Weekend Update

So it's Monday. I'm naturally sitting at work thinking about poker, which is much worse than sitting at poker thinking about work. So what am I thinking about?

I suppose an update after my first proper weekend of playing live for awhile is in order. Played Thursday and Friday after work (not too much on around here - which is an issue for another life-tilt post) and Sat and Sunday. Finished Thursday up three buy-ins, promptly gave two back on Friday before sitting down to a 13 hour session on Saturday that saw me finish up almost eight buy-ins for the day. Only lasted about two hours on Sunday afternoon before giving up even for the day due to the desire to eat a real meal. So that's a return for the weekend of 9 buy-ins, which for a conservative player like me is a great result.

But what did I learn? That patience is the key in my game (still). That there is value, lots of value, to be had with made hands. That stupid resentment tilt on my part will only result in the stupid guy winning. That I have a decent image. That some guys can adjust to different games and others cannot. Those that cannot should probably stay on the internet so that when their head explodes after having their fancy play called down ("f#!king idiot - how can you call when I bet three times on that board, don't you know I'm representing the best possible hand - you absolute donk...") I don't get any of the mess on me.

Random hands remembered - multiway hand for 7bbs each (I'm not in) sees a flop of 245 rainbow. Under the gun (large stack, decent regular whom we'll call J) leads for 3/4 pot. Guy next to him who I have classified as athletic donk based on previous experience (Yes, it is a stereotype I'm not proud of, but short guys with big arms and big foreheads play in a certain not-too-nuanced manner in my experience and this guy fits the description -- we'll call him A) and who has a good stack as well (this is early in my time at table so no idea how he got it today) flat calls. Folded around and they see a turn card of another 2 so board is now 2452. J puts on his best hollywood before betting just slightly less than pot. A smooth calls. (at this stage I figure J for flopping a straight having called pre-flop with a suited ace or a much bigger monster of a set that just filled. I put A on some over pair that I'm wondering if he can get away from) River is a 3. Board now reads 24523. J tanks for a short period and then announces he is all-in. This is a massive over bet as while the pot is pretty bloated, J has about 2.5 times the pot behind. A has slightly less, but would be calling his entire stack which is substantial. I'm thinking J over played it and won't get value when A, after tanking for a long time, calls. J rolls his set/full house and A shows his pocket aces which made the bottom end of a one card straight on the river. So, in addition to all the full houses and quads, he's beaten by any six (and J would have played a pair of sixes this way) but he calls his entire stack anyway. Maybe it was a cooler but I have to think he could have gotten away from it. I'd like to believe I could have. Although I would have raised the flop and then not put another cent in after J smooth called, but everyone plays different.

I always hate these kinds of results as they chase A away for a few weeks and, more importantly, leave his money with someone else. May post some other random hands from the weekend later.