Battle of the Bloggers at Full Tilt!

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Cheers!

Ramble On

Howdy there internets. How's it going?

Nothing too exciting going on in the land of the PokerFool. I haven't played many tournaments lately, and I am pretty much break even in the cash games since my last post. Actually, I am still right around even for the whole month.

I guess the most exciting poker news is that I am part of a coaching tree over at bet-the-pot. I'm coaching someone who just moved up to the 100NL games, and a very good regular at the 400NL Full Tilt games is coaching me. I've had one session of each, and I have to say, it has gone really well. We use a combination of Skype and Mikogo to chat over the internet and view each others desktop while one plays.

My coach has given me some really good advice so far in the one session we have had together, and I have started to really open up my game. The first two sessions since, I am running around 24/20 or so, and am up a couple buy-ins. I think I am still running bad, but I am playing some pretty good poker.

I do plan on puting in a decent amount of hands tonight to go along with the Mookie.

Here is a Sweet Hand of the Day for you.

This isn't how you want to play Aces.

Full Tilt Poker, $1/$2 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players

CO: $230.85
BTN: $200
SB: $201
BB: $346.45
Hero (UTG): $254.45

Pre-Flop: 9s Js dealt to Hero (UTG) Hero raises to $7, CO calls $7, 3 folds

Flop: ($17) Ts 8d 9d (2 Players) Hero bets $14, CO calls $14

Turn: ($45) 4s (2 Players) Hero bets $32, CO calls $32

River: ($109) 3s (2 Players) Hero bets $105, CO raises to $177.85 and is All-In, Hero calls $72.85

Results: $464.70 Pot ($3 Rake) CO showed As Ad (a pair of Aces) and LOST (-$230.85 NET)
Hero showed 9s Js (a flush, Jack high) and WON $461.70 (+$230.85 NET)

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And the Sour Hand of the Day

Nothing like being 3 handed and getting it all-in PF with KK against both player, one having AA, and the other AK. Seriously, could there be a bigger set-up hand?

Full Tilt Poker, $1/$2 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 3 Players

BTN: $200
SB: $379.05
Hero (BB): $227

Pre-Flop: Ks Kh dealt to Hero (BB)
BTN calls $2, SB raises to $8, Hero raises to $28, BTN raises to $88, SB raises to $379.05 and is All-In, Hero calls $199 and is All-In, BTN calls $112 and is All-In

Flop: ($654) Jc 3c Tc (3 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: ($654) 2s (3 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($654) Jd (3 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $654 Pot ($1 Rake) BTN showed As Ad (two pair, Aces and Jacks) and WON $599 (+$399 NET)
SB showed Kd Ac (a pair of Jacks) and LOST (-$227 NET)
Hero showed Ks Kh (two pair, Kings and Jacks) and WON $54 (-$173 NET)

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I leave you with the best youtube video ever. MISHEARD LYRICS - Pearl Jam - Yellow Ledbetter




See you at the Mook!

Cheers

Best Day Ever!!

Well, I obviously didn't win any tournaments on Wednesday night since I didn't post on Thursday. I played a total of 8 tournaments, and cashed in 3 of them (Including the Mookie). They were all baby cashes, with the best one only doubling my buy-in (The Stars $25+2.50). I was either knocked out by Aces (QQ vs AA, AK vs AA, etc...) or my dominating hand got rivered.

I had a decent stack in the Full Tilt 50/50. Then I lost half my stack with AK vs KJ all-in PF to a river jack, and then a half an hour later I lost AT vs KT all-in PF. I cashed in Pokerstars $3 rebuy. We were just in the money and some guy limps from EP. I push my 9 Big Blinds in with ATs and the limper insta-calls with KJo and wins. KJo is an insta-call for 8 big blinds deep in a tournament? That's news to me. I had a real nice stack in that PokerStars $25 tournament. I had about an average stack with about 150 left and lost half of it when I lost 99 vs J8 all-in PF (Dude pushed his J8s all-in with no fold equity after I had already raised PF). Then I busted with K8s vs J9o in a blind vs bond confrontation. Yippee for tournaments, ha!

