Money is tight until payday right now, so I took my poker money from the home game and threw it into our checking account. Figure we get paid on Friday, I'll just throw it on FullTilt. Yesterday, I realized that I have off on Monday. The Mrs doesn't and daycare is open. Soooo... I'm going to take that cash and hit the 10am tournament at Foxwoods. It'll only be my 2nd live multitable touranment. I'll probably play some cash games for a little bit as well.
I want to say a big Thank you to Dawn of I Had Outs and Clareified. She's given me my first comment in Months, and well... ruined the delusion that I'm just talking to myself. If there are any other readers, I HIGHLY recommend her blogs. I Had Outs is easily the most entertaining blog out in the Blogosphere (that one was for you Dawn).
Twice in One Month!
The Home Game, a brief review
Well this weekend was poker night. But more importantly, it was eat like a pig night!
That's right, the Mrs and I are dieting. I need to lose about 50lbs, so we're doing Weight Watchers. We're not going to the meetings, just doing it online. It works pretty good. It's really just a fancy way of counting calories, and as long as you burn off more than you take in you're going to lose weight. The hardest part is preparing meals, we were already eating "healthier." So we are able to make our points go further. The good thing about Weight Watchers is that they give you extra points each week. So I saved up all week and was ready for poker night. Got a big ol' 12" chicken parm and an appetizer of Potato Skins with Bacon and Cheese. PLUS before that I stopped at Taco Bell and picked up a Steak Quesadilla. Overall I lost 6 pounds for the first week, not too shabby.
OK, now on to poker.
Tournament #1. I got no hands, except two.
First Hand. JJ. I raise it up and get 2 or 3 callers. Of course the flop comes an Ace. I'm not about to give up. Figure maybe a bet will get ace rag to fold (but not likely with this crowd). I bet about 2 bucks (blinds were .25/.50). Get a caller and know I'm beat. I check he bets, I fold my jacks up. Maniac of course asks, "How do you fold jacks there?" I'm thinking, "Easy, that's why I win more of these than you."
2 hands later, I get 77. I raise it up, get 3 callers... flop is all overs and I have to let them go.
Tournament #2. Early Bluff.
A few hands in, I wanted to show a little aggressiveness, so I decide to play the next hand big. The next hand is 3s-5s. I decide good hand to do so. I raise and get a couple of callers. The flop misses me completely. I bet $2. 1 caller. The turn is a blank, I bet $4, guy calls. At this point, I'm wondering if I'll be able to push him off his hand. I'm going back and forth when the river comes and still nothing. I look at him, think, think... I check. He looks at me, then checks himself. I don't even bother to wait, I just toss them in the muck, as I had the absolute Anti-Nuts (there was no hand that can lose to me) without even waiting for him to show. He showed top pair.
Tournament #3. I wake up, but then get bored.
I finally get some hands and make some things happen. Nothing major comes back to mind except the last hand. I was heads up and behind. Blinds were, as usual, high. I just wanted to end and start a new one. I was happy that I made 2x the buy-in. I'm in the BB with 56 off. SB raises, and I just push. Surprisingly I was 50-50. He had pocket 4s. Which held up. Not surprising. Pocket fours were a monster that night. They were hitting sets left, right and center!
Tournament #4. I turn up the heat.
Again, I continue to play well and get cards. One hand I have ATd. I raise it up and get 3 callers (I'm 3rd to act). It checks around on each street. On the river it checks around, I think about taking a stab, but figure someone has a bottom pair or something and would call a raise, I just check. The button looks at every with a weird look on his face and shrugs and throws in a dollar. He's relatively new to poker (he's been in the home game since I started, over a year, but that's the only times he plays), plays really tight and was easy to read. It folds around to me. I just raise it up to $4. I didn't think I had the best hand (I figure him for either an underpair or bottom pair) and after that shrug, I would have raised with two Uno cards, so I wanted him to fold. He goes into the tank. He says he wants to call with A9. Now I'm praying he calls. But he folds.
A few hands later Slappy (the host) limps in, and I raise, he calls. We're heads up. I've got a pretty good read on him. He's aggressive, but usually with draws he just calls almost any bet. So two hearts come out. The flop missed me so I bet. He simply calls. Right then I know he's on a draw. Turn doesn't help his draw, I bet big, he calls. River is a blank, I bet out again and he folds. Felt good to punish him for chasing a draw. Though he did change things up later. He was in a hand (I folded preflop) and he bet had 7c4c and flopped the flush draw and bet at it on each street, catching his flush on the river.
Later, we're three handed (top 2 pay). I get dealt A8s. One guy folds and I'm in with Slappy. He raises about 2x the BB (which, when the blinds climb, is a good bet). I push all in and he calls with K2 suited. The guy was playing horrible that night. But lucky. He won the first tournament (might have won another) and then was coming in 2nd. Basically he was seeing a lot of flops and hitting them hard. The flop comes QJx. Then the 10 on the turn. His King hits on the river and he jumps up. My heart sinks as now I'm crippled, then a second later, "WAIT! I got the straight!" He drops into his seat. He takes loses hard. I knocked him out and take a huge chip lead into heads up and take the win with little fight.
