I had the house to myself today, and I've been itching to try out a real money multi-table tournament (the play money tournaments are fun, but they can barely be considered poker). Full Tilt has one dollar tournaments scheduld where the top prize is nearly $1700, but they start at the worst times for me - either 3-ish in the afternoon or 8-ish at night, both of which times I am at work. However, they also have a $1 90-man SNG that pays about $22 to the winner. I entered into this one of these this morning.
I'm not sure if it's the break or what, but I played some really awesome poker. I ended up taking second for $13, and probably could have won if not for a bad beat at the end: all in preflop, my AQ lost to his AJ when he hit his jack on the flop with a pot of just under 200,000 on the table. My opponent would have been left with about 75k chips and I would have had complete control over him.
No worries, though... I'll take $13 dollars in winnings from a $1 entry fee. Plus, the tournament ended at the perfect time - I had just enough time to eat lunch and get ready for work.
Overall, a pretty nice morning. :) Ok, now... no pay poker until 2010 for real.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Sitting Out
I decided to take a little break from real money poker for a bit. My schedule is very demanding from now to the end of the year, so I need to focus on getting the right amount of sleep instead of getting playing time in.
Once my schedule settles down (mid-January-ish, I'll have pockets of time where I can play more. I'll be blogging more often, as well. Until then, expect to hear from me sporadically as I will still be playing play money games and stuff like that.
Once my schedule settles down (mid-January-ish, I'll have pockets of time where I can play more. I'll be blogging more often, as well. Until then, expect to hear from me sporadically as I will still be playing play money games and stuff like that.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Hosed in HORSE
I play in a bunch of tournaments that some of us player set up as a "team competition." I usually end up playing a No Limit Hold 'Em tournament on Sundays because it fits my schedule best. This week, my teammate who was supposed to play the HORSE tournament couldn't make it, so I needed to play both at the same time.
A HORSE tournament involves playing five different types of poker during the course of the tournament, none of which I am very good at. However, I know the basic rules, so I figured I'd be able to at least fake it for a bit.
About 20 minutes into the tournaments, I've already been knocked out in 5th from my usual tournament, but I'm in first place in the HORSE tourney. WTF?!?!? I barely know if I'm bluffing or not at times when I'm betting, and I'm winning?
Anyways, I get down to the money bubble (4 people left, 3 people get paid), and I get a few unlucky breaks - I lose a hand where I was ahead for most of the way, a guy who is about to get knocked out hits a miracle card to stay alive, etc. Eventually the game rotates around to Limit Hold 'Em, and I get dealt pocket queens. With a shortstack, I know I've got to get my money in now no matter what. And, my terrible luck streak took it from there:
Hero (CO): t1550 M = 3.44
BTN: t5290 M = 11.76
SB: t2230 M = 4.96
BB: t2930 M = 6.51
Pre Flop: (1.5 SB) Hero is CO with Qh Qd
Hero raises, 1 fold, SB calls, 1 fold
Flop: (5 SB) 9d 3s 9h (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB raises, Hero 3-bets, SB caps!, Hero calls all in
Turn: (5.667 BB) 7h (2 players - 1 is all in)
River: (5.667 BB) 2d (2 players - 1 is all in)
Final Pot: 5.667 BB
Hero shows Qh Qd (two pair, Queens and Nines)
SB shows 7c 7d (a full house, Sevens full of Nines)
SB wins 5.667 BB
Pre-flop, I'm about an 80% favorite to win this hand. After the flop, I'm greater than a 90% favorite. Still not strong enough for me, I guess. I'm impressed by my 4th place showing in the HORSE tourney, but I'm still very disappointed with the outcome of that last hand.
A HORSE tournament involves playing five different types of poker during the course of the tournament, none of which I am very good at. However, I know the basic rules, so I figured I'd be able to at least fake it for a bit.
About 20 minutes into the tournaments, I've already been knocked out in 5th from my usual tournament, but I'm in first place in the HORSE tourney. WTF?!?!? I barely know if I'm bluffing or not at times when I'm betting, and I'm winning?
