Too Aggressive

So we started with five at the table,  three open seats yet to be sold,  and two missing players.  This changes everything - the range of hands to be played with only five players is vastly different than with nine or ten...  I knew i had to be more aggressive,  exactly what i didn't want to do early.

And now i know why...

Seat two got here late,  he's sponsored,  which makes him some level of pro. Seat three is hyper aggressive and I'm sure thinks he's a pro. Seat 4 plays too many hands,  but doesn't play them aggressively.  I'm seat 6, seat 7 plays too many hands but not too aggressively,  and seat eight is pretty conservative.

So early on i get A5 off in the big blind and call a min raise. I hit a 5 on the flop, but we checked around.  Turn was something little i bet to two callers, and we all checked the river.  Someone had 6's, i had 5's, someone had 4's, i lost the first hand. 

Next hand I'm in the small blind with Q6 off and i called a couple limps... But folded after missing the flop.

The next hand, yes i played three hands in a row with bad cards,  i raised with 6 10 off on the button - it  was a position raise. Yes,  the very type of move i swore off after year two.  Predictably,  i lost.

Ugh,  three marginal hands in a row and three losers.

I limped with A8 off and got a 8 3 3 flop i bet a little with a call.  I bet a third heart on the turn and he folded...  My first pot! Phew,  i can calm down now,  right?

Right?!

Ugh...

I checked the option with pocket fives from the big blind and bet a flop with a lot of little cards for a min win.

Next hand,  small blind,  seat two raises,  seat three calls.  Pocket jacks.  Seat two made it 300, i made it 1,100 with a three bet.  Seat two folds, but hyper aggressive seat three calls.  Flop comes Q 9 9 rainbow.  I bet 1,800... Call.  Turn was a 7, i checked,  he checked.  River was a K putting a third diamond on the board.  Two over cards,  three diamonds,  a pair on board,  and I'm still sitting on jacks with about 3,000 in. 

Ugh.

I checked,  he bet 3,200. Ugh. I had to fold,  down 4,000 chips very early.

A short time later i had a late position and raised with K10 off and an empty seated big blind... Basically,  a position raise. Shockingly i won,  but just 150.

Over an hour in and still only 6 people at the table - not what i was looking for...

I got pocket jacks again with one caller in front of me,  but no one called my pre flop raise...  Probably for the best?

Anyway,  woke up with A8 suited in an early position with 6 people at the table.  Is that a good hand?  Marginal?  Bad?  I don't even know with 6 players...  But i raised with it and got two callers. I know that's not what i was looking for.  Flop came A J 9 with two spades and no diamonds (I had diamonds). I bet it good,  but both called and i folded when seat 2 bet a turn that didn't help me...  I guess that's why i shouldn't play middling aces no matter how many players.

I raised with pocket tens and dumped on the one caller i got after a 7 6 4 flop, but that just got me 500 when he folded.

I had A J off,  which a know is a good hand six handed so i raised and got a caller. I bet a J 10 3 flop hard,  but he called.  I bet a 6 on the turn harder and he went away.

I got QJ suited in the big blind and called a small raise with 4 players. Flop came J 2 3 and i bet it hard...  Seat 3 called.  Of course.  Now,  here's what i noticed about seat three - he calls almost every continuation bet,  but often times folds to a followup bet on the turn...  I wish i knew that when i played my jacks against him earlier,  i should have bet the turn anyway on that hand,  but it could have gotten him to drop.  Anyway,  i bet large after the turn of a 9 and he reluctantly folded.

Big slick suited! On the button and everyone folded...  Fantastic,  it looks like a position raise.  One caller - flop is A K 7, with two diamonds.  Ugh. Bet,  call.  Turn is another diamond - the 9. Bet,  call.  River was J hearts,  he checked,  i checked,  i won with top two pair...  Should have value bet the river,  damn. Three diamonds scared me.

I raised with 7's because we are six handed,  seat 3 called and checked a 9 9 6 rainbow flop.  I bet,  he check raised,  i got out of the hand - bad vibes.

Ugh, tens. In the big blind.  Called a small raise.  Flop comes Q 6 3 with two clubs and a spade.  i bet big,  everyone calls.  Turn was 9 spades, i bet it again hard...  Again two callers. Third spade on the river,  i folded to a giant bet from seat 3 but seat 7 called - he hit his runner runner flush... So dropped a bunch,  but not as bad as if i called.

I had QJ off in the small blind with a limp from seat 4, who limps most hands.  I raised and picked up some blinds. 

I was big blind for the last hand of the level and folded Q8 suited to a raise...  But i was distracted long enough that i ended up at the back of the bathroom line that appears no shorter on Day 1B.

$29,650 at the break, which isn't bad considering i was down under 25,000 at one point in time.  M Ratio of like  99 heading into round two.  A whole lot of action and emotion to be about back where i started.  If they close registration and combine tables,  i will need to go back to being more conservative. 

Made it 20 percent of the way through day one...