guy raises to 2000.  I look down at 77.  I thought about it for a while but just folded.  I just didn't think this guy was folding, he had a lot of chips and sometimes you can just tell that some guy is going to call you, so I figured I'd save my chips for another spot.

Sickest hand - blind vs blind I raise out of the small blind with A9o.  Big blind calls.  Flop was K24.  I check, I think he bet something small and I call.  Turn is a 2.  We both check.  River is another king, so the board is K242K.  I check.  Now he goes all in for a lot, and he has me covered.

I thought about it forever - would he do this with a 4?  No.  Does he have a king?  I just didn't feel like he did.  The bet seemed super weird and he knew he was putting me all in.  Anyway I thought forever and called.  If I lose I'm out and I'm calling with ace high.  He is just like, damn it and turns up the T7o.  YES!!!!  I flip up the A9 and rub it all over the table.  I'm celebrating like crazy.   I even remember picking up some of the chips and rubbing them on my chest.  lmao.  I was drunk and obviously that's not the coolest reaction, but whatever.  It was a huge pot and I doubled through with literally nothing, and if I was wrong I was out.  But I was fucking right.  It was amazing.  I was texting like crazy and writing notes and so happy.  He's like "are you posting about that on Facebook" and I said "no, but I should!!!!"  It was amazing.

Not much else happened.  I hung in there the best I could.  With 11 people left I called an all in from the big blind with KJ, the small blind pushed with A9 and I won.  I wouldn't have been eliminated but I would have been super short if I lost.  Then we were at the final table.

Last hand was pretty standard but I actually thought about whether to play it or not.  A guy raised in early position and another guy called.  I had 99 and only had about 6 big blinds.  I knew if I went all in I was getting called by at least one of them.  I honestly thought about folding because I knew I was going to have to win at showdown and that's not a good spot to be in.  Much better to have some chance to win without showing down.  But I just decided it was ridiculous to fold 99 with 6 big blinds.  I was one of the shortest stacks and we still had to eliminate a few people before the money too.  So I go all in and they both call.  One had AQ, the other had KJs.  KJs makes top two pair and I'm out of the tournament.

Overall I was really happy with the tournament.  It was fun and I had another really deep run.  No money but considering that I didn't have a ton of huge hands, I really hung in there a long time.  Until next time!  I'm going to win one of those soon.

I'll also include the raw notes from my session below in case anyone's interested.  This is what I wrote down into Evernote while I was playing.

25/50 warmed up sat down at 708

AQ 450 from bb win 4 limps maybe 3

AT in co folded to older lady WSOP chip obv tight headphones 175

Folded ats in the sb after tight looking player made it 150 ep

50/100

Ak guy makes it 500 I call on button miss shove for 2200 fold

99 bunch of limps call sb 800 everyone folds I fold he is right looking guy headphones

AQ 400 button 2 calls T8x c J 800 c river blank lose KT

100/200 7800

JJ 500 early win

44 limp K84 heart draw 600 fold 4 way

8700 break

100/200/25

7675 200/400/25

ATs mp 800 bb c JTx c 1000 fold 8850

7275 300/600/50

J6s button min raise win show us the bluff

AT min raise button calls KTx c c turn blank c 1600 c river z check win - old lady says gutsy. All

AQ 1600 early bb call Jxx c c turn J 1600 fold

11225

 77 guy makes if 2000 I think he's not dolding look at 77 tank fold

8725 400/800/75

KK guy raises I go all in fold :(

Couple peoplimp shove with 88 won

14k

KJs all in win 15725

23k 600:1200/100

800/1600/200

K2x2K I calm with a high on the river and I win I was out if I lost FUCK UEAR A9o I raised pre b v b he had T7o no pair no draw

36k avg is 30k

AQ win another pot KQ flop bet flop 4k same ore

43700

AQ guy raises I go all in he shows AJ I show AQ

51000

AJ 4k 12500 fold

1000/2000/300

KQ 4k mid guy shoves for like 35k gold

JTo 4k

Guy limps utg I limp T9s I think that's a bad play 4 way AJ8 one of my suit 2 checks 5500 win

1500/3000/400 41800

2000/4000/500

All in button 22000 T7o win

KJ call all in he has A9 win K on turn

47k rack em up on the button FT

99 KJss AQ

Poker school is in

Quick last night update - I didn't play last night.  My wife wanted to hang out instead.  Works for me.  I'm going to try to treat this as a marathon instead of a sprint.  Even a marathon is a bad analogy because that's like 4 hours.  :P   But you get it, I am thinking super long term at this point.  I am planning on playing the nightly Aria $125 tournament tonight.  Tomorrow night we're going out with friends but maybe I can get up early and squeeze a couple hours of cash in.  It's all about making progress and getting hours in when I can.

