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Sets Are Best - CraigSG1 Diary. UPDATE

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  • Tikay10Tikay10 Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 158,807

    Really enjoying this thread, keep it coming.
  • Asho28Asho28 Member Posts: 763
    CraigSG1 said:

    Hi again Ash. This is the hand we mentioned.

    So, here's my thoughts. Standard raise and call by us and a good flop for me obviously. I have the range advantage (meaning I have the stronger hands in my range to yours) so I can do pretty much anything here. I will sometimes bet and sometimes check. This balances my range so that if I have missed I can check and my opponent doesn't have free range to always bet and bluff me off. I could have a pp that doesn't like the A for example so checking my good hands helps me control pots if that's the case.

    The turn is fairly innocuous and I decide to make a small bet, I definitely think I have the best hand and im trying to get a 9 or a pp or even some face cards to call. Now Ash decides to raise which is fine. That may get my KQs etc to fold but im never folding any A or decent PP or even FD. Its an easy call for me, no need to raise because im only ever getting called or raised again by better.

    The river is a scare card but for some reason the speed of your bets (turn and river) just told me you didn't have me beat. Also the size.

    Now for me, against good players. And by good I mean those that think about the hand, this is a perfect card for an over bet. Especially had you sized your turn raise bigger. Because had you had 88s or 99s or A3s and had boated up your not getting calls from my big pairs but you are targeting those good Aces in my range or your hoping ive made a flush. Because had you had those boated hands you would be making it a lot bigger. Or you should be anyway. That way you can now add bluffs if you think you know the range of hands your opponent has. Of corse those players that are never folding any top pair never mind a good one bluffing just isn't an option.

    I hope people got all that, its like I said before. Its all about evaluating your opponents and playing accordingly.

    To be honest, I didn't think you had anything once you checked flop and I can have some 3 x combination hands from the big blind which you shouldn't have in your range.

    Was just a bit of punt by me with very little thought process, and was probably an easy call for you as played.
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    edited March 2022
    Hi Tikay - thank you, means a lot. Always like to hear from anyone reading.

    Hi Ash - punting can be ok, but just make sure you commit to your bets. Just an extra 120 to make your turn bet 400 its much better and I cant continue with a lot of hands that your trying to get me off. And if I do call you can pretty much just give up on your bluff so in the end you would have saved 440 chips!

    So tonight was pretty tragic. I really don't want to sound like im moaning and complaining im just saying it like it is - ill admit times when im lucky too. It was just one of those nights. I busted my £2BH when getting it in ahead three times and losing each time to some bad play. My £5 BH didn't last long when my AA lost to a set of 7s after I had three bet pre and he jammed a 7h flop after I checked. Then I did run up a stack in the £2 rebuy but after the add on I then lost a race with 99 and then got AJs to call my big 3bet to my AK. He then called all in with a FD and hit and that was that.

    Extra disappointing because my shift pattern moves to lates next week so ill have only Thursday night to play poker in the whole of next week as tomorrow night its date night.

    Its part of my mental battles that nights like this leave me feeling down, nothing major just a bad feeling. A diary like this is actually helping me keep things in check because it makes me more accountable - there has been more than one occasion where I would fire up two or three cash game and play very loose. And even worse would happen if I got bad beats because I would go higher chasing the losses.

    But I haven't done that in well over a year which is progress. I would mainly do that when my account was high and that's why like ive said before I would take it out. Ive not done that ;lately because I want to see four figures again which im very close to doing and there is no way im tilting it off!

    So, good luck at the tables guys. See you in a few days.
  • GlenelgGlenelg Member Posts: 6,540
    @CraigSG1 ...nice read. Good to see someone who can play poker & punctuate. Oh & raise kids..😂
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Hi Glenn - thanks! I try. In both aspects! More successful in one than the other, im not saying which!

    Which brings me onto tonight...

    Back after a few days off because of work and glad to report another win for the year and my first for this blog. I also went deep in the £5 BH but got unlucky and then again when losing a race couple of hands later.

    But to this win - Often when I come back after some time off im eager to play but I get a bit unlucky and end up with an early night and I thought that may happen here when first hand UTG I got AA and 4x and got called from the SB. The flop was 992 and I checked it. I got raise on the turn then called a bet on the river to find I had lost to J9o and was all lost 50bb down first off!

