In the last week I made a few deep runs in tournaments but again came up short of any meaningful takedowns. It was kind of odd; I played 6 tournaments last Sat night (20th) and 6 tournaments this past Monday night (22nd) and cashed in three each night. Not that interesting except last Saturday I cashed in all three of my Full Tilt events and whiffed in my 3 PokerStars events but Monday I cashed in all three of my PokerStars events and none of the 3 I played on Full Tilt. Here is a quick rundown of my cashes:
Saturday
4k Guarantee (PLO 24+2) Min cashed for like $40. 27 cashed and with 40ish left I had a big stack (top 5 or so) when this happened:
Full Tilt Poker Game #9602264632: $4,000 Guarantee (73091365), Table 17 - 150/300 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 23:05:23 ET - 2008/12/20
Seat 1: Kiajessie (17,307)
Seat 2: AWPTMoneyMan (10,234)
Seat 3: squeakmidge (4,122)
Seat 4: FkePlasticTrees (12,240)
Seat 5: gdgenius (2,190)
Seat 6: groove31 (9,172), is sitting out
Seat 7: lfunk11 (4,635)
Seat 8: dtrecord (6,775)
Seat 9: Madflash (7,267)
AWPTMoneyMan posts the small blind of 150
squeakmidge posts the big blind of 300
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FkePlasticTrees [As 3h Ac Qh]
FkePlasticTrees calls 300
gdgenius folds
groove31 folds
lfunk11 folds
dtrecord folds
Madflash folds
Kiajessie calls 300
AWPTMoneyMan folds
squeakmidge checks
*** FLOP ***
[7s 4h Ad]
squeakmidge checks
FkePlasticTrees bets 1,050
Kiajessie folds
squeakmidge has 15 seconds left to act
squeakmidge raises to 3,822, and is all in
FkePlasticTrees calls 2,772
squeakmidge shows [5s 8s Jd 6c]
FkePlasticTrees shows [As 3h Ac Qh]
*** TURN ***
[7s 4h Ad] [Ks]
*** RIVER ***
[7s 4h Ad Ks] [8d]
squeakmidge shows a straight, Eight high
FkePlasticTrees shows three of a kind, Aces
squeakmidge wins the pot (8,694) with a straight, Eight high
I could have, of course, played this more aggressively and raised preflop but I like to occassionally play it this way to disguise my hand. After the flop the hand played out totally standard and unfortunately he hit.
Still had good chip stack after this but then never really hit any hands and just slowly lost chips until I got it in with 2 pair on the flop and lost to a flopped set.
Daily Double A&B (NLHE 10+2) Cashed for $50 and $25 respectively plus bonus
Cashed in both of these which gets you a bonus based on the size of the fields. This night the double cash bonus was abt $50. Bonuses get bigger if you double final table (like 3-4k) but the fields are pretty big (abt 1,000 each) so that rarely happens. I was pretty healthy stack in DDB when I reraised a button raiser all-in with 99 from the BB and he snap called with AK and spiked a K on the river. Win that and I am top 3 in chips. DDA I pretty much just min cashed.
I did fold KK preflop in DDB for maybe the second time I can remember. We were down to abt 125-150 or so and I was in late position. Table was pretty aggressive and 3x raises were pretty std. I was probably top 25-30 in chips. UTG calls which was odd because he was very active and aggressive. 2nd to act raised the minimum. Again seemed strange. Folded to me and I thought about this a long time. Finally I came to the conclusion that one of them had AA. Had to. So I folded. They started raising each other and turned out that UTG had AA and UTG+1 had the other KK hand. SO good fold by me.
Monday night
Had 2 min cashes; one in $10 Pot-Limit Omaha High Low rebuy for about $80 and the other in a $22 NLHE tournament for a min cash of abt $45.
Bigger cash came in the 9:15 p.m. $11 NLHE for abt $100. I finished 12th out of about 1250. Was a big stack for quite awhile when someone reraised my AA all in with their 77 and I doubled up. Then we were down to 2 tables and the chip leader was at my table just killing us. He was literally raising every hand. So I decided when I got a pretty hand I was shipping it in. I had ~110,000. Blinds were 6,000/12,000/1,500 and he raised to 30k which was his standard. Fold in front of me and I have JT suited. Pretty enough for me and I ship it in. This is obv not a great hand but I have a few things going my way:
1) He can't have a hand every time and he has not seen me get out of line or be very active at all so he may well fold and I pick up blinds, anted and his 30k bet.
2) Even if he does have a hand like 77-99, AQ, or AK I have live cards and in the case of small/medium pairs I am racing for a double up.
Well the next guy folds and suddenly the BB time banks and decides to call. Not good. Then the active raiser snap calls and I am dead. Raiser has KK, BB had JJ then I come in third with JTdd. Oh well have to make some plays like that at times. This time it didn't work. So sucks and I am out for ~$100 when first paid over $2,400.
This Sunday I am planning on playing a full load of tournaments on both sites. My best guess is that I will play the following:
Stars
3:00 $50+5 Sunday $125k guarantee (will satellite into this)
3:30 $10+1 $500k guarantee (going for the largest online poker tournament ever)
4:00 $10 rebuy $70,000 guarantee
4:30 $200+15 Sunday Million (actually this week $2.5M guarantee; already satellited in to this event for $50)
Tilt
3:15 Holiday $100k freeroll
4:00 $69+6 $22,500 Guarantee
4:15 $24+2 PLO Bounty $3,500 guarantee
4:35 $22 "Double Duece" $100k guarantee
4:45 $69+6 PLO $6,000 guarantee
6:00 $200+16 Sunday $750,000 guarantee (will satellite into)
6:00 $24+2 PL Split $3,000 guarantee
All are NLHE unless stated otherwise. I may add or delete events but these are the ones I am interested in playing. I usually only like to play 6 or 7 tables at a time so it could get to be too many. Haven't had a Sunday schedule like this in a long time and with school being out, etc it just works as a good time to give it a run. Hopefully will have something good to write about early next week.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Stars Blogger tournament
I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker!
All bloggers can play in this exclusive online poker tournament.
Registration code:
document.write(paramCode)
098699
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sunday Win
Played a bunch of tournaments yesterday and was having no success. Busted out of two Full Tilt events ($69 PLO, 24NLHE) fairly deep but before the cash bubble. Two more events I went out pretty early ($24 NLHE and $22 NLHE), one with bad play by me and the other getting sucked out on.
I also played two tournaments on Stars (including the 1.5M guarantee) and did nothing. In the Sunday Million I was actually going along fairly well in the third hour when i made a terrible river call for 90% of my chips. Don't mind how I played the hand just hate that I called off without really thinking it through.
I also went out in the third hour of the Full Tilt 750k. I was not really getting anything going and had 5k or so in chips. The blinds were 140/280/25. I raised to 780 from 2nd position with KK. Button calls. Flop comes 3 rags with 2 hearts. I bet 1300 into the ~2200 pot and he calls. Now at this point his range is an overpair(like TT or 99), a flush draw or a flopped set (think the board was 7, 5, 2). If he has the set nothing I can do. Turn is an offsuit 4. This is unlikely to help him unless he has A3 of hearts. So I fire my remaining ~3k into the pot and he snap calls showing AThh. Obv the river is a heart and I am out. His play here is pretty bad. He put ~5k of his 8k in the pot with really only the flush draw (though the A is live to he is clearly only counting the hearts). Would have put me up around 10k in chips and in good position to go pretty deep.
So I was pretty disappointed with how the day was going and only had one additional tournament, the 3k guarantee which is a $24 Pot Limit HA event (1/2 PL Holdem and 1/2 PLO). I was crusing along not really doing much in this then with about 40 to go I sucked out on a guy with runner runner hearts to make a flush. Then I had some chips and was able to chip up. 18 players cashed and when I got to this point I was 10th in chips. Then I got a fortunate run of cards:
Doubled up with KK in the Holdem portion vs AK suited
Busted a medium stack player with AAxx in PLO when he had KKxx
Flopped boat on a 663 board when I held 3456
Finally with 6 to go I had 100k more in chips then any other players. I then went card dead and played pretty tight until we got 3 handed. I busted the shortstack with AJ vs. his A6. Once we were heads up I had a a huge chip lead which he actually came back and took from me at one point. Then the key hand of the tournament came up in PLO when I rivered 7-J str8. He had made a 9 high str8 on the turn and only bet 1/2 the pot (6k). I called because I had a wrap to the bigger str8 with any 8,9 or T. Well an 8 fell and I led at the pot. He raised me. I checked the board and made sure I had the nuts. I reshipped and amazingly he called with the lower str8. That doubled me up and gave me a 450k to 30k chip advantage. Couple hands later it was over.
So one tournament took what was a really, really bad day and made it a pretty good day. I also won a few hundred playing PLO cash games so overall a pretty good Sunday.
I also played two tournaments on Stars (including the 1.5M guarantee) and did nothing. In the Sunday Million I was actually going along fairly well in the third hour when i made a terrible river call for 90% of my chips. Don't mind how I played the hand just hate that I called off without really thinking it through.
I also went out in the third hour of the Full Tilt 750k. I was not really getting anything going and had 5k or so in chips. The blinds were 140/280/25. I raised to 780 from 2nd position with KK. Button calls. Flop comes 3 rags with 2 hearts. I bet 1300 into the ~2200 pot and he calls. Now at this point his range is an overpair(like TT or 99), a flush draw or a flopped set (think the board was 7, 5, 2). If he has the set nothing I can do. Turn is an offsuit 4. This is unlikely to help him unless he has A3 of hearts. So I fire my remaining ~3k into the pot and he snap calls showing AThh. Obv the river is a heart and I am out. His play here is pretty bad. He put ~5k of his 8k in the pot with really only the flush draw (though the A is live to he is clearly only counting the hearts). Would have put me up around 10k in chips and in good position to go pretty deep.
So I was pretty disappointed with how the day was going and only had one additional tournament, the 3k guarantee which is a $24 Pot Limit HA event (1/2 PL Holdem and 1/2 PLO). I was crusing along not really doing much in this then with about 40 to go I sucked out on a guy with runner runner hearts to make a flush. Then I had some chips and was able to chip up. 18 players cashed and when I got to this point I was 10th in chips. Then I got a fortunate run of cards:
Doubled up with KK in the Holdem portion vs AK suited
Busted a medium stack player with AAxx in PLO when he had KKxx
Flopped boat on a 663 board when I held 3456
Finally with 6 to go I had 100k more in chips then any other players. I then went card dead and played pretty tight until we got 3 handed. I busted the shortstack with AJ vs. his A6. Once we were heads up I had a a huge chip lead which he actually came back and took from me at one point. Then the key hand of the tournament came up in PLO when I rivered 7-J str8. He had made a 9 high str8 on the turn and only bet 1/2 the pot (6k). I called because I had a wrap to the bigger str8 with any 8,9 or T. Well an 8 fell and I led at the pot. He raised me. I checked the board and made sure I had the nuts. I reshipped and amazingly he called with the lower str8. That doubled me up and gave me a 450k to 30k chip advantage. Couple hands later it was over.
So one tournament took what was a really, really bad day and made it a pretty good day. I also won a few hundred playing PLO cash games so overall a pretty good Sunday.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Cash PLO
I got sick last Wednesday and basically today (Tues) is the first day I feel pretty close to normal. It really kicked my rear end and I had no patience to play FTOPS or tournaments in general. I had planned on playing 3 or 4 additional FTOPS events (PLO Hi/Lo, PL Split Holdem/Omaha, Sunday Bounty and FTOPS Main Event) but just couldn't sit still that long and had no desire to grind out hours of tournaments.
But I did play a lot of satellites and started to run well (or at least more normal). I won a bunch of seats to the PLO Split, PLO Hi-Lo and a few others. Nice thing is you are able to unregister from the tournament you qualify and take the cash so that worked out well. Felt like my satellite play was really, really good and that is important because satellite play is very unique. Basically it is a survival test and a lot of players are really weak in satellites, particularly on the bubble. I haven't completely figured it all out but I think last week I was about +$600 in satellites which equates to abt a 15-20% ROI. Will figure out more exactly later.
I also have gotten back to playing $1/$2 PLO. This is my best game and the most fun. I was up ~$2.5k last week which was the best week I have had in quite some time. I have actually been playing the Cap Limit on Full Tilt which essentially caps the hand betting at $80. This means that you are never exposed for more than that cap amount on any one hand. I sort of like this and it actually makes the game play bigger than without a cap. For example, if I am in the BB with AAxx and there is a pot raise and 2 callers in front of me, I can re-pot to $32. This is 40% of the cap and I am typically happy to do this pre-flop. In a non-capped game I would be a little more reluctant to do this as it really tells the whole table what I have. And if I am playing with $300 stack I obv don't want the table to know what I have. Playing for $80 though and getting a large percentage of it in pre-flop this is less of a concern. Generally the play is worse with the Cap Limit game and the players are very exploitable.
Anyway I think I am going to stick with cash for a while just because of the reduced time commitment, etc.
But I did play a lot of satellites and started to run well (or at least more normal). I won a bunch of seats to the PLO Split, PLO Hi-Lo and a few others. Nice thing is you are able to unregister from the tournament you qualify and take the cash so that worked out well. Felt like my satellite play was really, really good and that is important because satellite play is very unique. Basically it is a survival test and a lot of players are really weak in satellites, particularly on the bubble. I haven't completely figured it all out but I think last week I was about +$600 in satellites which equates to abt a 15-20% ROI. Will figure out more exactly later.
I also have gotten back to playing $1/$2 PLO. This is my best game and the most fun. I was up ~$2.5k last week which was the best week I have had in quite some time. I have actually been playing the Cap Limit on Full Tilt which essentially caps the hand betting at $80. This means that you are never exposed for more than that cap amount on any one hand. I sort of like this and it actually makes the game play bigger than without a cap. For example, if I am in the BB with AAxx and there is a pot raise and 2 callers in front of me, I can re-pot to $32. This is 40% of the cap and I am typically happy to do this pre-flop. In a non-capped game I would be a little more reluctant to do this as it really tells the whole table what I have. And if I am playing with $300 stack I obv don't want the table to know what I have. Playing for $80 though and getting a large percentage of it in pre-flop this is less of a concern. Generally the play is worse with the Cap Limit game and the players are very exploitable.
Anyway I think I am going to stick with cash for a while just because of the reduced time commitment, etc.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
FTOPS and few other random tournaments
Still running pretty bad in general. I have played a few of the FTOPS on Full Tilt and a bunch of the satellites. I have not cashed in either of the 2 FTOPS I played so far but am still +$$ due to winning a bunch of seats and getting the cash for the extra seats I have won through satellites. Here is a run down of the two tournaments and a few other gems thrown in as well.
