The poker and life blog of Steven ”Stee” Murd

i've been following and i'm pretty sure that if you keep this up you'll be moving up very quickly

Piece of cake for you. Keep it going and you'll be there sooner than that

GL my friend

Thank you for supporting me. I appreciate that.

Yesterday, the weather was sunny. Therefore, I spent the afternoon playing tennis and furthermore, I hit a billiard hall to shoot eight-ball in the evening, resulting in no poker. However, I am on a mission and time is money. Today, even though I woke up late, at midday, I have played four one hour sessions (two 15-minute rest breaks and one 30-minute meal period).

A graph is worth a thousand words:

I am considering taking part in the Grand World Cup Virtual Bet of PokerStrategy.com too.

Today, I woke up early in the morning to visit my dentist for the annual checkup and cleaning, then brought my laptop in to an information technology specialist for a security checkup. I played two sessions in the afternoon and my bankroll is $75.13.

The (biggest) hand:

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 100 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 22.22, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 9)
Hero (SB): 152 BB
BB: 9.5 BB (VPIP: 100.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 1)
UTG: 232 BB (VPIP: 22.22, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 9)
MP: 331.5 BB (VPIP: 20.58, PFR: 13.51, 3Bet Preflop: 5.12, Hands: 905)
CO: 29.5 BB (VPIP: 36.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 51)

Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has K♠ K♦

UTG calls 1 BB, fold, fold, BTN raises to 4.5 BB, Hero calls 4 BB, fold, UTG calls 3.5 BB

Flop: (14.5 BB, 3 players) 2♣ 3♣ K♥
Hero checks, UTG bets 14.5 BB, fold, Hero calls 14.5 BB

Turn: (43.5 BB, 2 players) 2♦
Hero checks, UTG bets 32.5 BB, Hero calls 32.5 BB

River: (108.5 BB, 2 players) T♠
Hero checks, UTG bets 108.5 BB, Hero calls 100.5 BB

Hero shows K♠ K♦ (Full House, Kings full of Twos) (Pre 82%, Flop 96%, Turn 98%)
UTG shows 3♠ 3♦ (Full House, Threes full of Twos) (Pre 18%, Flop 4%, Turn 2%)
Hero wins 294.5 BB

This weekend I am going to attend the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration and watch the World Cup second quarter-finals. Thu 10 Jul is a concert of Tõnis Mägi. Other than that we are planning a friends’ night out before I go to Ireland. However, I have got seven days and less than $25 to go. I am on schedule.

I have got an immediate active bonus ($5.00) but I don’t know how to unlock it and my PT4 HUD has stopped working at Snap tables. #anythoughts

I am looking for poker players with whom I can discuss poker and or life. Therefore, feel free to reply in this thread and or send me a friend request for further information.

Hi Stee,
Only 25$ left? c'mon if only you did party so hard ♦ Will be a nice graph at the end of the month.

Loved it the slowplay with KK. I'm sure the villain didnt suspect for a second you had the best, what a sick cooler and what a perfect play. Btw what was the range you were giving to him?

Go Stee, Go Stee, Go Stee

I am home.

First and foremost, I failed the challenge. $15,6 short of $100. The low volume was fatal. My winrate was 30,35 bb/100 (4,845 hands) and the result was from $60,65 to $84,4. However, the summer festivities (Estonian Song and Dance Celebration, Õllesummer, World Cup viewing- and after-parties, birthdays and other concerts) were worth the failure of the challenge. Thank you for your support and sorry if I disappoint you with the result.

Secondly, the 2-week road trip was a success. I visited Ireland, United Kingdom (Wales, England), France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. The initial plan was to visit either Spain or Italy too but taking into account we were road tripping and the weather was extreme, we decided not to. However, I did not move to Ireland because of family and personal reasons. My first priority is to become financially independent prior to making a move. I am going to reevaluate my career (poker; I am dreaming of becoming a professional poker player) and life goals. I want to live a life that is worth living. ”Love the life you live, live the life you love.” — Robert Nesta ”Bob” Marley.

Time to get back in action.

My daily hourly schedule:

My poker goals:

• Play and study poker five days a week, three times three hours a day
• Play > 1000 hands a day

My bankroll management: shot taking and moving up

• Take a two to five buy-in shot at the next-highest stakes with 20-25 buy-ins.

