I have started to lose patience with the game and that means it is time to re-focus or take a break. I have mainly been playing on-line these days as I am taking a break from the club due to other obligations. It has mainly been sit-n-go's and here is the basic gist. I continually have been losing the high percentage plays.
After awhile it gets truly annoying and what I notice is that it makes me lose patience which in turn makes me play more hands I shouldn't or play more mediocre strength catches.
For example, night I was playing a $20 SNG as well as the Fifty-Fifty on FullTilt. In the $20, there were 7 of 9 left. Blinds were 50/100 and I had about 1800 (started with 1500). An aggressive player pops to bet to 250, I am in BB with A-7suited. I call the bet. Flop comes Ad-8h-5h. Aggro bets 400, I figure him on a draw or maybe pocket pair so I go all-in. He ends up calling with Kh-Jh. So at this time I am about 65% to win. But of course, the next card to come out is the Qh, giving him the flush and I am busted out of the SNG.
In the 50-50, we stared with about 940 players. We are down to 450 or so and I have AcKc on the BB. I have a mid-stack of about 3800 (about average) and the button minus one pushes all in for about 1900. Figuring he is short stacked I make the call. I am way ahead (about 4 to 1) at this point. The flop comes out rags, the turn is no help and the River hits a Q, giving him the hand. I do my best not to go on tilt, but I can tell it affects virtually every hand I play after as I just get sick of getting sucked out on constantly. I end up going broke at 276th with AJ against AK. The issue I have is that after a beat like that, where I should have been in the top 20% of chipstacks, I then get into the bottom 30% which changes my style of play and frankly, is a place I need to work on. I usually am very patient with this game, but the sheer amount of low percentage plays that are hitting against me is staggering.
I think about it like this. If you knew that all the things that have a low chance of happening, getting in a car accident, losing your job, having a child with defect, getting robbed, whatever they may be, if those started happening more frequently to you specifically, while still working within the odds of them happening in life, it would change how you lived every day. I feel that that is an extreme example, but if I am consistently making high percentage plays, and they end up getting busted, it makes me feel that there is little I can do to beat this game, despite getting my chips in the middle as the favorite. I know in the long run it should work to my advantage but almost 35% of my online bankroll has evaporated because of these beats and admittedly, how they make me play after.
Hopefully, I can re-focus and get back on track as I do not want to give up the game and yet want to enjoy it as well.
Showing posts with label tournament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tournament. Show all posts
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Absolute Insanity and Recent Online MT
The last few times i have gone to the club (the other club, not the one shut down by the POlice) have been wild. Not sure why, but the tables I have been at have been totally wild. People playing really random hands and calling and catching miracle cards over and over. I am probably down about $500 from the trips as I have not been able to make the adjustment to this wild style of play. I will admit, it is a weakness in my game that I can get thrown off by what seem to be very low percentage calls that end up catching. But - I have a new theory after doing some thinking and reading on the 2+2. I am going to go with more money, be patient, tighten up a bit, but hit hard when my opponents either are on a draw or when I hit mine. Mainly make them pay for making low percentage plays and exploit when I hit mine.
The online has been treating me pretty well. New style, do 2-3 simultaneous Sit-N-Go's ($20 or $30) and play high percentage until I get in the money and then get more aggressive. Seems to be working in my favor. That and a good run at .50-1NL on FTP has my bankroll up about $400.
The online has been treating me pretty well. New style, do 2-3 simultaneous Sit-N-Go's ($20 or $30) and play high percentage until I get in the money and then get more aggressive. Seems to be working in my favor. That and a good run at .50-1NL on FTP has my bankroll up about $400.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
$50+10 Wednesday Tourney 8.30.07
I will preface this post by saying I left up today, but I want to focus this post on a few things I observed about my play, my decisions and my play.
1. I believe I am a better tournament player than cash game player. I believe this to be due to my patience and ability to represent hands, even when I may not have them.
2. I do not come off arrogant or cocky (despite people knowing I do pretty well in tournaments at the club), in fact, I do my best to be respectful and nice. I have a good rapport with the other players and I do believe, at least in the beginning rounds, this can work in your favor as people may not want to mix it up with you.
