Caleb at the Victorian Champs

[AceLosesKing]

You're a machine, dude. Loving the hand histories and reports dude, keep em coming. Good luck with the campaign

[muzzington]

I have trouble with those combo draws on the flop like the open-ender and flush draw that guy had. If I went down to the river I might have check-called with only a ten high flush.

[Caleb]

I have trouble with those combo draws on the flop like the open-ender and flush draw that guy had. If I went down to the river I might have check-called with only a ten high flush.

That's what I would've done. He was in a tough spot though. 10 high could quite easily been good, but I play conservative in that respect most of the time.

Back to the tables I go!

[rcon]

nice work mate - loving write ups!

g'luck today!

[Caleb]

Day 3

Big one this one, I played for 32 hours straight today, only taking 30 mins away to have some breakfast.

Started at midday on sunday after getting a good 6 hours sleep, finished up half an hour ago at 8 pm sunday.

Started on $2/$3 NL, thinking it couldn't possibly be as bad as the previous days. I was wrong. Down $700 in less than 2 hours.

I flopped a straight first hand with 10c9c, flop QJ8 rainbow. I was all on in the turn and an Ace dropped to give K10 the win.

My final buy in on the table I did stack up to $500 quickly, then hit [7c 7s]. Raise pre from mid. 4 callers.

Flop [8d 7h 3d]

3 all in's on the flop.

Me: [7c 7s]
Villain 1: [Ad As]
Villain 2: [9c 5c]

Turn: [ah]
River: [6c]

Pretty standard really. It was only the 2nd time I'd flopped a set in Hold'em in about 40 hours of play so far.

At this time a $2/$4 PLO table was opening, so i cut my losses and headed over. They had 9 names on the list, but only 6 turned up. The table lasted only 40 mins, where I turned $300 to $950. Back to pretty much even.

Then I went to $10/$20 Limit Omaha, taking $1100 over.

This was bad. I played for nearly an hour, nor winning a hand until I was all-in. I dropped $1000 without winning a hand.

Once I finally won a hand I won 5 in a row, turning the $120 I had left into $850. It was so frustrating. Lcukily at this time the $20/$40 table was opening so I happily headed over to that one.

Played for 5 hours, stacking up to $1900. This game is easily the best one on offer in terms of value. I'm a big fan.

It was now about 1 am, so went back to $10/$20 limit for a while, lost $200 while watching Australia smash England in the Ashes.

About 4am that table broke and I was faced with a dilemma. I was up marginally for the day, but it was saturday night, lots of drunk donks and plenty of room on the $2/$3. I could play on them for a few hours or just go and get soome sleep.

I could sleep later I reckoned.

Joined a decent table that I didn't leave until 6pm.

In that time I stacked up to $1150 from $400. Not all smooth sailing,

Ace 5 times, cracked 4 times.

Kings 4 times, cracked 3 times.

Queens on AK flop 4 times.

Ran 10s in Jacks, Jack into queens, Queens into Aces.

Despite all this, I only got stacked once.

I open for $18 from mid with [As Kd]. Call, Call, button calls after saying "I should raise, but I won't".

4 to the flop.

[10s 7s 5s].

I bet $55. Folds to the button who calls.

[5d]

I bet $140. He thinks for a while, goes to muck and then calls.

[4h].

I push for $235. We're even stack. I've been playing well for the previous 8 hours so he knows I have hand.

He takes forever. He asks me if Aces are any good here. I laugh and say that he doesn't have Aces. He keeps saying "I get the feeling you flopped it."

I don't say much, but i know what he has. He has queens or jacks, probably with the spade. I would've laid this down earlier, thinking I was against Kings or Aces.

He finally looks at me and says. "I think you've seriously outplayed me here, but I'm in a spot where I'm valued to call with a bluff catcher. I'm beat but I call"

He has [js jd].

Fuck.

I played well from then on, stacking up well.

The reason I hadn't left is because a big, regular $20/$40 game was opening at 6pm Sunday. By the times that started I was falling asleep so I only lasted another 2 hours before I called it quits. I was up about $750 for the days.

