Well I moved up. No more 1-2 NL. Theoretically, this should be a pretty big milestone. Well it still feels somewhat similar to 1-2 except the pots are bigger. Many of the players I was beating are there, so it was not a real big mystery even for unchartered territory (for me).

OK my first night was weird................ It was Thursday 1/17/08

I got put onto a new table. So everyone started with 100 bucks.

I raise to 30 (standard raise at this table) with AK and of course it did not hit with 2 callers. Board was Q-7-8 or something and a guy led out for 40 and I muck.

Next hand I have A-10 sooted. There was a straddle on board so it was 10 to go. Guy 2 seats to my left goes all in for 50. It is folded to me. Normally I just fold but I can not be a pussy my first day at 2-5 so I call. Board at one point was J-8-9-2 with 2 spades (my suit). River was a blank and he flips A-A. LOL

A few hands later I get AK sooted. I raise the standard 30 and get 5 callers. Flop comes K-J-7 and it is checked to me. I push all in and get 2 callers. Shit. The turn and river I do not remember specifically but they were blanks. I flip AK and both retards muck. No idea what they had and do not care. My first big 2-5 pot.

Well it was all down hill from here.

I get AK again. It is raised to 20, I just call. Some kid pushes for another 25. 4 callers. Flop comes K-10-3. I bet out 50 bucks and they all fold. Turn was a 4 and the river was a 10. He flips A-10..........lol fuck you.

I get J-8 in the CO. I limp figured what the hell I have won a bunch of money with this hand believe it or not. There are 3 people in the hand. My buddy Rick and a old Dude that sucks............................ He folds nothing calls top pair like it is the nut and draws, well he never met one he did not like. So yeah he completely sucks. Flop comes J-6-3 rainbow. Rick (who I stake incidentally and we drive in together most nights, more on this later) checks. The shitty old dude leads out for 20 into a 18 pot. I have him, I know I have him and I reraise to 50. My Buddy Rick pushes his remaining 75 into the pot. Shit on a stick. S.O.D calls and basically I have to for another 25. Turn was a K and the River was a 7. We just check it down as I was done with the hand. Anyway sure enough Rick flips 6-6 and S.O.D flips J-4 just as expected. Oh well.

Few hands later I get K-Q. I limp and the old idiot that completely sucks raises to 20. I call as do 3 others. Flop comes Q-4-7 2 hearts. It is checked to me. I push for another 130 and the S.O.D snap calls for the rest of his stack, the rest fold. Oh well, I think I have him beat but we shall see. Turn was another Q. Yeah and the river was a beautiful 8 of hearts. By beautiful, I really mean, it was a lets bend Puck over and use the whole entire fist card. Yup stroke victim turns over A-3 of hearts....................... L O fucking L.

Last hand I can remember at this table I get QQ and raise to 40 after like 5 limpers and get one caller, a complete knucklehead that calls basically everything. He is a tournament player that usually donks off a grand or 2 in a cash game. He is an idiot but I digress. I have killed him at 1-2 prior. Flop comes A-3-4 and I push out of turn by accident. He checks and I push and he makes a big show. "You have 9's blah blah blah" He folds I muck and he still think I had 9's.

Table then breaks. My Buddy Rick goes to a 5-10 as he was up and figured what the hell I suppose. I go to another 2-5 table even way nuttier than the one I left.

Some loud mouthed Black dude that looked like a regular as he knew basically everyone. Well this knucklehead raised like every other hand to 30-40-50. He reraised quite often and hardly ever kept a pot small. Yes all in all he was a real solid player. :roll:

Basically I got like zero hands in 2-3 hours and just sat there with my thumb in my ass. The nutty black Dude somehow gets an 800 stack.

Here is one hand I thought funny. He raises to 40 and gets 4 callers. Flop is 8-Q-10 with 2 club. He leads out for 50 and the same 4 call. Turn was a third club a 3. He bets out 50 again. Same 4 call. River was another 10 of clubs. Yup 4 clubs on the board. Nut job leads out for 75 guy to his immediate right pushes for his remaining 350. One person folds and another guy calls off his stack. Back to the black guy. He has the K of clubs. It is basically 275 to him to call. To his credit he actually thought or put some kind of brain power into it. LOL you actually think he folds here? These guys just never ever freaking fold it is amazing. Like someone is pulling a move in this spot. He shows his K of clubs says," I can not fold this and calls". the other guy shows his A of clubs and another guy tables 8-8. So yeah you have to call buddy good job.

A few hands later I get K-Q and it is limped around. 4-5 callers. The flop came Q-4-5 with 2 diamonds. I bet out 20 bucks and the jackass that cannot fold reraises me to 70. I push as I only had 85 left at this point. He calls and the turn was a blank and a K on the river. I show K-Q and he shows a busted flush, J-6. LOL.

