Well have played a little live lately.... exactly twice.... playing limit holdem.
Played 5/10 in Cleveland and 10/20 here. Both for less than 2 hours but book small wins.
When I have been around live cards I have been dealing lately at the local club here. Also there is a new club opening that I may end up helping out at. Been dealing some live 1/3 NL and 5/5 NL. When I deal and watch these games it reminds me of the Wizard of Oz..... when the Scarecrow was singing..... "If I only had a brain......."..... in my mind I am singing .. " if I only had a bankroll..... ". LOL
Still playing online in the low limits. Finally made a good showing on Fulltilt in something other than a freeroll...... though I have done ok in those also. Played a $3 MTT (not the Turbo/Knockout). Got 2nd! I was very happy with that even though it was only 186 players. First decent cash I have had on FT. Also played about 6 or 7 freerolls a couple of weekends ago. Cashed in two, bubbled a third (30th place). Not bad reaching top 1% of players 2 out of 7 tried and another top 2% placing in a third tournament. Also made top 100 in a fourth tournament.
Have also made a couple of good runs at the micro tournies on Stars ($2.50 and under MTTs). No big cashes but best finish was 18th out of 2700 + players. Sucky part is for making better than top 1% of field I only got around 5 or 6 times my buy in. It was only a $1 MTT but I think Stars paying out of top 20% of field sucks because when you do run deep unless you make the final table you don't get crap. Would be like making the top 50 in the WSOP main event and only getting $17k. Stars needs to fix that and quit being so greedy.
Have also been doing well on UB in the small buy in SNGs. Not great just grinding away. Slowly (very slowly) building my account up on there. Love the $0.50 multitable SNGs. LOL
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Poker is poker...........right?
For once I am not going to mention how I have done in poker lately.... this time I need to say something about a comment I saw in another player's blog that has been kinda bugging me. I almost commented in that blog but I think the player and others would take me wrong.
The comment was " Can anyone really do anything THAT wrong in a $10 tournament? I mean, it is a $10 tournament right?"
I find fault with that sentiment in that I feel like it is trying to say the buy in dictates what correct poker is. I have always felt correct poker is not dependent on the buy in but on the particular play needed at that time. The correct play depends on the other player(s), previous actions, cards, stacks, stage of tournament,.... etc. But shouldn't hinge upon the cost of the buy in, not if you are playing poker for the sake of playing poker. At the point where you will play differently because the buy in is insignificant to you it is almost like you are saying I am just gambling (like roulette) versus my normal poker play. Yes I know poker is a form of gambling but most are drawn to it because of the additional amount of control it allows the player over another form of gambling such as roulette where you are at the ball's total mercy.
A statement like the original comment make it seem like a play that is ok in a $10 (which seems to be implying that $10 is meaningless to particular players) wouldn't be acceptable in a $10,000 buy in tournament. If that is the case then plays that would be criticized in a $10,000 should also take into consideration what the player of said play's net worth is..... perhaps he feels "how can I do anything THAT wrong, this is only a $10,000 and I have over $10,000,000 in the bank."
Perhaps I am just being nitty or picking or whatever. It is almost like when a person makes the original comment they are saying that they play differently because the money doesn't matter to them. (Almost a condescension on those whom the $10 would matter to.)
From this point of view correct poker depends on your net worth, not your skill.
The comment was " Can anyone really do anything THAT wrong in a $10 tournament? I mean, it is a $10 tournament right?"
I find fault with that sentiment in that I feel like it is trying to say the buy in dictates what correct poker is. I have always felt correct poker is not dependent on the buy in but on the particular play needed at that time. The correct play depends on the other player(s), previous actions, cards, stacks, stage of tournament,.... etc. But shouldn't hinge upon the cost of the buy in, not if you are playing poker for the sake of playing poker. At the point where you will play differently because the buy in is insignificant to you it is almost like you are saying I am just gambling (like roulette) versus my normal poker play. Yes I know poker is a form of gambling but most are drawn to it because of the additional amount of control it allows the player over another form of gambling such as roulette where you are at the ball's total mercy.
A statement like the original comment make it seem like a play that is ok in a $10 (which seems to be implying that $10 is meaningless to particular players) wouldn't be acceptable in a $10,000 buy in tournament. If that is the case then plays that would be criticized in a $10,000 should also take into consideration what the player of said play's net worth is..... perhaps he feels "how can I do anything THAT wrong, this is only a $10,000 and I have over $10,000,000 in the bank."
