Weekends are +EV

I officially love the weekends. Well, who doesn't right? We all get the two day respite from the weekday grind consisting mainly of work, commute, and whatever else your daily routine may be. So needless to say, I really cherish my time on the weekends. Well, I'm quickly finding out a bigger reason to liking the weekend. The donkeys are out in full force. Oh my god. I have never seen a collection of such bad plays but on the weekends, it's like normal. I don't even know where to start. The key is to not let a few bad beats affect you. Because they will be there. With all the chasing that's done, it's bound to happen.

Now why is this so new to me? I mean this is almost like common knowledge that weekend players are atrocious right? I guess I never put in enough time on the weekends before. Now that I put in like 3+ hrs (at least) on the weekends, I finally am seeing the whole slew of bad players. Ok, where should I start?

Let's go with this one.

Full Tilt Poker Game #5546204828: Table Tuscarora (6 max) - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:41:00 ET - 2008/03/08

Seat 1: Lvl18Wizard ($1,001.80) <--- BB
Seat 2: Koether ($72)
Seat 3: kobelicious ($86.35)
Seat 4: KyleGass ($426)
Seat 5: pickpocketted ($278.80)
Seat 6: RecessRampage ($408.50) <--- SB

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RecessRampage [Jh As]
Koether raises to $14
kobelicious folds
KyleGass folds
pickpocketted calls $14
RecessRampage calls $12
Lvl18Wizard folds

*** FLOP *** [9h 5c Jc] <--- TPTK baby!!!
RecessRampage checks

I check here KNOWING exactly what's gonna happen. The shorty who initially raised is gonna shove. My assumption for his preflop raising range is two broadway cards or any PP. Either way, a J high flop should seem innocent enough to this guy so he's shoving.

Koether has 15 seconds left to act
Koether bets $58, and is all in <--- as expected
pickpocketted calls $58 <--- interesting call. Draw?
RecessRampage has 15 seconds left to act
RecessRampage has requested TIME

Now this is where it gets interesting. I was surprised to see this guy call $58. So, I had two thoughts. Does he have a flush draw? Does he have a set and he's trying to price me in? But if he has a set here, does he really want to price me in with two clubs on the board? Also, would he really call $58 with just a flush draw? If he does, is it only because the shorty is all in so maybe he's hoping for two free cards? Since I have TPTK and I'm fairly certain that if pickpocketted had an overpair, he woulda reraised preflop, the other thought is that he might have hit the J. So, I do this.

RecessRampage raises to $278 <--- trying to price out draws. If he's calling a $58 all in, I'm thinking he might fold the flush draw (maybe not) but maybe not top pair.

pickpocketted has 15 seconds left to act
pickpocketted calls $206.80, and is all in

RecessRampage shows [Jh As]
Koether shows [4s 4c] <--- nice shove with 4th pair
pickpocketted shows [Jd Qh] <--- lol wtf did he think I have? I <3 weekend donkeys!
Uncalled bet of $13.20 returned to RecessRampage

*** TURN *** [9h 5c Jc] [Th] <--- uh oh... don't do it to me Fulltilt!
*** RIVER *** [9h 5c Jc Th] [Kh] <--- dammit

RecessRampage shows a pair of Jacks
pickpocketted shows a straight, King high
pickpocketted wins the side pot ($413.60) with a straight, King high
Koether shows a pair of Fours
pickpocketted wins the main pot ($217) with a straight, King high
Koether is sitting out
RecessRampage adds $270.30

*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $633.60 Main pot $220. Side pot $413.60. | Rake $3

That was a big pot. Now keep in mind, I didn't post this to cry about bad beats or anything like that. I just wanted to illustrate that I am getting calls like that which is great. Instead of letting this tilt me, I simply added to his notes that he'll call off his stack with top pair after seeing tremendous strength. I've said this before but things like this barely tilts me... well, until this guy then got up and left... that irked me a little (always does) but again, not enough to really tilt. I mean in the end, keep in mind that I WANT calls like that.

Here's another one, though it turns out the guy had a great hand...

