Continuing the short-run of song titled posts...ah, who am I kidding, that could end as soon as I reach the end of my short leashed creativity tether.
But have I mentioned how much I love Bodog's $Ts satellites? Because I do. I do, I tells ya. Yes, yes, they can get quite frustrating at times, when you run 3-4 of them, which typically pay only one or two spots, and you finish 3rd or 4th in all of them. But when you win a couple...wow, certainly makes up for it.
Had a nice run the other day, winning three in a row. Two were $16 buyins, the other a $7r, but the end result of the three was a net gain of around $430T. Sweet. Maybe, just maybe, one of these days I'll take the plunge into the $100k (with juicy overlay) that these satellites feed in to. I think I'd first like to reach a point where the buyin is no more than 10% of my Bodog roll. And no, we're not there yet. Perhaps 2/3 of the way there, but not there just yet.
In the meantime, I'll keep taking a few shots at their $30-50 buyins, but my last two attempts at the $30 3k guarantee have gone down in flames to early donktardo play by villians that have gotten horribly rewarded on the river, such as calling into my PF, flop, and turn all-in bets (with me holding JJ) on boards with nothing but rainbow number cards with KQo, only to hit the Q on the river. Pretty gross, but when you're buying in with $Ts, the loss is easier to chalk up to the value of getting great notes on a fish. Well, sometimes.
On a similar note, I followed my own head, as well as the advice of a couple quality bloggers (as well as Tycou, whose blog I can't find), and cashed out my Sunday Million ticket for the $Ts. Now that I've exhausted the $T216 from that win, I can report that the overall results were...well, let's just say Waffles-like. That is to say, pretty much break even. I'll take it, I suppose...over a series of SNGs, and a decent cash in a $3r 180-man, the tournament bucks became right around the same amount in cold. hard. cash.
So overall, poker's actually been pretty good to me these days. Except on Full Tilt, of course, where I don't think I've cashed since...oh...2002, it feels like.
Taking a hospital night off, and rehearsal's bumped to Thursday. Aaaaand, one of my two blog sponsors re-upped for another 90 days (thus dropping a few $$$ into my FTP account), so I should actually be able to play the Skillz game tonight. Of course, it's on Full Trashmondo Poker, so my money is dead before I even register for it. Tonight it's PL Omatard Hi, which makes the previous sentence triply true. So join in for shenanigans, won't ya?
Showing posts with label Blogger Skillz Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogger Skillz Series. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Good Thing I'm Almost Broke, and an Update
Haha...my streak of non-cashes in tourneys is now up to 32 in a row (or at least something very close)**. The latest was a $12+1 180-man turbo on JokerStars, where on a T74 flop, and me holding QQ, I bet out 70% of the pot, and the button overshoves. Of course, I call. Oh yeah, almost forget, I had 3-bet preflop, and he called. He showed JT offsuit. LOL, really? He called a 3-bet and a call preflop with JTo. Naturally, the J fell on the turn, and I was out.
Oh yeah, and having TPTK go down to a naked flush draw that hit on the river. (Naturally, the donk overshoved on the turn with no pair, but 4 to a flush.)
The Skillz game truly sucked for me. I went out the last hand before break. At least 6-7 times, I had three wheel cards by 3rd street, and 4 low cards by 4th street, only to catch high cards on 5th, 6th, and 7th streets. If it seemed like I saw too many 4th and 5th streets (and I did, nearly 50%), it's only because I really did have some strong low draws. My two biggest lost pots, though, were having two pair go down to baby trips, and losing to a boat.
So my roll's down to about 1/3 of it's previous high, and I'm going broke. So my online poker career may be over in a few weeks, because I'm simply not interested in re-depositing in an environment where retarded poker play wins as often as it does.
After all, the live limits are going up soon in Colorado, and clearly, if I can go 9 days without playing a single hand, poker's taken a back seat anyway.
UPDATE: Why the asterisks? Well, after still taking a ton of abuse all over the place in any $12, $20, etc., buyins, I actually managed to take down an 18 player No Limit O8 SNG, and cash in one of those new fangled $7.70/180s. Of course, the tourney I win is a $1.50 buy-in, with a 1st prize of...drumroll...$10.80. But hell, I can't recall the last time I ever actually won anything, so it feels good.
Oh yeah, and having TPTK go down to a naked flush draw that hit on the river. (Naturally, the donk overshoved on the turn with no pair, but 4 to a flush.)
The Skillz game truly sucked for me. I went out the last hand before break. At least 6-7 times, I had three wheel cards by 3rd street, and 4 low cards by 4th street, only to catch high cards on 5th, 6th, and 7th streets. If it seemed like I saw too many 4th and 5th streets (and I did, nearly 50%), it's only because I really did have some strong low draws. My two biggest lost pots, though, were having two pair go down to baby trips, and losing to a boat.
So my roll's down to about 1/3 of it's previous high, and I'm going broke. So my online poker career may be over in a few weeks, because I'm simply not interested in re-depositing in an environment where retarded poker play wins as often as it does.
After all, the live limits are going up soon in Colorado, and clearly, if I can go 9 days without playing a single hand, poker's taken a back seat anyway.
UPDATE: Why the asterisks? Well, after still taking a ton of abuse all over the place in any $12, $20, etc., buyins, I actually managed to take down an 18 player No Limit O8 SNG, and cash in one of those new fangled $7.70/180s. Of course, the tourney I win is a $1.50 buy-in, with a 1st prize of...drumroll...$10.80. But hell, I can't recall the last time I ever actually won anything, so it feels good.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Trying to Find My Skillz
Oh, there they are.
Tonight's my favorite flavor of blonkament, the Pot Limit Omahi Hi/Lo -- bring your own straitjacket, because the play in this thing is going to be insane (present company included, no doubt).
I have to wonder how the word "skill" can be fairly applied to a bunch of min-talent bloggers when it comes to the ultimate high-variance game. But it hurts, and we like it that way. Or something.
According to our host, cemfrommd, Full Tilt has slightly goofed on the buy in tonight, so it's only $10+1, instead of the normal $12+1. So it's cheaper, wee.
I plan on staying much more within my bankroll tonight, after last week's mostly unintentional bankroll-blowup. I haven't decided whether or not to play the Daily Doubles tonight -- that depends on whether I get home in time to take one crack at winning a token to the $28k donkament. Trying to make it up to Step 3 on Stars most likely, as well. So my online poker menu's pretty much up in the air, as long as I can hold myself to no more than 4-5 tables, it could even be a good night.
Hope to see some of you cats out at the tables tonight.
Oh yeah, almost forgot -- I got my Bodog check in the FedEx over the weekend. So payout took about seven weeks. Not the most convenient thing in the world, but I can deal. We're not talking rent money here. But the system works, and for that I am grateful.
Tonight's my favorite flavor of blonkament, the Pot Limit Omahi Hi/Lo -- bring your own straitjacket, because the play in this thing is going to be insane (present company included, no doubt).
I have to wonder how the word "skill" can be fairly applied to a bunch of min-talent bloggers when it comes to the ultimate high-variance game. But it hurts, and we like it that way. Or something.
According to our host, cemfrommd, Full Tilt has slightly goofed on the buy in tonight, so it's only $10+1, instead of the normal $12+1. So it's cheaper, wee.
I plan on staying much more within my bankroll tonight, after last week's mostly unintentional bankroll-blowup. I haven't decided whether or not to play the Daily Doubles tonight -- that depends on whether I get home in time to take one crack at winning a token to the $28k donkament. Trying to make it up to Step 3 on Stars most likely, as well. So my online poker menu's pretty much up in the air, as long as I can hold myself to no more than 4-5 tables, it could even be a good night.
Hope to see some of you cats out at the tables tonight.
Oh yeah, almost forgot -- I got my Bodog check in the FedEx over the weekend. So payout took about seven weeks. Not the most convenient thing in the world, but I can deal. We're not talking rent money here. But the system works, and for that I am grateful.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Quick Tuesday Pimpage
Like Al Bundy, just a quickie...
Tuesday night is not just Debate Night in America -- it's time for poker bloggers everywhere to put their Skillz on display. Once again, cemfrommd is hosting the Skillz game over at Full Tilt Poker, and the flavor of the day is doublestack Limit Hold'em with KO bounties. I'm thinking I might swing by for this one.
Otherwise you can find me playing online poker in a few of my usual events tonight, or at least trying to follow up last Tuesday's win in the JokerStars $3.30 Triple Shootout, and maybe a couple of MTTs over at Bodog.
With the debate, the temptation to either not play at all, or limit myself to two tabling, is fairly strong. Live blogging tonight will be sil
As for the debate itself, I'm not expecting much in terms of either fireworks or of anything that will fundamentally change the polling trends. As strong as McCain is said to be in town hall styles, he's got nothing left but mud-slinging, and this particular debate is not the forum where that is likely to be successful. If he's going to pull out victory next month, it's not going to be because of anything that happens tonight. Still, it will be worth watching just to see what types of questions made the cut for Brokaw.
Popcorn's on hand, just to be ready if needed, but I need beer.
Tomorrow night? Total Sonic Annihilation, more to come.
Tuesday night is not just Debate Night in America -- it's time for poker bloggers everywhere to put their Skillz on display. Once again, cemfrommd is hosting the Skillz game over at Full Tilt Poker, and the flavor of the day is doublestack Limit Hold'em with KO bounties. I'm thinking I might swing by for this one.
Otherwise you can find me playing online poker in a few of my usual events tonight, or at least trying to follow up last Tuesday's win in the JokerStars $3.30 Triple Shootout, and maybe a couple of MTTs over at Bodog.
With the debate, the temptation to either not play at all, or limit myself to two tabling, is fairly strong. Live blogging tonight will be sil
As for the debate itself, I'm not expecting much in terms of either fireworks or of anything that will fundamentally change the polling trends. As strong as McCain is said to be in town hall styles, he's got nothing left but mud-slinging, and this particular debate is not the forum where that is likely to be successful. If he's going to pull out victory next month, it's not going to be because of anything that happens tonight. Still, it will be worth watching just to see what types of questions made the cut for Brokaw.
Popcorn's on hand, just to be ready if needed, but I need beer.
Tomorrow night? Total Sonic Annihilation, more to come.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
You Only Turn Five Once
Happy Birthday, Tao of Poker!
Any may you continue to inspire us all, Pauly.
For those three of four donkeys out in the poker blogosphere who may either not be awake, or are computing on Commodore PETs, this is a reminder that tonight is not only the 5th anniversary of Tao of Poker, but also the special 5th birthday tourney over at JokerStars, with an extra special sealed-with-a-kiss overlay of a $5,000 seat at the Borgata Poker Open.
Here's the details, from the horse's mouth (um, er, blog):
$5,000 seat plus two nights in my favorite casino in Atlantic City. All you have to do is win the Tao of Poker birthday tournament. Entry is just $5. Tournament ID is #97513073. Tournament name is Tao Poker 5th B-Day.
Seriously. For $5 you get a chance at winning a $5,000 seat at the Borgata Poker Open plus two nights in the hotel. That tournament is on Friday, September 12th starting at 11am.
Here are the specific details...
1. Tao of Poker birthday tournament is open to all readers.
2. No chops whatsoever for the Borgata Package ($5,000 seat + two nights).
3. The 5K seat is a must play.... meaning you cannot take the cash. You have to play the event on September 12th. The seat is also non-transferable. You win it, you must play it.
4. Package does not include transportation. You have to find your own way to Atlantic City. So if you live in Sweden and win the seat, you are responsible for airfare.
5. Most importantly... have fun.
I should clarify something... there will be normal prize money. The Borgata Package is in addition to the regular prize pool. So the first place winner has a shot at a decent payday in addition to a $5,000 seat and two nights at the Borgata.
The Tao of Poker birthday tournament will feature some of your favorite bloggers and Tao of Poker characters from past, present, and future.
Tonight at 9pm ET. PokerStars. Tao of Poker 5th Birthday Celebration. One faithful Tao of Poker reader will walk away with a $5,000 seat to a Borgata Poker Open tournament plus two nights in the swanky Borgata Hotel & Spa which has the most comfortable beds in the world.
Click here for more information on the Borgata Poker Open starting September 3rd. And yes, I'll be covering the entire tournament series (including the 5K event) for the Borgata poker blog with Friedman and Tropical Steve.
Everybody's who's anybody is going to be there. Except for maybe this guy, the only blogger more busto than I on JokerStars. (John, I'd help ya, but I got like $12.34 on there myself, because I run like ass forever on that site and should be about 6,000:1 to win tonight, even if there's only 350 entrants.)
I'll be there; so should you. Tonight's also cemfrommd's Blogger Skillz Series -- tonight, it's Double Stack HORSE, you better believe I'll be there (passwork = skillz). Also on tap is NYRambler's weekly series, featuring Limit Hold'em (passwork = epicfail). I haven't played that event for a couple of weeks, but will try to play tonight.
More posts during lunch today...I'm falling behind on non-poker content and promised a post on a particular hellishly good vodka from Nantucket...it's coming, even if not yet written. And then, there's all the great stuff from the DPUMS...
Any may you continue to inspire us all, Pauly.
For those three of four donkeys out in the poker blogosphere who may either not be awake, or are computing on Commodore PETs, this is a reminder that tonight is not only the 5th anniversary of Tao of Poker, but also the special 5th birthday tourney over at JokerStars, with an extra special sealed-with-a-kiss overlay of a $5,000 seat at the Borgata Poker Open.
Here's the details, from the horse's mouth (um, er, blog):
$5,000 seat plus two nights in my favorite casino in Atlantic City. All you have to do is win the Tao of Poker birthday tournament. Entry is just $5. Tournament ID is #97513073. Tournament name is Tao Poker 5th B-Day.