Perhaps I am just being nitty or picking or whatever. It is almost like when a person makes the original comment they are saying that they play differently because the money doesn't matter to them. (Almost a condescension on those whom the $10 would matter to.)
From this point of view correct poker depends on your net worth, not your skill.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Weekend....
Didn't make it to Ceasar's Indiana. Never heard back from my friend and too lazy to drive the 4 hours by myself.
Didn't play much online on Sat. Can't remember Friday at this point. LOL
I do remember one hand on Friday. Was deep in a $4/180man SNG on Stars. Find JJ late position with 25 left (pays top 18). Decent stack though not in top 10, but not short stacked. As the players start folding or calling I even think to myself "Do I really want to go bust with this hand this close to the money". Always have bad luck with this hand late in tournies. I figure, screw it.... if I want a shot at the top 3 places I need chips. One ep limper, so I raise about 4.4 x bb. Probably a little more. I tend to base my raises on the pot more than just the blinds. Everyone folds to the ep limper who calls. At this point I put him on a Ace/face hand. From comes K,x,2. He checks. Pot is now almost 85% of what I have left in front of me. I have the read that he doesn't have the K nor AA or QQ. I push in the rest of my stack not wanting to give him a cheap shot at hitting an A or Q if he has a hand like AQ or AJ. He insta calls with 22..... and I am out. I should have followed my instincts and not played the hand or at least not raised. Would have been much easier to get away from with the K on the flop and I would probably at least have made the money.
But lately I have tried to get away from the "just make the money" attitude and try to work harder at making top 3. Haven't been too successful with the change though. I should stick with what I do best which is eeking into the money and not losing much of my bankroll. The bankroll doesn't grow much but better than losing.
I did make another deep run in a $1 MTT on stars. Got like 41 out of 2600+ players. Not quite the top 1% of the field I wanted to make. LOL
Didn't play much online on Sat. Can't remember Friday at this point. LOL
I do remember one hand on Friday. Was deep in a $4/180man SNG on Stars. Find JJ late position with 25 left (pays top 18). Decent stack though not in top 10, but not short stacked. As the players start folding or calling I even think to myself "Do I really want to go bust with this hand this close to the money". Always have bad luck with this hand late in tournies. I figure, screw it.... if I want a shot at the top 3 places I need chips. One ep limper, so I raise about 4.4 x bb. Probably a little more. I tend to base my raises on the pot more than just the blinds. Everyone folds to the ep limper who calls. At this point I put him on a Ace/face hand. From comes K,x,2. He checks. Pot is now almost 85% of what I have left in front of me. I have the read that he doesn't have the K nor AA or QQ. I push in the rest of my stack not wanting to give him a cheap shot at hitting an A or Q if he has a hand like AQ or AJ. He insta calls with 22..... and I am out. I should have followed my instincts and not played the hand or at least not raised. Would have been much easier to get away from with the K on the flop and I would probably at least have made the money.
But lately I have tried to get away from the "just make the money" attitude and try to work harder at making top 3. Haven't been too successful with the change though. I should stick with what I do best which is eeking into the money and not losing much of my bankroll. The bankroll doesn't grow much but better than losing.
I did make another deep run in a $1 MTT on stars. Got like 41 out of 2600+ players. Not quite the top 1% of the field I wanted to make. LOL
Friday, April 4, 2008
Poker Purgatory
Well I have been feeling like I am in purgatory lately..... and you know what... I am happy about it!! LOL
Happier to be in purgatory than in hell!
(for those of you that don't know what purgatory is, it is supposedly the place between heaven and hell that you get stuck in if you aren't quite worthy of heaven and not deserving of hell)
Lately I have actually been doing decent. Going pretty deep in MTTs but never getting big cashes. But I seem to have improved over just getting to the money and getting halfway through the payout field. Not great but better than bubbling!!
I have been so bad about keeping track of it lately. I mean I have kept track of it by writing it down... LOL but I haven't entered anything in my database for over 4 weeks so I can't give specific numbers. I will eventually get off my ass and do it...... not sure when. LOL
Might be going to Caesar's IN this weekend to play in a WSOPC prelim event ($500). But we will see.
