Ed Miller

6.5 MORE HOURS OF $2-$5 NO-LIMIT

HOLD’EM

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$2-$5 with $1,000 starting stackEvery hand I put money in the pot preflop or saw a

flop I include some timings and numbers of hands folded

to give you an idea of how tight I playA diffi cult session for me—you get to see me squirm

making very few hands

A SESSION HISTORY

5 minutes and 4 folds after startingQc8d in the BB3 limps, I check7c6h2d I check, the next player bets $15, two players call,

and I fold

HAND #1

9 minutes and 6 folds laterQd9d in the BBOne limp, SB calls, I check8d8c6sSB checks, I check, and limper checks JcSB checks, I bet $10, and everyone folds

HAND #2

4 minutes and 3 folds laterAsJd two off the button I open $15 and everyone folds

HAND #3

2 minutes and 1 fold laterAsAh in the BB -- $600 eff ective stacksButton opens $15. I 3-bet $55, he calls.Ts7s2h I bet $60 and he callsQc I bet $160 and he folds

HAND #4

13 minutes and 9 folds3s3c on ButtonOpen $15 and everyone folds

HAND #5

5 minutes and 2 folds laterKhKs four off the ButtonOpen $15, Button calls, BB calls9d4d2sBB bets $20. I raise to $75, everyone folds.

HAND #6

Very next hand9d3s in BBOne limp, SB calls, I check.Ts7h2cCheck, I bet $10, both call.3dChecks around.ThChecks around. Limper shows a 7 and wins.

HAND #7

5 minutes and 1 fold laterTdTh on the ButtonTwo limps, and I raise to $30 on the Button. Both call.Kc8d6sFirst limper checks with a physical tell of interest in

the pot. Second player bets $30. I fold.First player called flop and then bet out $100 on a 6c

turn.

HAND #8

1 minute and 1 fold laterKdQd two off the ButtonTwo limps. I make it $30. Everyone folds.

HAND #9

7 minutes and 4 folds later8d7c in BBOne limper, SB calls, and I check.Th8h3cSB bets $15, and I fold.

HAND #10

10 minutes and 3 folds later9s2h in BBTwo limps, SB calls, and I check. JsTh6hSB bets $15, I fold.

HAND #11

3 minutes and 1 fold later Js9s on ButtonTwo off button opens $15. I call. Blinds fold.KdKh2cCheck-check.6cOther player bets $25. I call.ThOther player bets $75. I fold.

HAND #12

3 minutes and 1 fold later2d2s two off ButtonPlayer four off Button opens $25. I call. $350

eff ective stacksTh8c3hPlayer bets $25. I raise $85. He tank calls.AcHe bets out $100. I fold.

HAND #13

7 minutes and 3 folds laterAc6d in BBThree limps, SB calls, I check.Td7c3dChecked around.QcChecked around.5dSB checks, I check, next player bets $25, and all fold.

HAND #14

35 minutes and 20 folds laterAd7dTwo limps, I limp in SB, BB checks.AcQc8s I check, and it’s checked around.Kh I bet $20, and all fold.

HAND #15

8 minutes and 5 folds laterAhKs five off the ButtonLimp, I raise $20. Cutoff and Button call. Limper calls.Qd5d2s I bet $80. Cutoff tank folds. Everyone folds.

HAND #16

2 minutes and 1 fold laterQdTd in BBPlayer five off Button opens $20. Call from four off

Button and SB. I call in BB.5s3c2dSB checks. I check. Raiser bets $40. Next player

raises to $90. SB folds, I fold.

HAND #17

4 minutes and 1 fold laterAsQd on ButtonOne limp, I raise to $20. Limper calls. Js5c2dCheck, I bet $30, he folds.

HAND #18

Very next hand2c2d in CutoffOpen $15. Button (live pro) 3-bets to $50. I fold.

HAND #19

13 minutes and 6 folds laterKc9d in BBThree limps, SB calls, I check.As8s8cSB checks, I check, next player checks. Next bets

$30. All fold.

HAND #20

10 minutes and 6 folds laterQd5d in BBCutoff opens $15. For this player I interpret this open

bet size as weakness as he sized according to hand strength. I call.

KdJd6c I bet $30. He folds.

HAND #21

27 minutes and 13 folds later4d4s in BBTwo off Button opens $20. I 3-bet to $65. He calls.AsKhJd I bet $95. He tank folds.

HAND #22

16 minutes and 11 folds laterAhJh on ButtonSix off Button opens $15. Two calls. I call. Both blinds

call.7d6d4dEveryone checks to player on my right who bets $75.

Everyone folds.

HAND #23

Very next hand Js9s in CutoffThree limps. I raise to $35. First limper calls, all fold.Ks9h7hCheck-checkKdCheck-check4dCheck, I bet $55, he folds.