Full Tilt Poker Game #5557363314: Table Goldspur (6 max) - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em - 20:22:01 ET - 2008/03/08

Seat 1: gobboboy ($475) <--- BB
Seat 2: Voronin ($400)
Seat 3: go2goal ($216.50)
Seat 4: RecessRampage ($613.90)
Seat 5: figo_legend1 ($1,029.50)
Seat 6: Donkitover ($421) <--- SB

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RecessRampage [Kh Th]
Voronin folds
go2goal calls $4 <--- UTG+1 limp
RecessRampage raises to $18 <--- RAISE from CO. I would do the same with KQs. :) (nonbloggers will probably not get this joke)
figo_legend1 folds
Donkitover folds
gobboboy folds
go2goal calls $14

*** FLOP *** [Tc 4c 9d]
go2goal checks
RecessRampage bets $25
go2goal raises to $108
RecessRampage has 15 seconds left to act
RecessRampage has requested TIME

A guy limp calls preflop and then checkraises me a big amount. Whenever there's a checkraise, my initial reaction is "set?" But what hand here would flop a set that would only limp call preflop? 44? I mean surely 99+ is raising so I can't see him having 99 or TT, esp since I have a ten as well. His raise amount also seemed a little big. Like he wanted a fold from me. Something just didn't smell right. Maybe a flush draw? Maybe a T but since he limped, less likely A-10 and more likely like J-10 or something? I had a feeling I was still ahead based on his preflop actions. So I did what makes the most sense to me.

RecessRampage raises to $366
go2goal calls $90.50, and is all in
RecessRampage shows [Kh Th]
go2goal shows [3c 9c]

Uncalled bet of $167.50 returned to RecessRampage

*** TURN *** [Tc 4c 9d] [5c] <--- at least it was quick
*** RIVER *** [Tc 4c 9d 5c] [9h] <--- rubbing it in!

RecessRampage shows two pair, Tens and Nines
go2goal shows a flush, Ten high
go2goal wins the pot ($436) with a flush, Ten high
RecessRampage adds $2.60 <--- woot auto top off!

Sorry, another bad beat. But again, the key to this hand was his preflop call. 93s is good enough to limp EP and then call a raise to be OOP. Once the flop came, the hand played itself out since he flopped a monster with a pair and a flush draw (10 times out of 10, in a 6 max, people are willing to get all their money into the pot with that draw).

Again, no big deal though. 93s was a little shocking though. Also hate losing the entire profit to a hand like that but what can you do? Still illustrates how bad the weekend players are though. 93s is awesome.

Now here's a hand where this guy actually has a great preflop hand... but played it so poorly that I had no idea he had that strong of a hand. To say that he completely fooled me is an understatement.

Full Tilt Poker Game #5557025273: Table Gateway (6 max) - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em - 19:54:20 ET - 2008/03/08
Seat 1: RecessRampage ($614.60)
Seat 2: Donkitover ($844.50) <--- SB
Seat 3: kose16 ($328.20) <--- BB
Seat 4: Dale0221 ($398.30)
Seat 5: AcowSAYMOOO ($445)
Seat 6: vanoo ($307.70)

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RecessRampage [5s 6s]
Dale0221 raises to $8 <--- UTG minraise
AcowSAYMOOO folds
vanoo folds
RecessRampage calls $8 <--- I'm on the button, suited connectors, minraise, how do I fold? The answer is, I don't.
Donkitover folds
kose16 folds

*** FLOP *** [3c 4s Td]
Dale0221 checks
RecessRampage bets $16 <--- bet my OESD
Dale0221 calls $16

Here, I was a little confused. The guy minraises then check calls my bet. That actually got me worried but confused. Does he do that with AK? Or middle pocket pair? But why minraise? If he had a strong hand, this would be where he should checkraise me right? This is the beginning of the confusion.

*** TURN *** [3c 4s Td] [2h]
Dale0221 checks
RecessRampage checks

This is probably where I totally misplayed my hand. I shoulda bet. I know I shoulda bet. I do the typical bet flop, check when I hit my hand, bet river sequence which is fine but I wouldn't have checked here if I knew what he had. Damn my donkish tendencies.

*** RIVER *** [3c 4s Td 2h] [3d]
Dale0221 bets $40
RecessRampage has 15 seconds left to act
RecessRampage has requested TIME

This is where it gets interesting. All of a sudden, the board pairs and he bets out. Now I'm thoroughly confused. Did he flop a set and just slow played the shit out of it? I mean his betting just didn't seem like he had an overpair. It just didn't seem to make sense. So obviously, I'm not thinking about folding. The question is, did he really have a set and just slowplay? Should I just play it safe and call? If I raise, what range of hands would call me? Would only a better hand call? Can you tell I was really confused? So I decided to put in a feeler raise.

