Another Stressful Day in Paradise (3/25/2011)

The day started off as a bit of a train-wreck.  I had a huge fall-out with the girl I've been bitching about for months now I guess.  It started off as an argument before it just exploded into absolute chaos.  I actually feel better about it now.  At least it's some sort of closure.  It's amazing I cared so deeply for such a terrible person.  She really deserves the fucked up situation she has created for herself.  Anyways, OK it's 100% over and I know what a loser piece of shit person she really is.  Her cute accent and attractive body is really the only thing she has going for her.  I have nothing to feel bad about.  I'm completely free, but also alone.  I'm sure I'll have days when I miss the hell out of her, but the closure is definitely better in the long run.

I played about 6.5 hours of 2-5 tonight and finished down -$210 (less than half a buy in).  Around 12:40 a.m the girl actually called me during a hand and the conversation goes:

Bag:  "Hey what's up"

Girl X:  "I'm at your house are you home?"

Bag:  "Um no I'm at the casino"

Girl X:  "I'm outside your house with your Dvd"

Bag:  "???????? uh ? No but you can just drop it off at the door"

Girl X:  "Ok maybe next time"

Yes it made total fucking sense to randomly show up at my house with some stupid DvD i let you borrow.  I guarantee the necklace I bought her won't be dropped off with it hahaha.  She could at least drop that off so I can use it as a future present for the next girl who comes along and attempts to ruin me.  Like I care about the bullshit fucking DvD.  You know what why don't you just throw it in the trash and fuck off?  If she would have cared half as much about me as she did returning some b.s Dvd it wouldn't have got to this point.  I get it you hate me and want to drop it off and never talk to me again,

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I mean she could have just dropped it off outside the front door if it was really that important?  Or I'm pretty sure one of my roommates was home.  Just knock on the door, that would take what 20 extra seconds?

Anyways I was just getting back into things tonight live.  There was one really big situation that I sort of fucked up.

Situation:

EP dude opens.  I'm dealt pocket aces (Ah As) 3-bet to $45, two callers, including the EP opener.

FLOP:

Qs 2h 9s

Pot is now $130.  Villains both check.  I c-bet to $85, one fold, the EP opener of course shoves all in.  I didn't have this all calculated out exactly at the time, but at this point it was my remaining $330 to win $990.  I only needed 33% equity to break even with a call here.

I thought about it for a while.  I didn't have a lot of information on this guy, but I knew he had somewhat loose tendencies pre-flop.  I saw him in a decent hand with 56 and ended up commiting a good amount of money with trip 5's despite the possible flush.  However, he did call my 3-bet pre-flop and I had been playing very tight.  I'm either putting him on a draw or some sort of crazy move, I can't decide.  My thought process was something like ok you are pretty much flipping or he has you demolished.  I ended up respecting his raise far to much, it just screamed set.  At the moment I was thinking something like 50% of the time he shows up with a set, 20% he has AQ, 20% a draw, 10% air.

I tanked, and ended up folding.  He showed the (Ks 2s).  At the time I thought I was at least 65% to win there, a really bad fold that cost me.  I stoved it when I got home and I was actually only a 54% favorite to win.  Still a clear call with the fact that I only needed 33% equity to break even.  I think I lost track of the pot size somewhat.  I need to be thinking in terms of "Ok what is my equity here".  Next "about what % equity does my hand have against his range?" 

I will say it was a pretty ballsy play on his part.  In tough situations live it always seems like the opponent's range is WEAKER then I think.  This was the online bull-shit coming out in me.  I sensed something was up, but I could not pull the trigger for some reason.  As a rule of thumb against an unknown in a tough spot live, I almost always seem to have more equity then I think I do at the moment.

I incorrectly assigned his range there.  Sure I probably would have been sucked out anyways, but I would have been happier being sucked out knowing that I made the correct play.  DAMNIT!

Well it's back to the grind tomorrow.  Trying to focus on putting some serious volume this weekend.  If I ever find a good game I don't plan on leaving for a long time.  My live volume has been shit during March and that is certainly going to change.  For this weekend I'm just going to keep a few things in mind:

1)  Focus on playing a lower-variance style, especially at the start of sessions.  The start should be tighter as you feel the table out, get targets, and strategize to exploit specific weaknesses.  You will give up some slightly EV spots being tighter, but you can make up for it with RAW hours played.

2)  Be relieved it's over with the girl.  Now you can focus on grinding and survival.  You have closure.  It's now out of your control so there is no need to beat yourself up over it.  You put yourself out there, loved someone, they turned out to be a piece of shit anyways, and it collapsed in chaos.  NEXT!

3)  Always be keeping track of the pot size in your head, every single hand.  When you face that all-in shove you should easily be able to say "My break even % needed to call is X,  does my hand have at least X% equity against his range here?"

4)  In a very tough spot live against an unknown or fish your hand ALWAYS has more equity then you think.  The opponent isn't a mega-nit 20 table low-stakes grinder here.  It's more often a casual player bumbling around aimlessly.

5)  Always be keeping table selection in mind.  Never settle for a bad table.  Please drop to 1-2 before you settle sitting with 6 regulars.

6)  HAVE FUN! 

So I'll save these 6 points in my phone as I go forward this weekend.

-bag