Seriously. For $5 you get a chance at winning a $5,000 seat at the Borgata Poker Open plus two nights in the hotel. That tournament is on Friday, September 12th starting at 11am.
Here are the specific details...
1. Tao of Poker birthday tournament is open to all readers.
2. No chops whatsoever for the Borgata Package ($5,000 seat + two nights).
3. The 5K seat is a must play.... meaning you cannot take the cash. You have to play the event on September 12th. The seat is also non-transferable. You win it, you must play it.
4. Package does not include transportation. You have to find your own way to Atlantic City. So if you live in Sweden and win the seat, you are responsible for airfare.
5. Most importantly... have fun.
I should clarify something... there will be normal prize money. The Borgata Package is in addition to the regular prize pool. So the first place winner has a shot at a decent payday in addition to a $5,000 seat and two nights at the Borgata.
The Tao of Poker birthday tournament will feature some of your favorite bloggers and Tao of Poker characters from past, present, and future.
Tonight at 9pm ET. PokerStars. Tao of Poker 5th Birthday Celebration. One faithful Tao of Poker reader will walk away with a $5,000 seat to a Borgata Poker Open tournament plus two nights in the swanky Borgata Hotel & Spa which has the most comfortable beds in the world.
Click here for more information on the Borgata Poker Open starting September 3rd. And yes, I'll be covering the entire tournament series (including the 5K event) for the Borgata poker blog with Friedman and Tropical Steve.
Everybody's who's anybody is going to be there. Except for maybe this guy, the only blogger more busto than I on JokerStars. (John, I'd help ya, but I got like $12.34 on there myself, because I run like ass forever on that site and should be about 6,000:1 to win tonight, even if there's only 350 entrants.)
I'll be there; so should you. Tonight's also cemfrommd's Blogger Skillz Series -- tonight, it's Double Stack HORSE, you better believe I'll be there (passwork = skillz). Also on tap is NYRambler's weekly series, featuring Limit Hold'em (passwork = epicfail). I haven't played that event for a couple of weeks, but will try to play tonight.
More posts during lunch today...I'm falling behind on non-poker content and promised a post on a particular hellishly good vodka from Nantucket...it's coming, even if not yet written. And then, there's all the great stuff from the DPUMS...
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
All Hail Return of the Skillz
Yup, you read that right. Thanks to Chip for taking over hosting duties, and thanks to every poker blogger's favorite seemingly dittohead for turning us on to Chip's good deed.
Anyway, it's back, and back to how it all began tonight, with a nice lil' round of Omatard8. The only change to the newly-reborn Skillz series is that the only events that will start with doublestacks (for now, at least), will be the pot-limit events. Limit/ante events will start with FTP's old school 1500 chipstacks.
Thank you, Chip.
Also on the Omatard8 tip is another edition of NYRambler's poker series, a $5.50 PLO8 event that starts at 9pm for you foos on the east coast, and 7pm for us mountain men. Password is "EpicFail", which pretty much describes my performance in this event last week, where I was something like 2nd Gigli in the Pot Limit HA event.
I hope to actually play like I can...I love Omaha, but I've been getting junk-kicked by redraws/resucks so often in that game, to the point where I'm seriously considering temporarily bagging my participation in FTP's nightly $5.50 Limit O8 and PLO tournies for a bit. But blogger events? Always...
I see a few bloggers are putting up mid-year looks at their goals...I may have to do the same, we'll see.
Anyway, keep building them massive stacks.
Anyway, it's back, and back to how it all began tonight, with a nice lil' round of Omatard8. The only change to the newly-reborn Skillz series is that the only events that will start with doublestacks (for now, at least), will be the pot-limit events. Limit/ante events will start with FTP's old school 1500 chipstacks.
Thank you, Chip.
Also on the Omatard8 tip is another edition of NYRambler's poker series, a $5.50 PLO8 event that starts at 9pm for you foos on the east coast, and 7pm for us mountain men. Password is "EpicFail", which pretty much describes my performance in this event last week, where I was something like 2nd Gigli in the Pot Limit HA event.
I hope to actually play like I can...I love Omaha, but I've been getting junk-kicked by redraws/resucks so often in that game, to the point where I'm seriously considering temporarily bagging my participation in FTP's nightly $5.50 Limit O8 and PLO tournies for a bit. But blogger events? Always...
I see a few bloggers are putting up mid-year looks at their goals...I may have to do the same, we'll see.
Anyway, keep building them massive stacks.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Pimp Your Skillz
Well, it appears the Bodonkey is taking a bit of time off, so there's less bloggeriffic fun to be pimpin' for Tuesday night shenanigans.
However, the Blogger Skillz Series (formerly hosted by the King of Donks) is still running, if currently host-free. Tonight's edition is return of the HOE. That's right, Limit Hold'em/Omatard 8. Should be fun!
But lest we forget about the find folks over at Bodog, they're still running the Mini Series of Poker, a series of tournaments mirroring the WSOP Hold'em events, but for 1% of the buy-in. You'll find me donking it up there tonight in a $16.50 NLHE event, as of 9pm EDT. Maybe I can stay in longer than the Rockies can stay in a game, for once.
Anyway, it's probably my last night of pokerz before I go to Milwaukee to see my new niece, so let's get some game on, kids.
However, the Blogger Skillz Series (formerly hosted by the King of Donks) is still running, if currently host-free. Tonight's edition is return of the HOE. That's right, Limit Hold'em/Omatard 8. Should be fun!
But lest we forget about the find folks over at Bodog, they're still running the Mini Series of Poker, a series of tournaments mirroring the WSOP Hold'em events, but for 1% of the buy-in. You'll find me donking it up there tonight in a $16.50 NLHE event, as of 9pm EDT. Maybe I can stay in longer than the Rockies can stay in a game, for once.
Anyway, it's probably my last night of pokerz before I go to Milwaukee to see my new niece, so let's get some game on, kids.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tuesday Night Bloggerment Pimpage
Yup, we're coming down to the very nub of it, the horses have rounded the corner, and there's scant few weeks to earn your WSOP Main Event seat via the bloggerment path.
Bodog is proud to host the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series where poker bloggers worldwide are gathering each Tuesday in the Bodog Poker Room to earn points for a spot in the final tournament. The winner of the TOC will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a $12,000 WSOP* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008. Details at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com
This tournament is open to poker bloggers from around the globe. If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://poker.bodoglife.com
To register, players are required to go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they must then click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
For assistance with registration, call Bodog's Poker Customer Service at 1-866-909-2237 or email http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com/contact
Please include your blogger screen name, Bodog Member Account ID number and your poker blog URL address.
So what are YOU waiting for? Sign up today and may the best poker blogger win!
I'm down to 31st, after a couple of non-points weeks, and a full 127 points out of 18th, which means I really do need a win, or at least two top three finishes. Here's hoping I can duplicate my effort from Saturday.
Also, don't forget Buddy Dank is again running Live Poker Radio broadcasts for live tournament recaps and updates while you play at http://www.livepokerradio.com
And now, you can even bet on which poker blogger will win the most money at the WSOP Main Event at http://www.bodoglife.com/sports-betting/poker.jsp
I'm not much of a sports-betting man, but at 60:1, I may just have to dump a bit of railage on $mokkee. Too bad they're not running this guy at 200:1, or I'd definitely bite.
Also, tonight's another edition of the Blogger Skillz Series, and the flavor of the day is No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, so I can pretty much guarantee an appearance by this drunk northerner. Lots of fun, knockout bounties and big stacks. See ya there!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Semi-Live Blogging, Part Deux
Bodonkey starting table: Lightning36, KJTech, CEMfromMD, Mofo_69, oossuu74, ChayseTilton, and I got the button. My undisclosed PP holds up, and off we go....
7:09pm - Wow, ScottMc's already out. That might just set a record, given how slow the early eliminations usually are in this thing. Down to 39. Lightish turnout tonight.
8:06pm - At first break, we're down to 30 in Bodonkey. No one has dropped from Skillz yet. Having zero momentum in my other tournies, and hanging around starting stack in Bodonkey.
8:33pm - Crippled in the Bodonkey. ChayseTilton's been stealing from me all night, so when he shoved my 3.5 BB raise from a smallish stack, I felt my AQs was good. His 66 held, and I'm down to under 1,000 chips, and an M of about 4.5, and still 27 players left.
8:37pm - Doubled up when Lightning36 put me on a button steal. My AQo held against his J4 (he had a massive stack and was in BB).
8:45 - Out in 24th. So fucking gross. KK on the button. Smokkee raised under the gun to 600 (blinds 100/200), Lightning36 raises to 1620 (I have 1725). Obviously, I shove, but have no fold equity, so Lightning36 calls with TT. InstantTragedy says he folded a ten. Case ten on the flop. Soooo fucking gross, but whatcha gonna do. Five weeks left, and I'm pretty much out of it, I think. But Lightning36 is a very good player, and my pick to take it down tonight.
11:02pm - Well, I'm long out of everything else, but I'm actually sitting at the Skillz Razz final table, with Fuel, VinNay, Loretta8, cemfredmd, JDSchellnut, and NY Rambler. 3rd of 7 right now, and having a blast. Even got Waffles' bounty when I committed myself while behind, and he bricked runner runner boat. I felt a bit bad, but I relish it a bit more when I snag a bounty of someone who's play I respect, and Waffles can razz it up, for sure.
11:18pm - Out 4th in Skillz Razz. Fuck me. Crippled when JD caught 8762A to beat my 8763A, and then I staggered to nothingness. Fuck me, and fuck my chances at any kind of main event seat this year. Actually made a few $$$ tonight though (final tabled a $10+1 90 turbo SNG), and even collected Fuel's bounty. In some ways, a plus night, but fuck it, I wanted a TOC seat.
7:09pm - Wow, ScottMc's already out. That might just set a record, given how slow the early eliminations usually are in this thing. Down to 39. Lightish turnout tonight.
8:06pm - At first break, we're down to 30 in Bodonkey. No one has dropped from Skillz yet. Having zero momentum in my other tournies, and hanging around starting stack in Bodonkey.
8:33pm - Crippled in the Bodonkey. ChayseTilton's been stealing from me all night, so when he shoved my 3.5 BB raise from a smallish stack, I felt my AQs was good. His 66 held, and I'm down to under 1,000 chips, and an M of about 4.5, and still 27 players left.
8:37pm - Doubled up when Lightning36 put me on a button steal. My AQo held against his J4 (he had a massive stack and was in BB).
8:45 - Out in 24th. So fucking gross. KK on the button. Smokkee raised under the gun to 600 (blinds 100/200), Lightning36 raises to 1620 (I have 1725). Obviously, I shove, but have no fold equity, so Lightning36 calls with TT. InstantTragedy says he folded a ten. Case ten on the flop. Soooo fucking gross, but whatcha gonna do. Five weeks left, and I'm pretty much out of it, I think. But Lightning36 is a very good player, and my pick to take it down tonight.
11:02pm - Well, I'm long out of everything else, but I'm actually sitting at the Skillz Razz final table, with Fuel, VinNay, Loretta8, cemfredmd, JDSchellnut, and NY Rambler. 3rd of 7 right now, and having a blast. Even got Waffles' bounty when I committed myself while behind, and he bricked runner runner boat. I felt a bit bad, but I relish it a bit more when I snag a bounty of someone who's play I respect, and Waffles can razz it up, for sure.
11:18pm - Out 4th in Skillz Razz. Fuck me. Crippled when JD caught 8762A to beat my 8763A, and then I staggered to nothingness. Fuck me, and fuck my chances at any kind of main event seat this year. Actually made a few $$$ tonight though (final tabled a $10+1 90 turbo SNG), and even collected Fuel's bounty. In some ways, a plus night, but fuck it, I wanted a TOC seat.
Tuesday Night's Alright For Pokerin'
Had fun live blogging last night's tourneys, and given that Tooooosday is my biggest online day of the week, may do so again tonight. We'll see. Hard to live blog if I'm more than 3-tabling...
Yup, that time of week again, and it's a good one. Bodog Blogger Tournament Series, and the King of Donks' Skillz Game, over at Full Tilt. Good times, good times.
Tonight's Skillz game is Razz, boy howdy. The only form of stud I actually like, and one in which I think I can beat a few button mashers out of their bounties. Starts at 7:30 pm Rockies time -- check the banner below.
Every bit as fun, and even more important is the Bodog Blogger Tournament Series. We're down to five weeks remaining, and time is getting short for those of us out of the top 18. I'm just hoping I can run as reasonably well as I did last night even if I did come up short of a top 3, and my double cash wasn't the best in the Daily Doubles.
Join up and challenge other Poker Bloggers each Tuesday in our Bodog Poker Room and live to tell about it. Earn points and work your way up the Tournament Leader Board for a spot in the final tournament for your chance to win a $12,000 World Series of Poker* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
The winner of the final tournament will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a $12,000 WSOP* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
How to Participate
This tournament is open to poker bloggers worldwide. Players must have a Bodog Member Player Account to register.
If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://poker.bodoglife.com/
Players are then required to go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they must then click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Players are encouraged to register early. If you need assistance with signing up for the tournament or with starting a Bodog member player account, please call Bodog's Poker Customer Service at 1-866-909-2237 or contact us prior to start time at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com/contact
Tournament prizes, leader board and tournament schedule available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/
Yup, that time of week again, and it's a good one. Bodog Blogger Tournament Series, and the King of Donks' Skillz Game, over at Full Tilt. Good times, good times.
Tonight's Skillz game is Razz, boy howdy. The only form of stud I actually like, and one in which I think I can beat a few button mashers out of their bounties. Starts at 7:30 pm Rockies time -- check the banner below.