    Now, this is where old me might have said sod it and gone all in any PP or high cards but I said no, its still plenty of BB so I stayed patient and played well to get back to almost starting stack after another twenty odd minutes. I continued to play well and took a couple of heads with one hand which got me to a decent stack and from there I just ticked over for long periods.

    I didn’t get much, just picked off bluffs and managed my bets and before I knew it I was close to the bubble. It broke with me about two off the bottom but I wasn’t worried. Stayed patient and then I got another couple of heads with decent hands and went mid table. We got to about 8 handed and I went up and down with standard spots before we then picked off a bluff, won a few hands to go again into mid position when we reached the FT.

    There was two bigs stacks, me and then three small. I called an all in with A10 v A6s who flopped the flush which got the short stack mid position, I then lost a hand to go 5/5 after the short stack busted but then I got my first bit of (very) good lick when in the SB I shoved J10s and got called by AA! I flopped a FD and turned it to then go to chip leader!

    I never lost it. A few hands later I called the AA guy and then shoved on a caller with AQ and I was against 1010 and A7 and I flopped trip Qs to take a huge pot and two good bounties!

    I pretty much controlled three handed play, knocking out 3rd with QQ v QJs and then a few hands later I had AA. Raised got called and then on a 10c9d6d flop we bet, got raised and had to go all in. He had 10h9h! Arghhh! BUT!! The turn brought a 6 and it blanked the river and boom - a win!!

    £48 to my BR which is very close to those four figures. I have another break again for work. I may have a chance for one night in the next six but after that I have seven working days in April thanks to rest days and my two week holiday block so plenty of poker in my future there.

    Go well peeps!

  • Tikay10Tikay10 Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 158,807

    Well done @CraigSG1


    I was always a huge believer in patience, though often made the mistake of leaving it too late & ended up with no fold equity. Seems like you've got that sussed.


    Keep it going.
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Thanks Tikay! And you may find it did keep it going! With back to back BH wins!

    I came in after work and managed to squeeze in twenty minutes of play time with my 2yo twins that I haven't seen much these past two days and because of my shifts I wont see them until Thursday :( I start before they wake and get home after they go to bed.

    I decided to late reg the £2 BH while I made tea and cleaned up. I wasn't giving it my full attention and did dwindle my stack before winning a race and then after another twenty minutes I had three head prizes so was in profit and was happy at that! id had my poker fix and made money.

    After I finally settled down on the sofa I fired up a £3DYM and cashed that. All the while chipping up and playing well and again I have to admit running well too.

    We got to the FT 2/6 almost joint leader with three mid stacks and one very short stack of couple big blinds. That was my HU opponent! He went on a heater and all while he chipped up I knocked people out (I ended up knocking out everyone!) and we got 3 handed with me huge chip leader.

    We then get it in with 88 v 3rds A2 (he kept jamming most hands) only for an A to hit the turn and take me to joint bottom and he chip leader. I was gutted but didn't tilt, played well and chipped up only to then lose JJ v Q10 and go back down again.

    I then chipped up again and the key hand happened, me with JJ v AK and we won the race and two hands later finished him off to give me a small lead HU.

    My HU opponent went all in for the first few hands but then we played a bit and I got ahead before we got it in. Me 66, he 55. And a wi--- nope. He hits a 5!! Start again, played good. Chipped up, and up before finally getting it in JJ v 44 and this time held for the win!

    The winning feeling is great and that now gets me to that magic four figures in my BR!. Not had that for a while as ive stated before I can positive tilt some off and then I take most off it out to stop me losing more. Ive done so well not doing that.

    I intend to hopefully get it up a bit more and then take a huge chunk out and put it away.

    Back to work for the next few days, be back then! Go well!!!
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Hi all,

    Finally made it to my six day break - spent the day with my girls, giving mum a well needed break. Thoroughly enjoyed it, even if we couldn't really play outside thanks to a very strong cold wind.

    Wasn't my night tonight - didn't really hit and when I did they had better. Didn't do much wrong so im fine with that. Almost cashed out with a profit tonight but HU in a £2 six max with AKs v AQ for the win only for a Q on the flop shows exactly how I ran tonight.

