Maniac Monday

was not able to play as much poker as I would have liked over the holiday weekend. I finally found some time on Sunday to play a couple of sessions. During the first session, I didn't really get many opportunities to see a flop. I only won two hands but ended down $0.98.

I did a little bit better during the second session and won $0.45 back. The biggest pot I won was with Q5s. I wouldn't normally play Q5s, but I thought that if I got lucky and hit the flop and won the hand that it might help me to pick up a bigger pot later on. If I had missed the flop, I could have just thrown it away and reprimanded myself for even thinking about playing that hand. I got extremely lucky when I flopped two pair and won $1.45.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with Qs, 5s.
UTG calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, 2 folds, CO calls, 1 fold, SB raises, 1 fold, UTG calls, Hero calls, CO calls.

Flop: (9 SB) Qc, Kd, 5d (4 players)
SB bets, UTG calls, Hero raises, CO calls, SB 3-bets, UTG folds, Hero calls, CO calls.

Turn: (9.50 BB) 4h (3 players)
SB bets, Hero calls, CO calls.

River: (12.50 BB) 2s (3 players)
SB bets, Hero calls, CO folds.

Final Pot: 14.50 BB

Results below:
SB has Jd Kh (one pair, kings).
Hero has Qs 5s (two pair, queens and fives).
Outcome: Hero wins 14.50 BB.

I did get dealt a better hand a few hands later, but I don't think playing Q5s helped me to win a bigger pot. Only one person (the SB from the Q5s hand) called my preflop raise with pocket aces, but he called me down to the river where my hand improved to an ace high straight and I won $0.75.

Near the end of the session I got stupid when I flopped a set of eights, but my opponent had flopped a set of aces. I could have saved a bet on the flop by just calling the raise instead of reraising and allowing my opponent to cap the flop.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8s, 8d.
1 fold, MP raises, 3 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (4.40 SB) As, 8c, Qs (2 players)
Hero bets, MP raises, Hero 3-bets, MP caps, Hero calls.

Turn: (6.20 BB) Kd (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets, Hero calls.

River: (8.20 BB) Th (2 players)
Hero checks, MP checks.

Final Pot: 8.20 BB

Results below:
Hero has 8s 8d (three of a kind, eights).
MP has Ac Ah (three of a kind, aces).
Outcome: MP wins 8.20 BB.

Monday's session was probably the most aggressive game I have ever played in. I sat down two seats to the left of a maniac who was either raising or reraising preflop with almost ever hand he was dealt. And he went to showdown most of the time. I watched his chip stack grow from about $1.00 to $10.00 in a few short minutes. I didn't didn't get involved it the madness during the beginning of the session, but instead decided to wait patiently for some good starting cards and some nice flops.

I was finally dealt a pair of queens and was able to cap preflop after the maniac reraised. When the flop cam 44T I decided I wasn't going to get into a raising war with the maniac and instead just called his 3-bet and then only called his bet on the turn and the river. I went on to the lose the hand to the SB when he made two pair (aces and tens) on the river. I am not sure if capping the flop would have made the SB fold his hand or not. The pot was already huge.

PokerStars 0.05/0.10 Hold'em (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from http://www.flopturnriver.comFlopTurnRiver.com (Format: Plain Text)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with Qh, Qc.
UTG calls, Hero raises, 1 fold, MP2 calls, CO calls, 1 fold, SB calls, BB 3-bets, UTG folds, Hero caps, MP2 calls, CO calls, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: (21 SB) 4h, 4s, Td (5 players)
SB checks, BB bets, Hero raises, MP2 calls, CO calls, SB calls, BB 3-bets, Hero calls, MP2 folds, CO calls, SB calls.

Turn: (17.50 BB) 2c (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, Hero calls, CO calls, SB calls.

River: (21.50 BB) Ac (4 players)
SB checks, BB bets, Hero calls, CO folds, SB calls.

Final Pot: 24.50 BB

Results below:
BB has 7c 3h (one pair, fours).
Hero has Qh Qc (two pair, queens and fours).
SB has Ts Ah (two pair, aces and tens).
Outcome: SB wins 24.50 BB.

Fortunately, I was able to win most of what I lost with the queens back a little later while I was in the BB with Q3o and the maniac let me see the flop. I bet on the flop of Qd 4d 5s after the maniac checked to me, four other players folded and the maniac raised. I called him down the river and won with my pair of queens against his 83o.

Then I flop three of a kind on back to back hands and won two huge pots. I won $2.80 after being dealt AJs UTG and the flop came 9AA. On the next hand I was dealt JJ and won $1.85 after another jack came out on the flop. I didn't mind getting into a raising war those times with the maniac.

Soon after that the maniac left the table and the game calmed down considerably. I played a few more hands and lost a little bit, but I ended the session up $1.70.

Current Bankroll: $229.37

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