Scrambled Eggs - the diary of an aspiring professional cash game grinder

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Fuck. As usual the bad seeds ruin it for everyone man. I'd never play a home game unless I REALLY knew the people running it.

How many people were in that cruise tourney you won and what % would you estimate were good players? I've been thinking about splashing tourneys when it's shark tank time in cash but I'm hesitant because the variance is so high. Read a couple tourney books and I'm not bad but I don't consider myself good at them by any means.

The rebuy shit pisses me off.
 
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tourney play requires varying your strategies moreso than cash games. The cruise tourney was only like 9 or 10. I didnt get the impression that any of them were good lol. Maybe 1 or 2 were decent. The chick I beat heads up at the end was awful. I think the guy she knocked out who got 3rd would have been closer but she donk called and caught her some runner runner, a strategy that she employed throughout the tournament. It was really quite easy they had 2 of them and I meant to go play the second one too, but time got away from me.
 
Oh boy.

Had a real nice session at spot #3, the big hand was pocket AA in which a player I had labeled as a little too aggro raised to $45. Sometimes of I have someone labeled as too aggro I'll elect to play behind them with AA so I just flat call. The seat to my left then pushes all in. The original raiser calls and of course I call. The aces hold up and I win a great 3 way pot of about $700. I left there up about $350 when their hours promo ended and felt great, I felt I played pretty much perfect all day though I am going to chill on the large c-bets when I miss the flop with big slick because I'm sick of it costing me $100 each time.

Here's why I'm saying oh boy. I then went over to my original joint as I heard the 1/3 was soft there. The big hand was I get QQ in the hole and raise it up to $15. One caller which I had labeled as hyper aggro and the flop come Q46 with 2 hearts, a dream flop with QQ. Since he's so aggro I decide to check to him to see what he does and he checks right back. The turn comes 7 and I decide now it's time to make him pay so I raise to $65. To my surprise he realises to $163 which tells me one of three things is true - he has 35 and has the nuts now, he has set, or he's bluffing. I make the call thinking it's worth it to try to hit the a boat or quads. The river comes 9 and he immediately shoves all in for about $275. I snap call and he flops 35 off suit And fucking felts me for a buy on plus the hundred or so I had been up.

Look at this absolute fucking MESS of a play by yours truly. First, I give him a free card and find out later he nuts out on me. Then, I make a crying call on the turn looking for one of only 11 fucking outs. The odds WEREN'T there (only about 21%) to chase 11 outs, donkeys call. Then last but worst the crying all in call because I just couldn't let my wet dream of doubling up with top set go.

Coincidentally it's exactly how Mr. X said it could go. That liquid courage/could not let me believe that he had it and my dream hand was over and given my goals and situation the way I played this hand is the polar opposite of what I should be doing. A lot of people would look at him and say how could you play that shit with 35 off? Not me. The kid was sitting with over $1k and that hand is exactly how he takes money from tight aggro players like me. He's great, I'm pretty good and have some cleaning up to do and this hand is a perfect example of a couple holes in my game. I ended up losing another $300 hand to the same guy on a hand where I semi bluffed looking for the nuts, missed then made a large bluff to try to get out of it and he snapped with bottom pair. The dude had spot on reads on me. There were plenty of fish there coming and going, many short stacked shoving with mediocre hands and it could have been easy pickings for me. Instead on a day when I finally cracked the game at spot #3, got dealt AA six times 5 of them good and won one of the bigger pots in recent memory I come out $265 down. It frustrates me more then yesterday because there was no money to be made yesterday, today the problem was very identifiable -me. I have to keep my goals in mind at all times and play accordingly because if I'm going to be making shit plays like those this will be over very, very quickly.

Get opponent selection on point. Tighten back up on starting hands. No fucking CRYING CALLS (bangs head against wall). Drink less beer.

I'm glad you guys give a shit because besides me posting these for me to remember lessons I learn I feel embarrassed sharing that hand with you which helps motivate me to clean it the fuck up, so thank you again for your support and for reading. Feel free to tell me I was a real piece of shit lush donk last night and I'll tell you I know, lol. Except that it's not funny - this is is serious shit and there's no room to be a donk at all. Even if I play perfect at all times variance can end things eventually, and if I'm not playing well for any reason again it will be over quickly.

That being said in anything competitive in life when I have screwed up I've always been able to step it up and do well, so it's time to pursue doing just that here shortly. I'll probably go to spot #1 until about 315 and then to spot #3 for their $250 high hands 4 to 11, maybe Ill get to play with the dealer. Maybe she'll make my heart smile. I really dont care if she slowly runs me over with a zamboni then shoots me out of a cannon, just the fact she acknowledges me makes me a winner. Did I mentiom she originally started with "don't I know you from somewhere?" Yes then the unprovoked mortgage talk. Omfg That reminds me, picking up workot clothes and joining Planet Fitness today.

Anyway then likely back to spot 1 to play it PROPER FUCKING LY. So mad at myself but there's one way to fix that ladies and gentlemen -

WIN.

BOL in all of your endeavors today everyone.

Hee haw :facepalm::sbrjohn:
 
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Ty Monk! Self loathing SO hard right now but it's time to get off the canvas man!

:cheers:
 
hey, you're not gonna win everyday no matter what you do. Just sit there and count your hours for the freebies.
Also my advice is don't get carried away with going all in unless you have the nuts and in later betting round. Keeping the betting reasonably small has multiple advantages. Including lowering risk, enticing bluffs, giving yourself a chance to outplay/out think opponents on later streets.
 
