Merry Christmas to all blog readers. One day late anyway. I know that some of the people from the poker forum actually read this thing, and I've talked to enough other random people to know that there is a group of people that actually read this thing. For whatever reason. So Merry Christmas.
I was in Lansing yesterday, but left to get back to Chicago since I had a wedding to go to tomorrow. So with nothing else to do on Christmas night, fired up a few poker tournaments, finished 2nd in the AP 30r. Truthfully I wasn't really even paying that close of attention to it until there were about 30 people left, but clearly I run good. The level of play in the AP 30r was pretty atrocious last night. My favorite was the guy who being determined to take a stand in the bb against the big stack, called off half his stack with 52o. And then flopped three deuces. WP sir.
But otherwise I continue to run good for the month of December, up about 11 grand or so at the moment. I'm not sure if I'm done for the year or if I'll try to sneak in one more day on Sunday. On Monday I'm flying down to Florida, and hanging out for the week with my parents and grandfather. In an RV. That's going to be an adventure.
Something that occurred to me last night after I made a particularly horrific river bluff after betting the turn: I need to learn when to slow down when I've taken a shot at the pot that hasn't worked. Particuarly when the range of hands that are calling on the turn and folding on the river is particularly low, which was the case last night. Felt I was better than the player I played against last night, but that one bluff really cost me. Still, even with high blinds, tried to play small ball, gradually chip up, and as a result had chip lead when we got it in for a tournament defining flip for most of the chips. Which I lost. 2nd it is.
That's it for now. Year wrap up to come, as well as goals for next year. There will be many.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Last Full Day?
With my travel/holiday/wedding schedule upcoming, today is probably my last full day of poker of the year.
It certainly won't be my last day, I'm sure I'll sneak in some tourneys here and there, especially when I'm at home. But I'm playing from now until I get busted out of the nightly tournies today. Snuck into always donktastic Cake 30r just now, many more to come.
It'd be nice to go out on a good note, not a "I played all day and I'm down a grand" note.
It certainly won't be my last day, I'm sure I'll sneak in some tourneys here and there, especially when I'm at home. But I'm playing from now until I get busted out of the nightly tournies today. Snuck into always donktastic Cake 30r just now, many more to come.
It'd be nice to go out on a good note, not a "I played all day and I'm down a grand" note.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Ah So Close
Finished 12th in the Stars Nightly Hundred Grand a few nights ago. Finished 4th in the Cake 109 last night when I was the CL four handed. Ah being a multi player is a life of prepetual disappoinment. Except for those times when you feel really good.
The Cake end result was annoying. I was just rolling along, there was another fairly aggro player with the second big stack, but he was on my right, and I was occasionally three betting him with air essentially. Then there were two short stacks. Then ran QQ into KK into the other big stack. Now he's got about 500K chips, I've got 100K chips, and the two short stacks have about 50k. At this point, it takes on a little bit of a SNG dynamic, and I'm looking to raise the short stacks with anything decent and stay out of the big stacks way. It was another 1600 I think if I could move up to second, and only 1000 more for first. That may not be exactly right, but it's close. But I pick up 77 utg and 3k/6k, decide that's too good to just fold outright because I'm really only afraid of the big stack picking up a hand. Who of course had JJ. Sigh.
I think that tilted me a bit, because I played a little loose the rest of the night. Ah well. Still having a pretty good month overall.
Snow has totally taken over Chicago. I'm enjoying it really. I don't even mind that it's cold.
The Cake end result was annoying. I was just rolling along, there was another fairly aggro player with the second big stack, but he was on my right, and I was occasionally three betting him with air essentially. Then there were two short stacks. Then ran QQ into KK into the other big stack. Now he's got about 500K chips, I've got 100K chips, and the two short stacks have about 50k. At this point, it takes on a little bit of a SNG dynamic, and I'm looking to raise the short stacks with anything decent and stay out of the big stacks way. It was another 1600 I think if I could move up to second, and only 1000 more for first. That may not be exactly right, but it's close. But I pick up 77 utg and 3k/6k, decide that's too good to just fold outright because I'm really only afraid of the big stack picking up a hand. Who of course had JJ. Sigh.
I think that tilted me a bit, because I played a little loose the rest of the night. Ah well. Still having a pretty good month overall.
Snow has totally taken over Chicago. I'm enjoying it really. I don't even mind that it's cold.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Ship 20K, Other Thoughts
Shipped 20K DS on Monday to get the month going. Some hands.