I get dick on a stick for the next 2 hours and then I get Q-Q. I limp fully expecting stroke victim to raise. Well he doesn't. Oh well. The flop comes 10-7-3 with 2 hearts. The Jackass that had the A of clubs in above hand pushes for another 45, one guy calls as do I. Turn was a 2 and he checks and I push, he folds. River was beautiful heart. By beautiful, I really mean, it was a lets bend Puck over and use the whole entire fist card. Yup he shows A-3 of hearts.................fuck.

Now a another nutjob gets to the table. Yup a loudmouthed call everything and fold nothing player. He goes through 6-700 like it was water. He crows about how he is a professional poker player. Yeah so is my pekingese Tammy. He says how he is involved in a 250k homegame etc Like yeah lol.

He says to me," you have not played any hands." etc. I say," well no hands." He stayed in a hand with a gutshot and hit after calling off 75 bucks. He says"well look at me and the hands I play". I said , "I am here to make money not gamble like a monkey". He says something else and I say," enough man I have been polayng poker going on 5 years now and made lots of money for all 5. I do not need you to tell me how to play."

Anyway he chips up. Woopee.

I have 10-8 in the BB it is raised to 10 by said player. There are like 6 callers. Flop comes 10-8-3 bingo. I check and it is checked to idiot in flush hand (the one with A high) he bets out 10 and his buddy next to him reraises to 35. I push all in for another 85 on top. Folded to intial reraiser and he calls. I flip 10-8 and he flips A-10, the turn and river are both 4's and the pot is shipped to me.

The guy above raises to 10 on a short handed table. I call with A-3 with 1 other caller. Flop comes 3-9-9. Guy bets out 15 and I reraise him to 50. He gives a WTF look and he calls. I am done with the hand as I think he has an over pair. We check it down with a blank board. He shows AA and I muck and shove it into the pile after he wants to see what I had.

Another problem with this guy and several others. They use the ability to see the mucked cards to their advantage. It is a rule expressly to prevent collusion not to be used for others advantage. This guy did it about 3 times. I called bullshit on it as did another guy. Dealer says that is it you are out.That shit fucking pisses me off.

Last hand I get A-10 in the BB with 5 people. The crazy black dude that went through 800 and has peeled off another 1000 in the process raises to 15. I call as does the other idiot. Flop comes K-10 -8 we check to raiser and he leads out for 15 we all call. Turn a blank it is checked to raiser and he bets 15 I call and the other dude folds. Same on river which was a blank, I check call 15. He flips over AQ and I win a nice pot.

BTW, this guy that was crowing about how he was a pro and all that BS. Was wanting to be staked by me. LOL. I do not know him he plays like a degenerate. He does not know odds or why a call is stupid etc. etc. "This donkey does not fold" LOL yeah I am going to stake you. Incidentally my buddy Rick was at a nutty 5-10 player and I left the table frequently to see how he was doing. I told him why and he thought because I stake him I will stake others. Eat me.

The table brokeand I stayed to watch my buddy Rick play 5-10 as I was his ride. I was done the cards were just ugly for me tonight so I stopped. He was doing mediocre at anther 5-10 table and the guy above was winning some pots at a different 5-10 table. He calls me over x2. " hey stake me all I do is win" Me:"Buddy I do not you from a hole in the wall". "What you need to know is all I do is win" "no thanks".

LOL like a guy with the so called coin to play in a so called 250k cash game where guys like "The Grinder" Mike Mizrachi plays need a stake in $100 max NL. Fuck off.

That is my report of my first night of 2-5. I ended down 320 for the night...........no big deal I went to the slot machines for the first time in my life and won 50 bucks................lol. Do not worry my next two night were pretty damn good.

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"A tell is a gesture that lets others know what kind of cards he's holding. In other words, if every time one player thinks he's holding the best hand he then urinates all over himself, that would be a tell.- Mr. Cranky Movie Critic

Nice report. This game sounds a lot like my home game. And down 320 sounds a little too much like my results from Friday. I feel your pain on some of those hands.

Keep em coming as usual.

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There is no security, only opportunity.

Nice report Miami,, Is your max buy-in there 100 or can you start for more.?

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miami, you really have to try to get your stack in pre when you only have 20 BB's. If you get something good, push over a raise, limp/rr, raise small (like 3x) so you can profitably let it go on the flop if you miss or possibly induce a 3bet you can shove over. This business of raise to 30 and c/f the flop on a $100 stack is not going to allow you to win at this game. If there's a million limpers, just shove, these mouthbreathers aren't going to know the difference. Basically when you have a stack that small you need to decide on a range and do whatever you can to get that shit in preflop... you have no implied odds to draw to anything and you can't put much in pre and fold the flop profitably. Personally I'm not sure you (or anyone) can really play this more profitably than 1/2, and it's definitely going to have way more variance. But if it is possible, you're gonna have to become tight and hyper-aggressive preflop with all these 20 BB stacks. Limping in and seeing flops isn't going to work until you are deeper in tandem with bad players who are likewise deeper, at least 200 I think. I do wish you the best of luck and hope you go on a sick heater, but I think you need to do some thinking/reading up on how best to beat this game, because with stacks this small it's all math.