HAND #24

17 minutes and 10 folds later6d6h three off ButtonLimp, I raise to $20. Two off Button calls, limper calls.9c7s2dCheck, I check, player bet $40. We both fold.

HAND #25

6 minutes and 3 folds laterAsQc in BBThree limps. I make it $30. All fold.

HAND #26

23 minutes and 10 folds laterTsTc two off Button. UTG Straddled pot.Three off Button opens $35. I call. BB calls, Straddle

calls.Ac6c4sChecked to me. I bet $105. BB calls. Straddler shoves

for about $900. Both fold.Straddler was a tellbox on this play, and it was

obvious he had a strong hand that he felt was vulnerable and he felt stack sizes were awkward. He said he had 6-4 and I believe him based on his behavior during play.

HAND #27

2 minutes and 1 fold laterAsQs four off Button. UTG Straddled pot.Open $30. Straddle calls.Ks4s4dCheck, I bet $35, she folds.

HAND #28

15 minutes and 10 folds later Jd7d in SBFour limpers. I call. BB checks.Td8h3d I check, BB bets $20. Three calls. I raise to $120. All

fold.

HAND #29

15 minutes and 9 folds laterQdJd two off ButtonLimp, I raise to $20. Call from one off Button. BB

calls, limper calls.Tc7s4hTwo checks, I bet $70. One off Button calls, others

fold.7h I check, he bets $100, I check-raise to $300. He calls.3sCheck-check. He shows Td5d

HAND #30

3 minutes and 1 fold laterKsJs five off ButtonOpen $15. SB calls.AhQh4hCheck-check.AsCheck, I bet $20, he folds.

HAND #31

2 minutes and 1 fold later8c7c in SBTwo limps. I raise to $30. All fold.

HAND #32

3 minutes and 1 fold later JhTc on ButtonOne limp, I raise $20, limper calls.Qc9d2sCheck, I bet $40, she calls.6hShe bets out $55. I call.2dShe bets $75. I fold.This player was extremely weak and I believe she

would have stacked off with anything on the turn that she was willing to bet $55 with.

HAND #33

6 minutes and 3 folds laterAdJc in BBTwo limps. I check. Jh4s2s I bet $15. Both fold.

HAND #34

Very next hand6h4h in SBThree limps. I call, BB checks. Jh8c3s I check and it checks around.2s I bet $25, and all fold.

HAND #35

7 minutes and 6 folds laterAh4h in BBOne limp. I raise to $25. Call.Kc8d3d I bet $25. She raises to $75. I fold.

HAND #36

3 minutes and 1 fold laterKh9c on ButtonOpen $15. BB calls.Ad7s5hCheck-check.4dCheck, I bet $20, he folds.

HAND #37

12 minutes and 4 folds laterAhKs in BBFive off Button opens $20. Four calls. I 3-bet to $120.

Original raiser calls, all others fold.6d6c2sCheck-check5cCheck-check3sCheck-check. My hand is good.

HAND #38

12 minutes and 6 folds later9c6c in BBThree limps, SB limps, I check.Qd4s3hSB checks, I check, limper checks, next bets $25. All

fold.

HAND #39

4 minutes and 1 fold later4s4d on ButtonFive off the Button opens $20. Call from two off

Button. I call. BB calls.8s8h2s. Two checks. Next player bets $50. I fold.

HAND #40

9 minutes and 4 folds later8h6h four off Button (This hand is not technically in

my opening range here. Tilt?)Open $15. Button calls. BB calls.TsTd3sCheck, I bet $30. Button calls.Ac I bet $70. Button calls.2hCheck-check. Button shows AhQh.

HAND #41

43 minutes and 24 folds later JdJc four off ButtonLimp. I raise to $20. BB calls, limper calls.9h4h4cChecked to me. I bet $40. BB shoves for $110 total.

Limper calls. I call.2dLimper checks. I bet $180. He folds.7cAll-in shows Ac4d

HAND #42

11 minutes and 5 folds laterQhQd two off Button. UTG Straddled pot.Open $40. Cutoff and BB call. Straddle folds.AhJs4cBB bets $50. I caught a tell that Cutoff showed

interest in the pot. I folded.Cutoff raised. I racked up for the night.

HAND #43

6.5 hours. Lost $710. Made very few hands all night. Just A-A and K-K overpairs early in session and J- J overpair near the end.

Stayed about even for fi rst four hours until the big hand I lost when my turn check-raise bluff got called.

Key Strategy Points You can stay above water for a while without making hands as long

as you stick with bread-and-butter bluffi ng lines. Ultimately you can’t win at this game without making hands at all. Before you act on marginal hands, look for signs of interest from

other players in the hand. In multiway pots you can use reverse bet-sizing tells to get folds

from fairly good hands. If very little is going right and you are starting to feel negative

about the session, quit. At least for an hour. Then come back with a fresh mindset.

SESSION SUMMARY