Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Stars 100k ship

2nite was interesting.....last week I lost about 6k and was getting hammered once again today - I came into the night session with no cashes, and after busting the 20k AP I just had the 100K Stars to go.....my stars history is iffy - before this month I would run so awful on that site - after some unlucky spots today I figured my luck was back to reality after my 162 2nd place finish but apparently it wasnt.....ended up shipping the nightly 100k for 23k and change.....I never really had a big stack till the final two tables, then I came into the ft 4/9, and eventually was 5/6 at one point......had actually a funny hand short handed

PokerStars Game #47328259284: Tournament #323011041, $150+$12 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XXIV (6000/12000) - 2010/07/27 3:35:34 ET
Table '323011041 30' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: dudeoflife21 (289014 in chips)
Seat 5: Z06LUVR (736000 in chips)
Seat 6: UcfChamp (534073 in chips)
Seat 8: joesid88 (714662 in chips)
Seat 9: Tjollerboy (288251 in chips)
dudeoflife21: posts the ante 1200
Z06LUVR: posts the ante 1200
UcfChamp: posts the ante 1200
joesid88: posts the ante 1200
Tjollerboy: posts the ante 1200
UcfChamp: posts small blind 6000
joesid88: posts big blind 12000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Z06LUVR [Qd Ac]
Tjollerboy: folds
dudeoflife21: folds
Z06LUVR: raises 15777 to 27777
UcfChamp: raises 44223 to 72000
joesid88: folds
Z06LUVR: raises 95555 to 167555
UcfChamp: calls 95555
*** FLOP *** [5h 4h 7d]
UcfChamp: checks
Z06LUVR: bets 37777
UcfChamp: raises 82223 to 120000
Z06LUVR: raises 447245 to 567245 and is all-in
UcfChamp: folds
Uncalled bet (447245) returned to Z06LUVR
Z06LUVR collected 593110 from pot
Z06LUVR: doesn't show hand
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 593110 | Rake 0
Board [5h 4h 7d]
Seat 1: dudeoflife21 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: Z06LUVR (button) collected (593110)
Seat 6: UcfChamp (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 8: joesid88 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: Tjollerboy folded before Flop (didn't bet)

so we're 5 handed here - UCF has been pretty aggro up until this point - he had the CL for a while and was definitely 3 balling it light from time to time - anyways my intentions were to get in AQ preflop vs him - I felt his 3b range was pretty wide and a small 4 bet might get him to spazz out and ship in worse.....anyways he flats which was odd since he has a pot sized bet left....on the flop I planned on just betting 370k to put him in but by accident bet 37k! I felt like a total idiot at this point - what to do - I figured the flop didnt improve him and hed ship pre with bigger pairs and I gotta stick to my original plan....I shoved and closed my eyes and it was crazy seeing him fold....

when we got HU we were about even in chips and I offered to talk chop numbers and he quickly declined - I guess he looked at my stars stats and figured i was awful....anyways the final hand was when I raised the button with 26 suited he called from the bb and flop came 26A two clubs - he led I raised he called.....turn came an 5 - he checked I bet he jammed - i called he had 78 and i held......felt amazing winning that tournament and probably the best feeling since winning the 60k FTP back in november......Its been a long year playing on Stars without being a winner and finally I can say I am across all the sites.....it was funny too today cause I was in the stars 50r for 350 and ap 50r for 450 and was just watching my monthly profit disinegrate and boom

goodnite all see you another time

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Finally a lifetime winner on stars!

Since I started playing MTTs fulltime Ive struggled to make money on Stars....Id just constantly lose showdowns, run into better, etc etc etc......This was fine by me as I was crushing AP/FTP and doing decent on Cake so overall everything equaled out, but I always wondered when I'd do my first cashout on Stars....Well finally this week it came - took 2nd in Stars 501r1a and then 2nd in the 162 afternoon for like 14k combined....the first one, the 501r1a I ended up getting HU with about a 3 to 1 disadvantage....HU the button limps and I shove for 30 bbs - he snaps with K9 - I had A8 and he hit and that was that....Obviously a terrible call by him but hed been doing that all final table so nothing new. The second one I came in with about a 2-1 advantage.....I just couldnt flop anything and he apparently continued to pick up hands......I picked off some bluffs, got some of mine picked off - had 1 hand where I 4b pre with like k5 and he jammed - he was playing pretty straightforward and his sizing was giving away info but I couldnt get going...the final hand he opened, I jammed KQ for 20 bbs he obv has AQ......it was frusturating but what can you do......It felt great to withdraw off Stars - took a year to do so, but hey finally.....