FTOPS #1 Wednesday, Nov 5
This was a $200 No-Limit Hold-Em 6 max tournament. I got in through a $24+2 satellite. I almost didn't play since it started at 9 p.m. on a Wed and there were 5,000+ players but WTF. We start with 5,ooo chips and I didn't really do much for the first hour but grew my stack to ~7k. Then a big hand came up:
ME (BB) AQhh (~9000 chips)
Villian (SB) ?? (~7800 chips)
He completes (blinds 60/120) and I raise to 480 and he calls.
Flop came T high 3 hearts. BOOM. He checks I bet 500 into the 960 pot. He calls.
Turn was a rag. He checks I bet 800 into the 1920 pot. He calls. So now he has to have a set, 2 pair or nothing with the Kh. So I will be cautious if the board pairs.
River is a 9h. This is perfect if he has the Kh. He checks. He has about 5800 left and if he has Kh he may call a big bet. If he has a set or 2 pr he will likely not call any bets. So I decide to look weak by shoving and overbetting the pot. He tanks for a while and I am screaming for him to call. Finally he does and shows KhTx.
That puts me up to 17k. I then win a bunch of small pots up to around 22k and then almost double up when I have TT. Guy raises pre and I call on the button with TT. Flop Txx he bets, I raise, he reraises and I just call. Turn small rag. He bets 1/2 his stack and I ship it in. he tables AA and I am up to 45k or so. Got as high as 50k and in top 50 in chips. Then I kept getting into some really tough spots:
Full Tilt Poker Game #8841332247: FTOPS Event #2 (62633246), Table 38 - 100/200 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 15:56:02 ET - 2008/11/06
Seat 1: FkePlasticTrees (1,705)
Seat 2: fortunatouk4 (4,760)
Seat 3: sleaterx (7,820)
Seat 4: Malleichkomme (15,054)
Seat 5: OnDaComeUp (6,255)
Seat 6: Oetzi (13,869)
Seat 7: LEADBOOTS (18,668)
Seat 8: Allin_Benve (3,986)
Seat 9: Kinda Lazy (17,760)
fortunatouk4 posts the small blind of 100
sleaterx posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FkePlasticTrees [Ah Ad Tc 4c]
Malleichkomme folds
OnDaComeUp folds
Oetzi folds
LEADBOOTS raises to 550
Allin_Benve folds
Kinda Lazy folds
FkePlasticTrees raises to 1,705, and is all in
fortunatouk4 folds
sleaterx folds
LEADBOOTS calls 1,155
FkePlasticTrees shows [Ah Ad Tc 4c]
LEADBOOTS shows [Td Kd Kh 3c]
*** FLOP *** [6c 2h Ks]
*** TURN *** [6c 2h Ks] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [6c 2h Ks 9d] [7s]
FkePlasticTrees shows a pair of Aces
LEADBOOTS shows three of a kind, Kings
LEADBOOTS wins the pot (3,710) with three of a kind, Kings
FkePlasticTrees stands up
The blinds are now 120/240
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3,710 | Rake 0
Board: [6c 2h Ks 9d 7s]
Seat 1: FkePlasticTrees (button) showed [Ah Ad Tc 4c] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 2: fortunatouk4 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: sleaterx (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: Malleichkomme didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: OnDaComeUp didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: Oetzi didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: LEADBOOTS showed [Td Kd Kh 3c] and won (3,710) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 8: Allin_Benve didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: Kinda Lazy didn't bet (folded)
So I'm out. Sucks but hand played out standard preflop.
While I was playing this tournament I played a bunch of other smaller tournaments as well:
FTP $10 PLO Rebuy Finished 11th for like $100. I was in for the minimum ($30) and had a ton of chips. Was big stack almost from the start but lost a few pots around the cash bubble (18 cashed) and then lost a pot when I got it all in on the flop with a 13 card wrap vs top set.
Stars 2k guarantee PLO ($15+1.50) The king of kings of all of my bad beats. We are inside the money when this pops up:
Will write soon if anything good happens between now and then.
FTOPS #1 Wednesday, Nov 5
This was a $200 No-Limit Hold-Em 6 max tournament. I got in through a $24+2 satellite. I almost didn't play since it started at 9 p.m. on a Wed and there were 5,000+ players but WTF. We start with 5,ooo chips and I didn't really do much for the first hour but grew my stack to ~7k. Then a big hand came up:
ME (BB) AQhh (~9000 chips)
Villian (SB) ?? (~7800 chips)
He completes (blinds 60/120) and I raise to 480 and he calls.
Flop came T high 3 hearts. BOOM. He checks I bet 500 into the 960 pot. He calls.
Turn was a rag. He checks I bet 800 into the 1920 pot. He calls. So now he has to have a set, 2 pair or nothing with the Kh. So I will be cautious if the board pairs.
River is a 9h. This is perfect if he has the Kh. He checks. He has about 5800 left and if he has Kh he may call a big bet. If he has a set or 2 pr he will likely not call any bets. So I decide to look weak by shoving and overbetting the pot. He tanks for a while and I am screaming for him to call. Finally he does and shows KhTx.
That puts me up to 17k. I then win a bunch of small pots up to around 22k and then almost double up when I have TT. Guy raises pre and I call on the button with TT. Flop Txx he bets, I raise, he reraises and I just call. Turn small rag. He bets 1/2 his stack and I ship it in. he tables AA and I am up to 45k or so. Got as high as 50k and in top 50 in chips. Then I kept getting into some really tough spots:
Raised button to 675 at 140/280/30 with 55. Short stack shoves from BB with only like 3200. I call he has 66.
I raise JJ and agro on my left reraises me. I call. Flop AKx and give it up.
Then screwed this hand up I think. Raise 3.5x from SB with TT. Same agro donk on left flats. Flop KKJ 2 spades. I bet ½ pot. He calls. Turn rag. I bet ½ pot again, he calls. River blank again. I check he bets 80% of pot which is like ¾ of his stack and I tank and fold. I don’t think he has a K on that drawy flop. He raises at least by the turn. And I don’t think he is value betting a J on the river. Then his river bet looks like a bluff in hindsight. If by some surprise he has a K wouldn’t he bet a little smaller? Tough hand.
Raised JJ again later got three bet again and folded pre. Out of position and stack sizes were weird. Couldn’t 4 bet without pot committing.
Then completed out of SB with K8. Aggro checks. Flop AAK. I check he bets ½ I call. Turn K. I check he checks. River 6. I check he bets, 2/3 of pot and I call. He has A9 and I lose the minimum. Played that hand well I think.
Then lose another flip AQ<99.
Finally the beauty, shove 10 bb with A2ss; BB snaps with A2cc and flop comes all clubs. I run good.
So out 1100/5400 for no cash. Oh well.
FTOPS 2 PLO Bounty, Thursday Nov 11
Came home early to play this. Started at 2 p.m. last Thursday. Standard PLO tournament except in addition to the prize pool each person has a $40 bounty attached to them that goes to the person who eliminates them. I actually cross booked my action with my boys Mr Chow and Diamond King 2 swapping 10% each of our action. One of us is bound to cash right? No sir.
Full Tilt Poker Game #8841332247: FTOPS Event #2 (62633246), Table 38 - 100/200 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 15:56:02 ET - 2008/11/06
Seat 1: FkePlasticTrees (1,705)
Seat 2: fortunatouk4 (4,760)
Seat 3: sleaterx (7,820)
Seat 4: Malleichkomme (15,054)
Seat 5: OnDaComeUp (6,255)
Seat 6: Oetzi (13,869)
Seat 7: LEADBOOTS (18,668)
Seat 8: Allin_Benve (3,986)
Seat 9: Kinda Lazy (17,760)
fortunatouk4 posts the small blind of 100
sleaterx posts the big blind of 200
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to FkePlasticTrees [Ah Ad Tc 4c]
Malleichkomme folds
OnDaComeUp folds
Oetzi folds
LEADBOOTS raises to 550
Allin_Benve folds
Kinda Lazy folds
FkePlasticTrees raises to 1,705, and is all in
fortunatouk4 folds
sleaterx folds
LEADBOOTS calls 1,155
FkePlasticTrees shows [Ah Ad Tc 4c]
LEADBOOTS shows [Td Kd Kh 3c]
*** FLOP *** [6c 2h Ks]
*** TURN *** [6c 2h Ks] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [6c 2h Ks 9d] [7s]
FkePlasticTrees shows a pair of Aces
LEADBOOTS shows three of a kind, Kings
LEADBOOTS wins the pot (3,710) with three of a kind, Kings
FkePlasticTrees stands up
The blinds are now 120/240
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3,710 | Rake 0
Board: [6c 2h Ks 9d 7s]
Seat 1: FkePlasticTrees (button) showed [Ah Ad Tc 4c] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 2: fortunatouk4 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: sleaterx (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: Malleichkomme didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: OnDaComeUp didn't bet (folded)
Seat 6: Oetzi didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: LEADBOOTS showed [Td Kd Kh 3c] and won (3,710) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 8: Allin_Benve didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: Kinda Lazy didn't bet (folded)
So I'm out. Sucks but hand played out standard preflop.
While I was playing this tournament I played a bunch of other smaller tournaments as well:
FTP $10 PLO Rebuy Finished 11th for like $100. I was in for the minimum ($30) and had a ton of chips. Was big stack almost from the start but lost a few pots around the cash bubble (18 cashed) and then lost a pot when I got it all in on the flop with a 13 card wrap vs top set.
Stars 2k guarantee PLO ($15+1.50) The king of kings of all of my bad beats. We are inside the money when this pops up:
PokerStars Game #21811333037: Tournament #117601430, $15.00+$1.50 Omaha Pot Limit - Level XII (500/1000) - 2008/11/06 15:37:33 ET
Table '117601430 9' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 2: MinRdetails (27860 in chips)
Seat 3: bwslim69 (27448 in chips)
Seat 4: `penguan (16798 in chips)
Seat 5: IeAtFisHeS (39010 in chips)
Seat 6: IIbarcodeII (75570 in chips)
Seat 7: willydurango (37971 in chips)
Seat 9: Splurg7 (22126 in chips)
IeAtFisHeS: posts small blind 500
IIbarcodeII: posts big blind 1000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bwslim69 [5c Qs Ah Ac]
willydurango: calls 1000
Splurg7: folds
MinRdetails: folds
bwslim69: calls 1000
`penguan: calls 1000
IeAtFisHeS: calls 500
IIbarcodeII: checks
*** FLOP *** [Kc 4c Ad] Top set with nut flush draw
IeAtFisHeS: checks
IIbarcodeII: checks
willydurango: bets 3000
bwslim69: raises 8000 to 11000
`penguan: folds
IeAtFisHeS: folds
IIbarcodeII: folds
willydurango: raises 25971 to 36971 and is all-in
bwslim69: calls 15448 and is all-in
Uncalled bet (10523) returned to willydurango
*** TURN *** [Kc 4c Ad] [2s]
*** RIVER *** [Kc 4c Ad 2s] [Kd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
willydurango: shows [Kh 2c 7c Ks] (four of a kind, Kings)
bwslim69: shows [5c Qs Ah Ac] (a full house, Aces full of Kings)
willydurango collected 57896 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 57896 | Rake 0
Board [Kc 4c Ad 2s Kd]
Nothing like the old one outer….
Will write soon if anything good happens between now and then.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Running really, really...really bad
So I have been running insanely bad of late. Playing a few multi table tournaments (MTT) and SNG each night and have just been getting frustrated. One night last week I lost the following all in a span of about 20 mins in 4 different tournaments:
Full Tilt Daily Double A: Guy shoves 2k at 100/200 and I call with AA and lose to AT when he turns a str8
Full Tilt Daily Double B: Guy open raises with AK and I call with QQ. Flop comes AQ9. He bets I raise, he reraises all in, I call...turn 9 river A and I lose to bigger house
Full Tilt $24k guarantee: I am on the button with KK. Blinds 40/80 and there are 4 limpers in front of me for a pot of 440. I raise to 750 (leaving me with only 1400 or so behind) and folds around to last limper who only calls the additional 670. Flop comes Q99. He checks I bet 1000 into the pot of 1860 and he puts me all in for an add'l 400. I call obv and he tables JT offsuit and turns 8. Guy called 1/3 of my stack with JT. Genius.
Full Tilt $4k guarantee (PLO): Early position raiser makes pot bet at 50/100 and three callers before me (Pot 1200). I am on the button with AAQT doubles suited and abt 3k in chips. I repot to 1750. One caller and flop comes JJJ. The way I am running I know he has a J but I ain't folding here with 4k+ in the pot. Ship and he tables QJTx. Nice call sir. If you are going to call may as well stick it all in preflop?
This is to say nothing of the innumerable hands where I have an overpair only to have my opponent flop a set. Happened too many times for me to count.
In my Tuesday night home game I have lost the following in our tournaments the last 2 weeks:
Me Opponent
Two weeks ago
KK vs AT suited; Turned flush-All chips in preflop
QQ vs AT suited; Rivered flush-All chips in preflop (against same player)
AK suited vs 84 offsuit; rivered full house (I only had 3BB after the previous 2 hands and he had to call with Any two I think)
Last week
AA vs QQ; flopped a Q-All chips in preflop
To be fair I did run pretty well in the cash game we play after the tournament when I flopped bottom 2 pr against an opponents AK (with an A flop) and a big suckout in a monster PLO pot where I turned a bigger boat after the money went in on the flop.
I did go deep in a small buy in tournament last night for a measly cash (40th out of ~1100). Deep in this tournament I got short when I lost AQ suited vs. KK all in preflop. Survived for a while then pushed all in for abt 12.5k (blinds 1000/2000/150) with AK suited and got called by AT. Board ran out 74784 for a chop pot. That would have given mes some breathing room but no sir. Then a little later at 1200/2400/200 I shoved 13k with AK again and lost to QJ. Fun stuff.
I guess all I can do is tighten up a bit and allow time for the variance of MTT poker to swing my way.
Full Tilt Daily Double A: Guy shoves 2k at 100/200 and I call with AA and lose to AT when he turns a str8
Full Tilt Daily Double B: Guy open raises with AK and I call with QQ. Flop comes AQ9. He bets I raise, he reraises all in, I call...turn 9 river A and I lose to bigger house
Full Tilt $24k guarantee: I am on the button with KK. Blinds 40/80 and there are 4 limpers in front of me for a pot of 440. I raise to 750 (leaving me with only 1400 or so behind) and folds around to last limper who only calls the additional 670. Flop comes Q99. He checks I bet 1000 into the pot of 1860 and he puts me all in for an add'l 400. I call obv and he tables JT offsuit and turns 8. Guy called 1/3 of my stack with JT. Genius.
Full Tilt $4k guarantee (PLO): Early position raiser makes pot bet at 50/100 and three callers before me (Pot 1200). I am on the button with AAQT doubles suited and abt 3k in chips. I repot to 1750. One caller and flop comes JJJ. The way I am running I know he has a J but I ain't folding here with 4k+ in the pot. Ship and he tables QJTx. Nice call sir. If you are going to call may as well stick it all in preflop?
