5-1/2 hrs of stuck + 1 hrs of unstuck = unstuck

pretty long session last night, for Wed. Left at about 1. Never heard back on

my text to you about whether I should go to V or B so I had to make a

decision. I know now why you didn't respond since your phone is in the crack

of your daughters bed or something :-). I was on my way down the hill (old

67) and I had to make that decision. V or B. I was thinking V tourney then

cash, but it was already like 6 and I forgot that stupid V tournies start at

6:15 and not 6:30. I was headed to V then realized I would barely have a

chance to be there by 6:15 anyways, so I decided B. It was funny because a

major influence was the fact that when I hit the light where I ultimately

need to make a decision there were (2) Barona Motorcoaches. I thought that

this must be a sign telling me to go there. I saw one first and thought hmmm,

then another one going the other way.. Anyways..I was goign to check out

tourney and if 50 peeps+ would play, but if not then no go. I made it to B at

basically 6:30 OTB, but only 37 peeps for tourney. 33*37=1221 prize pool and

paying only 5 people, not so much worth it to me. I will probably play it

every once in a while, but not routinely.

On to the session...played for about 6.5 hours leaving at around 1am. 2nd

hand of the evening I got my routine QQ utg +1 raise, 4 callers, ace flops

and I check fold to a bettor and caller. Thinking, goign to be one of those

nights..Obv QQ is never good in 1/2 post flop, lol. When I sat down I noticed

that there was one VERY loose player that had a chip funnel placed in front

of him. Perfect example was the K7X flop call and turn call with 37 to hit

the 3rd 7 and lead for value into what I considered one of the better players

at the table who paid him off in this case and became a bit frustrated at

that play. To me, a player like this (lots of chips, very loose, consistenly

peeling with btm pr or ANY draw) is the players that I love to play with. I

just sit back and wait patiently with my fishing pole, keeping fresh bait on

the line and palm leaves over the deep dark hole... He built a stack up to at

least 4-500 and I knew most would come back in time. A lot of it did, I made

several thin value bets that I knew would get called. I made severeal very

small bets wTP no kicker to keep all draws in and when they didn't come I

took a decent pot down. Small risk, nice reward..

ok, so interesting hands.. Oh here's one. One, super donk (timing wise) play,

but had some good results for my image. New maniac sits and I look down at

72o utg+1. I thought I'm going to try something here. I raise to 7, loose

older asian guy (LOAG) makes it 15 to go, one caller and I call saying "min

raise me?", he says "ya double it". I say "sir 7x2 is 14, not 15", the extra

one dollar kind of scares me. Mind you he is a short stack and only has about

40 behind and I had about 160 at the start of this hand I think. Flop comes

KK9 and I tank for a sec and lead for like 23 and he just calls. Turn was

"who knows" and I ask him if I can beat him with 7 high and semi-muck my

cards face up in front of me. Dealer grabs my cards and I say "wait a minute

I did not muck yet, cna he beat 7 high?". He slides he last like $14 in and

then I say I "fold". that hand cost me about 40-50 I think, just bad timing,

but I do like to mix up my image like that. It was a dumb move after thinking

about it only because he was committed even if not forcibly commited I should

have sensed that he was playing that hand through with the rr pf. I seen

several coolers and bad beats last night though. QQ v KK, KK v AA, etc..JJ

rivering KK. Usual stuff.

The laydown.

So, I played in seat 1 all night, not my favorite seat, but I am learning to

like this seat now.. It's a little stealthy at times. The guy next to me

looks pretty familiar, we are friendly all night. He is pretty solid TAG. He

plays 1/3 at Sycuan a lot and just gave me the impression that he really knew

how to play most situations. He was about 200-250 most the night stating that

he just wanted to get back to even as he lost $300 in the 1st hour (WAY back

at 9am I guess). Him and the big stack chip funnel had been playing since the

morning because it was the only game going when they got there I guess. OK so

I limp in EP w22 and the guy to my left makes it 10 to go. there are 2

callers and it is 8 more to me to call. I figure a set mine call is worth it

here and I call as well. 4 of us see the flop and bingo bango 24T rainbow.

Hard to ask for much better IMO. By my recollection, this was about my 14th

pocket pair that I saw a flop with and I finally hit my set. Mind you I

doubled up a guy early when my QQ ran into his floped set of sixes, forgot to

mention that hand that cost me about $50-60 too. So, I look disheartened and

check my MUB, in the hopes to check call or check raise based on the action.

I was going to check call a larger bet and check raise a weak bet. The guy to

my left (TAG - experienced) was strong and I knew it. He was grabbing chips

and as he was decidiing how much to bet when the guy (LOAG) to his left

starts to lead out. TAG realized that he could just check and let LOAG bet

and so he did. LOAG leads weak for about 6 or 8, one caller and I decide to

bump to 20. NOW that throws the TAG for a loop because he never expected me

to rep a big hand here. No real draws unless 35 or A3 maybe with straight

options. TAG thinks for a very short time and moves in for $165. I think omg

I think I might be in a set over set situation. The one that I ALWAYS try to

avoid by folding a hand like 22, knowing that it will always be bottom set.

LOAG fold of course and I begin the tank process...I said "why you?" and "Why

this hand you have to push?", "you know I am strong here!". I asked the

dealer if I could turn over my cards. TAG was stiff and silent. I turned over

the ducks and said "I have a set". "You mean, I finally hit my set on the

14th pocket pair and it's a cooler?". I had to keep thinking. Why would he

risk his entire stack into me here? I was the one guy that had like $5 less

than him at the table (other than the chip funnel). Why would he do this?

There is no draw really. he must be overbetting the middle set or have an

overpair. I KNEW he had to have 44 or an overpair. I just knew it!. I

eliminated TT from his range as it was TOP set and no reason to push with the

nuts. I had to weigh out the % that he could have an overpair vs 44 and the

risk v reward of the pot. There was about 50-60 in the pot and he was pushing

almost $170? He remained stiff as a board and I just decided that I was

either WAY ahead or WAY behind. There was not enough in the pot to justify to

me that call given that I felt I could be beat. I laid down bottom set and he

mucked face down. He would not answer me what he had and I mentioned it

several times. I just felt that the risk was not worth it.

WE kept playing for quite some time and I felt that hand gave the table a

VERY different image of me, being able to lay down a monster. I was hoping to

have some reraises to take advantage of me, but that never really happened. I

knew that the guy would tell me what he had eventually because when he mucked

everyone said show the bluff and he said there was no need to rub it in.

When he left he whispered in my ear that he had 2 queens, so I mucked the

90%er for $170 which would have put me at like $400... ouch!

I liked my laydown though, I mean it was really a bummer and I still felt

that the % was much higher that I had the best hand then that I didn't

probably 70% sure I had it, but I didn't want to go broke there after wokring

so hard to get back the 120-160 I was stuck.

Booked a win of +52 after all was said and done. 5 winning sessions in a row

and I am happy about that. I was stuck for quite a while though. We broke

that table and I was up about 30 or so. I was goign to go home, but I wanted

to feel out this other table and the 2-3 guys that were buddies were maniacs.

I was hoping to get one chance to trap. I only played a few hand and the

maniacs left soon after breakign each other a couple times for 20-40 short

buyins. I made a nice hand and stacked a guy with 56 when the flop was 934

and I hit the 7 on the turn against his A9. LEft shortly after as we became 5

handed again.

p3ace