Also, LOL @ 5/10 NL on 100 buck stacks, I would love to rail that game. I would probably laugh until tears came down my face, that has got to be the most ridiculous donkfest imaginable. I HAS TWO CARDS WAHT DO I WIN???/

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My Blog - Updated September 20th!

MewsicLovr: can you think of other poker tools that would be badass?
Mirage: something that lets me see other ppl's holecards

Thanks for the strategy you offer but I respectively disagree with it. I am well aware of the math and strategy that is required to beat this game. I am not playing it like a late game SNG when I have any Ace or think I am ahead of a range going to shove my entire stack. Sorry but coin flipping for stacks is not appealing to me and certainly it is not appealing to me to be in a game by peeling off 1000 bucks when a bunch of flips do not go my way.

I can and still play my normal 1-2 game. It is still profitable to limp in many spots because not every single flop is raised to the top of the empire state building. When I shove it is in good spots where I have the guy crushed. I am not at all concerned about calling a 20 dollar raise when the situation calls for it. Most people at this level have no fold in them and it is rather easy to double up.

I am a good post flop player that generally knows when I am ahead, behind or can draw effectively. I am also pretty good at pre flop play. Very rarely do I make mistakes on where I am in a hand. If I do, I post about it. Also, I am playing for 8-12 hours at a clip, figuring 40 hands per hour. That means anywhere between 320 to 480 spots I can take advantage of players that are not very good. Chances are at least 4-5 times + plus I will find a spot to take the other players money. I think where I excel is reducing risk. I have generally been card dead for the last month and a half and still had a profit. If it was other players, I think they would consider quiting poker.

All it takes is one hand at 2-5 and it is off to the races. It does not take much work to get your stack to 2-300 bucks and then it is on. In fact many of the tables I play have at least 3-4k on them. That is a tremendous difference between 1-2nl where you are lucky, lucky to have 1k-2k on most tables. I am sorry but you can make a hell of a lot more money at 2-5 than 1-2. However, the swings obviously will be bigger. I have seen bigger pots in my 3 days on 2-5 then I have ever seen on 1-2, much bigger. In fact last night I won my first 1000+ pot. I was never ever close to that at 1-2. More on that later.

As far as 5-10 well then you have to play it just like you describe above. Yes there are complete monkeys that play it. Also there are a bunch of sharks that play it as well. For instance the friend I mentioned in a previous thread Jayson..... his brother moved to 5-10 last month and by and large crushes that game. There are plenty of times where on a 5-10 table there is 20k plus on it and players just begging for someone to take it. You have to understand that many that play it are bazzillionaires and 100 bucks mean shit to them. For instance, I have seen Scotty Pippen on the tables, Daunte Caulpepper and "The Grinder" Mike Mizrachi. I know of one guy that has won on average 2500 a night for the last 20 night playing 5-10. That is pretty damn good. That is in less then a months time.............

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"A tell is a gesture that lets others know what kind of cards he's holding. In other words, if every time one player thinks he's holding the best hand he then urinates all over himself, that would be a tell.- Mr. Cranky Movie Critic

Just some food for thought, miami. I realize reading it back that my tone wasn't very friendly, I wasn't trying to get on a soapbox, and you do obviously know the game dynamics better than I do; if there aren't many raises going on then limping in with speculative hands is still an option, albeit not as good an option until you work your stack up. I'm sure it is possible to play a lower variance style and still kill the game, but I think it's a fair question as to whether or not that will give you the highest EV. Of course, the longer the table has been running, the more it will play like a natural 500nl game.

It would be sweet if they raised the max buy-in. I keep an eye out for new legislation and keep my fingers crossed. In the meantime, maybe I'll give this 2/5 a try sometime, it seems like the bigger gamblers flock to the bigger blinds without fail.

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My Blog - Updated September 20th!

MewsicLovr: can you think of other poker tools that would be badass?
Mirage: something that lets me see other ppl's holecards

LOL I thought this was 2+2 at first. No worries, I did not take it as you preaching or anything. No worries..............

Yeah there maybe better EV plays as a whole. Like being more of a degen(2+2 reference) gambler. I weigh risk/reward more, I am willing to give up some upside to lessen my downside. It suits my personality and comfort level,in a gambling context, a bit more.

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"A tell is a gesture that lets others know what kind of cards he's holding. In other words, if every time one player thinks he's holding the best hand he then urinates all over himself, that would be a tell.- Mr. Cranky Movie Critic

In Florida, the max buy-in at any table is $100...doesn't matter if it is 1/2 Limit or 5/10 NL.

That's fucked.

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QFT!!!!!!!

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