Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Up Up and Away

I've always thought I'd be happy with a profit of $30 a day. That sounds very easy, and if I focused on it, I think it would be. It would also mean earning close to $1K a month. As you can see from my last post, I'm definitely not doing that.
But on days where I've made over $30, I always make a mental note of it to myself.

Today was a good day as far as that goes. Before 1:00p I've already found myself up $60ish. My big hand was for $99.10, and I had to catch a two-outer to pull it out. But it wasn't my fault.

I had an aggressive, borderline-wild, image. In the SB (playing 6-handed .25/.50 NL on RV) I make it 2.50 with TT. The BB (a big stack) called, WADB button (who I've busted twice in this session) folded. The flop is a friendly looking 663 rainbow. I bet out $6 and am called.
This fella likes to slowplay. Maybe the board isn't so friendly.
Turn is a T
It's looking friendly again.
Now I check, in case he does't have a big hand. This way I can get more out of him, if he wants to make a play for it. He bets $5, and after some thought, I make it $12. I hate min. raises, so $12 seems good. He goes with the min. re-raise, and I push.
Poor guy had K6s, and after being at $100 a few hands ago, he finds himself at $30.
Satisfied, and with school to work on (I shouldn't have even been playing) I waited for the blinds and left.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

FIAB Success

I finally ITM'd in WPTfan's PS FIAB (Fish in a barrel). It'a a private tourney with a lot of good players.

55 entered and I ended up finishing 8th. I had TT twice in a row to end my day.


187 hands played and saw flop:
- 2 times out of 25 while in small blind (8%)
- 9 times out of 25 while in big blind (36%)
- 11 times out of 137 in other positions (8%)
- a total of 22 times out of 187 (11%)

Pots won at showdown - 2 out of 4 (50%)
Pots won without showdown - 23

Very few showdowns. Half of those came at the final table. The first one that i lost was a checked down hand. The second was a hand in which I pushed with TT. AK called and got plenty of help.

Here is a fun hand.

*********** # 139 **************
PokerStars Game #1434060509: Tournament #5355944, Hold'em No Limit - Level VIII (200/400) - 2005/03/28 - 23:02:35 (ET)
Table '5355944 7' Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: fishintimber (6720 in chips)
Seat 2: lusion (5923 in chips)
Seat 3: BurntOrnge (5020 in chips)
Seat 4: ChicgoMike22 (6838 in chips)
Seat 5: JBalls99 (3456 in chips)
Seat 6: TennMoney (6662 in chips)
Seat 7: mineryc (2525 in chips)
Seat 8: Mike1623 (5094 in chips)
fishintimber: posts the ante 25
lusion: posts the ante 25
BurntOrnge: posts the ante 25
ChicgoMike22: posts the ante 25
JBalls99: posts the ante 25
TennMoney: posts the ante 25
mineryc: posts the ante 25
Mike1623: posts the ante 25
BurntOrnge: posts small blind 200
ChicgoMike22: posts big blind 400
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BurntOrnge [3s Ts]
JBalls99: folds
TennMoney: folds
mineryc: folds
Mike1623: calls 400
fishintimber: folds
lusion: calls 400
BurntOrnge: raises 4595 to 4995 and is all-in
ChicgoMike22: folds
Mike1623: folds
lusion: folds
BurntOrnge collected 1800 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1800 | Rake 0
Seat 1: fishintimber folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: lusion (button) folded before Flop
Seat 3: BurntOrnge (small blind) collected (1800)
Seat 4: ChicgoMike22 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: JBalls99 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: TennMoney folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: mineryc folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Mike1623 folded before Flop

This wasn't reckless at all. I didn't see anyway they could call. Chicgo was limping way too much for his own good, and Lsion wasn't limping into the pot after Chicgo with a hand he could call this bet with.
The BB had a random hand, and that was a risk I was willing to take.

My 8th place finish was good for a whole $24.50.
I sure do wish my tens could have held up at least once.

Monday, March 28, 2005

Overview

I thought I was due for a grand, but short, overview of what online poker has gotten me.
I have had $641 pure profit put in my bank account since I started.
I have another $100 on Neteller right now.
I had $592.80 on Royal Vegas.
on PS I had $296.69.
All of this money would be considered pure profit. Talyying it up gives me a grand total of:
$1630.49.
My poker career started 9/17/04 with the $10 free from Royal Vegas.
I'm pretty pleased with these numers, but it could be much better. That annoys me.