Tournament #5 (there also may have been a 6th), I don't remember what happened.
Last Tournament of the Night. It was getting late, some of us wanted to play a little more, but didn't want to inconvenient Slappy who had to pick up his girlfriend. So we decided on a $5.00 winner-take-all, blinds double every 5 mins. Was surprisingly fun. There were six of us and 2 got knocked out right away. I got to heads up and it was pretty much a back and forth all-in fest, which I managed to win.
I finished the night up about $20. Bringing me UP about $40 (but my food was about $20, so I was up $20) for the night.
That means for 2007, I'm down $60. Hmm.. should I deposit my $120 into FTP???
Just for Fun.
The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Sixth Level of Hell - The City of Dis!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| Purgatory (Repenting Believers) | Very Low |
| Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) | Moderate |
| Level 2 (Lustful) | Very High |
| Level 3 (Gluttonous) | High |
| Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) | Very Low |
| Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) | High |
| Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) | Very High |
| Level 7 (Violent) | Moderate |
| Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) | High |
| Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) | Moderate |
Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test
This Weekend
Well just an update.
I'm down $100.00 for 2007. Blew through my entire 1/1 deposit already.
I ran out of my cash in .10/.25 short handed cash game. Early on I gained a few bucks, but was down to $6 when I get pocket Kings. Flop is all low, I push and one guy calls. He has AA. 8^(
I saved 5.50 for an Ante Up SnG (18 handed) last night. Was patient, until one play, which one I'm dealt 77 and early position raises (I believe he was the table chip leader), I just call. And another guy calls (but that puts him all in). The flop comes 8 high if I remember correctly. I have about the same amount of chips I started with and there have been a number of rounds already. So my chip count was low, but I wasn't desparate yet. I push. The guy calls and shows his QQ. I'm out. Totally donkey play. I shouldn't not have pushed.
Totally donkey play. I'll be away from online for a little while. As funds are tight. I DO have some cash for my monthly home game this weekend!
I did so well last week, I'm hoping for a repeat performance!
Poker Podcasts
This last few months saw the end of some of my favorite podcasts; MSR's All-in and Cardplayer's, the Circuit.
Both have since been revived. I'll admit, I have not really listened to the new Circuit yet. I have it downloaded, but only listened to it briefly to find out who the new folks are. I'm not really excited about it. You just can't beat the chemistry between Seabok, Huff and Gavin. I might give it a try, but cutting it will keep my podcasts down.
As for All-in , that's been picked up as well. JLev has picked up the ball and is trying to keep it rolling. Now this podcast I tried to listen to. It's just not the same. B-mo, being a comedian, made the show. The show wasn't about poker. In fact very little poker was discussed. It was about the community. B-mo has since moved on to other things: Behind the Bricks and Ultimate Poker Challenge. Even though I don't subscribe to the podcast, I am still banging the boards (there are other podcasts there that I listen to).
Good luck kin 2007.;
Happy New Year!
Well it's 2007, and while I didn't keep much in the way of records, I would like to think that I was slightly ahead for the year. I play mostly low limits. Finished the year with no money on Full Tilt, but I had a 2 big wins playing at Foxwoods, a couple of decent turn outs in the monthly home game (I only made it to about half of them), and I had a few withdrawals from Full Tilt. So all in all I'm going to call 2006 a wash.
2007... granted it's 2 hours and 11 minutes INTO it, is not looking so good.
Now to consider, online I play low/micro limits. With the occasional jump up in stakes just for the hell of it.
I decided to give myself entry into a $50 tournament or SnG on Full Tilt. I decided against that and decided to drop $50 into a $1/$2 no limit ring game instead (Note: this is short handed- 6 players). I play relatively conservative, and lost some cash missing flops. My raises were respected and I could get some blinds (granted not as big a deal in cash games as in tournaments, but anything was nice). I'm down to about $43.00 when I get dealt AA on the button
(oh and as you can tell, AA, probably gonna be a bad beat story).
The cutoff (w/ about $135 behind him) raises to 9, I repop it to 24 (hoping he'd re-re-raise me, but he calls.
Flop comes 7d - Ts - 9c.
I'm relatively happy with this flop, a called raise from a tight player with 86s or J8s is unlikely. He puts me all in, which is really only 19 more, so I have to call it. I probably should have pushed all-in with my stack, but I wanted a double up through this guy. Win a small pot, lose a big pot.
He flips over AdTd. I am lovin' life.
Turn: 2d... oh no.
River: 6d...
Welcome to 2007.
I then took $10 into a .05/.10 shorthanded, and made about $12 profit.