GL to all at the tables.
Happier to be in purgatory than in hell!
(for those of you that don't know what purgatory is, it is supposedly the place between heaven and hell that you get stuck in if you aren't quite worthy of heaven and not deserving of hell)
Lately I have actually been doing decent. Going pretty deep in MTTs but never getting big cashes. But I seem to have improved over just getting to the money and getting halfway through the payout field. Not great but better than bubbling!!
I have been so bad about keeping track of it lately. I mean I have kept track of it by writing it down... LOL but I haven't entered anything in my database for over 4 weeks so I can't give specific numbers. I will eventually get off my ass and do it...... not sure when. LOL
Might be going to Caesar's IN this weekend to play in a WSOPC prelim event ($500). But we will see.
GL to all at the tables.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Back to the living
Well made my foray back into live poker tournaments ..... with no success... or is that sucksess? LOL
Friday I played in the one private tournament that is held monthly that is very hard to get into ... and was pretty much card dead. AA, AQo, 66, 33 were my 4 best hands followed by A7s, a few Ace rags, and then K10o. Not much to work with there. Only folded one winner in 2.5 hours, and I think that hand was 63o! LOL The AA and AQ were very the first level of the tourney and I raised and got no callers... so not particularly profitable. I have been card dead in this tournament before but that was probably the worst. No two face cards except the AQ. Pretty sad.... and worst part is the structure introduces antes after 2 hours. By then you know you are pretty much dead if you haven't won two significant hands.
Saturday my initial plans were changed for me so I contacted a friend who has a 20-30 player tournament once a quarter to see if he had any openings and he did. Nice tourney, nice people, not particularly tough field. Was out midway through the tourney of 30.
Yesterday went back to the $20 donkfest I used to go to every week. Actually didn't play too bad. Was inactive for the first part of the tournament but then about the middle started picking up pots and a few hands. Made it down to last 15 out of 121. Knocked out with 44 vs AQ on a K1010 flop.... knew I was dead with that flop. Way too many outs for him. I was one of the shorter stacks and was in the sb. Was folded to me and I made a move. He found a good hand in bb and called. It was also less than 25% of his stack. No suckouts against me so not a bad night. Frustrating but not the usual frustration I experience there with the really poor play. None of it was against me so it didn't get to me.
Been struggling online but that is my own fault for playing too loose and gambling and chasing way way way too much. But at least I have no one to get mad at but myself when I realize I am doing that.
Friday I played in the one private tournament that is held monthly that is very hard to get into ... and was pretty much card dead. AA, AQo, 66, 33 were my 4 best hands followed by A7s, a few Ace rags, and then K10o. Not much to work with there. Only folded one winner in 2.5 hours, and I think that hand was 63o! LOL The AA and AQ were very the first level of the tourney and I raised and got no callers... so not particularly profitable. I have been card dead in this tournament before but that was probably the worst. No two face cards except the AQ. Pretty sad.... and worst part is the structure introduces antes after 2 hours. By then you know you are pretty much dead if you haven't won two significant hands.
Saturday my initial plans were changed for me so I contacted a friend who has a 20-30 player tournament once a quarter to see if he had any openings and he did. Nice tourney, nice people, not particularly tough field. Was out midway through the tourney of 30.
Yesterday went back to the $20 donkfest I used to go to every week. Actually didn't play too bad. Was inactive for the first part of the tournament but then about the middle started picking up pots and a few hands. Made it down to last 15 out of 121. Knocked out with 44 vs AQ on a K1010 flop.... knew I was dead with that flop. Way too many outs for him. I was one of the shorter stacks and was in the sb. Was folded to me and I made a move. He found a good hand in bb and called. It was also less than 25% of his stack. No suckouts against me so not a bad night. Frustrating but not the usual frustration I experience there with the really poor play. None of it was against me so it didn't get to me.
Been struggling online but that is my own fault for playing too loose and gambling and chasing way way way too much. But at least I have no one to get mad at but myself when I realize I am doing that.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wow.......
I SUCK.
LOL I have been so busy I haven't taken the time to even enter any tournies I have been playing into my database at home. I have like 2 weeks worth of tournies recorded on paper. I used to enter them as I played them. But I have found it is better for me while I am playing not to try to enter them into the database I have. I also haven't updated what little bit of live play I have been doing into the spreadsheet I have.
