MARATHON SESSION TO REMEMBER (LONG)

I just would like to share a nice experience I never had before in my short poker life.


Just got back from the Labor Day weekend at AC where, for the first time, I played close to 20 hours practically non-stop. I promised myself to play disciplined, unemotional, no-tilt, tight-aggressive poker as preached by the authors, columnists and pros.


Started at TROP and got involved in a typical 3-6 game with 3-4 loose players. Played for 4 hours and racked up $162 playing only good hands, no fancy plays or bluffs. I left when the loosies were replaced with 2 good players and became short-handed. (It was surprising that TROP cannot fill the room in the biggest holiday of the summer.)


Went to TAJ and waited for about an hour when the list looks like a Chinese newspaper column. I sat down in another 3-6. The table was tight-passive and even if I can make a bluff or two, it was not profitable. Stayed about even for 2 hrs and asked for a table transfer.


Got into a table with 5 new faces, a rock, 2 weakies and a semi-solid elderly gentleman. The game was loose-aggressive with the aggression coming from one of the new faces who tried to bully with his any suited cards, any ace, one-face card-out-of-two mentality.


The first deal I got involved in, I got KQh UTG, raised the blind, and got 6 callers. Saw the flop 7-handed. K-x-x with 6h. Greeaattttt!! :) BB bets, I raised fearing an Ace on the turn with many players. Everybody called!


The turn was another H with no straight draws. BB checked, I bet, rock calls, call, call, fold, fold. Five handed to river which was 8h. Initially thinking to check-raise with my second nut flush, I decided to bet. Rock raises! Everybody folded to me and I made a crying call and was shown A3h. I mucked my cards so hard one almost flew out of the table. (Darn, my emotional control! :( I stood up for a smoke and the elderly gentleman whom I know followed me and said: "Take your time, there's money to be made in that table".


I got back and played what I believe was solid poker. With the aggressive tourist,raising hand after hand and the loosies calling, I just waited for good hands and played by the book - just good starting hands, correct calls, and timely raises (which were almost always were being called!). Everytime I felt like tiring and felt like making bad moves, I stood up, took a little walk or wash my face.


Finally, when I bad-played my 6 full of aces losing to a 8 full of sixes on a pocket 8 at about 2:00PM Monday, I racked up $654 and left as I can hardly recognize the boards or see the cards anymore.


Moral of the story: KNOWLEDGE + DISCIPLINE + PATIENCE + CONCENTRATION + EMOTIONAL CONTROL = PROFIT.


To the Angelos, Landales, Briers, Backdoor, etc - thanks for your great posts and advice. They work! I think I finally played my A game. Is this Nirvana or what?

Rod, I played at the Taj the same night. The tables were filled with live ones and tourists and I couldnt earn a profit. Here is a hand that I have a question for anyone who wants to comment on it. I am playing in a loose passive 5-10 game. Table has 10 players maybe three solid player all at my end of the table. I sit under the gun with AQ suited. I raise and I get four callers including the blinds. Flop comes Q 3 6 raindbow. I bet and get the three limpers.Both blinds folded. Turn comes Q. I bet and get raised,from the player to act after me. Everyone folds and the action is back to me I reraise and get reraised again. I now look at the board and think someone has sixes full of queens. I call and the river brings a 5. I check and call and lose to someone who had Q 5 offsuit. Sometimes thats the way things go. MG in NJ

Just add it to your bad beat tally. By the way, would you believe I did not get one bad beat all night and day? First time ever!

You need to have some reason to think someone will bet before you can check-raise, no duh. So when nobody has enough to raise on the turn and then the small back-door flush card gets there, well that's a bad card for everybody who didn't make a flush meaning they are LESS likely to bet.


Golly, can I have a wise old man whispering in MY ear too?


"Moral of the story: KNOWLEDGE + DISCIPLINE + PATIENCE + CONCENTRATION + EMOTIONAL CONTROL = PROFIT." For numbers greater than zero where "1.0" is "average play", these facets are actually MULTIPLIED togeter to determine your outcome, not added. If your Emotional Control drops from 1.1 down to .25; well you do the math.


- Louie

Louie,


That's the only hand I kind of lost my emotional control, so I don't think it would have dropped from 1.1 to .25. If it did and your equation of multiplying rather than adding is correct, (I don't think neither as I just thought about the "equation" with no scientific basis to emphasize the important elements of winning in poker, and by the way, I forgot to add or should I just say, include the element of "luck")I would have not been a big winner for the session. At any rate, let me reiterate my thanks to your posts which have really help me in my game.

Previous response was not me. You can tell since it was so short. Some twit no doubt. But how did he know?...


Sorry, didn't mean to imply that you had. I meant to suggest that when any of these facets drop off drastically, this drop off dominates your results. I doubt multiplying is "correct" but I think it makes a sounder point than does adding.


- Louie

LOL! I thought you were being funny. That's why I omit my e-Mail address in my posts. Because of those morons whom I suspect are losers on the table and got nothing better to do. I got the message and thanks again.

agreed...simple bad beat (ridiculously bad, but the result's the same.) Just feel lucky that you were playing at the same table with that guy. C'est la vie.