I also know my limits now. Successful day all around I think.

[BigPete33]

I'm dying to know if you had a little chuckle when you looked down at 9T


Great reports mate, keep them coming.

[Bob B]

Loving your posts to death M8. I give credit to your staying power as I suddenly realised the hours you put into playing would be the equivalent to my sleeping times LOL

[Caleb]

Day 4

The Final Push.

Another 25 hours of play today, last chance to make some more money.

Arrived at 8am, sat at one of the 3 remaining tables and proceeded to be completely card dead for 5 hours. Was in 3 buy-ins before I won a decent hand. My reads on the table were spot on from then on and then started to stack up. By 3 I had $1000 in front of me, mostly through position bets and image. Once again variance was knocking me around, wasn't hitting much, just stealing pots when I could.

Once 4pm hit, player changes saw a few very weak players join the table. The created what I can only describe as the WORST, SICKEST & MOST RIDICULOUS hand I've ever been involved in.

9 seats. The seats that matter are:

SB: $300 - Tight player who is too tired to be playing properly. Knows how to play but can be pushed off hands.

BB: $1200 - Was at the table before me, strongest player on the table, same skill level as me. Lots of respect, good guy.

UTG: $950 - Awesome at playing [ac 9c] and [9c 2c], still learning the rest of poker though.

UTG +2 $130 - Weak. Was calling most things pre, not showing much strength unless he had the nuts.

UTG +3 $450 - Weakest player on the table. LAG to the point of ridiculous. Shoved a flushed flop with middle pair, no re-draw to trip the river to stack up. Should be easy money.

Also note my best hand for the previous 8 hours was pocket 10s. I raised to $21 on that and got massive respect.

I was dealt [ac as] UTG. $2/$3 blinds. I raised to $25.

UTG +2 calls, UTG +3 calls. SB & BB call as well. 5 to the flop.

Flop: [10d 8d 7h]

SB leads for $25. Oh oh. BB calls.

I consider my options. I cut out a raise, saying quietly, but loud enough so everyone can hear me "Ok, let's do this." I raise to $120.

UTG +2 snap all in for $105. UTG +3 snap calls, almost excitedly. Shit. Probably a straight and flush draw. [kd 9d] or some crap like that.

SB tanks and folds, not happily. BB folds, telling me his draw might already be dead.

Turn: [jd]

I check. UTG +3 snap all in for $300 odd. I instantly fold face up, saying that is f***ing sick.

River: [js]

So board is : [10d 8d 7h] [jd] [js]

UTG + 3 rolls [Qs Qc]
UTG + 2 rolls [Ks Kc]

WTF

I lambasted both of them for their ridiculous play pre-flop, and especially the queens post flop. Not something I usually do, just had to vent on that one.

I walked away from the table for 15 mins, and then 3rd hand back stacked the player who won with a runner runner flush after he had flopped a straight and played it bad.

I play that table till 8pm, then a $10/$20 lap of each limit game opened.

I lost $400 running bad, and the table broke before it changed.

So it now 4am, I'm up $200 for the day and it's decision time. Do I go to bed now and risk not waking up til mid afternoon and missing a chace at another session, or do I push on?

To hell with it, I push on. I'm feeling ok and I can sleep on the plane.

Back on $2/$3. Sat down on the best table ever. Everyone was stacking off very hand with nothing. Before I even played a hand I saw someone go all in for $800 into a pot worth $70 on a [10s 8c 3h] board. Maybe he had the nuts?

2nd I hand I'm SB. UTG makes it $15. A few callers. Crazy man on the button goes all in for $900. I have [3h 3c] for $197. I call. All others fold. Board [jc 8c 8h 2d 2s] I hold.

I gamble for a while, settling around $450 while the rest are stacking off around me.

Now, I have this bug that bites me sometimes, where I feel the need to push. I allow myself one crazy gamble a day, and I felt it on this hand. I don't justify it any other way than saying I just wanted my money in on this one.

