Watch this video;
Funny right? It gave me an idea. Did you notice how hardly anyone reraised the min bets that were put out? Why did everyone just call? My guess, playing so sub-optimal, the guy became a defacto table captain.
So how important is being the table captain? Personally, the easiest way to become TC is to scare the bejesus out of your opponents by being a stone cold maniac. If everyone at the table has to worry about making a bet, then you're controlling the action; hello el capitain!
So, shit post today, chime in.
Friday, 15 February 2008
Monday, 11 February 2008
Why no post?
Like Clonie, I've been too busy pulling all nighters on 'Stars.
Though judging by this picture you'd think she'd been fucked on meth before having a train pulled on her. She was in Maxim for fucks sake.
Played two tourneys yesterday - the $20,000 Gtd where I came 180ish, and the $10 deep stack for a 72nd. Both small cashes. I was a medium stack throughout the $20,000, ended up all in with a flush draw and a gutshot for a 50k pot when the blinds were 1200/600 and bricked it. Was on the chip rollercoaster in the deep stack, low until the third hour, then up to 50k, then down to 20k, then up to 70k, then down to 15k then up over 100k, down to 13k when an idiot called a reraise preflop with pocket three's against my kings and floped a three, then back up to over 100k and then down to 1.6k whe the blind where 1k/2k,, then up to 26k then out. I could've stayed strong and waited, but pushed on the lst hand before the break utg with 83s, got called in two spots, flopped a flush draw and turned a pair, but bricked the river.
Up about £75 for the weekend, which is ok considering I only played cash for three hours. If I hadn't played the tourneys my win rate would've been pretty solid for $0.25/$0.50. All this weekend proved - 'Stars is better than FTP.
Though judging by this picture you'd think she'd been fucked on meth before having a train pulled on her. She was in Maxim for fucks sake.
Played two tourneys yesterday - the $20,000 Gtd where I came 180ish, and the $10 deep stack for a 72nd. Both small cashes. I was a medium stack throughout the $20,000, ended up all in with a flush draw and a gutshot for a 50k pot when the blinds were 1200/600 and bricked it. Was on the chip rollercoaster in the deep stack, low until the third hour, then up to 50k, then down to 20k, then up to 70k, then down to 15k then up over 100k, down to 13k when an idiot called a reraise preflop with pocket three's against my kings and floped a three, then back up to over 100k and then down to 1.6k whe the blind where 1k/2k,, then up to 26k then out. I could've stayed strong and waited, but pushed on the lst hand before the break utg with 83s, got called in two spots, flopped a flush draw and turned a pair, but bricked the river.
Up about £75 for the weekend, which is ok considering I only played cash for three hours. If I hadn't played the tourneys my win rate would've been pretty solid for $0.25/$0.50. All this weekend proved - 'Stars is better than FTP.
Monday, 4 February 2008
Nostalgia, like Hold 'Em, is Overrated
I was accused yesterday of being too nostalgic. It took me almost no time to realise the truth behind this, but still I spent the majority of the day thinking about it. I'm nostalgic about almost everything; ex-girlfriends (though I'm very much in love), music, football. I'm convinced that ecstacy was my drug of choice because of the way it makes you whistful about the near past - do you remember how high we were an hour ago, what about those pills you got last year! I wonder if I shouldn't be a buddist. I spend the majority of my thought time remembering as opposed to dreaming.
I'm not nostalgic about poker. I suppose when you spend so much time failing, there's not much you'd want to remember, let alone reminisce about. Poker's odd in that it's the only game where you expect to fail fair proportion of the time, and tournement poker's worse. How often is it reasonable for an amateur to expect to win? Once in blue moon might be cliche, but the last time I won a big score I remember the night having a certain cyan tinge to it.
I suppose I find it odd that the persuit I plow the majority of my time into is one of the few things I expect to consistently fail it; it's a step away from my usual attitude towards endevor. Or maybe I'll start thinking about the days when I could value bet with top pair three kicker, or call an all in with ace high without thinking. Maybe we enjoy nostlgia because we've become too cynical, we're all just looking back at the halcyon days of being a true donkey but still enjoying playing.
I'm not nostalgic about poker. I suppose when you spend so much time failing, there's not much you'd want to remember, let alone reminisce about. Poker's odd in that it's the only game where you expect to fail fair proportion of the time, and tournement poker's worse. How often is it reasonable for an amateur to expect to win? Once in blue moon might be cliche, but the last time I won a big score I remember the night having a certain cyan tinge to it.
