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I had a Cleveland Poker League game this past weekend (the last of the season) and as I’m sure you can tell by the title of this post it didn’t go well.  On a positive note I really do think I was playing pretty well (good reads, some good folds, etc.)  For what seemed like the 4th or 5th tourney in a row I felt like I was getting nothing to play with.  At one point about an hour in or so I’d see a grand total of 6 face cards… that’s not good.  But I’m not here to bitch about the cards I was getting cause we all know it’s about what you DO with those cards that makes the poker player.

Hand #1

I’m in the small blind and I look down to find a pair of Sevens.  We’re playing 6 handed and there were two callers so I decide just to call and see a flop.

Hmm… talk about a bad flop for a pair of Sevens.  Believe it or not the table checks around and we go to the turn which brings another J.  At this point (with 4 overcards) I’m forced to fold.  I retrospect a bet on the flop might have taken it down but I just couldn’t pull the trigger betting into a flop with 3 overcards on it.

Hand #2

I’m on the button and look down to see one of my favorites:

I’d been playing pretty tight (primarily cause I was getting a whole bunch of nothing) but I decided that this was too good to pass on so I bumped it to 3 times the big blind.  The small blind called and we were off to the flop.

Not a bad flop at all.  I’d have preferred to hit a pair to go along with my 4 flush but this was definitely good enough to call when the small blind put out a bet.  The turn and river came and I ended going to the river with nothing but a pair of 8′s.  Not good enough to take down the pot once the small blind showed wired Queens.  Unfortunately nothing higher than a Queen was on the board or I may have been able to buy the pot with a big bet.

Final Hand

Just before the second break and I’m under the gun and look down to see AQ.  It’s folded around to the big blind who calls and we’re off to the flop:

All right!  Finally something I can play with.  My opponent bets $400 and I call.  The flop comes out another beautiful Ace.  She bets out again and I move all in for the rest of my dwindling stack.  She (of course) flips over an A9 for a full house leaving me drawing to three outs which don’t come.

Looking back I’m not sure I could have gotten away from this.  Once I hit my third ace just about the only hand I was worried about was AK.  I honestly didn’t think she’d call with A9 in that spot (AK, AQ, AJ or AT was about the range of Aces that I had her on).  Guess I missed that “that much”.  As they say… that’s poker!

See you after the flop!

I got back to the tables this weekend with our monthly Cleveland Poker League game.  With it being Memorial Day weekend we had a smaller game (11 players) but the action was no less intense.  We always have a final table of 8 so we started the afternoon with a table of 6 and a table of 5.  The plan was to lose 3 players and then combine for the final table… unfortunately for me, I didn’t make it to the final 8.

When playing short handed (as I was my entire tournament) you HAVE to loosen up your starting hand requirements.  If you don’t you’ll simply be blinded out.  The fact that it’s early in the tournament should have no bearing on when to play and when no to… the number of players at your table should be the deciding factor.  As I sat there throwing away hand after hand I KNEW I should be playing more hands but I just couldn’t do it.  In the end this was my demise.  That said, I do have a couple of hands worth reporting on:

Hand #1
Playing small pairs can be really difficult.  Sure they look nice but unless you flop yourself a set or a great draw you can get into big trouble.  And even with a small set you can always get in trouble with an bigger set, flush or full house.  With all of this in mind, I looked down to see:

I called with my small pair hoping to hit my set.  I was very happy to see that I’d done just that.

So I’m pretty sure that I’m in good shape as I’m guessing someone with pocket Kings would have raised and I didn’t get an “I’ve got middle set” read from anyone.”  I made a sizable bet and got two callers.  Hmm… not good.  Perhaps that middle set is out there after all.  At this point I’m guessing there’s a couple of Kings out there or at least a couple of flush draws.  The turn comes another club and everyone checks around.  That’s trouble.  The river comes a beautiful 6 giving me a boat.  really the only thing I’m worried about at this point is quad 6′s (and really only cause it bit me in the ass in a previous game) but in reality I’m not really concerned with that possibility.  Actually I’m hoping that someone’s got a big flush and will raise me after I make a bet.  Unfortunately no one called my bet and I took down a sizable pot.

Looking back I’m not sure what hands I was up against.  If my post-flop read was correct there had to be at least a King out there and possibly a flush.  I suppose I can see someone laying down a King with a flush on board but I just cannot see someone laying down a flush.  Perhaps I was up against two Kings and they both got scared off by the board (and my bet).

Hand #2
Once again I look down to see a small pair (44) this time on the button.  I just call (which in retrospect was a mistake… should have been raising here in a short handed game).  Flop comes 87Q and I’m forced to fold to a bet.  Really need to get into more of a habit of raising and then putting out a continuation bet.

Hand #3
There are hands that are good and we all know we should play them (AA, KK, QQ).  There are hands that are bad that we play anyways cause they are our “favorite” hands (for me, 74).  Then there are hands that look really nice but aren’t all that great (AK, QT, KJ).  Sure enough, I’ve got one of those in first position:

It looks SO pretty to see two painted cards but when it comes right down to it it’s a drawing hand that needs help on the flop.  This time, I got it… big time.

Just about a perfect flop for my hand (of course KKK, JJJ, KKJ, or KJJ would be better but beggars can’t be choosers).  At this point I’m pretty sure I’m ahead with the possible exceptions of 88, or AK.  I bet and get two callers building a nice pot.  A 6 comes off on the turn and I’m firing again and get one caller.  Perhaps I’m up against another King?  The river comes a 3 and I fire out again and take down a nice pot.  Not sure what they may have had… perhaps something like A8?

Hand #4
I’m sure we’ve all had hands like this.  Hands that have so much potential but just fall short.

Just like KJ above this is a drawing hand that needs some help but I play it for a raise this time and get 3 callers.  Remember… we’re on a short handed table and my opponents are doing a much better job of playing their cards.  Either they’ve loosened up their starting requirements, they’re getting better cards than me or both.

There are two bets in front of me and I call with middle pair and knowing where the nut flush is.  The turn comes another club and the flushes got there.  There’s another bet with two callers.  The river comes another card showing a four card straight on the board.  I’m forced to fold knowing that my flush didn’t get there.  Dammit.  Might have been a good idea to make a big raise on the turn representing the flush.

Hand #5
Perhaps I’m learning… I pick up Ace/Ten on the button and make a raise and get one caller (the big blind).  The flop comes JJ8 which my opponent checks and make a continuation bet taking down the pot.  Feels good to “earn” that pot.

My Last Hand
From there on out I was on a downward spiral of poor play.  I just couldn’t get myself to pull the trigger and make a bet or a raise.  Not sure what was going on.  Actually I’ll tell you… I was hoping for the other table to bust a player so we’d be down to 8, combine and be able to play at a full table.  As it turns out that was foolish.

I looked down to see 66 on the button and decide to make my stand and put all my chips in the middle.  I’m called by the small blind (who was the eventual winner) with… you guessed it… Ace/Ten.  She turned an Ace and my day was over early.

It amazes me how a couple of motif’s kept coming up for me: Ace/Ten and small to mid pairs.  I definitely need to get better at playing those small pairs.  I’m either not playing them for value or I’m loosing way too much when I’ve got the worst of it.  Obviously a leak that I need to plug.  In addition this game really reminded me that when you’re playing short handed you HAVE to loosen up your starting requriements… otherwise you’ll be on the rail watching.

See you after the flop!