My blog updates:

• Update the blog daily with the biggest and or most well-played and the hardest hand of a session (three times two hands a day)
• Update the blog weekly with a graph

My top-priority projects are poker and healthy lifestyle. I am going to start a fitness and nutrition blog on http://www.madbarz.com/ once the site is ready to go-live. I am going to gradually improve the quality of my life — economically, intellectually and emotionally — and set other life goals to give my life a direction, and boost motivation and self-confidence.

I am going to start from August 1.

I am a heavy sleeper and I love sleep. Therefore, the quality and quantity of sleep are very important to me. I did research and wrote a to-do list to improve my sleep schedule.

How to sleep better tip 1: Keep a regular sleep schedule

• Set a regular bedtime. Go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. Try not to break this routine on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late. If you want to change your bedtime, help your body adjust by making the change in small daily increments, such as 15 minutes earlier or later each day.
• Wake up at the same time every day. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your regular wake-time even on weekends.
• Nap to make up for lost sleep. If you need to make up for a few lost hours, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. This strategy allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm, which often backfires in insomnia and throws you off for days.
• Be smart about napping. While taking a nap can be a great way to recharge, especially for older adults, it can make insomnia worse. If insomnia is a problem for you, consider eliminating napping. If you must nap, do it in the early afternoon, and limit it to thirty minutes.

How to sleep better tip 2: Naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle

• Spend more time outside during daylight. Try to take your work breaks outside in sunlight, exercise outside, or walk your dog during the day instead of at night.
• Let as much light into your home/workspace as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day, and try to move your desk closer to the window.
• Turn off your television and computer. Many people use the television to fall asleep or relax at the end of the day, and this is a mistake. Not only does the light suppress melatonin production, but television can actually stimulate the mind, rather than relaxing it. Try listening to music or audio books instead, or practicing relaxation exercises. If your favorite TV show is on late at night, record it for viewing earlier in the day.
• Don’t read from a backlit device at night (such as an iPad). If you use a portable electronic device to read, use an eReader that is not backlit, i.e. one that requires an additional light source such as a bedside lamp.
• When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. The darker it is, the better you’ll sleep. Cover electrical displays, use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try a sleep mask to cover your eyes.

How to sleep better tip 3: Create a relaxing bedtime routine

• Keep noise down. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise from barking dogs, loud neighbors, city traffic, or other people in your household, try masking it with a fan, recordings of soothing sounds, or white noise. You can buy a special sound machine or generate your own white noise by setting your radio between stations. Earplugs may also help.
• Keep your room cool. The temperature of your bedroom also affects sleep. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.
• Make sure your bed is comfortable. You should have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to invest in a new mattress or a try a different pillow. Experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam or egg crate toppers, and pillows that provide more or less support.

How to sleep better tip 4: Eat right and get regular exercise

• Stay away from big meals at night. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Also be cautious when it comes to spicy or acidic foods in the evening, as they can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.
• Avoid alcohol before bed. Many people think that a nightcap before bed will help them sleep, but it's counterintuitive. While it may make you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces your sleep quality, waking you up later in the night. To avoid this effect, stay away from alcohol in the hours before bed.
• Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of water, juice, tea, or other fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Caffeinated drinks, which act as diuretics, only make things worse.
• Quit smoking. Smoking causes sleep troubles in numerous ways. Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep, plus smokers experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses, making it hard to sleep.

I rewatched the “Learning to learn“ video series by Schnitzelfisch to improve my action plan for the study of poker and I have come up with six key points:

• focus
• thought process
• new concepts
• leaks
• common mistakes
• implementation

I have got an Excel spreadsheet full of knowledge, 201 Word documents of strategy articles and or columns of new concepts, 39 of mental game and the Poker Mindset book — the study materials for my hours of theory. However,

Time to start practicing because practice makes perfect.

The first session of the day:

• Hands 265
• My C Won $1.87

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

CO: 440 BB (VPIP: 54.55, PFR: 9.09, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 11)
BTN: 100 BB (VPIP: 23.12, PFR: 14.07, 3Bet Preflop: 1.82, Hands: 202)
SB: 100.5 BB (VPIP: 18.18, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 11)
Hero (BB): 116 BB
UTG: 125.5 BB (VPIP: 33.54, PFR: 19.51, 3Bet Preflop: 16.39, Hands: 167)
MP: 70 BB (VPIP: 52.38, PFR: 23.81, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 21)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 7♠ 7♦

fold, MP raises to 3 BB, CO calls 3 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 2 BB

