The only way I'm ever going to get to play a big money tourney is to play my way in via several layers of micro (read:free) stakes qualifiers. So Full Tilt is running their main event races throughout the day and, for me, that's the amount of risk I like. The .com version (225 pers SNG) awards round 2 tickets to the top 2. The .net version (450 pers SNG) only pays the winner. I have 2 tickets from each version but haven't yet played a round 2 tournament. I guess I'm just delaying the inevitable shitkicking I'm going to get when I do play.
10 DAYS UNTIL VEGAS!!!!
Let me know if you're looking to split the cost of a room for the weekend.
And there go 5 minutes of your life you're never getting back.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Anatomy of a Calling Station
Live riverchasers freeroll, level 3 (3/6, T200 starting stacks).
UTG raises 15 to 21. <---- first hand played in 1/2 hour
SB calls 18.
BB folds.
Flop [T 8 4] rainbow.
SB bets 20.
UTG calls 20.
Turn [A].
SB checks.
UTG bets 25.
SB calls 25.
River [K].
SB checks.
UTG bets 50.
SB calls 50.
UTG shows [TT] for three of a kind, tens.
SB shows [JJ] for a pair of jacks.
Is there ANY reasonable holding UTG could have that justifies the turn call, and especially the river call?
Sadly, that was, by far, the best hand I saw all night and one of only two pots I won. I tried to use my image to get stealy a couple times on semi-bluffs, but kept getting called down or raised and had to release. Steady diet of 75o and J2o isn't real helpful against these types of players. And still, I outlasted 2/3 of the field.
Vegas - one month from today. Tick tick tick tick....
UTG raises 15 to 21. <---- first hand played in 1/2 hour
SB calls 18.
BB folds.
Flop [T 8 4] rainbow.
SB bets 20.
UTG calls 20.
Turn [A].
SB checks.
UTG bets 25.
SB calls 25.
River [K].
SB checks.
UTG bets 50.
SB calls 50.
UTG shows [TT] for three of a kind, tens.
SB shows [JJ] for a pair of jacks.
Is there ANY reasonable holding UTG could have that justifies the turn call, and especially the river call?
Sadly, that was, by far, the best hand I saw all night and one of only two pots I won. I tried to use my image to get stealy a couple times on semi-bluffs, but kept getting called down or raised and had to release. Steady diet of 75o and J2o isn't real helpful against these types of players. And still, I outlasted 2/3 of the field.
Vegas - one month from today. Tick tick tick tick....
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Here's The Nuts Mr. Blind Squirrel
After a couple of weak outings, last night I tried my luck at the Riverchasers monkeyfest in Hatboro. It was a long night, so let's get to it.
On the third hand of the night, a player in EP makes a healthy raise and I find KK in MP. Knowing where I'm playing, I choose to just call in position and make sure there's no Ace on the flop. Problem is, the button and both blinds also call. Oops. Flop comes KQx with two clubs. SB bets out, BB calls, and the initial raiser comes over top for 3x the current bet. Now, the pot is already almost 80% of everyone's starting stack so there was no way I was going to smooth call and give one of the draws proper odds to hit their flush. I reraise all-in, chase the blinds away (one of whom would have caught his 3rd club on the river) and find myself heads up against middle set. Set over set at a bar poker game. No way he was getting away from the hand and the 4th queen doesn't come. Live poker is so rigged.
Now having chips, I was able to play the TAG game that I really like and continue to grow my stack. It's always nice to be able to semi-bluff your strong draws and have it not hurt too much if they don't get there. I crippled a guy with a strong value bet on the end when I checked my turned flush and he called with just top pair. Then I got a free look at a flop with Q4o out of the BB. When the flop came Q33 it checked around and another Q on the turn. I check called a healthy bet and then overbet the rivered Ace. Sorry dude. Serves you right for slow playing your flopped trips. Also serves you right for being in the pot in the first place with that garbage in MP.
Then it was like someone flipped a switch. Level 4, level 5, level 6, level 7, level 8. Barely a playable hand. When there was one it was in EP and the desparate were pushing so frequently that +EV plays were just not to be found. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't getting blinded away, but I wasn't continuing to amass chips. We get to 50/100 and I'm still sitting on 4 starting stacks which is now just 8 BB. Ugly. Pay a round of blinds and down to 650.