Sunday, March 27, 2005

Just Peachy

Well, I feel a lot better about True Poker now. But that's only because I was able to withdraw up. Things were looking grim, and I was steaming. I got down to around $25 in a matter of minutes at a 1/2 limit table, and was just tired of it.
While I was doing that, I was also talking to Nicky (I just added a link to his blog, check it out; he actauly makes money at this). So I told him I was taking the last of my deposit and sitting at a $50 max 1/1 NL table. He thought that sounded like a good idea, and away I went.
By this time, by $100 had dwindled to $41. So I play a while and do good. I work it up to $91. If I can only get over $100 I am the hell out of dodge. I still have one last level of my depsoit bonus to clear, but that 'free' 410 is only costing me money. I take a break and come back a couple of hours later.
I buy in for $50. The plan is to get up $9 and be done with it. Early in the session I get 56s, and I raise (image, stupidity, blahblahblah). I end up flopping an OE draw and I dump half my stack into the pot chasing it. It was a big, 3-way pot. I was getting good prices.
But that doesn't pan out.
So I scrap and claw, and get back into the $40s when I pick up JJ. I had just won a nice pot the hand before off the chick on my left. After limping she calls, as does Mr. overplay everything while talking about other people's bad play. The flop is super raggedy with two spades, 235 maybe.
The blind bets $5, and the woman pushes for $20ish. I mean to raise big, but I hit the wrong button and min. raise. But that's ok. Comapred to his $5 bet it is a hefty sum. He thinks and calls.
Time tells, what to make of them? I really think he's drwing. I feel it. But am I being suckered. The turn is another rag, he checks and I push.
"I'm a gambling man," says he. "It's always been my downfall"
With that, he calls with some sort of straight draw. (It all happened so qucik, I could get a good luck at the cards.) The shorty flips over a flush draw. The river pops down and pairs the board.
I take down a $147 pot.
The next hand, I get JJ again and I win a small pot when I flop a set. Then I leave.
I cashed out $192, and I am done with that site.
I just remembered how the hand went down right before the first JJ hand. I had K8s in the BB and the flop was KKJ rainbow.
She bets and I call. The turn is a 9, and she checks. I bet and she min. raises. I get a sinking feeling that QT is kicking my ass, and I call. I'm begging the board to pair.
On demand, a J hits the river. She checks. The pot is a bit over $40. I have $21 left. She has $20. I push and she thinks for a long while, then types "please show" before folding.
(bad bet? value bet in order? meh, it's only half the pot and I am greedy. No worries.)
Anyway, I proceed to mock her request to show, and I think that may have put her on tilt. it made getting her last $20 on the next hand very fun. I know that much.

So, I wasn't planning on playing poker today, but I'm glad I did. By the way, I didn't play any at RV but I thought an update was due. I am now at $592.80 at that site.

Saturday, March 26, 2005

@#%!

WTF

Man, I wish I knew what I was doing. I deposited $100 on TruePoker, and that's been a mess. In one session I lost 40 big bets. I had some bad luck, but not 40 big bets worth, and I know it.

On PS things remain the same. I'm playing fine, but I can't break out of this blahness.

And then RV stedily progresses. But I've been acting like a moron over there. $27 is my majic number.
I get down $27 before I get my head on straight.
Yesterday was the first time for this. Then today, I try a huge, elaborate bluff. WTF was I thinking? So I lose $27 without even seeing a showdown.
Here's how it worked. I had 58 in the BB.
The flop was 5AK. I bet out $1.50 and BB makes it $3.
My thinking is that he proba;y doesn't have that big of a hand (why? I am an idiot) I decide that if it was a strong A he would have raised. AA or KK he would have raised. 55 is very unlikey. So it folds to me and I make it $7. He calls.
On the turn I bet $15 and he pushes. Oops, now I'm thinking he had 2 pair. I dunno I had to fold.
Then I rebought.
One big stupid hand later, I was down another $27.
I re-buy. I rarely eclips $100 with my buy-in, and now I had to do more than that just to break even.
And I did. I ended with $108. I fought, I grinded. I took bad beats I lost with KK, etc. But there was no way I was going down behind.
And I didn't.
Now if I only went into the game with such focus maybe I'd be posting a profit of $58 instead of $4.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

PS why do you hate me?