3. In tonight's $50 tournament I started out well. Tripling up in the first half hour and then hitting pocket As twice for another couple of wins and suddenly I am on about 2200 in chips (500 to start) and feeling comfortable.
4. I hit a few more good hands and when we go from 7 to 5 tables, I am sitting on about 3600.
5. I think at this point, I should play a little looser, but I do not raise on random hands, I like to have potential AND position and probably could be a little more aggressive.
6. 83 players to start. I take a big hit with 2 tables left in a hand I did not need to get involved with - pocket 7s in early position. 7 players, short stack pushes, I call. He shows AQ and AAQ hit on the flop. on a coin flip type hand, when near the bubble, I should just call, not push.
7. We get down to 10 players and start talking chop. I have 8k in chips. Chip leader as 19k. 2 people with 1000 and 1500 respectfully and the blinds are 500-1000. We start talking and top place wants 1200. Bottom 2 places will take 300 and the rest get somewhere between 400 and 900 depending on stack. I agree to the chopm but here is my thought later. There was a very good chance that 2 players would be down in a few hands. That would mean, assuming that happened that the min I would get was 200 (the original prize breakdown went from 2500 down to 100 for 10th). So by agreeing to the deal I was basically going from $200 at the worst to $500 with the deal. Yet, I am really 1-1.5 hands away from chip lead should the cards come and the $2500 that it brings. In retrospect I feel I should have asked for more or not chopped and played it out, playing for the payout. If I get busted, so what, the potential was there.
I then made my second mistake. I told myself that I would play a little 1-2 for an hour or so. The problems with this are such- I do often have a hard time transitioning from the speed and strategy in a tournament to the slower pace of the 1-2 game. And it is a different style of play and I notice that I do not play well when I jump in after a tourny. Second mistake, thinking I would sit down for an hour and then leave. If I have just played 2.5-3 hours, then either commit to stay for awhile or leave. To sit down non-committed is not good play. Finally, after all those tournament hands, I stopped reading the cards and players. I bought in for 200 and about 20 minutes in see pocket Qs. I throw out 15 (an underbet now that i think of it), get 2 callers. Flop comes out 3h-4c-5c. I throw a continuation bet of $30 out, other player calls, button makes it a hundred. Instead of analyzing, I go all in thinking maybe he is on a draw or top pair or an overpair, but not as big as mine. Player to the left goes all in over the top. Button calls. next card is an 8d and a js. I turn my hand, player to the left mucks his unfulfilled flush draw and the button shows 6s7s for the straight (which he flopped of course). With that flop and such an overbet, I should have just felt that I lost the $45 and given in on the straight draw on the board, but I was tired and ready to leave and it cost me another $155.
Hopefully I will learn to stay with my post tournament promise.
$50 +10 buy in, $500 chop, $50 in tips, $200 at the table
+190
1. I believe I am a better tournament player than cash game player. I believe this to be due to my patience and ability to represent hands, even when I may not have them.
2. I do not come off arrogant or cocky (despite people knowing I do pretty well in tournaments at the club), in fact, I do my best to be respectful and nice. I have a good rapport with the other players and I do believe, at least in the beginning rounds, this can work in your favor as people may not want to mix it up with you.
3. In tonight's $50 tournament I started out well. Tripling up in the first half hour and then hitting pocket As twice for another couple of wins and suddenly I am on about 2200 in chips (500 to start) and feeling comfortable.
4. I hit a few more good hands and when we go from 7 to 5 tables, I am sitting on about 3600.
5. I think at this point, I should play a little looser, but I do not raise on random hands, I like to have potential AND position and probably could be a little more aggressive.
6. 83 players to start. I take a big hit with 2 tables left in a hand I did not need to get involved with - pocket 7s in early position. 7 players, short stack pushes, I call. He shows AQ and AAQ hit on the flop. on a coin flip type hand, when near the bubble, I should just call, not push.
