Well, the posts are few and far between. Seems to be only about the local B&M WSOP qualifiers.
So far , I have played 3 of these tournements. Busted out of 1, snagged 4th, and a 7th. So, 2/3 FT finishes. Not bad this year.
My game has changed quite a bit this time around. I am being much more conservative. My normal hyper-aggressive style has just gotten me busted out too many times, either by my own over confidence, or easily being trapped.
In both FT finishes, I felt like I was barely hanging on. No huge wins, no monster pots, no big gambles. Barely staying about 5-10X the BB. I doubted my ability to make it through to the next break. But both times, before I knew it, it was down to 4 tables, then 3, 2, then there I am, Final Table. Almost always with the lowest chip count.
Sitting pretty good at the moment with my point standings, but I need to maintain those points with a few more FT finishes, or taking first.
♥ ♠ ♦ ♣
February 13, 2007
April 17, 2006
WSOP Qualifier
I'm glad rooty got me back into the game. I've posted before about the WSOP satellite qualifiers that one of the local casinos puts on. It's basically a point system, smaller weekly tourney's, and a larger monthly tourney. Higher points to higher place finishes, and on the Monthly tourney, first place is automatically eligible for the WSOP Satellite, and top 45 point holders.
The field was smaller than normal, being it was on Easter Sunday, with about 75 players. Took some bad hits early on, down to as little as 5X the BB on several occasions. But I played smart, stayed out of trouble, and built my stack back up each time.
Retreat to Fight Another Battle
I kept telling myself retreat to fight another battle... Case in point, last hand before 2nd break, I'm in late position with pocket 4's (no clubs), raise 4X BB, usually enough to get the blinds to fold. SB Calls, BB folds. Flop gives me the set, but with 3 clubs. I check, and SB goes all in. This guy has been pretty cordial, and we've played with each other before, and have a tendency just to stay out of each others' way. So I figure he's on the draw. Why call 4X BB, then go all in if you've already got it, I put him on a big club draw. So here I am, I know I've got him beat, but he has me out chipped. Call and he catches, I'm done. I could boat up... maybe quads.. maybe. I lay it down, showing my set of 4's, he turns his Kc rag over. On to fight another battle.
Building the Stack
I keep working on building my stack, and the the field gets smaller and smaller. Before I know it, we are down to 3 tables and play tightens up considerably as top 20 receive points.
Down to 2 table's, 21 players left. Everyone really starts to tighten up their play, they don't want to risk busting out, Only top 8 get paid today. I get more aggressive, and steal blinds, and bluff. I get caught a few times, get lucky a few times, but never risk more than 1/4 of my stack.
Final Table
Finally, down to the final table and play goes quick. A couple double eliminations, and weeding out of the low stacks, and we are down to 4. I play hyper aggressive, 5-7X the blinds, betting the pot on Top pair, flush draws, targeting those that I have out chipped, and calling their desperate all in's in early position before the blinds gobble them up, usually to find they have rags, and I have them dominated, until there is only 2 of us.
Final Two
Heads up, and we are going on 7 hours of play.
This is where I think I'm pretty strong, heads up, but he's got me out chipped by at least 2 to 1. So I do what I do best, and play hyper aggressive. I keep chipping away at his stack, taking more and more, my stack grows, his shrinks.
Pretty slow play, no big pots, and lots of blinds swapping. I raise preflop, he folds, If I call, then bet out the flop, he folds, if he comes out firing I fold. But I'm the aggressor, and the more aggressive player, and I keep taking chips. Thought I had him, but he's apparently got more luck than me. Over and over again, he gets a monster, and we either are back to even, or he's got me out chipped again.
I go for the kill when I'm about 3:1 over his stack, and we actually manage to go all in pre-flop. I have AQ, he's got 10J.
Flop hits us both with 10 J K, and I just smile, as we wish each other luck. Finally, this thing could be over, turn is a rag. River is a 10! A 10! 4 outs, and he nails it on the river for the boat! After an hour straight of heads up, we are right back to square one, even chips.
I start back in, playing aggressively, and building towards a good chip lead, and moving in for the kill, and 2 more times, he ends up coming out on top.
But I have 2 things going for me, aggressiveness, and endurance. I think the later is what finally did it, I was wired and ready to go, much more so than he was I think.
