Cash Game: Stratosphere April 4th 2:30 PM-7 PM

Todays Venetian deepstack event was a $550 and that is a little out of my bankroll so I decided to not play in it. Instead, I went to the stratosphere to play some cash games with Sean. There is a freeroll at the Stratosphere every 2 weeks for those people who play 25 hours in the 2 weeks so we are working on getting in on that. Sean already has enough hours but I needed like 8 more hours going into today. The freeroll is Monday so I plan on qualifying for that over the next few days and playing in that on Monday night. I say down at this table and this was honestly the worst cash game table Ive seen yet.

I folded for the first 30 minutes or so and eventually I found KK in the BB with a bunch of limpers. I raised to $17 and got called in 2 places including by the donk from the Q9 vs KK hand a few days before. The flop came down 772 and I bet out $25, the first caller folded, and the donk guy reraised to $50. I knew that I had him crushed so I decided just to flat call and let him make the mistakes in the hand. The turn came a 3 and I checked, he bet $50, and I pushed all in for $120 or so total. He called and the river came an 8. He showed 33 for 3s full and a sick turn card for me. Its just brutal because I know that hell call off all of his chips on the turn no matter what and he just happened to make his full house. Just brutal. Anyways, I was down my first $200 and since the table was just terrible, I reloaded for $200 more.

A tight player raised it to $12 in EP and got 2 callers. I was on the button and found QQ. I reraised it to $40 and the original raiser folded and the 2 callers called. The flop came J95 and it checked to me and I bet out $80. The first caller time bank folded and the next caller flat called. The turn came a Q and the caller went all in for $100 or so and I only had about $95 and I instacalled. The river came a T and he showed Q7 for a WTF hand (like I said, I know people will pay me off like crazy). After this hand, I doubled to $480 or so and was up +$80 from the $400 I was in. I folded for a really long time after this.

I found AQcc in EP with one limper and made it $15 and he was the only caller. We checked down a board of TT865 and he showed QT. I then raised with A6dd to $15 with 2 limpers on the button. The SB called and the limpers all folded. The flop came 68K and he checked and I bet out $15. He called and the turn came 7. He checked and I checked behind. The river came another 7 and he bet out $20 and I called and he showed TT. After all of the blinds that I lost plus these 2 pots and was down to $395 or so.

I called a raise to $15 with 77 with several other callers and folded when I missed my set. I folded for another couple of hours (literally) and finally raised a couple of limpers to $15 with KJo and got called by the button and the BB. The flop came out QQJ and I bet $20, the button folded, and the BB called. The turn came a 5 and he checked and I checked. The river came an A and he bet $100 and I folded and he showed 89 (like I said if I could just make a hand). I was down to $315 or so after this hand.

A tight/decent player raised UTG to $12 and I found AA UTG +2. I reraised to $30 and everyone folded to him and he called. The flop came KQ7. This flop really worried be because I thought he really might have KK or QQ. He checked and I bet out $25 and he just called (which also worried me). The turn came a 6 and he checked and I checked behind. The river came a 9 and he bet out $60 and I instacalled and he showed AQ (I probably maximized value by playing this hand this way). After this, I was back to $435.

There was a button straddle (which is legal at the stratosphere. . .odd I know but interesting never the less) and 5 callers and I found QQ in the cutoff. I made it $28 to go and the button called and everyone else folded. The button was this really loose Lebanese guy who I had played with 3 or 4 times already this trip. He played really LAGtarded most of the time and was down like 800-900 this session already. The flop came 754 2 hearts and I checked to him because I knew he somewhat hit the flop. He bet out $25 and I reraised to $75 and he called. The turn came 9h filling a FL draw but I don’t think he has a Fl draw here because I played with him a ton and I know hes pushing a Fl draw on the turn to my RR. I think he has more like a pair + a Str draw. He only had $80 behind after his flop call so I put him all in and he timebank folded. After this hand I was up to $550 or so.

There were a bunch of limpers and I raised it to $15 with KQo and got a ton of callers. The flop came 532 and I folded to a bet. There was a button straddle and I made it $22 to go from the cutoff. Everyone folded except the BB and the Flop came KQ9. He checked and I bet out $20 and he folded. There was a button straddle and I picked up AT from the cutoff and made it $18 to go. I got called by the button and the BB and the flop came 975 and I checked and the button bet and the BB reraised and I folded. I left shortly after this hand and cashed out for a total of $537 for being up +$137 for the session.

I did pick up a lot of big pairs but its hard to win giant pots with just one over pair. I never did really make my big flop (I didn’t pick up any small pairs at all. . .4.5 hours and QQ 2 times, KK once, AA once, and 77 once) nor did I make any big flushes or straights for actual good pots especially against this terrible table. Oh well I guess I cant complain because I still had a winning session. I will be playing at the stratosphere more tomorrow so I can make 25 hours before Monday and the deepstack is $1k on Sunday. Additionally, I wont be playing in the deepstack on Monday because of the freeroll at the stratosphere (even though I was planning on playing in this event). Deepstacks will start again Tuesday but until then I will be attempting to improve my cash game skills.