tp's table talk

It’s hardly even worth posting about, but since I’ve given up on poker for the day, I decided to keep my promise and make a poker post. Immediately after my previous post I hopped on Empire to try to finish off unlocking my reload bonus. I needed 100 hands or so. Unfortunately, it looks like the DOS attacks are still playing havoc with the servers and I was only able to get 21 hands in before everyone at the table ended up disconnected. I tried to get into another game, but after five minutes with no success I decided to give up for the day.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much interesting in my -1BB session. A flush draw that backdoored into the nut straight won me a decent pot early, but I managed to throw most of it away trying to make some fancy plays. Why would I try to make any plays at .5/1? Beats me. Why would I think I’m even capable of making fancy plays at all? Hmmm…perhaps that’s a better question.

Hopefully the sites will be a litte more stable during the week.

Again tonight I only sat down at the tables briefly, but I had some decent cards that held up that I played for maximum value and managed to walk away from the table 17BB up after just half an hour, and it would have been more except for the AQ split pot I shared with an identical hand. I also unlocked another 5$ of my bonus money. Of course, I probably should have stuck around to try to ride my streak a little more, but I also shouldn’t have been sitting down at the table so late, so my decision probably wasn’t too costly.

I stole a little time at the poker table and was running very lucky. Unfortunately Empire is still being rather flaky, so it was too painful to play for very long. But in 30 hands (6$ of unlocked bonus, which was 10% instead of the 20% I thought it was) I managed to be up 18BB. Of course, that put me back over the 300$ hump, and is the first winning session of more than 10$ in a few weeks, so that contributed to my decision to call it a night early. Didn’t have too many interesting hands, but I really should have played according to Brunson and respected my rush, as my 8-2 would have turned into quad 8s against a couple boats. That would have really made my night. Of course, the title of the post is “Back on track”, but really, 30 hands is only a lucky run, but since I felt that I’ve been playing well over my losing streak, it feels pretty good.

Friday night was the third EPT 20$ buy-in pot limit Texas Hold’em tournament that I’ve organized. We had 13 people show up, which is a new record. But I think we will smash it in two weeks at the next one.

We also had our extra chips (50 green) arrive at long last and I bought a set of 2 KEM decks off someone who had picked up some extras off eBay. So we were loaded for bear and ready to go. Everyone bought in and received their 1000 in chips. No buy-ins, no add-ons, just elimination play with the top 4 taking home money.

I drew the short table and had a good balance of experienced players and dead money. One of the new guys actually plays 5/10$ on-line and has a fair amount of live experience in both home games and casinos. Thankfully he never really had the cards to be too much of a threat. The hand of my tournament was early on, a free play off the BB solo against the SB. I had Q9o I think, and the flop came 932. I figured I was good and bet 100$ into the 100$ pot after the SB checks. SB calls and I put him on a couple of overcards. The turn comes another 3 with no real flush possibilities. The SB checks again and I decide to try to take the pot down here instead of of giving him a chance at catching one of his overcards. So, I bet the pot back at him and he flat calls. The river is a 4, which he checks. I check figuring I am not going to get any more money from him. Of course, he has K3 for the set and I’ve just lost a large pot, putting myself in very dangerous chip position, at risk of going out first in the tournament.

But, I batten down the hatches and try to find an opportunity to double up. I can’t remember the cards I had, but I managed to double through once and pulled a sizable chunk on another pot so that I was around 300. I had some decent hole cards, but I kept missing the flop and was being forced to put a large percentage of my chips in to see more cards. Eventually I end up with A5 in late position. I forget the exact sequence that isolated myself against one opponent, but I figured him on two high cards, but no ace. So, I figure that now is a good a chance as any and re-raise all-in back to steal his bet (and the blinds) He’s in decent shape chip-wise, so he calls. We turn our cards over and he has KJo like I expected. So, I am the favourite, but not a big enough to feel very comfortable. The flop comes 74T rainbow and I’m feeling much better. I figure myself to be about a 2-1 favourite at this point. The river is a blank, but unfortunately the river brings a J and I’m out in 11th. And quite annoyed.

Unfortunately, the night ended with someone winning their second back-to-back tournament. He’s played pretty well, but he tries to make plays from position, but will keep following up on the plays even if the situation doesn’t warrant. He was bailed out a few times this week and last when behind to pull some big pots after his big pre-flop raises. Oh well, I suppose that is the way it goes. I was just unhappy to not only miss the money for the first of these three tournaments, but to miss the final table completely.