I take a huge pot, and he is is seriously crippled now, I have a mountain of chips in front of me, and a I keep pushing on him. No limping, if he doesn't raise it 4X BB, I make 6X BB. If he doesn't bet the flop, I bet the pot or put him all in. He's getting tired, and cant make anything happen.
Blinds are huge now, 8,000/16,000 w/ 1K ante. Any Face or Pair, and I make it 60K, if he makes a play, I shut him down coming over the top. He cant last long...
He pushes all in shortly before the next blinds level, I look down to A10o, call.
He turns his 78o.
And oh how beautiful the flop was, A 10 rag. He needs runner, runner for a shot, turn is another rag, and the river is the boat Ace.
After over 2 hours of heads up play, I finally take down 1st place, securing my seat into the WSOP Satellite in June.
The field was smaller than normal, being it was on Easter Sunday, with about 75 players. Took some bad hits early on, down to as little as 5X the BB on several occasions. But I played smart, stayed out of trouble, and built my stack back up each time.
Retreat to Fight Another Battle
I kept telling myself retreat to fight another battle... Case in point, last hand before 2nd break, I'm in late position with pocket 4's (no clubs), raise 4X BB, usually enough to get the blinds to fold. SB Calls, BB folds. Flop gives me the set, but with 3 clubs. I check, and SB goes all in. This guy has been pretty cordial, and we've played with each other before, and have a tendency just to stay out of each others' way. So I figure he's on the draw. Why call 4X BB, then go all in if you've already got it, I put him on a big club draw. So here I am, I know I've got him beat, but he has me out chipped. Call and he catches, I'm done. I could boat up... maybe quads.. maybe. I lay it down, showing my set of 4's, he turns his Kc rag over. On to fight another battle.
Building the Stack
I keep working on building my stack, and the the field gets smaller and smaller. Before I know it, we are down to 3 tables and play tightens up considerably as top 20 receive points.
Down to 2 table's, 21 players left. Everyone really starts to tighten up their play, they don't want to risk busting out, Only top 8 get paid today. I get more aggressive, and steal blinds, and bluff. I get caught a few times, get lucky a few times, but never risk more than 1/4 of my stack.
Final Table
Finally, down to the final table and play goes quick. A couple double eliminations, and weeding out of the low stacks, and we are down to 4. I play hyper aggressive, 5-7X the blinds, betting the pot on Top pair, flush draws, targeting those that I have out chipped, and calling their desperate all in's in early position before the blinds gobble them up, usually to find they have rags, and I have them dominated, until there is only 2 of us.
Final Two
Heads up, and we are going on 7 hours of play.
This is where I think I'm pretty strong, heads up, but he's got me out chipped by at least 2 to 1. So I do what I do best, and play hyper aggressive. I keep chipping away at his stack, taking more and more, my stack grows, his shrinks.
Pretty slow play, no big pots, and lots of blinds swapping. I raise preflop, he folds, If I call, then bet out the flop, he folds, if he comes out firing I fold. But I'm the aggressor, and the more aggressive player, and I keep taking chips. Thought I had him, but he's apparently got more luck than me. Over and over again, he gets a monster, and we either are back to even, or he's got me out chipped again.
I go for the kill when I'm about 3:1 over his stack, and we actually manage to go all in pre-flop. I have AQ, he's got 10J.
Flop hits us both with 10 J K, and I just smile, as we wish each other luck. Finally, this thing could be over, turn is a rag. River is a 10! A 10! 4 outs, and he nails it on the river for the boat! After an hour straight of heads up, we are right back to square one, even chips.
I start back in, playing aggressively, and building towards a good chip lead, and moving in for the kill, and 2 more times, he ends up coming out on top.
But I have 2 things going for me, aggressiveness, and endurance. I think the later is what finally did it, I was wired and ready to go, much more so than he was I think.
I take a huge pot, and he is is seriously crippled now, I have a mountain of chips in front of me, and a I keep pushing on him. No limping, if he doesn't raise it 4X BB, I make 6X BB. If he doesn't bet the flop, I bet the pot or put him all in. He's getting tired, and cant make anything happen.
Blinds are huge now, 8,000/16,000 w/ 1K ante. Any Face or Pair, and I make it 60K, if he makes a play, I shut him down coming over the top. He cant last long...
He pushes all in shortly before the next blinds level, I look down to A10o, call.
He turns his 78o.
And oh how beautiful the flop was, A 10 rag. He needs runner, runner for a shot, turn is another rag, and the river is the boat Ace.
