Monday, September 21, 2009
We're moving. Yes, all three of us.
"From 50 bucks to 50K" is being retooled. It will take a while, but the new site will be located at: askthefish.org — so please bookmark the new site and head there from now on.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Heads up in 45-player SNG
Heads-up in a 45-player, $11 SNG. First place is $171. Second is $112.50.
Stacks:
Hero with 38170
Villain with 29330
Blinds: 600-1,200
Dealt to SB:6♥ 6♣
Preflop: Hero calls [600]
Villain was aggressive, so my plan was to flat call and then re-raise or possibly even shove preflop. I was more than happy to get it in preflop with a pair. But I really thought he would raise then fold to a reraise.
BB checks
Potsize: 2,400
Surprise! Villain checked. Messed up my plan a bit, but whatever.
Flop: 3♠ 7♦ 3♣
BB checks
Hero bets [1,200]
BB raises to 2,400
Hero calls [1,200]
Potsize: 7,200
I thought my hand was probably good. I made a weak bet hoping for a raise. When he min-raised, I altered from my plan of re-re-raising and just flat-called.
Turn: A♦
BB checks
Hero bets [3,600]
BB calls [3,600]
Potsize: 14,400
I don't think the ace helped him. If he had an ace, we would have got it all-in preflop. But this guy keeps checking to me and then calling, which is showing some strength. I'm starting to wonder whether I'm behind.
River: 6♦
Well, maybe I was behind.
BB checks
Hero bets [8,400]
BB raises to 22,130, and is all in
Hero calls [13,730]
Results:
BB shows : 4♥ 3♦
Hero shows : 6♥ 6♣
Villain shows trip threes.
Hero wins the pot (58,660) with a full house, Sixes full of Threes
At this point, Villain and a friend of his, who were observing, started spewing, telling me how stupid I was, yappity, yappity yap. But this guy slowplayed his way to oblivion He check-called the turn when a second diamond hit, then re-raise shoved the river when the third one came.
I checked his numbers online, and he's rolled through about $1,200 online while I'm up to almost $1,900 now, so I guess the numbers tell the story.
Stacks:
Hero with 38170
Villain with 29330
Blinds: 600-1,200
Dealt to SB:6♥ 6♣
Preflop: Hero calls [600]
Villain was aggressive, so my plan was to flat call and then re-raise or possibly even shove preflop. I was more than happy to get it in preflop with a pair. But I really thought he would raise then fold to a reraise.
BB checks
Potsize: 2,400
Surprise! Villain checked. Messed up my plan a bit, but whatever.
Flop: 3♠ 7♦ 3♣
BB checks
Hero bets [1,200]
BB raises to 2,400
Hero calls [1,200]
Potsize: 7,200
I thought my hand was probably good. I made a weak bet hoping for a raise. When he min-raised, I altered from my plan of re-re-raising and just flat-called.
Turn: A♦
BB checks
Hero bets [3,600]
BB calls [3,600]
Potsize: 14,400
I don't think the ace helped him. If he had an ace, we would have got it all-in preflop. But this guy keeps checking to me and then calling, which is showing some strength. I'm starting to wonder whether I'm behind.
River: 6♦
Well, maybe I was behind.
BB checks
Hero bets [8,400]
BB raises to 22,130, and is all in
Hero calls [13,730]
Results:
BB shows : 4♥ 3♦
Hero shows : 6♥ 6♣
Villain shows trip threes.
Hero wins the pot (58,660) with a full house, Sixes full of Threes
At this point, Villain and a friend of his, who were observing, started spewing, telling me how stupid I was, yappity, yappity yap. But this guy slowplayed his way to oblivion He check-called the turn when a second diamond hit, then re-raise shoved the river when the third one came.
I checked his numbers online, and he's rolled through about $1,200 online while I'm up to almost $1,900 now, so I guess the numbers tell the story.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Aces cracked
Can I get away from this? Put the guy on AK for some reason, which seems odd since I had two aces.
Stacks:
UTG with $39.60
UTG+1 with $75.95
MP1 with $95.25
MP2 with $49.45
Villain with $50.00
BTN with $71.05
SB with $49.50
BB with $10.35
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to UTG+1:A♣ A♦
Preflop:
UTG calls [$0.50]
UTG+1 raises to $2
2 players fold.
Villain calls [$2]
4 players folded.
Total folds this street: 6
Potsize: $5.25
Flop: K♥ 5♦ J♣
UTG+1 bets [$3]
4 players fold.
Villain raises to $8
UTG+1 calls [$5]
Potsize: $21.25
Turn: 6♠
UTG+1 checks
Villain bets [$13]
UTG+1 raises to $40
Villain calls [$27] [ all-in ]
UTG+1 shows : A♣ A♦
Villain shows : 5♠ 5♣
Potsize: $101.25
River: 2♦
UTG+1 shows a pair of Aces
Villain shows three of a kind, Fives
Villain wins the pot ($98.25) with three of a kind, Fives
Stacks:
UTG with $39.60
UTG+1 with $75.95
MP1 with $95.25
MP2 with $49.45
Villain with $50.00
BTN with $71.05
SB with $49.50
BB with $10.35
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to UTG+1:A♣ A♦
Preflop:
UTG calls [$0.50]
UTG+1 raises to $2
2 players fold.
Villain calls [$2]
4 players folded.
