Ramping Up the Aggression.

Started today with a brief (and cold) walk around Lake Phalen. I didn't go all the way - more like 3/4s of a mile, but it's nice to wake up a little before putting in a session. I think too often I'll start grinding without truly waking up and rely on the coffee and shower. But getting outside, some fresh air really does the trick. Also didn't get started too early and slept in until 11:30 and as a result didn't start my session til 1! Gotta stick to my daily regimine and start AT LEAST by 9:00.

Thought today about implementing one "LOCKDOWN" a week kinda like the 2 months 2 million show. Except I would only play 8 hours, maaaaybe 10 tabling. But I thought starting out 8 tabling would be better for me.

Anyway, today I felt like stepping up my playbook a bit and really paying attention to what people were doing with their bets. Specifically I worked on stealing pots, "re"-stealing pots (post-flop not preflop), using my position almost absurdly to attack weakness, using 'bad' position to represent more strength, and a little more calling preflop than I usually do.

I think it worked out well for the most part, I bluffed a few really nice pots with nothing in very high-percentage spots where they would call very rarely. But there were a few really bad moments.

One specifically near the end-game, and I really grossed myself out here.

Blinds are 600/1200 and UTG pushes for 8400 and gets flatted by a 32000 stack. I have 35400 and ATo.

The guy who coldcalls here I really thought he had a wide range from his HUD stats, but he had a really good hand this time - AKo. The UTG pusher, Oxotasdad, is a winning reg so I really put him on a really wide range - but I must be mistaken and he must not push nearly as wide as I think he does cuz here he had TT. In actuality a lot of short-stack pushes aren't anywhere near as wide as I usually push so I guess the only way to combat it is scrupulous note-taking on the "wide short pushers" and the "tight short pushers"!

In any case I shoved over hoping to iso just the short stack but of course I'm a 5% favorite this time and basically threw away the tournament. FWIW this was the first time I tried a play like this, and probably the last. If I had been right though, UTG is pushing loose, and the flatter is loose (only had 10 hands on him, but 50% vpip 50% cold call pfr), than this play would have been great and I would also have isolated 8500 in dead money. Better luck next time lunatic....


Other than that, I'm happy with the progress I made today, I'm starting to feel out the better spots to bluff and the not-so-great spots. I'm trying to break out of the "ABC" mold that so many players, including myself, can fall into and ultimately rely upon.

Although it is a 'safe' way to play, and can net you money - at the end of the day I think MORE money goes to the players who think "DEF - and G" and maneuver around the predictable players, the unpredictable players, the good regs, and the bad regs.