Anyways, I get down to the money bubble (4 people left, 3 people get paid), and I get a few unlucky breaks - I lose a hand where I was ahead for most of the way, a guy who is about to get knocked out hits a miracle card to stay alive, etc. Eventually the game rotates around to Limit Hold 'Em, and I get dealt pocket queens. With a shortstack, I know I've got to get my money in now no matter what. And, my terrible luck streak took it from there:
Hero (CO): t1550 M = 3.44
BTN: t5290 M = 11.76
SB: t2230 M = 4.96
BB: t2930 M = 6.51
Pre Flop: (1.5 SB) Hero is CO with Qh Qd
Hero raises, 1 fold, SB calls, 1 fold
Flop: (5 SB) 9d 3s 9h (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, SB raises, Hero 3-bets, SB caps!, Hero calls all in
Turn: (5.667 BB) 7h (2 players - 1 is all in)
River: (5.667 BB) 2d (2 players - 1 is all in)
Final Pot: 5.667 BB
Hero shows Qh Qd (two pair, Queens and Nines)
SB shows 7c 7d (a full house, Sevens full of Nines)
SB wins 5.667 BB
Pre-flop, I'm about an 80% favorite to win this hand. After the flop, I'm greater than a 90% favorite. Still not strong enough for me, I guess. I'm impressed by my 4th place showing in the HORSE tourney, but I'm still very disappointed with the outcome of that last hand.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Keeping Track
I can see that keeping a spreadsheet of my results is going to be a valuable tool. I just happened to pick a bad time to start record keeping - I'm going through a patch of rough luck lately. Take a look at these two hands, each of which pretty much killed me in seperate sit-n-go's:
Hand 1
CO: t1310 M = 5.46
BTN: t1953 M = 8.14
SB: t1225 M = 5.10
BB: t1745 M = 7.27
Hero (UTG): t2785 M = 11.60
UTG+1: t1960 M = 8.17
MP: t2522 M = 10.51
Pre Flop: (t240) Hero is UTG with As Kd
Hero raises to t400, 4 folds, SB raises to t1225 all in, 1 fold, Hero calls t825
Flop: (t2610) 3s Ac 4h
Turn: (t2610) 2d
River: (t2610) Jd
Final Pot: t2610
SB shows Ah Jc (two pair, Aces and Jacks)
Hero shows As Kd (a pair of Aces)
SB wins t2610
Hand 2
MP1: t1970 M = 32.83
MP2: t965 M = 16.08
CO: t940 M = 15.67
BTN: t3420 M = 57
SB: t1743 M = 29.05
Hero (BB): t1610 M = 26.83
UTG: t1400 M = 23.33
UTG+1: t1452 M = 24.20
Pre Flop: (t60) Hero is BB with Ah As
1 fold, UTG+1 calls t40, 1 fold, MP2 calls t40, CO raises to t120, 2 folds, Hero raises to t375, 1 fold, MP2 calls t335, CO calls t255
Flop: (t1185) Kd Qh 3s (3 players)
Hero bets t590, MP2 calls t590 all in, CO calls t565 all in
Turn: (t2930) 9c (3 players - 2 are all in)
River: (t2930) Tc (3 players - 2 are all in)
Final Pot: t2930
MP2 shows Th Qs (two pair, Queens and Tens)
CO shows Qc Kc (two pair, Kings and Queens)
Hero shows Ah As (a pair of Aces)
MP2 wins t50
CO wins t2880
(If anyone wants to learn how to read these hand histories, feel free to send me an e-mail... I'll help you out)
I'm still showing a (very small) profit since I started keeping track last week, despite these tough losses. When things start to swing my way, I should end up going on a rampage.
Hand 1
CO: t1310 M = 5.46
BTN: t1953 M = 8.14
SB: t1225 M = 5.10
BB: t1745 M = 7.27
Hero (UTG): t2785 M = 11.60
UTG+1: t1960 M = 8.17
MP: t2522 M = 10.51
Pre Flop: (t240) Hero is UTG with As Kd
Hero raises to t400, 4 folds, SB raises to t1225 all in, 1 fold, Hero calls t825
Flop: (t2610) 3s Ac 4h
Turn: (t2610) 2d
River: (t2610) Jd
Final Pot: t2610
SB shows Ah Jc (two pair, Aces and Jacks)
Hero shows As Kd (a pair of Aces)
SB wins t2610
Hand 2
MP1: t1970 M = 32.83
MP2: t965 M = 16.08
CO: t940 M = 15.67
BTN: t3420 M = 57
SB: t1743 M = 29.05
Hero (BB): t1610 M = 26.83
UTG: t1400 M = 23.33
UTG+1: t1452 M = 24.20
Pre Flop: (t60) Hero is BB with Ah As
1 fold, UTG+1 calls t40, 1 fold, MP2 calls t40, CO raises to t120, 2 folds, Hero raises to t375, 1 fold, MP2 calls t335, CO calls t255
Flop: (t1185) Kd Qh 3s (3 players)
Hero bets t590, MP2 calls t590 all in, CO calls t565 all in
Turn: (t2930) 9c (3 players - 2 are all in)
River: (t2930) Tc (3 players - 2 are all in)
Final Pot: t2930
MP2 shows Th Qs (two pair, Queens and Tens)
CO shows Qc Kc (two pair, Kings and Queens)
Hero shows Ah As (a pair of Aces)
MP2 wins t50
CO wins t2880
(If anyone wants to learn how to read these hand histories, feel free to send me an e-mail... I'll help you out)
I'm still showing a (very small) profit since I started keeping track last week, despite these tough losses. When things start to swing my way, I should end up going on a rampage.
Here's the Deal
I love to play online poker; it's one of my favorite hobbies. No, I am not a degeneate gambler, nor do you have to "worry about me" (you'd be surprised how many times I hear that). I play for real money, but none of it is actually my own - I started out playing with a promotional offer from a website that gives away free money for online poker rooms. The assumption, I guess, is that most people will lose this money and deposit their own money in order to continue playing. I never lost the initial offer money, and now I've turned $50 into about $150 over two years.
Yes, yuo read that right - it took me two years to make $100 dollars. Not exactly astronomical profits there. My money making ability is restricted by the stakes I play (I play at almost the smallest stakes possible) and by my free time (I currently have a full time job as well as a part time job). Luckily, the money isn't important to me; I mainly play for the fun and to get better... perhaps for when I decide to become a full time professional poker player (yeah, I wish).
I've recently decided to devote more time to poker in order to improve my skills. This blog is part of my attempt to raise the level of my game. It's also a place to brag about my wins (and vent about my losses).
Yes, yuo read that right - it took me two years to make $100 dollars. Not exactly astronomical profits there. My money making ability is restricted by the stakes I play (I play at almost the smallest stakes possible) and by my free time (I currently have a full time job as well as a part time job). Luckily, the money isn't important to me; I mainly play for the fun and to get better... perhaps for when I decide to become a full time professional poker player (yeah, I wish).
I've recently decided to devote more time to poker in order to improve my skills. This blog is part of my attempt to raise the level of my game. It's also a place to brag about my wins (and vent about my losses).
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