River Rock Poker Room Notes

Notes about River Rock poker room:

Tournament in the theater, but poker room is across the screet from main casino.

1. Wait lists were 20+ deep for all PLO.
2. (1-2 PLO, 1-2/2-5 NLHE were in main poker room, 5-10 PLO, 10-25 PLO and 5-10+ NLHE were at 4 tables in bar near tournament area).
3. You can exchange and get same bills back on US exchange.

580 PLO MTT at River Rock Casino

$580 PLO MTT
12k starting chips. Blinds start at 25/50.
Hero late registered about 30-40 minutes (starting at 50/100 level) since hero had to exchange USD -> CAD first, then walk over to register. In addition, players were given a $5 food voucher + River Rock water bottle. Finally, players also had to sign a full WSOP press release form.

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Initial Table Reads:
1 older Canadian person
2 older Canadian person
3 hero
4 older person who busted, then "EPT FT" person (younger guy) who says that it's only his 2nd PLO MTT
5 older person who busted, then "BoDogAri"
6 Greg E.
7 older live person
8 "likely online pro" - ~25-30
9 middle aged person; eventually "Venetian guy who said he gambled a ton and was very talkative" said he was dead money

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Hero's not involved with this hand, but 2 tougher villains (including friend of hero: GE):

GE raised in CO
BB called

(2 players)
Flop: J65 (two tone)
BB checks
GE bets ~2/3 pot
BB raises ~2/3 pot
GE calls

(2 players)
Turn: J659 (two tone)
BB: bets 1/2 stack
GE: raises all in
BB: folds

Analysis:
Flop: GE bet/call strongly represents a wrap on flop.
Turn: Nut wrap hits so repped it perfectly.
Villain's range seems like sets or air, maybe some 2 pairs sometimes too.

---------------
blinds: 100/200
villain? - raises to 500
hero had been tight
flatted qj98r

(5 players - ~2500 in pot)
Flop: AQQ two tone (hero has no flush draw)
(1 player checks)
vil8: bets 800
(2 folds)
hero flat calls
(other villains fold)

Turn: AQQ7 two tone (hero has no flush draw)
vil8: checks
hero: checks

river: AQQ74 two tone (hero has no flush draw)
vil8: checks
hero: bets 2500
vil8: folds

---------------
blinds: 200/400
Effective stacks: around 12k

Hero dealt UTG+1: AAQJ (AQ)(AJ) ds
1 player limp
UTG (hero): limps behind

nit bets q44 two tone board
hero folds to bet from nit on flop

Analysis:
Preflop: Hero should have isoed player with premium aces. Hero decided to keep pot small (which is a mistake as hero's on par with other player's skill at minimum.

---------------
blinds: 200/400

Effective stacks around 12k
hero dealt in HJ: AJ98 (A98)

(folds to hero)
hero: raises
folds
SB: calls
BB: calls

(3 players - 3000 in pot)
Flop: 984 rainbow
SB: checks
BB: checks
Hero: bets 2000
SB: calls
BB: calls

(3 players - 9000 in pot)
Turn: 9844 rainbow
all check

(3 players - 9000 in pot)
River: 98445 river (offsuit)
SB: leads for 3k
BB: folds
Hero: tanks/folds

Analysis:
Preflop/Flop: This is standard for value.
Turn: This is kind of a tight fold, but hero has no redraws other than 2 pairing up to a boat.
Only the bad wrap (765) completes.

---------------
3b pot not involving hero
sb reraised open
11k in pot
effective stacks: 10k

(2 players)
Flop: TT5 rainbow
original PFR villain bets 2200
reraiser calls

(2 players)
Turn: TT5J rainbow
original PFR villain bets 2600
PFR gets checkraised by reraiser AI

---------------
blinds: 250/500
hero dealt: AA65 rainbow
villain (tight player) raises to 1500
Hero: flat calls

(2 players - 3750 in pot)
flop: 653 two tone (hero has BDFD)
vill: checks
hero bets 2200
vill: folds

---------------
hero dealt: AK97 (AK suited)
Hero raised in CO
Button calls

(2 players - ~3750 in pot)
Flop: 864 two tone (hero - no flush draw)
Hero: checks
Villain bets 2/3 pot
Hero: folds
Hero c/f 864 two tone w/o hero flush draw

Analysis:
Flop: Hero's draw is weak on flop (OESD/no flush draw). Standard c/f.