I suppose I find it odd that the persuit I plow the majority of my time into is one of the few things I expect to consistently fail it; it's a step away from my usual attitude towards endevor. Or maybe I'll start thinking about the days when I could value bet with top pair three kicker, or call an all in with ace high without thinking. Maybe we enjoy nostlgia because we've become too cynical, we're all just looking back at the halcyon days of being a true donkey but still enjoying playing.
Sunday, 3 February 2008
£50 Semi-Freeze Out at The Full House, Reigate
Back at the fullhouse; I'm spending so much time here that they're gonna ask me for a security deposit and a months rent up front. As I said, Soveriegn has the £100 main event tonight, so I didn't expect to many runners, but we got twenty four, which shows how popular the place is. I would have played at Soveriegn tonight, but I wanted to spend time with the fiance today and the tourney kicked off at 4, so no dice.
Jesus, they've gotta sort the music out; at one point I figured I was stuck in a Trevor Nelson'S Rhythm Nation broadcast - any moment the fella with the cane from Boyz II Men was gonna come in and talke all suductive. Alas he didn't. I think they're missing a trick - if they're gonna be all 99 Jams, they need to be 100% 99 Jams.
I started badly; limped in UTG with 67o, got raised to 250 by the sb, and called. Flop came qsjsx, he checked I bet 650, he raised all in. I fold. Fold my way down to 3500, up to 4500, down to 4000 when we hit the next level. UTG I raise with KQo, little loose for me, but figured folding every other hand might give me some nit vig. A bad player, nice guy, but very inexperienced, who's just rebought raised to 1000, folds to me I flat call. Flop comes QJx rainbow, I check, the bad player bets 1000, I check raise all in for 1900 more. He thinks then calls, showing AK and blanks out. I'm up to 8000.
Normally I wouldn't call the reraise, but two things made me; 1) The guy wasn't the most competent player, and I figured he'd let me know where he was on the flop. 2) He'd already rebrought, so I didn't think he'd be able to call an all in for me without a big hand. How wrong I was.
Next hand I'm In the big blind with 85o, semi-tight student raises to 350, cut off calls, I call. Flop comes KQ5 rainbow, student bets 700, cut off folds. I reckon he's on the take, so I raise to 1700. He thinks for three minutes, before pushing. He feels weak, not getting any stronger the longer I take, so I call, and he shows KJ. 8 on the turn, blank river and I'm up to 12000.
Next hand I'm in the SB with QQ. Three limpers, I raise to 700, BB raises to 1700, limpers fold. Normally here I'd raise, but figured I'm not pushing out the ace, nor do I want to, so willing to flat call and see if I get a nice flop. Flop comes three babies with two hearts. I check, BB pushes for 2500, I call, he shows AcKs. Blank blank and I'm up to 18k.
And that's as good as it got. Three big hands, then a lot of small looses. Eventually I blind my way down to 15k, then call a few to many raises with junk, call a little trying to hit sets, and one bad bluff. Second trap check of the night and I fall for it - I keep trying to pull the spook moves, keep failing. Live I think I'd do better if I took the naked bluff out at the begining/middle stages. The guy showed bottom pair, but pretty sure he had paired his ace too.
This guy - he deals here too, name's Dan - is pretty strong. He made some decent plays throughout, before knocking me out. Blinds 300/600, I limp UTG with 910o, so do five others. Flop comes 10d7d6h, BB checks, I bet 4000 out of my 7200 stack. Dan takes three minutes, nearly folding, before calling with Kd8d. Turns 5h, river 4c. Like I'm in Jurrasic Park I worry about the raptor in front of me only to get fucked by the secret second raptor. Meh.
He ummed about the play, but I like it - he's gotta assume I've got the ten, but even so he's got 12 outs if I don't have K10, 15 otherwise. 15 outs twice makes it a solid push, and he can't be hurt by my stack. I like my play a whole lot less - I've started limping to much without the required stack. I'm gonna stop with it, more raising or folding.
All in all, not a bad beat, out on a coinflip. But at least I was only in for £50.
Bankroll - £2135.
Jesus, they've gotta sort the music out; at one point I figured I was stuck in a Trevor Nelson'S Rhythm Nation broadcast - any moment the fella with the cane from Boyz II Men was gonna come in and talke all suductive. Alas he didn't. I think they're missing a trick - if they're gonna be all 99 Jams, they need to be 100% 99 Jams.