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Cash game play had been pretty brutal up until yesterday. After about 8000 hands, I was actually down for the month. Saturday I dropped $500, with the biggest hand being 190 BBs deep. I saw a free flop with 73o in the BB and flopped the full house on a 733 two diamond flop. I bet and got called by the donk who was UTG. Turn was an Ace. I bet and got called again. River was the Jack of diamonds. I bet, he raised, and I pushed (thinking he probably hit his flush), and he turned over JJ. Against a player with half a brain, I just call his river raise, but against this idiot, he'd play a flush the same way so I pushed. Uggg

But yesterday was the complete opposite. I had my best day ever, winning just over $1,200!

Here is Today's Sweet Hand of the Day

Button is a Slightly LAG guy running about 23/20 or so. I think he is getting really pissed off at me because I am getting hit in the face with the deck. I've 3-bet a few times the last couple orbits. One or two hands earlier I called his raise with 56s. Flop was 422 with two of my suit. He check/called my bet. Turn was 3 of clubs giving me the straight flush. He called my big turn bet. River was an Ace, and he took up all of his time bank before folding to my river bet. I showed my straight flush.

The BB is a short stack donk, and I'm not worried about what he has. I'm really surprised that the button called my 4-bet shove with 99. Oh well.

Full Tilt Poker, $1/$2 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 4 Players

BB: $58
UTG: $292.75
BTN: $240.80
Hero (SB): $361.15

Pre-Flop: Ks Ah dealt to Hero (SB)
UTG folds, BTN raises to $7, Hero raises to $25, BB calls $23, BTN raises to $76, Hero raises to $361.15 and is All-In, BB calls $33 and is All-In, BTN calls $164.80 and is All-In

Flop: ($539.60) Kc 8s 2h (3 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: ($539.60) 3h (3 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($539.60) Tc (3 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $539.60 Pot ($2 Rake)
BB showed Qc Ac (Ace King high) and LOST (-$58 NET)
BTN showed 9c 9h (a pair of Nines) and LOST (-$240.80 NET)
Hero showed Ks Ah (a pair of Kings) and WON $537.60 (+$296.80 NET)


**********************

And here is the Sour Hand of the Day.

I'm not really sure what I should have done Pre-flop here with a bet, then a 3-bet before it even gets to me when I have QQ. 4-bet? I decided to just call. Flop is all unders and villain checks behind. Then turn is another low card and I lead out and he calls. I suppose I can be pretty certain that he has JJ, KK or AA here. What do you think?

Full Tilt Poker, $1/$2 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players

BTN: $275.30
Hero (SB): $209.25
BB: $280.40
UTG: $96.40
CO: $43.85

Pre-Flop: Qc Qd dealt to Hero (SB)
UTG raises to $7, CO calls $7, BTN raises to $31, Hero calls $30, 3 folds

Flop: ($78) 6d 5h Th (2 Players)
Hero checks, BTN checks

Turn: ($78) 2c (2 Players)
Hero bets $45, BTN calls $45

River: ($168) 3h (2 Players)
Hero bets $133.25 and is All-In, BTN calls $133.25

Results: $434.50 Pot ($3 Rake)
BTN showed Ks Kc (a pair of Kings) and WON $431.50 (+$222.25 NET)
Hero showed Qc Qd (a pair of Queens) and LOST (-$209.25 NET)

Cheers!

I Rox 100NL, but Sux 200NL

I went back through my last couple databases and took a look at my results for 100NL and 200NL for the last 11 months (The amount of time I've exclusively played at Full Tilt). For some reason I am crushing 100NL, but just barely making money at 200NL.

100NL: 90,000 hands running at 10.05 BB/100 (5.02 ptbb/100)
200NL: 48,000 hands running at 1.8 BB/100 (0.90 ptbb/100)

Whenever I see something like this, I think to myself, "Why am I wasting time playing 200NL when I can make more money playing 100NL?"

Add in the fact that I think I can play more tables comfortably at 100NL, and it skews it even more in favor of playing 100NL.

Anyways, I played like a total donkey the last couple days. Add in a few nasty beats and a massive cooler, and I'm down again at 200NL. But I've played a few sessions at 100NL and crushed, lol.

The massive cooler was my middle set vs top set vs flopped straight. Nice one. I lost KK vs AJ all-in PF. JJ vs TT all-in PF, etc... Bah

I'm planning on playing in the Mookie tonight, along with a bunch of other tournaments. And tonight will be the night I finally win one. You heard it here first. Expect to see a nice screen shot with PokerFool's name up top.