This is to say nothing of the innumerable hands where I have an overpair only to have my opponent flop a set. Happened too many times for me to count.
In my Tuesday night home game I have lost the following in our tournaments the last 2 weeks:
Me Opponent
Two weeks ago
KK vs AT suited; Turned flush-All chips in preflop
QQ vs AT suited; Rivered flush-All chips in preflop (against same player)
AK suited vs 84 offsuit; rivered full house (I only had 3BB after the previous 2 hands and he had to call with Any two I think)
Last week
AA vs QQ; flopped a Q-All chips in preflop
To be fair I did run pretty well in the cash game we play after the tournament when I flopped bottom 2 pr against an opponents AK (with an A flop) and a big suckout in a monster PLO pot where I turned a bigger boat after the money went in on the flop.
I did go deep in a small buy in tournament last night for a measly cash (40th out of ~1100). Deep in this tournament I got short when I lost AQ suited vs. KK all in preflop. Survived for a while then pushed all in for abt 12.5k (blinds 1000/2000/150) with AK suited and got called by AT. Board ran out 74784 for a chop pot. That would have given mes some breathing room but no sir. Then a little later at 1200/2400/200 I shoved 13k with AK again and lost to QJ. Fun stuff.
I guess all I can do is tighten up a bit and allow time for the variance of MTT poker to swing my way.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Update
Sorry I haven't updated in a while but I was swamped at work from abt late Sept through Oct 15 so while I did play some poker, I didn't play a huge volume.
I did go deep in the Full Tilt Daily Double events earlier in the month finishing 6th and 15th. Making a final table and not closing or at least getting into the top 3 always stings (top 3 all make 700+) and in the case where I finished 6th I got my money in good and lost AJ vs. KT for basically all of my chips. Unfortunately, late in on-line tournaments the average chip stacks are generally never that deep and you just have to take chances like these and hope for the best.
I also have started sattelliting into a few different events including the FT 50-50, Stars nightly 70k guarantee, and a few others. Nothing spectacular has happened in any of the events though I did cash 2x in the FT 50-50. In one case I had a pretty good sized stack (25bb or so) and shoved from the small blind with AQo into a button raiser. Obv he had KK and I was out. But the button raiser could have a lot of hands there and I think my 3 bet shove is ok. If I had 10BB more I think taking a flop is better.
I did take down a smallish PLO tournament a week or so ago (39 players). I got to the FT with the big stack and then a combination of good play and good cards led me to absolutely destroy the final table. I was punishing the cash bubble (5 cashed) and accumulated a lot of chips. When we finally got Heads-Up I had a 90-10 chip lead and just was a matter of time. That cash was worth $300+ which was good for a $20 buy in event.
Finally, I have been playing the Full Tilt Matrix SNG a little bit with some success. These are 4 simultaneous SNGs played with the same players. Each SNG is worth $ and then the overall results from the combined 4 tables is worth additional $. You get points based on the number of people you bust and/or outlast. I haven't figured out the optimal strategy here yet but it seems that folding in some marginal spots that I would normally push makes sense. The key is to really last as long as possible in all 4 and obviously try to win one or two of the individual tournaments.
Golf is pretty well winding down. I did play in two tournaments this month and both were atrocious. I have been pretty busy at work and with the family so I just haven't been playing or practicing much at all. I have one more tournament this weekend and that is basically it for the year. Most likely I will shut it down and not play much if any until next spring. However, I am very disappointed with how my season went and am going to work hard to work on a few things (overall fitness and putting mainly). I played well most of the summer but didn't get it done in key spots and it seems like my putting wasn't my normal reliable self. Also, I just don't have the distance I used to have and need to tone and strengthen up to recover some of that lost distance.
I did go deep in the Full Tilt Daily Double events earlier in the month finishing 6th and 15th. Making a final table and not closing or at least getting into the top 3 always stings (top 3 all make 700+) and in the case where I finished 6th I got my money in good and lost AJ vs. KT for basically all of my chips. Unfortunately, late in on-line tournaments the average chip stacks are generally never that deep and you just have to take chances like these and hope for the best.
I also have started sattelliting into a few different events including the FT 50-50, Stars nightly 70k guarantee, and a few others. Nothing spectacular has happened in any of the events though I did cash 2x in the FT 50-50. In one case I had a pretty good sized stack (25bb or so) and shoved from the small blind with AQo into a button raiser. Obv he had KK and I was out. But the button raiser could have a lot of hands there and I think my 3 bet shove is ok. If I had 10BB more I think taking a flop is better.
I did take down a smallish PLO tournament a week or so ago (39 players). I got to the FT with the big stack and then a combination of good play and good cards led me to absolutely destroy the final table. I was punishing the cash bubble (5 cashed) and accumulated a lot of chips. When we finally got Heads-Up I had a 90-10 chip lead and just was a matter of time. That cash was worth $300+ which was good for a $20 buy in event.
Finally, I have been playing the Full Tilt Matrix SNG a little bit with some success. These are 4 simultaneous SNGs played with the same players. Each SNG is worth $ and then the overall results from the combined 4 tables is worth additional $. You get points based on the number of people you bust and/or outlast. I haven't figured out the optimal strategy here yet but it seems that folding in some marginal spots that I would normally push makes sense. The key is to really last as long as possible in all 4 and obviously try to win one or two of the individual tournaments.
Golf is pretty well winding down. I did play in two tournaments this month and both were atrocious. I have been pretty busy at work and with the family so I just haven't been playing or practicing much at all. I have one more tournament this weekend and that is basically it for the year. Most likely I will shut it down and not play much if any until next spring. However, I am very disappointed with how my season went and am going to work hard to work on a few things (overall fitness and putting mainly). I played well most of the summer but didn't get it done in key spots and it seems like my putting wasn't my normal reliable self. Also, I just don't have the distance I used to have and need to tone and strengthen up to recover some of that lost distance.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Full Tilt $4,000 Guarantee-PLO
I have been playing this tournament a bit more recently. It is a $26 buy-in and typically attracts 230+ players. 27 players typically cash. Played it 2x last week and 2x this week. Last Thursday and last night (also Thursday) I min cashed by just sneaking into the money.
Actually last night I was 13th with 27 left when my bust-out hand came up. An player raised to 5500 from SB (blinds were 500/1000 and there had been 2 limpers including me on the button). I was going to fold my 5699 but the c/o called and I had to call 4500 into a pot of 12,500. Stacks were approx.-raiser 32k, c/o 40k and me 30k. Flop comes A97 with 2 clubs. Now what are the hands that an active player would be raising with out of the SB:
1) AAxx is the most obvious. If so I am crushed here, though I do have 4 likely outs (3 non-club 8s and the case 9) although only the case 9 is clean.
2) 4 broadways probably suited. If this is the case he may have a fl draw or a gutterball to a bigger str8 (i.e. JTQK with two clubs). Now I am ahead and just need to avoid a club, an 8 and/or runner runner str8 cards.
3) A smaller rundown hand like 789T or a one gap hand like 78TJ. This player seemed capable of making a raise with that hand. If this is the case he has a huge wrap and I need to fade a lot of outs.
So back to the action and he leads for 12k into the pot of 17k. What do I do? I have 2 options: ship and pray or fold and wait for a better spot. Well it was late and I opted for the push and pray method. He calls and flips AAxx and I lose. Think that was a fold after he leads at the pot. He isn't putting that much into the pot post flop with much that I can beat. Best I can hope for is scenario 2.
I did finish 3rd in this same tournament last Sunday night. Was fun to make a final table again and I really think I played very well. I was all the way down to 1250 in chips at one point (start with 3k) and fought my way back. Chipped up from 16k to 60k without much difficulty during the play down from the money bubble to the final table. The final hand was a doozy:
Actually last night I was 13th with 27 left when my bust-out hand came up. An player raised to 5500 from SB (blinds were 500/1000 and there had been 2 limpers including me on the button). I was going to fold my 5699 but the c/o called and I had to call 4500 into a pot of 12,500. Stacks were approx.-raiser 32k, c/o 40k and me 30k. Flop comes A97 with 2 clubs. Now what are the hands that an active player would be raising with out of the SB:
1) AAxx is the most obvious. If so I am crushed here, though I do have 4 likely outs (3 non-club 8s and the case 9) although only the case 9 is clean.
2) 4 broadways probably suited. If this is the case he may have a fl draw or a gutterball to a bigger str8 (i.e. JTQK with two clubs). Now I am ahead and just need to avoid a club, an 8 and/or runner runner str8 cards.
3) A smaller rundown hand like 789T or a one gap hand like 78TJ. This player seemed capable of making a raise with that hand. If this is the case he has a huge wrap and I need to fade a lot of outs.
So back to the action and he leads for 12k into the pot of 17k. What do I do? I have 2 options: ship and pray or fold and wait for a better spot. Well it was late and I opted for the push and pray method. He calls and flips AAxx and I lose. Think that was a fold after he leads at the pot. He isn't putting that much into the pot post flop with much that I can beat. Best I can hope for is scenario 2.
I did finish 3rd in this same tournament last Sunday night. Was fun to make a final table again and I really think I played very well. I was all the way down to 1250 in chips at one point (start with 3k) and fought my way back. Chipped up from 16k to 60k without much difficulty during the play down from the money bubble to the final table. The final hand was a doozy:
So I am in BB. Villian in SB. He has been playing rather poorly and taking HUGE gambles and winning those. I have 130k in chips, he has 200k and third guy has remaining chips (like 350k). Big stack folds. Blinds 4,000-8,000. Villian min-raises to 16k. I call with 9956 (same holding as last night). Flop comes 358. He donk bets half the pot (16k again). All I have is an overpair and a double belly buster str8 draw. But I read through this donk and am pretty sure this guy is weak. So I ship it to 80k, effectively putting me all in (have less than 25k behind), so I am not folding obv. Donktard instantly ships and I call. He flips 47QT (WOW do people play bad). He is now dead to 3 6s. He plays for 4 ½ hours and stacks off to 3 outs (although the Q and T were outs he couldn’t have believed they were). Turn is a 6 and I miss my river 7. Out in 3rd for $800. First paid like $1,700. Sick shit. I make a sick read and shove and the cards reward the donktard.
Monday, September 22, 2008
USPC at the Taj
Played in 2 events at the USPC at the Taj last week. The Taj is really dying in my opinion. Watch Rounders and they talk about how it is the center of east coast poker. Well that was the mid-late 90s before the Borgata opened. The Borgata now blows away everything in AC and has the best poker room by far. But the Taj was where this event is played so...
The USPC used to be televised by ESPN and was one of the big events outside of the WSOP. It is now a dying series. The first event I played in (Limit Omaha Hi-Low 8 or better) had 109 players and the second (Pot Limit split event 1/2 Holdem-1/2 Omaha) had only 55-60 players. Doubt this series will be around in 2 or 3 years.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Not much happened here really. We started with 5k in chips and 25/25 blinds. I made it to Level 6 with abt 6k in chips. I then lost ~1.5k (at 150/300) or so in chips with top set on a pretty uncoordinated board. I had KKxx and the board was K92 (I think). Good flop for me with no low draw on the board and no flush draw either. Don't really remember the action (though I do know I got 4 bets in on the flop) but I know I put the guy on AA by the turn. Obv an A hit the river and I had to check call and donkey had AA. So I lose a big pot.
Lost a few other hands that were fairly meaningless. The play was really bad with people drawing to weak lows like A4, etc. and I just needed to hit a hand and I could win a lot of chips. Well my final hand was a monster but look what happened...
I was in BB with AAK2 with the A2 of clubs and AK of spades. Blinds are 200/400 I elect to raise the hand preflop to try and build a pot. If I miss I can fold the flop. 6 people call and there are 7 to the flop (Pot 1400). Flop comes 78J with two clubs. Now this is not an idela flop but I have the nut low draw and the nut flush draw. Someone has 9T for sure but I have 20 cards to the low and 9 cards to the nut flush. With all of those chips out there I ain't folding and I want to continue to build this pot in case I hit. So I lead for the 200 (this is limit), folds to c/o who raises to 400 and button raises to 600. Well this is interesting. What do they have? I suspect the button who is very solid has 9T with perhaps a redraw (maybe a weaker flush or a draw to a good low hand like A3). Cutoff could really have anything as he had been splashing pots. I am down to less than 2,000 in chips and there is 2600 in the pot right now. This is my chance to get some chips. If I call cutoff might 4 bet then I can 5 bet (betting cap). But I raised hoping he would come along. Cutoff actually folds (probably had a set). Button then raises. He is solid so I know I am beat right now but I call the 5 bets (Pot 3800). Turn was a K I think. I lead out for the 400 and get raised. I put my last chips in making the total pot ~6200. So I need any club (preferably a high club (i.e. 9+)) or a low card between 3-8 to make the nut low and at least get 1/2 the pot. He turns over 9TA2. Yuck. So any low card splits the low. River is a Q and I am out. But I played it right I think. I needed to get chips and had a million outs.
Pot-Limit Split Event
I love these events. I love pot limit Omaha and a lot of the Holdem players are not as good at PLO. The table I was at was very tough and aggressive. I did take down a few pots with well timed raises and reraises. The end came for me fairly quickly however on the following action. Blinds were 100/200 (I have about 6000 of the starting 5000). I call on the cutoff with 3556 double suited. Button calls and we have 4 to flop (Pot 800). Flop comes 24K. Guy to my right has been very active and very aggressive on the flop and leads for 600. I think for a while and the 1400 in the pot would add 25% to my stack which would help a lot. I figure he can only call me if I reraise with KK. And even if he has that I am abt 40% to hit my str8 and win the hand (any A, 3, 5, 6 gives me a str8). So I reraise to 2250. All of the sudden the button reraises me all in. Ooops he has the KK... Oh well I have 40% equity here and I call off. He obv had KK. I picked up a spade draw on the turn keeping my equity at abt 40%. Whiff the river and I am out. Bad luck there. I played it right and just got unlucky that the button had the only hand that can call me.
Cash games were good to me. I beat up a 10/20 limit Omaha Hi-Low game on Wed night for a few hundred then got in a juicy No-Limit Hold-Em cash game after I busted from the Pot-Limit event. I usually play 2/5 or 5/10 live but just didn't feel like playing for big stacks so I only played 1/2. play was hideous. Lots of liming into pots and very passive play after the flops. Good example. I am on the button. 4 limpers into the pot. I raise to 16 with 23 offsuit. Yes 23 off. BB calls and one of the limpers calls (Pot 54). Flop comes 788. Very weak older woman leads into the pot for 20. This weak lead tells me she has a pair but not sure which yet. I call and BB surprisingly calls (pot 114). Turn is another 8 which is bad card for me. Players at this level do not lay down ANY boats. SO even though it looks like I could have a big pair the way I played it, she won't fold her 66 or 44 or whatever and I need to check behind (pot 114). River is another 7 putting a full house on the board. They check to me and I decide the only way I can win here is to bet. I fire 80 into the pot. BB folds and older woman tanks for a while. Now I am worried 99+ gives her a bigger full house and I think she has to call. But her hand doesn't look like a big pair as played. But who knows with these goofs. Finally she folds 55 face up and I flash the 23 bluff. Nice pot there.