I started badly; limped in UTG with 67o, got raised to 250 by the sb, and called. Flop came qsjsx, he checked I bet 650, he raised all in. I fold. Fold my way down to 3500, up to 4500, down to 4000 when we hit the next level. UTG I raise with KQo, little loose for me, but figured folding every other hand might give me some nit vig. A bad player, nice guy, but very inexperienced, who's just rebought raised to 1000, folds to me I flat call. Flop comes QJx rainbow, I check, the bad player bets 1000, I check raise all in for 1900 more. He thinks then calls, showing AK and blanks out. I'm up to 8000.
Normally I wouldn't call the reraise, but two things made me; 1) The guy wasn't the most competent player, and I figured he'd let me know where he was on the flop. 2) He'd already rebrought, so I didn't think he'd be able to call an all in for me without a big hand. How wrong I was.
Next hand I'm In the big blind with 85o, semi-tight student raises to 350, cut off calls, I call. Flop comes KQ5 rainbow, student bets 700, cut off folds. I reckon he's on the take, so I raise to 1700. He thinks for three minutes, before pushing. He feels weak, not getting any stronger the longer I take, so I call, and he shows KJ. 8 on the turn, blank river and I'm up to 12000.
Next hand I'm in the SB with QQ. Three limpers, I raise to 700, BB raises to 1700, limpers fold. Normally here I'd raise, but figured I'm not pushing out the ace, nor do I want to, so willing to flat call and see if I get a nice flop. Flop comes three babies with two hearts. I check, BB pushes for 2500, I call, he shows AcKs. Blank blank and I'm up to 18k.
And that's as good as it got. Three big hands, then a lot of small looses. Eventually I blind my way down to 15k, then call a few to many raises with junk, call a little trying to hit sets, and one bad bluff. Second trap check of the night and I fall for it - I keep trying to pull the spook moves, keep failing. Live I think I'd do better if I took the naked bluff out at the begining/middle stages. The guy showed bottom pair, but pretty sure he had paired his ace too.
This guy - he deals here too, name's Dan - is pretty strong. He made some decent plays throughout, before knocking me out. Blinds 300/600, I limp UTG with 910o, so do five others. Flop comes 10d7d6h, BB checks, I bet 4000 out of my 7200 stack. Dan takes three minutes, nearly folding, before calling with Kd8d. Turns 5h, river 4c. Like I'm in Jurrasic Park I worry about the raptor in front of me only to get fucked by the secret second raptor. Meh.
He ummed about the play, but I like it - he's gotta assume I've got the ten, but even so he's got 12 outs if I don't have K10, 15 otherwise. 15 outs twice makes it a solid push, and he can't be hurt by my stack. I like my play a whole lot less - I've started limping to much without the required stack. I'm gonna stop with it, more raising or folding.
All in all, not a bad beat, out on a coinflip. But at least I was only in for £50.
Bankroll - £2135.
Saturday, 2 February 2008
Busting my Full Tilt Account
And this is why I don't count online poker as part of my bankroll. Busted my full tilt account playing $3/$6 limit HE/Stud. Was up $250 dollars playing $5/$10 stud, then lost that playing $3/$6 heads up - was mainly through a series of bad beats - limit really doesn't let you define your hand strenghth at all. Saying that, the guy was trying to give me his money; at one point he four bet his 8h3h pre flop vs my 10h7c, flopped the gutshot with two hearts, turn the gin - 8d giving me a ten high straight, however he three bet himself all in only to hit the 5h on the river for the win. In the end I took one buy in off the guy, only for him to rebuy and hit three sets when I was holding minimum top pair top kicker, but also against top two when he hit bottom set on the turn after three betting my KQ on a KQc7c board with 44c, then filling up on the turn with 77 when I hit a straight on an 9879 board with J10. He left saying I was playing too well! Better lucky then good appears to be his phrase de jour.
Eventually busted my last $150 playing $3/$6 stud - basically gave it away, though lost the final $95 pot when I hit trip tens on fifth, only for player to hit broadway on 7th - I didn't fill up.
Can't be pissed off to much, was mainly free money from coming 11th last night, only loaded $75 dollars on because I was board.
Looking at playing either the Sovereign £100+10 tommorow, or the £50 semi-freeze out at the Full House. Maybe just take the day off. At least it'll be a tourney not some shitty old cash.
