CrazyPoker and BoDog

I withdrew my money at bet365. I ended up losing $20, but gaining $100 in bonus, for a profit of $80.

I then deposited $100 at crazypoker. I made about $35, plus a nice bonus of $40 or $50 (I never got an e-mail about the $10 bonus for registering a CC, so I don't know if I got that bonus). Profit of about $80.

I then deposited $50 at BoDog. I found a bonus there that matches that Initial deposit up to $50 for signing up. They give you the bonus money right away. But I need 150 bonus points for me to withdraw any money. Unfortuneately, you need to contribute to the pot to earn bonus points. I need 150, and I have earned about 65.

I really like the BoDog graphics and Interface and colors. I think I like it better than PokerStars. And everything is super fast too. Not too many players at the lower stakes. During the morning and afternoon, you are lucky to even see one .25/.50 or .50/1.00 limit game going on.

I'm down about $30 at bodog. I am suffering some horribly bad beats there. I would slowly gain and gain, playing good poker, and then WHAM! I lose all my profit in two hands to a bad beat. I hit trips on the flop. Another person hits their runner runner flush. Two pair for me. whoops! someone hits their inside st draw. Players there are super super loose, and a lot of bad players. Players seeing the flop at the limits I am playing is greater that 50%.

I have about $215 sitting in Neteller (I am going to go to Paradise next for the 50% match up to $100).

About $5 still at PokerStars.

And the $50 at Bodog (Starting balance of $100 with bonus. That is down to $70 now. Can't withdraw until bonus is cleared, if I can do that without losing that $70 )

If anyone else has some advice, let me know.

Cheers!

BoDog SNGs

I played some decent poker last night. I played in a $5 SNG at BoDog. My first one there. Not much to say about that. I went out in 5th place.

My bankroll there was starting to dwindle, and was around $50. So basically I was playing with the bonus money I got from there. So I decided to try my hand at a $10 SNG. I got a great run of cards ( Got AA three times), and wound up winning the thing. Profit of $40. My first $10 SNG, and I win. How 'bout that.

So I got my bankroll right back to even at BoDog with around $100. Got it up to around $110 or so playing ring NL.

Then this morning I played a couple SNGs. The first, a $5, I went out in 9th (out of 10) place. During Level I, I found Pocket Qs UTG+1. I raised it to 5x the BB. Got 4 callers! Flop comes all low cards (2, 4, 9). I bet pot. Get one caller. Turn is another low card, so I push and get called by Pocket 4s. I go home now.

I then played in one of BoDogs Turbo $6 SNGs. I played tight early, built my stack to around even with 5 to go. With 4 left, and the blinds huge, I find AA in the Small blind. I push and the BB calls with JQs. Two Qs come on the flop, and I go home now. Argggg.

Sitting at around $85 at BoDog, with about 50 more bonus points to go before I can withdraw the bonus.

Bankroll doubled!

F'in sweet! I just doubled my bankroll!

______________________________
Dear Mr XXXXX

Thank you for your email.

I can confirm that at the last count the total number of raked hands you have played in the September Bonus Bonanza promotion was 266. I am therefore pleased to confirm I have credited your account with $50 worth of bonus chips, taking your total earned in this promotion to $50.

I have also credited your account with $50 worth of bonus chips for the sign-up bonus.

Please allow 15 minutes for these funds to show in your account.

If you require any further assistance with regard to this or any other matter please do not hesitate to contact us here at Customer Services. Our team are available 24 hours a day by e-mail or telephone on 1 866 3333 238 and will be pleased to assist you.

Kind Regards

__________________________________________

Bet365 Bonus Cleared

I had a pretty good night last night. I finished up my bonus requirement at bet365. I even managed to make some money in the process. Up about $7 there while clearing the bonus. I e-mailed bet365 last night to get my bonus credited. I haven't heard back yet. Does this usually take along time? I'm looking forward to seeing how much I'll get in bonus money from them.

I also finished 2nd in a $5 SNG at PokerStars last night. I played really tight in the beginning, and I was the short stack with 6 people left. I got lucky and beat 99 with 88 to take me back to around starting chip amount. I then proceeded to turn up the aggression and started stealing lots of blinds. I was stealing at least 1.5 times an orbit. Plus I started getting some cards. Got QQ two hands in a row, the 2nd time busting out the 4th place person. It got to heads up and I had a pretty good chip lead (Probably 2 to 1 lead) when this hand came up.

