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.

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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.