Cashed Out
I have gone ahead and cashed out my bankroll on Stars and Carbon Poker, which equals $250. I was able to run my $25 stake on Carbon up to $128, and at that point I decided to just go ahead and cash out. Unfortunately it cost $15 to cash out by check there, and there were really no other cheaper methods, so I had to go with it. I had $133 on Stars and wanted to make it an even $250, so I joined a $50 NL game and bought in for $25 in hopes of winning a couple of bucks. Second hand I'm in the SB with J
J
. Folded to me, I raise to $2, BB (who has a full stack) calls. Flop comes AJ
9 to give me a set of jacks. I check it, BB takes a little bit and bets $3, I just call. Dunno if he was having connection problems or just was pondering a bet. Turn comes J
to give me quads. I check, he insta-checks behind. I knew he didn't have anything. River was 6, I throw $5 into the $9.55 hoping for a crying call, doesn't happen and I take down a smallish pot.
What could I have done there? I got him to put $3 in on the flop with what looked like nothing. Maybe checkraise there and get more $ out of a heart draw, but if he has nothing he folds. I wanted him to put me on a hand like QJ and try to keep bluffing me out (or value bet me to death with an A). Also, I discounted the possibility of a heart draw there because I believe it takes a free card rather than risk being checkraised. Bet the flop? If he has nothing he probably folds, isn't a good board to float on, especially against a half-stack. Weak-lead the turn? Might get a call by some marginal hands that might check behind. If he has nothing though, he's probably just going to give it up. River I knew he wasn't betting, I just hoped my read was off and he had something and might pay me off. Didn't happen. Oh well, that put me over $137 and I cashed it out. I have $1.17 to my name on Stars and that's it. I'll deposit again at some point, but I need to find a job and get a real bankroll together before I do that.
I liked Carbon Poker, the games were pretty soft but one thing I noticed is that it's really tough to get players to go all-in with you. One hand yesterday I had JJ and the board came 3 low cards with 2s. My single opponent check/called the flop. The turn was the J giving me top set but also putting a flush out there. My opponent checked, I decided to check behind. Really didn't want to get checkraised here, so I took my free card. River paired the board to give me the boat, and my opponent bet $2 into $4 or something. I moved-in for $21, and he folded. I was hoping he had the flush and would call, but he folded. It's very possible he could've folded a flush there.
They don't think on a deep level, but they do think "Well, the board paired, a full house is possible, and he went all-in. Better fold". Yes, I did overbet the pot with my all-in, but a lot of players won't be able to get away from a flush there. Another hand I had 44 on the button, called a raise from somebody, and the flop came J4x. He bet something, I called. Turn came an A. He bet again, I just called again (that was bad, should've raised there, but I was expecting to get it on the river anyway, cause I figured he would bet again and feel committed). River was another ace, now he leads out again. I move-in. He folds. I think he had a decent amount behind, but how does he fold there? I figured AK and AQ have to call me there. If he didn't have those hands what was he betting the turn and river with? I suppose he can't give me an ace after I called on the flop, so maybe he had KK/QQ. Dunno.
The best strategy for these games is pretty much smallball. Try to win a bunch of small pots instead of going for the big inning. Maybe even buy-in for less. The good thing about that also is you can commit with top pair instead of facing tough decisions on the turn and river.
Anyway, I'll be taking a break from playing but not from blogging. If there's something interesting that comes up about poker, I'll post about it. Also, with football starting soon and 6 good division races in baseball I'll be posting about that stuff too. Later.
J. Folded to me, I raise to $2, BB (who has a full stack) calls. Flop comes AJ9 to give me a set of jacks. I check it, BB takes a little bit and bets $3, I just call. Dunno if he was having connection problems or just was pondering a bet. Turn comes J to give me quads. I check, he insta-checks behind. I knew he didn't have anything. River was 6, I throw $5 into the $9.55 hoping for a crying call, doesn't happen and I take down a smallish pot.What could I have done there? I got him to put $3 in on the flop with what looked like nothing. Maybe checkraise there and get more $ out of a heart draw, but if he has nothing he folds. I wanted him to put me on a hand like QJ and try to keep bluffing me out (or value bet me to death with an A). Also, I discounted the possibility of a heart draw there because I believe it takes a free card rather than risk being checkraised. Bet the flop? If he has nothing he probably folds, isn't a good board to float on, especially against a half-stack. Weak-lead the turn? Might get a call by some marginal hands that might check behind. If he has nothing though, he's probably just going to give it up. River I knew he wasn't betting, I just hoped my read was off and he had something and might pay me off. Didn't happen. Oh well, that put me over $137 and I cashed it out. I have $1.17 to my name on Stars and that's it. I'll deposit again at some point, but I need to find a job and get a real bankroll together before I do that.
I liked Carbon Poker, the games were pretty soft but one thing I noticed is that it's really tough to get players to go all-in with you. One hand yesterday I had JJ and the board came 3 low cards with 2
s. My single opponent check/called the flop. The turn was the J giving me top set but also putting a flush out there. My opponent checked, I decided to check behind. Really didn't want to get checkraised here, so I took my free card. River paired the board to give me the boat, and my opponent bet $2 into $4 or something. I moved-in for $21, and he folded. I was hoping he had the flush and would call, but he folded. It's very possible he could've folded a flush there.They don't think on a deep level, but they do think "Well, the board paired, a full house is possible, and he went all-in. Better fold". Yes, I did overbet the pot with my all-in, but a lot of players won't be able to get away from a flush there. Another hand I had 44 on the button, called a raise from somebody, and the flop came J4x. He bet something, I called. Turn came an A. He bet again, I just called again (that was bad, should've raised there, but I was expecting to get it on the river anyway, cause I figured he would bet again and feel committed). River was another ace, now he leads out again. I move-in. He folds. I think he had a decent amount behind, but how does he fold there? I figured AK and AQ have to call me there. If he didn't have those hands what was he betting the turn and river with? I suppose he can't give me an ace after I called on the flop, so maybe he had KK/QQ. Dunno.
The best strategy for these games is pretty much smallball. Try to win a bunch of small pots instead of going for the big inning. Maybe even buy-in for less. The good thing about that also is you can commit with top pair instead of facing tough decisions on the turn and river.
Anyway, I'll be taking a break from playing but not from blogging. If there's something interesting that comes up about poker, I'll post about it. Also, with football starting soon and 6 good division races in baseball I'll be posting about that stuff too. Later.
Comments