Which I proceeded to most of that profit in an $5.50 18 handed SnG and a $6.25 Turbo Heads Up SnG.
2007: -$49.21
My Rakeback
I went broke on FTP a few weeks ago and have been busy with school so I haven't reloaded. Well I just got my rakeback deposit... woo hoo $5.58. I contemplated a few things, $1.00 tournaments/SNG, one $5.00 one, or just cash games. Ultimately I chose the cash game option and onto a table DETERMINED to play solid poker (I was working on my paper at the same time, hoping that would keep me tight).
After about an hour, I'm at $1.20. OUCH. I was pretty annoyed with my craptastic play. I was pretty much done. I'm in the BB with K2 suited. No raises, so I just check my option (there are about 4 limpers. The flop comes K-6-9 w/ 2 diamonds (I have none). Early position bets a little less than the pot, everyone folds to me. I'm about to throw it away, but tired of my recent play, I decide that I really shouldn't be playing right now and punish myself with a donkey push. Bettor calls and shows his better kicker- KT.
The old adage applies: "God protects fools and drunks." I was not drunk.
2 on the river, and I double up.
I see this as a reprieve and that I should stop being a dumb-ass. I double up again and eventually manage to push my stack to almost 10 bucks. I drop down to under five again when I make some bad plays (I still consider myself a beginner and a couple of times overvalue the flush draw- calling pot sized raises and folding when I miss the river),but worked it back up. I made some good calls, figuring a guy for weak and calling a continuation bet and a turn bet with ace high. Guy backed down on the river and checked and I had him beat.
The final play of the night, I'm not sure if I made a good play or a bad one. I know I made some mistakes.
I have just over 10 bucks, and am the chip leader.
I'm in middle position and look down at AQ suited.
UG+1 raises to $0.20 (-I hate min raisers).
UG+2 calls
UG+3 calls
I call (-stupid play, I probably should have raised)
BB re-raises to $0.30 (-ok, another min raise).
Everyone calls around to me, (-wow big surprise no one folded for 10 cents there)
(-Now, even though the raises are min raises, a raise and a re-raise could spell trouble. If I raise, someone is likely to raise or push all-in with AK or even a middle or high pocket pair, forcing me to fold. But I'm not folding when it'll cost me .10 to win 1.45- or is it 1.55 including my .10).
So I call.
Flop comes 9-A-5 rainbow.
BB is short stacked and has about 1.50 in his stack. He pushes. (-I knew he would. My thought process is that if anyone raises his bet, I gotta let the hand go)
UG+1 folds
UG+2 just calls. (-he's got about 3 bucks left after the call)
UG+3 folds
(-Well I'm closing the action here and no one raised.)
I call. (-I'm really hoping to be able to check to the river on this (but that's not as likely in a cash game as a tournament.)
Turn: Q. (-yahoo)
UG+2 checks. (-Checking to the river is no longer gonna happen)
(-There's about $6 in the pot and he has $3 left)
I push.
UTG+2 thinks for a second then calls.
(-I'm surprised when the hands are flipped up. Not because of how they were played, but because I was right on my reads after the flop. I figured AK vs 2 pair but at this level it could have been AT vs AJ or almost any two aces. I just didn't trust my reads enough to get away from the hand... and I'm glad I didn't)
BB shows AK
UTG+2 shows A9.
(-now I was UTG+2 played it, he could have had a pocket pair that flopped a set, but I was pretty sure BB didn't have a pocket pair. I don't think he would have re-raised, either just called the .20 or put in a large re-raise to protect his hand.)
The river is no 9 or K and I scoop a big pot.
I finished the night @ about $16.00.
And I finished the paper... unfortunately I stayed up until 3:30 am playing Call of Duty 3. I'm tired.
December Homegame
It's been almost 9 months since my last home game. The last time I was able to make it, we only had 3 or 4 people, so we went to Foxwoods instead. The nice thing was that the host pushed it out one week because it was the only weekend I could play.
I've mentioned it before, but the home game is like a WPT Touranment. Blinds DOUBLE every 15 minutes. At the end it's pretty much an All-in 'fest. Buy in is usually $10.00. But you get $20.00 in chips. Blinds start @ .25/.50, and like I said, double every 15 mins (so we never have 3-6 or 5-10, it's 4-8 ,to 8-16). We start at 3pm and pretty much play until midnight, usually getting in about 6 games.
We normally have between 7-12 players with 7 of them being regulars. There are no players that are CLEARLY better than the rest, but there are some others that are "easier" than the others.
This month there were 7 players (payout being $50/$20). We had most of the regulars and one guy who's been there a couple of times. No one new. Most are decent players (for low limit players). With a few extremes:
Crazy Luckbox- I have a reputation for being aggressive and not afraid to throw my chips around, but this guy is nuts... and lucky.
