Lots of Live Poker and some online Hands!

So following up on my new year resolutions, I have been playing a lot more poker in the casinos. I have played 16 sessions of live poker this year, which means I am averaging going to the casino more than once a week! My year long goal is twice a month, so hopefully I can keep up the pace I have set for myself. I'm sure it will be hard to do once Brayden is born, so I guess I should make the most of it while I can.

Playing live has been such a different experience for me than playing online. Of course the game is much slower paced, but it is a nice "relaxing" way to work as compared to playing multiple tables online. I really don't want to get into the playing part as the differences between playing live and playing online have been covered in detail between this blog in the past as well as many other blogs including my good friend JK's blog. The biggest aspect that I enjoy most of live play is getting to interact with people. I don't consider myself a social person at all, but when I'm sitting at a poker table it seems I am very comfortable striking up conversations with almost anyone. One cool thing about this is that when you get to know your "neighbors" at the table, you can also get insight into their poker games. If provoked, players will often "spew" out info about what they know about the game, how long they have been playing, what they do for a living, etc. All this info can definitely help you later on when you get involved in a hand vs. them.

Now back to the "real" job, playing online. With all the trips to the casino I haven't really been playing much online lately. I have finally moved away from playing $1/$2 and am primarily playing $2/$4 and $3/$6 NL now and have even mixed in a few hands of $5/$10. My results have been good. I think this is a combination of running well and being confident. Most people don't realize what a HUGE role confidence plays in poker. Confidence gives me personally the courage to follow through- to fire that 3rd barrel if I really think it'll work, to 5 bet shove preflop with 54dd for 125bb's when I think my opponent is 4 betting me light, and to shove on a preflop 3bettors c-bet light if I think he missed. Overconfidence...well that's a different story. Overconfidence leads to trying kamikaze bluffs in impossible spots where you can only rep like 1 hand, making hero calls where you will be good less than 10% of the time, and trying thin value bets that will never be called by worse. Anyway, I digress. The games have been great online lately, and I have been fortunate enough to run well when I do decide to put in a session. Luckily for me Sunday night was one of those "fun" sessions. I couldn't sleep so at 11pm I hopped out of bed and decided to play some. After running insanely hot by being on the right side of a few coolers for an hour and a half, and playing well of course, I ended up winning in the neighborhood of 10 buy ins at my normal stakes. It's always fun to have days like those. I just wish they would come around a little more often! Here's a few fun hands from my last session:

Always nice to get there!

Merge, $3/$6 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 4 Players

LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter



UTG: $681.17

Hero (BTN): $753.40

SB: $616.50

BB: $1,509.50



Pre-Flop: K J dealt to Hero (BTN)

UTG folds, Hero raises to $18, SB folds, BB raises to $60, Hero calls $42



Flop: ($123) 4 9 7 (2 Players)

BB bets $90, Hero raises to $218, BB raises to $1,449.50 and is All-In, Hero calls $475.40 and is All-In



Turn: ($1,509.80) A (2 Players - 1 is All-In)




River: ($1,509.80) T (2 Players - 1 is All-In)




Results: $1,509.80 Pot

Hero showed K J and WON $1,507.80 (+$754.40 NET)

BB showed Q Q and WON $756.10 (+$8.70 NET)







Getting that extra $350 in value even after the flush gets there!

Merge, $3/$6 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players

LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter



BB: $624

Hero (UTG): $600

CO: $671.34

BTN: $702.65

SB: $1,488.28



Pre-Flop: A K dealt to Hero (UTG)

Hero raises to $21, CO calls $21, BTN calls $21, SB folds, BB calls $15



Flop: ($87) 2 A 8 (4 Players)

BB checks, Hero bets $56, CO calls $56, 2 folds



Turn: ($199) 3 (2 Players)

Hero bets $165, CO calls $165



River: ($529) 3 (2 Players)

Hero bets $358 and is All-In, CO calls $358



Results: $1,245 Pot ($2 Rake)

Hero showed A K and WON $1,243 (+$643 NET)

CO showed A J and LOST (-$600 NET)







Always nice to turn top set and fade a 4 outer for all the chippies!!

Merge, $5/$10 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 4 Players

LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter



SB: $1,051

BB: $2,250

Hero (UTG): $1,915.50

BTN: $1,154



Pre-Flop: T T dealt to Hero (UTG)

BB folds, Hero raises to $30, BTN calls $30, SB calls $20



Flop: ($90) 4 6 8 (3 Players)

SB checks, Hero bets $75, BTN folds, SB calls $75



Turn: ($240) T (2 Players)

SB checks, Hero bets $225, SB raises to $915, Hero raises to $1,605, SB calls $31 and is All-In



River: ($2,132) 9 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)




Results: $2,132 Pot

SB showed 8 9 and LOST (-$1,041 NET)

Hero showed T T and WON $2,789 (+$1,738 NET)







Leveling wars with Regs!!

Merge, $3/$6 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 4 Players

LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter



SB: $1,033.90

BB: $1,094.11

UTG: $690.50

Hero (BTN): $609



Pre-Flop: 5 4 dealt to Hero (BTN)

UTG raises to $18, Hero raises to $52, 2 folds, UTG raises to $118, Hero raises to $609 and is All-In, UTG folds



Results: $281 Pot

Hero showed 5 4 and WON $736 (+$600 NET)







This week the Spring Break Poker Classic begins at the Beau Rivage. I don't know how many events I will play, but I'm sure I'll manage to make it there for 2 or 3, hopefully including the main event. Also, I have started working on my schedule for the WSOP this year. It looks like I will be able to make it to Vegas for just shy of 2 weeks and I'll try to fit in as many as 8 events (hopefully fewer assuming I make a few day 2 or 3's). I do plan on selling a decent bit of my action in the series, but I'll still have enough of myself so that Brayden will have a nice college fund if/when I win one of the events! :-)

Outside of poker, my baby boy Brayden is due on April 21st, but the doctor told us that she may induce labor on March 31st or April 1st. Man, that's in a few weeks! I'm definitely scared but also very excited. I can't wait to meet my son.

As always, join me on the tables at FeltStars. Click on any of the banners on my sidebar to create an account. Also, follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/kajunkidpoker.

Til Next Time....