Back to the Jungle with ChicagoJason

So i left my notebook at work, which en tales me needing to go out and play to make that rent. I was really excited to go online and play some mtt's yesterday but that didn't happen as I was so ex tactic to leave work I left my life line(computer) at work.

So to the game, grabbed the bus to the train station, brought my new copy of gus Hansen every hand revealed. Really great read so far, him explaining every decision is a really awesome sneak peek into a great poker mind. The way his aggression is calibrated along with his table reads and his understanding of the math is inspiring. Got on the brown line up to Kimball and met some buddies from work on the train that were pretty well off buzzed to say the least. Talked a little while about poker and whatnot. Got off the train 30 minutes later and hit the felt.

Sit down it's 7 handed, I buy in for the max of 300. A couple people I recognize from the tournament I played in a month back that was a $60 30 man tourney that I won. I recognize a few of the players also that were in the cash game after the tourney. Action was hot and heavy, players raising and re raising preflop, what turned out to be pretty light. This is a game where you can make some money with good and great hands along with a well timed bluff.

I play pretty tight for the first couple of orbits, no chances to really limp in and make much of a splash that would scare anyone out of the pool. I had a couple of the crazies on my right which was a nice change of pace, even though there both pretty solid players, or at least one is and the other seems to have good reads and good timing with raises and bluffs. To my left is a shorter stack not much of a read, probably your std tag, then there's a chick in the 9 seat, we've played before but I don't have much a read on her, even though I did bluff her and get her to fold the better hand a couple times with a nice 3rd bullet. And then there's the dealer who is one of the co-hosts of the game, A regular 2/5,5/10 player and sometimes 10/25 game nlhe and plo.

Action back and forth the lag next to me ChicagoJason is opening every 1/3 pots that come around. Continuation bets most of the time and usually in position. I respect his game for the most part, even though we all make mistakes and i'll let him tell the story in his own blog - http://chicagopokerclub.blogspot.com/ . Let me just say I was the only person to pick up on this little thing that we call oops. It wasn't a pricey mistake but funny and then horribly understood after the fact.

Ok my first big hand, probably mid 2nd orbit, I have ummmm. I know it was bad and I paired the two on the river...... Let's go with 102, I raised on the button to $7, std opening size for this 1/2, even though 10 or 12 wouldve done the same most of the time. She calls and were hu. Flop is 984 she checks I bet 15, she calls. Turn is a J, she checks I bet 25 she calls. River is a 2 she checks I bet 35 and she tanks for a minute and she folded. Funny little prequel to this hand, we were talking about poking smot and what it does to you while you play. Some guys say they turn into a nit scared of everything, I on the other hand talk about how i turn into an action junky and miss and keep firing 3 bullets. There like we need to get you poking, I said i was already there. So to bluff her out with 2nd pair or so after that story it made me think of what it did to her mindset on the hand, was i trying to pull something is what she probably thought to herself. I told her I was nerves and that I was going to bluff like that and super happy she folded. Funny enough she puts all in for the last 62 in the next hand.

Play a little small ball, lose a 50 or so in a stud game with 2 pair vs 1 card flush. I hit rox vs the big time / big man I raise to 7, he repops all in I snap call.

Holds up vs ak. Then I have qq vs big time big man raise preflop to 15, he calls and it's hu. Flop is 984, he bets 35 I put 100 in all day to put him in. He calls, a jack comes and a k on the turn, possible straight and over pair. He mucks.

The only hand that I don't want to talk about but will, I've had this recent problem being short rolled or pretty much short on rent any making enough to pay rent and other things. So I play a little conservatively when I hit big hands. I can see two times where I missed out on a total of 700 bucks in equity with showing to much aggression before the river. Both were the nuts at the time but could easily be destroyed with a paired board. As they were the nut flush and nut straight. First time in four winds I check called the flop for 50 with the nuts, turn is a blank i check raise all in and let the guy keep 250 behind, which i'm pretty sure was going to go in on 80% of hands with a bluff or any pair or two or set. I shouldve slowed my roll and let him dig deeper.

Again it happend last night. Raise on the button for a steal with qj, get 1 caller who has given the table a hard time a lot of the night. pretty nitty and can bluff or checkraise with the nuts at any time. I lead out with 10 on the flop, size of the pot, he makes it 25. Flop is ak10 rainbow. I reraise to 50 and he lays it down with what i think now is a weak ace or a weak q with a good kicker. Again here I couldve given him some rope but forced the action and displayed how strong my hand was in neon lights. Live and learn.

Later we get a live one to the table, we had some history with a $450 pot in plo after the tourney where my aa52 no suit, vs his kk82 1 suit held up.

Splash around with him, get him to pay me off one ok straight, pay him off on one ok straight, and then we get to a nice size hand.

horrible hand I have but the q723s and it's 5 to call a 30 pot or so. I call. Nothing on the flop and it's checked around put 10 in there. 3 caller's were at 60.
Turn my old buddy checks, chicagojason checks, and I check behind. Nothing complete's besides my two pair, flush on the board. Buddy bets 15 into a 60 pot making it 75, so i'm getting 5-1 on my bottom two pair. I think and put him on a q with no 2nd pair. I call. And i was right and the pot is mine.

Finished the night up 165, not bad for the $50 loss on tuesday when my set of aces got cracked by a straight draw, and a $20 loss playing hu plo, and nlhe .25/.5 and some hu tournies.

So we'll see what comes in my future this weekend. I have a $90 bankroll on stars, and i'm $265 short on the rent check i just sent in. I need to play smart and tight and make some decent cashes to transfer the money in, in time to clear that check.

Livin in the EDGE!!!!!