Later a donkey who was very bad and very predictable raised from the BB when I had called from middle position with 99 and we went heads up (Pot 30). Flop came 8JQ which is not good for me. He leads for $25 and I call (Pot 80) Turn is a T and he checks. Strange check for him but he could have AK for the bigger str8. I check behind but I feel like my hand is good here. River is another T and he quickly announces all-in. SO he has me covered and it costs me ~$300 to call. This bet makes zero sense. If he had QQ, JJ (for a boat) or AK (for the bigger str8) he wants to be paid off not to bet me off my hand. Also he had made the same move earlier when I held A5 on a 459T9 and I almost called him with my 5s. So I decided he had to have some bullshit hand like AQ, AJ, QJ, etc and I was good. Made the call and scooped a big one.
That was about it and I ended up for the trip thanks to the cash games.
Have some golf coming up so I will probably not be putting in much poker in the coming weeks but check back often.
The USPC used to be televised by ESPN and was one of the big events outside of the WSOP. It is now a dying series. The first event I played in (Limit Omaha Hi-Low 8 or better) had 109 players and the second (Pot Limit split event 1/2 Holdem-1/2 Omaha) had only 55-60 players. Doubt this series will be around in 2 or 3 years.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Not much happened here really. We started with 5k in chips and 25/25 blinds. I made it to Level 6 with abt 6k in chips. I then lost ~1.5k (at 150/300) or so in chips with top set on a pretty uncoordinated board. I had KKxx and the board was K92 (I think). Good flop for me with no low draw on the board and no flush draw either. Don't really remember the action (though I do know I got 4 bets in on the flop) but I know I put the guy on AA by the turn. Obv an A hit the river and I had to check call and donkey had AA. So I lose a big pot.
Lost a few other hands that were fairly meaningless. The play was really bad with people drawing to weak lows like A4, etc. and I just needed to hit a hand and I could win a lot of chips. Well my final hand was a monster but look what happened...
I was in BB with AAK2 with the A2 of clubs and AK of spades. Blinds are 200/400 I elect to raise the hand preflop to try and build a pot. If I miss I can fold the flop. 6 people call and there are 7 to the flop (Pot 1400). Flop comes 78J with two clubs. Now this is not an idela flop but I have the nut low draw and the nut flush draw. Someone has 9T for sure but I have 20 cards to the low and 9 cards to the nut flush. With all of those chips out there I ain't folding and I want to continue to build this pot in case I hit. So I lead for the 200 (this is limit), folds to c/o who raises to 400 and button raises to 600. Well this is interesting. What do they have? I suspect the button who is very solid has 9T with perhaps a redraw (maybe a weaker flush or a draw to a good low hand like A3). Cutoff could really have anything as he had been splashing pots. I am down to less than 2,000 in chips and there is 2600 in the pot right now. This is my chance to get some chips. If I call cutoff might 4 bet then I can 5 bet (betting cap). But I raised hoping he would come along. Cutoff actually folds (probably had a set). Button then raises. He is solid so I know I am beat right now but I call the 5 bets (Pot 3800). Turn was a K I think. I lead out for the 400 and get raised. I put my last chips in making the total pot ~6200. So I need any club (preferably a high club (i.e. 9+)) or a low card between 3-8 to make the nut low and at least get 1/2 the pot. He turns over 9TA2. Yuck. So any low card splits the low. River is a Q and I am out. But I played it right I think. I needed to get chips and had a million outs.
Pot-Limit Split Event
I love these events. I love pot limit Omaha and a lot of the Holdem players are not as good at PLO. The table I was at was very tough and aggressive. I did take down a few pots with well timed raises and reraises. The end came for me fairly quickly however on the following action. Blinds were 100/200 (I have about 6000 of the starting 5000). I call on the cutoff with 3556 double suited. Button calls and we have 4 to flop (Pot 800). Flop comes 24K. Guy to my right has been very active and very aggressive on the flop and leads for 600. I think for a while and the 1400 in the pot would add 25% to my stack which would help a lot. I figure he can only call me if I reraise with KK. And even if he has that I am abt 40% to hit my str8 and win the hand (any A, 3, 5, 6 gives me a str8). So I reraise to 2250. All of the sudden the button reraises me all in. Ooops he has the KK... Oh well I have 40% equity here and I call off. He obv had KK. I picked up a spade draw on the turn keeping my equity at abt 40%. Whiff the river and I am out. Bad luck there. I played it right and just got unlucky that the button had the only hand that can call me.
Cash games were good to me. I beat up a 10/20 limit Omaha Hi-Low game on Wed night for a few hundred then got in a juicy No-Limit Hold-Em cash game after I busted from the Pot-Limit event. I usually play 2/5 or 5/10 live but just didn't feel like playing for big stacks so I only played 1/2. play was hideous. Lots of liming into pots and very passive play after the flops. Good example. I am on the button. 4 limpers into the pot. I raise to 16 with 23 offsuit. Yes 23 off. BB calls and one of the limpers calls (Pot 54). Flop comes 788. Very weak older woman leads into the pot for 20. This weak lead tells me she has a pair but not sure which yet. I call and BB surprisingly calls (pot 114). Turn is another 8 which is bad card for me. Players at this level do not lay down ANY boats. SO even though it looks like I could have a big pair the way I played it, she won't fold her 66 or 44 or whatever and I need to check behind (pot 114). River is another 7 putting a full house on the board. They check to me and I decide the only way I can win here is to bet. I fire 80 into the pot. BB folds and older woman tanks for a while. Now I am worried 99+ gives her a bigger full house and I think she has to call. But her hand doesn't look like a big pair as played. But who knows with these goofs. Finally she folds 55 face up and I flash the 23 bluff. Nice pot there.
Later a donkey who was very bad and very predictable raised from the BB when I had called from middle position with 99 and we went heads up (Pot 30). Flop came 8JQ which is not good for me. He leads for $25 and I call (Pot 80) Turn is a T and he checks. Strange check for him but he could have AK for the bigger str8. I check behind but I feel like my hand is good here. River is another T and he quickly announces all-in. SO he has me covered and it costs me ~$300 to call. This bet makes zero sense. If he had QQ, JJ (for a boat) or AK (for the bigger str8) he wants to be paid off not to bet me off my hand. Also he had made the same move earlier when I held A5 on a 459T9 and I almost called him with my 5s. So I decided he had to have some bullshit hand like AQ, AJ, QJ, etc and I was good. Made the call and scooped a big one.
That was about it and I ended up for the trip thanks to the cash games.
Have some golf coming up so I will probably not be putting in much poker in the coming weeks but check back often.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Update
Haven't updated in a while because there hasn't been much to update. Haven't played a lot of golf or poker really in the last several weeks.
I did play in the MD Mid Amateur in late August and finished T8 (148 (+4)). Really should have finished much higher but as has been the case most of the summer, the putter was awful. I had 69 putts in 2 rounds of play and that is not getting it done. After this I did go to my instructor, Ted Sheftic, and had him look at my stroke, etc. He immediately noticed that I was set up WAY WAY open to my target putting line. This leads to a lot of inconsistent putts as it is hard to get the ball on line if your alignment is out of whack. I have been working on this pretty hard lately and hopefully that will help.
On the poker note I am going up to the US Poker Championship at the Taj next week to play in a couple of events. Hopefully that will prove to be profitable.
I did play in the MD Mid Amateur in late August and finished T8 (148 (+4)). Really should have finished much higher but as has been the case most of the summer, the putter was awful. I had 69 putts in 2 rounds of play and that is not getting it done. After this I did go to my instructor, Ted Sheftic, and had him look at my stroke, etc. He immediately noticed that I was set up WAY WAY open to my target putting line. This leads to a lot of inconsistent putts as it is hard to get the ball on line if your alignment is out of whack. I have been working on this pretty hard lately and hopefully that will help.
On the poker note I am going up to the US Poker Championship at the Taj next week to play in a couple of events. Hopefully that will prove to be profitable.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Played well...but not well enough
I played the sectional qualifier for the US Amateur yesterday and today and played pretty solid. It is a 36 hole qualifier and at my site (which was the DC section) there were 5 available spots for the 130 or so entrants. I ended up at +3 147 (75-72) and the playoff for the final 2 spots occurred at 143. I easily could have been significantly lower but every player in the field can say the same.
The biggest difference is that the Am is open to everyone whereas the Mid-Am specifically excludes those under 25 (i.e. college kids).
I was in the first group off on Monday morning at 7:00. Since the course, Worthington Manor GC, was an hour away from home that meant I was out the door at 5:00 a.m. I started on 10 and as usual I was older than the combined age of my playing partners (19&18). I got off to a solid start with 4 straight pars, although I did miss 3 makeable birdie putts. I then made a bad bogey on 14 (my 5th) when I flew the green and was essentially in jail. I bogeyed 17 but backed it up with a good birdie on 18 to turn in +1.
Unfortunately, we had to wait 30 mins on the first tee for the groups teeing off 1 to clear and obviously I bogeyed 1. But I backed it up with a tap in birdie on 2 and a 3 foot birdie on 4. Couple of pars later and I was even on the 8th tee (my 17th). This was a weird hole. The green is really big but the pin was back right and you had to get your ball up on the back tier (about the size of the roof of a car) or the ball would roll all the way down to the front of the green. So I overclubbed and flew the green into arguably the worst spot on the golf course. ABSOLUTE JAIL. F-Me. I have absolutely nothing and chip it onto the green and as expected it rolls all the way off the front edge of the green. 3 whacks later and that is a double bogey. F-Me again. But I compose myself and stripe a drive at the par 5 9th (565). I get to my ball and I have 275 to middle but it is downhill and downwind. I have to carry it about 245 to fly the hazard that fronts the green. I go back and forth and decide that I need to stay aggressive and go for it. Well I hit a squirrely 3 wood that never gets higher than nose high and goes in the hazard (actually almost cleared). F-Me thrice. I then take my drop and end up making bogey. So I shoot 75 finishing double bogey-bogey. I am pissed. Probably need to go low on Tuesday.
Today I get a little better tee time (8:15) and able to "sleep in" until about 5:45. The leading scores aren't as low as I expected so it looks like -2 (142) will have a good shot to get in. That means a 67 is needed for yours truly. Here is a rundown on today:
Hole 1 Solid par
Hole 2 Power lip out on my par putt...+1
Hole 3 Brain dead double bogey on the hardest hole on the course...+3
I didn't really feel as though I was out of it at this point strangely. I had hit all solid shots the first three holes but had gotten a bad break on 2 and hit a poor chip on 3. I felt if I could fight back to even par at the turn I could freewheel the back and try and shoot really low (like 30 or 31).
Holes 4-7 Hit all of these approaches close and made two putts for birdie...back to +1
Hole 8 This is the site of my trainwreck from yesterday. This time I hit the right club on the back tier only to see my ball back up and slowly (painfully slowly) roll back to the front of the green. 3 putts later we are...+2 This is a terrible hole and needs to be blown up immediately.
Hole 9 Play this hole more traditionally today and damn near hole out my 3rd shot. Tap in birdie...+1
So I am not where I wanted to be when I started but nothing I can do. I need to do something special on the back and shoot lights out (probably need 29 or 30). 10 and 11 are good birdie hole and I need to get at least one of the two.
Hole 10 Hit a good approach but miss a 15 footer
Hole 11 Hit a good drive followed by my worst shot of the tournament-a pulled wedge from 125 yds that leads to a deflating bogey. +2
Hole 12-16 Hit great shots all the way. Really very, very solid. Make three birdies in that 5 hole stretch to get into red numbers -1
Hole 17 225 yard par 3..Hit in greenside bunker and fail to get up and down...E
Hole 18 Make a sloppy par on this reachable par 5...Finish at E
So while I didn't get in I did take some good from these rounds:
Driving- I drove it very well for 2 rounds. In the 28 driving holes I hit 26 fairways. That is as good as I can hope for.
Putting- I putted very well and made 9 birdies in 2 rounds. That is a good sign. I also made several good par putts in each round from 4-8 feet. I think all my work there has paid off.
General Execution- I made good decisions and executed them very well. The only two doubles I made were from hitting over the greens where I simply misclubbed. That happens but both of the shots were solid I just misjudged the wind and the amount uphill the respective holes played.
Overall I am very pleased with my play right now and am in very good form heading into the US Mid Qualifier next Monday. I will play a practice round at the course (Argyle CC) this Thurs.
The biggest difference is that the Am is open to everyone whereas the Mid-Am specifically excludes those under 25 (i.e. college kids).
I was in the first group off on Monday morning at 7:00. Since the course, Worthington Manor GC, was an hour away from home that meant I was out the door at 5:00 a.m. I started on 10 and as usual I was older than the combined age of my playing partners (19&18). I got off to a solid start with 4 straight pars, although I did miss 3 makeable birdie putts. I then made a bad bogey on 14 (my 5th) when I flew the green and was essentially in jail. I bogeyed 17 but backed it up with a good birdie on 18 to turn in +1.
Unfortunately, we had to wait 30 mins on the first tee for the groups teeing off 1 to clear and obviously I bogeyed 1. But I backed it up with a tap in birdie on 2 and a 3 foot birdie on 4. Couple of pars later and I was even on the 8th tee (my 17th). This was a weird hole. The green is really big but the pin was back right and you had to get your ball up on the back tier (about the size of the roof of a car) or the ball would roll all the way down to the front of the green. So I overclubbed and flew the green into arguably the worst spot on the golf course. ABSOLUTE JAIL. F-Me. I have absolutely nothing and chip it onto the green and as expected it rolls all the way off the front edge of the green. 3 whacks later and that is a double bogey. F-Me again. But I compose myself and stripe a drive at the par 5 9th (565). I get to my ball and I have 275 to middle but it is downhill and downwind. I have to carry it about 245 to fly the hazard that fronts the green. I go back and forth and decide that I need to stay aggressive and go for it. Well I hit a squirrely 3 wood that never gets higher than nose high and goes in the hazard (actually almost cleared). F-Me thrice. I then take my drop and end up making bogey. So I shoot 75 finishing double bogey-bogey. I am pissed. Probably need to go low on Tuesday.
Today I get a little better tee time (8:15) and able to "sleep in" until about 5:45. The leading scores aren't as low as I expected so it looks like -2 (142) will have a good shot to get in. That means a 67 is needed for yours truly. Here is a rundown on today:
Hole 1 Solid par
Hole 2 Power lip out on my par putt...+1
Hole 3 Brain dead double bogey on the hardest hole on the course...+3
I didn't really feel as though I was out of it at this point strangely. I had hit all solid shots the first three holes but had gotten a bad break on 2 and hit a poor chip on 3. I felt if I could fight back to even par at the turn I could freewheel the back and try and shoot really low (like 30 or 31).
