I haven’t posted in a while as nothing interesting has really happened with poker since my score at The Poker Room; no home games (it is so hard to get a decent sized group together), haven’t been back to The Poker Room (it is really out of the way considering that (a) it is kind of far to travel to play 2/2 or 2/5 NL w/ 100max or a really fast tournament and (b) even if you’re rolled for some of those games you can’t realistically play them at a high volume on a daily basis), but I have played a bit online occasionally in some MTTs just feeding the tournament poker addiction. My last one ended with KK < JJ semi-deep in the tourney and a lot have been similar, but I can’t really complain as I’m logging a REALLY small volume recently.
As of late I’ve just been trying to relax. High school is over and I start college in a week, which I’m actually really excited for…, which is weird, sort of. This is probably the first time I’ve ever been excited for school to start, but I know that this is going to be a very fun and amazing part of my life and I suppose that that intrigues me. I love life currently; school starts soon, I’ve lost over 50lbs and feel amazing being in great shape, and my second favorite lust in life is starting in 10 days – Fantasy Football. As defending champion of our league I’m extra excited to start playing again.
I’m not sure how much poker I’ll play being a full time student, but I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of hands logged. I can joke about it but obviously school will have to be #1, as I don’t want to play poker for a living. I used to have dreams of that when I was younger and very naïve/immature, but I realized after logging almost 80k (I know a lot of ballers out there would yawn at that number but it was a lot to me then… and now even) hands in 2007 that poker is such a sick game to play in mass quantity. The swings are such that I really think most people out there (including a lot of people who currently play it for a living) should being playing in a part-time manner, as that is the way I most enjoy poker. I find it so easy to get burned out, even switching games. IMO, poker is most enjoyable as a very serious hobby, but nonetheless a bit of a hobby. I ran good for a long while when I was logging a ton of hands and built up a strong bankroll, as soon as things started going downhill I nitted up and stashed a bunch away in the bank. I believe this to be one of the best decisions of my life. This not because I was smart for doing it at the time, but because looking back on how I played a lot of the games with one years more experience and a better understanding of how to play I don’t see how I would have avoided going broke! I really think my approach in some situations was horrific. But that’s for another discussion…
I was rambling there for a bit. In other news I went to Universal Orlando on Sunday with my mother as a kind of late high school graduation/early starting college gift. I think Express Passes are mandatory to have a good time in places like that, as we never had to wait in lines for any rides until later in the afternoon. The wait was however long it took you to speed walk through the ropes. We had a blast at both parks and I look forward to going down there again to Halloween Horror Nights in October with my friends.
Also, it turns out I will be helping one of my two best friend’s little brother as a tutor when he needs it for his upcoming school year (8th grade) that just started. He’s actually been put into a few of our home games by his mother so I had a flash of teaching him a bunch of simple math involving poker… I saw the next Jimmy Fricke (because the kid is pretty overweight), haha, but for now I’ll just stick to what I’m being paid for (a pretty strong $15/hr under the table) – Pre-Algebra.
I’m hoping to get a home game going at the beginning of September. Preferably cash, but sometimes you have to settle for what you can get. :/
GL to everyone at the tables.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The Poker Room $100 Deepstack
I’ve never played in their “deep-stack” tournament that they hold every Friday. I hate on The Poker Room a lot, usually for things of importance, but I researched this tournament and it seemed like a really good spot. t4000 starting stacks and the Friday night crowd equals a really good spot in my opinion, also it’s capped at 30 players so it’s not a daunting field (not that it really could be very big given The Poker Room’s size).
They got the full 30 players with top 5 getting paid and they don’t rake the $100 MTTs.
1st - $1100, 2nd – $700, 3rd - $500, 4th – $400, 5th - $300
4000 starting stacks, 25/50 blinds, and 18 minute levels. Basically akin to a normal speed SNG early on, but at the end the blinds/antes get super huge super quickly. The payout schedule is fairly standard though. They did something right - woohoo.
Despite the “deep-stacks” we managed to lose TWO players in 6 hands at my table. 3rd hand, TT stacked off pre-flop to QQ. 6th hand, Ah-2h shipped 2x pot on the Jh-9h-3c flop and was called by Q-Q. Turn 6h, QQ was the one all-in and was drawing dead. Next hand, UTG opened for 150 (25/50), MP1 flat called, I 3-bet to 700 from MP with AK, and everyone folded out. It isn’t hard to not play another hand during a level at The Poker Room, which is what happened to me as 25/50 flew by with me folding every hand.
-Blinds 50/100-
Folds to me (~t4300) on the button with Kh-8h, the blinds have played really tight, so I made it 3x which is what I’ve learned is the minimum you can make it live w/o getting called by everyone behind you. SB flat called 300 total, BB folded.
Flop: (Pot: 700)
Jh-6h-2c
SB led for 400. It felt weak and a bit of a feeler. I decided upon raising to represent a big hand and also create a good amount of fold equity with a strong draw. I made it 1300 total, 900 more. He flat called the 900 more OOP leaving himself with 2600 total. At this point I definitely gave him credit for a mid-decent Jack and I was done with the hand if I didn’t improve.
Turn: (Pot: 3300)
Qh
He checked. I think I make more money if I check behind and hope for a safe card where I can get another street of value. He probably folds most mid-decent Jacks (the range I’ve got him on) if I double barrel the turn once the over card comes and the heart draw gets there. So I check and pray for a black baby card.
River: (Pot: 3300)
2d
Perfect card and he checks again. I settled on 1500 to be the right size to hopefully get a call. The guy tanked and then folded. He later told me he had 9-9. I hate his call of the raise on the flop with only 2600 behind OOP with 3300 in the pot. If you think you’re ahead – ship. If you’re unsure – fold.
-Blinds 100/200-
Active player shipped UTG for his last 1700 and it folded around to me in the SB with A-J. I didn’t want to isolate because the guy behind me was super tight. If I called, he was only calling with a big hand and only raising me with the nuts. BB folded. UTG had As-4s and my hand held. They broke 1 of the 3 tables and filled our table back up to 9-handed. I played really solid with the new table because most of the table was low; I stayed around 7-8k for that while. I played a funny hand with J-6 when were down to 6 on each table.
-Blinds 300/600-
It folded to me in the CO (~8000) with Jh-6h, and I raised to 1600. The button called and the SB called.
Flop: (Pot: 5400)
Ah-8h-3h
Beast-aments. SB checked, I would probably bet vs. most good players who pay attention but this is live poker after all, so I checked as well. Button thought for almost 30 seconds and then checked – dammit.
Turn: (Pot: 5400)
Qd
SB checked again, I bet 2500 this time hoping the Queen hit someone or that they’d call me with a naked heart. No luck as they both mucked, but picking up the 4800 profit was still huge considering I raised light and got called in 2 spots pre-flop.
I started running over people on the final table bubble and was able to really pad my stack. The guys who were low were really nitty and the guys with chips just didn’t ever want to play a pot with me. Two of the shorter stacks at my table played 60/40s vs. other people and lost. We then combined for the final 10 players. I had about 17k going into the final table which put me about 3rd or 4th in chips. On a side note almost everyone at the other table was drinking heavily during the final table bubble.
First hand of the final table the chip leader showed how he got such a powerful stack, lol. e people from the other table were mostly chip movers so I got pretty lucky to have the table I did on the FT bubble. It went raise, re-raise, all-in, call. Chip leader showed QJ, other guy A5. The A5 held and there was a new chip leader after a pretty weird pot.
Second hand of the FT I had AQ UTG and made it 1700 at 300/600. Another guy from the crazy table moved in for 6000 more. It folded back around, I have no read but these guys all seem to have wide ranges so I made what I felt was an easy call. He had K-Q and I held. I was then over the 20k mark with about 23k. I floated around 20-25k until we were on the money bubble. There were a lot of really low stacks moving in a lot but avoided ever running into hands so the big stacks played really carefully. The guy from the A5 hand on the 1st hand of the FT started busting all the low stacks. He rode a rollercoaster the whole FT, he had around 19-20k when my first and only tough decision of the tournament came up.
-Blinds 800/1600 Ante 300-
4 handed. UTG – Chip leader (~65k), Villain (19k), SB (5000), Hero/BB (~30k).
UTG folded. Villain thought for around 30 seconds before moving in for 19k total. Then the SB calls AI for ~5000. I look down at AQ in the BB.
The jump in prize money is only $100 if the SB gets eliminated, but the most important thing was that I thought the Villain is shipping a huge range here and the SB is calling almost ATC considering how low his M is (1.5). I think I have to call and did after about a minute of thought.
Villain – AK
SB – 55
Ha-ha. Wow, I thought I had the best hand of all three and couldn’t have been more wrong. Even so, it was still a very standard call in my opinion. Especially considering how wild and erratic the Villain had been. Prepare for more beast-aments:
Flop: (Main Pot: 16k+) (Side Pot: ~30k)
K-J-T rainbow.
I fade the chop and back-door full house to take both out and go HU almost even in chips. The guy I went HU with was a really quiet guy who got all his chip from picking up AT vs. A9 to double then the very next hand he busted a guy almost even with him to double again (he had TT vs. 99 that hand) right after we made the money. He had opened up more as we got shorter and shorter handed. HU this guy raised 90% of his buttons, but he was making it a full 3x which is a poor way to play if you’re going to raise that many hands. I’m not stupid, so I realize his range is a lot wider than most people’s HU since he’s raising 90% of his buttons. If he wants to play that way he should be making it less (like 2-2.5x) so that when he does get 3-bet (which will be more often since his range is wide) he isn’t spewing as many chips. I 3-bet 4 times before he finally woke up with a hand, but either way I don’t regret this hand:
-Blinds 1500/3000 Ante 500-
Villain SB (46k), Hero BB (74k)
Villain raises to 9000, Hero has As-3s in BB. He’s raising 90% of his buttons and has proven he’s not just on some kind of heater as he’s folded to the last 4 3-bets. This time the blinds just went up from 1/2000 so the only 3-bet size that’s reasonable is all-in. I back this play 100% of the time, no doubts. I move in, he calls quickly with 88.
He flops an 8 for the no sweat board. I river an Ace for fun…
I’m left with 28k, which I think is easily possible to come back from playing 1500/3000. He ships his next button and I call with K-Ts, he has A-5. Flop King, Turn King, River Ten. Back to 59k. VERY next hand he raises to 9000 on the button, I look down at KK and ship it in. He snaps with A-3os. Flop King, after the turn he’s drawing dead.
He’s left with 2000. He proceeds to run that 2000 up to 30k in the most amazing run of AIs I’ve ever seen in my life. It was truly unreal.
KT < 53
A4 < QJ
A2 < T5
AJ < A3 (flop 3, turn 3)
J7 < 95 (x-x-x-x-9, UGH)
Then he was up to about 30k from being out the door after the KK hand. I felt sick, literally. How could one not? We’re playing for $400 and The Poker Room doesn’t allow formal deals.
Then, I ship the button with AK and he calls A9. If he wins this pot we’re back to even at 60k vs. 60k after him having 2000 at 1500/3000!!!
Flop: J-9-2
Oh my fucking God, throw me off this fucking building!
Turn: 2
I usually don’t show emotions at the table just based on the fact that I’ve seen all of the different tournament scenarios over and over and over again. I’ve played a huge volume of SNGs and MTTs online to be pretty calm about AIs. I’ve just never seen anything so far to the point of anomaly in my life in a poker setting.
River: Kd
Wow. What a feeling that was to see the Kd on the river… I gave the biggest fist pump of my life with a loud, “YES!!!” after such a beautiful river.
I’m posting this on Sunday. The tournament took place on Friday night, and I was so tired I slept in pretty late Saturday. I rented Apocalypto and watched that Saturday night. I can truly say it is one of the most amazing films I’ve ever seen… and I watch a lot of movies. Just some of the best cinematography I’ve ever seen.