I get the button and blinds are up again. We get in all of 6 hands at this level and suddenly I'm the first BB at 150/300. There goes half my stack. Until I get to see the flop for free, amazingly, and flop trip 7's with my 73o. SB checks, about 1200 in the pot, in goes my last 350. Fold, fold... call. Jack and the case 7. Fawk. Turn is an A, making the board T77A. I have 3 outs to win but, more importantly, have 14 more outs (any TQKA) to chop the dead mo, ney in the center. River 3. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! So I almost triple up and am sitting on a 5BB stack. At this point, no one really has a comfortable stack so I feel incredibly lucky that I start picking up some pretty decent final table hands. I bust Mr. J7. AQs > QTo. ATo steals the blinds.
We get down to 5 and I'm holding a slight chip lead. Blinds are 200/400 and I'm in the BB. UTG folds, UTG+1 folds. Button shoves for 1400, SB over shoves for 1500. I find TT. The 1100 is about 1/2 my remaining stack, but I have to believe that the 3:1 odds justify the call in that spot. If someone woke up with a monster, so be it. More likely, I would need to dodge a couple overcards and maybe someone's underpair. Half right. 44 and 66 respectively. 6 on the flop but a T on the turn seals the fate of players 5 and 4.
Then AKs > Q8s and we're heads up with me holding about a 7:1 chip advantage. That would be a more powerful stat if there were more than about 20 BB's total on the table. We traded a few small pots and then I checked J3s from the BB. Flop was QJ7 and I bet out 3/4 of the pot. Opponent was very loose and frequently called only with draws or tried to take pots away on the turn. I forget what the turn was, but it could not have helped him so I doubled the flop bet, now 60% of the pot. At that point, now that he had called away all his fold equitry, he decided to go all-in. I was not pleased, but I was getting 5:1 with 5 outs to improve. He tabled KQs but was punished with a J on the river. GG me.
So what's the ROI on a $70 first prize with a $0.00 entry? All in all, it was the best day I've had in weeks.
On the third hand of the night, a player in EP makes a healthy raise and I find KK in MP. Knowing where I'm playing, I choose to just call in position and make sure there's no Ace on the flop. Problem is, the button and both blinds also call. Oops. Flop comes KQx with two clubs. SB bets out, BB calls, and the initial raiser comes over top for 3x the current bet. Now, the pot is already almost 80% of everyone's starting stack so there was no way I was going to smooth call and give one of the draws proper odds to hit their flush. I reraise all-in, chase the blinds away (one of whom would have caught his 3rd club on the river) and find myself heads up against middle set. Set over set at a bar poker game. No way he was getting away from the hand and the 4th queen doesn't come. Live poker is so rigged.
Now having chips, I was able to play the TAG game that I really like and continue to grow my stack. It's always nice to be able to semi-bluff your strong draws and have it not hurt too much if they don't get there. I crippled a guy with a strong value bet on the end when I checked my turned flush and he called with just top pair. Then I got a free look at a flop with Q4o out of the BB. When the flop came Q33 it checked around and another Q on the turn. I check called a healthy bet and then overbet the rivered Ace. Sorry dude. Serves you right for slow playing your flopped trips. Also serves you right for being in the pot in the first place with that garbage in MP.
Then it was like someone flipped a switch. Level 4, level 5, level 6, level 7, level 8. Barely a playable hand. When there was one it was in EP and the desparate were pushing so frequently that +EV plays were just not to be found. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't getting blinded away, but I wasn't continuing to amass chips. We get to 50/100 and I'm still sitting on 4 starting stacks which is now just 8 BB. Ugly. Pay a round of blinds and down to 650.
I get the button and blinds are up again. We get in all of 6 hands at this level and suddenly I'm the first BB at 150/300. There goes half my stack. Until I get to see the flop for free, amazingly, and flop trip 7's with my 73o. SB checks, about 1200 in the pot, in goes my last 350. Fold, fold... call. Jack and the case 7. Fawk. Turn is an A, making the board T77A. I have 3 outs to win but, more importantly, have 14 more outs (any TQKA) to chop the dead mo, ney in the center. River 3. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! So I almost triple up and am sitting on a 5BB stack. At this point, no one really has a comfortable stack so I feel incredibly lucky that I start picking up some pretty decent final table hands. I bust Mr. J7. AQs > QTo. ATo steals the blinds.