Stage #1349647478 Tourney ID 2111543 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit $4000 - 2008-12-09 01:16:43 (ET)
Table: 7 (Real Money) Seat #3 is the dealer
Seat 1 - MRQUIETSTRM ($81830.50 in chips)
Seat 3 - WAWA711 ($152343.50 in chips)
Seat 4 - CMB8757 ($243535.25 in chips)
Seat 5 - IMPROVED ($127797.75 in chips)
Seat 6 - BZIMZIM ($80146 in chips)
Seat 7 - DZ00NUTS ($219343 in chips)
Seat 8 - SPUNKMONKEYB ($60004 in chips)
MRQUIETSTRM - Ante $400
WAWA711 - Ante $400
CMB8757 - Ante $400
IMPROVED - Ante $400
BZIMZIM - Ante $400
DZ00NUTS - Ante $400
SPUNKMONKEYB - Ante $400
CMB8757 - Posts small blind $2000
IMPROVED - Posts big blind $4000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to BZIMZIM [Qc Qh]
BZIMZIM - Raises $10100 to $10100
DZ00NUTS - Calls $10100
SPUNKMONKEYB - Folds
MRQUIETSTRM - Folds
WAWA711 - Folds
CMB8757 - Folds
IMPROVED - Folds
*** FLOP *** [Qd 8d 8s]
BZIMZIM - Bets $16000
DZ00NUTS - Calls $16000
*** TURN *** [Qd 8d 8s] [4s]
BZIMZIM - Checks
DZ00NUTS - Bets $8000
BZIMZIM - All-In(Raise) $53646 to $53646
DZ00NUTS - Calls $45646
*** RIVER *** [Qd 8d 8s 4s] [4c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
BZIMZIM - Shows [Qc Qh] (Full house, queens full of eights)
DZ00NUTS - Shows [Qs 8c] (Full house, eights full of queens)
BZIMZIM Collects $168292 from main pot
DZ is a AP tourney regular, but he was doing this a lot where he was calling preflop with a lot of marginal hands in this tourney, flatting from the button from 76o and the like. I remember him calling a little more playing against him before, but nothing like this. I'm not sure what he was doing frankly. And then of course the flop was absolutely filthy. But these are the moments you need in tournaments to win them.
Stage #1349656817 Tourney ID 2111543 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit $4000 - 2008-12-09 01:25:40 (ET)
Table: 7 (Real Money) Seat #3 is the dealer
Seat 1 - MRQUIETSTRM ($65030.50 in chips)
Seat 3 - WAWA711 ($287262 in chips)
Seat 4 - CMB8757 ($241535.25 in chips)
Seat 6 - BZIMZIM ($261322 in chips)
Seat 7 - DZ00NUTS ($109850.25 in chips)
MRQUIETSTRM - Ante $400
WAWA711 - Ante $400
CMB8757 - Ante $400
BZIMZIM - Ante $400
DZ00NUTS - Ante $400
CMB8757 - Posts small blind $2000
BZIMZIM - Posts big blind $4000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to BZIMZIM [As 8h]
DZ00NUTS - Folds
MRQUIETSTRM - Folds
WAWA711 - Raises $12000 to $12000
CMB8757 - Folds
BZIMZIM - Calls $8000
*** FLOP *** [2c 6c 4h]
BZIMZIM - Checks
WAWA711 - Bets $16000
BZIMZIM - Calls $16000
*** TURN *** [2c 6c 4h] [Ad]
BZIMZIM - Checks
WAWA711 - Bets $36000
BZIMZIM - Calls $36000
*** RIVER *** [2c 6c 4h Ad] [Kh]
BZIMZIM - Checks
WAWA711 - Bets $52000
BZIMZIM - Calls $52000
*** SHOW DOWN ***
WAWA711 - Shows [Qd 5d] (ace high)
BZIMZIM - Shows [As 8h] (One pair, aces)
BZIMZIM Collects $236000 from main pot
Speaking of the moments you need in tournaments, you have to have the one hand where the other guy calls you a donkey. Haha. Wawa had been raising a lot from the button, so I feel like I'm ahead of his range, so decide to flat here, which I like to do some with a variety of hands (suited connectors, medium strength hands like this one, monsters) once we get shorthanded. The call on the flop was what I took crap for. I felt like there was a good chance I was good, given how I perceived his range preflop, but didn't want to unleash a c/r, cause what am I representing on that board? So I call, wanting to see what he'll do on the air, and willing to c/r with air if I feel like I can take it away. Instead the A pops off the turn. Now I feel like I'm good, obviously, easy check and call for value, plus I want to control the pot in case I have run into a better ace. The river may be a value bet, bet there's certainly no folding as soft as I've played the hand. Ship.
