Back to Basics

So I played the first session back from the abyss. I played about 800 hands and won a little under 2 buyins. Not a bad result. My win rate was about 20 BB's/100, so that was great. Especially because I felt like I was playing uber nitty. I was playing a 14/8 with a 2% 3 bet, and less than a 2 aggro. For me, that's uber nitty. But then again, maybe my losses lately were because I was playing way to aggro LAGGY, eh.

My goal for the session was to play flops and not play so aggro pre. I was also trying to play position much stronger than I had before. There were a couple of interesting hands that came up.

1.) Within the first 10 hands, I pick up 22 in late position. There was an early raise and two callers. I'm sitting on the button and flat call. I have position and if I flop a set, I'm sure I can get somebody to make a big mistake. Sure enough, the flop comes 962 rainbow. The raiser checks, so he probably had a decent ace, the next guy bets pot, there's my horse. It then goes fold, I flat call, raiser folds. Turn brings a jack, and he fires pot again. At this point, I have him on either A9, QQ, or 1010. He doesn't have enough to slowplay any longer, and if an ace hits the river I can't guarantee he'll shove or call. So I put him in, of course he calls, and shows QQ.

2.) I get KK in early and raise to $1.50. A nitty tight player with stats of 9/7 and 2.5% 3 bet raises me to $4.50. Against just about any other player, I'm ready to play a big pot, and I'm definitely not folding KK to LAG's. However, this guy is an uber nit, so what could he possibly have? I decide to flat call, because I know if I 4 bet, we're getting it in. The flop comes K34, so I check call the flop OOP. Turn brings a 2, and I check to him again. He bet 2/3 pot on the flop, and a little over 1/2 pot on the turn. So I raise him in, and he calls with AA. I think if I played it faster before the flop, it's a negative EV play. Just so you know, I had him on AA the whole time. With stats like that, and raising an early position raiser, I don't think he's doing this with QQ or AK. If I didn't flop the king, I might have taken 1 card, depending on what he bet. Who knows.

3.) Much later in the session I get JJ in middle position. I had been playing pretty solid, but had been switching gears lately. SO I raise it up and get 3 bet by another nit. With JJ you really want to see a flop, but with a NIT raising, it's better to just cut your losses and find a better spot. Coincidentally, I pick up QQ later and ended up stacking the NIT when he thought I was on tilt. He 3 bet me 4 times and everytime I would just fold. I decided to take a flop with QQ to his 4th 3 bet, and the flop comes 8 high. I check called him down to see JJ.

So the first session back went well, I just need to keep my patience and discipline. I need to play small ball and let the pots come to me. There's no need to fire countless and mindless bluffs into LAG's. Decide when it's a good time to CBET and when it's a good time to cut your losses. Finally, don't get tied to a one pair hand for your stack. That and don't give any action to the cockroaches of the internet, the short stackers.

On a personal note, this weekend we are heading to spring training in Arizona. It should be a really great time, especially now that the Mariners have Griffey back. So I'll have lots of pics and stories when I get back.