Cash Game: Mandalay Bay May 24th 2011

There was no good tournament today so I played a pretty long cash session. I started playing this evening at 7 PM and I finished at 2 AM tonight. I didnt really play too many big pots or anything and it was an extremely uneventful session that ended in a small win.

First hand I played I was in the SB with a button limp and found KJo. I made it $8 and the BB and limp called. I ended up folding on the turn on an A532 board. There were 4 limpers to me in the cutoff and I found AKo and made it $15. 2 of the limpers called and folded when I bet $22 on the Q64 flop. I made it $8 UTG+2 with ATss, got 3 calls behind, and folded the K43 flop. I made it $10 from UTG+2 with a limper and the BB and limp called. The flop came T83 2 clubs, it checked to me, I bet $16, and the limp called. The turn came a 3 and we both checked. The river came a J, giving me TPTK. He checked, I bet $40 (thinking it would look like a bluffed club draw that may get value from a 10) and he tanked a while before calling and showing AJcc and we chopped the pot. I found TT on the button with one limper and made it $8. The limper was the only caller and when the flop came 874 he folded to my $12 bet. I made it $8 with AQ in MP and got 3 callers. The flop came KJ9 and we checked around. The turn came an A and one of the blinds bet $15. The board was so worrysome for my hand (plus I had players behind) that I just folded.

I limped a straddle in MP with 88 and the button made it $20. The button in this hand was a good but cautious player. The straddle called, I called, and a LP limper called. The flop came down T97 giving me an OESD. The Straddle checked and I decided to bet out $40. My thinking behind this bet was that the cautious raiser probably had an overpair and its kind of a dangerous board for many overpairs so he is likely just to call on this flop. This leaves me open to either make my straight or see how he reacts when he calls/on the turn and possibly make a big bluff repping a set/straight/2 pair. However, this plan was laid to rest when the LP caller made it $170 on my raise. The button raiser tank folded (saying KK later) and I also folded (the raiser showed T9cc for flopped top 2 pair. After the $60 I spewed on that hand, I was down to $220.

I made it $8 UTG+1 with KQss, the button made it $16, both the SB and BB called, and I called as well but folded on a T42 flop. I then ran a neat bluff. I had been playing tight (as usual) so I had an image I could use to my advantage. There was a straddle and I made it $16 with 64cc. The only caller was the cautious player from the hand above from the SB. The flop came down A83 and he checked, I c-bet $20, and he raised to $40. At this point I was thinking that 1)his raise seemed strictly like an information raise and 2)even if he had an A and I showed aggression he would likely give me credit for a bigger hand especially with how cautious he was. Therefore it would be a great time for me to make another raise. I made it $90 and he folded KK face up (no big accomplishment in taking him off KK here but I got the information raise part right). I was back to $260 after this.

I limped in EP with KQo and called a raise to $10 with multiple other players. The flop came 874 and I folded to a bet. I called $10 from MP with 77 and there were 6 other callers (this would have been a perfect time for a set) but folded on the AK4 flop (and the turn was an obvious 7 after 2 players had gotten all in). There was a straddle and I made it $20 with J9dd UTG+1. I got called from LP and the SB but folded when the straddle when all in for $80. I made it $8 with J8hh, got 2 callers, and folded a 543 flop. I made it $8 in the cutoff with Q8o and only got called by the button. The flop came JJ5 and I c-bet $10 (the guy was straightforward) and he called. I shut it down and folded to a bet on the river after a 94 board filled out. I was down to $200 after this.

I then lost a decent sized pot. I was in the hijack and I opened for $8 with JTo. The cutoff, button, SB, and BB called and we saw a J87 2 clubs flop. The BB bet out $20 and I decided to call because I think he is leading out with a considerable number of hands by the way he has played. The turn came a 4 and he went all in for $66. I decided to call because I feel like I am ahead enough of the time and if im not ahead I have outs. He flipped 87 for bottom 2 pair (a hand I was behind but have more outs than I thought I would) but missed when the river came a 2. I was down to $90 and rebought for $200 more so I was at $290 but in for $500 total.