Wow. That King of fucking diamonds. It just keeps popping into my head. I don’t usually bask in something like this. You know, move on to the next hand and the next dollar to be earned kind of thing, but for some reason winning that little SNG the way it ended just makes me feel weird. I can’t even really explain it…
BTW, I still think that even giving you double stacks the structure is horrible. They don't realize that starting stacks mean nothing if you just double the blinds every few minutes anyway. It will still be a joke, you'll just get like an extra level of play. I was fortunate that people decided to bust out so quickly throughout the tournament (I'm sure this had 99% to do with it being Friday night).
They got the full 30 players with top 5 getting paid and they don’t rake the $100 MTTs.
1st - $1100, 2nd – $700, 3rd - $500, 4th – $400, 5th - $300
4000 starting stacks, 25/50 blinds, and 18 minute levels. Basically akin to a normal speed SNG early on, but at the end the blinds/antes get super huge super quickly. The payout schedule is fairly standard though. They did something right - woohoo.
Despite the “deep-stacks” we managed to lose TWO players in 6 hands at my table. 3rd hand, TT stacked off pre-flop to QQ. 6th hand, Ah-2h shipped 2x pot on the Jh-9h-3c flop and was called by Q-Q. Turn 6h, QQ was the one all-in and was drawing dead. Next hand, UTG opened for 150 (25/50), MP1 flat called, I 3-bet to 700 from MP with AK, and everyone folded out. It isn’t hard to not play another hand during a level at The Poker Room, which is what happened to me as 25/50 flew by with me folding every hand.
-Blinds 50/100-
Folds to me (~t4300) on the button with Kh-8h, the blinds have played really tight, so I made it 3x which is what I’ve learned is the minimum you can make it live w/o getting called by everyone behind you. SB flat called 300 total, BB folded.
Flop: (Pot: 700)
Jh-6h-2c
SB led for 400. It felt weak and a bit of a feeler. I decided upon raising to represent a big hand and also create a good amount of fold equity with a strong draw. I made it 1300 total, 900 more. He flat called the 900 more OOP leaving himself with 2600 total. At this point I definitely gave him credit for a mid-decent Jack and I was done with the hand if I didn’t improve.
Turn: (Pot: 3300)
Qh
He checked. I think I make more money if I check behind and hope for a safe card where I can get another street of value. He probably folds most mid-decent Jacks (the range I’ve got him on) if I double barrel the turn once the over card comes and the heart draw gets there. So I check and pray for a black baby card.
River: (Pot: 3300)
2d
Perfect card and he checks again. I settled on 1500 to be the right size to hopefully get a call. The guy tanked and then folded. He later told me he had 9-9. I hate his call of the raise on the flop with only 2600 behind OOP with 3300 in the pot. If you think you’re ahead – ship. If you’re unsure – fold.
-Blinds 100/200-
Active player shipped UTG for his last 1700 and it folded around to me in the SB with A-J. I didn’t want to isolate because the guy behind me was super tight. If I called, he was only calling with a big hand and only raising me with the nuts. BB folded. UTG had As-4s and my hand held. They broke 1 of the 3 tables and filled our table back up to 9-handed. I played really solid with the new table because most of the table was low; I stayed around 7-8k for that while. I played a funny hand with J-6 when were down to 6 on each table.
-Blinds 300/600-
It folded to me in the CO (~8000) with Jh-6h, and I raised to 1600. The button called and the SB called.
Flop: (Pot: 5400)
Ah-8h-3h
Beast-aments. SB checked, I would probably bet vs. most good players who pay attention but this is live poker after all, so I checked as well. Button thought for almost 30 seconds and then checked – dammit.
Turn: (Pot: 5400)
Qd
SB checked again, I bet 2500 this time hoping the Queen hit someone or that they’d call me with a naked heart. No luck as they both mucked, but picking up the 4800 profit was still huge considering I raised light and got called in 2 spots pre-flop.
I started running over people on the final table bubble and was able to really pad my stack. The guys who were low were really nitty and the guys with chips just didn’t ever want to play a pot with me. Two of the shorter stacks at my table played 60/40s vs. other people and lost. We then combined for the final 10 players. I had about 17k going into the final table which put me about 3rd or 4th in chips. On a side note almost everyone at the other table was drinking heavily during the final table bubble.
First hand of the final table the chip leader showed how he got such a powerful stack, lol. e people from the other table were mostly chip movers so I got pretty lucky to have the table I did on the FT bubble. It went raise, re-raise, all-in, call. Chip leader showed QJ, other guy A5. The A5 held and there was a new chip leader after a pretty weird pot.
Second hand of the FT I had AQ UTG and made it 1700 at 300/600. Another guy from the crazy table moved in for 6000 more. It folded back around, I have no read but these guys all seem to have wide ranges so I made what I felt was an easy call. He had K-Q and I held. I was then over the 20k mark with about 23k. I floated around 20-25k until we were on the money bubble. There were a lot of really low stacks moving in a lot but avoided ever running into hands so the big stacks played really carefully. The guy from the A5 hand on the 1st hand of the FT started busting all the low stacks. He rode a rollercoaster the whole FT, he had around 19-20k when my first and only tough decision of the tournament came up.
-Blinds 800/1600 Ante 300-
4 handed. UTG – Chip leader (~65k), Villain (19k), SB (5000), Hero/BB (~30k).
UTG folded. Villain thought for around 30 seconds before moving in for 19k total. Then the SB calls AI for ~5000. I look down at AQ in the BB.
The jump in prize money is only $100 if the SB gets eliminated, but the most important thing was that I thought the Villain is shipping a huge range here and the SB is calling almost ATC considering how low his M is (1.5). I think I have to call and did after about a minute of thought.
Villain – AK
SB – 55
Ha-ha. Wow, I thought I had the best hand of all three and couldn’t have been more wrong. Even so, it was still a very standard call in my opinion. Especially considering how wild and erratic the Villain had been. Prepare for more beast-aments:
Flop: (Main Pot: 16k+) (Side Pot: ~30k)
K-J-T rainbow.
I fade the chop and back-door full house to take both out and go HU almost even in chips. The guy I went HU with was a really quiet guy who got all his chip from picking up AT vs. A9 to double then the very next hand he busted a guy almost even with him to double again (he had TT vs. 99 that hand) right after we made the money. He had opened up more as we got shorter and shorter handed. HU this guy raised 90% of his buttons, but he was making it a full 3x which is a poor way to play if you’re going to raise that many hands. I’m not stupid, so I realize his range is a lot wider than most people’s HU since he’s raising 90% of his buttons. If he wants to play that way he should be making it less (like 2-2.5x) so that when he does get 3-bet (which will be more often since his range is wide) he isn’t spewing as many chips. I 3-bet 4 times before he finally woke up with a hand, but either way I don’t regret this hand:
-Blinds 1500/3000 Ante 500-
Villain SB (46k), Hero BB (74k)
Villain raises to 9000, Hero has As-3s in BB. He’s raising 90% of his buttons and has proven he’s not just on some kind of heater as he’s folded to the last 4 3-bets. This time the blinds just went up from 1/2000 so the only 3-bet size that’s reasonable is all-in. I back this play 100% of the time, no doubts. I move in, he calls quickly with 88.
He flops an 8 for the no sweat board. I river an Ace for fun…
I’m left with 28k, which I think is easily possible to come back from playing 1500/3000. He ships his next button and I call with K-Ts, he has A-5. Flop King, Turn King, River Ten. Back to 59k. VERY next hand he raises to 9000 on the button, I look down at KK and ship it in. He snaps with A-3os. Flop King, after the turn he’s drawing dead.
He’s left with 2000. He proceeds to run that 2000 up to 30k in the most amazing run of AIs I’ve ever seen in my life. It was truly unreal.
KT < 53
A4 < QJ
A2 < T5
AJ < A3 (flop 3, turn 3)
J7 < 95 (x-x-x-x-9, UGH)
Then he was up to about 30k from being out the door after the KK hand. I felt sick, literally. How could one not? We’re playing for $400 and The Poker Room doesn’t allow formal deals.
Then, I ship the button with AK and he calls A9. If he wins this pot we’re back to even at 60k vs. 60k after him having 2000 at 1500/3000!!!
Flop: J-9-2
Oh my fucking God, throw me off this fucking building!
Turn: 2
I usually don’t show emotions at the table just based on the fact that I’ve seen all of the different tournament scenarios over and over and over again. I’ve played a huge volume of SNGs and MTTs online to be pretty calm about AIs. I’ve just never seen anything so far to the point of anomaly in my life in a poker setting.
River: Kd
Wow. What a feeling that was to see the Kd on the river… I gave the biggest fist pump of my life with a loud, “YES!!!” after such a beautiful river.
I’m posting this on Sunday. The tournament took place on Friday night, and I was so tired I slept in pretty late Saturday. I rented Apocalypto and watched that Saturday night. I can truly say it is one of the most amazing films I’ve ever seen… and I watch a lot of movies. Just some of the best cinematography I’ve ever seen.
Wow. That King of fucking diamonds. It just keeps popping into my head. I don’t usually bask in something like this. You know, move on to the next hand and the next dollar to be earned kind of thing, but for some reason winning that little SNG the way it ended just makes me feel weird. I can’t even really explain it…
BTW, I still think that even giving you double stacks the structure is horrible. They don't realize that starting stacks mean nothing if you just double the blinds every few minutes anyway. It will still be a joke, you'll just get like an extra level of play. I was fortunate that people decided to bust out so quickly throughout the tournament (I'm sure this had 99% to do with it being Friday night).
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Deuce 9 tourney starts and ends poorly
First time in a while we've actually had a good turnout for a tournament. 9 people is pretty huge considering what we normally get. 3 of the 9 players were complete first timers at the Deuce 9. I was expecting 10 (maybe 11 if his friend came), so I started the tourney out with 2 tables. Once it turned out that the guy wasn't coming (I received no phone call at the time or even an e-mail in the following days) I ended up collapsing it down to 1 table of 9. So we ended up playing a few levels 4 handed at my starting table. During this time I managed to lose almost half my stack (start with 10k) by getting drawn out on in numerous pots.
All mainly from one player, Shane (1 of the new players that I had no info on, other than some story he told about trying to bluff people at The Poker Room and how they always called him [yet he kept trying...?]), who if he couldn't hold over me would just out draw me. They weren't very interesting hands to get into:
Had J-J, raised pre, bet flop of T-8-2 (two spades), bet turn: 2 (no spade), check/called river bet when the 4s came. He had 6s-3s.
Had K-Ts, he limped UTG (which he did just about every hand from every position; utg, button, sb), button folded, I raised to 4x from the SB looking to pick it up sincing he was limping really light (I don't mind a limp just because I'm OOP, but I really felt like going after his limps since it was short handed), BB folded, he called. Flop: K-x-x, I bet and he calls. Turn: x, I bet and he calls. River: 4, after being called twice with no draws out I slow down and check, he bets half pot and I call. He tables K-4. Wow.
I combined to 1 table around this time.
I went into the combined table with about 5400 of my starting 10k with blinds at 300/600 w/50. Very first hand I picked up K-K in EMP and just shipped as its more likely to get action than a small raise (imo). MP tanked for a minute but folded, everyone else insta-folded. 3 hands later I had A-K UTG, someone said something about being aggro and moving in while I was counting out chips for a raise so I thought that some of the bad players that were in LP would read too much into this and call lighter, not that I wasn't moving in regardless. I just thought giving a little shoulder shrug after that comment and then moving might have helped get me a call, but it didn't. So I was up over 8k. There were so many suck-outs at that table towards the end, not that it means anything, but it provided a lot of excitement for the newer players. SS got it in with A-7 vs A-T, Flop: 7-7-A. He went out shortly after his double up though. Corey got it in with A-6 vs A-4, River: 4. We were down to 6 players when my big hand came up:
I'm in the BB with A-7o, it folds around to the button. The button is one of the 3 new players, not only is she new here but she is really new to poker (yes, a she.) and she was limping in a lot with marginal hands where she obv didn't understand stack sizes in relation to the blinds. So she limps the button for 1600 (at 800/1600 w/200). SB folded and I made a trivial ship vs her range and considering how much was already out there. She then tanked for quite a while but then finally called the 9100 more and left herself with about 3-4k. She turned over Q-2o. Wow.
Flop: A-J-2
Turn: 2
River: J
GG, BH.