7. We get down to 10 players and start talking chop. I have 8k in chips. Chip leader as 19k. 2 people with 1000 and 1500 respectfully and the blinds are 500-1000. We start talking and top place wants 1200. Bottom 2 places will take 300 and the rest get somewhere between 400 and 900 depending on stack. I agree to the chopm but here is my thought later. There was a very good chance that 2 players would be down in a few hands. That would mean, assuming that happened that the min I would get was 200 (the original prize breakdown went from 2500 down to 100 for 10th). So by agreeing to the deal I was basically going from $200 at the worst to $500 with the deal. Yet, I am really 1-1.5 hands away from chip lead should the cards come and the $2500 that it brings. In retrospect I feel I should have asked for more or not chopped and played it out, playing for the payout. If I get busted, so what, the potential was there.
I then made my second mistake. I told myself that I would play a little 1-2 for an hour or so. The problems with this are such- I do often have a hard time transitioning from the speed and strategy in a tournament to the slower pace of the 1-2 game. And it is a different style of play and I notice that I do not play well when I jump in after a tourny. Second mistake, thinking I would sit down for an hour and then leave. If I have just played 2.5-3 hours, then either commit to stay for awhile or leave. To sit down non-committed is not good play. Finally, after all those tournament hands, I stopped reading the cards and players. I bought in for 200 and about 20 minutes in see pocket Qs. I throw out 15 (an underbet now that i think of it), get 2 callers. Flop comes out 3h-4c-5c. I throw a continuation bet of $30 out, other player calls, button makes it a hundred. Instead of analyzing, I go all in thinking maybe he is on a draw or top pair or an overpair, but not as big as mine. Player to the left goes all in over the top. Button calls. next card is an 8d and a js. I turn my hand, player to the left mucks his unfulfilled flush draw and the button shows 6s7s for the straight (which he flopped of course). With that flop and such an overbet, I should have just felt that I lost the $45 and given in on the straight draw on the board, but I was tired and ready to leave and it cost me another $155.
Hopefully I will learn to stay with my post tournament promise.
$50 +10 buy in, $500 chop, $50 in tips, $200 at the table
+190
Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday $300 +30
After the horrible play that I performed this past Saturday (and no, I am not talking about the musical version of Tuesday's With Morrie at community theater), I was hoping to re-focus and play solid poker at the clubs' Monday $300+30. Not sure if it is the summer or just because of a recent police visit, but there were only 17 players in tonight's game. It started out well.
It was 25-50 I was on the button with Qh7h and called the bet (started with 6k in chips). SB calls and BB makes it 225 to go. One of the regulars had whispered to me earlier that this guy was loose and not very good so I call. SB folds. Flop comes out Qd+10h+4h. BB throws out 400 chips. I take a minute, see top pair with the flush draw and throw out 1200. Loose guy throws out 3000 on what I think is a bluff and I go all-in. He calls for the last of his chips and shows A-10 offsuit. So he has a pair of 10s. He does not improve and I double up. With only 17 in, doubling up early is a good place to be.
I am chip leader at this point and end up donking off about 3k or my chips on some aggressive play and some big re-raises against me. A little while later, another good hand comes to me. A good player to my right (and on the button) raises to 500 (blinds 50-100), I look down and see A-A. I call. Flop comes 2-5-6 rainbow. I check, for some reason he goes all in. I figure if he had a strong hand, he would draw me in. I think he put me on A-K or A-Q. I call and he shows pocket 7s. He does not improve and now I have about 20k in chips. The two tables combine and we are down to final table. I am in the lead, with 1 or 2 players close to me and a bunch of short stacks. After awhile and not much action we are down to 5. Top 4 get paid. 2 players say they don't want to deal, i figure I can sit back and only play strong hands and wait until the bubble gets broken. It takes awhile, but steve, a solid player gets beaten on 2 bad hands and finally is knocked out when his pocket 8s get beaten by A-J when a J comes on the flop. There are now 4 of us, all in the money, and we briefly talk a deal, but the short stack does not want to deal. Soon after I raise to 3k (blinds 500-1000) with K-Joff and am raised to 6k by the button. I call and watch as the perfect flop comes out 9-10-Q rainbow. I check, button throws in 3k, next card 7 and I throw in 5k. Hoping that he thinks I am trying to steal. He calls. River comes a 3 so I have the nuts as there is no flush draw out. I follow up with 10k and he mucks. A few other strong hands later and a bluff or 2 and I have close to 40k in chips. The other three players all have around 22-28k. We decide to talk and we end up chopping with me winning in 1st and getting $1500 and they all splitting 2nd for $1200. Yes, I could have waited and played it out (first place was $2500) but figured at this point I am guaranteed second and one bad hand and I am short stack. So it was good to take it down and I felt good about my play. All for about 2.5 hours work.