After over 2 hours of heads up play, I finally take down 1st place, securing my seat into the WSOP Satellite in June.
Back in the game - Longest Session Yet
Despite some success early last year in ring games and tournements, things turned bad quickly.
I played some online low limit and SNG's online, and some of the local free bar tourneys. Neither of which helped my game. In fact, I believe they further eroded the waning skills I had developed.
I had all but given up for a while, resolving myself to be a casual player. Maybe play a small game with friends, and suffer through those free bar poker games.
But how could I resist when long time poker buddy Rooty IM's me, and gives me a great salesman pitch on how he NEEDS to go play. How can I refuse a friends sincere request for some company on his trip to the B&M.
I usually hit 6/12 when at this particular B&M. I'm comfortable with the stakes and the players, occasionally bumping to 8/16 for a challenge. Rooty just wanted to have a nice easy day, so we both get on the board for 4/8.
Thanks to a new table opening, me and Rooty get on the same table. In my typical play style, I started loose and aggressive, dumping my first $100 within the first hour.
Second rack, I tighten up to tight/passive, then the cards started coming, and moved into tight/aggressive. Along with the cards, the chips came too, soon I was even, then $100 up. As the night went on, my stack grew, players came, busted, and went. Eventually, the influx of fresh fish resulted in our table breaking. We got re-assigned, Rooty and I get the same table again.
It's late, really late, and as I survey the table, there's some young guys, but the majority of them just seem to be those few that are trying (way paste their bed times) to re-claim some of what they have lost. I keep up my tight play, watch for weakness, and push aggressively.
The night drags on, a few more bust out, and finally call it quits, while the fish keep buying rack after rack. This is one of the first times I looked around a table and felt absolutely confident I was the best player there, and had every sucker picked, evaluated, and attack plan orchestrated to take every one of their chips.
They start getting tired, and I'm getting wired. It's like the chum in the water. Night time is my time, always been a night person. I can smell their fatigue, and I push, I get more aggressive, keep the stress on them, let them keep making their mistakes, and pull in the chips.
I didn't want to leave! But the game was drying up, and it was getting early, in the morning. I could get little action, and decided to call it a night, with 4X my buy in to cash out.
It was a 16 hour straight session, and I wanted to go on forever!
Big thanks to Rooty for getting me back in the game.
I played some online low limit and SNG's online, and some of the local free bar tourneys. Neither of which helped my game. In fact, I believe they further eroded the waning skills I had developed.
I had all but given up for a while, resolving myself to be a casual player. Maybe play a small game with friends, and suffer through those free bar poker games.
But how could I resist when long time poker buddy Rooty IM's me, and gives me a great salesman pitch on how he NEEDS to go play. How can I refuse a friends sincere request for some company on his trip to the B&M.
I usually hit 6/12 when at this particular B&M. I'm comfortable with the stakes and the players, occasionally bumping to 8/16 for a challenge. Rooty just wanted to have a nice easy day, so we both get on the board for 4/8.
Thanks to a new table opening, me and Rooty get on the same table. In my typical play style, I started loose and aggressive, dumping my first $100 within the first hour.
Second rack, I tighten up to tight/passive, then the cards started coming, and moved into tight/aggressive. Along with the cards, the chips came too, soon I was even, then $100 up. As the night went on, my stack grew, players came, busted, and went. Eventually, the influx of fresh fish resulted in our table breaking. We got re-assigned, Rooty and I get the same table again.
It's late, really late, and as I survey the table, there's some young guys, but the majority of them just seem to be those few that are trying (way paste their bed times) to re-claim some of what they have lost. I keep up my tight play, watch for weakness, and push aggressively.
The night drags on, a few more bust out, and finally call it quits, while the fish keep buying rack after rack. This is one of the first times I looked around a table and felt absolutely confident I was the best player there, and had every sucker picked, evaluated, and attack plan orchestrated to take every one of their chips.
They start getting tired, and I'm getting wired. It's like the chum in the water. Night time is my time, always been a night person. I can smell their fatigue, and I push, I get more aggressive, keep the stress on them, let them keep making their mistakes, and pull in the chips.
I didn't want to leave! But the game was drying up, and it was getting early, in the morning. I could get little action, and decided to call it a night, with 4X my buy in to cash out.
It was a 16 hour straight session, and I wanted to go on forever!