Also, if any of you 3 or 4 readers want to add me to IM, my contact name is: pokerfool (at) live (dot) com.

Cheers!

Feruary 2008 Results and Lifetime Graph

February was another decent month. Not my best month ever, but close again. I was up $2500 at one point, but only finished at +$1800 or so. I only put in 12,000 cash game hands in the month, and when you figure that I put in half of that the first week, that is pretty pathetic :)

Grand Total: +$1,847.83

Cash Games: +1,247.40

• 100NL 6 max: +$398.60 (4001 hands @ 9.96 BB/100)
  
• 200NL 6 max: +$512.95 (7523 hands @ 3.41 BB/100)
  
• 400NL 6 max: +$410.40 (234 hands @ 43.85 BB/100)

MTTs/SNGs: +$168.83

Rakeback: +$387.00

Bonus: +$75.00

Here are the cash game graph and stats

Damn, I sure played Nitty at 200NL. I need to loosen up.

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I'm posting my lifetime graph because I recently passed another milestone: 30 G's. Not too shabby for a donkey, huh? I deposited my first money online back in June of 2005, so almost three years of playing online.

I described my play a few months back as being, "Break even with an occasional hot streak". Ain't that the truth? If you look at the last seven months , there are three distinct break even stretches, and two huge up swings. WTF? I'll take it I guess. I sure am glad there aren't any huge down swings.

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And on a personal note, I am officially sick of the winter. Woke up this morning and it was -5 degrees outside. For cripes sake it's the middle of March!!!! Then I heard on the radio that we have had 100 straight days of having snow on the ground. I hate winters. Hate hate hate.

Let's hope it warms up soon.

Cheers!

Another Deep Run In The 50/50

I made another deep run in the Full Tilt 50/50 tournament last night, this time finishing in 18th place and a profit of $305. So that is two top 18 finishes in this thing the last three times playing. Not too shabby. And just like the last time I went deep in this thing, I got absolutely zero for cards. Number of dealt hands = 355. Number of times dealt AA, KK or QQ? ZERO. I was only dealt JJ once! AK four times, and AQ once. How pathetic is that? But I still got 18th place. WTF? So in my two latest deep runs in the 50/50 and 725 hands, I have been dealt AA zero times, KK zero times, and QQ once. Hmmm, maybe that is the key to me doing good in these things?

This tournament was a little bit different than the last one though in that there were quite a few suckouts. Very rarely, when I was all-in PF, did the best hand win. I was even on the suckout dealing side a few times.

I doubled up a half hour in when I raised Q9s and got called by the Button. Flop was 644 with two of my suit and I c-bet. The Button called and the turn brought my flush. I checked, and like a good donk, he bet full pot. I pushed and it wasn't much left for him to call, so he called and showed 22. Nice.

During the 25/50 level, I had an interesting hand go down. I raise TT from MP and the agro donk button, plus both blinds call. Flop is Q83 rainbow, and both blinds check to me. I decide to check also and the agro donk checks behind. The turn brought another Queen. My read now, is that if either of the blinds have a queen (and they were looking to check-raise the flop), they will come to life right now, as they want to try and get something out of their trips. But they both check, so I decided that my TT is good and bet out. The Agro donk on the button now raises me 3x my bet amount. There is no way he has a queen, because if he did, he would have certainly bet the flop. So I pushed and my read was right and he folded. That hand brought my stack up to a healthy 5700 in chips at the 25/50 level.

I had built my stack up to 8300 at the 10/240 level when I pick up TT again and raise. The player immediately behind pushes for a total of 3700. This player had shown down some really bad hands lately (including J2o when he called a short stacks all-in for 10 BBs). So I made the call and he showed 99. Unfortunately the turn brought a 9, and instead of having a top 50 stack, I am now down below average.

From this point on until the end of the tournament, I was always a short stack and never getting back up to an average chip stack. But I stayed alive! I pushed pocket 6's with an M just below 4. I get called by the bigstack who has A2s. Board goes 43756 and he rivers the two outer to split. Suckout #1 for me as I beat AQ with my AJ when the board goes 2Q6KT and I go runner runner to stay alive. Suckout #2 for me comes when I push KQs with an M of 2.3 and get called by QQ. I flop an open-ended straight draw and hit on the turn to double up again. Then I double up again when I actually have the best hand AJ vs AT. My M actually got up to 5 at this point. Wow! I suckout again with A7 vs. AQ. Double up again with A9 vs. A8.