Also, unlike the last few times I have cashed, I did not go right back to a 1-2 table and lose a few hundred. I collected my winnings, tipped the dealers and left.
It was 25-50 I was on the button with Qh7h and called the bet (started with 6k in chips). SB calls and BB makes it 225 to go. One of the regulars had whispered to me earlier that this guy was loose and not very good so I call. SB folds. Flop comes out Qd+10h+4h. BB throws out 400 chips. I take a minute, see top pair with the flush draw and throw out 1200. Loose guy throws out 3000 on what I think is a bluff and I go all-in. He calls for the last of his chips and shows A-10 offsuit. So he has a pair of 10s. He does not improve and I double up. With only 17 in, doubling up early is a good place to be.
I am chip leader at this point and end up donking off about 3k or my chips on some aggressive play and some big re-raises against me. A little while later, another good hand comes to me. A good player to my right (and on the button) raises to 500 (blinds 50-100), I look down and see A-A. I call. Flop comes 2-5-6 rainbow. I check, for some reason he goes all in. I figure if he had a strong hand, he would draw me in. I think he put me on A-K or A-Q. I call and he shows pocket 7s. He does not improve and now I have about 20k in chips. The two tables combine and we are down to final table. I am in the lead, with 1 or 2 players close to me and a bunch of short stacks. After awhile and not much action we are down to 5. Top 4 get paid. 2 players say they don't want to deal, i figure I can sit back and only play strong hands and wait until the bubble gets broken. It takes awhile, but steve, a solid player gets beaten on 2 bad hands and finally is knocked out when his pocket 8s get beaten by A-J when a J comes on the flop. There are now 4 of us, all in the money, and we briefly talk a deal, but the short stack does not want to deal. Soon after I raise to 3k (blinds 500-1000) with K-Joff and am raised to 6k by the button. I call and watch as the perfect flop comes out 9-10-Q rainbow. I check, button throws in 3k, next card 7 and I throw in 5k. Hoping that he thinks I am trying to steal. He calls. River comes a 3 so I have the nuts as there is no flush draw out. I follow up with 10k and he mucks. A few other strong hands later and a bluff or 2 and I have close to 40k in chips. The other three players all have around 22-28k. We decide to talk and we end up chopping with me winning in 1st and getting $1500 and they all splitting 2nd for $1200. Yes, I could have waited and played it out (first place was $2500) but figured at this point I am guaranteed second and one bad hand and I am short stack. So it was good to take it down and I felt good about my play. All for about 2.5 hours work.
Also, unlike the last few times I have cashed, I did not go right back to a 1-2 table and lose a few hundred. I collected my winnings, tipped the dealers and left.
Monday, August 6, 2007
$30 +3 Sit N Go - FTP and $300+30
Been running pretty good recently which I am happy about. Mainly focusing on not making mistakes and taking opportunities when they come.
A few days ago, to kill time, I played a single table $30+3 sit-n-go on FTP. I think this is a good amount game for me to play. The lower $ tables have too much randomness with players making ridiculous moves (granted I have about a 40% in the money percentage) and while I play some higher tables, I feel like the $30 is a perfect time killer for me. I also play 1 or 2 a day when I have the free time, so if I run on a bad streak, it wont break me. Anyway, this was a good game. The think I liked best about it was my patience. I had one hand towards the beginning where I trapped with a set and got the player to my right to commit all his chips, but he ended up catching runner runner to make a straight. This left me with 560 chips from about 2000. The main thing I said to myself was to avoid tilt as the blinds were still low enough that I could see a lot of hands and take opportunities. I did get lucky when I went all in with K-10 suited on the button and was called by the SB with pocket Queens. 2 10s came on the flop giving me trips and they held up. Other than that hand, I just played solid and made moves when I could and started to get a workable stack and I used it. 30 minutes later I have over 9k in chips and put the final player to bed with my 8s-4s against his 10c-Jd when he pushed on the flop and I had hit the 4 and a flush draw. I am learning how much patience and position have helped me recently.