Mr. The Rock- Tight player, easy to read.
Mr. Station- annoying as hell, easy to read, will call with pair or draw until the river and fold at that point, easy to tilt too.
The other three aren't as easy to read, so I haven't put much effort into it.
Because we had only 7 players, 2nd gets 2x the buy in back and winner gets the rest. The first game, I didn't do much, except I knocked out the luckbox. He's always been the bane of my existence at the homegame.
The second game, I managed to get heads up with the guy who gave me the Herpes nickname. I was severly shortstacked. But was destined to win as I hit every hand and double up a number of times. Pretty much there was nothing he could do.
The 3rd game started and I was just on a roll. Winning one of these pretty means you're freerolling for the rest of the night. At worst you end up even. It opens up your game a little bit. I basically opened up my starting hands a little (which are loose to being with). I ended up heads up with the same guy again. This time we started about even in chips. The lead went back and forth. The final hand was good one (wish I could remember what each of our hands were). I was first to act. And limped. He checked (neither of us are afraid to play after the flop). The flop hit me with, giving me a pair of 9s. I bet and he called. Turn was a 10. This gave me a open ender. I checked and surprisingly he checked. The river was a Q. giving me a straight. I think about it for a while, and take a big risk and check. He thinks for a second and pushes all-in. He was barely done saying all-in when I call and flip over my straight. It's a great feeling to set someone up.
The 4th and 5th games, I didn't do much, other than tilt Mr. Station and bust Mr. Luckbox. Mr. Station actually won one and so did Mr. Rock.
The final game I finished 2nd (AGAIN heads up with nickname giver). He set me up nicely after the flop. Flop came K-K-x. we both check. Turn is a 6 (which pairs me). He checks and I push all in. He calls and flips over the K. Unfortunately there was only 6 folks in that one so 2nd place got the buy-in back.
It was a good time and I came home up about 40 bucks, which includes all the buy-ins, chips and soda and ordering food.
Can't wait for the next one.
I Failed!
My self-quaratine from poker failed miserably. I definitely have a problem... I even donked off a bunch of my most recent deposit, but got some of that back between SitnGos and micro-limit Cash games.
But I thought I would take this time to mention some hands on FTP last night in an SnG. People are always talking about sucks outs and bad beats that they see at FullTilt, and I've seen my share, but I was playing in an 18person $5.00 +$.50, SnG. I made the final table and cashed in 4th (the first money spot). But to get there I had hands that held up. Two or three times, I had all my chips (I was short stacked a for a while) in with top pair or 2 pair, and my opponent would show either a flush draw or a straight draw. Those draws never made it, and I stayed in the tournament. And on my final hand, I had A10 vs KK, and guess what, an ACE didn't come. KKs knocked me out.
What does this mean? Well basically it means, take the time to notice when you're good hands hold up. Makes it easier to digest the times that they don't. If there wasn't chance/luck in poker, it would be called Chess.
Frustration
I'm back in school and that is going to be taking a lot of my time with papers and readings this semester, so I've decided to take a break from online poker. Basically if I'm going to be working on my computer I should be doing school work. OK, I'm working on it. But boy was I looking forward to Thanksgiving weekend. My brother in law was going to set up one of his $50 buy-in home games. A bit steep, but I've won that last two. I talked to him and he said to come down to the restuarant and we'd be playing around 11pm. So I get there only to find out that most of the people decided not to play. He tries to get a 4th person. That person agrees, but then leaves without a word. So we scrap the game and I head to back to the house. I decide, that this is a special occasion, and throw some cash onto Full Tilt and start playing.
I jump in the $10+1 Midnight Madness Tournament, which is a fun one. Played and sweated a buddy of mine who was also playing. 1300+ people, I finished 160. Won about 2x the buy-in. Unfortunately I dusted off a bunch of other money playing other MTT SnGs.
Finally I sat down at a micro-limil NL cash game, and won enough to be just about even for the night. Finally had to call it a night @ 3am.
Big hand of the night in the cash game.
I had pocket 4s and was playing with a maniac.
Flop was 3-6-Q. He bet a little less than the pot, I called.
Turn: Q. He bet again, I called.
River: x but it was higher than my pair.
He pushes all in, which was about 2x the pot, but that was less than 20% of my stack (i'd still be showing a profit it I call and lost). I think and because he's too much of a maniac, I called. He showed 7-3, and I stacked him.
Left shortly after since after he left it was just me and another guy, who was a pretty big luckbox.
Channeling Jack Straus
"Chip and a Chair"
Sure this wasn't the WSOP Main Event, it was only a $5 + $0.40 Heads Up Shootout (4 players) on FullTilt.
I ended up my first headsup opponent in 23 hands.
BLINDS ARE 15/30
The first hand of my second match (each have 3000 chips), I'm dealt A3o. I call the BB and my opponent just checks.