I'm dealt [Ah] [2h] . I raise 3x BB, he re-raises all-in (only about 1500 more chips for me) so I call. He shows [6c] [6d]. Flop comes with an ace and two hearts's. Turn is a blank. He's down to one out. The [6s]. the [6h] will give me a flush. Guess what comes on the river.

I lose a coinflip later on to bust me in 2nd place.

Cheers!

Bonus Whoring

I started my bonus whoring adventure this week. I cashed out of poker stars, and deposited $100 at bet365. Supposedly they have some pretty good bonuses.

I need 250 raked hands to get the initial signup bonus of $50, and then I'll get some extra bonus for their September bonus thing (Not sure how much I'll get on the September Bonus for playing 250 raked hands). I have already done 150 raked hands, so just 100 more. I should be able to get that done in the next couple days. unfortuneately, I am down $10 from playing there. I'm gettin killed at the .50/1.00 limit game. But doing pretty good at the NL & PL games. But, with the bonus, I still should show a profit.

Going from PokerStars to bet365 was a shell shock. PokerStars is 100 times better than bet365. The graphics, setup, etc.. is horrible. There aren't too many games going on, and usually only a few tables at each game with long waiting lists. Once my 250 raked hands are done, I'm outa there.

I wonder what site I should go visit next?

Weekend Poker

Not too much poker this weekend. I didn't play at all on Saturday or Sunday. I played for about an hour and a half this morning before work. I fired up a $5 SNG, and bought in for $5 each at two .05/.10 NL tables.

I saw a total of 4 hands on those NL tables. First hand on one table, I post the BB and see a free flop with 57, and Bam, the flop comes out 689 rainbow and I flop the 2nd nut straight. I decided to slow play it. Big Big mistake, as the Turn came an ugly ugly Ten. making my straight the 4th best. I'm not sure why I called the other psersons big re-raise, But I did. He had J7.

3rd hand on the other NL table, and I get KK. Raiser in front of me. I re-raise. He min re-raises me back, and I push all my chips in. Flop comes T,Q,A. Turn is another Q. River is a King!! I have Kings over Queens. But the other dude had AA for the higher Boat. Thats the first time in Ring NL where I had KK and someone else had AA. Man, that sucks!

But, I did palce first in the $5 SNG. I played this one really well. I made some huge calls during this thing. I busted two people when they made pretty big river bets trying to bluff thier way to the pot. I was first or 2nd in chips the whole way. When it was down to 5 people, everyone else tightened up a lot, so I ended up stealing the blinds at least 2-3 times an orbit. Once down to two players, I was down in chips 2 to 1, but he was acting really aggressive, betting at everything after the flop. I waited patiently and trapped him two hands in a row to take first place.

After all of that, I ended up for the morning a whopping $4. Yahoo.

BR sitting around $60. 6 more FPP for my $10 bonus.

Bankroll at $65

Nothing of too much interest to report today. Went out 8th in a $5 SNG this morning. The table was really really passive. Lots of limpers, lots of calling stations. And I was card dead.

Lost about 1/4 of my stack in the beginning when I saw a free flop from the blind and flopped top two pair ( I think I had J6, Flop came out 26J rainbow). Did some 1/2 pot betting and a dude just called me the whole way down. He flopped trips with 66. He never raised or re-raised the whole hand.

I went out a little while later when my JJ ran into QQ. bleh.

Played about even poker at the Ring NL table. One thing I gotta remember, is to very rarely bluff at these low-limit tables. People will call with anything!

One particular hand really pissed me off at a 6 max table. I'm in the small blind with QJ. UTG Limps, Button bets 3x BB. I call and flop comes QJ4 rainbow. I check, UTG Checks, Button puts out a 3/4 pot bet. I re-raise the pot enough to put UTG All-in. UTG Calls ! Button folds. Turn was an A. River a blank. UTG Called with A4 offsuit to win with better two pairs! He called my big flop bet with bottom pair, top kicker.

Oh well, I got my money back from him two hands later when he called me down with Top Pair No Kicker, and I had Top Pair Top Kicker.

BR sitting around $65

Last night's session

I was able to play for a couple of hours last night. Ended the night right around even, meh.