Obviously I wasn't that big of a favorite pre and I didn't get upset at the table about it (on the outside, lol) but it was pretty sick to just never have chips for the whole tournament because your fighting uphill with the deck, but to still get it and be 80% with 2 pulls for a 25k pot and lose was brutal. Atleast I didn't have to sweat it to the river... haha.
A few hands after that, Nick opened UTG for 5000 (still 800/1600), it folded to Don in the BB who shipped 4-4. Nick called all-in for another 15k or so with A-8 and they were flipping for the 40k+ pot that was almost half the chips in play.
Flop: A-8-4, wowzers.
Nick jumped up w/o seeing the 4, and Don yelled, "Yes!" Nick realized he was crushed and sat back down.
Turn: 2
River: Ah
Eruption of yells from all the new players (just like when the 2 hit vs me on the turn). Don nearly broke my table when the Ace hit the river.
It left Don with only about 5-6k. He shipped the SB the very next hand and Nick folded 4-4 with 1600 already in!!! So bad... The very next hand Don shipped the button with Qc-9c and got called by the girl in the BB with A-Q. Flop: Q-Xc-Xc, Turn: X, River Jc. Another suckout!
Don ended up doubling through Nick with T-T vs a naked Ace. Nick then lost a bunch of pots to Don and went out.
Thomas was down to about 8-9k playing 1/2000 w/300. He was in the BB. Don raised UTG to 6000, folded to girl in SB who moved in for 10k, and Thomas called AI with 9-9 from the BB. Don called the extra.
Don - AQ
Megan - 55
Thomas - 99
Flop: 2-3-4
Turn: K
River: K
Thomas jumped out of his chair screaming, "YES, YES, I finally doubled up with the best hand at the D9!"
She went out shortly after that since she was left with about 3k. They were in the money, Thomas, Don and Kurt (who played a standrd flip of TT vs AK early at the FT and didn't play a hand after that).
Blinds 1200/2400 w/300. Don folds button, Kurt limps SB for 1200 (~15k stack), and Thomas checks (~20k stack).
Flop: A-K-7, two diamonds.
Kurt open shoves and Thomas snap-calls.
Kurt - 43dd
Thomas - T9dd
The T9 held and they were HU.
Thomas made a bunch of re-steals early on getting Don down about 2-1 in chips. Then they got it in. Thomas Ah-8h vs Don's 6-6, Don won the flip.
Blinds went up, Thomas shipped the button with T-6, Don woke up with T-T and that was it.
All mainly from one player, Shane (1 of the new players that I had no info on, other than some story he told about trying to bluff people at The Poker Room and how they always called him [yet he kept trying...?]), who if he couldn't hold over me would just out draw me. They weren't very interesting hands to get into:
Had J-J, raised pre, bet flop of T-8-2 (two spades), bet turn: 2 (no spade), check/called river bet when the 4s came. He had 6s-3s.
Had K-Ts, he limped UTG (which he did just about every hand from every position; utg, button, sb), button folded, I raised to 4x from the SB looking to pick it up sincing he was limping really light (I don't mind a limp just because I'm OOP, but I really felt like going after his limps since it was short handed), BB folded, he called. Flop: K-x-x, I bet and he calls. Turn: x, I bet and he calls. River: 4, after being called twice with no draws out I slow down and check, he bets half pot and I call. He tables K-4. Wow.
I combined to 1 table around this time.
I went into the combined table with about 5400 of my starting 10k with blinds at 300/600 w/50. Very first hand I picked up K-K in EMP and just shipped as its more likely to get action than a small raise (imo). MP tanked for a minute but folded, everyone else insta-folded. 3 hands later I had A-K UTG, someone said something about being aggro and moving in while I was counting out chips for a raise so I thought that some of the bad players that were in LP would read too much into this and call lighter, not that I wasn't moving in regardless. I just thought giving a little shoulder shrug after that comment and then moving might have helped get me a call, but it didn't. So I was up over 8k. There were so many suck-outs at that table towards the end, not that it means anything, but it provided a lot of excitement for the newer players. SS got it in with A-7 vs A-T, Flop: 7-7-A. He went out shortly after his double up though. Corey got it in with A-6 vs A-4, River: 4. We were down to 6 players when my big hand came up:
I'm in the BB with A-7o, it folds around to the button. The button is one of the 3 new players, not only is she new here but she is really new to poker (yes, a she.) and she was limping in a lot with marginal hands where she obv didn't understand stack sizes in relation to the blinds. So she limps the button for 1600 (at 800/1600 w/200). SB folded and I made a trivial ship vs her range and considering how much was already out there. She then tanked for quite a while but then finally called the 9100 more and left herself with about 3-4k. She turned over Q-2o. Wow.
Flop: A-J-2
Turn: 2
River: J
GG, BH.
Obviously I wasn't that big of a favorite pre and I didn't get upset at the table about it (on the outside, lol) but it was pretty sick to just never have chips for the whole tournament because your fighting uphill with the deck, but to still get it and be 80% with 2 pulls for a 25k pot and lose was brutal. Atleast I didn't have to sweat it to the river... haha.
A few hands after that, Nick opened UTG for 5000 (still 800/1600), it folded to Don in the BB who shipped 4-4. Nick called all-in for another 15k or so with A-8 and they were flipping for the 40k+ pot that was almost half the chips in play.
Flop: A-8-4, wowzers.
Nick jumped up w/o seeing the 4, and Don yelled, "Yes!" Nick realized he was crushed and sat back down.
Turn: 2
River: Ah
Eruption of yells from all the new players (just like when the 2 hit vs me on the turn). Don nearly broke my table when the Ace hit the river.
It left Don with only about 5-6k. He shipped the SB the very next hand and Nick folded 4-4 with 1600 already in!!! So bad... The very next hand Don shipped the button with Qc-9c and got called by the girl in the BB with A-Q. Flop: Q-Xc-Xc, Turn: X, River Jc. Another suckout!
Don ended up doubling through Nick with T-T vs a naked Ace. Nick then lost a bunch of pots to Don and went out.
Thomas was down to about 8-9k playing 1/2000 w/300. He was in the BB. Don raised UTG to 6000, folded to girl in SB who moved in for 10k, and Thomas called AI with 9-9 from the BB. Don called the extra.
Don - AQ
Megan - 55
Thomas - 99
Flop: 2-3-4
Turn: K
River: K
Thomas jumped out of his chair screaming, "YES, YES, I finally doubled up with the best hand at the D9!"
She went out shortly after that since she was left with about 3k. They were in the money, Thomas, Don and Kurt (who played a standrd flip of TT vs AK early at the FT and didn't play a hand after that).
Blinds 1200/2400 w/300. Don folds button, Kurt limps SB for 1200 (~15k stack), and Thomas checks (~20k stack).
Flop: A-K-7, two diamonds.
Kurt open shoves and Thomas snap-calls.
Kurt - 43dd
Thomas - T9dd
The T9 held and they were HU.
Thomas made a bunch of re-steals early on getting Don down about 2-1 in chips. Then they got it in. Thomas Ah-8h vs Don's 6-6, Don won the flip.
Blinds went up, Thomas shipped the button with T-6, Don woke up with T-T and that was it.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Recent and Not so Recent Sessions
I’ve been playing a lot of poker recently now that school is over, because of that I will be updating my blog a lot more often. In this blog I’m going to cover my less recent sessions (as best as I can) up to my most recent. I was lazy/busy and didn’t post them when they actually happened.
- March 14 -
I went to The Poker Room with my friend Don with the intent of playing the nightly $100 tournament that had a “good structure” according to their internet page (although it wasn’t posted there). We got there early and decided to play some 2/2 NL ($100 max buy-in). I sat down 5 off the BB and chose not to post. During the 5 hands I watched before being the BB, I noticed that the older Asian man in Seat 10 was not only in every pot but was getting large sums of money in with super-marginal hands. In the biggest pot he played he 3-bet an UTG raise with Ac-Tc, it folded back around and UTG 4 bet all-in, the Asian guy didn’t take long to call. UTG had K-K. Flop came A-x-x, brick, brick.
So I post $2 for my first hand. UTG raises to $6, folds to said Asian guy who just flats in MP, 3 other people called behind, and I looked down at Q-Q. I made it $30 total, UTG snap-called, Asian guy flatted, and other 3 fold.
Flop: 9-4-2, rainbow.
I’ve got $70 left behind with over $100 in the pot vs. players with enormous ranges; also with their lines in the hand AA & KK are unlikely so I make the standard shove. UTG tanks and then folds, then the Asian guy thinks for about 2 full minutes before calling. I table my Q-Q; he looks at them and mumbles something still keeping his cards face down. Turn blank, river blank; he turns over K-K… slow rolled! Ah, the first live slow roll of my life.
I re-buy another $100; float around/above even for about 30 minutes. Our tournament starts soon so I decide I’ll play one more rotation. I get 5-5 and limp up front, a few others limp behind for $2 to the BB who puts in a pointless raise to $5 after 6 people just limped for $2. Everyone calls obviously.
Flop: K-T-5, rainbow.
BB leads out for $15, I raise to $40, active MP player moves all-in, BB calls. With the stacks as shallow as they are this isn’t one of the times where you try and make the genius set under set lay down as their ranges include many 1 pair and 2 pair hands. I call.
BB = 6-6
MP = K-T
Me = 5-5
Turn: T
River: 6, from 1st to worst. L
So I get up to go play in the tournament stuck 2 BIs, and obviously I don’t have much confidence going into this tournament. The structure was horrible. 2k starting stacks, you start 25/50 but the blinds nearly double every 18 minutes. I didn’t play any hands the first level of importance. I had about 1700 during 50-100 when I get A-J in the CO, I open to 300 because 2.5x live is pointless. BB calls.
Flop: A-K-2, rainbow.
He leads for 200 into 650; I min-raise to 400 for info & value, and he just calls. I’m now fairly certain I have the best hand.
Turn: 6
He checks, I moved in for just under the size of the pot and he called me very quickly. He tabled… A-6. ARGH!!! I run so bad!!!
River: K, ship! Phew.
My table broke when that guy busted the next hand for his last 50.
My next table draw was beautiful, they were all incredibly tight from all positions and I pretty much just ran over them for 1hr building my stack up to 6-7k without ever showing a hand. At 200-400 I raised A-K to 1200 UTG full ring, it folded to the only guy who had played back at me the whole time I’d been playing LAG. He counted out a possible raise but then just called. A fat guy in MP shipped for 3k total, it folded back to me and I obviously moved in. The other guy folded A-Q face up. MP had J-J.
Flop: J-x-x, no sweat at all. Nh.
I think the A-Q is supposed to 3-bet me given how many pots I was opening. In which case we all probably get it in 3 ways and I make a profit on the hand in the side pot.
I shipped Ac-7c for my last 5 BBs during 300-600, got called by K-J and A-Q. I flop a 7 – zing! Have to fade any paint for the triple up back above average. Turn – blank, river – Queen. Don final tabled but went out on the bubble (7th out of 60). 1st was just over $1700.
- June 4 -
This was the day after I graduated high school. Thomas came up from Tampa and we (Corey, Thomas and I) went to The Poker Room for Corey’s first time. We got there just in time for the daily $45 30 max so we all jumped in. The biggest joke was that the structure in these is the same as the $100 & $200 tournaments. The floor managers find no problem with this. I drew Thomas two to my left (terrible draw). I lost a small pot with K-K early on vs. a guy who flopped the joint with T-8os. He instantly sat up in his chair and quickly looked down at his chips when the flop rolled out causing me to check it down right behind him. He bet 3BBs on the river and I just flatted.
I folded down to like 1300 at 50-100, then I lost 300 when I raised 3x in LP with 9d-8d and Thomas shipped on me from the blinds (he had A-K). A couple hands later I shipped Ac-9c from LP and Thomas snapped Ad-Jd. I missed a flush draw and the 9 to go out early on.
Thomas got moved, he didn’t play many hands there. Then it folded to the button who limped and Thomas checked 7-4 from the BB.
Flop: K-7-5; check, check.
Turn: 7; bet, raise, all-in, call.