Then another interesting spot happened at the 1500/3000/400 level. My stack is at an ok level of 49k, which gives me an M of 6.7. I raise AJ from EP to 10,000. The big stack in the SB 3-bets to AJ. This guy had been really active and using his big stack well. The last 40 hands or so, he was running around 28/21, which is super lag for a full table late in a tournament. I ended up folding, but I wouldn't mind some opinions on this one. (Oh, and looking at the HH, I just noticed Hoyazo was railing me! Thanks Hoy!!)

I finally went out an orbit or so later. I had a stack of 34k at the 2000/4000/500 level. A MP player, who had 74k in his stack open pushed. I'm in the SB and look down and see AJ. I couldn't put him on a big hand like AA or KK as I think he'd just raise a normal amount there. Of course I am worried about AK or AQ, but I thought his play seemed strange, so I called. I fist-pumped when he flipped his QJ over. Dominated!! But the flop had a Queen, and I go home in 18th place. Looking back at this hand, I think I probably should have folded PF. I think I am well behind his range there. I probably can find a better spot to get my chips in and be the one pushing. I think the MTT pros out there would agree.

Oh well, live by the suckout, die by the suckout. Thanks to all who railed me!

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I also played in a bunch of other tournaments last night. I almost made the money in the 28k, but went out when a guy limp/called my push of 11BBs with pocket 7's. I didn't fair well in the Mookie and went out when I raised AQ and got called in one spot. Flop is ace high and we get it in and player was playing tricky and had AK.

I also played in the $24+2 32k guaranteed and went out toward the end of hour two when a guy called me with K7s and flopped a flush. I played in both Daily Double tournaments and did fairly well in both. I lost in DD A when I raised with AQs and got called by the loose donk (My note said he played any suited A or K). Flop was Ten high with two of my suit, and I pushed. He called with AKo, no pair, no draw and I didn't hit. DD B ended with my TPTK going down to KTs when he rivered his flush.

Cash games were super swingy, but I managed to pull off $500 or so. I had some massive beats and one massively misplayed hand. I had my JJ cracked by pocket 4's when the dude called my big flop bet with his underpair and hit his 2-outer on the turn. Had another guy go runner-runner flush on me with K4s to my AK and TPTK. I raised PF and flopped two pair, and a monkey min-raises me, so I push. He had TP crap kicker and goes runner-runner Full house on me. Standard stuff. I was pretty happy with my play, though I played super nitty again ( I tend to do that when also playing MTTs). I think I made only a few mistakes, the biggest being me not getting away from AA against a nit who flopped an obvious set with 33.

Also, have any of you signed up for the BoDog blogger tournaments in the last week or so? I tried signing up before the Tuesday night game, but I got a page not found error when trying to sign up. I tried on both my desktop (Win XP) and laptop (Vista), and no luck. MaybeI'll try Firefox next.

Cheers!

Lots-O-Poker

Lots of poker this weekend. Played in a home game, got in 2400 hands on the cash tables, and played in tournaments on Sunday night.

The weekend started off with a home game over at OhCaptain's house on Friday night. He had a whopping 26 people throwing in $10 each all cramming in his basement. One exciting thing about this home game, was that my wife played, which was her first ever poker tournament. I was a little worried that she wouldn't have fun, but I actually think she enjoyed herself. It was nice that I was seated at her starting table, along with another person we both know. She even limp/re-raised all-in with pocket Aces! And got called! And flopped a set! Nice hand! But in the end, she busted out around 23rd place or so. her next poker lesson will be that it is ok to raise post flop too.

I didn't fair much better, going out in 21st place or so. No exciting hands for me to report. I got AK once and pushed when I only had 5 BBs. I lost most of my chips pushing with Q9s with 7 BBs and getting called by KQ.

Go on over to OhCaptain's blog for a bigger recap. Good times!

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Cash games were down, then up for the weekend. Saturday was terrible, but I made most of it back on Sunday. Here is the graph.

Saturday saw two more of my sets go down in flames. i went back and looked at my February database, and from Feb 1st until Saturday, I flopped a total of 52 sets. 11 of those went down in flames. Can you believe that? Flopping sets is where you make the most of your money, and over 20% of mine went down in flames. I'd guess that the average is only 5%. ridiculous.

