The study group is already paying off—having five guys in there makes the grind way more fun. Running into Romero (hector12367) on ACR today was a blast. It seriously felt like 2011 again, just chatting in Discord and playing together. I had to stop watching his stream once I realized we were at the same table to keep things legit, but it’s cool playing with a solid TAG who actually knows what he’s doing.
I’m still on a tear and ended in the green again. I felt really solid overall, though I’ll admit I felt like a bit of a calling station in one or two spots. Hard to say if those are bad calls long-term or just the price of doing business, but I need to keep an eye on it.
The Big Pots
Stacking with Sets
My sets are getting paid off big time. Flopping 22 and just jamming over that BTN raise was easy money—he couldn’t let go of his King. I also loved how I played the JJ hand. Checking that turn to let him catch up and then overbetting the river once I hit the set was perfect. If a fish has a King there, they’re calling 15 BB just as fast as they’re calling 5.
Flush vs. Trips
The QQ hand was a beauty. I stayed aggressive, and when the third heart hit the river to give me the flush, I got the max. That guy with the trip 4s was never folding, so it was just a matter of sizing up to get the most value.
Spots to Clean Up
1. That Damn River Ace
The Q9 hand was a classic “don’t fall in love with your hand” moment. I had top two, but that Ace on the river is such a garbage card for me. When I bet and he min-raised, I knew I was probably beat, but I called anyway. He had AQ for the better two pair. I need to realize that when that Ace spikes, my “strength” pretty much evaporates.
2. Stop the Curiosity Calls
I definitely played like a station here. Calling a pot-sized bet on the turn and then another on the river with just a pair of 3s was dumb. I think I just wanted to see if he was bluffing the missed flush, but on a double-paired board, they almost always have it. I need to just muck those and save the 20 BB.
3. Playing with Romero
It was awesome having Romero at the tables, but I have to make sure I don’t start playing differently just because we’re boys. I need to keep that same TAG pressure on everyone, including him.
Final Thoughts:
I’m calling this a solid session, maybe an A- or B+. The bankroll is growing, and it feels good to be back in the green for the whole challenge. I just need to cut out those “curiosity” calls and respect the scare cards a bit more.
One more session like this and I’ll be feeling really comfortable at these stakes.