I learned a valuable lesson though. Don't ever play re-buy turbo MTT. I played in one of the Poker Stars $3R satellites where for every $33 you earn a spot in another Satellite to one of the WCOOP tournies. If I were to get a spot, I was planning on unregistering, and then use that money for SNGs. I ened up taking a rebuy right away, and never had to take another one. After the add on, I was right at even (so $9 invested). The blinds move so fast, that I was card dead for a couple orbits, and wound up going out on a coinflip my 77 vs AK. Ended about 30 spots short of a entry. Oh well. Valuable lesson learned.

I made that $9 back by placing 2nd in a $5 SNG. I was the huge chip leader with 4 to go. Lost a coinflip with the 2nd biggest stack when my AK didn't improve against his TT. Us two made it to Heads-up, and on the last hand, I flopped an OESD. I semi-bluffed, and all our chips went in the middle and he showed his Pocket Jacks that hit trips on the flop. I didn't hit my open-ender, and I go home in 2nd place. Other than those two hands, I was very pleased with my play.

Played for only 15 minutes this morning and made a quick $6 at a 6 max .05/.10 NL table. I'm enjoying the ring no-limit a lot more now, and I am doing pretty good. I just have to be patient and peddle the nuts. Some donk will always be there to pay you off.

Cheers!

Good Morning Session

I had a really good session this morning. Won back most of my losses from yesterday (about $15).

Took 3rd in a Turbo $6 SNG. Nothing too exciting. Played pretty tight and backed into the money. Stole a bunch of blinds and got up near 2nd place chips with three left, and then went card dead. The only interesting hand was during Level II. I get dealt pocket Kings, and re-raise an early position raiser. he calls, and we end up getting all our money in on the turn. He turns over...... Pocket Kings!!!!

Made $5 playing .05/.10 NL in about 10 minutes. All on one hand. here is the hand:

PokerStars Game #2572751833: Hold'em No Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2005/09/14 - 08:40:52 (ET) Table 'Wingolfia' Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: MP2 ($13.80 in chips)
Seat 2: CO ($8.50 in chips)
Seat 3: Button ($11.50 in chips)
Seat 4: SB ($3.90 in chips)
Seat 5: BB ($5.45 in chips)
Seat 6: UTG($3.80 in chips)
Seat 7: EP1 ($8.75 in chips)
Seat 8: Hero ($4.85 in chips)
Seat 9: MP1 ($9.90 in chips)
SB: posts small blind $0.05
BB: posts big blind $0.10
EP1: posts big blind $0.10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [Ac] [Kd]
UTG: calls $0.10
EP1: checks
Hero: raises $0.40 to $0.50
MP1: folds
MP2: folds
CO: folds
Button: folds
SB: folds
BB: calls $0.40
UTG: folds
EP1: folds
*** FLOP *** [4d] [Qd] [Ad]
BB: checks
Hero: bets $0.80
BB: calls $0.80

I pick up TPTK with Nut Flush Draw. $1.20 in pot, so I bet 2/3 so it looks like a continuation bet.

*** TURN *** [9d]
BB: checks
Hero: checks

Bingo Bango Bongo! I pick up the Nuts! I check after him to make him think that the 4 diamond's on the board scare me.

*** RIVER *** [8c]
BB: bets $1
Hero: raises $2.55 to $3.55 and is all-in
BB: calls $2.55

I'm not sure if the All-in was the correct move here. I was hoping that it looked like a bluff of some sort, and that he would call. Well, it worked.

*** SHOW DOWN ***
Hero: shows (a flush, Ace high)
BB: mucks hand
Hero collected $9.50 from pot

*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $9.95 Rake $0.45 Seat 5:
BB (big blind) mucked [Ah] [9h]


And then I won about $7 playing .25/.50 limit. I was doing poorly for the first 100 hands. I was down probably $7, and my showdows were 2 for 5! And one of those 5 was a tie. The other win was my first hand!!

Then I got a run of cards. In 5 hands, I won 4 of them that had total pots of $21.60!! First one was a battle of the blinds. I pick up pocket Jacks in the BB. SB raises it, I re-raise, then hit trips on the flop. More betting insued, and he folded on the turn. Hit a Straight on the turn with JKo and three other folks. Then a big $10 pot where I get the nut flush on the turn agaist four other people who are capping it for me. Then I limp with 79s and flop a flush, and the player behind me tried to bluff their way to a win, and ended up giving me lots of thier chips.