We get down to 5 and I'm holding a slight chip lead. Blinds are 200/400 and I'm in the BB. UTG folds, UTG+1 folds. Button shoves for 1400, SB over shoves for 1500. I find TT. The 1100 is about 1/2 my remaining stack, but I have to believe that the 3:1 odds justify the call in that spot. If someone woke up with a monster, so be it. More likely, I would need to dodge a couple overcards and maybe someone's underpair. Half right. 44 and 66 respectively. 6 on the flop but a T on the turn seals the fate of players 5 and 4.
Then AKs > Q8s and we're heads up with me holding about a 7:1 chip advantage. That would be a more powerful stat if there were more than about 20 BB's total on the table. We traded a few small pots and then I checked J3s from the BB. Flop was QJ7 and I bet out 3/4 of the pot. Opponent was very loose and frequently called only with draws or tried to take pots away on the turn. I forget what the turn was, but it could not have helped him so I doubled the flop bet, now 60% of the pot. At that point, now that he had called away all his fold equitry, he decided to go all-in. I was not pleased, but I was getting 5:1 with 5 outs to improve. He tabled KQs but was punished with a J on the river. GG me.
So what's the ROI on a $70 first prize with a $0.00 entry? All in all, it was the best day I've had in weeks.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
No Turning Back Now
Round trip tickets to Vegas have been booked. Net cost: $5.00 + 50,000 miles.
Flying out of Philly on Friday 6/6 @ 4:00 which should get me to McCarran about 6:30 PM. Red eye home Sunday night. Red eye you ask? Yup. You can get a first class seat on these for the same number of miles as a coach seat on a normal flight. Methinks I'll want the most comfort for the ride home. I know me in Vegas.
Anywho, I haven't yet decided on accommodations. For the 4 people who actually stop by, anyone else going that wants to share a room or do you know someone who is looking to? If I can actually manage to only use $100 out of my budget for travel and room... BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Flying out of Philly on Friday 6/6 @ 4:00 which should get me to McCarran about 6:30 PM. Red eye home Sunday night. Red eye you ask? Yup. You can get a first class seat on these for the same number of miles as a coach seat on a normal flight. Methinks I'll want the most comfort for the ride home. I know me in Vegas.
Anywho, I haven't yet decided on accommodations. For the 4 people who actually stop by, anyone else going that wants to share a room or do you know someone who is looking to? If I can actually manage to only use $100 out of my budget for travel and room... BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Summer Gathering
Given my current life state, a weekend in Vegas might not be the smartest thing in the world for me. What??? Damn the torpedoes!! Full speed ahead!! Might even cash a bunch of ff miles for the airfare so I have extra play money. "Play money". What a delicious word when associated with Sin City. So many possibilities. Not set in stone yet, but pretty close. Needed therapy. Too bad pai-gow losses can't be used as mental health expenses. Stupid IRS.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Surprise Surprise
Wife came home from NoCal late last night, a day early. With a Wii. If I was anywhere close to feeling normal, I'd be pretty jacked. Instead, all I envision is huge fights between the girls as to who gets the tv. The older one on the Wii, the younger wanting the tivo. Just shoot me.
I took second last Sunday at a live riverchasers game. $50 is $50. I don't have it in me to do a detailed recap, but there was a suck-resuck-reresuck hand that doubled me at level 4 and gave me enough chips to play with comfortably. 99 vs TT. Q98 flop. I bet out middle set, guy calls with second pair and a gutterball. Turned J completes his straight, but I gamble and push. He calls but another Q on the river fills my boat. When we get down to heads up, I'm about 5:1 down in chips to a guy who just couldn't miss a flop. Without one double up, I grind back to down 3:1. Finally, I found the spot I was looking for and got it all in with AQs against K8o which would have evened us in chips. Nope. 8 on the flop ends it right there. I run goot.