---------------
hero dealt: 8765 (75 suited)
hero raise UTG + 2: 1700
BB calls

(effective stacks: 9900, hero has less chips)
(3 players - 5350 in pot)
Flop: T62 rainbow
vil1: checks
hero: checks
vil2: checks

(effective stacks: 9900, hero has less chips)
(3 players - 5350 in pot)
Turn: T629 (two tone, hero has no FD)
vil1: checks
hero: bets 2200
vil2: folds
vil1: calls

(2 players - 9750 in pot)
River: T629T (no flush completes)
vil1: checks
hero: checks behind

[villain shows bad nut boat - AT52ss)
Hero folds

Hero's stack: 3900 @ 400/800

Analysis:
Preflop: Standard
Flop: Hero has gutter and checks back.
Turn: Hero goes for value.
River: Hero isn't really getting value from much except maybe ATxx on river...many of which would not be calling flop.
Villain's range is heavily consisting of 2 pairs/sets that likely became boats on river.

---------------
Hero in BB: reraised/all in with KKQTss > 9976r
Hero's stack: 5800 @ 500/1000

Hero then limp/folded on flop.
Hero's stack: 4800 @ 500/1000

KQJ8 > AKJ7
11000 @ 500/1000

---------------
Hero's stack: ~11k
hero dealt: AKQ3 (A3)(KQ) double suited

Hero limped in UTG+1
7 (short stack/15k): raises pot
Hero: calls

(2 players - 10500 in pot)
Flop: J64 (two tone; hero has nut flush draw)
Hero checks
7: bets pot/AI
Hero: calls for less

Villain: Shows KT75 with 2nd nut flush draw

Analysis:
Table still had some limping even at this stage of the tournament.
Preflop: Hero should have raised 2.2x like everyone else
Flop: As played, Hero should have just donked flop.

---------------
Hero out 52/159 (18 pay)

Poker Maximus 6 Roundup, Cash Game Downswing/Leak Busting, and Upcoming Live MTTs

I took a number of shots at a lot of non-NLHE MTTs during Poker Maximus 6.

$215 HORSE
$60 Stud8
$60 Stud
$60/$33 PLO
$60/$33 PLO8

Unfortunately, I only cashed in 2 of the smaller $33 4 card game MTTS (deep run in PLO, min-cash in PLO8).
It was a great experience, and i actually felt at least 0EV in many of the events.
I'm hopeful to review the HHs, as there were a lot of NLHE regs that really didn't understand the games, especially in Stud and HORSE. I kinda messed up a bit in stud/8, but it's ok and I can try to learn from my experiences.

I regret not playing any NLHE MTTs during the series, even though I may not have been +EV.

Unfortunately, I have been in the midst of a downswing within cash games, likely to recurring leaks and/or lack of adjustment to regs that need to be fixed.

Also, cash games are dying on Merge in general, so I'm looking to deposit onto Bovada soon.


Within the live world, I actually put in my first live poker session (NLHE...meh) in 3 months. Life has been busy + trip report writing.
I'm looking to travel for some non-NLHE MTTs by the end of the year.

Poker Maximus 6 - Halfway

I'm halfway through the schedule for Poker Maximus 6.
It's pretty LOL that you can reenter with 4 bets (PLO8/PLO) or ~2 big bets (limit). They're meeting their guarantees...

Hopefully, my focus can get better as I continue to go through these MTTs.

365 LO8 MTT at Foxwoods

10k starting chips

Hero bought into MTT, but was blinded off starting at level 4.

After commotion with finding hero's seat, hero was skipped for SB with stack of 8725.

Blinds 150/300, Limits 300/600 and 6 minutes left in level.

Hero saw 2 hands before break.

Chip color up and hero was down to 8600.

1     short stack, wanting to get all in and gamble to bust

2     male player of India descent with star tatoos

3     hero

4     middle aged male

5     senior citizen aged male

6     senior citizen aged male

7     older Asian woman

8     older player?