Every bit as fun, and even more important is the Bodog Blogger Tournament Series. We're down to five weeks remaining, and time is getting short for those of us out of the top 18. I'm just hoping I can run as reasonably well as I did last night even if I did come up short of a top 3, and my double cash wasn't the best in the Daily Doubles.
Join up and challenge other Poker Bloggers each Tuesday in our Bodog Poker Room and live to tell about it. Earn points and work your way up the Tournament Leader Board for a spot in the final tournament for your chance to win a $12,000 World Series of Poker* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
The winner of the final tournament will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a $12,000 WSOP* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
How to Participate
This tournament is open to poker bloggers worldwide. Players must have a Bodog Member Player Account to register.
If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://poker.bodoglife.com/
Players are then required to go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they must then click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Players are encouraged to register early. If you need assistance with signing up for the tournament or with starting a Bodog member player account, please call Bodog's Poker Customer Service at 1-866-909-2237 or contact us prior to start time at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com/contact
Tournament prizes, leader board and tournament schedule available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday Bloggerment Donkmania
I can't imagine playing more terribly than I did at last night's Bodonkey, where I went out 36th, I guess. Fun and challenging first table, with bayne, smokee (and LoveElf), Peaker, and even RecessRampage (who was AFK, I suppose).
Picked up AA in the big blind on the 2nd hand, but it folded around to Peaker who folded to my raise to 40. Overshoving for value wasn't going to get a call there. But it was all downhill from there, and frankly, I just didn't play well.
The curtains aren't necessarily closed for me for the final, but I'm 27th with five weeks to go, and the band's tuning up their instruments. Indicative of my season is that I am the lowest ranked player with four points finishes, by a fair margin. Whether it's getting 3-outed on a final table bubble, or going utterly card dead when antes arrive, or shoving AK into AA, I just can't get the one top-3 finish that would likely put me over the hump.
Played worse in the Skillz game, but somehow won enough pots to make it about halfway through. As soon as Waffles sat down, I went out about two hands later, when I tried to bluff out a couple of draws. A shame, because I like watching him work, and I guess he did pretty well in it last night? I'm not really sure why I played, because I really do dislike Stud poker (outside of Razz).
Waffles thought I'd like it better if I was good at it, and while I first thought otherwise, I'd probably have to agree. But I don't think I'm a total fish in the game, as I do fold a lot pre-4th street, play strong draws, and don't overvalue a high pair. But when I'm playing it, I'm just not really enjoying it. Even in HORSE games, I work harder in the first three rounds so that I don't have to mix it up much in Stud and Stud8.
I did manage to have a deep run in Bodog $8k last night, going out 16th, when I shoved AJo from the button into a mid-position min-raiser who showed down AA. When we got to the final two tables, I had about a 7th place stack, but had to fold to a couple of resteals, and by the time of my shove, I was probably more like a 12th or 13th place stack, and had an M of about 5.5. I could have waited, but I didn't read strength into that one minraise. At any rate, that's two cashes in a row in the $8k. Neither of them really deep (final 2 and 3 tables, respectively), but enough to put a bit of confidence back in my game. Oddly enough, I'm not making it that deep in the $3k or $2k rebuy. I've now had four cashes in it (though none higher than 16th), and maybe it represents a sort of sweet spot for me. Or, maybe I'm just seeing most of the right end of variance there, I dunno.
So the forecast is fair to middling, with a bit of bankroll but no championships. That's cool.
Picked up AA in the big blind on the 2nd hand, but it folded around to Peaker who folded to my raise to 40. Overshoving for value wasn't going to get a call there. But it was all downhill from there, and frankly, I just didn't play well.
The curtains aren't necessarily closed for me for the final, but I'm 27th with five weeks to go, and the band's tuning up their instruments. Indicative of my season is that I am the lowest ranked player with four points finishes, by a fair margin. Whether it's getting 3-outed on a final table bubble, or going utterly card dead when antes arrive, or shoving AK into AA, I just can't get the one top-3 finish that would likely put me over the hump.
Played worse in the Skillz game, but somehow won enough pots to make it about halfway through. As soon as Waffles sat down, I went out about two hands later, when I tried to bluff out a couple of draws. A shame, because I like watching him work, and I guess he did pretty well in it last night? I'm not really sure why I played, because I really do dislike Stud poker (outside of Razz).
Waffles thought I'd like it better if I was good at it, and while I first thought otherwise, I'd probably have to agree. But I don't think I'm a total fish in the game, as I do fold a lot pre-4th street, play strong draws, and don't overvalue a high pair. But when I'm playing it, I'm just not really enjoying it. Even in HORSE games, I work harder in the first three rounds so that I don't have to mix it up much in Stud and Stud8.
I did manage to have a deep run in Bodog $8k last night, going out 16th, when I shoved AJo from the button into a mid-position min-raiser who showed down AA. When we got to the final two tables, I had about a 7th place stack, but had to fold to a couple of resteals, and by the time of my shove, I was probably more like a 12th or 13th place stack, and had an M of about 5.5. I could have waited, but I didn't read strength into that one minraise. At any rate, that's two cashes in a row in the $8k. Neither of them really deep (final 2 and 3 tables, respectively), but enough to put a bit of confidence back in my game. Oddly enough, I'm not making it that deep in the $3k or $2k rebuy. I've now had four cashes in it (though none higher than 16th), and maybe it represents a sort of sweet spot for me. Or, maybe I'm just seeing most of the right end of variance there, I dunno.
So the forecast is fair to middling, with a bit of bankroll but no championships. That's cool.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Bust A Bodog Pro Tonight
That's right, you heard me -- bust a Bodog pro tonight, at the Bodog Blogger Tournament.
Tonight, a mystery Bodog Poker Pro will join the rest of the blogger community in the Bodog Blogger Tournament Series where a $100 bounty will be placed on the pro's head and the poker blogger who takes his or her last chips in this tournament will receive a $100 credit to their Bodog Member Player Account. If the Bodog Pro wins this tournament, he or she will receive the $100 credit. Details at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com
I have no idea who it's going to be, but my hunch is we may see the 2004 WSOP Main Event runner-up in the field. At any rate, it's going to be fun. And because everyone knows bloggers pwn pros, tonight's Bodonkey is like carrying an extra $100 overlay. Good times, folks, good time.
Join up and challenge other Poker Bloggers each Tuesday in our Bodog Poker Room and live to tell about it. Earn points and work your way up the Tournament Leader Board for a spot in the final tournament for your chance to win a $12,000 World Series of Poker* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
The winner of the final tournament will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a $12,000 WSOP* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
How to Participate
This tournament is open to poker bloggers worldwide. Players must have a Bodog Member Player Account to register.
If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://poker.bodoglife.com/
Players are then required to go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they must then click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Players are encouraged to register early. If you need assistance with signing up for the tournament or with starting a Bodog member player account, please call Bodog's Poker Customer Service at 1-866-909-2237 or contact us prior to start time at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com/contact
Tournament prizes, leader board and tournament schedule available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/
Come join and drop me further down the leaderboard. With just seven weeks left in the series, there's plenty of time to score Top 18 points, but the finish line is creeping a wee bit closer...
Also, don't forget about Chad's ongoing Blogger Skillz Series, a rotation of non-NLHE tournaments with double-stacks and $2 KO bounties. I have no idea what tonight's game is, but you can be sure to find a good sized field as the Skillz game is BBT3-approved, and the Tournament of Champions is rolling around soon enough. I'm pretty sure you'll find me donking it up there tonight, so who wants my bounty?
Tonight, a mystery Bodog Poker Pro will join the rest of the blogger community in the Bodog Blogger Tournament Series where a $100 bounty will be placed on the pro's head and the poker blogger who takes his or her last chips in this tournament will receive a $100 credit to their Bodog Member Player Account. If the Bodog Pro wins this tournament, he or she will receive the $100 credit. Details at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com
I have no idea who it's going to be, but my hunch is we may see the 2004 WSOP Main Event runner-up in the field. At any rate, it's going to be fun. And because everyone knows bloggers pwn pros, tonight's Bodonkey is like carrying an extra $100 overlay. Good times, folks, good time.
Join up and challenge other Poker Bloggers each Tuesday in our Bodog Poker Room and live to tell about it. Earn points and work your way up the Tournament Leader Board for a spot in the final tournament for your chance to win a $12,000 World Series of Poker* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
The winner of the final tournament will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a $12,000 WSOP* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
How to Participate
This tournament is open to poker bloggers worldwide. Players must have a Bodog Member Player Account to register.
If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://poker.bodoglife.com/
Players are then required to go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they must then click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Players are encouraged to register early. If you need assistance with signing up for the tournament or with starting a Bodog member player account, please call Bodog's Poker Customer Service at 1-866-909-2237 or contact us prior to start time at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com/contact
Tournament prizes, leader board and tournament schedule available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/
Come join and drop me further down the leaderboard. With just seven weeks left in the series, there's plenty of time to score Top 18 points, but the finish line is creeping a wee bit closer...
Also, don't forget about Chad's ongoing Blogger Skillz Series, a rotation of non-NLHE tournaments with double-stacks and $2 KO bounties. I have no idea what tonight's game is, but you can be sure to find a good sized field as the Skillz game is BBT3-approved, and the Tournament of Champions is rolling around soon enough. I'm pretty sure you'll find me donking it up there tonight, so who wants my bounty?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Return of the Bloggerment Blahs? And a Near Miss?
So...when I sat down to play the Tuesday night two-fer bloggerment madness, the positive vibes were in the air. The Skillz was HORSEy, a rotation I like. Well, at least 3/5 of it, anyway. The Bodonkey tables looked reasonably well-suited, and were generally populated by some pretty decent folk, who I like to share table space with.
Unfortunately, after a nice chip up in the first couple levels of the Skillz game, I made a couple of poor plays in hour two, and went out short of the cash. There was the one Stud hand where my 5th street boat was destined to get paid by ScottMC (who's taken chips from me on more than one occasion):
Once he hit his K-hi flush, I was going to get paid, no doubt:
I just wish I'd had another 675 chips available, so that I could have collected a bounty, as none were to be had.
The Bodonkey was going much better, with me riding the Dank Position with three tables left, all the way to a 9th place final table finish, just squeezing into the points.
Going out of this tourney was no fun, however. Though I was the shorty when final table started, I felt confident that my 99 shove would survive. And when I was called by 99, things were looking up, at least for a few more hands of surviving, andy maybe getting up to 5th (where the juicy $T overlay kicked in). Unfortunately, eventual winner Blinders (Whatsthenuts) hit four hearts on the board to send me home in a most brutal fashion.
I must say, the irony is getting to me, in one respect. I've final tabled two of these things, and both times it has been on nights with exactly 44 players in the field. In other words, exactly one player short of having nine payout spots, instead of just five. Both times, I finished below 5th, which is getting a bit frustrating. Still, I'll take the points.
With a couple months left, I've managed to crawl up to 29th in the standings, but more importantly, only about a 5th place finish away from the current top 18. Only 25 players have pointed in as many as three Bodonkeys in the series, and I'm 24th of those (and 9th out of the 10 who have pointed in exactly three events). There's probably a few different ways to look at it, but I suspect part of it is just running bad once in the points.
That said, I recognize that one of the things that contributed to my final table stack being so short was that Sean managed to steal my BB or re-steal on me a good 5-6 times last night. None of these were really early, when the pots were meaningless. I must say, nice betting. I'll also say he was pretty active, generally, taking lots of stabs througout the night. I do wish I'd had at least one hand in those spots that held showdown value, because I'm pretty sure 2-3 of those steal attempts were fairly light. Still, the best hand I held in those spots was QJs out of position.
Anyway, I'm growing tired of playing the Skillz game, for the most part. I'm a non-factor in the BBT, because I'm completely unable to play the TOC, even if I earn a seat. And, while I am definitely not a NLHE specialist, and thorougly enjoy several of the variants, I just don't like the way I'm running (hot as hell the first couple levels, then nothing but bricks when limits go up). I'll probably sit out next week (Stud 8), which is one of my worst games, and then see how I feel.
Oh yeah...I also took cracks at the Daily Double. Normally, I'd shy away from these things, as entering both last night represented 5% of my FullTilt roll, and I like to practice reasonably good bankroll management. But something about last night told me it was a good night to play. Well, that "something" was half right. I got 3-outed on a river to cripple me in one Daily Double (going out soon after), but ran well enough in the other to finish 55th of about 1150 or so, and recovered my buyin to both.
Then, there was the $10+1 90 player turbo KO SNG, where I picked up AA in the big blind, but had to run a veritable gauntlet with it:
UTG called preflop, then hijack called, button called, and small blind shoved. The only play for me was to re-shove for a tiny bit more, but I suspected there would be at least two, if not three more callers, just because of pot odds. I was pleasantly surprised when only the UTG called, and I was really digging my chances. Why QJo shoved from the small blind there, I'll never understand, but always appreciate.
As you can see, the best hand preflop had to make a miraculous suckout to survive:
Anyway, I didn't final table this one, but got enough KOs to almost recover the buy-in. A bankroll negative night overall, but not terribly so. Also took a shot at the Stars $11R, and doubled up early, but my AK went down hard to AQ (at least it was on the turn instead of the river) five minutes before the rebuy period, and I chose not to chase a rebuy/addon which would still leave me with a relative microstack in hour two.
Unfortunately, after a nice chip up in the first couple levels of the Skillz game, I made a couple of poor plays in hour two, and went out short of the cash. There was the one Stud hand where my 5th street boat was destined to get paid by ScottMC (who's taken chips from me on more than one occasion):
Once he hit his K-hi flush, I was going to get paid, no doubt:
I just wish I'd had another 675 chips available, so that I could have collected a bounty, as none were to be had.