As far as the other sites I also did well across the board....won the cake 109, a 50 fo on ap, and another 2nd in an ap.......Ive been feeling good about my game and am in a real good spot with it now.....its funny how much more I'll open now then I use to especially on sites like AP where they dont defend enough.......The only site I wont open too light is Stars cause they defend too much so I go back and forth between playing looser and tighter.......playing some of the softer APs like 50 fo's and the 20k at night you can run over the table so easily its really incredible......Ive also been 4betting more often then before - I still think at mid stakes 4betting is very very borderline as you need to satisfy a couple things before deciding to 4b bluff........had one spot in a FTP tournament where a decent reg opens with like 40 bbs, another decent reg 3bets with like 50 bbs, I got about 50 bbs and decide to put in a cold 4bet with like A3 - I figured its a good spot because the first reg opens with his standard sizing so his range is wide - the 3 bet from the other reg is also the proper 3 bet sizing - both stacks are deep that the 3 bet isnt commiting nor is his plan to isolate the first opener......Bet sizing is so key - had his 3b sizing not been 2.5x the raise then I wouldnt contemplate the 4b but everything was perfect......so I 4 bet - at this point my range is super strong - I dont know if they know who I am or if im capable of 4b without value, so I figured theyd need atleast QQ+,AK to consider getting this all in......anyways the original opener folded, the 3b shoved and I had to fold.....it definitely sucks when 4bs dont work but when they do its a beautiful thing...

Ive also worked on improving some things I was doing wrong........#1 was hero calling against people who arent capable of barreling.....heres an example

blinds 100/200, you have 6k, villan covers....villan is someone thats a reg but not good - hes very straightforward, will never value bet thin, and his sizing isnt the greatest...

villan opens in MP to 500, you flat with AJ, folds around flop comes J77 - he bets you call.....turn is a 2 bringing a club draw - he bets again about half pot you decide to call......river is a non club 6 - he goes all-in......for this player to be betting every street like this he has to have a near nuts hand - even with QQ/KK/AA I think hes that straightforward that he might take some pot control with the 77J flop......his range on the flop is obviously very wide, but I dont think hes capable of betting the turn as a bluff, or if he can its very very rare......when he jams the river its a little over pot so his sizing looks like it could be bluffy but at the same time hes that straightforward that he checks all of his river range except fh's,quads,trips,etc.....anyways I ended up calling and he had A7...I should fold the turn all day....

Another leak Im plugging is raising weak river bets on boards that are pretty dangerous.....Had a spot the other day in that 50 FO - heres teh HH

Stage #269536000 Tourney ID 5640136 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit 40 - 2010-07-09 15:36:16 (ET)
Table: 2 (Real Money) Seat #5 is the dealer
Seat 1 - RAISERAISE87 (1,910 in chips)
Seat 2 - TWIT007111 (1,164 in chips)
Seat 4 - SCHONGIT (2,229 in chips)
Seat 5 - Z06FANATIC (3,154 in chips)
Seat 6 - BIGPATRA (2,852 in chips)
Seat 7 - IRONP0KER (3,090 in chips)
Seat 8 - DA MAD HATTER (3,836 in chips)
Seat 9 - BIGCATOK (2,000 in chips)
BIGPATRA - Posts small blind 20
IRONP0KER - Posts big blind 40
*** POCKET CARDS ***
Dealt to Z06FANATIC [6h Kh]
DA MAD HATTER - Folds
BIGCATOK - Folds
RAISERAISE87 - Folds
TWIT007111 - Folds
SCHONGIT - Folds
Z06FANATIC - Raises 120 to 120
BIGPATRA - Raises 180 to 200
IRONP0KER - Folds
Z06FANATIC - Calls 80
*** FLOP *** [Jh Jc 4h]
BIGPATRA - Checks
Z06FANATIC - Checks
*** TURN *** [Jh Jc 4h] [8s]
BIGPATRA - Bets 160
Z06FANATIC - Calls 160
*** RIVER *** [Jh Jc 4h 8s] [10c]
BIGPATRA - Bets 80
Z06FANATIC - Raises 565 to 565
BIGPATRA - Calls 485
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Z06FANATIC - Shows [6h Kh] (One pair, jacks)
BIGPATRA - Shows [Qd 10h] (Two Pair, jacks and tens)
BIGPATRA Collects 1,890 from main pot

