I have been playing the most amazing poker of my life over the last 15 days.

I have played everyday live $1-$3 for the last 15 days.

I've played a total of 15 sessions for a total of 77 hours.

I've won 13 out of 15 sessions. 1 of my losing sessions was for a measly $9.

I have earned $2244 averaging $29/Hr.

In this run I have ducked so many huge losses.

Was in the BB on Saturday with 64. 5 players limp and I check. Flop comes 5 7 8 with 2 hearts. I lead for $11 and 1 player calls, next player re-pops to $45 and gets 2 callers. I folded the second nut and save myself $250 as the re-raiser had 69 and flopped the nuts. Turn brings a 3rd heart and A9 of hearts makes the new nuts.

Last night pick up QQ in middle position and smooth call a $15 raise from a very tight player who I think might have AA or KK. 2 players behind me call and then a early limper squeezes to $55. The original tight raiser shoves for $140 total and I insta muck. Limp-raiser insta calls with AA and tight player shows KK. Flop comes A Q 7. If I see a flop here for any price, I likely go broke for $300.

I feel like I've played out of my mind and dodged so many bullets.

My confidence in my ability has never been higher and I feel like I'm playing at the greatest level of my life.

I did 1 thing 2 weeks ago that has so positively effected my game it's sick. I re-focused myself on player watching and understanding why players do a certain thing. It's helped me pick off so many bluffs where I might have folded in the past and also spotting traps.

congrats man! always nice to hear success stories.

Originally Posted by dissata

congrats man! always nice to hear success stories.

Thank ya kindly!

I added to the run again tonight taking $161 off the game. 14 of my last 16 sessions are now for cashes, running my 16 session total to $2400.

very nice indeed. I wouldn't mind being able to make that kind of money, think i need to work on my bankroll first though lol

Originally Posted by djclipz

very nice indeed. I wouldn't mind being able to make that kind of money, think i need to work on my bankroll first though lol

Bankroll is certainly key. It's nice to have a day job to fall back on when building a bankroll.

The development of my game over this past 6 months is the biggest gains I've made in 8 years of playing poker.

It's like once you think you know it all you can simply re-dedicate yourself and learn so much more.

nah i think folding the second nuts in limped pots playing live poker is the key

Originally Posted by WotaWaster

OMG, Even I wouldn't consider folding there. How is his range not at least 55, 77, 88, 69, 64? Not to mention hands like 78, A6 hearts, Ax hearts with a pair, 76/86, TT maybe? Is someone who limps 69 preflop honestly not raising anything else here?

I really felt that this spot was too much of a gamble. Once it goes $11, $11, $45, $45, $45 this is going to be a pot that most players have a hard time getting away from, especially the players who have committed the $45 already.

Yes it is very likely that the raiser is holding a set or 2 pair, but there is also the chance that he has flopped the nuts with a suited gapper like 69 of spades. It is just as likely that he has 69 as a hand like 5 7, 5 8, 7 8.

It is also likely that 1 of the callers of $45 has the nut heart draw. There is literally no money in this pot until the raiser goes to $45, hence there is no point to be calling with small weak flush draws.

I ruled out flat calling in this spot immediately, as that would have been the worst decision. I then tried to decide how much I would raise, and what range of hands would be calling me here. As I'm only $300 deep, I need to make a pretty serious play at this pot.

The player who re-popped is sitting with $250, the 1st caller of $45 has about $220, and the last caller of $45 has about $90 left.

I have to assume that if I re-raise, the player with only $90 left is likely coming along with any draw, as he is probably going to be getting the right odds to call as well. Then I also have to worry about the original re-raiser, who might actually have me beat.

I came to the conclusion that even if I was ahead at this point, there wasn't a raise I could make to clear the field. Best case scenario I'm up against a set/2 pair, and a flush draw. If that were the case, it's about even of odds as can be. We all have a 1/3 chance to win this pot. I wasn't comfortable with putting my money in like that, so I decided that the best decision was to fold. Plus there was still the chance that the raiser was holding the nuts and I was drawing dead to a chop.

Turned out to be the right fold. In this $1-$3 game it doesn't take long to find a much better spot than this.

"Finding a better spot" is a tournement concept which does not apply to cash games. Folding out draws is something you DO NOT want to be doing.

Ship it and Profit

Originally Posted by 22Fish

"Finding a better spot" is a tournement concept which does not apply to cash games. Folding out draws is something you DO NOT want to be doing.

Ship it and Profit

I'm going to have to disagree here. In tournaments your time is limited. You don't have the luxary of just moving on to the next hand and being patient. Blinds and antes are raising, and your time and chips are limited. The blinds aren't going anywhere in the cash game. You've got all day to sit and find a better spot.

Also, as I previously stated, my best case scenario here was getting in as a 33% favorite to win the pot, even with the current 2nd nut. There was also the outside chance that I was drawing dead to the chop, which doesn't seem very profitable at all.

Just turns out that my read was correct and my time spent deliberating over what to do led me to the right decision.