The Bodonkey was going much better, with me riding the Dank Position with three tables left, all the way to a 9th place final table finish, just squeezing into the points.
Going out of this tourney was no fun, however. Though I was the shorty when final table started, I felt confident that my 99 shove would survive. And when I was called by 99, things were looking up, at least for a few more hands of surviving, andy maybe getting up to 5th (where the juicy $T overlay kicked in). Unfortunately, eventual winner Blinders (Whatsthenuts) hit four hearts on the board to send me home in a most brutal fashion.
I must say, the irony is getting to me, in one respect. I've final tabled two of these things, and both times it has been on nights with exactly 44 players in the field. In other words, exactly one player short of having nine payout spots, instead of just five. Both times, I finished below 5th, which is getting a bit frustrating. Still, I'll take the points.
With a couple months left, I've managed to crawl up to 29th in the standings, but more importantly, only about a 5th place finish away from the current top 18. Only 25 players have pointed in as many as three Bodonkeys in the series, and I'm 24th of those (and 9th out of the 10 who have pointed in exactly three events). There's probably a few different ways to look at it, but I suspect part of it is just running bad once in the points.
That said, I recognize that one of the things that contributed to my final table stack being so short was that Sean managed to steal my BB or re-steal on me a good 5-6 times last night. None of these were really early, when the pots were meaningless. I must say, nice betting. I'll also say he was pretty active, generally, taking lots of stabs througout the night. I do wish I'd had at least one hand in those spots that held showdown value, because I'm pretty sure 2-3 of those steal attempts were fairly light. Still, the best hand I held in those spots was QJs out of position.
Anyway, I'm growing tired of playing the Skillz game, for the most part. I'm a non-factor in the BBT, because I'm completely unable to play the TOC, even if I earn a seat. And, while I am definitely not a NLHE specialist, and thorougly enjoy several of the variants, I just don't like the way I'm running (hot as hell the first couple levels, then nothing but bricks when limits go up). I'll probably sit out next week (Stud 8), which is one of my worst games, and then see how I feel.
Oh yeah...I also took cracks at the Daily Double. Normally, I'd shy away from these things, as entering both last night represented 5% of my FullTilt roll, and I like to practice reasonably good bankroll management. But something about last night told me it was a good night to play. Well, that "something" was half right. I got 3-outed on a river to cripple me in one Daily Double (going out soon after), but ran well enough in the other to finish 55th of about 1150 or so, and recovered my buyin to both.
Then, there was the $10+1 90 player turbo KO SNG, where I picked up AA in the big blind, but had to run a veritable gauntlet with it:
UTG called preflop, then hijack called, button called, and small blind shoved. The only play for me was to re-shove for a tiny bit more, but I suspected there would be at least two, if not three more callers, just because of pot odds. I was pleasantly surprised when only the UTG called, and I was really digging my chances. Why QJo shoved from the small blind there, I'll never understand, but always appreciate.
As you can see, the best hand preflop had to make a miraculous suckout to survive:
Anyway, I didn't final table this one, but got enough KOs to almost recover the buy-in. A bankroll negative night overall, but not terribly so. Also took a shot at the Stars $11R, and doubled up early, but my AK went down hard to AQ (at least it was on the turn instead of the river) five minutes before the rebuy period, and I chose not to chase a rebuy/addon which would still leave me with a relative microstack in hour two.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Bloggerments Shmloggerments
Well, that's about how she goes. Tuesday was definitely my worst ever performance in nightly bloggerments ever, and there's really no one to blame but myself.
In the Bodonkey, I never truly got going, and about 1/2 through the first hour, I raise a flop with ye olde untrustworthy TPTK. AJ soooted, I believe. After being raised, I shoved right into a flopped two pair, and IGH 43rd of 44. Ugh. It didn't seem like a particularly tough table or field that night, either, and I definitely wasted a chance to move up the leaderboard.
Things in the Skillz game were worse...after chipping up to 4k the first orbit, I proceed to go out like 83rd, because I forgot my own cardinal rule about how over 1/2 the field had disabled their fold buttons. I had so many quality hands go down to ugly turns and rivers, it wasn't even funny. Only one time, for a largish pot, did I think the opposing player actually play the kind of hand that should be seeing a raised preflop pot in Limit O8, but whatev, it was still very nearly a great night.
See, remember that $75 token I luckboxed my way into? I finally used it, in Full Tilt's $23k guarantee KO, with $15 for each knockout. There were about 432 runners, with 45 paid. At first, I tread softly, thinking the skill level was going to be higher than I was used to. However, after about 90 minutes, it hit me how many others were probably in on Tier Two tokens, because the play really was no different than the $11 KO MTTs, or the $11 turbo KO 90 player SNGs.
I had to overcome a short stack, after getting three outed by a shorty on the river, which dropped me to about 1600 (3000 starting chips). This make KOs very hard to come by because, chip up as I did for 4+ hours, I was always behind average chips. However, by the time the bubble broke, I was still alive, and working hard. Unfortunately, the fourth hour brought total card death, and with 16 players left (and me 16th in chips, I shoved KQ soooted from 2nd position (UTG had called), and UTG called me with a 66 that held. Still, I was able to turn $14 into a Tier Two, and that token in to $199 plus a single KO bounty. I think it's odd that I could survive past 415 players in a 432 person field, and only have one KO, but my few all ins were always with me as a shorter stack.
In fact, the only two showdowns I lost the entire tourney were the 1st hour 3-outer, and the hand of my demise. Nine showdowns out of about 350 hands, and only seeing 9% of flops. That's MiamiDon poker, I suppose.
Anyway, the field didn't seem that tough, and if I can't be around for the Big Game, I've found a decent use for those Tier Two tokens going forward.
Also played the Bodog $8k guarantee, and went out around 20th or so for a somewhat decent cash, as well. In the end, it was a somewhat profitable night, but performing so poorly in the bloggerments really leaves a sour taste, ya know?
Work is truly kicking me in the junk these days, so we'll have to see how often I can post. I was going for two posts every three days, but I may be lucky to do 2-3 a week, at least until this trial in early June. We'll see how it goes. I'm definitely a no-go for the Heartland Poker Tour qualifiers, because I just can't take the time off work to go up the hill. At least they're back in September, and I'll be rolling in so much OT pay from trial that I can definitely give it a shot.
Tonight's the Mookie, but it started 90 minutes ago....
In the Bodonkey, I never truly got going, and about 1/2 through the first hour, I raise a flop with ye olde untrustworthy TPTK. AJ soooted, I believe. After being raised, I shoved right into a flopped two pair, and IGH 43rd of 44. Ugh. It didn't seem like a particularly tough table or field that night, either, and I definitely wasted a chance to move up the leaderboard.
Things in the Skillz game were worse...after chipping up to 4k the first orbit, I proceed to go out like 83rd, because I forgot my own cardinal rule about how over 1/2 the field had disabled their fold buttons. I had so many quality hands go down to ugly turns and rivers, it wasn't even funny. Only one time, for a largish pot, did I think the opposing player actually play the kind of hand that should be seeing a raised preflop pot in Limit O8, but whatev, it was still very nearly a great night.
See, remember that $75 token I luckboxed my way into? I finally used it, in Full Tilt's $23k guarantee KO, with $15 for each knockout. There were about 432 runners, with 45 paid. At first, I tread softly, thinking the skill level was going to be higher than I was used to. However, after about 90 minutes, it hit me how many others were probably in on Tier Two tokens, because the play really was no different than the $11 KO MTTs, or the $11 turbo KO 90 player SNGs.
I had to overcome a short stack, after getting three outed by a shorty on the river, which dropped me to about 1600 (3000 starting chips). This make KOs very hard to come by because, chip up as I did for 4+ hours, I was always behind average chips. However, by the time the bubble broke, I was still alive, and working hard. Unfortunately, the fourth hour brought total card death, and with 16 players left (and me 16th in chips, I shoved KQ soooted from 2nd position (UTG had called), and UTG called me with a 66 that held. Still, I was able to turn $14 into a Tier Two, and that token in to $199 plus a single KO bounty. I think it's odd that I could survive past 415 players in a 432 person field, and only have one KO, but my few all ins were always with me as a shorter stack.
In fact, the only two showdowns I lost the entire tourney were the 1st hour 3-outer, and the hand of my demise. Nine showdowns out of about 350 hands, and only seeing 9% of flops. That's MiamiDon poker, I suppose.
Anyway, the field didn't seem that tough, and if I can't be around for the Big Game, I've found a decent use for those Tier Two tokens going forward.
Also played the Bodog $8k guarantee, and went out around 20th or so for a somewhat decent cash, as well. In the end, it was a somewhat profitable night, but performing so poorly in the bloggerments really leaves a sour taste, ya know?
Work is truly kicking me in the junk these days, so we'll have to see how often I can post. I was going for two posts every three days, but I may be lucky to do 2-3 a week, at least until this trial in early June. We'll see how it goes. I'm definitely a no-go for the Heartland Poker Tour qualifiers, because I just can't take the time off work to go up the hill. At least they're back in September, and I'll be rolling in so much OT pay from trial that I can definitely give it a shot.
Tonight's the Mookie, but it started 90 minutes ago....
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Tuesday Night Bloggamania (Bodonkey/Skillz)
Oh yeah, out of the way first...last night I managed to take down my 3rd 50-60 runner bar poker tourney in my last seven attempts at a particular juke joint (with one 2nd place, to boot). The most minor brag ever, but it felt good being able to have such a good read on one particular aggressive player that...every time he'd chip up against others, I would immediately take them from him. He was raising most hands in mid to late position with ATC, and was C-betting every flop, and most every turn, whether the board hit him or not. In most cases, he would whiff, and I was able to call these obvious c-bets and then push him out on the river with 1/3 to 1/2 pot bets, more than once with nothing more than 2nd or 3rd pair and a good kicker.
Eventually, he pulled this move in a hand where I'd flopped two overs and nut flush draw, and when the A came on the turn and he overshoved, I knew my top pair was likely good, and had a hell of a re-draw. Turns out he was drawing to a gutshot, and he was drawing near dead.
To him, I say, "I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!" (Actually, I respect his play quite a bit. Most of the table ended up becoming extremely weak/tight as a result, but being able to take advantage of his aggro style by being on his left and having a good read on a decent player just felt so goot.)
Anyway, to more current events:
Tonight is another edition of the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series. In fact, I believe tonight marks the halfway point in our journey to win a World Series Main Event seat to play with Team Bodog 2008. Join up and challenge other Poker Bloggers each Tuesday in our Bodog Poker Room and live to tell about it. Earn points and work your way up the Tournament Leader Board for a spot in the final tournament for your chance to win a $12,000 World Series of Poker* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
How to Participate
This tournament is open to poker bloggers worldwide. Players must have a Bodog Member Player Account to register.
If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://poker.bodoglife.com/
Players are then required to go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they must then click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Players are encouraged to register early. If you need assistance with signing up for the tournament or with starting a Bodog member player account, please call Bodog's Poker Customer Service at 1-866-909-2237 or contact us prior to start time at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com/contact
Tournament prizes, leader board and tournament schedule available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/
Not only are there bounties, $Ts overlays, and lots of juicy goodness, but there's also Buddy Dank radio! Tune in, tune in!
In addition, tonight is also Chad's Blogger Skillz Series. Tonight we're playing Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, and believe me, over half the field have disabled their fold buttons for this one, no doubt. If a bloggers got a 568T one suited, they'll be calling 3-bets preflop, and quartering the low with with the dude playing 54 low whose 4 was counterfeited.
Lawdy grant me strength as I try to improve upon my 2nd place Razz finish last week. And please, for one night, let me run like Antonius.
See you there!
Eventually, he pulled this move in a hand where I'd flopped two overs and nut flush draw, and when the A came on the turn and he overshoved, I knew my top pair was likely good, and had a hell of a re-draw. Turns out he was drawing to a gutshot, and he was drawing near dead.
To him, I say, "I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!" (Actually, I respect his play quite a bit. Most of the table ended up becoming extremely weak/tight as a result, but being able to take advantage of his aggro style by being on his left and having a good read on a decent player just felt so goot.)
Anyway, to more current events:
Tonight is another edition of the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series. In fact, I believe tonight marks the halfway point in our journey to win a World Series Main Event seat to play with Team Bodog 2008. Join up and challenge other Poker Bloggers each Tuesday in our Bodog Poker Room and live to tell about it. Earn points and work your way up the Tournament Leader Board for a spot in the final tournament for your chance to win a $12,000 World Series of Poker* prize package and be a part of Team Bodog 2008.
How to Participate
This tournament is open to poker bloggers worldwide. Players must have a Bodog Member Player Account to register.
If you are new to Bodog, please sign up at http://poker.bodoglife.com/
Players are then required to go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they must then click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Players are encouraged to register early. If you need assistance with signing up for the tournament or with starting a Bodog member player account, please call Bodog's Poker Customer Service at 1-866-909-2237 or contact us prior to start time at http://www.bodogbloggertournament.com/contact
Tournament prizes, leader board and tournament schedule available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/
Not only are there bounties, $Ts overlays, and lots of juicy goodness, but there's also Buddy Dank radio! Tune in, tune in!
In addition, tonight is also Chad's Blogger Skillz Series. Tonight we're playing Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, and believe me, over half the field have disabled their fold buttons for this one, no doubt. If a bloggers got a 568T one suited, they'll be calling 3-bets preflop, and quartering the low with with the dude playing 54 low whose 4 was counterfeited.
Lawdy grant me strength as I try to improve upon my 2nd place Razz finish last week. And please, for one night, let me run like Antonius.