Flop: (9.5 BB, 3 players) 7♣ Q♦ Q♣
Hero checks, MP checks, CO checks

Turn: (9.5 BB, 3 players) T♣
Hero bets 7 BB, MP calls 7 BB, CO calls 7 BB

River: (30.5 BB, 3 players) 7♥
Hero bets 22.5 BB, fold, CO calls 22.5 BB

Hero shows 7♠ 7♦ (Four of a Kind, Sevens) (Pre 53%, Flop 98%, Turn 91%)
CO mucks 9♥ T♦ (Two Pair, Queens and Tens) (Pre 47%, Flop 2%, Turn 9%)
Hero wins 72 BB

The second session of the day:

• Hands 249
• My C Won $0.22

The worst play of the day:

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 112 BB (VPIP: 11.11, PFR: 5.56, 3Bet Preflop: 6.25, Hands: 36)
SB: 238 BB (VPIP: 7.69, PFR: 3.85, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 27)
Hero (BB): 126 BB
UTG: 100 BB (VPIP: 30.94, PFR: 25.66, 3Bet Preflop: 16.47, Hands: 268)
MP: 180.5 BB (VPIP: 27.27, PFR: 14.55, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 56)
CO: 163 BB (VPIP: 16.28, PFR: 12.40, 3Bet Preflop: 4.72, Hands: 393)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has J♠ J♣

fold, fold, fold, fold, SB raises to 3 BB, Hero raises to 9 BB, SB calls 6 BB

Flop: (18 BB, 2 players) 6♥ T♥ 9♦
SB checks, Hero checks

Turn: (18 BB, 2 players) 9♥
SB bets 9 BB, Hero calls 9 BB

River: (36 BB, 2 players) Q♦
SB bets 18 BB, Hero calls 18 BB

SB shows K♣ 9♣ (Three of a Kind, Nines) (Pre 31%, Flop 20%, Turn 95%)
Hero mucks J♠ J♣ (Two Pair, Jacks and Nines) (Pre 69%, Flop 80%, Turn 5%)
SB wins 68.5 BB

No comment.

Which pro is a social powerhouse?

PokerStars is following the social media trend with a new tool it’s calling the “Social Power Table.“

Designed to rank pro players and show fans exactly who’s hot and who’s not, the league table takes into account each player’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube activity and gives them a “social score.“

To generate a score, PokerStars has enlisted the help of FollowerWonk to create the following formula:

FollowerWonk’s Social Authority rating + a “Like Rank“ from Likealyzer.com + 10 for each social channel the user has (4 max) = a social score (out of 100).

Aside from showing which pros are trending and which aren’t, the tool is a handy way of keeping tabs on your favourite poker personalities through a series of quick links.

— PokerStrategy.com Daily Rewind, 31 Jul 14

Do you think the social media is a good and effective way to promote poker? I do and I think you do not have to be a world-class player: e’en the lowest-stakes and hobby players can popularize the game among family, friends and friends of friends.

The third session of the day:

Hands 244
My C Won $3.75
The opponent is unknown. What postflop line would be the most optimal? Should we consider folding on the river as played?

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BTN): 149 BB
SB: 50.5 BB (VPIP: 27.78, PFR: 26.47, 3Bet Preflop: 14.29, Hands: 38)
BB: 116.5 BB (VPIP: 16.67, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
UTG: 172 BB (VPIP: 30.36, PFR: 19.64, 3Bet Preflop: 10.00, Hands: 57)
MP: 231.5 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 14)
CO: 39.5 BB (VPIP: 34.62, PFR: 3.85, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 27)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 6♥ 7♥

fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, fold, BB calls 2 BB

Flop: (6.5 BB, 2 players) 4♥ 3♠ 5♥
BB checks, Hero checks

Turn: (6.5 BB, 2 players) 8♠
BB bets 3 BB, Hero raises to 7.5 BB, BB raises to 16 BB, Hero raises to 31 BB, BB calls 15 BB

River: (68.5 BB, 2 players) Q♥
BB bets 82.5 BB, Hero calls 82.5 BB

The opponent is unknown. How do we play on the flop?

