$20 buyin winner take all and 1-1-2 at LC

ight forget the bull shit. im flipping this blog into my poker diary so anyone who plays can follow, i guess.


there were two hands that stick out the most in the $20 buy in game. the first was QQ dealer position and Ah9c also in the same spot.

QQ's: Blinds were at 100/200, me at 4.5k and to the right was the chip leader with 12k give or take a thousand. he pops it to 800 and at this point i put him on a range of hands from A10-AQ to a small pair. i figure he'd call any raise but would probably fold on the flop if he misses. i needed to go for the win so i had to double up. i pushed knowing he'd call. whether or not he hit, i had to get all my money in preflop in order to win. he ended up having AK. others may argue that if i knew he'd call any raise, i should raise and shorten the range of hands then decide whether to move in on the flop. putting your money in post flop, without putting all your chips at risk pre-flop.

Ah9c: Blinds 250/500. 7.2k was my chip count. i was in the dealer position and raise 3x. BB calls and flop comes 5h7h8h. prior to this hand there has been alot of preflop raising, then folding and checking. BB checks to me and i push. he flips over Jh10h. bad move, at the same time, a good one. again, this was a winner take all game and i needed to win. so that means more gamble. as i analyzed the hand, i couldve checked and seen a free card. but even then, the 4th heart couldve been the action killer. so i had to get my money in, knowing he'd call with an opportunity to make the nuts. win or lose, 2nd wasnt taking home shit, anyways.

getting your money in, knowing he'd call being ahead or behind. only when going for the win is necessary.

soo as the night goes on i decide to head to Lucky Chances and play a little more. the way this hand was played isnt important but my attitude towards it is. Dealer position with QsJs. raise of 8 from the gun and 4 callers including me. flop come J-10-4 rainbow. check-check-check then to my right a bet of $10. i thought to myself if i gay raised, he's calling, if i trippled it, i have $6 dollars behind and if i call, im making a bad play. so i push and say "26 more" and he responds "confident over there". then i say "i'll show you confidence" and his dumb ass buddy to his right, that isnt even involved in the hand, says "hes a poker player tho". so the guy ends up calling with 2-4. river 4, giving him trips. now, the important part. i get frustrated and a lil hurt that i just dropped $50 in one hand and got hit with a bad beat. i wanted a call and got one. my attitude need not be down and out but up and going. if a player doesnt want a call in that spot, then how will he ever make money? i was a little over a 4-to-1 favorite on the flop to win the pot when the guy was only getting 3to1 for his money. so he made the bad play and not you. whether i win or lose, i have to remain indifferent because the next hand is being dealt and i need to focus on this hand, not the previous.

to add to this, min raising may have been the best play. with 3 players to act behind me, i may have been up against a slow roller. checking two pair or maybe even trips. a min raise also would have let me know where i was at if he just called or even raised.