See you there!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
booooooooooooooom! (with a lower case b)
I'd really like to thank LJ, CK, and Donkette (and anyone else I may be forgetting) for railing me last night towards the end of the Blogger Skillz Series Razz event. My 2nd place finish is both my highest placement in a blogger tourney ever, and also my highest finish in a Razz tourney ever.
It's a pretty rare thing these days for me to make a final table, it seems, and rarer still that anyone anytime ever rails me. Rarer even more so when the railbirds are players whose game I respect.
While I was initially really quite bummed at not picking up the TOC seat, the truth is, "tilt away" and I had quite the raucous heads up match, lasting maybe a good 25-30 hands? He started HU with a 3:1 chiplead, and I was twice able to even things up, but could never dominate a pot once even.
When the final hand, for a 130k or so pot, I had a made 8 on 6th street (a rough 8, but it was HU and I was committed by 5th street), but "tilt away" had a made 7, also on 6th street. I was drawing to a better 7, but didn't hit:
Overall, however, I think I played a strong game and carried a strong image. As you can see, I pulled down half the pots where I saw 4th street:
The best part of the whole tourney, really, was taking out that fish XGod_of_WarX, who seemed to be constantly calling down strong plays and either hitting miracles when he'd have something like QT showing, or, in one particular instance, calling me on 7th street with two pair, when I'm showing up cards of something like 5443 (and I'm betting/raising every street). Miraculously for him, I actually boated that hand on 7th street, yet he still called my 7th street bet with a two-paired, J-high hand. Anyway, taking the last 30,000 or so of his chips felt great.
When the night began, I thought it was going to be a total repeat of last night, especially after my flopped TPTK went down in flames in the Bodokey to a flopped set of tens (to Donkette, if I recall, but I'm not certain). I went out 40th or so of 52, on a night when I really needed some serious pointage. But as you can see, things definitely improved.
At the same time as I was making hay in the Skillz game, I was working on a truly deep run at PokerStars, in a 1980-runner $5 NLHE tournament. I had to overcome a short stack early, but through a few judicious steals, and a few hands actually holding up, I found myself in a strong position to run for the $1750 first prize.
For instance, there was the hand where I flopped a set of snowmen on the button, and tne UTG mid-stack who slowplayed his AA did not actually catch his two outer. There was the obligatory blind-vs-blind battle where the player in the big blind, who called my 3x raise from the small blind with a stack three times my own, opted to try to push me off a flopped set:
Thanks for the near triple up, donk! (btw, he made that move with K5...why he called my pf bet there, I dunno, but he's welcome to do so anytime).
So things were going exceedingly well. I got in very serious trouble a bit later, when we were down to 16-17 players, when, on an 864 rainbow flop, I bet pot from the small blind (I'd raised preflop). The button shoved, I called, and ran my AQo into the button's pocket 33. I think his shove was a horrible play, given the previous action, but I was in deep deep kimchi. However, the turn and river came pretty much perfect perfect, and his baby pocket pair was completely counterfeited:
At this point, I was 5th of 17, and feeling a final table, but once again, it was not to be. Down to 11 players, after the inevitable bout of card death (and having to fold to a resteal), with me sitting 10th of 11 in chips, I pick up AKo in the small blind. The table folds to the button who puts in a pretty standard raise. I instashove, he instacalls, and we're playing for a 4th or 5th place chipstack, and a near certain final table spot, when the miracle three outer hits:
And I go home with $66 for my trouble, instead of one of the rapidly escalating final table payouts:
Of course, that pot gave sanders26 a huge chiplead (he was already comfortably ahead of 2nd prior to that hand), which he held on to, for not only his only win, but his only cash at all since last November ($9), and only his second cash ever higher than $25. Take a look at his OPR.
Seriously, he won $1739 last night, and he has total winnings on JokerStars lifetime of $1998, and a ROI of over 244% over 99 tournaments. His only other cash was obviously equally luckboxing a $4/180 for $216 over six months ago. He's also a lifetime $100 loser over 64 games (even including his $4/180 win) currently on "SuperTilt" at Sharkscope. That's the type of player I'm losing to these days. Unfortunately, that's also the type of player typical of the low buyin stakes I play, and unless/until I actually take down one of those MTTs, that's pretty much the level of play my bankroll will allow.
On the fact of it, calling there is defensible, but sanders26 could fold there and still have a 100k lead over 2nd in chips, but calling and losing there drops him to 6th (and only one big blind ahead of 8th). Do you really want to be, at best, racing with AQ in that spot?
I'm not sure who it was last night who said OPR doesn't tell the whole story (for one thing, it doesn't track private tourneys like the Skillz games), and I absolutely have to agree. It is truly better to be lucky than to be good, I suppose.
Anyway, last night really was a positive night overall. I wish things could have turned out a wee bit better in the Skillz, and that I could have one one more pot on JokerStars, but the bankroll did actually move forward a bit...
Before I forget, tonight's the Mookie. You should play, even if I can't.
It's a pretty rare thing these days for me to make a final table, it seems, and rarer still that anyone anytime ever rails me. Rarer even more so when the railbirds are players whose game I respect.
While I was initially really quite bummed at not picking up the TOC seat, the truth is, "tilt away" and I had quite the raucous heads up match, lasting maybe a good 25-30 hands? He started HU with a 3:1 chiplead, and I was twice able to even things up, but could never dominate a pot once even.
When the final hand, for a 130k or so pot, I had a made 8 on 6th street (a rough 8, but it was HU and I was committed by 5th street), but "tilt away" had a made 7, also on 6th street. I was drawing to a better 7, but didn't hit:
Overall, however, I think I played a strong game and carried a strong image. As you can see, I pulled down half the pots where I saw 4th street:
The best part of the whole tourney, really, was taking out that fish XGod_of_WarX, who seemed to be constantly calling down strong plays and either hitting miracles when he'd have something like QT showing, or, in one particular instance, calling me on 7th street with two pair, when I'm showing up cards of something like 5443 (and I'm betting/raising every street). Miraculously for him, I actually boated that hand on 7th street, yet he still called my 7th street bet with a two-paired, J-high hand. Anyway, taking the last 30,000 or so of his chips felt great.
When the night began, I thought it was going to be a total repeat of last night, especially after my flopped TPTK went down in flames in the Bodokey to a flopped set of tens (to Donkette, if I recall, but I'm not certain). I went out 40th or so of 52, on a night when I really needed some serious pointage. But as you can see, things definitely improved.
At the same time as I was making hay in the Skillz game, I was working on a truly deep run at PokerStars, in a 1980-runner $5 NLHE tournament. I had to overcome a short stack early, but through a few judicious steals, and a few hands actually holding up, I found myself in a strong position to run for the $1750 first prize.
For instance, there was the hand where I flopped a set of snowmen on the button, and tne UTG mid-stack who slowplayed his AA did not actually catch his two outer. There was the obligatory blind-vs-blind battle where the player in the big blind, who called my 3x raise from the small blind with a stack three times my own, opted to try to push me off a flopped set:
Thanks for the near triple up, donk! (btw, he made that move with K5...why he called my pf bet there, I dunno, but he's welcome to do so anytime).
So things were going exceedingly well. I got in very serious trouble a bit later, when we were down to 16-17 players, when, on an 864 rainbow flop, I bet pot from the small blind (I'd raised preflop). The button shoved, I called, and ran my AQo into the button's pocket 33. I think his shove was a horrible play, given the previous action, but I was in deep deep kimchi. However, the turn and river came pretty much perfect perfect, and his baby pocket pair was completely counterfeited:
At this point, I was 5th of 17, and feeling a final table, but once again, it was not to be. Down to 11 players, after the inevitable bout of card death (and having to fold to a resteal), with me sitting 10th of 11 in chips, I pick up AKo in the small blind. The table folds to the button who puts in a pretty standard raise. I instashove, he instacalls, and we're playing for a 4th or 5th place chipstack, and a near certain final table spot, when the miracle three outer hits:
And I go home with $66 for my trouble, instead of one of the rapidly escalating final table payouts:
Of course, that pot gave sanders26 a huge chiplead (he was already comfortably ahead of 2nd prior to that hand), which he held on to, for not only his only win, but his only cash at all since last November ($9), and only his second cash ever higher than $25. Take a look at his OPR.
Seriously, he won $1739 last night, and he has total winnings on JokerStars lifetime of $1998, and a ROI of over 244% over 99 tournaments. His only other cash was obviously equally luckboxing a $4/180 for $216 over six months ago. He's also a lifetime $100 loser over 64 games (even including his $4/180 win) currently on "SuperTilt" at Sharkscope. That's the type of player I'm losing to these days. Unfortunately, that's also the type of player typical of the low buyin stakes I play, and unless/until I actually take down one of those MTTs, that's pretty much the level of play my bankroll will allow.
On the fact of it, calling there is defensible, but sanders26 could fold there and still have a 100k lead over 2nd in chips, but calling and losing there drops him to 6th (and only one big blind ahead of 8th). Do you really want to be, at best, racing with AQ in that spot?
I'm not sure who it was last night who said OPR doesn't tell the whole story (for one thing, it doesn't track private tourneys like the Skillz games), and I absolutely have to agree. It is truly better to be lucky than to be good, I suppose.
Anyway, last night really was a positive night overall. I wish things could have turned out a wee bit better in the Skillz, and that I could have one one more pot on JokerStars, but the bankroll did actually move forward a bit...
Before I forget, tonight's the Mookie. You should play, even if I can't.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
So Close, So Far, But A Token For My Trouble
Last night being my bloggerment night of the week, it seemed like a good night to sit down for some serious internet pokerz, and things got off to a good start.
Won a $75 token in the Token Frenzy, in what was probably only my 3rd or 4th time playing this event. The interesting thing about this tourney was that I pretty much quintupled up during the first two orbits, and damn near folded my way to the token from there, even folding JJ and AQs preflop when out of position to known pushmonkeys, when down to the last 10-12 eliminations. Aside from one or two preflop steals, I didn't play another hand.
Now, I know conventional wisdom amongst bloggers is to use these $75 tokens in Don's Big Game, but I generally cannot play poker on Sunday nights. I'd like to play in this, but assuming I can't, I'd like to hear from you guys on the best way to utilize this. I'm not a SNG stud, but the Tier 2s that reward 1st through 5th with $216 in tournament dollars, and $162 cash for 6th, are inviting. Or, do I use it in a random $69+6 guarantee event? Or in a satellite for something else?
Anyway, this would turn out to be my best hit of the night.
I was crippled in the Bodog $10k when my AKs got four-flushed on the river to lose to AKo.
I went out of the Blogger Skillz event on the money bubble (well, bubble +1) to this kick in the junk:
Winning the hand was worth a 2nd or 3rd place stack at the time. Do any of you get away from rolled up 9s here, especially rivering the boat? (Betting on every street, but it took the river to be all-in.) You could even say I was HOSE'd.
The Bodonkey seemed to show a lot more promise. The deck slapped me hard in the face early, where I picked up AA twice, KK twice, and QQ, all in the first 2-3 orbits. Unfortunately, virtually all of my standard pf raises (3-3.5x, depending on position) were folded to, and after all those early premium cards, I was up to a grand total of about 3200 chips.
Then, came this:
DQB!
Yeah, I think I might just check a couple streets here, and let TFG do my work for me:
After that, it was a long slow grind, lots of straight ahead TAG, lots of pf folding, until the bitter end, where I got it all in with what I think was KK, and got called by two unders who flopped a straight, and IGHN...yup, you guessed it, on the final table bubble. At least I picked up points and a $T11 return of my buyin, and I'm now up to about 27th in the standings, but this one hurt, as I felt primed to run much further. Still, congrats to TripJax and especially to RedKoi (who came back from a very short stack), on your top finishes.
Every other Bodog guarantee I was in last night started off with me chipping up nicely early, then going card dead in Hour 2, and then getting turned or rivered for all my chips in the last 1/3 or so of the field. I probably should have never blogged about my hands holding up there, because they sure haven't since.
Oh yeah, one other fun event, a late nite $3.30 KO MTT over at FullTilt, which saw me in early double-or-go-home mode. Second hand, I have a couple smallish clubs in the BB, and the flop is Q97, 2 clubs. Blinds check, and cutoff or button bets pot. SB calls, I shove. Cutoff calls, SB folds. Cutoff turns up bottom pair no kicker (no club) and berates me for the club turn that takes most of his chips. He proceeds to be an asshole all night, even after he went out just in the money. What really pissed him off was the table learning of his amazing -47% ROI. ;-)
Anyway, after about 10-12 knockouts, I was again poised for a nice-sized cash (which I could use, after running badly ever since my hit last week). Late in the game, there's a player on my right who has open shoved my last three big blinds from an unopened small blind. I know he's playing ETC (every two cards), and I'm just waiting to pounce. Next orbit, he shoves, and I've got KK baby, KK. Call, duh. He flips 97o (obviously), and flops T86. Gack. The only showdown I lose in the whole tourney, and I go home...yup, you guessed it, on the final table bubble. Aaaaagain.
Two final table bubbles and one money bubble in one night, and an evening that began with so much promise, with a quick big token win, ended up breakeven (at best). I do feel like I'm playing really strong poker the last week or so, but I just can't avoid that one gross late suckout when I'm way ahead at a crucial time. At least I can ponder how to use the token...
Oh yeah, thanks for tagging me, Peaker -- I'll put up my random junk later this week, as long as I can.
Won a $75 token in the Token Frenzy, in what was probably only my 3rd or 4th time playing this event. The interesting thing about this tourney was that I pretty much quintupled up during the first two orbits, and damn near folded my way to the token from there, even folding JJ and AQs preflop when out of position to known pushmonkeys, when down to the last 10-12 eliminations. Aside from one or two preflop steals, I didn't play another hand.
