Interpoker MTTs

I've found these to have good structures and very weak players.
The lone drawback to them is the small prize pools, but that has its advantages.
For example, I've final tabled 3 of the 4 MTTs I've played here. Inconsequential as the money may be, it's nice for the psyche. The only one that I failed to make the money in, I decided I didn't want to play in the first level and re-raised all-in with second pair, no kicker. I was out, and I went on to go to bed.
I tend to play these very late at night, which accounts for the small size of the fields.
Regardless, they're fun. You can do a lot by just waiting for good hands, because of the tournament's great structure. And when you do win a hand, you'll often double through because of the weak caliber of players that you're up agianst.
Last night I made $40 US in a 5lb tourney. I finished in 5th, and played fairly well. I got lucky twice, but neither hands would have knocked me out, or ruined my chances (though the second would have hurt).
An interesting thing about the site. If you raise to 300, and someone goes all-in for 350, that doesn't close the betting for you. So if an EP limper calls the push, and then you push, he's caught in a pickle. I had this happen with AK vs the shortie's 88, and the big stack's QJ. He was a moron, and I won a huge sidepot. The fella with 8s made quads though, so he tripled up.

In Which Ryan Gets Ugly

Ok, by now I'm sure you've learned of the girl murdered on 'West Campus,' a high-density residential area next to the Univeristy of Texas campus.

Here's a Daily Texan link to the story.

I don't want to write the gory details; go ahead and read it. Now that you're up to date, allow me to say this.

After being found guilty, Colton Pitonyak should be summarily executed. Appeals weren't meant for savage animals like this, and if they were... fuck 'em.

Both Pitonyak and his naive, misguided friend, Laura Hall, have profiles on thefacebook.com, just like me and most every other UT student.
Pityonak's is pretty typical.
For music, he'll take "anything but country."
Some of his interests are drinking and women.
The first movie he lists among his favorites is "Boondock Saints." I have a poster of the movie on my wall.

The quotes he adorns his profile with are the typical semi-profound fare found on every profile of this sort. Only one seems chilling now, but were it on my profile or anyone else's no one would think twice about it.

"You can get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than a kind word alone." - Al Capone

Pitonyak's comrade in Mexico is a dumb bitch and her profile exhibits this fact nicely.
Her 'About Me' section reads as follows:
"Colton's innocent. He's the most generous, kindest person that I have even been blessed to spend time with. There is no way he is anything but innocent. If anything has anything to say to the contrary, I dare you to say it to me."

Well I can't say anything to her, but if she reads it over this medium I'll be pleased.
He's guilty as can be.
His bath tub.
His date.
His hack saw.
His lie to her mother.
His sudden trip to Mexico.

Give me a break bitch. Was this some elaborate frame-up?
With reasoning as poor as yours, it's a wonder you got into UT.
You're nothing short of a moron, and I don't pity you. I despise you.

Hall lists her location as "Deported?"
And in the most infuriating aspect of her profile says "Police ruined my summer."

You selfish bitch, how dare you?
A girl is dead and you're blaming the police for ruining your summer!
Don't blame the police, blame your sick lover, Colton.

Furthermore, you're lucky to be alive and capable of bitching about your ruined summer.

This bimbo is so repulsive. Just abut every one else at UT would agree to have a "ruined summer" if it meant that one of their peers might live, but you...

I'm disgusted in this pair.

May he be sentenced to death, and her lead a miserable existence.

I Give 'Em Too Much Credit

Son of a bitch.
I feel like I should have won my second MTT tonight. Down to 3 and I had a healthy stack. I also felt like I was the best player left (and in the whole fucking tournament for that matter.)
But on player impressed me early, and is also in the top 3.
Lindy.
He has respected my raises, and I his. We've gotten into some small pots, but nothing to make me believe that he's at least a half-blooded donk.

I would be proven wrong.

