Champion of Poker

In this piece, I have taken details of an actual session that I played in an online £2-£5 NL Cash Texas Hold’em poker game a few years ago. The game is 6 handed with a maximum buy-in of £500 of which I always buy in for the maximum to take full advantage of being able to bust more people if I have more money on the table. For the purposes of this lesson I have left out the effect of the rake.

I have kept the details of the other players down to a minimum as it is the framework of my own poker playing style that I want to get across here.

I sit down at the table and wait for the big blind, I sometimes feel that this can make other players think that you are tight and do not want to put money into a game that you do not need to.

Hand 1: Big Blind, K-5. It is folded around to SB who raises to £20. They could be testing me as it is my first hand but I will let this one go and just make a note of their aggressive action for future reference. Stack size: £495

Hand 2: Small Blind, A-6, It is folded to me and I like to test the water here because it is the people to my left who I am going to be pressuring the most. I raise to £15 and the big blind calls. The flop came 7d-Qs-8c. I make a continuation bet and fire £15 into the £30 pot and the big blind re-raises to £50. Not much to think about here and I fold. Stack size: £465

Hand 3: Button, A-J. It is folded to me and I can kill two birds with one stone here. Raise with a good hand from this position AND test the blinds again. I raise to £15 and the BB calls. Flop comes 10c-5h-Kd missing me but giving me a gutshot draw. BB checks, I fire £20 and they fold, that king looks very scary when I have raised before the flop. Stack size: £480

Hand 4: Cut-off, 6-6 Raised to £15 by the under the gun player, folded around to me and I fold. Their stack was not that big so I felt that calling the raise with a speculative hand was not correct and neither was re-raising. If it had been folded to me then I raise or if there had been a limper but I avoid the confrontation here. Stack size: £480

Hand 5: 7c-6c, Folded around to me and I raise to £15, both players to my left call the raise much to my annoyance. Flop Qd-5d-Jd, I check, player bets £45 and we both fold. Stack Size: £465. Interesting side issue here, I have come onto this table and raised three of my opening five hands. The table are going to be marking me as aggressive and I need to be aware of that.

Hand 6: UTG 3-3, I still raise to £15, it is folded to BB who calls. Flop 2d-As-Jd. BB checks, I bet £20 they fold. Stack size: £480

Hand 7: Big Blind: 10-7. UTG raises to £10 (either this is done with a monster or they are making this raise because they play a lot of limit poker), folded around to SB who calls and I toss in the extra £5. Flop comes 10s-4c-2s. SB checks and I bet £20, UTG player raises to £70 and I have an easy fold. Stack size £450

Carl “The Dean” Sampson
Learn online poker strategy at bwin