A Dollar Down

After a nice wee session at Party I decided to enter the world of aliens and assorted mutant freaks.Yep,I put my new PS3 aside and logged onto Pokerstars...



I began at the $16's ( all 18 player games) and just for a change on Stars I ran like crap.( heavy sarcasm!)It really is possible to simply lose hand after hand after hand when you get your money in good.I do know that already but it still almost takes my breath away just how one sided luck can be at times.Still,I don't feel any great sense of entitlement and I'm not going to start acting like a whiney spoilt kid.The only justice in poker is over the long term and that can be a very long term indeed.

I was a little annoyed with myself that I didn't just quit ahead after my Party session.It is one long game though and as I keep writing here,the only way to beat variance is volume.I should really look at last nights 42 games and tell myself I won about $140 regardless of actual results.( 10-15% roi)

Anyways I moved up,played seven $38 turbs and didn't cash in one of them.Only winning $243 over eleven $27's kept me from making a poor night on Stars even worse.The margins are so thin though,that just one or two flips going my way at the right times in those $16's and $38's would have seen me into the black at Stars for the night.

The other downside of last night was that I didn't get to bed until just after 5am.I was up at 12pm today for the Rangers game which I then discovered has been postponed due to the weather.I can feel my eyes shutting as I write this and have promised myself an early one tonight.

Ok,time to watch the second half of the Spurs v Arsenal game,review last nights exit hands,drop Nacho off and play some Half-life 2.

Here's one hand from the bubble of a $16 I was keen to run through a Sng software tool today to see if I made the right call.Looks like ( result irrelevant) I did.It wasn't a snap call because calling here no matter what the result,effectively means the other similar sized stack ( Bccy on 2630 who is next in the 800 big blind)is freerolling into the money.I'd also noted that Bccy ( 2% roi at $25 over 1300 games) seemed to be a bit of a calling station and I wasn't keen on pushing any two cards into his big blind from the sb if it folded to me on the next hand.



Here's one where I make a bad call.My reasoning was that the shorty could easily double up,the big stack was shoving a huge range ( he was but my call still wrong)and that if I doubled up here I'd be almost certain to cash.

Even if the big stack is shoving any two cards,77 is still a fold.( action folds to big stack who shoves all in)





I'm off to clean out my stable.Heeee haw!

New Turbo Bloggerment Mtt on Full Tilt...

This weeks new turbo Britbloggerment is now available for registration on Full Tilt starting at 8pm gmt on Sunday.( 4pm est in lobby due to clocks going back).Password is "donkament" and it's open to all.Tourney number on Full Tilt is 65781530.Find it under the private tourney tab with the wee "t" for turbo next to it! Thanks to co-host Mr Cloud for coming up with the excellent banner!Feel free to borrow and pimp the game...



Before the Bloggerment on Sunday there's Dr Paulys Saturday PLO game...




Since my last post I've donked out a couple of $22's and played five or six $16's on Stars, taking a first and second place to move into profit for the month on Stars sngs.I've also been out for a fine curry with my Mum and Dad and my Mum proudly told me she is now in profit over her last three months of play on Stars!Has she been reading more books or actually listening to any of my advice? No,she's been playing "Hearts" at the same time and this is helping her be more patient! Whatever works I suppose.

Anyway the 2nd place finish last night came in a game I really should have won after accumulating a 16k chipstack by the time the bubble came around.A couple of readers mentioned they like seeing hands with explanations on my blog.I tend to feel a lot of these are simply hands where the nuts are flopped and any idiot could make $$ ,but here are a few that are hopefully a bit more interesting.I should probably have cheated and made about four posts from these hands but I think it's better to post them as they are still fresh in my mind...