    Easier to take obviously because of my back to back wins and for those the cards went my way. I made good decisions which is all you can do.

    Onto the next night.
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Hi all,

    One of those nights where a lot could have happened but didn't. Ran up a stack in the £2 and £5 BH and the £2 rebuy but only had two heads to show for it. Lost every race, and for big stacks lost AK v A7s and then had AA cracked, Kings cracked twice and QQs beat three times only to then run into AA and KK to bust.

    The reverse of what happens when you go onto deep runs so you just have to accept it, move on and just think over your decisions. Happy with most of them so just have to keep in the good mindset I am in.
  • Tikay10Tikay10 Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 158,807

    Seems to me you are a player who really enjoys poker. It's quite surprising how many don't.
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Hi tikay - I try to, mostly I do. Trying to just take things in your stride and remember the wins helps but when we get in those ruts where we just keep getting bet in the head by the run of the cards that's when it can get soul destroying. Taking breaks is pretty much the only solution.

    Managed to scrape a very small profit on the night thanks to my only SnG - a £3 six max which I won. I took three heads on the £2 BH and finished a couple off the bubble. Things just didn't happen in the big pots - losing both big flips AK v JJ and QQ v AK.

    Again playing fine and putting myself in good positions. Fate is the decider after that.
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Much like last night I think I played well again only for the cards to not go my way - didn't manage a single head either and got some bad calls that got lucky and then ran things like AK into AA to an aggressive chip leader and also loose every race. Sigh.

    But my two SnG came to the rescue again - a £3 DYM I cashed in and a £2 speed 6 max which I won.

    My SnG game is probably my strongest suit and for some reason I don't play a lot of them - mainly because I love the thrill of an MTT win. I learnt most of my poker in the early days from playing and watching SnGs on probably my favourite ever poker show, and where I first saw @Tikay , Poker Night Live (anyone else watch that?).

    Back in 2005 that was easily one of the few and best ways to learn. That show and the presenters taught me 90% of my knowledge and was just an awesome show. The best bit was the hour they dedicated to Beat the Presenter in which they had a 9 seater SnG played start to finish so you saw all the hands and how the blinds and positions altered your hand strength and many different strategies depending on chips stacks etc. It opened my eyes and gave me such a huge advantage over a lot of the fields I played in and I quickly made a lot of money (especially for me) using my winnings to buy me at first computers and then holidays and down payments on a car. I miss that show a lot and am very grateful to them even now.

    So, my six days off are up and I now have four on to take me to 16 days off! Wont get to see my girls at all for the first couple of days which sucks but ill be back in a couple of days so good luck.
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    edited April 2022
    Hey - so, ive made it to my 16 days off and thought I would do a mini challenge for myself.

    I have a few goals but I don't want to put too much pressure on me, its just a bit of fun to help focus me.

    My main goal is to win two MTT's and have a £100 profit in that period but I do have an above expectations goal of two wins and £150 profit. I will keep a little table going and will update the first part later in this post so good luck me.



    MTTs. PLAYED. CASHED. FTs. Profit/loss

    £2BH. 1. 0 0. -£2.20
    £5BH. 1. 1. 1. +£170.88
    £2 Rebuy. 1. 0 0 -£4.20
    FREEROLL

    SnGs.

    DYM. 1. 1/1. - +£2.70
    6max

    Totals +£167.18
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Erm, well.... I sort of did it the first night!!! I have just won the £5BH for £170.88.

    Im super happy but its not the end of the challenge, I can still blow it!

    I have been super happy with my play this year and have seen some excellent results. My mentality is much better as I busted very early in the £2BH in a race and then wasn't getting much in the rebuy (I went deep in that only busting when in a big 2nd place worth pot against a very weak player he l/c my squeeze all in with K4s - I flopped top pr with my AJ and he hit the river jack to give him a straight!)

    I didn't get much all through the tournament and was mid table all the way through to the FT when I came in 5/6. I just played very well, making some good decisions I must say and was just happy to get to HU with a 3-1 chip deficit due to card distribution. I knew things could change and they did; we swapped stacks when he 3b me all in with A9 and I called AK and flopped AKK. I then stayed patient to his all ins before I flopped overs and a str draw and we both made a str on the turn but mine was the nut end and that was enough to take it down!