We played some dealer’s choice afterwards and though I managed to win a hefty 20$ pot early on, my chips proceeded to bleed away the rest of the night as I kept going in with quality hands to turned out to be second best. Ended up down 13$ in the dealer’s choice to put me -33 on the night. I was hoping for something a little more positive after the way my online play has been going, but I am looking forward to getting to play a bit tomorrow while watching the Sens game.

I had told myself I was going to call it a night, but after a bit more tidying up, I ended up back at the tables for another 10+1 LHE SNG. I figured I had to make up some of the loss today since I won’t be able to play for the next few days.

Jumped into the chip lead early and managed to keep building on it. Unfortunately, when I hit 2300, I could not get any support to start throwing my weight around. But, I’m trying to play patiently, and aside from a few attempts early to feel out the table, I just sat back to wait for some cards.

Unfortunately, it didn’t matter how many times I promised myself to be patient, I continued to play aggressively, stealing with every opportunity. Fortunately my plays were scaring people off, and I had the cards when someone decides they want to see what I have. I regain the chip lead with 3700. They are 5 left and the blinds are up to 100/200. I make a mistake staying in to to try eliminate two players and drop 1000. Then I manage to take it back on the next hand betting at low pair, which would likely have held up, but the other player folded on the river. Then 2 hands after that, pocket TT holds up and I pull a 2900 pot. I’m in a commanding chip lead and start bullying the table, knocking someone out to bring it down to 3.

At 5200 in chips, I quickly donate 1200 trying to run someone out. The hand after that, the two other players clash and one drops. It’s now heads-up and the chips are even. I kept hitting decent down cards and keep betting. My opponent is running scared – though I will allow that they probably didn’t have cards – and kept folding the blinds to me. After a handful of steals, I finally call in the BB to see a wonderful flop. 5A8 rainbow to my 58o. I bet hoping against hope to be up against an ace and I smile when I am raised. I re-raise and after the call, my opponent has only slightly more than one bet left. The turn is a Q, which is a bit worrisome, but this is my chance, so I bet here and put him all in after the K river. Thankfully he had only A3 and I took first place and the 50 bucks. That leaves me at -3 for the day and the temptation to hit a ring game for a quick 5 bucks is pretty strong. I start watching the third period of the Vancouver game and try to resist the sirens call.

Of course, even though I know I shouldn’t sit at a table if I don’t intend to spend some time there, I can’t resist the temptation to try to eke out a small win on the day. Of course, what do I do on the first hand? I chase an open-ended straight. But, it was a big multi-way pot and the big stack of chips was too tempting to resist. So, instead of 3$ to be up, I need 6.

I few hands late I have 55 and limp in to see the flop. It comes 5Q3 and one of the 4 other players in the hand bets into me. I raise, and all but one call (I love Party sometimes) . The turn comes 6 and someone bets into me again. I’m slightly worried about the straight here, knowing some of the crazy hands people will see the flop with. I still raise, since the odds are still good for me. The river comes a lovely offsuit 3 and I’ve filled a boat. People still see my bet and I take down a 13.5$ pot. That puts me up for the day, so I play out the blinds that just hit me the next hand – I hate winning a big hand and then leaving without paying the blinds that were just coming around to me – and watch the next orbit for irresistable cards. I’m grateful when nothing shows up and I finally call it a night. It’s much later than I intended to go to bed, as I have some guests showing up at 10am tomorrow morning. But, at least I brought back my -53 from a few hours ago to a +5 on the day. And even with all that poker, I managed to get my place cleaned up pretty thoroughly, minus vacuuming and washing the floor. I’ll probably vacuum when I get up tomorrow, but I think the floor washing may not happen. And for the topper, my Sens won 5-3.

Just busted out in 5th at the tournament. Some bad plays were the main reason. I just need to find some more patience playing in these tournaments.