Back to learning.

Combinatorics.  I think this is the first big poker thing that I'm going to focus on.  I know it's out there and when I started reading The Poker Blueprint again, it was one of the first topics he covers.  I have tried to apply this in the past, but it's typically after the fact.  It takes me FOREVER and it's super difficult for me.

Combinatorics is basically the combinations of hands that are possible.  So for example, let's say you flop bottom set.  The board is 8h 5s 2c.  You think the other guy is going all in with 76s, 43s, and bigger sets.  One way to look at it is "I beat 2 hands and am beaten by 2 hands" but that is not accurate because there are multiple combinations of each of those hands.  There are 4 combinations of 76s, 4 combinations of 43s, 3 combinations of 88, and 3 combinations of 55.  So you actually currently are beating 8 possible hands, and losing to 6 possible hands.  Of course this is not a good situation for you because the hands you are "beating" will draw out a large percentage of the time too.  And there is no way to say you should call/fold/raise based on the information above because there's no stack size, pot size, etc information to go on.  But knowing the combinations is an important first step in understanding what you should do.

I would like to get to a point where I fully understand this topic and I can apply it reasonably well at the poker table.  I think the most obvious point where you can apply this is on the river when you are facing a bet.  You have something like AA on the river and you think a guy will only be betting sets, straights, and busted flush draws.  It's a solvable problem based on the bet size and pot size whether you should call or not if you think he has those hands.  But can I arrive at a good answer for that question today?  No.

As far as The Mental Game of Poker's inchworm model, this is the first thing I'm going to try to do to stretch the front of the inchworm.  I have plenty of weaknesses I can think about when I'm playing as well to move the back half.  But this is a very concrete and important skill that I can pick up and learn.

What I'm doing today at lunch is writing down a bunch of problems (I'll post them below).  These are things that I think I should know or should be able to figure out given some time.  Ideally what I'd REALLY like to do is write a program that auto-generates scenarios and asks you to solve them.  That would be the holy grail of being able to figure this out.  Ideally I would be able to take a reasonably complex problem and solve it within 1 minute (including pot odds).  That should be enough time in a live poker environment to be able to think about it and make the right decision.

I'm going to continue on that effort (writing down problems to solve) over the next 20 minutes or so and I'll post them here.

I think this is a good start (below).  I'll start here and continue reading that section of the book.  I anticipate it will take me a long time to get good at this - at least a month, but we'll see.  Maybe less if I'm working on it a lot.

• How many combos are possible for:
• a pocket pair?
• an unpaired hand?
• an unpaired suited hand?
• a set?
• a flush draw with a suited connector on the flop, with various flops?
• TT+?
• JTs+?
• AQ+?
• AQs+?
• On a KhQh4s board, how many combos of AK are possible?
• On a KhQh4s board, how many combos of AK and KQ are possible?
• On a KhQh4s board, how many combos of AK are possible if I am holding AA?
• On a KhQh4s board, how many combos of AK are possible if I am holding AK?
• On a KhQh4s board, how many combos of AK and KQ are possible if I am holding KQ?
• On a 7h4sJc board, if I have AA and I think the other guy has open ended straight draws and sets, how many combos do I beat / lose to?
• On a 7h6h2s board, if I have AA and I think the other guy has open ended straight draws, flush draws with suited connectors and JTs+, and sets, how many combos do I beat / lose to?
• On a Kh7d2s board, if I think someone has AK, KK, 77, 22 and I have AA, how many combinations do I beat / lose to?
• On a Th4c2s board, if I think the guy has sets and overpairs, what combos am I ahead/behind against with KK?
• On the river the board is 7h4h2sJc8s.  I have 88.  I think the other guy is betting AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 77, 44, 65s, T9hh, and busted heart draws with all suited connectors and JThh+.  I am not considering a raise (for whatever reason).  I want to call if I have over 50% chance to win.  Should I call?
• On the river the board is JcTc5s4s2d.  I have TT.  My opponent would bet all flopped sets, KQ, Q9s, 76s, QJ, JT, 54s, and missed flush draws (both clubs and spades).  How many combos do I beat and lose to?
• On the flop the board is 9c8c2s.  I have AcAd.  My opponent goes all in for $100.  The pot is $220 including his bet.  His range is JTcc+, JT, 76, and sets.  Should I call?