I played the $300+30 last night. I cashed for 2nd last week and was looking forward to a good game. I was card dead for a long time, only chopping one pot in the first hour and not winning any. I saw my starting stack start at 6k and finish at 5k after those first 2 rounds. Finally the cards started coming and with about 18 players left (30 to start), I started getting chips. Back to back pocket Js helped. Pocket Ks a little later on added to the stack and got me to about 17k in chips. 1 hand that annoyed me happened with about 14 players left. John, who is a solid player limped in (blinds 300-600) and something told me that he had as strong hand. I looked down with Ad-Jd and instead of limping in mid-position, I raised to 1800. Everyone folds to John, who calls (btw/he is shortstacked with about 7k). Flop Kh-9s-4d, he checks and I put in 2200 for a continuation bet. He goes all-in, over the top and I just could not call. I gave about 25% of my stack on that one, and I had the sense he had something and should have limped in or checked on the flop. I need to pay attention to my instincts more.
I was patient, picking up a pot here and there. 10 of us got to the final table, but I was down to about 9k in chips after a run of bad cards and I was not feeling too good about my chances. There were a few guys with about 40k in chips. Joe, who made about 70k playing in vegas during the WSOP was to my right with a big stack, Ray, with the chip lead to my left. But I told myself to wait and see if I could pick up some cards. Finally, I come all-in with Jacks on the button and Ray folds, but another player ends up calling with K-9. He does not improve and I have about 19k. 9 players left.
The next crucial moment is with 7 players left. One all-in already and Joe calls. It would have cost me the rest of my chips. I already have 2k in for the big blind and I am thinking on this one. I have Ad-Jd again. I put them both on pairs and think that if the A hits, I may be good. Joe looks at me and says, "you know how I play". I take the hint and go out. Player one turns Kings, Joe turns Queens. I joke with him if the A comes, I will be pissed and it does not, so I am still in it. I get caught in those dilemmas where if I were to hit I would triple up, and it is a decent hand, but i remind myself with an all-in and a call behind me, I have to be the underdog. We chip away here and there and it gets down to five. I am the small stack with 14k, Ray is the big stack with 60k. $9000 in the prize pool, top 4 places paid, I am fifth. We end up chopping and I take $700. I guess, I could have played to move up into bigger money, and I was 2 double up's from the lead, but with blinds about to be 2k-4k, it would not have allowed for much room and I have played with most of these guys before and would do the same with them. It ends up a winning session and I did place in the money 2 weeks in a row, so I am glad with that.
Sit-n-go
+130 (less buy-in)
Tournament
+700 (less buy-in/tips)
A few days ago, to kill time, I played a single table $30+3 sit-n-go on FTP. I think this is a good amount game for me to play. The lower $ tables have too much randomness with players making ridiculous moves (granted I have about a 40% in the money percentage) and while I play some higher tables, I feel like the $30 is a perfect time killer for me. I also play 1 or 2 a day when I have the free time, so if I run on a bad streak, it wont break me. Anyway, this was a good game. The think I liked best about it was my patience. I had one hand towards the beginning where I trapped with a set and got the player to my right to commit all his chips, but he ended up catching runner runner to make a straight. This left me with 560 chips from about 2000. The main thing I said to myself was to avoid tilt as the blinds were still low enough that I could see a lot of hands and take opportunities. I did get lucky when I went all in with K-10 suited on the button and was called by the SB with pocket Queens. 2 10s came on the flop giving me trips and they held up. Other than that hand, I just played solid and made moves when I could and started to get a workable stack and I used it. 30 minutes later I have over 9k in chips and put the final player to bed with my 8s-4s against his 10c-Jd when he pushed on the flop and I had hit the 4 and a flush draw. I am learning how much patience and position have helped me recently.