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 258 BB (VPIP: 6.25, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 16)
SB: 59 BB (VPIP: 22.22, PFR: 1.39, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 74)
BB: 193 BB (VPIP: 42.86, PFR: 42.86, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 7)
UTG: 97 BB (VPIP: 15.79, PFR: 13.16, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 38)
MP: 124 BB (VPIP: 20.69, PFR: 17.24, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 30)
Hero (CO): 234.5 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A♦ A♥

fold, MP raises to 3.5 BB, Hero raises to 10.5 BB, fold, fold, fold, MP calls 7 BB

Flop: (22.5 BB, 2 players) 7♦ 6♣ J♣
MP checks, Hero bets 16.5 BB, MP raises to 33 BB, Hero raises to 69 BB, MP raises to 105 BB, Hero raises to 141 BB, MP calls 8.5 BB

Turn: (249.5 BB, 2 players) 8♠

River: (249.5 BB, 2 players) 5♦

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 91 BB (VPIP: 26.32, PFR: 15.79, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 19)
SB: 103 BB
BB: 110 BB (VPIP: 25.00, PFR: 25.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 4)
UTG: 20 BB (VPIP: 5.71, PFR: 5.71, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 71)
MP: 96 BB (VPIP: 17.07, PFR: 12.20, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 41)
Hero (CO): 112.5 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has T♠ T♦

fold, fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, fold, SB calls 2.5 BB, BB calls 2 BB

Flop: (9 BB, 3 players) T♣ 6♠ J♣
SB bets 4.5 BB, BB calls 4.5 BB, Hero raises to 20 BB, SB calls 15.5 BB, fold

Turn: (53.5 BB, 2 players) K♣
SB checks, Hero checks

River: (53.5 BB, 2 players) K♥
SB bets 80 BB, Hero calls 80 BB

SB shows 8♣ 5♣ (Flush, King High) (Pre 20%, Flop 27%, Turn 77%)
Hero shows T♠ T♦ (Full House, Tens full of Kings) (Pre 80%, Flop 73%, Turn 23%)
Hero wins 203 BB

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 110.5 BB (VPIP: 7.14, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 14)
SB: 89.5 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 2)
BB: 100 BB (VPIP: 20.86, PFR: 13.04, 3Bet Preflop: 2.56, Hands: 140)
UTG: 29.5 BB
Hero (MP): 212 BB
CO: 32 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 50.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 2)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A♥ K♠

fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, SB raises to 9 BB, fold, Hero calls 6 BB

Flop: (19 BB, 2 players) 4♣ K♣ A♠
SB bets 14 BB, Hero calls 14 BB

Turn: (47 BB, 2 players) A♣
SB bets 47 BB, Hero raises to 94 BB, SB calls 19.5 BB

River: (180 BB, 2 players) 6♠

SB shows J♥ A♦ (Three of a Kind, Aces) (Pre 26%, Flop 2%, Turn 2%)
Hero shows A♥ K♠ (Full House, Aces full of Kings) (Pre 74%, Flop 98%, Turn 98%)
Hero wins 171 BB

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BTN): 234 BB
SB: 87 BB (VPIP: 20.69, PFR: 13.79, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 58)
BB: 58 BB (VPIP: 20.54, PFR: 1.80, 3Bet Preflop: 2.94, Hands: 115)
UTG: 50.5 BB
MP: 20 BB (VPIP: 8.65, PFR: 8.65, 3Bet Preflop: 2.86, Hands: 105)
CO: 27.5 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has Q♥ Q♣

fold, MP raises to 2.5 BB, fold, Hero raises to 7.5 BB, fold, fold, MP raises to 20 BB, Hero calls 12.5 BB

Flop: (41.5 BB, 2 players) 2♥ 7♣ 8♠

Turn: (41.5 BB, 2 players) J♦

River: (41.5 BB, 2 players) 8♥

Hero shows Q♥ Q♣ (Two Pair, Queens and Eights) (Pre 18%, Flop 8%, Turn 5%)
MP shows A♥ A♦ (Two Pair, Aces and Eights) (Pre 82%, Flop 92%, Turn 95%)
MP wins 39.5 BB

We should raise bigger on the flop, shouldn’t we? How do we play on the (spade, paired board) turn?

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BTN): 129.5 BB
SB: 24 BB (VPIP: 28.78, PFR: 4.35, 3Bet Preflop: 8.77, Hands: 145)
BB: 131.5 BB (VPIP: 37.50, PFR: 37.50, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 9)
UTG: 27 BB (VPIP: 47.83, PFR: 21.74, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 23)
MP: 59 BB (VPIP: 66.67, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 3)
CO: 30 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 2)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has J♦ Q♦

UTG calls 1 BB, fold, fold, Hero raises to 4 BB, fold, BB calls 3 BB, UTG calls 3 BB

Flop: (12.5 BB, 3 players) T♠ 9♣ K♠
BB bets 6 BB, UTG calls 6 BB, Hero raises to 18 BB, BB calls 12 BB, fold

Turn: (54.5 BB, 2 players) 8♠
BB checks, Hero checks

River: (54.5 BB, 2 players) Q♣
BB bets 16.5 BB, Hero calls 16.5 BB

Friday, August 1, 2014

How do we play the hand?

