The Bad and the Good

First the Bad. This was a hand I couldn't get away from and have no fault with my play. This was literally the 3rd hand I was dealt in this game and had no reads on anyone.

Poker Stars, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

BB: $66.80
UTG: $24.95
MP: $22.55
CO: $18.40
BTN: $24.15
Hero (SB): $14.50

Pre-Flop: Q K dealt to Hero (SB)

2 folds, CO calls $0.25, BTN folds, Hero raises to $1, BB calls $0.75, CO calls $0.75

Flop: ($3) K 4 Q (3 Players)
Hero bets $2, BB calls $2, CO calls $2

Turn: ($9) A (3 Players)
Hero bets $11.50 and is All-In, BB raises to $23, CO folds

River: ($32) 7 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $32 Pot ($1.55 Rake)
BB showed 4 A (two pair, Aces and Fours) and WON $30.45 (+$15.95 NET)
Hero showed Q K (two pair, Kings and Queens) and LOST (-$14.50 NET)
______________________________________
Now, the Good. This player hadn't really done much during this session. He seemed solid enough but this was a strange hand to play.

Poker Stars, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

BTN: $103.05
SB: $26.20
BB: $22.55
UTG: $20.65
MP: $23.90
Hero (CO): $23.30

Pre-Flop: A A dealt to Hero (CO)
UTG raises to $1.25, MP folds, Hero raises to $3, 3 folds, UTG calls $1.75

Flop: ($6.35) 9 3 6 (2 Players)
UTG bets $4, Hero raises to $20.30 and is All-In, UTG calls $13.65 and is All-In

Turn: ($41.65) 3 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($41.65) 8 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $41.65 Pot ($2.05 Rake)
UTG showed A J (a pair of Threes) and LOST (-$20.65 NET)
Hero showed A A (two pair, Aces and Threes) and WON $39.60 (+$18.95 NET)

This helped to turn around my session and I won back my losses plus. I had good luck at another table to end up with my bankroll back to what it was before yesterday when I dropped a buy in.

I am very happy with my game at this time and am looking forward to playing a lot this week-end.

Down one Buy In

I played a short session today and was up early but in just two hands I dropped a buy-in to end up down overall. I wasn't able to play very long so couldn't stay around to try and get back to even. I hope to get things rolling tomorrow when I will be able to play longer and should be able to rebuild my bankroll.

I was very happy with my play and even the two hands I lost were not from bad plays just from my opponent getting the better of me on those two hands. The biggest loss came against the dreaded Queen/nine off suit. I raised from the button with K/10 suited in an attempt to mostly steel the blinds but was confident I could play this hand well if I had to. The villain called with his Q/9 off from the Small Blind and the flop came down rag/Q/Q. A total disaster for me. He checked, I did a continuation bet and he smooth called it. The turn sealed my fate when a lovely king appeared and I put in about a pot size bet after his check again and again was smooth called. The turn brought a nine to give him a full house and when the villain led out against me I knew I had lost this hand.
__________________
I am presently drinking 3 different styles of beer in a 12 Pack Sampler from Spanish Peaks Brewing of Bozeman, Montana. This sampler 12 pack contains Black Dog Ale, Honey Raspberry Ale and American Pale Ale. I haven't tried the Honey Raspberry yet but the Black Dog Ale and the American Pale Ale are both excellent brews.

Beer Advocate gives the Black Dog Ale and the American Pale Ale solid "B"s but the Honey Raspberry doesn't fare as well as it only gets a "C-" rating. I prefer the Black Dog Ale to the American Pale Ale but would have either at any time as they are very nice tasting beers.

Hits and Misses

My poker game is in pretty good shape as we speak. I have been playing quite a bit and things have turned around in that I have been hitting the cards I need and my opponents have been missing their draws against me (with a few exceptions). I have lost some pretty sick hands but remained patient and was able to win back those losses and more.