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I played in a few tournaments on Sunday night, including the Blogger Big game. I built up my stack by hitting some monster hands. I flopped a set of Kings and doubled up against some unknown crappy player. Won another nice pot with pocket aces and another flopped set versus lucko in a 3-bet pot (He didn't continue after the flop though). I got it all in against Jordan with my KK vs his AA and I flopped another set. I was in the top 10 for a while. Then I got moved to the super donkey agro table. I started at this table with about 19,000 in chips at the 200/400/50 level. Went complete card dead for about 4 orbits, but kept my stack when it was folded to my BB a few times. I was still in the top 10 I think. Then within 12 hands I was out.

- Blinds 300/600/75: I have 17k and raise K9o to 1800. Bone_Daddy pushes for 9.5K and I fold. I almost called because it smelled like a resteal. I would have been right cause he had 98o.
- 2 hands later I have 15k and raise 44 from LP. garthmeister pushed from the SB for 8.5k total. I fold.
- 3 hands later I have 13k and raise TT from EP. garthmeister again pushed from LP for 11k total. I folded (Mistake?)
- 5 hands later with blinds at 400/800/100, and I have 9k. Folds to me in the CO and I raise with K9o. chitwood on the button pushes ( I barely have him covered). I fold. I probably had odds to call this one. meh.
- Next hand I am down to 6k, which is good for an M of 3. I push from MP with T9o. Shabazz Jenkins (who has 8k in his stack), who've I've never heard of before, calls with.......... the powerful 33, and I can't win the coinflip.

That's right folks. I got knocked out of the big game because someone called an all-in with pocket 3's. That's a winning play right there folks!!! <---- sarcasm)

I palyed few more tournaments, including the 50/50's at Full Tilt and Stars. I couldn't get anything going in the full tilt one and lost to a rivered Ace high flush (him holding AKo) to my turned King high flush ( I had KQs). Then the stars one, I limp-reraised all-in from UTG (which is usually a strong play) with TT. I got called by A9o and obviously lost.

I barely cashed for $10 profit in the $24 26k guaranteed. I had about an average stack and 16 total BBs left in my stack. Some idot raise from MP and I push for 16 BBs with AQ. He calls with 88. Flop has two Queens, but he 4-flushes me by the river. Yipee!

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Here is Today's Sweet Hand of the Day.

Here is a nice min-raise bluff by me against a LAG. I had a note on this guy that he has been caught floating before. So I represented that I had AA and min-4-bet the turn. Pretty nice, huh? I was proud of this one.

Full Tilt Poker, $1/$2 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 5 Players

SB: $197
BB: $260.80
Hero (UTG): $203
CO: $183.70
BTN: $250.60

Pre-Flop: 3h 3c dealt to Hero (UTG)
Hero raises to $7, 2 folds, SB calls $6, BB folds

Flop: ($16) 9c 6d As (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets $11, SB calls $11

Turn: ($38) 7s (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets $21, SB raises to $45, Hero raises to $69, SB folds

Results: $128 Pot ($3 Rake) Hero mucked 3h 3c and WON $125 (+$62 NET)



And Today's Sour Hand of the Day.

This table was crazy with three mega donks. Two of the agro kind, and one calling station kind. At least 4 people saw every flop, so I decide to limp with my suited connector. I flop a pair plus a gutshot plus a flush draw. The donkey pushes and I call and miss my 17 outs twice. I'm 60/40 there versus an overpair, and he probably does this with any two cards the way he had been playing. I probably could of folded since I didn’t have anything invested in the pot. But I like monster draws.

Full Tilt Poker, $1/$2 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 6 Players

BB: $170.05
Hero (UTG): $234.75
MP: $123.65
CO: $35.80
BTN: $197
SB: $208

Pre-Flop: 8d 9d dealt to Hero (UTG)
Hero calls $2, MP raises to $4, 3 folds, BB calls $2, Hero calls $2

Flop: ($13) Td 9c 6d (3 Players)
BB checks, Hero checks, MP bets $119.65 and is All-In, BB folds, Hero calls $119.65

Turn: ($252.30) 3c (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: ($252.30) 5s (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $252.30 Pot ($3 Rake) Hero showed 8d 9d (a pair of Nines) and LOST (-$123.65 NET)
MP showed Ac Ah (a pair of Aces) and WON $249.30 (+$125.65 NET)

Have a good week! Cheers!