I got heads up with a bluff monkey who was shoving every hand, which left me no choice but to get my chips in preflop with the best hand — and I knew I would.
I did, but he sucked out on the turn to win. Still, a second-place cash in a 27-player, $11 SNG paid me $68.
In the past five days since figuring out my major problem, I've put $117 in and taken $460 out. Not a bad week.
Current bankroll: $1,480.
OPR ranking: 98.28. (It has fallen from a high of 98.5-plus and won't be back there for a while after my long run of bad play and poor results.)
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
An interesting hand
The leaks might be plugged. Cashed for more than $100 for the second night in a row after starting the month — gulp — 0-for-14.
Would love to hear some opinions on how I played this hand:
Stacks:
MP1 with 1715
MP2 with 1255
CO with 2295
BTN with 1565
SB with 1500
BB with 1940
UTG with 3230
Blinds: 30-60
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BB:K♣ 9♣
Preflop:
5 players fold.
SB calls [30]
Hero checks
Total folds this street: 5
Potsize: 120
Flop:
10♦ Q♣ 4♣
SB bets [120]
Hero calls [120]
Potsize: 360
I'm not quite getting odds to chase the flush, but I thought I might have earned a free card on the turn. Also, the gut-shot straight draw gives me three extra outs, which makes me about a coin flip to win this hand if villain has something like K-Q or Q-9. I'm not even a huge underdog if villain has Q-T for two pair.
Turn:
8♠
SB bets [240]
Hero calls [240]
Potsize: 840
Same deal here. The three jacks make this an OK call, I think.
River:
2♣
SB bets [840]
Hero raises to 1,520, and is all in
No idea why the SB bet here. The third flush card hit, and he's only getting called if he's beat. He ended up folding and leaving himself 240 in chips, which means he knew he was beat. But he could have figured that out without risking so many chips. If he had checked, I probably would have bet about 500. He could have check-called the river and been ahead of where he ended up.
Would love to hear some opinions on how I played this hand:
Stacks:
MP1 with 1715
MP2 with 1255
CO with 2295
BTN with 1565
SB with 1500
BB with 1940
UTG with 3230
Blinds: 30-60
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BB:K♣ 9♣
Preflop:
5 players fold.
SB calls [30]
Hero checks
Total folds this street: 5
Potsize: 120
Flop:
10♦ Q♣ 4♣
SB bets [120]
Hero calls [120]
Potsize: 360
I'm not quite getting odds to chase the flush, but I thought I might have earned a free card on the turn. Also, the gut-shot straight draw gives me three extra outs, which makes me about a coin flip to win this hand if villain has something like K-Q or Q-9. I'm not even a huge underdog if villain has Q-T for two pair.
Turn:
8♠
SB bets [240]
Hero calls [240]
Potsize: 840
Same deal here. The three jacks make this an OK call, I think.
River:
2♣
SB bets [840]
Hero raises to 1,520, and is all in
No idea why the SB bet here. The third flush card hit, and he's only getting called if he's beat. He ended up folding and leaving himself 240 in chips, which means he knew he was beat. But he could have figured that out without risking so many chips. If he had checked, I probably would have bet about 500. He could have check-called the river and been ahead of where he ended up.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Another problem solved — I think
Another major hole has made its way into my online game.
In the past, I played tight-aggressive ABC poker online. It's a solid way to punish the numerous horrid players who populate low-stakes games. But sometime in the past month or so, I've changed.
I've started to speculate a lot more, playing suited connectors and one-gappers, as well as other hands I would have folded in the past.
Now, there's nothing wrong with that for the most part. To be honest, I think I've become a better poker player by expanding the hands I'll see a flop with. It's just that online, where the blinds move up fast and the starting stacks are small, that strategy doesn't work as well.
So I'm going back to being tight. So far, so good. After starting April on an unbelievably bad 0-for-14 streak, I finished second in an $11, 45-player SNG for more than $100.
In the past, I played tight-aggressive ABC poker online. It's a solid way to punish the numerous horrid players who populate low-stakes games. But sometime in the past month or so, I've changed.
I've started to speculate a lot more, playing suited connectors and one-gappers, as well as other hands I would have folded in the past.
Now, there's nothing wrong with that for the most part. To be honest, I think I've become a better poker player by expanding the hands I'll see a flop with. It's just that online, where the blinds move up fast and the starting stacks are small, that strategy doesn't work as well.
So I'm going back to being tight. So far, so good. After starting April on an unbelievably bad 0-for-14 streak, I finished second in an $11, 45-player SNG for more than $100.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Looking for answers
Stress makes for bad poker playing. No doubt about it.
