One of these days I'm going to go off for a sick huge upswing on Stars, it's been awhile. Today I played two tables of $200/400 for an hour and won $1400, but it feels like it should've been closer to $14,000.

Rather than dwell on that though, here's a series of three hands over a ten minute stretch that showcases plenty of meta-game:

First hand:

PokerSnoopy: posts small blind $100
cktn7: posts big blind $200
AlexSem: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [Kh Ac]
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $400
OMFGaskdghak: raises $200 to $600
PokerSnoopy: folds
cktn7: folds
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $800
Betting is capped
OMFGaskdghak: calls $200
*** FLOP *** [2c 3h Ad]
PapaWarbucks: bets $200
OMFGaskdghak: calls $200
*** TURN *** [2c 3h Ad] [6s]
PapaWarbucks: bets $400
OMFGaskdghak: raises $400 to $800
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
*** RIVER *** [2c 3h Ad 6s] [9h]
PapaWarbucks: checks
OMFGaskdghak: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PapaWarbucks: shows [Kh Ac] (a pair of Aces)
OMFGaskdghak: mucks hand
PapaWarbucks collected $3895 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $3900 | Rake $5
Board [2c 3h Ad 6s 9h]
Seat 1: OMFGaskdghak (button) mucked [Qs Jh]


Second hand:

PapaWarbucks: posts small blind $100
otterkopf: posts big blind $200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [Td Ad]
AlexSem: folds
OMFGaskdghak: raises $200 to $400
PokerSnoopy: folds
cktn7: raises $200 to $600
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $800
Betting is capped
otterkopf: folds
OMFGaskdghak: calls $400
cktn7: calls $200
*** FLOP *** [6c 4d 4c]
PapaWarbucks: bets $200
OMFGaskdghak: calls $200
cktn7: calls $200
*** TURN *** [6c 4d 4c] [7h]
PapaWarbucks: bets $400
OMFGaskdghak: raises $400 to $800
cktn7: folds
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
*** RIVER *** [6c 4d 4c 7h] [Js]
PapaWarbucks: checks
OMFGaskdghak: bets $400
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
OMFGaskdghak: shows [5c 7c] (two pair, Sevens and Fours)
PapaWarbucks: mucks hand
OMFGaskdghak collected $5595 from pot


Third hand -- what it leads up to:

AlexSem: posts small blind $100
OMFGaskdghak: posts big blind $200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [9c Ah]
PokerSnoopy: folds
cktn7: folds
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $400
otterkopf: raises $200 to $600
AlexSem: folds
OMFGaskdghak: folds
PapaWarbucks: calls $200
*** FLOP *** [2s 5c 7d]
PapaWarbucks: checks
otterkopf: bets $200
PapaWarbucks: calls $200
*** TURN *** [2s 5c 7d] [6h]
PapaWarbucks: checks
otterkopf: bets $400
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
*** RIVER *** [2s 5c 7d 6h] [Jh]
PapaWarbucks: checks
otterkopf: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PapaWarbucks: shows [9c Ah] (high card Ace)
otterkopf: mucks hand
PapaWarbucks collected $2695 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $2700 | Rake $5
Board [2s 5c 7d 6h Jh]
Seat 1: OMFGaskdghak (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: PokerSnoopy folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: cktn7 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: PapaWarbucks showed [9c Ah] and won ($2695) with high card Ace
Seat 5: otterkopf (button) mucked [Ts Ks]


Basically over these three hands, we establish that OMFG is aggressive and capable of bluffing, and I took a rather passive line in my first hand. So then in the second hand, I make a ridiculous turn and river call against OMFG, who is able to get max value with his hand because he is a spewer in my mind. I openly acknowledge that in a vacuum my river call vs OMFG in the AT hand is -EV. However, my other opponents are observing what I called down with too, and so then they're getting their own reads on me that probably include "unbluffable," which takes us to the third hand with A9. I think because of the second hand, I get to win this pot without ever being faced with a tough decision. I had it in my head 100% that if otterkoph bet the river, I was going to be folding. So essentially, a bad $400 call in one hand (but not awful because he could have T9, 98, A5, or clubs) helps me to not fold a winner in a $2700 pot.


Here is another hand where I am in grasp of my image and my opponent's image of me:

PapaWarbucks: posts small blind $100
parliament: posts big blind $200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [Jc Td]
OMFGaskdghak: folds
AlexSem: folds
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $400
parliament: calls $200
*** FLOP *** [Ah Qd Tc]
PapaWarbucks: bets $200
parliament: calls $200
*** TURN *** [Ah Qd Tc] [6h]
PapaWarbucks: checks
parliament: checks
*** RIVER *** [Ah Qd Tc 6h] [5c]
PapaWarbucks: bets $400
parliament: calls $400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PapaWarbucks: shows [Jc Td] (a pair of Tens)
parliament: mucks hand
PapaWarbucks collected $1995 from pot

With this board/action, check/call on the river is usually as good or better of an option, but because of recent history, I bet it with 100% confidence that K-high would pay me off trying to catch a bluff -- which as it turns out, is what he called with (and what I considered to be his most likely holding when he calls on the flop and checks the turn).


