down $2310

Played for 27 hours straight. I felt that I was playing pretty great for the most part, which is why I kept on going. I really felt that my level of concentration was just the highest it could be, that I was so completely aware of the table at each second. Unfortunately, the bane of this session sat down next to me at in the afternoon, and from this single man, I endured two actual suckouts, one cold deck, one huge bluff, and then out of frustration I tried to make a super-star call on him that was just stupid. He took me from an $1800 profit to the loss. Sigh.

But.. For the most part of this I played amazing. I made some awesome lay downs, great bluffs, one super-star call what worked out, got paid big on most of my big hands. The lay downs were how I knew I was playing great and was able to justify staying so long. Because even after that retard killing me I knew that I wasn't going gamble crazy and chasing my money, and I knew I was still playing very good and solid poker.

But, the good play isn't what I want to write about. I'm feeling that this blog, like all poker blogs is starting to be too self-aggrandizing. I made about $2000 of mistakes that while some of them weren't so horrible, I am getting rather tired of myself for making them.

AA in somewhat late position, I raise. The donkey at the table calls (not the retard from above). I bet the flop, he calls. Turn brings a straight. He checks, I check. River makes a four card straight, that he can have either a 4 or a 9 to have. He bets like $600. And I insta-call. He of course has the 4. Retarded, really fucking stupid. Why? Well, dude was a total calling station, I'd not seen a raise out of him unless he had it. Not only that, but I didn't even think this call for more than a second. I had AA, and I got so excited that I got to play them heads up with the donkey, that I didn't think about his hand for more than a second. I didn't really consider what he could have. Last night I realized that this is a big problem with me in general, how I don't take the time to consider what people have. I get so focused on the math of the situation, that I don't take the time to use any brain power on what my opponents may have.

The huge bluff the retard laid on me went like this: I have QQ, retard straddles. I think about raising, but decide to just limp in what's now under the gun and then re-reraise. The table had been completely insane for the past few hours, every pot raised, people just throwing around so much money, it was really nice. Unfortunately I wound up on the shit end of the sick after enduring two suckouts by this dude. Anyway, a bunch people limp, and an aggressive dude on the button raises the straddle to $150, the retard calls. And I think for awhile, and make a raise of $500, $650 total. Bettor is asking me questions, says “do you have aces?” Which I just should have just kept quiet and looked down and imposing, instead I say “Do I need them?” He folds what he'd later say was AK. Retard insta-calls. Flop = AXX. Retard insta-all-ins for $700! Well, wow. So, I turn to him, and ask “What'd you put me on?” He shrugs and says “Queens or Jacks.” And I fold instantly. He turns over KJ. Barf. So, yeah.. .So fucking what there was an A on the flop? Or that he read me right and wanted me to know it? And so fucking what it was a good play? I'm the pro here. So, where's my mistake? Not thinking about it was the mistake... I'd thought about it for a little while, I could have figured out that bettor had a decent ace, so only two left in the deck, making retard having one less likely. I also could have probably come to the conclusion after he told me what he put me on that he was bluffing me. I'm not sure that I would have, and maybe I would have still folded, but at least I should have thought about it for awhile.

With 65 off in late position I make a little bluff trying to steal the blinds and get called by like five dudes. Flop = AAX rainbow. I bet $200. This was a mistake in thinking that not one of the five people who'd called me would have an A. I should have just given up on the hand there. But, this wasn't so terrible, and if no one had it I would have taken the $300 pot right there. But, I'm called by a pretty tight dude who only has $500 left after that. Turn = K. I start telling myself a fairytale how dude is super tight, and if I put him all in for the little he has left he's got to fold. So, I put him all in and he makes a crying call with AQ, asking “You have a boat?” Terrible. I mean, what'd I think the dude had? And did I seriously think he'd fold it? No, I didn't. I just didn't think about it long enough.

Ok, I left at 9 last night, went to bed at 10, fell asleep instantly for a good 11 hours, and I'm feeling about ready to hit it again now.