I played the $300+30 last night. I cashed for 2nd last week and was looking forward to a good game. I was card dead for a long time, only chopping one pot in the first hour and not winning any. I saw my starting stack start at 6k and finish at 5k after those first 2 rounds. Finally the cards started coming and with about 18 players left (30 to start), I started getting chips. Back to back pocket Js helped. Pocket Ks a little later on added to the stack and got me to about 17k in chips. 1 hand that annoyed me happened with about 14 players left. John, who is a solid player limped in (blinds 300-600) and something told me that he had as strong hand. I looked down with Ad-Jd and instead of limping in mid-position, I raised to 1800. Everyone folds to John, who calls (btw/he is shortstacked with about 7k). Flop Kh-9s-4d, he checks and I put in 2200 for a continuation bet. He goes all-in, over the top and I just could not call. I gave about 25% of my stack on that one, and I had the sense he had something and should have limped in or checked on the flop. I need to pay attention to my instincts more.
I was patient, picking up a pot here and there. 10 of us got to the final table, but I was down to about 9k in chips after a run of bad cards and I was not feeling too good about my chances. There were a few guys with about 40k in chips. Joe, who made about 70k playing in vegas during the WSOP was to my right with a big stack, Ray, with the chip lead to my left. But I told myself to wait and see if I could pick up some cards. Finally, I come all-in with Jacks on the button and Ray folds, but another player ends up calling with K-9. He does not improve and I have about 19k. 9 players left.
The next crucial moment is with 7 players left. One all-in already and Joe calls. It would have cost me the rest of my chips. I already have 2k in for the big blind and I am thinking on this one. I have Ad-Jd again. I put them both on pairs and think that if the A hits, I may be good. Joe looks at me and says, "you know how I play". I take the hint and go out. Player one turns Kings, Joe turns Queens. I joke with him if the A comes, I will be pissed and it does not, so I am still in it. I get caught in those dilemmas where if I were to hit I would triple up, and it is a decent hand, but i remind myself with an all-in and a call behind me, I have to be the underdog. We chip away here and there and it gets down to five. I am the small stack with 14k, Ray is the big stack with 60k. $9000 in the prize pool, top 4 places paid, I am fifth. We end up chopping and I take $700. I guess, I could have played to move up into bigger money, and I was 2 double up's from the lead, but with blinds about to be 2k-4k, it would not have allowed for much room and I have played with most of these guys before and would do the same with them. It ends up a winning session and I did place in the money 2 weeks in a row, so I am glad with that.
Sit-n-go
+130 (less buy-in)
Tournament
+700 (less buy-in/tips)
Friday, August 3, 2007
$50+10 Wednesday Tourney
Fresh off the 2nd place win on Monday, I venture back to the club for the small stakes Wednesday tourn. About 70 people, bring my friend C, I think this is her first multi-table tournament. About 7 tables. Here is the big difference with this one, while the monday has a starting stack of 6,000 and 25-50 blinds, this is starting with 500 and 5-10 blinds. So the stack to blind ratio is much lower. Each chip is worth more and you have less to play with. @ a $60 buy-in, with no rebuys, I think I need to get looser with this one. I waited, was down to about 400 and UTG puts out 60, I call with A-Qoff and the BB raises all-in for about 300. UTG calls. I wait and muck. A-Q has gotten me in trouble so many times and I have to put them on hands. BB turns over Jacks, UTG turns Kings. Next five cards come 7-A-10-8-4 rainbow. I would have taken it with the Ace. Normally, I would not care, but as I as thinking about it, for a tournament with so few chips and such a low buy-in, I feel maybe I should have gambled more. If I hit, I suddenly have a stack I can work with, if not, no big deal. Just something to think about for the next one. I went about about 15 minutes laters with pocket 6s vs pocket As, we both hit a set on the flop for extra pain.
In better news, C made the final table and while she went out 10th, she still doubled her money and got great experience. Way to go C!