Loving Lucky Jimm's blog at the moment, much better than blue scouses 88% concerntration - at least Jimm isn't simply talking about running £5k to £30k, then busting, then running £10k to £40k, then busting. 88% concerntration must be the most repetitive blog online, bar this one.
Eventually busted my last $150 playing $3/$6 stud - basically gave it away, though lost the final $95 pot when I hit trip tens on fifth, only for player to hit broadway on 7th - I didn't fill up.
Can't be pissed off to much, was mainly free money from coming 11th last night, only loaded $75 dollars on because I was board.
Looking at playing either the Sovereign £100+10 tommorow, or the £50 semi-freeze out at the Full House. Maybe just take the day off. At least it'll be a tourney not some shitty old cash.
Loving Lucky Jimm's blog at the moment, much better than blue scouses 88% concerntration - at least Jimm isn't simply talking about running £5k to £30k, then busting, then running £10k to £40k, then busting. 88% concerntration must be the most repetitive blog online, bar this one.
Friday, 1 February 2008
$17500 GTD Tournement, Full Tilt Poker
I've hated Full Tilt ever since I borrowed a PC and started playing on 'Stars. The structure looks good, but 10 minute blind levels really negate that. Also, the play on Full Tilt is much weaker, and I find it difficult to drop to the right level of thinking. The problem is that I'm stuck on a Mac that won't run 'Stars, so FTP is the only way I get to play online for the moment. The $17500 GTD has two things going for it - double stacks and a decent start time, so I'll play it tonight.
Play was bad all the way through. Got to be chip leader with fifty left, then was all over the shop - alot of repushing all in, alot of bad play. One interesting hand stuck out - Blinds 8k/16, I have 200k, raised in the hijack with 109off to 40k, BB calls, flop Q98 rainbow. BB bets 32k, I raise to 90k he times down and calls. Turn Kd, putting two diamonds up, check check. River 7h, he pushes. I time down and fold. Can't put him on a hand, maybe an eight, but the only flop based draw gets there on the turn and the river, so probably a solid fold.
End up finishing 11th, all in with Q9 off vs J9h - fifth time the player called me all in with the worse hand, he ended up hitting runner runner for the flush. Won $255, but should have won at least $1k. Fucking FTP.
Play was bad all the way through. Got to be chip leader with fifty left, then was all over the shop - alot of repushing all in, alot of bad play. One interesting hand stuck out - Blinds 8k/16, I have 200k, raised in the hijack with 109off to 40k, BB calls, flop Q98 rainbow. BB bets 32k, I raise to 90k he times down and calls. Turn Kd, putting two diamonds up, check check. River 7h, he pushes. I time down and fold. Can't put him on a hand, maybe an eight, but the only flop based draw gets there on the turn and the river, so probably a solid fold.
End up finishing 11th, all in with Q9 off vs J9h - fifth time the player called me all in with the worse hand, he ended up hitting runner runner for the flush. Won $255, but should have won at least $1k. Fucking FTP.
Thursday, 31 January 2008
£40 NLH Tournement at The Fullhouse, Reigate
Back in Reigate, back in the Full House, back playing bad.
First level I fold through the blinds, limp the button with A8h, flop the ace and take the blinds. Why not raise?
Second small blind I limp with five others with Qh10, flop comes Qxx two hearts, I bet 300 into the 350, get one call, turn comes a 7, I bet 650, same player - asian guy who was pretty weak agro - calls. River a queen, I check, he bets 750, I min raise, he calls. He has QJ.
All this time the guy to my right hasn't turned up, so he has to post a BB every round, which acts like an ante.
Next level. Down to 5000, limp too much with junk, down to 4000. Win a couple small pots; a guy keeps limping every hand, min betting 4 flushing flops, winning a ton of chips with junk, hitting flushes on two rivers, straights on the river. When he doesn't have the flush he has a better top pair then the other guy. I re-raise him with top pair a couple of times, and both times he folds.
Blinds goes up to 100-200; I raise the button to 1k with 57h; small blind call. He's pretty tight, so don't wanna see the ace. K910 board I bet 1.5k with 2k left behind, he folds showing the AQ, I show the bluff. Two hands later, last hand before the break, I make the same raise with AdQs in mid position, the two players directly to my left both call. Flop comes 3c4d5d - I check, guy to my left bets 2k, tight guy flat calls, after thirty seconds. First mistake - I call. Turn comes a Jh, I check, scared guy pushes for 700, tight guy calls, I call. River comes the 7d, worst card in the deck. Tight guy bets 2500 I fold. Weak guy shows A6c for straight, tight guy shows KQd for flush. I'm left with 2400.