Total folds this street: 6
Potsize: $5.25
Flop: K♥ 5♦ J♣
UTG+1 bets [$3]
4 players fold.
Villain raises to $8
UTG+1 calls [$5]
Potsize: $21.25
Turn: 6♠
UTG+1 checks
Villain bets [$13]
UTG+1 raises to $40
Villain calls [$27] [ all-in ]
UTG+1 shows : A♣ A♦
Villain shows : 5♠ 5♣
Potsize: $101.25
River: 2♦
UTG+1 shows a pair of Aces
Villain shows three of a kind, Fives
Villain wins the pot ($98.25) with three of a kind, Fives
Three blind bluffs
Thoughts, please.
Stacks:
exm0nstr with $42.85
BTN with $55.85
SB with $72.65
BB with $45.55
UTG with $10.00
UTG+1 with $60.00
MP1 with $70.50
MP2 with $50.35
MP3 with $7.10
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BTN:T♠ K♠
Preflop:
1 players fold.
MP1 raises to $2
MP2 calls [$2]
2 players fold.
Hero calls [$2]
2 players folded.
Total folds this street: 5
Potsize: $6.75
Two calls. On button. Hand that can be totally dominated. Sure, I'll call.
Flop: 7♣ 5♦ 6♦
MP1 checks
MP2 checks
Two checks. In position. Sure, I'll take a shot at the pot.
Hero bets [$4]
MP1 calls [$4]
MP2 calls [$4]
Potsize: $18.75
Turn: Q♥
MP1 checks
MP2 checks
Two checks. In position. I can't fire again. Can I? Pot's pretty big. I'll take another shot.
Hero bets [$10]
MP1 calls [$10]
MP2 calls [$10]
Potsize: $48.75
River: 2♣
MP1 checks
MP2 checks
If one of these guys had a monster, they would have bet here, right? Two checks. I'll fire again. What other choice do I have?
Hero bets [$11]
2 players fold.
Uncalled bet of $11 returned to Hero Hero wins the pot ($46.35)
Uh. OK.
Stacks:
exm0nstr with $42.85
BTN with $55.85
SB with $72.65
BB with $45.55
UTG with $10.00
UTG+1 with $60.00
MP1 with $70.50
MP2 with $50.35
MP3 with $7.10
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BTN:T♠ K♠
Preflop:
1 players fold.
MP1 raises to $2
MP2 calls [$2]
2 players fold.
Hero calls [$2]
2 players folded.
Total folds this street: 5
Potsize: $6.75
Two calls. On button. Hand that can be totally dominated. Sure, I'll call.
Flop: 7♣ 5♦ 6♦
MP1 checks
MP2 checks
Two checks. In position. Sure, I'll take a shot at the pot.
Hero bets [$4]
MP1 calls [$4]
MP2 calls [$4]
Potsize: $18.75
Turn: Q♥
MP1 checks
MP2 checks
Two checks. In position. I can't fire again. Can I? Pot's pretty big. I'll take another shot.
Hero bets [$10]
MP1 calls [$10]
MP2 calls [$10]
Potsize: $48.75
River: 2♣
MP1 checks
MP2 checks
If one of these guys had a monster, they would have bet here, right? Two checks. I'll fire again. What other choice do I have?
Hero bets [$11]
2 players fold.
Uncalled bet of $11 returned to Hero Hero wins the pot ($46.35)
Uh. OK.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Interesting hand from 10-25 cash game
I have been playing a little bit of cash online and thought this was an interesting hand.
I question whether I should call three big bets in this case since the SB could easily have a 7. But after the fact, it is clear he played it even worse than I did. I mean, I could have easily had a 7 in the BB, and he probably should have slowed down a bit after firing the first two bets.
Tell me what you think.
Stacks:
UTG with $29.26
UTG+1 with $26.63
MP1 with $23.70
MP2 with $24.50
MP3 with $99.73
CO with $39.22
BTN with $25.00
SB with $41.55
BB with $50.01
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BB:A♠ T♣
Preflop:
5 players fold.
CO raises to $0.75
BTN calls [$0.75]
SB calls [$0.65]
Hero calls [$0.50]
Total folds this street: 5
Potsize: $3
I hate my hand here. ATo is easily crushed. But I can't see any other way to play this properly than to call.
Flop:
A♦ 7♠ 7♥
SB bets [$3]
Hero calls [$3]
2 players folded.
Total folds this street: 2
Potsize: $9
A pot-sized bet into this flop does not smell like a 7 at all, so I call, planning to fold if the SB shows a lot of strength on the turn.
Turn:
10♦
SB bets [$9]
2 players fold.
Hero calls [$9]
Potsize: $27
This is either the worst card or the best card in the deck for me. If he's playing AQ or AJ, it's great. If he's playing 87, the T just got me deeper into a hand I pondered dumping.
River:
5♣
SB bets [$27]
Hero calls [$27]
This $27 bet only makes sense if he played a hand like 87 preflop. But it just doesn't add up. Still thinking that a guy who flopped trips would not have fired on the flop, I call this and pray.
Results:
SB shows :
A♣ K♦
Hero shows :
A♠ 10♣ Hero wins the pot ($78) with two pair, Aces and Tens
I question whether I should call three big bets in this case since the SB could easily have a 7. But after the fact, it is clear he played it even worse than I did. I mean, I could have easily had a 7 in the BB, and he probably should have slowed down a bit after firing the first two bets.