Holes 4-7 Hit all of these approaches close and made two putts for birdie...back to +1
Hole 8 This is the site of my trainwreck from yesterday. This time I hit the right club on the back tier only to see my ball back up and slowly (painfully slowly) roll back to the front of the green. 3 putts later we are...+2 This is a terrible hole and needs to be blown up immediately.
Hole 9 Play this hole more traditionally today and damn near hole out my 3rd shot. Tap in birdie...+1
So I am not where I wanted to be when I started but nothing I can do. I need to do something special on the back and shoot lights out (probably need 29 or 30). 10 and 11 are good birdie hole and I need to get at least one of the two.
Hole 10 Hit a good approach but miss a 15 footer
Hole 11 Hit a good drive followed by my worst shot of the tournament-a pulled wedge from 125 yds that leads to a deflating bogey. +2
Hole 12-16 Hit great shots all the way. Really very, very solid. Make three birdies in that 5 hole stretch to get into red numbers -1
Hole 17 225 yard par 3..Hit in greenside bunker and fail to get up and down...E
Hole 18 Make a sloppy par on this reachable par 5...Finish at E
So while I didn't get in I did take some good from these rounds:
Driving- I drove it very well for 2 rounds. In the 28 driving holes I hit 26 fairways. That is as good as I can hope for.
Putting- I putted very well and made 9 birdies in 2 rounds. That is a good sign. I also made several good par putts in each round from 4-8 feet. I think all my work there has paid off.
General Execution- I made good decisions and executed them very well. The only two doubles I made were from hitting over the greens where I simply misclubbed. That happens but both of the shots were solid I just misjudged the wind and the amount uphill the respective holes played.
Overall I am very pleased with my play right now and am in very good form heading into the US Mid Qualifier next Monday. I will play a practice round at the course (Argyle CC) this Thurs.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Random Stuff (Poker and Golf)
I have not been playing much tournament poker at all recently. The combination of the time involved and my lack of desire to grind it out for 4 hours+ just hasn't interested me. So I have been playing a lot of cash games in little hour blocks.
I did, however, play a few tournaments on Wednesday night. I actually managed to take one down. It was a smallish tournament with only ~200 players and a small $10 buy-in (I usually don't play these small buy-in tournaments but I have been running bad and just was goofing around). First place paid over $500 so what the heck. The top 20 or so made the money and I got into the money with a fairly decent stack (top 5). I had murdered the cash bubble by playing hyper-aggressive and actually was responsible for bursting the cash bubble. I had about 35k in chips and a guy to my right raised (blinds were 300/600/50 ante) to 1600. He only had 7500 or so in chips. I put him all in from the button with JT suited. He snap called with AK and the flop came AJT and my 2 pair held up.
Once we were down to 10 people I had built my stack to ~60k when a strange spot came up. The blinds were 400/800/100 and we were 5 handed. I was relentlessly raising and taking the blinds and antes probably 4x every 2 orbits. I raised with AQ to 2200 and got shoved over for a total of 20k. This looks like AK or a pair. I probably need to fold here since I am taking down the blinds and antes so easily at this point without resistance. But I felt this player's range was basically any pair 66-QQ and AK or AQ. I doubt AA or KK shoves all in there since they want action with those hands. Since I am 50/50 against most of those hands in his range I found a call and he showed the one hand I didn't want to see AK. So I lost 20k+ there and was back down to an average stack of 40k +/-. That was a bad call given the whole situation, etc.
We got to the final table and I switched gears and played much more conservatively until we got 4 handed. Guy on my left was raising and re-raising virtually every pot so I was patiently waiting. Finally my opportunity came when I was dealt JJ. I was in the cuttoff and just called (I think the blinds were 1000/2000/200). Right on cue Mr. Aggro raises to 12k and I shove on him for 60k putting him all in for his remaining ~35k. He calls with AT (lol..good call) and my hooks hold up. I then busted the other shortish stack when my 22 all-in preflop faded a million outs on the river versus AJ suited. Any club, board pair, A or J and I would have lost 40% of my stack but no sir.
Finally we got heads up and it lasted a good while with both of us sucking out to keep the stacks fairly even. We then got it all in when I flopped middle pair, a flush draw and a gutshot straight draw holding 9T. He actually had top pair (Q) so we obv got it all in and I hit my 9 to make 2 pair.
Not a huge pay by any means but I hadn't won a 100+ player tournament in some time so it was good to take it down. I also had played rather poorly the last few times I had final tabled. So always nice to play well at a final table and catch a few cards too.
Golf
Finally seeing progress in my short game and specifically my putting. I have really been struggling making anything and decided to play around on the practice green and try different grips, postures, etc. until it felt like I was hitting better putts. Buddy of mine actually said it looked like I was too far from the ball. Generally a good putter will stand over the ball with his eyes directly over the ball. My eyes were significantly inside the ball which causes an inside out stroke and a lot of hook or pulled putts. So I got more up over top of the ball and this squared up my stroke and they started rolling much straighter and more solid. Played yesterday a practice round for Monday and made 4 birdies as well as a bunch of 4-5 footers.
Much more fun to play when you are making putts. I had played in the Baltimore Country Club guest day last Thursday and shot 69 missing everything. Missed a 3 footer, 3 or 4 five footers and a ton of birdie putts from 10-16 feet. That gets old very quickly and begins to creep in to all phases of your game. I am really excited for all of the tournaments I have coming up in August and if my putting is back....
I did, however, play a few tournaments on Wednesday night. I actually managed to take one down. It was a smallish tournament with only ~200 players and a small $10 buy-in (I usually don't play these small buy-in tournaments but I have been running bad and just was goofing around). First place paid over $500 so what the heck. The top 20 or so made the money and I got into the money with a fairly decent stack (top 5). I had murdered the cash bubble by playing hyper-aggressive and actually was responsible for bursting the cash bubble. I had about 35k in chips and a guy to my right raised (blinds were 300/600/50 ante) to 1600. He only had 7500 or so in chips. I put him all in from the button with JT suited. He snap called with AK and the flop came AJT and my 2 pair held up.
Once we were down to 10 people I had built my stack to ~60k when a strange spot came up. The blinds were 400/800/100 and we were 5 handed. I was relentlessly raising and taking the blinds and antes probably 4x every 2 orbits. I raised with AQ to 2200 and got shoved over for a total of 20k. This looks like AK or a pair. I probably need to fold here since I am taking down the blinds and antes so easily at this point without resistance. But I felt this player's range was basically any pair 66-QQ and AK or AQ. I doubt AA or KK shoves all in there since they want action with those hands. Since I am 50/50 against most of those hands in his range I found a call and he showed the one hand I didn't want to see AK. So I lost 20k+ there and was back down to an average stack of 40k +/-. That was a bad call given the whole situation, etc.
We got to the final table and I switched gears and played much more conservatively until we got 4 handed. Guy on my left was raising and re-raising virtually every pot so I was patiently waiting. Finally my opportunity came when I was dealt JJ. I was in the cuttoff and just called (I think the blinds were 1000/2000/200). Right on cue Mr. Aggro raises to 12k and I shove on him for 60k putting him all in for his remaining ~35k. He calls with AT (lol..good call) and my hooks hold up. I then busted the other shortish stack when my 22 all-in preflop faded a million outs on the river versus AJ suited. Any club, board pair, A or J and I would have lost 40% of my stack but no sir.
Finally we got heads up and it lasted a good while with both of us sucking out to keep the stacks fairly even. We then got it all in when I flopped middle pair, a flush draw and a gutshot straight draw holding 9T. He actually had top pair (Q) so we obv got it all in and I hit my 9 to make 2 pair.
Not a huge pay by any means but I hadn't won a 100+ player tournament in some time so it was good to take it down. I also had played rather poorly the last few times I had final tabled. So always nice to play well at a final table and catch a few cards too.
Golf
Finally seeing progress in my short game and specifically my putting. I have really been struggling making anything and decided to play around on the practice green and try different grips, postures, etc. until it felt like I was hitting better putts. Buddy of mine actually said it looked like I was too far from the ball. Generally a good putter will stand over the ball with his eyes directly over the ball. My eyes were significantly inside the ball which causes an inside out stroke and a lot of hook or pulled putts. So I got more up over top of the ball and this squared up my stroke and they started rolling much straighter and more solid. Played yesterday a practice round for Monday and made 4 birdies as well as a bunch of 4-5 footers.
Much more fun to play when you are making putts. I had played in the Baltimore Country Club guest day last Thursday and shot 69 missing everything. Missed a 3 footer, 3 or 4 five footers and a ton of birdie putts from 10-16 feet. That gets old very quickly and begins to creep in to all phases of your game. I am really excited for all of the tournaments I have coming up in August and if my putting is back....
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Putting like a Pig
I have played in 2 tournaments in the last week and what normally is the strength of my game, putting, has been atrocious. I have been driving the ball very well and hitting my irons OK but my short game has been rather weak. Below is a quick recap of the 2 events.
Lynnewood Hall Invitational
I was invited to this event at Huntington Valley Country Club (Philly) based on qualifying for the USGA Mid-Am last year. Looked like a good event and there were some things for Emily and the girls to do in Philly so we decided to make it a family trip. Golf course is off the charts good. Really well maintained with very fast slopey greens. A lot of fun to play. Not really much to say about this tournament. I shot 78-74 and was obviously never a factor. Over the 2 days I had 7 3 putts which is completely unacceptable. This doesn't even consider the stretch I had in round 1 when I had birdie putts inside of 15 feet on 5 of 6 holes and didn't touch the hole once!! In round 2 I played rock solid but the putter just wouldn't cooperate. Hit it to:
Oh well we had a good weekend and it was good to get back into tournament conditions. I haven't played a lot of tournament golf this year so I think that is part of the problem.
MD Open
This year's MD Open was played at Fountain Head Country Club in Hagerstown. I almost didn't play since it was so far away but I need the competitive rounds and after my pathetic play in the MD Am I wanted to redeem myself. Fountain Head is an old course that was designed by Donald Ross (Pinehurst, Pine Needles, etc) and may be the only Ross course in MD (not sure about that). It is short and relatively tight with very good, although small, green complexes. On Monday (Round 1) I hit it really, really well and walked off with a 75. Again I hit a lot of good putts that just wouldn't go in. At one point early in the round I had 5 very make-able birdie putts (inside of 15 feet) and made exactly 0 of them. Gets pretty frustrating after three str8 tournament rounds. Anyway I polished off this gem of a round by making bogey on the 9th hole (my 18th) when I failed to make par from 110 yds out off the tee. I shot about as high as I could have shot without question.
The second round got off to a good start when I almost canned a 115 yd wedge shot on the 2nd hole and had a kick-in birdie. But I backed it up with a bogey on the 490 yd par 5 3rd hole. That was bad. Almost felt like a double bogey. Anyway it was more of the same and I was 2 over through 12 holes when I came to the 380ish par 4 13th. I striped a drive and had 105 to the pin. The green on this hole slopes VERY VERY hard from back to front and the pin was back left. There really is nowhere to hit my approach. If I hit it at the pin it may well spin and feed off the front of the green. So I elect to hit it 20 feet right where it is a bit flatter. This, however, leaves me with a 20 footer that breaks 5 feet right to left and is basically str8 downhill. I run it 4 feet by and miss it coming back. Now I am 8 over par for the tournament and I am pretty sure +7 makes the cut. So I need to make a birdie with a balky putter. Try to jam one in close on 14 and short side myself and make bogey. I par out and am finished at 149 (+9) with no chance of making the cut. Funny thing is I wasn't all that disappointed. I am striking the ball really well and I am sure that my putter will return soon.
Over the next 4 weeks I have the following events:
Lynnewood Hall Invitational
I was invited to this event at Huntington Valley Country Club (Philly) based on qualifying for the USGA Mid-Am last year. Looked like a good event and there were some things for Emily and the girls to do in Philly so we decided to make it a family trip. Golf course is off the charts good. Really well maintained with very fast slopey greens. A lot of fun to play. Not really much to say about this tournament. I shot 78-74 and was obviously never a factor. Over the 2 days I had 7 3 putts which is completely unacceptable. This doesn't even consider the stretch I had in round 1 when I had birdie putts inside of 15 feet on 5 of 6 holes and didn't touch the hole once!! In round 2 I played rock solid but the putter just wouldn't cooperate. Hit it to:
- 15 feet on 1
- 6 feet on the 230 yd par 3 3rd
- 4 feet on 4
- 8 feet on 6
- 15 feet on 7 and 8
Oh well we had a good weekend and it was good to get back into tournament conditions. I haven't played a lot of tournament golf this year so I think that is part of the problem.
MD Open
This year's MD Open was played at Fountain Head Country Club in Hagerstown. I almost didn't play since it was so far away but I need the competitive rounds and after my pathetic play in the MD Am I wanted to redeem myself. Fountain Head is an old course that was designed by Donald Ross (Pinehurst, Pine Needles, etc) and may be the only Ross course in MD (not sure about that). It is short and relatively tight with very good, although small, green complexes. On Monday (Round 1) I hit it really, really well and walked off with a 75. Again I hit a lot of good putts that just wouldn't go in. At one point early in the round I had 5 very make-able birdie putts (inside of 15 feet) and made exactly 0 of them. Gets pretty frustrating after three str8 tournament rounds. Anyway I polished off this gem of a round by making bogey on the 9th hole (my 18th) when I failed to make par from 110 yds out off the tee. I shot about as high as I could have shot without question.
The second round got off to a good start when I almost canned a 115 yd wedge shot on the 2nd hole and had a kick-in birdie. But I backed it up with a bogey on the 490 yd par 5 3rd hole. That was bad. Almost felt like a double bogey. Anyway it was more of the same and I was 2 over through 12 holes when I came to the 380ish par 4 13th. I striped a drive and had 105 to the pin. The green on this hole slopes VERY VERY hard from back to front and the pin was back left. There really is nowhere to hit my approach. If I hit it at the pin it may well spin and feed off the front of the green. So I elect to hit it 20 feet right where it is a bit flatter. This, however, leaves me with a 20 footer that breaks 5 feet right to left and is basically str8 downhill. I run it 4 feet by and miss it coming back. Now I am 8 over par for the tournament and I am pretty sure +7 makes the cut. So I need to make a birdie with a balky putter. Try to jam one in close on 14 and short side myself and make bogey. I par out and am finished at 149 (+9) with no chance of making the cut. Funny thing is I wasn't all that disappointed. I am striking the ball really well and I am sure that my putter will return soon.
