Live poker + bad play = profit!

Finally made it into Burswood last night, and sat down with $200 at a 2/3 table.
I was actually quite disappointed with how I played. I played very weakly in the last few rounds especially.

I was amazed by the badness of the play in general. It felt like I was playing a sort of 10/30 limit game, where nobody bet anywhere near the pot size on the later streets. Lots of players would go limp, call a raise to 10 or 12 or 15 and then fold to some pathetic flop bet. Other guys would go all the way with middle pair and no kicker on a 6 way flop.

After folding a round or so, I picked up an AK under the gun. Raised to 10, called by a mid position player and the fairly tight Asian player in the SB. Flop was Q high and ragged. I Cbet 20, MP folded, SB called. Turn blank, I bet 50, he raised to 125 and I folded. Not a good start. I was down to about 80 and rebought for another 100.

After a while, I picked up KQ UTG+1. I would normally raise or fold this, but given the table conditions I limped. In hindsight, I think a raise was probably better. Anyway, it went to the flop with a bunch of limpers - maybe 5. Flop came down something like K85 rainbow (the sort of flop where I would much rather two opponents than five), and I bet about 12 called in a couple of places. Turn was a very pretty Q, and I bet about 25. I think there was just one caller this time. River J (no flush on board). I bet 60, and the villain minraises to 120. Side note, this guy has been playing with his cards face up - if he has a pair he bets. The raise is strong but could easily be only one pair. I push the rest of my chips for about 140 or so, but fear a slow played set (I couldn't credit the runner runner gutshot straight). He turns over AK for a masterfully slowplayed tptk. Actually, he tried to underraise to 100 so I was quite lucky he had announced "raise" and was forced to complete.

A while later I picked up KK in MP. I raise to 10, and still manage to pick up about 3 callers despite playing very tight in early position. Flop comes Q74 with two clubs. I Cbet 30, one caller - a not-too-terrible player in the blinds. Turn blanks and I fire 60. He calls, somewhat reluctantly. River blanks and for some reason I check behind. He showed A9cc for a busted draw and I drag another decent pot. I really should have value bet the river to extract some value from a queen - he only had about 80 behind.

After this I had some respect, and managed to Cbet some pots with air, and built my stack to around 600.

At some point I picked up A9o in the cutoff. With a couple of limpers to me, I decided to pump it to 15 - two callers. Flop came AKx, and a player (who talked a good game but played some complete garbage for raises in the blinds) donked 25. Second player shoves for about 39. I'm unhappy, but call. Turn is a blank and we check it. River is another blank, and he fires 50. I call, and they both turn over AJ. I don't know if I should have folded the flop here, as I think they are turning over worse aces or kings much of the time.

Eventually most of the complete muppets left, and the table started to look as if it vaguely knew what it was doing. I picked up A9hh (A9 was my trouble hand when I played live 10/20 too), and pulled my "complete moron" play of the night. I flopped a flush draw and called very modest flop and turn bets. River didn't complete my flush and I folded to a pathetic $10 bet. Trouble is, the board read KK66x and my ace rated to be good for at least half the pot. I don't know what I was thinking, but after that I figured I should probably call it a night.

With a few hands to go, I overlimped QJcc in MP. Flop came down KT2 with two diamonds, and I check called a small ($10?) bet (as did my sidekick sitting on my right). Turn was something like a 6 putting two spades on board. I check-called a $30 bet, and sidekick folded (what he later told me was KQ). River was an offsuit 8, and I gave up only for the villain to drag the pot with 52dd for a princely pair of deuces. I am quite dark about how I played this hand. I completely failed to show any aggression, and then gave up when the river blanked out. In some ways I would have been happier if I checkraised all-in on the turn and got called (villain had another 80 or some behind). This is also a good example of where it can be worth sticking in a minbet on the river (say 25 or so) - since the other player can easily have another busted draw that beats yours but will fold to a tiny bet.

Anyway I still managed to get up with a $91 profit, which is not too bad considering how abysmally I played.