Doing fine in a $2 MTT on Stars, right above average, good image. Then this hand occurs.

*********** # 4 **************
PokerStars Game #1400716141: Tournament #6255879, Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2005/03/22 - 23:08:53 (ET)
Table '6255879 198' Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: tmontana79 (3740 in chips)
Seat 2: bearspop (1050 in chips)
Seat 3: pl-dk (2855 in chips)
Seat 4: BurntOrnge (2880 in chips)
Seat 5: BoiUn0sKo0 (1355 in chips)
Seat 6: thc4lsd (1155 in chips)
Seat 7: skinnypat (1645 in chips)
Seat 8: 7suited8 (3435 in chips)
Seat 9: NateWOwen (1675 in chips)
NateWOwen: posts small blind 25
tmontana79: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BurntOrnge [Qd Qh]
Yes, best cards all day,
bearspop: calls 50
pl-dk: calls 50
BurntOrnge: raises 150 to 200
Too many limpers. Let's weed 'em out
BoiUn0sKo0: folds
thc4lsd: folds
skinnypat: calls 200
7suited8: folds
NateWOwen: folds
tmontana79: folds
bearspop: folds
pl-dk: calls 150
*** FLOP *** [4c Js 7s]Nice flop
pl-dk: checks
BurntOrnge: bets 700
skinnypat: raises 745 to 1445 and is all-in I've got this joker
pl-dk: calls 1445 ??? This can only mean one thing, right? But these players suck... Think Think Think I have plenty of chips, he's playing it like he has me nailed. Screw it, I'm out
BurntOrnge: folds
*** TURN *** [4c Js 7s] [3d]
*** RIVER *** [4c Js 7s 3d] [9s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
pl-dk: shows [Jd 7d] (two pair, Jacks and Sevens)
skinnypat: shows [Kc Jc] (a pair of Jacks)
pl-dk collected 4315 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 4315 | Rake 0
Board [4c Js 7s 3d 9s]
Seat 1: tmontana79 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: bearspop folded before Flop
Seat 3: pl-dk showed [Jd 7d] and won (4315) with two pair, Jacks and Sevens
Seat 4: BurntOrnge folded on the Flop
Seat 5: BoiUn0sKo0 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: thc4lsd folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: skinnypat showed [Kc Jc] and lost with a pair of Jacks
Seat 8: 7suited8 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: NateWOwen (small blind) folded before Flop

J7 my ass, but I made a good fold. And I'm happy with that. Next hand.

*********** # 3 **************
PokerStars Game #1400730713: Tournament #6255879, Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2005/03/22 - 23:11:07 (ET)
Table '6255879 198' Seat #9 is the button
Seat 1: tmontana79 (3690 in chips)
Seat 2: bearspop (1000 in chips)
Seat 3: pl-dk (5525 in chips)
Seat 4: BurntOrnge (1980 in chips)
Seat 5: BoiUn0sKo0 (1355 in chips)
Seat 6: thc4lsd (1155 in chips)
Seat 8: 7suited8 (3435 in chips)
Seat 9: NateWOwen (1650 in chips)
tmontana79: posts small blind 25
bearspop: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BurntOrnge [Kd Ks] Oh justice please
pl-dk: calls 50
greyhoundmom is connected
BurntOrnge has timed out while being disconnected Oh, come on now...
BurntOrnge: folds Sick
BurntOrnge is sitting out
BoiUn0sKo0: folds
thc4lsd: folds
BurntOrnge is disconnected
7suited8: calls 50
NateWOwen: folds
tmontana79: calls 25
bearspop: checks
*** FLOP *** [4s 7h 8d]
tmontana79: bets 100
bearspop: folds
pl-dk: folds
7suited8: folds
tmontana79 collected 200 from pot
tmontana79: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 200 | Rake 0
Board [4s 7h 8d]
Seat 1: tmontana79 (small blind) collected (200)
Seat 2: bearspop (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: pl-dk folded on the Flop
Seat 4: BurntOrnge folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: BoiUn0sKo0 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: thc4lsd folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: 7suited8 folded on the Flop
Seat 9: NateWOwen (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Once I get back on, I request my HHs, so I can complain about my luck. But wait, what's this.
The next hand after my KK