Tell me what you think.
Stacks:
UTG with $29.26
UTG+1 with $26.63
MP1 with $23.70
MP2 with $24.50
MP3 with $99.73
CO with $39.22
BTN with $25.00
SB with $41.55
BB with $50.01
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BB:A♠ T♣
Preflop:
5 players fold.
CO raises to $0.75
BTN calls [$0.75]
SB calls [$0.65]
Hero calls [$0.50]
Total folds this street: 5
Potsize: $3
I hate my hand here. ATo is easily crushed. But I can't see any other way to play this properly than to call.
Flop:
A♦ 7♠ 7♥
SB bets [$3]
Hero calls [$3]
2 players folded.
Total folds this street: 2
Potsize: $9
A pot-sized bet into this flop does not smell like a 7 at all, so I call, planning to fold if the SB shows a lot of strength on the turn.
Turn:
10♦
SB bets [$9]
2 players fold.
Hero calls [$9]
Potsize: $27
This is either the worst card or the best card in the deck for me. If he's playing AQ or AJ, it's great. If he's playing 87, the T just got me deeper into a hand I pondered dumping.
River:
5♣
SB bets [$27]
Hero calls [$27]
This $27 bet only makes sense if he played a hand like 87 preflop. But it just doesn't add up. Still thinking that a guy who flopped trips would not have fired on the flop, I call this and pray.
Results:
SB shows :
A♣ K♦
Hero shows :
A♠ 10♣ Hero wins the pot ($78) with two pair, Aces and Tens
KJs is brutal
Is two months too long to find out what hand costs me more money than any other? Mentioned it in June and then never revisited the issue.
The worst hand: KJ suited. And it's not even close.
According to Poker Copilot, KJ suited costs me twice as much per time it's dealt to me than the second-worst hand, which is ... I have no idea. I'm having some computer issues, and Poker Copilot might be one of the issues. I'll look into it and try to report back at some point.
Still, a quick view at the stats has helped me plug a leak. I look at KJs a lot differently than I used to. It goes in the muck a lot more than it used to, even though I don't remember playing it very often in the past. I just think that, when I did play it and did hit it, it ended up costing me a lot of money.
It doesn't mean I've tightened up even more. It just means I've replaced hands like KJs with more suited connectors, suited one-gappers, etc. It's probably way past time for me to open it up a bit anyway.
The worst hand: KJ suited. And it's not even close.
According to Poker Copilot, KJ suited costs me twice as much per time it's dealt to me than the second-worst hand, which is ... I have no idea. I'm having some computer issues, and Poker Copilot might be one of the issues. I'll look into it and try to report back at some point.
Still, a quick view at the stats has helped me plug a leak. I look at KJs a lot differently than I used to. It goes in the muck a lot more than it used to, even though I don't remember playing it very often in the past. I just think that, when I did play it and did hit it, it ended up costing me a lot of money.
It doesn't mean I've tightened up even more. It just means I've replaced hands like KJs with more suited connectors, suited one-gappers, etc. It's probably way past time for me to open it up a bit anyway.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Some good results
The poker gods are screwing with me again.
Just when I was ready to log off for an extended period, a few good things happened:
— I cashed for $100 in $10 tournaments twice in three days.
— Sharkscope upgraded me to "shark" status for the first time.
— Full Tilt sent me $100. (Apparently a player I referred went on a poker binge and earned me $100.)
I crossed the $1,600 mark for the first time. (Thanks in part, of course, to the extra $100.)
Just when I was ready to log off for an extended period, a few good things happened:
— I cashed for $100 in $10 tournaments twice in three days.
— Sharkscope upgraded me to "shark" status for the first time.
— Full Tilt sent me $100. (Apparently a player I referred went on a poker binge and earned me $100.)
I crossed the $1,600 mark for the first time. (Thanks in part, of course, to the extra $100.)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Cool features on Poker Copilot
When I finally got the full-fledged version of Poker Copilot, I thought it would start tracking my results from that point. Little did I know, it would analyze every hand I've ever played since the hand histories are still tucked neatly somewhere on my hard drive. Cool.
One cool feature is that you can sort your starting hands in order from best to worst results. It ranks every possible hand based on average number of big blinds won when you are dealt that starting hand. My top 10 best hands make sense for the most part:
1. AA
2. AKs
3. KK
4. QQ
5. AKo
6. JJ
7. TT
8. ATs
9. 55
10. AJo
Makes almost complete sense until No. 8. Any guesses for the worst hand? The one that I have, on average, lost the most with when it has been dealt to me? Take a guess and then I'll post my worst 10 later. (And if you don't take a stab soon, you'll have to wait. Probably won't blog for a week or so over the Fourth.)
One cool feature is that you can sort your starting hands in order from best to worst results. It ranks every possible hand based on average number of big blinds won when you are dealt that starting hand. My top 10 best hands make sense for the most part:
1. AA
2. AKs
3. KK
4. QQ
5. AKo
6. JJ
7. TT
8. ATs
9. 55
10. AJo
Makes almost complete sense until No. 8. Any guesses for the worst hand? The one that I have, on average, lost the most with when it has been dealt to me? Take a guess and then I'll post my worst 10 later. (And if you don't take a stab soon, you'll have to wait. Probably won't blog for a week or so over the Fourth.)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Cash in. Lots of cash out.