Now, I know conventional wisdom amongst bloggers is to use these $75 tokens in Don's Big Game, but I generally cannot play poker on Sunday nights. I'd like to play in this, but assuming I can't, I'd like to hear from you guys on the best way to utilize this. I'm not a SNG stud, but the Tier 2s that reward 1st through 5th with $216 in tournament dollars, and $162 cash for 6th, are inviting. Or, do I use it in a random $69+6 guarantee event? Or in a satellite for something else?
Anyway, this would turn out to be my best hit of the night.
I was crippled in the Bodog $10k when my AKs got four-flushed on the river to lose to AKo.
I went out of the Blogger Skillz event on the money bubble (well, bubble +1) to this kick in the junk:
Winning the hand was worth a 2nd or 3rd place stack at the time. Do any of you get away from rolled up 9s here, especially rivering the boat? (Betting on every street, but it took the river to be all-in.) You could even say I was HOSE'd.
The Bodonkey seemed to show a lot more promise. The deck slapped me hard in the face early, where I picked up AA twice, KK twice, and QQ, all in the first 2-3 orbits. Unfortunately, virtually all of my standard pf raises (3-3.5x, depending on position) were folded to, and after all those early premium cards, I was up to a grand total of about 3200 chips.
Then, came this:
DQB!
Yeah, I think I might just check a couple streets here, and let TFG do my work for me:
After that, it was a long slow grind, lots of straight ahead TAG, lots of pf folding, until the bitter end, where I got it all in with what I think was KK, and got called by two unders who flopped a straight, and IGHN...yup, you guessed it, on the final table bubble. At least I picked up points and a $T11 return of my buyin, and I'm now up to about 27th in the standings, but this one hurt, as I felt primed to run much further. Still, congrats to TripJax and especially to RedKoi (who came back from a very short stack), on your top finishes.
Every other Bodog guarantee I was in last night started off with me chipping up nicely early, then going card dead in Hour 2, and then getting turned or rivered for all my chips in the last 1/3 or so of the field. I probably should have never blogged about my hands holding up there, because they sure haven't since.
Oh yeah, one other fun event, a late nite $3.30 KO MTT over at FullTilt, which saw me in early double-or-go-home mode. Second hand, I have a couple smallish clubs in the BB, and the flop is Q97, 2 clubs. Blinds check, and cutoff or button bets pot. SB calls, I shove. Cutoff calls, SB folds. Cutoff turns up bottom pair no kicker (no club) and berates me for the club turn that takes most of his chips. He proceeds to be an asshole all night, even after he went out just in the money. What really pissed him off was the table learning of his amazing -47% ROI. ;-)
Anyway, after about 10-12 knockouts, I was again poised for a nice-sized cash (which I could use, after running badly ever since my hit last week). Late in the game, there's a player on my right who has open shoved my last three big blinds from an unopened small blind. I know he's playing ETC (every two cards), and I'm just waiting to pounce. Next orbit, he shoves, and I've got KK baby, KK. Call, duh. He flips 97o (obviously), and flops T86. Gack. The only showdown I lose in the whole tourney, and I go home...yup, you guessed it, on the final table bubble. Aaaaagain.
Two final table bubbles and one money bubble in one night, and an evening that began with so much promise, with a quick big token win, ended up breakeven (at best). I do feel like I'm playing really strong poker the last week or so, but I just can't avoid that one gross late suckout when I'm way ahead at a crucial time. At least I can ponder how to use the token...
Oh yeah, thanks for tagging me, Peaker -- I'll put up my random junk later this week, as long as I can.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Back to Poker (long), and With A Happy Ending, Even
Before going further, I just want to tip my three or four readers off to CK's great post discussing relative hand strengths in Omaha (aka 4-card Bingo, or alternatively, Omatard) here, especially, how a given hand in Omaha is not nearly as powerful a hand as it is in hold'em. A great analysis on the subject. Thanks for the thoughtful post, CK.
I don't even remember how I went out of the Skillz PLO game. I know I picked up a lot of good draws early, which I had to fold after whiffing and lots of potting by others. Very few premium pocket pairs. I think I ended up going out about 40th or so?
The reason I can't recall is because I was, and still am, on enormous tilt from two things. One is FTP's $10+1 90 runner KO Turbo SNGs. According to Official Poker Rankings, ever since I won my first ever attempt at this thing a few nights ago, I'm 0-fer my last 13. Which still leaves me up in $$$, but that's not the point. The tilt comes not from not cashing, but from the four consecutive events where I was within one craptacular table from the final table (only 9 pay), and in each case but one, got rivered when I was at least 75% or better to win when chips went in, finishing 15th, 16th, 15th, 14th, and 17th. So gross. The fields are, in fact, soft as hell, but those contributed to me going twenty tourneys in a row without a single cash, and this was after moving up to take advantage of my early hit.
But the real tilt last night came from the Bodog Blogger Tournament last night. I really wish I can remember the name of whom I'm talking about, because I'm not familiar with them previous, and they have NO points, as far as I can tell, but I digress. We're down to the last 27-29 players, with 15 getting precious points (my real motivation), and 9 cashing (with the next five getting buyins back), when I raise 3x late position PF. And this asshat calls out of the big blind. Fine. I got a fix for that -- a flopped Broadway (GIN!) No, I don't slow play, but I bet about 1/2 pot for value. As I recall, he shoves. I call. He's crushed. I'm counting my soon to be top 6 chipstack, when he runner runners perfect for the chop on the river.
Ugh. But that's cool, there were antes, picked up a few. The very next hand, I find QJs, and open raise 3.5x the big blind. (Not the strongest hand, but I like open-raising suited Broadway connectors in this spot. Cutoff or hijack, I can't recall. Aaaaand, he calls. Flop gives me four to a flush, and a gutshot, and top pair. Aaaaaand, he goes all in! He's got me covered by a very slight margin. I've got about 35,000,000 outs, so I call, and find he has nothing but three to a flush, and ye olde OESD. Which wasn't really, because the top end of his OESD fills in my higher gutshot.
Naturally, he hits the bottom end. On the river. And IGH. My god, it felt like Riverchasers must every week. All I really really want is a seat in the final Bodog tourney for the ME seat (where asshats like this guy will never be), and I'm denied.
Still -- I almost have to thank you, because your tilt made me money. How? Because I just couldn't leave well enough alone, and I sat for a $3.30 90 player KO, took it down for 2nd. At the same time, I was playing my first ever $5.50 HA MTT (rotation of pot limit HE and PLO), and took it down in 1st:
(pasted for posterity, because 1st places are rare birds, indeed, for me)
And...for the creme de la creme....drumroll for tilt play...
I dumped over 20% of my Bodog bankroll, at 11:30 PM (mountain time), into Bodog's $4.5k guarantee rebuy tourney. Obvious signs of tilt include the following:
1. Staring a rebuy MTT when it's already your bedtime.
2. Playing a rebuy where the initial buyin is 8% of your bankroll.
3. Rebuying after losing your stack, for another 7% of your bankroll.
4. Doing this rebuy when it's already after your bedtime.
But I managed to survive rebuy hour, and in fact, was above average stack after hour 1, which started with 108 runners and ended with about 85, with 18 paid. Naturally, I added on (another 7% of my bankroll).
Here is the part where I say again how much I adore Bodog. You see, the tourney fields here are soft, even at the $20 level, and as I found, at the $20R level, as well (at least late at night). Lots of weak/tight play, certainly enough hands shown down that would embarass me to have to take to the felt. And unlike those fuckers over at FTP and JokerStars, the nice folks at Bodog haven't yet let me know they possess a doomswitch. My hands pretty much play mathmatically correct (e.g. my 81% AA actually hold up around 81% of the time; my draws hit about as often as they should, and my races are actually races, and not blown engines at the starting line).
So I'm heartened by the fact that if I play the cards I know I'm capable of playing, I may not always win, but I'm winning about as much as I should, which is proving to be a +ROI proposition. And once we're down to three tables (1 off $$$), and I finally start catching real hands, even though I'm like 24th of 27, I know it's just a matter of time before good things happen. By the time we sit for final table (at 2:53 in the motherlovin' mornin'), I'm 3rd in chips:
Final table bubble boy was in the chatbox obnoxiously going on about what a bad player chipleader hectk1 was, and as play proved, he was right. Big time. This cat is horrible, yet I won't begrudge him. He took out player after player after player, usually by calling 3-bet shoves with an unsuited A-rag, and either hitting a 3-out A, or a 4-flush, or something obnoxious. But not against me, because this was one occasion where it really only made sense to play big hands, and they weren't forthcoming for a while. hectk1 is the kind of player who, with blinds 3,000/6,000 will open shove over 200,000 chips with 22 or 33. My kinda player.
So we get down to four players, I'm about 3rd in chips, and I pick up AA under the gun. I choose to call. hectk1 raises, I shove, he calls, with something like a sooted paint+rag, and next thing you know, I'm 2nd in chips, and only about 20% behind the fishdonk. Unfortunately, that was as big as my stack got. A couple of hands later, with three players left, I pick up sooted A2 and make a standard button raise, which fishy calls. Flop comes something like 762 rainbow, with one spade. He checks, and I know I'm ahead (because he overbets every time he hits a flop or an overpair, the dude knows nothing about value). I want to see where I'm at, but want to show strength, so I bet about 60% of the pot. And he actually raises me.
Now, I know I'm ahead, because I've sat with this guy for about 50 hands and have him down cold. But I don't feel like I can shove because my hand really isn't strong. And, there's at least some chance I'm behind to a K7, or an A4o, or any of the crap he'd call preflop raises with. So I call. And the turn comes an 8 (not a spade. And he shoves. Gack. Well, here, I think I pretty much have to fold, because there's just too many hands that beat me here. Aaaand, hectk1 flips over T2. He shoved with bottom pair and a gutshot. NH, sir. I folded what would have taken me to a massive chiplead. Mostly because the difference in $$$ between 3rd and 2nd was huge, and folding left me with nearly the same chips as 2nd place.
In retrospect, my mistake was either not raising more PF (since the fish doesn't seem to understand ideas behind bet-sizing), compounded by not betting more aggressively when I knew I was ahead, but only marginally. Maybe the latter's not really that large a mistake. Still, I have to say I was outplayed by the worst player at the final table on that hand.
Anyway, I'm out two hands later. The very next hand, I get AA in the big blind. Donkey calls, small blind completes, and I instashove (trying to sell it as a tilt from the fish showing his previous raggy hand). But no one calls. And the very next hand, I shove K8 soooted from the small blind and, you guessed it, hectk1 (I keep his name in bold so that you can remember to sit down at his table if you see him) calls with his Q7o, and hits QQ on the flop. Funny thing is, I can't really fault his call there, because I'm shoving ATC in that spot.
Nevertheless, my rollercoaster night ended with my 2nd largest ever MTT cash (not even 1st would not have matched my $1800 from a couple years ago). Not even close to Hoy, Lucko, or LJ levels, but still:
Have I mentioned how much I love Bodog?
I don't even remember how I went out of the Skillz PLO game. I know I picked up a lot of good draws early, which I had to fold after whiffing and lots of potting by others. Very few premium pocket pairs. I think I ended up going out about 40th or so?
The reason I can't recall is because I was, and still am, on enormous tilt from two things. One is FTP's $10+1 90 runner KO Turbo SNGs. According to Official Poker Rankings, ever since I won my first ever attempt at this thing a few nights ago, I'm 0-fer my last 13. Which still leaves me up in $$$, but that's not the point. The tilt comes not from not cashing, but from the four consecutive events where I was within one craptacular table from the final table (only 9 pay), and in each case but one, got rivered when I was at least 75% or better to win when chips went in, finishing 15th, 16th, 15th, 14th, and 17th. So gross. The fields are, in fact, soft as hell, but those contributed to me going twenty tourneys in a row without a single cash, and this was after moving up to take advantage of my early hit.
But the real tilt last night came from the Bodog Blogger Tournament last night. I really wish I can remember the name of whom I'm talking about, because I'm not familiar with them previous, and they have NO points, as far as I can tell, but I digress. We're down to the last 27-29 players, with 15 getting precious points (my real motivation), and 9 cashing (with the next five getting buyins back), when I raise 3x late position PF. And this asshat calls out of the big blind. Fine. I got a fix for that -- a flopped Broadway (GIN!) No, I don't slow play, but I bet about 1/2 pot for value. As I recall, he shoves. I call. He's crushed. I'm counting my soon to be top 6 chipstack, when he runner runners perfect for the chop on the river.
Ugh. But that's cool, there were antes, picked up a few. The very next hand, I find QJs, and open raise 3.5x the big blind. (Not the strongest hand, but I like open-raising suited Broadway connectors in this spot. Cutoff or hijack, I can't recall. Aaaaand, he calls. Flop gives me four to a flush, and a gutshot, and top pair. Aaaaaand, he goes all in! He's got me covered by a very slight margin. I've got about 35,000,000 outs, so I call, and find he has nothing but three to a flush, and ye olde OESD. Which wasn't really, because the top end of his OESD fills in my higher gutshot.
Naturally, he hits the bottom end. On the river. And IGH. My god, it felt like Riverchasers must every week. All I really really want is a seat in the final Bodog tourney for the ME seat (where asshats like this guy will never be), and I'm denied.
Still -- I almost have to thank you, because your tilt made me money. How? Because I just couldn't leave well enough alone, and I sat for a $3.30 90 player KO, took it down for 2nd. At the same time, I was playing my first ever $5.50 HA MTT (rotation of pot limit HE and PLO), and took it down in 1st:
(pasted for posterity, because 1st places are rare birds, indeed, for me)
And...for the creme de la creme....drumroll for tilt play...