Button has Q-7, GG Thomas. Sick.
So now the least experienced player of the bunch is left in Corey. He went into the final table really short, but doubled on the first hand with Ad-Qd vs. 7-7. He won a few sizable pots early on as well to build his stack up to about 13k at 400-800 w/ 100. Which was probably good enough for the chip lead (god those structures are bad). The other players at that table wouldn’t put a chip in the pot without the nuts, it was gross to see Corey nit-it-up like he did. They were at the designated final table that has rails around it so Thomas and I could sweat from very close. There was one player in particular whose hand we saw many of times and he mucking A-8, K-Ts, etc with a 5-6M stack (WOW!).
They didn’t have a break, so we couldn’t talk to Corey, although it was clearly something he should have recognized whether or not he knew the cards they were folding. Rather than pick up the aggression and run away with the tournament he anted off 8k just like everyone else and ended up bubbling in 4th (what is it with my friends bubbling?).
- June 5 -
The next night we were having a home game since Corey’s cousins were in town because of our graduation. We had 7 people and we played a $20 buy-in tourney, paying top 2 ($100 & $40). Corey’s cousin Vincent who has been in previous blogs was playing amazingly bad at the beginning but making hands left and right. Vincent thinks he’s the greatest at any form of competition, from video games to poker. So combine his ego with winning a few pots and he was getting really full of himself.
At 50-100 with about the 5000 starting stack still left, it folded to me in the SB and I made it 3.5x with A-J (big I know. But he was playing EVERY hand, not a lot of hands, but EVERY hand) so I figured it would take that much just to win the blinds, and even if he did call at least I’d be getting full value out of the best hand.
Flop: J-3-2, two diamonds (Pot: 700)
I lead for 450, he raised to 1450, I insta-shipped for another 3350, and he tanked and then finally called. I was hoping to see a misplayed J-Tos or something, but he turned up the worst hand for my hand – 72dd. He’s a slight favorite, but I faded the draws to double through to almost 10k.
I literally had no other showdowns until we were heads up! I just raised a lot in position, built my stack up. Mike (the other cousin) played well but a little too tight. He just went to Vegas where he played nothing but tourneys at his hotel, not sure how he made as much as he said he did playing such an exploitable style, I guess the daily tourneys in Vegas are as juicy as they say. The other guy who got heads up busted all the other people at the table, but still did not have the chip lead going into heads up play. We traded blinds for a while until…
He limps the button, I check Q-T.
Flop: Q-T-7; I check, he checks.
Turn: T; I check, he bets, I call.
River: 7; I lead for about half pot, he moves in, I call. (He had a naked 7).
I win the 100.
- June 17 -
I played my first Chip Talk tourney online. Only 6 people entered, but 6 max is definitely my best game so that was actually really nice. I ended up winning, but the only important hands happened heads up in my opinion. I was short and my opponent was shipping more than liberally. I woke up with 6-6 in the BB and called, he had A-K and I faded the overs. Two hands later he shipped the button again but this time for only the 3BBs he was crippled to, I called with K-9s vs. his 2-2 and he won the race. So we were back near even. Blinds went up, he shipped the button again, and I called with As-Js vs. his 6-6 and flopped the Ace. GG.
- June 18 -
I played my second Chip Talk tourney. There were 13 people this time, so we started out short-handed. From my experience most of the players on that site are super-passive. Flatting raises with hands that are definite 3-bets, rarely making c-bets, and not raising nearly enough short-handed (they prefer open limping marginal holdings with improper odds). I played well early on and then won a really big, but weird, pot with J-J.
TAG player makes it 3x UTG at 15-30, a short stack flats in MP, and it folds to me. I re-raise to 400 (I was already up to about 2800 winning a few small-medium sized pots with only one showdown). UTG makes a weird, and scary at the time, play of just flatting another 310 with only like 900-1000 behind. Then MP made a horrendous all-in for another 430. It was back to me and obviously I’m not folding. I’m not worried about MP, period. I just don’t see UTG flatting me with another behind with AA, KK, or QQ. He more than likely has like A-Q or T-T. I made what I thought to be a kid of easy move in and he called quickly.
UTG = A-K, the flat call of my 3-bet is pretty poor for ¼ of his stack. It is a clear shove.
MP = 7-7, no fold equity at all – definitely getting called in two spots.
Flop: K-4-3
Turn: 4
River: J
Busted both players and moved up to over 5k still at 15-30.
Played really tight after that since we were playing full ring at the final table. I took a few pots in LP. Then I picked up Q-Q, raised 2.5x from MP, LP player shipped for about 15BBs more, I call he has A-Q and misses. Very next hand (lol), I get Q-Q raise to 2.5x from MP, one of the blinds moves in, I call, he has Ah-8h and I flop Quads. TEN hands later (lol), I get Q-Q raise to 2.5x from UTG+1, both blinds call, flop comes 6-5-3 (two clubs). SB open ships for 3x the pot, BB folds. He was really LAG from what I had seen during the whole tourney. He kept putting it in REALLY bad, so I called. He had "THE GREAT" Tc-8c and I faded the flush draw (you can't beat me with MY hand, pfff). So got Q-Q 3 times in a very short span and stacked 3 different people, I was running good obviously. We got down to 3-handed with me having a pretty solid chip lead. The two shorter stacks got it in a race and I only went into HU play with a 2-1 chip lead as opposed to the commanding lead.
I made what turned out to be a bad fold, but without knowing the results I think it was right. My opponent had played about 5 hands during the whole FT and they were all really passive check-calls or check-folds. I made it 400 (during 100-200) OTB with Q-8, he called.
Flop: Q-3-2
He lead for 400, I raised to 900, he over ships for 5300 more. Ugh, wow.
With the information that I had at the time, its hard to believe his range is wide. I think QJ, QT, Q9, 33, 22 are played closely to this line (by him that is; its obviously not the most valuable way to play some of the said hands). Whatever, so I mucked feeling okay about it at the time. It turns out he had Q-4os.
Blinds 200-400 w/50, I've got 10k and he's got 8k.
I raised Ac-Kc to 2x. He just calls.
Flop: Jc-Js-6c (Pot: 900)
He checks I bet 450, he min-raises to 900 (he had been playing super LAG HU for a complete 180 from his other FT play), I 4-bet to 3000 with a hand I wasn't ever folding against someone playing that LAG. He moved in for like another 4000 with no fold equity at all, claiming he wanted to put me to a decision to make me muck 88 or 99 (LOL @ a complete lapse in understanding of pot odds and fold equity). He had Q-6os, I was 52% when it went in, but bricked out.
I was knocked down to 2000. I shipped A-3 OTB for 5BBs and he made a bit of a light call with 8c-7c, although it wasn't anything too bad. He turned the flush and I went out in 2nd. It stung not to win, but I didn't blow a huge lead to him or anything. He stacked the guys in 4th and 3rd and went into HU only 2-1 in chips. He moved me off the best hand with a very agressive play and then won a huge race. GG.
- June 19 -
Won the nightly Chip Talk tourney... but only 4 people entered (lol). Still a win. Everyone else is boycotting them because I'm playing them. It is really mature of them. [giant eye roll]
- March 14 -
I went to The Poker Room with my friend Don with the intent of playing the nightly $100 tournament that had a “good structure” according to their internet page (although it wasn’t posted there). We got there early and decided to play some 2/2 NL ($100 max buy-in). I sat down 5 off the BB and chose not to post. During the 5 hands I watched before being the BB, I noticed that the older Asian man in Seat 10 was not only in every pot but was getting large sums of money in with super-marginal hands. In the biggest pot he played he 3-bet an UTG raise with Ac-Tc, it folded back around and UTG 4 bet all-in, the Asian guy didn’t take long to call. UTG had K-K. Flop came A-x-x, brick, brick.
So I post $2 for my first hand. UTG raises to $6, folds to said Asian guy who just flats in MP, 3 other people called behind, and I looked down at Q-Q. I made it $30 total, UTG snap-called, Asian guy flatted, and other 3 fold.
Flop: 9-4-2, rainbow.
I’ve got $70 left behind with over $100 in the pot vs. players with enormous ranges; also with their lines in the hand AA & KK are unlikely so I make the standard shove. UTG tanks and then folds, then the Asian guy thinks for about 2 full minutes before calling. I table my Q-Q; he looks at them and mumbles something still keeping his cards face down. Turn blank, river blank; he turns over K-K… slow rolled! Ah, the first live slow roll of my life.
I re-buy another $100; float around/above even for about 30 minutes. Our tournament starts soon so I decide I’ll play one more rotation. I get 5-5 and limp up front, a few others limp behind for $2 to the BB who puts in a pointless raise to $5 after 6 people just limped for $2. Everyone calls obviously.
Flop: K-T-5, rainbow.
BB leads out for $15, I raise to $40, active MP player moves all-in, BB calls. With the stacks as shallow as they are this isn’t one of the times where you try and make the genius set under set lay down as their ranges include many 1 pair and 2 pair hands. I call.
BB = 6-6
MP = K-T
Me = 5-5
Turn: T
River: 6, from 1st to worst. L
So I get up to go play in the tournament stuck 2 BIs, and obviously I don’t have much confidence going into this tournament. The structure was horrible. 2k starting stacks, you start 25/50 but the blinds nearly double every 18 minutes. I didn’t play any hands the first level of importance. I had about 1700 during 50-100 when I get A-J in the CO, I open to 300 because 2.5x live is pointless. BB calls.
Flop: A-K-2, rainbow.
He leads for 200 into 650; I min-raise to 400 for info & value, and he just calls. I’m now fairly certain I have the best hand.
Turn: 6
He checks, I moved in for just under the size of the pot and he called me very quickly. He tabled… A-6. ARGH!!! I run so bad!!!
River: K, ship! Phew.
My table broke when that guy busted the next hand for his last 50.
My next table draw was beautiful, they were all incredibly tight from all positions and I pretty much just ran over them for 1hr building my stack up to 6-7k without ever showing a hand. At 200-400 I raised A-K to 1200 UTG full ring, it folded to the only guy who had played back at me the whole time I’d been playing LAG. He counted out a possible raise but then just called. A fat guy in MP shipped for 3k total, it folded back to me and I obviously moved in. The other guy folded A-Q face up. MP had J-J.
Flop: J-x-x, no sweat at all. Nh.
I think the A-Q is supposed to 3-bet me given how many pots I was opening. In which case we all probably get it in 3 ways and I make a profit on the hand in the side pot.
I shipped Ac-7c for my last 5 BBs during 300-600, got called by K-J and A-Q. I flop a 7 – zing! Have to fade any paint for the triple up back above average. Turn – blank, river – Queen. Don final tabled but went out on the bubble (7th out of 60). 1st was just over $1700.
- June 4 -
This was the day after I graduated high school. Thomas came up from Tampa and we (Corey, Thomas and I) went to The Poker Room for Corey’s first time. We got there just in time for the daily $45 30 max so we all jumped in. The biggest joke was that the structure in these is the same as the $100 & $200 tournaments. The floor managers find no problem with this. I drew Thomas two to my left (terrible draw). I lost a small pot with K-K early on vs. a guy who flopped the joint with T-8os. He instantly sat up in his chair and quickly looked down at his chips when the flop rolled out causing me to check it down right behind him. He bet 3BBs on the river and I just flatted.
I folded down to like 1300 at 50-100, then I lost 300 when I raised 3x in LP with 9d-8d and Thomas shipped on me from the blinds (he had A-K). A couple hands later I shipped Ac-9c from LP and Thomas snapped Ad-Jd. I missed a flush draw and the 9 to go out early on.
Thomas got moved, he didn’t play many hands there. Then it folded to the button who limped and Thomas checked 7-4 from the BB.
Flop: K-7-5; check, check.
Turn: 7; bet, raise, all-in, call.
Button has Q-7, GG Thomas. Sick.