I'm UTG+3 with [5d 3d]. Crazy man raises to $15. He was slowing down as he'd lost a few and was down to $400. I call. Next calls. Button raises to $90.

Button: Had played with him on Saturday. Very good guy, lots of respect as he played his cards properly but had a massive gamble streak in him. We'd been goading each for hours as we were always stacked up but never went to showdown together.

Crazy guy calls. I look at my cards. No way I can call. Easy fold. But I couldn't. I just didn't want to. I don't know why. I just felt crazy this one time. I said to the guy on the button that I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what there was to consider, the decision is clear.

He replies "Mate, you do whatever you want. You play your hand."

Ok. Done. All in for $390.

Folds to him. Throws him in a loop. I know he's calling at least. I was never trying to push him out. He might re-jam and go heads-up though. He just wasn't expecting it.

He does re-jam for $700. Crazy guy folds.

I start laughing, saying "I guarentee I have 2 unders"

Flop: [10h 5h 3c]

I stop laughing , look straight at him and say "I have 2 pair."

He sniggers, thinking I'm joking, until he sees my face. The dealer pauses and looks at me. Button asks "You really have 2 pair? Really?"

"Really mate" I roll. Button starts laughing the "OMFG I can't believe it laugh", dealer shakes his head and finishes the board.

Board: [10h 5h 3c] [qh] [ah]. Button shows [7c 7s]

Unbelieveable.

Table breaks down with me on $1150. at 7am.

Should've been home time.............

[Caleb]

Instead, I moved to a deepstack table with my whole $1150 and sit down. Lots of money changing hand, and one young asian guy starts destoying the table. With nothing. He was holding in $500 pots with top top and Ace high. It was sickening. I also saw him lose a lot by calling down massive bets with 3rd pair or draws, so you could easily get value out of him. He was quite easy to read. He's raise with flush draws on the flop but flat call the whole with a piece looking to spike cards. No matter how much you bet. Pot odds mean nothing. Just the win.

I sat back waiting, for a spot.

I thought I had one.

I had Aces. He was the only one that called.
Flop [qd 10c 10s].

He leads I call.

Turn [ad].

He leads hard, like he did every time he had a hand. I put in a small raise and he folds. Damn it. Bad read.

Then this hand cropped up.

I have $1160 in BB. [5c 3d].

7 way limped pot. He's on the button and calls.

Flop: [8d 5d 3s]

I bet $12. Get 4 callers. Button raises to $40. A standard raise for him with top pair or a flush draw. I've got him in a good spot I think. SB goes all in $80. I re-raise to $200. Folds to the button who calls.

Now if he has a set or 2 pair he re-shoves. He's done that every hand I've seen. The call is a very good sign.

Turn: [6c]

I don't feel he's raised me with 97, 74 or 42 so a blank for me and a possible scare card for him. I bet a pot sized bet, $500. Pot control was non-existant, I was seeing dollar signs. I was positive on my read.

He calls, like I expect him to. Make him pay for that draw all the way.

River [ah].
Damn. A little scary. A8 is possible here. If I check though he'll go all in. Ace high flush draw just paired as well. He has me covered. Trust my read and hope for the best.

ALL IN for $400 odd. He takes a minute and calls.

The whole table is asking me what have I got. Did I turn a straight? Top set? All are convinced he called with top pair on the flop or an Ace high flush draw, spiking the ace.

I rolls bottom 2 pair.

He rolls [8c 3c]. Top and bottom on the flop.

Damn. $2500 pot. I ask why he didn't just go all-in on the flop or turn. He says "I think you have set". That'd be right. So you call instead of raise because you think you're behind. Oh well.

So ends my stay in Melbourne. Won $200 on the last day. After expenses up around $2500 I believe. Good trip, very happy with the outcome considering some of the beats I took.

Who's up the next trip?

[Scotty]

That's one helluva trip dude, and one helluva last session.

I'll come over next time and run some live reporting