Over the next 4 weeks I have the following events:
- USGA Amateur Qualifier
- USGA Mid-Am Qualifier
- Hayfields Club Championship
- MD Mid-Am Championship
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
First Golf Post
I haven't had any posts about golf at this point but the reality was I didn't haven't anything to write about. But that has changed as of this Monday when I paired with the teaching pro at my home club, Damon Lucas, to tie for first in the MAPGA Pro-Scratch (Middle Atlantic PGA). This is their biggest Pro-Am event and featured most of the best club pros and best amatuers from throughout the Middle Atlantic. The event was played this year at Bulle Rock in Havre de Grace, MD which for the last 4 years has been the host of the LPGA Championship. here is a quick rundown.
We started at 10 and were the first group off at 7:30.
On 10 I drive it in the right rough and have a horrible lie and make bogey. Damon gets on in regulation but three putts so we start with bogey 5.
Holes 11 & 12 I sort of scrape it around to the green and have to make 8 footers on both to save par.
Hole 13 (420) is a really hard hole that requires a very straight drive followed by a precise second shot into a well protected green. I kind of wiffed my drive but str8 and ~175 into the green. Pured a 6 iron right at the flag and checked up to 4 feet. Unfortunately I shoved the hell out of the putt and walk away with a shitty feeling par.
Hole 14 (375) is a good birdie opportunity and I hit a good Driver-Wedge to 10 feet and canned the putt.
Hole 15 (500-par 5) Pured my drive and followed with a decent 3 wood just left of the green. Hit kind of a mediocre pitch to 8 feet and missed. Bad par there.
Up till this point my pro has been struggling with his driver but that was about to change in the nick of time.
Hole 16 (400) Good drive right down the middle then absolutely butchered the hole from there barely making bogey. Fortunately Damon popped up with a solid par.
Hole 17 (180) I played it conservatively and hit a 6 iron in the middle of the green to 20 feet. Damon took that as a green light to try and hit it close and he knocked to 6 feet and made the putt. We are finally in the RED!!! -1
Hole 18 (440) Stripe another drive but then slap it around a bit. Damon makes a solid par and we turn in 35 (-1)
It gets fun on the second nine!
Hole 1 (375) I hit a poor 3 wood off the tee followed by a real solid 9 iron to 20 feet and make it for birdie. -2
Hole 2 (550) Hit a great drive and lay up to 120. Then skank a wedge to approx. 20 feet and leave my birdie putt on the lip.
Hole 3 (165) Damon and I both make solid pars.
Hole 4 (420) Whiff my drive again then hit a perfect 8 iron from ~160 to 15 feet and can the putt for another birdie. -3
Hole 5 (440 str8 up hill) Hit a good drive followed by a pure 4 iron and make a routine par.
Hole 6 (420) Driver-Gap wedge to 20 feet. Nothing but net!! -4
Hole 7 (165) Hit a poor iron but Domon stuffs it in tight and basically has kick in for birdie. -5
Hole 8 (545) Rip a driver and have 265 to the middle. Take out my new Taylor Made Steel Head 3 wood (god I love this club) and smash it up the hill into the middle of the green 20 feet or so from the hole. Really like the line I get on the hole and hit a great putt that stops 1 foot short right in the center. How can I leave an eagle putt short in that situation???? Tiger wouldn't leave tat putt short....Oh yeah he is good and I am a 38 year old accountant. Anyway -6
Hole 9 (425) Damon and I both hit really good drives, although he is 20 yds or so closer due to him biting offf more of the dogleg. I hit a mediocre second shot but Damon hits a really nice wedge to 8 feet or so. I don't make my birdie but Damon has a really good look. I really think this putt is for the win...65 will be hard to beat on this course. I read the putt as inside left and he reads it as str8. Hits a good putt but just misses on the right. Wasn't an easy putt.
So we finish at 66 (-6) and put it on the board. Ends up that 2 other teams shoot the same. For some reason, however, the MAPGA does not playoff in this event so it is just a tie. Kind of sucks but oh well... Once Damon got through he first 5 or 6 holes we both played really solid the rest of the way. On a lot of holes we had 2 good looks at birdie which always makes it easier to score well.
Glad to play well. I have been close for a few weeks but just can't seem to get it done. Bunch of 72-73-74 type rounds but nothing low. This round was good (71) on a hard demanding golf course and I drove it REALLY well. Now if I can just get my irons back on track I could start shooting some low scores. Always something though with this insane game.
I have a bunch of tournaments and qualifiers coming over the next 6-8 weeks so expect more golf related updates in this period.
We started at 10 and were the first group off at 7:30.
On 10 I drive it in the right rough and have a horrible lie and make bogey. Damon gets on in regulation but three putts so we start with bogey 5.
Holes 11 & 12 I sort of scrape it around to the green and have to make 8 footers on both to save par.
Hole 13 (420) is a really hard hole that requires a very straight drive followed by a precise second shot into a well protected green. I kind of wiffed my drive but str8 and ~175 into the green. Pured a 6 iron right at the flag and checked up to 4 feet. Unfortunately I shoved the hell out of the putt and walk away with a shitty feeling par.
Hole 14 (375) is a good birdie opportunity and I hit a good Driver-Wedge to 10 feet and canned the putt.
Hole 15 (500-par 5) Pured my drive and followed with a decent 3 wood just left of the green. Hit kind of a mediocre pitch to 8 feet and missed. Bad par there.
Up till this point my pro has been struggling with his driver but that was about to change in the nick of time.
Hole 16 (400) Good drive right down the middle then absolutely butchered the hole from there barely making bogey. Fortunately Damon popped up with a solid par.
Hole 17 (180) I played it conservatively and hit a 6 iron in the middle of the green to 20 feet. Damon took that as a green light to try and hit it close and he knocked to 6 feet and made the putt. We are finally in the RED!!! -1
Hole 18 (440) Stripe another drive but then slap it around a bit. Damon makes a solid par and we turn in 35 (-1)
It gets fun on the second nine!
Hole 1 (375) I hit a poor 3 wood off the tee followed by a real solid 9 iron to 20 feet and make it for birdie. -2
Hole 2 (550) Hit a great drive and lay up to 120. Then skank a wedge to approx. 20 feet and leave my birdie putt on the lip.
Hole 3 (165) Damon and I both make solid pars.
Hole 4 (420) Whiff my drive again then hit a perfect 8 iron from ~160 to 15 feet and can the putt for another birdie. -3
Hole 5 (440 str8 up hill) Hit a good drive followed by a pure 4 iron and make a routine par.
Hole 6 (420) Driver-Gap wedge to 20 feet. Nothing but net!! -4
Hole 7 (165) Hit a poor iron but Domon stuffs it in tight and basically has kick in for birdie. -5
Hole 8 (545) Rip a driver and have 265 to the middle. Take out my new Taylor Made Steel Head 3 wood (god I love this club) and smash it up the hill into the middle of the green 20 feet or so from the hole. Really like the line I get on the hole and hit a great putt that stops 1 foot short right in the center. How can I leave an eagle putt short in that situation???? Tiger wouldn't leave tat putt short....Oh yeah he is good and I am a 38 year old accountant. Anyway -6
Hole 9 (425) Damon and I both hit really good drives, although he is 20 yds or so closer due to him biting offf more of the dogleg. I hit a mediocre second shot but Damon hits a really nice wedge to 8 feet or so. I don't make my birdie but Damon has a really good look. I really think this putt is for the win...65 will be hard to beat on this course. I read the putt as inside left and he reads it as str8. Hits a good putt but just misses on the right. Wasn't an easy putt.
So we finish at 66 (-6) and put it on the board. Ends up that 2 other teams shoot the same. For some reason, however, the MAPGA does not playoff in this event so it is just a tie. Kind of sucks but oh well... Once Damon got through he first 5 or 6 holes we both played really solid the rest of the way. On a lot of holes we had 2 good looks at birdie which always makes it easier to score well.
Glad to play well. I have been close for a few weeks but just can't seem to get it done. Bunch of 72-73-74 type rounds but nothing low. This round was good (71) on a hard demanding golf course and I drove it REALLY well. Now if I can just get my irons back on track I could start shooting some low scores. Always something though with this insane game.
I have a bunch of tournaments and qualifiers coming over the next 6-8 weeks so expect more golf related updates in this period.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Spewing chips @ Final Table
Played a few tournaments on Monday and Tuesday evening. Not a lot happened exciting on Monday though I did have a few cashes (nothing huge).
Tuesday night I made the final table of an Omaha Hi-Lo event. Was a small tournament with less than 100 players. But first place paid roughly $900 so a win would be good. In fact with 6 players left I had nearly 50% of the chips in play. Unfortunately a combination of bad cards and horrible play by yours truly led to a spewing of chips of epic proportions.
Calling big raises from short stacks then folding. Raising marginal hands then having to fold to reraises. Being indecisive on the rare occassions when I did hit the flop. All of these strategies were a part of my chip bleeding. Just couldn't seem to get in the flow at all and continued to lose a lot of chips. Finally I was the short stack when we were 3 handed and pushed on the button with KQQ8 only to get reraised from the small blind. Knew I was behind but at that point I was pot committed with 60% of my chips in the pot. Called all in and SB sbowed AAxx and it held. Ended up 3rd for $300+. I played very well for the three hours or so until the final table but totally botched that table.
Also had a decent stack in the Stars $25k guarantee ($27.50 entry) with about 400 left. I had about 12k in chips (abt 20% more than avg stack size) when I opened raised to 600 with 99 from middle position(100/200/25 blind level). I got one call from 2 behind me and flop came 9TJ with 2 clubs giving me a set of 9s. I lead into the pot for 1250 and other player instantly shoves all in for ~6200. I thought about this for a while and actually used up my time bank. His range here is pretty wide and includes all of the following (I hadn't been involved in any pots with this player but had seem him mixing it up a bit):
Tuesday night I made the final table of an Omaha Hi-Lo event. Was a small tournament with less than 100 players. But first place paid roughly $900 so a win would be good. In fact with 6 players left I had nearly 50% of the chips in play. Unfortunately a combination of bad cards and horrible play by yours truly led to a spewing of chips of epic proportions.
Calling big raises from short stacks then folding. Raising marginal hands then having to fold to reraises. Being indecisive on the rare occassions when I did hit the flop. All of these strategies were a part of my chip bleeding. Just couldn't seem to get in the flow at all and continued to lose a lot of chips. Finally I was the short stack when we were 3 handed and pushed on the button with KQQ8 only to get reraised from the small blind. Knew I was behind but at that point I was pot committed with 60% of my chips in the pot. Called all in and SB sbowed AAxx and it held. Ended up 3rd for $300+. I played very well for the three hours or so until the final table but totally botched that table.
Also had a decent stack in the Stars $25k guarantee ($27.50 entry) with about 400 left. I had about 12k in chips (abt 20% more than avg stack size) when I opened raised to 600 with 99 from middle position(100/200/25 blind level). I got one call from 2 behind me and flop came 9TJ with 2 clubs giving me a set of 9s. I lead into the pot for 1250 and other player instantly shoves all in for ~6200. I thought about this for a while and actually used up my time bank. His range here is pretty wide and includes all of the following (I hadn't been involved in any pots with this player but had seem him mixing it up a bit):
- AJ, KJ, QJ for top pair big kicker (this is possible but would be an overplay on his part obv)
- AT, KT of clubs or two other random clubs (I convinced my self that this was the most likely holding given the insta-overshove)
- KQ or 78 (these are in his range with the KQ more likely than the 78)
- JT for 2 pair (pretty likely holding)
- I think JJ or TT reraises me preflop the way the table was going. I had gotten my chips when I had raised in late position with KK and button shoved all-in with TT and I called obv and my hand held up. A lot of overvaluing of pocket pairs pre flop at this level.
So as I said I used my bank and decided to call as I am ahead of all of these holding except 78-KQ for the made str8. He flips KQ obv and I am down to 4.5k. I think I call in that spot again. In these huge tournaments you have to get a lot of chips to go deep and this was a spot to get a lot of chips. Even if I am behind I have 5 outs twice to boat up and take down the huge pot. Couple of orbits later I three bet a late position raiser with 9T diamonds. He shoved me all-in and I called as I was pot committed. He flipped AK which is abt the best I could hope for but I whiffed all the way and was out.
Did play a nice .50/1.00 PLO session of abt 600 hands and won 2 buy ins over that period. Sometimes I wonder why I play tournaments at all with my cash game stats. But the lure of the big score keeps me and everybody else coming back I guess.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Online Badbeats
Well the name of this blog is appropriate. I took a few bad beats over the last two nights deep in a few tournaments turning what could have been nice cashes into min cashes. Sucks when this happens over and over again but at least I am getting pretty deep in a few events. Here they are:
- Lose AA5T double suited all in preflop when we are down to 18 in the Full Tilt $4,000 PLO (24+2 buy in). Lose to another players AA37 single suited and of course his suit hits for a flush. I am crippled and bow out in 13th for a whopping $83 when top 3 all make $600+
- Thursday night in the FTP $32,000 No Limit Hold Em ($24+2). 1300 players and we are down to 80 (inside the money) I get it all in preflop with QQ and lose to 9T for a 40k chip pot. Win that and I am top 10 in chips with 80ish left. As is I am crippled and limp along finishing 43rd for a whopping $90 when first pays $7,000 (top 3 all make $3,500+)
- Thursday night in the Full Tilt $4,000 PLO (24+2) we are down to 25 or so from starting field of ~200 (18 players cash). Limp in to the flop with 89JQ. Flop comes 67T giving me a monster. Made str8 with a redraw to a bigger str8. I pot for 4,800 folds to the button who repots all-in for ~17,500. I call obv and he flips T6 for 2 pair. Well played sir!! Of course FT rewards the donkey with a T on the river for a full house. I am able to hang around and finish 19 when I shove over this same donkey with 5678 and he calls with AAxx. Flop comes 583 to put me ahead with 2 pair but turn is a 3 so his 2 pair wins. GG ME
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Pot Limit Mixed Event Recap from Day 1 (Long) and Day 2 (Very Short)
So here is a quick rundown of the $2,500 WSOP Pot Limit split event I played in Thursday (and VERY briefly Friday). I was quite tired on Thursday and wasn’t sure I was going to play. The event, however, started at 5 p.m. and by about 4:30 I was thinking I should give it a go. So I said WTF this is my last tournament lets give it a shot.
Then I get moved. My new seat is a real beauty. I end up with Erik Siedel directly to my left and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson two to my left. Nice table draw Bri-Bri. But all I can do is play my hand and see what happens. I open raise a few pots and take them down so my stack more or less goes sideways. Then I open raise in late position with 88 to 1800 at the 300/600 blind level. BB ships his whole stack in for 4200 and I have to call purely on the pot odds. I am hoping he has AK but no he has AA and I don't improve. Couple hands later a wild hand comes up. The guy to my right was clearly very nervous. He announces to the table that he will only play AA or KK in the Holdem portion because he is trying to make it into the money...ok pal whatever. He is also peppering Jesus with questions about pot odds and this and that. So he is in the small blind and I am the BB. Folds around to him and he makes the call. I look down at A9suited and raise it up. He thinks and looks at me and then folds QQ face up...no shit. Never seen anything like it. He folds the 3rd best starting hand in Hold Em preflop.