I dumped over 20% of my Bodog bankroll, at 11:30 PM (mountain time), into Bodog's $4.5k guarantee rebuy tourney. Obvious signs of tilt include the following:
1. Staring a rebuy MTT when it's already your bedtime.
2. Playing a rebuy where the initial buyin is 8% of your bankroll.
3. Rebuying after losing your stack, for another 7% of your bankroll.
4. Doing this rebuy when it's already after your bedtime.
But I managed to survive rebuy hour, and in fact, was above average stack after hour 1, which started with 108 runners and ended with about 85, with 18 paid. Naturally, I added on (another 7% of my bankroll).
Here is the part where I say again how much I adore Bodog. You see, the tourney fields here are soft, even at the $20 level, and as I found, at the $20R level, as well (at least late at night). Lots of weak/tight play, certainly enough hands shown down that would embarass me to have to take to the felt. And unlike those fuckers over at FTP and JokerStars, the nice folks at Bodog haven't yet let me know they possess a doomswitch. My hands pretty much play mathmatically correct (e.g. my 81% AA actually hold up around 81% of the time; my draws hit about as often as they should, and my races are actually races, and not blown engines at the starting line).
So I'm heartened by the fact that if I play the cards I know I'm capable of playing, I may not always win, but I'm winning about as much as I should, which is proving to be a +ROI proposition. And once we're down to three tables (1 off $$$), and I finally start catching real hands, even though I'm like 24th of 27, I know it's just a matter of time before good things happen. By the time we sit for final table (at 2:53 in the motherlovin' mornin'), I'm 3rd in chips:
Final table bubble boy was in the chatbox obnoxiously going on about what a bad player chipleader hectk1 was, and as play proved, he was right. Big time. This cat is horrible, yet I won't begrudge him. He took out player after player after player, usually by calling 3-bet shoves with an unsuited A-rag, and either hitting a 3-out A, or a 4-flush, or something obnoxious. But not against me, because this was one occasion where it really only made sense to play big hands, and they weren't forthcoming for a while. hectk1 is the kind of player who, with blinds 3,000/6,000 will open shove over 200,000 chips with 22 or 33. My kinda player.
So we get down to four players, I'm about 3rd in chips, and I pick up AA under the gun. I choose to call. hectk1 raises, I shove, he calls, with something like a sooted paint+rag, and next thing you know, I'm 2nd in chips, and only about 20% behind the fishdonk. Unfortunately, that was as big as my stack got. A couple of hands later, with three players left, I pick up sooted A2 and make a standard button raise, which fishy calls. Flop comes something like 762 rainbow, with one spade. He checks, and I know I'm ahead (because he overbets every time he hits a flop or an overpair, the dude knows nothing about value). I want to see where I'm at, but want to show strength, so I bet about 60% of the pot. And he actually raises me.
Now, I know I'm ahead, because I've sat with this guy for about 50 hands and have him down cold. But I don't feel like I can shove because my hand really isn't strong. And, there's at least some chance I'm behind to a K7, or an A4o, or any of the crap he'd call preflop raises with. So I call. And the turn comes an 8 (not a spade. And he shoves. Gack. Well, here, I think I pretty much have to fold, because there's just too many hands that beat me here. Aaaand, hectk1 flips over T2. He shoved with bottom pair and a gutshot. NH, sir. I folded what would have taken me to a massive chiplead. Mostly because the difference in $$$ between 3rd and 2nd was huge, and folding left me with nearly the same chips as 2nd place.
In retrospect, my mistake was either not raising more PF (since the fish doesn't seem to understand ideas behind bet-sizing), compounded by not betting more aggressively when I knew I was ahead, but only marginally. Maybe the latter's not really that large a mistake. Still, I have to say I was outplayed by the worst player at the final table on that hand.
Anyway, I'm out two hands later. The very next hand, I get AA in the big blind. Donkey calls, small blind completes, and I instashove (trying to sell it as a tilt from the fish showing his previous raggy hand). But no one calls. And the very next hand, I shove K8 soooted from the small blind and, you guessed it, hectk1 (I keep his name in bold so that you can remember to sit down at his table if you see him) calls with his Q7o, and hits QQ on the flop. Funny thing is, I can't really fault his call there, because I'm shoving ATC in that spot.
Nevertheless, my rollercoaster night ended with my 2nd largest ever MTT cash (not even 1st would not have matched my $1800 from a couple years ago). Not even close to Hoy, Lucko, or LJ levels, but still:
Have I mentioned how much I love Bodog?
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Point(s) Well Taken
Woohoo! Yeah, I'm feeling jazzed. After the fifth week of the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series, I finally managed to score some points, taking 7th out of a somewhat smaller than usual field of 43 runners. And boy, what a weird tournament that was. First off, we actually lost 4-5 players in the first hour, which is very unusual in this particular tournament, where the big stacks and low blinds offer lots of early play.
Even weird was the fact that after Hour 1, I was in the top 2-3 in chips. But alas, I got a bit bullyish in Hour 2, and went from big stack to the shortest stack at the table. But after one double up, I caught AA in the next hand in early position. Still on the short stack, I was hoping someone would consider me shoving light and call my monster, but all I did was pick up blinds/antes. The same happened a couple hands later, when I picked up KK in late position. At any rate, I now had chips to play with, and managed to massage them until past the points bubble....but just before the money bubble, when KJo beat my A9s....not with a K or a J, but with four hearts, the last on the river (of course). I think it was Lightning36 who took me out there.
Anyway, it was nice to get off the points schneid, though getting some of that loverly Bodog $Ts overlay would have been even nicer, especially since I'm still well out of the top 18. With the slightly depressed turnout last night, 7th place points weren't as much as usual. A final table next week should get me real close to contention, however. Special contratulations go to Drizztdj for overcoming a 5:1 chip deficit heads-up, to take that mofo down. You, sir, know how to race.
Speaking of congratulations, everyone's favorite luckobox21 took down a rather huge MTT last night, the $25k Guarantee over at Stars -- you should all go over to his blog and either beg for a stake, or offer HU4ROLLZ.
Last night was also the Lack of Skillz game, where about 85 ignorant bloggers and a couple of actual Stud players tossed chips around the table. I'm one of the ignorant ones, and went out 40th, when NewinNov either didn't buy my untrue story of a set of fours on 4th street, or he just thought his AA would improve. (I raised on 3rd street with a four showing, and picked up another 4 on 4th street) I suppose if I had to do it again, I could have folded on 3rd, with a stack that was still Top 20 at the time, but what I really had was rolled up spades, and my real draw was to a flush. However, once he re-raised on 4th, at those levels, I was already in for 1/2 my chips, and would have been crippled folding at that time.
Anyway, one of the hands folks in bloggerland are talking about today involved a huge 4-way pot, in which I, even with my nut frush, had no business being in. Talk about a momentum killer, I was table chipleader until this:
Obviously, a classic FullTilt setup hand. Seeing the screen cap, I'm not sure where any of us gets away from this (at least other than CEMfredMd, but he's from Dannenman-land, so we know he's 80% to suck out). By 4th street, I'm four to the nut frush, GCox25 has a set, and LJ's got a couple of draws. By 6th street, there's too much in the pot to fold. My biggest mistake in the hand was not raising 4th street, but when the worst hand 4-way at showdown is a nut flush, and given the action on 5th and 6th streets , I have to believe nobody was going away that hand, and the best I could have hoped for was to minimize my losses.
Anyway, here's the actual hand history -- if anyone has comments on how any of us could have worked this better, please feel free:
Full Tilt Poker Game Setup Hand #5504872463: Skill Series (40521319), Table 9 - 80/160 Ante 15 - Limit Stud Hi - 22:19:40 ET - 2008/03/04
Seat 1: Shabazz Jenkins (3,496)
Seat 2: cemfredmd (2,290)
Seat 3: pvanharibo (2,945)
Seat 4: GCox25 (2,264)
Seat 5: Mondogarage (4,696)
Seat 6: corron10 (3,334)
Seat 7: bayne_s (2,120)
Seat 8: peacecorn (2,855)
Shabazz Jenkins antes 15
cemfredmd antes 15
pvanharibo antes 15
GCox25 antes 15
Mondogarage antes 15
corron10 antes 15
bayne_s antes 15
peacecorn antes 15
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to Shabazz Jenkins [4c]
Dealt to cemfredmd [8s]
Dealt to pvanharibo [2h]
Dealt to GCox25 [9c]
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As] [7s]
Dealt to corron10 [Kd]
Dealt to bayne_s [2d]
Dealt to peacecorn [4h]
bayne_s is low with [2d]
bayne_s brings in for 25
peacecorn folds
Shabazz Jenkins calls 25
cemfredmd calls 25
pvanharibo calls 25
GCox25 completes it to 80
Mondogarage calls 80
corron10 folds
bayne_s folds
Shabazz Jenkins calls 55
cemfredmd calls 55
pvanharibo calls 55
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to Shabazz Jenkins [4c] [Th]
Dealt to cemfredmd [8s] [Qh]
Dealt to pvanharibo [2h] [2s]
Dealt to GCox25 [9c] [5s]
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As 7s] [6s]
pvanharibo checks
GCox25 bets 160
Mondogarage calls 160 (I really should have raised)
Shabazz Jenkins folds
cemfredmd calls 160
pvanharibo calls 160
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to cemfredmd [8s Qh] [Js]
Dealt to pvanharibo [2h 2s] [3h]
Dealt to GCox25 [9c 5s] [8h]
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As 7s 6s] [Tc]
pvanharibo checks
GCox25 bets 160
Mondogarage calls 160
cemfredmd raises to 320
pvanharibo calls 320
GCox25 raises to 480
Mondogarage calls 320 (Unless I put LJ on 5th street boat, my draw has to be best?)
cemfredmd calls 160
pvanharibo calls 160
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to cemfredmd [8s Qh Js] [Jd]
Dealt to pvanharibo [2h 2s 3h] [Td]
Dealt to GCox25 [9c 5s 8h] [7c]
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As 7s 6s Tc] [Kh] (should I have let it go here?)
cemfredmd bets 160
pvanharibo calls 160
GCox25 raises to 320
Mondogarage calls 320
cemfredmd raises to 480
pvanharibo calls 320
GCox25 raises to 640
Mondogarage calls 320
cemfredmd calls 160
pvanharibo calls 160
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As 7s 6s Tc Kh] [4s]
cemfredmd bets 160
pvanharibo raises to 320
GCox25 raises to 480
Mondogarage raises to 640 (because I really am that bad at Stud)
cemfredmd calls 480
pvanharibo calls 320
GCox25 calls 160
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mondogarage shows [As Qs 7s 6s Tc Kh 4s] a flush, Ace high
cemfredmd shows [Jh 8c 8s Qh Js Jd 7d] a full house, Jacks full of Eights
pvanharibo mucks
GCox25 shows [9s 9h 9c 5s 8h 7c 9d] four of a kind, Nines
GCox25 wins the pot (8,225) with four of a kind, Nines
The limits are now 100/200 with an ante of 15
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 8,225 | Rake 0
Seat 1: Shabazz Jenkins folded on 4th St.
Seat 2: cemfredmd showed [Jh 8c 8s Qh Js Jd 7d] and lost with a full house, Jacks full of Eights
Seat 3: pvanharibo mucked [5d 3s 2h 2s 3h Td 3d] - a full house, Threes full of Twos
Seat 4: GCox25 showed [9s 9h 9c 5s 8h 7c 9d] and won (8,225) with four of a kind, Nines
Seat 5: Mondogarage showed [As Qs 7s 6s Tc Kh 4s] and lost with a flush, Ace high
Seat 6: corron10 folded on 3rd St.
Seat 7: bayne_s folded on 3rd St.
Seat 8: peacecorn folded on 3rd St.
Anyway, that's pretty much my Stud story, where one donkey makes about four stupid moves for 1/2 his chips, yet again.
Finally, I made a deep run in Bodog's $20+2 $10k Guarantee, which started a while after the Bodonkey. In fact, at the end of the first hour, I was tournament chipleader, and thought this was going to be my huge breakthrough. But once we got around the bubble, I went completely card dead, and when I open shoved 4x the big blind with Presto from the button with 40 left, I was just hoping to steal, when a mid-stack big blind (who's only in for aboutdecides to make the recockulous call of the night with...drumroll...Q2 offsuit.
Yet again, the real fish at the table is rewarded with QQx on the flop, and instead of a chance at a major payday, I go home with just 2x the buyin, after dominating the tourney for large stretches. The lesson here? Presto is not always good when the fish pond is stocked. Still, it was a very fun night, I finally scored some points, and my bankroll gained a small sheckel or two.
Don't forget, tonight's BBT3 event is the Mookie -- I'm here to tell ya, if there's not at least 160 entries, I'll be shocked. Unfortunately, being Wednesday, I won't be one of them...but you should be.
Even weird was the fact that after Hour 1, I was in the top 2-3 in chips. But alas, I got a bit bullyish in Hour 2, and went from big stack to the shortest stack at the table. But after one double up, I caught AA in the next hand in early position. Still on the short stack, I was hoping someone would consider me shoving light and call my monster, but all I did was pick up blinds/antes. The same happened a couple hands later, when I picked up KK in late position. At any rate, I now had chips to play with, and managed to massage them until past the points bubble....but just before the money bubble, when KJo beat my A9s....not with a K or a J, but with four hearts, the last on the river (of course). I think it was Lightning36 who took me out there.
Anyway, it was nice to get off the points schneid, though getting some of that loverly Bodog $Ts overlay would have been even nicer, especially since I'm still well out of the top 18. With the slightly depressed turnout last night, 7th place points weren't as much as usual. A final table next week should get me real close to contention, however. Special contratulations go to Drizztdj for overcoming a 5:1 chip deficit heads-up, to take that mofo down. You, sir, know how to race.