I think this means one thing........ that poker is starting to wane for me. I half feel like that, but then when I review things..... I think... I am still playing tons of tournies (mainly SNGs) per day. (Tons for me is like 20-30). I still play live occasionally... though I have cut way back on the donkeyfest tournies I was playing in. Lately have only played some 1-3NL. I think the big problem for me is just on a down swing. Last year at this time I had already had a significant cash or two. And was feeling good about things. But now I haven't done anything, no good cashes. Course I also haven't play half as many tournies in the first three months of 08 as I played in the same time frame in 07.
I need to get motivated.
I did play in a deepstack on PS. $20+2, 5000 starting chips, 30 minute levels. Definitely caters to my playing style. But I went on tilt early and actually built up a huge stack after I made bottom pair with 75s (the Locksmith)! Went all in for 900+ on the turn into a 11,000 pot and both players who had over 10k that were still in the hand folded. That's right, you read it correctly, they folded getting over 10-1 on their 900 call!!!! Total shock on my part. I was tilting and didn't care. From there I went on a small sick run of cards and moved into 2nd place. I think we started with 460+ players. Top 54 got paid. We were down to about 360 at this point. I stayed in the top 10 for most of the next 3 hours. (remind me never to get into a deepstack tournament on a work night!!! - tournament started at 7PM EST) I played decently for next two hours. Flopped sets twice and couldn't get paid off, not even by checking, then betting small but not min. Totally misplayed AQ after the bubble burst. In bb with AQ, min raise from button, sb smooth called. Flop Q74. Check, check, check. Turn J (still rainbow), Check, check, bet 3k into 9k pot. SB calls, I raise 12k, bettor moves ai for 9k more. SB folds, I call, Button shows 77 !
:( Bigtime dejection on my part. I still have over 35k in T$. We are around 40 players left at this point. I stay in bottom 1/3 of stacks for next 1.5 hours. Down to 22 players. I have to make a move soon but can't find a hand to do it with (combination of bad position and constant aggression at my table). I make good laydowns most would have pushed with, A10, AJo,33. Just a deepstack gives me plenty of room to be patient. I then go on a little run of cards, 1010, 1010, AJ, AK, AK. The first 1010 I doubled up against 99. There was a raise and 3 callers in front of me but I figured now or never. Raise was to 6500, I moved ai with 21k. Only got one caller, the 99. I actually figured I would get at least two callers because one was the chip leader with 300k+. But thank heavens I didn't as an A hit the flop. Two blanks and I more than doubled up. Then next hand I get 1010 again and move ai to pick up a decent pile with one limper in there. Then go for about 25 minutes before I got the AJ. CL raises as he had been doing all tournament even when he wasn't the leader, so I go ai. He folds, says it was KQo. Two hands later I get AK and move ai again. All fold and I am up to 78k. Get AK again in two more hands. This time the CL raises but I am worried that he is slow playing a pp waiting on me to move. So I smooth call, which is noted by the bb in the chat as he folds. I figured if I didn't hit the flop and he bet I could get out cheap and still have 60k+ in chips. Flop K84 rainbow. GIN. He checks I shove... he insta calls. Thought he hit a set. Nope,..........K8o! Turn is a J, river a blank. GG me. Goodnight at 2:30 AM on a work night I totally misplayed the hands. I gave the guy too much credit preflop for being a better player then over played my hand on the flop. One day I will learn. I think it was a combination of tiredness and just my play being affect by my micro donkey tournaments I normally play. I played well up till then. Well.... not great or even very good. Lots of holes I saw in my game last night. Ended up 19th. Sucked bigtime. Should have made ft.
LOL I have been so busy I haven't taken the time to even enter any tournies I have been playing into my database at home. I have like 2 weeks worth of tournies recorded on paper. I used to enter them as I played them. But I have found it is better for me while I am playing not to try to enter them into the database I have. I also haven't updated what little bit of live play I have been doing into the spreadsheet I have.
I think this means one thing........ that poker is starting to wane for me. I half feel like that, but then when I review things..... I think... I am still playing tons of tournies (mainly SNGs) per day. (Tons for me is like 20-30). I still play live occasionally... though I have cut way back on the donkeyfest tournies I was playing in. Lately have only played some 1-3NL. I think the big problem for me is just on a down swing. Last year at this time I had already had a significant cash or two. And was feeling good about things. But now I haven't done anything, no good cashes. Course I also haven't play half as many tournies in the first three months of 08 as I played in the same time frame in 07.