Progress today

I want to very quickly just update on what I did today.  At lunch I wrote down a warm up and cool down routine, basically just copied some ideas out of The Mental Game of Poker.  I also created a tab on my spreadsheet to keep track of hours spent studying because I will likely want to create some time goals around that.  I also read a little of this cash game book, started over and I'm reading it again.

Constant progress is what I need to be about this year.  I'm going to try to play some cash later tonight too.

Time to rebuild, poker starts again now

"We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster."

Over the last few months I haven't played much serious poker.  A few tournaments, but every time I play I'm drunk and I haven't played very serious, or I think I'm playing serious but I'm playing poorly.  No posts in a long time but that's why.  I also haven't felt motivated to post to the blog at all.  Got 14th out of 165 in the Aria Friday night tournament the other week (basically min cash), not much in results otherwise.

This last week someone I know, Billy Pappas (aka William Pappaconstinou or something, not sure of the exact spelling) made the final table of the WSOP Main Event.  Billy plays a lot of poker lately and I feel like him and I are around the same skill level.  Although I have nothing to base that on - I just know that he's playing 2/5 NL when he comes to Vegas and whatnot.  I'm happy for him, but to be honest the situation makes me jealous.  I'm rooting for him but as I work my 9 to 5 job, I can't help myself from being jealous that I'm not out there giving it a shot.

What have I done to put myself in that position, though?  Nothing.  I play some poker here and there, don't study at all, don't really put any effort into improving my game whatsoever.  Sure, I'm trying when I'm at the table.  But at this pace I'm going to turn into one of those guys that are 70 years old, still playing 1/2 NL, breaking even or losing.  Talking about how "I used to play 5/10 NL" or "I won some tournament some time ago".  I don't want to be that guy.  I don't know if I honestly want to play poker professionally or not, but I know that I'm not giving myself the option either.  I'm simply not improving and it makes sense - I'm not putting any effort into that.

I've lived in Vegas for 9 years.  When I moved here I was trying to be a professional poker player.  I had no job and I played a lot, and it seemed like it was working out for a short while.  But I made mistakes then - didn't manage my money properly, didn't put a ton of effort into studying, and eventually it came crashing down.  That happened after less than a year.  What have I done in the last 8 years to improve the situation?  Nothing.  I've worked, I've played periodically, and I've studied the game the most minor amount.  I'll buy a poker book, read the first 1/5 of it, and never finish it.  I have a library of poker content that I haven't read, and what I've read I don't think I've put the effort in to really learn it.

After Billy made the final table it made me think, I need to start putting effort into this.  I care about poker.  I want to win.  I want to be that guy.  And I can!  My wife supports the crazy dream I have.  I wrote "stupid dream" originally but erased it.  Is it stupid?  No.  Is it unrealistic?  Today - yes.  But if I put the effort in, maybe not.  I need to at least start there and start putting the effort in to improve my game.  I mean I have literally thrown away 8 years.  If I don't start making incremental steps forward now, I'll be right where I am now in 8 years - playing low buy-in tournaments, playing 1/2 or 2/5 NL, complaining when I lose, dreaming of making the big time.

I know I've said this before countless times.  I'm hoping that seeing Billy's success can really get me in gear though.  I know in my heart that it can't happen overnight.  But I think that I can start putting effort in, making some incremental changes, and eventually maybe I'll get there.  Maybe I won't, too.  But if I don't put in the effort, it's a guarantee that I'll never get there.

I started today by starting over on The Mental Game of Poker book.  Another book I read 50% of or so, thought it was great, but took no real action on it.  I started reading it and it had some questions it suggested writing down and really thinking about, so I did that.  It also has the concept of "inchworm" where you think about the best and worst parts of your game, and you try to improve both ends.  So I wrote down the perceived best and worst parts of my game today.

It was somewhat enlightening - I really didn't have much good to say about my game.  I feel like there are some poker basics I still don't grasp or I just have a beginner's mentality in many ways.  I'm going to post what I wrote down here, even though some of it is embarassing and stupid.

More posts to come after this too.  I'm hoping I can spend time after work or at lunch (like I used to do when I started playing) learning the game and improving.

The Mental Game of Poker - first set of questions (page 18)

How much you knew the first time you played poker

Not much.  I hadn’t played much as a kid or anything.  Started playing some online just messing around and I literally knew nothing.  I didn’t even know the rules of some games when I played at a dealer’s choice home game and I remember losing a huge Omaha pot because I didn’t understand Omaha, we played Chicago and I didn’t know if an ace was low or high, and so on.