I've learned that the hard way. After my bankroll grew consistently for three or four months, it has absolutely flat-lined over the past six weeks or so. Not surprisingly, I have been going through some life-changing stuff at work for the past six weeks or so. Clearly, my head is not clear.
But I think I have identified two major leaks in my game:
— I don't believe anyone.
When people start betting back at me, I have been looking for any reason possible to doubt them.
You made a big bet? You must be bluffing. Your icon is a clown, a boxer or a ninja dude? You're automatically loose-aggressive bordering on a maniac.
Last night was a good example. I was second in chips with 11 people remaining in an 18-person SNG. The big stack (a ninja, for the record) min-raised in early position. I called his raise with AT offsuit in position. Another guy tagged along for the flop.
Now, I don't remember exactly how it came down, but I ended up going broke after flopping second pair. The board came J-T-x, and I ended up all-in on the turn. Guy turned over T-T for a flopped set.
Two months ago, I wouldn't have lost a chip on this hand. And I was in great shape to cash. But for some reason, I lost my mind. And it's not the first time it's happened lately.
— I'm racing too often.
All too often, I've ended up all-in preflop with a hand like AT vs. a guy with KJ. Of course, people are morons for getting it in with KJ offsuit early in a tournament. But if you get all your chips in in a 55-45 or 60-40 advantage two or three times in a tournament — as I have been doing — you're going to flame out.
I need to mellow out preflop. Be more patient. Take a deep breath.
I will. And I will. And I will. And when I do, I expect that the bankroll will start climbing again.
Current bankroll: $1,260
OPR ranking: 98.09.
I've learned that the hard way. After my bankroll grew consistently for three or four months, it has absolutely flat-lined over the past six weeks or so. Not surprisingly, I have been going through some life-changing stuff at work for the past six weeks or so. Clearly, my head is not clear.
But I think I have identified two major leaks in my game:
— I don't believe anyone.
When people start betting back at me, I have been looking for any reason possible to doubt them.
You made a big bet? You must be bluffing. Your icon is a clown, a boxer or a ninja dude? You're automatically loose-aggressive bordering on a maniac.
Last night was a good example. I was second in chips with 11 people remaining in an 18-person SNG. The big stack (a ninja, for the record) min-raised in early position. I called his raise with AT offsuit in position. Another guy tagged along for the flop.
Now, I don't remember exactly how it came down, but I ended up going broke after flopping second pair. The board came J-T-x, and I ended up all-in on the turn. Guy turned over T-T for a flopped set.
Two months ago, I wouldn't have lost a chip on this hand. And I was in great shape to cash. But for some reason, I lost my mind. And it's not the first time it's happened lately.
— I'm racing too often.
All too often, I've ended up all-in preflop with a hand like AT vs. a guy with KJ. Of course, people are morons for getting it in with KJ offsuit early in a tournament. But if you get all your chips in in a 55-45 or 60-40 advantage two or three times in a tournament — as I have been doing — you're going to flame out.
I need to mellow out preflop. Be more patient. Take a deep breath.
I will. And I will. And I will. And when I do, I expect that the bankroll will start climbing again.
Current bankroll: $1,260
OPR ranking: 98.09.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Stupid call? Likely. Good result? Sure.
Still not sure whether I played this hand well, but I think I miscalculated the math at the time and counted all the chips villain shoved in and not just the chips I could win since he had me covered. Regardless, I don't generally shove all my chips in with a hand like this:
Stacks:
BB with 1570
UTG with 4650
UTG+1 with 1300
MP1 with 1955
MP2 with 2525
MP3 with 3345
CO with 1010
BTN with 2625
SB with 2235
Poker Forum
Blinds:
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BB: J♣ K♥
Sklansky group 5
Preflop:
2 players fold.
MP1 calls [100]
Hero checks
5 players folded.
Total folds this street: 7
Potsize: 250
Flop:
3♦ 9♠ 10♣
Hero bets [200]
5 players fold.
MP1 raises to 1,855, and is all in
So there's in essence about 1,850 in the pot (250 preflop, plus my 200 and his 200, plus the 1,200 I have left), so I I'm getting 3-to-2 odds. Am I better than 40 percent to win?
If he has one pair, which I decided he did, then I am close. (If he had two pair or a set, I don't think he shoves.) That likely gives me wins with a jack, a king or a queen for a straight. Odds calculators say I'm about 38.5 percent to win, which makes this a borderline call at best.