Stage #1349675522 Tourney ID 2111543 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit $5000 - 2008-12-09 01:44:16 (ET)
Table: 7 (Real Money) Seat #6 is the dealer
Seat 3 - WAWA711 ($107331.50 in chips)
Seat 4 - CMB8757 ($361396.25 in chips)
Seat 6 - BZIMZIM ($496272.25 in chips)
WAWA711 - Ante $500
CMB8757 - Ante $500
BZIMZIM - Ante $500
WAWA711 - Posts small blind $2500
CMB8757 - Posts big blind $5000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to BZIMZIM [Qc Kd]
BZIMZIM - Raises $12600 to $12600
WAWA711 - Folds
CMB8757 - Raises $37200 to $42200
BZIMZIM - Calls $29600
*** FLOP *** [Jh 8s 6h]
CMB8757 - Bets $55000
BZIMZIM - Raises $135000 to $135000
CMB8757 - Folds
BZIMZIM - returned ($80000) : not called
*** SHOW DOWN ***
BZIMZIM - Does not show
BZIMZIM Collects $198400 from main pot
I've been raising from the button wide. I expect to get 3 bet decently wide. I find a hand I can call with here with KQ and take a flop in position. I raise here with air, er, two overs, and obviously I've gotten myself in big trouble if he shoved. But he knows I'm priced in with a draw and can't make me fold. Basically if he reshoves, the only thing I can think about folding is total air. So in a sort of reverse thinking, that actually makes him more likely to fold I think. And to shove here, he really needs an overpair a J, or maybe second pair or a mid pp if he just doesn't believe me at all and puts me on a draw. Basically I think he has to fold a lot of his wide three bet range here. And I just didn't read strength. And there's a good difference between second and third and he's still got a good deal of chips on the short stack if he folds. So overall it's a good play. I think. That was my reasoning behind the move anyway. Worked that time.
From there mostly cruised to first place. Needed that to get going after I didn't play much the first week of the month. I didn't even have anything going on except I was sick. I remember playing on the first Monday of the month and at one point thinking, wow, I'm playing terrible. So it was a light week. I played big days Monday and Tuesday this week, and I'll get in a full night session tonight. Second half of the month will be much busier, so trying to get hours in now. For the moment up 5500 for the month. Let's see if I can get it going tonight.
I'm on the Northwestern football mailing list, because I bought tickets to the Ohio State game through them once. They're going to the Valero Alamo Bowl to play Missouri, and the email I got says the Alamo Bowl: "For all the glory." I can promise Northwestern that there's no glory in the Alamo Bowl. Also they're probably going to lose.
An ESPN columnist wrote another "this is a big bowl season for the Big 10" column. It's true to a degree, because every bowl season becomes a measuring stick of the conferences. But why just us? It isn't a big bowl season for the horrid Pac-10, awful Big East or the consistently medicore at best ACC? Why don't those conferences have to prove anything? For that matter, if Ole Miss is the third best team in the SEC, they weren't really that great either. Whatever. Meanwhile, the top two teams in the Big Ten play the two best teams in the country that aren't in the title game. Yeah I'm not optimistic.
Time to go to work.
Stage #1349647478 Tourney ID 2111543 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit $4000 - 2008-12-09 01:16:43 (ET)
Table: 7 (Real Money) Seat #3 is the dealer
Seat 1 - MRQUIETSTRM ($81830.50 in chips)
Seat 3 - WAWA711 ($152343.50 in chips)
Seat 4 - CMB8757 ($243535.25 in chips)
Seat 5 - IMPROVED ($127797.75 in chips)
Seat 6 - BZIMZIM ($80146 in chips)
Seat 7 - DZ00NUTS ($219343 in chips)
Seat 8 - SPUNKMONKEYB ($60004 in chips)
MRQUIETSTRM - Ante $400
WAWA711 - Ante $400
CMB8757 - Ante $400
IMPROVED - Ante $400
BZIMZIM - Ante $400
DZ00NUTS - Ante $400
SPUNKMONKEYB - Ante $400
CMB8757 - Posts small blind $2000
IMPROVED - Posts big blind $4000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to BZIMZIM [Qc Qh]
BZIMZIM - Raises $10100 to $10100
DZ00NUTS - Calls $10100
SPUNKMONKEYB - Folds
MRQUIETSTRM - Folds
WAWA711 - Folds
CMB8757 - Folds
IMPROVED - Folds
*** FLOP *** [Qd 8d 8s]
BZIMZIM - Bets $16000
DZ00NUTS - Calls $16000
*** TURN *** [Qd 8d 8s] [4s]
BZIMZIM - Checks
DZ00NUTS - Bets $8000
BZIMZIM - All-In(Raise) $53646 to $53646
DZ00NUTS - Calls $45646
*** RIVER *** [Qd 8d 8s 4s] [4c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
BZIMZIM - Shows [Qc Qh] (Full house, queens full of eights)
DZ00NUTS - Shows [Qs 8c] (Full house, eights full of queens)
BZIMZIM Collects $168292 from main pot
DZ is a AP tourney regular, but he was doing this a lot where he was calling preflop with a lot of marginal hands in this tourney, flatting from the button from 76o and the like. I remember him calling a little more playing against him before, but nothing like this. I'm not sure what he was doing frankly. And then of course the flop was absolutely filthy. But these are the moments you need in tournaments to win them.