The complexity of your thought process when making poker decisions now compared to when you first started really trying to improve

At least when I’m playing my “A” game, I am thinking about what other people might have and sometimes even what they think I have.  I also consider things like if I call now, what will I do on a future street.  I think about pot odds although I do ignore them sometimes. Overall I think that I consider others in the pot a lot more than what I used to.  I also take others’ chip stacks into consideration a lot more than I used to when calling with a speculative hand, although I can ignore that as well depending on how I’m playing.


A mistake you recently discovered

I played an Aria tournament recently and got really deep and had a huge chip stack with about 12 left.  I got all in pre flop against the biggest stack at the table.  I had TT and he had raised it huge like 5x.  I went all in.  The decision itself wasn’t necessarily bad, but I didn’t consider how important my chips were at that point in the tournament and the fact that if I just let it go, I still had a great stack heading to the final table.  Probably a ICM thing, I don’t really understand ICM or how to calculate it.


Decisions at the table that are made automatically
Folding really terrible hands especially out of position (assuming I’m not drunk)
Knowing what hands to play pre flop in which position (although I don’t always follow it)


Mistakes that don’t happen anymore


It’s actually hard for me to think of a bunch of mistakes I used to make that I don’t anymore.  I think I am way more cautious about losing a MONSTER pot with a pretty weak top pair type of hand.  I understand the hand rankings in any game I play (Omaha, etc) so I don’t think I am making mistakes related to that anymore.  

Best and worst parts of my poker game today

• If I lose a few big hands in a row, I tend to get upset and can go on tilt.  It can also cause me to stop playing for a long time.
• I will play hands sometimes even if I KNOW it’s a bad idea, because I’m behind or about to leave or whatever.
• I am terrible at reading peoples’ physical tells.  If I try to read people, I often make the wrong decision based on something I think I saw.  
• If I’m playing drunk I have a really hard time controlling myself and my bad decisions become worse and I play super loose.
• I don’t often apply correct pot odds when calling on a draw.  
• I don’t count the pot, which leads to bad pot odds decisions.
• I don’t typically pay close attention to what others are doing at the table, so it’s hard for me to get a grasp of players’ tendencies before I get into a hand with them.
• Other people will annoy me by doing various things (winning a lot, thinking they are the shit, being rude or talking shit) and that puts me on tilt.
• I don’t take regular breaks which may negatively affect my mental state and concentration.
• I will get frustrated and can go on tilt if I’m playing for a while and don’t win.  
• I don’t make an effort to make my physical movements consistent and reduce any physical tells I may be giving off.  
• I get jealous of others for winning when I’m not, including people like my wife or friends.  This can put me on tilt.
• I get annoyed and can go on tilt if I see my wife make a move that I think is not optimal.
• I don’t understand the details of ICM in tournaments so I’m unable to apply it to my tournament decisions well.
• I tend to do mechanical things where I don’t totally understand the reasoning behind it (c-betting a ton of flops, etc) and it can put me on tilt if it doesn’t work.
• Properly executing my strategy can put me on tilt if it doesn’t work, or especially if it doesn’t work several times in a row.
• I used to study poker a lot early in my career, and I don’t study anywhere near as much anymore.
• I feel like I am entitled to win if I put a decent amount of hours in.  If I play every day for a week and don’t win for example, I get very frustrated and might quit for a while.
• I can play draws too strongly even in spots where it’s not a good idea, if I feel like I’m not winning enough and need to get ahead.

Best

• I tend to hold it together if I lose ONE big pot (although see “worst” above).
• I am able to make some big folds.
• If I’m playing my best I take my time and really think through decisions.
• I am starting to think more about what other people have and how they will react to my actions, or what they think I have.
• I am capable of making some very thin value bets to get max value.
• I am able to fold some very appealing hands preflop (like small pairs) if I am not getting proper odds to call.

One hand for you

I'm playing 1/2 NL at the Nugget last night. I button straddle for $4. Few limps, and the small blind makes it $50! Crazy huge. I say out loud "one time aces". Look down... Pocket aces. Yes. Folds to me, I throw out 2 bills and 3 more red chips, making it $220. 

He says "300" and tries to make a big reraise. He didn't see that I put out 2 bills, must have thought I made it $120. So he just called. Apparently he turned up his hand but I couldn't see it because I was in the 10 seat and he was in the 1 seat. Beth told me he showed kings though. Flop comes T9x, he goes all in for his remaining 350 or so, I insta call, ship it. Turn was a jack so he picked up some outs too but no good. Ship it!