*********** # 2 **************
PokerStars Game #1400740462: Tournament #6255879, Hold'em No Limit - Level III (25/50) - 2005/03/22 - 23:12:37 (ET)
Table '6255879 198' Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: tmontana79 (3840 in chips)
Seat 2: bearspop (950 in chips)
Seat 3: pl-dk (5475 in chips)
Seat 4: BurntOrnge (1980 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 5: BoiUn0sKo0 (1355 in chips)
Seat 6: thc4lsd (1155 in chips)
Seat 7: greyhoundmom (985 in chips)
Seat 8: 7suited8 (3385 in chips)
Seat 9: NateWOwen (1650 in chips)
bearspop: posts small blind 25
pl-dk: posts big blind 50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to BurntOrnge [Qh Qs] PS does hate me, and I'm not even joking. Well maybe a little.
BurntOrnge: folds
BoiUn0sKo0: folds
thc4lsd: folds
greyhoundmom: folds
7suited8: folds
NateWOwen: folds
tmontana79: folds
bearspop: folds
pl-dk collected 50 from pot
pl-dk: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 50 | Rake 0
Seat 1: tmontana79 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: bearspop (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: pl-dk (big blind) collected (50)
Seat 4: BurntOrnge folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: BoiUn0sKo0 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: thc4lsd folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: greyhoundmom folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: 7suited8 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: NateWOwen folded before Flop (didn't bet)


On the bright side, I've still been killing RV. Yesterday I won 2 $100 hands, including one for $135, my biggest ever.
My only problem is that I don't spend enough time there. I really need to work on that. It's a wired mind set thing. It's not like i'm not on the computer all day anyway.

Monday, March 21, 2005

Spring Break (no poker)


I've played one SnG since I've been back. Just a little $5 on Stars to get back in the swing of things. I felt that I played fine, and then this silly hand occurs.

*********** # 1 **************
PokerStars Game #1391055735: Tournament #6288402,
Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2005/03/21 - 02:40:51
(ET)Table '6288402 1' Seat #5 is the button
Seat 3: dutchboy1024 (5245 in chips)
Seat 4: Borg2Man (4360 in chips)
Seat 5: Ace92 (1610 in chips)
Seat 7: BurntOrnge (1085 in chips)
Seat 9: BADjohnb (1200 in chips)
BurntOrnge: posts small blind 75
BADjohnb: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to BurntOrnge [Ac Ah]
dutchboy1024: folds
Borg2Man: folds
Ace92: raises 1460 to 1610 and is all-in
BurntOrnge: calls 1010 and is all-in
BADjohnb: folds
*** FLOP *** [Qd Kc Ts]
*** TURN *** [Qd Kc Ts] [3d]
*** RIVER *** [Qd Kc Ts 3d] [Td]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
BurntOrnge: shows [Ac Ah] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
Ace92: shows [Jh As] (a straight, Ten to Ace)Ace92 collected 2320 from pot

Damn, if it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all.It looks like the PS slump will plow right through my break.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Panama City, FL

Well this is it. I sent my money from Neteller into my bank yesterday, and I'm leaving Austin today. Home first, then I'm headed for Florida.

Poker Stars hates me. I keep bubbling in SnGs. Last time I bubbled it was with KQ vs. KJ for a big pot. I wasn't crippled, I was around 1800 when I pushed (blinds were 75/150) UTG had limped and SB completed. I was in the BB, so I had a great shot at taking down a big hand. But a J on the flop killed me.

So I got my PS BR down to $250! Luckily, I won my last $10 SnG, so I'm getting close to $300 again. But I'm still convinced that PS hates me.

Monday, March 07, 2005

Spring Break Coming Right Up

For all intents and purposes, I've made the money for Spring Break. Headed to Panama City, FL for some fun in the sun.

And a week without poker? : (
I certainly hope not.

Things continue to stay stagnate on Pokerstars, but I haven't been playing there much, just low buy-in MTTs (I earned a few TLBs!) and a SnG here and there.

I now have money on four sites. Party Poker, Bodog, Roayl Vegas and Pokers Stars. I'm under $100 on PP and under $20 on Bodog. I don't play either of them much, joining only to take advantage of offers.
If you're interested in trying out Bodog, I suggest signing up through DBPoker.com. They have a promotion allowing you to get $25 or a DBPoker hat free with a min. deposit of $20 into Bodog (if you follow their link).
I took the hat, got to represent my fellow DBs.
Also you get a free Bodog girls calendar. I don't hate eye candy...