Stage #1349656817 Tourney ID 2111543 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit $4000 - 2008-12-09 01:25:40 (ET)
Table: 7 (Real Money) Seat #3 is the dealer
Seat 1 - MRQUIETSTRM ($65030.50 in chips)
Seat 3 - WAWA711 ($287262 in chips)
Seat 4 - CMB8757 ($241535.25 in chips)
Seat 6 - BZIMZIM ($261322 in chips)
Seat 7 - DZ00NUTS ($109850.25 in chips)
MRQUIETSTRM - Ante $400
WAWA711 - Ante $400
CMB8757 - Ante $400
BZIMZIM - Ante $400
DZ00NUTS - Ante $400
CMB8757 - Posts small blind $2000
BZIMZIM - Posts big blind $4000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to BZIMZIM [As 8h]
DZ00NUTS - Folds
MRQUIETSTRM - Folds
WAWA711 - Raises $12000 to $12000
CMB8757 - Folds
BZIMZIM - Calls $8000
*** FLOP *** [2c 6c 4h]
BZIMZIM - Checks
WAWA711 - Bets $16000
BZIMZIM - Calls $16000
*** TURN *** [2c 6c 4h] [Ad]
BZIMZIM - Checks
WAWA711 - Bets $36000
BZIMZIM - Calls $36000
*** RIVER *** [2c 6c 4h Ad] [Kh]
BZIMZIM - Checks
WAWA711 - Bets $52000
BZIMZIM - Calls $52000
*** SHOW DOWN ***
WAWA711 - Shows [Qd 5d] (ace high)
BZIMZIM - Shows [As 8h] (One pair, aces)
BZIMZIM Collects $236000 from main pot
Speaking of the moments you need in tournaments, you have to have the one hand where the other guy calls you a donkey. Haha. Wawa had been raising a lot from the button, so I feel like I'm ahead of his range, so decide to flat here, which I like to do some with a variety of hands (suited connectors, medium strength hands like this one, monsters) once we get shorthanded. The call on the flop was what I took crap for. I felt like there was a good chance I was good, given how I perceived his range preflop, but didn't want to unleash a c/r, cause what am I representing on that board? So I call, wanting to see what he'll do on the air, and willing to c/r with air if I feel like I can take it away. Instead the A pops off the turn. Now I feel like I'm good, obviously, easy check and call for value, plus I want to control the pot in case I have run into a better ace. The river may be a value bet, bet there's certainly no folding as soft as I've played the hand. Ship.
Stage #1349675522 Tourney ID 2111543 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit $5000 - 2008-12-09 01:44:16 (ET)
Table: 7 (Real Money) Seat #6 is the dealer
Seat 3 - WAWA711 ($107331.50 in chips)
Seat 4 - CMB8757 ($361396.25 in chips)
Seat 6 - BZIMZIM ($496272.25 in chips)
WAWA711 - Ante $500
CMB8757 - Ante $500
BZIMZIM - Ante $500
WAWA711 - Posts small blind $2500
CMB8757 - Posts big blind $5000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to BZIMZIM [Qc Kd]
BZIMZIM - Raises $12600 to $12600
WAWA711 - Folds
CMB8757 - Raises $37200 to $42200
BZIMZIM - Calls $29600
*** FLOP *** [Jh 8s 6h]
CMB8757 - Bets $55000
BZIMZIM - Raises $135000 to $135000
CMB8757 - Folds
BZIMZIM - returned ($80000) : not called
*** SHOW DOWN ***
BZIMZIM - Does not show
BZIMZIM Collects $198400 from main pot
I've been raising from the button wide. I expect to get 3 bet decently wide. I find a hand I can call with here with KQ and take a flop in position. I raise here with air, er, two overs, and obviously I've gotten myself in big trouble if he shoved. But he knows I'm priced in with a draw and can't make me fold. Basically if he reshoves, the only thing I can think about folding is total air. So in a sort of reverse thinking, that actually makes him more likely to fold I think. And to shove here, he really needs an overpair a J, or maybe second pair or a mid pp if he just doesn't believe me at all and puts me on a draw. Basically I think he has to fold a lot of his wide three bet range here. And I just didn't read strength. And there's a good difference between second and third and he's still got a good deal of chips on the short stack if he folds. So overall it's a good play. I think. That was my reasoning behind the move anyway. Worked that time.