I ended up winning almost $1000 at the Nug last night. Good stuff!

Wynn last night

Quick update from last night.  Few hands of interest.  I was playing 2/5 at Wynn.  Scoping out the 5/10 game as well.  If they got 5 players I was going to give it a shot, but it got up to 4 and eventually broke.
Older guy that was playing pretty bad named "Moe" was at my 2/5 game.  He got moved to the main game.  I got a table change, moved over when I could, and was seated directly to his left - perfect.  I was playing $1100 or so and he had around the same.  He raises to $30 in middle position.  I have AA and make it $80.  Two guys behind me call, which is going to make this hand pretty difficult to play.  Gets back to Moe.  He thinks about it... says he's going to raise and throws in the 80.  YES.  I'll just come over the top and win it preflop or maybe even get all in.  He says "all of it" and goes all in.  Dream situation.  I say "all in" as well.  The others both fold.  He says "Do you have a big pair?" and I flip up the AA.  Flop is 10-10-7.  Turn 9, he says "I got it" and flips up 9-9.  River 3.  They count it down, I owe $947.  So I lose a $2050 pot getting all in preflop with AA.  That hurts.  It's going to happen 20% of the time, but it hurts.

Later this old lady (who clearly plays a ton of poker - she talks like shes the shit and knows whats going on) raises to $20.  Moe calls.  I have KK and raise to $80.  Lady calls.  Flop 10-3-2 rainbow.  She has around $550 behind.  Checks to me, I bet $115.  She raises to $330.  Has about $220 behind.  Fuccckkkkkkk.  I wanted to call really bad.  Thought about it forever.  Pocket tens was a huge possibility.  3s and 2s, I didn't know if she would call with those preflop but you can't rule it out.  No draws out there really - she doesn't have 4-5.  Jacks and queens could be it, but I figured that she would be scared to check raise me with those hands, because my hand looks exactly like what it is - a big overpair.  So I fold.  She told me "unfortunately that was a good fold" and that she flopped a set with pocket 3s.  Saved $550 on that hand.

Last hand, I messed this one up.  I raise in middle position with K-J to 20.  I'm actually trying to cut down on raising with these unsuited 10+ type of hands, but I raised this one in the hijack.  Get 2 callers.  Flop is A-5-2 with 2 hearts.  Check to me, I bet $40, guy in position calls.  Turn is an ace.  I figure this guy could have a heart draw or an ace.  I also thought about my range and if I had an ace, I might check here, so I check.  He checks behind.  River is a 6.  I check.  He bets $125.  Long story short, I call and he has A-Q.  My train of thought is, he could have an ace or a flush draw, and I beat pretty much all of the flush draws.  Where I messed up is that I didn't really consider how many combinations there are of each.  Even with two aces out, there are a lot of aces.  All suited aces of the other two suits, plus all AT+ offsuit hands, let's say.  That's a lot.  For flush draws, he could have all suited connectors, maybe suited 1 gappers, and all 10+ suited cards.  I don't have time to do the math right now but it seems like there are WAY more ace combinations than the flush draw combinations.  Also, I had no reason to think this guy was going to bluff me.  It sounds stupid now but I just didn't think about it at the time.  This fucking guy bought in for 500, is sitting there watching Breaking Bad on his iPad, obviously he's not bluffing.  Oh well, I fucked that up.  $125 down the drain.

Overall I lost $1350, my biggest loss of the year.  I played well I thought, and I'm not even that mad about the last hand.  I had decent reasoning (or the start of decent reasoning) but I didn't really think it all the way through.  And the aces hand, what can you do.  I have like $1700 equity in that pot, ugh.  So fucking sick.  Definitely my biggest pot I have ever lost all in with aces preflop.

-1750 so far this month, but still up huge in the last month.  Plus I think I'm playing really well.  Folding to that set yesterday was huge - so many people double that lady up there.  I'm still doing some things I need to stop, but I really feel like I'm playing very well right now.  I'm very confident.  Also yesterday when I took that aces beat, I honestly don't think it affected me.  I just laughed it off, grabbed $800 out of my pocket and played on.  And folded the KK to the set within the next hour when it would have been so easy to call it off.  I'm not saying that I'm the best, but I do feel like I'm playing well and when you play well, good results will come.

Looking forward to my next session.  Watch out, I'm coming for you!