TheBong's Quest - The Fresh Start!

[TheBong]

I know a good many of you read my first quest post, and were a little disappointed when it had apparently come to a premature ending.

The quest is back on again, I have been restaked, and will be reembarking on my quest. Here's the rundown again of what my quest will consist of.

I have been staked $400 to start, but on this stake the repay is not until $1200, so I will have a bankroll much better equipped to deal with swings. Here are my preliminary goals before embarking on the quest.

------------------------------------------------------------
The Quest of TheBong!

Objective: To rebuild a bankroll capable of sustaining playing for a living.

Goals:

$400-$1200 Party $25 NL
$1200 - Repay Friendly 2+2 Buddy his money and profit.
Date hoped to achieve: (10-01-04)

$400-$1000 Party $25 NL (10-24-04)
$1000-$2000 Party $50 NL (Thanksgiving)
$2000-$5000 Party $100 NL (Christmas)
$5000-$10000 Party $200 NL (March 1st, 2005)

At any point over $10k I would feel the bankroll was adequately rebuilt. I would look to continue building, perhaps to move to either PokerStars or UB's higher NL games at this point.

I again, will be playing 100% No-Limit games, on the 6-Max tables. My financial backer has asked to remain nameless, but he is a fellow 2+2 poster with an interest in seeing me do well. He's also agreed to provide me with coaching and mentoring as I go throughout my quest, and even though he wishes to maintain his anonymity I would like to give him my personal thanks for looking out for a fellow player.

I hope this post will interest you folks, I'll try to post after each session whether it's a winner or a loser, and post hands for discussion from time to time.

Thanks to all of 2+2 for their support!

[BusterStacks]

What is with these retarded quests, dude?

[TheBong]

[ QUOTE ]
What is with these retarded quests, dude?

[/ QUOTE ]

What the hell is retarded about it?

Don't hate on me because you have no goals for your own game. I'm sure I have a lot more people cheering me on and showing support rather than calling me a "retard".

But, with the maturity displayed in your post - I'd wonder if you have just been kicked off all the poker sites you were on for being 12 years old, and you have to go and rip someone in response.

In other words, grow the [censored] up.

[TheBong]

Well, I've had a solid couple of days, but without any profit. I'm just waiting for this bad run to snap itself, I'm playing extremely well, just being victimized by some suckouts and poor play which I know will turn my way in the long run.

Here's an example of what I mean. (Results in White Below)

***** Hand History for Game 895236550 *****
0/0 TEXASHTGAMETABLE (NL) - MON AUG 30 06:57:03 EDT 2004
Table Table 14092 (6 max) (Real Money) -- Seat 3 is the button
Total number of players : 4
Seat 2: mymine ( $15.05)
Seat 3: TheBong ( $35.25)
Seat 4: sly_the_spy ( $100.45)
Seat 5: multione ( $64.35)
sly_the_spy posts small blind (0.25)
multione posts big blind (0.50)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to TheBong [ Kd, Ks ]
mymine calls (0.50)
TheBong raises (2) to 2
sly_the_spy folds.
multione calls (1.50)
mymine calls (1.50)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 4c, 2d, 2s ]
multione checks.
mymine checks.
TheBong bets (3)
multione calls (3)
mymine folds.
** Dealing Turn ** : [ Th ]
multione checks.
TheBong bets (6)
multione calls (6)
** Dealing River ** : [ 9h ]
multione checks.
TheBong bets (15)
multione raises (53.35) to 53.35
multione is all-In.
TheBong calls (9.25)
TheBong is all-In.
Creating Main Pot with $70.75 with TheBong
Creating Side Pot 1 with $29.10 with multione
** Summary **
<font color="white">
Main Pot: $70.75 | Side Pot 1: $29.10 | Rake: $2
Board: [ 4c 2d 2s Th 9h ]
mymine balance $13.05, lost $2 (folded)
TheBong balance $0, lost $35.25 [ Kd Ks ] [ two pairs, kings and twos -- Kd,Ks,Th,2d,2s ]
sly_the_spy balance $100.20, lost $0.25 (folded)
multione balance $99.85, bet $64.35, collected $99.85, net +$35.50 [ 2c 5c ] [ three of a kind, twos -- Th,9h,2c,2d,2s ] </font>

<font color="black">Obviously I'm aware that play like this is only going to benefit me in the long run - but it's like "jeez - do you have that little respect for my game?"
So - I'm a total of -$20 so far - seems like I make a great play, win a large pot, then lose it back on a bad suckout.

Gonna stay positive, these same players playing like this are whats going to make me have a killer session tonight! Good luck to everyone!
</font>

[ThePopinjay]

you got trapppppppped. people LOVE to slowplay trips with a pair on the board, if you see someone check calling you twice you should slow down. on the river that huge raise should definetly be a warning to you.