But I think I counted the extra 600 that he had pushed in when I did my calculations, which led me to call. Still, even if I had a shot at those extra chips, this was for my tournament life. Should have folded.
In the end, I hit a jack on the turn and a king on the river for two pair and a double up. Didn't matter. Slump continued with another middle-of-the-pack finish.
Current bankroll: $1,261
OPR ranking: 98.41
Stacks:
BB with 1570
UTG with 4650
UTG+1 with 1300
MP1 with 1955
MP2 with 2525
MP3 with 3345
CO with 1010
BTN with 2625
SB with 2235
Poker Forum
Blinds:
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BB: J♣ K♥
Sklansky group 5
Preflop:
2 players fold.
MP1 calls [100]
Hero checks
5 players folded.
Total folds this street: 7
Potsize: 250
Flop:
3♦ 9♠ 10♣
Hero bets [200]
5 players fold.
MP1 raises to 1,855, and is all in
So there's in essence about 1,850 in the pot (250 preflop, plus my 200 and his 200, plus the 1,200 I have left), so I I'm getting 3-to-2 odds. Am I better than 40 percent to win?
If he has one pair, which I decided he did, then I am close. (If he had two pair or a set, I don't think he shoves.) That likely gives me wins with a jack, a king or a queen for a straight. Odds calculators say I'm about 38.5 percent to win, which makes this a borderline call at best.
But I think I counted the extra 600 that he had pushed in when I did my calculations, which led me to call. Still, even if I had a shot at those extra chips, this was for my tournament life. Should have folded.
In the end, I hit a jack on the turn and a king on the river for two pair and a double up. Didn't matter. Slump continued with another middle-of-the-pack finish.
Current bankroll: $1,261
OPR ranking: 98.41
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Breaking even
Not much movement in the online balance for the past month, which is a change from the previous two months or so, when my bankroll skyrocketed. Lots of reasons:
— Took most of a week off while playing live poker and getting ready to go to Vegas.
— Took a week off while in Vegas.
— Played not so great on my return from Vegas.
— Spent one night taking the worst run of bad beats in my life. Lost the following hands, all of them all-in before the flop. (Didn't get run down trying to slowplay people.)
AQ vs. AT: Villain rivered a straight.
AK vs. JT: This was the very next hand from the one listed above. Villain rivered a straight.
KK vs. TT: Villain rivered a ten.
QQ vs. 56s: Villain raised and then called my shove because he was committed. Ran me down.
TT vs. AT: Villain turned a straight.
AK vs. AA: OK, so I had the worst of this one. But it's wonderful when you're shortstacked and an opponent wakes up with AA at a shorthanded table.
Oddly enough, I ended up ahead for this night. Finished fourth and first in the last two tournaments I played.
Current bankroll: $1,288.
OPR ranking: 98.45.
— Took most of a week off while playing live poker and getting ready to go to Vegas.
— Took a week off while in Vegas.
— Played not so great on my return from Vegas.
— Spent one night taking the worst run of bad beats in my life. Lost the following hands, all of them all-in before the flop. (Didn't get run down trying to slowplay people.)
AQ vs. AT: Villain rivered a straight.
AK vs. JT: This was the very next hand from the one listed above. Villain rivered a straight.
KK vs. TT: Villain rivered a ten.
QQ vs. 56s: Villain raised and then called my shove because he was committed. Ran me down.
TT vs. AT: Villain turned a straight.
AK vs. AA: OK, so I had the worst of this one. But it's wonderful when you're shortstacked and an opponent wakes up with AA at a shorthanded table.
Oddly enough, I ended up ahead for this night. Finished fourth and first in the last two tournaments I played.
Current bankroll: $1,288.
OPR ranking: 98.45.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Crunching the numbers
While playing in a 45-player, $26 SNG the other night, I took a moment to study my numbers on officialpokerrankings.com. After clicking a few buttons and sorting my stats several different ways, I realized I was 0-for-7 in $26 tournaments.
A few minutes later I was 0-for-8.
Since I was barely bankrolled for $26 tournaments, it seemed like a good indication that I should take a step back, so I dropped down to the $11 level and scored a good cash right away. (I would have preferred to drop to $22, but those don't seem to fill up very often.)
I'll do my best to kill the $11 SNGs for a while before moving up again.
A few minutes later I was 0-for-8.
Since I was barely bankrolled for $26 tournaments, it seemed like a good indication that I should take a step back, so I dropped down to the $11 level and scored a good cash right away. (I would have preferred to drop to $22, but those don't seem to fill up very often.)
I'll do my best to kill the $11 SNGs for a while before moving up again.
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