*** FLOP *** [Ah 9c Qd]
I simply bet the 1/2 the pot (30) and my opponent folds. I win 60 chips.
Hand 2. I'm in the BB with 6c4c. Opponent calls the BB, I simply check.
*** FLOP *** [3d 2h 5s]
BINGO! Can't beat that flop. I bet the pot (T60). He smooth calls.
*** TURN *** [3d 2h 5s] [5d]
Stupiditiy abounds here. I bet the pot (T180). I get min raised to T360. I raise to T1,260. He raises to T2,160. I finish it off, pushing all-in to T2940. He calls his last T720. I get T60 back (woo freakin' hoo).
My opponent flips over his Quad 5s. I'm done. I congradulate him on a good game. And wait to throw in my final chips.
Chip Count (T5940 vs T60).
I'm dealt 6c9c in the SB. and I push all in for 60. I hope he folds (yeah right). He calls, and shows pocket 3s.
I flop two pair and double up.
(T5880 vs T120).
Next hand I'm dealt pocket 7s. I push all in and he calls with Q7. My hand holds up.
(T5760 vs T240)
I call the BB (additional 30) w/ Jd2d. We check it down and he catches a 5 on the river.
(T5790 vs T210) - Blinds increase to 20/40.
He min raises to 80, I push all in with KQo and he folds. More chips!
(T5710 vs T290)
I have Q6o. Call the BB. FLOP is [4s 3h 3s]. We both check. TURN: Qc. He bets 80, I push all in and he calls. He shows 4dTd. The river is a 3, giving me a better boat.
(T5420 vs T580)- I definitely have some breathing room now (with the blinds 20/40), despite the huge chip disadvantage. That was the 7th hand of heads up with this guy.
A few hands go by where not much happened. We checked down to the river, only losing the blinds, or I fold to a bet on the turn.
Hand #10. (T5340 vs T660)
I'm dealt 57off in the SB. I limp he min raises to T80. I call.
*** FLOP *** [Kh 5h 5d]
Opponent bets T160, I of course push, he calls and shows KJo. I, of course and sweating because preflop I was 98% to lose. No improvement for him and I have T1320!
Again there's a lot of checking down or folding to bets. I re-raise him a few times to take down pots.
(T3710 vs T2290)
Hand #58 - blinds are 40/80.
I'm dealt KJ in the BB. He limps, I just check.
*** FLOP *** [Qh 6h Ks]
I check, he bets T160, I just call.
*** TURN *** [6c]
We both check.
*** RIVER *** [8s]
I bet the pot T480. He calls.
I show my KJ, he shows T8 and I take down a T1440 pot to take a slight chip lead.
(T2990 vs T3010)
ABout 10 hands later, I lose the chip lead when I bluff of 1200 in chips, trying to represent a flush with 4 spades on the board. I bet 1/2 the pot value bet bluff on the river, he calls with 2 pair. I wonder if I bet more if he would have folded?
(T3600 vs T2400) - Blinds 50/100
I beat Kojack AGAIN this time with KQ. I'm in the SB. He min raises to T200, I call.
*** FLOP *** [Qc 4c 2s]
I check, he bets T400, I min raise to T800, he calls.
*** TURN *** [Ks]
I check, he pushes all-in, I call for my last T1400. He shows his KJ, I shows my KQ for two pair. The RIVER brings an unneeded Q for my boat. I'm the chip leader again.
(T1200 vs T4800).
It's over two hands later.
(T1100 vs T4900)
He raises to T200, I call with Kd7c.
*** FLOP *** [Tc 8h 9d] I hit an open ender, but with the idiots end. The reasoning behind my next move was two fold. First it was late (3:30am) and second, I figure I could push him around, and even if he wins, I would still have a slight chip lead. I pushed All-in. T4700 (though really only the T900 he had) into a 400 pot. He calls with AJ. He also has the, I guess, genius end of the OESD.
*** TURN *** [Js] Gives me the straight.
*** RIVER *** [Qd] For a split second I thought this was a chop giving us both the Q high straight on the board, but then I noticed my little King sitting there, all neglected, giving me a K high straight and taking down the Shootout.
A hard fought battle and a the biggest comeback I've ever faced. 99 to 1 chip deficit. Probably won't do that again in my life.
HERPES LIVES!
post soon
Had the second greatest comeback story. EVER. Ok, maybe second only to Jack Staus. I'll post soon (those of you from MSR got a short version) as soon as FTP sends it to me (don't ask).
Suck Out Saves The Day
Playing in a NL game on FTP, this morning. I bought in for the max. And a few hands in I'm dealt KcQc in the SB. EP guy raises to 3x the BB. MP, Button, Me, BB all call. Five to the flop.
FLOP: 5d - Kh - 6d.
I bet the Pot, it folds around to BB, who min raises me pretty quickly. I think about just calling, but the moron in me says RAISE, RAISE!!!! So I push all-in. Stupid! He insta-calls and has me covered by a little bit.