Took a break from the SNG world and played a cash game. I usually play stupid-low stakes, but I decided to buy in for $50 in the loosest 25-50 cent game I could find.
Turned $50 into $195 in about an hour. Played 60 hands and had aces two times, kings, jacks, tens and nines.
Check out this hand. No idea what the guy was thinking here:
Dealt to Hero:K♣ K♠
Preflop:
3 players fold.
Hero raises to $1.50
1 players fold.
Somedude calls [$1.50]
Villain raises to $97.65, and is all in
Now, I don't know where you're from, but raising from $1.50 to $97.65 is not something I'm used to seeing. And anyone who knows me KNOWS I don't want to risk almost $90 on any one hand. But I have freakin' kings. So ...
1 players fold.
Hero calls [$83.40] [ all-in ]
Villain shows : Q♥ Q♣
Hero shows : K♣ K♠
Flop: 2♦ A♣ J♥
Turn: 8♥
River: 5♦ Villain shows a pair of Queens
Hero shows a pair of Kings
Hero wins the pot ($168.80) with a pair of Kings
Turned $50 into $195 in about an hour. Played 60 hands and had aces two times, kings, jacks, tens and nines.
Check out this hand. No idea what the guy was thinking here:
Dealt to Hero:K♣ K♠
Preflop:
3 players fold.
Hero raises to $1.50
1 players fold.
Somedude calls [$1.50]
Villain raises to $97.65, and is all in
Now, I don't know where you're from, but raising from $1.50 to $97.65 is not something I'm used to seeing. And anyone who knows me KNOWS I don't want to risk almost $90 on any one hand. But I have freakin' kings. So ...
1 players fold.
Hero calls [$83.40] [ all-in ]
Villain shows : Q♥ Q♣
Hero shows : K♣ K♠
Flop: 2♦ A♣ J♥
Turn: 8♥
River: 5♦ Villain shows a pair of Queens
Hero shows a pair of Kings
Hero wins the pot ($168.80) with a pair of Kings
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Bad Beat Week
The week of bad beats continues:
Tonight: 45-player SNG, $11, pays six. With eight left, I raise under the gun with kings. Big blind calls. Flop comes queen high. BB bets, I shove, he calls and rolls over Q9. Turn is 9. I'm out two spots short of the money (and would have been third in chips).
Last night: 45-player SNG, $11, pays six. Went out shortstacked shoving from button with A4 (BB had AQ). But lost a huge pot when I got all in with QQ vs. AQ. Rivered with an ace.
A few nights earlier: Put $10 into a mini-stakes cash game. Got it all in on the flop with KK vs. 74 (yes, 74 ... and I didn't slow play) after the guy flopped a four. Turn is harmless. River is a 4. Pot was $31.
There have been more, but I can't find all the hand histories. It all started in that tournament where I finished fifth of 313 after getting it in on the turn against the chip leader as an 87-13 favorite and then getting rivered.
The poker gods hate me. But they always seem to change their minds eventually.
Tonight: 45-player SNG, $11, pays six. With eight left, I raise under the gun with kings. Big blind calls. Flop comes queen high. BB bets, I shove, he calls and rolls over Q9. Turn is 9. I'm out two spots short of the money (and would have been third in chips).
Last night: 45-player SNG, $11, pays six. Went out shortstacked shoving from button with A4 (BB had AQ). But lost a huge pot when I got all in with QQ vs. AQ. Rivered with an ace.
A few nights earlier: Put $10 into a mini-stakes cash game. Got it all in on the flop with KK vs. 74 (yes, 74 ... and I didn't slow play) after the guy flopped a four. Turn is harmless. River is a 4. Pot was $31.
There have been more, but I can't find all the hand histories. It all started in that tournament where I finished fifth of 313 after getting it in on the turn against the chip leader as an 87-13 favorite and then getting rivered.
The poker gods hate me. But they always seem to change their minds eventually.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sweet poker tracker for Mac
For those of you Mac owners looking to crunch your opponents' numbers while playing online, check out Poker Copilot.
The program can be downloaded at www.pokercopilot.com for $50 — and it's well worth the investment. I used it on a 30-day trial period and plan to get myself a copy in the very near future.
Of course, the program won't win money for you on its own, but it's helpful when you face decisions. It can back up some impressions you have of other players with solid numbers, which can make your decisions easier to make.
If you play for any kind of stakes at all, you'll more than make your $50 back in a short time.
There seems to be a ton of these types of programs for PCs, but this is the only one I've stumbled across for Mac users. Check it out.
The program can be downloaded at www.pokercopilot.com for $50 — and it's well worth the investment. I used it on a 30-day trial period and plan to get myself a copy in the very near future.
Of course, the program won't win money for you on its own, but it's helpful when you face decisions. It can back up some impressions you have of other players with solid numbers, which can make your decisions easier to make.
If you play for any kind of stakes at all, you'll more than make your $50 back in a short time.
There seems to be a ton of these types of programs for PCs, but this is the only one I've stumbled across for Mac users. Check it out.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Miss me?
If anyone is still bothering to log in, I apologize for my recent absence. Not only have I been frustrated with my online poker performance, I've been swamped.