So now the least experienced player of the bunch is left in Corey. He went into the final table really short, but doubled on the first hand with Ad-Qd vs. 7-7. He won a few sizable pots early on as well to build his stack up to about 13k at 400-800 w/ 100. Which was probably good enough for the chip lead (god those structures are bad). The other players at that table wouldn’t put a chip in the pot without the nuts, it was gross to see Corey nit-it-up like he did. They were at the designated final table that has rails around it so Thomas and I could sweat from very close. There was one player in particular whose hand we saw many of times and he mucking A-8, K-Ts, etc with a 5-6M stack (WOW!).
They didn’t have a break, so we couldn’t talk to Corey, although it was clearly something he should have recognized whether or not he knew the cards they were folding. Rather than pick up the aggression and run away with the tournament he anted off 8k just like everyone else and ended up bubbling in 4th (what is it with my friends bubbling?).
- June 5 -
The next night we were having a home game since Corey’s cousins were in town because of our graduation. We had 7 people and we played a $20 buy-in tourney, paying top 2 ($100 & $40). Corey’s cousin Vincent who has been in previous blogs was playing amazingly bad at the beginning but making hands left and right. Vincent thinks he’s the greatest at any form of competition, from video games to poker. So combine his ego with winning a few pots and he was getting really full of himself.
At 50-100 with about the 5000 starting stack still left, it folded to me in the SB and I made it 3.5x with A-J (big I know. But he was playing EVERY hand, not a lot of hands, but EVERY hand) so I figured it would take that much just to win the blinds, and even if he did call at least I’d be getting full value out of the best hand.
Flop: J-3-2, two diamonds (Pot: 700)
I lead for 450, he raised to 1450, I insta-shipped for another 3350, and he tanked and then finally called. I was hoping to see a misplayed J-Tos or something, but he turned up the worst hand for my hand – 72dd. He’s a slight favorite, but I faded the draws to double through to almost 10k.
I literally had no other showdowns until we were heads up! I just raised a lot in position, built my stack up. Mike (the other cousin) played well but a little too tight. He just went to Vegas where he played nothing but tourneys at his hotel, not sure how he made as much as he said he did playing such an exploitable style, I guess the daily tourneys in Vegas are as juicy as they say. The other guy who got heads up busted all the other people at the table, but still did not have the chip lead going into heads up play. We traded blinds for a while until…
He limps the button, I check Q-T.
Flop: Q-T-7; I check, he checks.
Turn: T; I check, he bets, I call.
River: 7; I lead for about half pot, he moves in, I call. (He had a naked 7).
I win the 100.
- June 17 -
I played my first Chip Talk tourney online. Only 6 people entered, but 6 max is definitely my best game so that was actually really nice. I ended up winning, but the only important hands happened heads up in my opinion. I was short and my opponent was shipping more than liberally. I woke up with 6-6 in the BB and called, he had A-K and I faded the overs. Two hands later he shipped the button again but this time for only the 3BBs he was crippled to, I called with K-9s vs. his 2-2 and he won the race. So we were back near even. Blinds went up, he shipped the button again, and I called with As-Js vs. his 6-6 and flopped the Ace. GG.
- June 18 -
I played my second Chip Talk tourney. There were 13 people this time, so we started out short-handed. From my experience most of the players on that site are super-passive. Flatting raises with hands that are definite 3-bets, rarely making c-bets, and not raising nearly enough short-handed (they prefer open limping marginal holdings with improper odds). I played well early on and then won a really big, but weird, pot with J-J.
TAG player makes it 3x UTG at 15-30, a short stack flats in MP, and it folds to me. I re-raise to 400 (I was already up to about 2800 winning a few small-medium sized pots with only one showdown). UTG makes a weird, and scary at the time, play of just flatting another 310 with only like 900-1000 behind. Then MP made a horrendous all-in for another 430. It was back to me and obviously I’m not folding. I’m not worried about MP, period. I just don’t see UTG flatting me with another behind with AA, KK, or QQ. He more than likely has like A-Q or T-T. I made what I thought to be a kid of easy move in and he called quickly.
UTG = A-K, the flat call of my 3-bet is pretty poor for ¼ of his stack. It is a clear shove.
MP = 7-7, no fold equity at all – definitely getting called in two spots.
Flop: K-4-3
Turn: 4
River: J
Busted both players and moved up to over 5k still at 15-30.
Played really tight after that since we were playing full ring at the final table. I took a few pots in LP. Then I picked up Q-Q, raised 2.5x from MP, LP player shipped for about 15BBs more, I call he has A-Q and misses. Very next hand (lol), I get Q-Q raise to 2.5x from MP, one of the blinds moves in, I call, he has Ah-8h and I flop Quads. TEN hands later (lol), I get Q-Q raise to 2.5x from UTG+1, both blinds call, flop comes 6-5-3 (two clubs). SB open ships for 3x the pot, BB folds. He was really LAG from what I had seen during the whole tourney. He kept putting it in REALLY bad, so I called. He had "THE GREAT" Tc-8c and I faded the flush draw (you can't beat me with MY hand, pfff). So got Q-Q 3 times in a very short span and stacked 3 different people, I was running good obviously. We got down to 3-handed with me having a pretty solid chip lead. The two shorter stacks got it in a race and I only went into HU play with a 2-1 chip lead as opposed to the commanding lead.
I made what turned out to be a bad fold, but without knowing the results I think it was right. My opponent had played about 5 hands during the whole FT and they were all really passive check-calls or check-folds. I made it 400 (during 100-200) OTB with Q-8, he called.
Flop: Q-3-2
He lead for 400, I raised to 900, he over ships for 5300 more. Ugh, wow.
With the information that I had at the time, its hard to believe his range is wide. I think QJ, QT, Q9, 33, 22 are played closely to this line (by him that is; its obviously not the most valuable way to play some of the said hands). Whatever, so I mucked feeling okay about it at the time. It turns out he had Q-4os.
Blinds 200-400 w/50, I've got 10k and he's got 8k.
I raised Ac-Kc to 2x. He just calls.
Flop: Jc-Js-6c (Pot: 900)
He checks I bet 450, he min-raises to 900 (he had been playing super LAG HU for a complete 180 from his other FT play), I 4-bet to 3000 with a hand I wasn't ever folding against someone playing that LAG. He moved in for like another 4000 with no fold equity at all, claiming he wanted to put me to a decision to make me muck 88 or 99 (LOL @ a complete lapse in understanding of pot odds and fold equity). He had Q-6os, I was 52% when it went in, but bricked out.
I was knocked down to 2000. I shipped A-3 OTB for 5BBs and he made a bit of a light call with 8c-7c, although it wasn't anything too bad. He turned the flush and I went out in 2nd. It stung not to win, but I didn't blow a huge lead to him or anything. He stacked the guys in 4th and 3rd and went into HU only 2-1 in chips. He moved me off the best hand with a very agressive play and then won a huge race. GG.
- June 19 -
Won the nightly Chip Talk tourney... but only 4 people entered (lol). Still a win. Everyone else is boycotting them because I'm playing them. It is really mature of them. [giant eye roll]
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Recent Live Sessions: Part 1
I haven't posted at all recently, no real reason besides being busy most of the time and/or lazy/preoccupied when I actually do have the time. Umm, I turned 18 on February 25th and went to the Poker Room for my first time on the 29th when my friend Thomas came up to visit from Tampa.
-FEBRUARY 29TH-
He got into town at like 7pm, we got to the poker at around 8-8:30pm (they close at 12:00). As soon as we get we see they have 3 spots left in a $65 6-Max Winner-Take-All Turbo SNG (wow that is a mouthful). The structure was really bad (start with 1500, 50-100 blinds that go up every 12 minutes) and I initially regretted entering it. The table looked pretty soft going in though and it turned out to be very true.
First hand I fold 6-3os UTG, otherwise a hand not worth mentioning if it didn't tell a bit about 2 specific opponents. The guy on my left wore an expensive looking sweater and a nice watch, he limped, a very portly woman with a nose ring raised to 350, the guy to her left looked really trashed (he even had a beer in his left hand for most of the time he played) and he called 350 on the button, SB folds, Thomas folds BB, back to rich-sweater guy who calls 250 more. The board ran out all middle rags with a series of bets and calls from the two men (the woman folded on the flop) and the rich guy tabled 3-3 for 6th pair (an under pair to the entire board) to which the drunk guy tabled like 4th pair (I don't remember the board) to win the pot.
On the second hand I'm in the BB with T-4os, rich guy limps UTG, fat chick folds, drunk guy limps, button limps, Thomas folds his SB and I check.
Flop: (Pot: 450)
A-K-J, rainbow
Check, Check, Check, and Check.
Turn: (Pot:450)
T, board still rainbow.
Check, Check, Check, and Check.
River: (Pot: 450)
4
I bet 200 for value hoping to get a call from a J-9 type of hand. The rich guy just calls me and the drunk guy raises 400 more to 600 total. Not knowing anything about him but 1 hand I decide that a naked Queen would have played this hand very similarly. Plus, I know that the rich guy behind me will probably pay him off like last hand so I'll get to see his cards for free and I decide not to risk 400 more of my already small stack in hopes that he's making a play at the pot. I fold. Rich guy calls with 6-6 (lol) and the drunk tables Kd-5d. Nice fold me... lol donkaments.
Its okay though because the very next hand:
The blinds are still 50-100 and I've got 1200 after 2 hands. I pick up Q-Q in the SB. Fat chick folds UTG, drunk guy calls 100, CO folds, Thomas folds the button, and I make it 400 total, rich guy calls 300 more from the BB and the drunk guy calls 300 more.
Flop: (Pot: 1200)
J-9-2, rainbow.
I ship for 800 total, rich guy folds, and drunk guy doesn't hesitate in calling me. He turns over the... K-3os. I dodged a King and doubled up to 2800.
Drunk guy gave away his last few hundred and exited in 6th. The quiet guy who was in Seat 2 between the drunk guy and Thomas went out in 5th but I really don't remember how, I know it was standard on both players parts, probably a flip or something. I won a small pot with J-9 in a blind vs blind pot with the rich guy during 100-200 where I flopped top-pair with a Jack and he payed my flop and turn bets off with mid-pair (we checked the river when the flush draw got there). That put me up over 3500 and solid chip leader.
Blinds at 200-400, I'm in the BB with A-A. Rich guy has like 700-800 total in his stack and makes the strong play of limping for 400 UTG (lol), it folds around to me and I min-bet him all-in since he's obviously calling. He calls and has J-6os. He got a pretty bad flop of 8-8-4 so not much of a sweat for me. That got me up over 4200.
While playing 3 handed Thomas went nuts with the all-in. It was working and he only had like 6BBs when he started so I don't blame him or anything but it was definitely noticeable that he was shipping a lot. The one time he didn't ship was when I raised the button with A-9s and both him and fatty folded. She made some comment about how she wasn't sure if she was playing 2 players or 1 as team, obviously implying that we were colluding which was not the case. We were clearly there together and friends so I can kind of see her concern, but that's a hell of thing to accuse someone of. Anyway she ended up calling his next all-in with Q-J and failed to improve against his A-6. We got HU about even in chips, about 4500 each (9000 in play), blinds were like 300-600 and I got it in with K-Q vs his A-5 and he made quad Aces because he runs like God (haha, joking). GG me, Thomas wins $300.
As soon as the floor man shakes his hand and tells me "tough luck" he mentions that there is another one about to fill up with 2 spots left. So obviously we jump in that since from our first one and looking around the tournament area the overall competition in these things is really low.
The fat chick is back in this one in Seat 2. I'm in Seat 4 with Thomas on my left in Seat 5.
First hand, I'm in the SB with J-J. UTG is a young guy who is also there with his buddy who also happens to be at the table on my right in Seat 3 (real friend oriented game this time, harhar), so UTG folds, MP folds, Fatty makes it 350, button folds, I decide to just flat call because based on the last one I thought that picking up chips would be super easy at the end from the people who don't understand when to start shipping and stop limping/calling therefore I didn't wanna flip in case she had like A-Q, etc. Thomas folded BB.
Flop: (Pot: 800)
J-9-4, rainbow.
I check hoping she c-bets, she bets 400, I just call and decide that I'll think for a few seconds on whatever the turn is and then just sloppily slide my chips in to try and get a call.