He shows AdKd, for top pair, top kicker WITH the nut flush draw. Kickin' myself.
TURN: Qs - JACK POT!
Now I have to dodge an ace and any diamond.
RIVER: 5c. WOO HOO!!
My first suck out... EVER!!!!
No, not really, but probably my biggest win from a suckout.
... And Sometimes You're Just a Big F'in Donkey!
The Ante Up AIPS Touranment's 9th Event took place Thursday night. It was a Limit Hold 'em Event, which I've been doing quite well in LHE cash games. Yes, tournaments are different (with blinds increasing) but that still didn't explain my total sucking and playing soooo loose, and betting down to the river with absolutely nothing. It was ugly. Horribly ugly. I did play some limit cash games after I busted out (I think I was 4th out or something) and make some of that back. Still, overall, it was a disappointing evening.
----
I'm clumsy, but it's never cost me $139 million.
Sometimes You're Just Not Meant to Win.
That's not to say you won't cash, but you're not going to win.
I entered a 45-person SnG. While I waited for it to start I "sat" down at a .50/1.00 limit and proceeded to win my buy-in to the SnG, plus the money I lost earlier. YEAH! Free SnG.
So it starts, and I wait, and I wait, and I wait. I'm not playing supertight, but I'm not going broke with top pair either. Most of the time I'm below average in chips. At around 3 tables, I being to accumulate decent chips. I make the final table with about average (top 6 pay). I make the money and sometime after # 6 busts out, I'm chip leader. To a point where I have almost 30k, and 2nd has about 17k, and the last three have between 5k-7k. I lose some chips, but not too many. Still have a healthy lead.
I'm dealt AKs in UTG. I make a raise of about 3.5x the BB. Folds around to the BB. My raise is for nearly all his chips so he pretty much has to push. It's nothing to me. I call. He shows a beautiful AQ. I'm doin' the Cabbage Patch at my desk. Oh wait... I need to see a flop. How bad can it be.
Q-x-Q. Ouch. Ok, I have about 19K in chips. I'm still good.
Next hand, I have ATs in the big blind. There's two limpers, including the small blind (AQ guy). I push to take the pot. One folds, but SB calls, he's all in again. I have him beat (but not too bad this time) as he flips over KQ. Of course he rivers a K. I'm suddenly in a 3 way race for last. I feel a little tilt coming on but manage to shake it off and play smart. I still have enough chips to make people fold (my stack is about 1/3 of the chip leader). I steal some blinds with K3s and the like. I actually get up to 2nd place. In the end, I get crippled (by the same guy who sucked out on me twice), but I forgot the hand. I'm left with barely any chips left. Wasn't even enough for the BB (which I was). They both call and check it down. I'm outta there, but I finished in third and had a decent payday (about 7x the buy-in).
It feels good to play good poker... especially after donking off so much on Sunday morning.
Picture Moths Flying Out of My Pockets.
Well for the last week or two, I've been messing around with about $100 on FTP, I've been up, I've been down, nothing unusual. I'm at the in-laws this weekend and wake up at 4am. I couldn't fall back asleep. If you get up to use the bathroom you get bombarded by all the dogs (my dog and their two dogs). "Pet me! Pet me! I haven't seen you in years! Love me! Oooh, Let me out! Let me out!"
So I hopped online (ACK MODEM!) and played a mix of cash games (1/2 limit - .25/.50 NL) and some SnGs. Next thing I know, I have just over $20.00 in my account. No that's not a typo, I'm not missing a zero. Donked off about $80 bucks. Grrrr. And I can't even say it's the swing of poker it was lots of donking. Why do I sit there and say, OK, tight, tight, tight... no bluffing. Oops, missed the flop. Only way to win this hand is to bluff. Donk, Donk, Donk.
Monday, I booked a small winning session.... VERY SMALL. So last night I played again. Had enough for a couple of cash game buy-ins, plus a couple of $5.50 SnGs. Played a bunch made it last, but in the end, donked some and got bad beat (see therapy 10/23) a few times.
To quote I Had Outs, "tap, tap, tap." Time to deposit.
$0.25/$0.50 NL
First, as many of you know (yeah, like I'm talking to a huge crowd; Hi Josh and Statikkling!), I play on Full Tilt (I have to redo my FTP adds) and I hear a lot of talk about all the amazing beats that happen. I really don't see it. I get sucked out on and I put beats others. It happens, but nothing out of the ordinary. I was in a SnG last night, and had a guy dominated. He hit his card, and took half my stack. No biggie, didn't get upset. I continued to play good and managed to finish 2nd. I had Ace high on a boards of 2-3-7-7-J. I just didn't think he hit. Figured A high was good. He had KJ. Shoulda known, I was 98% to lose preflopd.