------HAND 5------
Game #897686613: Texas Hold'em No Limit (600/1200) - 2005/08/21 - 03:45:55 (ET)
Table "Tourney 963786 - 1" Seat 7 is the button.
Seat 2: BurntOrng (22239 in chips)
Seat 7: lindy11 (36005.50 in chips)
Seat 9: KentSo (7755.50 in chips)
KentSo: posts the ante 150
BurntOrng: posts the ante 150
lindy11: posts the ante 150
KentSo: posts small blind 600
BurntOrng: posts big blind 1200
----- HOLE CARDS -----
dealt to BurntOrng [Ts Th]
lindy11: raises to 3600 he raised my blinds a few times, not time to fuck around.
KentSo: folds
BurntOrng: raises to 22089 and is all-in insta-raise
lindy11: calls 18489 insta-call
----- FLOP ----- [7c Jc 5h]
----- TURN ----- [7c Jc 5h][Qd] was there ever any doubt?
----- RIVER ----- [7c Jc 5h Qd][Jd]
----- SHOW DOWN -----
BurntOrng: shows [Ts Th] (Two Pairs, Jacks and Tens, Queen high)
lindy11: shows [Kh Qh] (Two Pairs, Queens and Jacks, King high)
lindy11 collected 45228 from Main pot
----- SUMMARY -----
Total pot 45228 Main pot 45228 Rake 0
Board [7c Jc 5h Qd Jd]
Seat 7: lindy11 (button) showed [Kh Qh] and won (45228) with Two Pairs, Queens and Jacks, King high
Seat 9: KentSo (small blind) folded before Flop (didn't bet)


The two remaining players get all-in next hand with 92 and 33 respectively, and it's over.

Yay for Drunk Poker

I'm writing this drunk, but I'll pay attention to spelling and punctuation; I promise.

I came from from a great party feeling terribly unfulfilled poker-wise. So I hit the tables. I've said before that I'm a good drunk player, and I truly believe it.

I started with a $1 SnG becuase it was about full. Eventually, I push with AJ am called by A2, and I lose.
During the SnG, I open up a .25/.50 NL table because I want to get some of the 100% bonus cleared.
Right out of the gate I lose $10 when I'm in the BB with K9hh. The SB min raises. I call and the flop is QJA-rainbow. We go check check and I bet when it's checked to me on the turn. He mn-raises and I call the river bet.
The river was a 9 to give me two pair, but my opponent has QT and I'm sunk.

I float around there, and start up a $20 6-handed SnG.
I get JJ UTG+1 in the ring game and UTG limps. I make it $2 and the guy on my left makes it $4.
UTG limper calls like the donk he is, and I call.
The flop is T-high and I figure I'm winning or losing a big pot.
It's checked to me and I decide that if i bet here and the re-raiser raises, chances are I'm losing a big pot. If I check and he bets, and I raise, I may win a big bot. So that's my line.
He bets $13, and the EP guy calls. I sigh and push.
Both call and I figured I'm fucked 6 ways to Sunday.
The turn is a T and both get all-in, now AK is kicking my ass and I... actually I don't really care. I'm like "screw it, never had a chance". But the river gives me a dinky straight, and I have renewed hope.

The UTG limper turns over K9 for two pair, and the re-raiser mucks. I take down a $110 pot.
I was sucked out on by the turn but redrew on the river, beautiful.

I decide to close that window and concentrate on the SnG, which has reached the bubble. I end up pushing with AJ, and getting called by A5. Evil doesn't strike and I'm in the money.
Then the chip leader knocks out the other guy and we're HU.

I got super aggressive and quite lucky after that. I'd make a standard >10xBB push and he'd call with an A. I'd make a pair and double through. I even won with Q8ss vs AQo.
The poker gods were taking away my bitching rights but I wasn't about to complain. I doubled him up, then doubled off him, then took him out.

When it was all over, I'd made like $90 in one drunk hour, so I shut down.

Just when I thought I was out of the woods

Apparently, that tourney win was just a bump in the road to ruin.

I've played a couple more tourneys on Noble. In a $15r I made the final table with a stack that was close to average. Only 5 spots paid, so I still had a lot of work today. My cards had been ice the whole tournament and the only reason that I'd come that far was because I'd made a goofball play with 63o and gotten lucky.
I'd gotten KK once, but only took the blinds. I'd pushed on consecutive hands with Q4o and K7s to take blinds just prior to the final table.
With 10xBB I found AhQh two off the button and I shoved it in.
The SB made a gutsy call for 10K of his 11K in chips with 99. I flopped a flush draw, and turned a wheel draw.
Too many outs. The river was a brick, and I was out.
Me and Duquedelsol had a little chat about this on Yahoo messenger and decided his call was possibly bad by a very slim margin, but I'm not complaining about this one.