Turn: (Pot: 1600)
7
All-in, call-in. She has T-T, I fade the 4 outs she picked up on the turn and I've got 3100 after 1 hand played.
I just chopped away for the next level or two, just raising in late position to stay even. Thomas got short after he lost a flip with 6-6 vs like A-J. The guy in Seat 1 went out in 5th, he was followed by the young guy in Seat 6 who lost a 60-40 against his buddy. That guy folded his button and I moved Thomas in for like his last 6-7BBs from the SB with A-9, he woke up with 5-5, but I flopped an Ace to get HU with a good chance to win one for myself. I had the guy real short but he just kept doubling up. I get him in with 8-8 vs his A-Q, flop Q. I chop him down low again via pre-flop raise and take it. I get him with A-4s vs his K-3, turn 3 to double up.
Finally,
I limp J-8s from the SB because he had just doubled up to close to me in chips and he was letting me see flops cheaply so I mixed it up and completed. He checked.
Flop: (Pot: 1200)
J-9-7
He min-bets 600, I move him for his last 2500 or so and he calls with... 4-4? I fade the 4 and take down $300. We left at that time as it was like 11:45 and they were starting to wind down for the night.
Good night for both of us.
We went back the next day and played the 2-2 NL ($100 max) ring games. That was a bore as those are some of the biggest nit games I've ever seen. It was shocking to me based on my experiences in the SNGs from the night before and the things that I'd been told from other friends who had played there previously. I broke even at the first cash table, played a $65 turbo where I lost a race 3 handed for my 5BB stack with As-Js vs 7-7 (aside from Qs-Qc, which I got all-in pre vs Qd-Qh and chopped even though she flopped 3 diamonds for the ultimate sweat, A-J was the best hand I saw the whole SNG), and then I won $66 at my second cash table with Ad-Qd where I made the nut flush on the turn vs top pair Kings to win a decent sized pot. I played for like 2 hours at that table and T-T was the best hand I saw, of which I won a decent sized pot against the only LAG at the table who had 8-8 on the J-4-3-4-9 board where he bet every street, I just couldn't fold in that spot against that guy. We went to dinner that night and then went and saw There Will Be Blood (my second time seeing it in theaters) because Thomas wanted to see it.
I went back two weeks later with my friend Don, I'll post that amazing story later.
-FEBRUARY 29TH-
He got into town at like 7pm, we got to the poker at around 8-8:30pm (they close at 12:00). As soon as we get we see they have 3 spots left in a $65 6-Max Winner-Take-All Turbo SNG (wow that is a mouthful). The structure was really bad (start with 1500, 50-100 blinds that go up every 12 minutes) and I initially regretted entering it. The table looked pretty soft going in though and it turned out to be very true.
First hand I fold 6-3os UTG, otherwise a hand not worth mentioning if it didn't tell a bit about 2 specific opponents. The guy on my left wore an expensive looking sweater and a nice watch, he limped, a very portly woman with a nose ring raised to 350, the guy to her left looked really trashed (he even had a beer in his left hand for most of the time he played) and he called 350 on the button, SB folds, Thomas folds BB, back to rich-sweater guy who calls 250 more. The board ran out all middle rags with a series of bets and calls from the two men (the woman folded on the flop) and the rich guy tabled 3-3 for 6th pair (an under pair to the entire board) to which the drunk guy tabled like 4th pair (I don't remember the board) to win the pot.
On the second hand I'm in the BB with T-4os, rich guy limps UTG, fat chick folds, drunk guy limps, button limps, Thomas folds his SB and I check.
Flop: (Pot: 450)
A-K-J, rainbow
Check, Check, Check, and Check.
Turn: (Pot:450)
T, board still rainbow.
Check, Check, Check, and Check.
River: (Pot: 450)
4
I bet 200 for value hoping to get a call from a J-9 type of hand. The rich guy just calls me and the drunk guy raises 400 more to 600 total. Not knowing anything about him but 1 hand I decide that a naked Queen would have played this hand very similarly. Plus, I know that the rich guy behind me will probably pay him off like last hand so I'll get to see his cards for free and I decide not to risk 400 more of my already small stack in hopes that he's making a play at the pot. I fold. Rich guy calls with 6-6 (lol) and the drunk tables Kd-5d. Nice fold me... lol donkaments.
Its okay though because the very next hand:
The blinds are still 50-100 and I've got 1200 after 2 hands. I pick up Q-Q in the SB. Fat chick folds UTG, drunk guy calls 100, CO folds, Thomas folds the button, and I make it 400 total, rich guy calls 300 more from the BB and the drunk guy calls 300 more.
Flop: (Pot: 1200)
J-9-2, rainbow.
I ship for 800 total, rich guy folds, and drunk guy doesn't hesitate in calling me. He turns over the... K-3os. I dodged a King and doubled up to 2800.
Drunk guy gave away his last few hundred and exited in 6th. The quiet guy who was in Seat 2 between the drunk guy and Thomas went out in 5th but I really don't remember how, I know it was standard on both players parts, probably a flip or something. I won a small pot with J-9 in a blind vs blind pot with the rich guy during 100-200 where I flopped top-pair with a Jack and he payed my flop and turn bets off with mid-pair (we checked the river when the flush draw got there). That put me up over 3500 and solid chip leader.
Blinds at 200-400, I'm in the BB with A-A. Rich guy has like 700-800 total in his stack and makes the strong play of limping for 400 UTG (lol), it folds around to me and I min-bet him all-in since he's obviously calling. He calls and has J-6os. He got a pretty bad flop of 8-8-4 so not much of a sweat for me. That got me up over 4200.
While playing 3 handed Thomas went nuts with the all-in. It was working and he only had like 6BBs when he started so I don't blame him or anything but it was definitely noticeable that he was shipping a lot. The one time he didn't ship was when I raised the button with A-9s and both him and fatty folded. She made some comment about how she wasn't sure if she was playing 2 players or 1 as team, obviously implying that we were colluding which was not the case. We were clearly there together and friends so I can kind of see her concern, but that's a hell of thing to accuse someone of. Anyway she ended up calling his next all-in with Q-J and failed to improve against his A-6. We got HU about even in chips, about 4500 each (9000 in play), blinds were like 300-600 and I got it in with K-Q vs his A-5 and he made quad Aces because he runs like God (haha, joking). GG me, Thomas wins $300.
As soon as the floor man shakes his hand and tells me "tough luck" he mentions that there is another one about to fill up with 2 spots left. So obviously we jump in that since from our first one and looking around the tournament area the overall competition in these things is really low.
The fat chick is back in this one in Seat 2. I'm in Seat 4 with Thomas on my left in Seat 5.
First hand, I'm in the SB with J-J. UTG is a young guy who is also there with his buddy who also happens to be at the table on my right in Seat 3 (real friend oriented game this time, harhar), so UTG folds, MP folds, Fatty makes it 350, button folds, I decide to just flat call because based on the last one I thought that picking up chips would be super easy at the end from the people who don't understand when to start shipping and stop limping/calling therefore I didn't wanna flip in case she had like A-Q, etc. Thomas folded BB.
Flop: (Pot: 800)
J-9-4, rainbow.
I check hoping she c-bets, she bets 400, I just call and decide that I'll think for a few seconds on whatever the turn is and then just sloppily slide my chips in to try and get a call.
Turn: (Pot: 1600)
7
All-in, call-in. She has T-T, I fade the 4 outs she picked up on the turn and I've got 3100 after 1 hand played.
I just chopped away for the next level or two, just raising in late position to stay even. Thomas got short after he lost a flip with 6-6 vs like A-J. The guy in Seat 1 went out in 5th, he was followed by the young guy in Seat 6 who lost a 60-40 against his buddy. That guy folded his button and I moved Thomas in for like his last 6-7BBs from the SB with A-9, he woke up with 5-5, but I flopped an Ace to get HU with a good chance to win one for myself. I had the guy real short but he just kept doubling up. I get him in with 8-8 vs his A-Q, flop Q. I chop him down low again via pre-flop raise and take it. I get him with A-4s vs his K-3, turn 3 to double up.
Finally,
I limp J-8s from the SB because he had just doubled up to close to me in chips and he was letting me see flops cheaply so I mixed it up and completed. He checked.
Flop: (Pot: 1200)
J-9-7
He min-bets 600, I move him for his last 2500 or so and he calls with... 4-4? I fade the 4 and take down $300. We left at that time as it was like 11:45 and they were starting to wind down for the night.
Good night for both of us.
We went back the next day and played the 2-2 NL ($100 max) ring games. That was a bore as those are some of the biggest nit games I've ever seen. It was shocking to me based on my experiences in the SNGs from the night before and the things that I'd been told from other friends who had played there previously. I broke even at the first cash table, played a $65 turbo where I lost a race 3 handed for my 5BB stack with As-Js vs 7-7 (aside from Qs-Qc, which I got all-in pre vs Qd-Qh and chopped even though she flopped 3 diamonds for the ultimate sweat, A-J was the best hand I saw the whole SNG), and then I won $66 at my second cash table with Ad-Qd where I made the nut flush on the turn vs top pair Kings to win a decent sized pot. I played for like 2 hours at that table and T-T was the best hand I saw, of which I won a decent sized pot against the only LAG at the table who had 8-8 on the J-4-3-4-9 board where he bet every street, I just couldn't fold in that spot against that guy. We went to dinner that night and then went and saw There Will Be Blood (my second time seeing it in theaters) because Thomas wanted to see it.
I went back two weeks later with my friend Don, I'll post that amazing story later.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Cash Game - 02/09/08
We had a really small cash game tonight, both in stakes and attendance. Five people showed up to play 25c/50c. The overall experience was nice, but hopefully (I'm very certain) we will have many more people at the next "get together."
We started off with just 4 people (Corey, Will, Max, and myself), but Will had to leave briefly when the following hand occured.
As a heads up, Max had (and has in the past) been overbetting pots all the while we were playing so far and then showing the table the nuts or near nuts almost everytime.
I raised the button to 1.50 with Q-Q, Corey folded the SB and Max called 1 more from the BB.
Flop: (Pot: 3.25)
Q-J-6, two clubs
He checks, I bet $2, he called.
Turn: (Pot: 7.25)
8d
He checked, I bet 3.50 (should've bet more), he called.
River: (Pot: 14.25)
10d
He shoved, he obviously has a 10, I fold. He of course shows K-T.
A little later (4 handed):
I limp K-K UTG and Corey makes it 2.50 from the button. It was the first pot Corey opened pre-flop so I was certain he had a big hand, the problem is he will fold almost every hand except A-A if I 3-bet now because he is a super-nit (in cash games atleast). I called with the intention to check-raise his continuation bet on the flop.
Flop: (Pot: 5.75)
Q-9-3, all hearts
I checked, he bet 3, and I failed to follow through with my initial plan because his body language and the board really made me nervous.
Turn: (Pot: 11.75)
Td
I checked, he bet 5, and I got the feeling that he was really uncomfortable with where the board was going so I raised 7.50 more to 12.50 total. He shoved and I can't beat a single hand against Corey's range - which includes all of the following: three queens, three queens, oh and three queens! I folded and he told me that he had three queens.
A bit later:
Corey and Will fold, Max limps and I check to a flop ith Tc-3c.
Flop: (Pot: 1)
8-6-5, two clubs
Max says, "I've got an open-ended straight draw, I'll check." I opted for a free card and...
Turn: (Pot: 1)
4c
Gin! If he does have a 7, which he seemed genuine about then I'm golden. He checks, I bet .75, he raises to 3, I'm 2500% sure he has a 7 like he told us all and will not fold it, so I don't waste time and just move him in, he calls with Q-7, drawing dead.
He leaves and Don fills his seat:
Will limps .50 UTG, Don makes it 1.50 from the button, I call 1.50 from the SB with Js-8s, Will calls another 1.
Flop: (Pot: 5)
8-8-4, rainbow
I check, Will bets 1.50, Don raises to 5.50, I smooth call 5.50 after a bit of thought (actual thought, I thought smooth calling would give away my hand but raising was just stupid against these two players and this board so...), Will calls 4 more.
Turn: (21.50)
10c
I check, Will checks, Don checks.