    It was much needed because only two days ago one of my girls threw something at our tv and smashed the screen so we had to fork out £360 on a new one so I guess I know where this is going!

    I might reevaluate my top goal to reach £250 profit and two wins. This start is amazing and im very happy.
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    PlayerActionCardsAmountPotBalance
    dennis03Small blind40.0040.002420.00
    timeforbedBig blind80.00120.003646.25
    Your hole cards
    • 7
    • 10
    SmileyTomFold
    indy147Call80.00200.007615.00
    CraigSG1Call80.00280.003485.00
    lisbonwagFold
    dennis03Call40.00320.002380.00
    timeforbedCheck
    Flop
    • Q
    • 3
    • 2
    dennis03Check
    timeforbedCheck
    indy147Bet160.00480.007455.00
    CraigSG1Call160.00640.003325.00
    dennis03Fold
    timeforbedCall160.00800.003486.25
    Turn
    • A
    timeforbedCheck
    indy147Bet400.001200.007055.00
    CraigSG1Call400.001600.002925.00
    timeforbedRaise2400.004000.001086.25
    indy147Fold
    CraigSG1Fold
    timeforbedMuck
    timeforbedWin2000.003086.25
    timeforbedReturn2000.000.005086.25
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Here is a hand from the tournament I won showing how clear thinking and not just thinking about your own hands matters. If im not paying attention I probably lose a big pot here and any chance of a good run.

    Im mainly in the pot because of Indy - they are playing very loose and shown they are very willing to call down very light and bet light too. Im just calling to keep him in so when Timeforbed raises here he doesn't have anything less than a flush. I cant think of any other hand that plays it this way - sets raise the flop as well as most 2 pairs and raising two pair on that turn is dangerous.

    It just felt like a flush - it is possible he could have A3 for example but I just thought I could play better spots as nearly every flush has me drawing dead.
  • Jac35Jac35 Member Posts: 6,471
    edited April 2022
    Congrats on the win

    Flushes are hard to make!
    Not sure i'm folding there

    Incidentally, the biggest hand i ever won at cash was with 10 7ss at DTD
    £980 :)

    What kind of hand were you hoping to make when you called with 10 7?
  • hhyftrftdrhhyftrftdr Member Posts: 8,036
    You have the 3rd nuts.
    If you think villain is doing that with *any* flush then surely you get it in?
    As you beat more flushes than you lose to, plus the chance they have worse than a flush, and you've under-repped your hand to a degree too (overlimp pre, call flop, call turn means you're quite disguised)

    Limped pot so there is an element of guesswork and randomness, fold may well be correct but not sure I would, particularly with that villain and as it's played out.

    Well done on the win.
  • CraigSG1CraigSG1 Member Posts: 1,804
    Hi Jack and HhR…

    You both make very valid points and even as I was looking over the hand I wondered why I folded! Truth is you get very little time to think through the hand and I just remember at the time having a deep gut feeling I was beat. I was probably wrong but I just went with it. Maybe it was bias from the times when I’ve called and been beaten by better flushes I’m not sure. I guess sometime you just have to go with instinct.
  • Asho28Asho28 Member Posts: 763
    edited April 2022
    Interesting hand. Personally, I dislike limping pre here. Think I would just fold this from the cutoff given that it’s not a particularly great holding and we still have 3 more people to act.
    As others have said, if we are going to play this hand then surely we can’t fold when we hit our flush. I agree that villain in the big blind almost certainly has a flush, or 4 5 to give them a straight - from doing some quick maths (could well be inaccurate) there are 15 flush combos that we’re ahead of and 13 combos that we lose to (one of which is KJ suited which should raise pre, so 12 combos if we discount that). Given this and assuming villain will play all flushes in the same way, I think we should be happy to go all-in. Sometimes we’ll be coolered but we beat more than we lose to, making it a profitable call in my opinion. Happy to be corrected if wrong. If we had a hand like 87, 76 or 65 suited in this spot then I would be more inclined to fold these flushes, as we are beaten by more hands than we’re ahead of (assuming villain isn’t maniacal)

    Well played on your win last night @CraigSG1 and good luck with this mini challenge. Hopefully you can keep that bankroll ticking along as you have been 🙂
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