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 21.5 BB (VPIP: 24.20, PFR: 12.10, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 161)
SB: 103.5 BB (VPIP: 100.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)
BB: 108 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 8)
UTG: 168 BB (VPIP: 27.27, PFR: 24.24, 3Bet Preflop: 9.09, Hands: 36)
MP: 295.5 BB (VPIP: 66.67, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 3)
Hero (CO): 157.5 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A♣ K♠

UTG raises to 2.5 BB, fold, Hero calls 2.5 BB, fold, SB raises to 11 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 8.5 BB

Flop: (25.5 BB, 2 players) A♥ 5♣ J♣
SB checks, Hero bets 19 BB, SB calls 19 BB

Turn: (63.5 BB, 2 players) K♣
SB checks, Hero bets 31.5 BB, SB calls 31.5 BB

River: (126.5 BB, 2 players) Q♠
SB checks, Hero checks

67hh I would just cbet it. Raise turn bigger so you can shove comfortably on the river. I'm not folding otr. I don't see a lot of people play their draws this aggressively on the turn.

Aa is tough. You might consider folding to his min raise. He seems rather tight and I don't think he is often doing it with worse than a set. Occasionally he is doing it with kings but you'll run into sets way more often if you get it in. I wouldn't reraise his raise, he is likely to be too passive to be doing this with draws so it's not like you have to protect against draws. I would say fold > call > reraise even though it seems nitty.

Qj definitely raise bigger otf. His stats are a bit loose even though sample is super small. You might want to bet turn and fold to a raise. If he has the flush he is always going to bet the river and you are going to call. I would rather bet the turn myself and get value from his 2 pair type of hands and check river behind probably.

Ak hand seems fine. He can be squeezing with worse/weak ax hands, which is especially likely after he check/calls the flop. Turn bet seems fine, he never has a flush there. He might sometimes have kings that don't like the ace on the flop but since you also have a blocker it's very unlikely. River check is fine, no value there.

67hh definitely cb flop and raise bigger turn. You want to get maximum value (in this hand, get your stack in while you are a big favorite to win the hand). Besides, you are unknown to each other, no need to fancy up a game here by checking the flop... As played, not folding river.

That JJ hand - I hope you understood that the bet on flop was "a must" there. When PFR checked OOP, you needed to protect your JJs on that very drawy board.

AA hand is a crying decision. When villain OOP check/min-raises you in 3bet pot, you can expect him leading out turn as well. So, after his min-raise you are up to a decision: play for stacks here or fold. Simply playing a calling station is worse. I would pick a fold line here. Villain is unknown. With bigger hand sample you could consider stats like cold call, WTSD, W$SD... but without them, it is pretty much gamble against a hope that there is no set trapping.

TT hand is nice, lol. I wish somebody shoved into me like that.

Thank you for your inputs, jorny and faronel.

I am a member of a micro-stakes poker study group as of yesterday.

The first session of the day:

Hands 492 (2-tabling)
My C Won -$5.82

A similar situation to the AA 3bet pot: playing for stacks in these situations proves to be -EV. We are more often than not behind.

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 100.5 BB (VPIP: 36.36, PFR: 6.06, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 33)
SB: 51.5 BB (VPIP: 40.54, PFR: 8.11, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 37)
Hero (BB): 101.5 BB
UTG: 110.5 BB (VPIP: 21.57, PFR: 14.12, 3Bet Preflop: 1.47, Hands: 259)
MP: 140 BB (VPIP: 12.77, PFR: 4.26, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 49)
CO: 523 BB (VPIP: 41.03, PFR: 7.69, 3Bet Preflop: 5.56, Hands: 39)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A♠ K♣

fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to 2.5 BB, SB calls 2 BB, Hero raises to 10 BB, BTN calls 7.5 BB, fold

Flop: (22.5 BB, 2 players) 4♠ Q♠ A♥
Hero bets 16.5 BB, BTN raises to 54 BB, Hero raises to 91.5 BB, BTN calls 36.5 BB

Turn: (203.5 BB, 2 players) 8♥

River: (203.5 BB, 2 players) 8♦

BTN shows A♣ Q♦ (Two Pair, Aces and Queens) (Pre 26%, Flop 82%, Turn 93%)
Hero shows A♠ K♣ (Two Pair, Aces and Eights) (Pre 74%, Flop 18%, Turn 7%)
BTN wins 193.5 BB