From there mostly cruised to first place. Needed that to get going after I didn't play much the first week of the month. I didn't even have anything going on except I was sick. I remember playing on the first Monday of the month and at one point thinking, wow, I'm playing terrible. So it was a light week. I played big days Monday and Tuesday this week, and I'll get in a full night session tonight. Second half of the month will be much busier, so trying to get hours in now. For the moment up 5500 for the month. Let's see if I can get it going tonight.
I'm on the Northwestern football mailing list, because I bought tickets to the Ohio State game through them once. They're going to the Valero Alamo Bowl to play Missouri, and the email I got says the Alamo Bowl: "For all the glory." I can promise Northwestern that there's no glory in the Alamo Bowl. Also they're probably going to lose.
An ESPN columnist wrote another "this is a big bowl season for the Big 10" column. It's true to a degree, because every bowl season becomes a measuring stick of the conferences. But why just us? It isn't a big bowl season for the horrid Pac-10, awful Big East or the consistently medicore at best ACC? Why don't those conferences have to prove anything? For that matter, if Ole Miss is the third best team in the SEC, they weren't really that great either. Whatever. Meanwhile, the top two teams in the Big Ten play the two best teams in the country that aren't in the title game. Yeah I'm not optimistic.
Time to go to work.
Monday, December 1, 2008
November Wrap
Not bad at all for a light volume month.
Month: +$5438
Year: $74,832
Now just have to close the year out strong, and I feel like I've succeeded for the year. Look Ma, I can make it as a poker player and all that. I was still somewhat disappointed in the showings I had at final tables this month, I was one breakthrough away from having a significantly better month. I still feel like I'm due for a big cash here at some point.
I was playing the Cake 30r, as I often do, and RespectMGame, who's a tourney regular there, said hi and actually knew my name. I can't remember if I told him (that I can recall) or if he got it from some other source. Or if I know him from another site. Hmm. Interesting.
It appears I was jumping the gun a little bit on the death of some of those AP tourneys. The nooner 20r returned after only one day, apparently by popular demand. The $109 at 10:30 is gone though, I always ran well in that tournament. Also gone are the $55s that I couldn't turn down just because they were free money cause the play was so horrific.
Obama just introducted Hilary as Secretary of State. It looks like reaching out, when in reality he now totally controls her destiny. It's brilliant. He's proven his politically savvy; now I just hope he has the will to pursue a liberal agenda aggressively.
Ohio State basketball starts for real this week with Miami (FL) and Notre Dame. Football team should get a BCS bid. Lakers are rolling. The Bengals are an embarassment to the sport of football.
Back to Chicago today, sometime, hopefully when it stops snowing.
Month: +$5438
Year: $74,832
Now just have to close the year out strong, and I feel like I've succeeded for the year. Look Ma, I can make it as a poker player and all that. I was still somewhat disappointed in the showings I had at final tables this month, I was one breakthrough away from having a significantly better month. I still feel like I'm due for a big cash here at some point.
I was playing the Cake 30r, as I often do, and RespectMGame, who's a tourney regular there, said hi and actually knew my name. I can't remember if I told him (that I can recall) or if he got it from some other source. Or if I know him from another site. Hmm. Interesting.
It appears I was jumping the gun a little bit on the death of some of those AP tourneys. The nooner 20r returned after only one day, apparently by popular demand. The $109 at 10:30 is gone though, I always ran well in that tournament. Also gone are the $55s that I couldn't turn down just because they were free money cause the play was so horrific.
Obama just introducted Hilary as Secretary of State. It looks like reaching out, when in reality he now totally controls her destiny. It's brilliant. He's proven his politically savvy; now I just hope he has the will to pursue a liberal agenda aggressively.
Ohio State basketball starts for real this week with Miami (FL) and Notre Dame. Football team should get a BCS bid. Lakers are rolling. The Bengals are an embarassment to the sport of football.
Back to Chicago today, sometime, hopefully when it stops snowing.
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