But I jumped back in Saturday night with a $26 and an $11 with huge fields. In the $11, which featured about 320 players, I finished fifth for $219, my biggest online tournament cash.
But it could have been better. This hand would have basically put me in a three-way tie for first with first place paying $800. Made a great call on the turn, and the guy hit a six-outer (87-13 underdog) to knock me out.
Here it is:
Stacks:
BB with 99898
UTG with 113715
MP with 56489
BTN with 48402
SB with 150996
Blinds: 2,000-4,000 with ante (250 each I think)
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BTN:9♥ T♣
Preflop:
2 players fold.
Hero raises to 10,000
SB calls [8,000]
1 players folded.
Total folds this street: 3
Potsize: 18006
Just trying to steal. Had played extra tight for a while, so I thought I'd get away with it. Looking at his hand, the SB should have either shoved or folded. Don't like the flat call at all.
Flop: 6♠ 3♣ 3♦
SB checks Hero bets [10,000]
1 players fold.
SB calls [10,000]
Potsize: 28016
Now I'm in deep, and I start to fear he has a hand. Again, in hindsight, he made the worst move possible. If he bets, I likely fold. If he's going to call, he should just shove since my bet looks like what it was, a continuation bet.
Turn: 9♠
SB bets [130,496, and is all in] Hero calls [27,902] [ all-in ]
I hate calling with top pair, crappy kicker, but I'm in deep. And his bet looked like a massive bluff. It's all the same if he bets 130,000 instead of 28,000, but the fact that he put all of his chips in, and the fact that he snap-shoved as soon as it was his turn to act, smelled weak. And it was. I made a great call, I think.
SB shows : J♠ K♣ Hero shows : 9♥ 10♣
Uncalled bet of 102,594 returned to SB
Potsize: 102,304
He has six outs, three jacks and three kings. And:
River: J♥
But I jumped back in Saturday night with a $26 and an $11 with huge fields. In the $11, which featured about 320 players, I finished fifth for $219, my biggest online tournament cash.
But it could have been better. This hand would have basically put me in a three-way tie for first with first place paying $800. Made a great call on the turn, and the guy hit a six-outer (87-13 underdog) to knock me out.
Here it is:
Stacks:
BB with 99898
UTG with 113715
MP with 56489
BTN with 48402
SB with 150996
Blinds: 2,000-4,000 with ante (250 each I think)
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to BTN:9♥ T♣
Preflop:
2 players fold.
Hero raises to 10,000
SB calls [8,000]
1 players folded.
Total folds this street: 3
Potsize: 18006
Just trying to steal. Had played extra tight for a while, so I thought I'd get away with it. Looking at his hand, the SB should have either shoved or folded. Don't like the flat call at all.
Flop: 6♠ 3♣ 3♦
SB checks Hero bets [10,000]
1 players fold.
SB calls [10,000]
Potsize: 28016
Now I'm in deep, and I start to fear he has a hand. Again, in hindsight, he made the worst move possible. If he bets, I likely fold. If he's going to call, he should just shove since my bet looks like what it was, a continuation bet.
Turn: 9♠
SB bets [130,496, and is all in] Hero calls [27,902] [ all-in ]
I hate calling with top pair, crappy kicker, but I'm in deep. And his bet looked like a massive bluff. It's all the same if he bets 130,000 instead of 28,000, but the fact that he put all of his chips in, and the fact that he snap-shoved as soon as it was his turn to act, smelled weak. And it was. I made a great call, I think.
SB shows : J♠ K♣ Hero shows : 9♥ 10♣
Uncalled bet of 102,594 returned to SB
Potsize: 102,304
He has six outs, three jacks and three kings. And:
River: J♥
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A waste of time or time for a change?
Clearly my original plan is not working. Doubling my bankroll and then doubling my buy-ins worked well when I made the jump from $2 SNGs to $5 SNGs, and it worked even better when I made a quick leap from $5s to $10s and beyond. But I've pretty much flat-lined, and I think I might be wasting my time.
Should I quit? Or just change?
An analysis of the numbers shows something interesting. When I play massive tournaments, I last a long time. The slower structure and the deeper chip stacks play to my strengths and reduce the luck factor. In 18 tournaments of 181-plus players — with an average field size thus far of 851 — I've cashed seven times.
To go a step further, I'm finishing in the top 30 percent of those tournaments 67 percent of the time and the top 10 percent an astounding 39 percent of the time.
So instead of grinding out a bunch of SNGs on a nightly basis, maybe I just need to reduce the number of nights I play and just play longer tournaments with better structures. My bankroll would probably not increase that much more on a weekly basis, but if I can finish in the top 10 percent 39 percent of the time, that means I'm going to score big at some point. Many of those tournaments pay thousands for first place.
Thoughts?
Should I quit? Or just change?
An analysis of the numbers shows something interesting. When I play massive tournaments, I last a long time. The slower structure and the deeper chip stacks play to my strengths and reduce the luck factor. In 18 tournaments of 181-plus players — with an average field size thus far of 851 — I've cashed seven times.
To go a step further, I'm finishing in the top 30 percent of those tournaments 67 percent of the time and the top 10 percent an astounding 39 percent of the time.
So instead of grinding out a bunch of SNGs on a nightly basis, maybe I just need to reduce the number of nights I play and just play longer tournaments with better structures. My bankroll would probably not increase that much more on a weekly basis, but if I can finish in the top 10 percent 39 percent of the time, that means I'm going to score big at some point. Many of those tournaments pay thousands for first place.