Speaking of congratulations, everyone's favorite luckobox21 took down a rather huge MTT last night, the $25k Guarantee over at Stars -- you should all go over to his blog and either beg for a stake, or offer HU4ROLLZ.
Last night was also the Lack of Skillz game, where about 85 ignorant bloggers and a couple of actual Stud players tossed chips around the table. I'm one of the ignorant ones, and went out 40th, when NewinNov either didn't buy my untrue story of a set of fours on 4th street, or he just thought his AA would improve. (I raised on 3rd street with a four showing, and picked up another 4 on 4th street) I suppose if I had to do it again, I could have folded on 3rd, with a stack that was still Top 20 at the time, but what I really had was rolled up spades, and my real draw was to a flush. However, once he re-raised on 4th, at those levels, I was already in for 1/2 my chips, and would have been crippled folding at that time.
Anyway, one of the hands folks in bloggerland are talking about today involved a huge 4-way pot, in which I, even with my nut frush, had no business being in. Talk about a momentum killer, I was table chipleader until this:
Obviously, a classic FullTilt setup hand. Seeing the screen cap, I'm not sure where any of us gets away from this (at least other than CEMfredMd, but he's from Dannenman-land, so we know he's 80% to suck out). By 4th street, I'm four to the nut frush, GCox25 has a set, and LJ's got a couple of draws. By 6th street, there's too much in the pot to fold. My biggest mistake in the hand was not raising 4th street, but when the worst hand 4-way at showdown is a nut flush, and given the action on 5th and 6th streets , I have to believe nobody was going away that hand, and the best I could have hoped for was to minimize my losses.
Anyway, here's the actual hand history -- if anyone has comments on how any of us could have worked this better, please feel free:
Full Tilt Poker Game Setup Hand #5504872463: Skill Series (40521319), Table 9 - 80/160 Ante 15 - Limit Stud Hi - 22:19:40 ET - 2008/03/04
Seat 1: Shabazz Jenkins (3,496)
Seat 2: cemfredmd (2,290)
Seat 3: pvanharibo (2,945)
Seat 4: GCox25 (2,264)
Seat 5: Mondogarage (4,696)
Seat 6: corron10 (3,334)
Seat 7: bayne_s (2,120)
Seat 8: peacecorn (2,855)
Shabazz Jenkins antes 15
cemfredmd antes 15
pvanharibo antes 15
GCox25 antes 15
Mondogarage antes 15
corron10 antes 15
bayne_s antes 15
peacecorn antes 15
*** 3RD STREET ***
Dealt to Shabazz Jenkins [4c]
Dealt to cemfredmd [8s]
Dealt to pvanharibo [2h]
Dealt to GCox25 [9c]
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As] [7s]
Dealt to corron10 [Kd]
Dealt to bayne_s [2d]
Dealt to peacecorn [4h]
bayne_s is low with [2d]
bayne_s brings in for 25
peacecorn folds
Shabazz Jenkins calls 25
cemfredmd calls 25
pvanharibo calls 25
GCox25 completes it to 80
Mondogarage calls 80
corron10 folds
bayne_s folds
Shabazz Jenkins calls 55
cemfredmd calls 55
pvanharibo calls 55
*** 4TH STREET ***
Dealt to Shabazz Jenkins [4c] [Th]
Dealt to cemfredmd [8s] [Qh]
Dealt to pvanharibo [2h] [2s]
Dealt to GCox25 [9c] [5s]
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As 7s] [6s]
pvanharibo checks
GCox25 bets 160
Mondogarage calls 160 (I really should have raised)
Shabazz Jenkins folds
cemfredmd calls 160
pvanharibo calls 160
*** 5TH STREET ***
Dealt to cemfredmd [8s Qh] [Js]
Dealt to pvanharibo [2h 2s] [3h]
Dealt to GCox25 [9c 5s] [8h]
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As 7s 6s] [Tc]
pvanharibo checks
GCox25 bets 160
Mondogarage calls 160
cemfredmd raises to 320
pvanharibo calls 320
GCox25 raises to 480
Mondogarage calls 320 (Unless I put LJ on 5th street boat, my draw has to be best?)
cemfredmd calls 160
pvanharibo calls 160
*** 6TH STREET ***
Dealt to cemfredmd [8s Qh Js] [Jd]
Dealt to pvanharibo [2h 2s 3h] [Td]
Dealt to GCox25 [9c 5s 8h] [7c]
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As 7s 6s Tc] [Kh] (should I have let it go here?)
cemfredmd bets 160
pvanharibo calls 160
GCox25 raises to 320
Mondogarage calls 320
cemfredmd raises to 480
pvanharibo calls 320
GCox25 raises to 640
Mondogarage calls 320
cemfredmd calls 160
pvanharibo calls 160
*** 7TH STREET ***
Dealt to Mondogarage [Qs As 7s 6s Tc Kh] [4s]
cemfredmd bets 160
pvanharibo raises to 320
GCox25 raises to 480
Mondogarage raises to 640 (because I really am that bad at Stud)
cemfredmd calls 480
pvanharibo calls 320
GCox25 calls 160
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Mondogarage shows [As Qs 7s 6s Tc Kh 4s] a flush, Ace high
cemfredmd shows [Jh 8c 8s Qh Js Jd 7d] a full house, Jacks full of Eights
pvanharibo mucks
GCox25 shows [9s 9h 9c 5s 8h 7c 9d] four of a kind, Nines
GCox25 wins the pot (8,225) with four of a kind, Nines
The limits are now 100/200 with an ante of 15
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 8,225 | Rake 0
Seat 1: Shabazz Jenkins folded on 4th St.
Seat 2: cemfredmd showed [Jh 8c 8s Qh Js Jd 7d] and lost with a full house, Jacks full of Eights
Seat 3: pvanharibo mucked [5d 3s 2h 2s 3h Td 3d] - a full house, Threes full of Twos
Seat 4: GCox25 showed [9s 9h 9c 5s 8h 7c 9d] and won (8,225) with four of a kind, Nines
Seat 5: Mondogarage showed [As Qs 7s 6s Tc Kh 4s] and lost with a flush, Ace high
Seat 6: corron10 folded on 3rd St.
Seat 7: bayne_s folded on 3rd St.
Seat 8: peacecorn folded on 3rd St.
Anyway, that's pretty much my Stud story, where one donkey makes about four stupid moves for 1/2 his chips, yet again.
Finally, I made a deep run in Bodog's $20+2 $10k Guarantee, which started a while after the Bodonkey. In fact, at the end of the first hour, I was tournament chipleader, and thought this was going to be my huge breakthrough. But once we got around the bubble, I went completely card dead, and when I open shoved 4x the big blind with Presto from the button with 40 left, I was just hoping to steal, when a mid-stack big blind (who's only in for aboutdecides to make the recockulous call of the night with...drumroll...Q2 offsuit.
Yet again, the real fish at the table is rewarded with QQx on the flop, and instead of a chance at a major payday, I go home with just 2x the buyin, after dominating the tourney for large stretches. The lesson here? Presto is not always good when the fish pond is stocked. Still, it was a very fun night, I finally scored some points, and my bankroll gained a small sheckel or two.
Don't forget, tonight's BBT3 event is the Mookie -- I'm here to tell ya, if there's not at least 160 entries, I'll be shocked. Unfortunately, being Wednesday, I won't be one of them...but you should be.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Giddyup, Bodoggies! Show Us Yer Skillz!
Yup, it's Tuesday, and you know what that means. First up on the bloggerment slate, at 7:05pm (Dems Mountain Time Zone, bitches), is Week 5 of the Bodog Blogger Tournament Series
Only 14 weeks left (including tonight), and your intrepid Bodonkblogger is still trying to get off the points schneid. The top 30% of finishers in each qualifying tournament will earn points based on their finish. These points will be used to rank players over 4 months of qualifying. At the end of the qualifying series, the top 18 players on the Tournament Leader Board will play in the Final Tournament on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 with the first place finisher winning a $12,000 WSOP* prize package!
Tonight's the night, I can feel it in my tummy. Either that, or it's just anticipation of Tuesday special lunchtime orange chicken from Wall Street Deli. Orange chicken does, in fact, taste like Bodonkey.
Anyway, the Tournament Leader Board is available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ throughout the course of the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series. It will provide the point totals for every player that has played in the qualifying tournaments. The top 30% of players in each tournament will receive points according to finish which at the end of the qualifying tournaments will ultimately determine who will move on to the Final Event. The top 18 players on the TLB at the end of the qualifiers will earn their way to the Final Event.
How To Register
To register for the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series, poker bloggers must first go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they then must click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Also on deck tonight, at 7:30pm (Dems Mountain Time Zone, bitches) is another installment of Chad's excellent fun Blogger Skillz Series. Why is it excellent? Because it's not recockulous NHLE. We get pounded enough in that game, let's drop some buyins at something else! Tonight's version is Limit Stud Hi, which for me is a bitch of a game, but I don't care. Either way, count me in. Come get my bounty, because Stud Hi is my worst. possible. game. Double stacks and knockout bounties, Happy Happy Joy Joy!
Last night, the bar game was...um...NOT easy. Got called down in the river by a dude who rivered bottom two pair...managed to triple up with AA, two hands later, KK gets cracked, and I 4 bet the LAGiest player at the table (known to bluff with 53o) with AJs...and he's got AKo. But at least I got to fire up some online tournies and run AK into limpcalled AA twice for all my chips.
I did manage to take 16th in a Bodog $3k Guarantee for 5x the buy-in. I heart Bodog's tournies, even if their $20 buy-in $10k guarantee is kicking my butt lately. I was table shortie, and with payouts not going up until 9th, I decided to open shove UTG with KJo (with an M of 3), and it was AQ, I believe, that did the deed. I'm interested in hearing whether or not, even with an M that low, I can wait one more hand or two before shoving something as vulnerable at KJo in early position.
Checking the PokerDB, it turns out I've cashed in a full 1/4 of my Bodog tournaments, final tabling 10% of them. These numbers are far better than what I'm getting at at FullTilt or Stars. What I can't figure out is whether that's a result of the larger fields at Stars, or worse play at Bodog (which I don't get, because I've seen plenty of horrible play everywhere else), or just low sample size variance.
Something to think about while trying to watch election returns and stacking chips at the same time.
Anyway, I hope to see a bunch of you tonight on the digital felt. I'll even crank open my girlie chat for the first time in months if anyone wants to hit me up - I signed up for Trillian, but I think my user name is still Mondogarage...
Only 14 weeks left (including tonight), and your intrepid Bodonkblogger is still trying to get off the points schneid. The top 30% of finishers in each qualifying tournament will earn points based on their finish. These points will be used to rank players over 4 months of qualifying. At the end of the qualifying series, the top 18 players on the Tournament Leader Board will play in the Final Tournament on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 with the first place finisher winning a $12,000 WSOP* prize package!
Tonight's the night, I can feel it in my tummy. Either that, or it's just anticipation of Tuesday special lunchtime orange chicken from Wall Street Deli. Orange chicken does, in fact, taste like Bodonkey.
Anyway, the Tournament Leader Board is available at http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ throughout the course of the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series. It will provide the point totals for every player that has played in the qualifying tournaments. The top 30% of players in each tournament will receive points according to finish which at the end of the qualifying tournaments will ultimately determine who will move on to the Final Event. The top 18 players on the TLB at the end of the qualifiers will earn their way to the Final Event.
How To Register
To register for the Bodog Poker Blogger Tournament Series, poker bloggers must first go to http://www.bodoglife.com/promotions/poker/blogger-tournament/ and sign in with their Bodog account information in the upper right hand corner. Once this is completed, they then must click on "REGISTER NOW" to register themselves into the tournament series. Bloggers will each have to do this once in order to play in the series. Once this is done, they then need to find the "Online Poker Blogger Tournament" in the software and register as they normally would each and every week.
Also on deck tonight, at 7:30pm (Dems Mountain Time Zone, bitches) is another installment of Chad's excellent fun Blogger Skillz Series. Why is it excellent? Because it's not recockulous NHLE. We get pounded enough in that game, let's drop some buyins at something else! Tonight's version is Limit Stud Hi, which for me is a bitch of a game, but I don't care. Either way, count me in. Come get my bounty, because Stud Hi is my worst. possible. game. Double stacks and knockout bounties, Happy Happy Joy Joy!
Last night, the bar game was...um...NOT easy. Got called down in the river by a dude who rivered bottom two pair...managed to triple up with AA, two hands later, KK gets cracked, and I 4 bet the LAGiest player at the table (known to bluff with 53o) with AJs...and he's got AKo. But at least I got to fire up some online tournies and run AK into limpcalled AA twice for all my chips.
I did manage to take 16th in a Bodog $3k Guarantee for 5x the buy-in. I heart Bodog's tournies, even if their $20 buy-in $10k guarantee is kicking my butt lately. I was table shortie, and with payouts not going up until 9th, I decided to open shove UTG with KJo (with an M of 3), and it was AQ, I believe, that did the deed. I'm interested in hearing whether or not, even with an M that low, I can wait one more hand or two before shoving something as vulnerable at KJo in early position.
Checking the PokerDB, it turns out I've cashed in a full 1/4 of my Bodog tournaments, final tabling 10% of them. These numbers are far better than what I'm getting at at FullTilt or Stars. What I can't figure out is whether that's a result of the larger fields at Stars, or worse play at Bodog (which I don't get, because I've seen plenty of horrible play everywhere else), or just low sample size variance.
Something to think about while trying to watch election returns and stacking chips at the same time.
Anyway, I hope to see a bunch of you tonight on the digital felt. I'll even crank open my girlie chat for the first time in months if anyone wants to hit me up - I signed up for Trillian, but I think my user name is still Mondogarage...
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