Alright so I open the button here - Im fine with this - I have a suited King in position against weak players who dont defend often....he reraises pre - the sizing leads me to a weaker hand than stronger - either way I have good implied odds to call and can outplay postflop..The flop comes out and he checks - maybe I should be betting here I decided not to as I dont really rep anything and dont want to be blown off my fd......the turn comes and he bets - I probably should of raised here if anything but figured I had alot of equity and hed check/fold alot of rivers....anyways the river comes out and he leads for 80 - its obvious this player is awful and is leading something to protect me from betting alot so I decide to pounce on this and make a substansial raise - of course he calls.....this might work later in a tournament with higher blinds but I think early on I should avoid raising rivers like this because my opponents in a 50 fo arent thinking enough to fold to my range thats either nuts or pure air.....Ive taken spots like these a couple times and definitely seems like burning money :)

Alright im tired and heading off to bed so i can grind tomorrow......no more river bluffs and hero calling

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Vegas trip report - Big day yest

So I went out to vegas for about 5 days to play some poker and have a vacation with the gf......we stayed at the Venetian which is easily the best place Ive ever stayed at - each room is a suite so while one person can be on the bed watching tv, theres a living room area with another flatscreen which is awesome....I could of stayed there for a month and it was around 100/night for the poker rate.....definitely where Ill be staying in the future.....anyways in regards to poker, I played 1 550 Venetian and 2/5 NL while I was out there.....first off live poker is hilarious - I'd probably rank the 550 skill level as that of a 50 dollar freezout online - the level of play early on especially is atrocious.......the structure is great though - 15k starting 25/50, 40 minute levels I believe.......I was very aggressive early on - played my normal online game, opened alot in position pretty wide, a couple 3 bets......got lucky with my 3 betting actually - a guy in later position opens at like 100/200 with about 14k effective.....hes been opening alot, looks like a younger guy, so I decide to 3 bet A7.......he flats and the flop comes 77x.......he checks, I cbet, I think he c/rs and I flat....turn comes another blank - he leads I shove he folds......says he had JJ (wp sir)...A couple hands later I open A3 from sb into bb who calls....flop is 338 - i bet he calls....turn comes a queen - i bet again he calls.....river is an 8 - i decide to valuebet/blockbet into him with intent on folding to a raise - i bet like 35% pot he folds......

So at dinner break I have about 160k and go into the 1500/3k level shortly after......I lose AK to QQ for a flip then my final hand comes up.....I got about 85k at 1500/3k when MP opens to 7500, CO flats, Im in BB with JJ and jam it.......MP calls and i lose a race to AQ....Overall I was very happy with how I played - I didnt feel like I made any glaring mistakes, although its definitely easier to play 100% on your game when your 1 tabling against retards.

So yest was a pretty good day to snap me out of a funk - I won the 20r 6 max Tilt and Cake 162 to get me some wins on the month, along with a couple 7-800 dollar cashes.....Ive also been staking someone recently whos real good and he won the 30k sniper on ap for 8k....while the month still isnt that great, its nice to get some confidence back and get that feeling again of winning.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Offering coaching services

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/164/poker-coach-listings/mtt-coaching-804529/

So I put up an ad on 2p2 regarding coaching for MTTs.....The going rate will be 80/hr if anyone who reads my blog is interested!

As far as poker its been slow this month.....Im up 4k while getting raped deep in tournaments....The worst part about this is alot of these FTs Ive made with 5 figures+ to first have a bunch of droolers that are pretty terrible.....last week I ft'ed the 40k ftp with 10k to first and busted in like 6th after losing QQ to QT....tonight I came into the 75k FTP 2/9 but got my money in with an open ender for about 40 bbs....I couldnt hit and obv busted like 7th - it was sad too as the two bigstacks I had played with for about 50 hands and were pretty bad.....you could tell this money was big to them and their play reflected it....one was super tight while the other was super spewy, so it coud of been a cakewalk if I picked up a big stack.....oh well cant win them all I guess....on a positive note Ive gotten in 180 MTTs only 11 days into the month which is great - as long as I get my volume in Im happy.

