Foxwoods session, part I.

I went down to Foxwoods tonight with a friend of mine. I've had a lot of experience at this place over the past few years. I've also had a lot of good sessions there. I played for about 6 hours tonight, $1/2 NL and finished down $300. This was one of those times though where I felt I was playing good and things just weren't working out. So I wouldn't say it was a "bad" session, but it was a losing one.

I brought $500 with me to play and sat for $250 at my first table. The max is $300, but the rest of the table was rather short and I figured this is still deeper than the normal 100 BB stacks that I'm normally buying in with. I sat tight for a little while and started to feel out the table. There wasn't much action going on, especially with me. I believe 2 or 3 rotations went by before I played a hand.

I'm going to go over my key hands and would really love feedback on them. I don't care if people bash my play, but at least have some reasoning behind it. There is usually never one right way to play a poker and I am open to all avenues.

HAND #1:

Effective stacks $250.
I limp from MP with K10cc, there was a $4 straddle on this hand.
Folds around, BB completes, straddler checks.

{I limped because it was still early and I wasn't sure of the straddler's play yet, as he was new to the table a few hands ago. I could have raised here, but I believe that I am a much better post flop player than most people.}

Flop is T 6 2 with 2 spades.
Both players check to me and I bet out $12.
BB folds, straddler calls.
Turn is the 3c. Straddler checks to me, I check.

{I checked behind here because my opponent is an unknown to me and I figure I can play some pot control by checking behind and keeping the pot small. I only have one pair and don't want to play a big pot with this hand. I believe my check behind here would do 2 things: keep the pot small with pot control and induce a bluff on the end from my opponent.}

River comes the 8h.
Straddler immediately bets out $50, I call.
Straddler mucks.

{I called pretty quick here. An overbet plus an immediate bet just smelled like a bluff to me. I figured he was firing no matter what on the river after I checked the turn and he did.}

HAND #2:

Effective stacks $250.
Two MP players limp, SB completes, I check from the BB with 67o.

Flop comes 6 5 2 with 2 hearts.
SB checks, I bet out $6.
Both MP players fold, SB calls quickly.

{SB player was a middle aged man that commented on the fact that he was waiting for his $20/40 seat to open up. I read into this that he was a fast player that would gamble it up. I figured he'd be playing just like he would in limit (looser and faster) and not caring about the money he lost here because he "plays in a bigger game."}

Turn comes Kc and he checks again.
I fire out $15, he quickly calls.

{I figure him for some sort of straight draw or a flush draw. The only hand I don't want him to have is Kxhh or K6.}

River is the 2c and he checks again.

{Now I know he missed his draw.}

I bet $15 again and he calls with AThh and I scoop the pot.

I folded for a while and didn't see any hands worth playing. Probably an hour or so passed before I played this next hand.

HAND #3:

I raise UTG+1 with KQdd to $10.
The CO calls, BB calls.

Flop comes 8 6 2 with 2 diamonds.
BB checks and I lead for $20.

{Pretty standard CB here; two overs plus a flush draw.}

CO thinks for a little while and then calls. BB folds.

{I was a little iffy on this call here. He was playing pretty tight and looked like he wanted to raise, then fold, then raise, but then just called. I also wasn't a fan of playing OOP.}

Turn blanks and I check, trying to see a free card here.
CO bets $25.

{Pot is $96 and I'm getting just under 4-1 on a call here and we both had about $200 behind. I figure if he has a set I can get all his chips with a diamond that doesn't pair. I also had him on a hand like A8, 78, 89, or maybe a pair of 9s, 10s, or Js. With those, I have my flush outs, plus 2 overs so I liked my chances here.}

I call, river blanks, and I check fold.

This next hand came up a few hands later.

HAND #4:

MP limps, hijack raises to $15.
I call in the CO with AKo.

{I thought about raising here, but decided not to to disguise my hand a little in position. I had a decent read on the hijack and he is a solid player, so disguising would work here.}

Everyone else folds.
Flop comes 7 9 T, rainbow.
Flop goes check, check.

Turn comes an 8.
He checks, I check.

{I was going to bet here but now I don't feel comfortable betting with that card.}

River Q and it goes check, check.
He tables 67ss for a straight.

{I really believe I screwed this hand up from the get go when I look back at it. I should have raised him PF. He most likely would have called and I could have taken it down with a CB most of the time. Either way, by raising PF, I think I take it down PF or on the flop the majority of the time and that is the correct play.}

After sitting around for another hour and a half, I realized this table was a little too nitty for me. The players weren't giving up much action and I'd rather find a looser game where I can apply a tight-aggressive style profitably. It just didn't seem like this table was going to pay me off when I had a good hand, so I opted to switch tables.

This is all for part I of my session. I don't want to flood my readers too much, so I'll continue it later on with a part II. Suggestions, comments, and feedback are all welcome.

Oh and Jib, if you're reading I'd really enjoy some feedback from you. I think you'd have a lot to offer.