Today was ugly. I decided to stay home, play poker and work on some stories for the Daily Texan. I played a $15 freeze out and before I knew it, we were down to 13. 10 spots paid and I had an 11th place stack. My stack was 11th place because the hand before, I'd raised with AK.
The SB called and checked. I bet on the 8J7 flop, but weakly (because of his play in past hands). He called and pushed when a T hit. I folded and he showed A9.

I stuck around and pushed with my favorite hand, AhQh. A bad player with a nice stack had limped UTG and he insta-called with AJo. A J on the river ended my run.

I got puissed and played a $50 6-handed SnG. With 4 left, everyone had around 5xBB. It was sick. One player bluffed a dry side-pot and kept seat 1 in the game, which infuriated me and sealed my fate. The next hand, seat 3 limped. I had JKdd and decided he might well fold like a jackass if I pushed. So I did.
The BB, seat 1 of course, called. And the idiot limper folded. The BB had AJ and I was out.

On another bubble, I pushed with AJ and got called by a UTG limper with QTdd. The flop had an ace and two diamonds, the turn gave him his flush.

In a PLO SnG, I was knocked to 90 chips after flopping the nuts and getting all-in vs a set, the board paired and I lost the hand. But I survived and on the bubble I was CL at one point. Then I lost tow all-in pre-flop hands to the same guy. I was a favorite in both. With the the first hand he doubled, and the second he knocked me out.

So I played a $20 6-handed. My opponents were nothing short of god-awful and I quickly got it heads up.

With a slim chip lead, I had T2o. The SB completed and I checked. The flop was T24 rainbow. I checked and he bet 900 into the 200 pot, like I thought he could based on previous play. I decided to let him bluff off the rest of his chips, so I flat-called. The turn was a 5 and he pushed for 1600. I called.
He showed AK. The 3 on the river gave him the flush and crippled me.

So I've lost $100+ since that tournament. But it's not all bad news. I started with $400 on Noble and I have $536 right now. That's plenty.

Victory at Last

I won my first real MTT last night. I was on Noble, and as ScottMc said, the play was soft.
I decided to play a little $5r while I battled Scott on a .10/.20 table. Showtime25 also showed up and we had a grand old time.
Through it all, I half-paid attentionto the $5r. Twice I timed out because I was ignoring it.
I added on after the first hour and was in for $10. Eventually, I realized we were down to two tables. I kep multi-tabling. I was hanging on with between 7x and 10xBB this whole time. But my timing was perfect and I was picking up blinds.
On the bubble, I raised with KcQx. To my chagrin I had 3 callers. One of them was all in. The other was the chip leader and the other had a few more chips than me.
The flop was beautiful. QcXcXc. The guy that called from the BB pushed, I called and the chip leader folded. When the dust had cleared I was at the final table with a huge chip lead.

Basically, I owned the final table. I threw my weight around just right and took blinds while people were knocked out. Down to 4 a fish one a huge pot after calling someone down on the flop and turn with K-hi and rivering a pair.
That put me in second.
With three left i had the great fortune of a superpassive, weak-tighty to my right. She folded her SB constantly saving me thousands of chips per orbit. But i lost a big pot to her right off the bat, and was in a solid third for awhile.
Like I said, it was her passivity that kep me alive and I caught some nice hands at the right time. I doubled after raising with JJ in the SB. The BB (our fish from earlier) pushed with A4. I was happy to call, and even happier when I took down the pot.

With my renewed life I continued stealing blinds. I doubled up the BB when my 77 lost a race to his A9o. but finally he tangled with the weak-tighty and knocked her out.
We were heads up, and he had a 2:1 CL. After going back and forth with a few blinds, I pushed with Q8 after he limped 44. He called and I won the race. Now I was 2:1.
A few hands later, I pushed with J7. He called with T7, somehow, and flopped a T. At this point I had about 35K to his 125K and I was pissed. I almost started pushing every hand, but was able to reign in my emotions.
I doubled with AQ vs A4.
When we got even, I push with AQ. He called in a flash with Kx and flopped a pair. I was feeling pretty low until a beautiful A landed on the turn. When the river fell he was left with barely enough to cover the SB.
Of course he doubled up the next hand. Then he was all-in with 72o vs my Kx. he hit a 7 on the turn, but as soon as i sighed with annoyance, a K spiked on the river.

My mind set at that final table was very weird. A few minutes before making it that far, while still at the final table I typed in the chat box for Scott that I wouldn't mind a baby cash at all. But before I sent it along, I erased. I decided that I'd be asking to bubble and that my mindset was sorry.