PokerStars Game #21438946850: Tournament #116021755, $15+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/10/23 19:17:56 ET
Table '116021755 2' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 2: Lythande71 (3680 in chips)
Seat 4: zagga (1725 in chips)
Seat 5: Pokinaround2 (1300 in chips)
Seat 6: MadeInITA (1659 in chips)
Seat 7: NLGeronimo (6221 in chips)
Seat 8: oconnor8 (2065 in chips)
Lythande71: posts small blind 75
zagga: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to zagga [9s 6c]
Pokinaround2: calls 150
MadeInITA: folds
NLGeronimo: folds
oconnor8: folds
Lythande71: folds
zagga: checks
*** FLOP *** [Ts 5h 9d]
zagga: bets 300 >>>>> Unless villain has a 10,overpair or JQ type hand then my bet should win the pot.I try and bet enough to look strong and put the villain off bluff reraising.
Pokinaround2: calls 300>> Hmmm
*** TURN *** [Ts 5h 9d] [8c]
zagga: bets 450>>>>>> Picked up a gutshot and decide to fire again.
Pokinaround2: calls 450
*** RIVER *** [Ts 5h 9d 8c] [Td] >> chances are he doesn't have a ten here and is worried I do as I led out post flop.I'm also more likely to have a ragged hand which connected with this board as I'm playing for free out the big blind.( though I'm not sure I'd credit the villain for considering this)

zagga: bets 825 and is all-in>>

Pokinaround2: folds >> He can't have had much at all to fold for his last 400 ( aprox) into a pot of over 2k.

Uncalled bet (825) returned to zagga
zagga collected 1875 from pot
zagga: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1875 | Rake 0
Board [Ts 5h 9d 8c Td]



Game #21439122594: Tournament #116021755, $15+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2008/10/23 19:24:58 ET
Table '116021755 2' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: Pistolpeak (3500 in chips)
Seat 2: Lythande71 (2786 in chips)
Seat 3: MrDurden (2210 in chips)
Seat 4: zagga (3925 in chips)
Seat 5: vitus69 (3380 in chips)
Seat 6: MadeInITA (3718 in chips)
Seat 7: NLGeronimo (6421 in chips)
Seat 8: Deluk4 (290 in chips)
Seat 9: muttern3k (770 in chips)
MrDurden: posts small blind 100
zagga: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to zagga [5c 7d] >>
vitus69: folds
MadeInITA: folds
NLGeronimo: folds
Deluk4: raises 90 to 290 and is all-in
muttern3k: folds
Pistolpeak: folds
Lythande71: calls 290
MrDurden: folds
zagga: calls 90>> I didn't sharkscope Lythande but he had a platinum star ( meaning he plays a lot of poker on Stars) and I assumed he was probably a mulit-tabling winning player and wouldn't get too frisky post flop unless he hit board.I was hoping to hit something cheaply and probably check it down.I actually considered shoving or at least reraising here too because the shortries range was wide and I thought if Lythande71had any kind of really decent hand ( even a decent soooted Ace hand probably enough) he would have reraised to isolate which meant there was a good chance he'd fold if I did reraise.I decided not to partly because I felt my tight image wasn't worth compromising for a smallish reward.

*** FLOP *** [3s 4h 5h]
zagga: bets 600>> I bet out with my top pair and gutshot,feeling confident Lythande will fold here most of the time.
Lythande71: calls 600 >> Awesome read as he snap calls!
*** TURN *** [3s 4h 5h] [7h]
zagga: bets 1400 >> It's unlikely Lythande has a 6 and as I've hit two pair and could be representing having hit either the flush or straight I feel it's worth betting out.
Lythande71: folds
Uncalled bet (1400) returned to zagga
*** RIVER *** [3s 4h 5h 7h] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
zagga: shows [5c 7d] (two pair, Sevens and Fives)
zagga collected 1200 from side pot
Deluk4: shows [Jc Kc] (high card King)
zagga collected 970 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2170 Main pot 970. Side pot 1200. | Rake 0
Board [3s 4h 5h 7h 2h]



PokerStars Game #21439182836: Tournament #116021755, $15+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (100/200) - 2008/10/23 19:27:23 ET
Table '116021755 2' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: Pistolpeak (3450 in chips)
Seat 2: Lythande71 (1846 in chips)
Seat 3: MrDurden (2060 in chips)
Seat 4: zagga (5055 in chips)
Seat 5: vitus69 (3530 in chips)
Seat 6: MadeInITA (3468 in chips)
Seat 7: NLGeronimo (6371 in chips)
Seat 9: muttern3k (1220 in chips)
Pistolpeak: posts the ante 25
Lythande71: posts the ante 25
MrDurden: posts the ante 25
zagga: posts the ante 25
vitus69: posts the ante 25
MadeInITA: posts the ante 25
NLGeronimo: posts the ante 25
muttern3k: posts the ante 25
MadeInITA: posts small blind 100
NLGeronimo: posts big blind 200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to zagga [7d 7h]
muttern3k: folds
Pistolpeak: folds
Lythande71: folds
MrDurden: folds
zagga: raises 400 to 600 >> I'd raised NLGeronimo's big blind a few times,usually with a decent hand.I was half expecting him to play back at me this time....