Thoughts?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
What's that?
First hand of a SNG, and I get dealt AK suited in the big blind.
Under the gun raises to 90. Dude in middle position shoves all-in for 1,500.
I have no idea what to make of this. The dude has the little mark next to his icon that indicates he plays a ton of poker. But that doesn't mean he's any good.
Besides, from my experience, people who know anything about poker don't shove all their chips in in response to a standard raise.
So I call. What the heck else am I supposed to do?
UTG folds, and the shove monkey rolls over AQ offsuit. Before the cards hit the board, some guy types in the chatbox.
"Retards"
Another guy types:
"Some people just can't play postflop"
Not sure, but calling a shove with AK suited might not be an awful play. And the shove didn't leave me much choice but to NOT play postflop.
The great thing is I checked both players on OPR. Both of them are losing money faster than a 5-year-old with a hole in his pocket.
Retards.
Under the gun raises to 90. Dude in middle position shoves all-in for 1,500.
I have no idea what to make of this. The dude has the little mark next to his icon that indicates he plays a ton of poker. But that doesn't mean he's any good.
Besides, from my experience, people who know anything about poker don't shove all their chips in in response to a standard raise.
So I call. What the heck else am I supposed to do?
UTG folds, and the shove monkey rolls over AQ offsuit. Before the cards hit the board, some guy types in the chatbox.
"Retards"
Another guy types:
"Some people just can't play postflop"
Not sure, but calling a shove with AK suited might not be an awful play. And the shove didn't leave me much choice but to NOT play postflop.
The great thing is I checked both players on OPR. Both of them are losing money faster than a 5-year-old with a hole in his pocket.
Retards.
Should have gone broke; ended up winning
This is what probably should have been the last hand in the tournament where I came back from 190 chips to win all 67,500. Let me know what you think of how I played this.
Blinds: 30-60
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to Hero:8♠ 5♠
1 player folds.
herejohnny calls [60]
lucky60 calls [60]
1 player folds.
killemall808 calls [60]
1 player folds.
There is now 270 in the pot (including 30 of mine) and I have 160 behind. I could wait for a few hands and try to get my last 160 in heads-up, but I think this is a great opportunity to shove.
No one has shown strength. The BB has a random hand and will likely fold. What I'm really hoping for is one caller, which would make the pot 560. That means I would be betting 160 to try to win a pot of 400 — which means I'm getting great odds unless someone has an overpair. And I'm not buying an overpair with three limps.
Hero raises to 190, and is all in
1 player folds.
herejohnny raises to 740, and is all in
2 players fold.
herejohnny shows: A♠ K♥
Hero shows: 8♠ 5♠
Got my wish. I am a 3-2 underdog, but I was getting 2 1/2 to 1 on my bet.
Flop: 8♥ J♠ 4♠
Uh. Wow. Not a bad flop for my trash hand, eh?
Turn: 6♠
River: 9♦ herejohnny shows Ace King high
Hero shows a flush, Jack high
Hero wins the pot (560) with a flush, Jack high
Of course, I still had a ton of work to do from here, but if I lose this hand I never see my first royal flush … or any money.
Current bankroll: $1,524 (first time over $1,500)
OPR ranking: 98.13
Blinds: 30-60
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to Hero:8♠ 5♠
1 player folds.
herejohnny calls [60]
lucky60 calls [60]
1 player folds.
killemall808 calls [60]
1 player folds.
There is now 270 in the pot (including 30 of mine) and I have 160 behind. I could wait for a few hands and try to get my last 160 in heads-up, but I think this is a great opportunity to shove.
No one has shown strength. The BB has a random hand and will likely fold. What I'm really hoping for is one caller, which would make the pot 560. That means I would be betting 160 to try to win a pot of 400 — which means I'm getting great odds unless someone has an overpair. And I'm not buying an overpair with three limps.
Hero raises to 190, and is all in
1 player folds.
herejohnny raises to 740, and is all in
2 players fold.
herejohnny shows: A♠ K♥
Hero shows: 8♠ 5♠
Got my wish. I am a 3-2 underdog, but I was getting 2 1/2 to 1 on my bet.
Flop: 8♥ J♠ 4♠
Uh. Wow. Not a bad flop for my trash hand, eh?
Turn: 6♠
River: 9♦ herejohnny shows Ace King high
Hero shows a flush, Jack high
Hero wins the pot (560) with a flush, Jack high
Of course, I still had a ton of work to do from here, but if I lose this hand I never see my first royal flush … or any money.
Current bankroll: $1,524 (first time over $1,500)
OPR ranking: 98.13
Monday, May 4, 2009
Best. Comeback. Ever
Twenty minutes into a 45-person, $11 SNG on Sunday night, I had 190 chips.
An hour later, I had 67,500.
Quite a comeback. First place was $171. That pushed my bankroll to a new record. In fact, if I hadn't transferred $10 to a friend to get him started online, my bankroll would be above $1,500 for the first time.
I will post the hand that started my comeback from the dead as soon as I can pull it out of the archives, but check out the best hand I've ever had — first one of these ever — right here:
Stacks:
UTG with 4048
UTG+1 with 905
MP1 with 2205
MP2 with 8631
CO with 1815
BTN with 3328
SB with 4615
BB with 3838
Blinds: 100-200
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to MP2:Q♠ K♠
Preflop:
3 players fold.