Move onto the Omaha and a really good hand comes up with Erik Siedel. He is in the BB and I am in the SB. There are 2 limpers and I call the bet with AQT4 with the A suited up. Erik checks and we see a flop of QQA. HELLO! Now how do you play this with one of the greatest players in poker? I decided to make a weakish stab at the pot so I bet 800 into the 1600 pot. He reraises to 2k and the two limpers fold. My options here are 2: I can call and disguise the strength of my hand or I can reraise and possibly lose him. I elect to just call. Turn is a J and I check. He checks behind. Now at this point I doubt he puts me on the full house Queens full of Aces so I can probably get something out of him on the river. My guess is he has KQxx in this spot. River is a rag and I bet 3k into the pot. He calls and I was right he had KQxx. So I scoop a nice pot and think I got the most out of him I could.Little while later in the Omaha still I made a really good play. I had about 11k in chips and was dealt AKJT double suited in the small blind. Erik is in the BB. Blinds are 300/600 and it folds to the guy who said he will only play AA and he calls. Now this is interesting; I want to get all my chips in the pot preflop here and want to get as much of their chips in as well. But if I raise, Erik is only calling with a monster. If I just call there is a good chance Erik will think I am weak (he already knows the other guy is weak) and raise, then I can raise the pot on him and get almost my whole stack in. Well he does as I hoped and raises to 2k and as an added bonus Mr. Weak Tight comes along and calls the 2k. I instantly tell the dealer I raise the pot and make it 8k to go. Erik instantly mucks as does the other dude. So I picked up an extra 3k in chips by looking weak and letting the pro seize on that "opportunity" to punish the perceived weaker players.
At this point I went card dead for a while. I raised a few pots preflop and took down the blinds but other than that not much happened. About 20 mins before the end of day 1 I called the big blind with 3456 then Max Pescatori reraised the pot from the button. BB called and it came to me. I thought about this one for a while and really wanted to see a flop but I didn't really like the situation. The problem with a rundown hand like 3456 is that I could be completely dominated by a hand like 4567 or 5678. If my stack was a little deeper I would have called but as it was I was stagnant still around 17k in chips and putting in 3k+/- and then folding post flop is just very spewy. So I folded. Flop came 8TJ and Max and other guy got into a raising war. Max tabled 789T for the str8 and other guy had JJxx for the top set. Good fold by me preflop.
So they announced that this would be the last hand of Day 1 and I have ~13.5k in chips when the avg stack is 22.5 or so. I am in late position and wake up with AKQT double suited. Oh boy here we go again on the last hand of the night. I raise from the button to 1600, big blind repots and I repot all in. He tables KKT9 double suited and we are off. Flop comes AQ4 and now I am ahead. If I can dodge a K (making him trips) or a J (making us both a str8) I can scoop a nice pot and be up around 28k in chips. Turn is a blank and river is a J...yuck. Chop it up. Basically we split the small blind. A lot of excitement for nothing.
So we bagged our chips and off we go to bed. I wake up around 10:30 and just chill. Watch some US Open, go down to the pool and get ready to play. We are scheduled to play at 3:00. SO around 2:50 I get down to the tournament room and it is empty. OK WTF. I ask a few people and no one has any clue. Now I get that bad feeling that maybe I heard wrong and we started earlier. Fortunately a bunch of other players start showing up with the same looks on their face. Finally we are told that the tournament has been moved to another room.
My strategy here is to play premium hands only in the Holdem portion and then mix it up in the Omaha portion where I think my game is better. Well third hand of Holdem I am dealt AQ offsuit on the button. Guy to my right, Jordan Morgan, is a very aggressive successful young player and he raises the 400-800 blinds to 2400. I think and think and just call. Big mistake by me. Jordan's raising a lot of different hands here and with my short stack I should be reraising here to isolate on him. In all likelihood he folds and I scoop the pot. As played, however, my call gives the BB the correct pot odds to call with any 2 cards. He indeed calls and flop comes KT8 with 2 spades. BB checks, Jordan checks and I check. In my head I decide that neither of these guys has a K or they would have bet with that board. That board is pretty draw heavy and a spade now makes a flush and any 7, 9, J, Q or K makes a potential str8. So I was locked in on that. Mistake number 2 in a hand. You should never lock in on one possible hand holding. I should have been looking at a range of possible holdings for both player particularly the BB. Turn is a Q of hearts and BB leads out for 4200. As stated I am convinced that BB does not have a a K and I am now ahead. But if I had thought about it a little more I would have come up with the following possible hands for the BB when he just called preflop
1) Pair-22-JJ; QQ-AA he is probably raising preflop since he is out of position after the flop and has two players in the pot so I can likely discount them.
2) Suited connected cards like JT, QJ, J9, KQ, KJ, AQ or maybe even AJ. He is likely raising AK for the same reason he is raising AA, KK, QQ.
- So when he bets the turn I have to look at what I am beating now. I am beating pairs 22-77, 99, or JJ. The only hand of these that is even remotely possible is JJ. He is not leading into the pot with 2 other players with the other pairs. I am ahead of JJ.
- JT doesn't bet this board I don't think. QJ might and I am ahead of that hand. KQ bets here as does KJ, J9, TT, AJ or 88. All five of those hands beat me.
So I got the hell out of there, found a flight and got out of dodge as quickly as possible. It was a good trip that was slightly profitable but could have been extremely profitable with a little more luck and a little better play by yours truly. Already looking forward to WSOP 2009!
Friday, June 13, 2008
Fairly Deep in the Pot Limit Omaha/Pot Limit Holdem Mixed Tournament
Just wrapped up for the night in the $2,500 Pot Limit Holdem/Pot Limit Omaha Mixed tournament. The average chip stack is approx. 22k and I have ~14k but am in pretty good shape. I played very well today even though I had a BRUTAL table draw. On my immediate left most of the day was Erik Siedel who is arguably one of the top 5 poker tournament players of all time and owns 8 WSOP bracelets and directly to his left was Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Chris is out now but he was a really nice guy to talk to and he is obviously one of the best tournament players in the world right now. Then directly to Chris's left was Max Pescatori a very accomplished Italian profoessional player. There is no question that I had the toughest seat in the room today and think I acquitted myself pretty well.
I will run through some interesting hands/spots tomorrow morning. Top 45 cash so still have sme work to do.
I will run through some interesting hands/spots tomorrow morning. Top 45 cash so still have sme work to do.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Yesterday's PLO
So as promised here is a summary of yesterday's PLO tournament.
For those of you that don't play alot of poker PLO is an action game where each player is dealt 4 cards and is played exactly like Texas Holdem. The one big difference is that you must use exactly 2 of the 4 cards in your hand and exactly 3 on the board to make your best 5 card hand. Because of all of the combinations of hands Omaha can create it is very much an action game.
So I was very much looking forward to this specific tournament as PLO is probably my best game. This tournament attracted 750ish players and had a first prize of 225k. In fact everyone at the final table would earn over 20k.
My strategy early in PLO tournaments is to see a lot of flops cheaply and try to flop big hands and get paid off. Unfortunately that is not what happened. I gradually lost chips as I was hitting no hands. Unlike Holdem bluffing in PLO is much less prevelant especially early in a tournament. So by the 4th level I was all the way down to 1500 chips from the original 3k. I basically needed to find a hand I liked and ship my chips in.
Well I was completely card dead and my table was VERY VERY aggressive. That meant stealing pots just wasn't happening. Finally I was down to 900 chips or so when this hand came up. I was dealt A spades-2 spades-4 clubs and 5 clubs. (Great Hi-Lo hand but we aren't playing Hi-Lo). Folds around to me and I make it 600 to go. BB puts me all in and I call. He flips 2345 so i have him crushed. Flop comes A79 with 2 spades which is beatiful for me and turn and river brick off so I double up to ~2k. Couple hands later I get AATJ (pretty big PLO hand) and it is raised in front of me and I repop all in. He calls with KKxx and my hand holds up and now I have ~4.5k. I slowly chip up and get to around 8k in chips then go card dead again until this beauty comes up.
Blinds are 200-400. i am in late position with 89TJ single suited (another big PLO hand) and I bet the pot (1400). The button is a VERY VERY aggressive asian dude (AAD for later) and he repots (meaning he bets the maximum which is a full pot sized bet) to 4800. Even if he has AAxx i am willing to gamble here and as he is not that far ahead of me. Unlike Holdem hands are much closer in value to each other in PLO preflop. There is no situation like in Hold Em where a player can get it in with AA and be 80% to win over an opponents KK. So anyway I am going down with this hand and I repot all in. He calls with AAxx (as he obv should) and board comes 29J and now I am WAY, WAY ahead. He basically needs to hit one of the 2 remaining A to win at this point and hope I don't hit a 7,8,T or Q to make a str8. The turn and river brick and I have like 16k. I lose a few hands with not much invested and slowly drift down to abt 12k. Then this happens the last hands before dinner break.
I start with ~11k in chips and am in the cuttoff seat (the seat in front of the button). Blinds are 200-400 and 3 players limp in front of me so I call with 5567 with the 56 of hearts. Button and SB call and BB checks and there are 7 to the flop. Flop comes AJ3 with 2 hearts. It checks around. Turn is a 9 of hearts giving me a flush (albeit a very weak 6 high flush). In PLO this is not a very strong hand particularly with 7 players in the pot. But it checks around to me so the other players prob do not have a flush either or a bet would have popped up at this point. So I bet 2k into the 2.8k pot. AAD instantly repots to 8.8k. This makes no sense to me. If he had a big flush draw or better on the flop and it gets checked to him on the button he is betting that flop without question. I am 99% sure he is making a play at me and is trying to bully. It folds back to me and I have already decided that I am shipping it in. So I repot all in. When he doesn't instantly call me I know I am good and now am hoping he will call me with 2 pair or trips. So he only has to call another 2k into a pot of nearly 23k and he folds. Good read for Bri-Bri and nice pot.
We are off to dinner break. At this point there are only about 120 players left which is incredible considering we started with over 750. Top 72 cash so the cash bubble will be reached in the next 2 or 3 levels (each level lasts 1 hour).
I kind of hang around after the break and don't really do a lot. I lose to a short stack when he repots my pot bet and my AAxx gets cracked. That pushes me down to about 18k in chips. then I have to fold after I raise with KKxx and get reraised essentially all in by a very tight player. His hand screams AA so I fold. Then the most important hand for me comes up.
Big stack to my right pots at the 400-800 level. We are down to 77 or so players and people are really tightening up their play since we are so close to cashing. But I am playing to go deep in the tournament so I will play the hands that I would always play. I look down at AKQQ with the AQ of clubs. I elect to call in case he has AA already. Flop comes AJ2 all hearts. At this point he still could have AA and I would be in trouble. He bets out for 4k and I choose to call. I don't really know if I am ahead at this point but there is a good chance I am. I am planning to try to steal the pot on the turn if the proper opportunity comes up. The turn is another A. So now I know he doesn't have AA but he could have AJ for a full house, some sort of hand like 89TJ with 2 hearts, or I guess JJ (though that is the least likely since he raised preflop and JJ isn't a raising hand in PLO from early position). he checks which surprised me. i think for a minute and the check doesn't make sense. So I ship it all in. I am still not positive that I am ahead but I'm not folding here so lets get it all in. I might get him to fold AKxx (which ties me) or get him to fold a weak flush (like a 9 or T high flush). He tanks for a good 10 mins and asks if I want a call. At this point I think I am ahead and he has like AQxx so i do want a call. Finally he calls and shows AQxx and the river bricks so I win a monster and am up to about 35k in chips (finally more than the average chip stack).
The cash bubble bursts and I get moved to a new table with a total aggressive maniac two to my left (not a good table draw). In general you would prefer to have the aggressive players on your right so you can see what they do before you act. Well b4 I realized how agressive he is I raise to 3500 in late position with 679T all unsuited. He reraise me the pot to to 11k and I have to fold. Too ealy to stack off there and calling to see a flop is out of the question. I am not putting in 1/3 of my stack then folding after the flop ever. So it is either repot by me to gamble or fold and find a better spot...I elect to fold. I then lose to the short stack at the table for a 6k loss. He raises in late position to 3500 (he only has 5.8k or so total). I reraise to 8k to discourage either of the blinds from calling and they both fold. Short stack calls and shows A55T. I have KKJ9 with one of the K suited. Flop comes with a 5 then I pick up a flush draw on the turn but miss on the river. That puts me back down to around 22k. I lose a few other smallish pots and start getting blinded down. Finally I am down to around 14.5k and this beauty comes up.
This is the LAST hand of the night and I would love to double up and get some ammunition before day 2. Blinds are 800-1600. First to act pots to 5600. Next player repots to like 18k or whatever it works out to (second player is a total aggessive maniac and I know he doesn't have a big hand but is gambling b4 the end of the day here). I look down at KKQ9 with K9 spades KQ hearts. I am never folding this hand in this spot. Short stacked, chance to triple up, knowing I am ahead of the 2nd guy in the pot. So I ship it all in right there. The original raiser then thinks for a few mins and says out loud "I just can't fold". Now I know he probably has a "weak" AA. This means that he has AA but his cards probably aren't suited and probably aren't together. In other words a hand like AAJT is WAY WAY better than a hand like AA94 because the TJ can help make str8s or whatever. So finally he calls and shows AA82 and we are off. As I suspected 2nd guy has garbage like 3679 or something. Now it gets wild. This is the last hand of the night so everyone left in the tournament has already finished their last hands and all of the people watching the tournament are milling around when the dealer yells "3 people all in". A mass of people now come over to the table and are looking when the deal flops QJ5. ALL SPADES!!! I am now way out in front with the K high flush. The table goes crazy and it is insane. Turn is a J giving the AA additional outs. Now he can win with one of the 2 remaing J to make Jacks full of Aces (to beat my Jacks full of Kings)or the 2 remaing A to make a full house (Aces full of Jacks) but I am still 92% to win this hand. River is a J and the table erupts again. What a kick in the balls. His JJJAA beats my JJJKK. So phucking sick I could puke. Only saving grace is that he did get it in ahead of me but nevertheless still painful to get busted out like that. If I win that hand I have ~45k in chips and can make a real run at getting to the final table where the real cash is.
As it was I am out with $3,500+ and a crazy crazy story to tell. Oh well. I was exhausted and crashed last night (well maybe I tossed and turned a little :)
Today i am just chilling out and may play in a tournamnet tonight or try and satellite into tomorrows 2k no-Limit Hold Em event. Will let you know how that goes later.
For those of you that don't play alot of poker PLO is an action game where each player is dealt 4 cards and is played exactly like Texas Holdem. The one big difference is that you must use exactly 2 of the 4 cards in your hand and exactly 3 on the board to make your best 5 card hand. Because of all of the combinations of hands Omaha can create it is very much an action game.