In better news, C made the final table and while she went out 10th, she still doubled her money and got great experience. Way to go C!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
$300+30 Monday Tournament
Played the $300+30 last night with some success. I got to the club early trying to make enough for the buy-in. Ended up down on a suck-out and built myself back to about $80 up playing $1-2 before the tournament started.
28 players were in, and unlike last week, I reminded myself to keep very patient. I was not going to make moves unless I had the cards or the read on the players and just try to accumulate slowly. We started with 6000 in chips and things were going well. Pocket kings held up on an all-in and I had around 14k in chips when I looked down on the button with A-Jsuited. Nobody was in the pot and I pushed 900 (blinds were 100-200). SB calls. BB folds. Flop A-K-4. SB goes all-in for about 5500 and I call. He turns over J-J to my A-J. I have him dominated since I have one of his outs. Turn is a blank and then, of course, he hits his third J on the river for trips. A one-outer. ugh. I am down to about 8K and I am pissed. I had not made any mistakes until that point and this one was a freak catch. I took a minute, said nice hand and moved on. The main thing I did, and I think this was a turning point in the game for me, was to take remind myself that I still had a fair amount of chips and that I should not go on tilt. I put on the iPod (Bach's Cello Suites are great to keep you focused) and waited for hands and position.
Luckily, the patience worked out. I was sitting in the BB with K-9 offsuit and it luckily was checked to me with 2 callers. I checked and the flop came out K-9-4. SB checks, I check, other payer (the one who caught the luck might I add) pushes in the rest of his chips (7000), SB calls, and I go All-In with 7500. We turn them over and the aggressor has nothing A-7. SB has bottom 2 and my hand holds up. Now I am sitting with about 24K and am back in the game. 8 players left.
At this point the final table looks like this. Chip Leader -about 50k, me and 2 others about 25k, two with about 15k and 2 small stacks. One short stack falls and after a few hands I am mid-position and looking at A-A. Luckily, the player to my right bets out about 6K (he has about what I do), I think and want to isolate so I push All-In. Short stack to my right goes All-In for about 8K. It is folded to the first aggressor who folds. I show and the short stack shows K-K. Aces hold up and I know about about 45k in chips, second to the leader who has about 65 at this time.
The tournament pays 4 places, there are 6 left. The director comes over, asks if we want to make a deal. We end up agreeing and I take second with $2k to show for it.
What I liked about how I played was I did not make any moves that I regretted. I waited for the cards and when I saw weakness, I pushed on it, whether I had the cards or not. I also did not tilt, even though I got a very bad beat that could have sent me over the edge.
Final tally was this. +$80 for the initial round, +1500 tournament (after tips and buy-in), -$300 for stupidly returning to the tables after the tournament (it is hard to shift back to the $1-2 game after playing tournaments I have found).
+ $1280
28 players were in, and unlike last week, I reminded myself to keep very patient. I was not going to make moves unless I had the cards or the read on the players and just try to accumulate slowly. We started with 6000 in chips and things were going well. Pocket kings held up on an all-in and I had around 14k in chips when I looked down on the button with A-Jsuited. Nobody was in the pot and I pushed 900 (blinds were 100-200). SB calls. BB folds. Flop A-K-4. SB goes all-in for about 5500 and I call. He turns over J-J to my A-J. I have him dominated since I have one of his outs. Turn is a blank and then, of course, he hits his third J on the river for trips. A one-outer. ugh. I am down to about 8K and I am pissed. I had not made any mistakes until that point and this one was a freak catch. I took a minute, said nice hand and moved on. The main thing I did, and I think this was a turning point in the game for me, was to take remind myself that I still had a fair amount of chips and that I should not go on tilt. I put on the iPod (Bach's Cello Suites are great to keep you focused) and waited for hands and position.
Luckily, the patience worked out. I was sitting in the BB with K-9 offsuit and it luckily was checked to me with 2 callers. I checked and the flop came out K-9-4. SB checks, I check, other payer (the one who caught the luck might I add) pushes in the rest of his chips (7000), SB calls, and I go All-In with 7500. We turn them over and the aggressor has nothing A-7. SB has bottom 2 and my hand holds up. Now I am sitting with about 24K and am back in the game. 8 players left.