I'll probably try to get to Champs at some point this weekend for some live donkery, but don't know which night. Otherwise, I'll try to catch up on my sleep and escape my shitty reality.
I took second last Sunday at a live riverchasers game. $50 is $50. I don't have it in me to do a detailed recap, but there was a suck-resuck-reresuck hand that doubled me at level 4 and gave me enough chips to play with comfortably. 99 vs TT. Q98 flop. I bet out middle set, guy calls with second pair and a gutterball. Turned J completes his straight, but I gamble and push. He calls but another Q on the river fills my boat. When we get down to heads up, I'm about 5:1 down in chips to a guy who just couldn't miss a flop. Without one double up, I grind back to down 3:1. Finally, I found the spot I was looking for and got it all in with AQs against K8o which would have evened us in chips. Nope. 8 on the flop ends it right there. I run goot.
I'll probably try to get to Champs at some point this weekend for some live donkery, but don't know which night. Otherwise, I'll try to catch up on my sleep and escape my shitty reality.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
DILLIGAF???
I've been on total life tilt. Or, more accurately, I just don't care. I guess being unemployed for a month can do that. Although I have found a new contract, these alternating feelings of despair and recklessness haven't really dissipated all that much. I really think I'm in the beginning stages of an early mid-life crisis. It doesn't help all that much when you can count on one hand the number of marital encounters you've had since the beginning of 2007 and have fingers left over. I guess I'll just take poker as my mistress and hope to ride out the storm.
The last time I posted was the night before the Riverchasers regional final tournament. I played really well, for me, but still went broke in the mid 50s out of almost 120. I won a few small pots early to get me comfortable, but then a player who had been raising really light put in half his stack pre-flop (I had almost 4x his chips). I found AK in MP and decide to reraise to isolate, knowing he had to call and knowing I was most likely pretty far ahead. Despite the raise and the reraise, SB couldn't get away from TT and called the reraise for all his chips. My read on Capt Raise Light was dead on as he tabled KQ, but my trip aces were second best to tens full and half my stack was gone. As the blinds increased, I picked up a pot here and there but mainly stole my way back to more than I had before. Unfortunately, right then I was picked to be moved to a table full of chip architecture. Even more so, one of these guys was picking up AA or KK every single hand. They showed. Finally, I was in the BB for 1/4 of my stack and, facing a raise that would put me all in, found two red threes and decided to call. JJ this time. I picked up a gutter straight flush draw on the flop but, even with all those out, couldn't get there. 2008 is another year and the buy in sure is right.
Then, I think 2 Thursdays ago, I played the Riverchasers online tourney. My first blogger event. I played ok, but distinctly remember one hand I played poorly and couldn't win a key race. I was less than pleased to see Chad at my starting table, but the pain was lessened a bit having him on my right. The hand in which I definitely played badly was, of course, against the man who cracks aces. He had been fairly active, and raised from MP. I decided to call in position with AJ and see what developed. The flop came with an Ace and two rags, two hearts. He led out on the flop and I called. DUMB! I needed to raise the flop so we could each define our hands a little. But I didn't. What did my call mean to him? Sandbag? Or, more likely, flush draw or a little piece of the flop. So when a bigger bet came on the non-heart turn, I had no idea whether I had the best hand or not and it would have cost me too much at that point to find out if he had AK or AQ. I folded at that point. The live riverchasers games are easy. In that situation, if you call the flop bet when the Ace hits and the initial raiser doesn't have one, a second bullet is almost never fired. Different animal here. Especially that player. A little later, I raised with AK and got reraised by a fairly short stack (if it was NLHE, it would have been a shove). I decided to gamble and put him all in pre-flop, but top two doesn't beat a set of fives and I was back down to the starting stack. I had been right about top 10-15 in chips for most of the second half hour and that hit put me back into the early 30s. Shortly thereafter, I was moved to Evy's and Waffles' table, both on top 5 stacks. I picked up a lot of blinds with pot sized pre-flop raises but had a hand everytime I was willing to go to war with. Eventually, Waffles got tired of it and put my AT all in with... AT. AT? I was stealing a lot he said. Point taken. I guess it's all perspective. I didn't raise without some kind of decent hand once. Anyway, on the very next hand I am dealt AT again, this time sooooted. However, this time Waffles gets KK (for about the 3rd time since I got there) and, despite the nut flush draw with one over on the flop, I don't get there and bust 26th.