Monday, May 31, 2010

GG May

May turned out to be a very good month - it was tied for around my 2nd highest profit month on the year, and im not too far off of last years profit......i had one 10k hit this month, and about 8 3k+ hits......site by site, I believe AP/FTP continued to be my biggest winners -I know I won on Cake - on Stars I either broke even or was a slight loser - Stars continues to be my downfall but Im confident itll turn....Ive been having deeper runs on there but continue to run bad deep, but Im sure its gonna pan out eventually - I think I have like 2-3 wins on there this year! The last two weeks were interesting on the month - I went on a 7k downer towards the end but bounced back on last Friday with a win in the 50r AP and the 66 buy in ap, for a combined 8200...the 50r was funny cause I had rebought a couple times and was in for 400 - I was pretty annoyed with the situation but continued to steal until I got some double ups.....with two tables left I chipped up to the CL and continued to chip up......the field was weak, weaker then usual - I will say fridays are a very soft day for mtts - the fields are smaller and weak which leads to alot of overlay...the 66 AP was very soft - I had gotten aroudn the money bubble with 10 bbs and eventually won a couple all ins, had a suckout and had 30-40 bbs.....from there I chipped up, picked up alot of hands and dominated the field.....the ft was super weak- I dont think I got 3 bet once that tournament outside of value hands - when we got shorthanded I lost a huge hand with KK to AK, but after shoving a couple times in spots where they should of called any two, I got 10 bbs back, then 20 then ended up shipping it......all in all was a nice day to get some confidence back and get me back to the peak of the month...

Im looking forward to June and crushing it - hopefully I can knock out another 20k+ month - I think if I get in 350-400 mtts a month 20k is very doable.....I was thinking the other day how the money isnt a factor at all anymore - I have a really strong drive to compete and I truly love this game - winning a tournament whether its a 5 dollar or 1k is amazing and it feels great to battle people on a mental level and come out victorious.......the money is great but its not why I play anymore - I think a year ago I was very money motivated but now the competition drives me....it definitely gets easier to focus on the fun of the game when you have a nice financial cushion, but either way ill continue to put in the hours and grind it out

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

shipped a 2nd triple crown

ended up shipping a 2nd triple crown - had a win in that 75 buy in for 10k, won the ap 50r for like 5k, then the cake 109 for 3kish....it was cool to win another - its not really something that requires much skill just being able to grind and run good across 3 sites....since then Ive had some small wins here and there - think I won the 50r again and won the cake 162 as well - anyways profit wise im doing really well on the month - think its going to be tied for my 2nd biggest month on the year - yearly wise my profits are not too far off from my yearly 2009 profit, so thats exciting....would be amazing to match my 2009 profits by the end of the june, but either way Im very happy where Im headed for 2010.....Ive been adding more and more 320s to my schedule - I think the best bang for the buck is the 1/4 mil on stars on wednesday - its a 320 buy in with about 900-1k runners - the average play is probably equal to that of a 501r1a, so value wise its great.....Id imagine my roi could be say 30% in that, or 90 dollars profit everytime I play it. Ive also been playing the 1001r1a on Tilt - its not as great of a value as the 1/4 mil - the average table is alot tougher but even at a 15-20% roi thats still around 60 dollars profit per....its also cool being able to play with some great players and learning to adjust to their game....moorman is a great example of someone who just rapes you nonstop - you raise, he 3 bets, u 3 bet his raise, he 4 bets - its nonstop with him and someone you hate to see at your table......hopefully one day i can terrorize players

Thursday, May 6, 2010

nice week

Had a pretty sick week although Mon/Tues were the winning days...Monday I won the tilt 75 buy in for 10k, Tuesday went 4th in the 60k tilt for 7600, won the 50r for 5500, then chopped the 20k 6 max for another 5300 or so......had a funny hand in the 75k where a guy opened, I had Q4dd and decided to 3bet in position....he called flop came A9J two diamonds....he led out with 20k into a 32k pot, I shoved like 60-70k more, he calls with 78dd - luckily I held and picked up a ton of chips....the ft though didn't go as planned - ran TT into AA 5 handed, then JJ into QQ 4 handed to bust...the 75 buy in did go very smoothly - if anyone cares I uploaded the HH to PXF so if your interested respond back and ill post the link...

taking the day off today, maybe grinding tomorrow - we'll see.....ive been debating going to vegas for wsop - I really dont care to play the live events all that much, but its defintiely a cool atmosphere to be in during WSOP time....maybe ill make my way out west.