Anyway, I play a lot of 1/2 limit on FTP and am doing well. I've currently giving .25/.50 a try(middle buy-in is $20, just like the 1/2 limit). I have to work on my discipline a little. Which is also the occasional problem at a limit table.
I had started with $20 and worked my way up to $75. I just doubled through one guy. I played J8s and the flop gave me a flush draw (4-5-Q). The turn brought my flush when a 5c popped up. I was heads up against the same guy I doubled through. I bet and he called. The river brought a blank. He put out a about half pot bet. I should have called. He could easily have a better flush PLUS it's a paired board. I should've called, but pushed all in. I had him covered. He called. Flipped over pocket 4s. Flopped his set, turned his boat. Had me the entire way.
I ended up with $22. If I would have called, I would have had just under $40. I still ended up ahead leaving with $45.
Moral: Beware of a paired board.
New Format
I'm really diggin on the new beta format. Hope you guys don't mind the green. Reminds me of money!
Trying to slow down my online poker playing. Haven't been spending that much quality time with the Mrs. recently. Basically we put our daughter to bed, maybe watch TV show or two together, then I'm in the other room playing poker and Xbox. Want to re-establish some intimacy. I don't want it to start to feel like we're room mates.
With that said, Lost and the Nine are on tonight. Awesome shows. I'll get back from school during the middle of Lost, so with the marvel of TiVo, we'll just start watching when I get home.
How did people survive without TiVo?
I'm also falling behind on all my poker podcasts because my Ipod is in the shop! How did we function without Ipods???
Horn High Yo!
Saturday afternoon my buddy swung by the house and off we went to Foxwoods. I've been jonesin' for Foxwoods. We meet up with Buddy 3 (we'll call him Jerk- fyi he's not a jerk, but it's a nickname), and we all get on the list for 2/4 limit. They quickly call all of us and we get put at separate tables. But only one table away from each other. I am the youngest person at my table, by about 30 years. A few times I waited extra long to make a call or bet, hoping the person would die. I figure that means they fold. But alas, they all lived... and they took my $60.00. That didn't bother me. As live $2/$4 can be, it was a chasing game, and a lot of those chases caught. Which whittled down my funds until I had only a few bucks left and got AK. 3 bet preflop, missed the flop, only had about 6 bucks left so made sure I got it all in.
I walked away without any ill feelings. Still rarin' to go. After a 2 hours, my buddies were hungry (This was Jerks first time at a casino and he was feeling self-conscious, like people were talking about him at the table). We decided to hit Fuddruckers.
Jerk didn't feel like going back to the poker tables so we walked around a bit. He played some slots then decided to head out. Left me and my other buddy. We saddled up to a Craps table and threw down some cash. Now I know a little about craps, but my buddy knows a lot. I started off somewhat conservative and slowly built up my chips. I took my initial buy-in off the table and was playing with pure profits. I loosened up a bit, throwing some money on doubles, and occasionally betting High Hand Yo.
This one guy (Yankee Cap Guy)managed to hold on to the dice for 20 minutes. He could almost roll 6's and 8's at will. After a while I pressed some bets on 6 and actually had $56 on it. Luckily I hit the 6 once with that kind of money on it, before he crapped out. I was up about $175 at that point. My buddy and I stuck around another orbit, until Yankee Cap Guy had the dice again. His first roll... a 6. Bunch of money hit the table. Next roll 7. Adios. We left the table, I was up about $125. My buddy was up about $250.
Back in April, Foxwoods upgraded their poker room, making it a World Poker Tour poker room. They added more tables, more tournaments, and even Sit n Go's. We decided to check out the $100.00 SnG ($80+20, yes their rake is high, but their the only game in town). About halfway full. We wait around 10 minutes and they call us. WOO HOO.
I get involved in a couple of pots early, but never really hit anything. I actually folded JJ preflop, when I called an UTG raise, but then a guy after me RE-RAISED, I figured I might be beat. I was disheartened when a J came on the flop. Hand never made it to show down so I don't know if I was beat preflop or not. I think I was. After all that I was down to 1000 chips (starting with 1500). I managed to stick around 1500 for a while. My buddy got bad beat early. There were 8 players left (started 10 handed) my buddy was pushed out of a couple of pots by this one guy. My buddy raise, the guy re-raised all-in (he had my buddy covered). My buddy almost threw his hand away a few times. He said if it was anyone else he would have folded. He finally calls and flips over AJ. His opponent shows AT. My buddy is ECSTATIC! Until the flop comes A-X-T. Rivered another T just for good measure. My buddy stomps off to find a crap game on mega tilt.