Of course, instead of going back to another tournament, I decide that maybe I’ll try 2 tables of .5/1. I was holding my own, winning a few small pots to keep up with the blinds. But I was getting bad cards and I started losing patience folding everything before the flop. And we all know what that means. Well, it didn’t look too bad to start with, but then I ran into a few people who drew out on me. I don’t know what they were still doing in the hand, but I suppose that’s a familiar refrain. This didn’t do much for my patience and I continued to hemorrage money. Then I started throwing money at my nut flush draws, saying to myself “I haven’t hit a flush in hundreds of hands, I’m due” like that had some effect on the probabilities. In the end I dropped 30 bucks before I took a break to do some chores.

But, I’m currently back at a 10+1 LHE SNG and just took the chip lead on a big bluff.

Just finished a 10+1 LHE SNG. Things started well as I slowly pulled the occasional pot to climb into the chip lead with 3000 in chips. I was able to coast to the last 4 players on the back of my large stack. I really should remember the next few orbits better, but all I know is I put out the 4th place player and took a bad beat from my 5K stack when I ran into a river flush coming over my straight. I really should have bet it out instead of being scared of the nut straight being out there. I keep playing aggressively though and just barely missed putting someone out in third. Then I found pocket KK just as the table was starting to catch on to my rampant stealing (blinds were 150/300). Perfect for me. I’m in the BB and the SB raises into me trying to steal and I raise right back at him. The button folds, SB calls and we see the flop. It comes up Jc7c10s. SB bets and I figure he might be on a straight or flush draw, but figure it’s more likely he’s just bullying with his big stack, knowing I’d been stealing left and right. Fine by me, I raise another 270, putting me all in. My opponent calls and it’s on to the turn. Another K…oh wait, it’s the Kc, he has the flush, doesn’t he? Sure enough, the river comes quickly and I’m out in third to the Ac6c. Well, that’s twice I went in as the favourite against that guy and managed to lose about 5000 in chips between the two beats. Still, I couldn’t really fault my play (well, the no bet of the low straight was a mistake, but still) and managed to make up half the money I lost earlier in the afternoon before cleaning my apartment. I’ll probably head back in for another tournament while I listen to the Sens game.

Sat down at a 5+1 SNG tonight to try to bring myself up past a 200$ bankroll at Party Poker again. Made some good and some bad plays in the early rounds as I tried to build a bit of a chip lead. Of course, they balanced themselves out and I hovered within a few hundred of the 800 start. As usual, half the table was burning chips as fast as they could, and eventually we ended up down to 4 with myself around 2000 in chips, a couple at 1500 and the chip leader at 3000. I didn’t get too many hands, but it was easy to buy out the blinds with raises pre-flop, so I didn’t move too much up or down until the 4th place player went out. I kept my patience and played my good cards hard to capture the chip lead and to bust out the third place player.

Then it was heads up. I know this is a part of my game that is pretty questionable, as I play a bit too conservatively with the chip lead, not wanting to give away the farm. It went back and forth for a while until I two paired my K9 on the flop (K89) and my opponent called my raise. Two pair looks good so I kept on betting when another low card hit on the turn, my opponent raises and we end up capping. Still, I don’t believe he’s got cards to back it up. River comes an 8 and he goes all-in with the rest of his chips and I call. Of course he turns over 86o for the set. I’m not sure what he was doing betting, but suddenly I have only 1000 of the remaining 8000 chips. A painful, painful suck out. But, I claw my way back to a 2:1 chip advantage, but with a 600BB, things are already becoming a matter of luck more than good play. So, when my K6 pairs the 96A flop, I bet. He pauses for a while and then raises. I don’t think he has the A and I re-raise. He re-raises right back for a partial bet that puts him all in. I decide to call, what the hell. I hit the lucky 6 on the river and take the 25$. I would have felt worse about winning on the massive suck out – though I still would have had enough chips to make a go of it if he’d won the pot – but he’d survived on luck earlier, so it just made us even.

Of course, with my Party account 200+ again, I decided I’d get in some ring .50/1.00 action at Empire to see if I could bring that account up past 500 (after a 300 buy-in) so that I could pull 400 out to put up at either Pokerroom or UB for a juicy bonus. Of course, I was feeling pretty good, so I grabbed a beer and was watching a bit of TV. As usual, that made for some sub-optimal play, putting me down 10$ at one point. But at least I realized it and when I hit a few hands in a row to draw up even again, I bailed for the night. So, +19 on top of the +5.5 and +4 the last two nights has me almost halfway back through the 65$ I dropped on the weekend. I’m hoping a good session on Saturday might put me back to growing my bankroll.