Big thanks to Rooty for getting me back in the game.
February 17, 2006
Playing Poker online is Illegal...
There seems to be a lot of confusion wether or not playing poker online for real money is legal or not. As this article shows, there's so much confusion in fact, that 2 Politicians are propossing new legislation that makes it very clear, and punishable with up to 5 years in prison.
November 28, 2005
LOL! Fish's Speak
Was just talking to Rooty about sending tells, and came up with this little inner dialouge...
Small Fish1: "Oh no, here comes a shark!"
Small Fish2: "I don't understand, why is he swimming away?"
Starfish: "You dumb fish, don't you know? He's circling to come up behind you and catch you by suprise!"
Now, if someone with some artistic talent could put that to a little comic strip, that would be the Nutz!
Small Fish1: "Oh no, here comes a shark!"
Small Fish2: "I don't understand, why is he swimming away?"
Starfish: "You dumb fish, don't you know? He's circling to come up behind you and catch you by suprise!"
Now, if someone with some artistic talent could put that to a little comic strip, that would be the Nutz!
Behaviour and Lying
A couple of good article's on how peoples behaviour when lying. May come in handy at the Poker table...
How to Detect Lies
Eye Direction and Lying
How to Detect Lies
Eye Direction and Lying
November 13, 2005
TFPL Minnesota Team Tournement Report
Myself, Rooty, and 2 other poker buddies entered the TFPL's Team Tournement.
It was the largest Team Tournement EVER in Minnesota. OK, it was the first, so that automatically made it the largest. 200 player's consisitng of 50 teams of 4 played in Single Table, last man standing, point tourney.
The format was, well, different. The field was cut in half after all tables had only one man standing. The top half teams then went on to the next round, till all tables were completed, then the top half again, rinse, repeat. Until there were only 4 teams left. This made for an incredibly long day.
The final 4 teams broke down to 2 tables, which presented some interesting opportunities for tactics, as you know had 1 of your own team members at the same table. Although table talk was not permitted, chip dumping was.
After 8 hours, the final points were tallied up. Our team missed 2nd place by a mere 2 points (112 vs. 114)!
Well, 8 hours, some decent poker, and 3rd place!
Our prize for the long hours, excellent team play, and proving that we four are some of the best players around??
ZER0!
Not even a friggin' T-Shirt, like "We placed 3rd in the 1st Minnesota Team Poker Tourney! And all we go was this friggin' t-shirt!"
Ah well, I still think free tourney's like the TFPL are spreading the gospel, and are getting new and veteran players involved in a safe, fun, and legal way.
I just won't be doing any more of their team tournements....
It was the largest Team Tournement EVER in Minnesota. OK, it was the first, so that automatically made it the largest. 200 player's consisitng of 50 teams of 4 played in Single Table, last man standing, point tourney.
The format was, well, different. The field was cut in half after all tables had only one man standing. The top half teams then went on to the next round, till all tables were completed, then the top half again, rinse, repeat. Until there were only 4 teams left. This made for an incredibly long day.
The final 4 teams broke down to 2 tables, which presented some interesting opportunities for tactics, as you know had 1 of your own team members at the same table. Although table talk was not permitted, chip dumping was.
After 8 hours, the final points were tallied up. Our team missed 2nd place by a mere 2 points (112 vs. 114)!
Well, 8 hours, some decent poker, and 3rd place!
Our prize for the long hours, excellent team play, and proving that we four are some of the best players around??
ZER0!
Not even a friggin' T-Shirt, like "We placed 3rd in the 1st Minnesota Team Poker Tourney! And all we go was this friggin' t-shirt!"
Ah well, I still think free tourney's like the TFPL are spreading the gospel, and are getting new and veteran players involved in a safe, fun, and legal way.
I just won't be doing any more of their team tournements....
October 04, 2005
Some guys have all the luck....
Although I have not been playing for years, I have read enough to know that everyone run's cold. Sometimes it's short lived, like the morning frost in early fall, that has all melted away with the rising sun.
Then there's the kind of luck people like me have, almost all bad. It's more like the seasons here in Minnesota, it's mostly cold year round, with only a small reprieve that is summer. I run mostly cold, most of the time, and luke warm streaks are the exception. That's how I view my 'luck'. I use the term loosely, because I try to convince myself that there really is no such thing as luck. The cards are coming or they are not, I'm playing well or I'm not, the other players are better than me, or they are not. But those factors just cannot explain some of the horrific beats, at the most crucial times. The only other explanation is that the powers of the universe just don't like me.