Another hand I was in good grasp of the table flow:

PapaWarbucks: posts small blind $100
parliament: is sitting out
Jee1: posts big blind $200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [As 9s]
OMFGaskdghak: raises $200 to $400
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $600
Jee1: folds
OMFGaskdghak: raises $200 to $800
Betting is capped
PapaWarbucks: calls $200
*** FLOP *** [5d 7c 3h]
PapaWarbucks: bets $200
OMFGaskdghak: calls $200
*** TURN *** [5d 7c 3h] [2s]
PapaWarbucks: bets $400
OMFGaskdghak: calls $400
*** RIVER *** [5d 7c 3h 2s] [4h]
PapaWarbucks: bets $400
OMFGaskdghak: raises $400 to $800
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
OMFGaskdghak: shows [Kc Qc] (high card King)
PapaWarbucks: shows [As 9s] (a straight, Ace to Five)
PapaWarbucks collected $4598 from pot


I pull out this hand because in 95% of the cases, I'll check this flop after getting capped (either check/calling, or checkraising). But because of the flow, I thought it was still pretty damn likely my A9 was the best hand, and I wanted to keep the initiative, which ironically turned out in winning me an extra $800 on the river because OMFG misread my hand and assumed my flop bet likely meant a pocket pair, therefore meaning he could represent an ace by raising (hoping to catch me on a bet/fold with 88 or something).


When I start winning these pots it's gonna be a huge month:

AlexSem: posts small blind $100
PapaWarbucks: posts big blind $200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [9h 8s]
parliament: raises $200 to $400
OMFGaskdghak: folds
AlexSem: folds
PapaWarbucks: calls $200
*** FLOP *** [2d Jd Th]
PapaWarbucks: checks
parliament: bets $200
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $400
parliament: calls $200
*** TURN *** [2d Jd Th] [Qd]
PapaWarbucks: bets $400
parliament: raises $400 to $800
PapaWarbucks: raises $400 to $1200
parliament: calls $400
*** RIVER *** [2d Jd Th Qd] [Ah]
PapaWarbucks: bets $400
parliament: calls $400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PapaWarbucks: shows [9h 8s] (a straight, Eight to Queen)
parliament: shows [Qs Kh] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
parliament collected $4895 from pot


parliament: posts small blind $100
PapaWarbucks: posts big blind $200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [Kc 9c]
AlexSem: folds
OMFGaskdghak: folds
PokerSnoopy: raises $200 to $400
parliament: raises $200 to $600
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
PokerSnoopy: calls $200
*** FLOP *** [6d 9d 6s]
parliament: bets $200
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $400
PokerSnoopy: raises $200 to $600
parliament: folds
PapaWarbucks: calls $200
*** TURN *** [6d 9d 6s] [8d]
PapaWarbucks: checks
PokerSnoopy: bets $400
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
*** RIVER *** [6d 9d 6s 8d] [2d]
PapaWarbucks: checks
PokerSnoopy: bets $400
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PokerSnoopy: shows [9s Qd] (a flush, Queen high)
PapaWarbucks: mucks hand
PokerSnoopy collected $4795 from pot


PokerSnoopy: posts small blind $100
otterkopf: posts big blind $200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to PapaWarbucks [6h 6s]
OMFGaskdghak: folds
AlexSem: raises $200 to $400
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $600
parliament: folds
PokerSnoopy: folds
otterkopf: folds
AlexSem: raises $200 to $800
Betting is capped
PapaWarbucks: calls $200
*** FLOP *** [3d 8d 6d]
AlexSem: bets $200
PapaWarbucks: raises $200 to $400
AlexSem: raises $200 to $600
PapaWarbucks: calls $200
*** TURN *** [3d 8d 6d] [Ks]
AlexSem: bets $400
PapaWarbucks: raises $400 to $800
AlexSem: raises $400 to $1200
PapaWarbucks: calls $400
*** RIVER *** [3d 8d 6d Ks] [7c]
AlexSem: bets $400
PapaWarbucks has timed out while being disconnected
PapaWarbucks is being treated as all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
AlexSem: shows [Kh Kd] (three of a kind, Kings)
PapaWarbucks: mucks hand
PapaWarbucks is sitting out
AlexSem collected $5495 from pot



Anyway, I'm typing this from the airport, again on my way back to Vegas... One last real shot for me to get a bracelet this year: tomorrow's $1500 LHE shoot out... I'll probably be playing the main event too, though I haven't decided 100% either direction yet.