At this point the final table looks like this. Chip Leader -about 50k, me and 2 others about 25k, two with about 15k and 2 small stacks. One short stack falls and after a few hands I am mid-position and looking at A-A. Luckily, the player to my right bets out about 6K (he has about what I do), I think and want to isolate so I push All-In. Short stack to my right goes All-In for about 8K. It is folded to the first aggressor who folds. I show and the short stack shows K-K. Aces hold up and I know about about 45k in chips, second to the leader who has about 65 at this time.
The tournament pays 4 places, there are 6 left. The director comes over, asks if we want to make a deal. We end up agreeing and I take second with $2k to show for it.
What I liked about how I played was I did not make any moves that I regretted. I waited for the cards and when I saw weakness, I pushed on it, whether I had the cards or not. I also did not tilt, even though I got a very bad beat that could have sent me over the edge.
Final tally was this. +$80 for the initial round, +1500 tournament (after tips and buy-in), -$300 for stupidly returning to the tables after the tournament (it is hard to shift back to the $1-2 game after playing tournaments I have found).
+ $1280
Friday, July 27, 2007
What Would You Do?
I played the other day in the clubs new $50+10 tournament. It was frustrating as usual. I had had a great run for about a month, leaving with 2-3x what I bought in at consistently, but recently, the poker gods and my own misplays have been costing me.
But in this case, what would you do?
500 chips to start. Up and down for about 40 minutes and I am sitting on about 440 with the blinds 10-20.
I am in the BB with Qs+3d. 2 players in and I check. 10h was exposed on the deal.
Flop comes Ks+10d+10s. Check all around. turn is the 3s. SB bets 65, I call with my spade draw and small pair. 3rd player doubles the bet. I call, putting him on a K or maybe a 10 but figure if the spade comes, I am good. 6s comes on the river making my flush. I am first to act and push all in for about 300. Let me first say that the other player in the hand seems a little green. I have never seen him at the club before and he is not on top of all the etiquette. So, to continue,
he flips over his cards, without saying anything and then pushes his chips in. I initially thought it was a fold. Then I look down and he is holding K-10 for the boat. I am sitting there, waiting for the dealer and he pushes him the chips. Another guy at the table says that his hand is dead as he did not make the verbal call or push his chips in before turning over the cards.
I get up and tell him, 'I thought you were folding, but you had the better hand and I don't want to be a prick about it.'
I figured it was a tiny buy-in, he did not know the table/tourny rules and as well, I had been up for 35 hours straight and my heart was not in it. On the other hand, I technically won the hand when he showed before committing. For a bigger game/bigger stakes, I would have made a fuss, it just did not seem worth it on this one.
Would you have done the same?
-$60
But in this case, what would you do?
500 chips to start. Up and down for about 40 minutes and I am sitting on about 440 with the blinds 10-20.
I am in the BB with Qs+3d. 2 players in and I check. 10h was exposed on the deal.
Flop comes Ks+10d+10s. Check all around. turn is the 3s. SB bets 65, I call with my spade draw and small pair. 3rd player doubles the bet. I call, putting him on a K or maybe a 10 but figure if the spade comes, I am good. 6s comes on the river making my flush. I am first to act and push all in for about 300. Let me first say that the other player in the hand seems a little green. I have never seen him at the club before and he is not on top of all the etiquette. So, to continue,
he flips over his cards, without saying anything and then pushes his chips in. I initially thought it was a fold. Then I look down and he is holding K-10 for the boat. I am sitting there, waiting for the dealer and he pushes him the chips. Another guy at the table says that his hand is dead as he did not make the verbal call or push his chips in before turning over the cards.
I get up and tell him, 'I thought you were folding, but you had the better hand and I don't want to be a prick about it.'
I figured it was a tiny buy-in, he did not know the table/tourny rules and as well, I had been up for 35 hours straight and my heart was not in it. On the other hand, I technically won the hand when he showed before committing. For a bigger game/bigger stakes, I would have made a fuss, it just did not seem worth it on this one.
Would you have done the same?
-$60
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