I need to get motivated.
I did play in a deepstack on PS. $20+2, 5000 starting chips, 30 minute levels. Definitely caters to my playing style. But I went on tilt early and actually built up a huge stack after I made bottom pair with 75s (the Locksmith)! Went all in for 900+ on the turn into a 11,000 pot and both players who had over 10k that were still in the hand folded. That's right, you read it correctly, they folded getting over 10-1 on their 900 call!!!! Total shock on my part. I was tilting and didn't care. From there I went on a small sick run of cards and moved into 2nd place. I think we started with 460+ players. Top 54 got paid. We were down to about 360 at this point. I stayed in the top 10 for most of the next 3 hours. (remind me never to get into a deepstack tournament on a work night!!! - tournament started at 7PM EST) I played decently for next two hours. Flopped sets twice and couldn't get paid off, not even by checking, then betting small but not min. Totally misplayed AQ after the bubble burst. In bb with AQ, min raise from button, sb smooth called. Flop Q74. Check, check, check. Turn J (still rainbow), Check, check, bet 3k into 9k pot. SB calls, I raise 12k, bettor moves ai for 9k more. SB folds, I call, Button shows 77 !
:( Bigtime dejection on my part. I still have over 35k in T$. We are around 40 players left at this point. I stay in bottom 1/3 of stacks for next 1.5 hours. Down to 22 players. I have to make a move soon but can't find a hand to do it with (combination of bad position and constant aggression at my table). I make good laydowns most would have pushed with, A10, AJo,33. Just a deepstack gives me plenty of room to be patient. I then go on a little run of cards, 1010, 1010, AJ, AK, AK. The first 1010 I doubled up against 99. There was a raise and 3 callers in front of me but I figured now or never. Raise was to 6500, I moved ai with 21k. Only got one caller, the 99. I actually figured I would get at least two callers because one was the chip leader with 300k+. But thank heavens I didn't as an A hit the flop. Two blanks and I more than doubled up. Then next hand I get 1010 again and move ai to pick up a decent pile with one limper in there. Then go for about 25 minutes before I got the AJ. CL raises as he had been doing all tournament even when he wasn't the leader, so I go ai. He folds, says it was KQo. Two hands later I get AK and move ai again. All fold and I am up to 78k. Get AK again in two more hands. This time the CL raises but I am worried that he is slow playing a pp waiting on me to move. So I smooth call, which is noted by the bb in the chat as he folds. I figured if I didn't hit the flop and he bet I could get out cheap and still have 60k+ in chips. Flop K84 rainbow. GIN. He checks I shove... he insta calls. Thought he hit a set. Nope,..........K8o! Turn is a J, river a blank. GG me. Goodnight at 2:30 AM on a work night I totally misplayed the hands. I gave the guy too much credit preflop for being a better player then over played my hand on the flop. One day I will learn. I think it was a combination of tiredness and just my play being affect by my micro donkey tournaments I normally play. I played well up till then. Well.... not great or even very good. Lots of holes I saw in my game last night. Ended up 19th. Sucked bigtime. Should have made ft.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Forgot.....
Forgot to mention I played in my first blogger tournament. The Tuckfard Open. As I fit well with tuckfards.
It only had 26 players but I managed to get lucky and win two bounties. Got knocked out 6th but I played poorly. Hopefully will play in more blogger tournaments but I don't have any money on FT or Bodog right now.... just have to keep trying to win money in freerolls I guess.
Have done decent in the last 3 real $ MTTs on PS. 47th, 54th and 400 something. All 3 had over 3000 players. Course they were all $1 or .50 to enter. LOL One day I hope the damn breaks and I can get a top 5 cash in one of these.
It only had 26 players but I managed to get lucky and win two bounties. Got knocked out 6th but I played poorly. Hopefully will play in more blogger tournaments but I don't have any money on FT or Bodog right now.... just have to keep trying to win money in freerolls I guess.
Have done decent in the last 3 real $ MTTs on PS. 47th, 54th and 400 something. All 3 had over 3000 players. Course they were all $1 or .50 to enter. LOL One day I hope the damn breaks and I can get a top 5 cash in one of these.
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