One player hit his gutshot straight with a hand that he had no reason what-so-ever in playing against my Top two pair but I knew if he stayed around long enough I would win my money back and more. I didn't tilt and remained patient until I finally got the perfect hand when I called his preflop raise and hit my set of 8's and he just couldn't let his Ace high pair go and I stacked him to win back my losses plus a few dollar more. Things like that help reinforce that you know how to play this game and the donkeys won't always suck out on you.

I have been trying to be patient and really bet my good hands and it has worked well the past week so I am hoping things hold up for a while longer so I can get my bankroll to my all time high.
___________________________________
Here is a picture of all of the taps at HopCat bar in Grand Rapids. This is where I had the Starboard Stout and I ordered a nice Celis Wit (white) from the Michigan Brewing Company in Webberville, Michigan. They describe their beer as: Celis White is seasoned with Curacao orange peel and coriander, and is brewed from a unique recipe first brewed in Belgium in 1453. It is top fermented and brewed from 50% raw winter wheat and 50% barely malt and is hopped with Willamette and Cascade hops from the Northeast.

This beer is very similar to Blue Moon's Belgium White beer. My wife was very happy with it.

Dilemma

I have a dilemma in my poker playing. Variance has reared its ugly head again and I am down several buy-ins over the last two days. My first attempts to turn around my game was to drop down to lower stakes and try to rebuild my bankroll. The only problem with this is that you get the real donkeys of poker staying in every hand trying for their flush and, when they hit their draws (no matter how much you bet to get them off their draw) they end up taking a good part of your money. And they are everywhere in the lower stakes games.

I have beaten the lowe stakes enough to move up to the next level but it is very frustrating to do what the experts tell you and still have that not be the best alternative. I think I will go back up to the higer stakes and just play a bit tighter game with less of a buy in and that should help me get things turned around.

____________________________________________

The Kenny Chesney concert was great fun. He played nonstop for almost two hours and his concert was full of energy. It was a really fun night with my wife and daughter and I can see how he is Country Music's Entertainer of the Year four years running.

We ate dinner at HopCat Bar and had a great burger and wonderful beer battered frys. I ordered an Oatmeal Stout from the Arcadia Brewing Company, their Starboard Stout. They describe their beer as: "Starboard Stout is a unique Irish Oat Malt Stout. Deep black in color, with garnet undertones, it has a robust yet well-balanced chocolatey roasted malt character and a creamy mouthfeel. A subtle and complex hop flavor and aroma is provided by Willamette and Cascade."

It was very good and tasted very much like the Oatmeal Stout from Breckenridge Brewery in Colorado. I am really into the stouts right now and have one more to drink then after that I am going to go back to summer brews.

This and That

Not much happening on the poker front. A change of shift for this week at my job has me playing just about one half hour a day. I have had nice results from my short stints at the tables where I have managed to win a buy in at Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute. Just playing solid poker and getting good hands to help build the bankroll.

I am back to my old shift starting tomorrow so will be playing more from here on out.
_______________________
Myself, my wife and daughter are going to see Kenny Chesney in concert tonight in Grand Rapids. We saw him at the same place two years ago and really had a great time. We are going to go early and quaff a couple of brews at HopCat in Grand Rapids and have dinner there as well before we saunter over to the concert.

Party time in GR with Kenny and some nice island/country tunes.
_______________________
I'll have a mini-report on the brews I drink at HopCat as they have 48 microbrews on tap and most are from Michigan. I am leaning toward the The Chocolate Wheat from Short's Brewing Company in Bellaire, Michigan.

That's Mr. Luckbox to you

Here is a hand on PokerStars that I actually thought out each step of the way and, admittedly, got lucky to take it down.

Poker Stars, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 4 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

UTG: $19.45
BTN: $25.40
Hero (SB): $32.35
BB: $4.95
Pre-Flop: 6 A dealt to LZFSB3 (SB)
UTG raises to $0.50, BTN folds, LZFSB3 calls $0.40, BB folds

I called the minraise here because Trikkur has instilled in me to punish minraisers. He would have raised him here instead of just calling.