The result of the AA 3bet pot hand:

MP shows 6♥ 6♠ (Three of a Kind, Sixes) (Pre 20%, Flop 91%, Turn 95%)
Hero shows A♦ A♥ (One Pair, Aces) (Pre 80%, Flop 9%, Turn 5%)
MP wins 237.5 BB

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 51 BB (VPIP: 16.67, PFR: 6.67, 3Bet Preflop: 6.06, Hands: 92)
SB: 144 BB (VPIP: 14.29, PFR: 9.52, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 24)
BB: 168.5 BB (VPIP: 23.91, PFR: 13.04, 3Bet Preflop: 9.09, Hands: 46)
UTG: 146.5 BB (VPIP: 46.15, PFR: 38.46, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 13)
Hero (MP): 101 BB
CO: 19.5 BB (VPIP: 30.91, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 57)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 8♣ 8♦

UTG raises to 2 BB, Hero calls 2 BB, CO calls 2 BB, BTN calls 2 BB, SB calls 1.5 BB, fold

Flop: (11 BB, 5 players) 3♣ 8♥ Q♣
SB bets 8 BB, fold, Hero raises to 26 BB, fold, fold, SB raises to 142 BB, Hero calls 73 BB

Turn: (209 BB, 2 players) 5♥

River: (209 BB, 2 players) 2♣

SB shows J♣ 9♣ (Flush, Queen High) (Pre 48%, Flop 33%, Turn 23%)
Hero shows 8♣ 8♦ (Three of a Kind, Eights) (Pre 52%, Flop 67%, Turn 77%)
SB wins 199 BB

—

I think I am giving away too much Money Win Without Showdown when I multi-table (even as minimal as two-tabling). Single tabling exhibits more accurate decision-making (hand reading and putting my opponent on a range when bluffing which is the key factor in non-showdown hands.)

The second session of the day:

Hands 278
My C Won -$0.15

I folded pocket kings preflop for the first time in my life. We were sweat sessioning and I was trying to make a big laydown. The bright side of this is that I was not at the World Series of Poker.

888 Poker - $0.02 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 96.5 BB (VPIP: 50.88, PFR: 19.47, 3Bet Preflop: 12.20, Hands: 116)
SB: 100 BB (VPIP: 40.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 10)
BB: 24.5 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 50.00, 3Bet Preflop: 50.00, Hands: 4)
UTG: 100 BB (VPIP: 21.69, PFR: 18.29, 3Bet Preflop: 4.76, Hands: 84)
MP: 21 BB (VPIP: 43.18, PFR: 20.93, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 44)
Hero (CO): 142 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has K♥ K♠

fold, fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, BTN raises to 17 BB, fold, BB raises to 24.5 BB, fold, BTN calls 7.5 BB

Flop: (52.5 BB, 2 players) 5♠ 4♠ 7♣

Turn: (52.5 BB, 2 players) A♣

River: (52.5 BB, 2 players) T♦

BTN shows K♦ A♥ (One Pair, Aces) (Pre 64%, Flop 63%, Turn 91%)
BB shows 8♣ T♥ (One Pair, Tens) (Pre 36%, Flop 37%, Turn 9%)
BTN wins 50 BB

However, today has not been a good day. I am running below EV and I am card dead. On the other hand, thanks to the sweat session (shout-out to cserti, 4Xample and SneakyhanD) and the hours of theory, the day has not been that bad.

Hey, mate.

Tough to get hit by variance. Just continue grinding and, with the right decisions, everything will go the way it is supposed to (hopefully ♠_cool: )

AK hand - there were two factors: 1) you had A blocker - decreases chances of villain pushing with a flush draw; 2) villain raised almost pot size - indicating that he was trying to protect his made hand.

AA hand - I don't see the hand, only the result.

88 hand - simply cooler, mate. I would play the hand exactly the same way.

KK hand - If you really wanted to make a big lay down, you could fold KK right away, without that 3BB open raise.

Hey and thanks for your reply.

Losing in poker is just a competition of how strong you are mentally.

The AA hand was posted 01 Aug and the result was posted 04 Aug.

The KK hand — the A on the turn was an intuit based on my below EV run of the day.

Other than that, my monitor is not working properly and there is a chance I am not active until I have got a properly working monitor. The timing was perfect however because I was thinking of buying two new monitors.