I convinced myself to make the redeposit on Stars. I can’t resist the 50% bonus and I think that I can play enough, even on the reduced player base and bad time zone, to make it worthwhile to grind $25nl.
So I deposted $200 of the money that I cashed out of Tilt and started up five tables of $25nl FR. The fifth table I keep off to the side on the other screen and it’s kind of a backup in case one of the other four are bad or die off. In this case the fifth one is the one that died off.
But one of the things that I want to do is to review my hands. For the past month I’ve been playing ultramicro stakes and tiny buyin Rush tournaments and not bothering. I started to feel as if I’m glossing over too many bad plays on my part because of the stakes so I made a video of $25nl FR Rush the other night and picked up a couple spew hands on top of being sucked out on (KK vrs QQ all in on a low flop, Q river, flopped trips multiway on a Q high flop, Q turn and all in against QK, K river out boating my boat).
But it’s easier when you run good. 200 hands only, but bb/100 of 84.34, plus $42.17, playing 18.6/11.6 with a 3 bet of 5.9. Flopped sets twice, turned a set after a checked flop once and KK held up over JJ once. Lost 8 bbs when I chose to flat AKs from the SB because I had already 3bet from the SB once before at this table, called a QQ2 flop and folded to the turn bet.
Also had a misplay not seeing UTG openlimp so I only raised 3x with 76o on the button and had the BB and UTG call. I’ve been fooling around with undersized iso-raises at the 0.01/0.02 stakes and $10 Rush games that I’ve been playing during the last month. These seem practical when I don’t expect the limper to fold but I can still have a good chance of at least getting the blinds to fold and getting the limper to be aware that I’m claiming to have a hand. Still, I like to do this with broadways or medium pairs and not 76o. It was supposed to be a steal attempt but I missed the UTG limper. Anyway, A73 flop, made a 45% pot sized bet and was CR by the BB, who has an aggression % of 50 after 21 hands. This is an awkward spot. I have a hand with some showdown value, but I could already be way behind or, especially with two callers, easily outdrawn. I think the worst play is the undersized c-bet, then next worst the missed limper/undersized raise, and the fold and decision to c-bet in the first place both kind of close.
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Took a break, came back and played three tables while watching an episode of Criminal Minds. Another 200 hands, 16.8/14.1, plus another $35.57. Started off good with AJ raising a 88/38 limper and his friend. Limper just stacked off his 36 bbs from the BB calling an EP raise with T2o and then EP either slowrolled his KK or was actually afraid of a flopped straight. Turn gave another T and T2 stacked off and rebought for 65 bbs. Against my iso-raise he 4 bets my raise and I shove, holding over his K9s.
Then another funny one with a bad play by me. EP I raise 99, get three callers, flop is K55 2 tone, 30 bb stack bets 3 bbs into 13 and I CR. He calls, turn is a Q and I put him all in. Bad play; by far his most likly holding is some kind of K. He tanks and calls, his JT with a FD and now combo but he misses. Awful turn play, but he was short.
Then there’s another funny one where I Call a EP raise from a LAG, button calls as does a blind. Flop is T8x and gets two checks so I bet, getting called behind. Turn is a 7 so I think I have two pair with my 87, but it turns out that I had 75s! so I check turn. River is another 7 so I bet, getting called by AJ? I mean, my hand was a fluke, but why call both the flop and the river with Ace high?
I get two streets of value from a LAG with KJ who donk/calls both my flop and turn raises on a QT6 2 tone, 4 board. We check a Q river and my KK is good.
Tough situation, I complete from SB when there are two limpers and the flop comes A55. I bet two streets and the BB calls, then bets the river when I check and of course he as a 5. 3bet AT against a player who now has only a 20% steal; I think it was higher earlier. JJ3 2tone flop, he raises my bet but he’s short so I just give up. I raise KJs and a 16/14 who hasn’t 3bet in 50 hands 3 bets from the blind. Low flop goes ch/ch, he bets an Ace turn and I fold. He had 60 bbs so I didn’t see much point in doing too much.
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So so far I’m running awfully good. Even EV is plus $53 and I’m above that. But because it’s only $25nl I’m not covering much of the ground for the bonus.