9     senior citizen aged male with VDS cap from ~5-7 years ago

10    middle-aged Caucasian, after 5th hand, saw he had Lock Poker hoodie on

Blinds: 200/400

Limits: 400/800

Seat 1 had 700 chips

Hero dealt in CO: AJ32 (A3 suited)

7: raises AI

1 fold

3: hero calls

(folds)

10: calls

(3 players, 1 all in - 2300 in pot)

Flop: A83 rainbow

10: checks

hero: checks

Turn: A838 quad-tone (rainbow)

10: thinks for 15 sec, then bet

hero: calls

Turn: A838J

10: thinks for 5 sec, then bet

hero: calls

Villain: shows AAT2

hero: shows a couple pairs, then folds

7: shows a bad low to get half

Analysis:

River bet by villain after turn bet into dry side pot indicates super strong hand.

Some players will fall under the "eliminate player philosophy" and will check it down, but this really seemed like for value.

Hero probably made bad river call b/c it's (800) to win (2850). The turn bet could just be a quick attempt to pick up pot...

Hero's stack: 6500

---------------

A couple hands later:

Hero dealt: AT92 (A2) (T9) double suited in UTG+3

2 folds

Hero: raises

(6 folds)

(9) SB: calls

(10) BB: calls

(3 players - 2400 in pot)

Flop: Kh Qh 6c (hero has no flush draw)

3 checks

(3 players - 2400 in pot)

Turn: Kh Qh 6c 4d (hero has no flush draw)

9: checks

10: bets

hero: folds

9: folds

Analysis:

Preflop: Standard.

Flop: Flop cbet can work sometimes especially against 3 players, but hero looked to keep pot smaller.

Turn: This could be a call, even though high draw is to non-nuts. Hero played risk averse and wasn't really thinking/looking to make move...

This was bad considering hero was IP and can bluff a bunch of rivers (flushing by raising, some broadways, some lows (578)

Hero's stack: 5700

---------------

Blinds: 300/500

Limits: 500/1000

Hero: dealt A532 (A2) in UTG+2

(2 folds)

2: raises

3 (hero): 3 bets

(7 folds)

2: calls

(2 players - 2800 in pot)

Flop: 53Q rainbow (hero has back door nut flush draw)

2: checks

hero: bets

2: calls

(2 players - 3600 in pot)

Turn: 53QQ (2 flush, hero does not have flush)

2: checks

hero: bets

2: calls

(2 players - 5200 in pot)

River: 53QQJ (3 flush, hero does not have flush and hero did not realize flush completed via backdoor)

2: checks

hero: bets

2: calls

Analysis:

Preflop: Some merit to isolating versus letting other players in with strong MW hand. Player 2 had been kind of active (limping 3 of 6 hands in ~20 hands around table)

Flop: Completely normal for value.

Turn: Hero is strongly "pseudo over-representing" Q here as larger part of range + GS potential, although naked nut lows may bet as well for fold equity.

River: Hero did not see BDFD complete on the river!

No reason to bet here. There's not many hands (except naked low draws) that would fold to river bet.

Villain had also led a couple times with NFD + NLD draw on A95 with K832 (K8 suited).

Hero's stack: 1700

Short stack in seat 1 eventually busts and new player comes in from broken table.

---------------

Hero folded: AKJ7 (AKJ suited) UTG with 1700 @ 500/1000 limits.

Analysis: This may have been a raise UTG due to high card strength.

Hero's BB hand was trash (J727 rainbow)

Hero's SB hand was KKQ9 (K9) suited and completed for 200 with 4 other players already in pot

      Hero did not get a favorable flop and folded.

Hero folded junk on Button (with raise from seat 2 in CO)

---------------

Hero's stack: 700

Hero dealt in CO: A965 (A5) (96) double suited

(6 folds)

Hero: raises all in

button: folds

SB: folds

BB: sees hero's stack, then calls with QQT3 (no suit)

Board: JT89A (no flush draw)

Analysis: completely standard, but hero could have been results oriented and waited for a stronger high value hand with 6 hands to go...

Hero: busted around 108 of 137 runners.

---------------

Overall Analysis:

Mentally, hero played very poorly, TBH. Hero did not think about ranges too much at all.
Also, some of the leaks (specifically trying to go for very thin river value) in earlier online LO8 cash game sessions likely expedited departure.

Finally, there are definitely LO8 strategy items that need to be addressed in general. Specifically, this regarding river betting (but also flop cbets and when to double barrel with little equity in various situations (player types/board textures, etc...)