Flop: ($1.25) 4 A A (2 Players)
LZFSB3 bets $1.25, UTG raises to $2.50, LZFSB3 calls $1.25

Good flop for me but my kicker sucks. This was a feeler bet to see where I was in the hand and when he min-reraised I knew he had an ace but that min raise was still worth calling.

Turn: ($6.25) 6 (2 Players)
LZFSB3 bets $5.25, UTG raises to $16.45 and is All-In, LZFSB3 calls $11.20

Bingo!! Somebody is getting stacked now. I wanted enought of a raise to get the villain to go all in and this worked out perfectly.

River: ($39.15) 2 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $39.15 Pot ($1.90 Rake)
UTG mucked K A and LOST (-$19.45 NET)
LZFSB3 showed 6 A (a full house, Aces full of Sixes) and WON $37.25 (+$17.80 NET)

This guy wasn't very happy with me but I never would have been in the hand if he hadn't just minraised.

That's Mr. Idiot to you

Here is how to misplay a hand into a nice tidy win.
Poker Stars, $0.10/$0.25 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

Hero (BTN): $24.30
SB: $39
BB: $26.10
UTG: $63
MP: $35.80
CO: $24.90

Pre-Flop: 8 8 dealt to Hero (BTN)
3 folds, Hero raises to $1, SB folds, BB raises to $3, Hero calls $2
Mistake number 1 - I thought he minraised me so I called.

Flop: ($6.10) 3 A 3 (2 Players)
BB bets $1.25, Hero calls $1.25
Mistake number 2 - I should have reraised here to indicate I had the ace and to see where I was at in the hand. I thought this was a really small raise and indicated he didn't have the ace.

Turn: ($8.60) 2 (2 Players)
BB bets $1.25, Hero calls $1.25
Again, calling here is just bad poker. Mistake number 3.

River: ($11.10) 8 (2 Players)
BB bets $1.25, Hero raises to $5, BB calls $3.75
Lo and behold, look what I found. Now why didn't I reraise at least $10? That was mistake number 4.

Results: $21.10 Pot ($1 Rake)
Hero showed 8 8 (a full house, Eights full of Threes) and WON $20.10 (+$9.60 NET)
BB mucked K K and LOST (-$10.50 NET)

My only consolation was that he misplayed his Kings as he was afraid of that Ace on the flop. I was very lucky here but there have been just as many times when I had the best hand and Mr. Idiot kept calling against me until they get their flush or set or whatever.

What goes around comes around.

A Little Golf Post

First of all a little bit about my poker play today. I broke even in my play today and enjoyed it immensely. I would have finished in the black but for one person that would not fold their Q/5 from the Cut Off and rivered the 5. Oh well, a note was made and I hope to see them again soon. I was able to double up off a couple of donkeys to help save my session and prevent a second losing day in a row.

I have been to the golf course about 8 times so far and have played 18 holes twice, the rest being just 9 hole rounds. I have shot a low of 41 and a high of 48 when I have offically kept score. If I don't keep score it is a practice round.

If I were to grade my golf so far it would be like this.

Driving - D-

I am having a hard time getting consistant drives on or near the fairway. It is either a massive push to the right or a pull hook running like a scared rabbit in the woods on the left.

Long Irons & Utility Clubs - C

I have been hitting my long irons and Utility clubs quite well and, except for the occasional pull hook, have been happy with the results. I could almost give these clubs a B- but will save that for the second marking period.

Mid Irons - C-

My mid-irons are just not getting the job done. These clubs have to put me on or near the green when I use them and they haven't been coming through for me. I have been cursed with a pull hook playing these clubs and am just now getting this problem worked out. I hope to have better results next marking period.

Short Irons, wedges - B

My short irons and wedges are saving my game. I am hitting these clubs quite well and that is allowing me to shoot the scores I am.

Chips - C+

My chipping has been pretty good for me. This has always been my achilles heal in the past but this year I have found a system that works for me and is getting the ball close enough to have a decent chance at par.