RecessRampage raises to $120

Honestly, if he shoved here, I would have a very tough decision. I don't know anything about this guy so I don't know if some middle pair is in his minraise UTG range and then maybe slowplayed a set which is now a boat. So, if he comes over the top, it would be so fishy that I don't know what I woulda done at that point. Fortunately...

Dale0221 calls $80

*** SHOW DOWN ***
RecessRampage shows [5s 6s] a straight, Six high
Dale0221 shows [As Ah] two pair, Aces and Threes
RecessRampage wins the pot ($291) with a straight, Six high

In hindsight, I guess I coulda seen the AA. My read on this hand was obv poor. Had I known better, I woulda pumped the pot on the turn so that he would have to call on the river. I definitely left chips on the table... However, that was probably the weakest AA I've ever seen played.

Last HH is from last weekend. Just another instance of a weekend donk overvaluing a hand that is raise worthy but not reraise calling worthy unless it's HU against a fairly loose player.

Full Tilt Poker Game #5462114871: Table Juanita (6 max) - $2/$4 - No Limit Hold'em - 20:35:32 ET - 2008/03/01
Seat 1: EyePwnU ($400)
Seat 2: RecessRampage ($1,290.20) <--- result of weekend donkery
Seat 3: Wittgenstein ($400)
Seat 4: mjj864579 ($476.40)
Seat 5: taking_Names1 ($146)
Seat 6: elan4501 ($420)
RecessRampage posts the small blind of $2
Wittgenstein posts the big blind of $4
The button is in seat #1

*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to RecessRampage [Qs Qc] <--- I love getting big hands in the blinds or the button!!!!
mjj864579 folds
taking_Names1 raises to $14 <--- UTG+1
elan4501 raises to $48 <--- CO
EyePwnU folds
RecessRampage raises to $162 <--- I do not have the ability to fold QQ here. I'm not good enough.
Wittgenstein folds
taking_Names1 calls $132, and is all in <--- uh oh... this has to mean big PP right?
elan4501 raises to $420, and is all in <--- oh fuck... clearly AA or KK??
RecessRampage has 15 seconds left to act
RecessRampage calls $258

Heads up, I fold here. But the pot was just incredibly big at this point. The pot has like $870. I'm getting better than 3:1. And in 6 max, the big PP is TT+ for most people and AK is also a possibility. Sure, I could be up against AA and KK. But I think JJ, TT is possible. I just couldn't find the fold button here even though I really thought about it long and hard. But then I remembered Gnome's post about when in doubt, it's probably ok to shove QQ. So it's not quite shoving but how can I fold here?

elan4501 shows [As Kd] <--- phew
RecessRampage shows [Qs Qc]
taking_Names1 shows [Ah Jh] <--- HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

*** FLOP *** [2h 5s 7h] <--- typical Fulltilt scare/messing with my mind
*** TURN *** [2h 5s 7h] [3s]
*** RIVER *** [2h 5s 7h 3s] [Jc]

elan4501 shows Ace King high
RecessRampage shows a pair of Queens
RecessRampage wins the side pot ($548) with a pair of Queens
taking_Names1 shows a pair of Jacks
RecessRampage wins the main pot ($439) with a pair of Queens
taking_Names1 is sitting out

*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $990 Main pot $442. Side pot $548. | Rake $3

I never woulda guessed AJs as one of the holdings. This hand of course coulda ended badly. Instead, I win a $990 pot. But again, the one of them coulda easily had AA or KK (more likely the CO who saw me reraise, a guy CALL OFF his stack and yet still managed to get all his chips in). Considering the action before him though, I'm surprised AK decided to shove there. I put in the 3rd raise from OOP. Doesn't that usually mean AA or KK? Yeesh.

Weekends are great for the bankroll. Just make sure you have enough to ride out the variances that are inevitable and it would be extremely +EV.

I don't have the HH from the 5-10NL 6 max game I was playing Saturday night but that was extremely weak too. It was such a juicy table but I had to leave... I decided that joining my friends for a few beers was probably more important than making money... it was so hard to leave that table though... man, sometimes, friends are -EV... for the bankroll. But if I were to do it all over again, I'd do the same. I still know what's important and friends/family > poker, always.