A Fresh Start

When I first started playing poker, I kept meticulous records of my results. This was before smart phones were really a thing, so I used an Excel spreadsheet. Eventually, I switched to using poker-tracking apps.

And then, for some reason, I convinced myself that tracking my results was a waste of time as doing so wouldn't *improve* my results. 

Regardless of whether or not that is true, it was a shortsighted thought and I really regret my decision. There is a gaping hole in my stats from about 2016 until now-ish. 

It feels gross. 

BUT, seeing as there is nothing I can do about it now - I have decided to wipe the slate clean and start over as of this weekend. I will not miss logging any poker from now on, regardless of format or place (casino, online, house game, whatever).

Also, while my feelings hold true about cash games from my previous post, I've recently felt pretty motivated about studying and improving in this realm. I won't be sticking to just tournaments. That was a rash thought brought on by feelings of inadequacy and frustration. All I want from now on is to be transparent and honest. 

This year has continued to be very dry for me in terms of poker volume. First a Japan work trip, then a bricked WSOP, followed by another work trip in San Diego and lastly, for the past month, 12-hour-days at work every day. 

I finally got a weekend off (and hopefully will not work anymore overtime until I leave to Japan again in January) so, with a renewed sense of motivation, I figured, "game on."

Having woke up at 5am on Friday, I wasn't looking to play a long session, but I figured I'd get a few hours in at Clearwater's 1-3nl game. 

Honestly, it was a pretty boring session. Two hands of note.

Somewhat aggro reg opens to 10 in MP, one caller and I look down at QJhh in the big blind. We are 100bbs effective and I elect to flat. 

I flop the world in Qs 7h 3h. I check, original raiser cbets 20, fold, and this is honestly a spot that I feel gets misplayed often. Maybe this is my tournament-brain thinking, but, this, to me, is a FLAT almost every time. Check raising denies equity to naked aces and kings (when a heart doesn't fall) and strengthens the villains continuing range to hands we are often flipping with. The villain is aggro and can easily continue to barrel drawing pretty damn slim. There are definitely times when check raising a pair plus flush draw has merit - namely, when the flop clearly favors a calling range and our equity is not quite so robust. (Ex: 67hh on a 3 6 9 two hearts board. Here, there are many more cards we can deny equity against while also putting max pressure on overpairs with continued barrels depending on what comes). 

Having said that, I make a somewhat contradictory play by leading out for a pot-sized bet when the 10h falls on the turn. This villain is sticky and I felt in the spur of the moment that this card would get checked back too often despite improving some of his potential holdings into draws. Check-raising may well have been the best play against this player depending on how I think he will play his strong, but not nutty hands (AA, KK, Q10, sets, etc).

The river brings a 7s, I pot it again and he calls. I'm good. 

A bit before the end of the session, the villain in the cutoff whom I've seen open lightly (I mean, who doesn't these days?) makes it 15, I get frisky on the button with KJo and 3-bet it to 45. Blinds fold and he calls.

Flop comes Q J 2 rainbow. Check Check. Not in a rush to build a big pot with this robust, but middling hand. Turn brings the 6 putting two diamonds on board. He checks again and I bet half pot with the intention of primarily denying equity and eeking out a little value from a handful of hands I'm beating. Call. 

River is a blank J (no flush) and now he decides to lead for the pot. Hard to imagine getting value out of a raise, save for maybe a J10 or J9 type hand. His sizing is pretty polarizing and I just don't see where we can be beat given his line (no raise on the turn?). Easy call. He sighs, looks at his A2dd one last time and mucks it face up. *shrug*  

I wrap up the session after 3 hours at +$247.

Took Saturday off, but decided to grind a bit at Fortune today in $3/5. There were no super interesting spots. Save for getting it in with a set vs a flush draw and holding for about 50 bigs, the pots I took down were modest. Two hands off the top of my head:

Open K9hh to 15 from middle position, bb calls. Flop 8 8 3 rainbow. Check, cbet half pot, he calls. Turn blank deuce. Not exactly good for my range or a scary card. Check check. River ace, he checks, and - how can I not fire? I size up a bit and he shows a 3 while remarking, "I had you until the river" and mucks. 

Mild-mannered younger guy opens in middle position to 20, two callers, I look down at 64dd  on the button and decide to come along (at this point we are 150 blinds deeps, still pretty marginal but I couldn't help myself) and both blinds fold. Flop 3 6 10 two spades, one diamond. Original raiser bets half pot, folds to me and I call with nefarious thoughts concerning many turn cards. Turn is the Qh, he checks and I decide that wasn't the best card to go ham on. Check. River is the 3 of spades and I am already counting out raising chips in my head. I've already seen this guy fold to pressure and take bet, check, bet lines with middling hands. He just can't be overly strong here. Instead he checks, defying my expectations and I'm left wondering if I should overbet to try and get him off pairs higher than mine. Meh. I check back and he shows AK. 

Final result - +$516 on the day and +$763 on the weekend. I'm still debating driving down to Oregon next weekend for the Fall Poker Round Up at Wildhorse.