I checked my option in the BB with limpers and 83o. We checked down a board of JT9Q4 and I called a $10 bet on the river and was good. I was in the SB with Q7 and everyone at the table limping so I limped as well. The flop came 752 and I bet $6 and got 2 callers. The turn came a T and I bet $11 and they both folded. I found KK UTG and both the blinds called. We checked the flop of 774 and when the turn came a 5, the SB bet $10, BB folded, I made it $30, and he folded. I was at $335 after this. I completed the SB with Q9o and the flop came 986. I checked, a player in MP bet $10, I called, and the BB called. The turn came a 2 which was a good card for me. I chose to lead out for $16 to defend against straight draws and smaller pairs but the BB went all in for $80 and I had to fold. I limped in the cutoff behind several limpers with K8ss and the flop came 875. Another limper bet out $15, I called, and there were 2 other callers behind. The turn came a 3 and the original bettor bet out $40. I decided to just cut my losses and fold (dont want to lose to much limping with K8).

I then played a really big pot that had an interesting result. I found AA in MP and made it $10 and got called by a LP player and the BB. The flop came down Q96 2 hearts and the BB lead out for $10, I made it $30, and the LP caller went all in for $114. The BB decided to call, I moved all in over the top for about $290, and the BB called me. The turn and river came out 73 and I showed AA, the BB showed QJ, and the LP showed Q9 for flopped top 2 pair. I won the side pot vs the BB but lost the main pot. Even so there was about $335 in the side pot so I still made a little more money than breaking even that hand (better than having the BB folding his top pair no kicker and me losing to the top 2 and not making my money back).

A couple of hands later, I played another big pot. I made it $10 UTG with AQo and an LP player and the SB called. The flop came down 872 2 clubs, the SB checked, I bet out $16, the button folded, and the SB called. The turn came another 8 and he decided to lead out for $45. I thought that this was an odd spot for him to bet out because he is checkraising an 8 alot of the time here and check calling a 7. This board was so draw heavy I was thinking that I had the best hand a good portion of the time here so I called the $45. The turn came the Qc, giving me TPTK but putting a possible flush on the board. He went all in for $102 and while a flush was one of the hands I was potentially worried about, something about this play overall did not add up to me. I decided to call and he instamucked giving me the pot without me having to show my cards. The sick thing is that there were alot of cards on the river on which I would definently be calling with A high because of how the hand played out, and I would have been right with this call! After this hand I was up to $510 and back in the black a little bit.

I decided to limp behind other limpers from MP with Q6hh. The flop came Q86 and the SB lead out for $15, the an EP limp called, I made it $65, and everyone folded. Maybe I raised a little too much here to kill my action but I am happy to take a pot with Q6 at any time. I $11 an UTG limp with JJ from MP and he was my only caller. The flop came T87 and he checkcalled my $15 bet. The turn came a J giving me a set but filling an open ender and he checked and I checked behind. The river came a 3, he bet $35 and I snap called but lost when he showd 97 for the straight. I was down to $490 after this. I made it $8 with K6hh, got 2 callers, and folded on the turn when the board came Q33T (one guy had QT). I called $7 from the SB and 5 other callers with 97ss but folded on the AQ5 flop. I was down to $460 after this.

A guy in MP made it $7 and I was in the cutoff and called with KJo. The flop came K93 2 spades and he lead out for $10. I decided to just call and the turn came an offsuit 5. He bet $20 and I called. The river came another 9 and he bet out $30, I called (hoping I didnt let him get there with the 9) but he said "youre good" and my KJ was good to win a decent sized pot. I was back up to $525 after this. I made it $8 UTG+1 with KQo and got 3 callers behind. I bet out $15 on the QT8 2 club flop and everyone folded. Last hand I played, I made it $8 UTG with JJ and the BB was the only caller. The flop came JT8 2 clubs giving me top set on an extremely draw heavy board. He checked, I bet $10, and he called. The turn came a gross Qc, completing every possible draw out there and we both checked. The river came a 9 putting a straight on board and he checked to me. I chose to just check behind and we split the pot when he showed AQ.

I cashed out soon after this with $543, up $43 for the day. A small winning session but a winning session is a winning session so I cant really complain. Hope that the streak continues next time I play.