Hero raises to 400
3 players fold.
BB calls [200]
Potsize: 900
Can't remember why I min-raised. That's really strange of me. I never do that. There was a guy who would play any two cards and was really aggressive post-flop. If he was the big blind, I might have been trying to get heads up with him without building too big of a pot preflop. But I really can't remember.
Flop:
8♦ 10♠ J♠
BB checks
Hero bets [400]
BB calls [400]
Potsize: 1700
I think an open-ended flush draw with one out to the royal flush is probably a hand I should push hard. But it gets even better …
Turn:
A♠
BB checks
Hero checks
Potsize: 1700
No sense in betting. Although checking is probably suspicious.
River:
K♦
BB checks
Hero bets [600]
1 players fold.
Probably should have bet the turn. The king on the river might have killed my action, even if villain had two pair or a set.
Don't know. Maybe I could have played this better. Never had a royal flush before. I'll try to do better next time.
Current bankroll: $1,494
OPR ranking: 98.08
An hour later, I had 67,500.
Quite a comeback. First place was $171. That pushed my bankroll to a new record. In fact, if I hadn't transferred $10 to a friend to get him started online, my bankroll would be above $1,500 for the first time.
I will post the hand that started my comeback from the dead as soon as I can pull it out of the archives, but check out the best hand I've ever had — first one of these ever — right here:
Stacks:
UTG with 4048
UTG+1 with 905
MP1 with 2205
MP2 with 8631
CO with 1815
BTN with 3328
SB with 4615
BB with 3838
Blinds: 100-200
Site: Full Tilt Poker
Dealt to MP2:Q♠ K♠
Preflop:
3 players fold.
Hero raises to 400
3 players fold.
BB calls [200]
Potsize: 900
Can't remember why I min-raised. That's really strange of me. I never do that. There was a guy who would play any two cards and was really aggressive post-flop. If he was the big blind, I might have been trying to get heads up with him without building too big of a pot preflop. But I really can't remember.
Flop:
8♦ 10♠ J♠
BB checks
Hero bets [400]
BB calls [400]
Potsize: 1700
I think an open-ended flush draw with one out to the royal flush is probably a hand I should push hard. But it gets even better …
Turn:
A♠
BB checks
Hero checks
Potsize: 1700
No sense in betting. Although checking is probably suspicious.
River:
K♦
BB checks
Hero bets [600]
1 players fold.
Probably should have bet the turn. The king on the river might have killed my action, even if villain had two pair or a set.
Don't know. Maybe I could have played this better. Never had a royal flush before. I'll try to do better next time.
Current bankroll: $1,494
OPR ranking: 98.08
Friday, May 1, 2009
Feedback is nice
Wow. "From 50 bucks to 50K" is now the most popular blog at this Web address. Sweet.
A couple people are actually posting comments, which is really cool. I'll do my best to respond to some of them soon. Some back-and-forth would certainly make this more interesting.
While we're here, my past week or so summarized:
Lost $90 in a rare live cash game, then won $116 in the same game seven days later.
Had my first cash in a $26 SNG, which also is my biggest cash online by a dollar or so. Third place brought in $172.80, if I remember right. Actually had a monster stack four-handed before my trip sevens ran into a straight for about two-thirds of my stack.
Still struggled online. Can't seem to get on a roll at all.
Current bankroll: $1,348
OPR ranking: 97.76
A couple people are actually posting comments, which is really cool. I'll do my best to respond to some of them soon. Some back-and-forth would certainly make this more interesting.
While we're here, my past week or so summarized:
Lost $90 in a rare live cash game, then won $116 in the same game seven days later.
Had my first cash in a $26 SNG, which also is my biggest cash online by a dollar or so. Third place brought in $172.80, if I remember right. Actually had a monster stack four-handed before my trip sevens ran into a straight for about two-thirds of my stack.
Still struggled online. Can't seem to get on a roll at all.
Current bankroll: $1,348
OPR ranking: 97.76
Monday, April 27, 2009
Going broke … and OK with it
Sometimes you make the right decision and just get the wrong outcome.
In this hand, I had T♥ K♥ in the big blind and checked to see a flop four ways. Blinds were 60-120, so there was 480 in the pot and I had about 1,500.
Flop:
7♥ 2♥ 3♣
SB checks
Hero bets [120]
I bet 120 as a blocking bet, hoping players would call and not raise. If I don't bet here, someone might make a bigger bet, which would deny me odds to chase the flush. But ...
MP1 raises to 360
CO raises to 3,415, and is all in
1 players fold.
Insta-fold, right? I mean, do I want to put my tournament life at stake with this piece of trash.
The answer is yes, mainly because I'm certain that this will be a three-way pot.
These two are nuts. I put them on one crappy pair and figure I have 15 outs — nine hearts, three kings and three tens — to win. Against one player, this would be a bit of a loose — though probably mathematically correct — call.
But if I'm a favorite and I can basically triple up if I win, well, ship 'em.
Hero calls [1,260] [ all-in ]
MP1 calls [775] [ all-in ]
CO shows: 7♠ 6♠
Hero shows: 10♥ K♥
MP1 shows: 7♣ 8♥
Potsize: 6410
Turn: A♣
River: Q♣
I'm dead. Two morons are still alive. But that's OK. I made notes on both of them, and I plan on getting some chips back from them the next time we cross paths.