River: (21.50)
8
Leading out is the obvious play, but given the action on the flop I was near certain that Will had atleast a 4 and Don probably had an over pair (like 9-9), so I checked. Will bet 5, Don called, I raised 6 more for pure value. Will called and Don folded. Will mucked a 4. Total pot: 45.50
Then later:
Don limped the button, I raised the SB to 2.50 with A-Q, all folded, Don called.
Flop: (Pot: 5.50)
Q-Q-4
I checked, he bet 2, I called.
Turn: (Pot: 9.50)
5
I checked, he bet 4, I called.
River: (Pot: 17.50)
A
I checked, he bet 6, I raised 8 more to 14 total, Don folded.
Another hand:
Folded to the SB, Don, who limped, I checked Qs-Js.
Flop: (Pot: 1)
J-J-T, two hearts
Don bet .50, I min-raised to 1 total, he called .50 more.
Turn: (Pot: 3)
J
Again?! He checked, and I checked.
River: (Pot: 3)
2
He bet 2, I raised to 5 total, he folded claiming a busted flush draw.
Another hand:
All fold, Don limps SB, I raise BB to 2.50 with T-T, he calls.
Flop: (Pot: 5)
A-J-T
He checked, I bet $2, he called.
Turn: (Pot: 9)
J
He bet 4, I called.
River: (Pot: 17)
9
He bet $10 and made some comment about knowing he had the best hand, whihc generally a person wouldn't make here with a boat, but for some reason I just felt that I was either way ahead or way behind and raising would only make a bluff fold and a better hand move so I made a pretty weak flat call. He had an Ace and mucked.
I can't really think of any other eventful hands, but obviously you get the message from the posted hands - I got slapped in the face with the deck, hard! I think I played the monsters that I got really well and that's all that really matters. Sometimes you just get hit by the deck and can't lose a pot. Aslong as you play the hands that you get well (whether that be a bunch of monsters or the occasional marginal hand) then you're doing just fine. Poker is long term (an enormous collection of hands), not night by night segments.
We started off with just 4 people (Corey, Will, Max, and myself), but Will had to leave briefly when the following hand occured.
As a heads up, Max had (and has in the past) been overbetting pots all the while we were playing so far and then showing the table the nuts or near nuts almost everytime.
I raised the button to 1.50 with Q-Q, Corey folded the SB and Max called 1 more from the BB.
Flop: (Pot: 3.25)
Q-J-6, two clubs
He checks, I bet $2, he called.
Turn: (Pot: 7.25)
8d
He checked, I bet 3.50 (should've bet more), he called.
River: (Pot: 14.25)
10d
He shoved, he obviously has a 10, I fold. He of course shows K-T.
A little later (4 handed):
I limp K-K UTG and Corey makes it 2.50 from the button. It was the first pot Corey opened pre-flop so I was certain he had a big hand, the problem is he will fold almost every hand except A-A if I 3-bet now because he is a super-nit (in cash games atleast). I called with the intention to check-raise his continuation bet on the flop.
Flop: (Pot: 5.75)
Q-9-3, all hearts
I checked, he bet 3, and I failed to follow through with my initial plan because his body language and the board really made me nervous.
Turn: (Pot: 11.75)
Td
I checked, he bet 5, and I got the feeling that he was really uncomfortable with where the board was going so I raised 7.50 more to 12.50 total. He shoved and I can't beat a single hand against Corey's range - which includes all of the following: three queens, three queens, oh and three queens! I folded and he told me that he had three queens.
A bit later:
Corey and Will fold, Max limps and I check to a flop ith Tc-3c.
Flop: (Pot: 1)
8-6-5, two clubs
Max says, "I've got an open-ended straight draw, I'll check." I opted for a free card and...
Turn: (Pot: 1)
4c
Gin! If he does have a 7, which he seemed genuine about then I'm golden. He checks, I bet .75, he raises to 3, I'm 2500% sure he has a 7 like he told us all and will not fold it, so I don't waste time and just move him in, he calls with Q-7, drawing dead.
He leaves and Don fills his seat:
Will limps .50 UTG, Don makes it 1.50 from the button, I call 1.50 from the SB with Js-8s, Will calls another 1.
Flop: (Pot: 5)
8-8-4, rainbow
I check, Will bets 1.50, Don raises to 5.50, I smooth call 5.50 after a bit of thought (actual thought, I thought smooth calling would give away my hand but raising was just stupid against these two players and this board so...), Will calls 4 more.
Turn: (21.50)
10c
I check, Will checks, Don checks.
River: (21.50)
8
Leading out is the obvious play, but given the action on the flop I was near certain that Will had atleast a 4 and Don probably had an over pair (like 9-9), so I checked. Will bet 5, Don called, I raised 6 more for pure value. Will called and Don folded. Will mucked a 4. Total pot: 45.50
Then later:
Don limped the button, I raised the SB to 2.50 with A-Q, all folded, Don called.
Flop: (Pot: 5.50)
Q-Q-4
I checked, he bet 2, I called.
Turn: (Pot: 9.50)
5
I checked, he bet 4, I called.
River: (Pot: 17.50)
A
I checked, he bet 6, I raised 8 more to 14 total, Don folded.
Another hand:
Folded to the SB, Don, who limped, I checked Qs-Js.
Flop: (Pot: 1)
J-J-T, two hearts
Don bet .50, I min-raised to 1 total, he called .50 more.
Turn: (Pot: 3)
J
Again?! He checked, and I checked.
River: (Pot: 3)
2
He bet 2, I raised to 5 total, he folded claiming a busted flush draw.
Another hand:
All fold, Don limps SB, I raise BB to 2.50 with T-T, he calls.
Flop: (Pot: 5)
A-J-T
He checked, I bet $2, he called.
Turn: (Pot: 9)
J
He bet 4, I called.
River: (Pot: 17)
9
He bet $10 and made some comment about knowing he had the best hand, whihc generally a person wouldn't make here with a boat, but for some reason I just felt that I was either way ahead or way behind and raising would only make a bluff fold and a better hand move so I made a pretty weak flat call. He had an Ace and mucked.
I can't really think of any other eventful hands, but obviously you get the message from the posted hands - I got slapped in the face with the deck, hard! I think I played the monsters that I got really well and that's all that really matters. Sometimes you just get hit by the deck and can't lose a pot. Aslong as you play the hands that you get well (whether that be a bunch of monsters or the occasional marginal hand) then you're doing just fine. Poker is long term (an enormous collection of hands), not night by night segments.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
New Home Game ($50 SNG)
Got invited to play in a home game near my local golf course (that I love) through an Internet home game finder type website. They send me emails often about 5-5 NL ring games around town, but this time they were having a $50 NL tourney using an online poker type SNG structure, not the best structure (these guys just like to have fun) but there is certainly a lot of skill to SNG tournaments; when you get deep with high blinds and small stacks knowing what to do in almost every spot if HUGE and I feel I definitely know most of what to do based on the amount of them I've played online.
They capped the amount of people to come at 18 for 2 full tables.
Payout was:
1st - $360
2nd - $270
3rd - $180
4th - $90
1500 in chips, 15-30 blinds to start, 15 min levels. I have no idea of any of these guys' playing tendencies so...
First hand of the tourney, BLINDS 15-30:
UTG+1 limps 30, I limp behind with K-Q for 30, Button limps 30, SB completes to 30, BB checks.
Flop: (Pot: 150)
K-Q-7, two diamonds
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, I bet 150 (don't know anyone and don't wanna give any draws a chance to catch up), Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.
Turn: (Pot: 450)
3h, it put two diamonds and two hearts out
He checked quickly (common sign of weakness, like a draw), I bet 400 to price him out of calling with a draw, He called 400 anyway.
River: (Pot: 1250)
8h
The backdoor flush got there, but I can't put him on that.
He checks, Now I'm clearly sure that I have the best hand and need to value bet like 600 which I do, he folds.
After one hand I'm there chip leader. Don't play any memorable pots for the rest of 15-30.
BLINDS 20-40:
2 guys limp in early position for 40, the Button limps for 40, I complete from the SB with 2-2 trying to flop a set for cheap, BB checks.
Flop: (Pot: 200)
10-3-2, two spades
I check (looking to check-raise whoever bets, I'm confident that someone will bet this flop as it hits a lot of hands that people are limping with), BB checks, UTG checks, guy in early position min-bets 40, the Button raises to 320, I make it 1200 ready to get it all-in with bottom set, everyone folds to the Button, he moves in 125 more, I call.
He has 10-9.
Turn - brick
River - brick... and he's out and I have a big stack, like 4500-ish. Chopped my way to near 5000 by the end of the level via late position raises and continuation bets, etc.
BLINDS 25-50:
Everyone folds, I raise 150 from middle position with K-K, guy on my immediate left calls 150 (he has a lot of chips like 3500-4000 range), everyone else folds.
Flop: (Pot: 375)
A-7-2, all clubs (I have the Kc)
I check, he bets 150, I raise to 400, he just calls.
Turn: (Pot: 1175)
6c, I now have the nuts.
I bet one single $500 chip to look kinda weak by betting small to try and maybe showdown cheaply, he moves in, SWEET!, I call. He has A-6... only 6 outs to fade.
River: (Pot: ~9000)
The Ace of Spades, UGH!
Down to like 1000-1500 range. I steal a few rounds to stay afloat through the rapidly fast blind levels.
BLINDS 40-80:
UTG calls 80, the Button shoves for about 900 (he's a real loose player, likes to be "all-in"), I call from the BB with K-K, UTG folds.
Flop a King, and he was out.
Went into the final table with about 2000 at 50-100 blinds.
BLINDS 50-100:
9-handed
A tight player UTG makes it 350, it folds around, a tight player in middle position makes it 1200, the SB just calls 1200 (almost 1/2 her stack), UTG moves all-in for a few thousand more, the guy in middle position calls, the SB goes into the tank and finally calls with As-Js!!!
UTG (His name was JC) = K-K
Middle position guy = A-A
Nothing comes until the River brings... a King! The chick was out and the guy with AA was down to nothing. JC was up to over 10,000 when on the next hand he finished the guy with 7-7 vs A-10.
BLINDS 50-100:
I'm down to like 1400 and I pick up A-K on the button, I plan on moving in if anyone limps/raises, and making a standard raise if everyone folds.
It folds to JC, he makes the motion of mucking his hand, so I say, "Raise", he says, "Wait I haven't folded yet", I get the host who is the 'floorman' to come over and making the obvious ruling (that he is able to act on his hand and my out of turn action means nothing) HE rules that JC can still call (which is correct so far) and when it gets to me I have to make a min-raise to 200 and then action continues (WTF! That's a horrible ruling, which could ruin my chances of chipping up here because the min-raise will price in a lot of people that I want to PRICE OUT!), SB calls 200, BB calls 200, JC calls 200... Fuck!!!
Flop: (Pot: 800)
A-9-5, rainbow
They all checked, I moved all-in, they all folded. I was lucky to get that flop and get extra chips from the blinds. If it had came 10-9-8 I was gonna throw a chair... in my mind.
So I up to like 2000 and change.
BLINDS 100-200:
This is a real interesting hand! I have 2000 even (10BBs).
UTG limps for 200, middle position limps for 200, SB completes to 200. These course of actions are so weak, the possibility of any of them having a hand good enough to call another 1800 (if I move in) is super slim. It doesn't matter what my cards are if I feel I'm gonna pick up the pot pre-flop. I thought the 2 guys in early-middle position might call with a wide range because they had decent stacks so I bailed on the idea and just checked my BB with 10-8.
Flop: (Pot: 800)
8-7-2, two hearts
SB checked, I bet 600 (looking back this is very marginal, I don't know if its the best play in this spot... but I made it here), UTG calls quickly like a draw, MP folds, SB calls although he doesn't look happy about it. I was ready to kinda be done with the hand once I got called in 2 spots, but I just really felt form their body language that they were drawing.
Turn: (Pot: 2600)
Q
SB checked, I find this to be a safe card for my hand. As long as they didn't call with like a flush draw that had a Q in it (or slow played a big hand which is unlikely based on their body language) they can't call an all-in here, so I moved all-in for about 1200 and they both folded. Phhhhew!