In your hand I would've played almost like you did, except my turn bet would have been much smaller, maybe $25. I would've been obliged to reluctantly call turn and river. But I'm guessing the amount would have been smaller. If he over bets the pot I'm gonna consider possibility of him bluffing. Remember most people wanna get paid something, they don't wanna chase you out.

Might consider not even raising pre flop. Raise with connectors, shittier hands and one time bluffs. low level nl games sometimes good to be calling station :thinking:
 
In your hand I would've played almost like you did, except my turn bet would have been much smaller, maybe $25. I would've been obliged to reluctantly call turn and river. But I'm guessing the amount would have been smaller. If he over bets the pot I'm gonna consider possibility of him bluffing. Remember most people wanna get paid something, they don't wanna chase you out.

Might consider not even raising pre flop. Raise with connectors, shittier hands and one time bluffs. low level nl games sometimes good to be calling station :thinking:

Right on man. I didn't know him yet which didn't help. He's awesome and I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of eachother, I'll play him the same way I adjusted to a similar player over at spot #2, collect bluffs when I can and try not to let the pot get too big. I don't agree on the calls especially the last one, I basically asked him with the $65 turn shot if he had it and he told me then with the $165. After the river he repeated himself by shoving. Calling could be an arguable play if my situation were different and I weren't in roll building to move up mode.

Yeah Ive been thinking about how to play QQ lately. The reason I raise it is a shitty 2 pair gets you pretty easily when you have 6 callers post flop even if A and K aren't there. I limp with JJ down and overpay for all pocket pairs.
I do agree on raising with suited connectors when in action mode.

Made it up to spot 3 and finally sitting now, the weather was a fucking nightmare, signs and cones blowing all over the road and shit.
 
How about tipping reno, I go $5 start with them then $1 per drink. $1 for food. $1 to the dealer on pots $5 if it's a monster. Maybe a dollar or two when they leave or are a personal favorite, we've had a conversation or whatever.
 
I'd go easy tipping. Remember your hourly cannot be very high you don't wanna tip away half of it. I'd go a couple bucks on nice pots up to 5. Don't tip on very small pots. $1 a drink is fine.

Consider that in a weaker nl cash game, you should be trying to snap people off with a big hand not protecting starting hands. Kinda what that guy did to you.(although calling $15 with 3-5 terrible) Since the blinds are small relative to pots. Overvaluing over pair or top pair is a sure way to disaster. So a big starting hand is worth less than in a tournament or a limit game.
 
Right, right. So you don't think QQ should be raised, play it like any other pockets? You do raise AA or KK though right? You probably know this already but I'm almost always playing 9 handed.
 
don't be embarrassed


continue to share and over share your embarrassing and bad hands

it wll cement it home to you, to NOT DO THAT SHIT AGAIN!
 
I think it can go either way depending on position and if there's lots of preflop raising in the game. I prefer to call with aces in early position and reraise. Rasing with qq is good if there are callers before you imo. The key point is you don't want to commit yourself to a large pot early in no limit. Except aces, where I would like to commit a large part of my stack preflop if possible. But mostly you want a scenario where you can see stuff cheaply and let the others bury themselves.
 
Agreed Archie and I'll do just that!

Right gotcha Reno I'll be tweaking some things. Man I do like joint #3 the best as it's easily the nicest (plus the dealer is here sometimes) but short of striking a small lottery ticket on a 3 way with aces and striking gold playing higher than I should be playing it's been tough to beat. Early yet though.

Debating a trip to Harrahs AC soon as if you play 5+ hours they give you a room and food. That's right man I always buy in for $700 but I'll be that guy asking for the $10 food voucher whenever I've earned it Supposedly the poker room is usually all local grinders which isn't ideal but I can knock the session out probably make a little off them and then fuck around where I want to out there, the Bogota or whatever.

Reno maybe in a year or so the dealer will want to go with me. But I know man, one thing at a time.
 
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Interesting, you right in that they guy with 3-5 is not as bad some people would think. He's actually pretty good and can get on big winning streaks, but likely a losing player in the end. Unless he's always playing against people who over bet their hands and can't get off their top pairs etc.
These guys can often flop their dream hands and lose. They thinking they will pay $15 and once they flop 2pr or straight the original raiser with an assumed big pair will payoff a lot. The theory is good except that there's some hands that are just too bad for the $.
 
tourney play requires varying your strategies moreso than cash games. The cruise tourney was only like 9 or 10. I didnt get the impression that any of them were good lol. Maybe 1 or 2 were decent. The chick I beat heads up at the end was awful. I think the guy she knocked out who got 3rd would have been closer but she donk called and caught her some runner runner, a strategy that she employed throughout the tournament. It was really quite easy they had 2 of them and I meant to go play the second one too, but time got away from me.

LOL sick overlay to that thing man.

Might eventually check out the cruise tourney circuit.
 
Interesting, you right in that they guy with 3-5 is not as bad some people would think. He's actually pretty good and can get on big winning streaks, but likely a losing player in the end. Unless he's always playing against people who over bet their hands and can't get off their top pairs etc.
These guys can often flop their dream hands and lose. They thinking they will pay $15 and once they flop 2pr or straight the original raiser with an assumed big pair will payoff a lot. The theory is good except that there's some hands that are just too bad for the $.



I have him pegged as awesome based on that hand, the fact he was pumped up well over $1k before that hand, and his instacall of my big bluff on the missed semi bluffed with bottom pair.
 
i've never played poker at a casino

or much at all

what is the bathroom deal? do you have to hold it alot?