Putting - C+

My putting has saved several rounds for me and has cost me even lower scores eith a few 3 putts and missing the gimme birdie/par put occassionally. I am pretty happy with my putting but will never be totally satisfied with it until I totally eliminate my 3 putts and the 3 foot misses.

I am trying to play about 3 times a week and will have another report card around the first of July.

Minor Setback today

My winning streak was shortlived as I had a minor setback today. Part of it was my fault over valuing my hands and part of it was donkey moves rewarded by PokerStars. Either way I only have myself to blame and am not too discouraged as I know I can earn back the buy in and a half I dropped today and get back on the winning streak.

I made a very questionable play by pushing my pocket nines only to see the villain was unable to fold his Queen that he got on an Ace high flop. How he was able to hang onto that queen with my bets indicating that I had the ace is beyond me but he did and he wins this round. I have a note on him now and will remember that he has a hard time folding top pair. It wasn't a pure bluff as I raised preflop and my past play indicated I usually had the goods when I was raising preflop but I was playing like a bit of a lag and that may have convinced him to stay in when he should have folded his Q/9 preflop (but they were sooooooooooooooooooooted!!).

___________________________

When I bought my Breckenridge Breweries Oatmeal Stout that I wrote about yesterday I also bought a 22 ounce Avalanche Amber Ale. $1.99 each for both brews is a steal. What a great deal for a couple of really good brews. I bought two more Oatmeal Stouts today and had one at dinner tonight with Chili. Yummo!!

The Avalanche Amber Ale is on par with Killian's Red.

Breckenridge Breweries describes their Avalanche Amber Ale as: "Subtlety. That's what makes our Avalanche amber ale such a treat. We blend pale and caramel malts – and just a kiss of bittering hops – to create a refreshing-but-flavorful, any-time beer. Aromas of pale grains, a semi-sweet middle and a clean-as-Colorado-snow finish make this our best-selling beer."

This was an enjoyable beer but I would rather buy the Oatmeal Stout and partake in that as it is more of a treat to me. I think my Killian's is comparable to the Avalanche Amber Ale .

Rock and Roll!!

I had Frank Sinatra on my playlist, several poker training videos from PokerTrikz under my belt and a renewed confidence in my game. I was ready to Rock and Roll. I have had several good sessions since my mega losing streak and am back almost to where I was before the losses. I am very happy with how my game is going but I still see need for improvement.

It amazes me the small difference between a winning streak and a losing streak. When I was losing the villains were hitting every flush draw on me and during the winning streak they missed their draws or I hit the magic card on the river like when my A/K found a flop of K/K/3 with two clubs aboard. I put the villain all in only to see they have J/4 of clubs and the case club comes on the turn. Lo and behold the board pairs with a beautiful 3 on the river and my Boat beats their flush and I start stacking the chips. It didn't matter that they never should have called my preflop raise in the first place. It only matters how the cards come on the board and this time the lucky stick hit me square up side of my head.

______________________________________

I found me a real find at my favorite place for buying my specealty beers, Horrocks in Lansing, Michigan. They have 22 ounce bottles of Breckenridge Breweries Oatmal Stout for only $1.99 each. I am stocking up on them as we speak.

They describe this brew as: Rich, round and roasted, our Oatmeal Stout is satisfaction in a glass. It's a bold, smooth-bodied concoction that oozes dark-roasted coffee aromas and flavors of espresso and semi-sweet chocolate. We round out these heady pleasures with a dose of flaked oatmeal for a creamy body and a semi-dry finish. Unforgettable.

This is a really nice Stout and goes down very smoothly as the bitterness units are only 31.

Beer Advocate gives this beer a sold "B" and the reviewers have some very nice things to say about it. My feelings were summed up by this one, "Fairly drinkable, and enjoyable, a solid example of the style and well worth trying. Would be a good choice when introducing newbies to the style. Glad i got to try this, and its likely something I'll come back to at some point."

I am enjoying this stout immensely and hope to have several more while there is still a spring chill in the air.