I ran the numbers on cardplayer.com, and I was exactly 50 percent after the flop. So I invested 1,260 more into a pot that had more than 4,000 in it. Calling off all of your chips with a draw is rarely a good idea. It was in this case.
In this hand, I had T♥ K♥ in the big blind and checked to see a flop four ways. Blinds were 60-120, so there was 480 in the pot and I had about 1,500.
Flop:
7♥ 2♥ 3♣
SB checks
Hero bets [120]
I bet 120 as a blocking bet, hoping players would call and not raise. If I don't bet here, someone might make a bigger bet, which would deny me odds to chase the flush. But ...
MP1 raises to 360
CO raises to 3,415, and is all in
1 players fold.
Insta-fold, right? I mean, do I want to put my tournament life at stake with this piece of trash.
The answer is yes, mainly because I'm certain that this will be a three-way pot.
These two are nuts. I put them on one crappy pair and figure I have 15 outs — nine hearts, three kings and three tens — to win. Against one player, this would be a bit of a loose — though probably mathematically correct — call.
But if I'm a favorite and I can basically triple up if I win, well, ship 'em.
Hero calls [1,260] [ all-in ]
MP1 calls [775] [ all-in ]
CO shows: 7♠ 6♠
Hero shows: 10♥ K♥
MP1 shows: 7♣ 8♥
Potsize: 6410
Turn: A♣
River: Q♣
I'm dead. Two morons are still alive. But that's OK. I made notes on both of them, and I plan on getting some chips back from them the next time we cross paths.
I ran the numbers on cardplayer.com, and I was exactly 50 percent after the flop. So I invested 1,260 more into a pot that had more than 4,000 in it. Calling off all of your chips with a draw is rarely a good idea. It was in this case.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
What are the odds?
It's been a long, bad week. Suckouts galore. But nothing more annoying than the following hand.
I was getting close to cashing in a 180-player, $8 tournament when the under-the gun player limped in. I've played with this guy plenty. Plays trash hands. Bets the pot or more when he misses, checks big hands. He is the most transparent player I've ever run into.
I see a flop with him with Q-7 offsuit, and the flop comes Q-Q-T. I check expecting him to make a pot-sized bet, which would basically put me all-in. He checks. Odd.
The turn is a 7, giving me a full house. I check again. He checks again. Really odd.
The river puts four clubs on the board. I shove all-in, assuming he'll either call me because it looks like a massive bluff or he'll call me if he has any — and I mean any — club. He insta-calls and rolls over Q-T for a bigger full house.
I think I need a week off.
I was getting close to cashing in a 180-player, $8 tournament when the under-the gun player limped in. I've played with this guy plenty. Plays trash hands. Bets the pot or more when he misses, checks big hands. He is the most transparent player I've ever run into.
I see a flop with him with Q-7 offsuit, and the flop comes Q-Q-T. I check expecting him to make a pot-sized bet, which would basically put me all-in. He checks. Odd.
The turn is a 7, giving me a full house. I check again. He checks again. Really odd.
The river puts four clubs on the board. I shove all-in, assuming he'll either call me because it looks like a massive bluff or he'll call me if he has any — and I mean any — club. He insta-calls and rolls over Q-T for a bigger full house.
I think I need a week off.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Yahoo No. 1
While playing online poker, I constantly try to monitor my opponents. I make notes on their play. I also regularly check their numbers on OPR, and it seems that every night I find something more surprising.
Sometimes it's someone who has played 300 tournaments and cashed three times. Sometimes it's someone who has played 15 tournaments in the last four hours. But one guy last night really set the bar high for craziness.
Yahoo No. 1 (not his real fake name) has cashed for $236,462. Almost a quarter million dollars in cashes.
Notice I didn't say in "earnings."
That's because while he has won $236,462, his profit is only $5,986.
I can think of a lot of ways to make $6,000, but probably the most time-consuming way is to play in more than 15,000 SNGs and tournaments.
That means he's making about 40 cents per SNG/tournament, which isn't a great rate.
Collecting cans in the park would be more lucrative.
Of course, if you multi-table, I guess … no, you still can't make any money this way. Although this guy takes multi-tabling to a new level. He played more than 2,200 SNGs and tournaments LAST MONTH.
I love poker, but Yahoo No. 1 needs to get a life.
Sometimes it's someone who has played 300 tournaments and cashed three times. Sometimes it's someone who has played 15 tournaments in the last four hours. But one guy last night really set the bar high for craziness.
Yahoo No. 1 (not his real fake name) has cashed for $236,462. Almost a quarter million dollars in cashes.
Notice I didn't say in "earnings."
That's because while he has won $236,462, his profit is only $5,986.
I can think of a lot of ways to make $6,000, but probably the most time-consuming way is to play in more than 15,000 SNGs and tournaments.
That means he's making about 40 cents per SNG/tournament, which isn't a great rate.
Collecting cans in the park would be more lucrative.
Of course, if you multi-table, I guess … no, you still can't make any money this way. Although this guy takes multi-tabling to a new level. He played more than 2,200 SNGs and tournaments LAST MONTH.
I love poker, but Yahoo No. 1 needs to get a life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)