At the final table my mind was on that $249 for first the whole time. I kept thinking about how it would affect my recent slide (cut it in half). Only when I got HU did I realize that I hadn't won the $249 yet. But it just felt like it was mine for the taking. Very strange.

Thanks to you two who commented in the 'I Suck' post. Always nice to read words of encouragment.

I suck

Well I'm down in a big way. -$500 in 3 horrible days. It's taken a few days just to get the nerve to write about it here.
Pretty discouraging stuff...

I'm moving $500 to Noble Poker. My boss Scott wants me to try it over the weekend and report back to him.
So that's what I'll do.
I'm hoping to have a big weekend, and feel able to show my face online once more.

Sot it's off to Noble.

Thank Tilt

I came home from a friend's apartment just a little drunk...
So I decided it wa time to play some poker. Usually I play well drunk, but I was not playing well HU. Maybe drunk HU is different. I sucked.
After lsoing the first match, I got pretty far down in match #2. About that time I relized that when I woke up in the morning I'd have to face the fact that Id come home drunk after midnight and woke up the next morning more thn $100 poorer.
That was not a desirab;e feeling, so I resolved to play better.
My opponent seems to have decided to play worse at about the same time.
It was lovely.

Here are some of the drunk hands:

*********** # 6 **************
PokerStars Game #2274265973: Tournament #10962262, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/08/06 - 03:20:57 (ET)
Table '10962262 1' One on One Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: pumaman00 (1410 in chips)
Seat 2: BurntOrnge (1590 in chips)
BurntOrnge: posts small blind 10
pumaman00: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BurntOrnge [9d 5s]
BurntOrnge: calls 10
pumaman00: raises 20 to 40
BurntOrnge: calls 20 [b] He min raises out of position, after completing, I'll almost always call that. [/b]
*** FLOP *** [4c Ts Js]
pumaman00: checks
BurntOrnge: bets 60 [b] shot at the pot, not bad[/b]
pumaman00: calls 60
*** TURN *** [4c Ts Js] [3s]
pumaman00: checks
BurntOrnge: bets 120 [b]hmm, prolly not to smart, but not so bad[/b]
pumaman00: calls 120
*** RIVER *** [4c Ts Js 3s] [4s]
pumaman00: bets 60
BurntOrnge: calls 60 [b]I call with my flush, I suppose I should call there, but that hand is bad, no doubt about it . He didn't play it well either, IMO [/b]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
pumaman00: shows [Ad Ks] (a flush, King high)
BurntOrnge: mucks hand
pumaman00 collected 560 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 560 | Rake 0
Board [4c Ts Js 3s 4s]
Seat 1: pumaman00 (big blind) showed [Ad Ks] and won (560) with a flush, King high
Seat 2: BurntOrnge (button) (small blind) mucked [9d 5s]

*********** # 27 **************
PokerStars Game #2274301083: Tournament #10962262, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2005/08/06 - 03:28:50 (ET)
Table '10962262 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: pumaman00 (1770 in chips)
Seat 2: BurntOrnge (1230 in chips)
pumaman00: posts small blind 10
BurntOrnge: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BurntOrnge [4c 9h]
pumaman00: raises 20 to 40
BurntOrnge: calls 20
*** FLOP *** [Qc 3c 9s]
BurntOrnge: bets 60
pumaman00: raises 60 to 120
BurntOrnge: calls 60
*** TURN *** [Qc 3c 9s] [7s]
BurntOrnge: checks
pumaman00: bets 20 [b] This guy is so bad, it's hilarious. but i wasn't playin any better.[/b]
BurntOrnge: calls 20
*** RIVER *** [Qc 3c 9s 7s] [Kc]
BurntOrnge: checks
pumaman00: bets 100
BurntOrnge: calls 100 [b] This cll is plain bad. [/b]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
pumaman00: shows [Ah Ac] (a pair of Aces)
BurntOrnge: mucks hand
pumaman00 collected 560 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 560 | Rake 0
Board [Qc 3c 9s 7s Kc]
Seat 1: pumaman00 (button) (small blind) showed [Ah Ac] and won (560) with a pair of Aces
Seat 2: BurntOrnge (big blind) mucked [4c 9h]

That dropped me to 950 in chips and it was time to get smart.