A few days later, I played the live Riverchasers freeroll on the golf course. Got there a few minutes late and got a seat with other late stragglers, millerd33 and ccrobyn. Joy. At least miller was drinking soda. Expectedly, the table was crazy. Unexpectedly, miller didn't play a single hand until doubling up with AJ against Q7 soooted. I mostly stayed out of the way. Picked up a few rounds of blinds at 2/4 with KK in the BB with 3 or 4 limpers. Then at 5/10, for some reason, I limped with KJ of hearts from EP. I think we were playing short handed, that could be why. Player to my left min raises, chip leader calls, SB folds, but miller calls the extra bet out of the BB getting 170:1. Flop is 10 high with two hearts. BB and I check, pf raisers leads for 35, chip leader folds and BB calls. Pot is quite inviting so I shove my draw. Bettor folds fairly quickly, but miller takes like 3 minutes. Finally, he tells me I am going to be so mad if he makes his hand and calls with Q2 hearts. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Ordinarily, that would be a great call against what I would have normally shoved with, especially with chips to burn. Not this time. K high is goot. Mercifully, the table breaks and we are moved back to the main bar. At my new table, I go up a little and down a little, but mostly up. Thanks to a flopped boat against the chip leader which I checked and then bet the turn which gave him top pair. I overbet the river brick which he instacalled. Eventually, we go down to 2 tables left and I run 98 into KK, short stacked. Pair and OESD on the flop, but can't improve further and IGH 14th out of 114.
Last night, I went back to a Riverchasers venue in Bensalem that I hadn't been to in over a year. I played really well. Until. A7 in the BB at 10/20 and I get a free flop. Flop is two faces and a baby, two hearts. 3 checks. Turn is a third heart, board is now KQJx. First player bets pot, second player calls. Pot is nice. I pot raise all in with the Royal draw and bettor folds. Second player says, damn I gotta try and calls with 98o, with the 9 being a heart. Can I really fade 3 nines and 2 non-heart eights? Nope. Brutal call. Donktastic even. For all his chips. I'm down to 2-1/2 big blinds at 15/30. Fast forward. My best hands hold up a few times and I go from 75 to 1400 chips in 45 minutes. Blinds are 100/200. I lose with KK to a flopped set; thankfully there was an Ace and 3 clubs on the flop and a tight player leading out. Easy fold, but it hurt. Then I lose blind vs blind straight over straight. Finally, my 64o goes down to 52o and IGH 5th out of around 55.
This drive from suburban Philly to Iselin, NJ is going to drive me nuts. Thankfully, the contract is only 3 months and they're already talking about remote access. Nice. I miss working from the kitchen table.
The last time I posted was the night before the Riverchasers regional final tournament. I played really well, for me, but still went broke in the mid 50s out of almost 120. I won a few small pots early to get me comfortable, but then a player who had been raising really light put in half his stack pre-flop (I had almost 4x his chips). I found AK in MP and decide to reraise to isolate, knowing he had to call and knowing I was most likely pretty far ahead. Despite the raise and the reraise, SB couldn't get away from TT and called the reraise for all his chips. My read on Capt Raise Light was dead on as he tabled KQ, but my trip aces were second best to tens full and half my stack was gone. As the blinds increased, I picked up a pot here and there but mainly stole my way back to more than I had before. Unfortunately, right then I was picked to be moved to a table full of chip architecture. Even more so, one of these guys was picking up AA or KK every single hand. They showed. Finally, I was in the BB for 1/4 of my stack and, facing a raise that would put me all in, found two red threes and decided to call. JJ this time. I picked up a gutter straight flush draw on the flop but, even with all those out, couldn't get there. 2008 is another year and the buy in sure is right.