So I was very much looking forward to this specific tournament as PLO is probably my best game. This tournament attracted 750ish players and had a first prize of 225k. In fact everyone at the final table would earn over 20k.
My strategy early in PLO tournaments is to see a lot of flops cheaply and try to flop big hands and get paid off. Unfortunately that is not what happened. I gradually lost chips as I was hitting no hands. Unlike Holdem bluffing in PLO is much less prevelant especially early in a tournament. So by the 4th level I was all the way down to 1500 chips from the original 3k. I basically needed to find a hand I liked and ship my chips in.
Well I was completely card dead and my table was VERY VERY aggressive. That meant stealing pots just wasn't happening. Finally I was down to 900 chips or so when this hand came up. I was dealt A spades-2 spades-4 clubs and 5 clubs. (Great Hi-Lo hand but we aren't playing Hi-Lo). Folds around to me and I make it 600 to go. BB puts me all in and I call. He flips 2345 so i have him crushed. Flop comes A79 with 2 spades which is beatiful for me and turn and river brick off so I double up to ~2k. Couple hands later I get AATJ (pretty big PLO hand) and it is raised in front of me and I repop all in. He calls with KKxx and my hand holds up and now I have ~4.5k. I slowly chip up and get to around 8k in chips then go card dead again until this beauty comes up.
Blinds are 200-400. i am in late position with 89TJ single suited (another big PLO hand) and I bet the pot (1400). The button is a VERY VERY aggressive asian dude (AAD for later) and he repots (meaning he bets the maximum which is a full pot sized bet) to 4800. Even if he has AAxx i am willing to gamble here and as he is not that far ahead of me. Unlike Holdem hands are much closer in value to each other in PLO preflop. There is no situation like in Hold Em where a player can get it in with AA and be 80% to win over an opponents KK. So anyway I am going down with this hand and I repot all in. He calls with AAxx (as he obv should) and board comes 29J and now I am WAY, WAY ahead. He basically needs to hit one of the 2 remaining A to win at this point and hope I don't hit a 7,8,T or Q to make a str8. The turn and river brick and I have like 16k. I lose a few hands with not much invested and slowly drift down to abt 12k. Then this happens the last hands before dinner break.
I start with ~11k in chips and am in the cuttoff seat (the seat in front of the button). Blinds are 200-400 and 3 players limp in front of me so I call with 5567 with the 56 of hearts. Button and SB call and BB checks and there are 7 to the flop. Flop comes AJ3 with 2 hearts. It checks around. Turn is a 9 of hearts giving me a flush (albeit a very weak 6 high flush). In PLO this is not a very strong hand particularly with 7 players in the pot. But it checks around to me so the other players prob do not have a flush either or a bet would have popped up at this point. So I bet 2k into the 2.8k pot. AAD instantly repots to 8.8k. This makes no sense to me. If he had a big flush draw or better on the flop and it gets checked to him on the button he is betting that flop without question. I am 99% sure he is making a play at me and is trying to bully. It folds back to me and I have already decided that I am shipping it in. So I repot all in. When he doesn't instantly call me I know I am good and now am hoping he will call me with 2 pair or trips. So he only has to call another 2k into a pot of nearly 23k and he folds. Good read for Bri-Bri and nice pot.
We are off to dinner break. At this point there are only about 120 players left which is incredible considering we started with over 750. Top 72 cash so the cash bubble will be reached in the next 2 or 3 levels (each level lasts 1 hour).
I kind of hang around after the break and don't really do a lot. I lose to a short stack when he repots my pot bet and my AAxx gets cracked. That pushes me down to about 18k in chips. then I have to fold after I raise with KKxx and get reraised essentially all in by a very tight player. His hand screams AA so I fold. Then the most important hand for me comes up.
Big stack to my right pots at the 400-800 level. We are down to 77 or so players and people are really tightening up their play since we are so close to cashing. But I am playing to go deep in the tournament so I will play the hands that I would always play. I look down at AKQQ with the AQ of clubs. I elect to call in case he has AA already. Flop comes AJ2 all hearts. At this point he still could have AA and I would be in trouble. He bets out for 4k and I choose to call. I don't really know if I am ahead at this point but there is a good chance I am. I am planning to try to steal the pot on the turn if the proper opportunity comes up. The turn is another A. So now I know he doesn't have AA but he could have AJ for a full house, some sort of hand like 89TJ with 2 hearts, or I guess JJ (though that is the least likely since he raised preflop and JJ isn't a raising hand in PLO from early position). he checks which surprised me. i think for a minute and the check doesn't make sense. So I ship it all in. I am still not positive that I am ahead but I'm not folding here so lets get it all in. I might get him to fold AKxx (which ties me) or get him to fold a weak flush (like a 9 or T high flush). He tanks for a good 10 mins and asks if I want a call. At this point I think I am ahead and he has like AQxx so i do want a call. Finally he calls and shows AQxx and the river bricks so I win a monster and am up to about 35k in chips (finally more than the average chip stack).
The cash bubble bursts and I get moved to a new table with a total aggressive maniac two to my left (not a good table draw). In general you would prefer to have the aggressive players on your right so you can see what they do before you act. Well b4 I realized how agressive he is I raise to 3500 in late position with 679T all unsuited. He reraise me the pot to to 11k and I have to fold. Too ealy to stack off there and calling to see a flop is out of the question. I am not putting in 1/3 of my stack then folding after the flop ever. So it is either repot by me to gamble or fold and find a better spot...I elect to fold. I then lose to the short stack at the table for a 6k loss. He raises in late position to 3500 (he only has 5.8k or so total). I reraise to 8k to discourage either of the blinds from calling and they both fold. Short stack calls and shows A55T. I have KKJ9 with one of the K suited. Flop comes with a 5 then I pick up a flush draw on the turn but miss on the river. That puts me back down to around 22k. I lose a few other smallish pots and start getting blinded down. Finally I am down to around 14.5k and this beauty comes up.
This is the LAST hand of the night and I would love to double up and get some ammunition before day 2. Blinds are 800-1600. First to act pots to 5600. Next player repots to like 18k or whatever it works out to (second player is a total aggessive maniac and I know he doesn't have a big hand but is gambling b4 the end of the day here). I look down at KKQ9 with K9 spades KQ hearts. I am never folding this hand in this spot. Short stacked, chance to triple up, knowing I am ahead of the 2nd guy in the pot. So I ship it all in right there. The original raiser then thinks for a few mins and says out loud "I just can't fold". Now I know he probably has a "weak" AA. This means that he has AA but his cards probably aren't suited and probably aren't together. In other words a hand like AAJT is WAY WAY better than a hand like AA94 because the TJ can help make str8s or whatever. So finally he calls and shows AA82 and we are off. As I suspected 2nd guy has garbage like 3679 or something. Now it gets wild. This is the last hand of the night so everyone left in the tournament has already finished their last hands and all of the people watching the tournament are milling around when the dealer yells "3 people all in". A mass of people now come over to the table and are looking when the deal flops QJ5. ALL SPADES!!! I am now way out in front with the K high flush. The table goes crazy and it is insane. Turn is a J giving the AA additional outs. Now he can win with one of the 2 remaing J to make Jacks full of Aces (to beat my Jacks full of Kings)or the 2 remaing A to make a full house (Aces full of Jacks) but I am still 92% to win this hand. River is a J and the table erupts again. What a kick in the balls. His JJJAA beats my JJJKK. So phucking sick I could puke. Only saving grace is that he did get it in ahead of me but nevertheless still painful to get busted out like that. If I win that hand I have ~45k in chips and can make a real run at getting to the final table where the real cash is.
As it was I am out with $3,500+ and a crazy crazy story to tell. Oh well. I was exhausted and crashed last night (well maybe I tossed and turned a little :)
Today i am just chilling out and may play in a tournamnet tonight or try and satellite into tomorrows 2k no-Limit Hold Em event. Will let you know how that goes later.
Out in 48th in the Pot Limit Omaha
Crazy, crazy hand on the last hand of the night. I busted out of the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) on the final hand of the night in 48th (out of 750ish). Nice to cash in my first WSOP but if the final hand holds up for me I have a big stack and come back tomorrow top 15 or so in chips with a chance to go deep in the tournament where the real money is.
I will give a better blow by blow tomorrow after some sleep.
I will give a better blow by blow tomorrow after some sleep.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Out of Venetian Deep Stack
Played the noon $500 Venetian Deep Stack event. 280ish players showed up to generate a prize pool of abt 140k with first being 45,000 or so. Great event with really good starting stacks and 40 min blind levels. Start with 15,000 in tournament chips so plenty of room for play. Here a few of the interesting hands:
2nd level. I started the hand with about 18k in chips. Active late position player raised the pot to 300 (50/100 blinds). I chose to just call on the button with KK. Flop comes 459. He leads at the pot for 550 and I just call. Turn is a Q. He checks and I bet 1000. He thinks for a while and makes it 2800. Bet makes no sense unless he flopped trips. Could be AQ suited too I guess. I just call. River is a blank (6 I think) and he checks. I think there is no real value in betting there and check behind (He only calls with a hand that beats me and probably doesn't put anymore money in with AQ-KQ. He shows KQ and I scoop a nice pot.
I lose a few pots with raises and continuation bets and my stack drifts down to about 22k. I then lose a decent pot with QQ on the following action. I raise to 450 at 50/100 with one limper in front of me. Button calls (big stack) and big blind re-raises to 1500. BB has been very aggressive preflop and very weak after the flop. So I call of course. Button calls as well. Flop comes J45 with 45 of clubs. BB bets 2500 into the pot and I pretty sure I am ahead of him. I reraise to 6000. Button shoves all-in. BB then thinks for a good 5 mins and folds (now I know I was behind him too as he prob had AA or KK...oops good read Bri-Bri). I think and think and put the button on either trips or a hand like AJ of clubs. Finally I fold since I will still have plenty of chips and figure at best I am a slight favorite over AJ clubs and at worst I am crushed by 444, 555 or JJJ. He shows AJ of clubs. Of course if I knew that I would have called but good play by him.
My stack hovered between 14k and 18k for the next 2 levels when I completely misplayed a hand. Blinds are 100/200 with a 25 ante. I catch 55 (hearts and spades) in the cuttoff (position before the button) and raise to 575. BB calls. Flop comes A24 with the 24 of spades. He bets 1,000 and I call hoping to take away the pot later and/or hit my hand. At this point he probably has a bigger pair, an A or nothing. Turn is a 3 of spades giving me the A-5 str8 and an up and down str8 flush draw. He checks which is fishy and I check behind. River is a K spades putting a 4 flush on the board. Bad card for me but I figure I can't win if I don't bet. He checks and I fire out 2k. He insta raises me all in and I have to fold. He shows me AQ of spades for a monster. Stack down to 10k or so. I really just played that hand poorly.
I dwindle down to abt 7.5k in chips when the final hand comes up. I am in small blind and blinds are 300/600 with 50 ante. 3 people limp and I complete the bet with 34 hearts. I almost shoved all in preflop with all the dead money in there but I wussed out. BB checks and flop comes 853 unsuited (rainbow). Not a terrible flop for me as it is unlikely to have hit anyone. I check though and checks all the way around. Turn is a 5 putting the second heart on the board. Good card for me to represent. I fire 2500 into the 3200ish pot. Only the button calls. River is A diamonds. So she could have missed her flush and I have to go with it at this point and fire at the pot representing that 5. I bet 3800 of my remaining 4400 in chips trying to look like I want a call. She goes in the tank for nearly 10 mins and finally calls with T8clubs. Huh? WTF?? I can't decide if she made a sick call or was just a calling station. Next hand I am out when I go all in blind with q6 offsuit and miss all 5 cards. Oh well.
Cash games tonight!
BRW
2nd level. I started the hand with about 18k in chips. Active late position player raised the pot to 300 (50/100 blinds). I chose to just call on the button with KK. Flop comes 459. He leads at the pot for 550 and I just call. Turn is a Q. He checks and I bet 1000. He thinks for a while and makes it 2800. Bet makes no sense unless he flopped trips. Could be AQ suited too I guess. I just call. River is a blank (6 I think) and he checks. I think there is no real value in betting there and check behind (He only calls with a hand that beats me and probably doesn't put anymore money in with AQ-KQ. He shows KQ and I scoop a nice pot.
I lose a few pots with raises and continuation bets and my stack drifts down to about 22k. I then lose a decent pot with QQ on the following action. I raise to 450 at 50/100 with one limper in front of me. Button calls (big stack) and big blind re-raises to 1500. BB has been very aggressive preflop and very weak after the flop. So I call of course. Button calls as well. Flop comes J45 with 45 of clubs. BB bets 2500 into the pot and I pretty sure I am ahead of him. I reraise to 6000. Button shoves all-in. BB then thinks for a good 5 mins and folds (now I know I was behind him too as he prob had AA or KK...oops good read Bri-Bri). I think and think and put the button on either trips or a hand like AJ of clubs. Finally I fold since I will still have plenty of chips and figure at best I am a slight favorite over AJ clubs and at worst I am crushed by 444, 555 or JJJ. He shows AJ of clubs. Of course if I knew that I would have called but good play by him.
My stack hovered between 14k and 18k for the next 2 levels when I completely misplayed a hand. Blinds are 100/200 with a 25 ante. I catch 55 (hearts and spades) in the cuttoff (position before the button) and raise to 575. BB calls. Flop comes A24 with the 24 of spades. He bets 1,000 and I call hoping to take away the pot later and/or hit my hand. At this point he probably has a bigger pair, an A or nothing. Turn is a 3 of spades giving me the A-5 str8 and an up and down str8 flush draw. He checks which is fishy and I check behind. River is a K spades putting a 4 flush on the board. Bad card for me but I figure I can't win if I don't bet. He checks and I fire out 2k. He insta raises me all in and I have to fold. He shows me AQ of spades for a monster. Stack down to 10k or so. I really just played that hand poorly.
I dwindle down to abt 7.5k in chips when the final hand comes up. I am in small blind and blinds are 300/600 with 50 ante. 3 people limp and I complete the bet with 34 hearts. I almost shoved all in preflop with all the dead money in there but I wussed out. BB checks and flop comes 853 unsuited (rainbow). Not a terrible flop for me as it is unlikely to have hit anyone. I check though and checks all the way around. Turn is a 5 putting the second heart on the board. Good card for me to represent. I fire 2500 into the 3200ish pot. Only the button calls. River is A diamonds. So she could have missed her flush and I have to go with it at this point and fire at the pot representing that 5. I bet 3800 of my remaining 4400 in chips trying to look like I want a call. She goes in the tank for nearly 10 mins and finally calls with T8clubs. Huh? WTF?? I can't decide if she made a sick call or was just a calling station. Next hand I am out when I go all in blind with q6 offsuit and miss all 5 cards. Oh well.
Cash games tonight!
BRW
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)