[dogmeat]

I'm always interested in a quest - been on one of my own for 51 weeks, plus my WSOP deal. However, I won't read anymore of your items if you are going to include what you consider a "bad suckout". You will encounter these hands day after day after day. Get used to it, or get out of poker.

Dogmeat [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

[TheBong]

[ QUOTE ]
you got trapppppppped. people LOVE to slowplay trips with a pair on the board, if you see someone check calling you twice you should slow down. on the river that huge raise should definetly be a warning to you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Part of it was the read on the player, he'd been playing nearly ever hand, and calling bet after bet with trash. Yes, in hindsight, I should have slowed down on the river. I mean I guess I should be able to put him on the 2 because I should be able to put anyone on anything in this game.

I guess the real reason I posted this hand in general is I wanted to know if I'm raising enough in this game. I mean, I don't know if this guy would have called $3 with his 52s or not but I guess it begs the question.

Also, anyone here who plays the $25 6-Max, how do you play big hands when a flush draw flops also. I was in a large pot last night and had a player call a $25 bet to chase a jack-high flush and this is seeming almost par for the course for most of these players. What types of adjustments do you make in this situation, if any.

[TheBong]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm always interested in a quest - been on one of my own for 51 weeks, plus my WSOP deal. However, I won't read anymore of your items if you are going to include what you consider a "bad suckout". You will encounter these hands day after day after day. Get used to it, or get out of poker.

Dogmeat [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Quite used to it. Trying to combat it through improving my play. Read above post. ^^

BTW - I used to play the Party 100 and 200 games. While these types of play happen up there, it's definitely not as often. A lot less people are going to feel froggy enough to call that preflop raise when it's $12 or $16 then they are when it's $2, whether they are bad players or not. Does it happen sometimes, yes but it is NOT something I'm used to, nor something that used to happen everyday. I'm trying to adjust my play to this game because that IS THE ONLY problem I'm having in this game. Someone calls preflop with crap and winds up sucking out, usually on the river. I could have posted a lot of different hand histories that show what you would consider a lot worse "suckout". I posted that one because it's the easiest way to show the types of problems I'm having. I can't get people to fold to my raises preflop, and/or can't get them to get off their flush draws on the flop - no matter what I bet.

I also don't know what types of hands I'm supposed to post, I never really was much of a poster here, more of a lurker.
I'm also posting here because I've been ASKED to.

So I guess, Dogmeat - to summarize my reply to you, that the $25 NL game is not the same as the higher games, which is what I'm used to. The type of hand above, I think I misplayed, so I posted it.

And if you don't want to read my items, then don't. I really don't care. You want to tell me how you think I misplayed this hand so the next time it doesn't cost me my stack?

Then, I'm all ears.

Edit: When I say I've been asked to post here, it's by friends and other posters. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[corn_dogg]

Bong,
I would like to offer you some of my perceived insight into a some what aggressive style that I find works well at the low limits of NL 25. I don't do much limping. I like to build a very aggressive table image. I have noticed that many of the players on Party NL 25 are very weak tight. Occasionally now and then you will run into some solid players, but against the weaker ones you gotta bet hard and strong. Opening up the pot is the place I have found the best to develop this table image that my NL25 style thrives off of.

I am referring all of this to a short handed game of course 6-max. With blinds at .25/.50 you can often pick up the blinds with mediocre hands with a raise to $2. I generally raise mediocre hands like J9s when I open up a pot. This is where you build your table image. Other players usually begin to to play back at you after this constant pre flop raising. I try to keep all my raises of about $2 so I never really reveal how much stronger each of my hands is from the next. All they know is that I am raising again. And a strong follow up on the flop and analyze where I am at if I get played back at.

When you do get those solid hands like AK and 1010, they tend to play back at you stronger than they probably should. Overplaying the lesser hand all because the aggressive image you have developed at the table. This is where I find people putting me all in when I have the best hand, when they usually would not against one of the other players at the table. Also, it is easy to know when your opponent has a stronger hand than you, because they will usually reraise you preflop if they are holding strong and this is a flag warning that they are strong.

Some might disagree with this strategy, and refer to it as maniac-like and LAGGY, but i have found that the more agressive you are the more you get paid off with your big hands, while picking up a lot of small pots with hard and strong bets preflop and also on the flop. This will obvioiusly only work well in short-handed games. I am open to what ever anyone may think of this style and please do criticize, because I just want to learn and see what people think of this style and how many other people play like this.

Good luck on your quest Bong. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[TheBong]

Well, I started struggling in the 6max again to start the night tonight and went back to the full tables and have been doing decently tonight now.

Maybe it was just a spell of bad luck or maybe I'm just better suited to the full tables. I've felt much more at home so I'm going to stick there the rest of my session today and see how it goes.

Thanks for the informative reply CornDogg, it's interesting to hear how others deal with the wild 6max games.