vitus69: folds
MadeInITA: folds
NLGeronimo: calls 400
*** FLOP *** [7s 5c Ad] >> Yes the hero flops a monster and can hardly mess it up if he tried!

NLGeronimo: bets 600 >> Nice donk lead into me on a sweet flop.Hoping he has Ace but aware he could be making move to recover some of the blinds he probably feels I've been stealing.

zagga: calls 600 > I chose to flat call because the board was so dry and I want to give the villain the chance to lead out again on the turn.

*** TURN *** [7s 5c Ad] [3h]

NLGeronimo: bets 1000

zagga: raises 1000 to 2000 >> I don't min raise often but felt it would build pot nicely.

NLGeronimo: calls 1000

*** RIVER *** [7s 5c Ad 3h] [5h]
NLGeronimo: checks
zagga: bets 1830 and is all-in >> I'm fairly sure he has the Ace now and if he likes it enough to lead on the flop and turn then I think he'll call an all in.
NLGeronimo: calls 1830

*** SHOW DOWN ***
zagga: shows [7d 7h] (a full house, Sevens full of Fives)
NLGeronimo: shows [Ah 6h] (two pair, Aces and Fives)
zagga collected 10360 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 10360 | Rake 0
Board [7s 5c Ad 3h 5h]

Seat 4: zagga showed [7d 7h] and won (10360) with a full house, Sevens full of Fives

Seat 7: NLGeronimo (big blind) showed [Ah 6h] and lost with two pair, Aces and Fives




PokerStars Game #21437700569: Tournament #116014419, $15+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level II (15/30) - 2008/10/23 18:27:00 ET
Table '116014419 2' 9-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: tascio (2205 in chips)
Seat 2: w8ing4cards (2935 in chips)
Seat 5: 12Michael12 (260 in chips)
Seat 6: zagga (1450 in chips)
Seat 7: getö (802 in chips)
Seat 8: lil__red000 (1685 in chips)
Seat 9: dlake32 (1350 in chips)
w8ing4cards: posts small blind 15
12Michael12: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to zagga [7s 7c] >> I'd usually limp here with 77 early on in sng with blinds still low.I chose to raise because it was my first bet and I wanted to get heads up with the shortstack in the bb as I reckoned 77 would do well against his random hand.The shortstack had just lost a big hand and in my experience they almost always shove a huge range on the next hand if left very short.

zagga: raises 90 to 120

getö: folds
lil__red000: folds
dlake32: folds
tascio: folds
w8ing4cards: calls 105 >> hmm I think it was this player who crippled the bb's stack with a donk move in the last hand.Hopefully the big blind shorty shoves as planned....
12Michael12: raises 140 to 260 and is all-in >> Thankyou Sir!
zagga: raises 1190 to 1450 and is all-in>>> I don't think w8ing can have a very strong hand if he's only flat calling so I shove to isolate and get HU with shorty with the extra dead money in the pot
w8ing4cards: calls 1330>> used his timebank and called.Stronger than I expected but I was still slightly ahead on this coinflip
*** FLOP *** [5h 3s 8d]
*** TURN *** [5h 3s 8d] [3d]
*** RIVER *** [5h 3s 8d 3d] [4c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
w8ing4cards: shows [Qh Ah] (a pair of Threes)
zagga: shows [7s 7c] (two pair, Sevens and Threes)
zagga collected 2380 from side pot
12Michael12: shows [Kc Kh] (two pair, Kings and Threes)
12Michael12 collected 780 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3160 Main pot 780. Side pot 2380. | Rake 0
Board [5h 3s 8d 3d 4c]

Looks like my bankroll has had a good day without me playing a hand thanks to the Pound weakening further v the Dollar. All the more reason to hit the tables later and try and win some more fine US $$!

Back soon....