50NL shottaments with extra run good

DING!


Hands Played: 238
Minutes Played: 63
Amount Won: $33.55
ptBB/100: 14.10
Tables: 3


Alright, so on March 18, 2009 I finally hit the $1,000 mark in my bankroll! I've come a long way from my last $25 deposit and am infinitely better at NLHE than I was just 3 months ago. I didn't start actually beating 5NL until January, so I'm proud of my progress.

I just completed my first session of 50NL and it was a reasonable success. I won money, but that's not why I say it was a successful session. The first while at a new limit I use to acclimate myself to the general atmosphere of the limit, pick out some of the possible regulars and just get a feel for how the play is. From my short session I noticed more pre flop aggression and (seemingly) positionally aware players. I also found some huge fish which doesn't really surprise me. I raised in MP and a guy just called with KK from the BB. He then called down the flop and turn on a 4 2 2 7 6 board and checked the river to me. I bet the flop because I likely had the best hand and it was just a continuation bet. I fired the turn because again, I felt I had the best hand and he would fold a large portion of the time. This guy is a calling station, but I didn't see a hand like KQ calling my turn bet unless it was a draw. No draws made it, so I just checked behind. lol donkaments indeed.

Anyways back to what I was saying about a new limit. It takes a while to get used to new bet sizing pre flop because of the different blinds. The first time I had to raise a limper it took me a good second to think of what sizing to use, but that will all come in time. Overall the limit seems a bit tougher than 25NL, but with decent table selection and the occassional reg battle it feels like I'll do OK. I never felt outclassed or out of place, which I was actually afraid of. If the regulars start adjusting to me things might get pretty interesting.

One thing I'm proud that I'm not doing is playing with scared money. The limits are doubled and I'm sitting down with $50 at each table and a continuation bet in a 3bet pot (fairly common) is $5-$7 usually. At 25NL a bet that size is usually a turn or river bet, not a continuation bet. The key to getting around this sort of thinking is to just ignore the fact that you're playing with money. Everything is still just as proportional as it was at 25NL in terms of flop bet sizing, stack sizes in ratio to blinds, etc. The only difference is the dollar amount. When I 2 barrel the turn and it costs me $12 I don't think 'Holy crap I just bet $12 and have air', I just think to myself 'I'm going to 2 barrel this card' and do it. The actual dollar amounts are totally irrelevant, your actions are what matters. You continuation bet because you continuation bet. $1.50 at 25NL or $3 at 50NL, it's all the same in terms of ratios. I focus on what my actions are and ignore the dollar amounts behind them, and I feel that it works well.

I used most of my FPP points on PokerStars to order Professional No Limit Hold Em and No Limit Hold Em: Theory and Practice. Both seem to be very highly regarded as must-reads and my FPP points are useless to me right now. Since I'm only a SilverStar I don't earn enough points to get any worthwhile cash bonuses. The books would have cost me around $60 USD in total to order from Amazon and the 5,000 FPP bonus is only $50, so I think it was the best use of my points I could find. If I stick at 50NL and don't have to move back down, I may be able to hit GoldStar which can get me a $285 cash bonus I might actually be able to get, but we'll see.

There weren't any memorable hands from the session... OH EXCEPT WHEN I GOT MY FIRST ROYAL FLUSH!

These two hands are almost back to back against the same villain. In hand 2 I knew he was going to be super aggro because I just stacked him but the play itself is pretty standard. I was getting it in on pretty much any flop.


MP1: $33.20
Hero (MP2): $54.50

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is MP2 with A Q
3 folds, MP1 calls $0.50, Hero raises to $2.50, 4 folds, MP1 calls $2

Flop: ($5.75) J 9 7 (2 players)
MP1 checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($5.75) K (2 players)
MP1 bets $0.50, Hero raises to $4.50, MP1 calls $4

River: ($14.75) T (2 players)
MP1 bets $2, Hero raises to $10.50, MP1 calls $8.50

I kind of wish I shoved here, but I really wasn't sure if villain was calling. I figured he'd come over the top with any flush or straight (he was a fish). Now that I know his hand I think he would have called a shove.

Final Pot: $35.75
MP1 mucks K T
Hero shows A Q (a Royal Flush)
Hero wins $34.00

===================================================================

UTG: $15.70
Hero (UTG+1): $71.00

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is UTG+1 with A A
UTG raises to $1, Hero raises to $3.50, 7 folds, UTG calls $2.50

Flop: ($7.75) 2 K T (2 players)
UTG bets $12.20 all in, Hero calls $12.20

Fistpump a baby insta-snapcall.

Turn: ($32.15) K (2 players - 1 is all in)

Vomit into my own mouth and stomp a kitten.

River: ($32.15) A (2 players - 1 is all in)

El oh fuckin' El, thank you PokerStars.

Final Pot: $32.15
UTG shows J K (three of a kind, Kings)
Hero shows A A (a full house, Aces full of Kings)
Hero wins $30.60