Definately a fun morning!

PokerStars bonus almost cleared

just a quick post today.

I have about 21 more FPP at Poker Stars for a $10 bonus, then I plan on going to other site to start my Bonus whoring adventure. All of my trials and tribulations at that will be posted here.

SNG Results

SNG Results

Looking at my SNG results, I see some interesting results. I am doing really well at the $5.00 SNG, but sucking it up at the Turbo $6 SNG.

These stats are from 7/16 on (I played some SNGs before that, but have no record of them)

My $5 SNG Stats are:

• Total Played: 13 (one was a 2 table)
• First Place: 4
• Second Place: 1
• Third Place: 2 (one 3rd was from the 2 table SNG)
• In the Money %: 53.8%
• Total Wagered: $71.50
• Total Won: $130.50
• Profit: $59.00
• ROI: 82.5%

My Turbo $6 SNG Stats are:

• Total Played: 22
• First Place: 1
• Second Place: 2
• Third Place: 3
• In the Money %: 27.3%
• Total Wagered: $143.00
• Total Won: $91.80
• Profit: $-51.20
• ROI: -35.8%

Ouch! So my SNG totals are:

• In The Money: 37.1%
• Profit: $7.80
• ROI: 3.6%

What does this tell you about my SNG game? Maybe I am not being aggressive enough. I always play really tight in the beginning. I guess the $5 SNGs give me more time to start catching some good cards. But in the Turbos, the blinds go up so fast, that if I am card dead, I am not good enough to still be above water and have an average to decent size stack when it gets to the 100/200 blind level.

What do you think? Obviously the best solution is to not play the Turbos, but it is hard for me to get enough time at once to play a regular (they last from 1 hour to an hour and a half for me it seems)

Thanks!

A Fool and his $100 - Introduction

(originally posted on my journal at www.bet-the-pot.com )

A Fool And His $100

The journey of a micro-limit beginner poker player

I've been surfing and lurking here at Bet-The-Pot for some time now. I figured it was time that I start contributing to this great site. So why not start my own little poker journal. Hopefully I can give some entertainment to all you readers, and also learn something from all you out there. And maybe one day, I'll be able to impart some wisdom on some of you.

First I should introduce myself. I just turned 30 and live in the great state of Minnesota. I work as an Electrical Engineer, am married and I have 1.8 kids (2.5 yr old and a -2 month old).

I started playing online poker in June of 2005. My gambling experience prior to that is not too much. During high school, a group of us would play cards at lesat once a month for nickel and dimes. My most exciting casino moment is right after I turned 18, a bunch of us went to Grand Casino Mille Lacs, and I won a $1000 jackpot on video poker. $1000 to a college kid was huge! Other than that, that is it. I've never played poker at a casino. And I've just started hosting home games, but none of my friends take poker too seriously.

I've read a few poker books, including Small Stakes Hold 'em, Winning Low-Limit Hold 'em, a couple Phil Hellmuth books, Harrington on Hold 'em I, and I am currently reading Sklansky's Theory of Poker and Harringtonn on Hold 'em II. I also have Poker for Advanced players, and Hilger's Internet Texas Hold 'em as an Ebook, and I've been going through those here at work during slow times.

After playing with play money for a few months, in June I deposited $50 into my Poker Stars account. Poker Stars has been the only place I've played poker so far, and I have had no complaints (except for my bankroll not growing too much). I started out playing .01/.02 NL, and .05/.10 limit. I am now playing .05/.10 NL, and .25/.50 limit and .50/1.00 Limit, plus $5 and $6 SNGs. I love playing SNGs. If I had the time, that is all that I would play I think. Much more exciting than limit. I only play about 6-7 hours a week, mostly for an hour or so before I go to work.

That starting $50 had been to as low as $25, and as high as $129. I am currently on a huge downswing. Below is a detailed look at my bankroll for the last two months. As you can see, I probably need to stop playing Omaha. And I am thinking of playing a little bit more ring NL than limit. I've done pretty good the last week or so at .05/.10 NL.

(images of spreadsheet removed)

So, Welcome to my blog, and please, any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

Mark aka TheGardener