Then, I think 2 Thursdays ago, I played the Riverchasers online tourney. My first blogger event. I played ok, but distinctly remember one hand I played poorly and couldn't win a key race. I was less than pleased to see Chad at my starting table, but the pain was lessened a bit having him on my right. The hand in which I definitely played badly was, of course, against the man who cracks aces. He had been fairly active, and raised from MP. I decided to call in position with AJ and see what developed. The flop came with an Ace and two rags, two hearts. He led out on the flop and I called. DUMB! I needed to raise the flop so we could each define our hands a little. But I didn't. What did my call mean to him? Sandbag? Or, more likely, flush draw or a little piece of the flop. So when a bigger bet came on the non-heart turn, I had no idea whether I had the best hand or not and it would have cost me too much at that point to find out if he had AK or AQ. I folded at that point. The live riverchasers games are easy. In that situation, if you call the flop bet when the Ace hits and the initial raiser doesn't have one, a second bullet is almost never fired. Different animal here. Especially that player. A little later, I raised with AK and got reraised by a fairly short stack (if it was NLHE, it would have been a shove). I decided to gamble and put him all in pre-flop, but top two doesn't beat a set of fives and I was back down to the starting stack. I had been right about top 10-15 in chips for most of the second half hour and that hit put me back into the early 30s. Shortly thereafter, I was moved to Evy's and Waffles' table, both on top 5 stacks. I picked up a lot of blinds with pot sized pre-flop raises but had a hand everytime I was willing to go to war with. Eventually, Waffles got tired of it and put my AT all in with... AT. AT? I was stealing a lot he said. Point taken. I guess it's all perspective. I didn't raise without some kind of decent hand once. Anyway, on the very next hand I am dealt AT again, this time sooooted. However, this time Waffles gets KK (for about the 3rd time since I got there) and, despite the nut flush draw with one over on the flop, I don't get there and bust 26th.
A few days later, I played the live Riverchasers freeroll on the golf course. Got there a few minutes late and got a seat with other late stragglers, millerd33 and ccrobyn. Joy. At least miller was drinking soda. Expectedly, the table was crazy. Unexpectedly, miller didn't play a single hand until doubling up with AJ against Q7 soooted. I mostly stayed out of the way. Picked up a few rounds of blinds at 2/4 with KK in the BB with 3 or 4 limpers. Then at 5/10, for some reason, I limped with KJ of hearts from EP. I think we were playing short handed, that could be why. Player to my left min raises, chip leader calls, SB folds, but miller calls the extra bet out of the BB getting 170:1. Flop is 10 high with two hearts. BB and I check, pf raisers leads for 35, chip leader folds and BB calls. Pot is quite inviting so I shove my draw. Bettor folds fairly quickly, but miller takes like 3 minutes. Finally, he tells me I am going to be so mad if he makes his hand and calls with Q2 hearts. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Ordinarily, that would be a great call against what I would have normally shoved with, especially with chips to burn. Not this time. K high is goot. Mercifully, the table breaks and we are moved back to the main bar. At my new table, I go up a little and down a little, but mostly up. Thanks to a flopped boat against the chip leader which I checked and then bet the turn which gave him top pair. I overbet the river brick which he instacalled. Eventually, we go down to 2 tables left and I run 98 into KK, short stacked. Pair and OESD on the flop, but can't improve further and IGH 14th out of 114.
Last night, I went back to a Riverchasers venue in Bensalem that I hadn't been to in over a year. I played really well. Until. A7 in the BB at 10/20 and I get a free flop. Flop is two faces and a baby, two hearts. 3 checks. Turn is a third heart, board is now KQJx. First player bets pot, second player calls. Pot is nice. I pot raise all in with the Royal draw and bettor folds. Second player says, damn I gotta try and calls with 98o, with the 9 being a heart. Can I really fade 3 nines and 2 non-heart eights? Nope. Brutal call. Donktastic even. For all his chips. I'm down to 2-1/2 big blinds at 15/30. Fast forward. My best hands hold up a few times and I go from 75 to 1400 chips in 45 minutes. Blinds are 100/200. I lose with KK to a flopped set; thankfully there was an Ace and 3 clubs on the flop and a tight player leading out. Easy fold, but it hurt. Then I lose blind vs blind straight over straight. Finally, my 64o goes down to 52o and IGH 5th out of around 55.
This drive from suburban Philly to Iselin, NJ is going to drive me nuts. Thankfully, the contract is only 3 months and they're already talking about remote access. Nice. I miss working from the kitchen table.
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