poker

need to keep proper records, at the moment im not
really focusing on any one type of game. Playing
the odd single table tournament and dabbled in
some live game last night. lost $1K.

Key Hand - ($10-$20NL), i have $460 (and a bit fked
off)

Limp in under the gun with A-5s, one caller in lateish
position, and the guy who compulsory raises limpers,
makes it $70, clearly a hand that he doesnt want callers,
so i decide to re-raise to $200, he stubbornly calls.
flop 9-6-2. I check he check. Turn comes an 8. I push all
in he calls, river comes a 5. He shows J-7, $900 pot
gets pushed over to him, ffs ! Anyway, the positive note
was my read was correct. And i had the best hand till
the river, even if it was only A high.

One thing i have found about live games, is that a "high"
stakes live game resembles wat u are likely to face in
a big tournament situation, more so than single
table tournaments. Coz u have to make decisions for
significant $s, and therefore test yourself under pressure.
Typically u should play in live games wiht buy in say
5x bigger than wat your playing single table tourney. Eg.
$10 ST, then dont sit in for a live game for more than $50.
Finding yourself outside of your comfort zone is important,
if you want to improve...

Pocket Js.
Single table tourney ($200), i have 800, i raise to 150,
get re-raised all in by the s-blind. Decide my Js are ok,
even though i think he must have As,Ks,Ak,Aq,Qs or may
be 10s. So really im either 50-50 or big underdog. He
flips over As. cya later. Not the best call.

Next ST tourney, i get Js again. This time UTG calls for $50,
2nd position calls for $50, i raise to $200 (i had $800).
The limper smooth calls, and then the 2nd limper raises to
$800. Wtf ? Y would the guy who smooth called the $50,
then come and make this big re-raise. Seemed completely
bizzare. If he had As, why not smooth call again, if he
had Ks or Qs why didnt he raise the first limper. Anyway
although i wasnt sure wat he had, i was more worried about
the guy who limped in, and then smooth called.
**potential mistake** - dont forget about the person caught
in the middle, and wat they might have , ppl sometimes only
look at the raiser and forget about the guy who called in between
or who is yet to act. So i decided to fold my Js this time.
The guy who limped, then re-raised the other guy all in, which
was obviously As, but the other guy called with his Qs and
sure enuff the limper had As.
I managed to get away from that hand, and grab 3rd. If u cant
get away from hands, then u going to be in a lot of trouble,
but more imporantly ur still in the tourney with chips !