In an online game once, someone commented that you need either luck or skill, I promptly replied that I had both! I'm sure everyone was thinking I was a total braggart, but I qualified my statement by following up with; "I have some skill, and a lot of luck, all bad, which makes me a slightly above average player."
I honestly believe that. My level of skill, combined with my runs of bad luck put me just above average, whatever that means.
I will no longer play any limit games, I just can't force people out of hands, and my luck is no match against theres. No Limit is the only game where I can somewhat mitigate the luck factor. I either have it before the flop, or flopped it, and I'm making sure no one catches up to me.
I have the kind of luck that when I flop the full house, the other guy flopped a set, and catches runner runner Kings for the bigger full, or my flopped top 2 pair is up against the flopped set, or my AA's are up against KK's in a WSOP satellite, only to see a King on the flop.
That's the kind of luck I have, that is, if I believed in luck.
Then there's the kind of luck people like me have, almost all bad. It's more like the seasons here in Minnesota, it's mostly cold year round, with only a small reprieve that is summer. I run mostly cold, most of the time, and luke warm streaks are the exception. That's how I view my 'luck'. I use the term loosely, because I try to convince myself that there really is no such thing as luck. The cards are coming or they are not, I'm playing well or I'm not, the other players are better than me, or they are not. But those factors just cannot explain some of the horrific beats, at the most crucial times. The only other explanation is that the powers of the universe just don't like me.
In an online game once, someone commented that you need either luck or skill, I promptly replied that I had both! I'm sure everyone was thinking I was a total braggart, but I qualified my statement by following up with; "I have some skill, and a lot of luck, all bad, which makes me a slightly above average player."
I honestly believe that. My level of skill, combined with my runs of bad luck put me just above average, whatever that means.
I will no longer play any limit games, I just can't force people out of hands, and my luck is no match against theres. No Limit is the only game where I can somewhat mitigate the luck factor. I either have it before the flop, or flopped it, and I'm making sure no one catches up to me.
I have the kind of luck that when I flop the full house, the other guy flopped a set, and catches runner runner Kings for the bigger full, or my flopped top 2 pair is up against the flopped set, or my AA's are up against KK's in a WSOP satellite, only to see a King on the flop.
That's the kind of luck I have, that is, if I believed in luck.
September 02, 2005
PokerStars.com Official Blog
PokerStars has announced a 20% Deposit bonus, as well as Hurricane Katrina Relief Tournements, featuring Wil Wheaton [blog], in which PokerStars will match all entry fees 100%, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross.
I encourage all online players to sign up now! The 20% deposit bonus is just icing.
I encourage all online players to sign up now! The 20% deposit bonus is just icing.
Wired 13.09: On the Internet, Nobody Knows You're a Bot
Article at Wired about the coming infestation of Poker bots such as WinHoldEm.
July 01, 2005
Fantasy Poker League - 1st Night, 1st Place
The local Bowling Alley/Bar, Jerry Dutler's Bowl has started running Fantasy Poker League Tournements, and I finally got a chance to head down there, get signed up, and play my first tourney.
Quite a different mix of skill levels, from learning to skilled. They host 2 tourneys each day on Thursday and Saturday. Not a bad format, and best of all, it's FREE! Winner takes Dutler's dollars, good for bowling or booze :-D.
And for my first Fantasy Poker League tournement, nothing like taking 1st place, and $30 Duttler's dollars!
Quite a different mix of skill levels, from learning to skilled. They host 2 tourneys each day on Thursday and Saturday. Not a bad format, and best of all, it's FREE! Winner takes Dutler's dollars, good for bowling or booze :-D.
And for my first Fantasy Poker League tournement, nothing like taking 1st place, and $30 Duttler's dollars!
June 16, 2005
Heartland Poker Tour
The first televised event of the Heartland Poker Tour will be occuring at a local casino!
Not my regular B&M place, but they are having a satellite this Saturday to get into next weeks initial event.
And Rooty is going too!
Best of cards to the both of us, hoping we both secure our seats in the qualifier!
Not my regular B&M place, but they are having a satellite this Saturday to get into next weeks initial event.
And Rooty is going too!
Best of cards to the both of us, hoping we both secure our seats in the qualifier!
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