I'm pretty sure I'm ahead pre flop. Flop doesn't hit many hands that call a 5bb bet preflop, and neither caller limp called. The 2k raiser could have 7's through 9's, straight draw, or flopped the wheel (which is pretty unlikely), or two diamonds. However, he looks super scared when he raises, and leave himself 700 behind, which makes no sense for a big made hand. When tight guy calls I put him on the flush draw; no reraise which he's done with made hands. He could have an ace high like me due to the previous hand, or two big diamonds - no raise so no pair/set etc. Unfortunetly, I'm pretty sure I'm winning, but don't have enough chips to reraise and get a better hand to fold. On the turn I can't fold for 700, still might have best hand, have minimum 8 outs. So 700 into 11300 makes sense. Also, if it comes a blank I'm pretty sure the tight guy will check. The fold on the river is fine; I can't beat anything but a bluff, and the tight guy isn't bluffing.
I might have been winning on the flop and turn, but folding the flop was still the right play. I could continuation bet, but will still get called on any bet less than an all in, and am not willing to push on such a draw heavy board.
The first hand after the break, I'm UTG+1 with A7s, push, get called by 44 in the big blind and lose the race. Not great.
I didn't play great, but my reads were better than the last tourney, though my plays were worse. So as a punishment I'm not playing the 10k gtd on saturday, but might play the main event at the Soveriegn on sunday, depends how I feel.
Bankroll £2185
First level I fold through the blinds, limp the button with A8h, flop the ace and take the blinds. Why not raise?
Second small blind I limp with five others with Qh10, flop comes Qxx two hearts, I bet 300 into the 350, get one call, turn comes a 7, I bet 650, same player - asian guy who was pretty weak agro - calls. River a queen, I check, he bets 750, I min raise, he calls. He has QJ.
All this time the guy to my right hasn't turned up, so he has to post a BB every round, which acts like an ante.
Next level. Down to 5000, limp too much with junk, down to 4000. Win a couple small pots; a guy keeps limping every hand, min betting 4 flushing flops, winning a ton of chips with junk, hitting flushes on two rivers, straights on the river. When he doesn't have the flush he has a better top pair then the other guy. I re-raise him with top pair a couple of times, and both times he folds.
Blinds goes up to 100-200; I raise the button to 1k with 57h; small blind call. He's pretty tight, so don't wanna see the ace. K910 board I bet 1.5k with 2k left behind, he folds showing the AQ, I show the bluff. Two hands later, last hand before the break, I make the same raise with AdQs in mid position, the two players directly to my left both call. Flop comes 3c4d5d - I check, guy to my left bets 2k, tight guy flat calls, after thirty seconds. First mistake - I call. Turn comes a Jh, I check, scared guy pushes for 700, tight guy calls, I call. River comes the 7d, worst card in the deck. Tight guy bets 2500 I fold. Weak guy shows A6c for straight, tight guy shows KQd for flush. I'm left with 2400.
I'm pretty sure I'm ahead pre flop. Flop doesn't hit many hands that call a 5bb bet preflop, and neither caller limp called. The 2k raiser could have 7's through 9's, straight draw, or flopped the wheel (which is pretty unlikely), or two diamonds. However, he looks super scared when he raises, and leave himself 700 behind, which makes no sense for a big made hand. When tight guy calls I put him on the flush draw; no reraise which he's done with made hands. He could have an ace high like me due to the previous hand, or two big diamonds - no raise so no pair/set etc. Unfortunetly, I'm pretty sure I'm winning, but don't have enough chips to reraise and get a better hand to fold. On the turn I can't fold for 700, still might have best hand, have minimum 8 outs. So 700 into 11300 makes sense. Also, if it comes a blank I'm pretty sure the tight guy will check. The fold on the river is fine; I can't beat anything but a bluff, and the tight guy isn't bluffing.
I might have been winning on the flop and turn, but folding the flop was still the right play. I could continuation bet, but will still get called on any bet less than an all in, and am not willing to push on such a draw heavy board.
The first hand after the break, I'm UTG+1 with A7s, push, get called by 44 in the big blind and lose the race. Not great.
I didn't play great, but my reads were better than the last tourney, though my plays were worse. So as a punishment I'm not playing the 10k gtd on saturday, but might play the main event at the Soveriegn on sunday, depends how I feel.
Bankroll £2185
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