It looks like you are playing ok

hand 1: set over set sucks, chalk that up to bad luck.

Hand 2: I dont think the $5 bet is that bad, the A shouldnt have helped the Villian other than the fact that he played his hands horribly.

Hand 3, I dont like your call on the turn, you need to either fold or raise. What kind of donk is he?? I have seen this play with trips and also with a flush draw to try to see a river without investing to much more money. Either way you fold the river.

I don’t know why I left the $25 tables. As soon as I sat down I felt comfortable and started making good decisions. With how easy it is to win on the $25 tables I wonder if I my win rate would even go up moving to the $50 tables.

Today was a great session. Stacked someone with AA, AA again, and a set. Over 491 hands only really made 2 bad decisions and those weren’t to bad.



Hands: 491
VP$IP: 15
W$SF: 32.61
WtSD: 19.57
W$SD: 55.56
WL: 83.33



Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (9 handed)

Hero ($24.75)
MP3 ($23.50)
CO ($9.73)
Button ($24.45)
SB ($12.60)
BB ($24.50)
UTG ($43.59)
UTG+1 ($13.35)
MP1 ($33.90)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with , . SB posts a blind of $0.10.
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, Hero raises to $2, 3 folds, SB (poster) calls $1.90, 1 fold, UTG calls $1.75.

Flop: ($6.25) , , (3 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets $4, SB calls $10.60 (All-In), UTG calls $10.60, Hero calls $18.75 (All-In), UTG calls $12.15.

Turn: ($62.35) (3 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($62.35) (3 players, 2 all-in)

Final Pot: $62.35

Results in white below:
SB has Qc Ac (two pair, queens and twos).
UTG has 4c Qs (two pair, queens and twos).
Hero has As Ah (two pair, aces and twos).
Outcome: Hero wins $62.35.

SB was a tightish player and UTG was a total fish (obviously). I didn’t like the tightish player raising me but once the fish called I knew that the fish was committed to this hand. I was 90% sure that I had the fish beat and by pushing all in I build a $25ish dollar side pot with the fish. That means I am basically free rolling the tighish player.



Hand 1
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (10 handed)

CO ($42.65)
Hero ($24.65)
SB ($25.45)
BB ($25)
UTG ($4.66)
UTG+1 ($21.05)
UTG+2 ($8.62)
MP1 ($16.67)
MP2 ($60.94)
MP3 ($44)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , . SB posts a blind of $0.10.
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, MP1 raises to $0.75, 1 fold, MP3 raises to $2, 1 fold, Hero calls $2, 2 folds, UTG folds, MP1 calls $1.25.

Flop: ($6.60) , , (3 players)
MP1 checks, MP3 bets $3, Hero calls $3, MP1 folds.

Turn: ($12.60) (2 players)
MP3 bets $6, Hero raises to $15, MP3 calls $9.

River: ($42.60) (2 players)
MP3 bets $5, Hero calls $4.65 (All-In).

Final Pot: $52.25

Results in white below:
MP3 has Kd Kh (one pair, kings).
Hero has 6h 6c (three of a kind, sixes).
Outcome: Hero wins $51.90. MP3 wins $0.35.

Obviously I like the result here but don’t like the flat call on the flop. I don’t know why I do this but I really need to stop. He is either playing a big A or an overpair. With an overpair he is going to give me his stack on the flop, on the turn, or on the river, unless a draw hits. With AK he is just making a continuation bet so I am not going to get any more money out of him. Why give free cards that may cost me money? I am not worried about him drawing out on me (though that A on the river didn’t make me happy) but if the draw hits he may slow down.

Hand 2
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (9 handed)

Hero ($60.40)
BB ($23.50)
UTG ($9.73)
UTG+1 ($24.80)
MP1 ($25)
MP2 ($23.75)
MP3 ($25)
CO ($12.75)
Button ($33.55)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , . Hero posts a blind of $0.10. MP3 posts a blind of $0.25.
4 folds, MP3 (poster) checks, CO calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero (poster) raises to $1.9, 1 fold, MP3 folds, CO calls $1.75.

Flop: ($4.50) , , (2 players)
Hero bets $3, CO calls $3.

Turn: ($10.50) (2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks.

River: ($10.50) (2 players)
Hero bets $4, CO calls $7.75 (All-In), Hero calls $3.75.

Final Pot: $26

Results in white below:
Hero has Ts Th (flush, queen high).
CO has As 9h (flush, ace high).
Outcome: CO wins $26.

Granted My brother probably could have head the sucking all they way out in California but I still really don’t like that river bet. What hand calls me there that I have beat? This player was BAD so I don’t think that I fold to a river bet but I think a check call is a much better line there.



Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ Hero (9 handed)

Button ($16.35)
SB ($43.61)
Hero ($25.50)
UTG ($30.77)
UTG+1 ($49.30)
MP1 ($24)
MP2 ($35.90)
MP3 ($29.65)
CO ($24.90)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , . SB posts a blind of $0.10.
UTG raises to $7, 3 folds, MP3 calls $29.65 (All-In), 3 folds, Hero calls $25.25 (All-In), UTG folds.