I was up over 3000 with 7 people left (top 4 get payed).
BLINDS 150-300:
UTG makes it 900, it folds to me on the Button with 6-6. This is weird spot, with only about 10BBs its simply all-in or fold, he's so commit ed to the pot though that if I move in he has to call with most hands he's raising with. And because he's raising UTG, at best (for me) he'll be calling with like A-Q/A-K/K-Q, but a lot of the time he'll show up with a bigger pair and I'm near dead. So in this spot I think that it is a definite fold since we have almost no fold equity. I folded and don't regret it.
BLINDS 200-400:
I have about 2500, so I'm very short. We were down to 5 people at this point (on the money bubble).
It folds to the Button who is as short as me and he moves in for a little more than me, SB folds I have Ks-Qs in the BB and insta-call fro my last 2500, he had 5-5 and it was a race. I flopped a King and held for the double up to over 5000.
The very next hand: UTG tight player makes it 1200, the Button (JC) re-raises to 2500, I'm in the SB with A-Q and can't see how it is good after a raise and a re-raise from 2 solid players so I fold, UTG moves all-in for a little more, JC calls with A-J. UTG had Q-Q so I was right in folding.
BUT, the flop was Ace high and JC busted the guy with a two outer.
BLINDS 250-500:
I had about 5000 and we were in money.
JC folded on the button, I was in the SB with K-8 and the BB was very short and virtually pot commited from his blind. King high is way ahead of his range of two random cards, so I moved him all-in. He made an easy call with A-2, but I flopped an 8 and held on to win the pot an get heads up. No big deal there, just won a 40/60 that I had to play.
I went into heads up vs JC about a 2.5-1 dog in chips.
BLINDS 400-800:
We were near even in chips like me with 12k and him with 15k (he had about 3000 more I know that). I had been raising my button almost every time (to my standard 2.5 x BB when heads up). So I did the same here:
A-A in the SB raise to 2000, he flat called.
Flop: (Pot: 4000)
J-8-5, rainbow
He bet 4000, I moved all-in, he called with K-J and my hand held up.
Now I was in great shape with about 23,500 vs his 3500.
He shoved the next hand, I called with A-5, he had K-10. He made Kings Up to double through to 7000. He stole his way back to even when I went card dead
BLINDS 500-1000:
Stacks were about 14k vs 13k. He didn't look like the type of guy who cared about making a deal over a $90 difference, so I didn't mention making one.
I was in the BB with A-K, he min-raises to 1000 on the button, I move in for 13k, he calls with 3-3, flop came King high and I held on to win that pot.
He's down to like 600, he wins 3 straight hands all-in pre-flop with rags vs rags to get to like 2500, until I move him in with K-J he calls with 9-5, I flop a King... again! I hold to win the pot and I win the tourney.
Really fun time. They started a side game (1-2 NL) right after like 4-5 guys were out. So they were all obviously there to just play poker and have a good time even though they were out of the tourney, which is great. I didn't get to play in the side game (everything kinda wrapped up when the tourney ended) but I don't really care. I probably wouldn't have done that well since I was kinda tired and have been really focusing more on tournaments lately as opposed to cash games (which I used to love over tourneys).
Things are going great for me right now in life. My team won the Fantasy Football league I had with my friends (more $ coming in!). I'm really happy these days. Kinda could care less about school right now, which is a problem I need to turn around, but for the most part everything is awesome... I could use more golf though. Yeah, def more golf!
They capped the amount of people to come at 18 for 2 full tables.
Payout was:
1st - $360
2nd - $270
3rd - $180
4th - $90
1500 in chips, 15-30 blinds to start, 15 min levels. I have no idea of any of these guys' playing tendencies so...
First hand of the tourney, BLINDS 15-30:
UTG+1 limps 30, I limp behind with K-Q for 30, Button limps 30, SB completes to 30, BB checks.
Flop: (Pot: 150)
K-Q-7, two diamonds
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 checks, I bet 150 (don't know anyone and don't wanna give any draws a chance to catch up), Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.
Turn: (Pot: 450)
3h, it put two diamonds and two hearts out
He checked quickly (common sign of weakness, like a draw), I bet 400 to price him out of calling with a draw, He called 400 anyway.
River: (Pot: 1250)
8h
The backdoor flush got there, but I can't put him on that.
He checks, Now I'm clearly sure that I have the best hand and need to value bet like 600 which I do, he folds.
After one hand I'm there chip leader. Don't play any memorable pots for the rest of 15-30.
BLINDS 20-40:
2 guys limp in early position for 40, the Button limps for 40, I complete from the SB with 2-2 trying to flop a set for cheap, BB checks.
Flop: (Pot: 200)
10-3-2, two spades
I check (looking to check-raise whoever bets, I'm confident that someone will bet this flop as it hits a lot of hands that people are limping with), BB checks, UTG checks, guy in early position min-bets 40, the Button raises to 320, I make it 1200 ready to get it all-in with bottom set, everyone folds to the Button, he moves in 125 more, I call.
He has 10-9.
Turn - brick
River - brick... and he's out and I have a big stack, like 4500-ish. Chopped my way to near 5000 by the end of the level via late position raises and continuation bets, etc.
BLINDS 25-50:
Everyone folds, I raise 150 from middle position with K-K, guy on my immediate left calls 150 (he has a lot of chips like 3500-4000 range), everyone else folds.
Flop: (Pot: 375)
A-7-2, all clubs (I have the Kc)
I check, he bets 150, I raise to 400, he just calls.
Turn: (Pot: 1175)
6c, I now have the nuts.
I bet one single $500 chip to look kinda weak by betting small to try and maybe showdown cheaply, he moves in, SWEET!, I call. He has A-6... only 6 outs to fade.
River: (Pot: ~9000)
The Ace of Spades, UGH!
Down to like 1000-1500 range. I steal a few rounds to stay afloat through the rapidly fast blind levels.
BLINDS 40-80:
UTG calls 80, the Button shoves for about 900 (he's a real loose player, likes to be "all-in"), I call from the BB with K-K, UTG folds.
Flop a King, and he was out.
Went into the final table with about 2000 at 50-100 blinds.
BLINDS 50-100:
9-handed
A tight player UTG makes it 350, it folds around, a tight player in middle position makes it 1200, the SB just calls 1200 (almost 1/2 her stack), UTG moves all-in for a few thousand more, the guy in middle position calls, the SB goes into the tank and finally calls with As-Js!!!
UTG (His name was JC) = K-K
Middle position guy = A-A
Nothing comes until the River brings... a King! The chick was out and the guy with AA was down to nothing. JC was up to over 10,000 when on the next hand he finished the guy with 7-7 vs A-10.
BLINDS 50-100:
I'm down to like 1400 and I pick up A-K on the button, I plan on moving in if anyone limps/raises, and making a standard raise if everyone folds.
It folds to JC, he makes the motion of mucking his hand, so I say, "Raise", he says, "Wait I haven't folded yet", I get the host who is the 'floorman' to come over and making the obvious ruling (that he is able to act on his hand and my out of turn action means nothing) HE rules that JC can still call (which is correct so far) and when it gets to me I have to make a min-raise to 200 and then action continues (WTF! That's a horrible ruling, which could ruin my chances of chipping up here because the min-raise will price in a lot of people that I want to PRICE OUT!), SB calls 200, BB calls 200, JC calls 200... Fuck!!!
Flop: (Pot: 800)
A-9-5, rainbow
They all checked, I moved all-in, they all folded. I was lucky to get that flop and get extra chips from the blinds. If it had came 10-9-8 I was gonna throw a chair... in my mind.
So I up to like 2000 and change.
BLINDS 100-200:
This is a real interesting hand! I have 2000 even (10BBs).
UTG limps for 200, middle position limps for 200, SB completes to 200. These course of actions are so weak, the possibility of any of them having a hand good enough to call another 1800 (if I move in) is super slim. It doesn't matter what my cards are if I feel I'm gonna pick up the pot pre-flop. I thought the 2 guys in early-middle position might call with a wide range because they had decent stacks so I bailed on the idea and just checked my BB with 10-8.
Flop: (Pot: 800)
8-7-2, two hearts
SB checked, I bet 600 (looking back this is very marginal, I don't know if its the best play in this spot... but I made it here), UTG calls quickly like a draw, MP folds, SB calls although he doesn't look happy about it. I was ready to kinda be done with the hand once I got called in 2 spots, but I just really felt form their body language that they were drawing.
Turn: (Pot: 2600)
Q
SB checked, I find this to be a safe card for my hand. As long as they didn't call with like a flush draw that had a Q in it (or slow played a big hand which is unlikely based on their body language) they can't call an all-in here, so I moved all-in for about 1200 and they both folded. Phhhhew!
I was up over 3000 with 7 people left (top 4 get payed).
BLINDS 150-300:
UTG makes it 900, it folds to me on the Button with 6-6. This is weird spot, with only about 10BBs its simply all-in or fold, he's so commit ed to the pot though that if I move in he has to call with most hands he's raising with. And because he's raising UTG, at best (for me) he'll be calling with like A-Q/A-K/K-Q, but a lot of the time he'll show up with a bigger pair and I'm near dead. So in this spot I think that it is a definite fold since we have almost no fold equity. I folded and don't regret it.
BLINDS 200-400:
I have about 2500, so I'm very short. We were down to 5 people at this point (on the money bubble).
It folds to the Button who is as short as me and he moves in for a little more than me, SB folds I have Ks-Qs in the BB and insta-call fro my last 2500, he had 5-5 and it was a race. I flopped a King and held for the double up to over 5000.
The very next hand: UTG tight player makes it 1200, the Button (JC) re-raises to 2500, I'm in the SB with A-Q and can't see how it is good after a raise and a re-raise from 2 solid players so I fold, UTG moves all-in for a little more, JC calls with A-J. UTG had Q-Q so I was right in folding.
BUT, the flop was Ace high and JC busted the guy with a two outer.
BLINDS 250-500:
I had about 5000 and we were in money.
JC folded on the button, I was in the SB with K-8 and the BB was very short and virtually pot commited from his blind. King high is way ahead of his range of two random cards, so I moved him all-in. He made an easy call with A-2, but I flopped an 8 and held on to win the pot an get heads up. No big deal there, just won a 40/60 that I had to play.
I went into heads up vs JC about a 2.5-1 dog in chips.
BLINDS 400-800:
We were near even in chips like me with 12k and him with 15k (he had about 3000 more I know that). I had been raising my button almost every time (to my standard 2.5 x BB when heads up). So I did the same here:
A-A in the SB raise to 2000, he flat called.
Flop: (Pot: 4000)
J-8-5, rainbow
He bet 4000, I moved all-in, he called with K-J and my hand held up.
Now I was in great shape with about 23,500 vs his 3500.
He shoved the next hand, I called with A-5, he had K-10. He made Kings Up to double through to 7000. He stole his way back to even when I went card dead
BLINDS 500-1000:
Stacks were about 14k vs 13k. He didn't look like the type of guy who cared about making a deal over a $90 difference, so I didn't mention making one.
I was in the BB with A-K, he min-raises to 1000 on the button, I move in for 13k, he calls with 3-3, flop came King high and I held on to win that pot.
He's down to like 600, he wins 3 straight hands all-in pre-flop with rags vs rags to get to like 2500, until I move him in with K-J he calls with 9-5, I flop a King... again! I hold to win the pot and I win the tourney.
Really fun time. They started a side game (1-2 NL) right after like 4-5 guys were out. So they were all obviously there to just play poker and have a good time even though they were out of the tourney, which is great. I didn't get to play in the side game (everything kinda wrapped up when the tourney ended) but I don't really care. I probably wouldn't have done that well since I was kinda tired and have been really focusing more on tournaments lately as opposed to cash games (which I used to love over tourneys).
Things are going great for me right now in life. My team won the Fantasy Football league I had with my friends (more $ coming in!). I'm really happy these days. Kinda could care less about school right now, which is a problem I need to turn around, but for the most part everything is awesome... I could use more golf though. Yeah, def more golf!
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