Two hands later.
*********** # 29 **************
PokerStars Game #2274304579: Tournament #10962262, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level II (15/30) - 2005/08/06 - 03:29:38 (ET)
Table '10962262 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: pumaman00 (2065 in chips)
Seat 2: BurntOrnge (935 in chips)
pumaman00: posts small blind 15
BurntOrnge: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BurntOrnge [As Jd]
pumaman00: calls 15
BurntOrnge: raises 90 to 120
pumaman00: calls 90
*** FLOP *** [Ad 7s 4s]
BurntOrnge: checks
pumaman00: bets 120
BurntOrnge: raises 300 to 420
pumaman00: raises 1525 to 1945 and is all-in
BurntOrnge: calls 395 and is all-in
*** TURN *** [Ad 7s 4s] [9h]
*** RIVER *** [Ad 7s 4s 9h] [4c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
BurntOrnge: shows [As Jd] (two pair, Aces and Fours)
pumaman00: shows [7c 3c] (two pair, Sevens and Fours)[b] HAHAHAHA, he limp calls with 73cc out of position, then pushes after flopping middle pair and I check-raise the flop. HA![/b]
BurntOrnge collected 1870 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1870 | Rake 0
Board [Ad 7s 4s 9h 4c]
Seat 1: pumaman00 (button) (small blind) showed [7c 3c] and lost with two pair, Sevens and Fours
Seat 2: BurntOrnge (big blind) showed [As Jd] and won (1870) with two pair, Aces and Fours

Then he starts playing very poorly pushing preflop to open etc.
On one of these pushes he shows Q4. Was that supposed to put me on tilt? He's pushing with garbage! Who would have guessed?!
I had folded Kx that hand.

In the end it comes down to a race. Lose that and I most liekly lose the match. But I can't fold 77 here.
*********** # 51 **************
PokerStars Game #2274343909: Tournament #10962262, Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level II (15/30) - 2005/08/06 - 03:38:57 (ET)
Table '10962262 1' One on One Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: pumaman00 (1115 in chips)
Seat 2: BurntOrnge (1885 in chips)
pumaman00: posts small blind 15
BurntOrnge: posts big blind 30
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BurntOrnge [7h 7c]
pumaman00: raises 1085 to 1115 and is all-in
BurntOrnge: calls 1085
*** FLOP *** [Qd 8c 4s]
*** TURN *** [Qd 8c 4s] [Tc]
*** RIVER *** [Qd 8c 4s Tc] [3d]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
BurntOrnge: shows [7h 7c] (a pair of Sevens)
pumaman00: shows [Kd 9c] (high card King)
BurntOrnge collected 2230 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2230 | Rake 0
Board [Qd 8c 4s Tc 3d]
Seat 1: pumaman00 (button) (small blind) showed [Kd 9c] and lost with high card King
Seat 2: BurntOrnge (big blind) showed [7h 7c] and won (2230) with a pair of Sevens

I left him with a parting question.

BurntOrnge[observer]: Tilt Much?

The New Job

I have a cubicle.


That still seems funny to me. I got hired to work as a "locate specialist" for Child Support Enforcement. Pretty cool job, I track people down. When I find them, I call them.
We have a chat.
It's fun.

They pay is good, and the hours are chosen by me. I would have to try real hard to get a better job than this.

Now I'll have to spruce up the old cubicle. Interestingly enough it's in the building where Office Space was filmed. So my cubicle is, by default, the epitome of a cubicle.

Yesterday, my boss invited me to play in a home game with him and some pals of his. A few Austin-American Statesman sportswriters were there, including one I met in Oxford, MS. I busted him in the second or third level when my KK met his AQ on a Q-hi flop.

I played tight while the blinds were small, then really opened it up in the late stages. My live game was rusty in terms of chip handling and counting but my reads were spot on. With around 10xBB I got HU. I was outchipped about 2:1 and tried to steal the first HU hand. When he came over the top I was priced in to call for all my chips and found myself way behind with 67hh to his 66. A beautiful 7 peeled off on the flop, and I took a commanding chip lead.
My opponent pushed with J2o on the next hand and I insta-called with A4o. The community helped no one and I won the tournament.
7 people played and 3 spots paid. The buy-in was $20 and I won $80. I was happy with it.

We played another tournament and I busted fairly early when my AQss couldn't outrace A8dd. An 8 on the turn ejected me from contention and onto the rail.