Flop: ($62.25) , , (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($62.25) (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($62.25) (2 players, 2 all-in)

Final Pot: $62.25

Results in white below:
Hero has Ad Ac (two pair, aces and sixes).
MP3 has 9c 9h (two pair, nines and sixes).
Outcome: Hero wins $57.50. MP3 wins $4.40.


I am playing KK and raise to $2 and the SB calls. The flop is and SB pushed all in for a full stack, I fold. I am board so here is the chat that follows:

Me: nice flop
Him: thanks
Me: A6?
Him: AJ
Me: my 2's were way ahead of you
Me: I always get out flopped
Him: oh, i see....ya, but you kinda have to stay in on AJ

I always call an 8x raise OOP from a tight player with AJ. Why couldn't I have been playing AK?

Thanks for posting your numbers at the $50 tables. Your V$IP and PFR numbers are very similar to your numbers at the $25 so your problems may be post flop or just one of those poor runs that occur every now and again.
Are you using PAHUD?
Your numbers at the $25 tables indicate that you have what it takes to play at the $50's. Reading a few of the other journals it seems that many players go up a level and then back down several times before finally adapting and staying up. I don't know if it is the jump in standard of opponents or a mental adjustment to the higher amounts being risked but it does seem to be a common problem.
I plan on moving up in the next two months, if I continue to win at my present rate. I plan on giving myself a stop loss of 8 buyins ($400). This would be about 1 months profit so it would hurt me but still leave me with over $2000 in my bankroll. If I lost that much I would know that my game wasn't up to speed and that it wasn't just a bad run. I think you losing 2 buyins, whilst disappointing, hasn't really told you if you have the game for this level or if you just had a bad run.

This was a very boring session. I didn’t get many cards (low VP$IP) and I didn’t win many hands (low WtSD and W$SD).


Hands 183
VP$IP 12.57
W$SF 21
WtSD 14
W$SD 75
Time: 1.17 hrs
W/L: (0.45)


Hand 1
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (7 handed)

Hero ($24.40)
MP2 ($38.70)
CO ($25.45)
Button ($9.45)
SB ($19.45)
BB ($8.45)
UTG ($24.78)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , . SB posts a blind of $0.10.
1 fold, Hero raises to $2, MP2 calls $2, 4 folds.

Flop: ($4.35) , , (2 players)
Hero bets $4, MP2 calls $4.

Turn: ($12.35) (2 players)
Hero checks, MP2 bets $6, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $18.35

That is literally the worst card in the deck for me. OOP I think it is time to put my tail between my legs and run.

Hand 2
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ Hero (10 handed)

SB ($28.75)
Hero ($24.50)
UTG ($34.23)
UTG+1 ($35)
UTG+2 ($23.15)
MP1 ($55.68)
MP2 ($20.45)
MP3 ($10.05)
CO ($37.52)
Button ($60.46)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , . SB posts a blind of $0.10.
3 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 2 folds, CO calls $0.25, Button calls $0.25, 1 fold, Hero checks.

Flop: ($1.10) , , (4 players)
Hero bets $1, MP1 calls $1, CO folds, Button folds.

Turn: ($3.10) (2 players)
Hero bets $2, MP1 calls $2.

River: ($7.10) (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 checks.

Final Pot: $7.10

Results in white below:
Hero has Ad Qd (one pair, aces).
MP1 has 4c Kc (one pair, kings).
Outcome: Hero wins $7.10.

Up against a total donk I like the way that I played this. I was even prepared to call a reasonable sized river bet. Maybe I am getting better playing big cards?


Nothing to see here.


Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $ BB (10 handed)

MP3 ($27.50)
Hero ($26.35)
Button ($23.45)
SB ($8.90)
BB ($23.75)
UTG ($58.54)
UTG+1 ($25.95)
UTG+2 ($26.90)
MP1 ($24.40)
MP2 ($19.83)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , . SB posts a blind of $0.10.
6 folds, Hero raises to $2, 1 fold, SB (poster) calls $1.90, 1 fold.

Flop: ($4.25) , , (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $3, SB calls $6.90 (All-In), Hero calls $3.90.

Turn: ($18.05) (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($18.05) (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $18.05

Results in white below:
SB has Ah 5h (three of a kind, fives).
Hero has Kh Ad (one pair, fives).
Outcome: SB wins $18.05.

Ick. On the flop it was only $4 more for me to call to win $14. I am getting 3.5:1 on my money and if both of my overs are live I have 3:1 of hitting. There is a chance that my overs aren’t live (they weren’t) but there is also the small chance of him making an ill timed bluff and me being ahead right now.

On the flop I obviously I should have bet more, or checked, but I was 4 tabling and missed my opponents stack size. After that mistake, what would you do?

question hand... you've got to call. a bigger initial bet would have been nice (as you said), but i would call anyway.