I was hit with a smiliar fate when I had JJ later on. Got all my money in preflop (with a slight chip lead) against one opponent. He shows sometimes like QT, I don't even remember. I just know that by the river, I'm screaming for no JACK! As a set for me gives him a straight. Obviously there would be a more cheery tone if the Jack didn't spit in my eye on the river. I can't remember for the LIFE of me what he had. I remember worrying about the jack, but not any other card. And I think I remember someone saying it was a two outer, so maybe he was 10-9 or something, but how could he have called an all-in with 10-9. I know there was an A and a K on the board, the Jack came on the river, but I don't remember the two other cards on the board. I'm pretty sure one was a rag. That frustrates me more than the beat.
Anyway, I picked up A8 in the next hand in the cutoff. There are a couple of limpers so I push my remaining stack in. I get one caller. He flips over A5. My hand holds up. And I'm still alive. On life support but still alive. I get a bunch of junk and a few orbits later. I'm in the big blind with Ac5c. I have a 3rd of my stack in there, no real choice but to push. I'm called by an Qd7d. No drama, the flop comes Q-x-7. The to kill ANY chance, a Q on the turn gives him the boat, and I'm sent to the rail. I finished in 5th. Next one out is the bubble. I stick around for a bit and watch suckout after suckout keeping people alive. I finally head off to the craps table to find my buddy. Again, I left feeling OK about my play. I never got in with the worst of it (or even an actual coin flip for that matter). And sometimes that's the best you can hope for.
I find him at a different craps table with only a couple of chips left. He's betting against the dice and losing bad. At one point he has money on 10 and 4, and the guy rolling this 4 twice than a 10. My buddy goes on mega Craps Tilt. He's down about $110, and that's after winning $250 (plus he was up from original poker foray about $40). I'm down only $40 for the night. We decided to see how the list is for 1/2 no limit. Me? I'm fine, I'm on an even keel. Having a great time. But the entire walk to the poker room you can tell my buddy is not focused. I suggest we just head out (we've been there 7 hours). He says no, we'll just check out the list. But as we got closer to the top of the escalator, he must have felt his impending doom, he turned off and looked at me sheepishly, "You mind if we just head home?"
And that ended a great time at the casino. I was sad that the Jerk didn't have as much fun. But with some more experience I think he'll enjoy it, and he's gotta be willing to bring some more cash. As much fun as poker was (even when not winning), and me and my buddy (my buddy, my buddy... my buddy and me!) doing well at the craps table, the best time was just sitting at fuddruckers shootin' the shit. I've been in Connecticut for almost two years now and everyday I miss my solid group of friends back in St. Louis, I have yet to make any real close friends like that here. These two are the closest friends I have here and outside of work I only see them at the monthly home game (and those have been on hiatus for awhile). It was just nice to sit around a table, chowing on some good food and just talking about whatever. Good times... Good times.
I'm still playing.
A lot has happened in the poker world in the last few weeks. Many sites are freaking out about the "ban" that will be going into effect soon. Companies are bailing on their US customers faster than... well faster than Bill Frist can sneak an internet gambling amendment onto a Port Security bill that no politician in their right might (though I think there were two) could vote against.
Sites like Party Poker and Titan and even Firepay (a non gambling, no US site) are abandoning their US customers, HUGE portions of their base (I, for one, will not do business with them again- except when Party gives me free money). For what? For questionable legislation, that isn't completely clear on what's being banned. Poker insiders think that the poker isn't included because of the skill factor, and that the only thing that the bill is restricting is what people do with their own money.
For now, life goes on as normal. My favorite site, Full Tilt Poker is continuing business as usual. I have money in there. I'll admit I withdrew about 2/3 of the money I had in there as a precaution, however, I continue to play.
BACKDATE: I ended up winning one of those $20 SnGs that I tried. It was a one time thing and haven't done one again. Nice feeling pullin' in $90.
After I cashed out, I had about $80 left. I ran that up to $125, but then with some of the worst play I've ever done, dropped it down to $50. Last night (3am) I jumped into a $10.00 4 player heads up shootout. Win 2 heads up matches and win all the money. I beat my first opponent relatively easily and watched the other two play. As I watched, I knew the money was mine. There'd be 100 chips in the pot, and one guy would push all his chips in (1500+). It was crazy. Twice I watched his opponent called him having him dominated. Maniac just says, "You caught me." Maniac ended up losing, but his opponent wasn't much better. I'd hit a hand and just have to let him bet off all his chips. In the end, I made up for the horrible cash games I've played recently (I still love 1/2 limit!).
Anyway, Saturday, my monthly home game was supposed to start up again (we haven't had one in a couple of months), but a few people couldn't make it, so four of us decided, instead, we're hitting Foxwoods! WOO HOO! I've been jonesin' to go for a while now. I need something more than just internet poker. I keep donking off $50 and then winning it back, so I'm not really moving very far in my bankroll.
Anyway, so saturday will be a day spent at Foxwoods. I'll try to get some good posts out of that one.
And I try not to beg, but if there are ANY readers, please leave a comment. I'm curious as to how many I have, if any.
